Tag: god

River of Love

On By mygodroomIn gratitude, Isaiah, obedienceLeave a comment

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

On By mygodroomIn Isaiah, obedience, WooLeave a comment

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

On By mygodroomIn blessings, gratitude, music, obedience, Woo, YHVHLeave a comment

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.

Divine Humor: Lois Hat Trick

On By mygodroomIn gratitude, obedience, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I would call it “Tricked by Tverberg”, if not for a world which would misread it.

My friend, Lois, keeps popping up, like she did October 2 and October 16. Come on, how many Christian rappers are out there dropping lyrics about Marty Solomon and Lois Tverberg, correctly pronouncing her name?

Only God weaves everything together for His Good Purposes.

I love, love, LOVE reading Lois’ newsletter for Jewish Jewels and utilizing her En-Gedi Resource Center in my studies. She is such a treasure trove of knowledge. Good knowledge. I wrote about Lois and the rapper on October 2 and the very next night, the newsletter was like a hug from Jesus in her words, and His.

The latest in the Lois Hat Trick is she shared a posted meme that purported to be from C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters. It read:

I was clearly happy to learn John Cleese did the audio book. 🤣. There was a precious evening nearly two years ago when I watched Monty Python’s The Life of Brian with my husband. I’d love to hear Cleese’ s delivery.

I digress. It happens.

The large percentage of those commenting telling Lois Tverberg, of all people, to delete a “false” post, struck me as odd. The truth police are interesting to me, especially those purporting to understand His Truth.

Good thing I have been trained to bless and not curse anyone on the internet! It is amazing how simply choosing to bless those who make questionable comments actually blesses me.

Praise God, through Lois’ actions, I learned a great lesson in how to correct oneself, and others. She posted a follow up for clarification with astounding grace and kindness.

The Screwtape Letters (1942) are well known. For those who don’t get the reference, The author, C.S. Lewis, imagines letters from “Uncle Screwtape” (a senior devil) to his younger nephew Wormwood, advising how to lead “the Patient” away from the Enemy (God).  He dedicated the book to JRR Tolkien for leading him to Jesus.

The irony is the reality that Tolkien thought the book too simple and Lewis should have matured in his faith before publishing. I’m fairly certain the Master of the Universe blessed the book beyond measure. The book was an instant hit in the middle of WWII.

One of the central themes is to keep “the patient” focused on external systems, on the faults of others. Distraction is the enemy’s game. The goal for the distraction is to prevent humans from turning inward and cultivating virtue, character, or any other good thing.

The meme may not quote Lewis word-for-word, but the insight is deeply Lewisian: the temptation is often to fixate on what’s outside us (the “broken system”) and ignore the inner life.

As I sit with Lois, Lewis and Tolkien on my brain with the Holy Spirit dancing a jig, I am giddy.

Just as every prior stitch connects to the next, l am blown away to to learn that in February 2025 Cleese jabbed at Joe Rogan online. Rogan’s response mere weeks later was to share an old 1987 clip of John Cleese waxing poetically about Extremism.

John Cleese publicly critiqued institutional religion, extremism and loss of humor in the full five minute clip. What Joe Rogan posted of John Cleese sounded much like our current “nastier , harsher atmosphere everywhere.”

Lewis published in 1941 and Cleese’s prophetic words were recorded in 1987. I just think it’s super cool for Joe Rogan to be amplifying those same words in 2025. It feels like Joe might have been nudged to point out the same pattern of distraction, division, and spiritual danger we encounter today. #ISWYDT

What are my take aways today?

Oh, so many! I just came to finish this post and learned Cleese never did the audio book! Of course, I felt called to correct my error. But, I still love, love LOVE how Lois, Cleese and Rogan each remain a part of His Lesson for me today.

Everything is still connected by His Hand.

Cleese reminds us that satire can wake us up. Rogan sharing something from roughly 38 years ago proves truth remains truth over time. I pray it woke millions up from their spiritual slumber.

I believe the ability to laugh at ourselves can become a spiritual discipline. It has certainly made me much more loving to the Blonde Polish Chick God created me to be. I struggled many decades with not truly being able to laugh at myself, much less love myself.

The primary takeaway today is fairly simple.

Thank you, Jesus, for teaching me: “Be mindful of fixation; focus on virtue and character, knowing God says laughter is good medicine.”

Lamentations 3:58

On By mygodroomIn gratitude, obedienceLeave a comment

Hours ago, I was nudged to consider the source in a different aspect. This whole message of “consider the source” started with His direction to remove store bought eggs from my body in March 2024.

Since then, He has directed me to uncover other types of sources. Of course, all such roads lead back to our ultimate source. 💜✝️💜

After much prayer, it was clear I am to acknowledge the Joe Rogan Experience episode number where Chadd Wright was the guest. I’ve written several posts about it and never included the number.

It is episode 2358. Of course it is. I mean, seriously. Divine humor is a real thing and this one just bopped me over the noggin in the sweetest way.

It’s funny how God plants ideas.

Since May 8, He’s been talking to me about double portions—about seeing everything in twos: two callings, two perspectives, two people becoming one. So today, when I was nudged to “take the two away,” I did.  I looked for a verse 3 : 58 instead of 23 : 58—and discovered that only one exists in all of Scripture.

I’ve written more than once how Lamentations always brings me to deep weeping. I think Jeremiah would be an INFJ in personality terms.

That’s when I found this hidden gem.

Lamentations 3 : 58 is more than poetry. In Hebrew it reads:

“Rabta Adonai rivei nafshi ga’alta chayyay.”

You have pleaded, Lord, the causes of my soul; You have redeemed my life.

Each word glows with meaning.

Rabta / riv — to contend, to argue a case, to stand in court for someone.

Ga’alta — to redeem, to buy back what was lost.

Chayyay — my life, my breath, my whole being.

In one breath, God becomes both Advocate and Redeemer.

He doesn’t just defend me; He purchases my freedom.

He pleads the case of my soul and then pays the cost Himself.

When Jeremiah wrote these words, the city was gone and hope seemed finished. Yet right there, in verse 58, grace walked into the courtroom.

The gospel is very much in the ashes of Lamentations.

Maybe that’s why this verse is the only one of its kind in the Bible:

the only place where both “plead” (riv) and “redeem” (ga’al) stand together.

It’s as if Heaven whispered, “Pay attention—this is personal.”

So today, I’m listening.

I’m letting this truth settle over me like peace after a storm:

The Lord Himself has argued my case and the verdict is grace. The ransom was paid and my life has been redeemed. It’s far more about intimacy than any theology.

And I think that’s exactly what He wanted me to see when He told me to consider the source and properly identify Episode 2358.

If I was a jiu-jitsu expert, I might cringe at “Joy-Jitsu”. Since I am NOT an expert, I rely on GrandMaster Jesus.

He says he made me a cheerleader and a coach. It’s been a fun correction so I will leave with the Blonde Polish Chick ‘a perspective on what a Joy-Jitsu Coach might say on the mat.

“When accusation corners you, remember who’s in your corner. Your Defender never loses a case.”

☀️Joy-Jitsu

What a glorious morning! Thank you, Jesus! .

.

Hebrew Study Words

On By mygodroomIn blessings, gratitude, obedience, YHVHLeave a comment

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 covenant — Dam, 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.

Prayer for Joe

On By mygodroomIn obedience, prayerLeave a comment

Father God, always I’m before You in praise and thanksgiving. And we’re not gonna overcomplicate this—I’ve already praised You out loud today, and now I just need to share what’s on my heart.

I know You’ve put Joe Rogan on my heart for a reason that is way beyond me. You’ve taught me more about jiu-jitsu in the last couple of days than I could possibly imagine.

Thank You for showing me the similarities, the language, and the beauty of discipline that mirrors discipleship. Thank You for reminding me that it’s Your timing and not ours, Lord—that You are the one who draws hearts, layer by layer, not by force but by love.

Father, I genuinely believe You’ve used this art, this language of movement and humility, to prepare Joe’s spirit to recognize You. Thirty years of training, thirty years of submission and patience—it’s been a sermon in motion, preached in a language he understands.

So I’m asking, in the quiet power of Your Spirit, that You continue to meet him where he is—on the mat, in conversation, in stillness. Let him sense that the discipline he has honored all these years is leading him to the Master who authored it.

Please, remove every barrier of pride or misunderstanding, and replace it with wonder and peace.

Let him encounter You, Lord—not through argument, not through religion, but through revelation. Let him see that the red belt of mastery he has likely pursued all his life is just a reflection of the scarlet thread of salvation You’ve already woven for him.

Bless him with clarity of spirit and softness of heart. Use the people around him—friends, guests, moments of awe—to speak Your truth in ways that only You can arrange.

When the moment is right, let him know beyond doubt that it’s You, and that You’ve been with him every step, every roll, every breath.

In the mighty name of Jesus—the true Grandmaster of grace—Amen💜✝️💜

With Joy You Will Draw

On By mygodroomIn gratitude, Isaiah, obedience, prayerLeave a comment

I don’t even know how I ended up on it. One moment I was praying through my notes, feeling the familiar swirl of “Lord, is this from You?” and the next, I was reading Lois Tverberg’s article — “With Joy You Will Draw Water from the Wells of Salvation.”

And I just sat there… undone.

For weeks now, He’s been speaking to me in water language — wellspring, pouring out, vessels, the Jesus jug. My roots have been washed clean and yet I do not feel naked.


I’ve written about it, felt it, lived it. But suddenly, this ancient truth — this joy of drawing — came alive in a new way.

🜂 The Source

That phrase “with joy” caught me. It doesn’t say with striving or with fear that the well might be empty. It’s joy in the drawing — joy that assumes there’s something already waiting beneath the surface.

God’s salvation isn’t a cup we sip once and set down. It’s a well. Deep, living, replenishing.
And when I go to draw from it, I’m not begging for water — I’m celebrating the Source.

⸻

🜃 The Vessel

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my “Jesus jug.”
It’s just a symbol, but it’s become a precious reminder to me that I am simply a vessel.

Paul said, “We have this treasure in jars of clay” (2 Cor. 4:7).

That means what’s valuable isn’t the jug — it’s what’s inside. And when I pour it out in love, prayer, or story, He fills it again.

Pouring isn’t losing.
Pouring is proof that I’ve been filled.

⸻

🜄 The Pouring

Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me… out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37–38)

That river language — flowing out — keeps returning to me.
When the Spirit moves, He doesn’t pool up; He pours. And everything He touches grows.

I’ve realized that when I write, speak, or even weep in obedience, that’s water flowing.
My job isn’t to manage the current — just to stay open.

⸻

🜁 The Drawing

This is where discernment comes in.
“How do I know if it’s from God?” I’ve asked that so many times.

The answer He keeps whispering is simple: joy.
Joy is the signature of living water. Not giddiness — but that deep peace, that exhale of knowing He’s here.

If it drains life, it’s not from Him.
If it restores life, it’s the well.

⸻

🜅 The Overflow

Jesus told the woman at the well, “The water I give will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

That means at some point, you stop drawing and start overflowing, in theory.

I think that’s what’s been happening lately — my well isn’t just for me anymore. It’s spilling into places I didn’t even know were thirsty: conversations, family moments, even this blog.

The joy of salvation doesn’t stay hidden in the ground. It rises.

⸻

🕊 The Call — Give the Garden Away

The other day, He woke me with the words: “Give the garden away.”

It is more like than this spiritual garden He has tenderly watered with my tears, His pruning, and His promise. It’s not about “me”, only the relationship I have with Jesus.

And now He’s saying: share it.
Pour it out.
Let others taste and see.

Father God, please control the spigot!

⸻

💦 The Reminder

Water.
Joy.
Drawing.
Pouring.
Overflowing.
Giving away.

It’s all one movement — His Spirit in us.

So today, I’m lifting my little Jesus jug again and drawing from the wells of salvation — with joy.
Because He never stops filling.
And I never stop needing Him

When Women Say Yes to God

On By mygodroomIn blessings, obedience, Uncategorized1 Comment

Is the title of a book geared toward women of faith by Lisa Terkeurst.

Over a year ago, the Lord put The Amazing Race into our purview. After consuming many seasons over several months, I thought He wanted me to write a book about “the TRUE Spirit of The Amazing Race”. As a result, I befriended quite a few former contestants.

It would be and could still become a fantastic book. Still, it felt clear when had me pivot from the project last winter. Pause, Carol. Pause here.

Two women, in particular, kept showing up when I would open Facebook. One was a participant on TAR with her husband and the other the wife/mom of a popular Father/Daughter team. I was drawn to the Father Daughter duo for many reasons.

Five days ago, Kathy posted super sweet encouragement about a study book.

The book arrived Friday. I didn’t open it until after church on Sunday and completed meal prepping for the week ahead. When I finally sat down in exhaustion, every page whispered “yes, yes, YES and AMEN!

Mrs. Pauletta is married to the pastor and it was sweet confirmation when she messaged me back.

Since Sunday, everything has been aligning like steppingstones across a river. What felt like a single nudge has become a path. He’s showing me that obedience opens clarity; that saying yes unlocks the next assignment.

So I’m resting in that yes — the same yes that began in Eden, was redeemed at Calvary, and now blooms again in this season of surrender.

Truly blown away at how this is laid out in her book in the second chapter, the one we should be reviewing in a few weeks.

  1. Does what I’m hearing line up with Scripture?
    All week, He’s been pointing me back to His Word — not just a verse here or there, but a tapestry of truth connecting Genesis to Revelation. The garden, the fall, redemption — all of it confirming what I heard in that quiet 4:30 a.m. nudge: “Give the garden away.”
  2. Is it consistent with God’s character?
    Every time I test the whisper, I see His kindness woven through it. He doesn’t rush or condemn. He invites.
  3. Is it being confirmed through other messages?
    Yes — through sermons, songs, and even the words of friends who didn’t know what I was praying. Through you, Lord, arranging divine appointments and holy timing.
  4. Is it beyond me?
    Absolutely. I could never orchestrate what You’re unfolding. That’s how I know it’s Yours.
  5. Would it please God?
    When the answer births peace, not pride — that’s when I know. It helps that I feel delightful when He is most likely delighted. 💜✝️💜

Thank you, Jesus.

SPUR: Holy Friction

On By mygodroomIn Isaiah, marriage, obedience, YHVH2 Comments

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.