Perspective

This morning in my time with the Lord I was sitting on the ground in my kitchen praying.  I looked out of the window and could see part of the fountain in our courtyard, as well as some of the roses on one of our rose bushes. As I looked at the view, in front of my eyes, the Lord spoke the word perspective to me.  As I looked again, I asked the Lord to reveal to me what he was trying to show me.  He said Vicki most of what you believe and what you see is limited in breadth by your perspective. Imagine if I lived in the house my whole life and never walked out into the courtyard.  I would miss the vastness of the fountain and wouldn't see the hundreds of beautiful roses that are blooming.  I would only ever see a piece of a fountain and two roses. So much of my life I walk around focused on what I am doing - my perspective is focused around how what I see affects my life.  And so I see everything through this perspective.  When I walk into a store to buy gas I miss that the cashier has a broken arm, that I could pray for healing, because all I see her for is her job of ringing up my gas.  I walk into the doctor's office and I don't see the grief in the receptionist eyes and offer encouragement or prayer because I see someone who takes my co-pay so I can see the doctor.  The Word says in 1 Corinthians 2:9 that no eye has seen; no ear has heard; no mind has understood the plans he has for those that love Him. As I have been reflecting on that verse I wonder if the reason I do not see, hear,or understand is because I am not looking, I am not hearing, and I thus have no understanding about things that are around me everyday. We serve a God who came to bring freedom to those in bondage, sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, peace to the oppressed, joy to despair, and hope to the hopeless. How much would my life change if I began to see these needs and have compassion as Jesus did when he walked on the earth.  I believe it is TRUE when the Word says we will do greater things than Christ. If we want to see the Lord begin to move in power we are going to have to begin to see the world as He did. Lord give me a NEW perspecctive so that I can live with purpose, bringing hope and transformation to those I encounter in my life.  

Drawing Closer to My Beloved

Everything that can be shaken will be shaken.  This is what God has been speaking to me about this week.  He has been showing me that he wants to shake off/strip me of anything and everything that keeps me from deeper intimacy with Him.  I have begun to recognize that my selfishness, self righteousness, lack of disciplne, own agendas, stressful nature, etc... are keeping me focused on things other than Him and enjoying my life and THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME.  I realize that for many people when they come to the point where God says "You can have more of me if you will deal with everything in you that keeps you from coming to me" THEY RUN.  Me - I am running closer to the Lord and I am willing, however uncomfortable it is, to deal with and face all my stuff.  I desperately want to have a more intimate relationship with my Father in Heaven. I say this like it is easy and IT IS NOT.  I have had to see alot of stuff about me and my life the lasst few weeks (and I know this is just the beginning) that I do not like and I realize it is going to take awhile to work through it.  The good news - deeper relationship with the God of the Universe who loves me perfectly is on the other side.  I am not satisfied with being a Christian who goes to church, reads the Word, and loves God.  I MUST see miracles, healings, JESUS FACE TO FACE.  He has made us to know Him and see heaven on earth and that is what I want.  I am so excited at what is to come.  God has many mysteries to reveal to me and I know that as I push further on the journey I will realize the depth of His love for me in a way I have never known.  Watch out - the Kingdom is gonna feel the impact and it is gonna be amazing and NOT because of Vicki Ellis but because I am coming to a place where I hope to die to self and see God work through me.  WITH HIM ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.  Life is GOOD!!!!! 

Choices

Good morning!  I cannot believe I have not blogged for a month.  Take that back - I can believe it but wish it were not so.  Last night I watched the movie The Adjustment Bureau.  One line in the movie has been ringing in my head since - "All I have are the choices I make!" And so that brings me back to this blog.  I chose not to blog for a month because I chose to let other things keep me distracted from shouting of the glorious wonder of His amazing love for me and us.  How is it possible that anything in life (work, kids, husband, free time, fill in the blank) every seems more alluring and important than spending time with my God and Father in Heaven.  I will tell you.  I make a hundred choices every day and I let myself believe the lie that what has to be done NOW is more urgent than time with Him.  Well I say nothing is more important than time with Him and as soon as I make the CHOICE to act like it my world is gonna change.  I cannot wait to get caught up in love with Him and start to see more of my time spent on that and less on the all consuming everything else.  And I cannot wait until I choose to see Him and rejoice in Him while I am doing the all consuming everything else.  My daddy loves me and I want to rejoice over that and dwell in that all day long!  I can CHOOSE that if I want.  Stay posted!

Madly, deeply in love with you

Remember everytime a question of your worth comes up that God is forever madly, deeply in love with you.  There is no height, no depth, no width, no breadth that can seperate you from His great love.  Soak it up every moment, all day long. He delights in you.  He longs to spend time with you.  He longs to pour his love over you. It is His love that brings peace, comfort, joy, exuberance, passion, and purpose.  Purpose to allow Him to love you more today and as His love flows from you others will ask you what is it that makes you shine and have joy in every circurmstance and you can say - "It is because I am completely, wholly loved without reservation." What joy!!!!!!  

He Is All Around Us

Lately the Lord has been revealing to me how much what I see and what I think impacts who I choose to be.  I know it says in the Word as a man thinks in his heart so he is.  Well, lately I have being thinking on HIM more and looking for revelation of God's presence all around me and can I tell you that I am changed.  It is amazing how many ways God can display himself in my day to day life as I look for him.  The other day, I was walking down the steps at my house and there was a beautiful purple flower on the steps.  When I looked at it God said to me, "I am unexpected blessing."  As I walked home from the office this week, down the gravel drive, the Lord said to me about the rocks beneath my feet, "I am God - even the rocks will praise me." He is all around us - reminding us that he is present and that he is in all things.  Lord, I thank you for your faithfulness, for your revelation, and for your presence.  Teach me to see you more - that as I see you I will be transformed more into your image.  What an honor to know that you made me to reflect you.  I am so grateful to have your character. I am love - strength - peace - joy - understanding - grace - mercy - boldness.  Help me to remember these things in the midst of everyday life.  I love you!

The Love Zone

My 5 year old son Gabriel and my 3 year old son Jesse have been learning the love chapter.  I am not very good at verse memorization but I felt it would be really good for all of us to learn because we have really been focused on loving each other and those around us.  So a few days ago Gabriel tells me that he wants to put up a sign outside the house that says that only people who are loving can come in the house.  He says our house is the LOVE ZONE.  So maybe it sounds a little harsh to to say no one who isn't loving cannot come in the house but what a wonderful heart.  He wants our house to be a place where loves dwells.  I am so excited that God is teaching my kids what it means to be loved by Him and that it is so wonderful to them that they want it to permeate their home.  I desire greatly that my kids know our love for them, His love for them, and that they love others with God's love.  What an honor to be loved by a perfect and wonderful Father in heaven.  I learn so much from my kids.  I love them!

Your daddy is the King of Kings

Kings and Queens - remember today that your father is the King of Kings and you are royalty in Him.  Walk with confidence, authority, grace, charm, and boldness.  He has given you authority - in Him - to fufill your calling.  Your life has purpose and was designed to honor Him and impact those around you.  You are called to love as He loves.  So today take the time to look around and SEE as He sees.  You will see hope, fear, pain, joy, life, death, need, and so much more.  He can meet those needs through you if you let Him. BE BOLD & STRONG! And don't forget that you are royalty - live like it!

He loves you!

The Lord says that there is nothing you can do that would make Him love you more.
There is also nothing you can do that would make Him love you less.

He loves you
Because He loves you
Because He loves you
Because He loves you
Because He loves you
Because He loves you
Because THAT IS WHAT HE IS LIKE

It is His nature to love
And you will always be the beloved

His love is unchanging
He loves you 100%
He won't love you better when you become better
He loves you 100% right now

He loves all the way - all the time
His love is unchanging

What will change says the Lord is your ability to receive my love
So I challenge you, says the Lord - "Open your heart to me. Give me your heart. Give me whatever your obstacle is because I love you as you are right now. So be loved. You are the beloved. It is your job to be loved outrageously. That is why I chose you. I will love you outrageously all the days of you life because I don't know how to be any different. When I look at you I see someone that I love. Allow me to love you.  My love will break every barrier and bring every wall crashing down.  My perfect love casts out fear."

Above is an excerpt from a Graham Cooke teaching I was listening to this morning during my time with the Lord. 

Lord - your love changes everything about the way I think, the wayI feel and the way I act.  Teach me to love as you love. I love you Papa.  Thank you for loving me.

I rejoice...

I rejoice today because...
My daddy in heaven rejoices over me
I am alive
I am beloved just the way I am
I am able to do all things through Christ
I serve a God who heals
I choose to forgive those who have hurt me
I am never alone
The Holy Spirit is with me
I know God has plans to make my deepest dreams come to pass
I am an intercessor for the kingdom
I have great mentors who love the Lord and share their wisdom with me
I am loved by my Papa in heaven


Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:Rejoice! let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

A Love Like

I have been memorizing 1 Corinthians chapter 13 for the last few weeks and as I continue to speak the words it is seeping down inside me just how deep and comforting and perfect HIS LOVE is for us.  What an unspeakable blessing to know that when I walk in His love I am ALWAYS cared for and protected; forgiven; and above all that he will never stop persevering in His love for me.

Love is.....
Patient
Kind
Does not envy
Does not boast
Is not proud
Is not rude
Is not self seeking
Is not easily angered
Keeps no record of wrongs
Does not delight in evil
Rejoices in the truth
Always protects
Always trusts
Always hopes
Always perseveres
Never Fails

This is the love I have in my Father in heaven.  What joy - what peace comes as I read this and know IT IS TRUE AND CONSTANT. 

I desire to walk in this knowledge at all times and with His help begin to love others in my life in this way.  He said in His word that people would know us by our love.  And who wouldn't notice and be drawn to someone who loves them like this. 

Let us all begin to reflect our Daddy more as we love like he does. 

Delight in yourself - He delights in you

George MacDonald said, "I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about, born in God's thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking."

To realize that the God of the universe took the time to consider every part of our make-up; spiritual gifts, physical appearance, passions, etc...and put together what he considered the perfect mix is an amazing and encouraging thing.  It means that not only did he make no mistake in our creation but that every gift and passion he gave us was with a purpose that it would be used to impact the world in which we live. What an honor and a gift from our Father in Heaven who loves us :)

I want...

...to give all that's inside of my heart to you.

Let there be...no reservations and no wallls.

Just an open door in my heart for you.

I hear you speaking...speaking to me.

Speaking words of life over my heart.

Lord - thank you that your love for me never ceases, always perseveres.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+corinthians+13&version=NIV

Why "I Delight"

In the past few months the Lord has been speaking to my heart about how much he delights in me.  As someone who has often wondered what God thinks when he looks at me or why he wants to know me it was such an eye opener to realize that just as I adore and delight in my children the God of the universe delights in me.  He wants to know everything about me, loves to listen to me talk to him, loves to see me happy and enjoying myself, and especially loves it when I take the time to get to know him. HE DELIGHTS IN ME - just as I am - and he desires that I would delight in Him.  And so the name of my blog is I delight - a reminder to me and anyone who reads it that the I AM of the universe delights in you.