There is an increased need to intercede for Israel and tensions in the region are growing.
Over the past few days, Iran has been readying its military to attack Israel. And has in fact attacked Israel with drones. We understand a second wave of drones are now in the air. The Israeli Defense Force is tracking all drone attacks. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has gathered his Israeli Defense Force Chiefs and Prime Minister Netanyahu is en route to security consultations.
Within the last 24 hours, Hamas (an Iranian proxy) has been acting favorably toward a hostage deal that includes a cease-fire. This could be a good sign, or a distraction.
Here in the US, President Biden has canceled his beach weekend and returned to the White House.
Let’s pray for the peace of Jerusalem. For those willing and able, please declare a fast for the nation of Israel and Jews around the world. Intercede specifically that there would be a de-escalation in tension and pray against widespread war in the Middle East.
Please share this urgent message with all you have influence.
Click here to download a prayer guide for Israel created by Intercessors for America.
I was diagnosed with alpha-gal in 2022. However, I’m holding onto the faith that He is healing me from this horrible thing, and I’ve already started to see the healing.
Jesus told us that we – me and you – the church – could pray with authority in His name. Remember that as you declare these truths over your situation or that of a friend or family member.
Remember, Jesus tell us we could pray with authority in His name!
Below you will find a prayer I wrote, with decrees and declarations included, specifically targeted for pancreatic cancer. Speak them out multiple times/day if you need to. Actually, I recommend it.
Perhaps decreeing God’s Word is a new concept for you. Remember this… Jesus said that if you are a believer, He has given you “the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)
May these decrees bring healing over alpha-gal and show you just how powerful our God is. Download the free pdf below and speak these words out multiple times/day.
Jehovah Rapha, you are the one who heals. Thank you for creating me for a purpose – a purpose bigger than I’ll ever fully know. Thank you for calling me daughter and setting a table for me in the presence of my enemies. (Psalm 23:5)
The enemy has come to steal, kill, and destroy my body, but you, Jesus, have come to give me life and give it to me abundantly. (John 10:10) I choose to hold onto that promise, no matter my circumstances. I believe You are my healer.
In the name of Jesus, I decree and declare that:
My body is healed from all issues associated with alpha-gal.
God rescues me from every trap and protects me from alpha-gal, tick bites, and all other associated causes. (Psalm 91:3)
I bind up any allergic reactions that try to come against me, including itching, dry skin, digestive issues, low or high blood pressure, swelling, pain, and anaphylactic reactions. (Matthew 18:18)
I haven’t watched The Voice in years, but when Reba announced she was joining the team, I knew I wasn’t missing it. Then, add a 16-year-old Missouri gal like Ruby, who can sing your socks off. I was hooked!
Reba and Ruby teamed up on the finale to sing “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” Right out of the gate, Reba forgot the words.
A musical legend…
A woman who’s been on more stages than most people will be on in a lifetime…
25 #1 songs…
3 Grammys…
…And a partridge in a pear tree
And she messed up on live television!
And I loved every minute of it! You mean, I’m celebrating because Reba screwed up? Absolutely not.
I loved it because it was real. No B.S. No starting over. No pretending like she had it all together. And what I loved even more was that she didn’t let it stop her. She didn’t skip a beat. She kept going. She kept singing. She kept smiling. She kept entertaining.
And she showed that extremely talented, sweet 16-year-old girl who people will try to devour in this business and the other amazingly talented contestants how to be a true performer.
She kept moving forward and kicked butt and took names.
Not only did she show them, but she showed me and the rest of us who are chasing this dream called music how to keep holding our heads up high and keep moving forward when we have a setback.
And she showed us authenticity. Something the world is starving for right now.
When I saw her in concert last year, she couldn’t hit a high note in a specific song because she started having a coughing fit. She’d been fighting off something for a few days.
She kept moving forward, got a tissue, blew her nose, and kept on singing. She barely missed a beat.
But what I loved even more is that she could’ve just thrown that used tissue down on the ginormous stage and had someone pick it up. Nope… she kept it in her hand, kept singing, kept doing her thing, and got rid of it as she and her band transitioned from one song to another.
In August, my best friend Jammie and I started a Bible Study, diving into “Authority in Prayer” by Dutch Sheets. We had no idea what God had in mind, but we knew that if we showed up, He would show up. And just wow! Has He ever!
For the last four months, we’ve sat around each Wednesday morning at Coffee on the Rocks in Hollister, Mo., studying the Word of God, learning what walking in the true authority of Christ looks like, laughing, crying, and all the things.
We’ve had discussions that would make the church uncomfortable yet remained focused on Jesus. (Sit in that statement for a second.) We’ve had hard conversations. We’ve overcome offenses and fear.
We’ve seen spiritual warfare happen right before our very eyes, and we’ve seen the power of God do His thing, all while sipping a cup of coffee. And we’re only in chapter seven of the book.
We didn’t have anyone in mind when we decided to host this study. We just posted on Facebook, invited peeps to join us, and waited. Each Wednesday morning, we gather with women from different churches and walks of life. Man, is it a beautiful thing!
In the last four months, God has changed me, and He’s done it through watching and growing in the Word with these beautiful women. Wednesday mornings are my favorite day of the week.
This morning, Jammie and I changed things up a bit and had the honor of serving these beautiful souls breakfast. We shared what we want to experience with God in 2024, talked about our identities in Christ as we continue to walk in the authority God has called us to, and took communion together. I wish I could package it up and sell it to you, but it’s pretty priceless.
If you’re not in a community, find one.
If you’re not having conversations with people who challenge you, start having them.
If you’re not laughing with strangers who quickly become friends, start now.
If you’re not surrounding yourself with people who will encourage you, call you up, and love you well, go out and find those people. They exist, I promise.
One day my sweet friend Billy Cook looked at me and said, “I bet I can teach you to play the banjo in less than a minute.” I told him he was crazy. You don’t just learn the banjo in 60 seconds.
“You wanna bet?” He asked. So we made a wager right there in church (neither of us was struck by lightning).
Then he pulled out a 6-string banjo and said, “Here ya go. I win!” I didn’t even know a 6-string banjo existed. You can play it just like a guitar. It’s seriously the coolest thing since Betty White. And for the first time in my life, I played the banjo. It was so cool! He let me take it home for a few weeks and play around with it. We always talked about shopping for one but never made it happen.
When he went to be with Jesus in May, my heart was broken. I was on vacation and didn’t get the opportunity to give him a last farewell. It felt a lot like losing another grandpa. But man, are we gonna jam out in heaven one day.
I loved playing music with him at church. He would always make sure I had a place to sit next to him so I could watch his fingers. Playing with a bunch of guys who’ve been playing music longer than I’ve been alive ain’t for the faint of heart.
Someone would say, “Let’s play this the key of C,” and I’d look at Billy like a deer in headlights. He’d say, “Put your capo here and just follow my fingers.” And so I would, and sure enough, I could keep up with the best of them.
One of my greatest desires was to have that banjo, and the Lord graciously answered my prayer. I picked it up this weekend while in Belle, and it will forever be one of my most prized possessions.
When I opened the case, I found a few handwritten lyrics Billy had written down so he could play some songs at church. I wanted to weep at the sight but held it back since I was getting ready to do a show and didn’t want to smear my mascara.
I will forever treasure this banjo, and I will forever treasure his handwritten devotion to spreading the Gospel through music.
‘Til we meet again, Billy, I’ll take good care of it.
As I prepare to close out a decade and dive into another one, I’ve been reflecting a lot.
Wow, I’m about to say goodbye to my 30’s. A lot has happened in the last 10 years. I’ve experienced so many losses but also gained so so much.
Ministry. Moving back to my hometown of Belle (kicking and screaming). The loss of two mentors (Gary Smalley & Scott-Arthur Allen) almost simultaneously. Growing with a new church family and watching God change hearts in Celebrate Recovery. Watching that same church fall apart because of pride, discord, gossip, and hurting people hurting people. Making friends that you know will always be there for you. The loss of friendships I never saw coming. Healing of past trauma that made me despise my hometown. Watching God change hearts because of His story of redemption in my life. The death of my step-mom. Black mold that almost wiped me out. Healing from the aftereffects of the mold. More healing in my heart as God continued to work through past trauma. Strengthened relationships with family. Heartbreak and broken relationships with family. Loving my best friend through both the ups and downs of foster care. Playing a part in the miracle of adoption and becoming the best aunt ever. I met the man I thought I would marry and picked up the pieces after heartbreak. Losing my job and getting it back an hour later because, well, God… (Powerful story for another day) The death of my friend by suicide. Planting flowers with my grandma Virginia. Watching a ministry God called me to tumble to the ground from the actions of people I trusted. Resting in His promises of justice instead of defending myself. Watching God bring that justice through apologies a few years later. The death of two dogs. Teaching men and women in prison how to find their value so they no longer have to stay stuck in their pasts. God renewed my desire to pursue songwriting as more than just a hobby. Skin removal surgery. The death of my aunt Sherri. A renewed relationship with family I never expected. God calling me back to Branson without the complete picture of why. Leaving Belle behind after 7 years with a grateful heart for what God did, along with a sadness to leave my hometown. I walked with my best friend through months of watching her husband almost lose his life due to illness. Seeing God do a miracle in their lives. I prayed for my stepdad to walk out of the fire from the enemy’s attacks and see him rise out of the ashes. Finding a new church family. Experiencing spiritual warfare at a whole new level. Fighting for a friendship I never thought I’d have to fight for. The death of my grandpa Wimp. The death of my aunt Vicki. God called me to not just write songs but pursue the calling of creating music as an artist. Alpha-gal and other health struggles. 3 single-song contracts, 2 music releases, relationship building with people in the music business, and a partridge in a pear tree.
I have so much to be thankful for! The last 10 years have been both challenging and incredible.
I’ve experienced devastation, and I’ve seen miracles. And this I know… I would not have survived my 30s without God’s protection. Without clinging to Him like my life depended on it because my life depended on it.
At 39, I know things I didn’t know at 30. And as I prepare to embark on my 40s, I’ll learn something I didn’t know in my 30s.
I am so blessed – blessed by so many things I don’t deserve, but God’s goodness is well… so so good.
Here’s to saying goodbye to my 30s and H.E.L.L.O. to a new decade of awesomeness!
