Tag: mature

authority · Confidence · dominion · Spirit

The Jagged Path

Amanda2 Comments

A few days ago, my mentor prayed with me. While she was praying, she said, “I see you on a path. You’re walking across jagged rocks. It’s uncomfortable. And you might feel like you’ve gotten off of the path God has placed you on, but you haven’t. You must move forward to get to the smooth part of the path. The jagged part will teach you something you need.”

Now, although “jagged” is NOT the word I particularly wanted to hear, I do believe this is where my path of spiritual maturity is leading me. Why? Well, when I look at my life through my soul’s eyes, nothing really makes sense in the least bit anymore. However, when I view my life through the lens of my human spirit, the complex pieces and parts of God’s direction, wisdom and revelation connect together very, very well.

And because they connect together so well in the spirit, I’ve decided to take the advice of one of my friends. She said, “Well if the path is jagged, you should put shoes on. It will make the journey less intense.” 

And you know… Once I put the shoes on, I realized, “I’m definitely going to have to walk in maturity. I will have to embrace the intensity of the journey across the path, all while living from a place of peace and complete confidence in the Godhead and how they are orchestrating everything. Oh and I’ll also have to rule & reign from my spirit’s throne in the 3rd Heaven without any excuses or complaints. But, most importantly, I will have to cultivate the capacity to rule over the kingdom of darkness so that I can reign on earth when the time is best.

You see I believe Holy Spirit is pushing those that follow Him in a deeply intimate way into a place of profound maturity right now. And because of the maturity, He is asking that we operate from our human spirit at ALL times. And I understand that operating from the human spirit is challenging, especially if it’s inactive, locked in a box or fractured up all over the place; however, if we want to truly subdue the evil and darkness in the 2nd Heaven and on the earth, then we must perpetually live and operate from our human spirit.

Because when we do… When we collect wisdom, knowledge, understanding and revelation from the 3rdHeaven, then we can take it and apply it properly. We can walk into a situation, look at it from a Kingdom of God perspective and then provide a sound and solid solution that edifies and changes the absolute structure of our world for the better. 🌱 #cultivatelife

authority · Confidence · power

“Okay… Now Mature.”

Amanda2 Comments

Remember last week when I told you Holy Spirit said, “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.”

Yeah….. That part… Well, He’s been explaining Himself in greater detail. And so, I am going to share.

“Amanda, it is now your responsibility to mature. There aren’t any excuses or tricks around it. You cannot manipulate Me in this moment. Either you mature now in this season or you find yourself languishing away. Because you cannot become who I’ve truly and fully created you to be if you do not spiritually mature. So, take this next step forward because it IS in fact the next one.”

Spiritual maturity… Ah… What a joy! Seriously, I am embracing the heaviness of this task with joy in my heart because, if I don’t, it could be ugly for a moment.

So now you may be wondering what I’ve learned so far and how you could mature too? Well, I’ve learned that maturity is not for the faint of heart. It’s not for those who whine and complain about the journey and the process. Maturity isn’t for the selfish, self-centered or the weak. It’s not built up on the backs of losers, who are ill-equip in their giftings, anointing and purpose.

Instead, maturity is a place where the cultivated go to truly flourish and thrive. It’s where they incessantly go to war with the kingdom of darkness and overcome. But, most importantly, it’s where they go to heal the sick, raise the dead, deliver the oppressed/depressed and perform signs and miracles in the heavens and on earth.

Maturity is the place where true sons and daughters of God perpetually rule & reign because they have a grand assurance and an unwavering understanding of who they are… No one has to remind them. They aren’t spiritually deaf, mute and lame. Instead, their spirits are fully awakened to and completely activated in Kingdom living. Pulling the realms and dimensions of Heaven to Earth is like breathing to them because it is their lifestyle. Plus, they aren’t conformed to a building or a religion centered on tradition, but instead they are free to roam with Holy Spirit as the Ekklesia is to do and be.

Now… Most importantly! They do not cancel. They do not hate. They do not hide their hate and anger from a place of “truth.” They do not condemn and judge because their “religion said so.” They do not operate from a place of cheap grace, false Jesus or a lack relationship with and submission to Holy Spirit. And.. They do not fear Satan, Lucifer, the demonic or the kingdom of darkness in any fashion or form.

Instead they cultivate. They create. They build. They reconstruct. They unite. They love others from a: spirit, soul, heart & body point-of-view because God has provided grace for the abused AND the abuser. Most importantly, they aim to understand God, His Kingdom and His principles in a more life-giving, paradigm shifting way. They strive to steward the giftings and anointings He’s supplied them with. They aim to understand from a place of love and humility, while applying the wisdom of God from the 3rd Heaven downward.

You see the Kingdom of God is vast in relation to Earth. It contains more realms, dimensions, timelines and ages than one can truly and accurately perceive all at once. So, to be mature, you MUST… WE MUST be prepared to take on the responsibility of what the Kingdom of God has to offer.

And what God truly has is a cultivated life where we walk in complete power, dominion and authority at all times. A life where we fully live out what’s written about us on our Heavenly scroll. 🌱 #cultivatelife

Confidence · heart · Spirit · truth

This is Who I Am

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I sat down to pout. I sat down to sulk. I sat down to complain about how frustrated I felt. And then… All in one moment… I stopped myself. I stopped myself and said, “Amanda, you don’t do this anymore. You’ve outgrown this place where you get upset over things that are out of your control. You’ve moved past feeling overwhelmed with “the follow” and where He’s leading you. You no longer contain the capacity to roll your eyes and then sarcastically walk down a somewhat fearful, self-paved road screaming, “What’s next?!?!” You’ve reached a place of maturity and you MUST continually live in it!!!”

Yeah…. That was the inner dialogue between my spirit, heart and soul. My spirit reminding my heart and soul that we don’t sulk around anymore about where God is taking us. Instead, we suit up, take hold of His ever-evolving assignments and move forward like the Warrior Queen He’s been cultivating.

And I don’t know if this resonates with you at all; however, I’m learning that maturity is one of the most attractive virtues to possess because of its steadfastness. It’s just this grand assurance and unwavering confidence, rooted so deeply within that it billows out, “This is who I am!”

And sure, sure maturity seems as though it takes eons to cultivate; however, once we’ve entered that place… Once we’ve come into that promised land, well it’s as if the fruit is everlasting because we have the capacity to stop ourselves when parts of us want to act childish, self-centered or unruly. We can stop ourselves and say, “I’ve been down this road before and it doesn’t produce any good fruit, so I mustn’t go forward.” 🌱 #cultivatelife

heart · Spirit · truth

Following Growth

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Growth… Growth & I have a love/hate relationship.

Wait… Let me rephrase that. Growth, as amazing as it is, feels like a antagonist in my life sometimes. Do I crave it? Sure I do! I crave growth and the results that come from following through with where I’m being led to develop and mature in life. I crave the feeling of becoming a healthier vessel from the inside out!

And, over the years, I’ve read so many books… You know the ones that encourage you to “Think and Grow Rich.” The ones that encourage you to focus on self-love, manifestations and such… And while those methods for growth have worked in my life, none of them have been as powerful or as long-lasting as following the Holy Spirit and His supernatural growth track.

His system… His ways… His ability to lead me in the best direction, customized and centered around what I need to grow is the most powerful and pure thing I’ve ever encountered.

And sure… Sure it’s filled with a lot of walks through valleys and continual climbing of mountains with a lot of highs and lows… However, the greatest part… The most amazing piece about following the Holy Spirit is the relationship that’s birthed within the process of following. It’s a feeling that’s greater than any self-love or love from another because it meets me at the very core of my spirit, heart and soul. It’s God’s love. His perpetual love makes the growth process worth every inch of the journey.

And I don’t know who I’m speaking to when saying this, but God (in His very essence) is completely interested in growing with US. He needs us as much as we need Him. And if we (I’m mainly speaking to myself) can just continue to follow with a pure and steady heart… A heart that wants to be free from all of the darkness, sickness, depression, fear and anxiety we’re feeling… Then I believe He will continue to help us grow into the most beautiful trees of LIFE… Trees of LIFE firmly planted within His garden of LIFE! 🌱 #cultivatelife #keepmovingforward

Spirit · truth

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

Confidence · Spirit · truth

Fully Grasp It

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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

Body · Confidence · soul · Spirit · truth · Uncategorized

A Decade in the Making

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Okay… Today, I hit the decade mark of losing 100 lbs! So… What does it mean to me to look at the girl on the left, the young woman on the right and the woman in the middle? Well… To me the three make up a cultivated lifestyle of restoration and freedom.

When I finished losing the weight, I didn’t realize I’d spend the next 10 years allowing Jesus to refine, develop, mature and grow me as a whole.

So when I look at these three photos I don’t see me… Instead I see Him… I see what He’s done in me.

You see, He’s taken a girl who was incredibly insecure, fearful, anxious, prideful, selfish, jealous and bitter… And He’s transformed her into a woman that’s confident, secure, courageous, at peace with the unknown, humble (I still struggle), selfless, grateful and full of joy towards others and myself!

When I started this journey I thought I knew Jesus. I thought I knew Father God. I thought I knew the Holy Spirit. I grew up believing in them, but life and death have taught me that I didn’t know them at all because I hadn’t experienced them on a personal level.

So today I can confidently say they are my foundation and source of life. Together, they constantly keep me strong, healthy and secure. While the past versions of me desperately searched for identity and security, today I believe I stand still on the truth that I can’t be shaken, tossed or turned. My life and all that I am is in Him.

And while the world around me continues to try to show me why I’m not thin enough, thick enough, tan enough, flawless enough, beautiful enough, smart enough, successful enough or even “godly” enough… Well guess what? His opinion of me is all that matters. And He says, “You’re more than enough Amanda because I’ve helped you become a new creation and given you new life through Christ.” 🌱 #cultivatelife

Spirit · truth

The Color Process

Amanda2 Comments

Pain is temporary if we’re open to healing. Pressure is good if we allow it to shape us in a life-giving way. Growth…. Growth is challenging. And a lifestyle of all three seems to be the challenge of all challenges.

I told you God told me that all of my refinement, development, maturity and growth has led to a bloom. I told you that He said the pain and pressure were about to come full circle and produce something beautiful.

The other day He told me, “Amanda, blooming isn’t painful like growth. To bloom, you have to be in season and ready to go. You have to be ready to open up and show the world your colors. Show them who you are and why you’re this way. A bloom is the prettiest of the process. When a bloom happens everyone sees the beauty that took place during the pain and pressure of growth. People almost believe that the growth period might’ve been easy because the bloom is so beautiful. No one saw the pain, the darkness or the pressure.”

“When you see a plant or a tree, you don’t think, ‘Gosh that plant underwent so much pain and pressure to get to this point.’ No you just look at the beauty and ease of the bloom.. or the fruit. You see what’s coming off of the plant or tree and feel at ease with what you see. You feel peaceful. That’s a bloom Amanda. A constant, yet sweet seasonal reminder of the growth period. Enjoy it!”

And you know… I truly believe what He’s said is truth because I feel so healthy, whole and complete on the inside. It’s almost like the darkness has been completely stripped off of me through His processes so what’s left can be seen in its fullness. And what’s left is light. It’s beauty. It’s incredible, life-giving truth, inspiration and encouragement to keep following His path and plan. To follow even when it’s painfully annoying. To follow even when it’s aggravating and burdensome.

Because the end result… Well it’s just so sweet and beautiful! 🌱 #cultivatelife

Spirit · truth

Bloom

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Refine. Develop. Mature. Grow…

Refine. Develop. Mature. Grow.

This has been the constant flow of my life a decade or more now.

It’s just been this constant reverberation from God to keep moving forward. To keep allowing Him to refine me. Develop me. Mature me. And grow me in all the areas He sees best for my present and future.

But you know what? Last week He said something to me I’d never heard Him say before. He said, “Amanda, it’s time for things to BLOOM. You’ve never really experienced a bloom before, but it’s time!”

BLOOM?!? What?! This has me really excited deep down.

And now I still don’t understand what He entirely means. And I’m certainly not going to go creating scenarios in my head only to be let down by my own expectations. However, BLOOM is such a positive word! It’s full of so much life and color! It’s such a beautiful by-product of what’s been growing for so long under so much pressure and pain.

So if you’ve been following what I write for sometime now, please know that I intend to share all the ends and outs of this spiritual BLOOM! And I’m hoping it will blow my mind in ways I never saw possible! 🌱🌸 #cultivatelife

 

Spirit

Growing Up… 

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Throughout childhood, we’re constantly asked the question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”…

For so many reasons I’ve never felt like I had an answer…

Sure… At times I may have responded with something that sounds like an answer… But deep down I’ve never had an answer…

And then I’ve had years were I was convinced “this is what I will do with my life”…

But then, through a series of events, I realized “maybe I don’t want to do this”…

And so I’ve found myself in Cali… I’ve actually discovered who I am here… And the reasons why it’s ok to just be me…

And sometimes just being me really bothered me… A lot…

Because I was insecure… Because I was lost and out of touch with reality… Because I didn’t like the person everyone and everything had helped me become…

Deep down I felt like I didn’t have a voice at all… And then when I knew I had something to say… Well I was too deceived to speak what I thought…

So now I find myself with myself… I’ve actually discovered who I am…

And within it all… Well I’ve become much more than confident… Because I’ve become bold…

And honestly it’s through following the Holy Spirit that’s brought me this far…

But this morning I had this thought… I’m grown… I’m 27… And what am I?… What have I become as I’ve grown up?…

Because I’m not a teacher, a doctor, a mother, a wife or a slew of other titles I could be…

And I guess the answer is found in the simplicity of… I’m just me… I’m just a girl, from Louisiana… Who went to Bible school and hated it… Who graduated from Alabama… With a degree I was able to create, but that sparked my interests at the time… A girl who decided I despised religion… But love relationship with God…

A girl who felt so lost when moving to LA… But a girl who has transitioned into a woman… A woman that simply does life every single day… Regardless of the ups and downs… I strive to stay present and love the bad times with the good times…
And I sit here grateful… Grateful that I’ve never really known “what” I wanted to be when I grew up… Because I believe my perception about life at the time would’ve confused the process…

And I was already confused enough…

And as different as it may sound… Well I’m glad I can’t always see what’s coming next… Because the surprise of living my life with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, direction and friendship is so much better than “this is what I want to be when I grow up”….