Tweets, Suites, and Decks
19 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
Ok, so I’m not old, right. I mean 31′s not old. I’m still of the generation that is connected through instant media, right? Well a conversation I had with several of the guys I work with last night would indicate that I may be getting there. AH!!!
Within the ministry I’m working for, we have a heart to reach the younger generations, because, let’s be honest they hold the key to moving this life forward and bringing in the End-Times harvest! SO…how do we reach these folks? At this point we’ve been connected to them through E-mail, a website, and a Facebook page. Isn’t that enough? I guess not. If you can’t convey your message in 140 characters or less, they’re not interested. And as far as e-mail goes, they only reason many of these late teens, and early 20-somethings have an email address is to sign up for a Twitter or Facebook account, and not too much longer and I see it’ll be Google+ (as this is the newest social media site….I think Google’s gonna try to take over the world! LOL! – nervous laughter here). So to try to contact these younger ones through email is really pointless…SO, in an effort to communicate with the more than 60% of our ministry, we (myself, and the two leaders I work for, of which I am the youngest by 3 years from one and 25 year from the senior member) are going to be learning about things like Twitter, Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, and such. I see merit in such things, as they streamline the process of communications to one convenient package. So, I am not old, I’m just at that place where I’m now the computer student and not the teacher! And if it means reaching this target generation, then I’m all for connecting to them where they are already connected. Heck who knows, maybe this will light a fire under my butt to come back to blogging more often too! One can only hope! 
Revisting old themes
31 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in Devos (& other inspirations), Ministry
Tonight its my turn. My turn to share/teach at our House of Prayer. As some of my thoughts and themes in my life are reflected here, I’ve come back to the stories of my life. I’m thinking I’m gonna share on the intimacy of the Lord, unless of course He has another plan. This idea is at the crux of the matter of many lives. I believe that until we get intimate with the Lord, our identity cannot be fully known. And it is our identity that is forever our searching place or the thing that hold us back from what we’re called to. We say things like, “well I don’t know who I am yet, so how can I begin to know my calling.” or “what’s my calling?” or the ever increasing question of, “what am I here for?” I believe that all those questions can and will be answered in the practice of intimacy. Its in the most intimate places that we gain our identity in Christ. It is in the intimate places that our spirit is solidified within us, enabling us to go more places, do more things, and most important to reflect a truer picture of Christ. After all, the student becomes like the teacher! So as I prepare for tonight, I’m revisiting the themes of my life. The places that He has taken me in and through to teach me my identity, but not before spending simple times in the arms of my beloved! Oh the peace, joy, and love found in the arms of the One who loves me like no other!
Upper Room
21 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment
So, I’m reading Acts…just started today. Its a book I’ve read in pieces and parts, studied sections of it, even heard many great teachings from it…but I’ve never read it beginning to end. The Lord has been doing amazing things in my life and the life of my husband. He’s showing up in so many new ways! For me, its been a deepening of the intimate areas of my life. He wants me to allow his Holy Spirit and the things associated with Him (the Holy Spirit is a man, not an “it”) into my innermost being. I think this is the reasoning for me being lead into the reading of Acts…where better to get to know the person of the Holy Spirit than where he is most obviously introduced in the word!
What struck me today, was from the first chapter. After Jesus’ ascension, the disciples (which included not only the 11 remaining disciples, but some of the people who also followed Jesus while he was here on earth) went up to the upper room.
First order of business…replace Judas. No. How about decide what we’re going to do now that Jesus is gone. Nope. Ok, then let’s elect a board and appoint someone to direct us. Not that either. First order of business was to go before the Lord, together as one! They went up to pray! Verse 14 says, “These all (referring to the brethren gathered) continued with one accord in prayer and supplication…” And then I saw it, verse 15, “And in those days…” So I ask myself, “how many days were they up there?” I know there are SO many schools of thought on this question…I’m sure they’ve even truly figured it out in some theological school somewhere. But then I felt the Lord saying, “Is it important the number of days they were there or what and how they were going about doing while they were there?”
They prayed, in ONE ACCORD and in supplication to the Lord. It was this one accord prayer that led to the Holy Spirit arriving on the scene (ch.2). They waited, rested in God, and prayed together as one. So, what’s the one accord that gathers His people to usher in the Holy Spirit? I believe they were praying prayers of the surety of who God is, the surety of who they are, and the surety of the promise that Jesus left them with.
When we are left in a situation of desparation or when things look hopeless…where are our prayers? Are they prayers out of our hopelessness or out of the person of Christ? Do we pray, hoping God will show up…maybe if we pray hard enough? Or is there conviction in our prayers? Can we pray with the true identity in Christ that we are His and He is our and he’s given us power from on high?
Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”
Developing the Princess Within
03 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
in Devos (& other inspirations), Ministry, Singleness
Today I had the opportunity to meet up with a young woman, about 19 years old who is involved in the ministry in which I am a part of. She had previously made the comment, “I am done, I am done with guys, done with dating, just done.” To which I said, “sounds like we’re kindred…I’ve been there. Let’s get together sometime.” She agreed and today was that time.
She had come to a similar place, as many young single christian woman come to. The place where it seems like God couldn’t be farther, our dad really isn’t “the man” anymore, and there are just no “good guys” out there. So she concluded that its over, its hopeless and she’d just give up. Sound familiar? I’ve been there…more then once!
But God has other things in store for her (He did for me), and I bet He does for everyone. I talked to her about the Princess within. God has given us, each a desire in our hearts to be loved, to be perused, and to be committed to. Why? Because we are his bride, and he’s coming for us…He’s gonna marry us! He’s made us to be princesses, its our birthright. Just like a princess of a country, she is born with that right. She is born with that within her, but she is then groomed, taught, and brought up to be that Princess. To fulfill the role that has been bestowed upon her.
We too, have been bestowed with the role of a princess. The princess is beautiful in the eyes of the King. The princess is priceless in the eyes of the King. The princess is precious in the eyes of the King and can do no wrong by him. That is the way our heavenly Father views us, His princess. The question is, do you view yourself that way? Developing the princess within is really feeding into that which is already indwelt in us. Developing the mind-set that we are His favorite. That we are beautiful and FULLY loved by Him!
I know that fairy tales tell us that the princess is always prim and proper, never a scratch on her. She’s perfect in every way. We can thank Disney for that image. But maybe Disney wasn’t so far off…maybe they know something about being a princess that we don’t. They know the truth, from the eyes of the King. That’s the way they write their princesses. Maybe we should get to know the King more, so we can write ourselves the same way!
Singing to my Spirit
21 Apr 2010 1 Comment
in Devos (& other inspirations), Ministry, Prayer, Single No More
The other day, my husband and I were cleaning the house. So I did what I usually do when I’m doing a mundane job…I blare the worship music. He on the other hand is more partial to metal….his favorite being metallica. So that’s what he was playing through his phone (also his MP3 player). That was fine, until the areas we were cleaning were close together. The two music choices didn’t really complement each other. So, seeing as how I was getting ready to add another noise to the house (the vacuum) I turned off the music I’d turned on. This this situation got me thinking…Why do I listen to praise and worship/Christian music? Its not as if that’s the only music that I like. Play a good country song, rock song, R & B song, or even classical and I’ll enjoy it. Heck I’ll even listen to metal from time to time with enjoyment. So I’m not one to say its time to throw out all your music except your Christian music. Because I mean common people, its that getting “religious” with it. If that’s what you need to do to stay away from negativity, or temptations, or what-have-you…then by all means, do it. But that’s not what I’ve really been thinking about.
What I’ve been thinking about it why the music of choice for me is Worship and how that plays into a part of a prophetic word spoken over me. First the prophetic word was one in which the person praying for me, stopped the prayer, looked at me and said, “I see music around you, do you play anything or sing?” I said, “I play a little (emphasis on little) guitar and I sing.” He said, “ok, well I’m not to say that you’re gonna be a bug worship leader soon or in the future, but I do see music all around you.” I thought, “wow! that’s a new word!” I’ve heard things like, leader, mothering to younger girls in the Lord, and even prophetic…but music! This one was new. So what do you do when you receive a word that really doesn’t resonate…shelf it! So that’s what I did. SO, fast forward about two years (present day) with the scenario above. I think, why is it that whenever I get a chance its praise and worship music I’m listening to, its praise and worship I’m singing, or that’s stuck in my head? Yup, I’ve got some playing right now! Its not so much just general christian music, but praise and worship (there is a difference). To the best I can figure its because it feeds my spirit. It strengthens my heart (1 Thes. 3:13). It allows me to stay centered, return to center, or just lay in the center of God. My personal spirit is strengthened by the Spirit of God. And its through worship and praise that I can lift up the Spirit…putting Him before me, allowing Him to become more as I become less. And I’ve come to know that more is Him is WAY better then anything I could offer myself. So, I choose to worship through it all! I chose to say, “You are my God, whom I love.” And the best way I can do that is through music.
So the next time you see me in the car, driving through town, windows closed and my mouth moving…rest assured I’m singing praises to the One who is worthy of all praise! Not to say that simply by just singing praise to God, my problems disappear, or hardships don’t come. BUT, it does decrease the intensity of them quite a bit!
