"I Thought She Was Crazy": An After-Church Compliment

Last Wednesday night after church, on December 11, a man who has been attending our church for a short while had a conversation with my pastor.

"I thought that woman was crazy," he said, matter-of-factly to my pastor. "Now I know she's crazy. Crazy in love with Jesus Christ."

When pastor told me what the man had said, I just smiled.

(I never want to forget it.)

My Dad's Advice

"If you've ever felt a move of God at all, don't forget to ask Him to move again in your life. Seek Him, always, for what He wants you to do."

Tonight, I had the rare opportunity to talk to my Dad alone. So I asked him about where he thought this nation was headed--and what he thought I ought to do.

"I've asked Stephen, 'Do we need to move?' This nation is rapidly changing, alarmingly changing. I'm not sure, if this keeps progressing, we want our children to grow up here. But what do we do? Where would we go?"

Dad looked at me and answered within seconds.

After reminding me that no human entity or organization can be fully trusted--and that God is ever and always our Source of Truth and Wisdom--he started talking about the story in Judges about Gideon.

God used Gideon mightily, "a mighty man of valor," and he did mighty exploits for The Lord. But after Gideon won the battle with the Lords's help and for the Lord's people, there is no record of him having done anything else. He got a piece of land for his efforts, a house, and begin to have many children and heirs.

Yet Gideon never sought God for what was required after that battle.

Later, after the infamous Gideon story, we learn that all of Gideon's family members are destroyed.

Daddy said, "Gideon knew The Lord, trusted The Lord, did great exploits for The Lord. But why did he stop listening and seeking? Why did he stop knocking? And that's exactly why he had no further exploits" (at least that we can tell in the scripture).

And so, Dad finished by saying that we must never get to the point where we no longer ask, seek, knock on the doors to our Heavenly Father. We must seek His face and ask for His advice before we do anything. We must preserve our relationship with him.

Lessons from the Wisest Man I Know

My dad is, by far, the wisest man I know.

Growing up, and through adulthood, my dad and I would talk for hours on any variety of subjects--from philosophy and music to politics and spirituality. He himself is a great lecturer, and every time I get a chance to listen to him or talk to him, I realize that my lecturing skills were honed in our great debates of the first three decades of my life. Dad challenged me to think, to consider views he held with which I did not immediately agree. He made me wait and consider my position on a subject because, if I didn't, he would quickly tear my argument to shreds with his experienced logic.

I learned a lot from my dad back in those days. The older I get, though, the more I realize that he was right about so many things, including his predictions years ago about social programs and political and social trends.

I have long suspected that my Dad missed his calling as a professor or lecturer. Or, for those who know him, a calling to be a philosophical rabbi. He is a teacher. The skills he has demonstrated over the years, the way he explains difficult/philosophical/spiritual subject matter in a way anybody could understand, have been incorporated into the very core fibre of my being. I am the teacher I am because of him.

Since I've been married, though, I haven't had much of an opportunity to talk to him about any of the things we used to talk about. These days, there are always people around us, husband or kids or other family members, and it's hard to get his individual attention. He is a very proud and engaged "Grandpa" who puts our kids FIRST. And that's just how it should be: it's their turn!

If I get a chance to talk to my Dad alone, it is a rare gift, indeed. And because I don't often get this opportunity, I find myself at a loss in determining which topic to address. How do I determine what is MOST important?

Tonight, I had the rare opportunity to sit with him and talk alone. In the five to ten minutes we had, I jumped on the opportunity to ask him about a spiritual matter which had been troubling me of late.

His answer floored me.

I told him he needed a YouTube channel where he talked about important topics of modern relevance. I really wish everyone could hear my Dad speak. He's amazing!

Truly, he is the wisest man I know.

The Song on My Heart Tonight

Tonight, after feeling led to read chapter three of Daniel, I attempted to let all of the meanings and messages in that chapter soak in. (I literally LOVE soaking up the Word of God! I wish I could sit all day and let it saturate every pore of my mind and spirit!)

As I thought about how I really need to invest some future quality devotion time into the further contemplation and dissection of this chapter, a song's chorus began to bubble forth in my consciousness.

Here's the chorus:

"But I know Whom I have believed
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I've committed
Unto Him against that day."

This chapter reminds me that I can totally TRUST GOD. There is NOTHING too big, too demanding, too impossible for my God. He can intervene, save, miraculously and masterfully manipulate the "laws" of our planet if He so desires. Anytime. And anywhere.

If He intervenes, He is still my God.

If He doesn't intervene, He is still my God.

He can and WILL do what is RIGHT.

But if I come out of this breathing, alive, I will come out PRAISING HIM because HE DID IT. He enabled me to walk out of the fire unscathed. The "heat" turned up in this world, in this hectic political/social environment in which we frustratingly find ourselves enmeshed is nothing MY GOD can't handle. And not just that, no. It's inconsequential.

I TRUST YOU, LORD. FOR EVERYTHING AND IN EVERYTHING.

Amen.

Life-Changing Saturday: The Credentialing Ceremony

Tomorrow is the big day.

After two years of study and testing, Stephen and I will be receiving our Licenses through the Assemblies of God.

Tomorrow is a spiritually monumental day for us.

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Project Gideon 2014: We ARE Going!

Yesterday in the office, I sat at my desk to compose my letter to the Project Gideon coordinator which detailed why we would be unable to attend the PG conference in February.

"I'm so sorry to have to write this..." I began, thinking about how I was going to admit in writing our lack of finances to attend this year's conference.

The words spilled out onto the screen.

"With all that is going on right now in our lives, we simply cannot budget this trip."

This summer, we took the missions trip of a lifetime to Florence, Italy, for 25 days. While it was AMAZING, and we had an amazing time and would go back in a heartbeat if God allowed, it really drained our resources. We are still recovering from that trip, financially. It takes time to have "extra" funds available again.

As I wrote the letter, I didn't want them to think that we were blowing off the conference, that it meant so little to us. I felt this urgency to express to them how much this conference had meant to Stephen and to myself.

"This conference has changed our lives," I said at one point. "Bishop Jakes has been a source of great inspiration to us." At another time, I referred to him as our "spiritual mentor" and "father figure."

And he is. He has been all of those things to us. Over two years ago, God directed me to that conference supernaturally. (Please read my first entry of this blog for more information.) We were DESTINED to attend that conference. Both years we have been, we have been encouraged, challenged, uplifted in Bishop's conference session.

Money could never BUY what we have experienced at that conference. It's a profoundly impacting, life-altering experience and opportunity.

"We are being Licensed as Assemblies of God ministers this Saturday, and I'm not sure we would have ever finished that labor and money intensive goal without having had the opportunity to be mentored at this conference for the past two years."

We don't have the money. We really don't.

We are getting licensed this weekend, and I would really like to have a new suit to wear. I'd really like to stay at a hotel with my family the night before. But it'll be okay. I know it will. I am trusting God for the gas and food money that will be required for the trip. I know He will provide.

But as I sat there, thinking that this coming weekend would be far easier if I didn't pay our tuition to the PG conference, that we could go in style and stay the night and wake up fresh the next morning and not have to worry about getting up and into the car and out of town in time to get there, tears started spilling out of my eyes and down my face.

"How can this be right," I asked myself. "How can this be the right thing to do if I'm sitting here crying, like I've lost something important to me?"

No. We had to go.

So I sent the PG coordinator the information she needed to keep our reservations.

Because some things in life are too important. They are VITAL for our survival. And we must trust GOD to provide.

He is the one who opened that miraculous door two years ago. There is no way we could have gotten in otherwise.

God put us in the company of great people for a reason.

I know that I know that I know that we are supposed to be there.

Project Gideon 2014: WE ARE GOING!!!!

Meeting a Boy: Destiny or DESTINY?

Meeting a Boy:

Last night, my niece Serai starred as Annie Oakley in a Ft. Smith production of "Annie Get Your Gun." During intermission, something happened that makes me wonder it was "the norm" for me, or something more.

A little boy behind us, a few seats down, looked directly at me and introduced himself. I told him hello. He never stopped talking, and rarely stopped looking directly at me, opening up and talking about whatever was on his mind.

His family members behind me--whom I would discover were his grandparents--kindly assured me that he "never meets a stranger."

But the little boy wasn't talking to anyone else. There were four of us in a row: Me, Psalm, Desi, and Heather, and I was the farthest from him. Psalm usually gets all of the attention with kids when they see her and she them. But not this time. When I introduced ourselves, including Psalm, he asked me her name twice so he could tell his mother Psalm's name. But he kept looking at me.

He had an honest, open face. He was aware, alert, smiling, talkative and friendly. In some ways, he reminded me of my Aunt Sue's grandchildren, Levi and his brother.

The little boy introduced me to his entire family--they nearly took up every seat on the back row and had come to see the boy's cousin in the show--and the entire family was warm, kind, obviously Christians. I spoke easily with all of them.

The people sitting directly behind me were the boy's grandparents, and when the boy was taken to the restroom, I didn't notice so much that he was limping--I thought, like many kids, he was just clumsily, excitedly trying to navigate in between relatives legs and the seats in front of him.

But when they were gone, his grandmother told me that the little boy has a deteriorating hip/leg bone which made it very difficult for him to walk and move. They've been taking him to Little Rock to the Children's Hospital there. He will have to have a total hip replacement surgery.

They were quite open about this, and I spoke with them candidly about this, their retirement from 16 years in the chicken business, and their Sunday, after church, luncheons together. They were great, sweet, honest, hard-working people who were clearly Christians.

When the boy came back, he spoke with me again--just me. I told him he's so good at meeting people that he should be a politician, "a good one!" I noted.

His mom told me that they thought he would be a politician or a pastor.

I wouldn't be surprised.

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Destiny or DESTINY?

These days, I don't believe that anything happens by accident.

As I watched this boy communicate, and realized he was speaking directly to me and no one else, and my interaction with him was not awkward but, rather, flowed naturally and good-naturedly, I ascertained quickly that this was a divine appointment. Things like this don't "just happen."

I try to drop everything and pay attention to the moment when "unusual" things like this transpire before my eyes. I feel like I'm either supposed to be there for someone else--waiting for that opportune moment to pray for someone or advise them or speak love or hope or truth into their situation--or I feel like God is going to speak to me directly about something. Or both.

For the first few minutes, I listened to the boy. I couldn't help thinking, "Did he just need someone to talk to? But why me? Why me?" What a fine boy. He looked healthy, seemed good-natured, happy. As he talked, I saw his family, looked at him, then them, one by one, trying to let them know that I was a friendly face. Again, "Psalm is right next to me; why isn't he speaking to her? Why me? God, what is my purpose here? To listen? To validate his voice? To encourage him?"

I KNEW, though, that I was living in a moment of DESTINY when his grandparents spoke these words "Little Rock Children's Hospital." At that phrase, I realized all at once that THIS was connected to THAT other experience of mine. The one in Dallas.

On a family vacation last year in Dallas, I was sitting in a waiting area, totally minding my own business, when a little boy came over to me, closer and closer and closer, talking to me. I had been taken aback by the entire situation--the child left his family and came closer, closer, nearly sitting in my lap. He just talked to me, like I was Santa or something. Like he was drawn to me. I had just talked to him, like I'd known him forever. It had been awkward because, then, I felt like something was happening that I didn't quite understand. And, after the child left me there in Dallas, Stephen told me that his mother had finally called him over to give him cancer treatments. I hadn't even seen that, honestly. I had no idea.

I blogged about it, too. Knowing that that moment in Dallas was SOMETHING, some part of destiny.

But now? Well, now I'm wondering if it has more to do with DESTINY, my DESTINY.

The little boy in Dallas? A year and a half ago. Then the Ft. Smith boy. I do not think this to be coincidence.

I feel like I have just received two major puzzle pieces to my life destiny.

Ultimately, I turn to the Word of God as my finishing thought for this second experience: Luke 2:19: "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."

And that's exactly what I will do. Prayerfully ponder these things.

Amen.

John MacArthur: Pharisaical Hatred Spewing

I am grieved to even have to write this entry--and on my Project Gideon blog, nonetheless. But what has happened this week, at a so-called spiritual conference called "Strange Fire," and what has been methodically coordinated, is nothing short of the beginning of a widespread, destructive move of the enemy to attack the growing Charismatic/Pentecostal Movements globally.

In my spirit, I feel that this conference and this speech made by a well-known and -respected man who has a global ministry, books, and radio shows on NFR is an End Time attack of the enemy on the Global Church.

The Real Church of Jesus has made great strides in tearing down walls, uniting, connecting, breaking the centuries of barriers that have stood between us--with the express purpose of reaching out to others, bringing God's Hope to the world's populace.

This man's conference and speech was heard by 4,000 in attendance at the conference and countless others on the internet. This one speech, and every speaker who spoke after at this conference designed to undermine the efforts of the global Church of Jesus Christ--if not outright destroy the movements--has the potential of empowering the enemy.

The kind of speech used by this man was violent in nature. The words he used is, historically speaking, a first step in an effort to annihilate people for their beliefs. One step further, and your stringing up, shooting, imprisoning the "heretics." (He, in fact, uses these terms in his speech at the conference.)

I think back to Saul and the other Pharisees, the leaders of the Church when Jesus came, died, rose again. Those who were infuriated that their church wasn't popular, embraced. That people--everyday people--were embracing the Move of God that happened on Pentecost, and miracles and signs and wonders followed those who believed. "How dare they believe God would do something new? How dare they believe that the Church Jesus started would be allowed to GROW, to SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ and His saving power?"

Isn't that what's happening here?

It makes me wonder, then, if we are at the last and greatest time of the Church before something else happens: the Coming of Christ to get us.

In my frustration with the man's toxic ideology, in my struggle to understand how anyone who knows the Hope of Christ, His Love and Peace, could undermine fellow believers in such a way and still claim to know The Lord--I pause to remember what happened to the man named Saul. He was a man hell-bent on stopping the Church of Jesus Christ. But God stopped him.

In Acts 9, we read about his journey to "snuff out" the ever-increasingly popular Jesus Movement--filled with all sorts of Charismatics and Pentecostals. And God arrested him. Stopped him in his tracks. Fed him humble pie. And then used him to set the world on fire for Jesus Christ.

Do it again, Lord, with this man, John MacArthur. Please, do it again.

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Prayer for John MacArthur and every person he has damaged because of his toxic doctrine. Lord, help him--and, indeed, ALL OF US--to "know you and the Power of your Resurrection." Help him--and all of us--not to be a Modern-Day Pharisee. DEMONSTRATE your love to him, Lord. Arrest him, Lord, and show Him who you are. Whatever demons he is wrestling with--whatever this motivation stems from (Mother issues? Father issues? Grandparents? Wife or Wife's Family?), Lord, please SHOW HIM Who You are.

Morning Devotion: Called Out

“Joshua, be strong and brave! You must lead these people so they can take the land that I promised their fathers I would give them. Be strong and brave. Be sure to obey all the teachings my servant Moses gave you. If you follow them exactly, you will be successful in everything you do. Always remember what is written in the Book of the Teachings. Study it day and night to be sure to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything. Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9 NCV)

"Joshua, be strong and brave!"

God knows us by name. He knows who we are, our hearts, our willingness to obey--even if we think we are lacking. When The Lord tells Joshua to "be strong and brave," it's no doubt because these are the areas he feels lacking in. (The Lord would have said something else if that were not the case.) Joshua struggles with self-doubt: he doesn't see himself as being a strong warrior--physically or spiritually. He doubts his own strength. And yet that's exactly where God wants Joshua. So Joshua will rely solely on the Lord's strength--because that's what it's going to take to accomplish the Plan. Joshua also struggles--or will, and God sees this and needs him to "get this" from the commissioning--with courage. Again, the things that Joshua has been Called Out to do will take a supernatural COURAGE to accomplish.

Today, too, God knows us personally, individually. He knows our NAME, He knows our area of struggle, of lack, of fear. He knows, too, what we are capable of with His help. (And the Bible says, in multiple places, that that is ANYTHING.) Today, too, these words resonate with those of us He Calls Out. "Be strong. Be brave." We have His strength in us when we walk after Him, when we follow His lead, when we allow Him to be GOD in our lives. And He gives us the COURAGE it takes to meet any foe--forces of darkness, ginormous mountains. He walks with us. He goes with us, before us. There's nothing to fear.

"You must lead these people so they can take the land that I promised their fathers I would give them."

We are Called Out to do a job--not because we are uber-wonderful--but because God is faithful to His plan. We are part of a Great Chain of God's Children. We are not the first generation. We are not the LEADERS of this family of God. We are a part of His Plan, we are generations in the making. He will use us to fulfill promises He has made to His children; He will use us to answer prayers and visions of those in former generations. We are PART OF THIS--it's much BIGGER than we are.

Those who are Called Out to lead a Movement of God TODAY will have to rely on The Lord. And they will have to be motivating enough and passionate enough to rally others to follow. Leaders are responsible for conveying the passion of the Vision to the faithful followers. Every single church, ideally, is a part of the Body of Christ waiting to be activated to Some Specific Part of God's Plan.

We have LAND to take. Have we really talked about this enough? Land? That's about POSSESSION, taking what the enemy has or has stolen. It means there are AREAS that God wants us to go into, to be brave and strong and TAKE with His Help. There is TERRITORY to be gotten. It's waiting for us to be ACTIVATED. It's waiting for the Leadership to Trust God for the Vision He has given them and to go forward. This is His Plan--not ours. And it has been part of His Plan for generations.

We are called out today--as both individuals and groups--to lead, to work together, to fulfill the Plan of God. This Plan has been envisioned by many before. What are Visions--through all generations, even our own!--but glimpses of His Precious Plan?

We are Called Out to fulfill the Plan of God for this generation. We must hear Him, trust Him, obey Him, and MOVE...

"Sudden, Widespread Increase"

"You need to get ready. Where you are is not permanent. I have explosive blessings coming your way. I will increase you beyond your salary. I will bless you beyond your normal income. I will suddenly change things in your life." --Joel Osteen, I Declare

"sudden, widespread increase" --Joel Osteen, I Declare

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I am sitting here in awe as I read this. Yesterday afternoon, while I was getting my hair cut and colored for the first time in months, my sister-in-law posted about Dillard's having a 50% off sale of clearance.

This immediately got my attention because, a few weeks ago, I was given a $150 gift card from someone at church to help me with my wardrobe. I nearly cried: only God knew that I had been praying about just that thing.

Since I have been married--and, especially since I had a baby--I haven't been able to shop or dress like I used to. I had, before the baby, probably 150 pairs of shoes--NICE SHOES. But when I had Psalm, my foot grew an extra half size, preventing me from wearing any of the shoes I had been blessed with prior. Most of the shoes I gave to my sister, Amanda. Some I sold in the yard sale we had a few years ago. But I have been unable to afford to replace the number and quality of shoes I had before. And I have been longing to get a new wardrobe. I want to look nice again. Even if I am larger than I used to be. I long to take pride in the way I look.

God knew that, and he placed it on that lady's heart to give me $100 and and $150 gift card to Dillard's. I don't have the money to spend on me. I usually buy for Psalm whenever I go somewhere.

That first weekend, I spent the $100 at Penney's, using exactly $97 for three shirts, two skirts, and one pair of slacks.

But when I went to Dillard's a couple of weeks ago, I looked everywhere and did not find anything I had to have. I tried a couple of things on, but something about them wasn't "just right." I haven't had a lot of luck shopping at Dillard's before--not clothes shopping. So I left, wondering why God had led that woman to get me a Dillard's card, instead of Penney's, for instance, where they have business clothes my size.

Until I got that post from my sister-in-law.

When I had seen the clearance racks a couple of weeks ago, they were marked down significantly (up to 50 or 60 percent) but that wasn't enough for me. Clearance shoes for $50? I didn't even spend time looking. This girl couldn't afford that!

But yesterday, after reading Rachel's post, I decided to take the risk, wondering if God had set this up, and driving to Dillard's.

When I got there, there were still TONS of shoes my size--shoes that I can wear now, in my 40s, and to/for special occasions. They had marked everything 50% off the already discounted price. So...I started searching. And before I knew it, I had a huge pile of shoes to go through. I sat on the floor and tried the shoes on, one by one. A handful didn't work for one reason or another: but SEVERAL did.

I bought, I think, 11 or 12 pairs of shoes.

Then, my sister-in-law texted me to tell me to check specific tables, hidden from most people's views. So I went back in.

I bought four more pairs of shoes. The average cost of the shoes I bought? $13.

I BOUGHT 16 PAIRS OF SHOES. Yes, SIXTEEN.

In one stop yesterday, I was able to replenish 1/10th, approximately, of what I'd had before. And I knew what this was all about.

GOD DID THIS.

God is responsible for this "sudden, widespread increase." In one afternoon, I saw the PROMISE of what was lost to me being found again.

On the way home last night, I shouted for joy in my car, playing my tambourine in the car, praising to Pandora worship songs on the radio.

I BLESSED THE LORD, O MY SOUL, WITH ALL I HAD WITHIN ME. BLESS HIS HOLY NAME!!!

Amen and Amen.

Tuesday's Random Connection

Minding my own business, I walked into the meeting place at work and found a seat in the least crowded corner of the room. I sat next to someone I really like but RARELY see or talk to.

I said hello--I genuinely like and appreciate this woman--and made small talk.

Then she said, "I had a dream about you."

I thought, "Oh, woah. Here we go...?" I thought, in split second, about the time a girlfriend from Tahlequah emailed me about a dream she had about my going to Mexico on a missions trip. I hadn't seen her in several years at that point.

"You did," I managed. "Was it good or bad...?"

"It was good," she said. "I dreamed you were having a baby. A little boy."

"Really..." I said. "How long ago did you have the dream?"

"Oh, a couple of weeks ago."

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This is not the first time I've heard this. SEVERAL people have told me the same thing, starting, I think, with my friend, Dana. I believe that was at least a couple of years ago. She saw me in a prophetic vision/dream; I was holding the hand of a child in shadow.

Others have told me the same exact thing.

Of course, I--and others close to me--have speculated as to what that means. Will I have another child physically? Adopt? Or is this child symbolic? One of my closest spiritual mentors thinks it has to do with a ministry that is coming. That I must get prepared.

In the past months, I have wondered whether it has anything to do with my calling to children, to the next generation. I have wondered if there's a project, something coming. Am I going to be a child advocate? That term, "child advocate" has come up in my spirit on occasion, as well.

And I feel that. More than ever. SOMEthing is coming. I have no idea what it is. But I suspect it. It's coming.

God, please help me to be READY for it. And to be so in step with you, and aligned for it, that I RECOGNIZE it and RECEIVE/ACCEPT it immediately.

Prophetic Words at Section 2 Campmeeting 2013

I nearly didn't get the opportunity to attend Campmeeting tonight. Sis has been ill, and I stayed home last night with her. Stephen helped get the grill going in the snack shack each night, and so I happily stayed with my needy daughter.

But tonight he said he was going to come home after getting the grill up and running, and so I dressed and was nearly ready when he got back. Sissy REALLY didn't want me to go, but I'm so glad I slipped out while Stephen distracted her.

(Note: I couldn't have gone without the support and assistance from my husband.)

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When I drove up and got out of the car, I could hear the praise and worship and I KNEW I was supposed to be there. I could feel The Lord drawing me, assuring me that I was right where I needed to be.
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A message in tongues went out and the interpretation was something like: "Look up...I will not forget thee in temptation...I will give you joy and peace." Something about "He is our Lord, provider, tender Father."
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Pastor Keith talked about Acts 28, how the book doesn't end. That we are filling in the book as we live out the faith. Chapter 29 is to be lived out through us. We need more of God, less of everything else.
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Evangelist Mike Leichner said, "This is a season of 'God-Women.' God is calling and anointing Deborahs to step up in the last days."
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Notes that hit me in the core of me, from the evangelist's sermon:
* God prepares us like a wine skin, to hold all of The Lord we can get.
* Message from 2 Kings 13:20-21: The Power of Elisha's dead bones
* Two generations touching: we need to touch the coming generation
* Abraham dug the well and built and altar.
Isaac dug wells and inherited the altar.
Jacob drank from the well and took the altar for granted.
This is the generation (Jacob) we are in.
* We are drinking from the wells we never dug ourselves. Thank God they dug them deep.
* We are enjoying what others have laid down their lives for.
* We need the anointing of old bones and poured new anointing on us for this generation.
* We need an impartation from the past.
* "Touch them old bones."
* Revival comes when 2 generations connect together
* Joel 2:23, 28: Former and latter Rain; In the Last Days
* We need that kind of faith again.
* We need the anointing of our grandfathers on our lives.
* Requires change to bring two generations together.
* There is anointing when you obey God
* Get in, get invested, or get run over
* The new generation came alive--double portion.
* Come align yourselves with the power of the past.
* Circumstances cannot bury a prophetic promise in your life. What God has put in you, it WILL come to pass. Even after the grave.
* Question: What has died in you? What needs to come to life?
* Touch the old bones of the past.
* Do you realize the greatness that is right there for you to touch.
* Claim all of the inheritance that's in their life. Say, "I receive every bit of anointing on him/her. I'm reaching back right now--God, I receive every good thing they put in me."
* Passion for the anointing.
* How? Prayer, Fasting, Holy Living, Touch of God.
* We must invest in our youth and children.
* It's not about me or you. It's about loving God and Building the Kingdom.
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He said, "I don't know why I'm saying this, it's not part of my sermon, but don't let your dreams die. In ministry. Or the dream of buying your own home." He said we have to love God and seek Him and Obey him first; then, all those things will be added.
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Rozzie spoke over me. "You remind me of Deborah and of Esther. You have the power of a prophet. And you don't feel like you fit in anywhere, but you're going to look up and be in the palace, a kingdom influencer." (As I recall, to the best of my ability.)
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I feel like tonight is a mile-marker moment. I feel like something happened tonight within me. I wasn't prepared for it all. But from the beginning, and through the altar call, I felt him speaking to me, leaning on me. There's something coming. And I've got to be ready.

I've got to be ready.

God's Decree

“If anyone attacks you, don’t for a moment suppose that I sent them, And if any should attack, nothing will come of it. ... no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what God ’s servants can expect. I’ll see to it that everything works out for the best.” God ’s Decree. (from Isaiah 54 MSG)

Sister Arlene Logan brought this passage to my attention just a week or so after Stephen and I got news of a legal issue in our lives.

It's amazing to me, because Stephen has experienced nothing but an outpouring of blessings and favor ever since he got notice of the issue.

I told him, "God's doing this. Look what He's doing." Every time we turn around, since we received notice of this legal situation, Stephen and I are being supernaturally and "unusually" blessed. Stephen got a new truck--nearly given to him. He got a bag of named brand clothing in his perfect style and size. He has received three tickets to OU games (we haven't been able to afford going in a few years now), one of which he found out today is to the Notre Dame game--IN NOTRE DAME!!! We have been abundantly blessed since the legal attack.

It's not by accident.

I told Stephen, LOOK, Stephen, God knows. You are innocent. He is taking care of you, blessing your socks off, just to prove you are in His will and that He has you in the palm of His hand.

"He's got this."

And He does. And I'm recording this here so we will never forget what He has done!

Oprah Quote

"Every morning when I wake up, before I even open my eyes, I say 'Thank you.'"
--Oprah, LifeClass


I heard Oprah say this on one of her LifeClass episodes and I can't get it out of my mind. It reminded me of Benny Hinn's book, "Good Morning, Holy Spirit," where he talks about getting up in the morning and greeting The Lord.

What a way to start the day! So hopeful! So including of our Saviour and God, whose ultimate desire is that we "Come and Dine" with Him.

Ever since I've heard Oprah say this, I have thought about it every morning and have greeted The Lord.

(I so enjoy intimate communion with The Lord. There is NOTHING like it!)

LIFECLASS

Something Incredible has Happened.

I'm not kidding.

And I know, when I tell you what has happened, there may be those of you who say, "Uh...so...seriously, Shirley...that's IT?"

And I would just have to say, "Yeah. That's IT."

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There are moments in your life where you feel you are divinely in place--right where you need to be--and in those moments, you just want to sit still and DRINK IT ALL IN, because you know from experience that these times do not come often enough.

My life-changing moment happened in front of the television.

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It all happened this weekend when I stumbled onto Oprah's LifeClass, a show that airs on Sundays on her OWN network.

This past Sunday, I noticed that there were several Lifeclasses in the lineup--and they were all of people, Men of God, whom I greatly admire.

Two episodes that I recorded were of Oprah and Joel Osteen. Another two were of Oprah and T.D. Jakes.

I can honestly say that these recordings have MAJORLY IMPACTED MY LIFE!!!

I gleaned so much from viewing all four of the recordings--and I am already looking forward to going back and watching them again, this time taking more NOTES!

My mind is STILL processing the things that I have heard--and I find myself praying to The Lord about all that I am trying to process. They talked about LIFE-CHANGING concepts, ideas--and living life to the fullest.

Much of what they said had to do with our thought life. They spoke of how our words are powerful and have life. They talked about our potential and what God has created us to be.

I knew, almost in an instant, that I was getting for FREE information that people all over the planet only WISHED they could get, and that people all over the nations pay big bucks to hear from the mouths of these Men of God.

Some of the things they were discussing really made me think about what kinds of thoughts were holding me back. One thing I think I fight against--especially, it seems, during this decade of my life--is whether or not I am "done." As in, Achieving.

In addition to what I have dubbed "The Great Slowing Down"--a time in my life where I really feel the effects of my slowing metabolism, that affecting all areas of my life--I find myself wondering if I am delusional in thinking that there is Something More for me. Something yet to Accomplish and Achieve.

I have encountered many delusional people in my lifetime--and I'd like to think that I would never make that mistake myself. And I suppose, one of my greatest fears is that I think that there is Something More, but there isn't. I have found myself wondering lately whether or not I have somehow reached my potential, that I should be grateful to have accomplished all that I have accomplished already.

But then there's something inside of me that tells me there is More Yet. There is More in me than what has been.

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I feel like these LifeClasses have been divinely ordered of God to encourage me to KEEP DREAMING of the possibilities, to keep DECLARING GOD'S BLESSINGS AND PURPOSE in my life! I don't have to stop dreaming! I need to keep dreaming--and declaring daily that I will fulfill my destiny on this planet! I AM READY AND WILLING!

From here on out, I plan on declaring promises over my life every morning.

God has a PLAN for my life (and yours!) and it is GOOD!!! This is the message I keep hearing in my spirit, and often I have spoken it over believers; this time, though, I am declaring it to ME!!!

Amen! Let it be, Lord, according to your Word!!!

The Power of A Thought

What you say can mean life or death. Those who speak with care will be rewarded. (Proverbs 18:21 NCV)

Our words are weighty.

We must be careful with every single word that comes out of our mouths--which means that we must be mindful that every single word we utter has power.

The Lord is mindful of what we say.

It would behoove us to use caution when speaking, when commenting about the lives of others, and of those we love. And this includes ourselves.

Our words are not just words.

"Speak Life": I want to speak life into my own life and the lives of others. And to do this, I must then be careful what I say. I need to speak positivity into every situation, even when I don't necessarily see it or feel it.

If what we say can mean life or death, then certainly what we think and what we meditate on influences everything we "speak" into existence.

We must guard our thoughts.

Although not a novel idea, for sure, this is an important reminder for me as I begin my work week this morning--I must be careful not to give my thoughts voice if they do not build up.

This reminds me of the oft-quoted, oft-trivialized (due to its repetition), verses in Philippians which tell us to "think on these things"...Because what we meditate or "think on" is what we will speak, what we will generate by our Spoken Word.

How powerful the Spoken Word.

How exponentially more powerful the thought that preceded it.

Quote by Ruth Graham

“If God doesn’t punish America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.” –Ruth Graham


----------Posted by Mark Driscoll on Twitter, July 25, 2013----------


No one wants to say it out loud.

Let alone think it. At least for very long.

Because if we let this possible truth into our hearts, then what?

What does it mean for us? The nation? The generations?

It's a lot easy to dismiss it, shake it from us, tear out the roots. I don't want to think for long on what it suggests if it is Truthful.

God help us.

God, help us.

Please.

[Please!]

Next: A Quote by Pastor Keion Henderson

"Just because you're not known doesn't mean you're not next." --Pastor Keion Henderson

This morning on Twitter, I found a quote attributed to Pastor Keion Henderson by, I'm presuming, one of his congregants. The message and meaning of it hit me squarely in my spirit--in a place where I've only dared to think about certain things and ask questions to The Lord.

And, the more I ponder it, the more I know that the sermon my own Pastor, Keith Williams, preached the day we left for our missions trip to Italy, was a life-changing one.

He talked about TRUSTING GOD, really trusting Him, in all areas of our lives. And if we trust Him, then we know that at any given moment in time, no matter what it looks like to us, that He is totally in control, as in control as ever. And He loves us. And He knows the what's and why's and when's. And He knows what's BEST. So we must entrust EVERYTHING to Him.

He knows what's coming. He knows what's best.

And I rest in that.

Journey: Uffizi Gallery

This morning, we got into the Uffizi Gallery line at 7:45 a.m., hoping that we would be able to get in when the museum opened. Once again, the favor of The Lord was with us, and we entered immediately.

For this museum, knowing there would be MANY works we would want to know more about, we purchased headsets so we could hear information about many of the significant works housed there.

The museum was INCREDIBLE. The museum itself--its walls and ceilings, floors and doors--was astoundingly beautiful. The artwork: INCREDIBLE.

We saw works by Michelangelo, Vermeer, Titian, daVinci, Raphael, Boticelli, and so many more! We saw PRIMAVERA, THE BIRTH OF VENUS, MADONNA WITH THE LONG NECK. Almost every room we entered, we were greeted by phenomenal art pieces by some of the greatest artists of all time.

Once again, I felt utterly amazed and overwhelmed by what God had allowed for me to witness.

I wish everyone could KNOW what is in my heart to say:

"OUR GOD IS AWESOME. HE REALLY IS. HE CAN DO ANYTHING. MOVE MOUNTAINS, TAKE YOU ANYWHERE, OPEN DOORS THAT SEEM HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE. HE LOVES TO SHOW HIMSELF TO US, LOVE ON US, SHOW US HOW VAST HIS STRENGTH AND SIGHT."

Prayer: "I love you, Almighty God. You amaze me more and more every day. Thank you for everything, and every blessing. Thank you for your love. Your deep reaching love to us. I am in awe of you...."

Journey: Incredible Thursday at The Accademia & Personal/Spiritual Reflection

Thursday: Today, we woke up early and got dressed to go stand in line at the museum which holds Michelangelo's DAVID. We didn't have reservations, which everyone told us was a big No-no because the "No Reservation" line takes much longer to get moving. But I'd looked up the opening time on the internet, and decided we should try to get in line before it opened and take our chances.

(And since, in my life, I do not believe in CHANCE, but DESTINY and DIVINE APPOINTMENT, I said a prayer for favor as we began to walk that way.)

We got there and were 12th in line. But when the doors opened at 8:15, we stood there for 20 minutes, with no movement. I told Stephen, "Let's wait 30 minutes, okay?" And he agreed.

Not five minutes later, though, we were being ushered into the museum.

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When we turned the corner of the first room and started into the long corridor in the next, my eyes were immediately drawn to it: Michelangelo's DAVID.

It is more than what you expect--much larger, more impressive than what any of the greatest photographs can portray. I was utterly in awe. And, on the path to this incredible statue, were other, unfinished, works by this amazing sculptor.

They were unfinished, but you could see the figures emerging from the marble. I remember reading that Michelangelo believed that when he got a slab of marble, there was a figure within it. It was his job to unearth it, to free it. That's EXACTLY the feeling I got from all of these unfinished figures. To add to this, the statues were a series of "Slaves." I thought it interesting that these figures actually looked more like slaves, imprisoned in the marble.

I wondered at it. I thought it looked "finished" to me. Very powerful "unfinished" work.

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We spent nearly two full hours walking around the Accademia, looking at paintings, sculptures, instruments from CENTURIES ago. It was incredible, absolutely incredible.

I suppose one of the greatest moments of all was when I was sitting on one of the benches surrounding the statue of DAVID. I was nearly overcome by the BLESSING of it all. God Almighty had brought me here.

Say what you will. But He most certainly did.

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Before I met Stephen, I had made arrangements to go on a tour of Rome, Florence, and Spain. I was making monthly payments to go and had deposited nearly $2,000 into the tour account when he asked me to marry him.

Going to Italy had been a dream of mine, but meeting Stephen and getting married was a dream-come-true as well. So, I cancelled my trip and used the money for my wedding.

I didn't know if I would ever get the opportunity to go again.

Recently, a friend of mine, Shalom Staats, reminded me of what I'd said to her when I cancelled my tour plans to get married. (She was going on the same tour.) She said that I'd told her that if God wanted me to go to Italy, He would make a way for my family to go.

I don't remember that, but she reminded me when she got news of this missions trip.

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I remember, several months ago in Community--our midweek service at Poteau First Assembly of God, a moment where I was talking about how God changes us, over time, so thoroughly.

I mentioned how much I loved to travel--that it has always been a great passion of mine--and how, when I was younger, I hung maps of the world all around my room and stood, staring, at country and city names for HOURS, thinking about the people there, imagining what they were doing there, wondering at how large this world is.

In college, I recall wondering if I'd ever be able to go and travel, see anything, knowing how expensive things are--and how meager the teacher's salary.

Two things about this:

One, my dad always told me that it's not about what kind of salary you make, it's about how you spend your salary, and your indebtedness. That I must be careful, as a teacher, not to get into too much debt, so I could afford to do the things I wanted to do.

Two, The Lord taught me in college not to set boundaries. I remember sitting on my couch in my one bedroom apartment in Tahlequah, thinking about an article I was staring at in NEWSWEEK. It featured two Broadway plays being produced and opening on Broadway that summer. I remember saying to myself, "I wish I could go see that play." And I said it in a way that suggested that I believed it would never be possible. That was when I heard a distinct voice say, "Why can't you go?" And the voice was within, not without. (No one lived with me in that apartment. I was completely by myself.) That moment was a moment that changed many things in my life--if not absolutely everything. Though, at the time, I didn't realize that voice was the voice of The Lord, it wasn't very many years later that I realized it had most definitely been Him.

And back to that night in Community:

I was talking about Michelangelo's piece and some other artwork from Italy. I remember saying to everyone how--as much as I wanted to go, I wasn't living my life for ME anymore. I was living my life for Him. I had to go wherever He needed me to go--which meant I may never see the artwork I wanted so badly to see.

I said, "Maybe there's a REASON He doesn't want me there, doesn't want me to see it." At this point, I started crying. And I said, "But I know our Lord. I know that it is His desire to give us the desires of our hearts, like presents. And it is possible that He might BLESS me with this one day."

And here we are.

With no plotting or planning on my part, He has brought us here, to the experience of a lifetime in Florence, Italy. Here we will get to see EVERYTHING, and here we will be able to contribute and share in what is He is doing here in Florence, Italy.

I'm so glad I trusted Him.

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Prayer: "Lord, I am utterly AMAZED by You. You are truly our AMAZING GOD. Thank you for your love, your patience. Thank you for taking our hands and gently guiding and leading us. I give you EVERYTHING, all of me, Lord. Use me as you see fit. I trust you."

Journey: My Rough First Night

The first day in Florence was a challenge, arriving, settling in, unpacking, seeking food. The late afternoon walk to the Duomo was nice. The evening dinner and other events were quite a difficulty--for the temperatures and fatigue combined in such a way that I began suffering from a migraine...Which escalated to a full-out "sick migraine" over night.

To say it was "rough" is a vast understatement. I woke up hot and sick, every movement making me wonder if everything I had eaten that day was going to revisit in the most horrific of ways.

And that's exactly what happened.

Three times that night, I found myself sick to death on the floor of our beautiful apartment bathroom. I could barely move, barely think.

In addition to the physical nightmare I was going through, my mental and spiritual faculties were being assaulted, as well. The walls seemed to be closing in on me. I felt a great isolation, emptiness attack my mind. A deep cistern of doubt haunted my senses. I felt like I had felt for weeks after childbirth--the unforgiving, unrelenting pangs of what only can be considered a mental darkness, a cloud of depression.

As I suffered, my mind went wild with thoughts, "What was I thinking? Why did we come here?" My daughter woke up crying in the midst of all of this, missing her sisters, begging for us to go home. "Momma, I want to go home. I miss my home. I don't want to stay here forever!"

As I tried to console her, playing her favorite game, "Who Am I? (Animal Edition)," I prayed, "Lord, should we go home? Should I call Delta?" And when she finally quieted, "Lord, have I missed You? Have I been selfish?"

I found myself longing desperately for my home, my hometown, my family, my church people, my friends. Longing in a desperate way, like "for the sake of my life."

It was one of the longest nights of my life. And one of the darkest.

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It was the day before that helped me to endure it. I thought of all the Blessings of God, the Favor of God, on our trip before we left and the day we came here. I thought of the powerful Bible study I had done in Luke on the flight to Paris. God had spoken to me, clearly. I thought of all of this, of all He'd done in our travels, to keep believing.

This morning, as I awoke, I felt the after-effects of a reeeeeally long, hard night, but the light of morning washed away all of the fears of the night before. Today has definitely been one of recovery--I've eaten a very small snack thus far, and managed to keep it down. I've taken it easy and made this day's major objective to be one of journaling my thoughts, getting it going.

I trust Him. For everything. I know there will be times of trial, and especially prior to "new ministry." I look at the Lord's massive testing--for 40 Days--prior to God catapulting him forward into MASSIVE NEW & WORLD CHANGING MINISTRY. I wonder how Jesus managed it for 40 Days. I wonder, after last night, if he got sick from the sun and the trials, his body ravaged by lack of food, water, sleep. Most of all, I'm thankful he didn't give up, throw in the towel, and go home and live out his days in peace. I'm thankful he BELIEVED. In God. In what He knew. In His mission--for all of us.

"Thank you, Lord Jesus, for being Constant. You are our AMAZING GOD. And you are MY Comforter, Friend, Protector. Thank You for my Mom, and all of those You sent my way to teach me and instruct me and lead me in Your path and ways. Thank You for my husband, my daughter, my niece, and this Incredible Journey you are taking us on. Thank you for BEING THERE, with us through all of this--and all that is to come. Amen."

Journey: En Route to Florence

Our journey to Florence, Italy, was one I can say with total honesty that our Lord was with us.

Each step of the way, I can recall His favor, His hand of guidance, His presence, His direction.

In Dallas, though we were an hour and a half behind schedule, everything went smoothly so we could get to the terminal in plenty of time. When we made it to the Remote parking area, unloaded bags and congregated for the shuttle to take us to the airport, the bus arrived--not five minutes later, but exactly when we were ready to go. The man on the shuttle helped us load our heavy bags onto the shuttle, helping us not to have to lug all eight bags by ourselves.

In Dallas, too, at the security check, everything went smoothly. The boarding/passport inspector was extremely nice, even complimenting me on my hair. She said two times, "I love your big hair." I told her Thank You. And, though most people may not understand this, I felt God's love in her words. (In my limited international and other flying experience, such positions are not filled by warm, communicative people.) Everything went smoothly; we even had time to go by a Taco Bell and get lunch.

Thank you, Our God, Our Encourager!

In Atlanta, we arrived with limited time--we discovered our plane was already boarding when we arrived! We also discovered that our connecting gate was twenty minutes away--even with the shuttle! So we had to run--with a four-year old and three carry on bags! After we disembarked from the shuttle, Stephen literally started running, because our connecting gate was at the far end of the station.

We couldn't run. So we started walking as quickly as we could--and, literally, before I could even get my mind around the impossibility of our task, a man in a riding cart stopped and asked if he could help us! He loaded our bags and we sat as he honked his way through crowds and about a mile stretch of the airport! We eventually caught up to Stephen, huffing and puffing by that time, and we stopped to load him, too! We got delivered right in front of the gate, the man helped us unload our bags, and we boarded. I thanked him and blessed him from the moment he picked us up until we were delivered to the gate. "God Bless You," I said finally, on our way to the gate. I meant it sincerely, knowing that whether he knew it or not, God had sent him to us, an angel.

Thank you, God, Our Provider!

The Paris flight was overnight, and we were on Air France, which I must say has been a VERY pleasant experience. Psalm found favor with many--including the airline stewardesses who lavished her with attention and gifts.

Overnight, the ride went smoothly, for the most part, but there were moments that the rocking airplane woke me, reminding me of the fact that we were hitting turbulence over a massive expanse of water. Three times, too, I awoke praying--Serai said once she heard me awake saying, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," And I remember why, though I didn't realize I had said anything aloud. Three separate times, I felt a dark wave (I will not say more here as of now; I will only discuss in person) coming from behind me, awaking me, challenging me, trying to engulf me. I found myself instinctively praying intensely (again, that's as much as I will say for now) on two occasions, and speaking His name on the other.

Thank you, God, Our Protector!

In Paris, we had been warned about the airport employees, the language barriers, the frustrations that can happen in that airport. So we were gearing up for a mental battle of sorts. Stephen and I agreed on tackling it together, as quickly as possible, as Serai helped us with Psalm. We were bracing ourselves for anything!

When we disembarked and headed out, we found a screen telling us where we needed to make the next connection. And while we were standing there staring at it, a Frenchman said to us, in nearly perfect accented English, "Can I help you?" We looked at him incredulously! God, again, had gone before us, orchestrating our help.

Thank you, God, Our Help!

We boarded the plane, then, to Florence. And I slept the entire way! Psalm did, as well. Though I usually like to be awake for take-off, and even longer on smaller planes, I slept soundly. And wasn't even the least concerned.

Thank you, God, Our Rest!

At the baggage claim area in Florence, I sat on the floor with Psalm, who was sleepy. I wondered if all of our bags would arrive--they had. I wondered if our contact, Lorenzo, in Florence, would be readily available on the phone. He was. And our transport to the apartment? Waiting for us at the exit. He was a NICE man who had lived in Florence his whole life! He loaded all of our bags for us, took us to the apartment, introduced us to Lorenzo.

Lorenzo, the apartment manager, loved Psalm immediately, showing us pictures of his grand-daughter, including her in all aspects of the checking in process. That too, went smoothly.

Thank you, God, Our Peace!

The apartment? More than we expected. Much more. It is beautiful! I felt like I was walking into a novel or movie setting. We are staying in a highly desirable part of Florence--steps from the Duomo. It feels luxurious. The doors open onto the street, and we were met with marble steps up to the higher floors. There is an elevator up to our floor, small, like the ones you see in film. It's more than enough, more than a dream.

I had no idea it would be like this, like a Manhattan apartment opening off the street on the West Side, or like those I had seen when walking around St. James Place in London. I had no idea of any of this. But He did. He knew all along, and directed our steps.

Thank you, God, Our Father!

And more than a recitation, I want to take time out to BLESS MY FATHER, HIS SON & SPIRIT, for being made known to me.

"Lord, I praise You and thank You for everyTHING in my life. You are AWESOME GOD! YOu are my encourager, my provider, my protector, my help, my rest my peace. But most of all, you are TRULY My Father. Thank you for your patience, grace, mercy. Thank you for allowing your son, Jesus, to make amends and provide reconciliation, for such a nobody as me. Words cannot express my love for you. I long to see and feel and experience you more intensely in my life--every day. Thank you for being there through all that has been, that is now, and all that will be. I trust You. Amen."

OSOM Testing Today

This day was a BIG DAY. Today, at the Oklahoma School of Ministry, Stephen and I took our final exam for Year Two studies, AND our credentialing test for our License.

I knew when I got to the campus that the cup of coffee I had en route would not be enough. When I got there, I couldn't stop yawning--and I quickly emailed my friends to request prayer from them for our testing and study. They immediately responded with affirmations and confirmation of prayers!

I am so thankful for my friends in Christ.

On the first test, Conflict Management in the Church, Stephen and I passed with flying colors--ALL PRAISE TO THE LORD!

And though we won't find out the result of our credentialing tests for another week or more, Stephen and I both felt as if we had done well on them.

I am so grateful to God for this experience.

Life, it seems, has been quite a blur lately, so busy busy, but when I stop and write about His Goodness, what we've been through and experienced with His help, I am thankful.

I love The Lord with all of my heart.

July 7, 2013: Amazing God

It's nearly 1 a.m. on July 7, 2013, and I I sitting here in awe of the fact that tomorrow, God willing, we will be boarding a plane in Dallas, heading to Atlanta, then Paris, then Florence, Italy, for 25 days!

It feels like a whirlwind, and it feels like a dream.

I cannot believe it...

It's here.

I'm the last one up, working on getting some packing done while the rest of the house slumbers. It's easier for me this way. Yes, I'll be exhausted in the morning, but I'll know that I have gotten much done--and have far less to worry about.

I don't know exactly what God has in store for us in Italy, although I have this FEELING that it will be GOOD. I know what we will be doing, who we will be working with, but as for what GOD wants done, I am still waiting to discover it!

I am so utterly grateful to God for making this opportunity happen, this dream become a reality.

There are no words, really, for how I'm feeling--the emotions are many on the eve of our departure.

AMAZING GOD.

Last Night: Hillsong Conference Artists' Session

As I was getting ready to wind things down at the end of a long day last night, I got on Twitter to see what was going on at the Hillsong Conference in Sydney.

What I saw was a replay from one of their Tuesday breakout sessions about incorporating ARTISTS into the Church.

The first part of the session was with an art historian named "Amanda." She was covering the historical relationship between art and the Church--the changes that have been made in recent years to explore the relationships and works of the artists within the Church--to glorify God and lead people to Christ.

The second part of the session included a panel with various artists--musicians, songwriters, photographers, novelists, poets, painters. And they discussed how the only "approved" creative outlet in the Church right now seems to be for musicians. One lady discussed how she wanted to contribute to the Church, but couldn't sing. There was no outlet for the novelists. They talked about how God has led their Church to embrace and incorporate artists into the Church--and how the Church has benefited from this inclusion.

One panelist discussed how they created a Writers Guild at Hillsong. A support group for poets, novelists, dramatists who long to write GOOD NEWS, using their creative gifts in a way that spreads His truths. When I heard this, I nearly SHOUTED OUT LOUD! This is truly an answer to a prayer and a need that I've had for a long time. There are so many SECULAR and negative opportunities for artists--that's why you see so many artists heading in that direction. But what of the positive alternatives? Wouldn't it be great...?

Well, that's what they said they ask all the time now:

"Imagine if...."

"Re-imagine"

They said that they start out thinking about what God wants to do--or what He could do, if only...and then they seek to address it. What they were saying is all about not getting tied down with the way things have always been done, with our own man-made boxes, but to let God work however He wants to work. When they meet, they talk freely about what God might want to do in the future. Not just being okay with how great things are, but also how great things might be "if...."

Someone else has started a songwriting session of sorts, encouraging young and old to write praise and worship songs! They encourage more people to become part of the process. It is not "one person" or "a small, private team" who is allowed to create. EVERYONE is allowed and encouraged to create and be heard. One of the worship leaders said, "If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. That's part of the learning process!" In other words, they are letting people try and fail with grace. So they can develop their skills and talents for The Lord.

Another thing that struck me was that they talked about our GIFTINGS, and using them for The Lord. They talked about how there really is a blurry line between using our gifts in the world and using them in the Church. And they said that this shouldn't be seen as UNUSUAL because God gave us those gifts to share with the world--gifts that lead them to a deeper knowledge and understanding of Christ.

Impressions:
1. I loved how inclusive these people were in their spirits. They acted, spoke as very TEAM-MINDED people. One of the hardest things, they said, was to let team members grow and go elsewhere when God called them out. But they said, this is part of the process! The Church is a global ORGANISM that spreads and shares.
2. I loved that God is moving to include those in the Church who have felt so left out at times. Honestly, the Right Brained people tend to scare the Left-Brained religious crowd.
3. I was impressed with the total lack of EGO that you see from the leadership at this Church. They seem to all BE ON ONE PAGE when it comes to helping other Christians and empowering and equipping other Churches.
4. I loved how they said: "You think because we're big that we don't NEED for anything?" Speaking of Hillsong Church. "These ministries, ideas, guilds happened because there WAS a need!" The worship leader who talked about this said that everything they started at Hillsong began because there WAS a need. And she said that INSTEAD OF COPYING HILLSONG in everything, to look at our own churches and bodies and "see where the gold is," meaning that every Church needed to look and see where the God Gifts are and what NEEDS are there, and THEN start working on meeting THOSE needs. (I LOVE THIS!)

My heart was about to EXPLODE last night when I heard this, and my HEART and MIND are full today because of it. I love the PROMISE of this! I love how our Lord LOVES US, all of us!, and longs for us all to INCLUDE one another in His Church! That's why He made us all the way He did!

*sigh*

Praise The Lord!

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Just a note: Every time we go to the Theatre Festival in Independence, KS, especially in recent years, I get a little more frustrated at the state of "American Theatre." There really is no room for GOOD PLAYS or Godly plays in the theatre--or much, if any, room for just plain Inspirational or Positive plays. That gets labeled "Childrens Theatre" or shoved aside as not being legitimate. The last time we went to the theatre festival, I remember Tweeting about how I wished there was a Christian Theatre system in place. Well...from what I hear, God is clearly raising one up! Starting in Sydney!

4:35 a.m.

This morning, I got on Twitter and happened upon a link to the live streaming video of Hillsong's Pastors and Leaders Conference in Sydney, Australia.

For almost an hour, I got the opportunity to praise and worship with my brothers and sisters in Christ in Australia, and I got to hear and share in the Word of God being brought forth by Pastor Brian Houston.

I cannot even EXPRESS what a Blessing this was/has been to me! I could FEEL the Presence of our Lord in the Worship to Him and in the Word Pastor Brian Houston brought. There were moments when I felt like I was there!!!

The message? God takes our ruins and makes them GLORIOUS. Whatever we've done--or not done--or whatever we've lost, God wants to take our life and rebuild, restore, renovate it.

Things he said that I don't want to forget?

"Whosever. The most inclusive message that ever was."

"Surround yourself with people who PRAISE."

"Never underestimate the power of Praise."

Prophetic Power: "Start with praise; Prophesy into the future."

"This Book speaks life into our Future." [Speaking of the Word of God]

"We must deepen our relationship and intimacy with Christ."

Ezra 7:10. Ezra 8:21. [This message was based on the Book of Ezra.]

There are so many things vying for our lives, energy, attention: we must seek The Lord for the right way to go.

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I found it interesting and exciting that--not long after I tuned in--Pastor Brian had Bishop Jakes stand and wave at everyone BECAUSE HE WAS THERE!

Twelve Days Until ITALY!

We have 12 days left before we leave for our missions trip to Florence, Italy.

I stand amazed at what God has done.

There is so much to do, so many questions that I still have, and so much expectation:

Lord, You know where and why we are going. You know what we are to do when we get there. Prepare my mind and spirit for what you have in mind for us. Go before us, surround us with Your Light and Love. Help us be sensitive to Your Spirit, your direction, your guidance. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

Our First Revival Together

This past weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (a.m. and p.m.), Stephen and I were asked to come and hold a revival for Momma's church, Muldrow Church of God.

It was a truly amazing experience, and I am still quite overwhelmed by the impact of it in my mind and spirit. I wanted to try to record some of my impressions here before time gets away from me and before I forget all together.

1. It IS possible to have a husband/wife team conduct revival services (but it requires planning!).
Stephen and I had to sit down and spend time discussing what we thought God was leading us to talk about. Then we discussed the flow of the services--who would speak when and what was theme of each message and which message (speaker) would go first, second, etc. Because God had impressed Stephen with two related messages, we believed that he was supposed to present them first and in order. Because I wanted the messages to flow and be fresh--and not redundant--I decided to record my thoughts, and detailed notes from his messages, and pray about what exactly He wanted me to present when it was my turn. But I wouldn't make specific and final notes until after Stephen spoke. Long story short: God had mercy on us. The message seemed to flow and His message--which resounded through all of ours, unplanned by us and clearly HIS idea--was about the gifts of the Spirit.

2. Stephen and I chose one specific text to use as a jumping off point or starting point for all of the messages we presented.
Stephen and I could not get away from Acts chapter 3 (and 4). We used this for every message, but in different ways. In his first message, Stephen focused on the line, "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I unto you..." His emphasis was "such as I have" and identifying our gifts and talents and giving them, surrendering them, to The Lord. The second night, he focused on .... The third session, I focused on the enemy's attacks--sly--and compared it to mice infestations. We talked about "setting traps." The final session, I spoke on "Holding On" to the dream, to the purpose, to what we're waiting for, through adversity, and I went through chapter 4, talking about how Peter and John had done a great thing, but were under attack for doing a good thing.

3. We decided, at mom's request, that when one spoke, the other would present a song prior to the message.
I sang for the first time in a long time, on my own, as a special. The song I chose was "I Give Myself Away" and I sang it both of the nights I sang. I love that song because it's a worship song, and if I have to sing a solo for the first time, I would rather it be something that I don't focus on ME--but on Him. And that's where I like to be, anyway. In worship to Him.

4. There were many things I never want to forget, and hope to implement, given the opportunity, in my/our own congregation:

A. Mom had many different people activated in the service--young and old. The first worship songs were led by teen and junior high girls (my nieces) who have strong, identifiable gifts in this area. Then an older woman led hymns. The lady who led the hymns made comments of transition between the songs to explain WHY she'd selected them, how they went together. (So you knew the songs weren't random.) Two young boys were selected to hand out mugs to the Fathers in the congregation on Father's Day.

B. The door greeter, Bob McNabb, hands everyone a piece of candy (a kid's candy, butter rum?) when they enter the sanctuary. He gives them a light-hearted word and smile.

C. When you walk in to the church, morning or afternoon, there is a fellowship table and coffee is already brewing. There is a station where you can come get coffee, for free, and sit and enjoy conversation before church (or during the Sunday School, if someone would rather talk). On Sunday morning, there are free doughnuts.

D. On the last Sunday of each month, they have Holy Communion and a pot luck fellowship time after service. There is no p.m. service on that day, every month. (They do not cancel night services at any other time, however.)

E. Momma has, at the end of services, often, prayer lines, where she anoints, prays for, and speaks over anyone who gets in line. EVERYONE (that I could tell) got up and got in line! She anoints them and prays--and a couple of times, prophesied over them.

F. The presence of God, the Holy Spirit, is UNDENIABLE in this church. You can FEEL it in all parts of the service. Stephen said this was the easiest place to preach, EVER, that it was like "surfing on a wave of the Holy Spirit."

JUST A NOTE: I told Stephen that I really believed that Mom should be a mentor for EVERY future minister, no matter where they go, how many in their church, or what denomination. Any and every future minister who sincerely wants to do the will of God needs to be around my Mom and watch her. I wish I could watch her more. Honestly.

5. Another thing I learned was to TRUST GOD, that He WILL PROVIDE. My mind felt "numb" during the revival, as it has been much of the summer. I just trusted God to give me a fresh word because I didn't feel "inspired." I have learned, through the Wednesday night experience, that when this happens, you keep showing up and you keep praying for a break through. We can't "call in sick." We have to SHOW UP and do what He's asked us to do. Sometimes, IN FAITH ALONE that He has called us and will provide. [And He did just that during the revival--and I give Him praise! Saturday night, at 12:15 a.m., He gave me the message, and then he woke me at 5:30 to complete the message.]


New Prayers/Goals after This Experience

1. I am thinking that I need to learn how to play the guitar, so I can sing worship songs with the guitar. I think my voice and singing style is more cut out for the guitar. I also suspect that I would WRITE songs if I knew how to play the guitar.

2. I need to make record of songs I might need to download for any future opportunities God brings.

3. I am really in prayer and seeking God about our next step, His Will for our lives.

Revisiting Luke: A Wake-Up Call

I'm reading in the book of Luke this week, and I've got to say--it's been a WAKE UP CALL.

I felt led to start listening to it on the road to Sallisaw one day, and then at the track today. Right now I'm on Luke, chapter 14. Though I'm about half-way through it, I know that I'm supposed to go through it again.

And I'm looking forward to it.

It's easy to forget the PERSON Christ was--the things he said, the things he did. And Luke is a reminder of the kind of person He is: And the kind of person, as a "Christian," that I'M supposed to be.

Listening to the book is interesting, too. When I read, I use pen and highlighters and make multiple notes. But when I listen? I start to seeeeee it.

At the track today, with the heat and the occasional breeze, I started to SEE him, envisioning Him speaking on the rocking boat, on the mountainside, in the streets, and in homes. It was like I could hear Him--and those around him.

"Heal me, Master."

"We are going to perish!"

"My daughter..." "My son..."

And His words of love--of correction, of direction, of guidance, of warning. His Spirit. Shining through the words and phrases.

It was like I was there.

I cannot express how much I love getting into the Word--especially when it COMES ALIVE and is illuminated!!! It's like it's ALL AROUND ME!!!

I enjoyed every second of it. Wish I could "live in that" every day of my life!

But I am committed to enjoying THESE moments with Him. And looking forward to others, more frequent, I hope!

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Dinner calls....So I will wait to venture into a discussion of the personal convictions and challenges I've received at the hearing of His Word this day.

(I LOVE YOU, LORD!!!)

Refrigerator Note: "You Have No Idea..."

There's been a note on my refrigerator for several years now, for longer than I've been married, and it went missing this week.

I think, when one of my daughters was rearranging refrigerator magnets, it must have gotten lost in the shuffle.

The note itself was very important to me because it was a prophetic statement by a friend of mine, before I got married, before my daughter, before so many wonderful things changed, shifted, in my life.

It said: "You have no idea the blessings I have in store for that girl."

When it was said over me, I wrote it down and put it on the refrigerator so I could see it every time I went to open the refrigerator.

Though it's gone, I've read it so many times, for so many years, that I have it memorized and I can still see it in my mind's eye.

No matter what has gone on in my life--through the good, the bad, and the ugly--I have been able to read that quote and KNOW that God had a plan, and it is GOOD, for my life.

This evening, as I think about Him, I am so incredibly thankful to be His kid and have the opportunity to serve Him.

VISION (from "Effective Leadership")

"Vision is different for every church because each church and its community are different. The Holy Spirit is so creative that He does not have to do the same thing the same way twice. He can give you the keys to your community. He will open doors of opportunity for a church that will seek His leadership and direction."
--Ron McManus, "Effective Leadership"

Casting the Vision: Self-Assessment

In our "Effective Leadership" course manual for next month, there is a section which asks us to do a self-assessment, an inventory, if you will, because this inventory will help us to "Cast the Vision" for our congregation/group and the church where God has placed us.

I decided to write these down because they remind me of the questions that Bishop Jakes keeps asking us to answer, flesh out, define to the best of our ability, knowing it would help us focus and hone in on the people of God He has called us to be.

Here are the questions from page 59 of the text. I feel the need to say that I am answering these questions to the best of MY ability, with what I SEE as strengths, etc. But I realize, fully, that God's viewpoint and vantage point is comprehensive and probably astronomically different than my own. It is with such a knowledge that I humbly attempt to answer the following questions.

1. Natural Talents: What do you do well naturally?

I would hope that Communication, empathy, sympathy, understanding the hurts of people, teaching, are all things I could call Natural Talents. I can write plays, articles, and create advertisements for billboards, radio, print, etc. I can see the potential in people, can "see" what people need to be doing (positions, jobs, etc). I can help people with PR.

In the Word, specifically, I feel like God/Holy Spirit just OPENS it and allows me to dissect it. When I'm studying, certain words and phrases literally POP OUT in my vision. I pray earnestly for God to help me make everything I do relatable, relevant, and PERSONAL to people's lives. He helps me SO MUCH. I know that HE has given me this talent. I can also "see" connections, points to messages developing right before my eyes. But, again, I totally rely on Him. I trust Him. He has never failed me. Never been silent. Sometimes He waits until what I feel like is "the last possible second" to reveal things to me--or maybe it's me being sloppy--but He has never failed me. I know He's training me to hear Him.

2. Spiritual Gifts: What has God gifted you to do?

Pray for hurting people. See/notice/discern hurts in people. I have "seen" anointing falling on people. Love hurting people, struggling people. God has given me a connection with people on the fringe, on the "outs" of society--or even the "outs" of the church. (I think that's because I've always felt like, or been actually labelled as, "the misfit.")

He has given me a LOVE and insatiable desire for the Global Church and Unity. I find myself making new friends easily with fellow believers whom I do not know and whom do not attend my own church/denomination.

3. Inward Desires: What do you want to do?

I'm at the age now where my body isn't what it used to be and I am seemingly always lacking time and energy to do everything I need. I can honestly say that my "Inward Desires" are not my own when it comes to the church calling. I will do what He leads me to do--not because I want to, but because I am called to serve. As long as He goes with me, providing, paving the way, speaking to me as He does, I will do this. The SECOND He tells me otherwise--and it's HIM--I would gladly get out of the way.

I know, too, that I would not be happy if I were not serving in His church and the church Community. I always need to be serving, probably teaching in some compactly. And, honestly, it doesn't matter to me which group: Pre-K, third grade, teens, whatever. I'm just called to serve Him.

I honestly have no delusions of grandeur when it comes to the ministry. I trust Him fully to take me where He wants to and when He wants to.

4. Results and Fruits: What is produced when you do it?

Um, I'm not sure what this means, exactly, but I think that everything we do is SOWING, in anticipation of the growth and the HARVEST. And I am also aware that "fruit bearing" requires a LOT of hard work, and, know-how, and commitment.

5. Affirmation and Recognition: What do others confirm about you?

People have told me that they enjoy hearing me discuss the Bible, the points given, things they haven't remembered "seeing" before. People say I encourage them to take one more step forward, in Christ, in their given days. (This makes me happy, of course!) One of the most rewarding thing, though, is to hear of my kids (and I consider anyone, any age, in my classroom as my kids) ministering themselves, growing in Christ (I got saved! I'm teaching a class! God healed me! I'm called to ministry! I led someone to The Lord...etc.)

6. Burdens and Passions: What convictions do you feel compelled to pursue?

This is what I believe I am sent to let people know: (1) I believe that God has a divine plan for EVERYBODY, EVERY INDIVIDUAL, and He has the BEST PLANS for their lives. (2) I have a burden and passion for people to KNOW about Christ--who He REALLY IS, as opposed to this "head game" that society--and even the church!--has made Him out to be. (3) I believe people need to know that GOD LOVES THEM, JUST AS THEY ARE!!!! RIGHT NOW!!! HE LOOOOVES THEM and THEY ARE SPECIAL TO HIS HEART!!! (4) I have a passion to encourage people to TAKE ONE MORE STEP IN HIS DIRECTION, or just one more step in life, period! I feel the NEED to tell people to PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER, to just keep moving in His direction, no matter how slow they think they're going! (5) I believe EVERY PERSON HAS SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THAT EVERY PERSON IS SUPPOSED TO/MAKES A DIFFERENCE!!! We are all CALLED TO DO SOMETHING inside and outside of the church. (6) I believe that this life in Christ is a JOURNEY and we mustn't be critical of others at different points in the journey. We need to love THEM ALL to a deeper knowledge of Christ. Lord, I'm still on my journey!!! I'm still trying to delve deeper in to this relationship, learn more, hear more, and find a BALANCE in this crazy-busy hectic life! (7) I believe I must tell people that there is A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST available to them. It is a living, one-on-one relationship. This isn't just "The Pledge of Allegiance"--IT'S ALIVE! IT'S WHO WE ARE! IT'S LIVING! IT'S OUR IDENTITY! IT'S EVERYTHING! I wish people--fellow believers included--could KNOW HIM AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION!!!

Additionally, I feel compelled to go places, meet God's people globally, pray for the Global Church. I feel a burden to Pray for the Global Church of Christ and UNITY in all of God's People who are Called by His Name.

7. Fulfillment and Satisfaction: What do you deeply enjoy doing?

Encouraging people. Inspiring someone. Making a difference.

8. Circumstances and Opportunities: What is in front of you as an opportunity?

I have no idea. And sometimes, I'm pretty sure I don't need to know. Sure, I suppose we'd all like "a glimpse"...but in my situation? Honestly? I'm content to let Him call the shots. If there is opportunity for me, it includes my family. I would NEVER want to commit to something--opportunities, anything--that isn't GOD'S WILL FOR ME OR MY FAMILY. Because I'm not on my own. I am a wife, a mom, a teacher/pastor, an employee. I have learned long ago that I don't call my shots. When it comes to this? To ministry? IT'S GOT TO BE HIM DOING IT.

This "Effective Leadership" course manual was written by Ron McManus.

Church Planting Manual

During Bible reading this morning, I was reminded of the front cover of a local Baptist minister's Bible that I happened to notice when he sat it down next to me at a Ministerial Alliance meeting.

It was a thin-line Bible, brown leather cover, and on it, someone had had printed in gold letters: "Church Planting Manual."

It warmed my heart because this quiet leader, this well-known Man of God, had been the first to birth and build the largest Hispanic effort in our town, and perhaps area.

This man, though I don't know him personally at all, and he wouldn't even know my name, is someone I greatly admire and PRAY FOR. When I had heard that his own people were turning against him and leaving the church because of the Hispanic outreach, I drove down to the parking lot at his church and prayed over the work and over his ministry, in particular. I have a burden for this man.

Interestingly, since this time, he and my pastor have become close friends.

We are not alone. Never. God's people are united. Always.

Prayer:
Saying a prayer for this Man of God today, for encouragement, for renewed energy and vision in the work of our Lord. I pray over his family, for the generations of his family, and over the spiritual family and generations he has served, birthed, and raised in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ. May our Lord's Name be Honored Forever. Amen.

Update: Italy

It feels very real today. Very.

Saturday, April 27, I made a deposit on our apartment in Florence, Italy.

Yesterday, April 29, I purchased our plane tickets to Florence, Italy, as well. En route, we will fly from Dallas to Atlanta to Paris to Florence. On our return, we will fly from Florence to Paris to Cincinnati to Dallas.

We are still waiting to find out whether someone, a dear friend, will be joining us or not. We will see!

Prayer Request for Today:
--COMPANION/S. That we will get a definite answer on whether or not we will have someone joining us.
--BUDGET. We need, at this very point in time, $4,000 to come in for the trip.
--PURPOSE: God has supernaturally made a way to go on this trip. There is no doubt in our minds that we are to go. But we are praying now that we will have a better understanding of our purpose there, that it will be made known. Revealed. I know God does not make a habit of showing us everything, but I'd like to be as prepared as possible for all he has in store and the ministering opportunities that will present themselves. THIS IS NOT A VACATION. He is showing us things that we need to know for the future!!!
--ORGANIZATION. I need to get and stay very organized about this trip. We have limited resources and I must be careful to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit about the planning of this trip.

I Trust You, Lord

I trust You, Lord,
For everything.
You have made this Earth,
And You have made me.

Your hands are capable.


I trust You, Lord;
You've shown me a glimpse
Of Who You Are
And Who I Am To You.

Your presence is breathable.

Italy.

It looks like Stephen, Psalm, and Myself will be heading to Italy this summer on a Missions trip.

ITALY.

I want to be careful to record here, to the best of my ability, what God has done thus far, what He has shown us about this trip. I don't want to forget what He has done.

Thursday, April 18
Raelynn and I shut the office door, sat down in the floor, cross-legged, and talked about our Call to the mission field, and the frustration of the silence. It was so strange, we had said, that we felt like we knew we were supposed to be travelling this year, but the doors would not open for that to happen. We spoke hope and prophecy and calling over our lives. We knew that God was working, even though we couldn't see it. We promised to pray for one another, that God would direct our paths.

Friday Night, April 19
Stephen was playing a video game and I sat next to him on the couch with my Ipad. I don't even remember what I was going to search, but I felt very strongly that I was supposed to go to the AGWM page and check the MAPS postings. So I did. I scrolled two pages of listings when I saw it: Florence, Italy. Construction teams needed. International English-Speaking Church.

I turned to Stephen and said, "What do you think of going to Italy to help out an International AG church with construction projects?"

He said, "Sounds great to me."

I read the listing to him. "You want me to email the Pastor?"

"Sure," he said.

Before I did email the pastor, I started researching the church itself online, visited its website, checked airline prices to see if it were even possible, looked to see if VRBO had listings for apartments in Florence. They did.

"I'm going to email him, okay?" I said. "It couldn't hurt!"

So I emailed the Pastor, Brother Randy McGehee.

Sunday, April 21
I hadn't heard from Brother Randy, but at church, Sister C led a song about going to the Nations and proclaiming Christ. I could barely breathe, I felt it so strongly. The power of God was so strong. This happens to me on occasion, but I literally felt my heart about to explode--and that's a rare thing. When I got back to my chair, I had a lengthy email from Brother Randy. It was full of encouraging and cautionary words, advice, and introduction.

Most surprising, I think? The Pastor is from Oklahoma!!! He had been through Poteau, he said, travelling to the mountains to the south of us!

I shared the email with Stephen. We were feeling it.

Sunday night, too, Brother Randy emailed me, and I again shared it with Stephen. He was excited about our visit and promised to help us in any way he could.

Monday, April 22
Because Stephen and I felt a distinct OPEN DOOR, we decided to request a meeting time with Pastor so we could move ahead with our plans. I texted Pastor for a meeting, not knowing if he even had the time to meet us. In the text, I told him that God had given us direction on our month-long missions trip. (He had encouraged us last year to go away for a month and seek God for the Calling he had on our lives for missions. Like to what extent we were called to missions.)

I serve Pastor and our church on Wednesday nights, and I try my best never to miss a meeting. This would require us to be gone for four weeks in the middle of the summer. I didn't know if it were even possible for us to miss.

I hadn't heard from Pastor by one. And I stopped everything, sat down in a chair in my classroom after everyone had left, and prayed to God for direction. "Lord, if this is you, open the door here. Please let me hear from Pastor by 3 p.m. today."

At 2:36 p.m., I had a message from Pastor asking if I could come in to meet.

Long story short, Pastor gave us his full blessing to go to Italy to seek God and His direction for our lives for the missions field.

Wednesday, April 24
Right after church, I had an email from Brother Randy.

Thursday, April 25
That's tonight. And I'm dealing with "the wait" and some worries about the apartment. Despite two emails to Stefano and Marco Lorenzo about apartments, and one returned email, I have heard nothing from them since. I am wondering about God's will. Is this silence to protect us from something? Have they already rented the rooms? Do I need to be searching for another? I realize it's only been a couple of days, and I don't want to come across as an annoying American, but I like to have major issues like this one resolved early in the planning process. And it worries me a tad when I hit roadblocks because I seek God's will and can ascertain it by the smoothness of the process.

Other than the apartment, I am really seeking God on the final $4000 we need to go. One thing I am praying about is our tax refund. I am praying it comes through so we can use it to pay for the apartment. Then, we will only have $2000 to raise for our expenses there.

Another thing I'm praying for is the most affordable airline tickets through Delta. I'm praying that by the time I can pay for them that we can all get seats together to Florence, there and back.

So, again, as I PRAISE GOD for the breakthrough, I finish this Blog by praying for the following needs. (If you're out there reading this, I ask you to join us in prayer for the needs, if you will. And I thank you for the prayers...sincerely.)

PRAYER NEEDS TONIGHT: TAX REFUND, APARTMENT, AIRLINE TICKETS.