Category: process

authority & dominion · challenge · heart · keep moving forward · process · soul · weary

Weary for Nothing

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“Ew… You’re whining and complaining again Amanda!! Remember, we’ve outgrown this place. And I know it’s challenging to understand where Holy Spirit is leading and why He’s pointing “that way next,” but we don’t whine and complain because of our heart and soul’s lack of understanding. Instead we power up the giftings and tools He’s equipped us with and move forward.”

And so… There it is… The continuous conversation I will have with myself until my heart and soul learn how align with my spirit and then persevere past this place of obvious weakness.

And I don’t know about you, but perseverance can be very exhausting. Which is why I found it very interesting when I heard Holy Spirit say, “I want you to be weary for nothing. You must come to a place in Me where you don’t become tired with moving forward. You must get up and go at all times.”

“Oh okay… Amazing. So you want me to ignore my soul’s weariness even though I am fully aware that I don’t know what “next” is. And you want me to do it in my 30s… A time when my entire life is laying before me and I still want to do what I want to do, but I won’t because my heart’s desire has become to fully follow You no matter what… Okay…. I will do it.”

It’s been like this with Him lately. He’s been opening up vast realms and dimensions of His Kingdom to me, all while pushing me to fully participate in them at once. Why? Well because I am an active player in His Kingdom. And, when you’re an active player (we all should be), you don’t get to go sit on the sidelines and rest when you’re tired. Instead, you keep moving forward when He says, “KEEP GOING.”

And so now you might be wondering, “Okay, Amanda… How do you move forward then? How do you find the energy, the will and the tenacity to stay His course?”

Well, first and foremost, I plug my human spirit into the presence of God as much as possible. Yeah, that’s right. I get into His presence and allow Him to pour more of His energy and power into me. And then… Then I operate from my human spirit as much as possible because it contains the energy, will and tenacity to keep going.

And it’s been a process to learn how to do this; however, I’ve learned that the more I allow my spirit to lead, the less likely my soul will scheme up an escape plan because my spirit’s strength outweighs my soul. And the more my heart aligns with the heart of Father God, the more confident, secure and at peace I become in my purpose in any given moment.

Also, cultivating a lifestyle that continually combats the kingdom of darkness has revolutionized my world and those around me. I just don’t give myself excuses anymore when it comes to spiritual warfare. Instead, I allow my spirit to be the “superhero” God intended her to be. I give her the reins when speaking to principalities, demons on assignment and demonic weaponized energy sources. I let her rule and reign from the throne God has entrusted her with, all while channeling what He’s deposited deep within.

And I know this might all sound weird; however, this is how I live. Actually this is how I’ve gradually lived as I’ve learned how to cultivate the lifestyle I am currently living from. And sure… Give it some time and there will be a higher level of where I am right now, but today… Today, we persevere. 🌱 #cultivatelife #keepmovingforward

capacity · focus · heart · process

Heaven’s Pace

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Last week I told you that God was examining my heart again…

Of course, in the moment I didn’t really understand what the examination was all about. I mean… He does inspect it quite often, but this time… This time felt different. 

So, in true “Amanda form,” I questioned Him about it.

His response, “I’m checking out your capacity. You’ve been asking me for two months to increase your capacity, and I’m ready to do it. So, here I am inspecting the middle ground of your being to make sure it’s prepared to handle the increase of responsibilities I’m sending your way.”

Okay… When I heard this, I was truly excited!

You see over the years I’ve learned that God will not give us more than we contain. Sure, the world’s system has a way of offering us piles of things we aren’t prepared for, but God… God is unique in the fact that He never wants to overwhelm our refinement, development, maturity and growth. Meaning, we can incessantly ask for things, but He’s probably not going to hand them over until we’ve matured into the version of self that He needs us to be.

His process is holy you know?.. It offers us the grace to go at Heaven’s pace. And sure… Sure it takes times to get where we’re going; however, when we do get there, we are able to contain the weight of the responsibilities He’s entrusted us with because we have the capacity to hold it.

And I don’t know if I’m making perfect sense when explaining this; however, I do hope and pray you are inspired to remain focused with where He has you right now. I hope you don’t settle and begin to chase after systems that will ultimately lead to death and destruction of your spirit, soul and heart. Because, I believe, the refinement, development maturity and growth He’s taking you through will provide you with the capacity you need to move forward in every aspect of life. 🌱 #cultivatelife

capacity · focus · grow · heart · process

“Bettering” My Heart

Amanda1 Comment

Oh boy… I hear it again, “What’s in your heart Amanda? I’m searching your innermost parts to see what’s planted there and what kind of ground it’s growing on. Are you going to let me have the things that are languishing? Are you going to surrender the fear that’s keeping you from moving forward? And what about the healthy roots that have been established on good ground? Are you going to focus on them and the life they’re giving, or are you going to disregard them because you desire growth in other areas you aren’t ready for yet? Tell me what’s happening inside of you.”

Yes, it’s true. God examines my heart a lot. He inspects the middle ground of my spirit, soul and body more times than I’d like; however, His inspection is always for good measure. He’s always looking to refine areas in me that are broken, afraid and seemingly a little lost. And then He’s constantly prepared to show me other areas that have grown beyond my wildest comprehension.

And, to be quite honest, it’s challenging to listen to God’s plan for “bettering” my heart. But it’s also so good. So good that I have to say, “Okay God, let’s do this! Bring inner healing and deliverance to these areas. Oh, and please teach me how to increase here. I want to thrive at a higher frequency so that I may cultivate a greater capacity for life.

You see I’m sharing this because I hope you have a similar relationship with Him. I hope you live and operate from a real, true spiritual reality, rather than the false reality that’s marketed to us on the regular.

Because living through the lens of God’s reality means that we are constantly and consistently willing to lean into the Kingdom of God and all it has to offer us. It means we meet every challenge He presents us with with gladness in our hearts. Because, when we do… When we truly begin to live from His perspective, well I believe we will cultivate lives (spirit, soul, heart and body) beyond our wildest dreams. 🌱♥️ #cultivatelife

faith · keep moving forward · kingdom · process

Don’t Stop. Do Wait.

AmandaLeave a comment

About two months ago I wrote about a spiritual mountain I didn’t want to climb. I explained that the mountain would require me to exercise more faith in God and His ways than ever before. I also shared that more faith required me to exchange more of my selfish, stubborn wants and ways for His path forward.

Well, I’m truly happy to report that the climb up is going VERY well.

You see with each step I take I am reminded of the truth that faith… Faith is a lifestyle.

To me faith isn’t simply believing in God and His Kingdom. Instead, it’s an action. It requires us to continuously and consistently step outside of our comfort zone to do the things He’s asked of us, even when we don’t see immediate results in the physical.

And sure, it’s very easy to do what works for us because we’re selfish, stubborn people who like the idea of having control over the situation; however, if we can’t fully follow through with where God is leading and be patient in the process, then we will most definitely become stagnant, frustrated and completely overwhelmed with “why” things aren’t “working out.”

And I guess I’m sharing this because I want to encourage you to keep moving forward in the things of God, but also to be very patient with His leading. A lifestyle of faithfulness doesn’t produce a harvest overnight, especially if He’s asking you to do big things for His Kingdom. Instead, it takes many, many moments of stepping out and stepping forward before we reach the destination He’s promised us.

So, if you feel like I have, please don’t stop, but do wait. 🌱 #cultivatelife

darkness · peace · process

The Thrill of Peace

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You might oppose me when saying this… But there’s something so thrilling about darkness. Yes, it’s uncomfortable and intolerable. Of course it can feel like a constant circus of chaos and a cave of deep despair. However, in the midst of the darkness, I’ve learned that it is COMPLETELY possible to be fixated on peace and immense joy.

You see I’ve learned surrendering our current darkness to God in exchange for His peace is possibly one of the most powerful things we can do.

We’re literally saying, “Hey God, I am not smart enough, wise enough or understanding enough to carry or solve what I’m experiencing… So I’m gonna give it to you. I’m gonna leave my current circumstances in Your hands. And every time I think of them, I’m going to remind myself that I’ve given You the reins to craft up a solution.”

And sure… Sure sometimes His solutions take many moments to become tangible and complete; however, His solutions always offer up abundant life, light and immense amounts of joy.

And it’s also so comforting to lean into the truth that a being far greater than us loves us, cares about us and is willing to stand up for us when life is caving in at every corner.

So, if you are or have ever experienced darkness so black that you can’t see your hand in front of your face, then be encouraged. Be encouraged because you’re not alone. Many people have walked this road before, and I’ll bet that the ones who’ve trusted in God’s ability to provide solutions have found peace and immense amounts of joy in the midst of the chaos. 🌱 #cultivatelife

darkness · death · heart · pride · process · refine

Two Trees

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I left social media. I didn’t deactivate my accounts, but I left… Promising myself I would return when I felt I could consume without being burdened by pride, hate, bitterness, anger, jealousy, grief and shame.

That’s what social media does to me. I pick it up with the idea of “connecting” to “share” my world and the truth I’ve experienced while following God, but then I usually leave feeling worse than when I entered.

You see over the past decade I’ve learned how to connect to God. And… through this single, significant connection I’ve allowed Him to lead me as I’ve learned how to cultivate life.

Actually, He’s emptied me of the dying, decrepit life I was living, restored my broken pieces and parts and then filled me up with grace, love, peace, patience and endless joy.

So… when I sit down and begin to eat the fruit of social media, well my seemingly healthy vessel becomes completely overwhelmed. My insides begin to fill with endless, sometimes useless knowledge of good and evil. And, a lot of the time, what I consume begins to pull my human spirit and soul down as it leads me astray. It begins to probe at my heart, in an effort to cause unneeded division, confusion, jealousy, anger and death in me and with those I choose to share it with. Also… somehow, I become like God because I begin to feel the need to shoulder up the burdens of my world…. As if I even have the understanding and wisdom to solve anything outside of what He’s given me.

It’s not supposed to be like that though. God didn’t create us to carry death and decay. He created us to connect to Him through His Son Jesus, and then point others to that same connection so that they might be made well and new too!

Because… You see when we connect to God and Him alone our souls don’t feel burdened anymore. He gives us exactly what we need when we need it, rather than us pridefully, greedily and selfishly taking from other sources. When we humble ourselves and meet with Him on a moment-by-moment basis, He hands us life-giving skills in increments because He never wants to overwhelm our refinement, development, maturity and growth. 🌱#cultivatelife

focus · kingdom · process

The Unseen System

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“Stop watching broken systems fail Amanda. Get your eyes on Me. Keep your eyes on Me and all that I’ve cultivated deep down inside of you. Keep your eyes on My system… On my Kingdom and My glory for in it is pure peace.”

And… Honestly, it’s challenging to stand still while everything is a chaotic mess. It’s challenging to admit there’s nothing I can possibly do but sit still, listen to God, follow what He says and pray accordingly.

But… That’s the truth.

It’s the truth because His system is unseen. It’s happening in and through the spirit because it’s a direct quantum connection between us and God.

And so… If you’re in His Kingdom and you know how to use His system, I want to encourage you to stay focused, rely on it over every other failing system in place… And please, please use your God-given dominion and authority to move forward where ever He is leading your heart🌱👑⚔️ #cultivatelife

follow · keep moving forward · process

One More Step

AmandaLeave a comment

“One more step”… That’s what I keep hearing. That’s what Holy Spirit keeps saying as I move forward into the unknown with some pretty heavy ideas, content and material.

He just keeps encouraging me with that one idea… This one concept of taking one more step with Him.

And… Even if it’s an unknown and somewhat insecure step… It is one more step with Him. One more choice to be consistent in following through.

And I believe that’s the culture we truly need today. One that will take one more step with Him… Regardless of what is said or not said by others. A culture that doesn’t live in selfishness, self-righteousness, pride or insecurity. One that just boldly lives, loves and cultivates life to the VERY fullest.

brokenness · challenge · Fullness of Jesus · kingdom · process · relationship · strength

The Fortress

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If I take you and shake you, will you break? Will you crack under the pressure of things that are out of your control?

If I ask you, “what defines you?” and then searched for that truth would your truth and that truth be synonymous?

Now… When you’re shaken, I hope you don’t move. I hope you’re a fortress. One that’s founded in and surrounded by the glory of God. And, when things are out of your control, I hope you don’t crack under pressure because of fear, stress, worry and anxiety.

Also, when your truth reveals itself to be different than the actual truth hidden in your foundation, I hope you’re humble, brave and honest enough to grasp what’s truly there.

Because to be a fortress, we can let things in but we can’t allow them to rule and reign over our hearts and minds. They can’t become the defining, motivating factors that propel us forward.

So… if being a fortress means we must trust in God, His Kingdom, His system, His Son and His Spirit over the money, power, fame and material success the world offers… Then I do believe we are on a path of righteousness. 🌱 #cultivatelife

challenge · faith · fear · follow · heart · keep moving forward · process

“She Gambles with God”

AmandaLeave a comment

“Does trusting the Lord and not worrying mean we’re coping out?”

“No Bill. It just means we’re doing what God told us to do.”

That… That was a conversation my grandparents had several years ago as they continued to follow Holy Spirit wherever He led them.

And… You know, this… This is exactly how I feel right now. My lack of worry almost makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong. Like I’m “coping out” on life.

Because, normally, when we say we “trust God,” we still secretly harbor anxiety and worry in our hearts. And then we just keep that “smile” on our faces… You know, the one that says, “I’m good! I’m fine!! I’m trusting God!!!”

However, faith… Faith truly is a lifestyle for me. It’s a real walk that requires so much risk… So much risk that I feel like my forehead constantly reads, “She gambles with God!”

And I guess I’m saying all of this because I want to remind myself and you that it’s okay to wholeheartedly trust God. Actually, it’s 1000% healthy and normal to embrace that initial wave of fear we all feel when we step into the unknown, but then it’s also so healthy to have so much of God within us… So much of Him that we ride over that wave of fear with so much confidence, courage and strength in our hearts… Enough to say, “I will not carry the fear I feel… This fear that would like to collide with my heart and drown me.” 🌱 #cultivatelife