As I sit here tonight I am reminded of just what a miracle Jesus’ love truly is. He loved me in the midst of my lowest trials and tribulations. He loved me in the midst of my deepest, darkest sinful living. When I was walking in darkness without any sign of light around me, he stepped in and brought light into my life. The son brought me light again. He gave my life meaning. He brought me joy and made me smile again. I can truly tell you that this life I live is not just religion. I live for a wonderful, loving God and he has a name. His name is Jesus! He truly gave me beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and praise for heaviness. The love of Jesus is the largest miracle I have every received.

I am here to tell you, he can do the same for you. When you began to call on the name of Jesus, every demon in hell has to flee. The evil spirits that are all around you every day must leave immediately when the name of Jesus is spoken. Just as the demons in the man who lived around the tombs in the Gadarenes had to leave immediately at the spoken word from Jesus, so must every demon that torments you (Mark 5:1-13). Don’t allow the enemy of your soul to continue making you feel depressed, unloved, unworthy. You are loved by the God who created you from the beginning and he has a name. Call out to Jesus today and watch him work a miracle in your life with his love! He is listening and He is waiting for you right now.

Today I am reminded of the power in speaking the Name of Jesus. As I sit here in my home and type, I am currently battling a sickness in my mind, body, and spirit that can only be healed by Jesus!!! There is a song I have begun to memorize and sing over and over again that reminds me to Speak the Name of Jesus over every situation. In Jesus name there is Healing, Power, Life! I must shout Jesus from the rooftops! I speak Jesus in my Home! I speak Jesus in my workplace! I speak Jesus over my mind! I speak Jesus over my Family! I speak Jesus over my complete healing! I speak Jesus over the decisions to made in my life in the days ahead. Only He can give me complete peace and healing. I speak Jesus over my little life here on this earth. I am believing Jesus. His Word, His Name, His Holy Presence, will never let me go.

If not for Jesus I would be completely lost. It is the name of Jesus that breaks every stronghold in my life that keeps me from being content. Jesus moves the things in my life that are unmovable. Jesus humbles me and reminds me today of where my strength comes from. Without Jesus, I can do nothing, I am nothing.

So I declare today that I will be back on my feet again soon. The battle that is raging will be won through Jesus and only through Jesus! He will get the glory when this battle is over and I will be stronger than ever. I speak this into existence in the might name of Jesus. I am His beloved! Thank you Jesus!!!!!

I absolutely love the changing of seasons. Tennessee is a wonderful place to live if you like having all four seasons. Currently we are in the fall of the year. The weather is nice and cool, the air is crisp and clean. Fall brings about a time for change. We go from wearing our cool, short sleeve tops with shorts or shorter skirts, to wearing our long flannel tops, long skirts or jeans. We also give up our open toe sandals and flip flops for tall boots and closed toe shoes.

Just as the seasons of the year change, seasons of life change quickly. As we learn more of who we are in Jesus Christ, our seasons of life change rapidly. We sometimes go into a new area with Jesus in a particular season. A good example for me is this current season of growth. I have long desired to ride horses. As I seek to enjoy this season of life more, I am finding that I must put effort into learning to ride. I start riding lessons this week. I know that I must put a lot of time and effort into this. My desire is to own a horse for myself one day. This desire will need a lot of work in order to come to fruition. I must train and learn how to be safe with horses. Then I must get the property ready for my horse to be housed. At that point, I will need to clear the land, build a barn, and then fence the land in. Owning my horse will be no small task. It may take a year or more before I can really get serious about Purchasing my own horse. At that point I will need to find a horse that fits me and that I can bond with. By the time I am truly ready for my own horse a new season may very well have come and gone. It may be Spring, Summer, Winter, or even back around to fall before I am ready for my own horse. Preparation is a must.

This is exactly how changes happen in life. Sometimes the season of life may be filled with joy, peace and happiness. But then again, the season of life may be in a dark spot, dreary, and cold. Seasons are very different. Life can take such a different turn at any moment. I am so thankful that seasons of life change. God has given various seasons so growth and nourishment can take place.

Ecclesiastes says there is a time and season for everything. When we are in a season of difficulty, it is so comforting to know the season will change. Everything can become joyful again. God is the creator of all seasons. He takes us through each one and gives us the peace we need to overcome! Thank God for the seasons of life. I thank Him for Fall because everything begins to change. The beautiful colors are vibrant and true. I thank Him for Winter when everything dies off and sometimes lays dormant to rest. I thank Him for the Spring time because it brings warmth and nurtures our soul. I thank Him for the summer season of growth and prosperity. Every season of life has a purpose. There is a time and place, a season, for everything under the sun. Let us give thanks for it all! May this season of Fall bring everyone reading this a time of beautiful color and joy!

Have you ever thought about Name’s and how they came about? I do often wonder who comes up with some of the names I hear. Some are short, some long, some simple, some complex. But no matter what, moms and dads special pick their children’s names. How sweet is that. To know your name was chosen just for you.

I remember being so jealous of my sister’s name. My name is so simple “Lorie”. Well, at least is spelled a little different, I would often think. My sister has this beautiful Indian name where my name came from a soap opera, of all things. I really do laugh about it now. My name fits me and her name fits to her. Our mom and dad did good. The name Lorie is translated into Laurel. Laurel is a wreath worn on the head for a sign of victory. I love it! My name means VICTORY!

I recall when I became pregnant with my first child and had to pick names. We decided on the name Monte. This was because his dad loved his car and yes,,,,it was a Monte Carlo. There was no way I was going to go with the middle name Carlo though. I could just imagine my child being picked on in school. So, we chose to give him his dad and grandfather’s name for the middle name. For the second pregnancy we were having a little girl. I decided to name her Tiffany after a young lady that I worked with. She was beautiful inside and out and I could not think of a sweeter person. This young lady was tragically killed in a car accident and I could not think of a more beautiful way to honor her than by giving my daughter her name. The middle name was easy. This would be after by sister and mother in law who had the same middle name. My children’s names are very special to me and they really do fit each of them perfectly.

So yes, Name’s are very important. We call out to our friends and families at events by using their name. Sometimes when I call out to my mom in a crowded place I resort to using her name. She respond’s quickly to that over every mom’s head turning when I say “Mom”. She knows her name specifically and she knows my voice.

In Isaiah 43:1b God almighty says, “Fear not: for I have redeemed the, I have called thee by thy name; thou are mine”. WOW!!! The God of the universe knows my name. He loves me enough to call me by name. I love to sing Israel Houghton’s song, “He knows my name”. The song goes on to say; He knows my every thought, He hears me when I call, He sees each tear that falls! What a beautiful thing to know. I am so thankful that Jesus loves me enough to know me personally.

I pray today that everyone who reads this blog will remember how much Jesus loves them. He loves each of you enough. He knows your very Name!!! That is what is in a name; the love of Jesus is in your name. You are special, you are beautifully and wonderfully made by Him! Hold tight to that and never let anyone make you feel less than loved.

While reading Psalm 23 today I began to remember a day when I was 8 years old. I will not tell you how long ago that was because it will give my age away. But believe me when I say, It was a loooooong time ago!

Anyway, back to the story of when I was 8. On this particular day I was sitting on a blanket in our back yard watching the horses on the other side of the fence. It was a peaceful day in the life of an 8 year old. Just playing with my baby cousin and watching my mom in the pasture picking up apples. All of sudden our horse, Rocket, hauled off and kicked mom right in the tush. I do not think he liked the idea of her taking his apples. I have never seen my mom so mad in my entire life and still to this day have never seen her that mad again. She picked up the biggest tree limb, not just a switch size but the size of a small tree and chased that horse around the barn lot for what seemed like hours. Now to tell you I was in shock would be an understatement. At first I was shocked,,,but then the laughter at the site began to take over. I never laughed where mom could see me. I knew better than to do that. But boy did I laugh!!!

From that day on mom would have nothing to do with Rocket. But she didn’t let that horse detour her from picking apples in the barn lot. She was determined to have fresh apples to make those apple pies we all loved so much. And boy was I thankful for that. There is nothing like fresh apple fritters in your lunch box each day.

Psalm 23 tells me to take time to lay down in green pastures. Many times, I allow the dangers, like a horse kicking me, to detour me from peaceful pasture times in my life. God so wants to spend some quit time with me. When I take time to spend in the green pastures of peace and quit with Him, He leads me beside the still waters so He can restore me. His path of righteousness can then be seen and taken. His name is lifted up to others around me when I walk down this peace filled path. But I can only walk down it after I have spent time in the green pasture and beside the still water. As I walk this path of righteousness God gives me strength day by day to fight the good fight, to not live in fear, His rod and His staff bring me comfort.

Today I am encouraged to take time in the green pasture so my soul can be restored. I know there may be many “Rockets the Horse” in the green pasture, but I also know they cannot harm me. The God of Heaven wants to spend time with me and you today just walking beside the still waters and restoring our soul. What I glorious fact to know. The God of Heaven loves spending time with me!!!!

As I started my day today I began to think on ME. Who am I? Who do people say I am? Where have I come from and where do I want to go?

Recently I saw a picture of a man chiseling away at nonother than himself. I had never seen a picture quit like this before. It was funny at first to look at but then I began to contemplate the irony of it. I realized the picture was related to someone loosing weight a little at a time. But I didn’t look at the picture in that way. I saw the picture as me chiseling away at the weight that others had placed on me. You know,,,,expectations of how I should act, of what others opinions are of me, how I should dress or look to please other, how I should “behave”, and even how I should talk.

Right then and there I made a decision. One of the biggest decision’s I think I have ever made. I decided to just be ME!!! The Authentic Me! The Me that God created. The Me that Jesus Christ died for. The Me who is fierce, the me who loves deeply and who is loved deeply by my family, the Me who is caring, strong, smart, and passionate. I chose today to become who GOD created me to be.

As each day begins this week I will think on the things that are lovely, pure, and true. I will live my life Authentically

and no longer worry about others opinions. I challenge each of you today who are reading this to become the Authentic, Beautiful YOU!!!!

Rejoice! What does it mean to rejoice? Websters dictionary describes the word rejoice as: “to feel or show great joy or delight”  Well that’s easy enough. When life is at it’s best. I sure rejoiced when my daughter past her finals. And you know I rejoiced when my son moved closer to home with those grandson’s of mine. It was easy to rejoice when my beautiful granddaughter was born. It was sure easy enough to rejoice when my promotion at work came along. Oh yeah baby! You bet I rejoiced when I lost that 10 lbs I had been working so hard to shed. And what about when the husband took me on that road trip he planned for our anniversary? That was the best. I was sure able to rejoice sitting on that beach in the sun. And,,,well,,,you get the picture. I sure know how to rejoice when life is at it’s best.

Now, let’s get to the whole matter of the subject. It is in the hard times that rejoicing has been the most challenging. I know one thing for sure, this time in isolation due to the CORONAVIRUS has been one of the hardest times I have experienced to find something to rejoice about. I don’t know about you, but I literally had to write my list of things to rejoice about to find some joy. I’m here to tell you, once I got started on that list, It just flowed! I was so in awe as I wrote these things down. Just think about it, healthy meals cooked at home was at the top of my list. I am embarrassed to admit this, but I had really gotten into some bad habits with fast food. It is so much easier to stop at my favorite Chik-fila and grab dinner. On my list I have added time with my husband, projects around the house accomplished, and on and on it goes.

Now I have to be honest here, I have completely missed being in the house of God on Sunday mornings. My church family is a huge part of my life and bring me great joy. The adjustment to online church has been hard. But just as God does, He allowed this time online to reach out to others we would never be able to minister to otherwise. This time has given me a great appreciation of living in America where we can attend church with others without fear of persecution and death. Today was our first day back to church it was filled with great rejoicing!

What about those who have lost loved ones during this time? How do they rejoice? And how about those who have lost their jobs, homes, material possessions? What do they have to rejoice about? Well, I have to honest and say I don’t have all of the answers. It is beyond my understanding why people hurt. What I do know is this,,,the Word of God is tried and true. God’s Word holds the answers and is the only place I can find peace to be able to rejoice. Psalm 9:14 says “That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughters of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation”. Psalm 68:3 says “But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice”. As I read the scriptures that King David sang in the Psalms, I can’t help but think about his many losses. He lost his freedom when he fled from a mad man that was supposed to be his king. He had to run for his life! David lost his child because of his own sin and deception. David’s own son turned against him because he wanted power. But in all of David’s loss, he remained faithful to the things of God. David cried out to God in Psalm 69:1 “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.” His only hope in this deep dark situation was God. David knew he couldn’t make it through and regain his joy without God.

May I encourage you today to begin to seek after God. If you can’t seem to find anything to rejoice about, I challenge you to begin to make a list of things each day that you are thankful for. Maybe start with the simple things in life that God has provided; food on your table, someone to love you, etc.. God sent his only son to die on a cross for you. You are beautiful to Jesus Christ. He gave his life to make away for you to live with him forever. He desires a relationship with you. Let Jesus come in today and begin to heal you. He will give you much more than you could ever dream of to rejoice in! Grab your Bible and start reading the Psalm. I pray today for God to begin to minister to your heart and may healing begin so your joy and rejoicing may be greater that ever before.

“This is the day the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be Glad in it!”

Have you ever wondered how joy can be found in the middle of a battle? What exactly does it mean to find joy? What causes us to loose joy in the first place?

This last week has been a major battle for me. I have faced spiritual warfare on every corner and have been too weak to battle. Joy, to me, typically comes easy. I love to laugh and help others see the positive side of things. Yet, sometimes when a battle is intense,,,,just when it is at the highest point in the fight,,,,I tend to loose my joy. As I become tired and weary my joy just seems to flee. Vanishes into thin air. KAPOOF…..it is gone.

As I read about the Jews in Nehemiah and the intense warfare they faced, I can only imagine the intensity of their battle. Sure, joy could be found at times. I’m sure every time there was a wedding in their broken down city of Jerusalem, a little bit of joy would return. Or when a baby was born you could find such a sweet joy in God’s people. Then,,,as the newness would settle in, joy slowly faded away as the battle of trying to live for God in this broken down city continued and intensified at times.

This is so much like my week. At every turn my joy seemed to fade a little until I was completely drained and left emotionally raw. As my emotions raged this week God reminded me that a battle , a spiritual battle, was exactly what I was facing. He also reminded me that he has given me the weapons to face this battle.

In Ephesians 6:11-12 God tells us to put on His whole Armour so we can stand against the wiles of the devil, for our battle is not against flesh and blood but principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness in this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places. He goes on to say in the next few verses what those weapons are. His Word, His Truth, The Breastplate of His Righteousness, The Gospel of Peace, The Shield of Faith, The Helmet of Salvation, The Sword of the Spirit,  which is the Word of God.

As I move forward to finish out the rest of this week, I am determined to find more joy than ever. I truly believe that every time we face a battle of this magnitude, God has something marvelous coming in the victory. I can’t wait to see what comes of this battle.

I pray today that you to will put on the whole armor of God so you can fight this battle. Don’t loose your joy in the midst of it my sisters! Our God is marvelous, He is mighty, He is our Joy!!! Stay in the battle dear sisters and take time to laugh often! I will see you on the battle field.

Today I am reminded of how quickly my focus can be side tracked. Here it is June and I am just writing a new post for this blog. It’s not that God has taken this ministry from me or that I have given up. I just simply got busy and lost track of what I enjoy, writing. I love this little church mouse saying. The best days of my life are yet to come. I am not ready to say what the Apostle Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith”. I am ready instead to say,,,,,”watch out world, here I come”. I am ready to have a fresh start again today. It’s a new day and I am ready for it. I will live my dream to write again and continue this blog.

In the days ahead I really want to be real with you. I desire to have an openness that can say, Hey friend, here I am, This is me, this is what you get! In all of my realness, the ugly fact is,,,,i have and continue to mess up. I need forgiveness. Will you join me in being real and share with me how you forgive yourself when you mess up? How do you move forward one step at a time? What are some tools in your arsenal to overcome?

What out folks!!! The fire and desire in me has been stirred. Let’s see what God does!

Have you ever really wondered what this saying truly means? How do you get rid of the old? Sometimes the old can be a good thing. For example: good habits of brushing your teeth, keeping dishes washed up, or having a certain day your family comes over for fun family time are old habits you want to keep. Every Tuesday night is pizza and a movie night at the Gibbs Homestead. This habit has been ongoing for several years now and gives us a night to enjoy one another. It is a good thing to develop healthy family time habits.

It is also a good thing to develop new healthy habits. The word of God says it like this:   “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

As 2017 comes to a close and 2018 begins, I take this time to challenge you to develop some new things in your life. I chose to invest in a planner that I could have a little fun with. As I set goals for this year I choose to keep track of them and keep them simple: read a new book monthly, clean and shine my kitchen sink every night, do a load of laundry a day, drink at least 4 glasses of water a day, and the list goes on. I know there will be days I fall short but that’s OK. I am made new in Christ Jesus daily.

OUT WITH THE OLD ME, IN WITH THE NEW!!!!!!!                Happy New Year!

Here are a few websites I hope will help as you seek to have a prosperous, peaceful 2018.

http://www.flylady.com

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_90.htm

http://www.newsweek.com/new-years-resolutions-2018-15-ideas-setting-goals-new-year-763466

https://www.christianplanner.com/