victorious living

  • Backing Up Others

    darlene Zschech with back up singers

    “Abram named him Ishmael” (Genesis 16:15)
    Has God ever spoken to you?  Hagar must have told Abram the story of God meeting her in the desert and all that He told her about the child she was going to have.  You know what women can be like.  Women go into great depth of detail recounting meetings like that!  You can hear Hagar telling Abe how broken she was…how afraid for her life she was…how confused she was…how thirsty she was in the desert…How lost she was…how miraculously God spoke to her and told her that she was going to have a son…to name him Ishmael!  Abraham must have believed Hagar as the Bible says, “Abram named him Ishmael”.
    I’m sure Hagar would have known about the promise of God over Abram’s life to have a child and be the father of many nations.  I would assume that Abraham and Hagar thought this was how God was going to fulfill His promise and that is what infuriated Sara towards Hagar, causing her desert run away.   Abraham backed up what God told Hagar by naming their child Ishmael.  He validated the call of God on Hagar and on Ishmael by doing it.  Just as Darlene Zschech needs backup singers, we need people in our lives that by their words and actions, support and validate what God has spoken to us. 
    Joseph and Elizabeth did this for Mary…Paul did this for Timothy…Todd has done this for me!  I have been blessed in my life to have so many people speak and put action behind their words to “back up” what God has spoken to me.  The next time someone shares with you what God has spoken to them, take the time to listen.  Affirm them and “back up” what God has set in motion!  In so, you’ll become part of the miracle! 
    Prayer: 
    Father…I thank-you for the people you put in my life to “Back Me Up”!  Help me to listen to them and not those who try to tear down and distract from what you are doing in me.  Help me to In Jesus name, Amen

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  • Parkwood Event


    I had such an amazing time on Monday Night with the women from Parkwood Gospel Temple in Windsor, ON for their

    women's connection logo

     Event!  This has to be the best job in the world–meeting amazing people wherever I go!  It was such a treat to have Brenda and Marg Rice there to cheer me on!  I so appreciated all of Brenda’s help at the book table.  I never could have done it without you!  Amy McKnight did an awesome job leading us into worship.  She tried telling me she had a sore throat, but I couldn’t hear it 🙂  What a great voice, but even better was her sensitivity to the Holy Spirit: knowing when to play, when to sing and when to wait on the Lord!  The sign of a truly great worship leader!   It was an honour to hear the life stories of so many girls that night as they shared with me after the meeting.  I spoke on  “Lessons To Learn In The Desert”, encouraging the women that God would bring them water in every desert they face.  This is one thing I am SURE of!  We really do learn more in the hard times than in the good times.  I used the illustrations from my book for the Power Point and it helped to solidify the message as many girls commented.   I want to thank Debbie Sylvester for planning such a powerful night!  Your team was great to work with!  Beth Waddell I appreciate all your ‘technical’ support 🙂  Rosie Wagner, so great to finally meet you!  Thanks for having me everyone!  Hope we can do it again sometime!
    If you’re looking for a church in the Windsor, ON area, Check out:Screen Shot 2014-01-23 at 9.58.55 PM
     
     

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  • Laura Story-Blessings

    I was “blessed” to hear Laura Story live in concert at the International Christian Retail Show in Saint Louis this year.  She shared her music and parts of her testimony.  It was amazing to me because her song “Blessings” has a really powerful message that gave me strength after my divorce.  It made sense of all the harship I faced and continued to face as a result.  It has helped me to re-establish my Christian Expectations (as talked about in my last post) to  realistic, Biblically-sound expectations.
    Here is a link to hear her song on youtube Laura Story-Blessings, but you’ll want the CD.  All the songs are amazing!
    laura storey blessings cd cover
    To find out more about Laura Storey, her music, ministry and life…check out her website http://www.LauraStoryMusic.com

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  • Testing

    “The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first…”
    Job 42:12

    I was going through the Devotional in my book called “TESTING…FOLLOWED BY BLESSING”.  God has set a precedence in his Word that when you have gone through a time of testing successfully it will be followed by a time of blessing.  It’s not just a catchy line I came up with—it’s a principle in scripture!  Whether it takes place here or in heaven—Testing is followed by Blessing!

    There are so many biblical examples of this: Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Esther…the list could go on.  The biggest example of this is in the life of Job.  In Chapter 1 of Job we read the record of God and the devil’s discussion over how good Job is.  God saw Job as faithful.  The devil, literally translated as “the accuser”, thought that Job was only faithful to God because God blessed him so much financially and in his family.  The devil asked if he could test Job in these areas and God agreed.  First the devil killed all of Job’s servants, next all his children and then all his livestock; which was equivalent to financial ruin in that day. After all these losses Job still kept his faith in God.
    The devil went to God again and asked if he could further test Job and God agreed.  The devil gave Job boils all over his body.  Still he remained faithful to God in all of his testing.  It wasn’t like he enjoyed it or was happy throughout it all.  Job is very human in his response, but he never turns his back on God.  Job cursed the day he was born, but still did not curse God. Even when he lost everything and couldn’t see any blessing, he still believed God was good.  What an incredible testimony! 
    At the end of Job we read how God blessed him with MORE than he had in the first part of his life.  He ended up with twice of all that he owned before, a VERY wealthy man.  God blessed Job again with 7 more sons and 3 more daughters, giving him a long life to see even his great-great-grandchildren live!  Testing is followed by…

    word bles sing!

    Prayer:
    Father, I thank-you that you see me as good even when the accuser says differently.  I thank-you that your plans for me are good and that you won’t let me be tempted beyond what I can bear. Help me to stand strong so that I can pass the tests of my life and walk in Your blessing!  In Jesus name,  Amen.
     (WATER IN THE DESERT; Section 3-WATER IN THE WANDERING: TESTING…FOLLOWED BY BLESSING, pgs.112-114). 

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  • Book Signing-Family Christian Lake Orion, Michigan

    This day started out crazy as the store realized that the books weren’t there.  God is so much bigger than our problems!!!  I met amazing people and made lasting connections with so many!   It’s shocking when you don’t get down over things not turning out right and then God turns them into great things.  It was great to have my mother-in-law with me.  She’s been an encouragement to me for so many years!  Love this lady!
    I’m looking forward to coming back when I do have books and possibly my hubby’s devotional 40 DAYS IN THE MANCAVE beside mine!  Thanks Family Christian Bookstores!IMG_3033IMG_3034IMG_3035IMG_3036
     

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