Words have power. Written words provide proof. You can read them, and reread them whenever you want. They can speak life to someone who needs encouragement. They can speak death to someone who is being deceived. The choice lies within you. How is it that you want people to remember you? Encourager...that is the gift that God has laid on my heart. To use my written, spoken, and/or sung words to lift people up. To be one link in their road to healing, restoration, joy. I have been without those things, and I claim them to be mine again. If you want me to seek God on a prayer for a specific situation...that is why I am here. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to pray God's Word of Life over you.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Blessed

I am not even sure where to begin.

I am blessed because of who my Father is.

I am blessed because of who God gave to me as a husband.

I am blessed because I have 7 children…4 of which I get to hug and kiss daily, and 3 that have already made it to Heaven. Praise God!!

I am blessed because I live in a place where I can speak about God to anyone, anytime, anywhere.

I am blessed because I can praise God through song.

I am blessed because I can worship God through my writing.

I am blessed because I have Jesus in my heart, and I talk to Him all day long.

I am blessed because I am surrounded by powerful women of God, who love me.

I am blessed because I get to be used my God as often as I allow.

I am blessed because God provides for my needs…and He cares about some of my wants even. (Like a new van…and a latte here and there. =)

I am blessed because I have friends that love me through the best and worst of times.

I am blessed because my mother has a wonderful, caring, generous spirit.

I am blessed because I get to spend time with grown-ups.

I am blessed because my kids love me.

I am blessed because I am a prayer warrior.

How about you? Why are you blessed. Sit down and think about it. You will be amazed at how good God is to you. Tell Him. Brag about Him. Picture Him smiling as He reads it. You, my friend, just made His day. =) What a wonderful thought!!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Healing is simple and yet complex

I know I know...that title doesn't even make sense. I will explain. Some people don't even like to talk about God's healing. They are leary of it. I tend to be one of those people. Who doesn't just trust every person that crosses my path that says they hear from God. I sense in my spirit that some people may not be relying fully on the power of God. I am not meaning that they are relying on powers from the enemy...but instead that they may be mixing a bit of themselves in with what God is doing. I recently had an experience that was NOT at all like that.

A man named Jeremy Gall came to our church. He and his wife are passionate about the lost and broken. It was refreshing to see people that love the lost so much that they are willing to travel wherever God leads, to bring them to know their Father. And the broken that needed healing...it was as simple as praying in the name of JESUS. There is power in that name!

Simple for us. Just ask. Believe. And wait on God.

The complexity is on God's end. To take someone who is hurting or broken in some way...and to heal them. It is not complex for Him...but for our brains to wrap around...that is another story. He designed our bodies. He created each to function as it does. He knows exactly what to do to make it whole again. Simple...yet complex. Confused yet? Haha...stay with me. I have an exciting testimony of His goodness. Read on...

So, what is my story? (You should've known I had one. Come on...you should be used to this by now. Lol!) My story is about my migraines. Migraines that were due to hormones...something I can't control. Migraines that were coming every day for 13 out of 30 days in a month. Migraines that put me on my couch covering my eyes from the light...wishing that someone was there to take my kids so I didn't have to hear or smell them. (I know that sounds awful for a mother to say. I am just being honest. Because you know if you have ever had a migraine that the sensitivity to light, smell and sound are for real!) Migraines that brought my lunch back up. Migraines that put me on pain medications that made my brain feel warm. And finally migraines that caused my doctor to recommend I be put on a daily maintenance medication that messed with my head. I couldn't form complex thoughts. I had to think really hard if I wanted to make anything other than meaningless small talk. I was slow. I was frustrated because I could tell I was struggling to speak...and I couldn't make my brain work any faster than it was. I felt useless.

When I knew Jeremy was coming to our church I asked God to make it clear to me if I was to seek healing on that day. The night before he and his wife were coming to our church, I got a very late text then phone call from my brother. He needed prayer...and I was happy to be able to pray with him. The problem...I was on medication. I was trying to form my thoughts quickly...but I could sense the long pauses inbetween thoughts...and I was getting frustrated during my prayer. Then...as I was praying I felt as if the room were spinning. So I opened my eyes...and sure enough...the room was racing around me. It was spinning out of control...and I was having even more trouble concentrating. That was my sign. Time to get healed...and stop taking this medicine. I am a prayer warrior...I can't be in a spinning fog and be effective.
 There is nothing special to Jeremy...except the Almighty God that He serves. No offense intended to Jeremy! ;) That is something that he himself would tell you. I knew in my heart that God was going to heal me in some way. I just wasn't sure how or when. So when I felt Him say August 14th was my day...I was hesitant. Finally the time came for people to go to the altar area if they desired God's healing. I went. I waited my turn. And it was simple. "In Jesus name, migraines GO!" Nothing else was needed. Now it was up to me to have faith.

The medication that I was on to prevent the migraines from coming, was the type that you have to slowly work up to the full dosage amount. I am assuming you must do the same when getting off of it. I had such faith (not bragging...really, just wait...I will prove myself a fool in a bit)...anyways...such faith...that I stopped taking the medication that day. No nightly dose. The next morning, no pills with breakfast. And I prayed that God would protect me from any adverse effects that going cold turkey on this medication would likely produce. Now I had to wait. Wait to see if the migraines would come. Wait to see if the effects would come. Each day I was hopeful...but not as confident as I should've been.

It was easy to write that I was healed. But much different to speak it. Doubt began to creep in. Slowly. I didn't tell people that I knew I should have. God reminded me of what He had done...and I still kept silent. Ugh! Why did I do that? How annoying! How insulting that must have been to Him. My faith that I was healed began to fade. Maybe it was just me thinking it was my time. But the effects never came. Then last week...the test.

I woke up with a massive headache. Was it a migraine? Or just a headache? I waited to see if the sensitivities came. Sure enough, they did. Had my doubt, my disbelief brought on a migraine? I felt defeated. I felt guilty. I felt ashamed. I layed on my couch...covering my eyes...sad. Later I was talking to my dear friend Rachel...and she encouraged me to continue to believe I WAS HEALED. It was what I needed to give me a little boost. It prepared me for what was to come.

My son Aiden comes home from school that day. He is excited to show me this huge piece of paper. His class had written a prayer that day...and he wanted me to read it. I was busy so I told him that was great...and I pushed it off until later. The next day I saw the paper folded up...and decided I should read it so I could tell him how great it was. God's strategy goes into place here....

Here was this huge piece of paper...written all over with yellow marker, with prayers and praises from first graders. And the simple words that God needed me to know..."We thank you for healing Aiden's mom." I cried. (Shocker!) Doubt vanished. Faith stood strong. Proud. Ready to fight!

Psalm 103 is my chapter for today. It is a bit long...but I have to share it with you. If you needed healed...let verse 3 begin your prayer. What could be better than to pray God-inspired words?

Psalm 103-1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- 18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

I praise God because I am fearfully and wonderfully made...and He knows every inch of me. He knows how to heal me. He knows how to make me whole. He changes my life everytime I allow Him. I stand amazed at how great my God is! My God is Healer!! =) Now, I must speak it with my mouth. Pray for me won't you?

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Is God doing this to me?

If it is not good...it is not from God. God does allow things to happen to us...but He is not the cause of them. satan is out to seek, kill and destroy us...remember? God will use the enemy's firery darts to make us stronger. He will be with us through every step of it. He is always rooting for us to succeed. He is always waiting for us to call on His Name. He is always waiting for us to utilize the power that He has given us.

When you are in the midst of your 'storm'...do you sometimes not recognize Jesus? Do you feel as though you are in this fight alone? I can assure you...that is never the case. That is lie from the enemy. he wants you to feel alone. he wants you to feel powerless. he wants you to feel ashamed.

Maybe you are focusing on the pain and not the Power. Maybe you are focusing on yourself and not the Father. Maybe you feel as though no one else seems to care about what you are going through. Maybe you aren't even taking the time to look for a solution. Maybe you are so engulfed in how much you are hurting...that is seems as if it would take to much energy to fight. If so....you are right where the enemy wants you. Relying on your power. Relying on your cimcumstantial evidence. Relying on your wisdom. Relying on your solution. Relying on your self. And when you continue to feel as though you are failing...it is easy to play the blame game.

It is natural to blame God when something happens that seems to shake you to your core. But we are called to going against our natural instincts. To be a new creation in Christ. This means trusting Him when you feel as though you are being suffocated by your 'storm'. Taking slow deep breaths until you don't have to think to breathe any longer. Trusting His heart when you can't see His hand.

Soon I will be writing about my storm. I will be writing about God's plan. His strategy that was unlike mine. His provision. His protection. His faithfulness. His love...never ending...and perfect. I pray that you are ready to receive!

Have a good weekend all. Spend time with the ones you love...and that includes your Maker! =)