Future in mind...

My four old niece, Jayda, recently informed my sister (her mom) of her plans for her future. Now, bear in mind that as of current, Jayda is 4 years old. Her plans for her future are as follows:

I would like to have children. Four children, called Noelle, Thomas, Iris, and Sam (in that order). My husband is going to be named Blake (I will have a different Blake to the Blake we know now). We are going to have a bunny. Not a dog or cat, because they bite children. I’m going to live in a house of bricks, and glass windows. My husband and my children will help me build ourselves a house. We will build our house on the rock and not the sand. I will give my children a much bigger room because I have four children. My husband is going to do the cooking. He will cook noodles for us, because I will probably like them when I get older. My job will be at a workplace somewhere, doing work things, where you take your lunch. I want to do typing, and printing coloring sheets and games for the children’s Sunday school. The children will go to big school and I will take them to Disney world. I will go to church and sing songs about God being Holy.

Now remember, this is coming from a 4 year old. But i'll be interested to see how much of this she actually fulfills. She's a little strong willed, strong spirited little girl. I guess we'll see.

Through which lens?

Over the years, i've learned to take criticism. Everyone is a critic nowadays. Everyone has an opinion on the matter. Even when some people don't even know all the facts, they still have an opinion. The church that i currently attend, FIRE, was 'birthed' (or started) out of a major revival that rocked the world. And in that revival, people had opinions. Some good, some bad, some indifferent.... Some would say that the things that happened there were majorly demonic or wrong or weren't the Holy Ghost.

The article below is about the founder of FIRE, Dr. Brown. Recently, a local magazine did an article on him. It's interesting. i find it interesting whenever the media (or secular mindset) tries to define God or something of the supernatural. i've come to terms w/ the fact that God can't be described. it's just not going to happen. Try and explain God to someone and man... you can really get into some good conversation. But in reading this article, i laughed. and was shocked. The article was very well written. Lots of good adjectives and the writer really knows how to write well. I give them that. And he even gave me some things to ponder and perhaps look into. but i just find it amazing whenever the media has to research things of the Spirit. Because, for the most part, they're going into territory that is hard to chart.

I mean, you can easily cover a basketball game. Give the stats and players names and the highlights of the game. That's easy. But imagine trying to describe wind. it's actually harder to describe the simple stuff! Because it just happens!

But i encourage you to read the below article. And if you were apart of the revival in Brownsville, i'd love to get your take on it. if you weren't and your a critic of revival or God or religion, i'd like to get your take on it as well.

http://www.charlottemagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2301&am p;Itemid=106

My mission will always be missions

There is a part of my heart that cries out for other nations. I've had many cross cultural experiences. Haiti and England and Philippines and New York City... ok, so maybe the last one was a bit of my sarcastic sense of humor... or maybe not... lol. But its because these places are populated with people. And people are on my heart because they're on God's heart. Trust me, its only by the grace of God that i put up w/ some people. But i look at society and my heart just cries out to God for grace and mercy.

My first time in Haiti, my heart was officially destroyed for certain things in life. I have the hardest time forking out like $50 for jeans. so much of the stuff that we deem as 'necessary' isn't really necessary. A lot of stuff that i have, i'll admit, could probably be done w/o. but i've seen poverty to the extreme. I've seen the society that had a curse of death on it for 200 years (Haiti). I've seen what witchcraft and black magic and voodoo has on a nation. (for the record, i steer clear of Harry Potter and Pokemon and stuff like that. folks, i've seen the trading cards and i've prayed for people who have dealt w/ this stuff. it will give you devils. i say that very unapologetically.)

But in all the above, my heart goes out to people in these situations. I want to present something to them that holds weight and meat. I want to present the gospel of the Bible, not the gospel according to our American standards. but i want to present something to people that is life changing. Something that leaves them breathless.

Jesus is the only 'thing' that will satisfy. Nothing else will satisfy. you might be reading this right now, and your struggling in body. I pray that life would enter into you right now by the power of the Holy Spirit and that the Blood of Jesus would cover you and that sickness would leave you body immediately. If your struggling in mind, stop agreeing w/ the lies of the enemy. If you don't know who the world Jesus is, repent of your sins and ask Jesus to come into your heart and be your Lord and Savior.

pray this prayer: Jesus, i believe that You are the Son of God. I believe you died for my sins, that you conquered sin and death and that on the 3rd day You arose. I repent of my sins and ask for you to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. I ask for grace to turn from my wicked lifestyle and turn into Your arms and be the son or daughter that You originally intended for me to be. I thank you for your forgiveness of my sins.

My heart will always burn to travel and minister. That's just who i am. it's who God wired me to be. And i love it! it's amazing the places i've been and the people i've talked w/. Trust me, serving Jesus is all that. you want adventure and challenge, turn to Jesus. you want to know TRUE LOVE, turn to Jesus.

Prophetic Weirdness

The title of this one comes from my of my buddies here at church.... let me explain.

Being in the charismaniac circles that i run in, i've grown very accustomed to just starting to pray an innocent little bless them prayer and minutes later, people are on the floor laughing and crying (and sometimes shaking) under the anointing and power of God. (And i also know that at times, people start getting off into weird doctrine and get away from what the Bible is saying. And that's not cool. We need to keep ourselves inline with scripture.) Now, i know that some of the above doesn't fit into some precious theology that people have grown accustomed to... but oh well. I myself have been in meetings where you just start praying for people and the anointing of God starts flowing and all sorts of 'prophetic weirdness' starts happening. People start getting visions and the prophetic words come about... its become common practice for me. I like to flow in the prophetic vein.. it keeps me sane. (In saying prophetic, i'm referring to the face of that you don't really know where your going or how your going to get there, but your moving none the less.)

And you know what, its ok to not know what God is going to do. That's why its soo imperative to know His heart. Just yesterday afternoon, i went out w/ a group of friends from church to a local sushi restaurant. Everything was going fine... until we were leaving and we stopped to pray for a brother. After praying for him, my friend Joshua goes "ok, let's move off here to the side where we're not in everyone's way and get ready for some prophetic weirdness." lol... we ended up getting in a circle and taking up a parking spot. so imagine this: your driving along through a parking lot and you see a group of young adults in a circle, with their hands in the center (much like one would to rally a team). What are you thinking? Its occurred to me numerous times that God likes to do things outside of our box.

I've learned that it's important that when your praying out in public, to keep your eyes and ears alert. You never know when someone will spring something on you or when a demon will manifest and BAM... your hit. so you gotta keep your senses alert to what's happening. in this situation, i was more or less put in the position of watching out for our surroundings.

So there we all are, praying for the Lord to unite us. For us to be good stewards of what He will entrust us with. I know the Lord has something for me yet down here. I'm not allowed to leave permanently yet. There's gotta be more! So i'm learning to just love on Jesus and love on those around me.

Let me say this: my current mood is not despondent or angry or bitter in the least. My heart is burning w/ a passion for Jesus and a passion to see the Bride of Christ walk in her full anointing, glory and beauty. I'm really enjoying life and balancing out my serious nature and my random nature. I love to pull off random things. I love to tease people and lovingly pick on them. I also love to get down and dirty in the Holy Ghost. and yet try not to take things too seriously.

For those of you who are reading this and your used to the 'prophetic flow', you probably understand a lot of what i'm trying to talk about. For those of you who have no idea what i'm talking about.... pass the potato salad.

Good clean comedy

I love a good laugh. My life isn't just all seriousness and straight-faced. But i love a good laugh as much as anyone. Luckily, there are people out there who know how to make you laugh without having to drop all sorts of cussing and foul mouthed. People like Mark Lowry, Chonda Pierce and Tim Hawkins. They're all folks who are family friendly. Check them out and more Christian comedy.

Current Election News

So Romney dropped out of the race today. I respect him for his decision. And i'm glad my man man Huckabee is still in. As of right now, he's still the one getting my vote. I can't vote for McCain. He's not a conservative. He's a baby killer. (Hillary and Obama aren't even a passing thought for me.) I want a Godly man in that office. I want a person who fears God more than someone who knows how to wax eloquently with people. Smooth talkers scare me. I'm voting for Huckabee.

I pray that the Lord speaks to every heart and mind and that hearts and minds would be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is saying. Lord, bless those in leadership with Your heart and mind. I pray the fear of the Lord over my leaders. May they fear You over people.

I guess life happens...

Whether you want it to or not....

I don't even really know what to say in this thing. I'm doing good but yet at the same time have all this crap going on. Lately i've come to realize that setting rules and guidelines can be good, but sometimes they just seem really over protective and unnecessary. I mean, i'm all for have a set of rules to live by.. but sometimes i'm like "ok, this is just really to constrictive...." i mean, i wasn't even thinking about that particular thing until you said something to me about it. just where is your mind at that you always think of the negative and immoral?

My heart is for youth... big time. just last night i was at a prayer meeting where it was run by the youth. which is totally awesome! and they encouraged me like nothing else. i joined in praying w/ them and just kinda hung around. but i get to talking to a lot of parents and they're telling me about their kids. and sometimes i think "do you actually ever take a minute and listen to what your kids are saying? or do u just immediately shoot them down or correct them?" i gotta tell you that at times when talking w/ people, i let words fly. people are cussing up and down like crazy and i just sometimes sit there and laugh. i want them to hash it out w/ God. yeah, there are times where i bring correction and speak into their life... but at times, i just sit there and listen.

but sometime ago at church, a lady asked me to join her in praying for her daughter. her daughter wasn't doing the best spiritually and like any good mother, she was concerned. so of course i took a minute and prayed w/ her.

all this to say that at times, life happens. like or not, people say things and people get hurt and offended. welcome to life.

at work, while on the phones, saying certain things are taboo. so i have to learn to be more diplomatic about things. which i don't like. i would rather be blunt and be like "no, i know this product sucks." but i can't... Logitech wouldn't like it. sometimes big business can take it and just... so, hows the weather?

but at all times, i just remember that God is God and He is good. Jesus loves me and thats good, because sometimes i think He's about the only one that does... lol.

does life ever happen for you?

Buzz words

There are a lot of buzz words nowadays, especially in the circles i run around in. words like apostolic and prophetic and community, words like that. But what do they mean?

It started off with a resurgence of the 'offices' of that of teaching, and then pastoral, then evangelism, the prophetic and apostolic. And little by little, different ideas have been making a comeback. Let me continue by saying that i whole heartedly am all about the apostolic and prophetic. I'm all about that ideas and offices being restored, in true Biblical understanding. I am not for, however, the exploitation of that. many people who claim to be 'apostolic' and 'prophetic' just seem to be exploiting it for the money. Having big ministries and having all sorts of demands for their giftings and whatnot. I do believe that there are people out there who truly carry these giftings and callings on their lives. But i don't believe in just using for the title. Over the past few decades, portions of what has come to be known as the "5-Fold Ministry" (Eph. 4:11) have been making a come back.

To date, i don't like it when someone just uses it as a title or a job. I've heard stories of where well known individuals demand money to go and speak, rather than asking the Holy Spirit and being 'led of the Spirit', they're motivated more by the money. That's sick. Those type of people i have little tolerance for.

So what does it mean to be apostolic? Merriam-Webster Online dictionary explains it with one definition of mentioning of spiritual authority. I cringe when i hear that people who are so-called apostles make everyone do their work for them. That's not what Jesus taught. He washed his disciples feet. He laid down his life for them, and us. He taught leadership is servanthood. I know that in the Corinthians, Paul describes his position as scum of the earth. He compared it to that of being at the end of the procession, led to a slaughter. Nowadays, the so-called 'apostles' would demand the nicest rooms and cars and all the best stuff, to be fully recognized.

Don't get me wrong: i'm all for that we as children of God be taken care of. but not at the expense of others. not for the exploitation of money, greed and power. Leadership in the Body of Christ means servant hood. Not 'lets see who i can get to do what for me..' rather it should be 'what can i do to see you succeed.'

One main thing that i notice in these verses is the fact that these giftings are to be meant to build up the body of Christ. They're meant for servant hood.