01.26.12
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| 12:06
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We can’t really realize and appreciate that we have freedom
until we see that we need release from something. It is easy to think of our salvation experience as a picture
of that. O how He has set us free!
I have been a passionate follower of Jesus for over 40 years
and am continually humbled by how much I still have to learn. I know that life
comes at you in seasons and thought I had walked through some of the lowest
lows and highest highs in those seasons already. I felt “seasoned” by
experience. When the tactics of
the enemy encroached on my life as I was well aware that he would, the approach
was so different and so strong that for the first time I was actually totally
disabled. Under the oppression that hit me, I lost “me” for a season…my praise,
vision, joy, energy, smile, laugh and strength shrunk in massive proportions. I
had long ago learned that praise defeats the enemy but my heart was so beat I
found it hard to be free to truly
praise. I knew how to claim truths and pray scripture and wait for God to move
in mighty ways but now I was unable. Being a housemom to 7 teen girls in a Christian
children’s home, I spent every night praying with these precious girls and
claiming the very things I needed to hear over them. They never knew my
internal battle. Such a surreal
feeling, when I was so beat down. It felt like I was watching myself from above
when I prayed over the girls. At the time, no comfort, release or freedom
seemed to be mine. My husband and I were on this journey together and he was
praying for me and watching me in this process of being thrown into a prison of
sorts. I needed freedom from the oppression that was upon me. Right when it
felt like I literally wouldn’t make it another day, a huge door opened and God
released me/us from the circumstances of the oppression. I remember myself
saying to the girls, “God is never late, always on time and cares about every
desire of your heart. His thoughts about you outnumber the grains of sand on the
earth.” SO true! We love to bike ride in our gorgeous
seaside town. Last week, we rode to the bayfront and sat on our favorite bench.
The water was perfectly glassy and a group of seagulls looked like they were at
a seagull spa right in front of us. …splashing, bathing, cooing, fully enjoying
the calm water. I heard the Lord in the quietness of my heart say, “Enjoy this
season of refreshing and freedom. I wasn’t late. I heard. I will not waste a
moment of your life.” Praise in my heart has tripled in the 6 weeks since that
freedom came. I am drinking in the Word of God like I have always loved to do
again. I am sharpened and refined in new ways. I am rejoicing over what God did
in spite of the oppression that blanketed me. I see miracles in the lives of our
girls!
The enemy seeks to kill, steal and destroy and when we are
sold out to God he is relentless in the attack. If you are under that attack in
this season of your life in serving the Lord, don’t believe what you feel,
think or see…believe what you know…God is faithful! He IS there in the midst of
your circumstances and He WINS every time!
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12.11.11
Posted in
General
| 08:24
Looking forward to posting again in a few weeks.God is moving in mighty ways.
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10.20.11
Posted in
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| 08:02
This last month, the cost seems to great. How am I to know when to press through and when to lay it down? Not one area of my life seems unscathed. I know that Jesus gave ALL and I have been willing to give all and then I hit this wall. I know the disciples left all and gave all. For the first time, I am just so beat that I can't function as His hands and feet. Thank you for prayer.
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10.12.11
Posted in
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| 06:47
I know the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because of disobedience, complaining and lack of faith. I am fighting the battle to not get extremely discouraged right now. It is easy for me to complain, disobey and live by feelings. Please pray for me...I BELIEVE God will lift me! Thank you!
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09.24.11
Posted in
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| 14:46
I feel compelled to ask that anyone that might read this blog to please pray for us. We are in the midst of such a intense battle. We know that we have been prepared for this battle for years. We had no idea we would be in it, but God surely did and has placed us here to fight for children who need rescue. We are here to pour love, truth and life by the power of the Holy Spirit into the lives of 8 girls who have been devastated early in life. Many would say they could never recover, but we as believers know differently! I cannot begin to describe the things we face as we walk in this call. I will just ask for prayer and believe that many we don't know will "hear" and lift us before the Lord as we do what He has called us to do. Your prayers are powerful and we count on them! Praying His greatest blessings over you.
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09.24.11
Posted in
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| 14:05
Filling up on rest so that I can continue to pour hope and life into the hearts of the girls God has placed in the ministry He has called us to. Sitting on the beach soaking in the sounds, smells, sights...beautiful...alone with my heavenly Father in the middle of a crowd of strangers...bliss...reading prayers from the book, "Valley of Vision", a puritan prayer book...just finished journaling through some of them and this is one. It is my prayer that it will encourage someone today. It surely encouraged me to state those eternal truths!
Jesus, I bless You...I praise You..You have given me eyes of faith and I cherish that. You are my Father...perfect in all of Your ways. Your promises for me are, "yes!" and "amen!" Your love never ends. You are the anchor of my soul. I trust in You alone. You live and move within me as I am surrendered to You. You inhabit my praise, speak life through me, guide my actions, and cause me to grow in grace. You pick me up when I am down and You pour belief through me again. When I am weak, You are strong. When I can't see, You are my light. When I am shaking in my shoes, You are my solid rock on which I stand. When I don't see answers fast enough, You remind me that You are never late. I glean patience b/c You are doing Your perfect work. When I mess up, your mercies are new every morning. Your love amazes me. I am Your...sealed forever! Keep me aware of the dangers of sleepy faith. When I let my emotions rule, my heart fills with lies and I can become a fountain of pain to others. The fruit of my life becomes rancid. I am called to be a bearer of light and hope. Lord, keep my faith afresh each day. You are more than enough! You never fail! I WILL walk by faith and not by sight and I WILL be filled with strength to be all you have called me to be. I thank You, God. I praise You, Father. amen
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09.21.11
Posted in
General
| 09:13
Please pray that God will provide time for me to do this...my heart is welling up...HE is stretching me in a zillion ways.
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06.22.11
Posted in
General
| 20:30
I was asked to write an article about what being a girls house family means to us. I knew I wanted to write it, but had no idea what to write. I prayed and asked God to show me. The following is what I felt He impressed on my heart.
There isa level of JOY that flows through our girls home at the ranch that is almostindescribable. Pressures of every kind may be pressing in, but when the girlswalk in the doors of that home our hearts melt with love for each of them. Theyare all so unique and so amazing and the potential of each of their lives islimitless, because God is the Restorer! There is such a peaceful feeling in thehouse that comes from the presence of the Lord at work in their lives. “Unless the Lord builds the house, itsbuilders labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1 The house we reside in with the girls isabsolutely gorgeous. Clearly God poured the vision for this home and for whatwould happen within these walls into the hearts of those who donated thefinances for it and countless others who have prayed and served at Seamark.
Our girls house family is awonderful tangle of: great big morning hugs; hymns by piano for ms Phyllis inthe a.m., cranked up music in the van for our girls in the pm J; deep cleaning until it’s all done; going to camp together to serve;cleaning up after dinner together and feeling like a team; spontaneous moments listening, talking,belly laughing, praying; driving through Penny Farms in the dark singing “Wethe Redeemed” at the top of our lungs with the windows down; problem solving; teaching:driving the golf cart, the kabota & the van; making chicken wings together,baking a first cake and learning to clean properly; swinging and singingtogether; lots of hugs, watching, Man vsWild & American Idol together; giggles; sweet notes; mowing the yard, feedingthe horses, chickens and donkeys together, sisters planning birthday surprisestogether; the contrast of girlie crafts and playing in the woods; correctionin love and consequences that fit; Grace to one another;making dinner for people we know who are in need &visiting the nursing hometogether; doing a back rub circle; worshipping during our devo. time with our very own worship leader; Wii wars; cheering over good grades; trusting;celebrating a horse as a best friend; working on projects for school on thefront lawn on blankets; doing chores inside and out, feeling each others painand praying until relief comes; getting all excited when extended family arrivesor when we go to see them; a surprise dance in the front yard under the starsin our formal clothes with all 9of us laying on the grass in a long line and singing, “How Great is Our God” ; shopping the mall withour “shoe addicts”; beach days; bedside talks, blessings and prayers; the funof surprises; lots of quality timetogether where natural conversation just happens about everything under thesun!
……FAMILYis all of the above and so much more. Love, Grace, Healing, Hope, Joy andGrowth happen in our home and it means the world to us. God is bringing truelife and the work He is doing will overflow into the generations to come in thelives of our daughters! This is fresh JOY!
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