Inspiring Lives- Weekly Encouragement with Jade Le

Preparing to meet your baby is an experience like no other so I wanted to write about it while it was happening to me.  You know how quickly we can forget the details of what it felt like and how we responded to it years later.  But one of the most powerful experiences I have had it bonding with my little princess while she was still in the womb. I want to share with you what I have been doing and helping others do before getting pregnant myself.  If you want to hear my story I believe it will really bring hope to those waiting on God for a miracle.  And if you know someone trying to get pregnant or get a breakthrough in another area of life this may be a good podcast or video to watch. Here’s the video & I will add a blog later with more Scriptures for you to declare: The post What to Say to Your Baby in the Womb appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee “Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unexpected intercourse (six months if the woman is over age 35) or the inability to carry a pregnancy to live birth.” I have been fighting this unexpected foe of infertility knowingly and unknowingly, for over 11 years now.  And it is not an easy battle.  But primarily because of the shock. You never expect to hear that you are infertile or to not have children.  No, I was not one of those women who sit and think and think and think about having children, how my wedding will be planned, the perfect home…but I did subconsciously assume my life would be #1 Go to College #2 Get Married #3 Run Professionally #4 Live in a Mega Home #5 Have Children #6 Live Happily After. At first it was not even a shocker that I was not getting pregnant, I was so consumed in my profession- ministry- that I did not think much about it, and I was happy to enjoy the free time of being childless. But as time went on and on and on, it would be soon that I realized my great desire to mother, after having helped many young women with their birth journey.  I was even helping deliver babies.  It got harder and harder to not have a “family” of my own. And then the truth sank in, doctor visits began, reports came back, multiple surgeries came, and I was at a loss for words.  My heart was in shock and shattered to pieces, not because I didn’t have faith but because infertility is a grieving process. I particularly had a major lack of education on reproductive health and the chances being 1.5 times higher for people of my skin complexion to have children.  Yes, yet another startling statistic regarding the African American community.  Sometimes the question echos through my head, “When will it ever end?” regarding the black plight. My image of a infertile woman, was a rich, white, maybe celebrity woman walking into a clinic to get an IVF treatment or have a surrogate child. This is all I had ever seen.  It never even crossed my mind that black women struggled with this issue which is apparently a very strong myth not isolate to my own perspective. Why do black women face this at a higher rate?  According to Resolve, the National Infertility Association, “Many of the factors leading to this higher incidence is our hesitance to visit the doctor, as well as higher rates of conditions such as fibroids.  One way to squash this myth is to start talking.  By opening an honest and guilt-free dialogue,w e can step towards removing the stigmas that holds so many of us hostage.” This is why sharing our stories is so important as we find the grace to do so, and why I so openly am sharing my own faith journey through this sometimes grueling process. This battle is occurring not only on a first time basis, but secondary infertility grips the wombs of many women unexpectedly. This simply means a woman has already experienced a full term birth, yet cannot seem to get pregnant sometimes for years after having a child. This can be as hard or even harder for women because of how shocking it is to go through this difficulty, according to Marlo Schalesky, author of Empty Womb, Aching Heart. Here are a few facts about infertility that will help you cope with this very painful reality for every 1 in 8 women: Do not allow guilt to become your guide or friend.  When facing this sickness, it is easy, especially in a Christian context to believe you have received the judgment of Michal.  Maybe GOD is punishing me!  Then the thoughts begin to go on to all the wrongs, the sexual immorality of your past, a man of GOD you may have offended.  Resist this urge knowing that GOD loves you unconditionally and although there are consequences for our actions, the finish work of the cross redeems our sins.  He forgives, loves and the majority of infertile women are not being condemned due to sin. Self blame or the blame of your spouse is not healthy nor valid.  When we face a situation that is beyond our control it is really hard not to search for the object of blame.  Starting with GOD, we want to know WHY?  And, WHY ME?  Why do I have to go through this?  Why are all these other women getting pregnant and I can’t seem to get pregnant?  Why isn’t my body cooperating?  What is wrong with ME?  Why does GOD not love me?  Why is my spouse’s body broke? As this storm of questions rage in a woman’s mind, it is important to remind yourself of the love HE has for you even in a plan that is nowhere near what you expected.  At the end of the story, in the midst of the conflict, we will find peace and a plan beyond what we could see.  Instead of blaming our spouse, let’s work together to find the healing we need. Finding the joy of the LORD is an active and sometimes daily pursuit needed in this walk.  We have to press into His joy when we want to give up, wallow in the very real situation of hours of medical situations, hospital bills and challenges.  I came to a point where I had to let it all go, forget about it and get Determined to Enjoy the moments of life I had; I would not allow infertility to steal my life away.  Focus on the blessings in front of you to find a joy beyond your situation. Find a support group.  This may start with your husband, a doctor, even just one friend or an infertility group in your area.  This is going to be needed in a journey that seems to be inconsistent day by day.  We all have our good days and then the really dire ones where we need an understanding, listening ear. Don’t feel guilty to say No.  If you can’t seem to get through baby showers, Mother’s Day, or women’s church groups full of expecting young mothers, it’s okay to say no.  It’s okay to take a leave of absence and do something that will get your mind off of what you do not have because of something beyond your control. Know when to let go of the battle if it gets too much.  One of the most freeing moments in the fight has been letting go but not after a lot of wrestling.  One day I simply decided that I had to give this over to the LORD.  I had to trust Him because ultimately He is the Only One who can cause my womb to be filled.  And I refocused on what He had for me to give to others right now.  If needed, get counseling.  From what I have read and heard, most couples facing infertility will fight depression.  Sometimes this gets overwhelming to a point of needed professional help in knowing how to continue living your life in a world full of new parents, baby aisles (Target, the grocery store) and daily reminders of how your life should be…if not for this frustrating issue.  Many couples benefit from a season of having a listening ear that knows what to say in such a sensitive area (most people do not know what to say at all and say all the wrong things). There are many more tips I could give you in fighting through this battle but all in all, I am praying for you, standing with you and willing to listen to you.  You are not alone. If you know someone struggling with infertility or may be going through this yourself, please share this message with them; maybe it will be just the hope they need to press on through One More Day of Faith. Blessings! Jade Lee   The post Coping with the Unexpected Foe…Infertility appeared first on Jade Lee.

Upon leaving the coast of South Africa my heart was full to overflowing. I wept many tears and cried everyday in Africa.   The tears I cried were an expression of Christ’s heart for a people that has been oppressed, forsaken and forgotten for hundreds of years.  This people is all around the world, identified as the African diaspora.  His heart deeply cares for her wounding and neediness. I’ve been to Kenya twice and this was my third trip to the continent of Africa. But this particular experience was so deep and rich for me. It is even more intensified as I am in the middle of in depth research of the history of America’s national racial wounding.  Going back to Africa this time meant more to me than ever before; I soon would realize I was crying tears for an entire people group. I was in pain over the needs I knew the African American community had and how we were suffering due to generations of mistreatment.  Sure we can forgive and have forgiven much, yet there is oftentimes a lack of understanding of the need for comforting the pain we have experienced. We had a 17 hour flight to Africa! It was nothing but the grace of GOD that helped us and we made it through jet lag still able to gain. This occurs as we weep with those who weep.  Romans 12:15 I sat with hundreds then with a small group of college aged young adults ready to approach life.  They were at a crossroads without much, no parents, these children were orphans now become adults. What would they do next?  How would they become successful leaders in their nation?  How would they regain the control of their economy? Understanding the history of Africa is vital.  Understanding the history of Africa is healing. Understanding the history of Africa is to know the missing pieces of the black community. And I picked up a few pieces to that lost puzzle, but it was a painful experience. One specific moment really grabbed my heart and opened my eyes to reality.  I sat in a small room with these recent high school graduates as they shared their viewpoint of GOD. We split into small groups sharing inspiring stories and helping them move forward in finding purpose (akin to what most young adults their age need). But as we began to share the African American storyline their eyes lit with interest.  This was foreign information; the shock and deep concern displayed on their young faces gripped my heart and wrung it out until the tears later escaped my eyes. Our roots run deep into the soil of Africa, a long, lost land that we must reconnect to if we want to fully heal. There are blessings we as African Americans can both give and receive from Africa. They had never heard of a people who were considered and treated as less than humans.  It was heartbreaking to find our distant cousins and tell our story. Knowing them was like a mirror, we could more clearly see ourselves.  We could see what has been taken from us, in a way, unknowingly.  We were able to see our blessings in America, yet see the little treasures that had been stripped from our identity: We are just now approaching the age of African American natural hair care discoveries.  We are indulging in shea butter, argan oil, twist outs, coconut oil and lots of hair moisture.  For years, we have had to ReLearn the Basics because we were in survival mode. How do you focus on hair care, oral tradition, body care and the like when you are traumatized by the rape of a loved one you cannot help, the violent beating of a son you cannot stop, the ripping of a daughter from your very hands, the laws that dehumanize and separate you from the remainder of this foreign land or the covert prejudice that surrounds you in the workplace? As we heal, we must go back.  There are stories, information that has been casually and naturally passed down from generation to generation in Africa.  It may or may not even be recognized as especially significant until you go and see the differences with your own eyes. For me it was a different experience.  It was glaringly different than the white Americans who traveled with me.   And I was marked. Black women all over the world are beautiful, we shared the graceful message that the gospel brings with these young adult women who just graduated from High School. These women would now receive the identity needed to give hope to those they are called to influence. I was marked with a burden, a blessing, a deep longing to see use healed.  Self discovery gripped my heart as I longed to bring back the lost treasures engulfed by the Middle Passage.   And this provided HOPE. The songs of these young adults, the strength I felt encouraged me.  I thought of the strength I have seen many times in the African American Episcopal, Baptists and other black congregations.  The power that only a slave spiritual brings as you hear it sung was identical to the power I felt behind these songs. The force I felt when only a gospel song is sung was the same force I felt behind these songs. The strength behind a beat a staccato like war sounds was the same strength I felt behind these songs. At that moment, we were one. They were not African and I was not African American.  There was a connection beyond our time that was connected through the fact that we had the same ancestors.  And I was experiencing what I would call HOME. I felt a sense of belonging that I have yet to feel in the states. While all the while I knew I was American to the core. This connection…will be valued forever and the identity I have experienced will heal many as together we discover all the MISSING PIECES it is now to time to collect.  It is time to ReGather. And through this journey.  We will now heal. Africa is so gorgeous, the people, the food, the entire experience. As we flew back home, over the Atlantic Ocean my heart was immersed with love, remembering years past…how my ancestors were lost, dispersed on the Middle Passage over this same ocean. And I saw renewal, refreshing, a restoration of a people ready to now Go and Reach the World.   The post Discovering A Lost Identity in Africa appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee There seems to be a common belief that slavery and racism is over.  It’s time to move on.  It’s time to let go.  It’s time to act like it never happened because it’s better now.  It’s not that bad anymore.  And… You are not a slave.  And I am not a slave master. Yet these words from William Lloyd Garrison concerning the viewpoint the majority of whites had of freed slaves in America reflect the mentality revealed through recent events such as Ferguson.  Are blacks still annoying “pests in the community”?  Garrison had a way of getting straight to the heart of the matter; if this is still the case perhaps there still remains a slavery/slave mentality under a different name (slavery to Jim Crow to the penitentiary to systematic abortion to contaminated water sources -it’s all from the same racist heart positioning).  In one breath, colonization orators tell us that the free blacks are pests in the community; that they are an intemperate, ignorant, lazy, thievish class; that their condition is worse than that of the slaves; and that no efforts to improve them in this country can be successful, owing to the prejudices of society. In the next breath we are told what mighty works these miserable outcasts are to achieve—that they are the missionaries of salvation, who are to illumine all Africa—that they will build up a second American republic-and that our conceptions cannot grasp the result of their labors. Now I, for one, have no faith in this instantaneous metamorphosis. I believe that neither a sea voyage nor an African climate has any miraculous influence on the brain.” (Davis 191) I have been so overwhelmed to the point of tears in seeing the black community suffer and struggle. Today I was at the bank where I happened to glance over while lamenting to my husband about the African American plight. My eyes fell upon a young black girl, probably in her early twenties “going crazy” at her steering wheel. She was literally throwing her head back and forth, throwing her hands up in a display of utter frustration. I could see the anger rushing through her body as she physically communicated years of generational pain. As I watched her and others going in and out of this bank, more and more displays of misplaced turmoil began to become evident. After this traumatic action she regained her composure pushing her foot on the gas pedal, driving into reverse and exiting the bank. My heart began to wonder, why didn’t I go to help her? Why was both my heart and my body frozen in disbelief? But it was too late. I continued to lament over the injustices being done to the black community as my husband sits quietly listening. Then another act. I see a black “family” walk out the bank, looking like they are moving towards their car or the projects a few steps away. The woman begins to curse at her child loudly…more pent up emotion fume out of her heart. The same emotion came out of her as the young girl in the car.  Again I see generations of expression locked up, their actions express the very words I am preaching in the car to a one man congregation. Why haven’t we got over it?  Because in our hearts, our marriages, our communities, our children, our schools, our lives…it has never really ended. The trauma is real.  It is continuous.  It is consequential. Tears begin to well up in my eyes as I see systematic poverty surrounding me in a parking lot, as I think of a congregation, mainly white, that I recently shared with…my heart is overflowing with grief. I recall this morning, watching a video from Flint Michigan. The woman, with tired, emotionless eyes begins to tell of her plight, “This…” she touches her carefully placed hair, “is not mine…” A few moments later I would realize that the lead in the water had scabbed over her scalp, as she would bath in it daily, she began to notice patches of hair falling into her hands. “Do I have cancer?” she wondered to herself, but of course this was NOT true. She was simply in need of basic human curtesy. But why give it to her if in this great nation, in the year 2016 she is no longer, never-ever considered a human by her governmental system who had the funding to keep her out of this systematic death sentence. These words may seem extreme to the one who has been brainwashed to believe it is all over. There is no more racism. In fact, recently I heard a politician say the shocking words of a story between a police officer and a young black boy, “You are not a slave and I am not a slave master.” This is so sad in 2016 that we believe this rhetoric. Of course he is still a slave and you, in many ways, have changed the system to another name. But we are still in the same bondage-mess. It’s the same as slavery. There was a day and time where even slavery was hidden as white pastors would visit the south and a sadly humorous scene would begin to play out. Slaves were made to act, to appear happy, to lie and to show their best. When asked how they were being treated under the sheer terror of it all, they would say all was well. Then the white community around them would continue to play out their roles, master, forced father, slave owner, abuser, denial-pastor.  Yet a few, like Garrison, raised their voices as a trumpet crying out in a wilderness. And these same lies, these acts, this hidden demon of America, even with all the injustice in the black community continues today. How can we say it is better now? How can we say we have grown? How can we have reconciliation meetings that actually work when we do not FEEL the pain of the black community, when we do not KNOW the extent of pain blacks feel, when we do not take FULL ownership of our own heart positioning? The injustice rolls on and we must call the victimizers to full responsibility if we are ever to see change. We, neither black nor white, can completely separate ourselves from the actions of our community, our race or our family.  Someone has to take the heart of Daniel and repent on behalf of the injustices of his nation, his people, his actions. We can’t blame the angry black people for their oppressed responses.  No, we are not victims if we choose not to be, but there will be a response when someone is told they are not being victimized, yet deep in their heart they know something is wrong. Repentance of the heart, deep Godly sorrow must begin to spring forth if we are ever to see change. And we must weep not out of pity or feeling sorry for those poor black folks we are going to help. We must weep out of the compassion we would feel if we were in their shoes, as fellow humans. We must understand the historical context and that today is the same if your skin is black. Is there a problem today?  Yes there is. 72% of blacks are fatherless. 69% of blacks have unintended pregnancies (unmarried). 60% of blacks live in poverty. 30% of blacks have abortions although we are only 14% of the population. 44% of blacks make up new AIDs patients although we are only 14% of the population. 82% of black women are obese. See: www.blackdemographics.com, www.cdc.gov for more information. If you want to do something about this actions are not the solution prior to true heart examination.  Start by asking GOD to show you if you have somewhere in your heart looked down on the black community and if the generational trauma on your side of the fence (whether black or white) has affected your overall perspective of blacks.  Read the above paragraph asking the LORD if any of these perspectives have seeped into your heart.  They are strategic stereotypes that were placed in the nation’s hearts to try to move blacks out of America post slavery (and they begin prior to that).  These stereotypes place the blame on a people who had no rights, no money, were considered animals and did not have a fair playing ground.  Do you feel like we are past the effects of slavery and should just move on or do you feel like we still have significant work to do in healing the race issue of America? The post Healing Racial Wounding in America appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee As she walked into the pew filled seats, her significance could never be taken but seemed diminished…she would not give up.  Passing person by person, her thin yet sculpted legs began to climb one step, glancing around at lights, a pulpit of familiar faces and the beautiful yet down-to-earth house of worship.  Once and for all, today was going to be the cementing moment she’d been longing for…just like track, she would set her mind, visualize the race, see herself passing one fully suited girl at a time, their number blazing behind her, until she was in the lead.  She would begin to pace herself, do the seemingly un-accomplishable, and the screaming voices soon becoming smiling faces were going to greet her as she crossed the line in triumph. The only problem was, this reality came so easily in running.  It was like she didn’t have to try.  The visualizations of her spiritual victories was all together different. She would get in position, iron her uniform, place it gently onto her nervous chest, beating twice as fast as normal.  Then taking her well-worn shoes into her hands, begin to think about her already defeated foe doing the same. But when she walked down the same accelerated steps to make that final move, to pass her adversary, the screaming voices never varied into smiling faces.  Instead, they dissipated into quiet disappointment and disapproval. As she was passed by this same opponent over…and over…again. How many times was this going to happen? She appeared to be in a deep moment of stuck.  Yes, her legs walked down the accelerated steps in great anticipation for her already purchased liberation. Yet her life never seemed to match the promising pages of her Scriptural text.  I can’t seem to find His power! My heart aches as in borderline humiliation I try it once again.  Step 1: Open the door.  Step 2: Humble yourself.  Step 3: Stand for prayer.  Step 4: Pick up your legs.  Step 5: Walk down the stairwell.  Step 6: Say yes to the call.  Step 7: Say the prayer.  Step 8: Get Godly Counsel. She tried it so many times now that she could have written a book about it, taken someone else through it, but it didn’t seem to matter.  There would never be the power in her life she saw in David, Deborah, Esther, Daniel or Elijah if something didn’t shift soon. It was like once she left the doors of that building all was the same old, same old- temptations, falls, struggles and desperate-guilt-filled prayers to a GOD who never seemed to get her All the Way Out. This girl is….ME. For years I was…STUCK. And I felt like there was no hope, but just enough to keep my trying.  There was no evidence, but just enough to keep me believing. And this in-between place was a tiring mystery gap, an enigma of differentiation when comparing my life to the GOD of the Bible. Maybe you have been there before?  Maybe you are there now.  It is so easy to feel like there is no hope, yet you cannot give up because you can see Just Enough of what GOD is doing to keep believing. Then you wonder why He is not quickly helping you OUT.  You do not see Him at work, but you do. You want to give up and quit, throw in the towel, feel disillusioned, discouraged or depressed. But you know too much. Just because He hasn’t done it in the past doesn’t mean we will not see it in the future. I’ve been there before. I’ve seen Him answer. I’ve seen Him do the Impossible. And here I am again…I’m sitting in the seat of hope deferred fulfilled enough to break the ice of frozen stuck. It is melting around me and in faith,  I am finding JOY. The Children of Israel were in a similar place when Queen Esther arrived on the scene.  In one day their destiny was changed from normalcy to frustration.  A decree was written that they would be annihilated in a day. And their possible became impossible.  They needed a MIRACLE. Of course, reading their story is much more comforted than journeying our own.  And now is the time to do so. Purim.  March 24th 2016.  Represents a Day Called Stuck.  Turned Into a Day Called Reversal. I want to invite you into a world beyond your own.  It is the place where GOD is Disguised in Circumstance. Much like a Chronicles of Narnia adventure, we can walk through the doors of revelation into a new world. In this world it all makes sense.  All the wait.  The frustration.  The mystery soon becomes clear. And we are made whole. He was disguised in the circumstances of Esther without a mention of His name.  And He is disguised in our lives today.  He is in our situations, the people we meet, the places we find ourselves.  Yet we are so distracted by what else is wrong that we oftentimes miss His hand. Every year during Purim, the Jews remind themselves of this truth, dressing their children up in the hopeful characters GOD would work through to save them from the Impossible. It is time to play dress up.  It is time to remember and It is time to hope again! Today’s Meditation: Have you found yourself wanting to give up on getting out of Stuck?  Do you sometimes wonder if fasting and believing will work or only end in greater disappointment?  Is it possible to get pass this?  Why is this happening?  How will I get out? When you are in a situation where you do not have the answers, a mystery, and you need to see GOD’s deliverance, He oftentimes has you sitting in the answer to your prayers.  It may be in the person right next to you, but least expected. The end of my story is I found a way out.  I kept going to that altar until one day it happened, but not at the altar.  It happened in a life circumstance, in a loss.  When I loss someone who I appeared to need, GOD came into my life giving me the freedom I desparately desired. Apply this Key to Victory: Read the Book of Esther, yes, the entire book and watch GOD’s Mystery Hand masquerading in natural events, working to bring salvation to the Jews.  He has a way of working in the natural where we are not even looking!  Then ask yourself the following questions: 1. How have the events in my life recently changed? 2. Who have I recently met (in the past couple of years) that seems GOD sent? 3. Why may GOD have placed this person in my life?  4. What do my current circumstances say to the unresolved issues or promises I am waiting on from GOD?  5. How could the losses in my life really be open doors for opportunity? 6. What has been my perspective of change in my life?  7. Have I been seeing GOD in my circumstances/people in my life, or only looking for Him in other places? Pray and ask Him for revelation living in patience until the mystery is revealed.  As we celebrate Purim it is a great reminder of His nature to work it all out for our good! Has there ever been a time you couldn’t see GOD moving then, Surprise, you realized He was working on your behalf the entire time?  Please do share in the comments.  We would love to hear!   The post When I Want to Give Up appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee {Podcast at Bottom} Many times we are looking for a father to fill a deep void of approval in our hearts.  We may look to our natural father only to find that he is too busy or doesn’t know how to be the man that can meet our needs.   We may look to other fatherly figures in our lives to mentor us and fill that void.  A measure of the Father’s love can be shown through these male figures GOD has placed in our lives.  They can be a schoolmaster, showing us a glimpse of the Father’s love, but there is a greater love we all can experience. This became more real to me than ever before when I lost my senior pastor, who was more like a “spiritual grandfather” to me.  He was a very precious person in my life.  I wept for months on and off after his passing onto glory. But a few weeks into mourning I was encountered with an amazing revelation from GOD.  It was early in the morning during my typical devotion time.  Open the Bible, grab a pen, a journal and get ready to dive into the Scriptures or listen for His gentle voice. This time was different. I tried to pray but only tears would come.  These tears were drops of prayers falling into the bottle of heaven, ready to be heard by GOD.  Then, in the midst of tears, my heart- aching in pain- the LORD led me to the following Scripture: “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is GOD in His Holy habitation.  GOD sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.”  Psalm 68:5-6 I don’t know about you, but when I think of a Holy GOD in His holy habitation, the first thought that comes to my mind is not this gentle, sweet fatherly figure ready to comfort me in my pain.  I see this Humungous, Bigger than Life Hero of a King handling world matters.  I don’t instantly imagine this humble, kind sweet man willing to hear out the tenderness of my heart. So when I read this, it caught my attention, to say the least.  It was one of those Aha Moments when you realize GOD is hearing more than your words.  He is listening to the aches of your heart beat. I was solitary. I was alone. I was saddened. And I was missing a father in my life. But He was saying, He would give me something even bigger, better and more potent.  He would replace that void in my heart with His Fatherly tenderness. Psalm 68 began to minister to my aching heart.  I knew that was GOD’s way of inviting me into a direct relationship with Him as my Father.  I needed this to be a complete woman. And we can all have these bitter sweet life moments.  True, there is a real loss that comes with the lack of a natural father, but there is a greater sweetness that comes as we allow the reality of the Father’s love to touch our heart.  Our hearts may feel dead inside, empty or like we are missing that approval, but the Father has always been there waiting patiently for us to see His love. All we have to do is ask Him to show us His love.  Then what do we see?  An eternal, everlasting lover of our souls.  This may take time to fully grasp but it will become more and more real as we dedicate our lives to receiving His love. Jesus experienced this type of fatherly love.  This love caused Him to be very confident.  He had the Father’s Approval.  He knew that He was loved and Fathered not because of what He did, how well He preached or even His sacrificial death on calvary.  He was approved of and embraced for who He was. This is the approval we all need from our Heavenly Father as we dig deeper into intimacy with Him. Approval is “building up or affirming another person, particularly for “who” they are (as opposed to what they do).  It is also met by affirming both the fact and the importance of our relationship with another person.” (Relational Impact, Dr. David Ferguson) Because Jesus had a clear moment of approval (Fatherly blessing) in His life, He was able to stand in the midst of great rejection by others, confidently declaring who He is without shame.  He consistently fell back on the fact that He was accepted by the Father.  He was sure of His approval and acceptance by His dad, even though His birth may have been considered “illegitimate” by others. Imagine a 26 year old Jesus, walking up to John the Baptist to be baptized.  John realizes this was not just any man, He was the Messiah and everyone else there would begin to see something different as well.  He is the Beloved Son. Before Savior (Action) He is Son (Identity). …and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.  And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased. Luke 3:21b-22, NKJV In this place, Jesus’ identity is confirmed, affirmed and approved of, it is in His sonship that we can find sonship or daughtership as well. We are now joint heirs with Christ! Maybe you are realizing that approval has been missing in your life and you want it; you want to be receiving unconditionally, loved for who you are. Here is a Special Approval Prayer you can pray over yourself throughout the day, write it down and come back to it in your Intimacy Moments: “Daddy, Father GOD, I know that You love me, even when I do not feel it.  Yet I find a world of pain inside of me at times.  Other times, I am numbed by this world.  The rejection, the voids of my heart and the need for your love is a constant reminder that I am created to Be Loved.  Not only is Jesus your son, but I am your BeLoved Daughter.  I thank You that you say over me today, “This is my BeLoved daughter, in whom I am well pleased.  Heaven is over me, no longer in a distant way, but Your presence is on my life and You long to be with me.  Teach you, show me, mentor me and disciple me in Your Fatherly Love from this day forward.  In Jesus’ name, power and authority I come to you, no longer having to carry the weight or burden of coming on my own abilities.  In His name I pray, Amen.” We have prayed this prayer and He has heard! Are you excited to receive GOD as your Father on a daily basis?  Could you use a refresher in His Approving Love?  I’d love to hear a bit of how GOD is meeting your needs and growing your heart in love! The post The Secret to Satisfying Your Approval Need Revealed appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee {Podcast at Bottom} Throughout the month of March we will be focusing on the Concept of New Women, Old Wounds.  Over the past 13 years of ministry involvement I have found myself both healing internally and helping others heal the wounds of their childhood. This has become a theme in my ministry reach to women and men around me, and essential to our walk with GOD is our mental-emotional health excelling.  In fact, we have found a steady decline in church attendance and the family unit in our nation. In a time when over 70% of black youth grow up in fatherless homes and the national average of fatherlessness is over 20 million children (33%) we need to learn how to heal from these deep pains of neglect or mistreatment. Being that I talk with women ages 18-35 on an almost daily basis, helping them through the healing process, I have also found that the pain goes deeper than friendship or adult relationships.  It usually stems back to childhood lacks and needs. This is why we are taking an entire month to address these needs in our lives! There is a direct correlation between the pains of our childhood and our adult relationships. When we realize the connection between our childhood wounds and the current challenges felt in our adult interactions we are able to begin the healing process. The idea of new women with old wounds is a concept I discovered in the popular Scripture, 1 Corinthians 5:17 but throughout the Bible it shares that when we come into relationship with Jesus we are made new: We are now new in Christ, we are no longer the old women we used to be but we are born again.  And we are living in  a new covenant, testament or commandment.  Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, thaty e also love one another.” (John 13:34) The new way of living and seeing life, the way to see His Word is through the eyes of love. This is also the key to discovering healing from these “Old Wounds.” It is when we see GOD’s Word from the perspective of who He is firstly then who we are secondly that we are healed. When the LOVE Jesus spoke of in John 13 is given to us by our needs being met relationally, we are filled up to overflowing, a chain reaction of wholeness begins to occur deep within our souls. We no longer live by a list of rules, although there is nothing wrong with obedience out of common sense or necessity.  There is a more freeing and better level of obedience that comes out of knowing we are loved then freely giving back to the one who loves us unconditionally. Jesus has made us New with a Grand Expression of His Love.  He has made us a new creation.  He has washed away all of our sins- past, present and future.  This experience and knowledge is freeing, it is real. It is also our positioning in Christ legally.  We can believe it and know it is true by faith.  As we know it on an intellectual level it begins to change us inwardly on an emotional level and we feel His love. This is the power of meditation.  Thinking on the truth over and over again creates a spirit and reality of success (The Joshua 1:8 Principle). The other reality we deal with is that we do not feel, think or see the fullness of our positioning in Christ fully; we are still in a process of seeing the evidence of this truth in our lives. This is why Jesus died and said, “It is finished” but He also said we are being transformed and conformed to His image. We must still face real life situations, people and pains that have caused our hearts to be wounded.  We are new women with old wounds that we must address while knowing the finished work is already accomplished on the cross. Understanding our positioning in Christ will help us receive freedom from the past, using our faith to declare, “The old has gone and the new is here!”  We are like a beautiful butterfly coming into newness of life, out of a cocoon, yet there is a wound on one of her wings.  We are that butterfly and GOD is removing all of our blemishes until we can fly unblemished in unadulterated freedom. Wound- An injury that is caused when a knife, bullet, etc., cuts or breaks the skin; a feeling of sadness, anger, etc., that is caused by something bad that has happened to you; An injury to the body (as from violence, accident, or surgery) that typically involves laceration or breaking of a membrane (as the skin) and usually damage to underlying tissues; a mental or emotional hurt or blow We will discover the layers of woundedness in our hearts and begin to allow GOD by His presence, to unwind the pains of our hearts until we are healed. Know that this is a 31 day process.  Each day we will pray together, weep together, take communion together and anoint ourselves with oil symbolically representing GOD’s Presence to heal. Will you join us? Simply call the prayer line at 712.770.4010; Access Code 256697. Be Patience, Smile, Expect GOD and Know that He Cares for your every Pain. Here’s our prayer schedule… Daily Prayer Schedule: • Prayer Calls, March 1-31, 6am; Mondays on Periscope (@JadeLee_Now) at 6am • Resources: The Holy Bible, Journal, Intimacy Encounters (David Ferguson) • March 1- Introducing New Women Old Wounds • March 2- The Promise of Healing • March 3- The Promise of Restoration • March 4- The Promise of Hope • March 5- Experiencing GOD’s Comfort • March 6- New Beginnings • March 7- Understanding Intimacy Needs • March 8- Fatherhood Wounds • March 9- Motherhood Wounds • March 10- The Wound of Lacking Encouragement (Inadequacy) • March 11- The Wound of Lacking Acceptance (Rejection) • March 12- The Wound of Lacking Approval (Disapproval) • March 13- The Wound of Lacking Appreciation (Criticism) • March 14- The Wound of Lacking Affection (Disapproval) • March 15- The Wound of Lacking Attention (Being Ignored) • March 16- The Wound of Lacking Comfort (Feeling Pain) • March 17- The Wound of Lacking Respect (Feeling Devalued) • March 18- The Wound of Lacking Security (Needing Peace) • March 19- The Wound of Lacking Support (Aloneness) • March 20- The Wound of Verbal Abuse • March 21- The Wound of Physical Abuse • March 22- The Wound of Manipulation • March 23- The Wound of Failure • March 24- The Wound of Self Hatred • March 25- The Wound of Condemnation/Shame • March 26- The Wound of Guilt • March 27- The Wound of Fear/Anxiety/Insecurity • March 28- The Wound of Anger/Resentment/Bitterness • March 29- The Wound of Hurt/Sadness/Disappointment • March 30- Old Wounds: The Old is Gone, How to Get Rid of Old Wounds • March 31- Celebration of Freedom from Wounds (On Periscope) You can buy my mentor’s book here:                         Do you believe it’s true that childhood wounds can still effect you into your adulthood?  What has GOD showed you about how to heal from old wounds?  Are you excited about entering another level of healing through these prayer calls, GOD’s Presence and His Word? I look forward to praying with you and hearing your story! In His Love, Jade Lee The post New Women, Old Wounds appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee {Podcast at Bottom} So many wounds occur when we are in our childhood years of life, but oftentimes we are not aware of how this affects us going into our adult years.  Instead, these wounds can remain buried deeply, until we receive foundational healing. This term came to me years ago, the idea of healing in the foundational relationships of one’s life.  Foundational relationships are those between your biological or immediate family- your father, mother, brother, sister.  This applies even for those who are adopted and for those who never had a father or mother.  The relationship or lack there of can still bring deep hurt causing an orphan spirit to be developed in the person’s life. Orphan- A child whose parents are dead.  Pertaining to a child so bereaved.  One deprived of some protection or advantage.  (Webster’s Dictionary) When a child becomes orphaned due to either death of his or her parents in the natural or due to a spiritual lack of protection or advantage, this can affect the child very deeply until adulthood. This can also occur in relationships with spiritual parents, when a spiritual mother or father abandons, neglects, ignores, abuses or spiritually manipulates that child.  Instead of acceptance and embracive love, the son or daughter may feel unloved and unprotected producing shame, deep pain and/or depression. It is very important that when we realize this pain has occurred, we are able to go to our Heavenly Father for healing.  Over the past year I have been entrenched in studies on my Father’s love because of the profound need for this in my own life and others lives around me.  It is fascinating to see the differentiation between His love, His expression of love and our own lack of knowing How to express this love to others. GOD has also brought key fathers into my life to help me see the How to this Love Expression. The reality is that a father or mother’s heart can be in the right positioning, yet due to each one of our human needs, they do not know How to express that love in a way that meets our hearts. But GOD shows us How to practically Heal and touch the lives of those who have been harmed, rather than bringing on more harm.  Some of what we have believed to be simply a Spiritual Attack on the church of Offense or Unforgiveness, or the Enemy Bringing Division is in reality a Lack of Relational Skillsets. There are many Human Needs.  Once we have an understanding of the makeup of humanity and our needs, we are better equipped to meet those needs in the lives of those around us. These needs are literally found in the Scriptures.  Here are 10 of the key needs we have as humans: Acceptance– Receiving others willingly and unconditionally (even when their behavior has been imperfect) and loving them in spite of any differences that may exist between you (Romans 15:7) Affection– Expressing care and closeness through physical touch and through words such as ‘I love you’ or ‘I care about you’ (Romans 16:16; Mark 10:16) Appreciation– Expressing thanks, praise, or commendation, particularly for who they are (as opposed to what they do); affirming both the fact and the importance of our relationship with another person (Ephesians 4:29; Mark 1:11) Approval (Blessing)- Building up or affirming another person, particularly for who they are (as opposed to what they do); affirming both the fact and the importance of our relationship with another person (Ephesians 4:29; Mark 1:11) Attention– Conveying appropriate interest, concern, and care; taking notice of others and making an effort to enter into their respective worlds (1 Corinthians 12:25 NASB) Comfort– Caringly responding to a hurting person through words, actions, emotional responses, and physical touch; hurting with and for others in the midst of their grief or pain (Romans 12:15 NASB; Matthew 5:4; 2 Corinthians 1:3,4) Encouragement– Urging others to persist and persevere in their efforts to attain their goals; stimulating others toward love and good deeds (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:24) Respect– Valuing one another highly, treating one another as important, and honoring one another with our words and actions (Romans 12:10; 1 Peter 2:17) Security (Peace)- Establishing and maintaining harmony in our relationships and providing freedom from fear or threat of harm through expressions of vulnerability, deepening of trust, and the successful resolution of conflict (Romans 12:16,18) Support– Coming alongside others and providing gentle, appropriate assistance with a problem or struggle (Galations 6:2) All of us have a need for each one of these, but on varying degrees.  Whereas one person may have a high need for support, another person may need respect.  It is important to note that part of the healing process in relationships is found in knowing these are needs, not merely desires. For example, if a person has a high need for respect and this is seen as a Weakness instead of a need, we may devalue their need by saying they need to be stronger, more spiritual or have “thicker skin” when in reality, they simply have a true, valid need to be treated importantly. The sooner we realize this, by meeting that need, their heart is filled with love and we are used to heal rather than tear down. I have found this is desperately needed in our relationships with one another- as family and in the church unit. When I did not understand this principle, I would fail to accept people for who they are, “receiving them willingly and unconditionally (even when their behavior has been imperfect)” and I thought I was doing good as a pastor.  If I made it clear they were in sin (which we should do as relationship develops) then surely they would repent!  But what I did not realize was how much that person may have needed Love and Acceptance, In Spite of their Failures. The very opposite could be true in that situation.  If I love In Spite of Sin, the unfulfilled need causing them to struggle with that sin would be filled and the power of temptation finally overcome. When our needs are not met, we experience pain.  Pain causes us to default to other “opportunities” to alleviate the hurt.  This can either be in the embracive love of our Heavenly Father or it can be in seeking the approval of man (in an imbalanced way) or it can be in falling into the temptation to sin. Perhaps you were deeply hurt by a lack of affection as a child and now that need is great or you never received the attention you needed and now there is a deficit in that area. There is HOPE.  GOD can bring well equipped mentors in your life, spiritual fathers and mothers that know how to heal these areas.  He can use your husband or wife, a close friend or sibling to heal this area.  And, He can heal you directly. Pray this prayer with me: Father, I thank You for showing me my needs.  I thank you for the confirmation and affirmation that these needs have come from You and I never need to be apologetic for the fact that I have human needs.  Now, I pray that You will begin to heal my heart as my Heavenly Father.  I pray that You will bring the right people into my life to heal the wounds caused by foundational relationships and unmet needs.  I trust You for this process and ask for patience as You grow me, delivering me in your love.  Remove the orphan mentality from my life and bring in a spirit of great acceptance, love and healing to me.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen Did you pray that prayer?  My heart is with you, desiring to see you comforted as you encounter His nearness daily. Take time to think about your top three needs.  This is the first step to beginning the healing process in your life. I would love to hear how this article has blessed you and your thoughts on Meeting Needs to Heal Foundational Relationship.  Come on, comment below and let’s start a conversation that will heal many.  Have a blessed and prosperous day!   The post Receiving Healing from Childhood Wounds appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee {Podcast at Bottom} For years I experienced a lack of feeling the love of GOD in my emotional life, desperately longing for a touch from the Master’s Hand.  Have you ever known you are loved by GOD in your intellect, yet struggled to find His love in an emotional connection; do you know without a shadow of a doubt that you are His BeLoved? When we begin to struggle with feeling loved, at least when I have experienced this phenomenon, it has always led me back to man’s imperfection and a misperception of GOD’s Personality. Feeling His love is extremely important whereas we are made up of 80% emotional intelligence.  The majority of our makeup is emotional.  Unfortunately, we do not always realize this and are sometimes encouraged to downplay our emotions, preferring the intellectual or spiritual approach. GOD cares about your every emotion and He does not expect you to dismiss how you feel with thoughts of “It doesn’t matter how I feel.  I’ll replace feeling with faith.”  Instead He connects to us emotionally and heals our hearts in love There is nothing wrong with reading the Bible intellectually or understanding it from a spiritual perspective, but when emotion is removed we lose the heart of GOD for us…Take a look at the following Scriptures: Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. John 5:29 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me Isaiah 43:4 Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Deuteronomy 33:12 Of Benjamin he said, “The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders.” Jeremiah 31:13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. In each one of these passages, GOD speaks to our emotions.  He knows we will experience fear so He communicates that He is with us and we are not alone.  This is the image of a gentle, loving, embracive father reassuring his frightened child. Have you ever been afraid of the dark, then your father or mother comes into the room, lovingly embracing you?  You can feel their presence and you are suddenly comforted.  This is what GOD does for us in Isaiah 41:10. Jesus constantly drew us from the intellectual study of the Scripture to a contemporary relational perspective.  He would say things like, “You thought that you would find eternal life in the Scriptures, but you find it in Me, in a relationship with Me.”  You can’t find life outside of emotional connectivity with Me. This is why it is so important to be connected deeply with ourselves and GOD on an emotional level.  The more we know about who we are and how GOD really views us, the more freedom we obtain in our lives. Truth begins to meet our emotions, which many times have been deeply harmed and we are made free! For example, for years I was broken and hurt because of my view of GOD.  Due to no one person’s intentions, but a lot of generational misperception, I was taught to see GOD as a hard, highly driven and highly expectant personality. He constantly wanted yet another performance out of me and it never seemed to end.  No matter how well I did, GOD overlooked my good and saw my lack, then He harshly rebuked me, giving me another seemingly impossible command. No matter how well I did, GOD overlooked my good and saw my lack, then He harshly rebuked me, giving me another seemingly impossible command. This is not to say that GOD never wants anything out of us, nor that we will never go through hardship.  But it is to say that we may struggle to be faithful and committed to Him when we do not have a strong enough emotional connection to His love for us, regardless of our situations. How can a human who does not emotionally know the love of GOD, does not have a broken and contrite spirit really live in the abundance of GOD?  We are made up of 80% emotion, GOD has given us emotional Scriptures based on His makeup and ours.  We can conclude He definitely cares about our emotional health. Three of the five Scriptures listed above are from typically seen as prophetic books of the Bible.  When we have a faulty perspective of GOD, we see these books as scary or demeaning, a harsh GOD judging humanity with no grace. But even in this books of the bible, we experience His heart.  Miss his heart?  You miss the meaning of the text in a historical, current and personal context. We all long to hear these words from the love of our life, or anyone for that matter, “I’m doing this for you because you are precious to me, when I see you I see you as a valuable jewel.  I honor and love you with all of my heart and I would do anything for you.  No material item could ever be worth a moment in your presence.  I would give even my most prized possessions and many people in return for having your heart.” This is how GOD speaks to us, His people in Isaiah 43:4.  He addresses our emotions and is determined to win us with His love: Isaiah 43:4 Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. As we read the Scriptures relationally, slowing down to feel His heart, our souls begin to soften in His gentle love. We realize how patient, kind and sweet our GOD really is, and we are comforted.  This comfort brings healing to broken, wounded areas of our hearts. I can remember times of my father lifting me up on his shoulders as we walked on the boardwalk of a beach.  These moments were both literally and figuratively the high points of my life. I felt huge, bigger than I could ever be on my own and my perspective was higher than I could obtain with my constantly growing legs. I was being paraded around for all to see His acceptance and approval of me. I was safe. I was surrounded by His love.  And no one could harm me because I was “dwelling between his shoulders. Can you imagine GOD that way?  This is how He relates to us in Deuteronomy 33:12.  Now, let’s read it again in this context: Deuteronomy 33:12 Of Benjamin he said, “The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders.” I can also remember times where my heart was so lost, broken and hurt by the mistakes of my father.  I felt all alone.  One particular moment, he came to me sitting on the bed next to me for one reason only.  I was probably frightened by the sound of his steps, in wonderment of what I had been caught doing now for there were many sins I had hidden from him, but he came, sitting gently by my side only to say, “I’m sorry.” That will be a memory I never forget.  Those words were comforting and reassuring to my broken heart. GOD models this same affection for us in our pain promising us that He will turn our mourning (sad emotions of loss) into joy and He will comfort us (when in pain): Jeremiah 31:13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. All of these Scriptures are really love letters so that we will always know how He feels about us, no matter how stormy life may blow us around in feelings of defeat or hopelessness. You are worth loving because He has proven to love you by choice, without condition and He wants you to know this with ALL of you, not only in your head, but experiencing Him in your heart. He is more concerned with this, much to my surprise at times, than He is with how much I can DO for Him. Like a good daddy, He wants us to feel connected to Him.  This is a sign we are going in the right direction in relationship. And He will do anything to win our hearts! This truth fees us from hardened, dry, weakened hearts, full of condemnation, fear, rejection, hopelessness or being overwhelmed. We begin to think different, believe different and feel different as we meet a Need Meeting, Loving GOD. Meditation: GOD can cause the impossible to begin to occur in your life, even when it seems absolutely unachievable.  He can and will heal your broken heart.  He will help you in the areas you have not received His love due to false perceptions of Him.  You are loved no matter what you do and nothing you do wrong or right can change that.  This propels us to want to live for Him in passionate pursuit. My Prayer for you: Father I pray for every daughter (and son) reading this article today.  I thank you that you are healing, restoring and reforming our perspective of who You are.  I pray for a relational, contemporary GOD to be in their lives, rather than a finger pointing, condemning GOD.  And I thank you that whatever they have lost in years past will be completely restored by Your pursuit.  In Jesus’ name!  Amen. Have you been blessed by this article?  Tell us how in the comments!  We would love to hear from you and your testimony just may help another reader. Sources:  A Guide to Effective School Leadership Theories Our Model’s Story: “I never thought I would be a model/ model because in my mind you had to look the part.. full lips, hour glass, tall and slim, strong bone structure etc. I felt as though i didnt meet the criteria. I was very self conscious about my body, my skin, my hair everything. I was fearful to be around beautiful women becase I didnt think I was beautiful.  But I found confidence in knowing that God accepts me for me .” -Victoria Williams  The post GOD Cares About My Feelings Too? appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee {Podcast at Bottom} As we are approaching the Month of Love, many may be preparing for the anticipated moment of Valentine’s Day!  Yet, we all too often find ourselves filled with emotion during the holiday season.  This is because love is in the air every which way we look- in the market, traversing the streets, on commercials- we cannot seem to get away from those chilling colors, crimson and white. This if you are single, of course.  The wait for marriage when trying to live in purity can oftentimes be very difficult. This is why the entire duration of February we are focusing on how to BeLoved by the Father.  These same emotions are felt as we Know we should Feel Loved Emotionally, but we have yet to find the bridge between our Knowledge and Emotional Life. Even if you are not lonely on Valentine’s Day, perhaps you are married, happily enjoying your sweet family or living life in bliss…there is still a part of every one of our hearts reserved for LOVE.  This Unconditional LOVE cannot be filled, by our nearest loved ones or distant friends.  It can only be filled by GOD. Have you ever known in your head Scripture passages such as John 3:16, that Jesus died for you and His Father gave Him for you, yet you cannot seem to find the love He speaks of in your current life?  I can remember feeling this same way a few years past.  Actually, it was over a decade ago, as a collegiate athlete, enjoying the luxuries of a full scholarship to an illustrious Historically Black College.   Much to my surprise, there were no loosely weaved pullovers, careless sweatpants nor unkempt hair.  Walking into the snack bar or lunch room was quite the experience as whiffs of lightly sprayed perfumes accented well-pressed coiffures and model-like movements quickly passed by your wondering eyes. The caricatures at this establishment were distinct enough to be on any modern tv-show or best selling novel.  And somehow, I fit in to this carefully insulated world of luxury glam studies. I was the typical athlete, donning my sweats everywhere I went, and I knew I was good.  This is me with Jackie Joyner Kersee, the Sports Illustrated for Women Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century and six time Olympic Medalist. But there was a gaping void in my aching heart.  I could not seem to fill it no matter how hard I endeavored. And the weight of exams, early mornings, all day classes or excrutiating workouts became all the more heavy as I continued in my studies.  I would finally have an internal collapse, wondering why I was the MEAC Championship MVP, winning races, at the peak of my running career yet so empty inside, longing for more. This is me with a teammate carrying our College Track & Field Trophies This is when I would realize that only Christ could fill this empty placement of my longing heart, no love novel, in spite of how well written…whether on Oprah’s Book List or a New York Time’s Best Seller, could ever play out in my life in such a way that I was fulfilled. The fancy attire of a 19th Century Jane Austin hardcover would not fulfill me.  The romantic wordplay of the most charming gentleman could never immerse this aching heart. Only One Man would become my knight in shining armor, had enough charisma, magnetism and attractiveness to convey the type of tender affection I so longed. And He did just that as one by one, every boyfriend or cheating beau, began to break my tender soul. On top of the world yet broken inside, I began to experience what it meant to BE-Loved. It was on this journey that I found the significance of my value. And the voyage never really ends.  We continue to realize there are many levels of revelation in regards to LOVE. You are Be-Loved.  The essence of who you are is made to Be-Loved.  This is never determined based on your actions, your behaviors, your thoughts or your capabilities. Many times we have this misunderstood, believing somehow we can win love from GOD, when we are called to receive His love freely! A world of performance drives us to a mentality that we must Do Something More to win GOD’s Favor, when He is more concerned with us Being, Receiving His Promises by Faith. Remember, one of our heroic forefathers, the great Abraham simply believed and in the power of his belief, he would eventually receive.  This was so paramount that GOD took note of it saying, “Abraham believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6) What we believe about GOD and ourselves can shape our reality and decisions, but belief is about who we are inside, not what we do on the outside.  Belief is an active choice yet so principle. You and I can Believe That We are LOVED beyond our own Imperfections!  This is a Powerful Weapon against Loneliness, Condemnation, Fear and Emptiness. You are LOVED and GOD wants you to feel loved.  He wants to pour love into you like never before.  He wants this to be Your month of Receiving Love.  He is enamored by you and wants to give to you even more than He wants you to give to others. He is enamored by you and wants to give to you even more than He wants you to give to others. Do you believe that?  Do I really believe that? Believe you are LOVED and allow yourself the full expression of LOVE! When we think of the word, “LOVE” what is our inceptive thought?  Do we initially think of GOD’s LOVE pouring over our weakened hearts, filling us to overflowing?  Or, do we conceptualize earthly relationships, a cumbersome to-do list that we must fulfill…as our minds begin to weigh down in the seemingly impossible burden? Unfortunately, I believe the latter is all too often true of us; we believe must Do more and Give more when it relates to our connotation of LOVE. But in this month’s LOVE CHALLENGE, I challenge you to join me in Receiving Love before you feel compelled to give it; it is in this reality that our hearts become tender, finding grace to give even more. GOD is LOVE. The truth that we receive love only from Him is liberating. It frees us from feelings of exasperation, hopelessness, emptiness and unappreciation.  We are no longer constantly giving and never receiving, feeling condemning lack, overwhelmed with our inability to please GOD or ever do enough.  We no longer, in general, feel UnLoved. Have you been there before, or maybe you are there right now? You are always the one giving, giving, and giving while others seem to take for granted your willing nature. Yet you cannot seem to grasp the essence of tenderness you so desperately need in your own life, a pure and gentle kiss on your trembling cheek, an embracive hug full of “I don’t care what you have done” acceptance, a listening ear hearing out your many thoughts…when will this type of practical love come to me? When we reach emptiness in this measure, our hearts can become lifelessly cold, numb and giving up on experiencing the fullness of joy promised in the Scriptures.   But I am encouraging you that it is not over; GOD will cause the impossible to begin to occur in your life, even when it seems absolutely impossible.  He can and will heal your broken or slightly weakened heart.  You are Lovable.  He loves you no matter what you do and nothing you do wrong or right can change that truth! Meditating (deeply focusing your mind on, in silence, repeating them to yourself quietly) on the following passages in our quiet time can begin to cause us to seek out the Only One who can saturate these abandoned spaces of our souls: You are worthy of everything because GOD gave you everything– John 3:16 For GOD so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. GOD wants more than anything to save you from all harm, giving you eternal salvation!– Romans 10:9-13 Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” No one and nothing has been given the right to condemn you, because the Only One who Could chose not to; He has redeemed you His very life- Romans 8:34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. He longs for you to be at peace and unworried because He cares about your emotional health– John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” He is very patient and kind towards you; He is not rushing to see you perish, He wants you to thrive!– 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” He has given you a Forever Helper so you will Never be alone– John 14:16  “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,” He has given you a way even beyond your own abilities to come to Him; Never feel that you cannot come to Him, He is gentle, kind and forgiving– John 14:6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He has adopted you as one of His own children and will never leave you nor forsake you; He wants you to experience His love in a deep way.  You are embraced and accepted by Him– John 17:26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” He protects you from evil and is your security– John 17:15  I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. He speaks highly of you to His Father; You are Well Spoken Of– John 17:6-8  “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. There are many more Scriptures we could meditate on until we feel change occurring in our emotions, but these ten are a great start in resetting our minds back on how GOD truly feels. BeLoved my sisters and have a wonderful week in Jesus! What helps you know and feel the love of the Father on weaker days/seasons?  I would love to hear your stories and encouraging tips!  Share in the comments below! The post How Do I Feel GOD’s Love? appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee Today I would like to lovingly introduce you to a concept entitled the Infertility Mentality.  This is the train of thought reflecting a place of “stuck” and “quit,” consistently uttering the subsequent notion within your subconscious intellect, “I will never _______.”  Have Children…Realize My Dreams…Get Married…Be Fruitful…Multiply…Be Successful…Be An Entrepreneur…Overcome this Weakness. What is the Never we have Received as Actual? What is the never we have received as actual? The Infertility Mentality is found in more than the barren woman hoping to have children; quite the contrary, it is housed in the minds of all of us if we are not careful, but particularly in the waiting process. This one word…Infertility is as a needle-like fastening into a studded wall, threatening to clasp us onto its vertical wood panel, a piece of shameful art for all to behold as we WAIT. This avoided word consists of a small, equally unwelcomed term, “Infer.”  To gain a more in depth understanding of this place called “Stuck” we must understand “Infer.” To Infer, according to the Webster’s Dictionary, means “to conclude by reasoning from evidence or premises; deduce,” “to involve or imply as a conclusion: give evidence of.” This is why we develop an Infertile Mentality, painfully puncturing our weakened hearts: we have concluded by reasoning from the evidence and previous propositions provided that we are glued. We cannot, will not, do not know how else to Get Out of our current dilemma. We have the seeming inability to figure; it is beyond us how to get over this persistent hurdle.  Therefore, our reasoning quenches all faith, concluding that this must not be meant to be–our once awe struck dreamy hearts now become deadened and lifelessly drained. This is the Infertility Mentality. It is one of the greatest testimonies to our Considerable Need, our Humanity and our Weakness without the evident conceptualization of the Almighty’s Unlimited Power. Instead, we heed to self reasoning; all that remains is doom to utter hopelessness.  But as we are gently prompted in His goodness, our once enervated souls begin to blossom. This idea produces fond yet bitter sweet memories of my track and field glory days, those delightful moments of victory.  We would run for miles and miles, in wooded lots, open fields, valleys and mountains.  Yet every terrain would bring with it inevitable challenges. As we dreadfully walked up to the university 15 passenger hearse, we were being escorted to, my whole body would tense and cringe.  It never seemed to feel any less than a live death process.  And this is Not an exaggerated description.  Even practices–running up and down, up and down hills that I wished were never created in the mind of GOD–were so painful it would take every measure of mental strength in me to block out the soon-coming portion of my day entitled 3:30PM. Oh how I would long for it to never come, yet wanted it so greatly that I may obtain the Champion’s Prize. One by one, we would silently take slow steps up, seating ourselves apprehensively onto the cushioned benches.  The 15 minute trip could never be too prolonged.  You could hear a pin drop as we each gazed out the clear, glass panes thinking of the pain we were about to endure; but not one of us would trade the approaching glory on our team’s horizon. It was in practices like these, traversing through varying terrains that I learned the Art of Perseverance.  I learned the power of Visualization.  I learned no matter the extent or duration of pain, it would soon have it’s resolution if only I Did Not Discontinue. There were summations of discomfort in these Glory Days that would bring the most resolute atheist to her knees in prayer, Crying out, “Jesus!” due to a desire for momentary relief. Self Reasoning and Figuring were not enough to endure in moments like this, we would gather together with huddled hands asking for the Favor of a Greater Power as we pressed into the Impossible. And these identical principles have guided me through the concept I have introduced today, the Infertility Mentality. If I do not give up, if I continue, if I endure, if I press in, if I lean on His strength and believe in who He says that I am, then I will see GOD move this Mountain out of my way! If I do not give up, if I continue, if I endure, if I press in, if I lean on His strength and believe in who He says that I am, then I will see GOD move this Mountain out of my way! This is the mental disposition of a Champion. The reality is that inference based on intellect without Biblical truth is rooted in a falsehood. We will all, at some point, arrive to a situational state of less-than-enough, typically through an unexpected turn in our lives.  But this does not have to be the equivalent of hopelessness nor incompetence. The favored text, “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me” is fitting when in this position. As we absorb this truth beyond our natural or circumstantial reasoning, we are able to obtain FAITH, the substance of things we cannot see, the evidence of the desires we hope for–our faith extends beyond rational conclusion to a Higher Being.  His name is Jesus. FAITH is not knowing GOD can do it; it is knowing He Will Do It.      This is the key to overcoming an Infertile Mentality (Believing We Cannot Reproduce nor Be Successful in Accomplishing an Intended Goal). The reality is that faith is antonymous to inference.  Faith is “belief without evidence.”  This attribute extends beyond our own understanding to visualize what has yet to be materialized. When we are operating out of an emotional or rational mentality our faith competence level begins to quickly deteriorate, but there are seasons of testing requiring an allegiance to GOD’s Word beyond displayed verification. Perhaps you have endeavored to stroll upon the raging, troubled waters of your night hour.  For a moment, the sole of your strolling feet tred upon trembling waves as your eyes were entirely set on His.  Nonetheless, our tired minds wear out of focus as we experience a power beyond this world and we all too soon find ourselves back in this realm of fallen perspective.  Joining the great saint, Peter, mixed emotions fill our expanded souls as we meditate on the wonder of that astounding second. That was the exact point in time we began to believe at a higher level, while simultaneously refocusing on a lower mentality.  And it was then our minds wondered away from truth. Near 2000 years ago, 1,987 to be exact, Peter would find Jesus in the darkest hour of the night, immediately prior to the emerging of a new day.  It was on the fourth watch, 3-6am that he saw the Son of GOD joining wondering, terrified hearts in awe of His majesty–captivated by His limitless mastery of even the winds and the waves. In this hour Peter stood against all odds. And today, 2000 years later, each one of us can stand; more accurately, walk on water, defying nature’s description of possible. The noteworthy announcement is: although you and I have tried before, sinking into the ocean of life’s trouble, the reality is we have done what many will never.  We have accomplished the impossible, believing in a Man others have certainly not seen. If we have been in this pinnacle-like position, we can join Him there again; the same power is readily available in spite of our humanity. Can you see the scarlet breached palms of the Wounded One extended in endearment, suspending time to summon you back in belief and enwonderment? He is patiently awaiting our heroic resolution to saunter upon these agitated floods of apprehension, knowing His gentle voice will shatter this ranting tempest, and the light around which we course will shine on a newly discovered day.  We are in Breakthrough. I humbly invite you to share how you have found joy in life’s seemingly impossible situations?  What were your keys to overcoming the fear of Never Seeing Breakthrough?  How can I lift you in prayer? Thank you readers for your time and warm thoughts as we jointly seek to  become a little more like Him. Love & Affection, Jade Lee    The post Overcoming the Infertility Mentality appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee {Podcast at Bottom} It is the year 2016 and I am very excited to share with you what the LORD has placed on my heart regarding this year so it can be weighed against what others are also hearing in prayer.  2016- The Year of Healing from Foundational Relationships in the first 8 years of one’s life. The Year of Those frozen in pain released from hardened hearts with the love of the Father. The Year of Love- Deep John 17 Relationships with Others. The Year of Double Portion- Double Beginnings- Dreams Restored that were lost and New Beginnings where Hope Deferred has Sickened Hearts. The Year of John 17 Unity Love Manifested in the Body of Christ and a Reset for the Body as we display deeper relationships with one another. ?#?2016IsOurYear? Please listen to this audio and share in the comments below what is in your heart for 2016, your dreams, your focuses.  I would love to hear from you and agree with you in prayer! The post Encouragement for 2016: What is GOD Saying? appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee {Podcast at Bottom} There are times when giving your all and going above and beyond can be bad for you without the balance of asking for help or living in community.  When we withdrawal from everyone around us but find ourselves constantly trying to look and be perfect, we live in a consistent stress bubble. Giving too much without help can cause isolation, anxiety and depression in women.  It can lead to the following cycle in our lives: Negative Cycle Superwoman Mentality –> Anxiety –> Withdrawal –> Isolation –> Depression Instead of finding joy in being an amazing wife, friend, daughter, and career woman; we find ourselves performing well but feeling horrible.  This can eventually effect our health and joy levels as women aiming to please GOD with our decisions. This reminds me of years ago when I was doing ministry non-stop.  I was meeting with people all day long then going home but failing to stop to eat consistently, take care of my body or enjoy my life.  It was only a matter of time before I faced a breakdown. I needed help and would be tremendously blessed once I lived in the reality of a Proverbs 31 lifestyle.  The Proverbs 31 woman is an amazing wife, “Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?  She is more precious than rubies.  Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.  She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.” She is industrious and hard working, “She finds wool and flax and busily spends it.  She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar.  She gets up before breakfast to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.” She is also a business woman, “She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.  She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.  She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.” She is a housekeeper and philantropist, “Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.  She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.  She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes…She carefully watches everything in her household.” And she is a well respected community leader, “Her husband is well known in the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders…She is clothed with strength and dignity.” This is a woman of authority, grace, dignity and noteriety; she is very giving and incredibly hard working, yet she is balanced.  She has help from her “servant girls” or “handmaidens.”  This lost art of servanthood and female discipleship helps her lead others into their personal calling on a deep relational level. She is not worried.  She is not afraid.  She is full of joy, trusting the LORD able to laugh about the days to come.  Because of this she is full of both kindness and wisdom receiving the rewards of her hard work and efforts. Instead of living in the negative Superwoman Cycle she lives the following way: Positive Cycle Proverbs 31 Mentality –> Help Received –> Connectivity –> Fellowship –> Joy As she asks for help, surrounds herself with others and receives the help she is given, her heart is reconnected with life as it should be; she enjoys fellowship of others and lives in relational joy. It is here that she finds the freedom from isolation that inevitably surrounds those who give so much they do not ever connect with others.  Many times when we live in such a way we feel like we are constantly giving to others yet feel very alone.  We feel constant anxiety and depression trying to overtake our emotional lives because we are doing too much. We feel isolated because we are not connected with other people, trying to hold it all together and never showing how we really feel when we are overwhelmed or have negative thoughts. Maybe you can relate to some of these emotions and want to be free from the negativity cycle. There is hope from this pit of aloneness as we reshape the way we see being an Amazing Woman of GOD.  Sure, we should be givers but this can also be balanced as we trust the LORD for helpers and the grace to live in community. Sometimes as we invite others into our lives, like the Proverbs 31 woman, we are actually given more than we receive.  We are given love, peace, joy, and a rewarding lifestyle.  Maybe you are in a season of life where you need to become one of these “servant women” learning to glean from another more mature woman.  I encourage you to pray and ask the LORD to show you who He wants you to receive from as you are growing in GOD. You can learn and be helped in many areas in the process! This may be hard to do but I can assure you that you will be more emotionally stable and happier once you take this step.  You will finally be free of isolation, experiencing less anxiety and no longer struggling with depression that comes from being overwhelmed as a “Superwoman.” Do you need more of GOD’s Grace to give where you need to give or stop giving and receive where you need to receive more? Pray the following prayer with me, “Father, I ask you to help me live in a deep relational connectivity with the spiritual mothers and women You are placing in my life.  If I am an older, or more mature woman, I pray that You will help me to find the younger, less mature women You are calling me to help.  I am believing You for the help that comes from living in a Proverbs 31 paradigm.  Please help me find the balance of loving myself and continuing to be an exceptional giver without burn out.  I love You and I am believing You for forward progress in both my mentality and actions for this area of my life.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen!” Scriptures for Meditation: “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self–controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” (Titus 2:3-5) In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.  (Acts 9:36) Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. (Proverbs 18:1) For the body does not consist of one member but of many. (1 Corinthians 12:14) “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7) Have you ever found it difficult to stay in a lifestyle where you live like the Proverbs 31 Woman?  In community?  In fellowship?  In a spiritual parenting-daughter relationship? This can be very difficult and takes a lot of perseverance.  Please share your thoughts in the comments below.  I’d love to hear your challenges and your victories!   The post The Danger of Being a Superwoman appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee {Includes Podcast at Bottom} Giving Till It Hurts You Welcome to the season of Gift Giving.  This is the time to Give Until It Hurts.  This is the time of the year we embrace the Holidays in full force thinking of creative ways to buy gifts for each and every one of our loved ones. Our hearts are full as we reimagine years past full of holiday glitz, glistening twinkles on evergreen towers and the starry shimmer in others eyes. The fascination of it all is as warm to us as a cozy cup of warm apple cider by the comforting embers of a fireside or the warm blankets tucked in secret locations throughout our home. This is what the holiday season is all about and is supposed to be, yet in our real world encounters we find ourselves quietly dismal over the super planning, exasperating chore list and stress of family quarrels. Isn’t it strange how often we find it necessary to fight off reality in order to present a Hallmark Christmas storyline in our all too often imperfect lives? For me the holiday season has already been strangely filled with stressors, it seems like back to back mountains in front of me as I attempt to be more than human… It started with an awkward string of real-life events, unexpectedly gripping my life and twirling me around and around until I was spiraling out of any form of calendar, event planning control. First there is the fact that I am still a first lady, only lady, pastor or minister…you choose which title you prefer. And our church seemed to be on that same downward spiral from my much limited perspective. In a matter of less than a year every single one of the church leaders we had so delicately pastored into ministerial positions one by one moved on to the next assignment in their lives. Then we received the news that the church building we were renting was going to be sold by its retiring owners, but we sat in life’s hold waiting to hear how the matter would unfold. But it did not end there, suddenly we gain a call from the owner saying the building is Under Contract. We would have to find elsewhere to conduct our weekly meetings and Sunday services. But it didn’t end there, all while this is occurring my superplanning brain began to consider the next few months of Holiday Bliss! Thanksgiving was coming, then Christmas, then New Year’s Planning (because everything has to be perfect)…and the New Year’s Eve party, traveling to various locations in different states all while keeping the church afloat from a distance with limited leadership in position. It all seemed so impossible already not to include the instability of my current housing situation, whereas we lived in a parsonage in the building…yes, the same one we were about to sell. But it didn’t end there, suddenly my absolutely independent 80+ grandmother collapsed to her last breath right before the Holidays. And we could not return home because we desperately needed a new vehicle, somewhere to reside and a new church location so everything we worked for in the last 10 years would not slip between our desperately gripping fingers. All the while I simply wanted to GIVE. GIVE to the people in front of me waiting for Thanksgiving Party Extravaganze. GIVE to my father painfully losing his mother. GIVE to my family through the joy of my presence. GIVE to my husband so he could continue to eat three home cooked meals a day. GIVE to every single member in my church so they would not leave as others hurt or feeling forsaken. GIVE to my GOD by devoted prayer and in depth study of His Word. GIVE to the world around me by making the Right Decisions step by step. GIVE to Facebook and Twitter and Instagram as an example of righteousness to the next generation. GIVE, GIVE and GIVE some more. I know I am not alone in the Fascination of Giving. But my giving would soon prove to turn into Stressful, Pulling Your Hair Out, Wanting to Give Up on Everything Exasperation if I would not learn to Release ALL of these cares to the LORD. It seems that no matter how many times we circle the same journey with our GPS loaded and car filled with gas, we tend to need a friendly reminder. To STOP GIVING everything away without a refill. To ASK for HELP so we cannot KEEP GIVING anymore. And to enjoy the Journey along the way as we Trust GOD that He is Really in Control. There is a Beautiful sequence to this Holiday-Life Madness I have just described and it is so eloquently entitled The Sovereignty of GOD. You see, He really does have our every step in control and it is all in His hands even when our carefully written plans seem to deteriorate before our eyes. Every Holiday Mountain I have encountered has been solved by the Master Planner, from church residency to personal housing, to visiting my family and speaking at my beloved Grandmother’s funeral. It is in this place of Trust that I can rest and Give A Little Less to Give Where it Matters Most. I can focus on receiving and I encourage you to do the same. It is okay to give to yourself through receiving from Him, spending time with your family and then giving to others in whatever time you have left. This truly in the season of Giving but what if this year that means, GOD wants you to give up some Giving to receive His Special Gift for you? Self Reflection: Q. How can you give to yourself this season in practical ways? What do you enjoy and how can you incorporate this into the midst of holiday busyness? Is there some hidden way GOD is trying to give to you that may have gone unnoticed? Stop and Take Notice of all the ways He is speaking Appreciation, Encouragement and Hope to your heart. Maybe there is someone He has already placed in your life to help carry some of the Holiday Burden that you usually undertake alone. Holiday Meditation: Throughout the holidays I encourage you to meditate on the following imagery- Imagine Jesus on the cross dying for your sins. In the midst of pain unimaginable He sees you and your reflection is in His eyes. But not only is He giving, He is receiving the joy of seeing you saved, seeing you free, seeing you enjoy your life. He is envisioning you at peace and rest this season. His gift is seeing the blessing of your life. Now imagine all that you have been giving, the people you will give to this season and Receive the blessing of their lives being changed, the blessing of a rested you to GOD, yourself, your nearest ones and others. Share Your Story of Holiday Rest: Is there some way GOD has been helping you do less to do more for your self and those that matter most? I’d love to hear your story and I’m sure it will bless other readers. By commenting in the feed below this post you can help others find rest for their souls even in this crazy-busy world. How to Overcome Giving Till It Hurts You Fact: GOD is asking me to give to say no to giving when it hurts me. Feelings: I want to say no to others but I might experience Rejection or Hurt. Fall Out: I’ve tried this before but it ended in a fight. I’ve tried this before but I couldn’t stick to it. What if other people think I’m mean or uncaring? Forgiveness: If you fall or get hurt, at least you fall forward and will know that you put your priorities back in order. You will feel great when you find the balance of giving to yourself and having time to help the people you are really called to help. Forward Thinking: If I fall, I can get back up. If others reject me, GOD will heal me. GOD will take care of what I cannot finish. If I say no to care for myself GOD says I’m worth it.  As long as GOD approves of me, I am in a good, guilt free zone. You can also listen to this week’s podcast episode by clicking the play button below or subscribing to my Itunes Podcast, Inspiring Lives with Jade Lee. The post Giving Till It Hurts You appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee {Podcast at Bottom} Have you ever messed up so bad and done it so many times that you are tempted to not love yourself?  You can’t figure out how you keep messing up in the same area over and over again. Then the beat yourself up cycle begins. All is well–>Here comes temptation–>The fall–>I can’t believe I did this again–>I really can’t believe I did this Again–>Hopelessness–>How do I get out of this–>Feelings of failure–>Somehow I forget about it and move on–>All is well? How do you finally get Out of this demeaning and self destructive cycle?  I do not claim to have all of the answers but in a sense I do, not based on my own knowledge or even experience but based on GOD’s Infinite Wisdom. Listening to Him makes sense.  He has watched humanity struggle through these same feeling and patterns for thousands of years.  He Know How to Get Us Out. This is the theological term, Redemption. To be redeemed means to be brought back.  We have been purchased with the body and blood of Jesus Christ.  This may sound odd to some but imagining someone else loving you so much that they are willing to provide their own child on your behalf is stunning.   It is a deeply moving act of love. Their body, the blood that runs through their veins is given for you.  They are innocent but willingly die for your failures and shortcomings. This is love. When we think of the gospel perhaps we are tempted to limit ourselves to an initial John 3:16 Experience.  But we so desperately need the powerful working of the gospel to be activated in our daily lives. The Gospel is the Good News that Jesus Christ died for us, He stood in proxy of us and became sin that we may be free.  Consider that horrible feeling of uncleaness occurring after or while you are sinning. Now ponder never having known sin or the consequences of sin living inside of you, but you suddenly must become sin to free others.  This had to have been excruciatingly painful for Jesus (the object of perfection). But not only did He die for our sins collectively, He died for each sin in our lives.  This is how we apply the power of the Gospel moment by moment. The behaviors we cringe upon remembering such as cursing a loved one out, yelling at our dog, cutting a friend off, or looking at pornography- those same behaviors that spin us into guilt and condemnation have been completely forgiven by one paramount act of grace. Jesus knew we would mess up so He died for each time we would fail.  He longs for us to get out of negative thought patterns by receiving His unconditional Love. Hopelessness occurs when we forget the most important element in the midst of our failure- Jesus’ Christ Full Acceptance, Forgiveness and Love. Allow that fact to settle in, even after you sin day by day or moment by moment. You are loved just as much when you fail as when you appear to be living victoriously. We overcome as we see there is Someone Greater than our sin and His Strength to overcome our behaviors is working in U.S. and through us; it may not feel like it but we must receive this truth by faith. There are certain areas I have failed in repeatedly, like being too short with loved ones or too quick to speak and slow to listen.  These actions are not only hurtful to others, they are harmful to myself. I don’t want to do them but find myself falling from time to time.  Then I have a choice, to wallow in condemnation and believe the lie that I am a hopeless cause, never to change or I can simply forgive. Today I want to present to you a concept that revolutionized my life and way of thinking: What if GOD is requiring you to forgive yourself? I know that is a strange requirement, but it is Biblical.  And, it is Beyond Freeing! Meditate on the following truth to set your mind free: If GOD is for me, how can I be against myself?  If GOD did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for me, how shall He not with Him also freely give me all things?  It is GOD who justifies.  How can I say my behaviors  (good or bad) area able to justify or condemn me before GOD.  Which one of my behaviors are good enough to make me right with GOD and which are bad enough to separate me from GOD when Jesus is the Factor that redeems me?  It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of GOD, who also makes intercession for us.  Who shall separate me from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  We go through these difficulties but we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.  It will all work out for my good because I am called and GOD is writing my story! These thoughts from Romans 8:31-37 and vs. 28 are important to bring back to remembrance when we are tempted to fall into the above guilt cycle. Paul, the author of Romans, vulnerably shares His own cycle and struggle with sin.  This is not uncommon to man and you are not alone.  He shared how he needed the law to know and see his sin but was now in a dilemma.  He and sin alone was a disaster.  He could see no way out without another factor. I and probably you have experienced the same emotions.  Recently I had another one of these failing moments but then Jesus stepped in revealing to me How to Get Out!   It is quite astounding how many times we can know the truth, see the revelation and quickly forget.  The Word of GOD is like a mirror and must be looked at daily lest we forget what we looked like and how to overcome. As I read through Romans 7 and 8, I did not need to be reminded of how horrible my sin nature is, that was beyond evident to my own detriment.  I needed to be reminded of The One Missing Factor to my temporarily blinded eyes: Jesus Christ. Whenever our awareness becomes blinded to His existence and our belief becomes dampened by our shortcomings we find hopelessness.  But if we can Refocus on Him, we find the escape route we so desire. “I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.  For I delight in the law of GOD according to the inward man.  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  I wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?  I thank GOD through Jesus Christ or LORD!” (Romans 7:13-24, NKJV) How do we get out of the Romans 7-23 Dilemma?  With the Romans 8 Solution: Know and Realize there is no condemnation because of the Jesus Factor (Romans 8:1).  You are now in Christ Jesus, not because of any good you have done but because of what He has done for you!  You are hidden in Him (Psalm 91) and you are free.  He has given you new clothes.  Listen to my podcast on how Jesus freely gave Joshua the high priest new clothing in the midst of accusation. You are under a new jurisdiction.  Sin and the knowledge of sin no longer has to grip you in defeat.  The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is working even when we cannot see it working in our lives (Romans 8:2). GOD has done what the law alone could not do through His Son Jesus Christ.  The law without Christ can be very challenging to face due to our imperfection and flesh (the part of us that keeps making us fail), but there is hope because GOD sent His Son in human form to overcome the Romans 7-23 Dilemma once and for all.  Because He lived through the same temptations and overcame now all the requirements we try to put on ourselves are fulfilled. We can now live in relationship with His Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4) We can Reset Our Minds on the Spirit, not on our Flesh.  When we fall into sin it is tempting to then focus on our sin.  How many times does this help?  Probably not many.  It is a wile (unraveling trick) of the enemy designed to cause us to be self absorbed and frustrated.  The answer is not in our flesh or behaviors; it is in Jesus Christ.  We must Refocus on the Holy Spirit and the things of GOD if we want to be free.  We confess, we are forgiven and we refocus without returning our minds to negativity.(Romans 8:5). We will then find that we are enjoying our lives to the fullest and have peace (Romas 8:6). We can get excited that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is living inside of us and will give us the life we need in every area of our lives.  Our hope and trust is in His resurrection power!  (Romans 8:11). This concept immediately breaks condemnation and feelings of being stuck.  Pondering this concept in our heart through quiet meditation frees our minds. By the Spirit, not by ourselves, we are now empowered to “put to death the deeds of the body” so that we can really live and enjoy life in abundance (Romans 8:13).  We do this through prayer, confession and dependence on GOD’s help.  This is a process of sanctification and we must be patient with ourselves because He is patient with us as well.  Celebrate growth and the moments you overcome! We must resist the temptation to be bound by fear due to our past mistakes.  Our future is in GOD’s hands so we do not allow ourselves to remain in the past.  We have to Move On.  (Romans 8:15) Fear is overcome through the beauty of our adoption story.  We are adopted into the Father’s family as sons and daughters.  We can literally cry out to Him for help.  He is our Loving Father who embraces and accepts us even in our imperfections (Romans 8:15).  I encourage you to really take time to study this reality if you are struggling with condemnation.   Everything that belongs to Jesus as a son also belongs to us as His adopted brothers and sisters.  We have a royal inheritance (Romans 8:17).  We can claim all heaven has to offer which includes out righteousness.  We do this not by our own efforts but by our faith in GOD’s character.   Finally, we have HOPE!  We can hope for what we cannot see (Hebrews 11 Faith).  When we have this type of faith it helps us to wait for the needed change in our lives eagerly and with perseverance.  This is because we Know it is going to happen.  We may not see it instantly but it is Finished on the cross (Romans 8:25). There are a lot more ways that Romans 8 skillfully guides our minds out of condemnation but the last factor I will leave you with today is LOVE. This process begins and ends with a revelation of GOD’s Love.  Through His love He has promised that we would be changed: For whom He foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called, whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:29-30). GOD loved us so much that He predestined for us to be conformed to the image of His Son.  Practice this self talk when faced with lies about yourself and when all is well: “I was predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.” This simply means, “I was predestined to get out of this negative behavior and overcome it just as Jesus did; I will look, talk and walk like Jesus.  I will have the character of Jesus. By his is My Father’s promise to me.  I am Not hopeless.” He loves us so much that He forbids anyone or anything, even our own failures, to separate us from His love. And this is how we overcome! This Week’s Challenge: This week I challenge you to read Romans 7-8.  Both of these chapters take us on a glorious journey from making mistakes and feelings of defeat to overcoming through a revelation of GOD’s Great Love.  Journal what GOD shows you about your future in Him and how to overcome. Let’s Pray: Father I life these dear ones to You, who You love more than life itself, asking for Your help as we press into a mental revelation of Your grace.  No, we do not deserve it but who are we to resist it due to our own behaviors.  We choose to forgive ourselves of the sins we have committed no matter how bad we feel these sins have been.  We ask that You forgive us of the behaviors that constantly seem to set us back and we thank You for gladly receiving us into Your Loving arms.  Please help us continue to read Your Word because it frees our minds and cleanses us from head to toe.  We need You and are leaning upon Your Spirit to help us die to the fleshly desires trying to grip our souls.  We are determined to live a life of righteousness, joy and peace moving on from our past into a Hope-Filled future.  Thank You for the JOY we are experiencing in this moment as we are aware of The Power of Forgiveness.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray.  Amen. If you have been helped by this message and want to share how it blessed you, please comment in the comment section below.  It is always an honor to hear your testimonies and I am sure it will pull someone else out of a similar battle. Thank you for reading and visiting. Until next time, Jade Lee http://jadelee.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/The-Condemnation-Cycle.mp3 The post How to Love Yourself Even When You Mess Up appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee {Podcast at Bottom} How to Increase Your Faith There are times in all of our lives that we need a faith boost- perhaps we are waiting on a promise from GOD or we feel discouraged, we wonder if it will ever happen! Fortunately, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things we cannot see. It would not be faith if we could easily see it; it is faith because we cannot see it but we know it will come to pass. Our faith stems from our belief in GOD’s Goodness and Power combined to become Answered Prayer. When we know He is Good it is easier to believe He will never lie to us; He will come through on His Word, even if it is in a way we could not see coming or different than how we anticipated. I have personally found that faith can be overflowing when we first hear that GOD is going to do something spectacular in our lives, like give us a wonderful marriage, children, the job of our dreams, the ministry we have been longing for or even material desires of our hearts. Maybe He originally promised us a breakthrough in an area like finally overcoming bouts of depression, overeating, losing weight or forgiving a loved one. We get tremendously excited when we hear that this is coming. But our timing is sometimes off kilter in comparison to GOD’s timing. There are many instances in which He quickly answers our prayers. But there are also times when He waits and He wants us to wait on Him. This not only occurs in our personal lives. It has been the Scriptural pattern we see in the lives of the patriarchs and mothers of the faith. Every great man or woman of GOD has had to wait on the LORD in a manner that has stretched his or her faith. Even Jesus, our greatest example, had to endure through difficulty, hardship and temptation before seeing answered prayers. Nations and people groups of GOD have also had to wait on His promises, sometimes for hundreds and thousands of years. If we are truly going to understand how to increase our faith, we must first realize what faith is; establishing a common definition of faith will help us unify our Biblical knowledge. Faith is “unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence; unquestioning belief in GOD; religious tenets; a religion or a system of religious beliefs; anything believed; complete trust, confidence, or reliance, allegiance to some person or thing; loyalty; to be disloyal (or loyal) to one’s beliefs, principles; to break or keep a promise “ (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary) In Christianity, our faith is our “certainty” and “faithfulness” to GOD. The following passage reveals our part in having faith: Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear GOD nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear GOD nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” Then the LORD said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall GOD not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith in the earth?” (Luke 19:1-8) Jesus made it clear that in the last days He would have a hard time finding FAITH in the earth. Of course, He is referring to finding faith in us, the ones He desires to see faith in, the church. We have to rely on filling ourselves with the Word of GOD if we want to continue in faith and not lose heart due to tribulation and hardship. I am not only referring to worldwide tribulation or some massive catastrophe. I am also referring to having faith when we want to give up due to the day to day struggles of life. These struggles are oftentimes what make us want to discontinue our walk with GOD at worst or slide away from Him when under pressure. You may be faced with the loss of a loved one, waiting for your spouse, believing GOD for healing or a spiritual challenge you have been trying to overcome. I have also been faced with similar difficulties throughout my lifetime, but these challenges can and will increase our faith in GOD rather than push us away from Him. We have to determine that ahead of time. How do we respond to challenges in faith? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of GOD (Romans 10:17). The original meaning of the word hearing refers to audial hearing of our ears as we listen to instruction orally, such as the preaching of the gospel. Therefore, we could imply that this text is saying we need to be under audial teaching and preaching of the gospel. As we hear the Word of GOD through the sense of hearing we grow in our ability to believe, even after waiting for a long duration of time. We continue in our reading and understanding of the Word of GOD. When faced with difficulty or being stretched by the LORD, we oftentimes do not know how to respond. We may feel anger, frustration, confusion and other negative emotions. But this is not the time to stop reading the Bible. Instead, we can make a decision to read the Scriptures, trusting that GOD will give us the strength to endure through the power of His Word. Surrounding ourselves with other encouraging believers will help us overcome when faced with a faith challenge. We can intentionally look for those who make us feel encouraged and increase our trust in GOD during the hard times. It is not always the person who seems the most spiritual that will lift our spirit and help us continue on; instead, it is usually the person full of compassion and practical love. During my hardest times, simply being around people I enjoy and that enjoy me, has helped me let go of my problems to trust in GOD. No matter what, keep praying or have others pray for you when you feel like you have no more strength. Matthew 21:22 says, And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. If we ask GOD for something in prayer and in faith then we are given this promise what we Will Receive what we Ask for; we are also told this in Matthew 7:7. We must understand that there are times we need to ask, seek and knock until the answer to our prayer occurs. This may be difficult but with GOD and a strong support system, it is made possible. Remove the hindrances to strong faith. If GOD is telling you to do something that seems insurmountable or really difficult and others around you are naysayers, maybe it is time to seek out friends that will build you up as you build. You can also look for faith hindrances that are seeping what you have internally build through the previous four steps. For example, if you are petitioning GOD in prayer for an area, listening to the Scriptures orally and surrounding yourself with encouragers but then constantly feel drained it may be time to see where there are holes in your spiritual cup. When do you feel drained? Is it after a long bout of social media? Could it be the trick of comparison? Is it after talking to a particular person? Could it be negative words you have internalized? Discerning the root of your faith being depleted then repositioning yourself is key to realizing victory in this area. Focus on what you can learn in the wait. Sometimes our faith falls as we are waiting on GOD but we can focus on our personal growth in the wait. What area is GOD highlighting as you wait on answered prayers? Is it forgiveness, obedience, patience, love or endurance? All of these areas are very important as we aim to see Christlikeness in our lives. I encourage you to seek GOD for growth in the wait even when you are tempted to complain or focus only on your current desires. Celebrate the victories you are seeing as you grow. I am always personally encouraged when I see spiritual growth come out of my life challenges. Think about your future story. As we endure through hardship, it is very important to both write our story and consider how it may be a blessing to others. Have you considered others in your current situation? I encourage you to take a step of faith. GOD can use your story even before it is complete. Sometimes our most difficult challenges are overcome by helping others in similar situations. Suddenly we see purpose and life flowing out of what may have previously seemed lifeless or despairing. Who is in your shoes and how can knowing they are not alone be mutually beneficial? Finally, we can build our faith level through the inspiring lives of Biblical testimony. As aforementioned, there are many people in the Bible (both male and female) who were in similar situations as we face today. Their faith had to be rebuilt over and over again that they could continue to trust in GOD. Below are a few people who made it through life circumstances and kept their faith. They are all now in GOD’s Hall of Faith: Abel- He offered to GOD a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. (Heb. 11:4) Enoch- He was taken away so that he did not see death and was not found. (Heb. 11:5-6) Noah- He was divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with Godly fear and prepared an ark to save his family. (Heb. 11:7) Abraham- He obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. He did not know where he was going but lived in a promised land as a foreigner. He also believed GOD for a promised child in his elderly years. He then offered up his only son Isaac to GOD. (Heb. 11:8-10, 17) Sarah- She received strength to conceived a child in her elderly years beyond the years of childbearing. (Heb. 11:11) Isaac- He prophetically blessed his sons Jacob and Esau regarding the future. (Heb. 11:20) Jacob- He prophetically blessed Joseph’s sons and worshipped. (Heb. 11:21) Joseph- He gave instructions concerning his bones when he died and mentioned the departure of the children of Israel (Heb. 11:22) Moses- He was hidden three months by his parents when he was born. He left Pharaoh’s house when he became of age and chose to suffer hardship rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin. He left Egypt, did not fear the king’s anger, kept the Passover, and passed through the Red Sea as if he was walking on dry land. (Heb. 11:23-29) Rahab- She helped the spies that came to Jericho (Heb. 11:30) These are only a few of the many heroes and heroines of faith the Bible mentions. They went through challenges and their stories encourage us that we can keep our faith in GOD, even when in the storms of life. We do not have to bow down to discouragement or fear; we can trust that GOD’s ways are not our ways, but they are best. His will is the healthiest place to be as we journey through this world. This Week’s Faith Challenge: We can muster up the faith to believe afresh as we listen to their stories. I encourage you to choose at least one of the heroes above and study their story this week. All of the Scriptures are provided above; bring it to your War Room this week, particularly focusing on #1 Their life challenges, #2 Their personal struggles, and #3 How they overcame. You will not be disappointed as you see the fruit of consistently refocusing on Scriptural truth in your life. Be patient with GOD and yourself as He writes your story for others to be inspired as well. My Prayer for You: Father, I pray for every believer struggling with faith and trying to endure, even when it seems so impossible at times. Maybe they feel all alone, like no one else can really relate to their particular challenge. But it is never too late for hope to arise in their inward man. I pray that You will come and do what only You can do through the power of Your resurrection love. Help them to endure through the difficulty asking what they can learn in the wait. I pray that You will touch them through the stories of the Biblical heroes and heroines we highlighted in today’s study. And we thank You together for the answered prayers, the victories and the spiritual growth in our lives. It is in Your Son, Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Did you pray that prayer with me? I encourage you to join us next week as we begin to focus on the specific people in our study. Love & Blessings to you and have a Faith Filled Week! The post How to Increase Your Faith appeared first on Jade Lee.

Jade Lee {Podcast at Bottom} There have been many instances in my life in which I have been faced by accusation, sometimes it is based off of truth other times it is partial truth and other times it is a full-blast lie but either way the problem with accusation is not always whether the statement is true; it is the spirit behind the statement. Accusation does not only occur directly from Satan, as in Zechariah chapter three, but it can also come through other people. It can, in fact, be a very beguiling attack, slipped beneath the surface of a conversation, entering your heart surprisingly like a dagger. Accusation is when another “find(s) a fault” or “blame(s)” you of something and it hurts the worst when the blame is based on truth. There is many times truth behind accusation, but the spirit of it is awry. The enemy does not want us to enjoy our lives, be confident in GOD or minister freely. This is one of his many weapons to push the church to a place of helplessness and defeat. Accusation- to find at fault; blame. To bring formal charges against (of doing wrong, breaking the law). (Webster’s College Dictionary, Fourth Edition) Also functioning with accusation is Jezebel. Jezebel is the woman who caused the prophet Elijah to cower. To cower is to “shrink and tremble, as from someone’s anger, threats, or blows; cringe.” We know we are being attacked by the enemy the same way when we are doing fine and then suddenly, seemingly out of no where we feel like “nothing.” We feel humiliation trying to cloak us like a covering, from head to toe. We literally feel like our spirit is shrinking and we are being hit emotionally by these threats or blows making us cringe. But we can identify these attacks and the source of them through an examination of our thought-life. If we watch the types of thoughts we have been having and the feeling behind them we can discern and try every spirit by the Spirit to see if it is of GOD. The best way to test this is through the Word of GOD. Whenever a thought, an experience, a dream, a feeling, an encounter is in direct opposition of the Scriptures, we can be sure it is Not from GOD, even if it contains some truth. Remember, Satan was originally an angel in heaven and he can cause his self to appear with the angels in heaven. He can make his self look like he is coming on GOD’s behalf and this is one of the most difficult battles to fight. When it seems so true and the experience feels so real, how do you know if GOD is the one leading the message or the enemy? Why is it that even when you know deeply this is not from GOD, you still question or believe some of the message? It is because this is a spiritual war, not a natural war. We must learn to quickly cast down thoughts when they come from the enemy because anything that comes from him is meant for our detriment. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10, KJV When we realize there is an invisible enemy and he can be caught in action, we are on our way to victory. He wants to accomplish three goals, according to the above Scripture: 1. To Steal, 2. To Kill and 3. To Destroy. But Jesus eradicates his plan through giving us LIFE and LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY. If we want our lives back, our abundance of life, we must learn to discern, cast down and refocus. Discern the plan of the enemy, cast down his lies and refocus on truth. This is a daily choice and we must put on the weapons of our warfare if we want to win the battle. Then he cannot steal our lives: our joy, peace, inheritance, happiness, relationships, peace of mind and health. He cannot kill our spirit, causing us to want to give up and quit, to sit cowered in fear or hopelessness. He cannot destroy our mandates or callings- we can fight this from occurring by resisting his lies and continuing in our assignment (even when discouragement through accusation tries to stop us). How do we win this battle? Put on the whole armor of GOD and know GOD’s already resisted Satan on your behalf. I already know this Scripture, I’m sure you have heard it as well, but allow me to refresh both of our hearts in remembering to DO THIS daily. We are called to be both Hearers and Doers of the Word of GOD: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the LORD, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of GOD, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of GOD, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of GOD: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perserverance and supplication for all saints. Ephesians 6:10-18, KJV This passage reveals to us that we are not called to be one another’s enemies as human beings, but there is an enemies to our souls (mind, will and emotions). This enemy has levels of authority: principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places. You cannot see spiritual darkness or wickedness, but you can experience attacks from it; you can know it is fighting you (see list of Common Thoughts above). We are given armour to fight this unseeing battle and we are instructed to wear it ALL. The armour automatically begins to defeat the enemy of our minds and hearts: 1. Truth on our Loins- this occurs around our belly, which represents our spirit man, our sensitivity and emotions. Our most sensitive organs are housed in this location of our body. When we guard our emotions with truth they are protected from lies and negativity from the spiritual onslaughts of the enemy. 2. The Breastplate of Righteousness- we should wear righteousness; the knowledge of our Righteousness in Christ (not in our own efforts, see Zechariah 3). When we receive this fact by faith, we are able to overcome the accusations pointing towards the shortcomings of our hearts. No, our hearts are not perfect, but yes, we have been redeemed and are being perfected by Christ. We no longer have to fall under these finger pointing accusations. We can rely on the finished work of the cross. 3. Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace- Are we prepared to preach the gospel confidently, do we have the Gospel of Peace actively working in our lives? As we gain more understanding of this Gospel (Good News) of Peace (Reconciliation) it first begins working in our own hearts and lives. We recognize that we have been reconciled back to relationship with GOD. We can be confident that He does not accuse us; He embraces and loves us! He accepts us fully just the way we are-this alone begins to defeat accusation. 4. The Shield of Faith- When we raise us the shield of faith, which comes by hearing of the Word of GOD, we are able to defeat the fiery darts (accusations and lies) that fight our hearts. I believe in Hiding GOD’s Word in our heart through both memorizing and understanding the Scriptures. If we know the Scriptures GOD can bring more revelation on the meaning of the Scriptures that we know, but if it is not there in our hearts, how can it be brought to our memory by the LORD? Practicing quoting Scriptures and speaking them over our lives is lifting the Shield of Faith (see my post on How to Study the Bible to learn more about how to find Scriptures that will help you in the time of need). 5. The Helmet of Salvation- GOD has saved you, not by your own works so you can boast, but by the work of Jesus Christ dying for your salvation. He died, he became sin so that you no longer have to bear the reproach or consequences of sin. When you Really believe this, know it and understand it, it protects your mind from the thoughts that try to enter in saddening your mind. Wearing the helmet of salvation is a daily choice we all must make. 6. The Sword of the Spirit, The Word of GOD- This is a powerful Offensive Weapon. Please do not imagine yourself being chased and beat down by the enemy trying to defend yourself. Instead, imagine yourself chasing him down, fully equipped to fight him through the power of GOD. There is a sword in your hand and you are cutting into him with this sword- it is literally the Word of GOD. This is the power of Scripture. All of these weapons will equip you to overcome the next time you are faced with battle. My Challenge to you is to read through Zechariah Chapter 3 and journal what GOD shows you regarding overcoming accusation. Focus on GOD’s perspective and actions towards Zechariah. Imagine yourself in Zechariah’s shoes; this is exactly how GOD feels about you and what he does for you when you are being fought with Accusatory Thoughts. I love you and want to see you overcome. I know you will! Pray this prayer with me: Jesus, please help me to overcome the accusations of the enemy by putting on your weapons. I am fully equipped to win this war, no matter the situation or how I feel. I choose not to rely on my own feelings, instead I rest in Your Truth and Love for me. I put on the whole armour of GOD, that I may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. I put on truth around every emotion that rises in my heart. I cover this sensitive part of my being with your Word. I put on righteousness because I know I have been cleansed by Your actions and do not have to rely on self-righteousness. I wear the gospel of peace on my feet knowing that wherever I go, I am both carrying the gospel in my heart and can share this testimony with others that they may experience the same freedom. I take the shield of faith to block and distill every fiery dart of the enemy. I will no longer allow these darts to come at me without lifting up my faith in you! I wear the helmet of salvation, knowing this is who I am, a son or daughter of the most high GOD, every other thought must come under this truth right now in Jesus’ name. And finally, I take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of GOD, fully equipped, ready for the battle at hand. I will not lose because I am on the Offensive. I’m a Warrior and I will never be defeated because I’m on the Most Victorious Team to ever exist. In Jesus’ Name! Amen. Did you pray this prayer with me? How did you feel? Maybe you have a prayer request or want to share your testimony of how you won a battle this week. I encourage you to comment below remembering the enemy is defeated by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of our Testimony (Revelation 12:11). You can also listen to Today’s Audio Broadcast: http://jadelee.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Overcoming-Accusation2.mp3 Gain more insight on this topic or purchase my book, The Pull, to do a deeper study on Spiritual Warfare. The post How to Overcome Accusation and Go on the Offensive appeared first on Jade Lee.