Family secrets …

hey hey,

I hope you are enjoying our 2023 blog! As promised, each Wednesday I will be sending you “a word, a song and a laugh.”

I pray you are blessed by today’s short and snappy blog.

A Word: “… All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3, NLT

God gave Abraham (the father of our faith) a big promise of blessing for families! Galatians tells us that because of our faith in Jesus, we are also heirs of the blessing of Abraham! That means, it’s God’s desire that your family is blessed!

So what’s the secret? How do we cooperate with the Lord to experience a blessed family? A family blessed in relationships. Blessed in material blessings. Blessed in health. Blessed in love and kindness. Blessed in forgiveness. Blessed in fertility? Blessed in calling, vocation and influence? And blessed in so many other ways?

The secret is: Faith! Just like Abraham. Faith means: we believe God and His promises. We declare His promises over our families. We are led by the Spirit to love, communicate, honor and please the Lord in our daily choices with one another. Of course, there’s a lot we could say about families, but for today — let’s sing and declare God’s promises over our families!

One of the things we’ve declared over our family and our church family for the past 30+ years is this: “The Name of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus and the Angels of God surround you and protect you everywhere you go - spirit, soul and body - front to back, side to side and top to bottom! You are filled with God’s wisdom, surrounded with favor, full of His Spirit and you make good decisions. In Jesus Name. Amen!” Please feel free to adopt this same declaration of faith for your family and tweak it as you see fit.

A Song: Here are 3 songs you can sing over your family. Do it every day and watch what the Lord does!

Surrounded, by Valley Worship Team - I wrote this song several years ago based on the words (mentioned above) that we declared over our family and kids for decades. The Valley Worship Team fine tuned it and made this recording! We still sing and declare these things over our family and our church family.

Speak the Name of Jesus, by Charity Gayle (feat. Steven Musso) - This song says it all!

The Blessing, by Kari Jobe - Amazing, anointed song take from Numbers 6:24-26

peace, love and blessings,

A Laugh: It happens! :)

If you get an email like this, please not the “FROM” address is not from us. Do not open or click on anything. So sorry for these fakes. Ugh!!

Sing about the blood …

hey hey,

I hope you enjoyed the first edition of our 2023 blog! As promised, each Wednesday I will be sending you “a word, a song and a laugh.”

I pray you are blessed by today’s short and snappy blog.

A Word: “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.” Ephesians 1:7, NLT

In 1981, I had the pleasure of leading my dad to the Lord. When he went to heaven in 2013, he wanted these two words on gravestone: Blood Bought.

My dad knew something about the blood of Jesus.

We get to enjoy absolute freedom from all the penalties of sin in the new and better covenant because of Jesus and His shed blood!

A Song: There’s nothing like singing about the blood of Jesus. When you sing about Jesus’ blood you are declaring your freedom, redemption, protection, healing, provision and all the benefits of your salvation. Sing it out! These three 3 songs (a very different and eclectic mix!) about the blood of Jesus always penetrate my heart and fill me with such joy and gratitude to the Lord. I pray they do the same for you as you let them saturate your soul…

Thank You Jesus for the Blood, by Charity Gayle — in my top 5 fave songs!

This Blood, by Rachel Chapman - old school, pure, heartfelt, anointed!

O The Blood, by Kari Jobe - classic, powerful, anointed!

peace, love and blessings,

A Laugh: Laughter is good medicine!

oh Lord you’re beautiful …

hey hey,

As we kick off 2023, I promised a short and snappy (and heartfelt) blog each Wednesday to encourage you in the the Lord.

You can expect these 3 things each Wednesday:

-A Word: faith-building Scripture (s) to encourage you in the Lord

-A Song: heartfelt song(s) to help you draw nearer to the Lord

-A Laugh: funny meme(s) to add a little joy to your life

A Word: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8

The beginning of the year is always a good time to forget the past and draw near to the Lord. It’s a great time to seek the Lord, to hear His voice, get His direction and experience His love in a fresh way. While He promises to never leave or forsake us; sometimes we need to retune our hearts to experience His presence.

The New Year is a great time to draw near to Him and say, “Yes” to the Lord.

A Song: Here are three songs that never fail to touch my heart and bring me nearer to Him. A couple of these are classic oldies, but goodies … no matter how old you are or what type of music you listen to, The last song is more recent and powerful. I hope you sense the Lord’s presence as you listen to all of them!

Oh Lord You’re Beautiful, by Keith Green - heartfelt/reflective

Hear Our Prayer, by Hillsong Worship - heartfelt/worshipful

I Say Yes, by Kim Walker-Smith - heartfelt/faith-filled

peace, love and blessings,

A Meme: The joy of the Lord is your strength!