I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep. The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by your side. The sun will not strike you by day or the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life. The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever.
Psalms 121:1-8 HCSB
Month: January 2017
Booking Now for Portrait Sessions
Before I am booked up this Spring, make sure you have your date for your photo session.
You can email me at uppcreative@yahoo.com.
When Your World is in Chaos
There is one who is always straight. I got to spend the morning exchanging opinions with friends about our current political turmoil. It was healthy. And we still live in a country where we can all disagree.
I have always championed the philosophy that as the Body of Christ we are different parts of the body. The hands relate to the eyes differently than the feet relate to the eyes. Socks are important on feet, not on hands or a nose. But I bet the feet with fight you over some socks if they are cold and wet.
Some of us see the threat to us, while others can dismiss it because it doesn’t really affect them. During the study of Revelation last year, we learned of all the things that would take place in the last days. There would be wars and rumors of wars. Wars don’t get started in times of peace and tranquility.
Let me tell you something, God is teaching us even during these time. He is revealing Himself to us in a mighty and powerful way. Spend some time with Him and let Him calm your heart. You will be able to face whatever comes.
Clanging Cymbals
You want to know why American Christianity is ineffective in this country? Because when millions of women around the world march to make a statement, the Christian establishment is silent. I have watched them carry on as if nothing happened. They had a world wide audience and chose to say nothing. It speaks volumes about their love.
It is always darkest before the dawn
And it is in our dark days that we see the light more brilliantly. We saw good but have been so tainted with our own stuff we did not recognize it. And the truth is, we have a hope in Jesus, but we have so much other stuff we don’t really need him. So in this drought, Lord, take all the things that hinder us from seeing you.
One of the things that the Lord has taught me during the last eight years is that He is just. He always rights a situation in His own time, and baby when He RIGHTS it, there is no doubt He did it.
Over the last couple of months, I have been praying for my enemies and watching what God is doing in their lives. He has done some mighty work and I have seen it. People who set out to destroy me are trying to put the pieces of their lives back together. God protects His people.
God warned me months ago that Donald Trump would be president. I thought He was just playing. I mean “Really God, him?” But sometimes in order to heal a wound that isn’t healing correctly, you have to cut it open. He has cut open our festering hypocrisy for the world to see. You see we talk about freedom and equal rights to the rest of the world, but we don’t practice it. Sometimes humiliation has to come before humility.
Over the last 10 years I have come up against some of the most hateful, mean people who felt they were entitled to treat people anyway they wanted. I often pray Lord, don’t let me work with mean people. But it is kinda like trying to find a righteous man in Soddom and Gomorrah. There just ain’t none. We are a country full of self centered hateful people and before the Lord can use us, He has to change us from the inside out. Donald Trump will be our catalyst.
For weeks He has been giving me this prayer, and I keep pushing it back. Lord I don’t want to say that. (I know how Elijah felt sometimes.) Forgive me, Lord. I have been disobedient in not saying what You wanted me to say, when You wanted me to say it.
Lord, dry up your grace, wealth, resources and protection from a government that terrorizes your people and encourages others to do the same. Like you did with Ahab and Jezebel, let those leaders feel the void of not having access to You and all you give as they set out to harm Your sheep. Reveal them for what they really are. Like You dried out the land of Israel in Elijah’s time, dry out the United States in these times.
Protect Your people, separate the goats and sheep, devour the wolves at the gate.
Change us, Lord from the inside out because it is only once you deal with hate that we can get on with the mission of loving each other, which is your second greatest commandment.
Like He told Elijah in 1 Kings 17, God has told me there is going to be a drought in the land. He is going to dry up all of assets that have become the idols of the hateful. I know many people who say their foundation is Jesus. They are about to find out if that is true because He is about to be all they have.
Dry up all the jobs of the hateful and entitled so they can experience what no healthcare and income feel like. Make them totally dependent on the charity of others because it will change their hearts when they see it is only grace that keeps them and not their skills and talent and hard work. When they see small children in Africa and Asia saving pennies to feed the starving Americans maybe it will change their hearts.
For all of the people who have set their hearts in destroying health care for those in need of it, let them find themselves in need of it. Let their health care not work. Allow worms to eat their insides while they are still alive causing them much pain and difficulty. Let this affluent group find no medicine or cure for this ailment only a long life with pain and suffering. With each moment allow them to see the folks they allowed to die because they didn’t want to help.
For those destroying families and pulling them apart, let their own families be pulled apart and have no peace. Let there be constant churn and strife in their dwellings and on display for the world to see. For those aborting and abusing children, stop their reproductive systems and put children in charge of them.
For those who take what the poor has to fill their own, let their wealth melt like wax. Let nothing they try cause them any gain until they are desolate on the streets. For all those who champion these type of people, let them lose everything of value they own and join them on the streets.
We have too much stuff and won’t even share with each other, and God knows only if He takes it away will He save some lives. When you are truly dependent on one another, you find out what you really believe.
And Lord, don’t allow people You chose to lead us to abuse and kill your people without any recompense. Let them be like Egypt’s Pharaoh and lead his followers to a watery destruction. Or more like Jezebel, let dogs eat the rotting flesh of those who take evil action against God’s people.
I pray this drought lasts as long as You allow, Lord. I know you will get the glory when hearts are changed. Amen.
For What You Have Sacrificed
We thank you Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. You were not able to attend your kids soccer games or school programs. You were not able to see their wedding day or birth of their first children. You were not able to see the election of African American senators, congressmen and even the first African American President. But you marched on and we thank you.
You showed us how to love when we were treated poorly. When they put the dogs on us, beat us brutally and even took us to jail. You taught us it was an opportunity to love. Like the Apostle Paul, you even wrote us a letter from jail encouraging us during the fight.
You were not able to work for major corporations making high dollar salaries. You were not able to attend major universities seated next to children of senators and congressmen. You did not get to experience the wealth for which you fought. But you marched on and we thank you.
You showed us that during times of adversity is when we need to take the high road. You taught us faith was depending on God and not on man. You taught us that we need to keep up the fight even though we might not see the results. You lived that example for us.
You have left a powerful legacy. Thank you for the sacrifice. We don’t deserve it. Thank you for the example. We don’t deserve it. BUT we are going to do the same for the next generation and build on the example you have left. I pray that Lord will allow the stars in the heaven to shine brighter because of the work He has done through you.
Family Tree Available for Rent or Buy in UK, Germany and Japan
We are excited to announce that the Family Tree movie is available to rent or buy in the UK, Germany and Japan on Amazon. It has been a journey, but we are happy that there is a venue to see all the great work that went into this film. Please review it on Amazon once you have viewed it.
What’s Your End Game?
I saw this tree all day, but it wasn’t until the end of the day that I actually looked at it. Then I saw the one leaf hanging on for dear life. It is funny how you can see something all day and not really see it. How you can work at a job for many years and wonder what the heck you are doing there? How many of you are hanging on to something that is not for you? Like this leaf, you think you are going to make this work.
Many of you are in places you were not supposed to be. Maybe God had you there for a little while and you got comfortable and stayed. You figure the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. But it is slowly killing you, physically, mentally and spiritually. You have lost hope because you have your hope in the wrong things, like a job, a child, a marriage, location, a president.
The Creator of the universe created you for something special. When He called you into being, He specially designed you with a purpose and a plan. He knew He could bring something beautiful out of darkness.
And like the sun that sets everyday, He has a purpose and plan for you. It is time for you to start operating in your purpose. I remember seeing this sunset and thinking wow. I need a picture of it, but sun was setting faster than I could get my camera ready. If you don’t start operating in the purpose He has for you, you are going to miss those amazing moments God has planned for your life. It is possible to miss the blessing.
But it is never to late to catch a glimpse of His glory as long as you are on this side (in the land of the living). It is not as spectacular as the original blessing, but still worth it. In 2017, ask God what is your end game? What are you working towards? What were you created to do?
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