Sifted as Wheat

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat." (Luke 22:31)

I've never seen this verse before tonight and I came across it in my study of Jesus the One and Only. It stopped me in my reading of the Passover Supper when Jesus is about to be betrayed by Judas. He has just shared the last meal with the disciples, announced that he would be betrayed, and washed the disciples feet. Then Jesus spoke those words to Peter... Satan has ASKED to sift you as wheat...

This was an answer to my prayer of the last 11 days in my life as I wondered why I was faced with a couple of seemingly bad circumstances. As I have learned in my walk with the Lord, if I seem to be under a little oppression or trouble seems to be brewing around me, I stop and check my fellowship with the Lord, then I go through a mental list of confessions as I seek the Lord for an answer in response to my unfortunate situations.
Here's a little of my confessional list that I sift through my mind and heart

• I first humble myself and realize that "who am I" that something bad SHOULDN'T happen to me.
• Then I give my concerns and discernments to the Lord and ask HIM to bear them for me.
• Then I watch! I stay alert!!! (Satan is the great enemy... not the people around me who I might feel the attack is coming from... It's ALWAYS Satan...He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
• Then I stand firm and Wait... Waiting isn't a passive thing for me... Waiting is SEEKING the Lord for comfort and understanding... I read the Bible to seek God's grace to deal with the unfortunate cirumstance... then I wait a little longer.
• Then I stand firm on my belief that GOD IS ABLE TO DELIVER ME... whatever the issue may be... I STAND FIRM in my faith...
• Then I praise God for keeping me safe... even when I don't understand...
• AND I ALWAYS THANK GOD for His GRACE to overcome the whatever... if it's a dishonor, or a slander, or a financial shortfall, or whatever it is... I KNOW GOD'S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR ME.
• I then Wait some more because I know that after I've suffered a little while that God will restore me, support me, and strengthen me and bring me back into a firm foundation... HE IS ALL POWERFUL and nothing happens without HIS PERMISSION...

So with all that check list being checked off, I have peace...that surpasses all understanding... so that I can pass the test that I am called to take. This is what I KNOW and what I've walked out through the years with the Lord. So when I had a bit of a shake up last week, I immediately recognized it as a test and I have had several scriptures that have brought me comfort.

Hosea 10:12 Plant the good seeds of righteousness and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord that he may come and shower righteousness upon you...

I read that verse on Saturday and I felt healed. But when I read the verse from Luke 22:31 tonight... It actually stopped me in my reading and I had to write this to give praise to the Lord. I'll try to explain what I mean but it's still fresh...

I actually felt honored... Honored to be ASKED by satan to be sifted... My checklist is right out of scripture if you'd like to read it yourself... 1 Peter 5:6-14

This sifting is allowed by God because in his kindness he has called me to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. Because I am a follower of Christ, I can bring glory and honor to the Lord through my suffering and sifting. GLORY TO YOU, FATHER.

The very next thing Jesus said to Peter was this... But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again...Strenghten your brothers...

This is what is so amazing about this story...Jesus knew Peter would deny him...BUT he also knew that he would repent and be even STRONGER because of his faith and go on to do GREAT things for Christ...

WHAT JOY!!! To know that we can be restored to fullness of faith with the simplest form of repentance and obedience to do what God calls us to do... Just Trust and Obey...

Again, I just say Thank you Lord. For revealing the purpose behind the bump in my path. That I stayed on your path for me and "after a little suffering, you will restore me, support and strengthen me... OH what a story to tell... Satan will be sorry he messed with me...

Please know that nothing happens without God's knowledge and permission... if we just humble ourselves and seek HIM instead of focus on the problem, HE WILL RESTORE US...

In Christ,

Lea Anne

A Life of Harvest

I woke up this morning with this thought on my heart...God blesses obedience... I couldn't lay there in bed I had to get up and write this note. I knew that I had to put it on paper in order to bless someone today. It sure blessed me. I realize that I talk about God in almost every one of my status updates. I kind of think I'm a little fanatical. I'm sure most of you think that I am. But I just can't help myself. I'm living a life of HARVEST. My life is full and abundant and overflowing and I want that so much for all of you who care to read this. And all of those who don't take time to read this. I don't know who reads this and when I write it's certainly not to receive a popular "LIKES" to be clicked, but I write in order to share with you the harvest in my life.

It got me to thinking about Harvest... What does harvest mean. I looked it up. Here's what the dictionary said...

HARVEST
1. The act or process of gathering a crop.
a.The crop that ripens or is gathered in a season.
b. The amount or measure of the crop gathered in a season.
c. The time or season of such gathering.
2. The result or consequence of an activity.

I like the #2 definition in relation to my life. I am harvesting what I have already planted. The activity that is evident in my life is in direct relationship to the activity that I do on a consistent basis... It is the law of reaping what you sow...

And I harvest in spring, summer, fall and winter because I am sowing in spring, summer, fall, and winter.

I wanted to write this note to offer a little encouragement to those who are harvesting a "bad Season". You can change and start harvesting a good season by the things you choose to do daily. Today you can start choosing to live a life that is in DIRECT OBEDIENCE to the Lord. You may not even know what that consists of. You may never have read a word of the Bible in your life and haven't because some "Christian" turned you off to Jesus a long time ago. You may have to have proof that Jesus exists before you will even try to read the Bible. I don't know what stage of life you are in, I don't know what struggles you may currently be under. I just know that without God's word as a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, then we WILL take the path that looks right but ends in death...

These last few sentences were all scripture, and because I have hid it in my heart, I live it... day after day after day...

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end
it leads to death.

Acts 17:31 For he has set a day when he will judge
the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this
to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

I've had many conversations with people who are turned off by the words that I speak. Some have even said, "Stop quoting scripture. Just tell me what you think." and I honestly can't do that. It doesn't matter what I think... Really it doesn't... It only matters what God thinks... And he has told us what he thinks on EVERY subject that is common to man...(another scripture)

I Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you that isn’t common for people.
But God is faithful. He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities.
Instead, with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be
able to endure it.

I just wanted to emphasize how real and true and vocal God is. His word is active, living, breathing, alive...

But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the
sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and
marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all
creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes,
and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

Take a chance and try God for yourself. I want so much for you to walk in the fullness of his love and mercy. To receive the blessings for your obedience. God will not be mocked. He may not punish disobedience on this side of heaven, but he ALWAYS blesses obedience with a fruitful harvest on this side of Heaven. And to think of what our heavenly rewards will be is almost incomprehensible. I CAN'T WAIT...

This may be long, but I wanted to end with an example of sowing and harvesting that God has revealed to me just last week.

I've written before about my job and the way I felt God was leading me toward promotion.

IE... Heb 5:4 No one can be promoted to the position on his own, he must be called by God.

Ps 109:8 Let his years be few, let someone else take his position.

The fact that corporate was talking about promotions and looking for those within the company who might be up for promotion...

The fact that another person was put in a position that I was currently working and the same day Cecile announcing she was getting married and moving to New York and her position would be open...

The fact that my bosses didn't post the job because they felt I could do it and they moved me right up...

All these things happened in a way that God directed them. I just listened to him and followed him and stayed faithful throughout all of last year.

Then in September when Life Action came... I was at the alter every night and I struggled with God about my job. I didn't want to give up my new position... I really liked it... And I felt God asking me to give it up... For a week I struggled with it. Then finally, on the 8th night of the revival, I surrendered it. I said... FINE GOD... you can HAVE MY JOB!!

And I told him that HE was more important to me than my job and that I would go wherever he told me to...

You see... He didn't want me to GO ANYWHERE ELSE... he just wanted to know if I was WILLING to go if he asked me to. My faithfulness was rewarded...

Little did I know that at that same time, things were happening in the spiritual realm that I couldn't have orchestrated. God was arranging my favor with MEN because he was pleased with my surrender and obedience. All this to say that I was awarded MVP for third quarter sales in the ENTIRE Raycom company... 48 TV Stations... And all this because of three things...

1... I sowed the seed of good work, EVERY DAY...

2... I stayed faithful and faith filled EVERY DAY...

3... I surrender COMPLETELY to the Lord my life and my work

He blessed my obedience... and he hasn't asked me to give up my job. And I'm still sowing good seed... And I'm still staying faithful... And I am completely surrendered to the Spirit... Wherever he Leads, I'll go...

I just wanted to share my faith with you today and give you a little look into my life's exceeding greatness...



I love you and wish a fruit-filled day!!!

Lea Anne

Object Lesson from a KumKwat Tree

This morning as Dana and I were cleaning the yard, he called me over to the backyard where he showed me this HUGE thorny bush growing in the Kumkwat tree. From a distance, you really can't tell the thorn bush is there. You can see the kumkwat are full and the tree looks healthy.

Taking a step closer, you can see the sprout at the top of the tree is bare of fruit.

But as you look closer, you see that the fruit is almost smothered by the thorn tree. This is the lesson that Dana received from this thorn bush.

The thorns represent the junk in our lives. This junk may not seem like it would hurt us, as you can see there is still fruit on this tree. But the junk is stuff that we allow to grow in us and can hinder our witness. It is thick and thorny and can cause us to become prickly and stubborn and smother the good stuff in our lives. The thornbushes are usually more sturdy than the fruit limbs and are very difficult to get rid of. We sometimes don't even notice the thornbushes that crop up in our lives because they sort of blend in. But they aren't healthy. They poke other people. It's a little irritation at first, then it becomes self-defense and it will usually result in a wall of bristly thorns that nobody wants to be around.

The only way you can deal with the thornbushes in our lives is to cut them out completely. We can't just prune them back and hope that they stay under control. We must uproot them until there is no thornbush enbedded in our lives.

Once we removed the thornbush from the kumkwat tree, I couldn't believe how BIG it was. It was over 10 feet tall and the thorns were over 2 inches long... This is how the junk in our lives begins to take over. Little by little. The only way we can keep the thornbushes from growing is with daily maintenance. We have to stop and take inventory of what our lives represent.

• What is filling up our day to day existence?

• Is it full of godly behaviors?

• Are you filling yourself up with the spirit through daily Bible study, worship and prayer?

• Do you surround yourself with Godly people and things?

Taking inventory every day is the only way to recognize and maintain your godly life. If you see a stalk of sin like the thornbush below, then immediately CUT it out of your life. Don't let it take another day away from you. Start living in the Fruit of the Spirit.

I wish I had a better picture to show you how pretty the kumkwat tree looks with the thornbush removed. I hope this demonstration of the object lesson of the kumkwat tree spoke to you like it did Dana and me.

I love you and I love when the Lord reveals himself in nature. He is the creator and the maker of all things. He is LOVE and the fruit of the spirit is just waiting to grow in you like this tree.

Love,

Lea Anne

Words are Mindsets...What is your mindset today?

This collage spoke volumes to me this morning. I printed it out and framed it where I will set it beside my bed. If I ever feel depressed, or discouraged or a little blue, I can look at this and be reminded of who I am. These words are more than just words, they are attitudes... they are actions... they are emotions... and they can change my disposition by claiming them out loud. I hope that you will take the time to look over the words and claim one of them today.

Happy New Year!
Lea Anne

Reality Check... Take 1 and 2...

I had a pretty extraordinary week where I had the privilege of hearing from two people about what they thought our church should be doing, but wasn't doing. Each situation was an honest assessment of how they were basically let down by their fellow christian brothers and sisters. Our family of believers, who I believe really do love each other, sometimes just doesn't express that love through any particular action. I know that we are not saved by works. I know that we have eternal salvation through Jesus Christ when we place our faith in him. But the Bible also says in James 2:18-26 that "Faith without works is DEAD."

So how do we put on Christ for those in need? How do we work as Christians to fulfil God's law of kindness...gentleness... tenderness...

Colossians 3 spoke volumes to me this week as I tried to work through this devasting reality of how sad the situations of these two individuals were. Let us be reminded of what it really means to live out the Christian Life...

You are God's people, Holy and loved.

So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes.

Don't be proud.

Be gentle and patient.

Put up with each other.

Forgive the things you are holding against one another.

Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you.

And above all those good things, put on love.

Love holds them all together perfectly as if they were one.

Let the peace that Christ gives rule in your heart.

As parts of one body you were appointed to live in peace.

And be THANKFUL.

Let the message about Christ, in all it's richness, fill your lives.

Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks through him to God the Father.

The fact that we are more socially connected now, with the invention of Facebook and texting and other social media networks, than ever before DOES NOT give us an excuse to not get physically involved when we see someone hurting or in need. We must do the Christ thing and extend the hand of fellowship, or meet the financial need, or offer a helping hand, or cook a meal, or pick up kids, or send birthday wishes... We MUST get involved.

The Christian life is about sacrifice

The Christian life is about service.

The Christian life is about self-less-ness (thinking of yourself LESS and others MORE)

No wonder the world thinks it doesn't need a savior... The Christians aren't acting any different than the lost. We are as self-absorbed and self-serving, and selfish as everybody else.

PLEASE... I'm begging the church to take notice of those that are hurting, that need a friend's shoulder to cry on... that just need to be remembered... Look for ways you can meet a need today.

I'm Looking...

Lea Anne

Merry Christmas!

The Wood's

Merry Christmas!

Glory to God in the Highest,

and on earth peace,

Goodwill,

to men

I am so thankful for what the Lord has done for me this year. One of the great mysteries of the Lord is how He can take the horrible, the tragic, the painful, the devastating, the embarrassing, and the ruinous experiences and memories of our lives and not only heal them, but use them for good. It's not that He will make you unable to recall them, but He will heal you so thoroughly from their effects that you no longer think about them with any pain.

He did just that with me this past year. I did a lot of Waiting on the Lord... A lot of praying for direction... A lot of self-reflection in hopes that I become more like Christ and less like the old me. I want to be right with the Lord. I want to be right with others.

God will never allow anything to happen to us that He doesn't already have a way to use it if we will let him. I just hope that whatever has happened to you this year, you will let God heal and use it for His glory. Don't hold on to the hurt or the pain... Let it go... Let GOD bring restoration and healing to your life... your marriage... your job... your children... your health... your ministry... your friendships... your "whatever" the enemy might have tried to steal from you this year. He can if you let him.

In Christ,

Lea Anne

A little Dream (and a little faith) goes a long way...

I have had a pretty emotional couple of weeks and as I sort through my thoughts I wanted to bring you along this crazy little world that I live in.

It started around January of this year.

I was invited to a corporate meeting for the Internet Sales Directors of all of Raycom's TV stations, on January 24-26th. I met a lot of the people responsible for overseeing the budgets for the internet and how the website content helps the actual on-air element at KPLC. It was interesting and of course I never just listen, I talked and shared ideas and got to know a couple of the head dudes at Raycom Media. Never in my wildest imaginations did I think at that time that I was being prepared to take over the Internet Sales Director position... but that's just how God works...

Anyway, when I came back from the seminar my boss told me that I had made a good impression on the corporate guys and that he thought about me as far as a general sales managers' position opening in another market. I was flattered by the suggestion and I hadn't thought of moving out of the market, but then I know how God works and I didn't discount the idea. I took it to the Lord and this is what I want to share with you that has been revealed to me over a period of 7 months.

Dana was doing a lesson for the college department for the 5th Sunday Gathering on the 31st and he was reading out of Hebrews 4... where the word of God is alive and active... it cuts to the quick and speaks to us... I was meditating on those words and as I read a little further down in Hebrews 5:4 these words jumped off the page at me... No one can exalt himself to a position of honor... but it is the Lord who promotes you... (My paraphrase because this is what I interpreted from the Lord) Okay Lord, this is timely I thought. Even though I had not thought of the promotion on my own, I was listening to the still small voice that was guiding me down this path.

The next thing that happened is a meeting of the corporate dudes here in Lake Charles where we discussed the launching of KPLC Connections to some of the very guys that I had met in January. Another divine set up in my mind.

March offered another sign of God's guidance in a breakthrough for me with words from Psalm 109:8 ...May his days be few may another take his place of leadership...This came on a day that was very emotional for one of my managers. I didn't know what this meant at the time and I thought okay God, what are you doing here?

I'm feeling the pull of going into leadership, I just didn't know what direction God was leading me in. Now it's May and my general manager announced that someone else in the station would be the new Director of KPLC Connections, which is basically what I've been responsible for over the last 2 years so needless to say, I was a little shocked... I mean, what does that mean for me? Right?

But less than a hour later, Cecile announced that she and Bert were going to get married and she was going to leave Lake Charles and move to New York... this happened at the same time... Perfect timing... and needless to say... the job details for her job has been worked out with my management and they worked it out with Corporate that I didn't even have to compete for the job. They didn't have to post the position on the Raycom Media site that would allow other Internet Sales Directors to apply if they wanted to... It all worked out in perfect timing for me to be ready to step into this position. A position that would start on August 27th... which is also the same date as the closing on the house... Which is a whole 'nother story and thing that has been going on in my life since January...

Abundant living... not being afraid of change... inviting the unknown into your life to allow a little dreaming to occur... Dreams I didn't even know I was dreaming but God was placing in my heart. He brought it to pass... It just brings the passage back to mind that started me on this path... Hebrews 5:4... No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God...

When God brings you to it, he'll bring you through it...

I'll let you know how it goes with the transition... I'm just living in obedience to the word of God and letting him direct my steps... Hope this offers a little hope to someone today who is a little lost as far as what direction you are going. Just trust and obey...

Loving Life,
Lea Anne