Tag: bible

When God Moves…

Wiwohka21 Comments

We have keys!!!

If ever this were to be considered a mountain… well, God moved it!

We do not know why, but for whatever their reason, the owners of the property chose to come back to the table and change their first decision. Basically, they completely changed their mind and lowered the cost of the apartment in order to get us approved… not kidding!

It’s small, but absolutely adorable… and clean!

Everything is new, and bright, and warm, and just perfect perfect perfect!!!

Sure, it’s empty now, but let me tell you… when the bible says that God will restore all that the enemy has stolen, I am watching such miracles unfold right before my eyes!

Some very generous donations have already arrived from God, through the many different organizations that have been with us throughout all this… I swear, I think they’re more excited than we are about things finally coming together. They’ve already ordered us a new bed, a vacuum cleaner, and a boatload of bathroom and cleaning supplies, so that should arrive at the new address within another day or so…

I’m in love with the whole color scheme that was chosen for this layout. Now we just have to wait for the mail to catch up with is… lol.

Oh, and we have to go to the V.A. this afternoon to pick up a furniture voucher, gift cards for things like dishes and cooking supplies. Honestly, I am still a bit numb about all this, as if I expect I might wake from such a dream, you know…

Oh, by the way, right in the middle of all of this going on, I got a phone call from my middle daughter… I’m gonna be a Meemaw again… AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!

Don’t babies just make everything better… oh, and cookies.. cookies make everything better, too. I have to tell you something funny in all this. After loosing pretty much all that we owned, down to the point of wearing the same outfit for the last three and a half weeks, I managed to save two items… my KitchenAid mixer and my Cuisinart, no joke! I have a mountain of cookies to bake, lol! My hubby tested the oven straight away… it’s like he knows me, or something…

And, guess what? Both my little plants have survived, thus far. I promised them both that they’d be getting new pots and soil when we get them moved in… they’ve earned them!

I know that this must have been awful for you all, having to watch helplessly as we went through this desert, but I could NOT have done this without your love, your faithful prayers, and your constant encouragement!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

I am so very richly blessed!

This chapter in my journey has closed, so let us move forward to see what God has in store four the future…

If I were to say anything of value, regarding what we just endured, I would say this… God has profoundly changed this wild and angry child, carefully molding her into that which is beautiful in His eyes.

It is indescribably here, resting beneath the shadow of my Father. From here, I can see for endless miles into the future… no, I haven’t reached some weird plane of visions, so don’t start freaking out on me. What I mean is that it’s not dark any longer, as it had been for so much of this process. Oh, I still can’t see the specifics of what will come… but it’s bright here, wherever I look… I might be wrong, but I think that it’s joy, or maybe hope, but it could also be the source of all those prayers everyone has been shouting to the heavens, on my behalf.

I think it might just be all of the above!

How will I…

Wiwohka3 Comments

The question isn’t why… it isn’t when, who or even where. I’ve been thinking on this, of late. Whenever a person goes through troubled waters, so to speak, a great many of those questions occupy their mind. Unfortunately, those questions don’t often see a viable answer.

Sometimes, maybe the real useful question to ask is “How?” I realize that it’s a rather unusual one word question, but if you think about it, all the other questions were also one word queries.

Since I tend to spend most of my time on the water, with a good many stretches of rough rapids and storms, I finally got sick of all the other questions, as they never really do me any good until after the fact.

This time… I’m finding a breakthrough!

This time… How?

How will I hold?

How will I rest?

How will I stand?

How will I exercise my faith?

How will I use all that truth I’ve been reading about?

How will I reflect my trust in God?

How will I express all the peace, hope, love, faith, forgiveness and generosity of heart that he has been creating within me?

How will I bend the knee?

How will I lay before the throne?

The One I believe in has been working on my behalf from the beginning, so it’s not a question of when, where, who, or why for me any longer, but how…

To answer the how,

I will hold with grace…

I will rest in complete peace…

I will stand tall…

I will share my faith with you, by speaking of all my journey, whether it is calm, harsh, beautiful, or painfully ugly…

That’s the only way that I can reflect my trust in Him…

My stories and journal entries are how I express all the good fruits that He produces within my heart for you…

I will bend the knee to the God of ages, surrendering to His rule and authority over my life, no matter where I must go, what I must endure for however long I must endure it, and regardless of why!

How?

How can I think this way, say these things, and actually stand in the face of this overwhelming mountain? I’ll tell you how…

The power of surrender, that’s how!

All that my Creator asks of me is surrender to his will, plan and purpose… and I show my obedience and complete surrender in all those HOWS… just sayin!

When you are in the darkest moments of your journey, remember…

Hold, have peace, stand tall, speak only that which is good, edifying and hopeful, trust in the one who gave you life, and no matter what, always remember that your stories are important to others… you are important! Life’s gonna do what it’s gonna do, so we have to choose who we want to be as we get through it… or better yet, how we want to get through it!

My name is Wiwohka for a reason…

Wiwohka5 Comments

I may not be meant for friendship, I may not be meant for family, but when I pass by, I will leave my mark on you

For some it will be good, for some bad… but you WILL know that I have been there

If God is for me… I don’t care what you think of me

When I said that I would stand on my faith in God all the way to the end… I meant it! It’s easy to spout scripture from a pulpit, claim God’s miraculous power from your armchair, and wax poetic about a spirit filled life from a hot tub, but try doin it from the gates of hell… I dare you!

When you finally pass beyond the words shooting out of your mouth, the singing of heavenly hymns, and dancing for Jesus in front of the masses, you get to the plane of daily existence in the presence of the almighty God of ages… yeah, Him! You wait for your daily bread from meal to meal, you listen for his voice in the utter silence of abandonment. When you can look only to Him for each and every breath that you need to live, it is oddly peaceful.

Jesus sits with me through the endless hours of waiting, the closed doors and dead ends… its rather ugly right now, with no joyful or praiseworthy news to regale you with, or pretty cookies to hand out. These waters are pretty rough and roaring just now, so it has taken all I have to write anything at all. Boy, it’s harder than I thought it would be to write down my feelings without saying some rather nasty and lethal remarks about things… sheesh!

Yes, it’s really bad right now, and no, I’m not going to speak on it… at least not til we’re beyond this part of the journey. The actual fight for survival puts one in a compromised emotional state, bringing out responses that you never knew you were capable of… so it’s best not to say anything if you can’t say something nice, trust me! You know why? Not so much to be nice to the folks hurting you, but to act honorably before God… to please Him and Him alone!

I could disappear today without a trace, leaving you to wonder where I went for a day or so, but you’d move on soon, as I’m nothing more than an entry in an online journal that anyone can read…

… but to God, I am someone specific, like no other on this planet, someone very special and sought after… He foreknew of my birth, my life, my failures, my successes, my wrongs, my rights… I am perfect in my imperfection, beautiful in my brokenness, wanted, cherished, and never ever forgotten or rejected for being who I am…

I am Wiwohka, with a heart that rushes, rages, and powerfully flows toward the home that awaits me… this world is NOT my home, but I will walk through it with as much grace as I can muster… to put a smile on my heavenly father’s face… to make my Creator proud of the work that He has, and is doing in my life… that is enough!

This site is most likely going to go down, as things are financially at the end for this leg of my journey, but don’t lose hope because God is leading me somewhere so that’s not a bad thing. There are a number of books still to be written… even if God is the only one to ever read them.

Rough Waters…

Wiwohka9 Comments

If one were to ask me how I might describe my thoughts and emotions right now, I can only say that it’s very dark and strangely unfamiliar. We’ve been wandering from motel to motel with all that’s left of our life packed into the back of our car. Feeling like you’ve been completely forgotten and overlooked by those promising to provide a resource, quite honestly, feels gut wrenching!

We were given our voucher, but then informed that it still had to be ported back to another county before we could use it. Within a day of getting the voucher, our paperwork simply vanished into the system. By the grace of God, and my husbands quick thinking, we drove two cities away from where we started to find an apartment that already passed the required inspections, which takes up to 45 days, normally. Doing things this way avoids having to wait up to 3 weeks for the portal process.

All the papers are in, application filled out… and now we wait! It could be a day… or up to several weeks for the apartment to accept our application. Though this has been a nightmare, and I will most likely never speak of it in any detail, at no time have I felt abandoned by my God! Let’s just say that this part of our journey has called for all of my faith, fully in action! And, as it says in the bible, I shall count it all joy!

God chooses my path, and in scripture it tells us that He knows our going out and our lying down. It also says that he is familiar with all our ways. If God allows me to experience these things, then there’s learning that needs to be done, and that’s growth! Of this I’m certain…growth is good, even though it can sometimes be difficult or painful.

It’s true, you know, that saying about what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. There’s only one thing I might add to that phrase, and it’s this:… it’s our choice as to whether that strength will be fueled by faith, hope, and love, or just anger, bitterness and hatred. Each path will leave you changed, but you do have a choice in which way to climb your mountains. Personally, I desire to grow stronger on the way up, through, or around these mountains. When God calls my name… I’m going to be on my feet!

Monday Messages…

Wiwohka11 Comments

It sure has been a journey these last few years, to say the least!

We’ve gone from, losing our home and all we owned during the COVID Shutdown, to living in an RV for three years (the last year had no working toilet or shower, nor any hot water). And here we are now, spending the last four months in a motel room, awaiting a housing voucher. So, ya… it’s been a journey!

Well, guess what?

We’ve been approved!!!

I know this is only the first part of the actual process, but it’s a start!

Now, we must attend a special orientation class, before we can actually be presented with the needed voucher. The class is on the 18th and our last approved night in this motel is the 17th, so it’ll be a little dicey between the time of getting said voucher and getting into an appropriate housing situation. But hey, God’s the one driving this bus, right?!

My job is to simply wait until the bus stops, gather myself together when the door opens, and step out in faith! Why do some folks think that the hard part is walking through the door, or stepping out in faith when you can’t see what’s there? Personally, I’ve learned that the hardest part is the waiting…

Tick tock, tick tock…

The silence of waiting can be deafening, at times.

The thing that I’m learning is, mountains take time to move over, under, around, or through… depending on what God wants you to see, learn, and/or do along the journey.

Anyways, if you are curious how we got here from the top of this post, I’ve brought you thus far, so that I might say thank you! Thank you for loving me, for praying for me, and for sticking with me through the thick of things, if you will. You’ve made this whole excruciating difficult process, a great deal easier! Your comments, laughter, and visits to the lobby have been so vitally instrumental in the encouragement department, if that makes any sense.

It’s funny, the prompt this morning was asking what I’d do with good news? Well, I already did my praying and praising God for his faithful provision. Now’s the part where I share said good news, celebrate, and have a grateful heart!

The first place I wanted to bring my joyful news was here, in this very lobby! I thought to share it with all of you… my family!

You tell me…

Wiwohka2 Comments
Daily writing prompt
How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?
View all responses

If you really wanted to know what my answer to this prompt might be, you can find it in the words of this song, by Anne Wilson, called Strong…

Even if you don’t want to click on the link, you can read the lyrics,

Strong, try to make ’em all think I’m strong
Yeah, the face I keep putting on says I ain’t tired
But these tear stained eyes ain’t lying
‘Cause hard, nobody told me life could be so hard
A weary soul with a worn out heart that’s barely beating
But every time I get that feeling

I hit my knees with my hands held high
Saying, dear Lord Jesus, you know I can’t do this on my own
I can’t do this on my own
Lord knows I’ve tried, but I’m good at falling down
Thank God You’re good at picking me up off the ground
The world’s gonna try to break me
But I know the one who makes me strong

Strong, like my daddy always told me so
There’s a place you can always go when you’ve got nothing
And then he handed me the one thing
That’s strong, doesn’t matter how old it gets
There’s power in the words in red in this old bible
And when I’m desperate for revival

I hit my knees with my hands held high
Saying, dear Lord Jesus, you know I can’t do this on my own
I can’t do this on my own
Lord knows I’ve tried, but I’m good at falling down
Thank God You’re good at picking me up off the ground
The world’s gonna try to break me
But I know the one who makes me strong, oh, strong

I’m strong when I’ve got nothing
I’m strong even when I’m weak
‘Cause the strong arms of my Savior
Are holding on to me

I hit my knees with my hands held high
Saying, dear Lord Jesus, you know I can’t do this on my own
I can’t do this on my own
Lord knows I’ve tried, but I’m good at falling down
Thank God You’re good at picking me up off the ground
The world’s gonna try to break me
But I know the one who makes me strong
Oh, You make me strong
Oh, this world ain’t gonna break me
‘Cause I know the one who makes me strong

Have a cookie…

they’ll make you strong!

Live Wire…

Wiwohka6 Comments

As a general rule, I try to avoid asking God too many why questions about our situation, as I’m very aware that He has everything well in hand. I’m not saying that God doesn’t expect us to ask those kind of questions, nor do I want you to think that He would tire of them. I talk to God as my Creator, my father, and my closest friend, which is really what I think he’s seeking from us, his children. And yes, I still find myself at the why of a thing, while talking with God. I’m pretty sure that its quite normal.

In turn, I also believe that the Almighty displays the patience, love, nurturing and guidance toward me, as that of only a true father… and, in ways that only God can do!

Many times, God will speak to me directly through scripture… and before you start wondering, no, I’m not doing some bizarre rewrite of God’s word! What I mean is, when I’m dealing with something in the here and now, many times I will read a passage in scripture that seems to directly relate to my perspective on that current dilemma. Let me give you an example from quite recently…

Currently, my husband and I are being housed in a motel while awaiting available lodging, or more truthfully stated, we wait for a voucher that will allow us to even go tour any possible locations. We’ve been here for four months now, and quite possibly will be sleeping in our car by tomorrow, as there will be no more support available financially from the organization that has been involved. Still no voucher, and the case worker involved is now avoiding any contact with us. If you simply glance at the situation, it looks pretty bleak and hopeless, I know.

I still stand upon my faith and trust in the Almighty, don’t get me wrong. There are times like the other day, however, when I asked God a question that had been floating around in the back of my mind, lately. Here’s the question I asked…

“God, why does it seem like You always wait until the eleventh hour to step in and move, leaving all that in-between time of me not knowing anything? There’s no answers available, nowhere to turn, and no sign of you interceding on my behalf… why?”

God didn’t respond for three days, but when He did, it happened to come directly from the passages of scripture I’d just been reading. I’m not going to give you a version of what I received from His word, but rather, I’d like to share the actual scripture I found myself reading.

I’d just finished studying within 1 Corinthians, and thought to go back and re-read the book of Romans. I had gotten as far as chapter 4, when I was frozen in place, after reading only the third verse,

What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness”. Romans 4:3

The reason I stopped as soon as I read that verse, was the part where it said Abraham believed God, not that Abraham believed IN God… there’s an obvious difference! Many claim to believe in God, but how many hear what God has said, or read the bible… and take God at His word, or in other words Believe God!

When I read that verse, it made me curious about what was meant by “believed God”, and almost instantly, I thought of Abraham standing with a knife poised above his son, Isaac, there on that lonely mountain. Going back and re-reading that story from the book of Genesis, I saw something. First off, God told Abraham that he would make him the father of nations, and the man was already 99 years old! Then God told Abraham that his wife Sarah, who was far past the age of bearing children, as well as being barren all her days, would bear him this son. Sarah did, in fact, bear Abraham a son! And, at the very time that God said it would. Reading on through the story, I finally reached the part that’d been tugging on my heart from Romans 4:3.

I’d really encourage you to read through the story, in its entirety, so that you can make your own discoveries. For today, I’ll try to give you a brief synopsis, but it’s only my personal perspective, so try to keep that in mind as you read.

In Genesis 22, it starts off by saying that God tested Abraham. So try to remember, going forward here, we know from where we sit now that God does NOT require or even consider the sacrifice of any human life… but Abraham didn’t! God told Abraham to gather his son, a sacrificial lamb, and all that was needed to perform a sacrifice. Then Abraham was instructed that he was to take his son up a mountain, build an alter, and then sacrifice the child upon said alter.

This didn’t happen overnight, no no no, it took the whole time of packing, traveling, building said alter, and then doing the actual sacrificing. I cannot imagine the questions rolling around in Abrahams mind, nor can I imagine the distress of his heart, over what God was commanding that he do with his son; with the very child that God had miraculously given to him and his wife, in the first place.

With all of that turmoil within himself, Abraham still did exactly as God had commanded him… without an ounce of hesitation! It was God’s very hand that stayed that knife blade, fully poised to strike!

Hmmmmmm… Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness!

God’s ways are not our ways, His thoughts are far higher than our own understanding… and He will make a way where there was none!

I not only believe in God, but I BELIEVE GOD, so that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

God Bless!

Hugs

Thursday Thoughts…

Wiwohka3 Comments

Before you start wondering where the Matter’s of the Heart episodes went, they’re not gone… I’m not about to let you off the hook that easy!

Honestly, I think the time spent away from those writings has been for a divine purpose, really! I believe that in certain areas of our journey, God chooses to have us take some constructive detours, allowing us to learn things that are necessary for doing a thing well… I mean really well!

No! I don’t, in fact, believe that everything I write has to have some earth shattering prophetic word in it, though I strive to write things of His goodness in my life, in the hopes that it might help others. What I meant by the idea of doing a thing well, may have far more to do with my personal spiritual growth, than about whatever I may or may not write for others once I’m led to continue that series. Does that make sense?

Over the last few months, I’ve tried not to share too much about our situation, as it is far from secure, unfortunately. While we are no closer to receiving our vitally important voucher, needed for applying to any and all available locations, I know that God is aware of it all… there is absolutely nothing that worry will change about this fact. Faith, is believing in that which you cannot see! I have faith because I know what God can do… not the history part, as that is written in His word.

I’m talking about the fact that I breath air!

I still remember the darkness, the cold of night, and the loneliness of wandering alone all those years ago.

According the scriptures, God knew of this child before the foundations of the earth came to be, and she was chosen by the creator, himself! From the depths of the earth, he saw my unformed body… you really need to read Psalm 139. Then, I suppose that you can decide for yourselves about that history part.

Personally, I’m certain that God was in that hospital room on the day of my birth, awful as it was!

When you’re loved that deeply, there is no way to deny the power of love and restoration that comes only from the Almighty! Remembering all that particular history, has allowed me to fully trust in that which I cannot see, here today!

While I don’t have any actual proof to give you, aside from the fact that I survived the darkness, and am capable of having a heart of grace, forgiveness, and miraculous transformation, thus far.

My faith is far stronger than any fear of the unknown… I know who holds me within the palm of His hand!

Just sayin…

Live Wire…

Wiwohka3 Comments

Sometimes, we find ourselves in a place that appears to have no end in sight. Surrounded by darkness and uncertainty, all one can do is wait and listen for direction! Waiting can be so much work, what with everything being out of your reach, and all. Where does that leave a person, when already exhausted from all that waiting and worrying?

Oddly, the answer seems rather silly when you’ve worn yourself out with the overthinking bit. Are you ready for it? Some of you may already know the word that’s about to come out of my mouth this morning, but for those don’t, the word is stand!

Stand on the promises of God’s word, and simply hold yourself steady… that’s it… just let Him carry you… when you cannot see beyond the darkness! You know how they say it’s always darkest before the dawn? They are spot on… and yet, not!

Yes, the darkness is there to block your vision, but only what’s further than you can reach out and grab… I understand that part because I’m in the heart of it, just now. In truth, it’s actually very bright where I’m currently standing, mainly because God is pure light… and I’m resting just beneath his shadow!

By all rights, I should be mentally broken from all the isolation… but my mind is strong. We’re not much closer to finding housing, but I don’t much care… worrying won’t change anything about the outcome, so why waste the effort?

I suppose that I could get discouraged enough to stop writing, but it’s the one thing I CAN actively choose to do… For my God, for the joy of it and of course, for those who visit the Lobby.

As for all the unpublished everything I’ve been stockpiling… whether they ever see a printer doesn’t really matter, not if I believe that God’s got me in the palm of his hand. He is proud of the things that I put my heart into, which gives me more fulfillment than anything the world’s approval could ever offer!

Barnyard Business WILL become something… I’m just not sure what. Brutus is finished and I’m going to move forward with the other four novels belonging to that series… even if God is the only one to EVER see them… I don’t care!

I was made for these days, I think. God called me… by name!

He chose me!

This place I am currently in, it’s nothing more than a training ground, a holding place. I am assured of this, as I truly believe in the timing of things… all things!

I’m writing all these things down to hopefully encourage another, and honestly, for my own reassurance, as well. Quite probably, the Holy Spirit that dwells within me has prompted the writing out of my thoughts, so I can then accept the truth in them. Isn’t it kind of funny how writing out your feelings can help you sort things… you know, accepting the truths that are there, and sweeping off the debris of fear and confusion.

When it comes down to the heart of things, what we believe in as our truth, is the only thing that no one can take away… unless we allow it!

So, when I find myself somewhere between the darkness of night and the coming of dawn, surrounded by uncertainties, I choose to stand on the promises of my Creator… he left us the scriptures, which are His living and breathing words… HIS TRUTHS!

This is what I believe, therefore, I shall stand… I shall stand until my last breath if He asks it!

Thursday Thoughts…

Wiwohka20 Comments

Today is this child’s Birthday, and for the first time in all my 56 years I awoke with a plan to celebrate it…. really spend the whole of the day in thankfulness for every single year of this journey!

I am loved!

I am whole!

I am forgiven!

God has given me such purpose!

I truly believe that I have a hope and a future, so I’m gonna celebrate it… all day!

I remember when my kids were young and I would escape for a breather… the whole time I was gone, all I could think about was if they were ok without me being there. I hoped they missed me but worried they would be sad. In the end, I felt better if I just went back home… silly, I know!

In a funny twisty way of thinking, I feel the same way about you! I felt like God was telling me to take today and do whatever I wished for my birthday, so I’d planned to take a break from WP and maybe read a book, or something.

From there, I thought that I would just pop in to check for messages… maybe post a few pics and call it good, right?!

Ever hear of that children’s book, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”, about one thing leading to another? Yah…. so here we are people, two hours into “Just” checking my mail!

When it get’s down to the heart of things… I like being here on WordPress, with you folks. I like your stories, your poetry, and your hearts… you draw me back to the lobby every morning and I end up hanging out in there all day. Why? Because, you visit at all different times of my day, being that many hail from countries around this beautiful globe!

Over this last year the lobby has become like a cozy coffee room, with visitors dropping by throughout the day. Many of you come from such a distance to share your views, your culture and your talents.

In an imaginative way, WordPress is like a village. There are streets lined with little cafe’s that overflow with romantic poets and gifted musicians. Other avenues are filled with book shops that offer some amazing literary artists. Down a few alleyways you might find those in need of encouragement, prayer and understanding. We even have our own business class! There’s newspapers that offer reviews of everything from movies and music, to authors and artists. Then there are the retailers, and magazine stands that offer comic books, craft ideas and food recipes.

Folks might share political views, opinions on the market, or their personal views about things ranging from birth to death… basically, a bit of everything!

That’s where Journey With Me fits in!

You’ll find the lobby nestled between several bookstore/coffee shops near the local park. Every community needs a bit of everything to keep the balance, right?! My hope is that the lobby can be of benefit to this community, no matter who you are or how you fit in to this village, as I’ve labeled it.

The front of the lobby holds an open doorway… there are no doors to open or close. Leave your attitude, your opinion, and any unhealthy motives at the doorway! The lobby does not produce judgement or push an agenda… it’s my heart, and my way of reflecting God’s love in the only way I can, at this time.

You just wait… my prayer is that perhaps one day I can do more, because deep in my heart, I believe that I was born for these days, for a bigger purpose. God is calling me for something more!

Warning!!! I am filled with the Holy Spirit and am highly contagious, so being in close proximity to the love of God might make you start doing strange things! In my defense, I am such a sucker for the whole grace, forgiveness and eternal love thing… I just cant help it!

Sorry, not sorry…

Here, you better take a cookie, just in case…