Hip-Hip Hooray! I just got my braces off today!! After two years of speaking like Daffy Duck, spiting like a baseball player, and not being able to eat my favorite food in the whole wide world—popcorn, I’m free!! I must say it was worth it all. I love my new teeth! It took a long time for the dentist to convince me to correct my under bit. My top teeth set inside of my back bottom teeth. It was really bad. I didn’t realize just how bad it was until I saw the before and after pictures. I screamed out, “Good golly Miss Molly, why didn’t someone say something sooner??!!”

I’m one of those people who will tell another that they have something in their teeth or a foreign object is hanging from their nose. I’m that way because I would want to know if it were me. So, if you ever see me in one of those conditions, please speak up!

To complete my new look, I also got a haircut with an extra added touch. My hair is now cut in a cute bob where the back is shorter than the front. The sides hang in an angle. It’s very edgy. To add that extra something, I had red highlights added—just a few here and there. When I arrived home, my daughter screamed, “Oh, my, gosh! I love your hair!” That’s when the thought hit me that I may have gone overboard. My concern was confirmed when my husband got home.

His reaction to my new “do” was right in step with his conservative personality. “Well, what do you think?” I inquired searching his blank face for clues. “Did you get a tattoo to match?” He asked. “No.” I responded calmly with my hands on my hips. “I had my belly button pierced instead.”

I didn’t really have my belly button pierced, but I did add red to my hair. Besides my husband everybody else loves it! In fact, now that he’s use to it he likes it too.
We all need a new and improved look every now and then—right? Even an old barn needs a new coat of paint once in a while. Changing my hair or buying a new outfit always makes me feel good. It’s a great way to lift the spirits without eating and adding extra pounds that eventually leave me depressed again. So if you need a pick me up today, change your eye-shadow or lip-stick shade. You know, how we wear the same colors there too, girls. Maybe buy yourself some new summer sandals or new ear-rings. Go crazy and add an extra shade to your hair color. If you do, I’d love to see a photo. I’ll be updating mine soon!

Labels: According to Micca

Do you ever lose your passion for God? Maybe I should ask it this way; do you ever lose your joy; your witness; your desire to pray and read God’s word? I do. Sometimes I don’t even notice it until I read a verses like 1 Peter 1:14-16. “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

I want to holy. I long to be holy. In fact, when I’m home alone and my kids are at school and my husband is at work, I can be holy. But that same afternoon, when the kids come home, I’m pressured to get them to ball practice, track practice, get their homework done, cook dinner, and leap tall buildings in a single bound, suddenly horns pop out of my head causing my heavenly halo to plummet to the ground. I know what you’re thinking. “It’s sad that her own kids cause her to sin that way.” I’m kidding of course. The truth is while we’d like to blame our sin on others, we can’t. Stress along with pleasures that entice us, sin that calls us, troubles that engulf us can cause you and me to drift. We become dry and apathetic to the things of God.

I don’t want to live this way. I want to live an extraordinary life! I want to live the life Christ died to give and that He lived here on earth. I want the abundant life filled with power, faith, hope, love, joy, peace and victory! I need a fresh touch of the Master’s hand. To have that life, I must awaken to the fact that I’ve left it. I’ve let the world pull itself down over my eyes blinding me from the life God intends me to live.

To remove those scales, you and I must ask God to revive us; refill us; refresh us with new fire---Holy Spirit fire—with new faith and new passion. We must seek Him until He had done just that. I have a favorite passage I use as a prayer when I find myself dry and longing for the nearness of God. It’s Ps 63.

I’m not going to type it out for you. I am going to encourage you to open your bible there and use those words as your prayer. Say the prayer over and over until you feel God’s abiding presence refresh your soul. He promises to be found by those who seek Him. He has promised to drawn near to those who draw near to Him. It's the only way you and I can be holy and live an extraordinary life as God intends!

I’d love to know if you read this passage today and how God worked in your heart!

-Seeking Him Today and Always

Labels: According to Micca

ATTENTION: this is a preview. Coming Your Way in February of ’09…

An Untroubled Heart…Finding a Faith That Is Stronger Than All My Fear

As few days ago, I got the first glimpse of my book cover and I was thrilled! I had dreamed and anticipated what it would look like. I shared my vision with my publisher, and then, left it in their hands. I think they did a beautiful job! Most have described it as eye-catching. Personally, I love the hands that cradle the heart. And the soft shade of blue is fresh and comforting. But what I find most interesting are the ghost words in the background. Can you see them? They give clues to what lies between the pages. So you see, I couldn’t wait to share it with you!

While the release date isn’t until February of ’09, it will soon be available for pre-orders. If you struggle with fear, worry, doubt, and anxiety, then you are the one I was writing for and praying for. If you long for an untroubled heart and a faith that is stronger than all your fear, then this is the book for you!

I believe that God has ordained every aspect of this book from every word written to the endorsement at the top from Kay Arthur, which reads…

“You can learn much from Micca…because she knows her God and feeds on His word.”

While this post is only a preview—sort of an ultrasound photo of what’s to come—I hope you’ll get excited and anticipate its arrival with me.

I’d love to know your thoughts!

I received a letter in the mail yesterday from an 81 year old widow. She attended the widow’s banquet that I spoke at recently. She began by saying she and her husband have always brought a widow to their annual banquet, but this year she came alone. She was the widow. Having recently lost her husband, my message brought both tears and comfort to her wounded heart. “I’m still trying to get on the other side of grief.” She confessed. “I know the Lord is faithful and my joy will be restored because joy is not according to our circumstances but based on what and who we are in Him. There is still much life for me to live. God’s not through with me, yet.” I have to give a hearty “a-men” to that!!
This wise woman took my message and put it into one sentence—a phrase that she claims she will live by daily. “You must remember you did not die—only your mate did—your life is not over.” My heart rejoiced that she got it! So many who have lost loved ones don’t get it and they live as if they were dead. It’s tragic when the death of a loved one can lead to a living death of the survivor.
Loss is inevitable. Family members will die. Our financial status will change. Good health will falter. Yet, these are the things that we value most. When all is well, we are held in tack. When we encounter lost, our world falls apart. We have mistaken God’s blessed gifts for our own possessions. In the book of James we read, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). Gifts from God include our spouse, our children, our home, our health and our finances. They are given to us by our gracious Lord to love and care for and to experience joy and thankfulness. Nevertheless, they belong to God. They are only on loan to us for a little while. When I realized this truth, my grief over the loss of my husband took a turn upward. I began to feel thankful for knowing him and for being a part of his days here on earth. It easy to accept God’s sovereignty when He blesses us with good things, but it’s hard to trust His hand when bad things happen. Still, God is in it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

My new 81 year old friend was married 60 years to her high-school sweet-heart, whom she is still head over heels in love with, states that she is thankful for all the many wonderful years she had with her spouse. While she misses him terribly, she knows that death in Christ is only temporary. She realizes that death is a part of life, but it’s only a transition from one place to another. Her hope lies in knowing her sweet-heart lives. One day, they will be reunited. In the meantime, she chooses to live the rest of her days to the fullest. Will she miss her husband? Yes. Will she grieve over him on birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries? Yes, but only because they are apart now for a little while. So she holds tight to her hope and looks forward to their reunion. This enables her to live and be a witness to others—even in the midst of her grief.
How can an 81 year old woman live her life witnessing about her hope—by writing to me. Thanks for the testimony, Sara. May your wise words bring comfort to those who share your pain.

Labels: According to Micca

Hi all! Have you wondered where I’ve been lately? I’d like to tell you that I was on a long, relaxing vacation where I spent every day lying on an exotic beach staring across an emerald green ocean while a warm breeze danced through my hair but I can’t. The truth is, my computer crashed. Don’t you hate that! I do. Not having my computer is like not having running water. I need both to survive!

The worst part was waiting to see if my computer guy could retrieve all my files! I’ve shared before that I don’t have the “o” in organization---right? Well, I hate to admit it but due to this flaw, I rarely remember to back up my computer. I had to sweat it out until my tech guy called with the good news… “all files were present and accounted for!!”

I’m not only disorganized, but I’m directionally challenged as well. Even though I’ve lived in the same town all my life, I still get lost. I have no sense of direction. Because of my many horror stories, my assistant, Sue, took charge this weekend and decided she’d be the designated driver for an event I had hour from home. I had no room to argue.

Just last year I had driven myself to the same area. Before leaving home, I had a terrible headache. Since I travel a lot, I carry one pill bottle that contains lots of meds. I took what I thought was a pain reliever but instead it was a nausea pill that my doctor prescribed to ease the symptoms of a stomach virus. I don’t know if you’ve ever taken a nausea pill, but they also cause drowsiness. I suppose it’s so you can sleep through the sickness.

The event went well. I was very relaxed. On the drive home, I experienced one of those out of body’s experiences---you know---the kind where you’re driving on automatic and once you arrive at your destination you don’t recall how you got there?? The only problem this time was I didn’t arrive at my desired destination—which was home. I ended up two hours away from home! I was lost and I was out of gas!

I called my husband who was concerned that it was after midnight and I should have been home long ago. He wasn’t thrilled that I was on empty either. I pulled off into a gas station that had only one street light. I didn’t know it got so dark at night. I was the only one there except for the two guys drinking in the back of a pick-up truck. I’ve never prayed so hard to be invisible before. I quickly put 5 dollars into the tank and sped away unseen.

I’ve yet to live down the fact that I not only took the wrong medicine for a headache but I got lost in my own state. In fact, while in Atlanta this past year I got my nick name, “Directionally Challenged” when some colleagues of mine noticed a new book with this title. They got a kick out of sharing my story with the author. He graciously gave me a signed copy of his book. When I read the inscription, I noticed it was made out to my husband instead of me. It read, “Dear Pat, We found your wife wondering around Atlanta.” “Very funny.” I thought. I did enjoy reading his book.

It was a good thing that Sue drove this weekend. We made it to the event where God showed up and out in an amazing way, and we returned home without one wrong turn. (In fact, I had two great events last weekend. I love that God is always faithful and I love making new friends in Christ!)

It’s always good to be home. And it’s good to be back sharing my world with you. Thanks for stopping by.

Labels: According to Micca

Thank you for praying for my event. It was a widow’s banquet. I’ve never done this type of event before. Although I’m a widow, too, I found it challenging. I was a young widow and these folks were middle aged and older. However, God was faithful as usual. I instantly connected with group and God, through me, encouraged and inspired them to press on.

Sometimes believers have difficulty remembering their purpose in life after there has been a major life change such as the loss of a job or a spouse. Other times it’s the busyness of our day to day lives that makes it easy to forget how purposely designed we are in the eyes of our creator. 1 Peter 2: 9-10 brings our focus back to God showing us His design for our lives.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

First, that verse reminds us that we are “chosen.” You and I don’t have to fight for a place in God’s family. He chose us and gave us a position and purpose. It’s an awesome thought to know that the God of all things actively sought us because He wants an unending relationship with us. God chose us to know Him and to make Him known to others in our families, neighborhoods, work places, and churches.

Secondly, Peter tells us that we are royalty! My daughter knew this verse in her heart long before she could read it. When she and her brother were very small, I over heard her witnessing to her little brother just after she invited Jesus to be her Lord and Savior.

Peyton told her younger brother that if he loved God and asked Jesus to be His Savior, he would be a Prince because he would become the son of God who is the King of all Kings. He didn’t seem interested. So, to persuade him further, she explained that she had done that and now she was Princess Peyton, daughter of the King. But Parker didn’t respond. Frustrated at trying to save his 3 year old life, she added with her hands on her hips “Everybody in the family belongs to God but you, Parker. Dad is a Prince and Mom is a Princess. Don’t you want to be a Prince, too?” Parker finally spoke up, “I don’t want to be a Prince. I want to be the King!” While there is only one King, Peyton had it right. Those of us who are God’s children are royalty. That makes you a Princess!

As royal children of God, we also have access to the King anytime. Knowing that we have the ear of the highest authority on earth, below earth, and above it should motivate us to pray. Just think of what we could change!

We are also a holy nation. “Holy” means “set apart.” In other words, we have been marked as God’s holy children and sealed by His Spirit. Nothing can snatch us from His hand—nothing! Often, in order to separate myself, I have to remember to plug into my power source, the Holy Spirit, who enables me to be holy as God is holy in a dark and dying world. Only then, can my light truly shine!

Finally, Peter encourages us by saying we are God’s own possession. You and I are so valuable to our heavenly Father that He purchased our eternal salvation at a great cost---the life of His only Son. Anytime we wonder if God really cares about us we can hold our hurt up to the back drop of the cross and be certain of His love. Then, filled with God’s love and marvelous light, it’s our privilege to go forth and sing His praises to all we encounter along our way.

Labels: According to Micca

Happy Firday!

All of those who either left a comment or prayer on my blog or email address, know that you have been prayed for! I believe that prayer is the work we do that moves the hand of God in our lives.

Now, I'd love your prayers. I'm leaving to speak in MS this weekend. Pray that the Lord is seen and a hunger for Him is developed in each heart!

Thanks, friends! Have a great weekend...and as they say in the south...ya'll come back real soon!

Labels: According to Micca

There are 5 points brought out in 1 John that must characterize us if we are to be sure that we belong to God.

First, we must believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ. There is no other One who died for the sins of the world. There is no other One who rose from the dead. There is no other One who gives the hope that He is going to return and set up His Kingdom.

The Scripture says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen," (Hebrews 11:1, NASB). Faith carries with it the idea of accompanying assurance. If we have faith, God gives us the assurance, the certainty, the knowledge, that we have passed from death unto life. Do you believe?

That word "believe" carries with it the idea of total surrender, putting total assurance in what Christ did for us on the cross-not trusting our good works, not trusting our money, not trusting anything, not even church membership, but trusting in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Second, we must have a changed attitude toward sin. What does that mean? Well, 1 John 5:18 says, "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not," (KJV). You may be thinking, “But Christians do sin sometimes.” True. That’s why we must understand what “sin not” means. It means "a true believer does not practice sin." Sin is no longer a habit in our lives. You and I may trip up and sin, but we do not plan to sin nor is it habitual in our lives.

If we do sin by yielding to temptation for a moment. What happens? We have to confess that sin. Name it to the Lord and say, "Lord, I have sinned." The Scripture says, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin," (1 John 1:7, KJV) and "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins," (1 John 1:9, KJV). Not only are we to confess, but we are to forsake.

There's no use repenting of sin and saying, "I'm sorry, Lord, I've sinned," and then going back and repeating it. That's not repentance. Repentance carries with it the idea that we do not repeat it. In other words, sin is no longer a practice in our lives. We may slip and fall from time to time, but it's not a practice. We don't deliberately do it.

The best way to keep from falling into sin is by renewing our fellowship with God daily. The Scripture says deny self daily. It's hard, I know. But when we deny our fleshly desires, we find and life the life we desire and Christ died to give us.

Third, we must have a desire to obey God. "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments," (1 John 2:3, KJV). That doesn't mean that we can keep them all the time, but we have a desire to keep them. We want to. We try to, with God's help. We do good, we feed the poor, we visit people in prison—but not out of duty but out of love and gratitude toward God.

Fourth, we must try to be separated from the world. First John 2:15 says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world," (KJV). We are to live in the world, but we are not to partake of the evils of the world. When I face something in the world, I ask, does it violate any principle of Scripture? Does it take the keen edge off my Christian life? Can I ask God's blessing on it? Will it be a stumbling block to others? Would I like to be there, or be reading that, or be watching that, if Christ should return at that time?

Fifth, we must be filled with the Spirit. The first fruit of the Spirit is love. "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death," (1 John 3:14, KJV). Do you love? Does love dominate your life? If not, what does?

All these things are signs that we can know for certain that we belong to God. If you…
Believe Christ is the one and only Lord and Savior
Do not habitually practice sin
When tempted, are quick to confess your sins
Desire to obey God
Separate yourselves from the ways of the world
And live by the power of the Holy Spirit…then you can be assured that you are a child of God.

If you would like to give your life to Christ then pray this prayer. Then, leave me a comment and let me know that you have asked Jesus to be your Savior! I want to celebrate with you. Also, if you have a prayer request, perhaps an area where you are struggling, I’d love to pray for you.

Lord Jesus Christ, I know I am a sinner and do not deserve eternal life. But, I believe You died for me and rose from the grave to purchase a place in heaven for me. Lord Jesus, come into my life and take control; forgive all my sins and save me. I’m turning from my sins and now place my trust in You for my salvation. I accept the free gift of eternal life. Thank you, Jesus for saving me, forgiving me, and filling me with peace.
In Jesus name I pray, a-men.

Labels: According to Micca

Hi. If you popped over to my blog after reading my devotion, “The Fundamentals of Faith,” welcome!

If you’re like me, you may have struggled with your faith from time to time. Perhaps you’ve even questioned your salvation. This is normal, but not necessary. The bible says we can know for sure that we are saved. When I say “saved” I’m describing a person who has turned from a life of sin, and by faith has turned to God for forgiveness and eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ who died to pay for our sins.

I realize that many people feel the need to be saved all over again. I have felt that way myself. While we need to confess our sin daily, there’s no need to be saved over and over again. For example, you and I are only born physically once. Then, we grow. As we grow, we may fall down from time to time but we don’t stay down. No. We get up and move on. Even if there are wounds or broken bones from our fall, we eventually heal and are restored to wholeness, but we don’t have to be re-born to achieve this. The same is true for our spiritual life. We are born spiritually once and then we must grow in our faith. Sure there are bumps and burses along the way, but we keep pressing on.

While our spiritual birth takes place once and is for all time, growing in our faith is a process that takes a lifetime. In order to grow, know God and His ways, we must take bible reading, prayer, and church participation seriously. Only then, when we seek God daily and confess our sin regularly, will experience less falling down and more soaring on the wings of the Most His God.

All this sounds good, but can we know for sure that we’ve been spiritually born of God? Absolutely, we can! Tomorrow we will look at John—who tells us we can put away our doubts and know for certain that we belong to God…once and for all!

Labels: According to Micca