Today, I took an old friend who has cancer for lunch, before coming to work. Pondering his current circumstances has made it a prayer FULL day. When Miss Kelly shared about a certain gossiping aide, I encouraged her to pray for her and bless her. Her instant reception to that response proved to be confirmation.
Within minutes of her leaving, I caught a triple confirmation. Some days, God is so beautifully present, I am in awe. Today has been such a day.
Thank you, Jesus.
I posted this to my Facebook around noon today:
Lecrae was not on my bingo card of new music. I learned who he was maybe two weeks ago because I heard HillSong’s acoustic version of “This is Living” on the radio. Searching for the version I heard, I noticed he was on the 2015 release. I am in a season where I prefer the acoustic version, but I knew his name.
Low and behold, my friend, Lois Tverberg, posted a fun story about meeting Lecrae last night. I learned Lecrae’s latest, “My Story” has a great shout out to her and Marty Solomon, the gentleman in this video with Lecrae. He pronounces her name PERFECTLY in a rap song! 💕
Rather than share Lois’ post, I was nudged to see if there were any videos with Lecrae talking to either Marty or Lois. I found this from six months ago and it blew me away how they discussed deconstruction as a tool for reconstruction. Marty explains CHIASMS used in writing scriptures in a digestible mannner. Exciting stuff, really!
Wherever YOU may be in your own faith journey, there is great wisdom and insight shared in this video. I love, love LOVE Marty’s metaphor about Eastern/Western scripture understanding and piano playing. The chords are crucial, but the melody is necessary, too. May it bless you, should you choose to listen. 💜✝️💜
The video I linked was this one:
The whole truth is far bigger than what I posted to the world on Facebook. You see, a little over one week ago, that song came on the radio as I was driving to work. Specifically, Tuesday, September 23 at 9:48 am, according the date and time stamp. I was nudged to wait for the song name and only now hear it was not in the lyrics recorded
When I opened the shop, I remember searching for the song and learning Lecrae was on the original release a decade ago. I enjoyed his rapping in that version, but the electrónica dance vibe of the song, as a whole, just isn’t my spiritual jam. The acoustic version which moved me on the way to work is the one I downloaded.
The thing which speaks loudest to me in the above video is my sideways cross. The entire story of how I came to have two very different crosses replays in my heart as I type this from my phone. I was shocked I could even switch out my necklaces without my husband’s help last week.
I must praise Him for His glorious nudges to me. The one last week was intense. So intense, I had to at least attempt to put the “right necklace” on . 💜✝️💜
I had dinner with Joyce that Tuesday evening. We shared wonderful Godversation, as we always do. The following morning, as I was driving to work, I was nudged equally as hard to talk to Jesus. So, I turned my radio off, as one does. My phone was not connected to my car.
There was no music playing, yet “This is Living” is quite loud to my ears today. I say something about hearing an old song “ in my ear” and I can catch something about my spirit being disrupted.
Well, here’s the deal. I hear a lot of music “in my ear” that no one else hears. It’s important to clarify that for me, disrupted spirit isn’t a “bad” thing. When He “disrupts” me, it’s always for my edification. I love, love LOVE all the ways God gives me lessons. I do have a special affinity for how He gives me my spiritual soundtrack.
Ultimately, part of me desperately wants to know every word He had me speak. Good heavens, it’s about seven minutes in total length.
However, I am sharing a shorter clip, as it conveys what I believe He meant for it to convey. Thank you, Jesus, for mysteries which all point back to you.
On July 4th, Pam Bacani shared on Facebook that she had been baptized again—ten years after her first baptism. She went to a Kayla Gabbard “Meet Me in the Water” event and I caught her post. Her testimony of growth resonated with me on a deep level. While out of my fleshly comfort zone, I messaged her privately and extended an open invitation to be our guest in Tennessee.
More than two months later, she replied and offered to send me two books she had written. It was such a an unexpected offer and I was at peace giving her our home address.
Arriving home last night, I was tickled to see a box with her return address. When I opened the books, she had written: “May He woo you to Himself and hold you close as you seek to rest…”
The word WOO stopped me in my tracks—because just the day before, I had written about the many ways God woos us. I sent her a note and shared that post. This morning, I woke to a lovely voice message which served as “double confirmation” that confirmation works both ways!
God promises, “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams ron the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring” (Isaiah 44:3). And Paul reminds us that “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5).
It reminded me of Genesis 8:4–5, when after the flood, the ark came to rest, and three months later the mountain tops appeared as the waters abated.
Since May 8, it has felt like a flood—God pouring so much through me at once, overwhelming and unstoppable. But now, the waters are receding, the peaks are coming into view, and I can see more of where He is leading.
What God has done here is remarkable: in His timing, He not only pours out but also draws us in, wooing us closer, and letting us glimpse the mountaintops beyond the flood.
In recent weeks, I have written about Daniel, Cyrus, Esther and more. This morning, my husband flipped my Bible to 2 Chronicles 35 The study notes grabbed my attention. Thank you, Father God.
The Bible is full of moments when God’s voice breaks through in unexpected places—not just through prophets and priests, but through kings, pagans, even enemies. Over and over, He reminds us that His sovereignty is not bound by human categories.
Pharaoh Neco warned Josiah not to meddle, and the chronicler tells us his words were “from the mouth of God” (2 Chronicles 35:20–24). Josiah refused, and it cost him his life. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon received dreams of empires and of his own humbling (Daniel 2; Daniel 4), showing God’s rule over all nations. Abimelech, a Philistine king, was warned in a dream to protect Sarah, convicting Abraham himself (Genesis 20). Balaam, a pagan diviner, opened his mouth to curse but could only bless (Numbers 22–24). Cyrus of Persia was stirred to send Israel home and rebuild the temple (Isaiah 45:1; Ezra 1:1–4), though he never knew Yahweh personally.
God also spoke through Pharaoh’s dreams of famine, leading to Joseph’s rise (Genesis 41). At Christ’s trial, Pilate’s wife was disturbed in a dream about “that righteous man” (Matthew 27:19). Wise men from the East followed a star and bowed before the newborn King (Matthew 2:1–12). Even Haman’s own household in Esther saw the writing on the wall: to oppose God’s people is to fall (Esther 6:13).
These stories differ in time and place, but together they form a striking pattern: God can and will use anyone. Kings and peasants, men and women, believers and unbelievers alike—none are beyond His reach. His purposes move through dreams, warnings, foreign decrees, even reluctant lips.
The question is not whether God can speak through outsiders. The question is: will we have the humility to recognize His voice, no matter the source?
Yesterday, I posted “Woo Hoo”, all about how God woos us and draws us in to refine us. Today, when I arrived at the Smyrna shop, the devotional for yesterday made me *squee* a pinch. Very exciting.
Also exciting was sweet Godversation with Miss Karen, without having met her in person yet. Thank you, Jesus.
As for writing about church yesterday, I am not being directed to detail it. Mark had a great one-on-one with Thomas and I met Thomas’ wife amd daughter. For now, I must let some spiritual processing continue and ai will share about one of the songs we sang yesterday.
Rather helpful, as I posted the following to Facebook yesterday, while writing about wooing here:
George Bennard performed The Old Rugged Cross on June 7, 1913, after meditating on John 3:16 and needing to express his understanding in song. I will link a full story behind the hymn HERE.
We sang the hymn today at Creekmont Church. I was nudged when we sang:
“A wondrous beauty I see; For ‘twas on that old cross—Jesus suffered and died—To pardon and sanctify me.”
The nudge was a response to the word ‘sanctify’, calling back to Jesus’ prayer from John 17:17, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
Yessir! The Word of God and the work of the cross are inseparable to me. Together, they are how God sanctifies us—how He takes us from brokenness to holiness, from wandering to belonging with Him.
Considering this morning began with a lesson on how the Master of the Universe woos us, I consider myself most appropriately wooed. 💜✝️💜
I woke up this morning feeling wooed. That word has been echoing in my heart, and it’s exactly what Job 36:16 says:
The Hebrew word here is סוּת (sut), which means to incite, entice, or draw out. The image is not of God forcing or driving us, but of Him gently, persistently pulling us out of trouble and into freedom. He woos us—away from the jaws of distress and toward a wide-open place of life.
Wooed Through the Fire
This connects deeply with the image of fire, dross, and refining. When silver or gold is heated, the impurities rise and are removed as dross. leaving what is pure. Sometimes all we see is the soot and dross—the blackened remains of what was burned away. But those ashes testify that the Holy Spirit’s refining fire has passed through.
To be wooed is to be invited into that process: God is not scolding or condemning us; He is drawing us, lovingly, into the fire that purifies. What feels like burning is actually refining, preparing us for what remains.
Where Else Does God Woo Us?
This idea of God “wooing” or “drawing out” is found throughout Scripture:
Hosea 2:14 — “Therefore, I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.” (Here the verb is פָּתָה, patah—to entice, allure. Another wooing word.)
Jeremiah 31:3 — “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn (mashak) you with unfailing kindness.”
Psalm 18:19 — “He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.”
Song of Solomon 1:4 — “Draw me after you; let us run.” John 6:44 — “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them…”
Revelation 3:20 — “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”
Each of these passages echoes the same heartbeat: God draws us, not by compulsion but by love.
Why I Feel Wooed
This morning, I felt overtly wooed. Not the heavy hand of judgment, but the gentle pull of love. He is drawing me out of what confines, away from the soot (sut #ISWYDT) and the dross, and into His spacious place.
The cross sanctifies me, and the Word—“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17)—reminds me that sanctification is both fire and “water-wooing”.
Holy fire removes the dross and Holy Water woos us into His cleansing. The Spirit does both, perfectly.
I want to let myself be drawn into deeper waters with Him. Somewhere in My God Room, I have written it’s always safe to snorkel with Jesus.
I will find that old post another time. I will also share about today’s service, message and more on a separate post. Given the message and how I was nudged singing The Old Rugged Cross, it deserves a separate post.
Oh, sweet Jesus, how I love you. Help me love you better each day. Thank you for reminding me how to find this old post from August 7, 2016. More than nine years ago, you planted this vividly on my heart and entrenched it into the spirit you have given me. I love you.
https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-esther/
Before Mark gets home from work, I need to note time in Esther. The link above does a good job of walking through the one book of The Bible which does not mention God even once.
Still, I sense His Hand was on Esther and Mordecai. I see what he did there , at least on a macro level.
Thank you, Jesus. 💜✝️💜
Meeting Marcus and Brad from Missouri was a blessing. The 120 bucks was a nice sale, yet the Godversation is the treasure. Marcus commented about how pleasant it was to just talk to another human. The topics changed and ultimately, he REALLY appreciated my stating the obvious about why race was a non-important factor in our Godversation.
Simply standing on a simple little truth burst the entire Godversation wide open. Thank you, Father God.
Suddenly, I am mentally and spiritually back in Judges 7 from this morning. I am pondering Gideon and how God moved through him.
Nikita is bringing me my “Welded Heart” today. Lord, may it make my heart dance to your beat and may the words out of my mouth praise and point to you.
Ok. I have returned after receiving this piece and I am struggling for words. Quickly, I see I didn’t finish typing my prayer out. Since everything I ask is always in the powerful name of Jesus, I don’t think it’s a prayer issue.
While I appreciate the craftsmanship and time spent, this is not anything like the welded heart I described to Nikita last month.
I wear a heart necklace and one of two crosses around my neck each day. The vision was a barbed wire looking heart with a cross rising out of it- similar to how I wear my necklaces. Part of the heart would appear extra protected and part would be open.
Tears traversed my face. I couldn’t understand them in the moment. In retrospect, I think I understand the source.
Like everything, He is the source. Duh! She could tell I wasn’t thrilled with her effort, despite my attempt to be gracious in disappointment. She was clear she had zero desire to keep it, as she is not a Christian. She refused to let me pay for it, too.
It makes me sad to hear someone say they literally do not know a single person who would appreciate a cross. She said she does not know any Christians. None. She was painfully clear on the point and it pained me.
I am reminded of all I have experienced with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit since beginning this Daniel study on April 30.
So many God moves, it makes my head spin.
So much dross removed.
I am grateful.
There is a Jesus Calling devotional in our Master Closet and the long form tabletop version of Jesus Calling is in our kitchen.
I failed to read either at home today, as Mark and I were enjoying an in-depth chat about Psalm 143 and blessing our perceived enemies with prayer. I needed to get cleaned up and get to work
Much of what my husband said is in our Smyrna shop devotional Today’s message in One Minute with God 💜✝️💜.
Today, we was like an extra sweet hug from Jesus to read this devotional.
Rather than give life to a negative thought, I praise God for giving me the answer four days ago to stand on His Word this morning. Praise, praise and more praise!
I posted about Judas yesterday. This was a second post on my Facebook page :
I woke to this response and a heavy heart as a result.
It continued with my exact response from four days ago. Reading it now, again, I am convicted He gave me the answer in advance. What else could I have said other than what He clearly gave me?
Nathalie Anne , it’s okay if we disagree as humans. Please understand I am always going to defer to the example of our Savior, Jesus. We are all broken and all need a savior. Jesus was interceding for ALL of humanity on that cross.
Reading your prayer, I had no choice except to speak up for those you seemed to exclude. I didn’t realize just how intentional the exclusion until your response. Jesus is our eternal intercessor according to Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25.
Reading your comment this morning, there isn’t a better, shorter or different response. I have no scales of bad or good people. I am grateful to know The One who owns the scales of justice. He is clear to pray for our enemies, too.
Nathalie, bad fathers are not going to begin their “good arc” without God. So, yes, I will continue to pray for ALL parents to be compelled to know better, do better and be better. I will also pray for all single people the same. I will pray for addicts to meet Jesus and to be delivered from addiction in all its forms. The list is endless and always inclusive.
Praying for all who love Jesus to reveal that love in truth and action. 💜✝️💜
I love you, too.
Thank you, Father God, for the comfort and peace today. Thank you for reminding me of big truths in small ways, too. I love seeking you in everything.
Betrayal comes in many forms . Praise God, I was blessed with a call from Miss Futina this morning. I heard how she was betrayed and my heart was cracked open. Answered prayer, especially before we close this store at the end of October.
Lord, you have all my praise and thanksgiving, please send a few more of my “stranger angels “ back into the store before we close up shop here and return solely to our original store. Hugging them would bless me. In Jesus name, amen.
Driving to work, I heard a song for the first time. I should not be surprised it’s five years old, or from Hill Song . The Lord has been clear with me on NAR and other musical nonsense. When He gives me a song, I am listening intently. This was used beautifully and my husband loved it, too.
Living means different things to different people. I am only living because of my relationship with Jesus. Modeling my life after His makes PERFECT sense to me.
This morning, moved by the Spirit through Futina’s call and “This is Living”, I posted scripture and a sentence on Facebook.
I have been praying for Father God to reveal the next piece of dross which must be removed from me. It seems to be related to Judas, which is both biblical and a necessary reminder.
We all have a little bit of Judas in us, since none of us are perfect.
Where is “my Judas” trait? For that answer, just like every other question under the sun, I go to scripture.
Scripture told us long before Jesus came that the Savior would be betrayed. “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9). Judas sold Him for thirty pieces of silver, just as Zechariah foresaw (Zechariah 11:12–13). The Psalms even prayed, “May another take his office” (Psalm 109:8), fulfilled when Matthias replaced Judas in Acts 1.
But Judas is not just a figure in history—he is a mirror for our hearts. Every time we love money more than Christ, every time we complain about how someone else worships, every time we choose self over surrender, we let a little bit of Judas creep back in. That’s why Proverbs says, “Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel” (Proverbs 25:4). The Lord, like a refiner’s fire (Malachi 3:2–3), keeps burning away the greed, envy, and pride that would betray Him.
We must face the truth: there is a Judas streak in all of us. But the good news is that God never stops refining. He promises, “I will remove the heart of stone… and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). Daily, He calls us to let Him skim away the dross, until the only thing left is His love shining pure in us.
Let YOUR LIGHT shine, Lord. More Jesus and less Carol is always the best equation. 💜✝️💜
My God Room 