Love you all, praying for you. 
 
God showing me recently.  Baseline and Rhythm of life.  Sometimes you need to get to the baseline – before you can establish rhythm.  Something as simple as keeping your car clean every day – saves you enormous time, energy, stress, reputation, but you can’t keep a dust rag in your door cup holder – to just dust before you leave the driveway – when your car is filled with last weeks McDonalds wrappers and pizza boxes, crayons and animal crackers, two old cups of coffee leaking through the cup…  Sometimes you have to get to the baseline.  Why are baselines and rhythms so important?  A person is measured by their actions not their ambitions, their habits not their hopes, their work not their wishes.  Everyone wishes and dreams of what their life could be, but few get to the baseline, and establish the rhythms required to make progress toward their dreams.  Be careful, we're not talking about selfish ambition, a chasing of the temporal, we are talking the good that God desires for us and what keeps us from getting there.    I recently pruned three trees in my backyard, beautiful Trinity Pear trees – but several branches at the bottom had stolen all the energy.  The lower branches became heavy, a drag on the shape and growth of the tree.  So often we can allow ourselves to put energy into the lower things, rather than free ourselves to grow to the higher…  Pruning, car cleaning, schedule lightening – are critical to grow into what God has for us.  What do you need to shed, clean up, or clean out...  the dead weight, misplaced focus and energy...  So you can get back to the baseline, so the rhythm God has for you – can accelerate you forward?  Deuteronomy 30:8 - And you will return and obey the voice of the LORD and do all his commandments which I command you this day.  Return means to turn back, sometimes, to get back to the original starting point.  Sometimes we can let things get out of control, either physical things, or time schedule things, even relationship things, or entertainment, maybe just irresponsibility in a couple areas in life, and our rhythm gets us off, those heavy branches weigh us down and disfigure the tree.  Sometimes we need to get back to the baseline.  So the rhythm that God directed – can be reestablished.  The question is - Am I willing to put in the effort to get back to the baseline?  Am I willing to cease and desist any other thing until I have pruned everything that weighs me down, so I can walk in what God has told me?  Praying that each week, you would take the opportunity through PiVAT Weekly, and at month’s end – through PiVAT Monthly to be sure you are walking in God’s rhythm for you.  Don’t be fooled.  What you can see or imagine is not the motivation.  It’s what you can’t see and have not yet imagined – that baseline and rhythm requires – which would motivate you completely – if you could just see where God would take you.  That’s where faith comes in.  Praying that you will be faithful in PiVAT before dinner, and PiVAT for this Week.  Praying that you will do whatever it takes to get the physical things, the time things, and the relationship things in your life – in the proper order and perspective – that God ordains and directs – that baseline from which you can more forward unimpeded.  Sometimes saying “No” is the most important thing you can do.  Sometimes you have to “stop the presses” and get back to the baseline in some things– before you do a single other thing... where the rhythm God has for you is freed up from dead weight.  Remember, Jesus said, my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.  Don’t get weighed down by distractions, or unfaithfulness in any area - physical, material, mental or spiritual.  Praying that you will do whatever it takes today, right now, before anything else! to get to God’s baseline for you, so His rhythm daily – brings you freedom and joy in the journey He has for you to destinations you couldn’t even imagine! 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
God challenging me today.   Who did you help obey today?  Who did you help be faithful today?  Sometimes you just need someone to walk alongside you.  First you gotta obey yourself.  God reminding me… Basics.  Everything comes back to the basics.  Here are the basics of life.  Time, Thoughts, Money.  Whoever makes these decisions is the LORD of your life.  Praying that you will take the time today to review the Relationship Topic – Time, Thoughts & Money.  It’s a needed reminder and a great encouragement.  What habits do you have in these three areas?  Do PIVAT before dinner tonight – no matter what – don’t eat dinner until you do it.  It’s not a chore, it’s a joy.  Spending those few minutes with your Heavenly Father – getting His plans for you for tomorrow.  It just helps you anticipate the good that He has.  The other guy doesn’t have good for you, but God does.  Every time you ask Him, He’ll tell you, so you can walk in it.  If you don’t have your Conversation Log with you, just do it on your phone, and when you get home, transfer it to your PiVAT Conversation Log.  Every time you write down what God told you and what God does when you obey – you get better, and your testimony gets better, so you overcome more!  You are more likely to obey the next time, and your testimony will challenge someone else to obey as well.  PRISM – if you didn’t do it yet, just do it now.  Get on the Bible App and Praise the Word through just one or two verses.  It will make a difference.  This isn’t a religion – it’s just an opportunity.    Praying that you have an Accounting Tool that you are current in.  Peace in personal finances comes from knowing where God’s money is, and doing what He tells you to do with it.  Habits are so important.  Someone once said, show me your habits and I’ll show you your future.  You cannot rise above your habits.  God cannot bless you above your habits.  Are your habits keeping you in obedience?  That’s where the blessing is.  If not, just start now.  PiVAT first, PRISM next.  And if you are faithful already today – have you ever thought about helping someone else?  Sometimes you just don’t feel like it, but if someone says – Hey, I’ll help you, it’ll only take 15 minutes – lets do it – they help you be faithful – and you still get the blessing that comes with obedience.  Praying that you will always ask God – who He wants you to help – obey today.  To encourage them to take that next step of obedience.  Just to come alongside them – two is better than one.  The blessing God has for them – is waiting there!   What if you were a friend who helps someone obey the next thing God tells them? When they just need a little encouragement, or someone to come alongside them.   That’s exactly what the Holy Spirit does for us.  Pray in the Spirit – and you will be praying the exact will of your Heavenly Father – over you.  That will always produce a result.  Praying that you are not only overcoming with testimony today – but obeying fully – so more testimony comes!  You’re not obeying for nothing.  Obey on Purpose, and His Purpose for you will come to life!  If you’re faithful – who can you help obey today?  – to be faithful too?  Ask God, He’ll tell you.  Helping them overcome with their testimony is so worth the inconvenience.  God will use you!
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
God reminding me recently – You need a Conversation Log.   There is such an importance of obeying in the little things, obeying in the consistent things, obeying in the foundational things.  There are some things so fundamental and practical in God’s commands, that are to be life-long habits.  Praise, Humility, The Fear of the LORD, Worship, Speak Life, Praying in the Spirit, Diligence, Know the condition of your flock (know where God’s Money is so you can do what He tells you to do with it).  But perhaps the first of the foundational habits.  Write It Down.  How can you be sure to do – what you don't remember?  And whatever God says – if it’s important to you - you will write it down.  Psalms 102:18 – Let this be written for a future generation that a people not created may praise the LORD:  There are two kinds of people yet to be created.  Those yet to be physically created, and those yet to be spiritually created.  But perhaps there are three.  Those who have yet to be awakened.  Some are not born, some do not know Christ, and some even Christians, do not know that Jesus wants to be the LORD of their life, fully in control;  the leader, the one who makes their time decisions, the thought decisions and the money decisions of their life.  Some don't yet know - that His ways are higher than their ways – as high as the heavens are above the earth, and that His plans for them are good - and He will reveal it to them, if they will ask.  They don't yet know that fully surrendering these time, thought and money decisions to Him, the God who loves them... is what presenting your body as a living sacrifice really is.  Praying that you will never miss PiVAT before dinner, that you will know - so you can do - His will for you each day – to walk in the joy and purpose He has created you for!  Praying that you will always be addicted to PRISM each day – those 5 things you can do in His Word every day – that transform your mind to think like He does – so you understand His love for you, and you understand the things He is telling you to do (Romans 12:1-2).  And praying that you are walking in complete faithfulness financially – knowing where God’s money is, so you can do what He tells you to do with it.  That you have an accounting tool that covers the 4Cs.  Praying that your Daily Call – is making you victorious – as you are overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of your testimony.  But for all these things – that God is speaking to you, and doing for you, and doing through you.  God says.  Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created – may praise the LORD.  Whether they are not born physically yet… or maybe not born spiritually yet – truly walking in obedience to Christ – where He makes the call on these vital decisions which make your life the life He wants for you.  These things He says – write them down.  So those coming after you may Praise Him.  Praying that you will be faithful with PIVAT, PRISM and Conversations in your Conversation Log – This simple tool will help you develop the habit of writing it down.  These powerful truths that God gives are so practical.  Praying that you will go back to the PRISM Topic – Write It Down – so God’s habits for you remain.  See the Relationship Topic - How2 PiVAT Conversation Log – for a reminder of that practical application – which fulfills this scripture.  We’re not saying that your Conversation Log, your testimonies, and the things God reveals to you through PRISM – are on par with the cannon of Scripture.  But they are definitely what God says to you.  He will confirm it.  You will see it.  That’s why PiVAT and PRISM and your Daily Call are so powerful.  They focus you on what He is telling you, and telling you to do.  Praying that you will use your Conversation Log – to write down all these things that God reveals, that He speaks, and the testimony of what He does.  It will remind you!  It will always result in praise, as you remember and can share the testimony with others.  Re-share it!  And teach it to your children (those physically coming after you, and their children – when the time comes).  But also those you walk with – and others with whom you share your testimony.  God wants them to discover theirs – so they also have a Conversation Log – for their conversations with God, themselves, and others – so they too can write down the things that will help a generation not yet created - to Praise the LORD!
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
God reminding me recently.   Proverbs 11:2 – When pride comes, then comes disgrace but with humility comes wisdom.  What’s coming?  Whatever is coming – there’s something that comes with it.  What do you want?  More importantly, what does God want for you?  Disgrace or Wisdom.  What a choice.  Pride or Humility will determine it.  Pride prevents wisdom (the right use of knowledge).  Pride cancels grace (unmerited favor, and divine power).  Pride attracts the opposite of grace – disgrace, powerless, favor-less, embarrassment, shame, dishonor.  Wisdom comes with humility.  Decide right now – no matter what…  Don’t think you know better.  Pursue humility and wisdom will find you.  So how do you pursue humility?  First – make a non-negotiable, unchangeable, life-long-no-exception-decision to obey God.  Humble yourself to obey Him.  Predetermine in your mind and heart to do whatever He will tell you.  Then Ask Him what to do, daily!  PiVAT before dinner and He will tell you. Every time you do PiVAT, every time you ask – having pre-determined to obey – you’re surrendering to His will.  That’s the start of humility – humble yourself before God.   Then listen – first to God, but also to others.  Walking in Humility comes through a pre-decision to obey God, and then a habit of listening – to God and others.  Consider others more important than yourself – what they have to say as more important than what you have to say.  What is pride?  The first thought that you are better - “I’m better than…”  that’s pride coming.  And you can be sure… disgrace is coming next.   But if you are listening first to God, what He has to say (PRISM will transform your mind – It will tell you what He says - You’ll hear what He says so you start thinking like He thinks).  And if you listen to others as a first reaction and a priority – it’s hard to think, “I’m better than,” when you are seeking to understand, more than seeking to be understood.  Actively listening, clarifying, and re-listening to understand… that’s walking in humility – and wisdom is coming.  Actually grace and wisdom are coming – because God says He opposes the proud, but gives grace (unmerited favor and divine power) to the humble.  It goes back to the thing that brings the thing.  Want grace?  Want wisdom – learn to walk in humility.  Finally, Go Serve Somebody.  It's humility in practice, a physical demonstration of it.  Do something for someone – not expecting anything in return.  Ask God who? what to do? And when?  He’ll tell you.  You serving – communicates God’s love for them.  Especially if you’ll give Him credit for sending you.  Serving them just because God loves them, and you love God, so you love them.  When you are serving – you are humbling yourself.  When you serve them, you are placing more importance on them, their need, and their benefit, than you are placing on yourself, your time, and your convenience.  Take the low place, leave things unsaid, be unoffendable, choose the smaller piece, not the biggest piece.  That’s humility.  (You don’t need to be walked on – you can assert yourself.  Being taken advantage of – is not humility, but serving is.  Preferring others is.)  The Holy Spirit will lead you if you will ask.  Praying that you will listen to PRISM Topic – Humility.  And PRISM Topic – Humble.  It will set your mind on what God says brings wisdom.  Pride will be foreign to you, and humility will bring grace and wisdom – which enable and make permanent God’s blessing in your life.  Praying for you.  That you will pre-determine to obey God – no matter what He says.  That you listen to Him and others... that you choose to serve, and that you choose the low place, so His grace empowers you, and wisdom finds you.  Choose humility and you will always know what’s coming! 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you,
 
God revealing to me recently.  Proverbs 10:1 - A wise son brings joy to his father…  It made me think.  One of the things I am most, most thankful for.  The Best Question Ever.  Praying that you will listen to that Relationship Topic – The Best Question Ever.  It’s the first question of PiVAT that we ask before dinner as we seek God’s plan for us for tomorrow.  It really might be the best question ever.  What Do You Need Most From God Today?  You won’t know – you’ll need to ask Him, You’ve not been to tomorrow yet, He has.  If you ask Him what you need most - He will surely tell you.  As I thought of the thousands of times in the last number of years that I’ve asked that question – during my PiVAT before dinner.  Many times what I need most from Him today – is Joy.  That’s what I need most from Him.  This verse is saying the exact same thing – but for Him, not me.  It made me think.  What does God need most from me today?  What could I do that would bring Him Joy?  Obey and Worship.  That’s what brings Him Joy.   Do what He told me to do, and make Him my first and greatest affection.  Choose His presence (worship) and His Word (PRISM) before I choose doing something else I like to do.  Paul sheds some light on this concept of bringing joy to our Heavenly Father…  3 John 1:4 - I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.  That’s what brings a Father joy.  Seeing His children walking in truth.  What is that?  Obeying.  Jesus was an obeyer – that’s all He did.  It’s how He pleased His Father – becoming obedience unto death – even death on a cross.  That’s why God exalted Him to the highest place.  David was a worshipper – but even worship was part of obeying.  Matthew 4:10 - Then Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”(obey)  David was maybe the best worshiper ever!  He danced before the LORD, He led the nation in worshiping God, He played the harp, he wrote the whole book of Psalms.   But when God defined him, - He defined Him as an obeyer.   Acts 13:22 – I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart – he will do everything I want him to do.  Praying that as you ask God what you need most from Him today – as you're doing PiVAT before dinner, that you would also think of what brings Him joy.   Praying that you would worship Him – that His Presence and PRISM (His Word) would be your priority and first affection.  So your mind is changed - so obeying becomes easier - so obeying becomes the habit of your life – so you will always bring Him Joy - as He fills you with joy in His presence.  Obedience always brings joy!  Your testimony is just what He did as you are learning to obey.  Praying that your Daily Call will just be the dress rehearsal today.  That you will give your testimony everywhere you go.  You overcome through it!  Praying that your joy will be full today – and everything He told you to do... you would bring your Heavenly Father joy – as you walk in it. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you,
 
Yesterday’s Daily Huddle – Stressed-Out or Stress-Free.   If you haven’t yet, please listen to it.  It will encourage you.   Paul’s answer to stress – was to believe and speak.  We spoke of the two things most responsible for the state you are in – thoughts and habits.  And the two things that cause stress – external things and internal (self-inflicted).  Praying that you are soaking in God’s Word – PRISM Topics will help you – so you can believe and speak.  God will use PRISM (5 Things you can do daily in God’s Word) to transform your mind, and direct your thoughts.  But the thing besides thoughts - that determines “stressed out or stress free” – is habits.  Some people are stressed out because they simply are lacking sleep.   Someone once said - “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”  If you are not getting enough rest – you reduce your ability to live stress-free.  An interesting quote from WebMD - “Studies show that over time, people who are getting six hours of sleep, instead of seven or eight, begin to feel that they’ve adapted to that sleep deprivation -- they’ve gotten used to it,” Gehrman says. “But if you look at how they actually do on tests of mental alertness and performance, they continue to go downhill. So there’s a point in sleep deprivation when we lose touch with how impaired we are.”  People lack sleep because they don’t go to bed on time.  If you are stuck in that stay-up-late, get-up-late cycle…  It’s not escaped by going to bed earlier – you’re just not tired – you slept in too late.  Get up early – and the cycle will be broken.  If you get up at 5:30 or 6:00 am, you’ll go to bed on time.  Early to bed early to rise – makes one healthy, wealthy and wise. – Benjamin Franklin.  But the Bible is also full of examples of being early.  Jesus rose early, Abraham, Job, David said – “Early in the morning will I seek you.”  God is always up early – and He has good things for those who rise early to seek Him.  Here’s what God says:  Proverbs 8:17 - I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.  The second habit that contributes to stressed-out or stress-free,  is diet and exercise.  Are you eating the proper foods at the proper time?  A sugar or caffeine diet limits your ability to be stress-free.  Ask God what He wants you to eat and when, and develop the fueling habits and exercise habits your body needs.  And it will help you stay stress-free.  Third, and critically important - most people are stressed out because they don’t get God’s plan for them – which always works.  Which means they are stuck with their plans – which never work as well.  His plans are to prosper you, your plans are only what you think will prosper you – but so often it doesn’t.  PiVAT before dinner is the best habit you can develop – not only to live the life God has for you but to live it… stress-free.  If you are not following God’s plan for you today – you cannot be stress-free – you are worried about your plans which come to nothing if God is not directing them.  Sometimes He is even opposing them…  Nothing will go well in Tarsus when God told you to goto Nineveh – no matter how well you plan.  Not only PiVAT before dinner – but PiVAT Weekly – helps you see what God wants you to do over time.  You get His rhythm, and grow in faith as you obey and see His confirmation and the blessing He gives along with it.  PiVAT Weekly and PiVAT Monthly will set your course – and help you see His faithfulness.  You will live stress-free.  Finally – many people are stressed out because they don’t distinguish between PiVAT and PiVAT Maybe.  There are many things your enemy tries to fill your mind with – that are not God’s todo’s for you or God’s todo’s for you at this time.  Anytime you are thinking about what God has not told you to do right now… not only are you not doing what He wants – you’re stressing about things He doesn’t have for you right now.  Fourth - PIVAT Maybe helps you live Stress-Free!  Learn to distinguish between PiVAT’s right column – God’s todo’s for you for today, and PiVAT Maybe – your list of ‘gotta do’s’ for God to confirm, delay or delete.  See Relationship Topic – How2 PiVAT Maybe.  Finally - learn a critical life skill.  It’s called Front Load.  Front Load is the opposite of procrastination.  Frontload is not waiting til the last minute, just the opposite, it’s dedicating the first minute and every available minute that God directs until the task or assignment is finished.  Work first, play later.  Diligence is best done first, not later.  Just like lacking sleep – deprives you of sober judgment of the amount of sleep you need, so does procrastination.  Some people say “they work better under pressure.”  Translation, they have never learned the life skill of Front-Loading – so they rationalize their lack of discipline by claiming they work better that way.  Procrastination is stressful.  What does it mean to procrastinate?  Leaving for later, what you should do now.  Frontloading is stress-free – it’s doing now what you should do now, so later you have options.  So God can lead you to love and serve others.  When you put all your energy into what God told you to do immediately – it lets you finish – which frees you for the next thing He has for you.  Opportunities to minister to others – because while they are scrambling to complete what they procrastinated, you have front loaded, and are available to love and serve.  Stressed-Out or Stress-free – most often are determined by thoughts and habits.  These habits of rest, diet, PiVAT, PiVAT Weekly and PiVAT Monthly, understanding PiVAT vs PiVAT Maybe, and Frontloading – are God’s Way versus Man’s Way.  First, fill your thoughts with God’s Word – use your mouth.  I believed therefore I have spoken.   And then – establish the habits God has for you!  See PRISM Topic – Habits.  God’s Way always produces a stress-free life, a blessed life, an abundant life.  You will live stress-free when everyone around you is stressed out.  You will be free to love and serve, and God will use you to encourage many.  The joy of the LORD will be your strength, and obedience will always add blessing to your life. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you,
 
God reminding me recently.  He gives commands for a purpose.  They are for our own good!  Those who follow them live well, those who ignore them live with difficulty.  How are you doing lately?  Are you Stressed-Out or Stress-Free?  The devil wants you stressed out.  Your Heavenly Father wants you stress free.  There are two factors most responsible for the state you are in: thoughts and habits.  If you’re stressed out – it’s probably because of thoughts and habits.  If you are stress-free – it’s probably because of thoughts and habits.    There is a difference between stress and distress.  Stress – Force; urgency; pressure; importance; that which bears with most weight; as the stress of a legal question.  Stress – to press; to urge; to distress; to put to difficulties.    Stress is simply force, pressure, or importance.  “He stressed the need to hurry.”  But when someone says they are “stressed out” – the stress of the circumstances they face, has become distress.  Affliction; calamity; misery; extreme pain; anguish of body or mind.  To be greatly afflicted – to be oppressed with calamity, made miserable.   Some people are miserable – stressed out.  They get there by thoughts or habits.  Two things cause stress:  External things can – an approaching storm or a risk of loss - of a job, opportunity, or material or other possessions.  External things which cause stress – are often outside of one’s control.  But your response to them isn’t.  You can choose that.  The other cause is not external – but self-inflicted.  Most humans contribute to their feelings of stress.  This goes back to thoughts or habits.  We’ll talk later of habits, but for now lets address thoughts.  Stress can result in worry or fret.  God says “Do Not.”  But… what if?  “Do Not.”  But how can I…  “Do Not.”  II Corinthians 4:8-9  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.  Paul was facing some serious external causes of stress – but He did not let them become distress.  He was facing stress – but not stressed out.   I love verse 13:  Here’s how He handled it.  “It is written:  “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”  With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak.  Because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence."  So what do you do when facing stress?  Believe and Speak.  How do you do that?  Know what is written, then speak it.  Praying that you will listen to PRISM Topic – Peace, and PRISM Topic – Do Not Fret.  And PRISM Topic – Life Purpose and Direction.  PRISM Topics, Relationship Topics, and PRISM Topic Packets are the Protein Shake and Peanut Butter you need when facing stress in life.  They help you Know what is written, so you can believe and therefore speak.  Praying for you!
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you,
 
God reminding me recently – Proverbs 7:25 – Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.   Who is He speaking of?  The adulteress.  The person with a perverse tongue.  Always saying something different than what God says; coming up with excuses, reasons not to obey, or obey immediately, other considerations, justifications - rationalizing thoughts, words, or behaviors that do not honor God.  Do not let your heart turn to her ways.  Out of the overflow of the heart…  Your heart will stray, unless you tell it to do otherwise.  The only way to not let your heart turn is to turn your heart to.  Speak to your heart continually – the Word of God.  PRISM out loud is so important.  Your mouth determines what your heart is filled with.  Thanksgiving?  Praise?  Truth?  Humility?  If you’re going to be humble in heart, you first must speak humility to it, and into it.  What you say in your heart – determines what it’s filled with.  The fool says in his heart – there is no God.”  What do you say in your heart?  What you say to yourself – is a deposit into the bank of your heart.  Are you rich or are you bankrupt?  Do you have anything in your account?  Speak humility, speak obedience, speak praise, speak thanksgiving, speak diligence, speak truth, speak wisdom, speak blessing.  Turn your heart with your mouth – to God’s ways.  What’s in your heart comes out as words and words work themselves out in actions.  Praying that PiVAT before dinner – has you turning your heart always to complete obedience.  That’s where the joy is, the blessing is, the success is, and the significance is.  Praying that PRISM out loud – throughout the day – choosing His Words first – your Father’s instruction – before anything else – is always a priority for you.  Your Words will turn your heart – Praying that you are always speaking to your heart.  Someone recently gave some marriage counsel – "Overcommunicate. There’s intimacy in communication – lack of communication is loss of intimacy."  Your heart is so important.  Overcommunicate with your own heart.  Then when it’s full of God’s Word – you will have substance to overflow to others.  My nephew played Offensive Line in College.  Body weight was important.  Practices, workouts and games burned huge amounts of calories – and He had to keep eating in order to maintain his weight and his strength.  Protein shakes and peanut butter sandwiches every night before bed.  Not what he naturally would do, but there was a purpose in his eating.  Your heart is that way.  It will turn, if you don’t turn it.  It will stray if you don’t feed it.  Praying that PRISM is your priority – because you want a heart after God’s own heart.  PRISM Topics are the Protein Shakes and Peanut Butter sandwiches of your heart.  See PRISM Topic - Speak Life, PRISM Topic - Starter Verses, and PRISM Topic Packet - Basics .  Praying that you will overcommunicate, over-speak, and over-fill your heart with God’s Word.  When your heart turns, your life turns, when your heart changes, your life changes.  You can fill it!  Praying that you will always choose His Word!  
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you,
 
God showing me recently...  Proverbs 4:1 – Listen my sons to a father’s instruction, pay attention and gain understanding.  What’s to gain?  That’s a good question to ask.  Before you do something… what’s to gain?  If someone wants you to do something – what’s in it for them?  What do they gain?  Sometimes people want you to do things for their gain, not yours.  But your Heavenly Father is completely pure in motive.  This is for your good.  My son – listen to a father’s instruction.  Pay attention and gain understanding.  What’s to gain?  Understanding.  Know-how and Know-why - that’s understanding.  It establishes your life in success.  To gain understanding: #1 - You gotta listen.  #2 - You gotta know who your father is.  Not everyone is your father.  He speaks in multiple ways, whose voice do you hear?  Who are you listening to?  #3 - You gotta pay attention – give careful attention to.  The focus you use will determine the amount of your gain.  The more you pay attention, focus your attention – the more understanding you will gain.   The most important thing you can do – is PiVAT before dinner.  Every time you do, you grow in hearing, you grow in obeying, you grow in praise, you grow in testimony, that’s overcoming, you grow in the prophetic... PiVAT trains you to hear God’s voice – and builds a habit to obey.  That’s how you walk in the crazy good things God has for you.  But PRISM is equally important.  Every time you do it – it confirms what God told you in PiVAT.  PRISM – 5 Things you can do in God’s Word every day – is your Father’s Instruction!  Someone asked me about investing recently.  God’s word is an absolute guaranteed return on investment.  Every effort you make to listen and obey will produce a return.  Wisdom is better than money.  Understanding better than riches.  Money and riches can evaporate – wisdom and understanding - is forever.  Have you ever had a crazy day – so busy, maybe you overslept,  maybe you were up early and back to back at work - from the moment your feet hit the floor.  Your regular rhythm was interrupted.  Maybe working an extra long project – or helping those in need.  And the day is nearing it’s end, and you haven’t spent the time in God’s Word – that you normally would – or would like to.  It’s always best to front load – do the most important things first – not the urgent, the lifetime of importance – important - things.  But those days when that is not possible, or just didn’t happen.  You still have a choice.  You can still listen to your Father’s instruction.  Instead of hanging out, or just chillin, or catching a moving after an exhausting day.  You could put your Father’s instruction as your number one priority.  Doesn’t mean you can’t relax or even catch a movie – especially if you don’t have a work day tomorrow.  But before you do the other thing – I’m praying that you will do this thing.   Be sure you have done PiVAT for tomorrow.  Get everything God has for you.  And before you do whatever else God is telling you to do…  Praying that you will first – spend time in PRISM.  I have never one time in my entire life – when I chose to put God first – and do PRISM before I did that other thing we were going to do…  have I ever regretted it.  God has always given an extra blessing.  I gained understanding.  Praying that you will too.  Every time!  He promised. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you,
 
God reminding me of something recently.  Psalm 103:2 – Praise the LORD O my soul and forget not all his benefits, who forgives your sins, and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things – so your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.   God reminded me – sometimes its good to re-state His Word.  To say it again in a way you can remember it.  To include some definitions of the words He used.  To reinforce it in your mind and spirit.  Praise the LORD!  Be clear of sound and color –  shine!  Make a show of him, celebrate, get loud – even a little foolish.  Praise the LORD – All of my mind, will, ambitions, and emotions – Praise the LORD.  And do not forget His benefits (they definitely far eclipse His requirements – just love Him and walk in the Spirit).  Here are just a few:  He forgives all your sins!  He heals all your diseases!  He redeems your life from the pit, not only does He purchase you back – out of the lowest place of discouragement, chronic depression and despair... He purchases you out of the holding place of eternal damnation and judgment.  He bought you back from both!  Instead of discouragement, depression, despair and condemnatio…  He crowns you with His love and compassion for you!  Not just in secret, that alone would be enough, He does it in full view of everyone!  He puts His favored treatment of you on display for all to see.  He gives you His desires, so He can satisfy them with good things!  The best things, not the false or temporary things.  He renews your youth, your strength, energy and vitality like the eagle’s.  What renews the strength of an eagle?  A current of wind that He rises to soar on.  When was the last time you saw an eagle flapping his wings for all he’s worth?  You haven’t.  Eagles don’t flap, they soar.  It’s not their strength, it’s the strength of the wind beneath their wings.  That’s what God sends again and again.  Notice that all these benefits are present tense - available and working now.  So the command is to praise – the LORD – who does all these things for you.  Important item:  Not everyone can Praise Him as LORD – Make Him LORD so you can praise Him as LORD.  Only obeyers can praise Him as LORD.  Eventually – yes – every knee will bow, but those who choose His plans and His ways instead of their own – these are the ones He’s talking about.  Praise – make the effort – He’s worth the effort.  Praise Him clear, loud, and long.  Do not forget what He does and is doing.  Present tense means praise Him now – for what He’s doing now.  Present tense means its active – which means you praise Him sometimes for things that are yet to happen.  That haven’t fully happened yet, but will happen because He forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, satisfies and renews.  David said. "I will praise you seven times a day for your righteous judgments."  That means the decisions God chose for David’s life.  Maybe not everything the way He would have chosen, but He praised God for His decisions – on timing, and results, and what the answer looks like as well as when it comes.  Praise Him like you got it, not like you’re waiting on it.  And praise Him while you’re waiting just like when it happens.  You can get the same joy now!  He does these things!  Don’t forget what He does – because of who He is.  Praying that you are never-miss consistent with PiVAT before dinner.  Every time you do – you are making Him LORD!  It changes how you praise!  Praying that you are drawn deeper into His Presence and PRISM.  It’s the wood for the fire – of Praise!  Praying that your Daily Call – is increasing your habit of praise.  Every PiVAT you share on your Daily Call – that testimony is praise.  It reinforces with your mouth – what God is doing in your life.  If forces you to notice it – to see it – to give him credit for it – you overcome by it!  It helps you never forget – so your praise grows.  The more you praise – the more He can inhabit and the more He can forgive, heal, redeem, crown, satisfy and renew.  So do you flap or do you soar?  It depends on your praise.  Praying for you - that your obeying - is making His praise glorious.
 
Love you all,
dad