My readers often ask me how I do it – how I manage marriage, motherhood and ministry all at the same time.  The short answer is “I don’t” and the long answer is “He gives me grace”.  Though a book could be written on each aspect of my life and someday, probably will, today I want to start addressing these topics in little bites on my blog.  You’ve heard the expression “How do you eat an elephant” and most of us know that the only way you can do that is “one bite at a time”.  So, that’s how we’re going to start to cover these topics… a little at a time.

I will begin with a little background on where I came from and my thoughts about where I’m going.  I will always be completely open and transparent about everything because I believe that people are looking for other REAL people, not people wearing masks or personas.  The Lord knows we have enough of those kind of people!  When I’ve opened up like this in the past, some have said that it’s just TMI (too much information) and I need not tell every little detail of my life!

But what I hear from my Heavenly Father is that my life is to be an open book because it is my testimony that will help many people to recover from lives that were train wrecks like mine, and to be restored to a place of right standing with God, and then to minister powerfully out of what He has done!  Rick Joyner has said that your anointing is in direct proportion to the degree of your suffering.  My decisions in my life before Jesus caused me much pain by my own rebellion.  But after you become a Christian, your life is supposed to be simple, wonderful and pain-free.  Well, isn’t it?

In my early years of ministry, I worked very hard to overcome rejection and shame.  Even after you are born-again into the family of God, sometimes it’s hard for others to forgive and forget your past.  Oh, they say you are accepted, but some will never view you in any other way than defective.  It’s ok.  You are not limited by what others may think or say.  You are playing to an audience of ONE.  You are free in God to do and say what He says.  Words are powerful.  They have the power to either heal or hinder.  As for me, I will use my words to help others heal (Isaiah 61).

Today, I live to tell of His love, forgiveness, goodness, and restoration.  I live to know Him and to make Him known.  There were those who encouraged me in my testimony, and there were those who preferred I would just come to church, sit quietly and not cause any waves.  Let those who are qualified to minister, minister!  As I said in an earlier blog, God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

A religious spirit will always try to shut you up and sit you down or at the very least, minimize what you have to say.  This is my story, my testimony, and I will tell it to the world in the way God has instructed!  I am trusting that some of you need to hear it and will walk with me through this journey God has called Lori Beth Bakker’s life and testimony.

I will build with every new blog, so be sure to read my blogs regularly.  But if you miss one, they will be archived and readily available so you can go back to pick up prior ones.

God Bless You!