Straigtened Spine

Sleepover.
Giggly girls.
Dancing.
Making food.
Movies.
Healing.


HEALING....
It was SO wonderful to see our friend Miranda aka Randy be healed.

We were discussing which 2 girls would get the pleasure of cozying up in the twin bed, and which one of us would sleep on the floor. I was totally set for the floor when Randy shares that the floor is better for her because of her back. She explains the pain she had had and discomfort of having a pretty major curve in her spine. I was like, "so let's fix that ..."

Zahkea and I layed hands on her back, prayed, and spoke healing over her body. Sure enough, our God is HEALER. Miranda, wide-eyed, reports the difference that she feels in her body not only from the pain, but also with less intense of a curve.

We could totally see that she was carrying herself differently, and not only in her posture. She said that she felt taller. We all run to the doorway where she had been keeping track of her height. She showed us where she had been at, how she had shrunk (because of the curve in her spine) and upon measuring her- she was TALLER than both of the latest markings :)


To celebrate this healing, Randy slept in the cushy bed :)

Flavor Time

I've realized that in my cooking, I hold back on the flavor...
I tend to make things a little more bland,
the thought behind it being that it COULD potentially be TOO MUCH
and that people wouldn't like it.

Similarly,
I've held back with who I am
I don't want to be TOO ( whatever )
so I've held back.


But we're taking strides away from this,
and it's time to pull out the cilantro ;)

"I AM Peace"

One morning, several months ago, I woke up with my mind racing, and stressed before I even had time to realize that I was awake...

... O NO! This is not happening, I will NOT tolerate entering into a day stressed. period. I thought on "This is the day that The Lord has made, I WILL REJOICE and be glad in it" and looking for a solution told Jesus that He HAD to bring peace, because I didn't know what to do.

His inviting words echoed through my being, "I am Peace..." and with the words this idea was made known to my heart that because He is peace, He breathes peace out. It was an invitation to enter in at a deeper level. To breathe deep into my lungs the peace that He exhales.

So desiring to accept His invitation, I asked Him to make space in my day for it as it was packed minute by minute and as it was I had to run to get to work...

3:00 rolls around and I'd accomplished a myriad of things, I came home to quick change before jetting out on the next part of my day. Riiiiiiing.... (more like techno dance music than a ring, but you get the picture) my friend is running late :) SCORE! At this point I'm so exhausted and I can't believe that I still have another 8-10 hours of my day left... so I attempt to take a nap, but after a few moments of an endless stream of thoughts I ask Jesus to calm my racing mind. Again I hear, " I am Peace"

I quickly pop out of bed, grab my notebook, and as I close my eyes, I'm immediately whisked away to the side of a mountain. A beautiful place where He has communicated some of the most impacting things into my heart. Today a huge eagle picks me up with it's talons and we're flying over the mountain peak. He playfully throws me onto His back, into the air, and catches me. This continues for a while as we hover over the snow capped mountain top. It's so... freeing.

All of the pressures of the day, and the days to come are gone.
Not in a way where one ignores them, but compared to this... they are so small.

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted;

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

I ask The Lord what it's about. Panning MILES away, He shows me where the ground slightly increases in elevation, and then the top of the peak again. "I am before the mountain begins to slope, above the highest peak, and everywhere in between."

He is here. In the midst of anything you may be facing He is here.


Change scene.

I'm in a banquet hall. To my left is a dance floor. To the right of me, a very big banquet table. Beautifully set with goblets and lots of fruit. There was a lot going on at the table. people enjoying themselves and eating. I look down and I am wearing an elegant shimmery gown, dressed for such an occasion. But I take a step back...

As I do, Daddy (God the Father) sticks his arm through mine. He's with me. Because He's there, I know I'll be okay, we walk toward the dance floor andRiiiiiiing.....

Time to go. This time refreshed, and full of His Peace.

Do you know what you're worth?
Do you know what you hold?

Did you know that there's more to life than the lies you've been told?

You may have felt that something offbeat, a smokescreen
it's incomplete
but let me tell you there is so much more...

more than what you could dream imagine or hope for.

It doesn't hide the mess with a magic wand or pretty dress.
But I'll tell you one thing - there is something to this openness.

My Heart's Mosaic

Some people run from the past as soon as it's created.
I guess I have a different approach.

If my heart were a very large room filled with stained glass windows,
One of them lay in front of me in pieces.

As I stand and look at the shattered glass before me,
I crouch down to look more intently at each piece.
I hold each one up to the light.
Those pieces too marred to let light shine through,
are tossed aside.
But as I sift through them all,
I find that there are so many pieces still intact,
each one encompassing a different beauty,
still brilliant in color and transparency.
These I hold onto.
These I hold dearly in my hand.
But as I continue to sort,
I see that my hands are filled.
I realize that my small hands can't hold them all,
and I need a safe place to set such fragile pieces.
As I look up, hands are extended toward me.
Strong, gentle hands,
big enough to hold every piece.
In one hand the marred, and in the other the unscathed.
I sit down beside Him, and we start to design.
laying out each piece into a beautiful work of art.
But before I know it, EVERY piece is used.
Even those I deemed blemished beyond redemption.
I start to see that He sees things much differently,
and I now see the beauty in every detail,
every finishing touch.

Sweeter Than Honey

Those words that brought healing to a place that held pain, unbeknown to me.

My love to Him is sweeter than honey. And honey has been redeemed.

You see...

Last year, while questioning a friend in an act of ditching me, he responded "honey is sweet, but too much and ....." it ended there with a wound inflicted far deeper than I had realized.

But now, over a year later, another friend, speaking words from my Father, directed truth to this lie. My heart, the love I have toward my Father is precious to Him, and sweeter than honey.

"It's a Good Day to Die..."

This phrase is said time and time again in a t.v. series that I've been watching online.

To go on a tangent... I've been watching Robin Hood. I love how there is something about it that echoes our life on this earth, living in the kingdom. A group of outlaws, taking small strides for their king while their country is currently in the hands of corruption... PLUS... their is no swearing or inappropriate scenes... AND Robin takes a stand against oppression, giving people hope. Love it.... anyways...

One of the characters, Little John, whenever the group of renegades risk their lives for their cause says, "Today is a good day to die" Which has been a recurring theme for me in the past month.

Several dreams of me teaching what it means to lay down ones life...
Feeling the challenge to die to myself in small ways with family and friends...
Hearing it from the pulpit this Sunday...

I feel the invitation to whatever this may look like,

whether it means:

letting my little brothers use the computer when I'm in the middle of something "important"
biting my tongue and not retaliating with anger when being wrongfully accused,
keeping my heart open when I've been wronged,
taking the first step toward mending a broken relationship,
... etc.

It's on! Because this war that we are fighting is not one of flesh and blood, and our weapons are not weapons of the world but have divine power to demolish strongholds. (ref. eph 6:12 and 2cor10:4) And sometimes these weapons look like death, death to ourselves so that love can take it's place.

Today is a good day to die.

¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other. (John 15)