That he is and has been building your house on the rock.
I know many of you enjoy my writings, But I want you to be aware I am building a series on youtube week by week (on Saturdays). Feel free to subscribe if you are interested in knowing God and getting rid of the giant of religion. Religious teachings are a distraction you don’t need in your life during these turbulent and uncertain times. “Draw near to me” God says, and I will draw near to you. James 4:8. With Love! -Laura
I am on a quest to do videos every Saturday about Hearing From God and building on the rock with him. It’s never too late to start! The Holy Spirit is our teacher and God wants us to build and be built up in him. He wants to speak to his people! (His Children).
Sometimes people hear different than others because of what God wants to do in THEIR life right now. I’m not going to talk to you about plumbing if your plumbing is fine. But If your roof is leaking lets talk about that. This is how God looks at things. He knows what is a priority in your life right now ACCORDING TO HIM.
He is the chief Shepherd. The one who bought you with a price. Other teachers and teachings should be confirmation of what God is already saying to you. Don’t just float around out there. We can use our Faith to be determined, to get in with God and say Okay.
Now is the day! Today is the day I start listening to you!! I am trusting God every person in the sound of my voice WILL HEAR from God ……Let’s believe together! “If two or more agree as touching anything it shall be done! Matthew 18:19.
It is my desire to build you up and encourage you in this area. And I’m trusting God is with me on this. WITH LOVE !! I’ll be doing this every Saturday until God says to stop. Just doin’ my part. This is part 2.
A Few Good men, one of my favorite movies of all time. It’s in my top 5. Since I am a contemplative person at times, I have wondered why. There are no scriptures in the movie, It wasn’t made by the Christian realm, but it is so full of truths!
1. Fear causes anger, The young attorney in this movie was fighting fear and counting the cost on whether he should fight for the two young men who were falsely accused in this movie, and rightly so, as one wrong move could have caused him to go to prison.
2. While he was struggling with anger, he lashes out at the young woman who is urging him to take the risk and defend these two young men. He does apologize later…….
3. While (again) no scriptures were mentioned, the young lawyer faces his fears, outwits his Goliath (a wicked general who has too much power and has abused it) and slays the giant in the courtroom. The battle may not be against flesh and blood but there are times giants must be faced. And we pray for those out there who are willing to face those giants, with wisdom and truth!!
4. The truth prevailed in this movie (Win Win!!) God is a lover of truth. If you don’t agree that’s fine but I think God even loves this movie. (Because it is so full of truth!!). And God loves truth.
The hard thing about being transparent and real is some people may not want to follow you. We live in a world that looks for powerful leaders who never seem afraid or intimidated and promise us what we want to hear…..
However, Jesus wept. Lost his temper, Fell under the weight of the cross….
He got hungry, needed his friends, “Felt” forsaken at the cross. He was God in a body of Flesh. We have God within our body of flesh. We’re not going to be picture perfect every day of our lives! And it doesn’t mean God doesn’t live in us if our flesh (and it’s polished veneer) falls apart.
My heroes are those who fall apart, give it to God, & try again. and they tell the truth! Not just what I want to hear.
Suffering is part of life. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all! ALL means ALL.
I was talking to God one time and lamenting how I would like to share so many things he has shown me, but very often people just run away from me or act like I am freaking them out.
He said to me “Don’t scare the little children.” …..😘
Now, I know when God speaks to my heart. I’ve been hearing him since the 90’s and he says what he wants, when he wants, and it’s always in perfect timing! So I pondered what he said, and I asked for clarification, for it seemed like a strange word at the time.
I got to thinking how in my own walk, there were times what people would share with me flat “freaked me out!!”. A few years back, I had a woman share with me how visiting a Pentecostal church freaked her out. Her exact words were “it was like something out of the twilight zone!”. 😂She was not ready for that experience. Not prepared.
God wants to relieve our fears not add to them!
If you are a parent, you hopefully know better than to introduce certain things to your kids too soon. Now, you may not agree with me but I know what I say here is the truth. It’s not right to send children to war. It’s not good to tell them things that scare them half to death until the proper age, when it’s time, when it’s time and they are ready to hear it. ❤️
That’s why God said “some of you need milk, not solid food.” If someone is enjoying their chicken soup for the soul and praising God who are you to mess with them? Everyone will get where they are going (and supposed to go) so long as they have made Jesus the Lord and Savior of their life. And I will tell you something else God just reminded me of…..
It says in 1 Thess 5:11 “Encourage each other and build each other up” Not “scare the pants off everyone so they will get in line!!” …….Years ago I was under a pastor that got in this attitude that if you left the church something bad would happen to you. At that moment, he was not in the spirit with God! , Preachers make mistakes. This is why no matter What church you go to, retain the attitude that the LORD is your Shepherd.
Here is another passage for you to ponder, Romans 14:4 “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” Grace and Peace to you!
Being Yoked (it’s no Joke) 2 Corn 6. Since I’ve been married for the better part of my life time, I’ve had plenty of time to ponder this passage about being “Equally Yoked” in Corinthians.
In Matthew 11, Jesus also said “Take my yoke upon you.” Did you know in Deut 22 God commanded we don’t yoke an oxen and donkey together? Oxen are bigger and walk and function in a different manner. If they were yoked together, the Donkey would suffer great injury, and the oxen would be extremely frustrated. Donkey represents a different nature. And Oxen and a Donkey will never be able to successfully plow a field together.
An animal that is experienced Is often yoked with an none-experienced animal so that the other can learn, and be trained. However, they both need to be “the same kind” of animal. (2 Oxen or 2 horses, and so on). In being yoked to Jesus, we are being trained, as we have to keep up with him, in order to learn of him.
So what does this mean in marriage? If the woman is more experienced in Serving God, even though they are yoked together, the husband is the one learning to “keep up.” This puts a different perspective on leadership. Wives are admonished to respect their husband, which means to honor their views and feelings and take them into consideration. Men are commanded to love their wives.
With that said, ultimately the order of things is we are first yoked to Jesus, and then yoked to each other in marriage. If the woman is stronger in certain areas, she may wind up “Pulling the man” into the straight path God has ordained for them, or vice-versa.
What I have learned, is ultimately the Lord wants us to follow him. He has a plan for our lives. If both parties (whether in friendship, marriage, business, or any other type of service) are surrendered and willing to be yoked to something bigger than themselves (in this case, the Lord) they can have success and not quibble about who is supposed to be the leader.
In the case of my husband and myself, we believe God is the boss.
Neither one of us has a desire to “rule over the house” or be the big cheese of things. There are times He is stronger than me in an area, and I must keep up with him. Other times, I am stronger in an area and he is forced to stretch and keep up with me! Either way, the Lord is in charge of us both. I hope this helps some with religious arguments as to “who is the boss”. Some are already operating this way, and just need to hear it’s okay! God’s Got you!
Your friend, servant, and minister of the Lord, -Laura
Hi Everyone! I just realized, I really should find a way to share videos I’ve been doing on Beauty from Ashes Ministries since November of 2021. It seems I have graduated to to that ministry, (for a time) until I can find more time to write here again. Beauty From Ashes has been gracious enough to share my books on the group as well.
I will pray I can return soon and share more with you friends! Until then the Lord Bless and Keep you, and remember I am always available for prayer. You can write me at sisterzeal@yahoo.com. Peace and Blessings!
Hi Everyone and Good Morning! HAPPY NEW YEAR! It’s 2022 now.
2020 was an interesting year. I remember the fear and the masks and the shut downs.
I started a book in June of that year, and it’s completed now. I just finished it in December of 2021.
Here is a little excerp from my book:
“What is it that makes us not feel like we are a success? Is it truly what other people say? Or is it something that we ourselves believe, deep down?
I think for me, not living up to my own expectations of myself is what ultimately makes me feel like a failure.
I know someone is going to say, (as they read this) that feelings do not matter, but I am not talking about come-and-go type feelings here. I am talking about a deep-down-in-your-soul feeling that you have not quite done enough.
We all need to look at ourselves in the mirror. Go right now and look at that reflection of you staring back, and ask yourself,
“Have I really done all I could do?” “Have I lived up to my potential?” “Is this person looking back at me, someone I can admire, or even praise?”
Why, or why not? There is nothing wrong with doing an assessment now and then.
When you do it however, how about basing it on your own opinion, and not someone else, and what they might say?
How about thinking in terms of facing your creator one day, and explaining to him what you did with your life?
When I think about giving up, I think about explaining to Jesus why I gave up. Honestly, looking him in the eye and saying,
“Well, I had to give up Lord, things were just too hard,” sounds terribly frightening to me.
You want to know what makes me tick; it is honestly not that complicated.
Days that I lost being upset over trivial things are part of my regrets.
Days that I lost worrying over things I cannot change is also on the list.
Days that I stubbornly refused to even try to reach my dreams because I had halfway given up, are another.
Regrets. What can we do about them?
Nothing. We cannot fix the past, all we can do is go forward now, today.
And that is exactly what I am doing my children, in writing this book.”
With Love, Mom
In 2020 I went forward. Sang songs at a nearby Deli.
I Did church services at a bar (while it was closed) And at Town Hall.
I hope your year is both prosperous and blessed. That you are able to shake off what has happened in the past, and go forward in Christ with a new passion and attitude of optimism for the future. After all, Jesus really has promised us great things (New Life, Abundant life, in Him!). with love and affection for you, his people.
I know, I haven’t been here in a long while. As I previously told you, we had a fire in our area on Dec 1, 2021.
Our whole town was evacuated. No lives were lost.
It was so eerie, driving out of town that day. The smoke was very thick, the wind was howling with gusts up to 70 mph. We didn’t know if we’d be able to get a motel. Our dog was in the car with us (Sadie) And she was wondering what was going on too. I remember being super calm for some reason, even though we knew our house could be lost.
This picture is a bush right against our deck, with my grandkids playing in it, in 2020.That bush caught fire, and if someone very brave had not put it out, our house would have been lost. Which is exaclty what I felt led to pray as we left town, “If something by our house catches Fire Father, Please help someone notice it.”
Very specific. I can’t say why I prayed that, other than the Holy Spirit must have prompted me. I ask Him all the time to guide my prayers. This was inspired by the passage “IF we ask according to his will he hears us…..and grants what we ask.” Anyway, we had Christmas and I’ve been working part time since my books have not been selling a whole lot. As our town Hall filled up with donations after the fire, I thought about the services I held there in 2020 when the churches were shut down. “We need a move…..” We sang, over and over again……
God surely has moved on our behalf. Our town is damaged but not lost. We are all so very thankful to be alive. Maybe we all need that reminder now and then. To Just be Thankful, “To be alive.” Thank you Father for restoring our grateful hearts, and showing us what really matters. With your help, we can go from there.” Amen
We had a fire last week in our little town of Denton. The blaze started November 1, during an unseasonably warm time, a long with a high wind event. A downed power line was determined to be the cause of the fire.
At 1:30 PM on Dec 1 the town siren went off, and we were all evacuated. I remember just feeling calm but the smoke in the air and realization that our town might completely be gone was something I did not wish to ponder.
We were gone for 2 days, and we didn’t know for at least 25 hours if our house was still intact. It turned out someone spotted a fire very near our house (under the deck) and put it out for us. But 25 homes were lost and several outbuildings. IN a town of this size (less than 400) That is pretty devestating, to say the least.
I am so thankful we are still here. With love (and I will write more soon) Laura Grace
Just doin’ my part. This is part 2. 
(the movie)
and they tell the truth! Not just what I want to hear.
Some are already operating this way, and just need to hear it’s okay! God’s Got you! 
gracetogrowdaily 