Category: Mind

heart · Mind

Stillness

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Remember how I challenged you in my last writing to “sit still” in the presence of God? Remember how I expressed that I believe stillness is the direct path Holy Spirit is leading those that are wholeheartedly following Him down? Remember when I described the path of stillness as an intense and somewhat cumbersome direction of cultivated maturity? 

Okay, if you remember, then you should be able to follow what I’m going to share next.

You see I’m learning that stillness is different than peace. It’s almost a higher level of peace. Peace… Peace is the absence of conflict. We can live in peace amidst conflict. Our souls and hearts can be at peace, even when our worlds are spinning mad or the world is spinning mad. However, stillness… Stillness is literally a supernatural interface with Heaven. It’s a weighty stature of God’s presence made available to us when our human spirit’s reach the paradigm shifting place of true intimacy and wholeness with the Godhead.

Recently, in regards to this, Holy Spirit said, “How are people going to know that I am truly with you, if you won’t let My stillness rest upon you? It’s okay to be still. It’s okay to not have any movement going on in you. That doesn’t mean things aren’t moving. Instead, it means you’re cultivating a space to carry the weight of my glory, which you’ve never truly carried before. And sure, sure it’s cumbersome. Sure, being still is not your favorite thing because you want to be doing, but I have called you to a life of stillness: spirit, soul, heart and body right now. A life of stillness that mediates on My goodness constantly.”

And so that’s where I find myself… Constantly focused on remaining empty of the complaints, frustrations and pettiness of my world and the world. Constantly choosing to accept and embrace the reality that we must continue to cultivate a deep-seated relationship with Holy Spirit and our own human spirits so that we may gain solutions for combatting the darkness in our world. And constantly focusing on Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit and the goodness they eternally supply through grace. 

And as challenging as it was to get to “here”… As challenging as it’s been to walk down this “jagged path” for a season, this place of inner stillness is worth it. 

And so, again, I challenge you to just sit still. 🌱

Confidence · Mind · Spirit · truth

The Persevered Life

Amanda1 Comment

Perseverance. Oh gosh, I hate perseverance. Actually, that’s not true. I hate the initial feelings of perseverance. You know… The feelings that make you think, “I’ve come so very far. I am so very weary. And… I’ve still got miles upon miles to go.”

And, if I’m completely honest, choosing to persevere can be completely overwhelming and, at times, all consuming for the heart and soul. However, I’ve learned that there is a way to successfully press through without running yourself empty while doing so. 

Perseverance takes peace. Meaning we must be in divine alignment with the Holy Spirit and His will for our lives. Our entire being: spirit, soul, heart & body, must be completely about His love, joy and peace. We must be fixated on Him satisfying our every need.

Perseverance takes patience. I know… I know… Patience is one of my least favorite things because I am a person who loves to cut corners and take things into her own hands; however, I’ve learned that a lifestyle of patience follows a lifestyle of peace. Meaning, it’s a lot simpler to get where we’re going when we have peace undergirding our ability to wait.

Perseverance takes endurance. We have to be able to get up and go!! We have to answer the call no matter the challenge at hand! And sometimes the task at hand is extremely challenging, and so we’d rather cut a corner or skip it. And other times the task is extremely weighty… Meaning we must have a great capacity to carry it. Which is why it’s so important to be prepared to get up and go at all times, in all seasons of life.

Perseverance takes focus. Listen… If we are truly living life in the will of God, then we MUST keep our eyes on the page He’s given us. And… If He’s spoken something to us, we must hold on to what He’s said and not let it out of our sight. 

You see I say all of these things in this moment because I feel somewhat weary about things I’m choosing to continue to believe for… And, I feel slightly overwhelmed about the miles upon miles that I have left before I reach my destination.

So I need… Actually I have to remind myself of these things… Of these truths. I have to speak to my heart & soul and remind them that I need to pursue peace, remain patient, endure whatever is ahead and continue to stay locked in on the plans set before me… And, even if those plans shift course, I have to remain steadfast to them.

Why? Well because when it’s all said and done it will be worth it to finish. It will be worth it to reach the destination He’s pushing me towards.🌱🛡⚔️ #cultivatelife #keepmovingforward 

Mind · Spirit · truth

The Jig is Up!

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I’ve never told this story on a public platform before…. Three years ago, mom, Bridget and I were sitting in Shreveport, La waiting for our house to sell.

Art… Art wasn’t selling. Our finances were nonexistent. And, we had sold everything of significant financial gain to pay bills on time.

Meaning, life… Life was dark. And, our future… Our future was bankruptcy.

Of course we all three went through a wide range of emotions during that time. And… God was silent for the most part, but He promised me we would not file for bankruptcy. So… I held Him to His word EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Once we sold our last piece of gold and paid our mortgage on time, the jig felt like it was up! So we surrendered the future to God. The miracle we needed was in His hands. There was no more we could do. He would have to uphold the promise He made.

And then, about a week later, we received our first and only offer on the house. It came in the number 5, signifying God’s grace. We were in complete awe and so grateful God made a way. He took us to our ends… To a place where we had to completely and totally rely on Him to see His promises fulfilled.

But the story doesn’t end there… You see we still didn’t have the finances to pay the mortgage until we moved. So AGAIN, we held God to His promises.

And then out of NOWHERE, someone contacted my sister wanting to commission a 5 foot painting of Jesus (again signifying Gods grace). He said, “Name a price.” And so we did, and the finances completely covered us, paid for mom’s move and moved us to NYC.

The best part… We NEVER filed for bankruptcy. God held true to His PROMISES. The miracle came when we least expected it, but when we were most prepared for it in our hearts because we had completely surrendered everything to Him. No man or woman could fix our situation. He had to do it.

And I don’t know who this resonates with right now. However, I want you to know, God is NOT short in finishing what He started. If He made a PROMISE, He will fulfill it in His timing. And… He might just fulfill it in such away that even nonbelievers will see that Jesus is King and God is sovereign. 🌱⚔️🛡#cultivatelife 

Body · Confidence · Mind · Spirit · truth

This is My Body

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This is my body. It’s the only one I’ve been given. It’s the only vessel (that I know of) my spirit and soul will ever live inside of. And… I don’t ever intend on altering it with plastic surgery to make myself feel a false sense of confidence in my outer appearance.

You see… For years I spoiled my body. I constantly fed it things it wasn’t designed to consume because I was broken, insecure and lost. And then… For years I starved it. I didn’t feed it enough of what it needed because I was STILL broken, insecure and lost.

And though I was certain I’d figure out “how” to live in my own version of a “perfect” body… I never did.

You see I couldn’t grasp hold of true confidence in who I was until I accepted that my spirit and soul were both sick and dying and in need of a healer. They were begging for real love and in dire need of true value and worth. (The kind we won’t find down the rabbit-hole of social media or through “self-love”).

My spirit and soul (the two things that matter MORE than my body) needed God. They needed the Holy Spirit. They needed me to fully lean into the fullness of Jesus Christ and His ability to constantly make me well from the inside out.

And I don’t know where you stand with body image and health; however, I do speak from experience when saying this… Let God heal you. Allow Him to transform you into a new spiritual being. And I know Jesus can be a sensitive subject (I’ve had my own personal journey)… But just try and lean into Him and His Holy Spirit.

You see… The Godhead doesn’t need a building to operate inside of. They need something WAY simpler, a bit more complex and incredibility unique… They need us. They need our hurt, our pain and our brokenness, so that they may take it and turn it into pure love, joy and light. And then… Then once they’ve done that, they need us to continue to pursue them with a heart that ONLY craves to follow the path of a cultivated LIFE! 🌱 #cultivatelife

Confidence · Mind · truth

Circling the Bottom

Amanda1 Comment

I don’t want to climb the mountain.
I don’t want to climb the mountain.

Yes I have the strength, the endurance and the capability… But I just don’t want to climb it.

And, so… Rather than climb the mountain, I’ve been circling the bottom for weeks. I’ve been circling it with hopes that He will change His mind.

But He hasn’t. He hasn’t… And so, through all of my whining and complaining, I know I must climb THIS mountain.

I must let go of more selfishness and stubbornness in order to follow Him up.

And I don’t know if you’ve ever truly followed Him before. In today’s culture, a true follow is challenging. We have 72 billion+ reasons to get distracted and misled. However, when we’re willing to go a little bit further with Him, He does open us up to more grace… More wisdom… More peace… And more treasure hidden inside of His heart and His Kingdom alone.

So… Up we go. 🌱 #cultivatelife

Mind · Spirit · truth

Deaf Ears?

AmandaLeave a comment

We’re all speaking. With all of our facts, opinions and restless, chaotic tips and thoughts… The majority of us have something to say. Even if we don’t share about it on a public platform, we’re all talking.

So my question… My question is this…

Who is listening? Who hears Holy Spirit’s voice? And when I say this, I don’t mean the second-hand account spoken from what someone else heard from Him. I mean… Who’s truly seeking Him, listening to Him and following His ways? Who’s choosing to take the risk and live from a place of faith over constant anxiety, restlessness and fear?

And if we are listening… What is He saying to each individual heart? How is He (not the government, religion or any other crumbling system in place) about to lead us as a nation and a royal priesthood founded and designed to belong to His Kingdom alone? 🌱⚔️ #cultivatelife

Mind · soul · truth

Great Illusion

AmandaLeave a comment

If you know me well then you know I talk about the will of God A LOT! It’s really vital for me to continue to cultivate a space where I listen, He leads and I follow. And it’s become fairly simple to do these things; however, the one thing that CONSTANTLY gets me hung up are MY feelings.

You see they’re just this sticky web of illusion and confusion. And, when I rely on them over what God has spoken, well I leave myself open to great deception and become a mess of a person.

And it doesn’t have to be like that. I don’t have to turn inside out over what He’s spoken versus what I feel and see.

So I’ve made a choice. Every time I feel overwhelmed by life’s circumstances versus what He’s spoken, I choose to stop myself and remind myself of Him, His truth, His words and our relationship as a whole.

You see… God never gave us feeling to enable us to trust Him. He never gave feelings to encourage us to trust Him. We live a lifestyle of faith, which isn’t a feeling but a choice… An action. And I know self wants to live by feeling. But we can’t because it leaves us liable to great deception, believing God will not be true to what He said and promised.

So… If you relate to what I’m saying, please be encouraged to live from what He’s spoken, rather than a place of chaotic, ever changing feeling 🌱 #cultivatelife

Mind · Spirit · truth

Deception Called

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Deception called. The masses are answering. Manipulation stared us in the eyes. The droves are buying her “truth.”

My soul feels heavy. It’s actually grieving. I feel like I’m watching my dad die all over again, but this time I’m deeply concerned about what will happen to the souls incased within each body.

And I guess He said it would happen like this. He told me, “The masses will be deceived. People you love and care for will not see truth. This is the highest form of deception Amanda. They will call false light “the light.”

But my soul… My soul is still heavy. It grieves.

But then all at the same time the war wages on… It wages, so I must let go, pray and move forward. 🌱⚔️ #cultivatelife #justlive

Mind · soul · Spirit · truth

If Deception Calls, Will You Answer?

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If deception called, would you pick up the phone and answer? If manipulation were to stare you in the eyes and claim to be “truth,” would you have the discernment to see THE truth?

Deception and manipulation, at their highest levels, have been released. Do you see it? Can you feel it? Are you asking Holy Spirit what THE truth actually is? Or… Is the Holy Spirit you know and commune with a counterfeit spirit?

We live in incredible times of falseness of all kinds. Times when darkness looks like pure light. I only speak from experience though. I used to live in deep, deep deception of dark light.

So… Again, if deception calls, will you answer? 🌱👑⚔️ #cultivatelife

Confidence · Mind · soul · Spirit · truth

One Broken Vessel

AmandaLeave a comment

Healing and wholeness have always been such a pinnacle part of who I am. And it’s not a mystery to me why I’m drawn to the supernatural power of God. It’s in my spiritual DNA.

Growing up I saw my grandmother lay hands on countless people… People riddled with cancer, sick and dying from the inside out… And after she laid her hands on them, the power of the Holy Spirit transformed them… They walked away completely healed, whole and filled with life and the eternal.

Which is why there are days, like today, when I find myself so caught up on thoughts of restoration… On thoughts of what our country would look like if we would simply lower our prideful, misguided, broken hearts and pursue the healing power of God.

You see I believe healing and wholeness will come when we can truly recognize that we are so much more than flesh and blood… We aren’t our outer appearance. We aren’t race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion or political backgrounds and parties. We are eternal. We are spirits with souls… Souls that are longing to be made whole so that we can be led by Holy Spirit into the truth of Jesus Christ.

And I don’t know what it will take for our broken, dying and practically dead nation to see this truth. But I do pray… I pray that Jesus will continue to restore all that we are… One broken vessel at a time. 🌱♥️ #cultivatelife #justlive