Author: Annalee Reyes

I had the thought of writing a blog in honor of Mother’s Day this week. But this blessed mama has found herself in the midst of the choice to be present in other moments; moments of laying my hands on the backs of my sons to pray for and comfort them while they puke in a bucket…while I wipe up diarrhea and start baths to clean the mess. Moments to simply lay quiet next to each one as they lay still before the next bout (because it was my turn the week before and I know exactly how they feel). Moments to disinfect and wash sheets and clothes contaminated with the viral germs that could so easily lead me into chaos but instead remind me of what love is. Moments to live in the present moment as a mother; the most fulfilling experience of my life.

Continue reading “Mother’s Day: Miracles in the Midst of the Mess”

Good Friday is a Good Father. This is how much your Papa loves you beloved. It was His very will to crush His Son and cause Him to suffer so you could come home to His heart and be healed and blessed (Isaiah 53:10). Daddy God Who was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself to get His kids back, spared nothing to free you from curse and death to release the flood tide of Grace over your life.

And This Son; This Suffering Servant and Innocent Savior said “yes” before the Earth was made. He chose you before you were you. He’d rather die than to be without you. And now that He’s with you, He does not make light of your pain, hurt and hardships. He knows your suffering and empathizes with you in every detail of your dark and anxious moments and in all your brokenness. For it is Christ Himself Who took on your very condition. He did it for you.

Continue reading “Good Friday Is A Good Father”

“Shout and cheer…raise the roof…Your King is coming! A good King who makes all things right, a humble King riding a donkey, a mere colt of a donkey…He will offer peace to the nations, a peaceful rule worldwide, from the four winds to the seven seas.”

‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭9:9-10‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Continue reading “The Passion In Palm Sunday”

Beloved, there’s nothing more significant and more transformational you can do each day than to gloat, yes, boast in God’s love for YOU…Not your love for or your devotion to Him; not how you can be a better person or a better Christian (don’t focus on self or performance but keep your eyes on Jesus who alone is your righteousness), but HIS love FOR YOU.

Continue reading “Put A Magnifying Glass Over Your Life”

It’s the little things. My heart is happy. And this after a very burdensome last couple of weeks. My first ripe tomato!

Sometimes the process for bearing fruit is a hard wait (and weight). We may wonder why it’s taking so long to see what we want to see. But Jesus is doing more than you know in the wait; in your process…in your heart.

Continue reading “Freedom Fruit Found In Furious Love”

“Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the One He has sent.” John‬ ‭6:29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Father sent Jesus to give you the same life as the Source of all Life. He came to be in forever union with you; to share the deepest intimacy with you. Oh Yes. But He also came to put death in its place, so you could be conquered by His Life abundant! He came to put sickness, shame, pain, affliction and lack in its place by bearing them on His body and leaving them in the grave. He came to heal your broken soul; the deep wounds of your heart, your fear, your rejection and your loneliness. He came to free you in His unchanging unconditional love, seating you in the highest place in the resurrected Christ. He came to give you more and better life than you ever dreamed of. He came to take your place so you could take His. Your only work is to believe. Simply trust that He came to give you Life abundant, and that Life abundant is being released to you now. Have a need?…that makes you qualified. His heart is to make you whole. Freely receive.‬‬

Some of you may remember the children’s Bible song, “I Just Wanna Be A Sheep.” I remember it from my daughters’ Vacation Bible School days years ago and still sing it under my breath today. If you’re not familiar with the song’s lyrics, no need to google; this post will hum it’s sweet tune to your heart so you can find rest for your soul.

I remember one time the Lord spoke to me and told me His church was tired. I knew exactly what He meant by “tired” because by that time He had already established my heart in His Rest; a rest that is Jesus Himself. A rest that was given freely to be our way of life because of His finished work on the cross. When I speak of rest, I am referring to the inward peace of the soul; a freedom from stress, anxiety, fear and worry that ultimately brings healing and health to your mind, emotions, physical body and yes, even your circumstances and relationships. In other words, the place of rest is the place of blessing.

Continue reading “I Just Wanna Be A Sheep”

This year was the first year ever (of my adult life) that I put up our Christmas tree before Thanksgiving. I was that excited about starting Christmas and experiencing the sacredness and fun that comes with this season. Now don’t get me wrong, I despise seeing Christmas decorations lining the shelves of Walmart next to the jack-o’-lanterns in early September, but I have found a new freedom in celebrating this gift alongside Thanksgiving because it is all found, experienced and joyed in Him.

One of the first things I did the day after Thanksgiving was tune into our local FM radio station that plays non-stop Christmas music through December 25th. It’s always amusing to hear the old traditional carols (and annoying to hear repeatedly Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas is you”). Which is why shortly thereafter, I was reminded that what my heart truly yearned for could easily be drowned out by Noel noise.

Continue reading “Tis the Season to…BE!”

Did you know the very first game of hide and seek started in a garden? Just like today, the children there hid and were afraid of being seen.  However, they weren’t giggling with excitement waiting to hear, “Ready or not here I come!” No. Something in their hearts had gone wrong. A fear that came from a lie. Yet deep deep down, they were hoping to be found, they were hoping to be sought out; not to be “found out” but to be rescued.

Like Adam and Eve, both believers and non-believers are still hiding from God today and it all comes from that one event in Eden. It was there the greatest lie of all time affected all of humanity. This lie from the pit of hell, caused the first two humans to doubt God’s love for them. And this lie tries to get God’s people to doubt His love for them today. Yet, before Adam and Eve believed it, their loving Father already had a new and safe hiding place prepared.

Continue reading “The Hiding Place”

I am so very grateful for police officers. They lay their lives on the line every day to protect our families and communities. Their job is noble as they rise to prevent and detect crime. But while they labor daily in law enforcement, God does not. Beloved, God is not a behavior police.

Every day, I screw up; I miss the mark. In the midst of living in intimacy with the One who loves me and gave Himself up for me, I still get angry, anxious, annoyed, overwhelmed and worst of all, I still allow myself to feel guilty. I even forget to forgive myself. Yes, there are many days when I feel like I’m a bundle of paradoxes. Yet, it’s there I find myself face to face with Grace Himself.

This is why I can tell you with certainty, God is not analyzing your every mood, feeling and action. He is not critiquing your every thought. He is not a serious, stern lawgiver on the move waiting to catch you doing it wrong or not doing it enough…whatever “it” might be. He is not distant and far-off waiting for you to “arrive” at some spiritual level all awhile judging you at your failed attempts to conjure up some super faith.

Continue reading “Stop…In the Name of Love!”