Day 2: Praying Through {31 Devotions in 31 Days}

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up."

Psalm 5:3

Yesterday, we spoke about the power of the Word of God and how it can deliver us from unhealthy emotional bondage. I hope you felt as empowered as I did!

While the Word shows us who the Lord Jesus Christ is (which we will dive deeper into in the coming weeks), our God and Saviour, prayer goes hand in hand as a form of communication with Him. We cannot experience a full deliverance from impure emotional patterns without prayer. When we are in a compromising situation where we feel unhealthy emotions rise, a simple prayer can calm the inward storm.

Ephesians 6:18 says:

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."

An analogy I use in my book The Palace Keepers is one that involves a ballerina. To avoid dizziness, they are taught to keep their eyes on a single, unmoving target as they spin. When they turn, their heads snap back to the same spot, their gaze falling on the same area. Usually it's a pole or a corner of the room. This helps them focus and not become lost or dazed. 

Prayer is like that. It helps keep our focus on the Lord, our attention always snapping back to Him as our world and our emotions keep us spinning. 

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, it says that we must "pray without ceasing."

Prayer is not bound by time. While praying early in the morning prepares us to face the day, the Bible often talks about praying without ceasing, or without intermission. What does this mean?

Pray through the pain!

Pray through the clouds of doubt!

Pray through an anxious heart!

Pray through all hours of the day!

Pray through your transformation!

If you wait until everything was perfect to pray, you'll be waiting for all eternity. This means we must deny ourselves (1 Corinthians 15:31) and pray even when we don't feel like it. Because we cannot go by what we feel (Jeremiah 17:9)...that's how we got into emotional bondage in the first place! When the walls of depression are pressing on your chest, a prayer should be on your breath.

God adores you. He wants a relationship with you. This cannot happen without open communication, much like any earthly relationship. Your desire for healthy pure emotions lies in a healthy pure relationship with the Lord. It's not about giving Him a to-do list; He is not a vending machine, spitting out blessings at the touch of a button. We can pray for certain things (Matthew 6:8 and Matthew 7:7) but it must go deeper than that. It should mean more to us than that. 

Reflection:

Keeping that line of communication open between Creator and creation, is what will bring about profound change. As we pray through, we must believe that He will meet our needs while we take time to meet with Him. We don't pray to change God's mind. We pray to change ours. For He does not change but we are commanded to. (Malachi 3:6 and Philippians 3:21)

Action:

Yesterday, we took a look at our daily routine with honest eyes. Along with making sure we are in His Word daily, we need to incorporate prayer. Talking to the Lord needs to be a state of mind, whether through tragedy or victory, we are able to communication to the One who knows all things. If you are struggling, set a specific time each day to pray. This will help keep a commitment and make you accountable for this divine appointment.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we thank You the opportunity we are given to seek Your face on a daily basis. How privileged we are that You are so loving and merciful, that we are allowed to come unto You with our requests and sinful hearts. We ask, Lord God, for a revelation of who You are so that we will better understand how to communicate through prayer. Change our thoughts to Your thoughts, so that we are pleasing to You. We believe in Your delivering power and ask that You cover us and protect us from unhealthy emotions. Show us how to discern our feelings and how to behave within our relationships. We give You all honor and praise. In Jesus' name Amen. 

Do you have something on your heart today?

Leave a prayer request in the comments so that we may pray for you!

Simple state "unspoken" if you'd like to keep details private.

God already knows the details :)

Tomorrow's Devotion Topic: Real Faith
For a full list of daily devotional topics & more information about 31 Devotion in 31 Days: Breaking The Chains, go here to read the original post.

UPDATE!! GET THE "BREAKING THE CHAINS" DEVOTIONAL EBOOK >>

3 Steps Towards Writing Your First Book

When I first began writing, it was in middle school. I would write short stories or start writing ideas in hopes they would become books but I lacked follow through. I guess that's what happens to a creatively-distracted 12 year old girl.

In 2012, when I completed my first paperback book The Palace Keepers, I could hardly believe it. I actually followed through and finished writing a book! All of those handwritten scrap papers and binders filled with notes for the past four years were now nicely typed, edited and published in a real, tangible, legit book. Wow. Not only was it a confidence booster but it really taught me a lot about what writing really is and not what I thought it was.

Before you even start the first page, I wanted to share three steps to help you towards writing your book. There are a lot of false mindsets about writing that I had to break down and power through. I hope you can start off on a better foot and clear your mind of some clutter. Regardless of the genre or style, these tips can help your mind prepare for what is to come.

STEP #1: Pray.

You might not be a Christian writer like I am, but in this step take a moment to reflect on what you want to write and why you want to write it. Start a prayer or devotion journal for writing. Before you write, sit down and journal your thoughts and feelings. Meditate, find peace and invite patience into your space. For me, I ask God to direct my thoughts and words. When you take time before you write to get centered, you are more likely to create something you are proud of.

STEP #2: Plan.

I am a big advocate of writing without planning and it gets me into so much trouble. Schedule a time every day, usually the same time, strictly for working on your book. Not blog posts, not articles. Take time to map out your book summary, characters, chapters, layout, author voice etc. Focus on the bigger picture of what you want your book to sound like, feel like, be like. Think of your target audience and ask yourself some questions: What can I say to inspire them? How do I want the reader to feel when they finish my book? Then answer those questions. Keep them close by throughout the entire book writing process.

STEP #3: Push.

Even before you start the first word, distractions will call your name. Phone notifications will beep, emails will sing and neighbors will knock. That is life. Those can wait (unless your neighbor has an emergency, then send them next door to the other neighbor. Just kidding. Maybe.) Remember your scheduled writing time and stick to it. If you are having writer's block, take a minute to pray, review your plan and push through. Through the darkness, through the cobwebs and through the mess you call your mind. Sometimes it is good to take a break but don't use it as an excuse to slack.
Keep in mind: your dream is to become an author and write a book.

No one is going to write it for you, and quite honestly, no one can write it but you.

Are Your Prayers Too Small?

"Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me."

Psalm 66:20

Then it happened. Normally I receive prayer requests about someone's sick relative or a financial blessing. Other times I don't even know what the request is. They simply ask for an unspoken, which is fine by me. The less I know, sometimes the better! God knows all the details anyways. Better Him than I.

But this time, it was a huge prayer request {whatever a "huge" request would be}. An overseas pastor is being held in prison because of his beliefs. As his family waits anxiously here in the states, this man of God is being tortured for the Lord Jesus Christ.

What?!
My first reaction is, of course, selfish:
How can I possibly pray for him? He is a man of God. This is insane...
Will the Lord even hear me?
I am way too small in this situation to make any difference.

And, as I try and talk myself out of praying for this man of God who needs hope and strength, something stirs within me. I realize how all of my daily prayers seem so small in comparison to other prayers BUT nothing is too small to bring to God.

When these moments come our way, should we just not pray because of our feeling of inadequacy?
Why do get out our mental scales and rulers, measuring and weighing the prayer request, checking to see if it fits into our capacity?

The truth is, we have nothing without God! The only reason we can pray is because He has given us a mind to think, a heart to feel and a mouth to utter words. Prayer is communication with the Master Communicator. When we try and pray within our own power, of course we will come up short. We have to be knowledgeable about the God we serve.

Am I really praying to the God of all creation, of water, Earth and sky? If so, what do I have to worry about! I need to stop measuring my prayers before bringing them to the Lord, who is bigger than all of them. He has all power and knows all things. The way He delivered Paul from prison, He can do the same for this pastor! Why not? God is in total control.

Have you stopped yourself from bringing a "big" prayer request to the Lord because you felt it was over your spiritual head?

Sunday Devotion: The Heart of God

A Heart. Everyone has one but that doesn't mean everyone knows how to use it.

We were given a heart for two main reasons. The first is the most obvious because we need blood to transfer throughout our body, so the heart pumps it around for us. Amen for that! The other reason is not a physical purpose. Rather, our hearts were created in such a way that there is also a spiritual, emotional side to it...and God wants in. I talk about this a lot in my book since it is about the purity of the heart. Our hearts need to be guided by the Lord. This is the other purpose of our hearts yet the most important...to love God with it all.

 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thine heart, 

and with all thy soul and with all thy might." Deut. 6:5

Recently, I was listening to one of our camp services online entitled "The Heart of God."
{You can listen to it for free here} 

The speaker asked the question "What is the heart of God?"  That made me think...what is the purpose behind all He does? Why does He do certain things? What drives Him? This scripture in Jeremiah leads us towards the right answer:

"And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart." Jeremiah 24:7

One word. Relationship! Jesus craves a real, intimate relationship with His creation. He wants your heart! The Lord's main purpose is to be known by us; we must read His Word, pray continually and seek God with everything we have. God yearns for that relationship with His children; you and I.

Today {and every day after} connect with Him. Talk to Him, listen to Him, vent to Him. He is waiting for our hearts to return to Him, to know Him. Just like our relationships down here, when we are connected with someone, we find out their name, their dreams, goals, get to know who they are, their personality etc. God is the same way!
Many people may think that they cannot know God this intimately or that He is somehow this invisible cloud far above our eyes that it is impossible to connect with Him. These are false ideas from the enemy! He is among us, doing great things, all for the purpose of relationship...so that we may seek Him and know Him.

Our God CAN be known AND understood, even to our little human minds. This is possible because of His purpose, to be known...our main purpose in this life is to know Him. Everything points towards that direction. So take some time to do just that! Get alone, even if it's just in the shower {us moms have to multitask this way :)} and speak to Him. Ask Him to reveal who He is to you and what He expects from a relationship with you. Read His Word, hide it in your hearts. Meditate on it, pray about it.

The heart of God is not a hard concept to see when you read the scriptures...it becomes clear that He wants that bond with us, that His love is endless, everlasting, true and pure. There truly is no greater love than the love of Jesus!

What is on your heart today? Would you like prayer?

I don't need to know all the details, for God knows them already...

I'd love to pray for you. Please leave your request in the comments.

{JJ&M} journaling series: I'm ready

 

{entries are edited to protect names & identities}

1/22/08

I know what I need to do. I've known it all along.

It's the follow through that's the hard part. But I must get through.

I have to.

My choices and actions affect a lot of people.

We have power in what we do. Or what we don't.

I'm finally ready to say yes to this commitment with the Lord all the way.

Friday night helped in so many ways.

Watching K get the Holy Ghost, it was amazing. I've never experienced anything like that.

Receiving it is not the same as watching some one who is a good person get touched by the Lord's Spirit. I was so happy for her.

I wish I could help others. I'd like to help others. Children especially. Or teens.

I can feel a pull inside of me gearing towards what I'm suppose to do.

Only He knows, and that's ok. What's good for the Lord is good for me.

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Hello...I'm A Control Freak.

It's all smiles 'til something gets revealed...

Have you ever had an incredible revelation, something about yourself that a light bulb goes off inside your mind, and you think "oh yeah...that makes so much sense!" Last week, I had such a moment.

Remember when I announced that I was taking a break? Well, it did not take long for the Lord to show me that I had a real problem...a problem with control. Not only that, when I feel like I don't have control, this leads to a deep anger that I can't, well, control! I want to be perfect. I want things to be clean. I want people to be good. I want to have everything in its place, and if it gets moved, I get anxiety. I never could figure out what was wrong with me. This past month, I started noticing this was taking over my life...and that my priorities were out of whack because I wanted so bad to control every little thing, and make it a certain way, that nothing got done and I was more overwhelmed than when I started.

I've been reading an amazing book called The Pursuit of Proverbs 31 by Amy Bayliss. In it, Amy speaks with love, great conviction and a honest spirit about things we women struggle with, especially with this chapter and verse of the Bible. She herself wrote about her deliverance from the bondage of control, and I gotta tell ya...I saw myself in her story.
In the chapter "Shattering the Myths", Amy confesses being an over-achiever and that the more she tried to tackle her to-do list and failed, the more frazzled she got; the more frazzled she got, the harder she tried and became dissapointed again, like a "vicious cycle." Can you relate to that?? I can!!

One Sunday, she couldn't take it anymore and cried out to God. She asked Him to take it away from her...He replied "I did." She further explains how she didn't understand because she felt the same! Then she started to worship and tears began streaming down her face. He then said "Let go." She replied, "Let go of what?" "Control," He said. This part of the book hit me hard!! I realized that is exactly what God was telling me, right now...Jacy, let go of control!!
Wow, how can I say I am free in Christ if I am holding onto this power, this desire to control circumstances, people, even emotions?! I am in bondage to control!

Amy continues and asks the Lord how to let go. He tells her to "look down" where she sees a vision of chains all around her. They were unlocked this whole time! She had prevented her own freedom!

In my life, I find myself trying to control what other people do because "I know better" which is not only control, but also self-righteousness. My mind also has been saturated with this judgmental and snarky attitude...not Christ-like at all! It's not enough to just recognize our sin...we must turn away, in other words, have true repentance. That's the hard part. That's where most of us fail. We crave change but we don't want to admit that we did anything wrong.

I don't want to hold on anymore. I want to let it go and be free, like who I'm suppose to be! Don't you? What are you struggling with today? Is there a bondage in your life that God is asking you to "let go"? Let us pray for one another. Comment if you'd like prayer...you don't have to say what you need prayer for unless you want to. Just your request is enough; God is big enough to know :) Since reading that chapter and having my own "let go" moment with God through prayer & repentance, I can tell you that I feel so much better! It takes time, daily, seeking Him to clean me and mold me...but it's better...I'm better...and that's a start...

Word of the Day: Distraction

Yup. One word yet SO much power.
The power of distraction, that is.

I actually have been thinking about this word more and more lately.
It probably is because I have so much I want to do and so much I need to do {two different things} that the lines get blurred and I end up doing nothing! Feel me?

I was organized at some point in my life but then life takes different turns and you find yourself spinning from them all. I am in NO way an expert at how to keep things together, believe me, but I do want to encourage someone today. As I am typing this, it took me about an hour to even get to clicking the "New Post" button!

Before that, it was "Email" then "Facebook" then "Twitter" then "Email" again then opening "Photoshop" to go through some photos because I needed to return an "Email"...blah. That was NOT what I wanted to do! haha I had planned on sitting down and writing blog posts...but I was easily distracted.

This is kinda scary because I realize how easy I get distracted now and it makes me wonder...God, am I leaving you out? I mean, I pray and read the Bible. I talk to Him daily and sing praises. However, deep in my heart, I can't help but wonder...do I just go from "Prayer" to "Bible" to "Prayer" to "Bible" to "Worship Song" without really listening to His voice? Seems like a silly question, but think about it. If my heart is not connecting right in prayer and the scriptures, and I'm just checking off my spiritual to-do list, was it a distraction from actually listening to what God needed to say to me that day??

Prayer and Bible reading is essential. I'm not saying if we do it, it's a distraction from God. That would be quite dumb if I meant it that way. What I'm saying is, we can get distracted by our own voices in prayer and distracted by those "feel good" scriptures we like to read, without getting deep and listening to what God really wants for us to hear...does that make sense? We can get distracted by our daily traditions and feel good but God is in the background asking "What about me? Isn't prayer suppose to be conversation between us? Aren't I suppose to guide you to the scriptures that will prick your heart?"

Here is my prayer right now:
Lord Jesus, you know how easy I can get distracted, especially in my daily life.
God help me to be organized and prioritize, not just my time, but my thoughts and my intentions.
I don't want to be distracted from hearing Your voice and listening to what You want to tell me.
Let me not get caught up in my spiritual traditions but let me approach You first for guidance. Amen.

What prayer is on your heart today? Share below and let us pray for one another, in Jesus Name!

Dear David...{Your Birth Story: Letter 4}

I've started a series of letters to my little baby boy, that hopefully one day he will get to read and (hopefully) be inspired by (if not embarrassed by)

DEAR DAVID...

I've been thinking lately how I needed to document the day you were born to share with you someday. You see, there were lots of things going on that day that really threw your 'rents for a loop. Mommy thought you were coming around Wednesday because she felt lots of aches and pains BUT you had other ideas! Instead, you arrived into this world on April 27th 2012 @ 8:43pm...that was Friday night, by the way :)

Daddy and I talked a lot about how we wanted things to go in the delivery room. One thing I loved was Daddy played some nice, soothing water/nature music while we waited. It was like I was in a spa! (one that plugged you into monitors and had you wear a backless robe.) Once mommy had some medicine to help with the pain, she felt like she was in Heaven.

  

Unfortunately, the medicine made the contractions slow down, which meant that we may have to wait even longer! Oh no! They decided to break my water, thinking that would help things a bit and gave me a different medicine. For some reason, your little heart rate started dropping and the doctors kinda got scared...and of course, so did Daddy & Mommy...

Nana, Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Sarah, Uncle Steve, Cousin Brooky & Levi were in the waiting room, wanting to know what was the next step. We all knew that we needed to pray for you and Mommy. The doctor wanted to do a C-section but that was not what Daddy & Mommy wanted! You were so close, the nurse said! Surgery would be sad to do...

Pastor showed up and laid his hand on Mommy's head. Grandpa came in and prayed with Daddy, as he held my hand. Everyone else in the waiting room stood and held hands in prayer. We came together, in Jesus' Name! We knew that He was watching and that He could take care of everything! Guess what? Yup, He did just that! Right after our prayers went up, the nurses changed shifts and we were blessed with a new nurse.

She was amazing! Daddy and Mommy call her our angel! She talked to the doctor and came into the room, preparing your little warm bed for when I delivered you. She got all the equipment ready, and flashed us a big comforting smile :)
She did so much work to make sure that you were delivered the natural way, and not by surgery.
God is so good, David! Remember my other letter about how prayer works? This is another example!

45 minutes after the nurse told me to push, you blessed us with your beautiful presence, which of course made Daddy & Mommy SO happy that we cried with joy...

You were born 6lbs 4oz and 19.75in! Everyone could not wait to hold you and give you kisses. You had lots of people with lots of love in their hearts for you, my David boy. Praise the Lord! You truly were a miracle!

 
Love Always,

Mom

A Prayer & A Promise

Lately, things around the Pulford household have been, well, let's just say gloomy.

I don't normally like spilling the contents of our personal struggles here on the blog world, usually it's just me complaining and whining like a good lil' Christian about my own side of the story but today I feel I need to be transparent with you guys. Is that okay? Good 'cuz you don't really have a choice, it's my blog haha {seriously though}

Financially, we are sinking. FAST!
My unemployment, which was originally suppose to last until Dec of this year, got prematurely cut off by the state. Lame sauce. There goes about $800 a month down the tubes...not to mention bills piling up the wazoo and I've been stretching our groceries like Gumby. My husband and I are doing what we can with whatever resources we have, but it's not enough...not even a little! Now I'm not saying this to gain pity or to make ya'll feel bad for us. I'm sharing because I know we are not the only ones going through a storm.

The thing is, I was praying to the Lord and it went something like this:
"Lord Jesus, I know You are our Provider and I trust that You will deliver us!"
Not bad, right? Course not...however, that prayer just didn't sit right...then during my bible reading/prayer time, God placed a quote on my heart. One I haven't heard in a LONG time but can remember it being so profound. {If you don't know anything about me, know that I love quotes, collecting quotes, sharing quotes etc etc. It makes my heart happy.}

Here is what the quote states. Now I have NO idea who said it or where it came from, so I apologize I cannot give credit where it's due, but here it is:

"IF GOD BRINGS YOU TO IT, HE WILL BRING YOU THROUGH IT!!"

WHOA, RIGHT?!

God was telling me that sometimes He doesn't deliver us from our battles, not because He can't but because there is a lesson that needs to be learned by going through it. If He did deliver us, the lesson would be lost. It's not saying that He isn't going to be there! It's not saying that God is going to abandon us to fend for ourselves like Survivor. It is a promise that we serve a God that is ALWAYS bigger than our battles, and if we come up against a Goliath-sized problem, He is able to bring us THROUGH the problem, rather than over it or around it!! What an amazing promise!!

So today, as I sit here at 2am on my dim laptop thinking about our life and the current circumstances, I feel a great peace in my soul. The dishes are dirty in the sink. The floor is out of control. Time is flying by faster than Marty from Back to the Future. However, God is STILL for me...He is still for us!!

So let me encourage you, don't pray for deliverance, that may not be God's plan, but pray to be kept, anchored in Jesus, to that Rock of Salvation. For when the storm blows, the boat may rock, but the anchor keeps still!!!!!!

"For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil"

Hebrew 6:16-19 / KJV

Dear David... {Prayer Works: Letter 2}

I've started a series of letters to my little baby boy, that hopefully one day he will get to read and (hopefully) be inspired by (if not embarrassed by)

DEAR DAVID...

I feel this letter needs to go back to a basic principle.
Mommy didn't have the same upbringing as daddy did. He was blessed enough to be brought up in the presence of God, something I did not really feel or even understand until I was 22. I had values and morals, and was God-conscience, but I had never really felt His Spirit. It all started with prayer...and that's what I'd like to talk to you about.


I am already praying that you will be a better David than the one in the Bible. Don't feel pressured, sweetie!! Mommy is not trying to say that she expects you to be this amazing warrior...actually, mommy has been praying that if you are anything of a warrior, to be a warrior of love. We know our family can be, well, prideful. Thick-headed. Stubborn. Argumentative. You know I'm talking about both sides!
You are half French and Hispanic...I feel for ya kid...
But seriously, I've been praying that all that passionate emotion will be used for God's glory! Can you imagine what would happen if we took all of the fire inside and used it for the Kingdom?
I know! So mommy has been praying that you will be different and break this vicious cycle...

You will go through trials and will have to learn the power of prayer on your own. This is not something I think I'll ever be prepared for, because learning means you have to make mistakes first. I don't want my baby boy to make mistakes! But you will...and we can pray through them together, but ultimately, you will have to establish your own prayer life.

To inspire you, mommy has a story to tell. It the year 2011 that you were conceived; actually, about a month or so before. I was a camp counselor at church camp, for the junior girls. Yeah, I know...junior girls can be a little crazy. Anyways we had this BIG tornado warning...the sky turned black and everything! It was really scary especially because we were all waiting outside in line so that we could eat. The clouds swirled over our heads and the light started to fade...
Of course, the girls started to get a little frightened. Mommy could see in their faces that they were confused and terrified. Many of their parents were miles away, and the only ones who could comfort them were the counselors. And God.
Mommy prayed a short prayer for wisdom. I had to help them get their minds off the scary stuff, even though we didn't know what was going to happen. Jesus led me to gather the girls together in a prayer circle and hold hands. Girls that didn't even like each other huddled together without thinking twice. In a calm tone, I said:

"Okay girls, we are going to pray now. I know you are scared...I am too but we know that God has all the power and can take care of us. Right?" They all nodded their heads eagerly, as water droplets started to fall from above. We closed our eyes and prayed for God to have His way...for Jesus to protect us...for the storm to pass over...for everyone to be safe...for the Lord to be with us...


Then we heard someone shout. The tornado was headed right for the camp!!
The counselors tried to keep their groups together but just as we started rushing towards the safe building, a huge crash of thunder scared everyone, and started a stampede. Kids and adults started running all over the place! The clouds opened wide and dumped about an ocean of water, in big drops and splashes!
Mommy was so nervous because she wanted her girls safe but the group had split up. All I could do was run towards the safe building, gathering up as many of my girls as I could. One girl broke down in a panic, screaming for her mom...it echoed through the harsh wind...
Once inside, every person was told to go to the basement...and wait. Thankfully everyone was accounted for. While down there, the lights flickered and we lost power multiple times. The girls were cold, wet and scared. "Oh Lord," I thought, "please keep us safe."

After what seemed like forever we finally got good news...the tornado missed the entire camp ground!!
Somehow, someway, it went right AROUND us and took a different route before disappearing. No one was injured and our families outside of the camp were okay. The girls cheered and jumped for joy!
We were given the okay to call our family, allow the kids to call theirs and then continue our schedule.

The entire time we were at the cafeteria, I could not stop smiling as I overheard the conversations of my girls. It wasn't terror they were talking about...the girls were sharing with everyone how they had prayed and their prayers were answered! I overheard one girl tell an entire table of junior boys "I was really scared, but then Sis Jacy said we were going to pray and we all held hands, and prayed, and then the tornado went away!"

It wasn't me, David. We serve the all powerful God Almighty! I only yielded to His Spirit and encouraged the girls to do the same through prayer. There is power in prayer, son! Sometimes, yes, it will feel a bit silly to you. You may feel overwhelmed, lonely, confused, self conscious and whatever else. but I want you to know that God is always with you and prayer is a way of communication. Keep the lines open and eventually the storm will pass!!

"Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up."

Psalms 5:1-3 

Love Always,

Mom

{JJ&M} journaling series: Pieces to the Puzzle

 

{entries are edited to protect names & identities}

10/18/07

I would be a fool to not thank the Lord every day for the blessings I have in my life.

Through the struggles and the fog, He has been my guidance and light. I have been revealed a lot about myself, my lifestyle and state of mind.

Something shifted and a good thing went into the right place. I feel somewhat whole now. There's a few pieces to the puzzle missing, but patience is a new thing I'm swallowing.

The best things that happen to people come with time. I want to do things the right way and that will make everything else feel right. I will have more appreciation for what happens in my life. I really am blessed, Though financially I might not be so great, that doesn't matter to the Lord. 

I am pleased because I know I'm pleasing Him and I will receive good things in His time. I already have many good things and I'm not asking for much. I can wait until it's time...it will be beautiful...

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It's Official...I'm a Self-Published Author!!

"Wow."

That's all I could say when I burst open the box of books that sat in my foyer. I couldn't wait to see all of the hard work, hours of study and prayer, compacted in 170 pages, bound in a glossy cover with my original artwork gracing it. Then I saw my name at the bottom...

You know, being a writer was always something I wanted to do. I just was so self-conscious as a kid, and used my writing mostly to journal and create poetry. Plus, my art skills were developed first so I was excited about that exceeding. Also, the "real world" usually tries to convince young minds that something as different and cool as being an author or an artist were dream jobs, but not realistically attainable.

Well I want to tell the "real world" that dreams are real and they can come true!! The awesome part of my story is that I didn't get to write what I originally wanted. Hear me out. I used to write mysteries and sometimes graphic stories. That all changed when one night, I had an experience with the The Great Creator and Author, the Lord Jesus Christ!

He let me know that He loved me and that He would deliver me from my sins. He gave me a vision and set me on a path that transformed my life, and heart. This is not just a book...this is a piece of my re-birth in Christ. You will find my entire testimony in the foreword...

It's called "The Palace Keepers" and it's about emotional purity, a subject that NEEDS to be addressed in this generation. Enough talking, here is the book summary and where you can pick up your very own copy! It's also available as a Kindle edition, which is compatible with the most popular electronic devices...

"In her debut, new author Jacy Lee Pulford brings forth “the most overlooked problem today” of emotional purity. This book features her personal testimony, thought-provoking questions and Biblical references to help us gain the right knowledge in keeping a clean heart. Learn about how a physical palace relates to our spiritual palace; our mind (The Gate), our thoughts (The Courtyard), our decisions (The Foyer), our hearts (The Throne Room) and our bodies (The Grounds). Find out who King Jesus really is, what He expects of us as our own Palace Keeper and equip yourself with the right tools, such as The Word, Prayer, Obedience and Discernment.
In a generation where sin in glorified and purity is mocked, protecting only your body is not enough. Purity is more than just sexual abstinence. Influences are trying to enter your palace, but King Jesus has assigned you an important job to take care of what goes in and out. He has called you to be a Palace Keeper…are you ready?"

FOR SALE NOW!

CLICK HERE for PAPERBACK

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{JJ&M} journaling series: NEED TO REMEMBER

 

{entries are edited to protect names & identities}

10/07/07

*NEED TO REMEMBER*

* God is my life because He gave His life for me and I must be thankful and give Him praise because He is the One and only truth and love.

* He will never give up on me, so I must never give up on Jesus.

* Just because I don't feel He's there, doesn't mean He's not. God is always there for me and I must be thankful.

* Nothing and no one comes before the Lord, my God, Jesus.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;

and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 7:33

* Remember to put God first, and He will reward us graciously. But do it for God because He is worthy and not for our benefit. Just know things will get better if we turn to Jesus first.*

"IN THEE, O LORD, DO I PUT MY TRUST:

LET ME NEVER BE PUT TO CONFUSION"

Psalms 71:1

"Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress."

Psalms 71:3

Accepting the past and things in our loved ones lives that may have been negative, need not to be dwelled upon. For that can and may become part of your struggle, and not your victory.
It becomes a battle of our self-conscious minds and not a battle with the memory. Jealousy is evil; we must not let the light in our lives turn green, but we must keep it white.

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{JJ&M} journaling series: Let it go...and laugh!

 

{entries are edited to protect names & identities}

10/04/07


Thank you Jesus for another day. I am so thankful and hopeful, at least lately. I know I am blessed to have a relationship with the Lord and that He has given me things in my life that are meant to help me grow as a person and a Christian.
Jonathan is an awesome person, friend and companion. I know our friendship and relationship is a gift from God. We need each other and we love each other. I am so happy to have someone that really cares for me, and takes care of me. I know I'm a pain sometimes and I'm so gracious that Jonathan puts up with my antics or whining. I love him so much and every day it grows. It's going to be amazing when we hit those milestones that couple's have. I am so excited for those!
I need to stop worrying about if we are going to last or not because my gut feeling says yes, but my mind is messing me up. The only One who knows is the Lord, Jesus Christ. And I have confidence in my God and that He will do great things for us, as long as we serve Him.

I am closer to God right now then I ever have been. It's been a good four days that I have felt His presence and I am starting to understand things more, and not be so serious. Of course, there are some things we need to be serious about, but I need to just let it go sometimes, and laugh. I can't forget to do that and have fun!

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{JJ&M} journaling series: The Sea of Life...

 

{entries are edited to protect names & identities}

9/07/07


The sea of life.
Is it meant to have so many waves, or do we create more than are suppose to be? I believe when we try and do things our way, instead of letting things be, then we cause unnecessary things to happen. We are the ones that make life harder. Not the Lord.
Even though following His way can be hard, we know in our hearts it's the right thing. We don't always know if following our way is right. So why do we? Because we're human. Our own free will is just as much of a curse as a gift.  We love it and hate it, at the same time.

God's timing is everything. Our timing is nothing. We will always want "more" or "now"...but we will never know when or how things will end up. He does. He knows. So, we must trust the Lord.

I pray for patience. The patience that everything that I believe will happen, will in time. The patience so I can live for now, today, instead of dwelling into the future. The passion I have inside, I've never had before. So this love that I have is deeper than anything, and I can't help but crave the future and what this love can bring. I want certain things more than ever...it hurts when I think about it. And just thinking about how that love is returned, it's incredible.

I pray for patience...the day we want, will come... <3

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{JJ&M} journaling series: Thoughts in Poems, Part 2

 

{entries are edited to protect names & identities}

7/13/07

My Prayer
Since I don't know what to do,
I leave it up to you
Majesty of faith,
What is my fate?
It must be a good thing,
Look at all the joy you bring
Who am I or who will I be?
Majesty of charity,
I feel you near me
Can you open my eyes to see?
Restart my heart to breathe?
Suffocating for a world that turned it's back,
I keep spinning & losing where I'm at
Majesty of eternity,
Can you please stop me?
Before I hurt someone I love,
Before I lose myself...

Point Blank Range

 Pointed like a knife,

Sharp and right

Who turned off the light?

Tossing during the quiet night,

Uneasy is blessed with a guilty conscience

Deep in the chest of the innocent

Point blank range,

Corrupt and deranged

Need to start a new page, but their all full

Like a sheep with no wool

Out of the water, I guess I'm a fish

That doesn't mean I can't still wish

Curled up in a ball of love,

Praying to the One above

Feeling the familiarity

Notice the insecurity

Stab it in the center,

Then everything will

be better...

Naive

The power of persuasion,

Leave no room for compensation

It's a lose, lose situation

Feel the vibration,

Of the influential drums

Go with it,

Until you've become numb...

Spirit Parade

A wave

A spirit parade

Peace be with you

Inside the flesh grave

The wind blows

Slow, at first

Now feel the burst

Tears stream like a stream

Down the seam of an eye

Hold onto the night

As the warmth swarms up the arms,

and into the heart

He presents His presence

and it has yet to part...

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Mommy Changes & Fears

                        

Today, I feel like being transparent.

Not because my skin is pale or anything...that's another story all together.

I'm getting a little nervous and, well, scared.

I was okay the first two trimesters of my pregnancy, but now that it's getting down to the wire, everything is getting so real...real fast too.

My mind has been spinning with different thoughts and yeah, I know God will guide me through mommyhood....but truth is, my human mentality can't help but go over all of my weaknesses...

What if I drop him?

What if I teach him the wrong things?

What if I lash out at him with my temper?

Can I be the mommy he needs?

Can I show him what a Christian woman should be?

Can I teach him to love Jesus no matter what?

Will I be able to show him unconditional love?

Will I show him the right way to treat people?

Am I ready to be super selfless?

Am I ready to put his needs first?

Can I show him what it means to pray?

Will I know how to communicate with him?

  Source: Uploaded by user via Jacy on Pinterest

I haven't been up all night with my thoughts, but while I'm busy with my day {blogging, cleaning, designing} something will just pop in from the back of my subconscious and it makes me stop in my tracks...

 

I'm not even a "real" mom yet and I'm leaning on Jesus already! We need someone to guide us and teach us. We need that hope, that solid Rock, a place where our feet are planted as this world shifts around our child...if I'm unstable in faith, my son will be too...

The one thing that keeps me from going insane, is knowing that my Jesus doesn't change...though I will. I will have to change to be the mommy my boy needs me to be...I will have to change in order to adjust to this new schedule and life...I need to change for this new role...

Luckily no matter how much I change, He stays the same...and that thought is the best one yet!!

Sunday Devotion: Emotional Purity

"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."

Proverbs 4:23

In the past four years, the Lord has placed a message on my heart about, well, the heart. He used my own testimony to teach me something...this is what lead me to write "The Palace Keepers", a book about protecting the purity of the heart. It's also available in e-book form. 

The main thing God showed me is that purity is not only about our bodies but that true purity starts in the heart! Sometimes Christianity spends so much effort and time on telling young people that they must abstain from sexual sin, which is of course necessary and true, but they don't tell them HOW to do it.

We try and "reform" our ways, but since the main issue lies in our emotions, we tend to go back to the sin and never fully get over it.

Emotional purity is the clean state of our emotional health. If we know we have to keep our bodies clean and healthy, why don't we think that same way about our hearts?

Let's break down Proverbs 4:23:

"Keep thy heart..."

This means it's OUR job, to make sure it is following the Lord. But how?

"...with all diligence..."

Be responsible and accountable. Ask God every day how to guard your heart and obey Him at all times.

But why?

"...out of it are the issues of life."

Because our heart can create and lead us into different situations and we need to be ready now!

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" 

Today, think about your heart and it's health.

What sort of things are you pouring into it? What kind of music are you listening to, or movies you are watching? Who is your heart attaching to? Are they following the Lord or leading you astray?

Purity of your emotions is so important! If you don't protect your heart, you will eventually allow someone else to have control over it, and thus, they end up controlling your emotions.

Pray and ask God to reveal what you can do so protect the purity of your heart!