Andrea O. Freeman

Sometimes the pace we set for ourselves and the path we carve through the day’s to-do list, well, it doesn’t always go quite as planned. I’m learning as I get older, this is often times a gift. It is God’s way of humbling us to start with Him as our focus, everything else is secondary. It can be particularly jarring for some of us when our pride is a bit dented by what threw us off from a particular goal. A vision. A dream. A hope. What is our response when suddenly we find ourselves thrown off balance by something? Or someone? The only One who fully knows our heart’s intent is God. There is not a human being in your life that can see and know and grasp fully your heart’s intent. Our best aim is to pray for God’s presence to go before us and prevail in the hearts that are on the receiving end of our intent. It is inevitable when misunderstanding and assumption take root, and suddenly we are questioning how it got to this point. What a powerful and comforting thing to ha...

What’s your burden? What is it that weighs you down today? What do you hope to gain by clinging to it? At what point will you stop and consider this: What Jesus did for you on the Cross is bigger and greater than anything that’s been done to you! (Christine Caine,"Adamant for the Lost",Lisa Bevere podcast) I can look back over my life, see the damage done and the time lost by allowing what I had endured and what someone said or did to me determine my perspective. We have a choice , we always have a choice . I can also look back over my life, and see the moments I chose to lean into my Father God rather than sink into the burden. There is power in the name of Jesus! There is grace abounding for us, new mercy every day, and His unconditional love and faithfulness…..but we must choose it. He will not force himself upon us. Have you ever found yourself caught in this scenario? God speaks a word into you for someone who is hurting, you pray over it and see...

We are T minus 8 days and counting until the start of another school year. I know some who have already begun in other states, so this month I suppose is one grand start to a new season for us all. I am trying to prepare my brain for the shift in our schedules that is about to launch. With one entering his senior year of high school, another entering her junior/senior year in college, a husband in college, an 8th grader and a 2nd grader, plus balancing our work schedules, church schedule, and navigating the care of Ryan’s folks, and making time for our family and time just for the two of us---our mindset these past couple months has been “Breathe, Pray, Trust....” The necessity for release and full on trust in God is more evident to me right now that at any other time in my life. When God spoke into me awhile back about my focus this year being “Release”, I had no idea what I was in for. But He knew. None of this is a surprise to Him. I can recall a time early in our marriag...

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me” –Luke 9:23 NLT Last week was a difficult week for me, for our family. We are navigating a new, challenging path with Ryan’s folks as their health issues become more urgent. If you have been in touch with us over the course of this year, then you know 2018 has been rough. Illness, hospitalization, therapies, surgery, and rehab, and so on. I don’t know how we would manage through it without the support of our family and friends, our community of faith that surrounds us. The meals, the phone calls, the visits with Ryan’s folks, the prayers, the encouragement, the accountability. The intention Christ set for the family of God is evident and flowing beautifully for us, so as I am writing this my heart is overflowing with gratitude. I felt at times this past week as if I was teetering on the edge of sanity. It is incredibly frustrating and absolutely maddening to watch ...

“Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29) Today has been a less than stellar day. It caps a season we are going through right now with our family that is just flat out hard. This is unknown territory and I am waving the white flag today. Nobody fully prepares you for the struggle of watching loved ones health deteriorate. I wasn’t fully prepared to be hit with it the way I was on an emotional level until, well, it hit. I’d like to say I rode it out, I rose above it, and I stood with my chest held high and overcame that which would threaten to take me down. Nope. It took me down. This is the point of no return where my weakness and His strength meet like a 2x4 hitting me over the head. I met my limit, and He met me right there as I was figuratively sitting in a daze on the ground, rubbing my head from the impact, dazed, and uncertain what to do first to re-gain my footing. I’ve got you ….. It shouldn’t take this kind of impact for me to realize how tightly I am gripping to...

…God will make you complete, steady, strong and firm. 1 Peter 5:10 I am definitely a type A personality, prefer some order and a well-organized plan versus flying by the seat of my pants. I like to know what’s coming, and I do not like surprises. My family would tell you straight up if we are going out to celebrate my birthday, don’t even think about getting the waiter/waitress to do that birthday singing thing that gets the entire restaurant staring at our table. I would be very unhappy with you if you chose to go this route. Just don’t do it. That being said, surprises in life occur all the time. And I am not one to pitch a big fit like a child throwing herself on the floor in the middle of the grocery store shopping trip, but sometimes I just don’t handle it well at all. My human nature chooses to allow the emotional and sometimes irrational to lead before turning first to the Holy Spirit within. It’s something I don’t like to admit, but it is true about my personality. ...

My old identity has been co-crucified with Messiah and no longer lives; for the nails of his cross crucified me with him. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me—we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, and dispenses his life into mine! Galatians 2:20 TPT “Your life expectancy is here. With me, it’s here. Without me, it’s here.” (Tom Cruise to Cameron Diaz in the film “Knight and Day”, 2010, 20th Century Fox) Life is good, when we are on the right track, things are going really well when we are focused, grounded, centered on the One who created us. Life is bad, very bad, when we are not. When we choose to go our own way. When we get to the fork in the road, and we choose to walk the way we are pulled by our human nature rather than follow Christ in the way He intends. Consider this scene from the film, “Knight and Day” star...