The Season of Hope

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We had a fire in our fireplace last night.  Uhm. It’s mid April.  We pack and unpack our winter jackets. We wait and wait for the last frost to plant our tender flowers only to turn around and cover them for threat of another frost. Uhm. It’s mid April. So what’s the bottom line.

just. breathe. 

Ever since Resurrection Sunday my spirit has been buzzing with the same Hope that creation sings out day after day. We laugh about blackberry winter, and dogwood winter, and who knows how many more, but we all are Looking for Something. We just know that winter won’t last. Even the brave pansies and daffodils stand strong in their stamina and  say, “hold on, keep believing.”

where does hope come from? 

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When Women Rise Up

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Co heirs.  Fully loved, fully seen, fully free. This is God’s plan for the sexes. If God were going to do a march on Washington, or our hometown, I doubt He would be wearing a penis or a vagina on His head. If you think about it, He legally could, since those are His designs.  But God is not about pushing one sex down to elevate another. In fact sisters, when we think that we can elevate women by pushing down men, then we have become the oppressor that we’re trying to escape. True equality is a God order. Men honor women. Women honor men. Both have their rightful voices. Both have a throne. Both have a charge and calling in the Kingdom.

We desperately need fathers. We desperately need mothers. In my world, I see as many mother wounds as I do father wounds. So to believe that “militant man-hating feminism” is somehow better than “old white man patriarchy” is a delusion because it still robs one gender of dignity. Of purpose. Of God’s design.

Yes.  I am a champion for women. For life. For truth, beauty and justice. Yes I LOUDLY protest the abuse of women and victimization they endure. Yes I LOUDLY live and challenge the way the church and world reduces women and dismisses them. I can’t tell you how sick it makes me to see all male elder boards and all male school boards and company boards. This is not the Kingdom either.

And, I know now, after seeking Heaven’s heart, that it is not the destruction of men but the redemption of men, and women,  that will usher in true freedom for us all.

Women. Rise up. Not in hate. But as Warrior Brides of the Most High God. Take up His truths to fight against the hurt and harm. “Your love is a fury all its own.” Stand and speak. But don’t confuse victory with venom.

And for the love of God. Be a woman. A whole hearted developed creature with a body, soul and spirit. Not just a vagina.

 

 

The Unveiling

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I was standing on the shoreline in two coats, two hats, a pair of gloves and a shawl wrapped as tightly as I could around my body. It was 22° at the beach, a record low. Even though I came prepared for winter beach temps, this was a stretch for all of us. Especially the locals! But when you come to meet with Jesus, well, the weather has to take a back seat.  And meet Him I did. For about two hours, the freezing wind died down, the warmth of the sun on the water kept me from frost bite, and the glory of His presence took care of the rest. It was in these golden moments that He asked me what was in my heart to do? I told him I wanted to do another women’s conference. “Lord, I want to create a safe place for them to enjoy you and drink you in just like I’m getting to do right now.”

From that prayer comes The Unveiling.

For years we offered The Unhindered Encounters to help women see their worth and value and how to connect with the Lord. And two things I have noticed.

One, I have changed a lot since then. Our last Unhindered Encounter was 2013. God has done a lot of deposits and refining in me five years. So there’s more. Lots more.

Two, women are STILL grappling with beauty and worth and hearing from God. And, they struggle with believing Him. We aren’t supposed to say that I know. But I believe The Unveiling is two-fold. That we would see HIM for who He really is then we would be able to see ourselves better too.

So I laugh and say The Unveiling is like Unhindered on steroids! We are going to hit the real topics women deal with every day. You know me. It ain’t gonna be a sweet little women’s conference. But it will be full of His power. We are going after real breakthrough and freedom not just the “sit and listen and go home the same” mantra. My prayer is that you will come for the same reason I went to the beach — to sit in His presence.

Details: It is Friday night, March 2 from 7pm to 930pm  (I hope, smile). Saturday March 3, from 830am to 230pm with lunch included.  There will two breakout sessions and I am thrilled with the women who have agreed to partner with this vision — Crystal Freeman, Ashley Jones, Tammy Marshall and Alexa Sponcia. They are all rockstars. I am honored to do this with them.

The cost is $40. There is an early bird special of $30 valid until February 1st. The event will be held at Bridgewater Place which is right off Bridgewater Road and 1-40  near the Walbrook Walmart. You can register here.

So. The Unveiling. More of Him means more of the real you. The free you. It’s why we are using the tagline: Fully seen. Fully known. Fully adored.

Wow. I can’t wait!

Agreeing with Heaven

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First. I am shocked by the long stretch since I blogged. Two. I HAVE been writing and developing material (more on that later) but it just hasn’t made it to this particular outlet. Three. I am so blown away by the power of God to answer our prayers. 2017 was a year of dreams and visions and revelations. He blew me up in May with a crazy callout to “go for more” and then He started pushing and pulling and leading me into More. Even if my knees were knocking. And 2018? Well this is the year that all that good, juicy stuff between He and I gets poured out. Whew. I may need a nap.

Here’s my overarching song for today. You know what beats the blues? You know what “fixes our eyes on Jesus”? You know what keep giving us energy to get up day after day, heartache after heartache? Our dreams, especially the dreams that He himself has revealed to us.

I tell you what..He’s relentless.  I was doing this dream exercise in one of our groups and I asked the women to just listen with Holy Spirit and write down 2-3 things they heard.  As I was waiting quietly, the Spirit nudged me and said, “you too.”

So I listened and heard. The answers came pretty quickly but the writing it down took a little more effort. The dreams were too big. Too much. Too audacious. Too embarrassing. Just TOO, dang it. The Spirit just kept pressing.

“Write them down.”

“I can’t.”

“Write.”

“Okay, I’ll write two of them. Happy?”

“No. All three.”

I sat there waffling between faith and doubt. I wanted what He said. I just couldn’t see how what He said could come to pass.

“By faith.” He whispered reading my thoughts.

I finally wrote all three down. And I finally got all three out of my mouth when it was my time to share. A funny thing happened. Every time I spoke out the dreams the Lord shared with me, my faith grew and my doubts diminished. I was prophesying over myself and agreeing with Heaven every time I repeated what the Spirit said.

It’s been almost 8 months. God has been pulling the pieces into place. He is the Dream Maker. My job is be the Dream Keeper and stay in step with Him as He does what only He can do.

So with that said, do you know what His dreams are for you? Are you keeping them well? Are you paying attention when He starts pulling pieces together?

What a ride. Just start speaking them out. He will do the rest.

 

 

It’s a God-bathed world. And the devil hates it!

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I just can’t take it . Every time something terrible, horrible, bone chilling happens, the same question rises up.  Where is God? And I tell you He is where He said He would be.

Right in the middle of the mess with us. 

One of the single greatest omissions of modern church thinking is the concept that we live in a war zone. It is our enemy who prowls around looking to devour, even to kill, steal and destroy. (1 Peter 5 and John 10) So when that destruction comes, why are we so surprised?

Are we so deceived that we do not know how and why to rail against the true source of hate and death? Are we so socially and spiritually numb that we do not see the war against God’s children?

God loves the world He has created.  The enemy hates it.

The enemy uses all manner of strategies to mar and distort all he can.  But God still brings comfort, healing, hope and peace regardless of the tactics used. God’s number weapon? Me and you.

Last night, the Lord woke me up. As I focused my eyes in the dark, I saw the brilliance of the moon in my house. I heard this phrase over and over in my spirit

A Great Light has come
and the darkness cannot put it out.

So now what?

Jesus did this crazy thing in the gospels. First He said, “I am the light of the world.” (John 12) And then He turned around and said, YOU are the light of the world. (Matthew 5) 

I don’t know about you, but I see a Great Light burning in the hearts of men and women who run to help in places of devastation and horror. I see God’s light shining through us as we love and bless when we could hate. I see a Great Light in the hearts of believers who carry His power and authority to stand and overcome the prince of this world.

I tell you worship God. It is our greatest weapon and the enemy hates it!

God is good. God in the details. So instead of blaming Him, let’s display Him.

 

 

 

When God Answers In Crazy Ways

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In the White House, they call it the news cycle. On the TV, they call it breaking news. In the human heart, these predictions create sheer panic.   Yet there is a greater revelation in of all the natural disasters and it hit me like a lightning bolt this morning.  I was watching a  clip from Steve Hartman on CBS Evening News  about how we went from rioting, protesting, hating each other one week to rescuing, serving, saving one another the next week.

Then I recalled this photo circulating on social media.

This is the wonder moment.  Me and my praying friends, and I am sure you and your praying friends, have been asking God to do whatever it takes to bring peace.  I have been releasing the Shalom of Heaven over the violent mood of our country.  And suddenly,  our differences have turned from throwing words and punches to throwing prayers and supplies.

Has God used these natural disasters to bring about the prayed for perspective shift?

I understand if you are living through and after these catastrophic events, it is hard to imagine celebrating or lifting up praise. Yet my friend in Houston confirmed the shift saying there is an overwhelming sense of gratitude.  Even more, she said, once they started reconnecting with the rest of the world and heard about the devastation in India and surrounding areas, she and her community were humbled all the more realizing it could have been so much worse. “Even with the destruction, we were still blessed,” she said.

Now with Irma, the forest fires, the Mexican earthquake, and other life altering circumstances, can we or will we maintain our confidence in a good God?

He is NOT bringing judgment. That is Old Testament rhetoric that has no place this side of the cross.

What we can see all through the Bible however is a God who is our “ever present help in time of need.”

This morning as I rejoice that Irma has reduced from Category 5 to 4, I am still praying for the storm to move, subside, or shift. I am still believing for rain. I am still believing for comfort for Houston and other affected parts of the world.

And. My spirit has paused to thank God for reminding us of who we all are.  Human beings. Each and every one worthy of love and dignity.  Maybe, just maybe, God has answered our prayers by showing how valuable life really is.

Creeping Under The Gates of Hell

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When I first stumbled through my overcrowded garage and my bare foot touched the tentacles on the floor, I let out a scream and jumped back.  With my phone flashlight in hand, I crept up, somewhat embarrassed, to realize these “tentacles” were instead a tenacious vine.

(We are in East Tennessee after all and pretty far from any invasion of an octopus, wink.)

But still I couldn’t figure out what the heck this vine was doing creeping under my door. It was so sickly. Clearly it was dying. I started to pull it up but stopped short.

I don’t know why I let this vine interrupt my mission. I was confounded. Why would a vine be trying to get IN my garage. There is no sunlight, no nutritional soil, no means of water.  It simply could NOT survive.

Then I heard this crazy whisper, “Raise the garage door.”

So I did.

“The gates of hell will not prevail.” I heard the Spirit say.

I stood there in awe.

Who knew this vibrant, green, luscious plant was on the other side of the garage door? Who knew is seemingly sickly yet unyielding vine was wholly and happily sustained by a stronger, larger network of plants?

This! This is what the true Church is. This is what the Body of Christ, the Life of God, whatever language you know, is all about.

Christ in us, the hope of glory.

This is what “Jesus alive in us” is all about. The plant is Not dying but fully alive in the mother plant. And the mother plant is spreading and multiplying in every direction.

Likewise, the Spirit of God in us is invading this world, even the dark, void of light garages of our world. And it is in a word, unstoppable.

We don’t have to be afraid of the dark.  Life is sliding under the door.

And the gates of hell cannot keep it out.

 

A Word From the Lord This Morning

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I heard a clear word from the Lord in the night. It is for all of us in uncertain, disappointing or even painful times.

Remain faithful in seasons of ‘No.’

As I searched the Spirit for clarification, it became clear this is a two way sword. He remains faithful to us even if the answer to our pleas, requests, and prayers are ‘No.’  He has not abandoned us. His love endures. His goodness cannot change. He reminded me of a phrase He taught me as I was trying to teach my children.

My ‘No’ is as loving as my ‘Yes.’

We often accuse God, doubt God, or we are mad at God when He doesn’t give us what we want. It is through these times we learn to trust His heart, trust His goodness not based on circumstances. We see He is a compassionate God who walks along with us in heartache. We learn to know Him in a deeper way so that we see Him for who He is. As time unravels the rest of our story, we then see a greater revelation, a greater mercy that He gave us instead of what we asked for. And. He is still with us. Even in the ‘No.’  He is faithful to never leave us.

That’s one side of the sword. The other side is We are to remain faithful in seasons of ‘No’.  We are to stand in love, stand in faith, stand in confidence in Him. How we ask? Our hearts are breaking, our hopes may be dashed on the ground. How do we approach Him if we don’t get what we want?

All of life, the point of all of it, the whole parade is summed up in this phrase:

“to know this love that surpasses knowledge.”

The end of Ephesians 3 breaks down the pathway of how to navigate the seasons of God’s loving ‘No.’

Our God is good. The Three-in-One is a good Father, a good Mother, and a good Savior. Our God is with us in the brokenness of life. He knows there is an enemy who would love nothing more than maintain the separation he caused at the garden. But Jesus came to share His fullness and the Spirit it here to escort us into faithful living.  We must guard our restored relationship with God.

But how? we ask.

He didn’t come through for us. I didn’t get the job. My loved one died. This evil persists.

“To know this love that surpasses knowledge.”

We move from what we know— facts, diagnoses, outcomes— to a Love that transcends our broken hearts. We find a comfort and His very real Presence that overshadows our existence here on earth. We refuse to align our thoughts and words with an enemy who says our God is weak, and distant; He is unable or unwilling to help.

God with us.

So again. Remain faithful in seasons of ‘No.’

 

 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.  I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3 12- 21

 

Notes From the Field: Wisdom to Rising Freshmen

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I had a rare and priceless moment this summer when I took my daughters and their friends, affectionately known as the Big Girls and the Little Girls, to our favorite mountain spot. We braved the cold river and splashed around in age appropriate ways, middle school, college and motherly. Wink. I loved watching them challenge and tease each other all the way from prissy hair tips to braving the rapids.

Then we hit a Mexican restaurant on the way home. In the awkward waiting for our food, munching on chips time it occurred to me that the Big Girls survived high school together and just completed their freshman year at different colleges.

The Little Girls both completed 8th grade at different middle schools and were now nervously looking toward the wild world of two different high schools. I had overheard enough of the “what ifs” and “what abouts” to know they were scared. Excited, but scared.

With a prod of divine brilliance from the Lord, I asked the BGs what they had learned that they could pass on. These little women had grown and changed so much through high school and even more through their first year of college. So  what advice would they would give to the LGs as they were entering high school.

I was blown away by this gift of perspective. Hope you enjoy it and will share it with your upcoming highschoolers too.

• Don’t dismiss people by their appearance. Clothes are misleading.

• Take action and actually say hello to people.

• Do sports and clubs, even if you don’t want to.

• After high school you can handpick your friends. But in high school you learn what kind of friend you want to be and what kind you want to have.

• Never be in the car with someone under any influence (drugs or alcohol, even anger.)

• Drive if you can and don’t take people with you so you have the freedom to leave a bad situation or party.

• Grades are not your identity. They matter but they are not everything.

• Don’t worry about your looks or what others think.

• Every “A”  you get is money in your pocket.

• Build relationships with your teachers. They matter.

• Take hard classes.

• Go to tutoring.

• Be nice to yourself. Every year brought a drastic change as a person.

Thanks for the insight and courage Salem Spicka and Andy Gil.