Joshua 24:15 "And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

All throughout scripture, we see the people of God turning aside to false gods and idols as soon as things weren't going perfectly for them. It's so easy to look at these people from the pages of scripture and see the deep fault in them and want to yell at the pages, "What were you thinking!" 
We see time after time, a gracious God delivering His people and yet they turn aside to fables and idols. While it is so easy to see the fault in their hearts, it seems more of a challenge to acknowledge the idolatry and lack of faith and gratitude within our own hearts. It's a challenge to ask ourselves, what notion, fear, addiction, emotion, hobby, attitude, or desire of the flesh have I set up as an idol in the seat of my own heart? Who am I serving when I ____________? 
In these days, where the big clock is ticking closer and closer to midnight, it is so imperative that we are willing to examine the condition of our own minds and hearts in all that we are choosing to do, think, and say. This thing that you are doing, thinking, or saying, is it loving Adonai with ALL your heart, soul, and mind and loving others as yourself? Or is it serving another god, idol, desire, notion, or fear? Oh Lord, we repent! Oh Lord, we surrender! We extol Your name forever!
The Ten Commandments, and the law was built upon the first commandment: “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me” (Deuteronomy 5:6-7). Here we see not only God’s prohibition against idolatry, but His reasons for that prohibition. It was the Lord God who had the power to bring His people out of bondage in Egypt. He alone cared enough for them to choose them to be His own, and He alone delivered and protected them. For all this, He declares that He alone deserves to be worshipped and reverenced. No idol made of wood or stone is God. Idols are deaf, dumb, blind, and powerless.
Paul’s letter to the Romans indicates the worship of things in creation themselves—not just their images—is wrong in the eyes of God (Romans 1:25). Paul also warns the Colossians against worshipping other supernatural beings: “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize” (Colossians 2:18a). Yeshua (Jesus) expanded the definition of “other gods” to include concepts in addition to images, living things and other supernatural beings. In Matthew 6:24, He warns against the worship of material things. “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money”. The Greek word mammonas, translated here as “money,” does not mean the money in one’s pockets. It is the personification of wealth or money (especially wealth gained through greediness), the love of which, in modern terminology, is “materialism.” The dangers of worshipping material things are clearly outlined in the story of the rich young ruler Matthew 19 who turned away from Christ because he could not part with his wealth. 
In the Hebrew word study, the commandment Have NO other gods translates to, Don't put another face on God. WOW! How often do we do this? We change Him in our minds to suit our situation, and in turn we create false god worship. We must know the God we serve by praying and reading our Word so that it is harder for the enemy to deceive us into putting another face on Yahweh. 
David describes what awaits the person who puts God ahead of all else: “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods” (Psalm40:4).
As for ME and MY HOUSE, we will Serve Yahweh. 

There is nothing on a chilly winter day like a warm bowl of soup. This soup has that old fashioned slow simmered and made with love taste to it. Great if you are feeling under the weather or just want a tasty healthy dish. 

INGREDIENTS:
Avocado or Olive Oil
Grass Fed Butter
3 Garlic Cloves diced
1 Onion diced
1 or 2 heads of celery chopped
3 Large Carrots chopped
Frozen Peas (Optional)
Optional Herbs and Spices: Salt, Pepper, Paprika, Cayenne, Thyme, Rosemary
Roasted Seasoned Chicken Thighs or Legs with the Bone in (See the Video Below for detailed instructions)
Bone Broth, Chicken Broth, or Water

 INSTRUCTIONS: (If you prefer detailed video instructions check out the short video below)
Roast the chicken in the oven. (These instructions will vary depending on the chicken you choose and the oven you are using)
Add the oil and butter to the bottom of the pot on low medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and herbs and simmer until the onions are soft. Add the roast chicken straight into the pot. Cover the ingredients with the broth or water. Add peas. Allow to simmer 30 mins to 3 hours. Remove the chicken and set aside. Remove the good meat from the chicken and put it make into the pot. Add more seasoning and pasta or rice. 

"There are some important things to consider before you answer the question. Do you really trust the Lord? That he is able, faithful and willing to do what he said he would? If we do, then why don't we pray or believe like we should? Why do we not cast our cares on him and leave them there instead of picking them back up and trying to do it ourselves? Bro. Wilkerson examines the passage in Jer. 17:5 "Cursed be the man who trusteth in flesh".  This is a very important message for all. True faith in God results in an abiding peace and rest in your soul. When we haven't learned to trust God, he will bring us to a place of depth to train us to trust him no matter whats. God wants us to be prepared to trust him. He wants us to learn how to depend totally on him for everthing, completely surrendering to his will. Then comes the calm and rest. "
- David Wilkerson
There are moments in this journey when God allows the unexpected, the curve in the road, the twist in the plot, the moment we didn't see coming. Sometimes these moments are wildly amazing and victorious and build up our faith tremendously. These are the times when God shows up, answers prayers, and makes a way where no way existed before. Some of these moments however are different... things appear to not go as planned or seemingly don't pan out the way we think they should. ALL these occurrences are equally God showing up in His faithfulness and majesty. Yet, one scenario builds our faith and the other.... well, that's up to us. 
When God has doors He is about to open, plans He is about to unfold, destinies He is unlocking, purposes He is pouring out, He always tests us. God will always test you before giving you more, and God will challenge you before sending you on your way forward. You see, it's really not about us trusting God, but about God trusting us. It is so easy to trust Him and be moved by His character and His awesomeness when things go "our way" and it's easy to know He's with us. For whatever reason, as humans, we default to leaning on our own understanding as soon as things don't happen as we planned. We panic, scurry, worry, gripe, complain, throw fits, shake our fist at God, all without stepping back and realizing that He's the same God who was in the moments of victory. God doesn't change, ever... it's only us who are tossed to and fro by the waves of life. It's only us who are moved by every wind shift of our emotions and imaginations. It's vital that we begin to train ourselves in those moments, to direct our minds right back to the truth of who God is and ask ourselves, what is my role in this moment? God is always the same and so it's me who He's calling in this moment to hold onto my faith, to continue to trust in His ways, to leave my burdens at the cross, to not allow the enemy to convince me that God is anything other than who He says that He is. 
God allows the testing.... He did it to almost every great man and woman in the scripture. He is testing the condition of your heart, the fortitude of your faith, and the resolve of your trust. Never EVER forget who God is, and in those testing moments of life recognize that His greatest concern is not with your comfort or happiness but with your eternity and holiness. So, allow Him to do what His is doing, with faith that HE IS FAITHFUL. 
Armor up saints. 
Shalom. - Lea