Artist UnknownI’m Free
Saved, forgiven, changed and set free…
But really? Open my eyes, open my ears, Lord help me believe…
I’ve carried, shame and guilt like a ball and chain
Hidden so no one could see…
Unaware of the roots that grew deep
I’ve wondered why I so often would weep…
Tossed and turned many nights couldn’t sleep…
Why Lord? Why do I repeat…
Behavior that is not like you, I bow now in surrender at your feet…
Holy Spirit purify my heart so I may heal…
Holy fire purge me now to do your will
Help me overcome
So that I will be free and live in the victory you’ve already won
Fire, fall, and purify this heart that belongs to your Son
Uproot guilt and shame, this I pray in Jesus name…
Healing flow within my soul over Mountains and over plains
Through valley’s dark and dreary, God your love I will proclaim…
I’ve seen heartache, and walked through torment and unending pain
But today I received my healing and I will never be the same…
I’m healed, set free and delivered…Freedom has come at last…
Letting go of every heartache, I will no longer live in the past….
Holy Spirit, you set me free today
Holy Father, how long I’ve prayed…
Shame is gone, guilt is too
Thank you, Jesus, today, I’m brand new…
Free to laugh and sing and dance…
This deliverance is not by chance
Overflowing with amazing grace, yes, I’ve seen my Jesus face to face…
FREEDOM!
Living in God’s Kingdom, here and now, in this beautiful place…
I’m free…I’m free…Thank you Jesus, I am free!!!
And when the enemy tries to remind me
I’ll point him to the cross of Calvary…for it was there you set me free!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill August 10, 2019
Journey Church Freedom Conference
If the Son sets you free, then you will be really free. John 8:36 Good News Translation (GNT)
They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony; for they did not love their lives but laid them down for him. Revelation 12:11 Living Bible (TLB)
Are you Smoke or are you Fire?
Artist Kerolos Safwat. “This is my VERY fave pic of seeing Jesus for the first time! Most pics are sweet and humbling. I get it. But this! This is exactly how I want to run into His arms and say “it’s YOU! it’s really YOU! Oh how I LOVE YOU!” This totally captures how I picture my first few moments in Heaven! Whoo hoo!!”
I chose this amazing art work because it spoke to my heart and is exactly how I feel! This artist gets it…I thought it would go perfectly with what I wrote. God bless you Kerolos…
Friday, August 9, 2019
Coming before the Lord this morning…all I could do was say, “Here I am Lord, I have no agenda, no pre-conceived ideas. I don’t want to declare anything or ask you for anything…Lord I’m just here…I’m here Lord…I’m here.”
Then in my spirit I began to hear…. “That’s all I wanted. I just wanted you to sit with me, be with me have some quiet time together.”
My mind went to how when children want something, they come rushing into the room, there’s no, “Hi mom/dad, how are you? Can I do anything for you?” They just start demanding, “Can I have some money? So, and so, is going here or there and I want to go too. I need a new outfit, shoes etc., can I go? Can I? They get what they want, “See ya later.” And off they go. They rush out of the room without a hug or a thank you.
It was, as if, God was saying to me, “Can I just have a hug?”
And so, I sat still and listened…everything was quiet. There were no demands. It’s just me and God. “Yes God.” And spiritually speaking, I gave him a hug.
After a few minutes I began to have this thought, ‘Are you smoke or are you fire?’
Sometimes we are simply smoldering…there is smoke but the fire has diminished and we realize we are not as hot for the things of God, as we once were. Where is the FIRE?
Oh, we attend church…sing loudly, praise boisterously, pray without ceasing…but something is not quite right…we are rushing in and out of God’s presence without being aware of Him…and we begin to notice the fire has gone out…
Humbly and repentantly we realize we are only smoke…and smoke chokes out the light…it smells and accomplishes nothing…
Holy Fire purifies… it sets us apart from the rest of the world…when we are on fire for God, we are bold and brave and courageous…cry out for the Holy Spirit and Fire ask him to fall afresh on you…walk in newness every single day…fresh fire! Let it Fall…you have to keep it burning by rekindling it every single day…
Don’t just rush in and out of God’s presence give God a great big HUG…tarry there until you are filled with Fresh Fire and the Power to glorify the Living God! Amen!!!
Piece written by~Marla Shaw O’Neill August 10, 2019
Matthew 3:11-12 The Message (MSG) “I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I’m a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”
Revelation 3:15-17 New International Version (NIV) I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
Romans 8:38-39 New King James Version (NKJV) For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Going Deeper
At my granddaughter, Lydia’s third birthday party, I watched as little children played on a water slide. They played and laughed, slid down the slide landing in water that came up to their ankles. Climbing high above the water, then sliding down again. Then, Lydia, wanted to get into the big people’s pool…she came running to me saying, “Grandma I want to get in the pool!” So, I told her we had to put her floaties on…it’s been a while since I put floaties on a child and they were different than what I remembered so we asked someone with experience, Jessica, a young mommy, to help her with them. Lydia had no fear, nothing was holding her back she went into the deep water…because she knew she had the help of her floaties to keep her afloat. Splashing and swimming all over the pool. Total abandonment of any danger, complete trust. That’s how our loving heavenly Father wants us to be. He wants us to go deeper with him knowing the Holy Spirit is like our floaties and we have nothing to fear! We can trust Him completely. This is my hearts cry… “Lord take me deeper. Take me to the place where you dwell. Let me bask in your presence in the Holy of holies. Let me live by your example of love toward others. No judgement…no prejudice…no fear…forgive my shortcomings and let me live out loud and show others who you are…my King! My Savior! Help me walk in obedience to your word. And Jesus, let me always, reverence your Holy Name! Amen!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill August 6, 2019
Ezekiel 47:1-12 MSG – Trees on Both Sides of the River
Now he brought me back to the entrance to the Temple. I saw water pouring out from under the Temple porch to the east (the Temple faced east). The water poured from the south side of the Temple, south of the altar. He then took me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the gate complex on the east. The water was gushing from under the south front of the Temple.
He walked to the east with a measuring tape and measured off fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water waist-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet. By now it was a river over my head, water to swim in, water no one could possibly walk through.
He said, “Son of man, have you had a good look?”
Then he took me back to the riverbank. While sitting on the bank, I noticed a lot of trees on both sides of the river.
He told me, “This water flows east, descends to the Arabah and then into the sea, the sea of stagnant waters. When it empties into those waters, the sea will become fresh. Wherever the river flows, life will flourish—great schools of fish—because the river is turning the salt sea into fresh water. Where the river flows, life abounds. Fishermen will stand shoulder to shoulder along the shore from En-gedi all the way north to En-eglaim, casting their nets. The sea will teem with fish of all kinds, like the fish of the Great Mediterranean.
“The swamps and marshes won’t become fresh. They’ll stay salty.
“But the river itself, on both banks, will grow fruit trees of all kinds. Their leaves won’t wither, the fruit won’t fail. Every month they’ll bear fresh fruit because the river from the Sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”
What Joy Looks Like to Me
Head thrown back with arms wide open
Dancing in fields of rainbows…
Burst of sunbeams rushing about
Singing at the top of my lungs with no restraints, I SHOUT!!!
JOY! UNSPEAKABLE JOY!!!
Wiping my tears as I dance about…
Love, in living colors is all poured out…
Covering me with happiness at the jubilant sound…
I hear him whisper in a resounding shout…and I’m bound…
Heart swelling, it’s all in the telling, for there is no doubt.
Laughter and giggles and smiles from ear to ear…
No worries, no troubles, no fear…
Gifts of peace and gifts of life…
This is what my Joy is like…
Children playing at my knee
Heart filled with overflowing glee
Joy, pure joy from my Father’s house…
Seeing my mama and Jesus talking about;
That there is fullness of JOY in His presence and pleasures for evermore!!!
My JOY, comes from the Lord!!!
A fruit of the Spirit that gives light to our soul…
With Joy, God’s Joy, I become whole!!!!
The darkness fades, sins washed away…
Living-Joy is mine today!!!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill July 30, 2019
Psalm 16:11 Good News Translation (GNT) You will show me the path that leads to life; your presence fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever.
Psalm 16:11 The Message (MSG) Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way.
My friend Esther Reiss put a challenge out to write a poem or a picture of if you could represent Joy what would it look like. I was feeling rather sad and tearful and when I saw her post I wrote this and it lifted me to Joy!
Time
Time is a virtue
It flies by sometimes
And it slugs sometimes
And I know the maker of time
And I know this saying
I don’t know what tomorrow holds
But I know who holds tomorrow
So, when times frustrate you think
And pray to God
Also, I know that the devil is always trying to turn us from God
No matter what happens TRUST IN GOD
And know that it is not our plan
But Gods plan
Problems are not in our hands
But in Gods
So, lift up all your worries
Angers, lies
Fears
To God
And praise him when he fixes every thing
And know when times are hard and times are limited
God has it all figured out
Our grandson
~Bryan Brazell, 11 years old, July 27, 2019
Emotion
Happy
Sad
Anger
Fear
Lost
Those are emotion’s
Anger: If you are angry you are mad
Speak to God he can destroy that anger from your heart and you can let him in your heart
Sadness: Sadness is a pain in your heart that keeps you from God and from your loved ones
Happiness: Happiness is a joy that wraps around your heart; it’s when God answers your prayer’s
When you let God in your heart and scream HALLALUIAH, that is happiness
Fear: Fear is when you are scared or terrified
You could be scared to tell people about God but God will always have faith in you
Lost: Lost is a feeling that makes you feel afraid and confused but God can lead you the right way
The path of God is always a straight path
Some emotions are bad some are good but either way God will lead you through them
~Braden Brazell (8 years old) July 27, 2019
Grandma Marla
I have this grandma
Who is like no other
She loves me dearly
Just like my mother
She loves God
And makes awesome food
She is always in a good mood
Sadly, she has a disease
She can’t make insulin, you see
But we all look past that and look at what God can do
God can snap his fingers and she wouldn’t have to poke herself and she could eat freely (Yum)
But for now, every time I come
I always care for her
And in exchange she cares for me
And every time she writes
It’s like she has a key
To unlock my brain and let me see
What God can do in me
And I was spoken to,
To write this for her
And that she will always be
My grandma, to me, her name is Marla
~Bryan Brazell, her grandson, July 27 2019
Answered Prayer
We pray and pray, and pray some more…
Hoping for an answer from the Lord…
We pray in faith, with fervor we implore
And just when we think he won’t open the door…
God sends the answer as we implore…
And when we ask in Jesus’ name…
We’ve pleaded, believed and loudly proclaimed…
God sends the answer and we are relieved…
Bowing our heads and folding our hands, standing in line, or lying in bed
Crying and laughing about everything we’ve said…God heard us praying, for family, friends, and our daily bread…
But for some reason He waits; his answer seems delayed
All he asks is for us to obey…
Trust him in all things, have faith when we pray…
He loves to answer in His own time, so, that, we’ll give him the glory and let Him shine…
Pray without ceasing for His will to be done…
You’re on this journey, it’s a marathon…
Rest when you can, for this race will be won…
Following Jesus, God’s perfect son…
And when you think you’ve prayed all you can pray
You start to give up and begin to sway…
Then out of nowhere you hear him say
Thank you, child, you trusted and obeyed.
You, see, God is pleased when we believe…
Take him at his word and we’ll receive
All that we seek, and ask, and need…
Our prayers are answered like watered seeds…
Tried and tested we will be…
God answers prayers,
Yes, you will see, they are like a fruitful, fragrant, rooted tree…
~Marla Shaw O’Neill July 23, 2019
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 English Standard Version (ESV)
My Mother