"Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life..." Psalm 23:6




The melodious wind. The whimsical sound of greenwood trees dancing in an inviting garden. I feel at home in this serene place.  A long awaited settling has found its way into  my heart this morning. I can hear the faint celtic melodies from the kitchen and they remind me as I gaze outside the window that God himself has gently placed me here at this very moment in time.  I dreamed for 5 years of venturing over the great sea and being captivated by the Irish lands, learning the ways of this land, and feeling His heartbeat for it. What the Lord is reminding me this morning is how faithful He is and full of goodness and unfailing steadfast love. How detailed He is. He doesn't miss a thing. He knows what He is doing even if we don't always get it.


His goodness goes before and follows me throughout the day and in that I can be content and confident. Without knowing all the intricate details of the canvas, I can trust in the Artist who is painting a masterpiece for my life. As one of my favorite worship leaders  Kari Jobe sings.."I know that you are for me.." As Romans 8 proclaims that our Lord is for us.


Today, my heart is filled with that joy and hope just in that simple truth...He is for me. He filled with goodness and its a delight to God's heart to give good gifts to His children who delight in Him.  Zephaniah 3:17 says the Lord sings over us..I encourage you to let the Lord sing over your heart today...let Him remind you that He is for you and therefore who can be against you? 

"All of sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory...I realize how beautiful you are and how great your affections are for me.."

This morning as we sang this song at church, God reminded me that his love is powerful. It has the power to break chains and move mountains in our lives that we cannot move ourselves. His love can penetrate through our jars of clay and into the lives of the broken around us. Sometimes it can be a tendency for me to feel like Gideon or Moses...looking at the lack in my own ability but God shines through what I can give and His supernatural love shines through in a way that is not of my own power but in a simple act of my obedience. I just love how he does that. Everyday, I just want to be willing. 

Its been a very busy week and stretching. Pray for me as the Lord is teaching me so much. For one, how to walk in what is unseen and not what is before my eyes. Pray that He directs my steps in the simple day to day as well as the unveiling of the future. Pray for the songs I am writing, I have been writing more lately :) Pray God will give me his words.

Still, more painting to tackle this week as we have many people coming and going here in the next couple months. This week we also are going to be taking more prayer walks in Belmullet and I will be meeting another pastor to help with worship music at her church. 

Pray for  those coming to stay here at Grace Ministries, for their hearts to be prepared for how God longs to speak to them.

Pray for  time to rest for Val and Bert as they are working so hard and God would continue to shine through them. 

Pray also for Shaun, he has cancer and Val and Bert have gone to visit him today to pray over him. 

Pray for our prayer/ hospitality house, that it would be dwelling of peace for all who enter. 

Pray for Neve and her family, for healing and restoration.

On a side note, I have to say as I attended the church leader's meeting thursday night, it was such a blessing to see a few of the pastors come together and pray for one another and worship with them. There was such a unity that filled the room. From the Brazilian church, Pentecostal, and more traditional. It was beautiful to see them support one another. It reminded me of Jesus speaking on the power of unity in John 17. When believers come together  as one in harmony, praying and lifting each other up, there's so much power in that and it is a beacon of light to others. Pray for these churches, as there are only a few and they are low in numbers. Pray for God to move in their hearts, build their unity and bring hungry people into their church doors. 

I pray for you all today that the giants in your lives would be opportunity for you to see the Lord's hand. David approached his giant with confidence because He wasn't looking at what was before him or the power of his own ability, but for the power of His supernatural Savior to shine forth ( 1 Samuel 17:32-51) I pray His powerful love for you will shine forth over your life and his love would cast out your fear of what could or couldn't happen. 

I also want to earnestly thank you for your thoughts and prayers as I am here and for these lovely Irish people. Your prayers are powerful and effective. Blessings to you!

"Chains be broken...lives be healed...eyes be opened..Christ is revealed.." - Hillsong


This song was stirring in my heart today as I walked the narrow stone streets in Ballina, with my missionary friends, Colleen and Carrie...past the coffeeshop, gas station, fire department and local churches...God keeps reminding me that our prayers as His children are powerful and effective (James) and we need to believe when we pray and that where His spirit is there is freedom. It was so like God to bring this powerful song to mind to me and Carrie as we were on our prayer walk. 
Keilah, whom I have mentioned a few times, sets up and organizes prayer walks for those who have a heart for prayer and for healing and change to come in Ballina. Like I said before, the suicide rate in awfully high here but has been lowering since all the prayer has been happening...so keep praying over there too :) God is moving...He hears our cry for the broken hearts. He came to bring us freedom...to set captives free...and bind up the broken hearted ( Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:18)...those unseen, forsaken and set aside...Jesus was along them..He saw them. He saw me. He saw you when we were in mud and mire. 


Lord, keep our eyes open and our heart free to love and show them your heart...


¹⁴ “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:14-16


Let us shine our light, wherever we are today, that people's lives may be changed by the love of Christ and hear the sound of their heavy chains hitting the ground...





“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free." - Luke 4:18