When Angels Step In

While reading a devotional this morning, the writer spoke about Acts 12 where Peter was in shackles in prison.  Those who loved and cared about Peter prayed and prayed and God sent an angel into what looked like an impossible situation and set him free.  He was in chains and being guarded, but an angel walked right in, broke the shackles off of Peter's wrists and they walked out of the prison together without the guards even noticing.  Only God.

The writer went on to write about the importance and power of prayer for our lives.  It sets people free!  Prayer opens up our line of communication with God.  Of course He knows our wants before we even ask............He knows our needs for ourselves and others.........but the Bible tells us to pray.  Pray without ceasing.  Speak to our mountains.  Ask and you shall receive.  It is all laid out in Scripture for us.

The past 13 days there have been countless prayers being said for my sister Jo.  Her journey began long before her heart attack in the wee hours of that morning, but it became a crisis that day.  Her open heart surgery the following day was being lifted high by family, friends, and friends of family members as at age 87 she had triple bypass surgery.  Because of texting we were able to stay connected with her progress hour by hour with my sister Janelle.  It was with fear and worry we received the news that her heart would not restart after surgery.  Eventually she was put on an ECMO machine that kept her heart pumping and her lungs breathing.  She was transferred to the University of Minnesota where they could manage the ECMO and her needs.  It has been a difficult, day by day, and often hour by hour journey for her but the prayers continued and expanded to include more people than we could imagine petitioning God, speaking to her body, asking, declaring, and whatever form of prayer others used.  It was amazing and and humbling.  And then God.............

First she came off the ECMO machine and her heart started............then she was taken off the balloon pump that was supporting those precious heartbeats...........then the drugs that had her in an induced coma were removed...............then yesterday the intubation tube was taken out.  There were a few steps, and some ups and downs in between, but yesterday when she asked Janelle for her phone and curser for texting, we all were rejoicing!  

We have all talked about how tough she is.  We have talked about the amazing care she has had...........those angels in white coats and masks that have persevered to save her life. And those doctors and nurses have commented on how surprised they are by her.........but we all know that beyond her toughness and determination is God's healing touch and the power of prayer.  She has a long way to go, but she has gotten over so many hurdles already.  We can only be on our knees giving praise to God!  

Covering those we love in prayer is always our first line of defense.  And it can be our line of offense too!  If we believe what we read in the Bible, we know that when we pray, Red Seas part, Jordan rivers stop flowing, mountains move, hungry lions cannot open their mouths, fires cannot destroy.  And our prayers can bring an angel too.

When I was in my early sixties I started having flashbacks of sexual abuse I had experienced as a child and had suppressed.  I found myself fearful of many things, and one night when Joel and I went for a walk in the dark on a path in our association,  I became frightened of what could be "out there" waiting to harm us.  Joel prayed for angels to be with us.  Suddenly he stopped and with a shaky voice and tears in his eyes he said, "Missy, there are three angels walking behind us, protecting and guarding us as we walk."  He could not really visibly reach out and touch them, but he could in his spirit "see" them and the feelings their presence brought, had him in tears.  Yes, our prayers can bring even bring an angel!  

Sometimes we get discouraged because we pray and pray and don't see the results we desire at the time we desire.  I get that.  I have been there many times. Sometimes we stop expecting answers to our prayers as problems get bigger or persist.  Yet scriptures tell us to keep praying...without ceasing.  Persist.  Persevere.  Give thanks before we see what we are praying for come to life.  Never give up. And remember, that there is power in prayer..........because Jesus is in us we have the authority to pray.  We have the command to pray without ceasing.  We have the privilege to pray with expectation.  And maybe when we do?  We will have angels come to protect, guard, or rescue us.  Our prayers can even bring an angel!

When God Interrupts Your Plans

                                                                         

Recently I picked up a book to re-read that has graced our book shelf for the past 8 years.  It is written by Guidepost author and editor John Sherrill, titled "They Speak In Other Tongues".  It was first written in 1965 and re-published with an addition in 2004.  I guess you could define this post as a book review with our personal story attached.  

This book came into our home and changed our lives after Joel was healed overnight from Lyme and several other health problems.  He was given a complete "divine overhaul" at 4 am on a January morning.  With his healing came a gift that he was not looking for~ his own prayer language.  Joel and I had watched two hours of a video from a pastor/teacher who spoke on "God wanting you well" the night before Joel was miraculously healed. He had mentioned speaking in tongues during his teaching so at that time I had asked Joel what he thought of the gift found in the New Testament and he told me, "I am Lutheran, I don't know what I would do with it."  But God had other plans.  With Holy Spirit showing up in a big way, I began to do some research for Joel on "what to do with it" and this book by John Sherrill came to my attention.  I am so glad it did.

John Sherrill and his wife Elizabeth have both written several best sellers and started their own publishing company.  They were also editors at Guideposts magazine in NYC.  John began learning about speaking in tongues through his interactions with Ruth Peale whose husband Norman Vincent Peale is well known for his work as a pastor, author of "The Power of Positive Thinking", and creator of Guideposts Magazine.  (we have gotten this monthly magazine for decades).  When Sherrill began his research he was a skeptic who was writing a story and had no interest at all in the gifts of the Spirit, but his quest to find out what this was all about changed their lives forever.  God interrupted their plans for His own.  And the book he wrote changed our lives forever too.  It gave us a deeper understanding of what a prayer language is and how God uses it to build us up and bring us closer to Him.  

I have had people tell me with a dismissive air that "it is the least of the gifts, you know."  Others have said they wondered if it was from the devil.  Was it really real?  We cannot deny that it is right there in our Bibles or that it existed then and still exists today.  When Joel first spoke of it to our Synod here, they were disturbed by what he had to say.  Later on we learned that 5 of Joel's pastor colleagues had this "gift" but did not talk about it to others.  It certainly can stir things up when it is mentioned in our Lutheran world.  And yet, there it is in Acts and in I Corinthians where Paul speaks about it.

I have been enjoying Sherrill's book once again as I read about his research, his experiences, his conclusions and how it all shaped their lives.  God never leaves us where we are, He has bigger plans for us than we could ever imagine.  We are both grateful for the gift of a prayer language as a way to worship and praise God, a way to pray when we don't know what to pray, a way to grow and "edify" ourselves as the scripture claims.  It may seem a  "little to the right of crazy" for some, but for us it is now just part of our prayer life.  For us it is a time when "one's own spirit and the Holy Spirit are in communion and that is a good thing.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious or interested in what having the gift of speaking in tongues is all about.  John Sherrill has passed away now, but he and his wife "Tib" have a firm faith and solid foundation behind them.  They co-authored such books as Brother Andrew's "God's Smugglers" and Corrie TenBoom's book "The Hiding Place".  They are the kind of people you wish you could sit down with for a long visit and listen to all they have experienced in their lives.  

Well, That Was Just A Little To The Right Of Crazy!

I have waited in lines for as many years as I can remember, especially when in the military. One that comes to mind is when we lived in the Philippines and I would go grocery shopping after payday.  The line would sometimes wrap around the building as we stood outside in the oppressive heat and humidity to get a cart and move inside.  When inside I would shop with the hope that not everything I needed was already scooped up by others hoping the same.  When shopping was finished there would be a long line to check out.  This happened most every time I went to the Air Force commissary in the P.I.

Yes, I have stood in line for a number of things over the years,  but I never thought I would be in line so someone could stick a swab far up my nose as a test for Covid-19.  Before I tell you how it came to that, let me tell you that Joel and I will be absolutely shocked if it comes back positive.  Even so, in the past I have been surprised by test results often enough to be cautionary with my thinking I know the answer before the lab does.

The past 5 days I have felt worse that ever since the Zometa infusion three weeks ago.  When I emailed my Mayo doctor about all the symptoms and how they had progressively gotten worse, I received an email within two hours saying my doctor wanted me to be tested for Covid ASAP.  I was stunned, and when I told Joel he reacted the same way.  She had her reasons, so after a short discussion I decided I better rule it out.  That way we will all know whether all my symptoms are from a virus or a drug that helps your bones but hit this body hard!  And, I admit, I need to work at letting the doctor be the doctor......So that is how I found myself showing up for my "appointment",  in a short line of cars, all with occupants waiting for testing.

When our oldest daughter went to Texas with her hubby they saw a sign that reminded them of us....we had just experienced Joel's overnight healing and our gifts of a prayer language and the sign said...."West of Weird, Texas".  Another friend's husband, when hearing our story said to us, "Well that is just a little to the right of crazy isn't it!"  We laughed and laughed over his response.  Not offended at all, in fact Joel's book about his healing, which will soon be self-published, is entitled, "A Little To The Right Of Crazy".  It is how we define our lives a lot now, and today when the test was finished and we drove away, I turned to Joel and said, "Well, that was just a little to the right of crazy wasn't it".

How did we get to this place in 2020?  I can guarantee that people will talk about this year for decades to come.  It was the year that......................... Yeah.  Since there are still 5 months left I'm not holding my breath or making any predictions that it will get better.  I believe we just need to hang on, it is going to be a bumpy ride.

Speaking of hanging on, today the nurse said to me, if you need to grab someone's arm when I am doing this test, grab "his", not mine.  And just like me grabbing hold of Joel's hand for support, we all know that God would love to hold our own hand as we walk through life.  He wants us to grab on, and He will see us through. He promises to hold us with His "righteous hand".  Yes, Lord.  West of weird?  Yep.  To the right of crazy?  Oh yeah. 2020........Maybe at the end of this year we will all say, "That was just a little to the right of crazy"......

Light As Feathers

This morning Joel and I sat quietly after asking God to share with us something He wanted to tell each of us today.  Immediately I saw myself surrounded by white feathers.  They were swirling around me and I was standing waist deep in feathers.  I saw myself smiling as I reached out and put one in my hand.

As I pondered if these were angel feathers or God's sheltering feathers I heard these words:  "Your worries are as light as a feather...."  I was stunned by what God was saying.  I questioned, "All these white feathers are my worries?  Waist deep, surrounding and swirling around me.....worries?  God interrupted my thoughts with His words....."Your worries are as light as a feather when placed in MY hands." I saw God's enormous hand come down from the sky and then I saw myself putting a feather in the palm of His hand.   Of course!  What I had heard became clear to me when seeing His hand......

When we place our worries into God's hands, they become light as a feather in our lives.  They do not burden us or weigh us down.  God has often used feathers when He talks with me. Our oldest daughter reminds me of that with gifts focused on His sheltering feathers and a friend sends me text images of feathers periodically.  Feathers led us to Bethel Church nearly 3 years ago and scriptures on feathers helped me walk through cancer in 2015.  And today God used them to bring peace and assurance to an old worrier!   Psalm 91:4 has become such an important scripture for me over the past five years, that I want to share it with you today.

I would expect we all have a few worries weighing us down right now.  I know I do.  Being honest here, I struggle with worrying the cancer will come back.  I worry about Joel getting Covid-19...I worry I will get it, or our family members and what that could mean for them.  Do to childhood situations I experienced , being "safe" has always been at the top of my needs list.  Through Holy Spirit's guidance most of that has healed, but the last two years of cancer and surgeries and now the Covid-19 virus are whispering to me that the world is not safe, my world is not safe.  Yeah, I worry.......And many many times I am not even aware of how much those worries creep into my mind, body, and spirit.

But God is aware of how the enemy spends his time seeking to "kill, steal, and destroy", even in our worries.  In His deep love for us He wants us to know where our peace and courage lie.  It is in Him.  Today He opened the door for me to be aware that He is waiting for me to once again place all my worries in His more than capable hands.  All of us can place our worries in God's capable hands,  and by placing them in His hands, they become light as feathers!

ceramic feather given to me

by our oldest daughter

Where Is That Cabin In Alaska!

It has come to this............binge watching Life Below Zero and repeats of Death In Paradise and Magnum P.I.  Well, not really binging as we keep to our routine most days, while throwing in a game or two of cribbage or Scrabble.  But there are times when we (mostly me) escape through TV.  It has taken me back to a time when we were younger and had a house full of young kids "things" would sometimes feel overwhelming.  After seeing the movie, "Adventures Of The Wilderness Family" in 1979, whenever I felt like I needed a day away from it all, I would say, "It is time to move to that cabin in Alaska."  Of course I was not thinking about all the extra work involved in living off the grid, I just wanted to escape life in the moment!

Today I woke up and thought, "Nothing has changed since our world completely changed".  We are still in the nightmare to beat all nightmares.  We are still isolating at home.  We are still hearing from medical providers, including Mayo to cancel, reschedule, postpone, or set up video or phone appointments.  We are still searching for disinfectant in any way shape or form.  Still searching for cloth masks or figuring out how to make one that does not use rubber bands to hold it in place.  We are still watching the economy break, watching people we know struggle financially and in their jobs.   We are still unable to go anywhere but out for groceries.  We are still..............we are still...........

Yep, I woke up crabby and decided not to infect Joel with my poor attitude today. It is okay to be down and out, as someone very dear to me said, "We need to cut ourselves some slack....we are dealing with loss, with grief.  So very true.   Be kind to ourselves.....I was determined today to shift the atmosphere from darkness to light so I decided to take "action" this morning.  I cleaned a bathroom, did some mending, walked in the house 20 minutes,   Music played and my mind focused on what is "still the same" but now in a comforting way.  We still celebrated Easter.  In fact we watched 4 different Easter services on Sunday and Monday!  We still have a full freezer and fridge....plent of food, maybe too much?!!  We can still connect with our kids ~ on Easter it was by Zoom.  So fun to see there faces!  We still have everything we need and more in this season of our lives.  All I need to do is look around me....you too?  Yes.  And even though we are in the vulnerable category for this virus, we also are retired and have no job worries.  We are still able to reach out to God and He. Is. Here. For. Us. Never changing, always faithful.

Today may have had me thinking about that cabin in Alaska as I did so many years ago, but time and experience tells me that there is no need to be overwhelmed when we put our trust in God.  Joel and I read Psalm 91 this morning in several translations.  It is all about being safe and secure as we are tucked in the Secret Place under His wings.  He is bigger than any "pestilence" (virus).  Seeking shelter with God is truly better than any cabin I would want to escape to in the wilderness of Alaska!

A History In Chimes

Our grandmother clock

As I sat in the living room on an early morning before sunrise, our grandmother clock declared the time as it counted off the hours with chimes that were as familiar as my own voice.  This smaller version of the grandfather clock has graced our home since 1975.  While living in the Philippines we took a picture of a clock down to a local builder and they created this beautiful piece of our history that still holds a special place in our home and in our hearts.

Last Wednesday we heard so much unsettling news as we spent time with the surgeon, then the radiology oncologist, and finally the medical oncologist.  We came home feeling beat up, confused, and overwhelmed by the words spoken.  I woke early the next morning, unable to sleep.  Going downstairs I opened the book of Psalms trying to find a word, any word to grasp on to.  Nothing seemed to speak clearly to my anxious mind.

And then the clock began to chime it's morning song.  A familiar comforting sound.  Over the years we have had to replace a part or two of the mechanisms, and there was a period of time when it sat silent in our home, unable to share it's sounds with us.  But several years ago Joel found a way to repair it and we have enjoyed it's melodic hourly reminder ever since.

Today it brought comfort to me as I try to come to terms with living in the balance of health vs disease.  As I try to prayerfully find an answer to the questions of what step to take next.......and where is God in the midst of it all.  And just what is the mystery He is unfolding as He continues to send me the same verse over and over..........mostly through the imperfect social media outlet, Facebook.  He has clearly stated He is fighting for me.......I am to remain calm.

Yes, there is a bit of an earthquake going on here with a few aftershocks.  Words like chemo, radiation, aggressive, advanced, dumbfounded, and unpredictable all swirl around in my head along with the ever present mantra spoken over me that I am an unusual case.  At times it is difficult to stand firm let alone remain calm.  Yet this morning God sent more love notes to me as I ran across a TED talk about a young woman who had been diagnosed with leukemia and after 4 years of chemo was cancer free.  She said the hardest part of all was learning to live in a body that had changed so much,  was not completely whole...........living a full life within her boundaries and not knowing what the future will bring.  I also listened to a sermon by Beni Johnson as she spoke about prayer.  I read the texts from my family lifting up prayers for us as this difficult season continues.  And don't we all go through those seasons?  All the above are more love notes from God.

The clock chimed a message to me in the quiet of the morning, and I realized I had the gift of another day.   I am still here to take in a sunrise, laugh with Joel, worship our Lord and give Him praise.  The chimes spoke to me Psalm 118:24, "This IS the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." 

Our grandfather clock has been with us through so many moves.......so much joy..........sorrow........difficulty.  It reminds us every time it chimes of our history filled with so many memories.  Most importantly it speaks of our history with God's goodness, His faithfulness, His presence in this process we call life. What a beautiful way to start the day!

Pursue, Seek, and Find

I confess that in the past I have never quite understood fasting.  It has not been in our tool box, probably because of our Lutheran culture.  I have felt uncomfortable fasting to "move God" and get the answers I want.  That was my take on it, anyway.  But God has been speaking to me lately about "seeking" Him.  When I felt Holy Spirit nudge me to fast before the prayer session with the couple I mentioned before, I asked what the purpose of this fasting was and I felt Holy reply, "To seek God".  It was not long after that response that everywhere I turned I was hearing the words..........seek Him.....seeking God......seek  seek.  It came up in a sermon by Rick Warren.  It came up twice in our devotionals.  It popped up on a Facebook post.  It came up today as a memory posting from 2 years ago.  Seek His face.

So we went into fasting with the premise we would be seeking God.  When we wanted to reach for food, we stopped and sought Him in prayer.  For mealtimes we read scriptures, discussed what we had read and prayed.  We took communion.  In all those activities we had the opportunity to seek and find.  We know His desire for us to pursue Him is not just during fasting.  

We can find God in most things I expect.  We can seek and find Him in nature.......in it's beauty, colors, animals, insects, birds, flowers, smells.  We can also seek and find Him throughout our days, our lives with those we love and care about.  His Presence in the midst.  Are we aware?   I am surprised at how often something pops up on Facebook that speaks clearly to me and I ponder how often I "miss" His love notes because distractions get in the way.

On the opposite side of that we need to question ourselves.....do we seek and find God with what we say.......what we do..........what we watch on TV........what we read........Some stuff, not. We pursue Him in worship!   How about life's challenges?  In the midst of a big life storm I often seek Him....but will I focus on Him in all our circumstances?  Sometimes it has to be intentional with how loud the storm is, but He is there.  Oh, yes, He is there..........here.....His calming presence in the midst.  

Bethel Worship

I am not sure where God is going with the continual messages we are receiving on "seeking Him",  but He definitely has our attention, especially as we prepare for next week.  We continue to pursue Him, remembering His goodness as we seek His face.

A Steady Diet

When we were staying at the home of Bethel members in Redding CA, the hosts would have beautiful worship music on their TV flooding the house.  Our room was right up front, a sunroom made into a lovely bedroom, so we could hear the music by Julie True ~ so soft and soothing. 

Worship music that soothes and relaxes.  Joel listens to  "elevator music" whenever he is in the office working.  I decided since he is much more relaxed than me, I need to take his advice and find my own ways to bring peace into my days.

I love Bethel music but a steady diet of it is not relaxing.  I love Julie True, but a steady diet of it keeps me from getting things done.  I guess it is a lot like other things in our lives.  For instance, pancakes!  I love almond flour pancakes with almond butter, fresh strawberries and blueberries and topped with coconut whipping cream.  A steady diet of it would take my apple shape to a whole new level.  I like reading and watching murder mysteries, but a steady diet of them would have me jumping at every noise I hear.

There are a few things we do need a steady diet of.......you know where I am going here. We need a steady diet of God's Word, prayer, worship, and interaction.  We need a steady diet of Papa God in our lives, nourishing us.  Yes. 

A daily diet of picking up the love story that God wrote and fills our heart.  Do you remember writing or receiving love letters to or from someone special?  They warmed our hearts and put a smile on our face.  Well, God's Word is filled with love letters to His kids.  They touch our hearts, change our lives.

A daily diet of giving our Creator thanks and praise.  Praise is a way to communicate with our Father.  It is a weapon of warfare.  It shifts the atmosphere around us and in us.

A daily diet of prayer.  Talking to our God about all our needs, desires, dreams, hopes, and listening.  Quietly listening and looking for Him to show up.  He is always communicating with us, we just need to tune in.  Ask, seek, and you will find. 

A daily diet of worship.  Lifting our voices, our hearts, our eyes to our God.  It takes the focus off our our circumstances and on to the One who Heals, Saves, Loves. 

A daily intentional stepping into a relationship with Him.  He is always with us.  He lives IN us for Heaven's sake.  Well, really for our sake.  Share with Him just like you do your spouse or loved ones.  Let Him love on you...........

This is the kind of steady diet we need to be nourished ~ body, soul and spirit. 

Not So Much...........

Limb on our Roof

We woke up around midnight Sunday night to thunder, lightening, and some very strong winds.  The wind was "loud", making sounds like I have never heard before.  When I got out of bed and looked out the window I could see the trees bending to the ground and turning from side to side.  Just then something hit the roof hard, waking Joel and causing me to jump and duck.  In agreement we headed downstairs to a safer level.  The storm passed quickly, and Joel went out in the dark to assess the damage, commenting that the branch was not as big as he thought it would be considering the noise it made.  We decided it could all wait until morning and headed back to bed.

Split tree on walking path

In the daylight we woke to a mess of small branches and twigs covering the yard, driveway, and street.  Several neighbors had branches down in their yards and one had a large part of the tree that split down the side.  On our walking path I saw a thick limb that had split off......at least 25-30 feet long.  Just east of us a mile or so another association was hit hard.  Trees across the road, electrical lines down and lots of green debris, everywhere.  The newscaster said there were 75 mph straight line winds.  They did not look or act like straight line winds here in our back yard, but they sure were strong........and loud!  It took Joel 8 hours to pick up all the branches, leaves, and debris.

neighbor's tree

In the dead of night, it all sounded so scary, but the next morning when we opened doors and stepped out into the neighborhood along with others, we realized things could have been so much worse.  The branch hitting our roof sounded like a cannon going off.  We thought maybe a tree came down, but not so.  In the daylight hours we could see it was not as bad as it sounded and our house and roof were intact.

Today Joel was over to the neighbor's helping her cut up a big limb that split off her tree.  She had already removed all the branches off so Joel just took a chain saw to it.  She thanked him over and over, but his sincere response was "Hey, I was able to use my tools!"  Did I mention that she is 87 and still mows, mulches, landscapes, and tends her garden?  She can add cutting and carrying limbs to her resume now too.  Yeah.....J. is a powerhouse who loves to be outside and working!  At 87.  Wowza.

This storm reminded me of the storms that come suddenly in life.  We've had a few ~ you too?  One minute all is good and then suddenly it is not.  And sometimes the challenges we face sound sooooo darn loud!  They scream at us,  and look so powerful.  They shake us in the valley of darkness, but when God's light shines on them, we are able to see them differently. Do we tell God how big our problems are or do we tell our problems how big God is!  What looks insurmountable, is diminished when Jesus walks with us. What looks and sounds ginormous .....not so much in the Presence of Jesus.  Not so much.

Invitations From God

Last week we shared our healing stories with the community church group we are a part of.  They have been gathering for nearly 2 years, but we joined just last fall.  We were asked to share our stories, so we did!

Sometimes it is difficult to look back at those dark times in our life.  Especially when Joel and I were both so sick.  Sometimes I listen to the lies that have me running from what is already gone.  Fear can creep in when I look back on the wrong thing.  Yes, Lyme is evil.  The enemy uses it to kill, steal, and destroy, and it nearly destroyed both Joel and my lives.  But God!  Once we opened our eyes to the revelation of His Word on healing........everything changed.

I'll soon be reading and reviewing a book by Bonnie Gray, entitled, "Whispers of Rest".  Her first book, "Finding Spiritual Whitespace" has helped many people walk through difficult times.  Bonnie was a well educated and successful business woman who suddenly was controlled by panic attacks due to childhood trauma that surfaced.....but God had other plans.  God invited her to open her heart to healing and she stepped out into the more He offered and is now empowering others with what she learned on her journey.  Only God.

My friend Katherine was battling Lyme disease and the many antibiotics, supplements and herbs she was taking did not heal her broken body.  She listened to a teaching about God wanting us well, felt led by God, and took a bold step in obedience ~ throwing out the many bottles lining her counter, relying on prayer for healing.  She is now a mom of 5 beautiful babies, active in her church and community, and doing so well.  She opened her heart and her eyes to seeing God's Word in a new way..........and everything shifted.  She also shared her journey with us and for that we are eternally grateful.

I listened to a woman share her story of how she ended up living in Redding California.  She kept having dreams where she would see a city surrounded by mountains.  She was living in the south and her life was challenging at the time.  She kept seeing this place but had no idea where it was.  She heard about Bethel, decided to go to a conference there, and as she came into the city it took her breath away.  Here was the city of her dreams.  Against any arguments, she knew she was to follow God's calling.  She moved there and attended their school of ministry.  Her life changed at God's invitation.

Recently I shared a story her about how Holy Spirit invited me into "something more" with Him. The many weeks that we walked together in a divine encounter is hard to explain, but I did attempt to do so here.  People may be uncomfortable with what I shared, but God told me clearly that I am not to worry about what others think, or try to please man in anyway.  I am to obey Him.  This is a challenging invitation from God........letting go of what people think.  The need for approval from others.  I can look back and see some of the ways it is beginning to happen..........in what I write.......in what I share......in my creative worship dancing....in Bible journaling.  Only God.

What is God inviting you into right now?  He is always welcoming us into something!  Whether it is a closer relationship with Him, obedience, a new art, a new land, healing, or more.  We need to be keeping our ears and eyes open to His guidance and direction, His invitation for the more.  Can you hear Him beckoning you into more?

He Is Risen!

"As air is in the atmosphere of the Earth, 

glory is in the atmosphere of Heaven.  

It lifts us above the earthly, 

into the very presence of God."

Ruth Heflin

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in our corner of the world.  The sun was shining, the skies were blue and it was warm enough to open doors and windows, as we welcomed in the fresh Spring air.  It was also Easter Sunday, for Christians who celebrate our risen Savior.  Oh Jesus......we love you!

Our youngest daughter and her son went with us to church where we worshiped with friends and raised our hands in praise and gratefulness for God's goodness.  Praising God.......Worshiping our Lord from a place of victory, embracing His presence ~His glory....rejoicing in His eternal gift to us.  Amazing grace.

Sarah and Jonas

Papa and Gr. Na

Yesterday's "He is Risen" service reminded me of a book I recently began reading.   A book by Ruth Heflin, titled "Glory:  Experiencing the Atmosphere of Heaven".  It came about because I have been seeking answers to define more clearly the glory of God.  How do we experience it?  Exactly what is it?  I was reading a book by one of my favorite authors and this woman's name came up.  I googled her, found out she had written several books on God's glory, and the rest is history.

Ruth Heflin was a woman evangelist who did a great deal of teaching on praise and worship.  She makes several great statements in her book.  She believes that the greatest instrument of praise we have is our voice.  That there is greater change that comes about through worship than through any other means.  When we praise God it becomes a time of worship and worship opens the doors to His powerful Presence.  His glory.

For each one of us it may be expressed a bit differently, but the Bible tells us consistently that we need to praise God.  Scriptures tell us that praise is a powerful tool of warfare, that praise opens the doors to God's Presence.  The Psalms are full of praise!  Praise puts our focus on God and off of ourselves.  It reminds us of His goodness.  Praise ~ Worship ~ His Glory....His Presence.

Not only on Easter, but every day of the year, let us give thanks and PRAISE our Lord Jesus!  Lets praise and worship Him, and as you do so, receive His Presence and glory in you....in the room...in the sanctuary.  His is Risen!!