Home Alone on New Year's

There is a difference between being home alone and alone with Jesus. I have lived much of my life feeling alone, even in the midst of people around me. I have felt the most alone, however, with nobody around. Even in my early years of learning to follow the Lord, I spent more time alone than I would have liked. I was caught up in religion rather than relationship, and I spent my time trying to "do right" rather than to spend time in the presence of the Lord. In the past two years, I have spent even more time alone - since my husband abandoned me two years ago and my life has been in constant transition and transformation. But this alone has been different. This has been an alone with the Lord. I have learned that the very best place to be is in the presence of Jesus, to sit at His feet, to enjoy His company, to share His love, to feel Him in and around me. So when I make the decision to spend New Year's Eve home alone because I do not want to share the streets with drunk drivers, I can celebrate the evening with the one who created it. Tonight, I will be alone with the Lord. I will readily admit I would love to be surrounded by loved ones, but I did not have that opportunity tonight. Instead, I received the greatest invitation of all. I will spend the night in the arms of my beloved. Jesus.

When Your Heart is Broken

When your heart is broken, you stand at the crossroads. I know. I have stood there before. Too many times to count. And I have looked both ways before I crossed over. I looked to the left. I looked to the right. The Bible says not to look to the left or the right. The Bible tells us to look to Jesus, who authors and completes our faith. Most of the time my heart has been broken, I held it crushed and bruised in my hands and stumbled at the crossroads. I turned in circles and made myself dizzy. I cried out to people but broke further inside when they could not put my heart back together again. Only this last time did I take the hand of the Lord and go His way. I went to Him. I brought my broken heart to Jesus and He used my brokenness as an opportunity to take the hardness off my heart. He still has a lot of work to do. I brought Him decades of heartache. But He is my redeemer. He is my healer. He is so very gentle with my heart. He leads me forward. He will lead you, too, if you let Him. Don't stand at the crossoroads. Cross over - into His everlasting embrace.

Standing Naked Before God

"And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." - Gen. 2:25

How much time do you spend preparing your body for intimate time with your man? How much time and care do you spend readying yourself to spend eternity with your God? Adam and Eve did not even know they were naked before they fell in the Garden; they were naked and clean before the Lord. When they fell, they tried to hide themselves. God doesn't want us to hide our dirt. He wants us to surrender all to Him. We don't need to get cleaned up to go to God. We need to go to God to get clean. He will take us exactly as we are. There is no greater intimacy than to spend time with Him.

He is waiting with open arms. Come as you are. 

Walking by REAL Faith

2Co 4:18  "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." 

Real faith does not just spew words that sound good. Real faith takes action. Real faith loves God, trusts God, and obeys God. When the Lord called me to give up my job search so I could direct Walk by Faith Ministry full-time without a salary as of yet, I had two choices. I could have pursued my job search so I could find a salary to support myself while I moved forward with the ministry. Or, I could choose to love God, trust God, and obey God - and allow Him to support His princess. I chose the latter. Faith moves where the Lord calls and does what He asks, regardless of feelings. Did I feel like taking such a risk and looking like a fool to the world? Of course not. But walking by faith isn't about feelings; it's about faith. The funny thing is, my feelings are starting to line up with my faith. I didn't feel like trusting God with this major decision, but I acted in faith. Some people say faith grows as a result of experience. That's not what the Bible says. Faith comes by hearing God's Word. So as I step out in faith, I stay steadily in His Word. I am learning how not to just speak the words I hear. I am learning how to walk. Do I fall? All the time. But when I fall, I repent, I stand up, and I walk some more. By faith in Him. So how is my job search going? It's not. I am not looking for a job. I already have one. Directing Walk by Faith Ministry is a full-time job. As for my salary, it's up to Him. I'm His Princess, so I know He'll take care of me. By faith, I know. By faith, I act. By faith, I walk. With Him.

Are you talking faith or walking by faith? There is a difference. I know. Dig into God's Word and watch your faith grow. Then, don't merely say the words. Walk by faith. In Him.

Date Night With JESUS!

Last night, I spent the night with the best date I have ever had. He even stayed overnight with me. In fact, I woke up smiling in my spirit as my date woke up right along with me. His name is Jesus Christ, and yesterday I was so wiped out that I decided to shut out the rest of the world and go on a date with Jesus. I set the computer aside, finished up my telephone calls, fed the dogs, and decided to spend some time with Jesus. We didn't do anything fancy. In fact, I had already eaten. I didn't get dressed up; I dressed down. Pajamas. I didn't even crack the Bible. I grabbed a fun light read. I didn't do anything fancy at all. In fact, I was entirely myself. I didn't even fix my makeup, and my date didn't even notice. He saw me as His princess. Isn't that so Jesus? So I cuddled up with my prince Jesus for the evening. For so long, I have envied the world for having husbands and wives and families. Recently, I realized how very blessed I am to have the opportunity to do things like have a date night with Jesus. You know something? I think we could all benefit from taking a time out and spending time with Him. Nothing fancy. Just a simple date. With the King of Kings.

Princess, when was the last time you spent a night with Jesus? And woke up with joy in the morning? Jesus awaits. 

"Woman, Thou Art Loosed!"

"And when Jesus saw her, He called her to him, and said unto her, "Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity (Luke 13:12 KJV).""


Princess, you are loosed. Hey, I didn't say it. Jesus did. Believe it. Jesus has what we need to be loosed from our troubles. I was as weighed down by my life circumstances as I believe a human can be, and how ironic I wrestled with anorexia in my effort to get rid of the weight and pain of the world. Nothing helped. Not anorexia, not alcoholism, not self-mutilation, not being suicidal, not anything. Nothing took the weight off me, and just when I thought I couldn't bear it anymore - there was more of it. More burden to carry. Today a friend remarked at how different I look. He couldn't put it in words. I don't just look different. I feel different. I am free. The world didn't loose me. The world weighed me down. So how did it happen? How did this woman get loosed? He did it. Jesus. I called on His name, and He answered. I dug into His Word, and He transformed me. He loosed me. He really did. And He will for you, too. 


Call on His name. Take His hand, and follow Him. He knows the way. He is the way. Jesus. 

Who Is Your Daddy?

"Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." (2 John 1:3 KJV).

I am sad to say most women I meet have had issues with their fathers - abandonment, abuse, neglect, or any of a number of other issues. I have had issues of my own, and for years they weighed me down to the point I was virtually paralyzed with them. In many ways, I was the woman in the Bible that needed to be loosed. But then, I was also the woman in the Bible with the issue of blood who went to every doctor in the world only to discover they could not solve her problem. Then again, I was much like the woman at the well that looked to men - to husbands - to fill her up. Oh, I could go on and on. Today, I can honestly say I have been loosed. The issue of blood has dried up without doctors. And I no longer stand at the well hiding my history of husbands. I am no longer the lost women in the Bible, for I have done what the woman with the issue of blood did. I have gone to Jesus. And through faith in Him, I have found the answer - a relationship with my Daddy. Who is my Daddy? My Father in heaven. I love and forgive my earthly father completely, but to this day he does not provide me with the love I need. My Daddy lives in heaven, and I pray with all my heart my earthly Dad gets to know we share the same Father and gets to know His love like I do. Truly, He is our Father. And His love is everlasting.

Who is your Daddy? Do you know your Father in Heaven? Do you believe in His Son Jesus? I promise you, there is no greater gift. If nobody has ever introduced you to Him, and you would like to meet Him, call me and I'd be happy to make the introduction. You can reach me at 843-338-2219. 

The Way to Escape a Hard Marriage

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (1Co 10:13)

I pray for you if you are in a hard marriage because I know what it is like. You feel like there is no way of escape, but there is. After all, God promised. But you cannot see the way out. I know because I have been there. Divorce is not the answer; it is not the escape. I know what this is like because my husband has chosen to divorce me, and his decision to divorce me did not give me relief and freedom from pain. There was only more pain, and still no escape. But there is a way of escape from a difficult marriage, and it is not the world's way. There must be an escape; God promised. God is faithful to His promises. So where is the escape? You have looked everywhere for the escape. I know. I have been there. I cried out to the Lord for my escape, and still I could not see. God kept His promise. He gave me a way of escape from the pain in my marriage, and He gave me a way of escape from the pain of divorce. I did not find relief in the marriage, nor did I discover it in the divorce I am walking through. I found the escape. His name is Jesus. My human husband broke every promise He ever made to me. But my new husband - Jesus - He has kept every one He ever made. He is the promise. He is the escape.

Jesus wants to be my everything. He wants to be yours too. Wherever you are in your marriage, or wherever you are in a divorce, or wherever you are being single, remember. When you feel you cannot find the way out, remember Jesus is the way. May He be your everything. Hold onto Him for dear life. Escape in Him. Rest in His love.

A Surprising Way to Get Over Your Broken Heart

Isa 61:10  "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels."

"Pastor Freddie, what is it going to take for me to finally let my husband go?" I asked my beloved pastor, who has stood by me through almost two years of heartache since my husband's abandonment - not to mention everything that came before it. My pastor is rooted and grounded in God's love, not to mention His Word, so his answer shocked me. "It will take falling in love with someone else," he replied simply. "What?" I retorted. Another man to get over my husband? A rebound is the answer? My pastor does not live in the flesh; he walks in the Spirit. How could he give me such worldly advice? "When you fall totally in love with Jesus and become totally satisfied with His love," my beloved father in Christ explained, "you will fully let go." Just weeks away from the court hearing in which my husband will finalize the divorce he has chosen, I know there is only one way to get over my broken heart. Jesus. I took great pride in the fact I never committed adultery in my marriage. But alas, I committed adultery where my true husband is concerned. Precious Jesus never gave up on me as I fell in love with another man who took over my heart and my mind. Today, I know the greatest husband in the universe is mine forever. My beloved. My Jesus.

He is your husband too, dear princess. Fall into His arms and rest in His love, forevermore. You may have an earthly husband, too, but never lose sight He is your first love - the one who is yours for eternity. 

The Love of Your Life!

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5 KJV)."


I spent so many years seeking the love of my life that I am amazed I could not see my Prince Charming was waiting for me with open heart and open arms from before I was even born! But I was stubborn, and rebellious, and bound and determined to find the perfect man for me. My Prince never gave up on me, however. Through the abandonment of my earthly father and then of two dear husbands, my Prince never turned away.


How easily He could have decided not to take the leftovers of other men. Instead, when I at last stumbled, fell, and broke into a million pieces, guess who welcomed me with mercy that endures forever? Jesus. I will never have the words to describe how my heart shattered at the loss of the men I have loved most on this earth, but then nor will I ever be able to put human words to the magnificence of the love of my life - the one I sought all along and could not see stood right before me, waiting.


Though I had spoken His name before, prayed in His name, talked about Him, even studied Him, I did not ever truly let Him into the depths of my heart until I was too broken to look any further than right before my very eyes. He is the one who will never leave, and the one who will never forsake me. Today, as He should have been all along, He is my first love. He is my forever love. And He is waiting at the door to your heart. 


Please, dear princess, do not just say the words you believe in Jesus. Open your heart, no matter how broken it might be, or how full it might be with a beautiful life. No matter the condition of your heart, open the door and beckon Him in. He calls. He wants to be your first love, the love of your life! 

Precious Princess, Bear All!

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16 KJV)."


My dear friend Annie has struggled with one issue in particular for so very long she probably cannot remember what her life was like without the issue. Nor can she probably imagine what her life would be like with freedom from it. She is a beautiful princess in my eyes, a precious friend with a heart of pure Godly gold, yet when she looks in the mirror she cannot see the princess like I can. She recently asked me to pray that she would be delivered from this challenge, and declared that she no longer wanted to carry the burden alone. She would tell her new women's Bible study group and ask the ladies to pray, she announced, and she asked me to pray that she would have the courage. 


When I asked her how the women responded to her bearing her heart to them, she said she had decided not to go. But God had other plans. Within 24 hours, in a random store in a large city, she ran into the wife of her pastor - from a very large church. What a small world! Rather, what an awesome God! 


Annie opened her heart to the pastor's wife, and together they prayed - right in the store. Annie's issue is no longer a secret, thereby allowing the devil to stomp all over her with condemnation. Instead, my dear friend who was created to be a princess has taken the first great step in being able to look in the mirror and see the lovely woman the Lord created. She has confessed the fault she did not want the world to see, she has been prayed for, and I believe with all my heart she soon will walk free. 


Please, dear Princesses of God, do not hold your troubles in the dark. Bear them into the light, where your sisters will meet you and stand in faith with you, and the Lord will heal. 

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is God. Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us." Psalm 62 KJV


Once upon a time there was a princess who did not know she was a Princess. She lived her life buried in the sand where she felt safe. When she did try to come up for air and to survey the world around her, she struggled for breath at the sight of all the sin and sadness. She would tumble to the ground as she gasped for air, then re-bury herself into the sand. In the deep of her heart, she did not really believe she was a Princess, nor did she believe there was much more to life than grief and dismay. Most importantly, she knew nothing about the  Prince who had given up His life so she could live in the world with the joy of the Lord. 


For most of my life thus far, I was this Princess. First, I did not know about Jesus. Then, when I came to faith in Jesus, I did not know to follow Him. When at last I began to follow Him, I spent much of my time staring at the world and would dive back into the sand. I did not know my Prince was also my Rock - and in Him I could learn to not be moved by the world. Jesus is our Rock, our salvation, our refuge, our everything. He wants to lead us out of the places we have buried ourselves into His saving grace - and into His arms forever. 


Come out from under the sand. Rise up and walk. Pour your heart out to Prince Jesus. Take His hand and follow Him to the places He wants to take you. Breathe in His love.