Healing and prayer room M-Sa 10-12 Pst

Monday, September 5, 2011

Our God is a God of order

As I walk through this journey this year on prayer, another leg I'm learning is that God is a God of order. 

A week ago I started back into doing Word Studies.  I've enjoyed doing this over the years and  didn't realize until last week how long it had been due to schedules I've had over the last several months.

I was studying the word "Repentance", and similar words along that line.  The verse that has stood out to me since I started the study and I haven't been able to continue because I've been researching this verse, is Romans 11:29 "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance". 

What I've learned from this verse is this:  What God gives us as gifts and the calling on our lives is at birth.  We can choose to use them for the Glory of God or not at the time we make a decision to follow Him or not.   We will be judged in how we used those gifts on the day of judgement.   That's the reference of the sheep and goats.   Those that used the gifts thinking it was for Him will be judged on that.

Saul, when God rejected him as king over Isreal, still prophecied over people and still had the gifts God gave him, he just didn't have God's anointing over him to do it.

As we grow in our relationship with Christ, we always need a fresh anointing on our lives because what we did before isn't relative to what Christ is showing us now.  Christ never changes, but we do as we go from glory to glory in His presensce and learn more of who He is.  What we knew 30+ years ago doesn't apply to who we are now, we are to go deeper in our relationship with Him.

God knew the day you were created what you were going to do with your life.  However, are you seeking the destiny He has chosen for you?  There is a difference.  Your destiny is in using the gifts and calling on your life for His Glory with His anointing.  

Whether you use it for Him or not is your choice.  That's what free will is all about.   But doing it with His anointing makes your life so much freer then you could ever imagine.

Monday, July 25, 2011

An effective prayer life

This year is a journey that God has been preparing me on for most of my life. I've always prayed over everything in sight, but this year He's taking me to a new level that I've never been, but I'm listening and reading on others who have been on this journey before. 

In this journey, I've had conversations with other believers and there is seems to be a division in the church no matter what denomination.  It has to do with once saved, always saved or in other words a new term that has been coned is a sinless life. 

Somehow this term strikes a cord with me because when I talk to those who believe this term, that we don't have to struggle anymore, or once we are saved we don't sin anymore and all the sin from the past are taken away.  The statement is true to a point, we don't have to have the desire to sin when we set our hearts and mind on Christ.  We don't plan on sinning.  However temptation is still there unless we choose to hide under a rock.   And yes all our sins past present and future are washed away by the blood on the Cross.  However we still have consequences from the past sins that we have to take care of, and at times temptation will follow during those times.

Kay Arthur's definition made the most sense on what the once saved always saved means to me.  And its this belief that I hold on to on the ubject. 

When we commit a life to Christ fully, with no turning back, no matter what circumstances may come our way, we are saved.   When a decision is made to accept Christ but the person doesn't want to give up anything in their life that is causing a hindrance, and has no conviction over it, the person is not saved.   However, I do believe part of the journey in a Christian walk is that when we come across unknown sins in our lives that when it is made aware of, if we continue to let that sin hinder us it does effect our prayer life. 

An example of this would be as if you lied to get a promotion at work.  You persuaded and perpetrated a lie to get a supervisor to believe something about you that is not true and he is expecting you to live up to that postion you now have. The relationship between you and the supervisor will be awkward, strained because you will always be looking over your shoulder.  In addition the circumstances of those around you will be different as well, for those who know the truth and for those that you are now manipulating.

When you have sin in your life, you are trying to manipulate God's decision.  He won't listen to your plea because you are working on trying to protect yourself.   Your sin has caused God to  turn His back on you.   All God wants at this point is for you to repent, and He will hold out His scepter for you to enter the Throne Room with Him.

If we look at our relationships with those we love on earth and keep in mind on how to cultivate them, we would know how to cultivate a prayer life that follows the heart beat of our Heavenly Father.

The other part to having an effective prayer life is to be in the Word every day.  This past year our pastor put our congregation on a journey of reading the Book of Acts every day for the next 12 months.  After reading for the last 7 months, I'm finding more how certain parts of Acts fit into my daily life, plus it fits in with other passages that I'm reading throughout the day or week.   Spending time in God's word does change a person's thought life and brings in conviction in areas that we've lived so long thinking it was okay to do. 

This is part one of the series of an effective prayer life.

Monday, July 4, 2011

"six of one, half dozen of another"

Its funny how things stick with us as we continue to grow in Christ and we use the events of circumstances to prove our point.  However if you take a closer look its not the circumstances so much as our reaction to it. 

I've listened to people say of another that when they go through struggle after struggle for what could be years, that they didn't hear from God properly, where as if a non believer is going through the same thing, we don't think anything of it, and we look at it as a way of life.  We seem to spiritualize things in our lives that really don't need any spiritualizing to it as its just life.

Its our attitude that makes the difference.  About a week ago I had a breaking point.  It seems we've been rowing the boat in the same direction for the past several years as its continuing to sink, but when we find the leak cover it and get a little farther, there's another leak.   I thought there could be another way out.  Like a friend said to me earlier,  "six of one, half dozen of another".   There always is another way, but there will still be struggles and circumstances to deal with because its life.

We all go through the same disappointments, the same issues of either computer crashing, bathrooms flooding, cars not starting, ect.  Its not that the event is God saying that we aren't suppose to do something and its a road block, its what is our attitude going to be through the circumstances?  Our we going to mope and whine, or even sit back and not do anything with the attitude that God will provide?   I do believe that God will provide in any circumstance for anyone who calls on Him, but we need to still be active and not hide in a cave. 

We are so conditioned to tell others how wrong they are.  Yet we don't look beyond to what we are seeing.  We aren't trusting each other to what they are saying and too quick to judge their actions with out knowing what they are truly doing . 

We even set ourselves up to something that we aren't when you look at Elijah, Elisha, John the Baptist and even Jesus Himself as they walked the earth sharing the Word of God they weren't living a cushy life.  Even those that they were ministering too were not living cushy lifes.  They struggled, but each of the prophets and Christ offered something that would help the struggle seem not so bad.  God did take care of the people even through their struggles and blessed them for their obedience.  And it was in the attitude.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

An unknown God

Have we forgotten who God is?  His attributes are in His name through His word.  He asks us to keep His name Holy, His name above all names. 

He is all that we need.  He provides for everything that we need to have to get through each day.  He is a Healer that heals everything that afflicts us and keeps us from living a life serving Him.  He keeps His promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  

Yet when trials come, we forget His name. We doubt that He has been with us from day one, and He will never leave us. He may turn His back on us for a time when we've sinned but when we repent, He receives us in His arms again. 

We are a stiff necked people at times.  We think we can fight the fight ourselves.  We treat our God like an unknown God when we say "I don't think He hears me", and we think we have to fight the battle ourselves.  We need to stand still and wait for the battle cry of God for those situations. 

Over the last few weeks God's been showing me scriptures on standing alone waiting for the battle cry. The result when people waited on the Lord?  The armies destroyed themselves!  Jehoshaphat, with the army of the Lord stood along a hill side singing praises to God while the army below destroyed themselves as they did in the book of Judges when Gideon's army of 300 surrounded an army of several different nations that were as far as the eye could see also destroy themselves in the confusion when the pitchers broke and torches lit up the sky and horns blew.  Both incidents the armies declared the name of the Lord!

Psalms 91:2 says "I will say of the Lord 'My refuge and my fortress, My God in whom I trust.' "

God does not want us to be silent.  However if we do not proclaim the name of the Lord with our mouths that which we have hidden in our hearts, we are not honoring Him for the works He has done.  He is our refuge and our fortress.  We do nothing without Him because we do fall on our faces when we do it on our own.

I've been reading the book of Acts for the past six months, and the last four months out loud each chapter corresponding to the day of the month.   In the last four months I've watch the book come alive in circumstances in my daily walk with Him.  He is a provider in all things.  We need to declare His name in the stores, in the streets and in the workplace.  Yesterday a friend and I were talking about God and that He always provides for His people and never leaves them stranded.  A gentleman walked by and commented on our conversation and just wanted to stand and listen as it blessed him during a time he was going through.

This really is not a time to shut up!  We need to start speaking out His Name and His works.  Those who don't know our God see him as judgemental, angry, withholding and several adjectives that don't describe the God we serve.   We need to speak up!  We need to speak His name whereever we go!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

What if.......

What if in this journey of prayer someone doesn't agree with what I'm doing?

What if I haven't reached an area of spirituality that they are, that I'm still trying to press in to what God is calling me to be, does that make my journey less significant? 

What if because I may veer a little off of a goal for a day because of something that was out of my control zone that someone will choose to not support me in my endeavor?

In asking myself these questions only one question stands out and its this: is my heart in line with His and am I seeking His heart fully with no desire to turn back?

We are all at different levels in the journey of our Christian faith.  But the only question we need to be concerned with is whether our hearts are seeking after His heart.

Nothing else matters.  Whether people accept us or not becuase we may or may not follow in their footsteps, it doesn't matter. Its where our heart truly lies. 

Christianity started with the heart.  It started with the heart of God seeking after those that He created and in turn began when His Son sacrificed Himself for our sins.  And when Christianity comes full circle at the return of Christ it will the same reasoning except that God has the hearts of those who chose to believe, do we His chosen have His?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

A mom’s life

A mother’s life is ever changing. From the time she marries and has her first child, her life is not her own anymore. Gradually she will be able to move into different stages of motherhood where she will find that the things she did or the dreams she had when she was single will come to pass and at times she will find others have joined her in her plans and she has found room for them in her dreams.

Even though the life is ever changing, the events don’t alter much. You still have sleepless nights whether your child is in the crib in the next room, or living 3 hours away from you. You still worry did you say or do the right thing in guiding them to being the responsible adult they need to be.

You wonder how as God changes you will the changes affect your child as you continue to grow in your relationship with Him, because the relationship you have with Him today is not what it was when you were first married or when your child was younger.

What I’m learning and still learning is that when our children are in His hands, we really don’t have to worry. We’ve given Him the control and to take it back means we are giving the control to the enemy. It is hard to do when you can remember your daughter crying in the other room to be picked up after you’ve put her to bed and you know you have to let her cry it out. The feelings are the same even though the situation has changed and she's move out of the home.

Psalms 91 is God’s promise that we are always in His hands no matter where we are in our lives. He promises to never leave us nor forsake us in Hebrews. He will always be there no matter what our children go through or what we as moms feel as we watch from the sidelines of their lives.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Stand alone and let God do the rest

This one's for me!  I have trouble when things don't look like they are going to work out the way they should. 

Its so easy to defend yourself.  Its so easy to just react to situations around you when people say things about you and discredit who you are because of what they see and disregard anything you say. 

There are several times in God's word where He says to do nothing when someone persecutes you.  Its not that we are to just stand there and take it, we are to keep living the life He's called us in much more strength and vigor then before.  When our lives are upright and honest, God will protect us!  

We may have to stand alone in a field in the dark with just a torch covered with a clay pitcher in one hand and a horn in the other.  But if you read in Judges, God didn't want anyone that was afraid to be on the battlefield.  So in standing alone the soldier did not whisper "the sword of the Lord and Gideon."  He shouted with all his might "THE SWORD OF THE LORD AND GIDEON!"  The soldier had no fear and he stood there, with broken clay at his feet and his small torch illuminating with 299 torches and blowing a horn with all his might that surrounded a camp that was as far as the eye could see and innumerable.  The enemy will destroy themselves without you having do step out of your spot.

We don't have to fit in with the "in" crowd.  We can stand alone and we won't be alone. We will have an army of the Lord behind us in a crowd of thousands who will supply us with a horn and a torch covered in a pitcher.  He will let us know when to break the pitcher.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Preceptions and Judgements Pt 3

This is the final note on this topic.  LIke I said as I'm walking I start working out things in my head the further I walk.

All perceptions and judgements that we have in our life that came from childhood during our adulthood through relationships we've had have not authority in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ. 

2 Chr 10:5 says "Casting down arguments and every hight thing that exalts itself above the kingdome of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ". 

Most of the preceptions we've acquirred are out of pride.  We make our own excuses as to why we don't help out those in need because we think they can find ways to help themselves as they've done it for years. We make up excuses as to not to spend time with friends because then we don't have to get hurt if they don't agree with us.  We would rather hide in a cave then face the world for fear we minght offend someone.  All of this goes back to  life of pride. 

Offense is the issue in the church and it comes from preceptions from other situations.  Its also an area of pride that needs to be brought back under the obedience of Christ because Christ never offended anyone with out a just cause that ruled above the Knowledge of God. 

Putting pride under the obedience of Christ leads to humility.  It leads to having to let go of yourself to take care of a person who at the moment has lost all dignity.  Its the bringing them back up from the brink, even if its not what you were raised to do in your childhood.  And its for every situation in life, not what you think you get to pick and choose.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Perceptions and judgements Pt 2

Its funny how when you are on a walk, you begin to form things in your head of times when you perceived situations differently then they were and  the longer the walk the more you start seeing where the perception started. 

When we are children, we are told things that are just basic common sense.  "Don't talk to strangers", "Don't wear out your welcome" "Say please and thank you" "Don't take the first piece" and so on.

Depending on how we were raised as children some of those "basic common sense" comments went a little deeper in the understanding.  For example, I had been a shy child (I know surprising!) growing up.  I've been coming out of my shell over the years and breaking off some of what I had perceived as a child.  For example, the "Don't wear out your welcome".  A lot of insecurity took place for me from that statement as when I would get into groups of friends I would want to leave first from the group so I didn't wear out my welcome.  I for a long time had problems coming up to groups of people that I knew because I didn't want to either interrupt them or intrude.  I've discovered over the years that it does go both ways but for the most part if its a private conversation, the parties will tell you.   I had never let it get that far.

Some of it also came from a "class" issue.  Low class, Mid class, Upper class ect. I've learned that it doesn't matter what "class" you are in, you hurt and bleed the same.  I am so grateful to know people who see that and see past what a person has. 

God is no respecter of persons.  As I came to understand that thought it opened so many doors for me to know that if He isn't neither should I.  I'm still working on this and haven't fully broken off old thoughts and habits but I'm getting there. 

To repeat, when a person says something to another person, clarity is so important.  Its no wonder that God has stipulated the importance of knowing what you teach when you teach the Gospel.  I've heard so many people say that when we do good things we'll get a stone in our crown.  I've studied it and no where in the Bible does it say that!  (I studied both stones and crowns).   And if you look up crowns like what we are throwing at the feet of Jesus that we do receive the word is the same as for "bind" in the Greek meaning like a crown of thorns are bound or a crown of daisies.

One of my favorite short film is "The eye of the beholder" perception is throughout the movie.  Below is a short clip I found on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI7aV_SOeXA

Friday, June 3, 2011

Perceptions and judgements

I had these thoughts going through my mind this morning.  I was at a meeting yesterday talking about my weight loss project.  As I was discussing it the thoughts that were going through my mind was what if these women choose to not support me and my project because I won't join their program?  Granted, I supported all they had to say because I've been there as well with the challenge of losing weight and eating because I'm stressed and other issues.

Then as I was praying God was showing me that the issue is now how I lose the weight, the issue is what the goal is.  The goal is to get medical supplies (and a facility of some sort) on Sigulu Island in Uganda.  It would be hurting the procedure if something that is so vital for an area to preserve life and stability to a nation is decided to pledge or not pledge someone because they are on a different program then is being supported them.

I was thinking also about a comment I posted a few weeks ago about how you say something you are not responsible for the perception of the person receiving what you say.  I totally agree.  It is the responsibility of the speaker to say with clarity what they are conveying to another person. 

However we can end up perceiving so many things from different events that our own human nature and health can be affected if we don't change our perception. The sad part is that perception becomes a way of life that may spiral out of control.

I'll write more on this topic later as I am thinking on several different scenarios that I've encountered over the years that I'm still sorting through as to why circumstances occurred like they did.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Is God calling you?

Is God calling you to go beyond what you normally would do?  Is He stretching you beyond your comfort zone?  Yippee!

I am reminded over the weekend of last year when I was diligently seeking God's way of preparing me to go to Uganda.  About the same time some personal things were going on with a family member that tore my emotions to the core. 

When I was eight years old, I lost my birth mom to complications to diabetes.  At age eleven I began praying for a brother. (God had a sense of humor with my prayers at a young age!)  A few months later, my dad remarried a wonderful lady who adopted my sister and I and she had two sons from a previous marriage who became my brothers.

For the first six months of the past year I was riding a roller coaster of former emotions from the young child losing her mother and watching my father revert a little to his bacholor state as he was taking care of her.  At the same time I was planning a trip to Uganda. 

As I'm walking this path of faith I am discovering that this event was a distraction.  I'm not being callous over my mom's illness, but I learned yesterday as I was listening to my pastor's sermon how much I understood what my feelings at the time were along with confusion and comments from others during that time.

My mom led me to know Christ when I was 12 years old beyond to what I was taught in Catholism.   One thing I've learned over the years from her is that there is a joy that comes from a sorrow that only the Holy Spirit can provide at a time when it seems all is lost.  She knew where she was going if her time came.  She was ready. 

In that light, it didn't make sense for me to really be sad, even though I was.  She's been my mom for over 38 years and took on the responsiblity with all the gusto she had!  She had her call from God.  I had mine. I called her every day for six months or close to it.

I believe that whatever she was going through last June to the next several months, God healed her of it in January.  In the same manner had I used the distraction to change my plans of going to Uganda and stayed home it wouldn't have changed the plans God had for her or for me.  We each had our own journey at that time to walk through. 

This life is not our own as much as we'd like it to be.  Some day we will have a judgement day.  We will be judged in how we conducted ourselves in the walk God has led us on.  All He asks is that we submit to His will and His call.  It makes life so much easier and sweeter when we do.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

When did I become this person?

I was wondering that sometime yesterday.  When did I become this person (or still becoming)? This person who when she looks at the Word realizes that sitting back and reading it trying to figure out how to fit it in with the life she was leading as young girl to teen to wife to mother to empty nester wasn't what God intended?  He wants walking, breathing, living people to walk, breath and live His Word because it is walking, breathing and living. 

Its a lifestyle.  It means taking out that which hinders us from doing the walking, breathing and living His Word.  It means leaving behind that which we once had control.  Its not just a Sunday thing.  Its is a lifestyle.  

Sometime I became this person.  I don't know how it happened or when it happened.  It just did. 

Yes I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was 11.  I've known who He was most of my life from that point on, however now I KNOW HIM! (or knowing Him daily).

It causes strife when you are around those that don't know Him but only know of Him.  They don't know that He truly loves them, that He truly will provide all that they need. They really won't lack for anything.  However, what they truly need, they won't have until they totally give it all to Him.

I haven't become all that I'm to be, and there's plenty of room to grow.  Today I'm this person, tomorrow is another of walking, breathing and living a life that He's given me.  I am truly blessed to belong to Him and to those He's given me.

Friday, May 13, 2011

One of the aspects I love about our God...

I've used this term "God knows our hearts", and there are times where some take it out of context from what I am expressing. 

He knows when we are truely seeking Him with all of our hearts, and He knows when we are not, and just playing a game.

I'm glad that when He calls me to something, He is faithful to complete it.  During the time that He has called me to something, I still have to live on the earth walking through that which He called me to do.  I may not do it in the manner that others would like or think that its the way to do it.  I'm walking in His steps and He's told me over and over again that is what I am doing.  He's set the path for me and I am walking in it. 

On the other spectrum of my statement that God knows our hearts, He knows when you are just playing the game.  When you refuse to give up that which is hindering the relationship that He desires with you and say that you have time to serve Him later. Yes there are still areas like that in my life that I am working on but because my heart is set on Him, He is working that out of me.

Its who your heart is set on that makes the difference. 



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exr3GK_8kbU

Dreams-

I believe God speaks to us in dreams.  Sometimes we can remember clearly and its so lifelike that you wonder if it is truly from God or not until you can pinpoint areas that do show God's speaking to you.  Other times it could be very foggy and you are wondering why you are wearing large yellow plastic fish earrings to your own graduation.

At night before I fall asleep, I do ask God to take me to His Throne Room.  For some that means a time of intimacy with the Father.  For me, its usually a lesson to be learned, and I find myself walking through steps, or its insight to circumstances where I am feeling overwhelmed and confused by what people say or do.  I do have the intimacy along with the lesson, and I'm sure thats with a lot of people as well.

Throughout the Bible God spoke in dreams to Joseph, and others.  It was His plan, His way to communicate to use through the quiet and resting time.   I don't see anything wrong with writing down what you dreamed and researching it for yourself. 

God does have a sense of humor when He talks to us.  For example when my sewing machine was on the fritz, and I didn't know how to put the tension back together, I went to take a nap.  Yes I know it was out of the frustration that I dreamed about the sewing machine tension, but when I woke up, I put the whole part together with in a couple of minutes. 

I know there are skeptics on this topic.  And this isn't the place to argue about it.  Its just where I'm at in my journey seeking the heart of God.  If that's His desire for me as well, I accept the manners in which He choses to talk to me and to share with me.

Monday, May 9, 2011

"Don't allow yourself to be hurt to avoid hurting the slug"

A few weeks ago when I was setting up for  a Dag sewfest at my church, I noticed a slug on the front window when I was leaving the building.  When I opened the door, it fell off and was in the way of me trying to get out of the building and I didn't want it squished by the door so I eased my way out of the door, saved the slug, but wrenched my hip by straddling the door.

Lesson learned.  And Devo developed. 

The lesson:  Slugs ruin things, plants, leave their slimy mess as a trail to where they have been.  The squishy mess is small compared to the damage a slug does to a garden.  We don't have to care about them.  I know my friend has a slug race every year, and I'll leave that option open for them as it helps her business and others at the port during this event. 

But for the rest of the time, slugs have no place in the garden of our lives.  Metaphorically speaking, they will destroy the Garden that God has placed you.  Like the cunning snake, they will continue to leave their slimy mess behind them if you let them get away with it.  They will distract you from your purpose of providing for those you care about if you let them rule your garden space.  There is a place for slugs, but not in the garden where substance is provided.  . 

When approacing the slug, remove it.  Don't let what its brought with him to pollute what God has already set in place for you.  They carry with them  diseases from other plants and transfer them to your own garden.  If God has already told you what to do, do it. 

What happens if you let the slug continue to roam in your garden?  Manipulation, deceit, resentment, bitterness and rejection start to grow because you've started to make a place for the slug to thrive where it really doesn't belong.  Soon you won't even reconize your garden because the slug has taken over.  The plants that you planted are ruined because of the attention you gave the slug.  There's not life left in the garden. 

So today, get the slug out.  Do whatever you have to do to make sure it doesn't return.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

My wake up call-placing my health back into top priority

I finally had the wake up call.

For the last year and a half  I felt the Lord tell me to not do make-up until the time was right.  It was not a great struggle as I haven't made a habit of it for quite a while.   This morning I believe He said to start again.  That was the first wake up call.

The second was due to my procedure this past Thursday.  I am changing my eating lifestyle back to vegetarian and throughout the day I had been feeling more and more to follow Jethro Kloss's "Back to Eden" book for devo and learning how to obtain a healthier lifestyle. And I'm thinking of adding in the Daniel Fast Cookbook by Grace Bass and Lynda Anderson, a vegan cookbook and working with the two primarily.   I'm seem to always have some sort of challenge going on in my life. 

I set a goal of working toward losing 10 pounds a month for the next couple of months.  Looking at the "comfortable" wardrobe of jeans, t-shirt and sweats kind of showed me that I was in need of a change. 

Some of why I've been living this lifestyle is due to the career I have being an in home caregiver.  You get used to seeing just one or two people a day outside of family and then develop a who cares attitude as you get more relaxed in the work environment.  For the past four years I've been wearing sweats or jeans and t-shirts as primarily I was working nights for about three of the four years and sleeping during the day.   Not that it was that great of an excuse.

Other changes are taking place and not knowing where this leg of my journey is taking me, its best to put my health first at this time.

Friday, May 6, 2011

It wasn't about the procedure.....

Yesterday, I had my first colonoscopy. 

About a couple of months ago, I was having severe stomach and constipation issues and a consistent sore throat.  This went on for several weeks and I reluctantly went to the doctors office.

While there being examined it was determined that they would do a  Hypolori Breath test to see if it was a virus.  While waiting for the test to be completed I was able to share with a lab tech who almost a year ago had to deal with the death of her husband in one of the worst accidents that our area has ever had.  There were things that I can't share that took place, but I knew that I was "on assignment" to bring Heaven to her.   The test turned out to be negative for the virus.

The issues subsided for about a week before I went in for my pre op appointment with the doctor. We scheduled the procedure for the next month,  

I went back and forth on whether to continue as I knew part of why I was feeling like this was because I'd gone off my vegetarian lifestyle from the pervious year.  I had started out this year to do it again and I'm not sure why I quit in early January.  

I still kept getting the feeling that it wasn't so much about the procedure as it was about leaning on Him and doing what He called me to do.  I know that's a really hard concept to grasp when you think of the cost of going through something like this, but when you do what He has called you to do He will take care of the cost.   That is was Proverbs 3:5-6 is about "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."  

So Wednesday as I did the prep work at home, I was able to spend time praying and preparing for the next day for the work He was calling me to do.

Thursday morning, we arrived at the hospital at 8:30 and I was taken into short stay unit while I sent Dale out to go get a mop at Walmart. (Its cheaper to shop in Cresent City Walmart then Brookings Fred Meyer even with the sales tax.  Enough said).  I went into the room to get ready and talked with the volunteer about what I do with SoDAG ( During my interview I had talked with a lady about what I did in Uganda and SoDag and she is gather supplies for me).  She in turn shared about the prayer shawl ministry she is involved in at her church that is so dear to me also.   Later a friend that is one of the nurses took me on to my procedure and when it was over it was discovered that I do have Diverticulosis, which primarily means I need to each high fiber foods and more fluids.  So back to being a Vegetarian!

All I heard during this time was God saying "It's not about the procedure".  It was about sharing Him, bringing heaven to those that need it.  God is so gracious to us in His plan and we are the ones that like to complicate it.  We worry about the cost of everything, not realizing that the situation goes beyond the procedure to the hands and hearts of the ones that are taking care of you.  That's what God cares about.  He'll take care of the rest!

Monday, April 18, 2011

As I walk in this journey....

Over the last few weeks I've been struggling with some issues. I don't believe that God can withhold from His children if their hearts are in line with Him. Things of our past have become rooted and they need to be uprooted to have Christ rooted inside us. We can't serve two masters. However there are habits that cannot be easily broken in some as it can in others.

We have two directions we can take because we serve a God who has given us free will. We can say that we know Him and continue to follow down the road we've been following, but even though He's a God of free will, there are consquences for... our actions and it does lead to daath if we don't turn away.


I've never said that a person who is living a sinful defiant life is going to go to heaven. God is clear about that. However when I say that He knows our hearts, He knows which direction we are really going, and what road we are taking.



I believe that because there are reasons for our actions, and those reasons can be rooted so deep that it would take a lifetime to get to the bottom of it, If the heart is willing to break the strongholds off, God honors the work they are doing.


It goes back to the workers in the field that have worked all day and in the last hour more were hired and got the same pay as the ones who had worked the fields during the day. God gave them each worker the same wages, no matter how long they had worked.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

What I believe about our relationship in Jesus Christ

When you accept Christ as your Savior and commit to follow Him and what He calls you to do, that is a relationship between you and the Father through His Son Jesus Christ.

We are living a life that honors Him.

Its like in a family.  We live a life that honors our parents and the values they've set for us.  If we want away from that, dishonoring them, a wise parent will not disown their children.  However, if the child doesn't repent and come back under the family guidelines, when it comes time to the will they may be disinherited. 

When my daughter was growing up, we worked on getting her to understand that there was a time limit to get something done.  When the time was up if there was no effort in doing what she was told, she suffer consequences.  However, if we saw that she was making a effort to get everything in order by the time it was to be done, we were lax in it and let her finish after the time limit was over.

When I say that God looks at the heart, He looking to see if you are working on breaking that which is holding you back from a complete relationship with Him.  His time is up when His tells Jesus to bring His children home.

I think there are strongholds that are so deep in a person that they can't break it overnight or at the time of a decision for Christ.  It may take a long time to break it.  However, if you just decided it can't be broken and continue living your life like you did before, you are lost,  You have to give it to God.  He knows your heart and when you give it to Him He will guide you to breaking that stronghold.  If you fall, you need to repent and get back on track.  He states that in 1 John 1:9.

"Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart". 1 Samuel 16:7b. We aren't to judge or condemn the person for being in the stronghold when it hasn't left.  We are to encourage them out of it.  We are to help them through it Galatians 6:1,  God doesn't condemn His children,  He convicts them to do the right thing.

Friday, April 15, 2011

One of my references for the next few months

I'll be refering to "Biblical Foundations of Freedom", "Changing our unbelief", and "In His Image" by Art Mathias and also others from books I'm reading for the next several weeks.  Plus the Bible as my main reference. 

So if you want to follow along, you can purchase these books at Amazon.com.  Art Mathias is the founder of WellSprings Ministries in Anchorage Alaska.

His website is http://www.akwellspring.com/

I've liked studying over the years about how eating more balanced meals help with our health and well being, and how our emotions and feelings towards tramatic events also trigger those health issues.  I've more or less dabbled in understanding it and until this last bible study did I get a clearer picture. 

I still haven't found any Christian studies done on the healing of herbs and such for illnesses like they use in India.  I do believe that God had a purpose in the begining with all that He created included plants and herbs to help keep us fit, and even with the way we are made where some body types are more in tune with one type then another of nutrients like they have in the Indian Culture of Pitta, Kapha, and Vata doshas.  

Not to get mystical in my thinking except for about Christ and His plan, but like I said I believe that God had things in order, and satan distorted it in areas and we need to set it back in order and give the Glory to God for His creation.  His plan is in His word, we just have to study it.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Rejection and its power pt 2

According to Art Mathias's book "The biblical foundation of freedom", there are four levels of rejection.

1) The fear of rejection-
2) Self-rejection
3) Rejecting others
4) desire of rejection

I think we have all felt a form of one of these at one time or another, and there are those who are deep in all four of them. 

The biggest lie that we as women have been told is that we have to be a certain way for a man to really love us.  We set ourselves up for rejection when we decided to not trust a man for something he did to hurt us, and we take it to another level and decide to not trust any man what so ever.  This gets transferred on to our daughters and even to sons who are in the picture take on a self rejection. 

Its a tangled web that is woven when we put up a wall because we've been hurt. 

Rejection is a tool from satan to cause us to take our eyes off of Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.   We live in fear that someone is going to hurt us if we go out and try to teach a Sunday school class or volunteer in some capacity in the church. 

But remember, Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith.  He takes care of the rejection because He took on the rejection that we've felt in ourselves. 

Isaiah 54:3 "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of they habitations, spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes, for those shall  break forth on the right hand and on the left.  And thy seed shall inherit the gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited."  

Rejection causes us to run away from everything around us and to hide in our homes and away from the outside world.  We can spend hours doing menial  things that in actually benefit no one but ourselves.    God wants us to enlarge who we are because in we are His creation.  We have work to do for Him.

So today, what are you going to do?  God has been calling you to get out and work for Him, not for yourself.  He will provide for you, despite those that want to hurt you.  Break off the stronghold of rejection that you have been believing and walking in for so long and let the freedom of Christ fill you. 

Rejection and its power

This topic may be a while to go through.

I have a good number of friends.  We talk and laugh, cry and share our joys and sorrows together.

However, as my friendships develop, I find a common thread that really needs to be broken in several of them.  Its called rejection.  And it has twisted its way into the hearts of women in ways that are so subtle that we aren't even aware that we are doing it.

I believe its a generational thing.  It gets passed down from one generation to another for no real reason until someone is so afraid to even talk to anyone that has said something to cause fear in them that they became recluse because the world outside is frightful. 

I'm talking about also of trying to be better then the "Jones".  Of not wanting to let anyone near you or your home because they might judge how you live.   Which that is a form of rejection where you are setting yourself up to be rejected while rejecting the person you don't want to have in your home and putting a label on them.  The label may have come also from a generation before you.

The opposite side of the spectrum is not wanting you or your family around situations that as your children grow up will have to face as adults.  Instead we are teaching them to begin to judge on the outside before they can see the pain on the inside.

As time goes on, I am finding more and more that rejection causes passivity.  We became passive in our actions, not wanting to reach out to anyone, for help or to help.  We are good at watching what goes on around us, but don't want to get involved becuase its not any of our business.  When its a child being abused, a neighbor's home that is being robbed, its our business!  Why continue passing on rejection?

With rejection comes pride.  As long as we have the blinders on our eyes to what the pain is on the inside,  we don't have to do anything about it.

I believe that rejection is the strongest in women in many different forms and like I said I don't think we are aware of how deep that rejection is within ourselves.

I'll talk about that more in my next blog entry.

But today, you can break that rejection off of you.  Fist of all, think of someone that has hurt you.  They may not know that they have, so don't apoligize to them for it yet, but do something for them.  bake a cake, find a book that is of common interest to both of you so you can have a common ground to restart a friendship.  By doing this, you are reducing the passivity in your heart and the pride, and also doing the same in the other person because since rejection is a big thing, they've been feeling it also.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

When you walk side by side with Him

I'm not sure how I had lived on this thought for so long: That God's love was limited to what I was doing for Him.  That once my day started, if I sinned or made a mistake, I was done for the rest of the day trying to make up for what I had done.

In the last year, I've been slowly breaking off this false line of thinking, that my days were doomed because of a mistake I made or a sin I committed.  I even quoted 1 John 1:9 believing it for others, but not myself.

I can't tell you when my thought pattern changed, I just know it did.  I plan now  that my day is going to be a good day, no matter what happens.  I don't have to walk in knowing that because it didn't start out the way I would have liked, that I have to live in the guilt and shame, because as the day went on, living like that, I continued to do things that fit the manner of the early event.

That's because He is walking with me, my steps are along side His, and some days He's carrying me through my circumstances as I can't seem to walk them on my own.  They journey He and I are on, continues because its one I've chosen to walk.

When we choose to let the events around us direct our path, we will go it alone eventually.  Pride creates its own path. No one wants to walk with a prideful person as that would mean a companion and a helper and they have their own path of pride to encounter.  


When satan's fiery darts start flying, they can't touch you, as you're in the shelter of the High Place, in the Shadow of the Almighty.  You've drenched yourself in His word so you know every step He will take and you and He walk together.   Weapons may be formed to take you down, but they won't be used. 

I love 2 Chr where the 3 armies go to fight the Israelites, and they stand alongside the mountain top looking in the valley where the 3 armies are preparing to fight, and instead of going into battle, they sing.  And the 3 armies annihilate themselves!  The best part, the Israelites got all the stuff the kings had brought with them and it took three days to gather it up!

Walking with Him is a win-win.  Why are you denying it?

Thursday, April 7, 2011

praise Him in the down times

Somewhere in my life when I was taught that "When you serve God you will deal with trial and tribulations", we were taught that when those trials and tribulations come that they don't leave with out prayer and fasting.


True. But we've taken the wrong stance on this thought. When we fast and pray, we need to do so in the manner of praising God for Who He is and for what He is doing. When those trials come, we need to learn that He's buiding up something better because we served Him.


We seemed to have missed that point in when He wants to bless us, He don't give us a stone instead of bread when we are hungry. Yes bad things will happed as rain falls on the just and the unjust. When it does fall, we need to praise Him as rain when it falls brings in new growth, bring life to that which was dead. We don't have to wallow in our sorrow and hand our head low. We need to raise it up and see that our redemption draws nigh!


When your rent is due and all you have is two potatoes in the cupboard and no butter or sour cream, praise Him that you have a two potatoes in the cupboard. Dig a hole and bury one so it will sprout and produce more potatoes. Because you've paid the rent, and you have another month in your house! Eat the other one!


I love it in Amiee's book when her husband took his fishing pole to go get dinner for that evening and Amiee told him that God would provide a meal for them becuase they were in the service of the King. Her husband came back empty handed, and Amiee had a feast on the table. God provides for His people. He knows our every need when we need it. When trouble comes, raise your hands and your head and tell Him thank you for the blessings He is about to bestow on you. He will.


By the way, I'll share God sense of humor:


I've stated before that I am trusting Him even if my cupboard is bared down to a bottle of oil and flour. One day a friend handed me a bag. She didn't know what I was declaring, and when I opened the bag, I had a large bottle of oil and a bag of oats. I laughed because God knows I make flour out of oats!


He loves us unconditionally. And we we chose to let the circumstances lead us to make decisions over what He has planned for us, we make it conditional on our own. We've changed the dynamics, He hasn't. He stays the same.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

The vastness of God-Watch what you do

In reading the book about Aimee Semple McPherson, the founder of the Foursquare movement, I had mixed feelings about her life and they were due to how I was brought up myself. As I read further along, I find a woman who loved the Lord with all her heart and a desire to serve Him no matter what. She had a relationship with God.


The skepticism of her life came from actions she did out of a human nature. She had conversations with a married man over an intercom in her office which caused a stir with her employees and her mother. I believe it was out of loneliness that this occurred as she had no friendships in the ministry that she could confide in. Later the man left his position at the radio station and also abandoned his own family. (in our world today it would be as if we sent a text message to someone and was more personal then we needed to be).


She was kidnapped, by whom no one knows, only speculation that the Mob was involved. But from her actions with her co worker, a trial with a grand jury and other legal events took place from accusations that she had spent the three weeks that people thought she had drowned and said she was kidnapped that she had been having an affair with the man she had had conversations with over the intercom. She wasn't. There were reports of a lady claiming it was her sister that was having the affair with the man but she had recanted her testimony when Aimee and her mother refused to pay her. Then before the trial began the woman changed her testimony once again and Aimee and her mother were free.


We have to watch what we do. We seem to always say that it doesn't matter what you do, be yourself and the like even in the Christian community, yet we forget about stumbling blocks that can occur and snares that come about. We don't know who's watching or who's listening and 9 times out 10 they will get it wrong anyway.


Along the same lines we have to make sure we follow God's plan that He has for us, and do what He's called us to do in the manner He's called us.

God being the ultimate planner of all things, being the Creator that He is, if He has set a goal for us to acquire it is our job to finish the goal. When we side track from it and the time had come upon us to join others in the goal, we may not be ready as those that had done exactly what God called them to do. It does sound like the virgins with no oil in their lamp at the time the bridegroom came. Without the lamps lighting the way, the bridegroom is not able to find the way to his bride's home.
However, being the gracious God He is He could hold us back until we are ready and and not having to struggle to keep up.


I brought up two different points, but in actuality they do merge. We have to watch how we handle ourselves being in the service of our King. Even though we walk in freedom, it doesn't mean that we can also do things that are a stumbling block to those that are walking beside us. We have to be accountable to what we say and do. Even if others get it wrong and like the drama and pursue other avenues then the truth such as with Amiee, we don't need to go through trials we've caused ourselves.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Continuing in the vastness of God-

Something that a friend told a group of us years ago and she still says it today "Lord don't let me be decieved and don't let me be a deciever. When I say I am truely in awe of how our God works I really mean it. I have watched people who have walked in deception for many years and yet God' grace and mercy keeps them from stumbling until the time comes that they realized the truth that has set them free from the bondage. They lived and believed the lie that was told through out generations, or even a misconception that has continued for years and lived a life around it.



A funny story that I heard was a lady at thanksgiving got out her roasting pan to cook Christmas dinner. While talking with the other women in the family, she cut off about 2 inches of the ham and put it in the oversized roasting pan. One of the women asked her why she did that. "My mother did it". As the story goes on, the lady decided to find out for what reason her mother had cut off exactly 2 inches off the end of the ham. She discovered her grandmother had done the same thing. When she finally found out the source, she laughed. Someone's roasting pan was too small for the ham they had and the cut of exactly 2 inches off the end so it would fit! Back between Genesis Chapter 1:1-2 Isaiah 14:12-21 occured. Lucifer was the highest Cheribum, the one that was in charge of worship in the Heavens. In Isaiah 14:12-21he lost his job because of pride. He is a deciever and he wants to make sure we are living in deception. He doesn't care about those already walking in it, because he's got them in his snare. The times he panics, is when praying Believers begin to praise and begin to pray for the lost and name them specifically. Then he starts to squirm because he knows God will win.


When we begin to see that God loves us unconditionally compared to what satan (his name changed when he got kicked out of heaven) tells us that we are loved limitly, because he captilizes on the sinner worth not on the redeemed life, we begin to take off the lies and deception and begin to live in freedom. We begin to live for Him and not in the fear of hurting a family name because the family name is nothing compared to the name of Jesus Christ.




Jesus Christ is total freedom. He came to redeem those that were lost, and living a life of sin, being decieved by a deciever and continued to live in the deception and decieving others. He shed his blood on the cross so that we could have a true relationship with a God who loves us with no boundaries, and when we sin we can go to Him and confess our sins and ask for forgiveness because He does forgive. He brings newness in life, even when we have to clean up the mess we made living a life of deception. He brings a way out when His truth is revealed so healing can begin, not so pain can continue. He is a healing balm.




Another friend told me to read Psalm 91 this year as I go on this prayer journey, because when you develop a communication line with the Father, sometimes you need to be reminded that while you are in the secret place of the Most High you are abiding in the shadow of the Almighty. He protects us from the snare of the fowler, and covers us with His feathers. In Mal 4 there's healing in His wings for the hurts and pains that we've endured because of satan's deception. You will trample the wicked with praises to the King and they will be ashes under your feet.




Its His promise in His word, and His word does not lie.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

The vastness of our God

In conversations over the last several days, I've taken a stand on some things. I don't think that God causes earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and other natural disasters to use for wrath. I believe that when the world was created, all those that are deemed natural diasters were planned and as time goes on, they were to increase as it states in the New Testament several times. God set in motion every thing at the time of Creation. That's my predestination view.
Now on the other side. While natural disasters were created long ago and planned out, the same God directs at a single moment the movements of the humans that he created as He gave them free choice. Events that occur through the sinful nature that we first acquired at birth, and then given the option to leave at the foot of the Cross are those that may have evolved through generation to generation or through just a single day's event that caused catastrophic issues, not natural born.


That is the vastness of our God. He is a planner, knows the very day you were born, but also lives in the moment of the very action you participate in. He knows all, sees all, and knows how we will react at any given moment to any situation.


When we choose to walk in His steps, in His plan, we walk in freedom. True we walk through some narrow roads, deal with people who choose to not to know Him as we do on a daily basis. But that's the free will part of His plan. He's not going to force someone to have a relationship with Him. That's not His nature.


Yes, I'm rather grounded. I have to work things out to understand them a little better. Watch out for my next post as it may go deeper as I ponder on these things a little longer.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

God's word is true-sin is sin

When I was working with Child Evangelism Fellowship, there was a great and simple definition as to what sin is. "Sin is anything you think, say or do that displeases God". So why do we as Believers in Christ haggle over what is right and wrong in God's eyes, twist what He says in His word to fit what we are doing in our lives? I was asked if I believed that a certian lifestyle could be changed or not. When I answered, that no it can't, there was a reason behind it. A person can not change what they don't acknowledge. (Yeah Dr. Phil!) If a person is not going to acknowledge that what God deemed to be sin, they aren't going to accept it and are not willing to change, but will make excuses for it to be acceptable for themselves and those around them. And God has no use for them if they continue to live a life of rebellion. God's word is very clear, if we take out something to fit our fancy, then His word become useless because it is His whole word that makes us alive in Him. It is Rheama and Logos. His word makes us accountable. Its not a bunch of rules because rules make it religious, and God's not into religion, He's into our lives. If we say that we are with out sin and live our lives like we want and twist His word around, then we are calling God a liar. And again we are making the book He gave us to live by, just a book. It has no value to it at that point. God's word is living and breathing. It is alive, every bit of it is truth. His word is truth. He give His believers freedom when they do confess their sins. When we acknowledge that our lives do not line up to His word, and confess our sins, He is FAITHFUL and JUST to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 john 1:9) "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. " (1 Cor. 6:9-10). So either we believe that what was written in Corithians is true and God's guidelines to what sin is in these verses or we throw the baby out with the bath water. God clearly states that even symbols in the Bible can't be changed or taken outwith out reprecussions from it (Matthew 5:18) , why would we take out or change words from it as well? Christ came to fulfill the law not to change it, and nothing in His word needs to be changed. We need to stop walking on the fence on this issue becuase the fence is coming down and there will only be a line drawn in the sand where the fence was. What side of the line will you be on?

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

"Walk in Me"

When I was at Bethel in January, my friend Holly and I had recieved a Word together. For me I sometimes have to have it point blank, like if God was talking to me He would say "On thurs at 3 pm I will kiss you on your right cheek." Now that I understand clearly.

So when this Word (rheama) was given, it was long and vast and I was listening intently. Holly understood right then.

I had to ponder it for a while on our way back to Brookings from Redding. Here is what I discovered.

While I was in Uganda, I had no worries about what to eat, where sleep or what I was doing that day. It was all planned out. I just had to walk in the plan that was set out. This was what I understood the Word spoken to mean.

I was to take it to the next level of faith. Trust in Him alone for all things. Trust in Him alone as to where I would sleep at night, what I would eat, where I would go. Walk in His footsteps that He's walked before me.

I'm am seeing first hand now what He is meaning. I've watched God show me confirmation after confirmation that I am walking in His steps. He is taking care of it all.

The other day I was thinking how this is possible as there are times when I feel that I am walking with one foot in Heaven and another here on earth. Heaven's viewpoint usually becomes clearer when I take that step of faith here on earth. The walk is usually unbalanced at first but then God conforms the walk to be straight and even as He reveals His plan each day.

Uganda was a step of faith. I had to walk on earth daily, trusting what God told me He would do. It was a hard journey to go through, but in the end it was worth it. People said I had my head in the clouds, and I did, and God provided! It was His plan!

So today, as I'm musing over events, its God's plan. He already has walked in it and set His footsteps for me to follow in. Its in His steps that I walk.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Being an overcomer

I am an overcomer. That is what I feel like today.

There are times where I have been the victim. But I know that to move from victim to overcomer takes some strategy. In time victim doesn't fit, because its have been overcomed!

There are times when though that when satan wants to throw his firey darts that he will make us feel like the victim again. But there is a time when you realize that you haven't been the victim for a long time. You've actually overcome the situation, the darts are just that, darts. When the shield of faith is properly attacted, the darts cannot penetrate you.

I learned in "Bibical Foundations of Freedom" in the last several weeks about the sheild in the Armor of a soilder. The shield is a made of leather and is soaked in water to prepare it for battle. When it is saturated, the firey darts of the enemy cannot set it on fire!

Its the same as if we don't use the shield of faith in our armor of God. The shield dries up and that is how the firey darts attack us!

So today, when you look at your situation, soak your shield in the Living Word of God, saturate it. Then let go of being the victim and release your faith. The battle has already been won. You just have to show up dressed in the armor of God. He will fight for you.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Making Bath Oils from the herbs in my herb garden

I went out to check on my herb garden from the freezing weather we've been having. My Lavender, Rosemary and Sage plants seem to be weathering well. I did cut off the dead blossoms from a couple of the Lavendar plants. (I know this should go in my "Abiggermess.blogspot.com blog but its part of my journey that's why its here.)

I cut off a large chunk of the Rosemary and decided to start making some bath oils.

I found a large Mayo container with a lid that I stuffed the Rosemary leaves in and shoved in as much as possible to fill the jar and then filled the jar with a 24 oz bottle of canola oil. Use a knife around the edges to clear out the air bubbles. The scent of the Rosemary is strong and with the canola oil it makes a good fragrance. I did a smaller one last year just to experiment and it was pretty easy.

Let the oil sit in a warm area for about 10-14 days. You can let it sit for up to two months if you'd like for a stronger scent. I'll have more batches to make up every couple of days to keep it rotating.

After the time has lapsed, strain through cheese cloth into another clean jar and cover that jar and let it sit for another 7 days. After this, I'll be pouring the bath oil into small wine bottles that I've had around for years to do this project with (currently housed in the cupboard about the washer and dryer that I'm reorganizing for my garden seeds and other gardening stuff that stays indoors).

Eventually I'll be doing bath salts using the oil from this method. I'll post how to do that when I make those. I want to use as much of what I have here and grow on my own for most of what I do. For me it makes the giving of it to others a little more personal.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Dag Event today

Today was the Southern Oregon DAG event! 6 ladies showed up, and we made 4 dresses. One of my friends brought a friend with her and the two cut out the dresses from the pillowcases, making it easier on my three sewers.

I usually set the time to be from 10-4 with one shift coming at 10, leaving about noon and then another group coming around 12:30. Around 1:30 when it was down to me and another friend we started packing up. It seems like the little corner that I promised I would use for my DAG stuff gets a little bigger each time I put things away. We left a bag on top of my stuff with the cut outs so that my sewers can just go in, get the dresses and take home what they want from the supplies.

Later I took some cut outs to another one of "my ladies" as I call my sewers as she stayed home to rest today. Her grandaughter is collecting pillowcases from Coos Bay and sends to grandma to use.

My goal is again 100 dresses to be sent to AZ for Hope 4 Kids to take to Uganda.

While at my friend's home we were talking about my garden. She loves to garden and is helping me to plan it out. I've got some ideas later for it that I'll share. One thing at a time.

I did take apart the upper tension part to my sewing machine as the upper tension spring broke. I'm trying to locate one. I thought something that size that gets used in all machines would be interchangable, but I don't think so. Not sure I want to spend the 2.95 for the spring and find out it doesn't fit.

It was suggested I take up sewing machine repair as there is no one here that does that. Another possiblity as I'm having women draging out a sewing machine that they haven't used for a while, dusting it off and making sure it works before they use it. I've been doing some minor repair on some machines and the lady that that I talked to today that told me not to take my tension gear apart even though I already had, made me feel like I wouldn't be able to get it back together again. That's what the other machine is for is to see how that's put together!

Tomorrow is my worship day. Looking forward to it as God is doing some amazing things lately! Can't wait!

Friday, February 18, 2011

A new leg to my journey

I know I didn't post much in this last leg, but God knows and that was what was important. It was an exciting time as I learned to get very close to Him and to the heart of His that I am seeking.

Tomorrow starts a new leg in my journey in seeking His heart, the lover of my soul.

Over the last couple of weeks, God has been showing me a different direction that I needed to go to. Several years ago those that remember on my followers and perusers list I did a leg of the Prov 31 wife. It wasn't until a couple of days ago that God showed me that was what I needed to do again in a different demension. I'll be explaining that dimension as time goes by. As with most legs of my journey they interceded quite a bit from time to time, picking up baggage from one leg to help complete another several months and sometimes years down the road. This is one of them.

So I'll post Prov 31 here to start off. I know its probably a scary part to read in today's day and age, and I know I'm going to be hitting on some topics that will seem stone age and "what is she thinking?" (that one's for hubby!). But know one thing. I'm seeking God's heart. I want my heart beat to match His.


Prov 31 10-31 (The Message)
A good woman is hard to find,
and worth far more than diamonds.
Her husband trusts her without reserve,
and never has reason to regret it.
Never spiteful, she treats him generously
all her life long.
She shops around for the best yarns and cottons,
and enjoys knitting and sewing.
She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places
and brings back exotic surprises.She's up before dawn,
preparing breakfast
for her family and organizing her day.
She looks over a field and buys it,
then, with money she's put aside,
plants a garden.
First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,
rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
She senses the worth of her work,
is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,
diligent in homemaking.
She's quick to assist anyone in need,
reaches out to help the poor.
She doesn't worry about her family when it snows;
their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.
She makes her own clothing,
and dresses in colorful linens and silks.
Her husband is greatly respected
when he deliberates with the city fathers.
She designs gowns and sells them,
brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.
Her clothes are well-made and elegant,
and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.
When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,
and she always says it kindly.
She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
and keeps them all busy and productive.
Her children respect and bless her;
her husband joins in with words of praise:
"Many women have done wonderful things,
but you've outclassed them all!"
Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
The woman to be admired and praised
is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.
Give her everything she deserves!
Festoon her life with praises!

(I like the Message version!)

Monday, January 3, 2011

My study for today

Reading today on several topics in Gen 9-12 showed some things that I know I'll have questions later :).

Even after the flood, evil found its way back into the world with Nimrod who was an enemy of God, to the tower of Babel where pride was more evident than a relationship with the Creator. Also, God states that any moving thing that lives He gave as food. All things including green herbs. However no flesh that has life and blood flowing.

I take the last part to mainly mean that which has a soul, a place to decided between right and wrong, free will. God even put a demand on the taking of a life of another human being.

"Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning,
from the hand of every beast I will require it and from
the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother
I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood,
by man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He
made man." Gen 9:5-6

We are not to take the life of any human being, whether they be walking the earth or in a mother's womb. Both are living breathing human beings with rights to live freely, created by the one True God.


From studies I've done, cites were named after people so I think that is the same for Canaan who is now a servant to the decendants of Shem and Japheth. It happened when Ham, Canaan's father saw Noah naked, and didn't take care of the situation properly. Now the land that was named for Canaan was a servant to other nations that surrounded the land. In Canaan is also Sodom and Gomorrah.

After reading in Chapter 12 that Abram departed to go to the land of Canaan to live, I wondered why since this is the land that God would give His decendants when it is also the same land that is a servant to the land that surrounds it?

But, when you look at the Gospel story, doesn't this depict the same? Christ came as a servant to those around Him, those His Father created, willing to die on the Cross for us, making Him the Kinsmen Redeemer, the one who was able to pay the price for our sins.

Pondering some of these thoughts as I go through the rest of my day. I know as I go further into God's word, I will find the answer.

This is the third year that I've started reading the Bible through in a year. Each year it is different when I read it. Its the same words, and for the most part the same translation. Sometimes I will get out my Strongs Concordance and take a phrase down to the Hebrew or Greek reference to study it further. At this point and time, I've decided to just read it as it is written. No indepth study as of yet as I've seen in the past how something will fit in to what I read just a week before in another chapter.

I am still going to do an indepth study on the word "seed". I tried to start one a few weeks ago, but other events came into play and I didn't get to it like I wanted to.

Something that I was thinking about earlier today and decided it was a good way to think on circumstances in our lives:

I'd rather kick myself for doing something I wanted to do whether it was right or wrong, rather then kicking myself for not doing anything at all.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

The heart God wants

I was reading in the 4th Chapter of Genesis today and while reading about Cain and Abel I it amazes me how many people think God rejected Cain for the offering, when it wasn't the offering it was the heart behind the offering. He was giving what he had. Abel was giving out of his heart.

That's the heart God wants for us, is one that is in line with His. Its the only thing He asks from us. We can ask Him anything and He will answer, always. It just may not be what we want or expect. When our hearts are in line with His, when our flesh has died, do we see His Heart and know that they will beat the same heartbeat.

As I continued to read, it was the ground that was cursed, the ground that Cain worked on, as the blood from Abel was crying out from it. The curse was lifted several generations later, and then the flood destroyed all that lived on the earth and it was made like new again with Noah and his family.

And when Noah disembarked, he built an altar for the Lord. And gave from his heart, because he walked with God and God found favor in him.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy 2011!

So starts a new year. One of many possibilities. I had an awesome year last year in learning to trust in God in many areas of my life, and learning to let go of many areas, (still working on others). At times I felt as if I was hanging on a thread, had feelings of doubt that I wasn't hearing Him right on areas such as finances for home and for my trip, but He provided in areas and in ways we didn't expect.

I'm excited for what 2011 will bring.

I have some people who are keeping me accountable to my journey this year in studying the charismatic prayer movement as it pertains from the beginning of Christ Ascension to now. I wanted to study this last year but another bible study that I was doing I found was needed to prepare me for this one.

This morning I did my devos by starting over again in Genesis and reading my bible in the next year. I started last year and did it most of the way through up to Luke. I'm planning on being more consistant this time. I'm reading it with the topic of "Holiness" in mind and what God requires of His people to be One with Him.

Right off the bat, when I got to Genesis 1:11 I knew that my waviering on whether to do a Daniel fast or not was not a decision to take lightly. It continued on through Chapter 3 as Adam and Eve were now cast out of the Garden, that because of sin, Adam could no longer eat from the Tree of Life because that meant that he would have to live forever in his disobedience.

Not that its a requirement to holiness, but for me, I think being a vegetarian once again is something I'm to do. the choice to do so is more out of an obedient calling and I believe a personal one for health reasons. However, I did see that having a day of rest, is a requirement for holiness because our God who is holy took a day of rest for Himself.

A day of rest simply means, rest. It doesn't mean that we have to find a dogma of rules and regulations such as what the law was, and then added to it. It just means rest, relaxing in His presence.

I know that in order to do this I need to have some order in my life to keep me accountable. He saw that what He did in seven days was very good, and perfect, just the way He wanted. I know that I can be very passive aggressive to myself, and put things off that need to be done that day so I can continue on with the plan for the next day and not bunch it all together and wear me out and those around me. I've slacked off this year in a lot of areas that I know I shouldn't have, and technically I'm paying the piper for it.

So here's to 2011 (that's twenty-eleven)! May it be a prosperous year full of abundant blessings to all.