HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Wow! Here we go again!! Another year over, another one beginning. You know how they say New Year, New You? Well I don't want a new me, I want the real me. Everything that G-d has made me to be, the women I'm destined to be, that's what I want.
This last year I heard a wonderful saying that just stopped and made me think.
"You become, by beholding."
If that's the case, what am I beholding? A great little reminder to keep my focus on the Lord if you ask me.
Ps 27:4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to BEHOLD the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. NKJV
even the psalms direct us to behold Him, all the days of my life, *sigh* and this next year I'm making a commitment to do that double fold!
At the end of each year I ask the Lord for a scripture, something that I can spend the next year meditating on and seeking after and you know what He gave me?
Ps 63:8 My soul follows HARD after thee, your right hand upholds me. KJV
Truly and new hunger for Him has risin up in me. My soul will not be satisfied with what I have with Him now, when I wish to get to know Him more. It's about relationship and like all relationships, you get to know that person more and more, falling in love with them more and more. My intimacy with G-d must grow and with it, my love and devotion. Here's a few commitments I have for 2011 that will help nurture this.
Spend more quiet time with Abba: including more prayer and reading of the Word.
be more aware of what I watch on tv, at the movies and the internet
lessen the amount of time I spend with my I-Pod. (it's not me it's you)
Cultivate the friendships that G-d has brought into my life and make more of an effort to stay connected.
It's not a completed plan, but it's a beginning. Just like my relationship with G-d, it's just the beginning, always growing and changing.
I'm expecting so much more for 2011, Adventures, surprises and lots of laughs. Most of all I'm expecting Jesus, Yeshua, the lover of my soul to show up and show off in my life.
G-d Bless everyone and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Lonely Places

Jesus often ventured off into lonely places to pray. Shouldn’t we expect to do the same? Being alone is lonely. But we must not be afraid to go to those places. It is in lonely places that we meet the father.

What would I do tonight

If I were not afraid to be alone

If I did not cannibalize my time

With activities to numb the fear?

Tonight

I will pretend

I am not afraid

To be by myself

That I am not afraid

To do the will of God

To do exactly what I know I ought

Nothing more

Nothing less

I will write some more reflections and study your word

I will eat an apple with cinnamon and sip some water

I will feel lonely, but I will not be afraid to feel that way.

I trust that I am walking in your will

You promised that you would with hold no good thing

From he whose walk is blameless

I lack no good thing

You give me everything I need in season

And you sustain me.

Such freedom! Such overwhelming, abounding JOY and FREEDOM

To do your will and do your word!

I am not tied to ugly hate and fear and impulse

I am intent on fulfilling my destiny, my purpose

To be in relationship with you.

My vineyard of praise will yield a harvest so abundant,

That I will wash my clothes in wine

I want to venture in the lonely place

I want to venture there and pray

I know that you will meet me there

I know that you will make me strong.

Every purpose you have for me will be achieved.

My Declaration for a New Season

Because the LORD has declared that this IS a NEW season! I am NOT who I was.... I am a new creation! Here is the declaration of newness from the God of Angel Armies!

I will no longer hide.
I will no longer hide.
Though thousands, tens of thousands rise up against me!
I will not be among those who shrink back!
The LORD is my stronghold.
He is my strength.
Though my courage give way,
He will be strong.
I will not sell my confidence in Him
For He has promised me only good things.
I will no longer hide.
I cannot hide.
The glory of God is within me;
And nothing, Satan, demons, nor man
Can take that from me!
I am a new creation.
I trust the LORD.

I don't even have to try to hide my thoughts.
I can let them flow and they will not effect me.
Because the LORD is the keeper of my mind,
I will not be shaken.
I trust in the LORD.
He will direct my steps.
I will survive.
I will live a full life -- an abundant life!
This is my declaration
For a NEW season.
Amen.

Words of Refreshment from the LORD!!

Summer 2010, August 7 - #8 (New Beginnings), #7 (Completion, Rest)

-Start praying for him. Speak and declare that he would BREAK OUT, that he would be all that he is created to be and walk in the Spirit, breaking all the yokes of death!

-God is nurturing a life of prayer and speaking the Word

-You were a burden-bearer, but now you are a yoke-destroyer!

-Don't forget how powerful you are, whose image you were made in. Start shedding that fear, do not be deceived.

-Whoever you give your first fruits to, you develope intimacy with that person. Give the first fruits of your EMOTIONS to God. Talk to Him first :)

Scarlet encounter

Today I met the only righteous man who ever lived. Without a word, he cut me with a thousand memories of careless words, selfish binges, greedy endeavors and heartless acts.

"Walk with me" he said.

I knew that his path came from patience, from faithful duty completed, from honor, from sincerity and truth. I knew that his path led to spotless courage, the kind that knows no shame and makes the world more just and more bright. I also knew from where my own path led. I prayed it was still concealed in darkness.

"How can I follow you?" I said, "I come from a dark path. I am a sinful woman, my heart as dark as my path."

"Follow me" he said. His eyes looked not at my darkness, but at my own eyes. He did not seem to see the shadow I wrapped around me like a shroud.

"But look behind me," I said, "look where I'm from, look what I've done." I tried to make him see.

But as I looked behind me, my jaw nearly dropped. Where once had been shadow, graves and many bridges burned, I saw nothing but red. Crimson red, thick, full, flowing, filling, covering and poured out over everything. The lines and the landscape blurred in Scarlet hues.

I looked back at him. In contrast to the Scarlet behind, he seemed to me white like a sheet, like a tomb, like a porcelain teacup emptied out. The white called out to my shamed and battered spirit like a floodlight, a star on the dim and dusty earth.

"Where are you staying?" I asked him.

"Come and see."

a SPARK rekindled...

So, Lauren, you encouraged me to make the vision plain for a biblestudy/prayer/encouragement group for Belhaven this year. I think this is wise, so here's my attempt at putting this small spark into words.... I believe that there is a strong desire within the body of Christ for LIFE ABUNDANT. Out of that belief, an idea has stirred that can't quite die down.

I desire to encourage the believers at Belhaven University to encourage and love one another in the faith. With the enabling power of Christ, to wake up souls to the living truth which is Christ; that we, as His body, can live full lives no matter our vocation. I desire to be one administrator in encouraging the body of Christ to pray for eachother, using all spiritual gifts (according to the Bible), to exhort with the Word, to study God's Word together, and by His grace, boldly living out that truth (John 3:16). I want to provide a time and place for believers, primarily theatre department girls, to fulfill the call of Christ to keep Him close to their hearts, thus falling more deeply in love with Him. Remembering that to be in love with Jesus is greatness and everything else will simply follow....

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Unless God has another name in mind, I think I will call this vision "Stand Firm" Amen.

Faith without Sight

I had a thought today... what if God was calling me to live by faith when it comes to ministry and travel? Sometimes He doesn't give us a direct answer on where we should go or what we should do. Sometimes He just asks us to go and let Him direct us as we follow Him. I'm not saying this is something God has told me to do necessarily -- at least not right now. But I think it may be a significant message for us to consider as we grow and walk with our LORD in this life. We may not always have the answers, we may not always please our families/friends with our choice to follow God, but we know that Jesus honors His faithful. Live by faith, sisters, not by sight. Remember, our Jesus Himself said to His disciples that BLESSED is the man who believes without seeing. May this be said of us: Lauren, Scarlet, Stephanie and Sarah. Glory be to Jesus! Amen.

Revelation: Overcoming

Revelation, Chapter 2:

"To him who overcomes..."
"Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life...He who overcomes...."
"To him who overcomes..."
"But hold fast to what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power and the nations...."

It seems that, according to Revelation, much of life is about overcoming. Think on that, sisters.

Questions on Life with God

Dear Ladies... where are we? I remember 3 or 4 years ago (could it be 4 years already??), a band of sisters, desiring after the Lord and His will, gathered around one another in prayer, supplication and thanksgiving. We knew God had plans for our lives. Plans that stretched our imaginations, our comfort-zones, and our hearts. Look at what He's done :) I realize that if I had not known you all, I might not have had the same burning desire to live my life like there's no tomorrow. To live a life of faith and NOT survival. I'm totally serious.

Isn't that what you sometimes see when you study your surroundings? A world desperate for meaning, significance, and ultimately love. Because of God's Spirit inside of us, we know there's something wrong with that picture. Because of Christ we CAN live our lives in faith, experience His presence everyday, and find perfect security and love in a relationship with Him.

I've been so challenged by the Spirit recently about this.... About a year ago, the Lord woke me up for good! I knew when I made the choice to follow Him, and live a life of adventure and faith, that I could never go back to my old self. Thank the Lord, I accepted His offer. He gave me the opportunity to up and leave my home, my family, my job, and experience a life of total surrender. And even though it was one of the hardest things I've ever done (it literally felt like God was ripping old roots of fear out of my heart), it was also the most rewarding. So many times I wanted to freak out, to run back home, to go back to the "familiar" and "comfortable" life-style, but again, THANK GOD, I didn't. God called me out of the "boat," and I couldn't (wouldn't) go back.

Now, a year later, that same calling...to forsake the familiar and LIVE the faith... haunts me. I want God to move in the same way He did last summer, but I know He accomplishes His will differently all the time. I want to live a life of surrender, trust, and faith. I hate when idols arise in my life that always get in the way of our relationship. The god of money, the god of dependency on human relationships, the god of fear, the fear of Man. All the promises of God spoken over my life seem to disintegrate before the alters of other gods. I listen to Money, instead of the Provider, other finite men and women, over my Omnipotent God, to Fear, instead of the Spirit who says, "I have not made you a slave again unto fear" (Romans).

I wish I had all the answers. I wish I could tell you to do this or that, and your relationship with God will be all hunkey-dorey. But the fact is -- it won't.

Maybe walking with Jesus is a moment by moment journey, or day by day making choices that align with His Word and hopefully show Him off. Maybe its about letting go and letting God. Letting Him refine us, transform us into His likeness. I don't know. Tell me what YOU think....

Another question to ask oneself: How now shall we then live? If God's love is so powerful and so lifechanging, why do I still feel stuck in patterns of sin and doubt?

Abba, I want You to be my all! Come soon, Lord Jesus! We need You. Your people need Your guidance, Your leadership, and Your love. I need You! What I really want is You. No matter how I act, even if I turn and spit in Your face, which I do to my shame; what I really desire is to be loved by You, to be owned by You, to serve You, and to hopefully love You in return. Abba, I know this is the cry of my generation. Jesus, heed us. Hear our prayer from Zion, and answer like in Psalm 18. Come down from heaven, and free us from our pits of comfort and slumber, and set us free to walk powerfully in the Spirit. Abba, I know You hear me now. Abba, I know You will answer. Thank you. Amen.

Come soon, Jesus!

This is the conclusion of my mixed-up thought process. Thanks for bearing with me. I hope, if anything, it encouraged you girls to continue to ask questions, search your own heart, and seek Your Lover even more than before.

God shared something cool with me once: Seeking = See + King = See [the] King. When we seek the Lord, we seek the King. We enter the King's throneroom, and recieve the overflow of His river of blessing.

Love you all!
Steph