The Bible gives such specific instructions for how to build the Ark — 300 cubits long, 50 wide, and 30 high. Those same proportions are used in modern shipbuilding today, a perfect ratio for stability in rough waters. I recall learning that factoid from my husband before our first cruise more than a decade ago.
Noah was not a shipbuilder or a naval engineer. The only way he could have known is if God told him — and He did.
That realization still gives me chills. It’s a reminder that the Word of God is not symbolic guesswork or ancient myth — it’s precision. It’s revelation. God whispered into human hands the wisdom to build something that could withstand the storm.
Sometimes I wrestle with whether certain kinds of knowledge are “good” or “godly.” But then I remember — godly knowledge always points me back to awe, back to Him. It humbles me. It makes me look at the world and say, “Only God.”
I see what You did there! #ISWYDT
When I see that the same ratio used for Noah’s Ark is still guiding shipbuilders today, I can’t help but worship. The God who gave Noah blueprints for salvation is the same God who steadies me when waters rise.
“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” — Proverbs 25:2
I woke up this morning thinking about Ezer—that beautiful Hebrew word often translated as “helper.” Most people think of Ezer as “wife,” but that’s only how it’s used twice in Genesis.
Every other time, Ezer refers to the Lord Himself—coming in for battle, coming to rescue, coming to stand beside.
And right now, it feels like I’ve been in a battle. Closing this door, moving on—it’s a lot of work.
The art we commissioned seven years ago came off the walls and more furniture was moved. Plus, the cabinets are emptied or ready to be emptied tomorrow. God blessed me with a husband who understands how to get things done and he made two trips today.
Today, some human emotion took its toll, and I cried. God has done so very much in our Smyrna store. The tears were from gratitude more than anything else. Through the tears, I kept praising God. I kept singing, “I love You, Lord, for all You’ve done, for what You’re doing, and for what’s to come.”
I’ve been singing that through tears for a long time now, and it still breaks something open in me every time. I know this is part of the grieving process. I know we’re doing the right thing by closing this chapter, and I don’t have any bad feelings—just the deep ache of letting go.
But each time the tears came, I took them straight to Jesus. And every single time, that’s what stopped them. Praise the Lord.
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.
Wowza! I have so many notes on a beautiful lesson regarding the Hebrew Words for power. I am entirely too giddy to share about “koach” at this time.
Koach (כֹּחַ) —- Capacity, potential —-Energy within
Gevurah (גְּבוּרָה) —-Might, discipline—-Energy in action
The third word used in Hebrew associated with power is:
Oz (עֹז)—- Fortified joy and steady strength which means the energy is at rest and there is peace in the power.
With my maiden name being Oszczakiewicz, there are many in our family who use “Oz” as a tool to identify themselves. My heart surgeon cousin goes by Doctor Oz to make things easier for his patients.
So, to honor “both of my fathers”, I am jotting down some thoughts on the Hebrew Oz.
It feels like Jesus is playing tag with me. Of course there is not one Hebrew word for power.
Divine humor—- a trinity of words required to gain deeper understanding. #ISWYDT
My heart is pitter-pattering over the 22 Hebrew Living Letters. Human DNA carries our genetic code. Hebrew letters carry so much depth and so much heart. It’s beautiful how the Holy Spirit spurred me into learning any Hebrew.
Since the time He began teaching me words “here and there”, my relationship with Jesus has grown exponentially. What I felt during this particular study was otherworldly.
The point isn’t to learn a language or be an academic about it. The point, for me, is to linger over His Word and receive whatever He wants to teach me. When He nudges me, I hunt down everything I can in His Language.
The lessons are deeper and more meaningful in the Hebrew. They simply are.
The word עֹז (Oz) means strength, but not the kind that clenches its fists. It is the kind of strength you need to trust, praise, pray or worship no matter your circumstances.
When the Hebrew says “He is my Oz,” it paints the image of a deer on a cliff edge — light, balanced, fearless.
It presents as sure-footed strength, total confidence and trust in God. This power is not about brute force.
My earthly father exhibited this type of trust and confidence when he was still with us.
It’s actually extra sweet to me to consider the nickname my father went my — Oscar. The meaning is derived from words for “Gods spear” and “friend of deer”. My folks had a home on seven acres and they loved all the deer which visited their property.
Deers will always make me think of Daddy and Our Father in Heaven.
I will close with another Oz reference in Scripture. I love, love, LOVE Nehemiah.
Joy and Oz belong together. Joy is the energy that steadies your step; Oz is the peace that lets you laugh and keep walking.
Maybe that’s why my heart dances when I see the word, Oz, in the Hebrew. My spirit recognizes His Power and something even in just studying the Hebrew language steadies my own stride.
New dances. New songs.
It feels like I am a deer, leaping with joy and yet incredibly sure-footed.
For several years, anytime a word pops in my head, I just Google “XYZ word in The Bible”. It’s been a fun way for the Holy Spirit to teach me.
It’s been super interesting to search His Word for jiu-jitsu terminology.
There’s a quiet wisdom in learning how far to stand from the world and how close to stand with God.
The Bible may never use the phrase “distance management,” but its pages are filled with lessons on when to draw near and when to step back.
Jesus Himself modeled this perfectly.
He loved the crowds—but often withdrew from them. He walked with twelve—but shared His deepest moments with three.
And when He needed to hear the Father clearly, He went alone to the mountains to pray. (Luke 5:16)
Distance, in His hands, was not disconnection. It was discernment.
Proverbs offers practical balance applications.
All relationships have a rhythm, even friendship. Love tends to breathe best when there is space for oxygen between hearts.
Abraham was called to leave his homeland so that he could find his promise. (Genesis 12:1)
Paul wrote of being “separate” not to reject others, but to protect holiness. (2 Corinthians 6:17)
Proverbs 4:23 tells us,
Maybe distance management is simply what heaven calls balance—the rhythm of approach and retreat,
The gift of meekness is separate from the holy art of knowing when to speak and when to stay silent,
Conversely, there are times to be in crowds and opportunities to slip away to pray.
Seems in jiu-jitsu, you learn that distance determines control.
Too close and you’re vulnerable. Too far and you lose connection.
But the right space—disciplined, measured, and aware—creates strength, peace, and posture.
So maybe “distance management” is not about walls at all.
It’s about alignment.
Keeping God close, keeping peace within reach, and keeping chaos far enough away that it cannot pull you off balance.
Maybe there were several reasons Jesus had me doing cartwheels at 57 all summer. I always felt it was to encourage others and make them smile. They made many people smile in many different places.
In this moment, it feels like they also served to remind me when I am in balance with Him, anything is possible. That’s how it feels today.
Thank you, Jesus. I sure do love you. Today has been a big moving day for the store and Your moving my perspective is everything in this moment.
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 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!
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.
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—
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.
My God Room 