Firm Foundation #06

“I moved forward in faith despite her fear, and it landed me on the rock of my salvation”- Me.

[Matthew 7:24-27] “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

In February of 2023 God gave me a prophetic word. A promise sent from heaven’s throne room to my heart. I heard God say he was sending me back to the place he took me from. Not the exact home but the area in which I lived before God sent me to Tennessee.

The Holy Spirit also gave me a few other promises attached to this message from heaven. Some in detail and some not so detailed. In these promises were desires and dreams. Dreams I had wanted but ultimately, I had given them over to Jesus. I wasn’t striving for them. Instead, I was listening to the Holy Spirit direct me, and then obeying his steps.

I’ll admit the words of the Lord excited me! I was ready to pack my bags and head back to Florida! But there was a specific direction from the Lord I had to wait for. He said, I would receive an offer from someone in his name. I was to accept and go.

I didn’t have this offer and there was no real time given except God said I wouldn’t have to carry out anymore year stays. I arrived in Tennessee April 30, 2022. Which meant April 30, 2023, would be exactly a year….and well, no more year stays is anything under 12 months on the other side of April 2023. Right? Okay, so only God knows when this is going to happen. For me it was to believe his words and know it will be accomplished, while I waited for the offer to arrive.

The days and months went by. Some days I was living in the contentment one can only get by living focused on Jesus. Being surrounded by his presence and not needing anything but that. Enjoying the mission at hand. Spending time with my family and friends. Attending church and doing my best (with God’s help) to stay present.

Present and focused on Jesus is the best place you can be. Worshiping our Lord and Savior by action and heart. Saying he is enough. Living in his love outpour.

But then there were other days…

Angry I was still in this mission. Focused on what I didn’t have. Rushing God’s plan. Trying to will his promise into existence. Which by the way, you can never do! Wanting to live in a God given promise before he’s ready for you to have it is miserable. By doing so I took myself right out of humble obedience and trust, and into self righteousness.

My heart was no longer content but looking for satisfaction in the gift or circumstance surrounding me. And since the gift was not surrounding me, I was unhappy.

When rush and discontent surround you, you know you’ve jump off the road that lives in the presence of God.

You start to control because you are not in control. That simple step through the tall hedge of protection lands you on a chaotic road and world that is no longer your home. Through the grace of God, we get to hand the reigns over to Jesus and he takes on all the heavy lifting. When we step back on that old road, you have now put the weight back onto your shoulders. Our shoulders were not built to carry the weight.

How does one get back on the road filled with the peace and presence of Jesus?

You humbly submit and give the reigns back to the Lord. Grace allows you back through the hedge and onto The Way. The Way doesn’t allow for you to know what’s up ahead. It doesn’t allow you to get to your desires before God is ready. And truly that is what we want as Christ followers. We get the privilege of knowing God’s way is much better than ours. We want him! We want his power, peace, supernatural provision, we want the burdens on the shoulders of Jesus, instead of our own.

I hate when I jump the hedge into the world ran by Satan. But Praise the Lord our God in heaven that his grace has an opening for us to get back on The Way!

After I had packed and repacked my suitcase numerous times. And jumped the hedge numerous times, I finally gave over my will. I had to, I wanted to. But inside was the voice that said, if you don’t go now, it will never happen. You will be made a fool for trusting in God. And you’ll be happy when you get…

But I knew better. I knew and know I can trust the Lord. Even when I can’t see the promise. Even when it takes longer than I expected. Even while others doubt, I will hold tight to my faith in Jesus. He has never let me down and he never will! And even though I am waiting for a call from someone I either know or don’t know, to somehow get me back to Florida, with little to no money, I will trust and wait on the road named The Way.

It was almost five months after February 2023 before God said the quiet words, “pack your bags, you are released from Tennessee”. When I heard the words, I was on a walking trail filming for a documentary. Filming myself writing in my journal as I do often. Once the filming was complete, I felt the Lord wanted to speak to me. I was nervous to listen. As there have been times my will has been placed in the mouth of God by me.

Before I went to listen, I told my heart, you want the will of God. Even if he says five more months here in Tennessee. Even if he says you will never have a studio again. Heart, “you will accept the words of God and not override his words with your own will”. You want what he wants more. Submit and surrender all to him. Pick up your cross. He will make your way clear. And you will obey his command.

When “pack your bags” came through to my heart I was committed but still nervous to accept. Because, what if it’s me controlling and not really God? I knew what I needed to do. I needed to pack my bags, even though I had not received a call or offer.

As I was studying the Word of God the next day the Lord placed in front of me a powerful prayer and declaration. If God sends you a word, direction, action or step to take, you must do as he has said! Even if it doesn’t make sense. Even if you see nothing in front of you that shows it will be. You must do it! The action in obedience activates the will of God. Your obedience declares the will of God as so!

After reading this and letting it speak to my heart, I immediately went upstairs and packed my bags. I cleaned up my room in my parent’s house. My actions were in alignment with the word spoken over me by God himself. In faith I was moving and operating, not by sight.

Even though I had packed many times before thinking it was from the Lord. I had to recognize the rush and discontent that was leading me then and the flow of peace and humility that was leading me now. And I’ll say this, I will not and cannot disobey the words of the Lord. No matter where they send me, I will follow.

A week later it was a Saturday. My Sabbath, so I was on a drive out to a nearby lake community. When suddenly, I get a call. It’s an area code 850 number (which is my area of Florida), and I do not know who it is. Inside, I knew it was the call, but I had to listen to the voicemail to know for sure.

When I arrived at my destination I listened to the voicemail and it said something like this…Hi, I am, we’ll call her Ronda. I got your number from Krystal at the Chapel. She said you were looking to move back down here, and I want to talk to you about that. Please give me a call back. Look forward to talking with you.

I knew Jericho would be a battle. Knowing it was a battle for my brothers and sisters before me prepared me for what was to come. Their journey also taught me I can trust the Lord who sends me. That the walls will crumble, I will take the city, I only need to walk in obedience and faith to our Lord Jesus, the Christ.

Jericho, I see you.

Jericho, I am not afraid.

You can’t have me.

For the Lord is delivering you into my hands.

No matter how big your wall

Or how mighty you are

My Lord is More!

My Lord is greater than your evil.

My Lord is my rock and my fortress.

No harm will come to me.

The Lord will provide a way.

It’s done.

All I need to do is

believe, trust, act.

Rejoice and shout!

For the Lord has made a way!

Even while I circle this wall.

He has made a way.

Even while others doubt

He has made a way.

Even while I can’t see the wall crumble

He has made a way.

Praise be to the Lord God of Israel!

For alone he is mighty to save!

I left for Florida on Friday July 29, 2023 with all my belongings. I had an offer, but it wasn’t clear if Ronda was going to give into fear or faith. The weeks leading up to my departure date were swirled with encouraging her to step while she battled fear.

The morning I left I received a text from her, but before I read it the Lord said to me, “no matter what the text says, go anyway!”. So that is exactly what I did. With no home confirmed or place to stay in Florida that night I went. I went because God told me to. I started marching around Jericho.

I was being asked to face numerous challenges. The obvious, driving down to Florida with a truck full of clothes and medicine without a place to stay. The second was God had involved another person in this act of faith. Meaning, if she doesn’t obey and sign for this townhome, trusting God will provide then what happens to me?

Usually, this act of obeying God in faith is on me alone. I know what will happen if I do or don’t and I don’t need another person to keep me in the will of God. But, what if she doesn’t? I can’t make her. No matter how I share the goodness of God and explain how God moves, if she won’t leap, then what?

As I am driving the 7ish hours down to the Gulf Coast God stills my fear with the fact that no matter what surrounds me I am dependent on him alone. Not Ronda or anyone else. It’s for me to stay close to him, listen, trust, and obey.

I would love to tell you Ronda leaped. She started to, but in the end, she stepped back from the cliff and ran in the other direction. And in doing so used me as her target for not leaping.

Arrows thrown straight to my heart while I sat at a campsite in obedience. No tent, just a driver’s side seat to lay my head on that night. The Lord had me in a hotel at the beginning of the week, but once the money for the townhome was given over it was time to move. Only I had to wait for his timing. And that’s when I got the call from Ronda.

I could hear it in her voice and took the arrows, but I also stood firm on my obedience. We had both heard from the Lord moving in with one another was to be temporary, but she wasn't sure she could move forward with me and gave her reasons. For me, my discomfort was not my navigation. My navigation is always the Lord, no matter where he calls and how it makes me feel. To give excuses as to why one can’t obey is simply fear influencing your judgment and discernment.

The next morning after a long night of sleep/not sleep I decided to head to the beach at about 4:15AM. I watched the sunrise, changed into my swimsuit in the public bathhouse so I could wash off in the ocean, brushed my teeth, and then found a spot for coffee and breakfast. I wasn’t sure what the day would hold. I was exhausted and hanging onto the hem of his garment.

Around 8:30AM Ronda sent me a text saying I can’t move in with her and hopes I understand. Also, that she will go to the bank and return my money. I respond with “sounds good”. What else was I to say. I wasn’t going to continue encouraging her to leap. She made her decision and now what for me?

Lord, you have said it is for me to be here in Florida. You said a new assignment was to start the first of August. I have done everything you have asked, in faith. Yet here I am homeless and tired from this battle. What do I do now? I trust you.

Love, Me

I left the coffee shop and booked another hotel room. Driving back to Tennessee that day was not going to happen in the state I was in physically. So, at the very least I needed one night. And I was also holding on to the hope of God’s promise to me. I went back to my storage unit to drop off all the additional items I had to move into the townhome with Ronda. She transferred my money back into my account, and back to the hotel I went. As I pulled into the hotel, I heard God say, “one more night”.

Shower, curtains closed, nap. Then food, prayer, and rest. Despite the obstacles and bleeding heart there were blessings from the Lord that kept me going. My valet was a believer and went over and beyond for me. Even saying, Kara, God’s got this! All is going to be okay. I was given a complimentary upgrade on my room, and they also gave me a discount on my room rate for the second night I requested.

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

When the documentary comes out and the books are released you will know all the details of this story. For now, I believe the point God wants to throw at us is this.

After two nights in the hotel obedience led me to my storage unit once more to pick up a few things. At this point I wasn’t entirely sure where anything was located, what bag or box. I had packed, moved, re packed, and re moved several times. Not knowing where I would be going the next day or even at the end of that day.

God told me I would be staying in Florida. My circumstances did not tell that truth, in a way(I was still in Florida, after all). I had to believe what God was saying was true. I had to stand firm on Jesus. What I know of his character. Not look to my circumstances. I had to forgive Ronda in my heart of what she said about me and what she did. I had to move forward in faith despite the waves and winds. I never left the Rock. I allowed the rock to be my value, my place holder, my truth.

As I sat in the parking lot of my storage unit after checking out of the hotel, I prayed and cried out in tears. Lord, what do I do? There is no open door to stay, where do I go? I decided to check my PO box one last time before heading back to Tennessee?? I believe you Lord, I want what you want. I don't understand but have faith in your promise. On my way, I remembered they were closed on Saturdays. Oh, but my friend and her husband live a street over. I’ll drop by to say hi, and I guess bye??

When the winds blew, I never left you.

When the waves crashed on top of you, I never left you.

And you never left me.

You stood firm on the rock.

Your house has been built on firm foundation.

When the world rumbles

You won’t fall.

When the enemy shook his fist

You didn’t crash down.

You stood firm on the rock.

The Lord is my firm foundation. Because I am built on him, I am still standing. I have put into practice all he has said. It’s him, not me.

When I got to my friend’s house, she wasn’t expecting me. She opened her door and let me sit. We caught up and then as I headed back to my truck to leave for Tennessee, she said hold on! She took my hand and led me across the street to a tiny home that her neighbors have. Saying, this may be an option for you Kara! Let’s see what they say. At this moment in time I fell into her arms and tears flew down my cheeks. She held warmth, compassion, and love for me. As well as generosity. She wanted to help and that she did.

She and her husband invited me into their home for the night, it was Saturday August 5, 2023. We then went to dinner, and she came up to tell me I could stay with them until Thursday. Praise be the Lord God of Israel. Who alone does marvelous deeds! I accepted the offer and thanked the Lord. I was still in Florida, just as he had promised.

A few days later my friend, jokingly says, you better start believing! I said, I do believe! Her neighbor had called and said that I was welcome to stay in the tiny home for an offer of utilities each month. With that I made an offer of $200.00 a month and my friend and I walked across the street to check out my new, temporary home. Glorious! It was all I needed, and God stayed true to his promise!

The journey to this promise was not easy. I kept moving despite the obstacles. I stayed focused on the Lord. My heart knew where to rest. So, there was no wave, or wind that was going to tear me away from him and his will. And I give that glory to God!

Jesus is Lord. Jesus is our firm foundation.

​...a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24-27