Sharing the Journey

  Note to the reader, this post is from my book "From The Shepherds Heart - A Devotional"  which can be purchased at  https://www.amazon.com/Shepherds-Heart-Dutchess-Horton/dp/1619044404           One of my favorite passages of scripture comes from Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) where God declares, “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  It is a very encouraging verse.  It’s full of promise and just a touch of mystery.           This verse says God knows the plan He has for us.  However, it does not say God is going to tell us His plan.  We are told the end result only.  The NIV says hope and a future.  The KJV says an expected end.  But neither version tells us how God will get us to that future or expected end.  God doesn’t share any of the details.           So what is one to do?  We trust the hidden plan of God.  More specifically, we trust God.  I must admit that sometimes I hear a promise or

I discovered this post while searching through some old files and felt it was the appropriate time to share. Anyone who is seeking to live for Christ will have some run ins with the accuser. Well sometimes, when he gets busy reminding us of our past, we have to remind him of his future!  Read this letter to satan and maybe write one of your own. Be blessed! --Dutchess There are so many things I have to be thankful for. As I was sitting in my prayer closet with a list of physical needs, the enemy tried to remind me that when God called to me this morning at 5 a.m. I rolled over and went back to sleep. The enemy reminded me that I got a little short tempered with my husband yesterday and that my house STILL isn’t clean and “company ready”. He reminded me that I am always in some sin, be it in word, thought, or deed and that I had a lot of nerve to think I could go to a holy God and ask for anything. But even as the enemy whispered in one ear, the Holy Spirit was whispering in the

For some time now it has been on my heart to share my testimony here but for reasons I dare not try to explain, I waited. Now I’m certain now it’s time. I don’t know who it’s for but I trust you will find these words at just the proper time and it will encourage your soul and strengthen your faith in The Father – no matter how your circumstances work out. I am the mother of two beautiful teenage girls, 19 and 14. I am also the mother of 8 others, sex unknown, who were never held in my arms but went straight to the bosom of Christ. When I had my first miscarriage, I allowed the enemy to make me think the baby’s death was punishment from God because he’d been conceived in sin. (You will notice that I refer to all of my rainbow babies – babies of miscarriage or still birth – as boys.) That’s another story all together but I no longer believe that lie.  Children are a gift from God and conceived in or out of His perfect plan, He loves them and would not allow their demise just becau

May my desire be for you and for you alone May you and you only sit on my heart’s throne May it be your will and not mine that is done May I die to self daily and live for your Son May all that I am be all that you are May your light within me be a bright, shining star You are my savior and I am your girl May my life revolve around you – the center of my world May I never disappoint you or bring to you shame May my life, words, or thoughts never blemish your Name Jesus my redeemer, my keeper, my friend. Give me strength to go with you till you come back again. This is my plea Lord sent humbly your way May you hear me and answer me whenever I pray. Written by Dutchess Horton All rights reserved © Copyright 2016

                Coming home after dropping my husband off at work I turned on the radio. K-Love was playing a beautiful song, “ He Knows My Name ” by Francesca Battistelli. Listening to the words made me smile and then made my eyes tear. I got to thinking about the unfathomable, unexplainable, inescapable love of God and the fact that He knows MY name.                 Not once has He mispronounced it. Never has He called it by mistake or called me the wrong name and came back with “You know who I mean.” He knows my name. When I was in school it was not always a good thing that all the teachers knew my name. While I didn’t get in “trouble” I was a talker and pretty aggravating – so I’ve since been told. So if I did something, it was hard to get away with it because they all knew my name.                 But this thing Francesca was singing about, it was good. Because not only does God know my name, He knows ME. He knows my favorite foods and hobbies. He knows what makes me smile

Today as I continue my journey, my walk with God, I had to take another hard look at my life and get real with myself. I also had to take a real hard look at those in my life who share this journey.  Actually, let me back up a bit. In trying to be more committed to the study of God’s Word, I’m doing a Beth Moore Bible study entitled, “ Jesus The One And Only” with my dear friend Sue. In the portion of lesson we went over today, I was challenged to consider who pours into my cup. Who am I looking to for fulfillment in life? Am I trying to be satisfied by someone other than Christ? Now we all have people who play a part in making us whole and I’m not knocking that, BUT what role do they play? am I / are you giving them a position that can only be filled by Christ? The consideration of that question is why I backed up after beginning in the sharing of this segment of my journey. I didn’t fully comprehend how much I allow others to influence what I did and said until I began this

It has been a long road to where I find myself today. It was dark and winding with many hills and valleys. It was muddy and unpaved and difficult to traverse. There wasn’t much to look at except dark shadows and reflections of myself in the numerous puddles. Light only showed through in small bursts. I was certain I was lost but had traveled too far to turn back. So instead I prayed and even that was difficult because my circumstances did not put one in a mind of prayer. And now I find myself in a wide open space, at a fork in the road. So I pause and reflect. This journey has not been easy and I’m certain that the decisions I make at this new intersection will determine if I return to that dark place or continue in wide open places. Oh I pray I make the right choice. And if I should by chance make a wrong decision, God please turn me around before I go too far. But preferably, I’ll make the right choice the first time. I just have to pray and seek God’s face and trust Him to sh