You know God doesn’t just do His work. We have to be open to receiving it. Desirous of His gifts. His peace.  He values real relationship with us . So He won’t force Himself on us.  Last year I needed to ask Him to open up parts of my heart that felt locked down to Him. I didn’t know how to do it. It was like trying to find a gear I didn’t know I had.  And it feels like you’re gonna blow your transmission because that other gear just isn’t there.  And then it shifts into another layer of power that you need. That you didn’t know you had access to. That you now have in your gear shift. On your floor board. It’s a lot like God is literally the clutch and each time we need more speed, more power- we need to step on that clutch.  I still have times when I have to pull that clutch and find a new deeper gear to steer me in. Now there’s nothing uglier than learning to drive a stick shift. It’s gonna jerk, choke, die, and backfire . But once you get it, it’s magic and you can drive anything anywhere. And even though I learned to drive a stick when I was 14, This time last year I was just learning that. . . 

May 18, 2016

The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” (Acts 16:14b).
This spoke to me today BiG time! If you are like me and your heart is having trouble catching up to your head on what you know about God, what He’s doing, how to see things. . . 

How wondrous and wonderful that He can open our hearts to see, hear, and learn . . . 

He opened her heart without her even asking for it. I just know if I ask my Father to open the parts of my heart that feel closed to His Will- – He Will do it! 
In the past two months I have found myself saying ” I know it’s a miracle God but I’m asking you to do it” And He’s been extremely generous, kind, and faithful.  

When I can’t open my own heart, I’m gonna ask Him to do it. We know from scripture He can and does all the time! 

 We are not in this alone. We are all broken and we are all in this together- unified by our HOPE and ASSURANCE that God keeps his promises. . . 
#EG41 #useEllis2tellus