Smoke n Hearts

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Kayla is a single mom of two.


She has a history of victory, from sorrow and hurt and sin and pain.


She has been forgiven much, and she loves much.


She has an enthusiasm for life, now that she’s found LIFE.


She posts things on face book like:


By GRACE Im FREE. YOU rescued ME!! I found a LOVE GREATER then LIFE in itself. I found a HOPE STRONGER and NOTHING compares. I once was LOST but now Im ALIVE and FOUND in YOU, JESUS!! ♥


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I'm sitting on the couch reading a book with Damarius when all of a sudden he gets off on to the floor & puts his hands in the air and says "Jesus, come here because we love you and need you, mommy tell Jesus to come" Woowww I'm at a loss for words.



And recently she posted something like this:



Yeah! All the Smoke Shops are closing down. I pray this is the beginning of the Lord doing a great work…and next the porn shops and bars will close.



Several dozen comments followed. Kayla was called a hypocrite for speaking out—when she herself was an unwed mother of two; when she herself once supported all sorts of evil; when she was once was the chief of sinners. “Don’t preach to us, when you used to do the same things,” they said.


But, then there were those—who know her now, for the person she has become—who came to her rescue. Encouragers lined up shoulder to shoulder surrounding Kayla with love. And there were those, who thought they were helping, by slashing out with cutting words toward the main antagonist, Alice.


Kayla replied with love. And when it was all over, and everything had settled, she showed grace, Amazing Grace. If you go to her face book page you’ll see—it’s gone. With character and wisdom beyond her years, she erased it all, not willing to air another’s sin for all to see. She wiped it clean, like the sins of her past; ready to start fresh and new—a clean slate.


Kayla wasn’t preaching Kayla. If she had, well, then she’d be in for a fall. But she was cheering for Jesus—in her own, blond, enthusiastic way.


As it turned out the biggest antagonist, was also with child—a soon to be single mom—an old acquaintance, who knew the BC Kayla. (BC = Before Christ ~or~ bad child ;). And, Kayla’s information may have been incorrect, the places she spoke of, may not be shutting down after all. Maybe it was a big misunderstanding—but then, maybe not. And maybe the issue had nothing to do with closing doors—but everything to do with opening hearts.


The best way to shut down bad joints is by the opening of bad hearts. You can’t clean a fish before you catch it. The real issue is a heart issue. You can build a fence, but if you don’t corral the bull that’s running through it—your efforts are in vain. Corral the heart first, and action will follow.


My hero did that. His cousin was in prison for speaking against a political leader, in the Middle East, because he married a woman, who was already married—his brother’s wife of all things. Eventually, His cousin was silenced—they took off his head. My Hero didn’t picket the palace where the leader lived. He didn’t start a petition. He attacked.


Jesus went to be alone, after hearing that Herod had killed his cousin, John the Baptist. He gathered His strength through prayer. And then, He launched an attack against the real enemy by healing, delivering, feeding, loving…doing good.


And no one has much to say about Herod these days, he died, his palace closed and crumbled.


But, Jesus lives on. More books are written, more sermons are preached and more songs are sung about this one Man, Jesus. In all of the history of mankind, no one has ever made a difference like my hero, my daughter’s best friend, her Lord and Savior, Jesus.


Alice, this Jesus Kayla is so excited about, knows where you’re coming from. He doesn’t care too much about a smoke shop closing, either. He knows, it’s all going up in smoke eventually, anyway. But He does care for you—and your baby. More than life itself He cares. He died, so you can live—really live. That’s what Kayla’s so excited about; she has finally found out how to live, really live. And she can’t help but share—it just bubbles out of her like that.


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Kayla, as your dad, I’m proud of you, Bug, and I love you, more importantly, your Father is and does, too.


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Won by ONE. That’s how it’s done.


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(note: for privacy, Alice is not the person’s real name)


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Wet

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He knew he shouldn’t wet the bed at his age. He tried everything to quit. He wouldn’t drink anything after supper. He always went to the bathroom – real hard – before he went to bed. But, those dreams, tricked him. They seemed so real. He would wake up, get up and walk to the bathroom – just like he was supposed to. But, most every morning – when he found the wet sheets – he’d realize he had only been dreaming. And the helplessness he’d feel usually caused the lip to quiver and the dam to break. And, that’s how Ricky started most of his days.


But, that all changed, in an instant. Family friends stopped by for a visit. They stayed for supper, and by the time they were ready to leave, a good old fashioned Minnesota blizzard had set in. The roads were simply too dangerous – company was going to stay.

When five year old Matthew said, “We’re spending the night! Oh goody, I can sleep with Ricky in his bed,” Ricky felt sick. His lip started to quiver.

Ricky went straight to his room and plopped on his single bed and hugged his pillow. He could smell the fresh clean sheets. Clean because he had just washed them that morning and the morning before that and the morning before....

Kingdom Bloggers graciously allows me to continue posting each Sunday. Click here and I’ll take you to their front porch and finish telling you how Ricky’s night changed his life.

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Man your battle stations!

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Whoa! Talk about a piece of writing hard to print. The post over at Kingdom Bloggers this week about Spiritual Warfare was just that. It didn't want to load, then it loaded wrong, then I got late and missed church. It was a battle. You know what that's like...

We’ve all felt the adrenalin rush of life sounding the alarm – The phone call in the middle of the night; The doctors report, blunt but piecing; The notice in the mail…at work. Smooth sailing about to turn to stormy seas. The siren warning the tornado is about to hit. Blood runs cold. Face turns red.

We all have this one thing in common – in this world we have tribulation. I have battle scars – I’m pretty sure you do, too. Some we talk about – others we’d just as soon forget.


The truth is – there are more battles ahead. But that doesn’t mean we should live in fear or dread. Whatever the battle – loneliness from the loss of a loved one; the hollow hurt from a wayward child; the haunts of regret; the ache of a relationship gone wrong; the gnawing of hunger; the clawing of creditors… it may be hard – but we can win.


And in my humble opinion, here is how we can do it...

Click here and meet me over at Kingdom Bloggers and I'll share with you a battle strategy to win: http://bit.ly/wJmDIX

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The Voice. Angels pray. demons prey.

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CONTINUED FROM 1.30.12. The Voice. Eternity wears no watch.


Do you remember the post titled: The Voice – I love you? It’s about eight year-old, Ricky, and the moment of his salvation. He heard The Voice call to him and he responded with a quivering lip, and little boy knees hit wet tile floor. Little hands rose toward the man in the clouds. And a little voice whispered, “I love you, too.”


Well, in the Foyer where that story took place there was another story taking place – a story of Angels and demons. Today we continue with that story. So, take hold of the invisible zipper. Unzip the skin of this seen realm, pull back the flap and step through into the unseen realm. You’ll find the scene awaits…



Angel stared at demon. Eternity wears no watch. An eternity passed, as they faced each other. However, only one second clicked, off earth’s clock.


“Sing to me songbird. Remember? We use to sing HIS praise? ” David challenged the demon.


“stop” whimpered the smoldering dribgnos. mad that his name was reversed from songbird to dribgnos – a cursed reminder of his former being… and voice. once upon a time he sang like, well, like his namesake – a songbird. Now his voice sounded like a gravel-pitched, hoarse whisper.”


“How would you like us to change your name? How would you like…um, let’s see, how about – hoarse whisperer?”


dribgnos lifted his eyes and dared to look into David’s. he would like his name changed. maybe not to that, but anything would be better than the constant reminder, of the reversal in his destiny. every time his name was spoke, he had a flash back. one moment he was singing, the next he was stinging. he use to sing to The LORD, and what joy filled every fiber of his being. songbird’s place was right beside lucifer. but – little by little  – lucifer inched away.

songbird liked the way his voice and lucifer's would blend to sing praises to their KING. he liked the sound so much when lucifer started inching away, songbird decided to inch with him. he liked hearing his voice and actually thought for a moment that he might sound a little better than lucifer. he thought he detected a bit of gravel in the otherwise silk voice of heaven's leader of praise.

and then, lucifer announced he was moving to a higher location of heaven. songbird chose to follow. maybe he would become the new worship leader. even when The KING reached out and asked him to stay, he didn’t. three times he was asked to turn around, he wouldn’t. but his name did. everything turned inside out the moment he chose to turn his back on The One True GOD, Creator of the universe.


but now he wouldn’t go back even if he could, he was too bitter, too cold, too angry, too heartless… too dead. just like he hoped his preying would leave Ricky – once he got through weaving his web.

Angels pray, demons prey. Angels sing praise. demons seek preys... Prayers defeat prey-ers – every time.

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** TO BE CONTINUED.

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