Creekmont : New Chapter

When I was in school, report cards were sent home every six weeks. Today was our sixth Sunday service.

Creekmont would get Triple A grades across the board. We are both feeling more and more embraced and connected with our new church family. Mark even helped with the collection yesterday.

Given my journey to Jesus included Rich Mullins, it was wonderful to open our worship with “Awesome God”. Randy read from Psalm 31:24 — “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.”

The hymn we sang was Blessed Assurance.

On the left side of the page was Trust and Obey; on the right was Blessed Assurance.

We then sang I Know a Name, and it just felt like the Lord was weaving something gentle and sure through all of it — obedience, trust, assurance, and the power of His name.

When the sermon began, Shad preached from Matthew, where Jesus speaks about divorce and Leviticus 19. I love that he taught straight from Leviticus.

Something that caught my attention — he said that divorce is like a death, like visiting a funeral home every day. It was a hard truth, but filled with compassion. He reminded us that there’s no “R” branded for “robber,” or “A” marked for “adulterer.”

And right then, the Lord whispered something to my heart:

“The only letters that matter are the ones in red.”

The words of Jesus — those red letters — are what redeem and restore. They don’t label or condemn. They give life.

And I realized something humbling: every letter I’ve ever written that the Lord told me to write — He gave me the words. That’s why those letters reached people and impacted action. It had nothing to do with me, only Him speaking through me.

That reminder was grounding and good. It was one of those days when heaven felt very close.

It was so good, we returned last night to take part in their Fall Festival, despite not getting a much needed nap. When my daughter dropped by unannounced, it was a blessing to visit with her and her boyfriend. That said, it did take our nap time option!

Once we arrived home, I was rather fascinated with learning about Fanny’s life. She was blind and wrote countless hymns under numerous names. I stumbled across a few articles and videos about the stories behind hymns.

This one was so powerful to me, I sent to our pastor, with the request he share with the Worship Leader.

Today, I cleaned out one of the cabinets which must be moved tomorrow or Wednesday. Seeing it completely empty and waiting for us to fill it up again almost feels poetic.

Just as God will remove our dross, it feels like dross is being removed from our business. This is a rebirth and not a death.

That’s how it feels and I am going to embrace it.

Jesús, I could never thank you enough for all you’ve done, all you are doing and all you will do. thank you for letting me rest in your promises. I love you.

I See What You Did There #ISWYDT

Wowza! Praise God for weaving His fingerprint through every number and every nudge. It’s going to take writing this out to get to the first time I ever wrote it in my Bible. The Lord took me straight back to Blue Ridge and how He revealed Himself on 2/3/23 with such power.

I am in complete awe. #ISWYDT

Yesterday, I had an unusual nudge to study “birthday scriptures”. That said, I have not had time to write out the gist of the lesson from my 1:21 and Mark’s 8:19 verses. Only when and if He directs that step do I take it. Suffice it to say there was a ton of meat and honey and much to digest.

In the wee hours today, I was called to calculate our mathematical birthday date difference, “to the hundredth”. It was clear that precision was the point. For almost seven months a year, my age sounds four years older. Precision required me to enter the dates into an online calculator.

Mark and I share a precise age difference of 3.58 years. Of course it is exactly 3.58 years!

The LORD whispered Lamentations 3:58 four days ago to me by making me “consider the source”. How awesome there is only one chapter 3 in the entire Bible with a verse 58. Again, precision. #ISWYDT

This type of confirmation is exciting in and of itself. Imagine feeling that type of a spiritual surge hours before you typically wake.

Wee hour awakenings are unique. There are time he wakes me at 4 am and keeps me up all day. This morning, I crashed hard. Mark knew it and he knows why I now sleep like a baby with My God Pillow.

Thank you, Jesus, for making me write it down two weeks ago today!

When I woke for the day ahead, my son had already left for his job. If Blake were home, I would not have sung to Mark from the balcony. I am to keep that “balcony” reference, as Mark will remember the playful silliness of the day when I shared the song on my heart.

I shared how the Holy Spirit demanded precision on our age difference and it was EXACTLY 3.58 years. Mark remembered us sharing my last post about Lamentations 3:58 this week. I spared him my “plumb line” lesson when he asked about a tape measure. But, that’s what the spirit put on my heart.

Regardless, Mark knew I was giddy as he left to open the store.

I retreated to our bedroom to hang out with my other husband. I opened my Bible to the beginning of Ezra. My handwritten notes were a blessing from Him. In the last two months, I’ve written several related posts I think the most recent one is “Holy Spur” about how God used a pagan king for His purposes.

Joe Rogan may or may not appreciate being in my prayers as I considered how God clearly used Cyrus.

#Yessir! a#ISWYDT

The opening flip to Ezra was beautiful. Still, I had to “flip forward” and the section of pages landed in the heart of Isaiah 30. Wowza!

I still wasn’t to the small book of great Lamentations! The next section flipped to Jeremiah 31, the photo I shared at the beginning of the post. The surge of 2/3/23 is still buzzing in my spirit as I type from my phone.

Of course He landed me in Jeremiah 33:3 before getting me to Lamentations! He is nudging me to note my study Bible at home is an NIV Life Application Study Bible.

It reads “and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know”. #ISWYDT #YESSiR

Divine Humor strikes again! It feels like a Holy “Hide and Seek”game. Some folks bash the NIV Version. I study from several other versions but this is like pouring kerosene on a raging fire! Looking at images of scripture, the nudge to use the “one with hands” was powerful.

That’s exactly what He has done, is doing and will always do. God always listens when we call. The trick is for us to listen to what He says.

Father God, this has been such a joy today, to worship you in spirit and truth. Thank you will always fall short. Thank you for expanding my territory and answering my husband’s prayer. I feel like I keep winning the spiritual lottery with you. I love the work you give me.

When you gave me the assignment of 31 Mats for Jesus, Joy-Jitsu & Joe Rogan, I didn’t question it. Thank you helping me get 31 ready to edit. I hear your call to the expand the 31 to 40 Mats. Thank you for redirecting my steps. Thank you for giving me Lamentations 3:58 so poetically and profoundly.

What an amazing episode in my story with you! Of course you love Numbers.

From the depths of my very soul, I love you. I pray sincerely for all your children to answer their calls. In Jesus mighty name, Amen. 💜✝️💜

All the numeric breadcrumbs leads back to You, Your Word and Your Way, Yahweh!

“I see what You did there.”

Holy Patterns and Presence

I just posted “I See What You Did There #ISWYDT and brought lunch to my husband. Sitting in the shop, I am being completely dazzled by the realization we are approaching three years since the Holy Spirit visited me in Blue Ridge Georgia on 2/3/23.

I just googled and confirmed it was the first Friday of February. The first Friday in February is also National Wear Red Day (heart disease in women) and National Bubblegum Day.

I have survived 57 years of not knowing about either of those First Friday remembrances. I am far more drawn to study First Fruits like Easy Torah explains in this link .

Heaven help me, I can’t locate the story in My God Room. Okay, breathe in “Yah”. Hold. Exhale on “Weh”, slowly. Repeat.

The shortest version possible is that I was on a mission to complete the Boss Mull Family Book, The Holy Spirit planted a powerful seed when I took my husband to Blue Ridge in December 2022. I was nudged hard to correct errors on Ancestry.com and similar sites and provide every family member an accurate digital book of our extended family.

Uncle Dan never celebrated his 57th Birthday.

My assignment was to trace all twelve branches and get approval from the eldest in each branch before sharing the project results. This particular trip was for final edits. I made arrangements to stay at my cousin Marcia &Doug’s home, followed by two nights at Don & Jode’s.

Their dad, Dan Mull, was shot and killed August 20, 1975. I had my dad with me another 34 years before he also went to heaven on August 20, 2009.

I just realized ten days later, my cousins are reminded they lost their brother, Roger, August 30,2001.

Grateful in this moment for Facebook. Something about re-reading the post took me right back to Don & Jode’s guest room. I remember questioning the compulsion to go to my car and grab my Bible. It was late and my cousin has roughly 17 years on me. In my flesh, I would NEVER risk setting off an alarm or waking up such gracious hosts.

Yet, when the Holy Spirit told me to “put on your boots” and trek out to my car in the freezing cold, I was obedient.

What transpired for the next few hours was beyond other-worldly.

That morning’s words—Revival, Redemption, Reconciliation—became a thread that pulls through every “23:23” verse in Scripture.

This is like PTSD in reverse. I am back in their guest room, completely undone in the best of ways. I pray that makes sense to even one person reading this post.

Across the pages of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Matthew, a hidden rhythm emerges:

He goes before.
He speaks.
He protects.
He holds us accountable.
He honors courage.
He values truth.
He draws near.
He exposes betrayal.
He fulfills.

It is the same voice that said, “Go to your room.!!!”

Each “23:23” verse held confirmations of that night’s message. They are proof of divine repetition: God doesn’t just speak; He echoes through time.

Super powerful is the only 23:23 in the New Testament. In awe, I remain.

Together, they form a circle of Presence — the living message of 2/3/23—echoing to the recesses of my heart.

Thank you, Jesus! You put the pen in my shaky hand that night. Woe to the scribes and Pharisees, indeed. I see what you did there. #ISWYDT Or, more accurately, my vision continues to improve, thanks to you. I love you.

Melody and Harmony

I love, love, LOVE when God shows off , especially in our store.

A gentleman walked in with a kind face and a sweet spirit about him, just looking for a particular flavor. That’s all it takes sometime—a spark — and before long I was captivated into hearing tons of cool stories.

I thought I was a music buff. I am, but Kevin is a musical maestro.

I heard stories about how he moved here from Louisiana 42 years ago, though he was adamant in telling me he kept his house in Louisiana, too. He lived in John Prine’s guest house for a year and a half after moving up to Nashville. It makes sense to me those two were as tight as he described.

It was easy to imagine the John at his prime, helping Kevin with his dog at the vet. The way Kevin shared it, he couldn’t read English or sheet music when he moved here. Ronnie Milsap hired him because he read “music by number” and was incredibly forthright in his opinions. He also worked with Sister Hazel and Martina McBride.

Kevin told Ronnie a song wasn’t very good in how it laid out the guitar! He didn’t even realize Ronnie Milsap was blind when they first met.

He told me he’s Cajun through and through, laughing as he described his dog’s name — “Fido,” spelled P-H-I-D-E-A-U-X — because in his words, “I speak 1800s French English”, or something to that effect.

I shared my a bit about my “Loosy-Anna” soul sister, Cassie and my pronouncing “Metairie” incorrectly in Louisiana. He got a chuckle out of it. We talked about marriage, kids, and the funny ways life circles us back to the people and the places we’re meant to meet.

At exactly the moment he was getting ready to leave and I welcomed Miss Patty with my usual smile.
Without missing a beat she returned the smile and said, “You’ll let anybody in here!”

That’s when it hit — she and Kevin were family. Her brother-in-law. They hadn’t seen each other in nearly a year, even though they live just ten minutes apart.

God had other plans today — plans that included a little vape shop, a Blonde Polish Chick and Cajun Kevin and Patty sharing a copious amount of laughter. His ways are higher than ours, always

Because that’s how He moves — through the smallest moments that somehow feel orchestrated, the way only He could.

Thank you, Jesus, for orchestrating this day so beautifully. I sure do love you!

Holy Leverage

The word leverage doesn’t appear in Scripture — but the principle runs through every story where God uses small things to do the impossible.

He is, after all, the God who turns a whisper into a weapon and a single act of faith into a flood of favor.

When Little Becomes Much

In human terms, leverage means using what’s small to move something big.

In God’s terms, it means yielding what’s small so He can move the impossible.

Moses lifted a simple staff — and the Red Sea split.

David swung a stone — and a giant fell.

A widow poured her last drops of oil — and every vessel filled to overflowing.

A boy offered his lunch — and five thousand went home satisfied.

In each moment, the power didn’t rest in what they held, but in the One who held them.

God’s math is different.

One act of obedience outweighs a thousand strategies.

One seed of faith can move a mountain.

He delights in multiplying the little when it’s placed entirely in His hands.

The Spiritual Law of Leverage

Leverage in the Kingdom isn’t manipulation; it’s alignment. Basically, for me, it’s as simple as letting the Creator apply His weight to my obedience.

In Hebrew, words like: חָכְמָה (chokmah) — wisdom, and חֵן (chen) — favor, describe this holy advantage.

Those walking in wisdom and grace move further with less effort — because heaven lends its strength.

In Greek, charis (grace) and dynamis (power) echo the same idea:

That’s divine leverage — when your weakness becomes the very handle God uses to lift the impossible.

A Mirror for Today

We live in a world that prizes human leverage: influence, followers, connections, wealth.

But in God’s kingdom, leverage begins with surrender.

He asks, “What’s in your hand?” (Exodus 4:2) and when we offer it, heaven bends low. We aren’t Moses , but we should all remember the Great I AM who parted the Red Sea. The staff didn’t do it on its own.

How can I offer “what’s in my hand?” Countless ways, even at a shop called Community Vapor.

Godversation is the biggest gift I can offer on a daily basis. Just being present for those who walk through the door. Prayer whispered through tears can be powerful. I couldn’t begin to share all the answered prayers.

Those small moments shift unseen realms. Heaven has always specialized in small beginnings with eternal weight. I can’t stop thinking about “The Hidden Greatness in the Smallest Letter. What a tiny, humble spark 💜✝️💜

And, just like that, my mind is on a mat and my spirit is telling me these lessons are as much for me as they are encouragement for Joe Rogan.

The “31 Mats” are written and each must be prayed over as I edit. Leverage is a big deal in jiu-jitsu and apparently it was a key lesson for me today.

I will learn more, first hand, as my first jiu-jitsu lesson is next Sunday.

River of Love

Quickly after sharing my thoughts on EZE 47:12 and REV 22:2, I got a nudge to ask Chat GPT to create an image of the tree. It was quite a strange nudge. When the image returned, I felt a surge and a reminder of what was written on my own “tree island”.

“Carol, you’re a river of love—-calm, deep and always moving forward.”

When Anna gave me my felt island in early July, I was nudged to use a chalk marker and write PSA 1:3. It made a sense that day but now evolves into a much deeper meaning. My elevated tree and streams from July now makes perfect sense.

This morning, Brother Gary stopped by the shop, and somehow the conversation circled back to the river again — that same one Ezekiel saw, that same one flowing from the throne in Revelation.

He told me about their family vacation on Alabama Shores. He and his wife still pray the rosary together every morning. Last week was different because they prayed it together, out loud on the beach, while facing the rising sun. 

There’s something sacred about a husband and wife speaking faith into the same wind — the marital covenant magnifying every word.  And while they prayed, Gary whispered a simple request: “Lord, if it’s Your will, let us see a dolphin.”

Within ten minutes, the water broke and there it was — a shimmering answer to a small, holy wish. Seeing Gary’s eyes light up like a kid at Christmas was precious.

Later that evening, as the sun slipped behind the horizon, their youngest, little Miss Sadie, looked at the sky and said something to the effect of , “God is an amazing artist.”

Miss Sadie is 100% correct! The same Artist who colored that sky also paints His presence in our ordinary days.  I thought about my own little tree on the island — how it stands between the banks like the tree of life, roots deep in the current, leaves reaching toward the light.

I see God almost everywhere. I can’t lie and say I see Him in everyone. I just do my job and search for Jesus in everyone I meet.

I came back to settle into Psalm 1:3 for the day. Anna did not write Scripture under my island. However, her heart did write the spirit of the matter in different words.

That verse is the echo of everything God placed in my heart and mind today. The righteous tree, the river of life, the healing leaves — they’re all telling the same story: stay close to the Source.  The branch doesn’t force fruit; it just carries what the Vine supplies.

So I sit here with happy tears again, remembering Brother Gary’s dolphin, Miss Sadie’s sunset, and my little tree by the water.  Lord, bring the grandmother peace, as well as Anna and her husband.

The river still flows.

The branches still carry life.

And God — the Artist of sunrises, sunsets, dolphins, healing leaves and everything under the sun—-keeps painting His presence into every moment that stays still long enough to notice.

Thank you, Father God, for sending your son to die for humanity. We surely didn’t deserve such a beautiful gift. Thank you for reminding me who I am to you and in you. I love you.

The River, The Tree and The Branch

This morning, the first word in my ear was “delta”. Wowza, what a lesson that was for me about my constant source! Seamlessly, the next place He took me was the connection He made for me in EZE 47:12 and REV 22:2 last year.

Talk about imagery! There’s a river that begins in the presence of God.

Ezekiel saw it first—water pouring out from beneath the threshold of the temple, turning salt water fresh, bringing life wherever it flowed.  He wrote,

Centuries later, John saw that same river—this time in the New Jerusalem, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

CONSIDER THE SOURCE, YESSIR!! #ISWYDT

Excuse me while I do a happy dance. I heard “consider the source” around March 2024. I only remember it because He tied the message to farm fresh eggs. Just that change to my earthly diet generated 26 pounds of weight loss. When people ask how I’ve lost so much weight, I can honestly say my diet was loaded with bread and water…from Coach Jesus. Praise God, it’s still about 96 pounds which has been circumcised from my body.

The nudges to consider the source of any given thing have been distinct. How did I not realize they were unique in their sameness? They are not identical. It’s a distinct nudge to allow Scripture to soak into me so deeply that it “geeks me out” a pinch.

Both prophets were describing the same thing:

God moving through creation, feeding and healing everything it touches.

And then Jesus said,

Suddenly the vision becomes personal.

That river doesn’t just run beside us—it runs through us.

The same life that flows from the throne now courses through the Vine, into the branches, out into the world.

We don’t generate it; we simply stay connected so it can keep flowing.

The plants, the oils, the leaves—every green thing—is part of that same design.

They don’t compete with the Healer; they reveal Him.

They remind us that His restoration still moves through the natural world, that grace is as tangible as sap in a stem.

So I sit here quietly, realizing:

I’m just a branch, but I know where the Source flows from.

And if I stay attached, the same living water that makes the leaves heal and the fruit nourish will keep moving through me too—

for His glory, and for the healing of others.

Thank you, Jesus!

Holy Harmony of 6:29

Sometimes the Lord weaves a thread so delicate you almost miss it — until He pulls it tight enough to show the pattern. Chapter 6, verse 29. Over and over again, in book after book, He whispers the same truth about community, unity, peace, and love.

Here’s the kicker. This is because He put an old MySpace memory clearly in my dreams and I wrote about it yesterday. In that post, there was a photo of a USA Weekend article from 2006 which mentions 629 people signed on to be a part of our Make a Difference Day “We Are One” project.

Always, always, ALWAYS, I check out any word or idea as it appears in the Bible. As giddy as I was with Exodus 6:29 being where God tells Moses to speak to Pharaoh, my spirit danced with 2 Chronicles 6:29.

Still, after exploring other 6:29’s in Leviticus, 1 Kings, Job and Jeremiah, I found myself far giddier with the New Testament 6:29 themes working together in such a mighty way.

In Matthew 6:29, Jesus points to the lilies — silent teachers dressed in glory beyond Solomon’s. They neither strive nor spin, yet they’re fully cared for. That’s peace. That’s the calm that settles when we trust our Father to clothe every need.

In Mark 6:29, the disciples of John gather his body and lay it in a tomb. It’s a verse of grief, yet it glows with loyalty and love — a community standing together even when hope feels buried.

In Luke 6:29, we’re told to turn the other cheek and hand over the tunic. It feels impossible until you realize He’s inviting us into radical love — the kind that refuses to let hatred multiply.

In John 6:29, Jesus defines the only real “work” worth doing: believe in the One He sent. Faith becomes the heartbeat that unites us all — not what we earn, but Whom we trust.

So, yes, my spirit does a little jig (and sometimes a cartwheel) in the Old Testament, because 2 Chronicles 6:29 gathers it all together in prayer: “Whatever prayer, whatever supplication … each knowing his own affliction … stretching out his hands toward this house.” It’s the picture of a people reaching upward together, bound by mercy, not perfection.

Across centuries and covenants, God keeps painting the same picture — His people resting, mourning, forgiving, believing, and praying together.

So if your heart is anxious, bruised, or tired of the noise, find your footing in the 6:29 thread.
Breathe with the lilies.
Stand beside the grieving.
Turn the other cheek.
Believe again.
Lift your hands with others.

That’s how Heaven’s harmony sounds — one body, one faith, one love.

And, just like THAT, I need to accept the nudge to send my “one love” Musician Matt, a little note of encouragement.

May you let the S-O-N S-H-I-N-E in, too. Oh, sweet Jesus, how could I ever thank you or praise you enough? I’ll keep “singing with the angels, 24-7”, as you encouraged me with “Monday Morning Faith” by SEU Worship. Thank you for how you write the melody in my life….and teach me YOUR WAY, Yahweh. What a blessing to feel in harmony with you.

Hebrew Study Words

This week has been a huge Holy Spirit love fest for me. Several times, I have been forced awake in the fourth watch, around 4:30 a.m. As a result, I have multiple lists and internet searches and countless screen shots. It is uncanny how often He has had me post something in My God Room here, only to confirm it through another person or experience within 24 hours.

When His Timing reveals itself to me, it’s always “go time”. The past 48 hours have been studying jiu-jitsu and letting prayer bring His Purpose into focus for me. It’s an exciting time, no doubt!

Several Godversations this past week have all pointed to my “Torah study season” and how the Holy Spirit put my focus on His Land and His People. I’ve shared how He gave me dreams of millstones and words that didn’t make sense to me at the time…only to learn they were very important Hebrew words.

Recently, some other Hebrew word studies have been highly spirited. Perhaps as a result, I was directed to look at the most common Hebrew Words. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit is redirecting any Hebrew Studies to be focused on this list of more spiritually important words, generated by a computer.

When His Timing so dictates, I will link any prior posts back to this master list. It’s both humbling and exciting that I KNOW more than half these terms have already been given to me to study by Rabbi Jesus, himself! There is no “YADA” on this list and that is okay. When YHVH directed me to John 17:3 and taught me the truth of the importance of having a YADA (intimate knowing) relationship with God and a YADA relationship with Jesus, I know why He etched that lesson into my soul. I believe several Hebrew words that are NOT on this computer-generated list that I have written about are more important for me.

Why are some Hebrew words more important to me?

That’s a fair question. Simply put, they are more important for me is because He gave them to me.

For now, I am going to respond by letting my yes be my yes, period. I am sharing the list and marking the spot.

Thank you, Jesus!

🌿 Top 25 Foundational Hebrew Words & Concepts in Scripture

#Hebrew Word (Transliteration)Root / MeaningSpiritual or Theological Significance
1יהוה (YHWH)“I AM” / The Eternal OneGod’s covenant name; self-existent, unchanging, faithful. (Exodus 3:14)
2אֱלֹהִים (Elohim)God, CreatorMajestic plural emphasizing divine power and authority. (Genesis 1:1)
3אָדָם (Adam)Man, humankindFrom “adamah” (earth); represents humanity’s creation and fall.
4חֵטְא (Chet)Sin, missing the markLiterally “to miss the target”; failure to live according to God’s holiness.
5תְּשׁוּבָה (Teshuvah)Return, repentanceTurning back to God in heart and action; root of salvation.
6כָּפַר (Kaphar)To cover, atoneThe root of Kippur (as in Yom Kippur); covering sin through sacrifice.
7בְּרִית (Berit)CovenantA binding promise between God and His people, sealed in blood.
8דָּם (Dam)BloodSymbol of life; life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11); essential for atonement.
9רוּחַ (Ruach)Spirit, breath, windThe Spirit of God, giving life and empowerment. (Genesis 1:2)
10נֶפֶשׁ (Nefesh)Soul, living beingThe whole self — body, mind, and spirit united as one life.
11לֵב (Lev)HeartThe center of thought, will, and emotion; where God writes His law.
12צֶדֶק / צְדָקָה (Tzedek / Tzedakah)Righteousness, justiceRight standing with God; fairness, mercy, and obedience.
13חֶסֶד (Chesed)Lovingkindness, steadfast loveCovenant loyalty — God’s faithful, enduring mercy.
14שָׁלוֹם (Shalom)Peace, wholenessMore than absence of war; completeness, harmony, right relationship.
15יְשׁוּעָה (Yeshuah)Salvation, deliveranceRoot of the name Yeshua (Jesus); God’s act of saving and restoring.
16מָשִׁיחַ (Mashiach)Anointed one, MessiahThe promised deliverer, anointed to bring redemption.
17אֱמוּנָה (Emunah)Faith, faithfulnessSteadfast trust in God; active loyalty, not just belief.
18תּוֹרָה (Torah)Instruction, lawGod’s revealed teaching — guidance for holy living.
19דָּבָר (Davar)Word, matter, thingGod’s spoken Word that creates, commands, and reveals.
20אוֹר (Or)LightSymbol of God’s presence, truth, and revelation (Genesis 1:3).
21שַׁבָּת (Shabbat)Rest, ceaseGod’s sacred rhythm of rest and relationship; covenantal sign.
22צָעַק (Tsa’aq)Cry outThe desperate cry of the oppressed that God hears and answers.
23אֲהָבָה (Ahavah)LoveDeep, covenantal love rooted in commitment and sacrifice.
24קָדוֹשׁ (Kadosh)Holy, set apartGod’s nature; what He calls His people to be.
25עֵד (Ed)Witness, testimonyThe call to bear witness to God’s truth and covenant faithfulness.

✨ Patterns to Notice

  • Many key words connect through blood, breath, and covenantDam, Ruach, Berit — all threads of divine relationship.
  • Words like Chesed, Emunah, and Tzedek shape the moral core of Hebrew faith: mercy, trust, and justice.
  • The heartbeat of salvation runs through Chet → Teshuvah → Kaphar → Yeshuah → Mashiach.

SPUR: Holy Friction

There is an old joke at home that I shouldn’t speak before coffee. Well, this morning, I was nudged hard to share the word God put on my heart as I was waking.

“I need to look up the word spur. I used it yesterday when I was writing — ‘I was spurred to…’ — and I feel like there’s something in it.”

Mark went to retrieve our coffee and I entered a quick query into my phone.

Praise God for technology, especially when it is used to draw you closer to Father God!

The Spirit doesn’t waste a single word.

He uses even our “odd phrasing” to draw us deeper into His language. Spur? I knew there were no cowboys in The Bible. I had made a Cowboys joke with the request. What I found is too beautiful to not share.

“Spur” only presents itself directly in Hebrews:

Greek Word Study — παροξυσμός (paroxysmos)

The word spur in Hebrews 10:24 comes from the Greek παροξυσμός (paroxysmos).

It combines para (“beside”) and oxys (“sharp, keen, pointed”).

Literally, it means “a sharpening alongside.”

It’s where we get our English paroxysm — a sudden burst or intensity. Interesting to me that upon a 2025 definition, it’s predominantly a negative word. You can have a paroxysm of joy, but it appears to be an uncommon use.

In biblical context, it means a holy stirring — a sharp urging that awakens love into motion.

To spur one another on is to sharpen each other’s spirits until love breaks into action.

This isn’t a soft encouragement; it’s holy friction.

The kind of friendship that stirs, not soothes — that provokes us toward holiness, not comfort.

 The Companion Word — παρακαλέω (parakaleō)

The Apostle Paul uses a softer word for encouragement in 1 Thessalonians 5 : 11

Here, encourage comes from παρακαλέω (parakaleō) — to come alongside and call forth courage.

It’s the same root as Paraclete — the name Jesus gave the Holy Spirit. Oh, how I love telling everyone about my “pair of cleats”. 😇

It rests on my heart like beautiful tension: :

παροξυσμός (paroxysmos) — the sharp spur that awakens.

παρακαλέω (parakaleō) — the gentle voice that steadies.

The Spirit does both — He stirs and steadies, awakens and anchors.

Biblical Context

  • Acts 15:39: Here, paroxysmos describes the “sharp disagreement” that led Paul and Barnabas to separate. 
  • Hebrews 10:24: The word is used positively to encourage believers to “provoke one another (SPUR) to love and good deeds”. 

To be fair, looking at the “negative” conflict, I see His Hand using that conflict to spread the Gospel. Even Google says: “This separation, though born from conflict, ultimately allowed for the expansion of the Gospel to different regions. “.

Hebrew roots?

While spur doesn’t appear as a direct word in Hebrew, its heartbeat pulses through the verbs of divine awakening. I will dive deeper into these when called to do so.

עוּר (ʿur)

Root meaning: to rouse, awaken, stir up, arouse oneself, incite, awaken into consciousness.

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia.” — Ezra 1 : 1

Super fun to see it doubled for emphasis in Isa 52:1.

This is ʿur twice — doubled for emphasis. It feels like a prophetic cry of restoration: “Wake up, dress in holiness, remember who you belong to!”

גָּרָה (garah)

Root meaning: to stir up, to excite, to provoke, to contend, to awaken into action

“Begin to provoke him to battle.” — Deut 2 : 24

שׁוּב (shuv)

Root meaning: to turn back, return, restore, bring back, repent.

“Turn us again, O God, and cause Thy face to shine.” — Ps 80 : 3

Of those three roots, my heart “moves to “shoove”, the pronunciation of shuv. This single root appears more than 1,000 times in the Hebrew Bible — more than any other verb of movement. It defines the very nature of repentance (teshuvah in Hebrew — literally “a returning”).

Everywhere this concept of “the Hebrew Spur” appears, the rhythm feels like “yield, awaken, MOVE!”

Awakening — The Spirit stirs (Ezra 1:1).

Sharpening — Community provokes one another to love (Hebrews 10:24).

Encouraging — The Spirit strengthens (1 Thess 5:11).

Surrender opens the door and the spur moves the feet. If Father God likes nudging me with the spur of His glorious cowboy boot spur, I am here for it. Thank you, Jesus!

Love in Truth and Action

To be spurred by God isn’t about being pressured — it’s about being prompted.

It’s the divine nudge that says it’s time to take action and move.

Maybe it’s time to forgive.

Maybe it’s time to serve.

Maybe it’s time to baptize, build, speak, or go.

Whatever the direction or action, the source is always the same. I love my internal GPS…God’s Perfect Son. I love these lessons which are anchoring my heart and spirit all the more to His Word.

I was spurred to study “spur” before coffee. I flipped to Numbers 14 and have been processing it most of the day. My Matthew 28:30 blanket at the shop had me singing a new song all day.

Father God,
Stir me awake with Your holy spur.
Sharpen my heart where it has grown dull
,
and provoke me to love that acts and gives and moves
.

When I hesitate, remind me that the same Spirit who stirs me also strengthens me.

Spur me on, Lord — to love and good works. Thank you for washing me clean every morning and teaching me so tenderly with gusto. I am yours. Please keep the boot spur on my hind quarters, if necessary. In Jesus name, Amen.