August 28, 2025 • 26 mins
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Have you ever felt like you're going through the motions in your spiritual life? Like you know Jesus is there, but you just can't seem to find Him beneath all the chaos?
This week, I share a deeply personal story about a hidden house that taught me a profound spiritual lesson. For years, I drove past a spot where I knew a charming house with beautiful azaleas once stood, though it had become completely hidden by overgrowth. When development in our area finally cleared away the vegetation, revealing the house exactly where I remembered, God used this everyday moment to speak directly to my heart.
The house represents our spiritual foundation - Jesus remains exactly where He's always been in our lives, even when we can't see Him clearly through life's distractions and demands. Drawing from the parable of the sower, I explore how the worries of life, wealth, and desires for other things can choke our spiritual fruitfulness. Sometimes we need radical pruning to cut back the excess and rediscover what truly matters.
My recent journey through a chaotic season - with my husband's career transition, children growing up, new work responsibilities, and ministry development - left me feeling disconnected from my spiritual center. Yet beneath it all, I knew by faith that Jesus remained my foundation. This episode is an invitation to examine what might be obscuring your view of God and consider what needs pruning in your spiritual life.
Whether you're thriving in your faith or feeling lost in the undergrowth, this message will encourage you to return to the simplicity of knowing whose you are. Subscribe to the podcast and join my email community for weekly encouragement as we journey together toward what truly matters.
I've released my new book!!! Get your copy here: Seek First: 31 Quiet Moments With Jesus
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Audrey (00:00):
Hello and welcome back to Grace From my Home.
I'm Audrey McCracken and I'm sodelighted to be back with you
again this week.
I hope that you're doing welland that you're in the middle of
a great week.
We are doing well here in theMcCracken home.
My children are back in schooland my husband is back in work,
(00:21):
and I'm trying to to get somekind of a routine going on.
I'm working at the coffee barthat I run for my church and
trying to put together some newresources for you guys.
As you probably know if youfollow the show, I just released
my second book.
It's called Seek First 31 QuietMoments with Jesus and I'm
(00:44):
super excited about it.
I'm going to have a booksigning on Saturday, april 6th
at Awaken Coffee Bar in Mullins,south Carolina.
That's going to be from 9 to1030.
So if you live in or around theMullins area, anywhere close, I
would so love to have you.
I'd love to meet you and talkwith you and sign your book.
I would so love to meet you andtalk with you and sign your
(01:05):
book.
I would so love to see you.
So, if you can make that,that's going to be next Saturday
, saturday September 6th, from 9to 1030 am at Awaken Coffee Bar
in Mullen, south Carolina.
If you have not signed up for myemail list, I encourage you to
do that.
I send out weekly emails.
I send things to encourage youthrough the week.
I send links to the podcastsand blogs that I do, but I also
(01:30):
try to share other things thatare on my heart that week
scriptures, things that aregoing on here in our home and
I'm trying to be more consistentand beef that up a little bit,
because I see that as anopportunity to share with you in
a different way.
So if you are interested, ifyou'd like to hear from me every
week, please go to the shownotes and sign up for my weekly
(01:53):
email, and I would be so glad.
Today I want to share somethingwith you that has been floating
around in my head and I waspraying about what to share with
you guys this week.
And this is what I landed on.
And you know God speaks to usdifferent ways and you know
(02:13):
we're all different and hecreated us that way and he knows
who we are and he knows how totalk to us.
Now I've run into people overthe years who have told me that
God does not speak, that hespoke.
He spoke in his word and that'sit.
You know, jesus said my sheephear my voice.
And it says also that the HolySpirit leads us and guides us
(02:35):
into all truth.
Whenever you have a relationshipwith someone, communication is
very vital, very important tokeep that relationship alive and
strong and healthy.
And I truly, with all my heart,believe that that also is true
for our relationship with Jesus,that in order for us to have a
real, alive, healthyrelationship with Jesus, that
(03:01):
there needs to be communication,and that includes us praying to
him and us listening for hisanswer, for his response to our
prayers.
Now, sometimes that answer maybe no.
We may ask for things and theanswer may be no or not now, but
that's an answer.
And I have to believe that if Ineed something or if I'm
(03:24):
struggling with something and Itake it to the Lord in prayer,
that he will answer my prayer.
And so when I talk about Godspeaking to me, that's what I'm
talking about.
I'm talking about him leadingme in such a way that I
recognize that he is speaking,that this is his will or this is
what he is saying to me at thismoment.
Sometimes it's when I'm readingthe Bible and words jump off
(03:48):
the page.
Have you ever had that happen,Like I'll be reading the Bible
and then a passage that I'veread many, many times before,
it's like a light shines on itand it's like the Lord saying
pay attention, this is importantand that's how God speaks to us
.
But he speaks to us alldifferent, in different ways,
because I think he makes usdifferent and you know he's a
(04:10):
God of wondrous variety and youknow Jesus used a lot of
analogies in his teaching.
He uses he's.
He used a lot of parables andin those parables he drew a lot
of analogies.
And that's often how I feellike God communicates with me.
You know, I'll be driving downthe road and see something and
(04:32):
I'll be like, oh, there's atruth in that.
See, jesus took everyday commonthings.
A lot of times he relied onthings like sowing and reaping
because that was very relevantto the people he was speaking to
.
He lived in an agriculturalsociety and so he spoke a lot on
sowing and reaping and thepeople got it.
(04:54):
So he would take these truthsand he would wrap them up in an
analogy that the peopleunderstood, and then they got it
in an analogy that the peopleunderstood and then they got it.
And so this week I was ridingdown the road and I want to
share with you something that Ifeel like the Lord used to speak
to me.
I have lived in the same placemy entire life.
(05:18):
I live about not even a quartermile from my mom, and that's
the house that I grew up in, andwe built a house, my husband
and I.
We built a house not long afterwe got married, right down the
road from my mom and my dad atthat time.
He's since passed away, but Iknow these roads, I know this
(05:42):
area like the back of my hand,and there are roads that I have
gone down thousands uponthousands of times.
And the other week I was goingto pick up my son from school
and something caught my eye.
Years ago there was a littlehouse on the road to the school
where my children go to school,and that house, it was a cute
(06:06):
little house.
It was an older house, but Iremembered it because it had
huge azaleas in the front yard.
And for you who don't know,azalea is a southern plant.
I know there's a lot of them inthe south.
They're huge, they grow reallybig and in the spring when they
bloom they're beautiful.
And they bloom in white andpurple and pink and they're just
beautiful flowers.
(06:27):
They don't have much of a smellbut they can get really big if
you don't take care of them andtrim them back.
And my grandmother had them.
My mom has them in her yard.
But I remember this littlehouse because the azaleas in
their yard was huge and they'dgotten so big that it almost
taken over the house, the frontof the house, because they were
almost as tall as the frontporch.
(06:48):
But I always remember thinkingthose are the most beautiful
azaleas I've ever seen.
Well, over the years somebodymust have moved out the house.
I don't know who lived there,but the house started falling
apart.
You could say People weren'tcutting the grass and after a
while they weren't doinganything to it.
And I remember, you know, overtime and like I said, I've been
(07:11):
living in the same area for now52 years this year that house
was completely covered withvines and trees in the yard and
overgrowth.
But every spring I could seejust a glimpse of those
beautiful azaleas and they wouldspring up, you know, and I
(07:32):
would see those azaleas throughall of the weeds and the
undergrowth.
So I knew that it was stillthere.
You know, well, over the last Iguess, five, six years, I
couldn't see the azaleas.
And the truth is, if anybodycame by that road, they wouldn't
even know there was a housethere because it just looked
like woods.
And I knew that there was ahouse there because I remember
(07:56):
those azaleas.
But my children had no ideathere was a house there because
they'd never seen it.
And truly, you know, if youdrive past that area you didn't
see anything.
It just looked like woods andit seemed like those woods had
been there forever.
Well, the other day, when I wasgoing to pick up my son from
school, I noticed they had beendoing some work and they had
(08:20):
completely uncovered the house.
See, we live in an area that'sgrowing really fast.
A lot of developments arecoming in, people are moving,
spreading out from Myrtle Beach,people are coming down from the
north, moving here, and so alot of farmland, a lot of old
wood, a lot of woodland is beingrenovated, woods are being cut
down, farmland's being turnedinto developments.
(08:42):
Well, this little house, Iguess, is in the middle of a big
track and they had cut backeverything and there was that
little house and it was like aha, I knew it was there.
Well, you know, my son wascoming back with me and I said
let me show you this littlehouse.
So I was bringing him back fromschool and I said you see that
house, I remember that housegrowing up.
(09:03):
They had the big, prettiest,most pretty azaleas in the yard
and it was right there in thewoods.
And his only comment was mama,you're really old, you remember
what's in the woods?
And I said well, it reallywasn't that long ago, honey.
I guess for you it was alifetime, but for me it wasn't.
And I just, I don't know, therewas some kind of a validation
(09:27):
that there stood the house thatI knew was there all along.
And you know, the azaleas werecut down, but the house was
there.
And I don't know, guys, it waslike when I got home I couldn't
get that house off my mind andit was like the Lord was
stirring something in me, likesomething about the house, and I
(09:48):
said, lord, what is this?
What are you saying about thathouse?
And it was like and I don'tknow how to explain this, but
I'm going to try and if you getit, then praise the Lord.
But I've been through a seasonwhere things have just felt
(10:09):
chaotic.
I feel like I've just beenholding on by the seat of my
pants, you know we have.
Everything has just felttopsy-turvy.
My husband resigned from hisposition at the church.
He's working on his PhD.
My kids are all grown up now.
I don't homeschool anybody andI miss that season of my life.
(10:31):
I loved it.
I've got a kid in college andI've got two in high school and
one of them is trying to playfootball at the college level
and he's gotten some offers.
And then I'm working at thiscoffee shop and I'm trying to
grow my podcast and I'm tryingto grow my online ministry and
I'm writing books and these areall good things.
(10:54):
But it has just felt like I havelost my center things.
But it has just felt like Ihave lost my center and I pray
and I've gone to the Lord inprayer but I feel often like I'm
doing it out of duty.
I know I need to, I know I haveto, I know he is there, but
it's like I hadn't been able toreally see Him.
But I know he's there and itwas like that's what that house
(11:17):
feels like.
I've been going by faith that Iknow you's there and it was
like that's what that housefeels like.
I've been going by faith that Iknow you're there, lord, I know
you're there.
You know we experience things inour life that people can't take
away.
You know, sometimes you canconvince people by arguing your
point.
Sometimes you know, if you're agood debater and you've got
some strong points, you know youcan talk to people and maybe
(11:38):
even convince them.
If you're a good debater andyou've got some strong points,
you can talk to people and maybeeven convince them that you're
right.
But there are some things thatwe know so deep inside of us
that, no matter what wordspeople use or how they come at
us, they're not going to changeour minds.
Because we know what we know andthat's how my relationship with
(11:58):
Jesus has been.
I know what I know.
I was a sinner.
He found me, he rescued me.
I know how I was before.
I know how he changed my heartand I know that the love of God
changed me completely.
But for a while for a longerthan I want to admit I feel like
(12:20):
I've just been going throughthe motions.
I know this is true.
I know this is.
I know he loves me, I know thathe called me, I know that
everything in my life is ablessing, but I can't find him.
It's like he's out theresomewhere and when I went by the
house the other day, it waslike the Lord saying I'm still
(12:44):
here.
You may not see me, you may noteven see the azaleas blooming
anymore, but you know that I'mreal and that I'm here and I'm
at the core of it all.
And there was a comfort in that.
I was like, yes, lord, I knowit, I may not, can see you right
now, but I have lived longenough that, even though the
(13:10):
undergrowth is huge and it feelslike it is all consuming and
it's hidden, everythingimportant I know what is under
all of that stuff and at thecore is Jesus.
And, guys, that is the.
That's what faith is.
Uh, I believe, even though Idon't see, I know from the
(13:35):
experience that God has allowedin my life, from the things he's
done in my life, I know that heis for me.
I know that he wants me to getit.
He wants me to be successful inmy relationship with Him, even
though I may not see the thingsthe way I want to see them right
(13:55):
now.
By faith, I believe that he ison my side.
And when I say he's on my side,what I mean is that he wants me
to be successful in my walkwith him.
He does not want to condemn me,he does not want to have to
correct me, he wants me to getit.
And he feels the same for you.
(14:18):
You know, sometimes people it'slike they call you to the Lord,
they tell you you need Jesus,but it's almost like they beat
Jesus down your throat and theywant you to feel really bad
about it.
You know, but Jesus is callingand drawing us.
He is saying I am so real and Ihave so many good things for
(14:38):
your life.
Come and taste and see that I'mgood.
And this week it reminded me ofthat scripture, and it's in
three of the Gospels, but I'lljust read one to you this week.
And you probably know theparable of the sower, where the
sower went out and he sowed seedand that seed fell in many
(15:00):
different places, differentkinds of soil.
One fell on the rocks, one fellin the stony ground and one
fell among the thorns.
And it says in Mark, chapter 4,starting in verse 18, talking
about the seed that fell.
It says Still others, like seedsown among thorns, hear the
(15:21):
word, but the worries of thislife, the deceitfulness of
wealth and the desires of otherthings come in and choke the
word, the word, making itunfruitful.
(15:42):
Pruning makes things growbetter and pruning hurts.
But there comes times in ourlife where we need a good
pruning.
We need God to come in and dosomething radical.
There are seasons in our lifewhen we have to get back to the
basics.
You know, we have to cut backall the excess and all the chaos
around us and we've got to getback to what we know is true.
(16:04):
And sometimes we have to bekind of radical about it.
You know that's my personality.
You know I'll say well, I'llwork on that later.
No, I have to do it now becauseI know me and I'll keep on
going and I'll keep survivinginstead of thriving.
And I'm in a season where Ifeel like the Lord is saying cut
back all the excess, cut backtill you see me again.
(16:28):
I liken it to going back tokindergarten.
Sometimes we get so full ofknowledge and understanding and
we're so proud of ourselves andall this that we've acquired and
we've obtained, but God wantsto bring us back to kindergarten
.
He wants to bring us back towhat really matters.
(16:48):
We have to get back to the truth.
What is the truth?
What is the cold hard truth?
What is the cold hard truth?
What is true?
Because there's so many thingsvying for our attention and for
our allegiance and we have toknow what is true.
Well, jesus said I am the way,I am the truth, I am the life.
(17:11):
We have to get back to Jesus tofind out what is really true
and if we allow him, he willhelp us to cut back those things
and the things that choke outthe life.
I want to breathe again, I wantto believe again, I want to walk
(17:32):
in that simplicity of faithwhere I know I belong to Him and
I know that I'm doing what heasked me to do.
And when it's all said and done, that's all that matters.
You know there is a humility inthat that you know anything I
do here on earth, it's all goingto burn, it's all going to be
(17:55):
washed away.
Only thing that's going toremain is what I did for the
kingdom, and one day I have tolay my crown down at his feet
and everything I've done will beat his feet and the only thing
that's going to matter is what Idid for him, what I did for
eternity, and I want to comeback to that place and, by the
grace of the Lord, want to comeback to that place, and, by the
(18:16):
grace of the Lord, I'm comingback to that place.
Let's go back.
Let's go back to that place,let's come back to his heart,
where that's the most importantthing.
It's really the only thing thatmatters is Lord, what do you
want me to do?
What have you called me to do?
Is Lord, what do you want me todo, lord?
What have you called me to do?
He wants to bring us back toour true state.
(18:38):
Who is he really?
Who am I really?
I belong to him and that is myidentity.
That's who I am and that's themost important title is that I
am a child of God, that I belongto Him and everything else
needs to circle around that.
There's a saying that I love andit's been on my heart lately,
(19:02):
and it goes right back to thisanalogy.
It says some things break yourheart, but they fix your vision.
Has your heart been brokenlately?
Mine has.
I've been disappointed bypeople.
People I thought I understoodpeople, I thought I knew, and
(19:24):
you know what.
I've probably disappointedpeople too, because sometimes we
get so caught up with eachother and the things going on in
this world that we stop fixingour vision on Jesus.
And God is in a season right nowin my life of cutting things
back so that I can return towhat I know is true, what I
(19:51):
haven't really seen in a longtime.
But I know he's real, I knowhe's good, I know he has good
plans, but I'm just too busywith my own plans and that's
exciting.
I miss the excitement of lovingJesus and not knowing what lies
ahead, but knowing that it'sgoing to be good because that's
(20:13):
where he is and that's wherehe's taken me and, even through
the hard times that I haven'texpected in that it's going to
be good, even if I have to gothrough the hard times to get
there, that the ultimate end isgood because that's where he is.
And I just invite you to comewith me.
You know, let's let him cutsome things away, because if
(20:36):
he's cutting them away, theyweren't necessary.
You know, when you prunesomething it hurts and there may
be a season without fruitbecause you've been pruned, but
when the fruit comes back, it'ssweeter comes back, it's sweeter
(21:00):
.
We have here, right across theroad from my home, is a vine, is
a grapevine Actually, it's amuscadine vine that my dad
planted many, many years ago andit's huge, but after my dad
passed away, nobody kept it likehe did, and so, though it's
huge, it's not producing thatmuch, and my mom, she hasn't
(21:21):
been able to maintain it like hedid, so she, this season, is
going to find someone to cutthat vine back, and so we'll
probably have a season where wedon't have grapes and that's sad
because I love those grapes andwe may have a season where we
don't have grapes and that's sadbecause I love those grapes and
we may have a season withoutthem and that's Not good.
But we know that they're goingto come back bigger and better
(21:46):
and more fruitful, and that'swhat God wants to do with us.
Sometimes he cuts things awayand it hurts and we don't like
it and we miss those things andwe love those things, but it's
because he's got somethingbetter in mind and when we can
get our eyes off those thingsand those people and we can put
our eyes on Jesus and trust that.
I may not like this, but I knowyou've got something good in
(22:09):
mind.
I know your heart is to love meand to bless me and not to hurt
me, but you will allow me to gothrough painful things in order
to get to the things you haveprepared for me.
Now.
Jesus had to go through thecross in order to redeem us.
There were things that Jesushad to suffer, but there was a
(22:30):
reward in the end.
It says he despised thosethings, he despised the cross,
and there are things in our lifethat we perhaps despise and
hate and would like to turnaround and walk the other way
and not face those things.
But our life, the real life,the life that is in Christ Jesus
(22:51):
, is on the other side of thosethings.
We just have to stay the course, we have to press through them
and it's going to be worth it,amen.
Now, I hope my little storyencouraged you this week, I hope
it gave you something to thinkabout and I hope it spoke to you
.
(23:18):
Like I said before, if you arein or around the Mullins area on
September 6th, we would love tohave you at Awaken Coffee Bar
from 9 to 1030.
And go and join my email list soyou can keep up with current
events and things that are goingon, with Grace For my Home, and
I love you and I pray that youhave a great week and let's pray
before we go.
Father, I thank you for theseprecious ones who are listening
today.
I thank you that you have agood plan and, lord, you see
(23:41):
things from such a highviewpoint, lord and Lord, you
see things from such a highviewpoint, lord, you see all
things, lord, nothing isconfusing to you, lord, god, you
don't forget anything and Ipray, lord, that you would help
us to see through your eyes.
I ask you to speak to us inways that we can understand and
I ask you, lord, god, to teachus how to walk with you in faith
and Lord, show us, lord, whatneeds to go, cut it back for us
(24:09):
and, lord, let us see once again, lord, the riches that are in
Christ Jesus and the reason thatwe loved you to start with, the
reason we came to you to beginwith.
God, renew in us, lord, god, asteadfast spirit.
Lord, in Jesus' name, we pray,amen.
God bless, bye-bye.
Hello and welcome back to Grace From my Home.
I'm Audrey McCracken and I'm sodelighted to be back with you
again this week.
I hope that you're doing welland that you're in the middle of
a great week.
We are doing well here in theMcCracken home.
My children are back in schooland my husband is back in work,
(00:21):
and I'm trying to to get somekind of a routine going on.
I'm working at the coffee barthat I run for my church and
trying to put together some newresources for you guys.
As you probably know if youfollow the show, I just released
my second book.
It's called Seek First 31 QuietMoments with Jesus and I'm
(00:44):
super excited about it.
I'm going to have a booksigning on Saturday, april 6th
at Awaken Coffee Bar in Mullins,south Carolina.
That's going to be from 9 to1030.
So if you live in or around theMullins area, anywhere close, I
would so love to have you.
I'd love to meet you and talkwith you and sign your book.
I would so love to meet you andtalk with you and sign your
(01:05):
book.
I would so love to see you.
So, if you can make that,that's going to be next Saturday
, saturday September 6th, from 9to 1030 am at Awaken Coffee Bar
in Mullen, south Carolina.
If you have not signed up for myemail list, I encourage you to
do that.
I send out weekly emails.
I send things to encourage youthrough the week.
I send links to the podcastsand blogs that I do, but I also
(01:30):
try to share other things thatare on my heart that week
scriptures, things that aregoing on here in our home and
I'm trying to be more consistentand beef that up a little bit,
because I see that as anopportunity to share with you in
a different way.
So if you are interested, ifyou'd like to hear from me every
week, please go to the shownotes and sign up for my weekly
(01:53):
email, and I would be so glad.
Today I want to share somethingwith you that has been floating
around in my head and I waspraying about what to share with
you guys this week.
And this is what I landed on.
And you know God speaks to usdifferent ways and you know
(02:13):
we're all different and hecreated us that way and he knows
who we are and he knows how totalk to us.
Now I've run into people overthe years who have told me that
God does not speak, that hespoke.
He spoke in his word and that'sit.
You know, jesus said my sheephear my voice.
And it says also that the HolySpirit leads us and guides us
(02:35):
into all truth.
Whenever you have a relationshipwith someone, communication is
very vital, very important tokeep that relationship alive and
strong and healthy.
And I truly, with all my heart,believe that that also is true
for our relationship with Jesus,that in order for us to have a
real, alive, healthyrelationship with Jesus, that
(03:01):
there needs to be communication,and that includes us praying to
him and us listening for hisanswer, for his response to our
prayers.
Now, sometimes that answer maybe no.
We may ask for things and theanswer may be no or not now, but
that's an answer.
And I have to believe that if Ineed something or if I'm
(03:24):
struggling with something and Itake it to the Lord in prayer,
that he will answer my prayer.
And so when I talk about Godspeaking to me, that's what I'm
talking about.
I'm talking about him leadingme in such a way that I
recognize that he is speaking,that this is his will or this is
what he is saying to me at thismoment.
Sometimes it's when I'm readingthe Bible and words jump off
(03:48):
the page.
Have you ever had that happen,Like I'll be reading the Bible
and then a passage that I'veread many, many times before,
it's like a light shines on itand it's like the Lord saying
pay attention, this is importantand that's how God speaks to us
.
But he speaks to us alldifferent, in different ways,
because I think he makes usdifferent and you know he's a
(04:10):
God of wondrous variety and youknow Jesus used a lot of
analogies in his teaching.
He uses he's.
He used a lot of parables andin those parables he drew a lot
of analogies.
And that's often how I feellike God communicates with me.
You know, I'll be driving downthe road and see something and
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I'll be like, oh, there's atruth in that.
See, jesus took everyday commonthings.
A lot of times he relied onthings like sowing and reaping
because that was very relevantto the people he was speaking to
.
He lived in an agriculturalsociety and so he spoke a lot on
sowing and reaping and thepeople got it.
(04:54):
So he would take these truthsand he would wrap them up in an
analogy that the peopleunderstood, and then they got it
in an analogy that the peopleunderstood and then they got it.
And so this week I was ridingdown the road and I want to
share with you something that Ifeel like the Lord used to speak
to me.
I have lived in the same placemy entire life.
(05:18):
I live about not even a quartermile from my mom, and that's
the house that I grew up in, andwe built a house, my husband
and I.
We built a house not long afterwe got married, right down the
road from my mom and my dad atthat time.
He's since passed away, but Iknow these roads, I know this
(05:42):
area like the back of my hand,and there are roads that I have
gone down thousands uponthousands of times.
And the other week I was goingto pick up my son from school
and something caught my eye.
Years ago there was a littlehouse on the road to the school
where my children go to school,and that house, it was a cute
(06:06):
little house.
It was an older house, but Iremembered it because it had
huge azaleas in the front yard.
And for you who don't know,azalea is a southern plant.
I know there's a lot of them inthe south.
They're huge, they grow reallybig and in the spring when they
bloom they're beautiful.
And they bloom in white andpurple and pink and they're just
beautiful flowers.
(06:27):
They don't have much of a smellbut they can get really big if
you don't take care of them andtrim them back.
And my grandmother had them.
My mom has them in her yard.
But I remember this littlehouse because the azaleas in
their yard was huge and they'dgotten so big that it almost
taken over the house, the frontof the house, because they were
almost as tall as the frontporch.
(06:48):
But I always remember thinkingthose are the most beautiful
azaleas I've ever seen.
Well, over the years somebodymust have moved out the house.
I don't know who lived there,but the house started falling
apart.
You could say People weren'tcutting the grass and after a
while they weren't doinganything to it.
And I remember, you know, overtime and like I said, I've been
(07:11):
living in the same area for now52 years this year that house
was completely covered withvines and trees in the yard and
overgrowth.
But every spring I could seejust a glimpse of those
beautiful azaleas and they wouldspring up, you know, and I
(07:32):
would see those azaleas throughall of the weeds and the
undergrowth.
So I knew that it was stillthere.
You know, well, over the last Iguess, five, six years, I
couldn't see the azaleas.
And the truth is, if anybodycame by that road, they wouldn't
even know there was a housethere because it just looked
like woods.
And I knew that there was ahouse there because I remember
(07:56):
those azaleas.
But my children had no ideathere was a house there because
they'd never seen it.
And truly, you know, if youdrive past that area you didn't
see anything.
It just looked like woods andit seemed like those woods had
been there forever.
Well, the other day, when I wasgoing to pick up my son from
school, I noticed they had beendoing some work and they had
(08:20):
completely uncovered the house.
See, we live in an area that'sgrowing really fast.
A lot of developments arecoming in, people are moving,
spreading out from Myrtle Beach,people are coming down from the
north, moving here, and so alot of farmland, a lot of old
wood, a lot of woodland is beingrenovated, woods are being cut
down, farmland's being turnedinto developments.
(08:42):
Well, this little house, Iguess, is in the middle of a big
track and they had cut backeverything and there was that
little house and it was like aha, I knew it was there.
Well, you know, my son wascoming back with me and I said
let me show you this littlehouse.
So I was bringing him back fromschool and I said you see that
house, I remember that housegrowing up.
(09:03):
They had the big, prettiest,most pretty azaleas in the yard
and it was right there in thewoods.
And his only comment was mama,you're really old, you remember
what's in the woods?
And I said well, it reallywasn't that long ago, honey.
I guess for you it was alifetime, but for me it wasn't.
And I just, I don't know, therewas some kind of a validation
(09:27):
that there stood the house thatI knew was there all along.
And you know, the azaleas werecut down, but the house was
there.
And I don't know, guys, it waslike when I got home I couldn't
get that house off my mind andit was like the Lord was
stirring something in me, likesomething about the house, and I
(09:48):
said, lord, what is this?
What are you saying about thathouse?
And it was like and I don'tknow how to explain this, but
I'm going to try and if you getit, then praise the Lord.
But I've been through a seasonwhere things have just felt
(10:09):
chaotic.
I feel like I've just beenholding on by the seat of my
pants, you know we have.
Everything has just felttopsy-turvy.
My husband resigned from hisposition at the church.
He's working on his PhD.
My kids are all grown up now.
I don't homeschool anybody andI miss that season of my life.
(10:31):
I loved it.
I've got a kid in college andI've got two in high school and
one of them is trying to playfootball at the college level
and he's gotten some offers.
And then I'm working at thiscoffee shop and I'm trying to
grow my podcast and I'm tryingto grow my online ministry and
I'm writing books and these areall good things.
(10:54):
But it has just felt like I havelost my center things.
But it has just felt like Ihave lost my center and I pray
and I've gone to the Lord inprayer but I feel often like I'm
doing it out of duty.
I know I need to, I know I haveto, I know he is there, but
it's like I hadn't been able toreally see Him.
But I know he's there and itwas like that's what that house
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feels like.
I've been going by faith that Iknow you's there and it was
like that's what that housefeels like.
I've been going by faith that Iknow you're there, lord, I know
you're there.
You know we experience things inour life that people can't take
away.
You know, sometimes you canconvince people by arguing your
point.
Sometimes you know, if you're agood debater and you've got
some strong points, you know youcan talk to people and maybe
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even convince them.
If you're a good debater andyou've got some strong points,
you can talk to people and maybeeven convince them that you're
right.
But there are some things thatwe know so deep inside of us
that, no matter what wordspeople use or how they come at
us, they're not going to changeour minds.
Because we know what we know andthat's how my relationship with
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Jesus has been.
I know what I know.
I was a sinner.
He found me, he rescued me.
I know how I was before.
I know how he changed my heartand I know that the love of God
changed me completely.
But for a while for a longerthan I want to admit I feel like
(12:20):
I've just been going throughthe motions.
I know this is true.
I know this is.
I know he loves me, I know thathe called me, I know that
everything in my life is ablessing, but I can't find him.
It's like he's out theresomewhere and when I went by the
house the other day, it waslike the Lord saying I'm still
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here.
You may not see me, you may noteven see the azaleas blooming
anymore, but you know that I'mreal and that I'm here and I'm
at the core of it all.
And there was a comfort in that.
I was like, yes, lord, I knowit, I may not, can see you right
now, but I have lived longenough that, even though the
(13:10):
undergrowth is huge and it feelslike it is all consuming and
it's hidden, everythingimportant I know what is under
all of that stuff and at thecore is Jesus.
And, guys, that is the.
That's what faith is.
Uh, I believe, even though Idon't see, I know from the
(13:35):
experience that God has allowedin my life, from the things he's
done in my life, I know that heis for me.
I know that he wants me to getit.
He wants me to be successful inmy relationship with Him, even
though I may not see the thingsthe way I want to see them right
(13:55):
now.
By faith, I believe that he ison my side.
And when I say he's on my side,what I mean is that he wants me
to be successful in my walkwith him.
He does not want to condemn me,he does not want to have to
correct me, he wants me to getit.
And he feels the same for you.
(14:18):
You know, sometimes people it'slike they call you to the Lord,
they tell you you need Jesus,but it's almost like they beat
Jesus down your throat and theywant you to feel really bad
about it.
You know, but Jesus is callingand drawing us.
He is saying I am so real and Ihave so many good things for
(14:38):
your life.
Come and taste and see that I'mgood.
And this week it reminded me ofthat scripture, and it's in
three of the Gospels, but I'lljust read one to you this week.
And you probably know theparable of the sower, where the
sower went out and he sowed seedand that seed fell in many
(15:00):
different places, differentkinds of soil.
One fell on the rocks, one fellin the stony ground and one
fell among the thorns.
And it says in Mark, chapter 4,starting in verse 18, talking
about the seed that fell.
It says Still others, like seedsown among thorns, hear the
(15:21):
word, but the worries of thislife, the deceitfulness of
wealth and the desires of otherthings come in and choke the
word, the word, making itunfruitful.
(15:42):
Pruning makes things growbetter and pruning hurts.
But there comes times in ourlife where we need a good
pruning.
We need God to come in and dosomething radical.
There are seasons in our lifewhen we have to get back to the
basics.
You know, we have to cut backall the excess and all the chaos
around us and we've got to getback to what we know is true.
(16:04):
And sometimes we have to bekind of radical about it.
You know that's my personality.
You know I'll say well, I'llwork on that later.
No, I have to do it now becauseI know me and I'll keep on
going and I'll keep survivinginstead of thriving.
And I'm in a season where Ifeel like the Lord is saying cut
back all the excess, cut backtill you see me again.
(16:28):
I liken it to going back tokindergarten.
Sometimes we get so full ofknowledge and understanding and
we're so proud of ourselves andall this that we've acquired and
we've obtained, but God wantsto bring us back to kindergarten
.
He wants to bring us back towhat really matters.
(16:48):
We have to get back to the truth.
What is the truth?
What is the cold hard truth?
What is the cold hard truth?
What is true?
Because there's so many thingsvying for our attention and for
our allegiance and we have toknow what is true.
Well, jesus said I am the way,I am the truth, I am the life.
(17:11):
We have to get back to Jesus tofind out what is really true
and if we allow him, he willhelp us to cut back those things
and the things that choke outthe life.
I want to breathe again, I wantto believe again, I want to walk
(17:32):
in that simplicity of faithwhere I know I belong to Him and
I know that I'm doing what heasked me to do.
And when it's all said and done, that's all that matters.
You know there is a humility inthat that you know anything I
do here on earth, it's all goingto burn, it's all going to be
(17:55):
washed away.
Only thing that's going toremain is what I did for the
kingdom, and one day I have tolay my crown down at his feet
and everything I've done will beat his feet and the only thing
that's going to matter is what Idid for him, what I did for
eternity, and I want to comeback to that place and, by the
grace of the Lord, want to comeback to that place, and, by the
(18:16):
grace of the Lord, I'm comingback to that place.
Let's go back.
Let's go back to that place,let's come back to his heart,
where that's the most importantthing.
It's really the only thing thatmatters is Lord, what do you
want me to do?
What have you called me to do?
Is Lord, what do you want me todo, lord?
What have you called me to do?
He wants to bring us back toour true state.
(18:38):
Who is he really?
Who am I really?
I belong to him and that is myidentity.
That's who I am and that's themost important title is that I
am a child of God, that I belongto Him and everything else
needs to circle around that.
There's a saying that I love andit's been on my heart lately,
(19:02):
and it goes right back to thisanalogy.
It says some things break yourheart, but they fix your vision.
Has your heart been brokenlately?
Mine has.
I've been disappointed bypeople.
People I thought I understoodpeople, I thought I knew, and
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you know what.
I've probably disappointedpeople too, because sometimes we
get so caught up with eachother and the things going on in
this world that we stop fixingour vision on Jesus.
And God is in a season right nowin my life of cutting things
back so that I can return towhat I know is true, what I
(19:51):
haven't really seen in a longtime.
But I know he's real, I knowhe's good, I know he has good
plans, but I'm just too busywith my own plans and that's
exciting.
I miss the excitement of lovingJesus and not knowing what lies
ahead, but knowing that it'sgoing to be good because that's
(20:13):
where he is and that's wherehe's taken me and, even through
the hard times that I haven'texpected in that it's going to
be good, even if I have to gothrough the hard times to get
there, that the ultimate end isgood because that's where he is.
And I just invite you to comewith me.
You know, let's let him cutsome things away, because if
(20:36):
he's cutting them away, theyweren't necessary.
You know, when you prunesomething it hurts and there may
be a season without fruitbecause you've been pruned, but
when the fruit comes back, it'ssweeter comes back, it's sweeter
(21:00):
.
We have here, right across theroad from my home, is a vine, is
a grapevine Actually, it's amuscadine vine that my dad
planted many, many years ago andit's huge, but after my dad
passed away, nobody kept it likehe did, and so, though it's
huge, it's not producing thatmuch, and my mom, she hasn't
(21:21):
been able to maintain it like hedid, so she, this season, is
going to find someone to cutthat vine back, and so we'll
probably have a season where wedon't have grapes and that's sad
because I love those grapes andwe may have a season where we
don't have grapes and that's sadbecause I love those grapes and
we may have a season withoutthem and that's Not good.
But we know that they're goingto come back bigger and better
(21:46):
and more fruitful, and that'swhat God wants to do with us.
Sometimes he cuts things awayand it hurts and we don't like
it and we miss those things andwe love those things, but it's
because he's got somethingbetter in mind and when we can
get our eyes off those thingsand those people and we can put
our eyes on Jesus and trust that.
I may not like this, but I knowyou've got something good in
(22:09):
mind.
I know your heart is to love meand to bless me and not to hurt
me, but you will allow me to gothrough painful things in order
to get to the things you haveprepared for me.
Now.
Jesus had to go through thecross in order to redeem us.
There were things that Jesushad to suffer, but there was a
(22:30):
reward in the end.
It says he despised thosethings, he despised the cross,
and there are things in our lifethat we perhaps despise and
hate and would like to turnaround and walk the other way
and not face those things.
But our life, the real life,the life that is in Christ Jesus
(22:51):
, is on the other side of thosethings.
We just have to stay the course, we have to press through them
and it's going to be worth it,amen.
Now, I hope my little storyencouraged you this week, I hope
it gave you something to thinkabout and I hope it spoke to you
.
(23:18):
Like I said before, if you arein or around the Mullins area on
September 6th, we would love tohave you at Awaken Coffee Bar
from 9 to 1030.
And go and join my email list soyou can keep up with current
events and things that are goingon, with Grace For my Home, and
I love you and I pray that youhave a great week and let's pray
before we go.
Father, I thank you for theseprecious ones who are listening
today.
I thank you that you have agood plan and, lord, you see
(23:41):
things from such a highviewpoint, lord and Lord, you
see things from such a highviewpoint, lord, you see all
things, lord, nothing isconfusing to you, lord, god, you
don't forget anything and Ipray, lord, that you would help
us to see through your eyes.
I ask you to speak to us inways that we can understand and
I ask you, lord, god, to teachus how to walk with you in faith
and Lord, show us, lord, whatneeds to go, cut it back for us
(24:09):
and, lord, let us see once again, lord, the riches that are in
Christ Jesus and the reason thatwe loved you to start with, the
reason we came to you to beginwith.
God, renew in us, lord, god, asteadfast spirit.
Lord, in Jesus' name, we pray,amen.
God bless, bye-bye.
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