Love you all, praying for you,
 
Hang with me, this is important. 
 
One of the most challenging things you will face in life – pop-ups.  Those things that pop-up during your day.  Things that you think you need to do, that God hasn’t told you to do, or do right now.  But they will bombard you from everywhere.  There are three major popups.  #1 - Things that jump into your mind that you want to get done.  Ideas of something you should do, or forgot to do, or would be nice to do.  #2 - Things that Others want you to do, or need you to do for them.  Things they need help with, or want to delegate to you, so they don’t have to do them.  And it’s not just your boss that tries this.  He has the right to, and the authority to, others don’t.  They are not in authority over you, but they will still try to delegate things to you.  Can you get me this?  Can you help me with this? Or do this for me?  Why would they do that thing - if they know they can convince you to do it.  That’s one less thing on their todo list, because they just added it to yours.  #3 Popup - Things that God wants you to do.  Sometimes He might prompt you with something He wants you do - in the middle of the day.  There are actually three times that God will prompt you to do something.   The number 1 time God will give you things to do is PiVAT before dinner.  The more consistently you meet with Him, the more you will hear His voice.  No different than any relationship.  Consistent times together will improve communication greatly, and take your relationship to a new level, that’s why couch time and date night is so important in a marriage.  Scheduled communication times grow relationships.  The number 2 time God will give you things to do…  In the night season. When you are sleeping, your mouth is not moving, and your spirit is uninterrupted.  That’s when God will speak, He will give you counsel in the night season (Psalms 16:7). Some translations say my heart counsels me in the night season.  That’s not the correct interpretation…  God said the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it.  That does you no good whatsoever, so it’s not talking about that.  It’s talking about God giving you counsel in the night season by the Holy Spirit through your spirit that communes with Him.  So you get God’s downloads for you in the night season.  That’s why it’s good to keep your PiVAT Journal beside your bed at night – so you can write down what God speaks. If you don’t, you won’t get back to sleep because you’re worried that you’ll forget what He said by morning.  That’s because you will!  Write down what He says right now, and then go back to sleep.  He can multiply your rest – you’ll be ok, but you won’t be if you don’t remember what He tells you.  It was important or He wouldn’t have told you.  He’s got things for you to do, and to know and believe.  When He tells you, write it down.  The number 3 time God will tell you something – is at times during the day.  He may choose to do this (but it won’t be nearly as often as other people will.  People will always have a crisis or over commitment that they think should now be your priority).  God will sometimes tell you something that He has coming up for you - during the day.  No matter who the source, God, yourself, or others.  Write down these pop-ups in your PiVAT Journal.  Whether what God said, during the day, or something that popped up in your mind, or something that someone else interrupted your day with – a request to fill a need or to do of theirs.  Write it down.  But not in the right column of PiVAT for today – that’s reserved only for what God told you to do today only.  Nothing else goes there until He says so, so write the pop-ups below the right column.  These are PiVAT Maybe’s - not necessarily to do’s for you right now.  Then ask God if this thing is important enough to go in the Right Column (God’s To Do List for you today).  And if so – the exact time today that He wants you to do it.  If He doesn’t tell you specifically – leave it alone for now.  At the end of the day – half of those ‘pop-ups’ have already gotten done by someone else, or faded in their emergency status.  They didn’t need to get done by you anyway.  Cross those out… put a line through them.  For the pop-ups that remain at the end of the day…  Re-write them on your ongoing PiVAT Maybe for this month – things for God to confirm, delay or delete.  One of the critical first steps of learning discernment.  Is letting the Holy Spirit separate in your mind the difference between PiVAT and PiVAT Maybe.  For Pop-ups during the day, they go below the Right Column not in the Right Column.  Ask God is this for right now?  And He’ll confirm it instantly and tell you what time… If not just leave it below – and finish what God told you this hour.  The third place to write pop-ups, (#1 Below the Line, #2 PiVAT Maybe for the month). #3 - Take a new conversation page to get them off of your mind.  Sometimes even before you begin PiVAT before dinner with God, or when you wake up in the morning, or during the day – so many pop-ups are filling your mind, you can confuse them with His Voice.  That’s why it’s good to just take a new Conversation Page in your PiVAT Journal and write them all down.  Get them off of your mind, and onto the page.  You won’t worry about forgetting them, you can come back to it later and ask God which ones are for you and which ones are not.  It will also help clear your mind before your PiVAT before dinner time with God - so you can hear what His Spirit is saying.  Once you get your PiVAT from Him, you can ask Him about your list of pop-ups.  He might weed some of them out immediately, or tell you which ones are for others, not you…  But sometimes, He won’t tell you His final decision on every one of your pop-ups right now.  Just leave them there, and focus on what He has for you to do in this hour…  He knows your heart.  He will make sure He tells you what you need to do - as you consistently meet together with Him during PiVAT before dinner.  Pop-ups can be future to do’s – short-term or long-term, but they are often just distractions – the devil’s attempt to keep you from what is best for you – what God told you to do right now!  Finally - a good skill to develop in life – is pop-up conversation skills.  When other people give you popups, either your boss or an authority figure in your life (like a parent or teacher) or someone just trying to get you to do their to do’s.  A good first response is to say – “Thanks for mentioning that, let me check my schedule, pray about it, and I’ll get back to you.”  (Often they’ll find someone else to do their work for them).  If it’s your boss, say something like… “Thank you, I understand,” maybe even ask for clarification if you need to... (It will let them know you are listening, and honoring their request). Then say – “Here’s what I’m doing right now that you asked me to do this week… would you rather me complete it, or do ‘this new thing’ (that they just mentioned?)  They might say – yes – it’s an emergency.  “Perfect, I’ll get right on it, and just to communicate - it will take me until next Tuesday on the other thing if that’s ok?”  (Remember, under-promise, over-deliver) “But I’m happy to do whichever one you prefer.” Sometimes, they will reconsider and say -  OK, you’re right, finish that thing you were doing, but jump on this one right after.  “Perfect!  I got you!”  If they are not your boss, that pop-ups conversation gives you a buffer, a chance to consider, pray about it, and make sure you do what God told you – not what others want you to do.  Remember, other peoples’ lack of planning, or over commitment, doesn’t constitute an emergency on your part – nor does it make it a To Do that God has for your Right Column of PiVAT for today.  Praying that you’ll will review PiVAT Maybe – a vital skill in life.  Have you ever heard someone say, “I just didn’t get anything done today!”  They’re probably right.  And the two reasons that statement is accurate.  #1 - They didn’t know what God told them to do… or they wouldn’t have spent so much time at the water cooler… or the #2 reason that statement is accurate - Their day was consumed with ‘pop-ups’ and they didn’t get done what God wanted them to do. They might not even know about PiVAT before dinner – so they really don’t ever think of God’s plans being different than theirs, or better than theirs – they just didn’t get done what they planned, or what they thought was most important.  So they said – “I got nothing done today.’  Praise God!  He’s got better for you.  That’s what you used to do, that’s how you used to be… but God is leading you higher - into His plans not yours – His Good, His Best, the way chosen for you.  Pop-ups are rarely His plans for you right now.  If one of them is, He will confirm it.  Sometimes a phone call from a friend in need – is - His will for you to drop everything and be there for them.  Ask Him and He will tell you.  But most pop-ups are distractions.  Either not for you, or not for you to do today.  Be careful!  They will keep you from doing what God told you to do.  Write them down – either below the Right Column on PiVAT (God’s todo list for you today), a New Conversations Page where you have room to get them all off your mind, and then if still appropriate – on your ongoing PiVAT Maybe for this month.  And get back to what God told you!  The wise are discerning.  Discernment in life for major decisions – starts with discernment for Pop-ups.  The Holy Spirit will lead you – if you ask.  Remember He’s in control – not you - if you want to obey the Word of God and do His will for you.  So you walk in the Spirit – not by the flesh, which will always jump from one thing to another.  God’s plans are not your plans (nor are they other people’s plans for you). They are way better!  PiVAT before dinner and throughout the day – will keep you on His plans – and His timing – which leads you to His blessing and the good that He has for you!  Praying that your Pop-ups won’t control you, praying that by the Holy Spirit you will sift them through God’s will.  It will make you highly effective. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you.
 
Why do people lie? Have you ever noticed – how much easier it is to talk about other people, than yourself?  So lets just continue.  Why do people lie?  I think perhaps the number one reason – is because they don’t want others to think less of them.  They don’t want to be thought less of – when their actions reveal a lack of character or diligence, or kindness or fairness, or wisdom… And they don’t really want others to know it – the truth, or the full truth about them.  When their motives are selfish, they would rather people not recognize their true heart.  So they lie.  Most lies aren’t bald-faced untruths.  Most lies are shades of hiding or repositioning.  Like the car for sale that shows the good side, not the side with the dent in it.  We always want to be viewed in the best light, so our reputation doesn’t suffer.  So that it’s enhanced, not diminished, or at least protected.  So we use words that make us look better than we are, or than we did, that make our real actions or motives not quite so visible.  Most lies are for gain.  To gain advantage or prevent loss, whether reputation, money, or benefit, to keep from getting caught, or to gain advantage or increase.  Why do people do that?  Selfishness, yes, but it’s really the old nature rearing its ugly head.  Some people habitually lie, to protect themselves, and increase themselves.  Others lie because they believe a lie.  Liars are the most easily deceived themselves – because they lie to others, they are most susceptible to lies themselves – they reap what they sow.  They repeat the lies they have themselves been deceived to believe.  While all of this is natural, it is not the character or nature of God.  And not God’s will for you.   God is truth.  There is no lie in Him.  God hates lies, because they come from the father of lies, not the Father in heaven.  His standard for truth in our life is not just higher, it’s complete.  And while honesty doesn’t come naturally, it does for your new man.  The new heart, the clean heart you’ve been given in Christ.  Walk in the Spirit and you won’t fulfill the desires of the old man.  You won’t need to be dishonest to protect your reputation, because you no longer do those things – that require lies to cover up.  You motive is love, not self-preservation, or self-advantage.  When you seek God’s plans, and do them only, and you soak in His Word that transforms your mind… When you value His blessing and favor, more than the couple dollars that a lie could produce, it’s laughable that you would sacrifice God’s blessing on your life by choosing a lie.  Sometimes people will never know.  But God knows, and He has truth for you to hear and believe and become – because He is truth.  His power can overcome a lifetime of lies.  Don’t get fooled by this one.  Some people say – "I just tell the truth, I just tell it like it is.”  That’s a lie, you’re not telling the truth, you’re just being rude.  That’s just selfishness, saying what you want to say, when you want to say it, inconsiderate of others or what might be best for them.  You’re not telling the truth, that’s just a lie.  Don’t fall for it.  Praise God - what you were, you are no more.  What you used to do, you don’t have to.  What you couldn’t do, He has grace for you to overcome.  It starts with God’s Word.  Praying that you will review the Relationship Topic – Honesty.  It is so important to God.  It will position you for God’s blessing and favor.  It’s the character of God which is now become the character of you.  Praying that truth is your shield.  That the Word of truth is your diet and consumption, so the character of God shines through every thought you think, every word you speak, every principle you believe, and every action you take.  Honesty is the beauty of God’s character – and it brings you eternal gain.  It never brings loss, it brings increase in the end.  Praying that God’s Word will produce His character in you every time.  That you will speak the truth in love.  Love for God, and love for others. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word – it’s encouragement!  Call on me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things that you do not know.  God decides what to show us – if we call on Him.  Great and mighty things!  Sometimes we don’t recognize what is the great and mighty and what is not.  I am so thankful that God will always tell you the what – even though He doesn’t always tell you the why.  Sometimes we want to know the why before the what… when God has the what for you – and the why will come in time – even if not until eternity.  We want to know the why – why can’t I, or why is it taking so long? Or Why did this have to happen?  Sometimes the devil will use the why.  He always wants you to doubt God’s Word, and doubt God’s love.  Just because God isn’t revealing the why yet, doesn’t mean His Word is not true, or that He doesn’t love you.  God is more concerned with the what for you, than the why for you.  He has the next step for you to take – to get you to the good that He has for you!  Every why doesn’t really matter.  Some things you are not ready to understand yet.   Will you have faith?  Will you obey what He said?  And what He said to do next?   You can leave the why to Him, the what is up to you.  God will tell you what to do next – even in the middle of the storm.  Sometimes it’s put your hope in God, sometimes its take refuge in Him first, not last.  Sometimes it’s in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  Sometimes it’s I have learned to be content in every circumstance I am, I know how to get along with humble means and I also know how to live in prosperity.  In any and every situation I have learned the secret of being filled and being hungry, of having abundance and suffering need, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Sometimes it’s take no thought about tomorrow, If I care for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, how much more will I care for you.  Sometimes it’s go to Nineveh, sometimes it’s whatever you do work at it with all your heart as unto the LORD, not men, for it is from the LORD that you receive the reward of the inheritance, it is the LORD, Christ whom you serve.  It doesn’t matter if you didn’t get the pay raise, or the promotion, you work for God, not other people or other things.  And He will not let you be underpaid forever.  Be like Daniel, be like Joseph, learn to be excellent with the excellence of Christ.  The Psalmist often asked why?  Why are you downcast O my soul?  Put your hope in God.  Yet – praise Him.   God doesn’t always tell us the why – but He will always tell us the what.  It’s because He promised to lead us and guide us in the way we should go, the path that is best for us, the way chosen for you!  Praise God – what you should do, He’ll tell you.  Just ask Him if you’re not sure… James 1:5 – He promised He will tell you.  And leave the why with Him.  He knows why, He will tell you all that you need to know about it at the right time.  Don’t spend time on the why if you haven’t done the what yet.  The next thing He told you.  Praise God – when you praise him, joy comes – and He comes with it.  Praying that you will know what He told you to do today, and do it with joy?  Why?  We don’t have to understand every why.  But if we will take His next step – the why will be answered, or the why won’t matter.  His promise is sure, His blessings are endless to those who seek and obey Him, and the joy that He brings can’t be found anywhere else. 
 
Love you all,
dad  

​Love you all, praying for you.
 
On Sunday night, I was doing PiVAT Weekly for this week.  So much can happen in a week, and there are several plans that you could pursue, even a completely different checklist.  What a blessing to be able to ask God – that Master Planner, and your Heavenly Father.  He has things for you to do this week!  They are good.  And He has things that He wants you to do – that are not for this week.  They are for next week, or the week that follows.  Thinking about them or worrying about them, merely steals the time that this week brings.  Not the most productive, and definitely not God’s best.  It keeps you from doing well – the things He has for you this week, or today.  Praise God – He said “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself… If you know what God has called you to do today.  PiVAT before dinner, and PiVAT Weekly will tell you -  then don’t waste time and energy thinking or worrying about what God has in the future – the same grace that He has for you today – will be there for you - then.  Keep your focus on Him, in joy and praise, and keep your focus on what He has put your hand to - today.  For some reason as I was doing PiVAT Weekly – actually later on Sunday than I normally do… I clicked the time and date stamp on the lower right hand corner of my Windows 10 laptop.  And for the first time I noticed something.  9:04 pm, but it said 9:04:07.  It had the seconds running off the clock as I watched.  How weird.  It wasn’t like a stop watch timing the 40 yard dash, or how long it takes to swim to the other side of the pool.  These seconds, 07, 08, 09 were ticking with no reset button on the stop watch.  It’s almost like seeing your life pass before your eyes.  Funny thing about life – it passes in seconds.  It’s actually a pretty regular rhythm, just slightly slower than my pulse (I checked – heart’s still beating – that’s a plus).  I looked at e-sword and search the word “hour.”  It was mentioned 94 times.  When I typed in “minute” - zero results.  I typed in “second” and got 173 – but it was referring to a list of items or options, not the measurement of time.  I’m so glad God doesn’t ask us to be faithful every second – our head would be spinning.  But He does tell us the power of an hour – or a moment.  I watched my life pass by for about ten seconds, and couldn’t help but thinking about – what I was doing in this second.  Several of them passed by the time I finished formulating the thought.  I noticed I couldn’t stop the clock.  But I thought about what I was thinking in those seconds.  Praise? Worry? Fear? Thanksgiving?  How easily a rabbit trail of thoughts down a useless path… could consume precious time.  I recognized the LORD telling me, that while they are passing, they’re not being lost – just passing.  But I really want to be sure those few seconds of thoughts – are invested in things that build, invested in the praise of God, the diligence of what He wants me to think and do, and I just praised God for the revelation that we don’t need to worry about seconds – just be faithful this hour.  Just rejoice in this moment – and rest in Him.  He holds time in His hands.  He doesn’t rewind it very often.  He did stop it once – for Joshua, but we can trust Him with it.  We don’t have to worry or stress over every second, but it’s good to notice the seconds to remind us of God’s love and faithfulness, and the opportunity we have to do right now what He designed us to do and what He assigned us to do!  Praise and Follow – that’s what obeying is, doing what He leads you – that next step, the next thought.  Seconds and minutes become hours and days.  And these are important.  Ephesians 5:15-16 – Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the LORD is.  God has a will for your time today, the seconds, the minutes the hours and the days.  PiVAT before dinner, and PiVAT Sunday for this week – seeking His will is wise.  Not understanding it is foolish, because once it passes, it’s gone.  Praise God – He’s not a task-master or slave-driver.  He’s a loving Heavenly Father – one of His Love languages is quality time.  He loves spending time with you.  When you chose His presence, with your seconds and minutes, as He leads - He meets your there, with His love, His warmth, His peace, and hope, and joy, and the secrets of His heart that He wants to reveal to you.  Every second spent with Him is worth it – a game changer, a life changer!  Praying that you will know what He has for you today, even in this hour, that you won’t waste time thinking about what He has for you at another time, but be fully engaged with joy and diligence in what He has for you right now, this hour, and this day. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word.  It is powerful.  It gives secrets, and it gives reminders.  Awakened… my first thoughts were what God revealed during PiVAT before dinner for today.  Before I could even ask God again for a quick clarification about the order of a couple things.  His Word arose in my spirit.  “Where the Spirit of the LORD is there is freedom!”  Instantly, I had my answer, praise the Lord!  And it brought peace immediately.  What I thought was the order, was just religion, not God’s freedom.  Seems like a small thing, but it was God’s timely answer for me.  I'm so thankful that God loves us enough to give us His plans, even the details of the plan – if we ask Him.  Nothing is too small.  The order of things is important.  And the motive is important as well.  Freedom brings joy, obedience brings joy, and giving the testimony of what God did – brings joy.  One thing I noticed the devil will always do.  He lies.  Especially about PiVAT before dinner.  “It’s too structured, that’s bondage, God gives freedom.”  Even the devil will quote scripture to you – but he lies.  God’s Word is freedom, not bondage.  What the devil calls freedom, that’s real bondage… not getting God’s plans, or the details – the best way to do it… not getting God’s order, doing your own thing – that’s bondage!  Diligence to ask Him, so you know and then do what God said, at the time He reveals – that’s freedom!  Praise God!  He loves you enough to tell you the little things!  That verse is probably one of the top five most often misused Scriptures in the Bible…  That and “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  No, that doesn’t apply to worldly dreams and ambitions, Paul was saying He has seen good times and hard times - but He has learned to be content in whatever circumstance God has him.  He’s not about the money, he’s about the obedience – like Jesus was.  Where the Spirit of the LORD is - there is freedom.  Not freedom to sin, freedom from sin!  Freedom to obey, to be content, and freedom from false religion that always tries to get you to add or subtract things from God’s Word, like the Pharisees did.  Whether His Word in the Bible, or His present Word to you by the Holy Spirit.  Some people are always falling short, deceived by their own opinions or philosophies of life, or God’s Word.  They haven’t learned to choose God’s grace to say no to sin, whether thoughts, words or actions.  That power is right there to overcome – Grace!  But it won’t do it for you, you have to choose it to help you.  If you’re sinning, you can stop sinning!  If you’re deceived you won’t know it, ask God to help you see.  God has grace for it!  Don’t just say “It’s under the blood.”  Of course any sin we may commit is covered by the blood, and forgiveness is available for the asking and turning, but Paul said, “Should we keep on sinning, that grace may abound?  God forbid!”  “Well, that’s just my personality.”  That’s just the way I am.  That’s just how God made me. No, those are the words and thoughts that you have been choosing time after time.  It’s not personality, or the way you are, or the way He made you, that’s just repeated poor choices, and repeated excuses.  God has better!  He’s calling you higher, and He has power for you to change.  David never excused or covered his sin, he confessed it and turned.  Praise God for freedom, not freedom to sin, or fall short, or continue in habits which lack God’s grace and power for holiness.  But freedom from sin!  He still loves you, you can, but you don’t have to.   And freedom from false understanding of freedom, from what ‘seems right’ – but isn’t.  Jesus’ death set us free from sin and every one of the devil’s lies!  Freedom lets you choose God’s way instead of man’s way again…  Freedom lets you think differently and gets you free from the thought chains that used to deceive you.  Praise God!  Praying that you will never let excuses keep you bound in old habits of words or thoughts.  God has freedom for you.  God has wisdom for you.  He wants to establish you in His Thoughts and His Ways which are so much higher than ours.  The first step on that journey – is do what He told you in this hour, Ask Him, He’ll clarify, and stay in His Word.  PRISM every chance you get today.  Where the Spirit of the LORD is – there is freedom.  Praying that you will pray in the Spirit today, that you will choose His presence today, and worship today.  Praying that you will choose PRISM throughout the day.  Every time you choose His Word – the Holy Spirit has more to work with – its that guaranteed investment in freedom!  Praying that the Holy Spirit will reveal the freedom He has for you – so you can leave the old thoughts and ways and opinions and bondage behind and walk in the new life that He has for you.  The life of freedom!  The new you!  The real you! 
 
Love you all,
dad

​Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word – it gives truth and life and success.  And I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit of God who God promised would lead us into all truth.  Without the Holy Spirit, you only get your human ideas and interpretation of God’s Word.  You become like the Pharisees who added and subtracted from the Word – and missed everything that God was doing in their generation – who actually became opposed to God.  Or you’ll be like the Ethiopian Eunuch who read it, but just couldn’t understand what it was saying.  Praise God by His Spirit we understand His Word, and by His Holy Spirit – we have the power overcome the old nature that used to enslave us.  The best way to grow in the Spirit – is to pray in the Spirit.  If you want to walk in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit.  Give your mind a rest that always wants control, and help your spirit grow which is the part of you that hears and understands what the Spirit of God is saying.  Another really good way to grow in the Spirit is PiVAT before dinner or PiVAT Weekly before the week begins.  It’s Holy Spirit-listening practice, it’s prophetic practice, it’s learning how to “hear and obey” - practice.  God has plans today and this week for your good.  They are way better – at a completely different level, than what you could come up with.  And PiVAT before dinner is that habit that positions you to stop thinking up your plans, and instead - ask Him for His.  The greatest trade of all time, your plans for His!  When you walk in the Spirit – you hear His voice, comprehend His plans, and have the power to become witnesses, martyrs, laying down your life – for the life of abundance that He has just waiting for you if you will hear and obey.  In music – songs are divided into measures.  Most songs are three or four beat measure songs.  Some songs begin on the first beat of the measure, the down beat - like the song – “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.”  Other songs begin just before the measure – a word or syllable starts before the down beat, almost like “getting ready to start or getting a head start - like the song Amazing grace.  The A of amazing is the grace note or the precursor to the down beat of the measure – that then gets you rolling downhill. PiVAT before dinner is the grace note of life - the Grace Note of your day, or your week or month… The beginning of it before it begins.  Get God’s plan first – then you begin much better!  Like an Equestrian over a jump.  They are still in the air – and already turning to prepare for the next jump that awaits them.  PiVAT is God’s grace note for you.  PiVAT prepares you for what’s coming next – a day full of God’s power and promise. It’s how the Holy Spirit – leads you in the path chosen for you by God, the path best for you.  If you ever get off track, or something takes longer than expected, just go back to PiVAT – and ask God what to do next.  Some things this week might be unexpected, He never said He would tell you every single thing that’s going to happen, that’s where walking in the Spirit in your reactions and response comes in.  That’s why PRISM is so important – so your heart and your mind thinks like He does, so your response – is what His would be also.  When your day or week needs midcourse correction or adjustment, just ask Him what to do – even in this hour.  It’s not too much for Him, He loves the conversation – He’ll tell you – the best way for you!  The hardest thing you will ever do in life is PiVAT before dinner – the devil will do whatever he can to get you to forget, or say, “I’ll just do it later (which never comes), or before bed, but you’re too exhausted.  This habit of PiVAT before dinner - hearing the Holy Spirit for tomorrow or Sunday for this coming week… writing your testimony so far, and finishing strong in the things He told you to do, that He wants you to finish today… is what will help you walk in everything God has for you.  It will establish your habit of seeking His will, surrendering yours, and it will teach you to hear that still small voice of the Holy Spirit.  It’s in contrast to the loud voice of need, fear or greed.  The tyranny of the urgent is always a loud voice.  The voice of the LORD will thunder – but is often as soft as a whisper.  PiVAT is what helps you discern His voice, by doing what He says, so He can confirm that you heard Him.  Praying that your PiVAT before dinner will be that grace note of each day – so God’s A-mazing Grace by the Holy Spirit’s direction beforehand – will help you start and finish each day exactly as He has designed for your good!  So you get everything He planned for you.  Obedience is always worth it. It starts with the little – that grace note before dinner.   It’s the joy of hearing and doing and seeing what God does when we simply hear and obey.    
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you, 

What if you had wisdom?  What if your life was built on it?  I just love God’s Word.  It is the book of wisdom, the book of success.  It tells you what success is, and what it isn’t - what it takes, and what prevents it.  It gives God’s wisdom which brings success.  Have you ever noticed, the wise make wise decisions.  The foolish make unwise decisions – and their life reflects it – like a mirror.  Choices determine your life - infinitely more than factors outside of you.  What you choose… not what other people choose, or what circumstance surrounds you.  The wise are wise because of the decisions they make, they foolish are foolish because of the decisions they make.  Their life is created by their decisions, both the wise and the foolish.  The foolish lack wisdom because they lack humility and the fear of the LORD – which God said is the beginning of wisdom.  And they don’t read God’s Word – the source of true wisdom.  The foolish don’t realize there are two wisdoms, the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world which is foolishness.  The Word of God gives wisdom and it’s free! It just requires humility, interest and obedience.  If you’re not humble, you won’t recognize it as wisdom, much less choose it.  If you’re not interested, you’re not going to get any.  And if obedience isn’t your habit – wisdom will be something you’ve heard of before, but not something that you know because it’s not something you do.   So How do you get wisdom?  #1 - Read God’s Word – it’s the source - especially Proverbs the wisdom book.  How else do you get wisdom?  #2 - Obey.  If you don’t do what God says, then you can never walk in wisdom.  Wisdom cannot take up residence in you.  Wisdom isn’t just what you hear, it’s what you do.  And wisdom is a perfect example of God’s principle of more.  The more wisdom you have the more wisdom you will get, the less wisdom you have, even what you have you will lose.  So how do you begin the journey toward wisdom - that of which God said, “Above all else, get this!”  Number 1: Learn the Fear of the LORD – and wisdom will begin in you.  Number 2: Humble yourself and commit to fully obey – whatever God says – starting with the little.  Number 3:  Get God’s plan for your day. What He has planned for you to do is wise.  What you plan to do – is not so wise, sometimes not wise at all.  PiVAT helps you hear and obey – God’s plans for you today enable you to put wisdom into practice – so wisdom can begin in you.  Number 4:  Get Counsel.  Not from just anybody, from obeyers.  Obeyers are more important than experts.  Experts in the ways of the world, are not always expert in God’s way - which is higher than man’s way – like the heavens are higher than the earth.  Get Counsel from obeyers – Godly people, not just in word, but in deed.  Those whose humility and obedience have produced a life of wisdom.  God said from a multitude of counsel – victory is sure.  Number 5:  Heed.  When God gives Counsel – through The Holy Spirit, through His Word by the Holy Spirit, and through others by the Holy Spirit, Heed it.  Wisdom requires change.  Stop what you’re doing, and do what the wise do.  Stop thinking like you have been thinking, and think like the wise do – something else, something different, something better.  God’s way - instead of the way that has brought you the old result.  Heed requires humility.  To humble yourself – and change what God tells you to change, start what God tells you to begin, and continue to persevere in the wisdom you have already been given – make it a habit.  Wisdom works.  Wisdom is diligent in the right thing.  Wisdom is humble, wisdom isn’t self-seeking.  Wisdom is knowing the right thing to do, and the best way to do it.  God gave His Word – and the Holy Spirit – so wisdom will reside in you, - so your life will be a life of wisdom, with all that wisdom brings.  You will look very different from those around you.  You will look very different than you used to! The fruit of wisdom will not always come in one day, or the moment you first obey – but the fruit of wisdom will surely come to those who seek it, pursue it, and continue in it.   One of the first wisdom’s to pursue is money wisdom.  Since money is the biggest competitor for your heart.  Since God says you cannot love God and money – Get money wisdom from the LORD.  Establish your heart towards God, not the things of the world, and your life will change completely!  The wise and the foolish live distinctly different lives.  The wise, are money wise, they are relationship wise, they are career wise – they work, they are industrious and productive, and they are gracious and giving, kind and generous, joyful.  Why?  Because they have wisdom.  If you have wisdom there’s a future hope for you!  Praying you will grow in wisdom today.  That it will be a priority this week.  It starts with hearing it through God’s Word, and doing it  - through what He told you to do today.  PiVAT will remind you what God said to do.  Praying that you will get really good at hearing and obeying – so your life will be wisdom, set apart, full of hope, full of joy.
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you, 
 
I just love God’s Word.  It contains truth… and real people, saying real things.  Psalms 42:11 – Why are you downcast O my soul, why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him.  When your soul is cast down, when your emotions are feeling low, there are two things you can choose to do.  Put your hope in God, and Praise Him yet (even though, right now).  Put your hope, and Praise – both of these things you do with your mouth.  Your mouth will either speak downcast, or speak hope and praise.  You will either stay there, or rise from there.  These two things… you will do them, or you will not do them.  You will do what David said and did, or you will not.  If you put your hope in God, your hope will rise, if you Praise Him, He will rise, not only in your eyes, but He will rise up off of His throne and come and inhabit your praise.  He will live in it, and bring you to life!  If you do not do these two things, your soul will remain cast down, downcast.  Why?  Good question, why are you downcast, O my soul? Why be downcast?  Why not rise?  Why be downcast when you can hope and praise.  When you are feeling low, hope and praise.  When something is disturbing you, whether something you said or did, or something others said or did, or something the devil said, or when something bad could or did happen… Why be downcast?  Why not rise!  Simply obey what God said.  Do these two things - and He will rise - and so will you.  He has healing in His wings, healing for your soul and spirit.  Why be downcast, why not rise?  Praying that you will put your hope in God, with your words, that you will praise Him for his loving kindness and His excellent greatness.  Just remember what He has done!  Put your Hope in God, and put your Praise on Him, and He will rise, and you will rise with Him. 
 
Love you all,
dad  ​

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It contains the promises of God.  And it tells you what to do to get it.  Psalms 30:4 – Sign the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people, praise his holy name.  For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime.  Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.   That’s a promise from God that you can take to the bank.  Joy comes in the morning.  God delivers it every morning.  It’s there waiting for you.  You hear a knock on the door, and you go downstairs to see who it is, only to see the person in the tan suit, stepping back onto the brown truck, but there’s a package on the porch.  You can open the door and bring it in, or just leave it on the porch.  Don’t just leave it on the porch or the porch pirates will get it.  The devil is the porch thief, he will steal your joy.  So how do you bring it in?  Put on the garment of praise!  You his faithful people.  Start each morning with PRISM – Praise the Word – if you forget to this morning, that’s leaving the package of joy on the porch…  Just do it right now, open your Bible App – take the first Psalms verse you come to, better yet the two or three verses from where you left off yesterday, and Praise the Word!  God said He inhabits the praises of his people, that means that the Holy Spirit will fill your praise – you start, He’ll take over and joy will come!  You’ll get it off the porch and into your heart.  When the Holy Spirit fills your praise – you are filled with His presence, there’s joy there.  It’s what happens when you choose His presence, you get filled with joy, that expectation of something good.  And God has a miracle for you today.  He already woke you up, in your right mind, with the presence of mind to fill your mind with His Word.  Praying that your praise – opens the joy that he brought you this morning. That joy anointing like the oil flowing down Aaron’s beard onto his robes, and onto the ground everywhere he walks.  His joy changes your day, it changes your mind, and changes your life, it sets you apart!  It’s the anointing God has for you, and He delivers the package every morning!  Praying that you will review the PRISM Topic – Joy.  Praying that you will rejoice in the LORD today, you his faithful people, that you will take joy again and again.  He never runs out, it will last all day, and you will get a new delivery tomorrow morning.  He promised.
 
Love you all,
dad 

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word – the more you are in it, the more God reveals to you.  I noticed something today, that I never noticed before.  Proverbs 21:1 -  The King’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, He directs is like a watercourse wherever He chooses.  That is one of my favorite verses.  Don’t worry about other people, worry about yourself.  Even those in authority over you – those that have power whose decisions can affect your life and well-being.  God is in complete control of them, He can direct them wherever he choses as easily as a winding creek that He created.  You can trust God to take care of you – and influence those who have influence over you.  I have known this for a while, and God helps me remember.  But Psalms 21:1 – also talks about Kings.  O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength.  How great is his joy in the victories you give.  You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips.  You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.  He asked you for life, and you gave it to him – length of days, for ever and ever.  Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.  Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.  For the king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.  Both kings are controlled by the LORD – one king is controlled though he doesn’t even know it.  And the other king pursues God’s control, and is abundantly blessed in everything He does because of it.  You may think, “We’ll I’m not the king.”  You might not be, but you are a king of something.  Everyone is.  You have a rule and jurisdiction over something, it may be a small kingdom indeed, if only your own personal choices.  But you are the king of something. God has given you dominion over something.  And the same blessings of the king that seeks the LORD – can be the blessing God gives you.  Praying that you will seek Him for His very next step for you – that as you obey you see His strength at work, not yours, that your joy is great in the victories He gives, that your desires become His and He grants you every one.  That He gives you long life and victory, that His glory will make you great, that you are always glad – because His presence is your priority, that you will trust in His unfailing love so you will never be shaken. 
 
Love you all,
dad