Forget and Forgive

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: This AM I am again challenged by my own prayers. Those I prayed a long time ago that the Lord has brought me to a place of answer...yet do I really want the answer. So my challenge from God Calling is forget and forgive. "Treat others as you would treat Me, with Love and consideration. Let nothing others do to you alter your treatment of them." OK so now come the answered prayer part....let me decrease that you may increase.

The Bible says that as far as the east is to the west He forgets our transgressions. So if I desire to allow Him to be BIGGER than me....am I willing to ask for Him to do the work necessary that I can not only forgive...but forget and then not allow ANY treatment of me affect my treatment of someone else?? So long I have justified and said well I forgive, but the forget part...no way then He comes in and says YAHWEH....ouch!!

So today I am in the BIG oversize WASHER....asking and allowing God to wash, cleanse, scrub and even SHOUT out all the memories, attitudes, thoughts, sins done to me and sins I have done to be taken OUT! This is such an amazing place to be, with all that extra space gained it is going to be like a REAL UPGRADE of my HARD DRIVE...hahahaha...that is the truth...I love it when God makes things so clear to me....as I allow Him to restore the core of my being...get rid of all the excess programs, files, virus..etc...all the stuff that takes up HIS SPACE, now He can increase as I decrease.

Father I pray that you would transform my mind and my being. That you would cleanse me completely and detonate Your Spirit to allow me to be as You....forget as far as the east is from the west....WOW this will be such an amazing work...I know there is much there to be forgotten but today MORE OF YOU, LESS OF ME.....love you

WONDER-FULL LIFE

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: Today as I read God Calling the words resonate with the Hope of the future. "I am Lord. Lord of your lives......Leave all plans to me. Only act as I bid.....you have entered the God guided life." Well it goes on to talk about being God taught and God guided...what a wonderful life. My reflections are filled with all I have experienced since leaving Bay St. Louis 2 weeks ago.

My senses and soul have been so challenged. Life in the Bay is simple and complicated. Life outside the Bay seems complicated screaming out for simplicity. Our goals there are to obtain the basics of life...food, shelter, clothing and sense of belonging. Very Simple...obtaining them has become very complicated. No grocery store, homes not rebuilt, no room in the FEMA trailer for clothing or possessions anyhow and the loss of sense of community still dominate daily focus. YET...these very simple basics are the desire. People are not rebuilding bigger homes, in fact many are downsizing, even though it would be great to have a real grocery store...people can survive without 10 flavors of Ranch dressing. As community is re-established through the opening of coffee shops, gathering meetings and churches people are forming new relationships and connecting to old friends as well. The whole process is complicated by insurance companies, lack of assistance, etc. yet people are so thankful for the people God has brought to them, the help they have received and the promise of hope for the future.

Traveling around the "unaffected" northeast brings an interesting perspective. Homes are getting bigger and bigger, grocery stores are getting bigger and bigger, the hours people work are getting longer and longer...rarely do you hear many exclamations of thanksgiving, haven't heard a God bless you as part of regular exchange (like in the grocery store etc.), lots of comments as I walk through stores of how people are wishing for MORE.....very complicated life.

All this brings me back circle to the thoughts of a wonder-full life. In the Bay each day we look for God Sightings....wow it makes life so simple when you see HIM in everything....He is so BIG that you really can't see anything BIGGER :) because it does not exist.....I pondered this AM how invisible God seems here and how visible He is in Mississippi. I am challenged to live this life as simply as possible so that God can always be the BIGGEST!!

Father let me see You daily and the Wonder-Full events as You lead and guide me. You have spoiled me so MUCH....air to breathe, sunshine to give me light and warmth, life itself, the ability to walk and run, to talk and listen.....You indeed are GOOD and BIG...fill me always with Your Spirit...let me always be filled with WONDER....the WONDER OF LOVE. Extravagant, exceptional, outrageous and WONDER-FULL LOVE.

ARISE

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: This AM as I woke with my granddaughter Julie beside me a myriad of thoughts and emotions flooded my soul. It had been a long night, she talked in her sleep most of the night, tormented by "hurry quick I must get out of here." Her little life only 8 years long has seen, heard and endured so much. I am quickly reminded of my prayer the day she was born as I held her and anointed her.."Lord, please get the most amount of glory possible from her life." The weight of His glory is sometimes so heavy!

So I slipped out of bed into the prayer bathroom :) (no closets available) and began the most wonderful journey of hope and deliverance I have had in the past 2 years. As I opened my time with readings from Mother Teresa I am challenged again to minister and care for Jesus in His distressing disguise. I am made aware that for me it is SO easy for the poor, destitute, broken hearted etc....my challenge for today is crying out for God's love for those that have been close to me, hurt me and now am I able to care for for them???...at this point I need His outpouring to care about them in order to care for them!!!. It is a moment of reckoning...forgiveness is grand until you extend your hand and heart in love. So after many tears and cleansing I am ready to face this day and truly find and minister to Jesus in His distressing and very personal disguise.

I open my God Calling devotional (AJ Russell) and the part of the devotional reads as follows; "Abide in Me. The works that I do shall ye do also; and greater works than these shall ye do because I go to my Father....Greater Works..(I have always been challenged by this verse!!) Arise from the grave of sickness, poverty doubt, despondency, limitations Arise shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.....A wonderful future is before you both....A future of unlimited power to bless others, just be channels. Be used. ASK ASK ASK...Ask what you will and it shall be done unto you and unto those form whom you pray."

Following this reading I am lead to open my Bible to Isaiah 61. At the top of the page it says Messiahs Jubilee....well I am celebrating my year of Jubilee this year. The scripture (one so familiar) The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor...." I am not going to write the whole thing...however when I launched out in ministry in 1997 the scripture that our work was based on was Isaiah 58.....and now the Lord directs me to this very similar but a scripture so much more defined and so much more along the lines of the ministry of the past couple years. (I hate slow fingers and a mind that is used to verbally processing....I just cant type fast enough to keep up with my mouth and mind hahaha)...anyhow the matter at hand is this.....THIS IS MESSIAHS JUBILEE..these are the things that make His heart beat so fast, these are His desires, it is all so cool.

In the early days of ministry I would tell people that I just wanted to go and bless people and love on them. This AM as I am reflecting and pondering all that the Lord is saying I have that FIRE rekindled....the scoffers asking me for a more tangible form of ministry...all my inability to clearly articulate the future of what ministry looked like.......today NO MORE....I realize it is OK for me to be nothing more than a channel of His blessing and love.....I AM FREE......

So Isaiah 60...ARISE SHINE FOR YOUR LIGHT HAS COME AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD HAS RISEN UPON YOU.

Dear Lord, how incredible and excellent is Your name. Your healing power, Your deliverance, Your WORD....this day fill me with Your great love, make me a channel of Your blessings and love to ALL those around me....both those close and those not known yet....THANK YOU for this wonderful beginning....love you

Delight

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: After a few days on the road, it is good to sit and ponder the events and the blessings of this journey. Today my scripture is from Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God....will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

The journey in my personal like of believing that the Lord takes GREAT DELIGHT in me has taken time. The more I allow Him to quiet me with His love, the more aware I am of His delight. I was able to see so much of it this week. Yesterday I had the privilege to speak at the Federal Bureau of Prisons Crisis Support Team training in McKean County PA. When I arrived, I was not sure what I had gotten myself (and Bonnie :) into. I did not know all that God had planned but believed that there was an assignment there....and it was SO cool!!

Just like in the book of Esther, where God's name is never mentioned but He is evident in the whole book...that was yesterday....we did not have to mention His name...but He was evident in all that was shared.....it was wonderful to watch God soften hearts, turn on light, salt poured freely from the shaker...and in the midst of it I saw His delight in me. He had called me and given me gift to speak and preach. The past couple of years that gift had fallen to the ground as a kernel of wheat to die so He could bring it back to life....now to yield more. It is so amazing...as I sit with tears streaming down my face with the JOY of HIS great mercy...I will never quite get my arms around His great love for me and every human being. SO MUCH LOVE....

So I sit this AM, listening to His singing, rejoicing in what a wonderful Daddy I have and pray that around the world the message of His great love will be poured out. I am thankful that He has called me to be a conduit of His love. Today also I was reading again one of my favorite JESUS stories of Forgiveness....she who has been forgiven much, loves much....AMEN

Climbing the Ladder

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: Today's challenge involved the realization that God will not place me on an insecure ladder. That even if I am unable to see the supports, hidden in the secret place of the Most High, as He has asked me to step on and up, He will have secured the ladder. How ironic that the world talks so much about climbing the ladder and yet for so many the supports of the ladder are virtual supports, money, power, fame, and each step bring more grandiose ideas of success.

I view climbing the ladder with Jesus, more like the action of the Gospel. When you combine His loving kindness (that leads to repentance) with His love; what other outcome is there then the Gospel in action. So the supports He gives me are His Spirit, His Love, His Mercy, His Goodness and basically HIM Holding the Ladder. WOW...I visualize the climb...small things like smiles, hugs, listening ears, being the conduit of love, acts of service and compassion....then there are the BIG steps, listening to Him, spending time with Him, praying with Him, sharing His heart and moving as He leads.....before you know it...lives changed...healing....restoration and reconciliation.....

Lord I want to keep climbing the ladder. May every step of every day be for Your glory, may the Kingdom of God grow, and may you continue to draw all men to Yourself. Help me to keep climbing trusting in the knowledge of Your secure hold on my life. Bless me with courage to climb and thanks because I know that the top of the ladder is a place with you for all eternity.
love ya

Anticipation of GOOD

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: A beautiful day, plenty of sunshine coming my way...Zipadeedodah...well anyhow....this AM I am so challenged by the Lord. These simple words again are changing my stinking thinking...."Can you get an expectant attitude of faith? Not waiting for the next evil to befall you but awaiting with a child's joyful trust the next good in store."

After time of reflection and repentance this AM I am asking the Holy Spirit to help me BIG on this one. Even though I am a very positive person, I realize in my core that I when there is anticipation of something...I often expect evil over good. Lots of excuses for that, but repentance and asking the Lord to keep me mindful that He is a GOOD GOD!! In order to put this in perspective the Lord gave me these words from Psalm 5:3-4 "In the morning O Lord. You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and wait EAGERLY, EXPECTANTLY for You. For Your are NOT a God who takes pleasure in wickedness. NO EVIL DWELLS WITH YOU."

So there I have it...a new growth opportunity. Finally, Mother Teresa's writing today helps me to put some traction on my new walking shoes. "To me, contemplation is not to be shut up in a dark place, but to allow Jesus to live His passion, love, and humility in us, praying with us, being with us, sanctifying through us." If indeed I am going to allow Christ to live in and through me, this will take a clear understanding of the term GOOD!! WOW What a great day...this is going to change my whole thinking :)

Father today I thank you that You seize every opportunity to challenge and change me. Thank you for this word today....Holy Spirit teach me, please pour out an extra dose of faith and anticipation of the goodness of the Father. Please loose me from my old stinking thinking and the experiences in the past that have woven their way into my mind. Please rewire my thinking today....I wait in Expectation, Eagerly watching for Your goodness today. love ya di

Courage to Love

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: "True love is love that causes us pain, that hurts, and yet brings us Joy. That is why we must pray and ask for the courage to love." Mother Teresa

How often I remind myself that this whole journey is about love. After all that is what Jesus said...Love the Lord your God with all you.....and love your neighbor as yourself. I guess He really knew the LOVE HURTS and the EXTREME JOY of Love. I must confess though it is so much easier to live in the Joy of love rather than the pain and hurt. I think today of my friend whose grandma when to be with Jesus...her family had the great joy of knowing she is spending eternity with Jesus and the great pain of goodbye. How many times I ask the Lord to help me love more...then wammy comes the pain and hurt....I am going to start praying for the courage to love...then the real love will be Christ's love.

As I travel to visit family and friends, I am praying for the courage to love, that contagious JOY will infect them all and that God will fill me up to overflowing. This time has already been so healing...time to reflect, cry, laugh and most of all LOVE and BELOVED...I guess that is the truth...when we BE LOVED we are BELOVED...:):)

Dear Lord, thank you for love. Thank you for the example of love and drawing us to the suffering with you in Love. Keep me mindful that when I suffer in love, you suffer...Please give me courage to face every situation and person with Your great love. Thanks also for a great day...love di

Let it RAIN

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: Today began with a wonderful reminder of how precious we are as His daughters...."You are Mine. I have set on you My stamp and seal of ownership all My Hosts throng to serve and protect you. Remember that you are a daughter of the King." These writings are from a devotional called God Calling. I had done it a few years ago and am revisiting it....What a wonderful visit:)

I jump in the truck and begin my journey today. The scriptures from Joel chapter 3 keep cycling in my head.....latter day rains....all the songs on the radio are about the rain....Mercy Me, Michael W. Smith....by the 3rd song I was getting the idea...then guess what...the rain started...as it poured down, so did my heart....Asking the Lord to rain down His presence,,,it was great..then all of a sudden a hole opened up in the clouds and the sun shown down as I drove for about 10 miles...yet all around me I could see the haze of rain. Then I traveled up over the hill and the rains came...so these are my rain lessons for today....

• I can not initiate the rain...it is divine
• It is refreshing, things get real green, it smells sweet and is cleansing.
• When you travel in the rain, the harder the rain the more difficult to see the path. NOW that is a BIG lesson today....cause a whole bunch of saints are praying for revival and we better remember that it is difficult to see the path....that is the story of Bay St Louis. As God has rained down on people, it has been difficult at times to see the path.
• There were lots of people pulled off on the side of the road waiting for the rain to pass. Although I had to travel slower....I want to keep moving ....I do not want this revival rain to pass me by why I sit on the sidelines.
• The rains come and go as the Lord pleases....so always be prepared for a shower :)

So as I traveled to my place of respite...this is another amazing thing....I get there and the house is full of "old" smells....and not pleasant ones. The kind of old smells that remind you of things you would rather not remember. Well with the raw emotions I have right now....the tears flowed...I told the lady at the bed and breakfast that I just can't stay.....so she says "You are here for someplace else" So she takes me to this beautiful prayer chapel...the prayers of the saints and the presence of God was so strong.....so for hours I stayed there,,,crying, praying, allowing the Lord to pour out His RAIN....in my soul.....it was totally wonderful....

The end of a perfect day....and for the whip cream topping....He led me to a place with a wonderful whirlpool, fireplace, less money and in a MALL parking lot. I love to decompress by walking through a mall....seeing all that is new, smelling stuff and just experiencing it all. NOW is that my Daddy taking care of His daughter or what.

What a great day....Thank you Father for your divine protection and guiding ...thank you for the experiential reality of how wonderful and involved you are in my life. I pray that You continue to pour out Your Spirit and bring forth the Latter Day Rains.....Love you

Expect Many Miracles

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: So I have traveled 12 hours today...and I arrive at the hotel to rest and my devotional for today says....EXPECT MANY MIRACLES..."My guardianship is so wonderful. Expect not one miracle but many. Each Day's happenings, if of My working, and under My control, are miracle works."

I sit here reflecting on the day, filled with one miracle after another...and challenged to think would I each night look back on the day and find the miracles if not challenged to do so???? Well going forward I am praying the Holy Spirit does not let me off the hook....the day today was filled with blue skies, sunshine, amazing mountain ranges reaching to heaven in praise. Then of course there was all the amazing interventions in my day to show me how much He is watching for me...and the ultimate....I say a fawn nursing from her mama....it was so tender and beautiful....aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh my time off has started and I am so thankful for those on the ground and God's miracles so that I can leave.

Another miracle...MEL GOT A GRANT>>..that means we have money to start...it may not be enough to finish...but that miracle will come when we need it....I cried and cried....God is so incredibly good......I am so thankful that He gave me this opportunity to share in the work here....

He also gave my son a miracle...spared him from jail again....please join me in prayer that Neill will see and know that He is God.

So today I am challenged to be always expecting many miracles....Oh Lord give me faith, increase the expectations of Your working and control in my life and in the lives of those around me. I WANT TO SEE YOU.....

INFECTED

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: S0 today my devotional said "Joy is infectious." Well wouldn't it be wonderful that Joy would overtake the world, that everyone would be infected instead of quarantined. Sometimes when looking around me, even in the church it is hard to see who is walking in the strength of the Lord. JOY

Today Mother Teresa reading is "A joyful heart is the NORMAL result of a heart burning with love. Joy is not simply a matter of temperament, it is always hard to remain joyful-all the more reason why we should try to acquire it and make it grow in our hearts. Joy is prayer. Joy is strength. She gives most who gives with joy" Now that is something to chew on all day long.

As I look into God's word, the joy theme really is a big one...right up there with Love. So today, as I prepare to leave for a respite....I am reminded again how incredibly grateful I am for His Joy. Truly though these last 2 years it has been His Joy that has been my strength.

The cool thing is watching the Joy be released into the lives of those in Bay St Louis. The women's luncheon are filled with laughter, smiles and bright eyes. In the early days of the luncheon, mostly silence. A few women talked and shared. However lots of solemn faces. This week we had a couple of women who had been ill the past couple of months return. They came in the door saying "I need my happy fix" Now that is the kind of joy Christians should be known for......so today let's infect the world....

Lord open my heart for more of You...since I know that the only way this joy will grow is more burning love of You, Your presence. Father may my heart sing today of Your great love, mercy and hope. May the JOY of Christ be spread throughout the world today as Christians let contagious particles of smiles, sparkling eyes and love contaminate the world with the truth of Your incredible love and saving grace.

Winds of Revival

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: Well today I had the most AWESOME opportunity to witness the Winds of Revival gently and even with a brisk gust or two :) drawing men to Himself. A group of volunteers went to St Rose de Lima with me. Long story short...I don't do that often :) each member of the group came out of church smiling and sharing how they had encountered God today. I am realizing that my heart's cry, all the prayers and fasting for revival have joined with all the saints and I am blessed to be witness to this wonderful move of God. Even though post Katrina has been focused on the residents and their recovery the collateral effect throughout the volunteer community must be taking fire from coast to coast as volunteers "encounter God" through their service here in the Bay.

Todays message centered around Matthew 9:36-38 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

Ok so here is what I heard the Spirit saying to me- First See the people- not with my eyes but with the eyes of Jesus. The next part of feeling compassion and seeing their distress and dispirit will always be clouded by my judgement of I am not looking though His eyes. Also, realizing that the cause of their whole distressing dispirited condition is no shepherd. NO JESUS ....So it is clear that we have the harvest plentiful and the workers few...how often I hear that but the key is this...BESEECH THE LORD OF THE HARVEST TO SEND OUT WORKERS INTO HIS HARVEST....man is that the part I skip over sometimes...this is not my miserable sad sorry self wanting help...this is Beseeching HIM...the harvest is HIS, it is HIS work.....what a wonderful reminder....would you join me today in Beseeching HIM...not only for Bay St Louis, but for this nation and the nations of the world to send out the laborers.

Father God, Sovereign Lord, Lord of the Harvest how we need and desire You. to see with Your eyes all those around us, to feel with your compassion to be rid of judgement and reach out with the the abundant life You alone can offer to others. Bring forth the workers let any resistant spirit be broken and humble men and women come forth to work with You in the fields. You are an awesome God...thanks for being God and for all that You are we praise you...Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty.

7-7-7

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: Beautiful AM...today as the world watches for luck I am thinking how cool it would be if JESUS came today...7 the number of completion and perfection....so that is what I should be watching for...and am I really ready...sure I say so...but if the trumpet sounds is my lamp burning and am I ready??? It will give me much to watch for and ponder this day.

I have had a wonderful education today from Prince (the dog) this AM....he sleeps with me, always watchful, listening and protective as I rest so peacefully. Then as I begin to stir awake, he is eager for me to hang out with him, to love him, pet him, tell him how wonderful he is...how much like God....watching over me and so excited for me to spend time with him. Then Prince teaches me how I should be with God....following Him everywhere...as soon as I get up from my chair, Prince stops what he is doing and walks with me, he eagerly jumps beside me when I sit, he just plain old enjoys my company. The simple truth of my relationship with God.....allow Him to watch over me and walk with Him. I am so thankful for the very simple way God speaks to me :)
I John 4:16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love and the one who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him.

Today two new Americorp volunteers begin their tour with us. They served as volunteers in the spring and are very excited to be here for 3 months. I am so blessed with Sara being here..she is really Jesus earthsuit for me....I pray the Lord blesses her BIG while she is here.

Susie has decided to get baptized...it has been so wonderful watching God heal and draw her to Himself. I wonder if this is the picture CityTeam had when they changed their mission statement....in radical obedience to Christ transforming individuals, families and communities throughout the world. When I think of that mission statement...it always has a face for me here in the Bay. God has been so faithful and good to me as I have served here to allow me to watch Him at work...and working with Him :):)

Also today I think and pray for my friend whose Grandmother has gone to be with Jesus. I get so excited to see generations of people that pray, seek the Lord, serve Him and the wonder of how that heritage strengthens those in the future. I pray today that the God of all comfort will minister to them as they prepare to celebrate this wonderful woman's life. Even though I never met her...I feel like I know her...I see all that she was in her granddaughter and great grand children ....What a wonderful legacy that will last for eternity....Lord raise up the generations in this nation, hungry to leave a legacy of YOU.

Today Lord I pray to see you, to walk with you, to let you know how totally wonderful I know you are...help me to abide in your love and to be the vessel of Your great love for others. Release your love thoughout the world that all will know you are God. Thanks for providing all that I need and desire...You are a GREAT GOD

Day One

Thoughts, Prayers and Words of Encouragement: As I read Mother Teresa's writings I am again challenged by the incredible need to LOVE so totally and absolutely that anything that comes my way travels through His love. AND most important anything that comes from me travels through His love. WOW I sure have a long way to go :)

I am preparing to take some time away from the Bay. So today I found a wonderful Bed and Breakfast on my way to visit friends and family where I will stay for 2 days to decompress and rest. I am excited about leaving on the 10th. God has faithfully provided help to cover my time away, I am so grateful.

The houses are nearing completion, and Mel's house will soon be started. Yesterday was women's luncheon, I dearly love these women. I was also interviewed for South Living Mississippi yesterday. I realized just how little I have processed these past 22 months. No time like the present to get started.

Father today let your love flow into my life and out of my life like Niagara Falls....may it rush, gush and carry me forward on this journey. You are love, let that be the testimony of You in my life. Thanks for this day, love you