Have you ever really looked at a flower? The detail in the petals alone can leave me in awe that Elohim (all-powerful Creator) would go into so much detail on a flower that stands tall for a short summer season.

It does not matter what it is, who it is, or what season it is; God enjoys seeing His creation open to its purpose, especially in humankind.

Have you ever thought about what God sees when we go walk through seasons? It does not matter about family lineage or economic status; we are all going through seasons. I am not speaking of the four seasons as a period of the year that distinguishes special climate conditions. 

Nor am I talking about the rough roads of hardship or the smooth paths, no struggles; I am talking about it all; our lives.

Even though we go through difficult times, joy can be felt, and love can be seen if we look in the right direction.

Valleys are sometimes hard to walk through; the mountains on each side limit the sun from shining on the valley floor. Traveling through this valley, one would miss the sun’s warmth and maybe even feel alone. Hearing sounds and seeing things that might not be heard or seen on the mountaintop could cause one to fear that they are in a foreign place and forgotten. 

I am going through a season that has me traveling that valley, and though I would rather be on the mountaintop, I can see things that I would not be able to see otherwise, up close and personal.

I once heard a well-known worship leader say, “Sure, we can pray that the mountain will be removed (Mark 11:23), but that doesn’t build trust.”

I remember going through one of those difficult times, not understanding why a door was open to me that had me in an environment that went against everything I believed. Crying out to the Lord about it, I heard Him ask me; Do you trust me?

I said, “Yes, Lord.”

That is all HE asked me. No explanation. No word of hope on the other side. No instructions on what I was to do. He just asked me if I trusted him.

I remember walking out that season doing what I do, being who I am. As I did, I kept my thoughts solidified in my heart that GOD sees me, and I know things will work out. I didn’t know how or when, but I TRUSTED the Lord that I would get to the other side. And God did! It was miraculous how the answers, not just to my prayers but prayers of others, laid out beautifully before me.

I am not saying that the valley doesn’t have those moments when I need to re-adjust my perspective. This week I have had to walk through a couple of pickery patches; it surprised me, and with each patch of sand burs, I had moments of fear grip me. But perfect LOVE (God) quickly shadowed me, and fear had let go of my heart.

I found Matthew 10:29-31 in the contemporary language of the Message encouraging.

“What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you (Georgia) down to the last detail – even numbering the hairs on (your) head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk (or symptoms). You’re worth more than a million canaries. Parentheses mine

If, or when, we experience those seasons, you know, those seasons we would rather skip; we must remember that God cares about what is occurring to us. Don’t let what is happening at the moment keep you from knowing that God pays attention to every detail of your life.

The thrill of being on the mountaintop is coming to us valley walkers because we will get to the point where we start climbing the mountainside, all the time building trust that GOD is with us.    

Peace is a person, not a place.

Though the above picture does cause one to breathe deeply and find a moment of Peace, we have all heard the expression; don’t let “it” steal your Peace. The “it” differs for everyone, not a universal thing or circumstance.

No one is exempt from the valleys, where sunlight is not felt, but we know it shines. Walking through this valley, I am not going to lie; I have prayed that the mountain would be removed. And though things have miraculously improved, I am still in the valley. Like Papa God in His timing, I was at an event this past weekend where every speaker spoke of trusting GOD in those valleys and relying entirely on Holy Spirit.

I will not lie; fear and anxiety have gripped me, but to deny my feelings isn’t being strong or courageous. I have learned that denying my emotions is my way of self-protecting, and in reality, it is nothing that I can lean on when life gets hard.

Denying my emotion makes it hard to align them with God’s word. Acknowledge my feelings, and ask God what lie I believe and where the root comes from. Once I have done that, then I can exchange it for truth.

The first of the year, I heard these words drop in my heart: Georgia, I want you to step out of the boat. I have been taking one step at a time, not knowing where I am going. But the Lord has had me on a path of inner healing. Indeed I have Christianized my response to life’s disappointments, grief, bitterness, or even anger.

“It’s all good.”

“I give it to you, Lord.”

I now see those responses as denial, and I honestly thought I was being spiritual about it. I am so thankful for God’s mercy and grace: new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). I am on a journey of healing, mind, soul, and body. My spirit is being ministered to by Holy Spirit. 

I have been told to follow the Peace; it’s a new level of trust, keeping my eyes on the THRONE, yet being honest with my emotions and giving them to God. I need to learn to be still and honestly give him my tears. This scripture was dropped in my heart as I made the exchange this morning:

Georgia, do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the Peace of God transcends all (my) understanding, will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Jesus is called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Peace is a person, not a place, and I hold onto HIS hand as I walk this out.

“It isn’t enough to talk about Peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” -Eleanor Roosevelt. 

I want to be open and honest with my readers, and I don’t have it all together. And I sincerely hope I don’t convey in my writings as I do.  Most of the time, my blog writings are just me processing, with Papa God, something in my life.

Today I am writing about pride and jealousy that I have allowed to simmer in the corner of my heart.

I’ve mentioned before; my busyness prevents me from processing. Like when I am quickly cleaning the kitchen and throwing useless items in the junk drawer to give the appearance of countertops being clean. Once that junk drawer is crammed with so much stuff, it is no longer functional; I go through it only to find that most of the items could have been thrown away.

Today, I looked around my office, which desperately needs to be organized, and I told myself, STOP making yourself busy.

So, I stopped. I honestly looked. I asked Father God, what is this darkness that is trying to hide? I listened. I repented. I asked HIM to fill that area with the truth.

I have a distorted perspective and don’t know when or where it began. What might this viewpoint be? I believe that I possess wisdom that would help others walk through spiritual battles they are going through. Wow, how arrogant of me. 

Yes, I have gained experience when I have gone through battles of my own. And though my battles may not be the same scenarios as others, I have gained tools of understanding that can help assist others. However, it is truly a training that Father God, Lord Jesus, and Holy Spirit lead a person through.

I often pray for individuals to encounter the Trinity because that is where true transformation occurs. I see this always; people with personal experience have powerful testimonies encouraging another to step out in faith. We each possess these experiences and what we go through. And each piece of knowledge gained is as unique as our fingerprint. 

So why? Why would pride and jealousy creep into my thinking? It boils down to what I believe my value is worth. Can I prove to others that I am worth having in their lives? Honestly, this has been a battle I have been dealing with since I was a young girl.  

What others think about me doesn’t matter – my value is worth Jesus dying for. So why do I get entangled with the chains of self-worth?  Because I have an enemy that wants to steal it.

I think of my mother, who recently passed away. I am not sure if she understood how much she was loved. That we, her children, wanted her to be around us.

And somehow, my beliefs got distorted; if I had a good relationship with my mom, my children would want a relationship with me. And now that I can no longer build that relationship with my mother, I somehow believe the doors have been shut on me with my children.   

I have no ‘titles,’ so to speak, nor do I possess significant amounts of money; I am just me: Georgia. And it surprises me that I am turning 58 years old and still looking for value.

So, you see, my pride in thinking I possess wisdom that others would want and envy that someone would gain expertise without my help all boils down to what I believe I am worth.

My competition leads to division. Self-imposed, maybe. The enemy of our soul does not care how it happens, but his goal is to divide families, communities, cities, states, nations, and on and on. 

As I have processed this, I see a candle in my mind’s eye.

One little candle burning, and if I take my candle to try to light another one far away, my flame grows dim, and maybe it even goes out. 

Think about this – when you have a candle in your hand and move to another room to light another candle, a person has to protect the flame so that it will not go out.

But if the candle lights the room it is in, not worrying about lighting the other candle, it serves its purpose. Lighting the area, it is in.

I hope you can follow the analogy that was given to me by Papa God. Lighting up the address where I reside provides light to the person next to me to find their candle. God does the lighting and the victories they gain by allowing the Trinity to equip them.

I am not by no means saying that a person needs only to worry about themselves. We reach out and help those who are hurting. We are to accept those who are rejected. We must always keep our LOVE (God) glasses on and see from HIS perspective.

Unity – that is what it is about. We understand our value from HIS perspective. We are valued and loved, and when we come together, we can light up our communities, locking arms with one another to be what God has designed us to be – HIS FAMILY.  

I end this blog piece by lighting my little area – whether it be my website, those who read it, my neighborhood, and places I go; I am letting my one glowing light shine – and it is enough; I have value.  

You are probably aware during a basketball game; the crowd tries to distract the player when at the free throw line with loud hollering. Or when a baseball player is up to bat, the crowd in the stands will chant, hey batter, hey, batter, swing to distract the batter from using their best judgment of when to contact the ball. 

These tactics keep players from scoring. However, most players know of this ploy to keep them from being successful and have prepared themselves for such distractions.

Distraction is a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else.

We have many distractions going on in our lives. Some can be avoided by simply turning off our cell phone alerts. My phone will ding with every text message, youtube video I subscribe to, and email I receive. Amazingly, I do get some things done with all these interruptions. 

Though, there are some distractions that we cannot simply turn off. 

It has been this way for me since the beginning of the year. 

Have you ever noticed that when we set out to do something specific, the distractions of life can become our mental focus?

One would need to pay attention, or these distractions can divert us from our intended course.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (or distract from their purpose). 1 Peter 5:8

The principalities of darkness know and have to bow to the name of Jesus. And when a person knows their identity in the resurrected Messiah and uses their given authority, through the blood, to cut off the demonic, the distractions may seem more frequent—doing everything in his power to get your eyes off the Throne of God. 

I once had a pastor tell me; Georgia, the enemy, cannot keep you from eternal life once you acknowledge and accept the gospel of Jesus. But he can make your life like a pinball bouncing from bumpers and ramps if you look at him. 

He is nothing but a dancing distraction in front of you. Be wise; know that he is trying to manipulate you, however, do not take your eyes off Jesus.  

Colossians 3:1-2 MSG

So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things in front of you. Look up and be alert to what is happening around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.

So how do we do this? 

Here are a few practices and scriptures I walk through when I feel I am losing sight.

First, if I have to be honest with myself and ask, am I rehearsing an offense in my heart? If I am, I must repent and give that offense to God. Rarely does picking a scab off a wound bring healing. It only makes it bleed again. 

Hebrews 12:15 TPT

Watch over each other to make sure that no one misses the revelation of God’s grace. And make sure no one lives with a root of bitterness sprouting within them which will only cause trouble and poison the hearts of many.

Second, I need to ask: Does what I believe now go against what I know to be God’s accurate word?

2 Corinthians 10:5 AMP

We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ,

Third, I ask myself, am I trying to control the situation or person? Controlling is, for sure, a place where we should avoid finding ourselves.

Manipulation and control are from Satan, and we do not partner with that spirit. But if I find myself trying to control something or someone that isn’t my place to do, it costs me lots of frustration and energy. Ultimately it derails me from my purpose.  

Dancing distractions: Bitterness, lies of what the truth is, trying to control, and losing sight of the purpose. 

I won’t go into all the details of my life these past few weeks; I will only say there have been many dancing distractions attempting to get my eyes off the Throne and the purposes God has set me out to do. 

I chose to stop this pinball craziness. Rejoicing in the Lord, I will sing to Him whose name is above all names. And I solidified in my heart that I (nor my family) have not been abandoned.  

Only a few mentally plan to be in this spot my brothers and I find ourselves. However, we each knew that would come a day when we would have to lay to rest our beloved mom.

You might have memories of my mom, Margo. Family or friends, everyone agrees she was kind to everyone she met, and her smile would light up everyone she gave it to.

One memory I have is when I decided to lay out in the sun after hanging clothes out on the clothesline. To my surprise, mom asked if she could lay with me. This may not seem so unusual to most, but my mom was always doing something; in the household of eight, there was always something to do. So for her to stop doing to ‘be with me’ for a moment hardly ever happened.

Of course, I laughed when she just down on my blanket and folded up her ¾ sleeves as high as they would go and her pants up to her knees. And though we didn’t talk about anything that I can remember. I just felt close to her at that moment.

I had made a post shortly after mom passed about not looking at the would of, could of, should of- of the past, or looking at the future with regret – because that would take me to a place of sadness and, truthfully, bitterness. That is what I thought I needed to do to get through this season.

But the Thursday morning of her viewing, I had awoken with a name in my thoughts. This person isn’t someone I usually “follow” I heard of his worship songs, but I looked his name up because of my history of how the Lord shows me things.

I wanted to know if this person had a teaching or message. I got online and searched for the most recent post. I found it, and the message’s title is The walk of Grief.

I want to share a few things that have stirred my heart while I listened.

Emotions are complex – so grieving is complex. For me to deny my feelings, I am denying the Trinity to bring healing – I am restricting myself from growing.

Grief is work, but we don’t do it alone; we do it with our community, our circle. Family or friends, we need a safe place to talk. We have permission to be authentic.

We need to rest. Rest isn’t the absence of activity; it is the absence of control. Will we take refuge in the Lord?
Proverbs 3:5,6
Trust in the Lord, and do not rely on your opinions. With all your heart, rely on him to guide you (through Grief).
Then it goes on to say vs., 8
Then you will find the healing refreshment your body and spirit long for.

I do believe in the ONE whom God sent: Jesus. And I believe and trust in his word. And I am not ashamed to say; I asked for the miraculous; trust me, some of you were there.

But ultimately, God never overrides a person’s free will. Mom chooses to be with her heavenly father, God. And God is love; it says so in scripture (1 John 4:8, 4:16). Mom is surrounded in love.

The Lord dropped a vision of a resurrection plant (Rose of Jericho) blooming in my heart.

It is a small gray plant that curls its branches and seedpods inward in the dry season, forming a lifeless-looking ball. IT can survive for years in that form, but once moistened (watered), it revives and blooms.

Mom is fully bloomed and more glorious than we have ever seen.
So as we walk out the rest of our life journey, let’s not curl up in a lifeless ball. Let the refreshing water of God’s word refresh you.

Isaiah 12:3 – With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Revelation 22:17 MSG IF anyone thirsty – come – All who will come and drink, drink freely of the water of Life.