To Pray

We get busy... We tend to think it's just not that important... We say we don't really know how to...what words would we say anyway? We may think...He won't even hear us...if we actually decide to...

To pray

Why do you think it is soo hard to have a good, strong, healthy prayer life? Why do you think after starting to pray...we sometimes can't focus right...and get distracted by other thoughts...making us want to hurry up and get it over with...when, if we only persevere in it, we would find a deeper peace than we thought possible?

Because the enemy knows how powerful it is. It is what grows our relationship with The One who formed us in the womb. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy...and he'll do it...by keeping us...from having a healthy relationship, through constant communication, with The One who reminds us...we are precious...we are beautiful...we are a new creation...that we are FORGIVEN through Christ...that we have been called to a Life filled with never-ending blessings...that we are more than conquerors...that we...are God's masterpiece...fearfully and wonderfully made...wholly and dearly Loved...being raised as a kings and queens for a kingdom that will not pass away.
Brothers and sisters...may we not be a people too prideful to get on our knees and pray to The One who sets us free. May we not be a people too busy to take moments out of our day to say thank you, to ask for strength, to ask for healing, to ask for direction, to ask for forgiveness...to ask...for help. May we, however, be a people unashamed to be seen praying...or saying the name of Jesus out loud. May our hearts, though, not yearn for attention and still go in our prayer closets (Matthew 6:6) to have one on One time with Him...time...that nobody knows about. May we be a people not timid...but courageous to share with others about the hope that we have found in Christ. May we be a people who chooses Love...and puts others before ourselves...as we become His hands and feet...Loving a world in desperate need...

Why?

Because the enemy is at work...and wants nothing more than to have a world filled with believers...not growing in their faith...but just comfortably gliding through each day...not making waves for the Kingdom. He wants believers to look like the world looks...so that people who don't know Christ will have no reason to believe...if believers are taking part in the very same things that the lost are... Family...may this not be. We...are world changers...but we will never change it...unless we pray for it...and then follow...our Shepherd's lead. 

Take heart, brothers and sisters...we have been called for such a time as this. May we draw near...and find Him drawing even closer. May we allow ourselves to be vulnerable with Him...and find that He is for us...and not against us. He's not trying to take from us...He is trying to give us more than we could have ever possibly imagined. May we make our requests known to Him...and find our strength, hope, joy, peace and rest...in His embrace.

#PrayForIt
Ref:
Philippians 4:6, Ephesians 2:10, James 4:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Matthew 6:6

3 Years...And Forever Grateful

For some of you…you don't know my story. The beautiful thing…is that through these past 3 years…I've come to understand that this is not my story…but His story…showing what He can and will do…with brokenness. So like I said…some of you don't know this story…well…

Here It Is!

(Disclaimer: this story is not being shared to boast of anything that I have done. This story is being shared because God changed my life…and put a fire inside me to share the beauty of this journey with Him. My prayer…is that this brings you encouragement and hope. The same God…that loves me: #1593796…loves YOU...more than you can possibly imagine)

Looking back at when I got out:

3 years ago I had a choice...hide...or let His light shine. At the beginning...I admit...this is what I had to say to Him:

'God, why would You want to use me?'

Then I got scared, saying... 

'No! don't use me! Please!! If You do...then people will see how ugly I am.'

'God...don't, don't!! I'm too weak. I will fail You!'

But now...I realize why I was so worried if people actually heard my story... Because, at that time, I believed the lies that the enemy kept trying to feed me...that my sins...defined me. May I never go back to believing that.

Rundown:

So here's the rundown. August 11, 2009…I started a journey…I never thought would happen. At the time…I was actually hoping I would simply die. I was sentenced to 2 years in prison for counterfeiting. I say what I was in for...for a reason. You see...that word...was more than just a word to describe what sent me to prison...it defined what my life was...all up to that point...counterfeit.

I would seek life in every place except the One place where Life actually resided. I said I believed. I even went to church on Sundays. Sure...I cried during the sermons...but I didn't realize I needed Him enough to actually do anything about it. So...my heart just kept crying...as I kept seeking life...really...death...out in the world.

Off and on...mostly on...for about 10 years...from 99-2009...I was addicted to painkillers. After my first car accident in 99...I fell in love. Crazy right?!?! Well...that addiction...led my heart that much deeper into the pit. It got to the point...where I would wake up in the morning...turn to my bedside table...pop a pill...then I wouldn't get out of bed until the painkiller started to take effect. It was my armor... It's what made me feel ok...to face the world.

Fast forward to August 11, 2009…I got sentenced to 2 years in prison. 4-6 months in…I was granted parole. It wasn't until I acted like a fool 2 weeks before getting paroled…that my eyes were opened. My parole was revoked and I was shipped to a unit in Huntsville, to a high security wing.  That was when God sat me down and spoke to my heart. "Marco, I've been trying to get your attention your whole life. You always thought you knew better. I love you. Please understand that. I have something so much better for you…if you would just trust Me. Take My hand…let Me lead you forward."

So…what the enemy meant for my destruction…(drug addiction...leading to getting sentenced to prison and now locked up with murderers, rapists and drug dealers)…God used as a stepping stone...to get me where I am today.

A lot can happen in 3 years.

I Look at children. At first...they just rest in their parents' arms. Then, they start to crawl. They still enjoy resting in their parents arms. Then...they start to run. As they grow...they grow stronger. They trust that their parents will take care of them.

You see...it's been 3 years. (Please understand this next part is not boasting in any form or fashion about anything that I have done or could do...just simply showing what God does...what His Love, Spirit and Word does.) At first...when I was in High Security...I decided to read the Bible each day. Keep in mind...I Did NOT want to. At first...it felt like doing homework for a subject everyone else told me I needed to learn...but had no desire to do the 'work.' I use that phrase on purpose...because I thought that reading the Bible...was work. I had to force myself to do it. But then...an incredible thing happened. You see...His Word...IS LIVING AND ACTIVE. He continued to work on my heart. I began to want to read the Bible. Then…I started believing what it said. It told me who He is - Our Loving Shepherd, Great Physician, Lover of our souls. He is our Faithful Father who saw that His children needed rescuing…and did what Love does…He Acted. He sent His One and Only Son to come down to earth…to Live In Love…Die For Love…and be Raised from the dead, conquering sin and death…making a way for us to be with Him…FOR ETERNITY!!

What's soo incredible...is that when I went back into a prison a few weeks ago...giving the message...God brought that same subject up. I word it that way...because that's exactly what happened. You see...Marco...had plans. I wanted to impress these inmates. I wanted to put together the greatest sermon ever. I mean...it was to be my first one...so why not start off with a bang...right? Wrong. You see...God is still working on/in me...and even through each worship night that I have at our house each month...He continues to show me the beauty in stepping aside...and simply allowing Him to use me...as His instrument...playing...what touches the hearts of His children. So...in all my preparation for my 'Best sermon ever'...He gently reminded me...that it's not about me. Certain circumstances arose the days coming up to that Saturday I was to go into the prison. I had great notes made over the month while preparing...but something happened....aside from the fact that I couldn't make 'my' notes come together to form, in my head, a great message. (I actually laugh at this now...as I see how beautifully He gathered the pieces together.) I had left my notebook at work the day before... And then...as my excitement overtook me...I totally forgot that I couldn't take my phone in…(which was the second place my notes were). Soo...I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt...that God had other plans...and His plans were Higher than my plans. So...we get there...I set up my keyboard and then start to pray as the inmates are doing a Bible study. I am overcome by the most incredible peace I've never experienced. 

'Its ok...I'm here. Trust Me.'

My heart breathes some of the most beautiful breaths it's ever breathed...as I realize He IS in control...and I Trust Him. The time comes and I take the stage...

'My name…is #1593796.' (Silence…and then the inmates begin to applaud...I am one of them.) 

'My name is…ex-drug addict...ex-alcoholic...ex-porn addict...felon... Is that what defines me?' Several voices proclaim 'No!'

My reply...'Yes, you're right. But so many times when we look in the mirror...that's exactly what we see.'

I went on talking about where our identity truly comes from...and the hope that we Truly have because of our Savior, Jesus, The Risen Christ. We were both laughing and crying...(the inmates...our team...and myself)...and this was all before I even started to play and sing. I say that...for a specific reason. The songs...I knew. I wrote them with Him. But the words I spoke on stage...were not my words. Marco had stepped aside and was used as His instrument...speaking to His precious daughters...reminding them...that they are loved, precious, and worth it.

I truly hope you understand the gravity of what this story says. God used...a broken man...an ex-drug addict, ex-alcoholic, ex-porn addict...to tell His daughters that their hope is from Him...and no institution, sin, or hurt done to them can take away the hope that comes from what Jesus did on the cross for them.

Here...I'll say it another way. God used...a new creation...to tell his sisters...who don't realize they are precious in God's eyes...that they ARE precious in His eyes...giving them a message that came from His Word...that they are Loved...Jesus came to save them...His grace is here to wash them...and His Spirit is here to guide them forward.

(Now…in the following...I'm not meaning to sound like I'm using self-defeating talk...I'm simply stating a fact)

If God...can take me(all that I've described...which is not all that I've done wrong)...and use me to encourage my brothers and sisters...as well as the lost, scared and broken...pointing to The Only Hope that doesn't falter, fade...but stays the same...Unmatchable Sovereign Lord of All...

What makes you think...that He can't use you?

My prayer...is that you take some time and thank Him. You may not know what is around the corner...but He does. You may not know how He could turn your situation around...but that's what He does...Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" He has called...may we listen. May we allow His Love to continue breaking chains, silencing lies, calming fears...and lead us forward...in wonder.

Thank you for your time. I love you all 

The Choice

There is a reason we ache for something deeper. Because we were created for something so much more. His Love desires to overwhelm us - to overtake any and all fleshly things that we think we need and replace them with the most incredible hope, joy and peace... It's not about attaining riches and gold, fortune and stature through work and/or relationships; but by realizing our true treasure awaits us in heaven. And our treasure...is HIM. And...until we get home, until we get HOME...we have the absolute blessing of getting to know the very One who created us. Get to know the same Love that died for us on the cross...and allow His love to dwell within us and pour out in how we live.

So...from this moment on...may we choose. 

And...

May this be our prayer:

'Lord, I want to be the man/woman You created me to be. Search my heart and reveal anything that is keeping me from truly holding onto You as I should. Create in me a desire for healing just like the woman in Mark 5:25. Don't let me be fooled by worldly deception, but be engulfed by an overwhelming desire to know You and the precious love that You offer, the precious Love...that You are. Hold me. Heal me. Light my path and remind me that You are with me on this journey. Thank You, Father. Thank You. I love and trust You, but open my heart to love and trust You more. May I continue seeking You and may I continue finding You beside me. Remind me that the old HAS passed...and behold, now, You ARE doing a new thing! I love You, Lord. I love You. Hold me now...and may I rest in Your arms. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.'

For those who say:

'Will we still make mistakes??'

Yes, but the decision needs to be made. Please re-read the prayer, and this time...please take your time with it. Look below and read Mark 5:25-34. Read it. Meditate on it. Please. 

For those who say:

'But I don't have time...'

In all honesty...yes, yes you do. We all have time to give to the One who created us and gave us these very moments that we breath.

May we trust Him with this moment...and may we all come to trust Him with the next.

Scripture referenced:

Mark 5:25-34

"And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, because she thought, 'If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.' Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, 'Who touched My clothes?' 

'You see the people crowding against You,' His disciples answered, 'and yet you can ask, 'Who touched Me?'" 

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at His feet and, trembling with fear, told Him the truth. He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.'"

I love you all.

Don't Let Me Forget

Prayer:

Don't let me forget what You've done.

Don't let me forget what You're doing.

Don't let me forget what You have in store.

The enemy wants me to lose sight of what's been done. Wants me to cling to who I was and what I've done…Wants me lingering in the hurt and defeat…

But You, Lord…YOU want to remind me that You're here, remind me that the price has been paid once and for ALL. You want to remind me of Your promises…how You knew me before You formed me in the womb. How You set me apart for Your perfect plan. How You gave me this heart for a reason. How, even though there may be hurts that come with this heart…that You have the perfect comfort to make it smile. That this is not my home. That there is something so much greater to look forward to. But in the meantime…You are with me. Your Spirit is here to guide, comfort, heal…refresh, renew, bring to life. Your love does not fade or falter…it does not back away when I'm stubborn or take back Your beautiful embrace when I think I know what's best….

You just continue Your pursuit of me. The most beautiful love song…is the one You're writing between You and I.  Help me to sing it and sing it loud. Help me to rejoice as I cling to Your heart. Help me to rest in the arms of the One who formed me. Help me to linger in the very love that saved me.

Lord, help me to remember. Help me to carry You not just in my thoughts...but in my heart. Thank You, I love You…for all that You are.


Your Pursuit Saved Me
Your Love...sets us free.
Thank YOU, LORD!

We're all harmonizing with a melody

For some, it is a song of redemption. A song of joy and hope. For some, it is a song of wild abandon. For some, it is a song of hurt and disappointment, a song we don't even want to be a part of anymore. For some, it is a song of hate and bitterness as we shout at the top of our lungs with questions of 'Where do I go now?' and 'How did I get here in the first place?!'

Here's the transition...

Before we place our song in the player as we decide which one we will continue singing...may we look to the Instrument Maker and ask Him to remind us that He created us to sing a joyful noise, a beautiful melody of hope, joy, peace, redemption, love, forgiveness, healing, grace...life. You see, sometimes we find ourselves in a place we never thought we'd be. Does that mean there's no hope? Absolutely not!! It simply means we're due for an appointment with the Great Orchestrator...spending some time with The One who formed us to play His song in a beautiful fashion. The tragedy, is that many have been through so many things in this life that we either forgot or wholeheartedly deny that we were even created to play the beautiful song He has for us in the first place.

Trust me...I was there. I believed without a doubt that my lot in life was to carry shame, defeat, pain and hopelessness. I mean, look at what I've done. Look at the choices I've made or the roads I've been down... 'God, why would You have anything good for someone like me!?!?'
His response brought me to my knees and opened my heart that will forever sing His song...
'My child, don't you know you're Mine? Don't you know I Love you? Don't you know I just want to hold you and comfort you through all that you carry? The load is not yours to shoulder. Please lay it down. Some hurt may take time to heal, but believe Me when I say that My grace is sufficient, My joy is complete, My love is Absolute.' He also said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.

You see, there is a song to sing. A Savior came down one day to begin a beautiful orchestration...He came, He lived, He died...and then He rose again to take Victory over death, becoming the way to be with our Father for eternity. The blood of Christ came to wash away the sins of man. When we accept His gift, when we accept this Christ, this carpenter's son as our Savior, we allow what He did on that Cross to wash away, what had before kept us from having holy fellowship with God...our sin.

When it comes to sing/live...

When it comes to the song/Life He has created us to sing/Live, you see, it's not about the sin, whether it be sins we've committed or sins committed against us. It's not about choices we've made or roads we've been down. It's about The One and Only Christ that came down to set us free. It is in this realization of God's Love that we can say, 'You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will give you thanks forever." Psalms 30:11-12

Brothers and sisters. To all who read. Please understand that I do not make light of any devastation you may have experienced, I only elevate the fact that our God is BIGGER and His grace is sufficient. He is our comfort. He is our strength. He is our healing. He is our provision. He is our hope. He is our joy. He is our Life. He is the reason for each breath, so may we sing to Him a beautiful song of praise as we accept His Love and allow His Spirit to bring us closer to understanding who He really is, who we really are in Him and get a grip on the fact that His love for us will never falter or fade, but will forever remain faithful.

May we sing. May our hearts sing a song of praise. I love you all.

What Are We Putting Off?

I had just moved into a new house and have many things that still need to be situated. One of these things is a cumbersome desk I used when recording and writing music. As the story began earlier in the week, it was downstairs, waiting on me to make a decision on where to put it. We then had plans to have people over on Friday night so we had no choice but to move the desk outside. The plan was to move it back the next day... but then I got busy and then lazy about it. Then... I remembered I was going to be in another town watching my parents house for them over the weekend. On Sunday night I was like, 'Ok, I really need to do something about this.' Monday morning I wake up... and it rained.

What this taught me about life: 

Be careful what you leave out in the world... unprotected from the elements.

Sometimes, we put ourselves in unsafe or unhealthy positions or situations because, up to that point, we haven't made a decision where to stand. 

Sometimes we know what we ought to do, but because we have other concerns and such we put off dealing with a certain situation. Then, the rain falls down and we wish we had protected ourselves from the elements of this world/ protected our hearts.

Sometimes it's a struggle. We're dealing with something and we just haven't made the decision to say no yet. Then, days go by and our decision is still unmade. As a consequence, our hearts get pulled in the wrong direction, not necessarily because the struggles are too big, but because we never decided we were going to fight against them in the first place.

He has so much in store for us, but if we continue carelessly going through life we will continue to be at the mercy of the effects of the world.

Something to think about:

What are we leaving unguarded? What decision/s do we need to make? What truths do we need to finally accept?

We are His, created with care and for a purpose. We are Loved and cherished. It's not our past that matters... it's our future with Him - and we can help that by accepting the presents He has for us now: grace, forgiveness, healing, strength, wisdom, guidance, victory.

I pray that now is the moment we make the decision. 

Prayer:

'Lord, guide me through each moment. Search my heart and let me know what needs to be offered up to You that I may be holding back. Help me to understand that I am Yours, that I am precious in Your sight. Help me to recognize the lies that I may be believing. Help me to stand when my own strength tells me it's easier to just buckle. Father, I am Yours. Heal me of the wounds I am carrying. Help me to walk in confidence. Help me to continue nourishing on Your Word, walking in Your presence and living in Your Love. Father, I love You. In  Jesus' precious name, amen.'

The Question Is...

He IS the Rock. The Fortress that cannot be moved, that cannot be shaken. The Shield in which no arrows can pierce. 

The question...is not if He is or not, it is whether we will allow Him to be the Rock we stand on. The Fortress we stand within. The Shield that we hold before us. 

He was and is and always will be. I pray we rest in Him and allow Him to be our Rock, our Fortress, our Shield and our Strength. Our Comforter and Healer. Our Hope and the reason why we sing.

I love you all