Darlene J. Conard

I really could use a change in my apartment. Different pictures on the wall, change of colored curtains, the furniture could be rearranged, it’s been the same for years. I thought while scanning from room to room while talking to my friend on the phone.  “I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t want to block your windows, “she replied. “One thing I am certain of is, I’m thankful to have furniture, curtains, and pictures. Some of my things are second hand and some are gifts. We quickly became thankful for our homes, all that was in it. There are many who wished to have what we have. I’m so thankful my home isn’t in a dark rat-infested alley: I’m not scrounging in the garbage to defy starvation, nor am I without clothing or running water. I’m grateful to have a home to clean, dishes to wash, some would be delighted to have those chores.

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Philippians 4:11 KJV) Paul voiced no matter our circumstance to be happy in it.  

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” (Colossians 3:15-17) KJV

We have so much to be thankful for. Let us therefore thank God for what we have. Pray for those who are without.

Author Darlene J. Conard

Soft teasing breezes drew me into a memory. I recognize You in this Lord, I thought as tears streamed down my face. At one time I held on to dreams; thus, they seeped through my fingers like fine grounded gold. Some grains fell at my feet while the wind freely took the rest. When time bids me to walk forward the remainder will be trodden beneath my own feet as well as others. Sunshine peeped from the mountain tops reminding me that God created it. I’ll never forget the Lord’s answer when I conversed with Him. “All my dreams are shattered God.” He replied, “They were too small and narrow compared to what I have instore.” Limited, mine was limited by my human ability.

God has His unique way of getting the message upfront and personal. Yes, the dreams given to us by God appears to fade away in life’s tempest. Appearance is not factual, that’s why we must see through the eyes of God. While praying about unfairness, and the confusion I felt about some dreams prolonging for years, God’s answer astounded me. “It’s not the dream that needs refined by fire but the dreamer.”

Josephs had to withstand the test of time which prepared him for the dreams. (Genesis 37) Israel had to wait many years for the Messiah. John the Baptist prepared the way for the fulfillment of the prophecy. (Isaiah 40:1-11, Mark 1:1-8)

“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19 KJV

Hold tight to every promise God’s given you! It shall come to pass!

Author Darlene J. Conard

While washing the dishes I reviewed why there are individuals that no matter how hard I’ve tried they remain unpleased with me. I cannot win for losing and I’m absolutely sick of trying! Lord, why is that? I thought. Frustrated and weary, I finished draining the few dishes left in the rinse water.

For a moment, visualize seeing yourself in a race pressing with every ounce of energy to reach the finish line. You see yourself winning until someone extends the finish line. Exhausted and discouraged, giving up is the only option. I prayed about this and the Lord gave me an answer. “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:8 KJV

Double mindedness is instability. I ask God to search me. We can be the same in our faith. One minute we believe the next we are uncertain.  

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” (James 1:6 KJV)

Let us stand firm on God’s promise believing He who is unwavering.

Author Darlene J. Conard

Through the night my calico ping ponged her chirping ball across my kitchen floor. Loud to soft meows eventually stole away a good night’s sleep.

Slowly sliding the blankets away, I tiredly sat on the edge of my bed. For a moment I took a stroll down memory lane. Many nights such as these the Lord and I shared deep moments. He walks with me, He talks with me and tells me I am His own, as the song goes.

David and many others talked to the same God. Hebrews 13:8 says, ^“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” He’ll do for us as He did for them.

“Help us dear Lord to see what You want us to see, hear what You need us to hear. Life’s tempest comes unaware prepare us for Your will.”

 This message is a short one but needed. “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.” Psalm 27:5 KJV

Author Darlene J Conard

“I’ve repented that I made Saul king. He disobeyed me.” God commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites, from the king down to the livestock. He discarded the Lord’s instructions. He salvaged their valuables destroying worthless and meaningless things. King Agag came back with him untouched. He was Israel’s enemy.

Saul decided that he would save livestock for an offering at the altar. God rejected Saul for this.  Samuel mourned for Saul. God asked Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing have rejected him from reigning over Israel?”  Nothing could change God’s mind about this.  

Recently a friend of mine invited me along with another friend to attend a ministry conference. God revealed to me that someone didn’t agree with me going. God said to me, “My wisdom is higher than their opinion.”

He took me to the Book of Samuel Chapter 15 and the and chapter 16:1, I can be accepted by many people, but if I’m not accepted by God then, I’m lost! My study on this subject has brought light to so many things.

 ^“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.” (Romans 8:31-33 KJV) God will justify us, so it doesn’t matter who agrees, rejects or fights. God said it that’s all that’s needed.

John 1:11“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” Jesus experienced rejection from His very own.

What good would it do to gain the whole world and lose our soul? Matthew 16:26 We must lose our lives to find it.   

Click here to read 1 Samuel 15

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2015&version=KJV

Author Darlene J. Conard

   One mustard seed is 1 to 2 millimeters and 0.039 to 0.079 in diameter. That’s quite small.

In the short parable referring to faith in Luke 17:5 -6 Jesus said, “if you have faith as small as a grain of mustard seed,” that 1 to 2 millimeter and 0.039 to 0.079 in diameter is enough to move mountains. He even includes the uprooting of the sycamore tree. I’m not surprised that some say, “I don’t believe literally those things are movable.

In 2 Kings Elijah’s followers requested a bigger dwelling place. While cutting the trees for beams one of the men’s ax head flew off its handle into the water. The servant pointed to its location. Elijah cut off a stick and threw it into the water. Before their eyes the axe head floated to the top attached to the stick.

This is the same God we serve. It’s not that God has changed; man’s faith has shriveled. We’ve become dependent on doctors, lawyers and such. Don’t misunderstand me, please. I’ve lost count of the times that food and clothing were supplied to me.

Years ago, I had a supernatural encounter while sitting in the vehicle waiting for my mom to come out of the Salvation Army. Frustration had its way with me. The process of publishing my first book seemed impossible. “God, please give me something, a sign of some kind.” Laying my head back in the seat with closed eyes I let it go as I enjoyed the cool summer breeze. “Excuse me miss.” Wiping my sleepy eyes awake, a tall grey-haired gentleman bent down to make eye contact.” God told me to give this to you.” He handed me a card with, “God Bless You,” written across the front. I opened the card to read it. Sitting stunned I couldn’t get the words out. Finally, it came out. Tears streamed down my face as he continued to tell me God had big plans for me and everything would be alright. I turned to put the card in my purse only to find myself alone once again. I got out of the car looking around, he had disappeared. “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2 (KJV) dropped in my spirit.

Without a doubt in mind, I believe God is going to restore and strengthen our faith.  

God will go in any courtroom, hospital, any place we allow Him and do a work that’s impossible with man.

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”   1 Thessalonians 2:13 KJV

          “Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.” -Corrie Ten Boom-

Author Darlen J. Conard

Heavy tears defied my attempt to deny them access to flow down my cheeks. Deep within my soul pain remained bottled until now. No more could fit. It erupted with a volcanic explosion. God’s glory filled the room as the worship leader sang a familiar song. My friend slipped her arm around my shoulder pulling me into a loving embrace. Still crying, I just wanted healing. Words spoken to me haunted my life. Breaking free didn’t seem possible.

It’s been a long time I thought since I felt the love of God through an embrace like that, I thought. A very long time!

I prayed for the Lord to direct me on what the subject of this blog. He began speaking to me about the power of words. Words are a spiritual yoke.

A yoke is used for control. Webster’s Dictionary defines it as an arched device formerly laid on the neck of a defeated person.

In my spirit the Lord continued speaking to me saying, “Don’t allow negative words and opinions yoke you.” I never thought of it like this before. He began speaking to me that such words taint the spirit. Our thoughts become so distorted we lose our way.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 KJV

Jesus says His yoke is easy and light to take it upon us. There is no defeat as in condemnation.

We have to realize how powerful words are.   “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”  Proverbs 18:21

“Words are seeds that do more than blow around. They land in our hearts and not the ground. Be careful what you plant and careful what you say. You might have to eat what you planted one day.” -Unknown

Author Darlene J. Conard

Sadness filled my spirit when I saw advertised, “Scientist has found evidence of Jesus blood in a tomb.” For years now archeologist is in search of answers that God gave us in the Bible. 

A shroud discovered from ancient days remains displayed in a museum. Intense research along digital reconstruction of a man’s body wrapped in it. They are to prove this was Jesus, I thought thankful that I know the truth. My heart hurts with a heavy burden for them. While scientist is in the process of search for the evidence of Jesus’s death, they’ve passed by Him alive.

“He has risen. He’s not here. Come look where He once laid.”  The angel said to Mary. She too searched for Him. (Matthew 28:6-20)

To this day He is being searched for among the dead. Oh, I’m so grateful He defied death, hell and the grave!

They have it backwards. The destruction of our world is not having Jesus as the foundation.

We are in transit however. Our prayers are changing circumstances. Keep on seeking, knocking and asking. Jesus is stepping into the darkness, opening blind eyes. Jesus is the prescription for this broken world.

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16 KJV). 

Author Darlene J. Conard

“Look up the story about the Shunammite woman whose son died in her arms.”  (2 Kings 4) Clearly, I heard the Lord. Twisting beneath the blankets I turned to my side, and found my phone hidden under the pillows. The words, “It is Well,” filled the empty search engine. After reading the text I thought, how is this relevant to me God?”  Softly the song, “It is Well with My Soul,” began playing in my spirit. 

For several months I began shutting down unable to operate. Something was missing. It’s like that nagging hunger pain kicking in screaming, “I’m starving!”

 I quit operating at all. Everyone else’s’ voice filled the emptiness instead of God’s.  “God, I don’t want to just exist! I want to live according to John 10:10, live abundantly in Jesus.

Carefully I read verse by verse concerning the Shunammite woman. Her promised son died in her arms. The heat from the sun bore down on him. Agonizing pain afflicted her, still she answered all is well. Even though God didn’t speak to Elijah about her he knew something was wrong.

I arose from my bed, turned on my computer, opened word prepared to write the message. Nothing came.

“When you hear this song again, you’ll know what to write.”

The second night of the Elijah Conference I attended the Isaacs sung, “It is Well with My Soul.”  I knew then what message the Lord wanted me to relay to you. The Shunammite woman’s circumstance cut deeper than a razor. Her son who was promised died. Imagine that. The truth is God has promised us all something. Maybe a lost son, daughter, grandchild, perhaps the job He gave you favor in is no more. Pain is screaming in your depths. Tell that pain and circumstance, “It is well with me.” Her son arose giving her something very mighty to behold. 

She understood that God couldn’t lie although her pain mocked her. Prepare yourself and tell the pain, “It is well with my soul.”

Author Darlene J. Conard

“I’m wrecked, I’m just wrecked.” For a moment in silence, I stared at my friend sitting beside me at the conference. “I’m just wrecked,” she repeated as her eyes refused to dry. Her description of her glory encounter stuck with me; I’m wrecked.

 My friend just confessed that God pulled her apart within preparing her for a new season in her life. God I’ve been a wreck but never thought of it this way. My first night at the conference, well, yes, wrecked absolutely wrecked! All three of us encountered a healing river of God’s anointing picking us completely apart.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24 KJV

In no shape form or fashion do I want anything contrary to God latched to my spirit. My desire is to be everything He meant for me to be. Perhaps you are wondering if there is an expiration date to your circumstance. There is. Hold on tight! His blessings are accumulating to spill out on your next season, spring.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 KJV