Tag: glory

keep moving forward · soul · Spirit

Faith for the Mountain

AmandaLeave a comment

I love this time of the year. God’s supernatural window is open in an extraordinary way as He pulls Himself closer to us. And you know I found myself sitting with Him this morning, discussing a list of projects that lay before me, praying for a number of situations that need to come into divine alignment and also receiving some solid wisdom and gifting for forward movement.

And then… Then He said to me, “I want to give you My mountain of healing. I want to plant it in your heart. It is for you to share with others.” Then I immediately asked, “Is this mountain a seed, or is it like a potted plant, one that’s already semi-nurtured and developed, that needs to be planted on the grounds of my heart?” Then I saw what looked very similar to a tiny replica of Disney’s Magic Kingdom with roots hanging off of it. It was about the size of an engagement ring box. And He said, “It’s a plant. And I am going to plant it inside of you. You will share it with others. I will water it with My glory so it may grow.”

Hmmm… Interesting…

Now, I really don’t have the slightest clue what’s ahead. If I were to guess based on the boundaries of my soulish mind, I would say it will grow and become whatever He intends it to be. But then, I am also very aware that my human spirit’s superconscious mind and Holy Spirit can provide me with more answers than my soul can. 

So, I asked them. And I saw very clearly (but in way more details than I’m allowed to share) that His mountain of healing is going to be a cultivated journey of sorts with many highs and lows. Which does make me feel somewhat prepared, but then also causes me to embrace my reality… Which is that I’m going to have to use faith… Faith that I don’t have in this current moment will be needed to help this mountain grow.

And I believe it’s all together very exciting. It’s exciting to think, “WOW! I will have to step out into uncharted territory to watch this thing develop, mature and grow into what God intends it to be inside of me for others.”

Because what’s the point of believing in God, Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven if we aren’t pushed to the limits in our relationships with them and the world around us? What’s the point to trusting if we aren’t perpetually thrust into a place of faith for the unseen every single day? What’s the point of saying, “Yes, I’ll submit and follow,” to only turn our attention back to the culture of the ever-evolving, illusive and enchanting “American Dream?” And as much as I enjoy the “ladder of so-called success,” what’s the point of climbing it if His heart, visions, dreams and purposes aren’t sewn into the very foundation of it all with a promise to produce a quality harvest of fruit on the other end? 🌱

authority · dominion · Spirit

Expansion

AmandaLeave a comment

Deep beneath the layers of my skin, I feel it… A trans-dimensional maturity and growth occurring. It’s a stretching out… A stretching out and almost bursting forth of my human spirit. You know, it almost feels like my skin is tighter and brighter because I now contain more of my human spirit, Holy Spirit and the weight of the glory of God.

Actually, if you’ve ever smoked weed and been high before then you can kind of understand what this feels like. It’s just so weightless… Almost like you’re floating. Standing taller. Standing firmer. Your soul is submitting to your human spirit, and the merry-go-round you’ve been on has slowed down to a God-inclusive pace. A pace that offers a space for His thoughts and solutions to jump on board. And your mind… Your mind is clear from worry, anxiety and fear. You’re actually able to process the world that’s spinning at a mad, chaotic pace because your level of faith and belief in the Kingdom of God has increased to tremendous heights. 

This… This is expansion. You are called higher. The standard God set within the boundaries of His limitless Kingdom becomes clearer and clearer to your soul’s mind. And the dreams He’s placed inside of your malleable heart become realer, almost tangible to the very essence or your being.

Now, you might be wondering, “Amanda, how often do you feel this?” Honestly, from season to season. You see it takes true willingness, obedience and perseverance to move into higher levels of spiritual maturity and growth. It requires a level of submissive faith that decrees and declares, “I will follow where Holy Spirit is leading me, no matter the challenge, the limbo, the frustration and the internal conflict between spirit and soul. I will follow Him from season to season, seeking each milestone He is pointing me towards.”

But, “Amanda, what’s it all for?” Honestly, I believe spiritual maturity and growth is needed for more things than we can truly fathom; however, in this moment, I believe we need it for the push back. You see we cannot and will not rule and reign over the wickedness and evil of the world without it. We cannot conquer the kingdom of darkness if our human spirits are weak, inactive and immobile. We all need to experience the stretching out and bursting forth. We all need to make room for the glory of God that desires to dwell inside of us. 

And I’m writing this because I hear Holy Spirit incessantly repeating, “It’s time for a giant push back. You are strong enough. You are equipped enough. You have a solid understanding of your God-given authority and dominion. Now, push back!” 

So, I am encouraging you to stretch out so you too can push back. 🌱

power · Spirit · truth

Stay in the Victory

AmandaLeave a comment

If you’ve been following my writings for the past few months then you know I’ve been in a season where I am intently focused on the manifested glory of God… Specifically the manifestation of signs, wonders and miracles. Now honestly, it hasn’t been the easiest season to walk through because Holy Spirit keeps asking me to whole-heartily remain in the stillness without looking to the past or the future. 

A few days ago, while I was just sitting still, I saw a huge gaping, bloody wound in the left leg of my spirit. The wound had black veins streaming from it like spider webs. They coursed through my entire being. I asked Holy Spirit, “What is that?” He said, “The wound is from past disappointments that cut deep. And, I have healed you: spirit, heart, soul and body; however, you keep turning yourself back to the disappointment, rather than the victory. You keep focusing on the pain and the frustration, rather than the way I stepped in and covered you. So, that open wound, it’s streaming through your entire being, defining you and leaving an impact on everything you do, say and think. And now… Now you must go through the cultivated process of staying in the victory.”

The victory… Ahhh, I am learning so much about focusing on the victory. I am learning that there is a legitimate supernatural substance of power we can pull from when we remind ourselves of all of the times God has intervened.

You see pulling from past disappointments doesn’t lead to the manifested glory of God. What leads to His manifested glory is our ability to see past our emotion… To fight through it and choose to praise Him in all things… To choose to see Him as good in all things, even when life feels lifeless, confusing, overbearing and challenging. Because, when we mediate on His redemptive/restorative ways working in our lives, well then… Then we can see where His glory has been prevalent. And then we can also embrace the truth that, God’s glory doesn’t manifest on pain and defeat. Instead, He needs us to surrender and say, “I see it! I see where You stepped into my past and set me free! I see where You healed my physical body and my broken spirit, heart and soul! I see where you covered me, protected me and rescued me from people, places and things that were harming me! I see where I choose to lean on You for strength, encouragement and relationship in moments where I realized how alone I actually am!”

And do you know… Since I’ve chosen to stay in the stillness, mediating on and pulling from the victories… I have actually witnessed the manifested glory of God in many different forms and fashions! (Maybe I’ll share soon!) So much so that they’ve left me somewhat speechless, thanking God for His goodness and also questioning, “Now do we get a steady stream going?” 🌱

heart · soul · Spirit

Right Where I’m Supposed to Be

AmandaLeave a comment

Over the past week or so my soul has been pushing me to cave and capitulate. I hear my thoughts. I feel my emotions. And they… They have decided that this jagged, uncomfortable path of stillness leading to God’s glory is just too much for them.

Now, I truly do not want to get off of the path. My spirit and my heart are truly dead set on the direction I’m being led; however, my soul… My soul gets really distracted sometimes. Actually, if I’m not conscious of and self-disciplined about what I’m feeding my soul, then it begins to get annoyed. It begins to lose sight of the goodness of God and the place of power, dominion and authority Holy Spirit has seated me in. 

And the annoyance… Well, it opens up an unwanted avenue of doubt inside of me. And then the doubt begins to conduct its full-fledged plan to captivate my heart. Actually, the doubt is so wise that it starts speaking to me about the past. It tries to remind me why I should choose to fear disappointment… “You’ve been so disappointed before. You stuck to the path, and people that you trusted very deeply and intimately with the things of God let you down. So, how do you know you won’t get disappointed again? Why would you keep trusting this path, Amanda? Why would you keep relying on the goodness of God and all of His promises and provision when you’ve been so deeply wounded before?”

But then… Then I hear Holy Spirit say, “Amanda, I am not human. I am God. I have never left you. Even in the depth of your brokenness, loss and deep insecurities, I was there offering up a strong pillar of hope and love to lean on. And, I will never leave you or disappoint your heart. So, keep putting your faith in Me. Keep your identity in the truth that you live from a place of right standing through Christ. Keep your eyes focused on the spirit realm. Keep your expectations on Me and on things flowing from above. I am always working. Even when you are completely still, I am working. Do not forget about My glory. This is the last and final stretch of this season. Bring it home! Do it well! Finish it completely with honor, dignity and respect. Do it from a place of incessant faith and trust in Me. Do not fear. Do not doubt. Do not live from a place of lack: spirit, soul, heart and body. Instead, live in the fullness of Me.”

And you know, when I hear Holy Spirit speak, well His confidence and assurance in Himself and in me, it really motivates and strengths me. It truly gives me the courage to silence my soul and focus my attention on where He’s leading me. Rather than on where distraction leads me. 

And I don’t know if you ever go through this. I don’t know if you can sort through yourself from the inside out and differentiate between the voice of your spirit, soul, heart and God’s. I don’t know if you can recognize when fear and doubt try their best to take advantage of your weaknesses while interloping themselves into the mix of voices within you. However, I hope you are willing to let Holy Spirit lead you into this place of maturity. I hope that when you feel overwhelmed with doubt and fear you can stop yourself and say, “My foundation is rooted in what flows from above. So, I am choosing to press past all of the noise and keep moving forward with where I am being led. I will reach the end of this challenging season with grace, confidence and complete assurance that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.” 🌱

heart · Mind

Stillness

Amanda1 Comment

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. 🌱

heart

Sit Still

Amanda3 Comments

Very few people know this about me, but something I’ve practiced for years is the skill of sitting in the stillness of God’s presence. Usually, I sit for an hour every morning and just listen and converse while I pray; however, lately the amount of time I’ve been spending with Him has increased. I find myself sitting still for 2 hours in the morning and then other sporadic moments throughout the day. 

And the goodness of God keeps swelling up in me in these moments! It swells in me, consumes my heart and then is heard from the overflow of my lips.

Yesterday morning while I sat, I heard Him say, “I want to supply you with something I’ve been housing in a storehouse.” Then I watched as He led me to a boarded-up shack in the middle of a backyard. And I watched as the wind of His presence tore the boards off of the doors. Once the boards came off, the doors flung open very quickly and this gold-colored flow of energy in the shape of a long scarf came rushing out. I watched as it beautifully moved towards me, swirled around my entire being in a playful-like way and then rested on my shoulders like a tallit. Once it rested, it just sat there… Swaying back and forth with a very, very strong sentience.  

I asked God, “Why was such a beautiful thing being stored in a boarded-up shack?!” He said, “Because you had to truly seek me in the stillness of my presence until you found it. I placed such a treasure in a place that looked undesirable, but now… Now that you’ve come into a deeper place of understanding and self-control, it’s yours to carry. It’s yours to move throughout life with, but it’s only truly activated with the power of my presence when your heart remains in alignment with my eternal goodness.”

Now, if I’m honest, I felt so overwhelmed that I just sat there and cried. It was just such a beautiful moment, full of life and genuine spontaneity. 

And I’m sharing this with you because it complements the direction Holy Spirit is leading those who are whole-heartily following Him. You see this intense direction is pleading with us to follow the path of maturity with our entire selves: spirit, soul, heart and body. And yes, yes it is rough and somewhat unpaved; however, we won’t be able to continually bear His light and the weight of His glory if we don’t keep moving forward on the path.

So, as challenging as it might be, I want to encourage you to sit still. 🌱

soul · Spirit · truth

Power Source

AmandaLeave a comment

Is the world dark? Is fear an absolute in the minds and hearts of multitudes? Does it seem like there won’t ever be an end to the chaos, confusion and division in our current world?

Now… If you answered “yes” to my questions, then answer this: What perspective are you viewing life from? Are you looking from your spirit or your soul? And, if you’re looking from a spiritual plane, is it broken and imbalanced, or have you allowed the Godhead to restore it while bringing new life and health to you as a whole?

You see I’m asking these questions because I’ve opened my heart and allowed God to refine my spirit and soul. So, what my spirit perceives is from the Kingdom of God, where power, glory and goodness reside. And, honestly, it’s very challenging for me to believe darkness will win because I believe in and actively use a power source that is stronger than what the physical world is currently experiencing.

I believe in the supernatural power of Jesus Christ.

And, in this eternal moment, He is King; and He has given every single person that calls out to Him power, authority and dominion to trample darkness and every evil agenda that comes his/her way.

You see Jesus isn’t an act, a game or a religious pursuit. Instead, He is entirely alive, real, active and close to those who are accessing Him through his/her human spirit.

And my God, why wouldn’t we want to access Him? Why wouldn’t we want to pursue an agenda that offers us the ability to become a new creation: spirit, soul, heart and body? Why wouldn’t we want to thrive in all that we’re doing, saying and thinking?

And I’ll end with this… I understand Jesus is 100% misunderstood. I get that He’s been misconstrued by religious heads and figures of our days. And honestly, I am very sorry for that. I’m sorry that He’s been given a pathetic, heinous reputation; however, it’s time to do away with the way He’s been perceived. It’s time to lean heavily into the power coming from the Kingdom of God. Because, I truly believe with my entire heart, we won’t make it in the days that are coming if we are living without His great power. 🌱 #cultivatelife

 

Confidence · Spirit · truth

Are You Ready for It?

AmandaLeave a comment

When I write, I try to give the most accurate view of what’s happening in my heart in that given moment. I mean… That is the goal of this blog. To stay as vulnerable as possible with the ups and downs of my life as I follow Father God, Jesus and Holy Spirit’s lead.

So today… Well today my heart as been focused on how grateful I am for 2020.

And I know a lot of people might disagree; however, this year has been a good one because my strength to withstand the waves is found in Him.

You see the past 7 years of my life have felt like a constant and at times violent push from God. He’s single handily walked me up and down mountains and valleys of life and into a place where I can’t rely on anything but Him for everything. Which means my life, my family, my career, my ministry, my finances, my entire world has landed in His hands for protection and provision.

He’s actually allowed the past 7 years to become a place where the waves of life have knocked me down, drug me under and forced me to learn how to get up and stand firm and strong in the face of death, darkness, turmoil, chaos, adversity and division.

And because of this… Because of His training, molding and refinement… Well I’ve been able to truly and heart-fully say, “God is at my right hand. I will not be shaken or fear anything dark that comes into my spiritual realm and dimension of space and time.”

Because you see I believe the shaking and transition that’s happening is good. I believe, beneath all of the politics and opinions, God has a plan to bring repentance, restoration and healing to our broken nation and world. And as people begin to wake up and focus their attention on Him… Not on political parties, disasters that have overtaken us or arguments that divide us… I believe we will begin to truly see a new world that reveals the Kingdom of God and the glory of His Kingdom on this earth.

And so… The question is, “Are you ready for it?!”🌱 #cultivatelife

Confidence · Spirit · truth

Fully Grasp It

AmandaLeave a comment

Do you wanna know what moving forward with Holy Spirit looks like for me right now?

It’s choosing to FULLY trust in everything He’s cultivated inside of me.

Yep… I feel challenged deep in my spirit to believe… To FULLY believe in the LIFE He’s helped me refine, develop, nurture, mature and grow.

And, honestly the challenge I feel feels… Well It feels large.

Actually… It’s like there’s a giant tree standing in front of me. A tree that’s blossoming and blooming fruit, flowers and shades of life and glory I never realized existed until I encountered them.

And I’m having to FULLY grasp the truth that everything I see is going on inside of me at this very moment!

And I don’t know where you are right now. My greatest hope is that you’re filled with so much life it’s flowing out of you and touching the lives of those you encounter. However, if you do feel like me, if you’re having trouble believing in what you see… Then PLEASE be encouraged to ask Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you. Please ask Him to fully reveal the LIFE He’s cultivated inside of your heart. And, if you realize there are areas that are languishing and dying, PLEASE be encouraged to ask Jesus to restore them… To restore them totally and completely 🌱 #cultivatelife

soul · Spirit · truth

That’s Grotesque

AmandaLeave a comment

Do you honestly want to know where I’ve been lately and what I’ve been doing?

I’ve been studying… No actually I’ve been deep sea diving for treasure… Treasure God’s been pulling my heart toward.

You know I haven’t wanted to pursue it though. For more than a month I was afraid to go “there,” because going “there” meant I’d have to follow the footsteps of the past. And those footsteps… well they’ve seemed very heavy and almost grotesque to step into.

But… Well I chose to cast my fear aside. I chose to cast it aside and obey God. And when I did He showed me that following the footsteps I was convinced I should follow wasn’t the best choice for me. He showed me that the footsteps would keep me bound to religious, boxed in, manmade ideals of the past. He showed me that His footsteps for me to follow are much freer, endless and boundless.

So… So I’ve been following them. I’ve been stepping into what He says is “simplistic, eternal and yet consistently patient.”

And I can’t really reveal the glory He’s given me yet; however, I do want to encourage you. I want to encourage you to examine your spiritual life… To look at it and really ask yourself who and what is calling the shots. Who and what is dictating your moves? Is it voices of those that have gone before you? Is it words that might be mistranslated and skewed for a time and place? Or is it just Holy Spirit?… You know that inner voice or nudge we all hear/feel to some degree… The one that leads us to higher levels of freedom and love through Jesus Christ. The one that I believe we’re all destined to connect to because He allows us to cultivate life to the best of our ability.

And then… Then when you answer these questions,  please be encouraged to step out. To leave the past, religion and all other voices aside. Because His lead is the best lead we’ll ever encounter. 🌱 #cultivatelife