17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

I have freedom! The Holy Spirit is in me. I am free from sin, sin can not bind me and hold me prisoner. Nothing in this world can hold me back. I will no longer allow fear to paralyze me. I am taking control of my life. I will no longer allow my strongholds to hold me back. My bondage is gone. Christ died for me. When he said “IT IS FINISHED”, it was finished. God is not angry, not angry with me or you. There is freedom for you and me. The Freedom is in JESUS!!

Wow, that feels good to say. I feel as if I have been held in prison for almost a year. As I’ve grown as a Christian, I have discovered areas of my life where I was having issues. As each of these issues surfaced, I’ve felt like I’ve been jacked in the jaw. What me - I’m not self righteous, I’m not fearful, I’m not prideful. But I am, I’m those and much more. I’ve been knocked of the pedestal that I put myself on. I almost feel like it’s a good mid life crisis but I’m too young for that. No, it’s the Holy Spirit working in me. Working through these strongholds that have controlled my life. I’m far from being where I should be but I’m making progress. One day at a time, progress is happening. I won’t go into much right now but I see what needs to happen. I pray every day that God takes these flaws that are holding me back and change them to make me be more through him. I’m done trying to fix things on my own. Only JESUS can fix them. I do trust God and as I get ready to walk out a door to this new hallway I know he is leading me. I will trust and I will follow!!!!!

Almighty Chicks, My fog is lifting. This is the first time in quite a while that my thoughts are clear to write to you and feel 100% good about it. I’m sorry I haven’t been writing more but I didn’t want to give you something that wasn’t spirit led and I haven’t felt to spirit led in a while. We all have our seasons - good or bad. I will announce Sept. 6^th our new fall book to read. This book changed my life! I’m excited to share it with you. Also to share an opportunity in a few months to see the author in person.

I pray for you all. So until next time, keep your head up, faith strong and make every minute count. Lots of love!! Amy

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Why can’t I find that place? As much as I try to trust the Lord with everything, I just find myself doubting more. Not doubt the Lord, but me. Why have I done some of the things I have? I felt like I was following God’s direction but looking back I just see my self righteousness jumping at a thought, a thought I thought was God directing me, now I doubt that thought. Does any of that make any sense??

Do you find yourself wanting to trust the Lord but scared of where that might take you? That’s fits me pretty good right now. I want so bad to have the patience to rely and trust in the Lord. I’ve spent the last few months soul searching and basically I’m more confused now than I was. My fog is just getting deeper. I know there will be a light at the end of the tunnel (I hope soon). I just have to trust the Lord. He has blessed me so much and I know that he has a plan for me. I just need the patience to let him lead me the way I am to go.

What is keeping your from trusting the Lord with all your heart? The last few months I have discovered some things that help to block me from trusting the Lord. I long for security. For the last 15 years, I’ve had my own business so I’ve went from have 2 dollars one day to owing 10 the next. The struggle of not having that regular income. I also long for peace. Going along with the 15 years, the last 5 years I haven’t had much peace in my life due to my career, the thing that I thrive on - that everyday is a whole new challenge - has caused me much unrest. Stress can kill you and it’s really working on me. So searching for that security and peace, I’ve looked everywhere except where I should. I should be looking to JESUS, instead I’ve been looking to myself to satisfy my shortcomings. I have found much things in this fog I’ve been walking around in. I know that I need quit being a self righteous person that feels that my way is best. I’ve turned that corner and no looking back now! You too can take those trust issues and turn the corner and walk away from them. It’s not easy - every day I’m doubting myself on something but I continually tell myself “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me” . For those of you that can completely trust the Lord, pray for me. If you are in the boat with me, I’ll pray for you and I both.

Well Almighty Chicks, I’m back!! It’s been a busy summer. School is starting back so my life will be getting back into a routine (Thank Goodness). I’m going to be announcing a new book club for this fall. It’s a great book that has changed my life. I’m very excited about it and the wrap up will be awesome. So until next time, keep your head up, faith strong and make every minute count!! Lots of Love,  Amy

I am married to a very humble man. He will tell you we are so blessed, why would we even want for more. Of course that is what he tells me when our air conditioning is messed up and I’m complaining. But that is his philosophy. He is very content, even when I’m a stressed out mess. Sometimes it calms me down and sometimes I just want to throw a fit. (just joking) Sometimes it is hard to see how blessed we are when the world is throwing crap at us all of the time. We can be like the seed that was thrown in the thorn bushes. We know that God loves us but evil tries to poke and prod us into worrying about all of our trouble.

I’m the world’s worst at this. I try to take on more than I can, or problems arise that my self righteous being can’t fix on my own. I try everything possible, then will reluctantly turn it over to God. I let the world blind my eyes to my blessings. I let my joy be stolen. I’m working doing better about trusting God. I can tell you he is always there for you but do I take my own advise, not often. I am doing much better about realizing how blessed I am and that God is in control of my life. As a Christian, I am in unchartered territory for me right now. I’m learning more about Jesus than I’ve ever learned in my life. I’m amazed at how blessed we are, all of us. Even if you are in a bad situation, you are blessed. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we are forgiven and loved, there is NOTHING that makes us worthy. So how blessed are you?

Count your blessings. My prayer life has converted from condemning myself for what I did wrong or what I should have done to Thanking God for all he has done in my life and for what he has in store for me and my family. Thank God for your blessings, even if you don’t think you have many. You are a work in progress, he knows we are human and we aren’t perfect but quit any negative and focus on the positive, it will get better.

I’m sorry it’s been a while. I’ve been suffering from some writer’s block. I’ve been feeding my soul with good preaching and learning of the bible and it’s hard to compete with what I’m feeding on J . So until next time, keep your head up, faith strong and remember you are greatly blessed, highly favored and deeply loved.

It has been a crazy week. I’ve been really busy at work, my uncle Bill passed on to see Jesus, family in from California contemplating moving back to PB and getting ready for the BIG AUDIT. UGH, my first one and I can’t help but be nervous, it’s from the real estate commission, I’m a random pick, just my luck.

My plan was today after church to spend the day stuck in files reviewing to make sure we are set for the audit, that plan changed. During Pastor Paul’s wonderful sermon, he hit some points that really hit me.

As always, he was preaching Jesus and how wonderful he is and we can rest in his finished work.

This all made me think of my worries over the audit and of Psalms 121 in which in my Bible it is titled, “The Lord Will Protect His People” Psalms 121: 5 The Lord is your protector, there at your right side to shade you from the sun. (6) You won’t be harmed by the sun during the day or by the moon at night.

That is some major reassurance to me. I know that the LORD IS ALWAYS WITH ME! We may experience some trials but the Lord is always there. Jesus came and died for our sins. There is no work we can do, no money we can give to get this salvation that Jesus death provided. NOT ONE of us deserves this gift but we all can have it. God just has to see our love of Jesus in our life. We have to take him into our life and then we are reborn new in Christ. We can rest in Jesus.

Ok, for the title of this: Fun in the sun/SON. I have been fretting over all I had going on and of course neglecting my family so I took the day off to spend the day resting in Jesus and spending time with this wonderful family that the LORD has blessed me with. It is so easy to get caught up in life and forget the simple blessings that God has given us. So I spent the day in the pool with my hubby, son and some really good friends. We hung out and talked about how good God is and how blessed we are together. I felt no guilt because I wasn’t working. I know this audit will be fine, God has blessed me with my business and If I’m messing up, let’s get it fixed now. I try to do the best job I possible can and that’s all I can do. I can rest with Jesus in the boat during the storm. So THANK YOU JESUS for all my many blessings and keep showing me opportunities to share with others the peace from your love that I’m experiencing. Even in the storms I know your are at my side. AMEN!!

I hope you all are having a wonderful summer. I wish you all much blessings and favor, and know you are loved by God. Until next time keep your head up, faith strong and make every minute count. Lots of Love, AMY!

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

I’m at an odd spot. I have felt for several years now that God is calling me to more. I’m feeling drawn to getting out of my boat again. I’m really comfortable in my little boat, just rocking along. But I have this churning inside and I know that it’s God. I think he is trying to wake me up. I know what it is. I have felt very drawn to this seminar that is held in Concord NC. It is sponsored by The Proverbs 31 women. It is for women like myself that have an outreach ministry of all different kinds. For some reason I’m scared to even consider this. My insecurities are blazing about the possibilities. I don’t feel that I’m a good enough Christian to expand my works. I still goof up and say a bad word, think bad things about others, I’m not real compassionate, I don’t pray like I should. I’m definitely not a Beth Moore by no means. But this feeling is not going away. And of course after the insecurities come the excuses. First of all I can’t take off from the office for almost a week. I have a small real estate company, I do everything from answering the phones, paperwork to cleaning. I think the place will fall apart if I take off for more than 2 days at a time. Then you have the finances, as I said I have a small real estate company ‘REAL ESTATE” the market hasn’t been all that great and I just don’t have the extra money, by the way, what is extra money, my money is always the just scrape by or whoa, we can pay last months bills now. Next, THE FAMILY, how on earth can I expect my family to go without me for 5 days? Ok, I’ll admit I’m making excuses. We all know if this is something God wants me to do I will find the way.

I’m taking this to the Lord in prayer. If this is what he is directing me to, he will show me a way. I’m so thankful for kicking me out of the boat last time with the development of Almighty Chicks. That had me scared to death. I’m not a gifted scholar. I don’t use proper grammar but somehow he has shown me a gift (I guess you can call it that) that I can use to show others his Grace & Mercy. I’m asking that put me on your prayer list that God will help take away the hurdles if this is his will for me.

It’s taken me a while to realize this but I really struggle with anxiety & insecurities. I sometimes get my feelings hurt by acquaints and friends. This is something that has really slapped me around and makes me doubt myself and what God has me doing. This is just some of the battles of life. But thankfully I have a heavenly father that loves me more that I can imagine. He sent his son to die for my sins. Every day I come more to the realization of that and I want more and more for God to look at me and see his son in me. I want God to see my love and appreciate for Jesus dying on the cross and I know I can never live up to that but I am feeding on the love of Jesus (that was a sermon title recently-doesn’t that sound great!). I am growing in my Christian walk because of God’s grace. I know that these anxieties and insecurities don’t matter because in God’s eyes, I’ve fine! If he sees me as fine then I can see myself as such.

Thank you all so much for being a part of Almighty Chicks. I know I haven’t been sending out too much lately. I’ve been dealing with writers block. I’m really enjoying feeding on the love of Jesus. I try to spend each day reading and listening to the word and growing. I look forward to sending out more to you all soon. So remember you are forgiven and loved. You are saved by God’s grace. Keep your head up, faith strong and make every minute count. Lots of Love, Amy!

John 8:7 (King James Version)

7So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

I try not to stir the pot and stay in my own little world. I’m very guarded when it comes to friends and don’t let many people into my ring of friends. I’m sure not one to judge someone because I am far from perfect. I get mad, let a bad word slip. I will end up gossiping at times. But I’m not an ill spirited person and would never hurt someone intentionally. I’m also very protective of the few friends that I do have. I don’t like it when others are mean to them.

All of this is coming from something I’ve been dealing with. I can’t say anything about the situation and I know that God is in control. Are you without sin? Then don’t cast a stone at someone else. Don’t judge, that is not our place. Your relationship with Christ is between you and Jesus. My relationship with Christ is between myself and Jesus. You don’t know what someone is dealing with when you aren’t in that inner circle of their life so don’t judge. Don’t be mean spirited.

All this being said, by not judging others, I have developed some really good friends with people that aren’t like me. Open your eyes to others around you. By judging someone that is different than you, you might be missing out on a great gift from God, true friendship with someone.

I’m very blessed to have some great friendship but it took me dropping my guard and not judging people. God works in mysterious ways. He is so good to us and all we have to do is know that you forgiven and loved. Jesus paid for our sins. Thank you Jesus for your Grace and blessing in my life. Wishing you much Grace and blessing too. So until next time keep your head up, faith strong and make every minute count. Love, Amy