Praying for our Troops 2014.01.10

Father, thank you for the joy and peace you give even when things we are facing can be extreme and chaotic.. pretty much crazy. I cannot imagine what our guys experience on the front lines, but I know it is difficult and gut wrenching for them at times. You see their hearts, you know their fears, you are right there beside them as they fight against evil, against all that threatens them and all that they love. You fight beside them and for them, assure them of that I pray. Guard their hearts, calm and steady their fears, assure them of your presence and that your plans for them are full of Goodness tho the darkness presses in around them for a time. You know what they are feeling. We cannot imagine it.. but you know. Be their guide, their strength, their comfort, their hope and joy. Grant them victory, speed success so that they accomplish all, and so that they can return home soon. Our guys are pretty incredible. Let them know and never doubt that they remain in our thoughts and prayers, and they are missed every moment that they are parted from us. But don’t let it overwhelm them.. let it be their confidence and their peace. Fill them with patience and all those who wait for their return. Bless marriages and relationships, guard their families, encourage their friends. Fulfill every Good thing that you have begun in their lives. Empower them to know that you are God, and that you love them with a great and everlasting love. Thank you Father. In the name of Jesus, we agree together for our guys. Amen.

 

Praying for our Troops: In the Night 2014.01.10

Woke in the night.. am hours.. feeling a need to pray for our guys.. happened three times.. no idea what the need was, just felt they needed extra coverage.. so asked God to watch over them, prayed in the Spirit and pled the Blood of Jesus over them so the enemy could not cross that line. Please keep them in prayer.. add them to your blessings over meals, to your bedtime prayers over your family, and every time God brings them to your mind. Thanks so much, there is power when we agree together like that.. it moves a Father’s heart when his children petition him as one ❤

 

Praying for our Troops 2014.01.09

Our Soldiers.. Our Guys.. Keep them Father… ever in the center of your perfect will.. Safe and Strong and Winning everything they set their hand to… Bring them Home sooner than expected.. having accomplished all.. in the name of Jesus ❤

 

Praying for our Troops 2014.01.08

Father, in the busy-ness that is life, you are never rushed or pressed for time to care for us. Help us to find focus and balance like yours.. help us to keep what’s most important at the center of our lives.. continual effectual prayer/conversation with our Mighty God. Please watch over our troops in Afghanistan today.. guide them in their walk as believers defending the helpless and those they love.. help them to balance all of life, as complex as it can be at times. Guide them into revelation of just how simple and do-able life and faith is, in you. Forgive them of anything that is weighing on their conscience, and guide them to repentance, so that that guilt and weight can be cut from their heart and mind by your mercy and love. Freedom in every way for our guys and those they defend and protect. We are all in need of the Savior, our Lord Jesus, and it is in his name that we make our prayers and petitions. Most of all Lord, help them to forgive themselves for anything they struggle with letting go of.. help them to know that you are the God of fresh starts and a clean conscience, of second chances, of never leaving anyone behind who reaches out to you or calls upon the name of Jesus. Thank you Father for loving all of us and each of us with such an intense and totally sold out love. May we love you back and love one another to that extreme. Bless our troops today, as a fighting force, and one by one as individuals, whatever the deepest need of their heart may be. Amen ❤

Prayer for our Troops 2014.01.07

Father, please be with our guys today in Afghanistan today. Thank you that you have their back every second of every day and night. Remind them of that, assure them that you are working all things for good somehow, despite the difficulties they are facing. Bring peace to their hearts and minds, fill them with courage and wisdom and focus. Let the goal of accomplishing their missions and coming back home to us become clearer and nearer every day. Send your angels in the sky and on the ground and every way they turn.. a hedge of protection by the blood of Jesus. What power in your presence, in the prayers of your saints for those we love! And how much greater is your love for each of them than we could ever imagine.. help them to glimpse that today. Bring rest and refreshing.. renew their strength, even in the most exhausting and hottest moments in battle. I rebuke every spirit of fear and doubt, and I loose a spirit of confidence and faith and hope and peace, in the name of Jesus. Make every effort they put forth pay off in huge ways, let your anointing rest on every word they speak, and every thing they set their hand to. Cover them and lead them and grant them victory in all things, big wins.. in the name of Jesus. Thank you precious Savior. Thank you loving Father, Thank you Holy Spirit for walking out all things beside us and talking us thru so much we don’t understand in this life. Be our strength. 

Our God is great and always with us. Amen ❤

Awesomeness in Action

Here’s another thing that’s great about having several children.. I have often said that of my four siblings.. we all had a very different relationship with our Father.. if you asked any one of us about our childhood, we would share many similar memories.. but what stood out the most to each of us and what we came away with would be very different.. because God designed our personalities so different, and gave us the free will and distinct gifts to nurture things in who we are in different ways.

I think about this in my own children.. how different they are from one another.. how we can recall memories as a family and laugh so much.. and yet as each one begins to share their perspectives of the same event, each is so different. None better or worse than another.. just very true to the personality that God poured into them, and the choices they made in life according to their gifting and their preferences. I love it so much… just sitting around with them talking about life, present and past, and the beauty of diversity just in who they are. I often take them to lunch every other week, just to sit and hear them chatter and to witness such awesomeness in action.

Here is the thing.. each of their personalities ministers to me in distinct yet very different ways. Their intellect or their humor or their creativity and on and on, is so given by God and nurtured by the amazing ppl they choose to be.. and yet I (as mom) see a bit of myself in each of them in very different ways.. so as we relate to one another, that part of my personality passed and absorbed into theirs becomes a newness in my perspective and view of life. Each of my children ministers back to me so very differently, and yet that diversity in who they are and how we relate to one another, creates a fullness and beauty that’s kinda difficult to explain.

It makes me think of God and how much he loves creating and the things he creates, especially his children.. how collectively, there is a fullness in all of us as one.. and that’s why he is so undone at the loss of even one soul. I think raising children allows us to glimpse a greater fullness in our own perspective and view of life, and at the same time it allows us to glimpse and to know ourselves even better. So whether it is one child or thirteen, your own or adopted children, raising the children of another family member or friend for whatever reason.. when we pour ourselves and our hearts into theirs, it leaves an indelible mark that blesses them and us.. family.. God designed the concept.. and it’s such a beautiful thing on so many deep, and yet, lighthearted levels.

That’s why God emphasizes so strongly to not compare ourselves to one another as his children, not to compare our gifts and talents, as tho competing with one another.. it takes all of us as a whole to please and bless our Father.. any one of us who might suddenly be absent hurts the heart of God and leaves an empty seat at the table. You are important.. you are loved.. don’t quit on your family.. ever.. no matter how hard life gets.. no matter how great the temptation.. or the fun and lies hell tries to convince you of.. you are wanted and needed and so greatly loved.

Each of us was designed to be different in personality, in who we are. God was meticulous and distinct as he chose what gifts to pour into each of us as he fashioned us in our mother’s womb.. what family or nation he placed us in on the earth.. who we would call father and mother and brother and sister.. he planned it all for our good. He knew what evils we would face, and so he equipped us and empowered us and came to be with us on the earth, to sacrifice whatever was necessary in himself.. to ensure that we could win at life if we chose it.. not only that we would win.. but that the person and the personality that he designed in us would be a blessing and help so that every life we touch has the same chance to win. Connectedness among his children, among those he loves.. so that diversity in every way becomes a strength, not a point of conflict.

At the same time, he made us in his own image, wanting  to be loved and wanting to love.. a part of him.. called to love God and to love Ppl.. to be Family.. it just boggles my mind how intricately he planned blessing in every area of our lives in every way.

I love you Father, and I love being a part of this Family ❤

DREAM: Four Lions (blog title)

Had a dream last night, again in that place between waking and sleep. It was only a flash as is often the case.

There was a group of us about to go and perform some mission, and we were all really excited. Someone was explaining who had given the order for it.. and they said, “You know him, the guy whose sister has four lions.” Which added even more to the excitement, cuz we all knew who he was. And that was the end of the dream.

After waking I understood some of the symbolism right away.. but was unsure why four and not five.. I felt certain I was to name my blog in relation to the dream. I wanted to name it five lions, so that it would be symbolic of grace and sufficiency.. but God stressed four. I think there is more he will reveal about why.. but the symbolism seemed to stress that the coming year 2014 would be a time of violence and of the violent taking the kingdom by force.. God also spoke to my heart about the fourth man in the fire.. implying that Christ would be with us in ways like we have never known during this year.. as many challenges would arise.. It will be a time of miracles if we will ask and believe.

The name four lions was not available on the email and blog sites I was using.. so I went with Fourth In The Fire and it just felt right. Especially because the dream spoke of him having a sister who had four lions.. I felt like the sister is the Church.. and the fourth lion was Christ fighting beside us during this time of violence in the kingdom and on the earth.. just as he did in the fiery furnace. That’s all that God explained and put in my heart for now.. but I feel like God will explain more in time.

Also not sure who her brother was in the dream who was so key to the mission. I felt perhaps Christ in some way. Something for the back burner, until God says it’s necessary to understand.  So, that’s the heart of my blog this year.. that God is with us in these violent times in heaven and on the earth. He is fighting for us.. and leading us in the battle.. teaching and equipping us to win.. calling us to stand with him and to follow his example of being zealous to carry out the will and plan of God. Hugs ❤

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Something else just occurred to me that’s kinda cool.. when Christ appeared in the fire.. it was in the form of a man, he became like us to fight for us.. now as he appears, he comes as the Lion of Judah, and he changes us so that we are as he is.. like him.. reflections of his image.. pretty cool =)

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And I believe I know who the brother is.. it is a pastor/leader. God is about to raise up leaders.. Good and Godly leaders who are zealous to hear him and to obey in their love of God and their love of ppl. Not sure what that means at this time.. but when he reveals them one by one, there will be no denying that God called them forth for such a time as this. Very exciting times. Order is returning to the church on the heels of so much chaos and darkness and sin. A separation of goats and sheep has begun, but oh the sheep that will emerge.. they will be the leaders their sister (the church) has petitioned God for with many tears for so very long. That is the brother of the Church.. Godly leadership ❤

DREAM: get out of the parking lot

(From 2013.12.31)

So God spoke two specific things in dreams and visions last night.. the first he said was for many ppl.. I was in that place between sleep and waking in the night.. that place where the presence of God wakes you with a whisper and begins speaking so close to your face you can just about feel his breath.. I know that sounds crazy but it happens that way from time to time for ppl..

He showed me a parking lot that went on for miles in all directions.. the pavement wasn’t black or dark.. it was tan/gray like dirt but was concrete. There were cars packed out to a certain point, and I was driving down a row looking for a spot.. there were thousands of empty ones as far as you could see and a couple here and there near the line.. but I couldn’t find anywhere I wanted to park.. then God began speaking..

GET OUT OF THE PARKING LOT.

Many of my ppl are driving around and around the rows of this parking lot looking for somewhere to park their cars (ministry).. but nothing feels comfortable.. nothing feels like the right spot.. and there’s a reason for that. They are not supposed to park their car right now.

Do you see your name on any of these spots? no
Do any of these spots feel right? no

That’s because you’re not supposed to be parking your car.
GET OUT OF THE PARKING LOT.

And that was it.
The whole picture was like a graveyard for ministry, and God was saying this is not the time to die.. you have much life to live and much ministry to accomplish.

So whoever you are.. if this speaks to something God is speaking to you already, or things you have been asking him about.. then run it by him and see what he says you are to do next. Love and Hugs to you.

Praying for our Troops 2014.01.06

Father, thank you for a cold and sunny morning. Please keep everyone warm and safe and in the center of your perfect will.. especially our guys in Afghanistan, as they are also seeing a bit of snow and colder temps in battle. We agree together for our guys this morning Father, that you would walk among them and encourage them and fill their thoughts with good things. We pray that you would make things on the front uneventful and calm and under their feet. Touch them physically and pour forth healing in every way, from the smallest annoying paper cut to anything that requires medical treatment, please heal even lifelong sicknesses of asthma or diabetes or whatever among our troops as they are serving. Heal any toothaches or headaches or vision issues.. cause them to feel solid and confident and as comfortable as possible in such difficult circumstance. Bring to mind all that they learned in training at just the right moments and keep them well equipped and prepared for anything that comes their way. Father, keep them on top of their game when they are worn and had a hard day in battle, or when they are suddenly awaken in the night, or when they are in their weakest or vulnerable moments.. be their guard, pour your anointing upon them so that victory remains ever before them as you are ever before them. Thank you Father… we ask all things in the name of your son, Jesus.. our Savior, Lord, and Friend. Thank you Lord that you are always near, always hearing us before we ask, always answering with power and great mercy. Let our guys feel you closer to them today than they have ever known.. let them glimpse how real your presence is and how great your love is for each of them. Amen ❤

Apostle’s Creed

1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:

3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:

4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:

5. The third day he rose again from the dead:

6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:

7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:

9. I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints:

10. The forgiveness of sins:

1l. The resurrection of the body:

12. And the life everlasting. Amen.