UNSHACKLED By: Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.” – Acts‬ ‭16:25-26‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Miracles happen in prison.  They happen every day. There is no place on earth beyond His reach to save; no shackles so strong that He cannot loose them. We all have those we pray for who find themselves imprisoned—whether a physical prison or one constructed of fear, addiction, bitterness or unbelief.  Even we ourselves are not beyond erecting prisons of our own, where we are enslaved to destructive behaviors, defeated thoughts and unrealized futures.  The walls restrain us from walking in freedom and separate us from the embrace of those beyond our walls who pray. Does your heart weep for a loved one who is impri...

 THE REWARDS OF THE CLIMB By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born, says the Lord” - Isaiah 66:9 NCV Have you ever climbed a mountain?  I haven’t, but I have friends who think about climbing like going to Disneyland.  No doubt the scenery is spectacular, but because I am out of shape, the exertion sounds exhausting to me. My climbing friends endure regular gym workouts by keeping the joy of these trips in mind.  They say that workouts were initially brutal, but with time, their strength and endurance increased, making exercise easier, even enjoyable. So it is with life.  This season has been a serious exercise of my faith.  It has been tiring, but I am grateful for the strength and endurance previous workouts of my faith have given me.  Walking with God has provided new perspective of the valleys below, and breathless revelations of beauty I would have never known, had I not started o...

 TRIUMPH & TROUBLE By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” –  1 Peter 1:6-7 We all go through seasons of difficulty in life—times of disappointment, grief and pain. I’ve been through a season of my own of late. Living on six acres, I like to pull my weight around the property. I don’t want it to be said of me that I am lazy or a slacker. As a result, for the previous six years, I had taken it upon myself to be the primary person responsible to do the mowing. A while back I injured my back doing precisely that. Mowing rough terrain at odd angles became too much.  My lower back decided it had had enough, and it told me so in no uncertain terms. My MRI had...

   AM I DISQUALIFIED? By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly ‬Do you feel too broken to be used by God?  Do you believe that your mistakes, circumstances or disabilities disqualify you from realizing your God-given dreams, or from accomplishing something meaningful, even powerful? The truth is that most of us struggle with insecurity— things that whisper that we aren’t good enough, or that we are disqualified or too broken to be of use.  If you read the Bible and examine the characters God used to accomplish extraordinary things, you will see that NOTHING could be further from the truth. Consider this partial list: Moses stuttered and was a murderer. David had an affair, was a murderer by proxy and struggled with depression. Abraham was old and twisted the truth. Noah drank too much. Thomas was a doubter. Martha was anxious and resentful. Jacob was a manipulator. Jonah was a coward. Peter had anger issues. Paul had a disability and was a murderer. ...

 TREASURES IN HEAVEN By:  Julie Souza Bradly Lilly “The Lord knows the days of the upright and blameless, and their heritage will abide forever.” - Psalm 37:18 AMP). A precious friend was laid to rest a while back.  This morning I was contemplating her life and the legacy she left behind.  I am inspired by how she invested in people.  She was an encourager and a faithful signpost pointing to Jesus for any and all who would care to look. She left a godly deposit in those she came in contact with, and invested her life in things of lasting value.  It cost her nothing of great financial consequence —just a bit of compassion, time and willingness to be used of God to meet needs. What she gave translated to treasure to those she shared with. Then God performed another miracle.  He took her gifts of time, a few dollars and kindness and made a deposit for her “in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” - M...

AN INVITATION FOR THOSE WHO WAIT By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly "But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles. They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind." - Isaiah 40:31 MSG I don't know how many times I have read this verse over the years, but each time I have always looked at it the same way.  I imagine a poor soul at the DMV, drumming their fingers, WAITING to hear the words, "Now serving G-17 at window number nine." Today I see it in a fresh light.  The Word of God is like a precious jewel.  Each facet reveals a different aspect of His beauty, character and nature.  Today as I was considering this verse, I saw a new facet of truth. I read, “Those who WAIT UPON the Lord...“  “WAIT UPON.”  Hmm.  I used to work in the restaurant industry.  When I waited on someone I wasn’t just biding my time until something happened, I was SERVING them!  It was a lightbulb m...

  A LESSON FROM THE TREES By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “As holy people whom God has chosen and loved, be sympathetic, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Put up with each other, and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” - Colossians 3:12-13  The leaves on the trees along the banks of our pond are changing colors.  Soon they will be released from the trees and will gracefully dance their way down onto the surface of the water to float like tiny boats.   It’s a beautiful thing to watch autumn coming in like a slow wave of color that laps up over the rolling hills.  In preparation for winter, the healthy, deciduous trees know to release their leaves.  Deep within them the Lord placed an awareness of the change of season, and a knowing as to when it is time to let them go. The Lord, in His wisdom designed them to release their leaves in fall, because with the pressure of winter’s rain, snow and winds, the large br...

 LET IT FALL By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly Autumn is the time of year when the trees release their leaves to the hands of the Lord. Much like us, letting go of works, dying away of old ways, releasing of offenses and forgiving of debt are glorious worship to our magnificent God—a beautifully befitting reflection of His will that was offered in surrender on another tree. There may be a measure of pain in the releasing, Beloved, but our limbs cannot bear the weight of both the past and what is yet to come without breaking under the load.  Let’s capture the wisdom on display in all creation: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Let’s avail ourselves of the burden that is light.  Let’s free our branches of needless worry; let’s release the ensnaring weights of bitterness and pride and the suffocating burden of ought. Let’s allow it to all fall away, so the fresh blessing of the spring to come might be met with an unen...

 A PRAYER FOR THE OVERWHELMED By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly Are you feeling overwhelmed, Beloved?  I was feeling overwhelmed and somewhat lonely when I came before the Lord this morning.  The Father in His great kindness comforted me as I came before Him.  He bids you to come, too.  Will you go with me before Him? Father, thank You that You are always awake.  You keep watch in us every hour.  We come wearing the robe of Christ’s righteousness, entering Your gates with thanksgiving and Your courts with praise.  We are drawn by the aroma of Your mercy, like fresh baked bread that greets our souls. Thank You for a new day!  You stretch “the northern sky over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing... The foundations of heaven tremble;” (Job 26) Lord, it is so humbling to remember to whom we lift our prayers to each morning —Almighty God! “The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD” - Psalm 97:5. There is none like ...

BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’” – Matthew‬ ‭18:15-16‬ ‭NIV‬‬ There you have it —the godly way to handle sin and conflict. It may be simple to understand, but it goes against our natural tendency, which is to gossip to anyone about our offense EXCEPT the offender. When we gossip, we offer a cup of bitterness and hatred to the listener—a poisonous cocktail that, when swallowed, begins to destroy them from the inside out.   Wars begin when we swallow this bait of the devil.  The enemy delights in destroying relationships, especially marriages and families.  Imagine how he must relish watching our country implode!  The enemy sets us up ...

 BREAK OPEN YOUR PIÑATA By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12 GNB Oh the joy of wrapping your knuckles around a bat and taking a swing at a piñata!  I remember going to birthday parties as a child and being excited to see one hanging in the yard. We would take turns swinging away.  And our friend’s cheers would give way to squeals when it finally broke open and the treasures came spilling out! I’m curious.  Why is it more fun to work for the candy than to just take pieces from a bowl?  After careful consideration, I believe these things to be true: 1.  There is greater joy in working for a reward than to just have it handed to you. “That which costs you nothing holds no value.” 2. The cheers of our friends are encouraging.  I...

  A STEP OF FAITH By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.” - Exodus 14:22 ESV I have always pictured the children of Israel triumphantly marching across the parted waters, joyfully singing God’s praises at the miraculousness of their deliverance.  It finally dawned on me this morning, that the only ones to experience joy at the time of the crossing were those who wholeheartedly believed that God would keep the waters parted until they safely reached the other side.  To those with even a shred of doubt, it would have been terrifying.   Both those with much faith and those with little faith crossed on the exact same path that day, but it was their level of faith in each step that determined if the experience was one of joy or horror. God parts the waters in our lives all the time.  And the same emotions experienced  by th...

IN A NUTSHELL:  Ten Keys For Ultimate Blessing By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly ‭‭ “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭42:10, 12‬ ‭NIV‬‬ I suspect a lot of us have been feeling like Job recently. Whether due to illness, financial loss, false accusation or the death of loved ones, we all go through seasons of pain and difficulty. Job’s original blessings were all stripped away.  The remarkable part of the story was not devastating his loss, but rather, his phenomenal comeback. In the end, his choices led to his having double the blessings he started with. Do you want to rebound like Job?  Let’s take a peek at his journal: Job’s 10 Keys To Blessing: 1. Choose to worship God in the face of pain, fear, grief, betrayal and loss.  Honor the Lord with your last breath.  Worship whether ...

LIVING IN GRACE By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." – 2 Corinthians 12:9 Have you ever wondered why God’s grace feels insufficient?  I am not talking about the grace that saves us, but rather the grace needed to complete the tasks on our plates. Imagine a buffet line.  Here God puts healthy portions on our plates, but seeing what He has given us, we add extra and then wonder why we are uncomfortable later.   Sound familiar? When we say "grace" before a meal, we are asking for God’s blessing.  Even though we pray, if extra food was not in His plan, our bodies may lack the extra "grace" necessary to digest and utilize those foods, leaving us miserable.  Praying over a meal won't change something that is outside of His will into something within it, any more than asking for His blessing before an extramarital affair makes it holy, blessed and ordained by...