Secure the Empire

A few weeks ago, Father said to me…secure the empire. I had no clue what that meant. I have spent the last few weeks learning what that means…at least in part. As always, when Father speaks…each word has multiple meanings like each word has multiple definitions. I feel led to share some of those meanings in this post. A few tidbits about the journey going on in my heart and mind.

Before I share…let me mention the context of the photos in this post. Hannah and I recently had dinner out. The featured image is a photo of my dessert from the evening. Chia pudding with fruit on top. DELISH!!! (Side note…I think the picture may be a bit blurry. That is the photo my iPhone took. With my vision, it could be my eyes…not the photo. If it seems blurry to you…just squint and scroll on. 🤪)

Rowan was our waiter for the evening. As always, I begin the convo by laying the foundation of my dietary restrictions. I have learned over the years…this is the most efficient way to dine out. Saves everyone energy in the long run. Rowan understood…super helpful.

Chia Pudding

I noticed chia pudding on the menu under desserts. Super stoked about that. A dessert I can have.

When Rowan came back around after we finished our meal, he asked about dessert and mentioned…you CAN have the chia pudding.

With a HUGE grin, I said to him…I SAW that and am super excited. Sign me up, please. Love me some chia pudding. I shared with him that the first time I consumed it was on our trip (Hannah and I) to San Fran. While visiting a healthy hippy cafe, a server offered me a sample of some. Been hooked ever since. 😆

Hannah informed Rowan…she wasn’t a fan of the chia pudding in San Fran…so she would pass. Instead, she would try a bite of mom’s. 😜 When you scroll down, you will see the rest of the story about the chia pudding.

Online Security

One small portion of securing the empire…one piece of the puzzle/one layer…is regarding online security. There are many facets to online security. Here…I will share one piece of that small puzzle.

I have been degooglefying my life. As best I can. It means getting rid of all things Google…as much as I can. In doing this…I have been deleting email addresses and getting new ones. This is one SMALL piece of online security measures I have been taking behind the scenes.

I never thought I would actually pay for email services…but here I am…paying for email services. This ole gal has been learning new tricks. All things about encryption. Learning about cyberhacking…all things cyber security…how to keep accounts safe. I now own security keys. Look at me go!!! 😂

I am proof you are never too old to learn complicated things. 🤷‍♀️🤨

Freedom of the Soul

Another piece of the puzzle here to securing the empire is securing freedom for my soul. Strange way to put it…isn’t it?

As I have mentioned before, we have a belief system in our minds based mostly on lies. Some truths…but mostly lies.

It is the parable in the Bible of the farmer. The fields are planted with the wheat seeds…truth of Christ. The enemy comes along and plants weeds/tares in the field to overtake…and suck the life out of the truth planted.

This is a picture of our hearts and minds. The enemy has come along and planted many lies/deceptions in the fields of our hearts (emotions) and minds (beliefs/thoughts) to cause us to stumble. The enemy wants us to produce bad fruit instead of producing good fruit.

Truth’s Fruit

Imagine for a moment you believe you are worthless. Can you see and feel how that would direct your decisions in life?

This bad/negative lie…makes you produce bad fruit. Because I believed this lie, it was difficult for me to choose quality people/things for myself. That is across the board in life. If you believe you are lower class…you live as lower class. If you don’t believe you are worthy of high-quality goods…you buy low-quality items.

When you believe you are free, cheap, and easy…you live as someone free, cheap, and easy.

Your perception of self…your perspective…the lenses you see yourself through…GREATLY impacts the decisions you make in life.

The more truths I got from Christ…about myself and about Christ…the more I saw my own value and worth in and through Christ. Christ IS my value and worth. Without Him…I am nothing.

This changed how I lived my life…DRAMATICALLY.

Understanding

I started to understand boundaries. No longer did I allow people into my inner circle who treated me like I was worthless. Worthless…but also worth less than them. Not only were we all created equal…we were all equally created. Father/Christ/Holy Spirit is/are supreme. As created beings, all humans will bow to Deity. We can choose to bow today while here on Earth…or be forced to bow when we cross over into the Heavenly realms when our time on Earth is over. All mankind will bow. It is non-negotiable in the Spirit realm.

This understanding of humanity started to revolutionize my view of man. Not just me as a natural man…but the people around me as natural man. We all should be treated as if we had value and worth…and created with purpose.

The more truth from Christ I received about self and Him…my soul was being healed. I was discovering who I was. Who I was created to be. I was beginning to live as the woman of Christ I was created to be. Being freed from the enslavement of self-hatred and entering into His love of/for me. I was free to love my own soul…to love others as I loved myself. I was coming to understand what love is…who love is. Able to actually love…not just say the words I love. For it to be real…real love.

I began to treat myself with value and worth…focusing on His plan and purpose for my life. Along with the purposes and plans for my children’s lives. As the lies inside of me…both the thoughts and beliefs in my mind and the feelings/emotions in my heart were removed…exchanged for truth/Christ…it changed how I viewed self and viewed others. I began to treat myself with respect…and others too.

Respect

It is mathematical…logical.

If others have a right to be treated with respect, then it is equally true I have the right to be treated with respect.

If I have the right to be treated with respect, then it is equally true others have the right to be treated with respect.

We are equal to/=.

There is natural law. Man’s laws. Also, Father’s laws. Father established His covenantal laws with Moses when the Israelites were in the Wilderness. He was introducing His theocratic laws into a society of people He chose to set apart for Himself. This nation was His tithe out of all nations on this Earth. Later, He brought in the non-Israelites to allow all people from all nations to enter into a covenant with Him…to obey His spiritual laws.

This allowance…open door…is evidence He doesn’t play favorites among the people. All who choose Christ may enter in. Christ is the only way in. He is the door that you must go through to get life and blessings from Father.

Equality

Adam…a male was created. Eve…a female was created. Both males and females were created. In Father’s eyes…His Kingdom…males are not superior to females. Females are not superior to males. Males and females are equally created and also created equal. See the math here? See the logic? Male =/equal to female. Female =/equal to male.

He created every male and female and established every nation. Establishing every nation means every color of skin associated with those nations. Every culture within that nation.

Here we go with the math/logic again.

White male =/equal to black male. Black male =/equal to white male.

European females =/equal to American females.

Are you seeing the logic here? The concept is simple. No matter what differences separate each human being…each human has a common denominator. We were created by the Creator as humans. We all have basic bodily functions here.

War

Because I feel it is necessary to point out the obvious here…I will. It goes without being said…yet I will say it anyway. 🤷‍♀️

At times of war…it is kill or be killed. Killing in times of war is a different scenario than above. Father commanded the Israelites to go to war to destroy nations who were trying to destroy His people. Self-defense. Offense vs. defense.

We see in the book of Esther in the Bible; Haman was conspiring to kill the Israelites. He wanted to wipe out the nation. King Xerses had signed the order. Once Esther exposed Haman’s plot to kill her nation/people, Xerses had Haman hung on the gallows Haman had built for Mordecai. Following this act, He signed a new order giving the Israelite nation permission to defend themselves. They were allowed to kill anyone who was trying to kill them. They were in a battle for their lives. Serious stuff here. 😳

If a man breaks into a home to kill the residents of the home, our laws allow the homeowner to defend themselves while in their home. Self-defense is an important concept in life. In these cases, natural man doesn’t have time to do some inner reflection of how they feel about the one trying to kill them. You act. You respect yourself enough to live and fight back as best you can.

There ya go. I said it.

The Enemy

Let me briefly touch on the enemy. The Bible is clear about certain concepts. Some concepts…clear as mud. I appreciate it when Father is crystal clear about things. Crystal LOVES clarity. I NEED to understand. Driven to understand.

He tells us that our battle is not against flesh and blood. Our real problem is with authorities and principalities in the Heavenly realm. He is talking about Satan, demons, and bad fruits. Bad seeds that produce death within man.

He shares the works of the flesh are…a whole multitude of things. Father lists some of them in the Bible…not a complete list but some. Hate…which is murder. Slander…which is testifying falsely against your neighbor. Lying in general…about anything and anyone. Stealing. Causing division among His people. Gossiping. Immorality…of any kind. Etc.

Ok…so most people can get on board with this list…agreeing these items are not good.

If someone is slandering your name and reputation…you are going to probably say that is bad. It feels bad to you. You don’t like it.

But if you are the one doing the slandering…maybe you feel differently. In the Bible, Father calls this being double-minded.

Refer back to what I said earlier about if I have the right to respect, then others do too…and vice versa. It goes both ways.

In Father’s Kingdom no one escapes justice. No one escapes accountability in His courtroom. All who are guilty of breaking His laws…will be found guilty and sentenced accordingly.

Clean Up

THIS is why it is SUPER important to deal with the enemy within self. Man must FIRST look within self and clean up the bad fruit.

It is about humility. Always first…standing in front of the mirror and looking at your own filthy lie-based belief system. To look at the garden in your heart and pull out the weeds. To look at the garden in your mind and pull out the weeds.

Father allows trials in our lives to give man the opportunity to look within and pull the weeds.

When your neighbor slanders you…go look in the mirror and deal with the pain it is causing you (the weeds of emotional pain in your heart.) Deal with the lies you believe about yourself in your mind. Do that first…before you let animosity settle into your heart against your slandering neighbor.

Man’s way is to retaliate, blame, and point fingers while ignoring their own issues inside. Trials are by design…an opportunity to get free from the seeds of lies/deception the enemy planted within you so you would bear bad fruit. When the enemy slanders you…he wants you to slander back. He wants you to hate those who hate you. It is a vicious cycle man is trapped in. It is enslavement. See?

Free

The ONLY way to get free is through Christ. To seek His truth. To exchange your “my truths” for His truths. Exchange you for Him. To die to your own selfish negative flesh and ask Him to cover you with His perfect positive flesh.

Man needs the lights turned on so they can SEE the truth about what the real problem is. Who the real problem is.

I used to say on repeat…for years. I am my own worst enemy. That was not a lie. The lies I believed about myself… were destroying myself.

As I built my life on Christ’s truth about me…I was becoming free from the enemy and his bad fruits.

Realization

When I realized I was a slanderer…I dealt with the reason WHY I slandered. I got the truth which set me free from slandering.

When I realized I was a liar…I dealt with WHY I lied. I got His truth and stopped lying. Christ set me free from lying. The enemy no longer had a grip on my life in that area. Go down a long list of bad fruits…I dealt with each one and got free.

I was progressively getting free from the lies of the enemy within. This has been a journey which started over 30 years ago.

A journey toward freedom. Freedom from the enemy and his control over my life. I want Christ to rule and reign over my life…not some demonic entity and the toxic fruits he produces. Nor do I want natural man to be my ruler. I want King Jesus as my ruler.

Resistance

In a previous post on resistance training, I talked about the fact I am over resistance training.

Resistance training comes in different weights/waits…different tensions…different strengths. It is about opposing forces contained within the trials of life.

I say on repeat…we are body, soul, and spirit. Our physical body is a picture of our soul and spirit bodies.

When we work out at the gym in our physical body, we use resistance training to build physical muscles. We are exercising muscles to gain strength, stamina, and endurance. Resistance in the gym comes in many forms. You can use free weights, machines, bands, etc. Man-made forms of resistance. Also…you can use your own body to resist self to gain strength. You build according to the body frame you were designed and created to have. Everyone has a different weight limit for their skeletal frame…according to the muscle structure currently built.

Soul

It is the same in your soul body. Resistance training can come from man-made trials in life. Trials at work. Trials in relationships. Trying to learn new concepts. Processing difficult information. Some trials are light in weight/wait. Other trials nearly take you down completely…to where you feel hopeless and in despair. They are heavier burdens to bear up under the weight/wait of them. Some are five pounds weights. Some feel like 10 tons. No joke.

We can also use our own soul body in resistance training. The apostle Paul wrote about how he would beat his body to bring himself into obedience to Christ. When I refuse to hold on to negative feelings…by forcing myself to work through them…I am resisting the selfish nature within. I am choosing to resist the easier/lazy way. I am forcing myself to exercise my heart and mind to get freedom through Christ. As I do this…I get stronger emotionally and spiritually. As I gain strength in my soul man…the workouts get easier. The pain diminishes and the peace of Christ reigns in those places within me. As I submit myself to Him…I become less…He becomes greater. The less enslaved to the enemy I am.

The same processes work also in our spiritual body.

Joseph

I have said before…one man’s loss is another man’s gain. Also…one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

I want to share a bit more about these two concepts.

Let’s look at the life of Joseph in the Bible. If you don’t know the story…type him in the search bar of your preferred browser and read the story. I will give you a condensed version here.

Joseph was hated by his older brothers because he was favored by his father. (Take note…showing favoritism in your children will cause their siblings to hold negative feelings toward both parent and the sibling. Don’t do that to your children. It plants negative seeds and produces bad fruit in the hearts and minds of your children.)

His brothers hated him so much…they sold him into slavery. Then lied to their dad saying he was dead.

Now Joseph is a slave and carried away to a different country.

Fast forward, he is working in his master’s house. The master’s wife wants to have sex with him. Joseph refuses and runs away from her. She is pissed. A scorned woman. Rejected and Hell-bent on revenge. She accuses him of trying to take advantage of her. Now Joseph is thrown in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

Joseph’s Training

While Joseph is in prison, he interprets dreams for two different men. Both interpretations are spot-on and accurate. Fast forward…one man was released from prison. Pharaoh had a dream, and no one could tell him the interpretation. This man…remembered Joseph’s abilities. Pharaoh sent for Joseph to explain the dream to him.

Joseph did and Pharaoh elevated him to second in command in the land of Egypt.

Here is a man who withstood INCREDIBLE resistance training…body, soul, and spirit. Through it all…Joseph gained much strength in all three of his bodies. Instead of getting bitter…he got better. Like a fine wine that has been aged…Joseph tasted better as the years went by. Like a moist juicy piece of Wagyu steak. Joseph had the flavor and scent of the King…which gave him the favor of the Pharaoh.

Elevation

Joseph went from being hated and despised…the least of these…to being loved and respected…second in command.

That man did not waste the trials of life. He didn’t let the pain he suffered be in vain.

Fast forward years. His brothers come to Egypt during the famine needing food. When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, they were terrified. Beyond afraid this man in great command of a nation would kill them all. He could have. Instead, that man showed his brothers mercy, kindness, and love. He had forgiven them. It was a beautiful reunion for the whole family. Beauty beyond measure. Father and son were reunited as well.

Bondage

To lose the enemy within me and all those nasty fruits of the flesh…is a gain because I gain freedom. The truth of Christ sets me free from me…and free from the enemy. It allows me to love all…no matter what they do to me and/or say about me. When I am free…I am not in chains…bondage to man’s opinions of me.

Resistance training burns away the fat stored up within. The fat contains toxins.

Do you see the parallels?

When you suffer trials in life…whether man-made or natural trials…whether long or short…light or heavy…caused by others or self-inflicted…when you do the workout to clean up the toxins within…you are burning away the fat. You are becoming leaner and stronger. Resilient. Able to endure.

You feel differently. Your actions show the maturity, strength, and security within.

I can’t begin to tell you how much better you will feel when you detoxify your own soul and spirit. The difference is night and day. Life is an adventure at every turn instead of a drudgery when the storms rage around you.

The storms become mere drizzles in life. Like my dad always called them…the speed bumps of life. You slow down and roll over it so you don’t damage the vehicle. Speed bumps are doable. Tornados…not so easy to withstand.

Father uses the trials of life to mold and shape our character into Him…if we choose to allow Him.

Priorities

One thing I have noticed during the last 30 years of training has been this. For me…trials have been like a filter. As I sort and process through the difficulties, I land on the truths of what is most important to me. What the real priorities in life are. I evaluate what I can live without and what I can’t live without.

My family…my children…my relationships with them…has been a high priority in my life since I was pregnant with my oldest. This priority has driven me on many levels over the years. The reason I chose to quit using and abusing alcohol was for the health of my unborn child. The reason I chose Christ is because I needed to be delivered from myself. Man couldn’t fix me. Only the one who designed and created me could help me and fix me. I was broken beyond man’s repair.

Like Humpty Dumpty. I had a great fall. All of the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put me back together again. Only the King could do that for me. King Jesus. Man doesn’t have the answers…Christ is the answer. He is the answer to your every question. The solution to your every problem. He is the truth, and the truth is always the answer. ALWAYS.

Honor

I recently went through another trial of life…one that I believe is part of securing the empire. I received a subpoena to appear in court. The freedom of my blog is in question.

While I was sorting and processing my feelings and thoughts about this development, I came to some conclusions.

If I was going to be crucified, I wanted to do it in a way that was honorable to Christ. A priority to me…was to honor Him in how I behaved…the words I spoke…and the feelings I had in my heart for the people involved. My number one priority was to please Father/Christ/Holy Spirit.

I was shocked by the intensity of those feelings I had for Him…to honor Him. The respect and honor I feel toward Him shocked me to the core. He is my example…the one I follow day by day. I believe He is pleased with my character. I know I am.

Founding Fathers

Another priority I discovered was one I think I didn’t appreciate nearly as much as I do today. The freedom of speech. I have always held the Founding Fathers in great respect…but the older I get and the more of life I experience…the more I appreciate the sacrifices of those great men.

Another priority I cherish is why the American Revolution began. Freedom from governmental control. They wanted the freedom to obey Father as Father led them. Whatever that looked like to each individual. The term is the freedom of religion/worship. To Father…worship is defined as obedience. Worship is a posture of bowing before your Creator. Bowing in humble submissive obedience to His laws.

This situation has filtered out in me the intense desire to be free to obey Father as I believe He is calling me to do that. To say what He wants me to say. Post whatever pictures He leads me to post. To fulfill the calling and the purposes according to His plan.

Angel

Yesterday, I hopped in Hannah’s car for a short jaunt. She had the radio playing. Angel by Aerosmith came on. I am an 80’s girl here…love me some Steven Tyler. Saw them more than once in concert back in the 80’s. So…I am all ears with that song. Love the very last word in that song when Steven sings “tonight.” There is harmony in that last word. Sounds like they have digitally harmonized Steven with Steven. Absolutely beautiful harmony in that one word.

Anyway…I turned the radio off and pulled the song up on Apple Music to play on repeat. Been there for two days. The song is beautiful in every way.

Father has been reminding me of truths in that song. Man needs a Savior. Mankind desperately needs the truth of Christ.

I am called by Father to share Christ’s truths through my journey and the journey of my family. That includes all of my family…all generations. What our family has built is beautiful beyond measure because we built it on Christ. His truths. We are building on the rock…a firm foundation.

Father has called me to set the captives free…by sharing His truth.

In this process, I am losing more of me…and gaining more of Christ. What the enemy wants for bad, Father has for my good and His glory. So that being said…it is all a gain. 😍

Looking Ahead

Something I am pretty stoked about…I think I will be leaving the area soon. Not sure how that is going to work…but it feels true.

Here is a snippet of a convo I had with Vanessa yesterday afternoon.

I was telling her…

One…I am beyond exhausted. I NEED rest. My brain is fried from over 30 years of cleaning this vessel. I believe I have reached my limit in what I can carry. I am at weight-bearing load capacity. We are tripping error codes here.

Two…I HAVE to get out of here. I physically need to leave…not just some spiritual journey. I need rejuvenation. Rest. Peace. Quiet. All three of my bodies need to recuperate from the intensity of the last seven years especially.

It felt so much like when Dad died. I said to Vanessa then. I need healing. To me…healing takes place when I am out in nature. During that convo, I said I needed to find someone with a pond or lake and see if I could pitch a tent there for a month and recover in nature. The solitude in nature is Heaven on Earth for me. I had no idea it was prophetic.

Vanessa’s response to me was…I don’t see you camping in one place. I see you traveling and taking pictures. Instantly, I knew it was the trip Dad and I had talked about when he was dying. A dream trip of mine for years. A dream trip he had and took with his buddies before college. Three days after the convo with Vanessa, I pulled out in my rented van to travel 11,000 miles in 34 days to many of the National Parks out West. An incredible adventure that brought much healing to me.

Our Latest Convo

I started by saying…maybe I should go to the storage unit and get my camping gear. Pitch my tent in Hannah’s backyard. I NEED to be in nature. Gotta be outside somehow. Feeling the need to get away from people. Away from the noises of the city. I need away from here.

We asked Father if I should do that. Nope.

We moved into reminiscing about a number of trips I have taken in the past that were seriously abrupt in appearance. The second time I went to see The Lion King on Broadway in NYC was one of those trips. He told me to head to NYC around 8 in the morning and by noon I was in Mitchell’s car headed to NYC.

When Hannah and I went to NYC for our second trip there together, I was sitting at the table KNOWING I had to get to NYC. Couldn’t see how I was going to get there. Hannah calls during this convo with Father and says to me…I think I am supposed to go to NYC. Stunned, I asked when. She said tonight.

Within 30 minutes, I pulled out of northern Michigan to drive to southern Indiana so we could drive all night to NYC.

MANY trips happen to me like that. Within minutes or a few short hours, I am out of there. Gone in a flash! Just call me the female Flash baby. 😜 Yep…that’s me.

About an hour into Vanessa and I’s convo this time…I said…ok…I think I get the picture here. I am getting ready to leave…in a flash. Going to be a rush job again.

Ready to Go

I tell ya…I am so ready. My bags are packed baby. Ready to rock and roll. Get me OUTTA here!

There ya go…we are securing the empire here. Hannah says it sounds like Star Wars. 🤩 She is a gem!

As the little teapot, I have been tipped over and completely poured out. I am empty. 😆

Have a marvy day! I am choosing to as well.