My Blog is Moving!!

                                                               

                         
                                                                                                                                                         

Hello Blog Readers,

I wanted to let you know that my blog is moving to a new site. I invite you to join me on my new website and blog at www.sylvianeusch.com.

I also have some exciting news!  I will soon have a new book to share with you, Rags to Royalty:A Journey Into Nobility. 

I had so much fun writing this book and am so honored to share it with you.  Please stay tuned to my new website for the book release and to read new blogs.

Thank you for following my blog!

Sylvia

Crossing Into Promises

It's been a crazy season of preparing to cross over into promises. For many, the opposition has been intense as the enemy has pulled out his arsenal of smoke and mirrors, lies, intimidation and deception. It has definitely been a time to hold on with all your might to the things that God has spoken.
                                                                                                                                            Back in February,  I posted a prophetic blog called, "It's Moving Day" where I talked about the Children of Israel, and God's word to them to "get their supplies ready"(Josh. 1:11) since they would be crossing the Jordan to take possession of the land God was giving them.

Like the children of Israel, we've had to pack for several trips lately. And, I'll be honest. I really don't like packing. But, I really like getting away for vacation or rest, and the packing or "getting my supplies ready" is a necessary part of the preparation. It's really the same way with stepping into our promised land. God usually gives us assignments or ways we are to be preparing for the move into our destiny. It takes faith to do those assignments, because, I can guarantee you the enemy will be shouting in your ear that you are wasting your time.

It's important to understand that our preparation is actually the first steps of the journey. If you don't take those steps, you won't be boarding the plane. Or even worse, you might step into something without the necessary equipment you need to be successful once you arrive. Choosing to focus on preparing for a journey when you don't know where you are going requires faith.

It took me a while to figure it out, but God LOVES faith! He actually sets us up to be able to choose to respond in faith. Sometimes, when my circumstances look bleak and I still choose to respond in faith, I can feel His delight and pleasure. You see, He knows that nothing brings satan more pleasure than tripping up the sons and daughters of God, and causing them to falter, fall or doubt. When we respond in faith in spite of the roadblocks satan puts in our way,  I think God is an extremely proud Father who is blessed by our belief and trust in Him.  

More than once, during a particularly dark time, He has whispered the words to me, "Blessed are those who have not seen, but yet believe."(Jn. 20:29) Jesus was speaking to Thomas in this scripture. Poor Thomas. He went down in all of history as 'the doubter', or the one who had to see and feel the nail scars in Jesus' hands, before he would believe. But, haven't all of us at one time or another been like Thomas, where we had to see it to believe it? Jesus' response to Thomas was not condemning, but revealed again what delights His heart.....faith.

There is a reason that God told the Israelites as they were preparing to cross over into their promised land, to not let the Book of the Law depart from their mouths, and that they were to meditate on it day and night. Our greatest asset in the battle over our faith, other than His very Presence, is His word in our mouths and in our minds.

Have you ever noticed it's impossible to focus on two things at the same time? If we are focused on what God is saying, then we can't focus on what the enemy is saying. Choosing to speak forth His word takes it a step past meditation, where we are actually coming into agreement with what He has said and aligning our spirit, soul, and body with the Holy Spirit. There is power in this type of  agreement.

I love taking walks in the evening. I enjoy praying out loud while I walk, and since it's dark except for the gentle light from the streetlights, my neighbors don't have to wonder if I'm crazy. To the casual observer it may look like I'm just getting some exercise. But, it's become lots more than that for me. For the past six months, it's become my time of declaring and coming into agreement with what I hear Him saying over my life and the life of my church body. This has been one of my assignments for this season. I've come to relish those times, and I've noticed that a definite strengthening takes place each time. My body may come home from the walk a bit more tired, but I find my spirit and soul are soaring and encouraged, and best of all, my faith level has risen.

I haven't received all of my promises yet, so faith is required to declare the things that are not, as though they were. I don't want to be like the Israelites who chose to grumble, complain and focus on all the impossibilities instead of believing God. Scripture tells us that the thing that kept them out of their promised land was unbelief.

I believe we're in a season of crossing over into promises, and the grace is available to cover and assist us all in the move if we will lean into His goodness, and choose to believe He is who He says He is. If you haven't been preparing for the move, it isn't too late. Ask Him to identify the promises over your life and what you can do to prepare to step into them. Place your hand in His and get ready for the journey of a lifetime.

Keys That Open and Shut Doors

                                                                                                                       Growing in our understanding of our identity and our beliefs about God are important keys to praying more effectively. We will pray out of who we believe we are, and who we believe Him to be. If we believe ourselves to be paupers and our God to be angry, we will never have faith to pray prayers that accomplish much at all.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, in a very true sense they gave up their ‘keys’ of authority to the enemy. God had commissioned them to rule and reign, but they were no longer able to do this. Then, when Jesus defeated satan, and the power of sin and death on the cross, in a very real way He retrieved our keys of authority and gave them back to us. He restored us to a place of authority.

In Matthew 16:19, Jesus tells His disciples, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” This must have seemed bizarre to the disciples, and almost too good to be true. I can just imagine the amazed looks on their faces as they tried to wrap their heads around what Jesus was saying.

Now, over two thousand years later, I think we are still trying to wrap our heads around these words. Jesus has given us an incredible degree of authority and responsibility as revealed in this verse. He has given us the keys of the kingdom.

Imagine someone giving you a brand new car. They hand you the keys and say it’s yours to drive whenever you want. If you never actually go and put the keys in the ignition, the car will never go anywhere. In a similar way, we’ve been given the keys to the kingdom. But, we have to use them!

In my bible, Matthew 16:19 is cross-referenced with Isa. 22:22, “I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” In biblical times kings would wear keys attached to the shoulders of their royal robes. These keys represented their authority. These kings had absolute authority in their land. It is said that they would raise their right hand to signify a ‘yes’ answer and the door would be opened. They would raise their left hand to indicate a ‘no’ answer and the door would be closed. Our authority is similar to that mentioned in this verse. We have been given authority to ‘open doors’ and ‘shut doors’ in order for the kingdom of God to advance. We use our keys by making decrees and declarations in line with the will of Heaven.

We’ve been well aware that we are a royal priesthood as seen in I Pt. 2:9. But, somehow we overlooked the royal part and always focused on the priesthood part. The phrase royal priesthood would indicate that we not only have the role of a priest, but also that of a king.

The last twenty years we have seen hundreds and hundreds of houses of prayer spring up all over our nation. Many have focused on the priestly anointing, worshiping and petitioning God through worship and prayer. It’s been a beautiful thing. But, a new thing is springing up as God is revealing a fresh wave of our true identity in Him as the King’s sons and daughters who walk in His authority. Our role as royal priests is not only to worship and petition, but to declare royal decrees.

The key to the house of David is mentioned in Isaiah 22:22. David is known for his intimacy with God and his heart of worship. This is very significant for us as we began to understand our place of authority. Our keys must operate out of hearts that are rooted in worship and intimacy with the Lord. There is no authority apart from intimacy with Him.

It is no wonder that satan does just about anything to keep us from praying. He is well aware I am sure of the power of our prayers and would like to keep us unaware of our authority as sons and daughters of the King of Kings.

I am asking the Father for greater revelation of the authority He has given us through Jesus Christ. I am asking that He raise up an ever increasing army of sons and daughters who have sown into the secret place with Him, and are eager to take up their keys and use them to enforce the victory that He has already won.

           

Just Apply Oil

I saw a picture during worship this past Sunday of the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. I remembered that when Dorothy and her friends found the Tin Man he was in bad shape. His joints were rusty and unable to move. In other words, he was stuck. He wanted to move forward but couldn't.

Many in the Body of Christ feel like this right now. The enemy has waged war against you on every side and you find yourself feeling hemmed in, unable to move. You feel stuck. You may feel that your options have been reduced and there are no solutions for you.

Dorothy took the oil can and began to apply the precious oil to the Tin Man's joints. It wasn't long until he began to move freely. I felt the Holy Spirit releasing hope through this simple picture. The oil of the Holy Spirit is available to be applied to every difficult situation and circumstance that has us bound and boxed in.

It is significant that Dorothy applied the oil that enabled the Tin Man to step into freedom. If you carry Jesus Christ within, then you carry the oil, and are a releaser of this very substance of the Spirit to those around you. As carriers of hope, you release the life and Presence with your words, love, and touch.

Tin Man wanted to go on the journey because he was in search of a 'heart'. As we release the freedom and life of the kingdom to those around us, many will find their true heart for the very first time. The oil that He has given us to share changes hearts. Hearts that were once hard, cold, and indifferent, become soft as He gently massages in the oil.

Remember how Dorothy and her friends all linked arms as they walked together down the Yellow Brick Road?  I see the Body of Christ moving forward like this. It's like in Joshua 1:14b, when Moses had given them the instructions to "help your brothers until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them." 

In other words, we are to not only seek to move forward and obtain our destiny, but, like Dorothy, we are to help those around us find theirs as well.

What is transpiring now is bigger than just a few people getting victory and stepping into their Promised land. This is a time of corporate breakthrough, and many moving forward in power, love, and unity, each stepping more and more fully into the plans of God.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners. - Isaiah 61:1

Gaps are Being Closed!

So many I have talked with lately are feeling a sense of momentum and excitement at the season we are in, and the things God is doing in preparing us for what He wants to do. At the same time there seems to be a flurry erupting from the enemies' camp. It seems we have stirred up the proverbial hornet's nest.

All of this reminded me of Nehemiah when he sought to rebuild the wall that surrounded Jerusalem. Nehemiah had a vision, purpose, and God-ordained plan. But Sanballat, who represents the enemy in this story, began to oppose Nehemiah. It's important to notice how he opposed Nehemiah, because it is often the same way satan seeks to oppose us today.

Sanballat's language in Neh. 4:1-2 is condescending and meant to intimidate. You can hear the mocking in his voice when he says, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble-burned as they are?

But, the thing that angered Sanballat and his cronies the most was that the building of the wall continued to go forward and the gaps were being closed.(Neh. 4:7)

The "gaps" represent entry points or open places where the enemy can penetrate and come in freely to attack. I feel we are in a time of God 'closing up the gaps' and taking away the devil's opportunity to attack and harass us. It's an important time to walk hand-in-hand with the Holy Spirit as He guides us through whatever the process of 'closing the gaps' looks like in each of our lives. I think for many it can feel like upheaval, but it's important to stay the course right now and see the Spirit's plan through to completion. In many situations He is rebuilding foundations, so the old foundations have to be removed first. He is healing hearts and replacing lies with truth so that the enemy no longer has access to our hearts.

But, another thing that leaps out at me from this story is how prayer played a part in their victory over the threats of the enemy. Nehemiah was an amazing leader, and each time the threats came he didn't resort to his own ingenuity, but he leaned into God to receive his plans and strategies.The strategies were simple, but amazing, and involved a corporate effort and intentional care for one another.

In Neh. 4:13, Nehemiah shares, "Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears, and bows."  And later he shares in vs. 17 how his builders were trained to work with one hand and carry a weapon in the other. What a great picture of how we are to move forward with the plans of God!

Earlier Nehemiah shared that the ".....People worked with all their heart"(4:6), and then they were taught the importance of warfare and prayer as they worked. It's a winning combination! As a church body, we are to shore up the exposed places and declare freedom and breakthrough for those who are in the process of 'closing the gaps' in their lives and families. We do this through our prayers and declarations that release God's kingdom into their lives.

In a city the walls represent peace, prosperity, and protection. As God's kingdom moves in, He establishes these things in our lives, our cities and our nations. It's time to partner with Him and work with all our heart to build what He is building. The gaps will not be closed and the walls rebuilt without prayer, and we must learn to wield our swords in sync with His Spirit.

Nehemiah had someone with a trumpet stay near his side. When he needed to gather the people and rally them to help one another build and fight, he would have the man blow the trumpet. I believe the Spirit is blowing that trumpet now through prophetic voices to rally those who will build, defend, and contend, for the sake of the kingdom.

In closing, here is a great word by LanaVawser of Australia. She is one of many prophetic voices trumpeting the rally call.  http://www.elijahlist.com/words/textonly.html?ID=14482

A Time of Unprecedented Acceleration

Recently, as I was going about my day I heard the phrase "The plowman will overtake the reaper". I had heard this scripture before many times, but I must admit it has always been a bit of a mystery to me. To be honest, I had always found the whole verse a bit confusing.

But, today I felt the Lord was inviting me to take a closer look, so I did.

Here is the scripture passage where the phrase is found:

     "The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when the reaper will be overtaken
      by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will
      drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills." Amos 9:13

As I took a closer look, I soon began to realize that this verse is a beautiful picture of the great harvest we all are anticipating. Because I had been so used to skimming over the verse without pausing to consider what all it involves, I took some time to try and picture everything.

If we are stepping into the season where the plowman overtakes the reaper, then basically it means that the harvest will be SO GREAT that the ones reaping, or bringing the harvest in will have a massive amount of work to do. It will be so great a harvest and come in so quickly that the one who plows up the ground for planting the next crop (those who pray and sow the seeds), will overtake those who are still gathering the harvest from the last crop. What an incredible picture!

But, it gets better. The next part of the verse was even more confusing to me. How could the planter of the grapes be overtaken by the one treading the grapes? There is no good explanation except that a SUPERNATURAL ACCELERATION is taking place where there will hardly be any time at all between the time a seed is planted in someone's heart to the time it will bear fruit unto salvation.

The last part of the verse remarkably exceeds the other two. New wine will actually"drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills", indicating an even greater level of supernatural involvement of Heaven coming to earth. It bypasses the planting and reaping process altogether, as the wine amazingly flows from the hills.

I've been around the church long enough to see lots of evangelistic campaigns come and go. These campaigns have been great and brought in a measure of harvest for the kingdom. But, I feel that what is coming will be so BEYOND man's abilities and efforts to produce a harvest that everyone will recognize it is a God thing.

So, what is our part to play?

First, we can partner with the Spirit of God to pray in the harvest that we all long to see. In a very real sense, we are like the ones sowing. As we pray, we sow seed into the harvest that will surely come. We acknowledge that apart from His coming and pouring out His Spirit, we will not see the fruit we desire to see.

Second, we prepare. Just like parents who prepare their nursery and home for the birth of a child, we should be anticipating the arrival of the new ones who are going to be coming into the kingdom. How will we take care of them? How will we disciple, equip, raise them up, and release them? We will need strategies from Heaven in order to steward well the coming harvest.

Third, we faithfully work the fields until the Spirit of the Lord comes like in Amos 9:13. There isn't any mention in this verse of sitting on the sidelines until this day comes. Those who are going about their daily work of plowing, planting, reaping and treading will most likely be the first to experience the influx of the great harvest. The miracles will begin to happen right before their eyes and through their hands.

I am reminded of a movie I saw years ago about the Amish community. When the harvest of one farm was ready, they would ring a bell that could be heard at a great distance. When men, women, and children from the community heard the bell, they would drop what they were doing and head to the farm to help gather in the harvest. This scene was such an amazing prophetic picture of the coming great harvest. It will take the entire Body of Christ partnering together to gather the harvest, because it will be so great.

Amos 9:13 is a picture of Divine blessing, favor, and acceleration. I am so stirred to partner with the Holy Spirit to see this season come where the the "plowman overtakes the reaper". 

Holy Spirit fall on your church to arouse every heart to hunger for You and align with the plans and purposes of Heaven. Shore up every weak place, man every station, and raise up the sowers and harvesters to work the fields. May your new wine drip from the mountains and flow down from the hills. 

It's Moving Day!

As I was preparing for a message recently I saw a picture in my mind of a room full of boxes in the process of being packed for a move. Almost simultaneous with the picture came the phrase, "It's moving day!" This phrase matched the excitement I had been feeling in my spirit.

Though we are just halfway through the second month of the year, it seems like everything has moved into high gear. By high gear I mean that situations, circumstances, issues, relationships, etc. are being shifted and shaken to bring about the purposes of God in our lives.  Things are moving quickly.

I was also reminded of the scenario where Joshua and the children of Israel were told that they were about to take possession of the land that the Lord had given to them. Joshua's instructions to his people were simply, "Get your supplies ready".  In other words, we are about to move and you need to decide what you can take with you and what you should leave behind.

We are in a similar season now. God has been preparing many and positioned us to move forward to take possession of the land He has given to us. But, there are things that we can and should take into that land, and things that need to be left behind. We need to take with us a foundational belief that God is good, and a revelation knowledge of His love along with an identity that believes that we are beloved sons and daughters. We need to leave behind past failures, wounds, offense, unforgiveness, and broken relationships.

As we prepare to take the land, our stance is important. The children of Israel and those of Joshua's generation were use to being part of a military culture. War was common and so was wartime terminology. They understood it was a military move to take possession of the land.

The odds were stacked against the children of Israel. Every 'ite' imaginable was living in the land marked off for Israelites and they weren't planning on leaving.

And just like any time the great clan moved forward, they did so with the Ark of the Covenant ahead of them. The Ark of the Covenant was the very Presence of God in their midst. The people were given firm instructions to follow the Ark of the Covenant, "since you have never been this way before" (Josh 3:4).

Though we live in a totally different day and age, our need to follow the Presence is just as important. In fact, you won't get to the land He has for you without following the Presence.

If you continue reading in Joshua 3, you will find that the Lord reveals His battle strategy to the Israelites. They were to obey the Lord's commands and then He would drive out their enemies before them. God would do it, but their part was to obey.

This is much like where I feel we are today. The stakes are high and entering into our full inheritance depends on following the Presence and obeying Him as He leads us and tells us what to do.

I have never enjoyed moving or anything about the process. It is often messy, tiring, stressful, and can be very frustrating. It stretches us to our limits and causes us to have to deal with stuff we don't want to have to deal with.

For many, the heat has been turned up and the pressure is on to get rid of unwanted things in our lives. A dissatisfaction with the status quo is causing many to allow the light of the Spirit to put His finger on the things that will be excess baggage for the journey or hinder them from taking their land.

The last time my husband and I moved, I said I never wanted to move again. But, once we were settled and I began to enjoy the benefits of our new home, I was so glad we had moved. The new place made all the effort of moving totally worth it.

The story of the children of Israel moving into their promise land is a picture of God's heart for every believer. The Israelites had to leave their bondage behind in Egypt and put their trust in God to lead them into a land they had not yet seen. Stepping into our inheritance and destiny will take effort and our willingness to leave our bondage behind, all the time putting our trust in Him to lead us. The fulfillment of possessing our own promise land will far exceed the cost.

So, it's time to get our supplies ready. It's moving day!

Ready. Set. AIM!

My husband is an avid hunter.  He is a camo-wearing, pick-up truck driving, Texas kind of guy.  Every year when hunting season rolls around, he gets out his bow and checks it out to make sure everything is in working order.  He usually sets up a big styrofoam target of some type for the bow and shoots a few arrows. If he misses the target altogether, then the site on the bow needs to be adjusted.  There's only one other reason he might miss the target, and that would be if he forgot to aim. He would like for me to say that the second option doesn't happen.

All of this got me to thinking about life, setting goals, and aiming to hit our goals.  Just like my husband's trusty bow sometimes needs to be tweaked a bit in order to hit the target, we often need to tweak what we are doing so we can began to experience a greater level of success in actually fulfilling our own goals. You have probably heard the old saying, "He who aims at nothing is sure to hit it".

So, what does it look like to aim at our life goals? Aiming to hit our goals is really just the steps we take, whether big or small, in the direction of our goal. Something that has been incredibly helpful to me is to realize that small steps over time still get me where I want to go. Don't get me wrong. Big steps are good, too, but we often get bogged down or overwhelmed when we try to bite off more than we have time or energy to pursue.

For instance, right now my walk in closet that I share with my hubby is in pretty terrible shape. It's the one spot in my house that has the right to be messy. My closet over the holidays served as my hiding spot for gifts and quick wrapping sessions which I did on my ironing board that stands in the middle of the floor(yes, it's a large closet). There are several baskets of laundry waiting to be sorted through, and who wants to do laundry when you have family home for holidays? And last, but not least, there are shoes scattered all over the floor waiting to be reassigned to their super organized shoe box stacking system.

I'll be honest, I could spend several hours working on my closet, but I don't tend to have several hours on any given day that I could devote to closet organization. So, how can I move toward my goal of having an organized closet? What works for me is to make a decision to spend 10 to 15 minutes a day working on the closet until I have the task completed. If I miss a day, that's OK. Just pick it up again the next day. Each of those 10-15 minute cleaning sessions is 'aiming' at the goal of having a clean and organized closet.

This is just a silly example, but you get the idea. We have to ask ourselves some questions: what is my goal? And, what am I doing to move towards my goal?

I've experienced first-hand the frustration of unmet goals and unfulfilled dreams. That frustration helped push me to some practical steps that pulled me out of the unmet dream doldrums. Here are a few thoughts to ponder as you gear up for a groundbreaking year of breakthrough into your dreams:

Take some time to give your dreams the Prov. 16:3 treatment. Solomon wisely tells us, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Many times as we do this, our heart, motives, and methods are purified in the light of His Presence. You want Him to be the wind beneath your wings, so wait before Him for His methods, timing, and strategies.

Did you fulfill the goals you set last year? If not, why not? Be honest now. An ability to be candid with yourself is an important first step to getting started to achieve your goals.

Do you have a plan for fulfilling your goals? Just making some goals is not enough. Get practical and do some brainstorming about what it will take to actually reach your goals. Make a plan.

What steps can you take to achieve your plan? Sometimes our goals seem so daunting that we fearfully balk and refuse to move at all. Learn to take baby steps. Set small, realistic steps to take daily or weekly that will advance you forward in your plan to reach your goal.

Did you ask for any advice? Reaching out to ask for help can sometimes be intimidating, but once it's done, can also be one of the most powerful motivators. Talking with someone who can move you closer to your goal will make your goal seem more of a possibility. Some people choose to stay in the "dream" mode and never pull their dreams down to reality.

Did you read anything or listen to anything to grow in the area of your desired goal? Because writing has been an area of desired growth for me, the past two years books on writing have been at the top of my Christmas list. I have a lot to learn, and choosing to glean from the wisdom of others further down the road just makes good sense.

Taking some time to tweak the aim of your dream-fulfilling bow is time well spent. I believe God places His dreams in our hearts and delights in walking out the process with us to see us hit the target of ours and His dreams fulfilled.

Dream big this year and by all means AIM!

Defeat is Not Your Destiny

This morning I took a good hard look at the giants in my life. Not exactly a fun experience. But, I learned a few things as I pondered my response to these formidable foes.

Our giants reveal a lot about where God wants to take us in the Spirit. It may be hard to understand, but God uses and even allows the giants in our life to grow us up into Him. I always use to wonder why God allowed the giants to be in the Promised land. The Israelites had come such a long way and overcome so many obstacles to make it there, only to find their enemies inhabiting the land that was rightfully theirs. But, God in His wisdom knew that the process, growth, and change that happens in those who learn to overcome, is much more valuable than a piece of real-estate. He is after the glory-to-glory process that we eventually come to know as true riches.

We often find ourselves in similar situations. We finally make it to the land of our dreams, what we have prayed and fought for, only to find an inconvenient giant squatting on our land. It is in those moments that we are faced with multiple decisions. Am I suppose to fight? How am I to fight? What are the weapons I can use?

The truth is, we have a choice not to fight. But, a choice not to fight sends us on a return trip to Egypt, because essentially we again become enslaved. We have given dominion to an uninvited giant.

As I thoughtfully looked at the giants I am facing, I asked God for His battle strategy for this season. Though every giant may require a different battle strategy, I want to share a few of the things I heard Him say to me:

1. Your gaze is everything. Don't look to your own strength, ingenuity, or even spirituality to overcome your giants. Lift up your eyes to see where your Help comes from. I am the Maker of Heaven and Earth and I can certainly equip and empower you to overcome.

2. Don't forget that you are meant to be an Overcomer. Even if you have already fought the same enemy many times and lost, defeat is not your destiny. Look to me for new strategies. I do not set you up for failure, but intended victory.

3. Repent of unbelief. Remember that those who died in the desert did not enter their promised land because of unbelief. Unbelief often manifested in grumbling, murmuring, and complaining. Refuse to partner with unbelief and speak words of life and faith.

4. Pick up your stones. Just like I gave David a sling and five smooth stones, I will give you exactly what you need to overcome. Five smooth, primitive stones propelled by the wind of the Spirit are always more powerful than the best man-made devices or strategies.

I've never been one to look for a battle, or even enjoy watching one, but I know that I am created to be an Overcomer.  Years ago I would have laughed if you had told me that God intends for me to be a great woman of faith. I didn't resemble that at all. But, the giants in my land have been a huge indicator to me that I am destined, and on my way to become a woman of faith. Though their mocking voices taunt with lies from the pit, a much louder voice resonates deep within, "Daughter of destiny arise! You were made for such a time as this. Lock eyes with Me and together we will bring down your enemies."

What giants are you facing? You, too, are destined to be an Overcomer!

Journey into Faith

When I read my bible, it stands out to me that God is VERY interested in our faith.

Years ago, I remember bursting into tears after reading Hebrews 11:6, "And without faith it is impossible to please God,...".  I felt like such a failure at faith. I imagined that God was very disappointed in me because of my struggle with a stronghold of fear.

But, what I didn't yet understand was that God is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He starts the whole thing in us and then He finishes it as well.

If you are still here, and you're alive and breathing.....He isn't finished with you yet. He knows exactly how to weave the events of our lives into experiences and encounters with Him that shape and change us from the inside out.

Sitting in a Henry Blackaby study called "Experiencing God" over 20 years ago, God zapped me with a one-liner that cut through years of frustration in my battle with fear. The author said simply, "If you have a fear problem, you have a love problem."  Those few words set me on a faith journey of self-discovery, and inner healing, that has continued to this day.

I occasionally still succumb to fear, but mostly I am victorious. I no longer believe God is disappointed with me (even when I fail), but I believe He is applauding my progress and journey.

Below are a few of the lessons I've learned along the way in overcoming fear.  I hope they help you, too.

1.  Perfect love casts out fear. (I Jn. 4:18) I had a fear issue because I had not encountered the love of the Father in my heart.  Once I began to come into the revelation of His all encompassing love, fear could no longer have it's hold on me. Now, when I start struggling with fear, I know I need another love encounter with the Father. When I run to Him, He does or says exactly what I need to hear or experience at that moment for whatever situation I may be facing.

2.  Guard your access points. There were certain areas of my life where I was more vulnerable to fear than others. I learned to distance myself from those things that might promote fear or give the enemy access to my vulnerable areas. Certain books, movies, conversations, etc. were off limits as far as I was concerned. For instance, when my children were small, I would not watch a movie about child abduction. Why give the enemy material to harass you with later?

3. Watch your agreements. As God began to renew my mind in the area of His love, protection, and Presence in my life, He also exposed the lies I believed in my mind and confessions I made with my own mouth. I learned that both God and satan work through the power of agreement. I had a lot of work to do with cleaning up my habits of speech and agreements with the enemy. I strongly believe and have witnessed first-hand, that some people experience continual difficulties because of the agreements with the enemies plans they continually make with their own mouth. Our words become self-fulfilling prophecies.

4. Speak words of life and faith even when you don't feel like it. This was key for me. I made lots of progress in learning what not to say, but I experienced huge leaps forward when I began to learn what things to say. You need to hear it, the enemy needs to hear it, and God wants to hear it. You can shift the atmosphere around you and others through speaking life and faith.

5. Find out what God is saying and hold on to it with everything in you. Remember, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.(Rom. 10:17) You won't be able to walk by faith if you don't hear what He is saying. We have the Word of God, and those are definitely promises we can claim. But, there is something special about getting alone with Him and having Him speak specifically into your situation. Sometimes it's only a word or two, but how precious those words are! It is no wonder that Jesus himself said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matt. 4:4)

It's amazing to me that now I can actually say I enjoy the faith journey. Sometimes, I think of the faith journey kind of like a video game where you get to go to the next level when you've overcome the enemies in your present level. The difference is we're not alone. The Holy Spirit is with us every step of the way training us, equipping us, clothing us for battle, and then cheering us on. If we mess up, we just get to try it again. He sets us up to win.

I love reading Hebrews 11, known by some as the Hall of Faith. The thing that strikes me most is that so many of the names listed as icons of faith made major mess-ups in their faith journey, and yet God saw fit to brag on them and list there names as examples of faith. I can imagine that He is penning another faith list in Heaven even now that He loves to brag on, and maybe our names will be on there, too.

Remember, He's the Author and Finisher of our faith.

The Voice

Do you remember your first encounter with the Holy Spirit? I do.  I was probably around 14 years old. The Jesus Movement that started on the west coast of California was sweeping across the nation. We even felt the effects in the small town in South Carolina where I grew up. Our youth pastor began talking to us about the Holy Spirit, and I remember feeling intrigued and stirred. He led our small group of youth to begin praying together, letting the Holy Spirit lead us 'conversationally'.

I remember one particular Sunday evening we had gathered in a small room after the Sunday evening service to pray together again. As we began to pray, something unusual happened. The Holy Spirit's presence moved into the room in a tangible way and none of us wanted to leave or quit praying. This was not a normal experience for us! I remember laughing and crying and feeling so alive for the first time. We didn't want to do anything to stop what the Holy Spirit was doing in our midst.

Then, the hour became late and parents were worried, calling the church to find out where their kids were. So, the meeting ended. After that, all of us were eager to have another prayer meeting......anything to experience again what we had felt in the room that night.

But, not everyone was excited about this new Holy Spirit activity, and so there were not too many more meetings like that.  But, I could not forget what I had experienced. My heart was set on a journey to search for the more of God that had broken into my world.

For years, I thought of the Holy Spirit as an 'it'. I had little to no concept of Him being a person or being able to have a real relationship with Him. I loved Jesus and the Father as much as I knew how, but the Holy Spirit seemed somehow more difficult to connect with, and not as necessary for me to know or understand.

But, Jesus' words to His disciples indicate the opposite is true. He tells them, "It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you." Jesus makes it clear that having the Holy Spirit with them is even better than Jesus Himself being with them.

Jesus was at that point fully God, but had taken on the limitations of being fully man as well. He was not yet omnipresent. He knew that His leaving by way of the cross would open the way for the Counselor to move into the heart of every one who named the name of Jesus. He could be with everyone all the time.

Now, that is good news!  But, it gets even better.  Check out the Comforter's job description we find just a few verses later in John 16:

• He will guide us into all truth (vs. 13)
• He will only speak what He hears, and tell us what is yet to come (vs. 13)
• He will bring glory to Jesus by taking from what is His and making it known to us (vs. 14)
• Since all that belongs to the Father also belongs to Jesus, the Holy Spirit will make that known to us as well (vs. 15)

This not only boggles my mind, but makes it even more evident that we have been given an amazing gift in the Holy Spirit, who resides in us as Believers. 

There is a popular TV show on NBC called "The Voice." I mention this only because it is a name that I have come to associate with the Holy Spirit. There can be many other voices that speak to us; our voice, the voice of others, the voice of the world, and the voice of the enemy. But, there is only one voice that really matters....His voice. The Voice. It took me a long time to realize that The Voice is always speaking to me.(and you) He has so much to say! Remember, He has access to all the information, knowledge, wisdom and spiritual riches that belong to Father and Jesus, and His job is to make that known to us. 

I think much of our journey here on earth is about learning to recognize and hear The Voice, and then walking in the truth and realities that He shares with us.  Sometimes He shares amazing revelation with us, and other times He is very down-to-earth and practical. I can't tell you how many times He has reminded me to do something I've forgotten,  prompted me to take care of something that needed to be done, or helped me find something I lost. When I pray, He is constantly responding if I will take the time to listen for Him. Sometimes He speaks quite loudly, but mostly He speaks to me in a still small voice.

It is His voice that shares words of wisdom with us when we face difficult situations, and His voice reveals to us words of knowledge and prophetic words so that we can reveal His heart to those around us. The more we understand this gift, the more we come to value the treasure we have been given.

We show the value that we have for His voice by the amount of time we spend listening and pursuing Him. There have been many times that I have cried out to Him to let me hear His voice more clearly. One of those times He answered quietly to me Jer. 29:13, "You will seek me and fine me when you seek me with all your heart." Another time He encouraged me to "look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure".(from Prov. 2:4)

Our Father hides spiritual riches for us and there is nothing greater to me than hearing Him speak, revealing those riches. I believe The Voice within longs to share the secrets of Heaven with us. It reminds me of Prov. 25:2 "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; and the glory of kings to search it out."  We were made for this.  It's written into our DNA to desire to hear His voice.

And remember, it was Jesus who said, "My sheep know my voice". (Jn. 10:27a)

Then He said, "go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake; an after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. I Kings 19:11-12

Seasons of a Marriage

Recently, my husband and I had the privilege to share at "The Wave", a gathering of young adults in our church. They wanted to hear our story, and more specifically about our marriage.

The whole experience was a blast and has caused me to reflect more thoughtfully on our journey together as a couple. We have always considered ourselves extremely blessed. We didn't have some of the difficult hurdles that we have observed in other marriages, but we both carried into our marriage a measure of brokenness. Retelling our story caused me to see just how much God has done in our individual lives and marriage.

Being the amazing Shepherd that He is, God brought us in to healing in many of those broken areas. Sometimes our healing occurred simultaneously, sometimes separately, but the more whole that each of us became, the better we were able to love one another.

Having the advantage of surveying 33 years of marriage, I have learned that a marriage has seasons. Some of those seasons are joyful, surprising, adventuresome, and exhilarating, and others are trying, heartbreaking, and downright humbling.

In all of those seasons there needs to be an anchor. For us, that Anchor is Jesus. I can't tell you the number of times that we found ourselves up against a tumultuous season. Together, we faced financial crisis, health difficulties, shattered dreams, personal betrayals(not with each other), and discouragement, just to name a few.

Each of these hurdles tests a marriage.  When we are secured to our Anchor, we may experience pain, but, we go through these difficult tests with a deep security. Though the sea might be raging around us, we can rest assured that we are firmly fastened in Him and He will not let us go.

We made a decision before we got married that we would never use the word 'divorce' with each other. When we encountered a test, divorce wasn't an option. We had vowed that we would never throw the 'd' word up to one another in the heat of a battle.

Our security was in knowing that the Jesus that lived in each of us was big enough to work out any differences the two of us might encounter. When we encountered a conflict, sometimes we just needed to spend time alone with Jesus. After I spent time with Him, time and again Jesus would focus on my heart and my response. I'm sure Richard would attest to the same thing.

A good marriage occurs when we are willing to humble ourselves to grow, learn, say "I'm sorry", and follow the gentle promptings of the voice of the Spirit within us. And, it greatly helps if both parties are doing this! I can't imagine attempting a marriage without His help.

I'm so grateful for the winter, spring, summer, and fall's of our marriage, and for the amazing, (and very handsome) man that God saw fit to allow me to share my life with. I'm also eternally grateful for the grace of God that has helped to mold, shape, and form us into a marriage that can glorify Him. I am acutely, and humbly aware that our marriage is a complete and total work of His grace.

And even as I close these thoughts, the lyrics and tune to a song by Hillsong surfaces,

'All of my life, in every season, You are still God, I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship'.

Why I Love the Church

                                                                                                                                                                 

I know full well that the church has been a place of betrayal and hurt for many people. I wrote a blog not too long ago called "When Sheep Bite" and I found it very interesting that I had almost triple the usual amount of readers for this blog. 

Almost daily I read articles, posts or simple comments that lead me to believe that many are giving up on church as we know it. Some of that is good and a necessary part of change and transformation of the church.

But, there are elements of true church that can't be replaced by watching your favorite TV preacher, or by having lunch with a few good friends. I'm concerned that in our effort to walk away from those things that hurt us, we can also be throwing out the proverbial baby with the bathwater. 

I have had an increasing concern about what I would call a 'disavowing' of the church. Disavow is not a word I commonly use, but here it is defined:

dis·a·vow - 

defn. - to deny any responsibility or support for.

In I Cor. 12, Paul talks extensively about the church being like a body and in 12:26, he expresses, "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it".  

Whether we understand it or not, we are all hurt in some way when someone walks away from the church. Each unique individual brings something different to the table. When someone steps away, we all lose out. We won't have the benefit of their unique personhood and gift mix, and just as importantly, they will not experience ours. 

As believers, we all hold a place of responsibility when it comes to the church. It's easy to walk away from the church and then talk about everything that's wrong. But, taking your place in the wall as one of the living stones, even if it's a burnt stone, takes humility, commitment, and even courage. 

The New Testament gives us some clear pointers when it comes to what church can look like, yet it is not so restrictive that all churches will look exactly alike. But, one thing is clear, churches are made up of people who have decided to do life together by loving, trusting, praying, worshipping, learning, serving, giving, crying, rejoicing, growing, and experiencing the Presence of God.

If you've been hurt by the church and have chosen the 'opt out' option, please consider reconsidering. Though not an exhaustive list, please ponder my musings on why I love the church: 

I love the church because at it's very core it is relational. This beautiful vortex of relationship found in the church is between man and God, and God and man, and man and man, all swirling together to create something uniquely divine and wonderful. It's in this cauldron of relational soup that many of our lives are shaped and formed. As we do life together, our lives coincide, overlap, and sometimes collide. Even in the colliding, we learn what is in our own hearts and we grow and become stronger as we allow the Spirit of God to do His work. He wastes nothing. He will not waste our joy or our pain.

I love the church because of the unique and powerful experience of corporate worship and prayer.  God ordained that a dynamic synergy and power is released when a body comes together in unified passion and focus.  Not to long ago, our church stepped into a new place of worship together. Though we've had some wonderful times of worship before, this was different. I felt the exhilaration of being part of a moment in time where it seemed Heaven and earth met, and dear brothers and sisters were experiencing that right along with me.  Corporate worship and prayer produces powerful and significant results.

I love the church because of the five fold ministry that works in and through the body to equip the saints for works of service. So much about the five fold ministry has not been understood, but in the last 25 years much revelation has been given to the church on the subject.

It is clearly God's plan that the body of Christ be equipped through the offices of the five fold ministry (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) "to prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ". (Eph. 4:11-13)

We will usually receive and take on a measure of the anointing that we have placed ourselves under.Relationship, connectedness, commitment, and perseverance are all important keys in giving and receiving impartation through the five-fold ministry. When we step away from a body of believers we are also stepping away from the most practical means of receiving from the five-fold ministry and essentially shutting down the maturity that comes as we walk in relationship and accountability.

I love the church because other than through our families, it is the primary place where our character is developed. We can get used to our 'drive-through' world, where in our bubbles we are rarely interacting with those around us. We learn how to live our lives through shallow social media relationships, all the time keeping a safe distance from real people and real relationships. Yet, we were made for interaction and relationship and it is in this environment of allowing other people into our lives that our deepest needs are met and our character is developed. We tend to run from those things that cause us pain, and unfortunately, that sometimes can mean running from people. Sometimes God allows us to experience those tough situations to show us what is in our own heart so we can bring it to the surface and deal with it. It is often in the soil of difficulty that the fruit of the Spirit is cultivated.

I love the church because she is a beacon of hope for many.  In one of my deepest seasons of pain with the church, God spoke clearly to me saying that He had not given up on the church and neither should I. It was in this dark season that we found a church who knew how to love people into healing.  It is often the smiles, the encouragement, and the arms of ordinary people in the church who God uses to bring about our healing.

As believers we instinctively know in the core of our being that we are made for more. In our efforts to connect with others we can often feel lonely, frustrated, and misunderstood.  It is especially hard when this happens within the church.  But, effective change will come to the church when those who love Her resist the temptation to disavow, and link arms with other imperfect believers to become that message of hope for those who are searching.

I know what it is to long for the real. I always wanted an experience like the church in Acts who worshipped, prayed, witnessed, and experienced the reality of God's power and presence through signs, wonders, and miracles. I'm kind of like Abraham who was 'looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.'(Heb. 11:10)  I always wanted to be part of a church whose architect and builder is God. We can have that, so don't settle for less. God is moving powerfully in His church!

Though the world seems to be growing darker around us, I, along with many others, believe that the church is stepping into her finest hour. We can shift the culture when the church steps into her true and glorious identity. We've been prepared for such a time as this, so find a church and jump in. We're going to need you!

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Who Controls Your Mind?

The enemy wants to shape our world with the negative.  His plans to do this are strategic and calculated.  Though his maneuvers may sometimes be unrecognized or subtle, his intentions never are. His intentions are to shape our world so that our world looks like his. He does this by seeking to control our mind.

His job description was laid out ever so clearly in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy..", and he is all about doing his job.

It is the enemies' intention to shift your mindset into a negative stronghold. Strongholds are usually gained little by little by taking ground. The more significant the amount of ground taken, the more significant the stronghold from which he operates. Strongholds are built out of lies believed and acted upon in our lives. The enemy seeks to reinforce the lies believed in our lives because he knows it will only serve to strengthen the walls of the stronghold he has built.

But, God has not left us without hope or defenseless! He has made every provision for us to be totally free. Darkness may masquerade as a formidable foe, but it only takes a tiny match to be lit to chase darkness away. In much the same way, truth chases darkness away. It is the truth of God that sets us free.

Knowing that "the truth will set you free" should make us all avid truth seekers.  I'm finding that Holy Spirit deals with me about 'what is true?' versus 'what is a lie?'  a lot these days. What we believe shapes everything. We have learned that our words are powerful and creative, but before there is a word on our tongue, there is a thought. If we never learn how to let the truth and revelation of God change our thoughts, we will never master our tongue.   Luke 6:35 says, "....for out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks".

In Romans 8, Paul talks about the importance of our mindset. He tells us if a person lives according to the flesh he has his mind set on fleshly things, and if he is going to live according to the Spirit, he must have his mind set on what the Spirit desires. We have the ability to set our mind and we must recognize that we have an active part and a choice in what our mind is set on.

When there is a negative stronghold in our thinking it may be very difficult at first to choose to set our mind on the things of the Spirit. We may feel stuck in certain areas and unable to make right choices or break out of hurtful cycles. This is why the ministry of the Holy Spirit is so important to reveal lies believed and then replace it with the truth of God. God's truth can quickly dismantle a stronghold that has taken years to build.

Jesus said that He came to give us life abundant and I am convinced that a very large key to realizing that abundant life, body, soul and spirit, is in learning to submit to the process of allowing the Spirit of God to change our mindsets into Godly strongholds.

We might as well realize that most of our spiritual battles take place in our mind. Satan has waged war against us and doesn't fight fair.  It is His intention to shift your mindset into hopelessness, fear, depression, cynicism, unbelief, defeat, and utter despair.

God's intentions toward us are so abundantly amazing. He is relentless in making sure that we grow up in Him so that we can experience the abundance that He has planned for us.The Holy Spirit is ever present with us and is constantly speaking.  If we tune our ears to hear His voice He is continually giving us guidance and direction as to which thoughts are healthy and which thoughts are not.

He has given us the equipment that we need for our battles and as we learn to cast down imaginations and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of Him, we will tear down the negative strongholds that have been built in our minds and step into the glorious freedom destined for us as sons and daughters of the kingdom.




The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace....Rom. 8:6

A New Operating System

It's a season of expectation and preparation. The only thing I know to compare this feeling to is the nesting instinct a young mother feels who is preparing for her newborn baby to arrive. Something, or should I say SOMEONE, is coming and we are to prepare and make way for the King and the coming harvest.

"See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. - Isaiah 43:19

About four months ago an unusual series of events began to occur for me. One evening as I logged on to my trusty Dell computer, my hard drive died. This had never happened to me before, but a trip to my local Discount Electronics confirmed the problem. So, a new hard drive was installed and after quite an ordeal, all of my data was restored to the new drive.

That hard drive lasted about a month and then the same scenario occurred. I figured the hard drive they sold me must have been faulty, and they agreed, and then installed another one. That hard drive lasted about a month and then it died, too.  It was about this time that I began to wonder if God was wanting to use these unusual events to say something to me. Those who know me well know that He has used unusual circumstances and repeated events more than once to speak to me.

Still, I don't like to over spiritualize things, so I just told Him that I wanted to hear what He was saying and to make it clear so that I wouldn't miss it.

Maybe this wasn't the right prayer, because things were about to get even more frustrating.  After the third drive died, I began to reason that it must be my Dell that was the problem, and it was a good excuse to finally make the long awaited switchover to a Mac. After doing some research, I decided to purchase a refurbished Mac, and fortunately it came with a warranty.  I say, 'fortunately' because yes, you guessed it......within a month that hard drive died, too.

I'm a little embarrassed to say, but now, four hard drives later, He finally had my attention. I don't think He was killing my hard drives, but I do think He was using my circumstances to speak a powerful word to me for this season and it just took me a while to hear it.

You see, every time my hard drive died all my programs and info had to be re-downloaded onto the new drive. As I was rummaging through discs to find printer drivers, etc., I came across my windows disc and the words operating system were highlighted to me.  And then I heard in my spirit the words,  "You're going to need a new operating system". 

In a very real sense this was just a vivid illustration of a truth that He had been speaking to me over and over for several months. Things are going to need to change for the new season we are entering. The old ways of doing things will no longer suffice. We will need a new wineskin for the new wine. We will need a new operating system.

It's not about better works or improving our performance, but more about fine tuning priorities, focus, and intentionality to aim with everything in us to run toward the goal. It's about an openness to step into the unknown and leave our comfort zone.  It's about leaving some good things in order to be fully available for the best.  And in all of this, it's about having an ear always turned toward heaven so that we move in sync with His heart.

One of the ways He has been fine tuning my focus is through prayer. I tend to be a bit of a Martha, and it's so easy for me to get wrapped up in tasks and getting jobs done. But, the reality He has impressed upon my heart, is that prayer and time spent in His presence is to be front and center as we move forward into this season. I'm excited that He is birthing new things and new ways of praying. He's awakening His church to join with Him to usher in His kingdom. Prayer, led by the Spirit, is never boring, but an exciting adventure!

Another area I see Him fine tuning in myself and our church body is community and covenant relationships. He is stretching, shaping, and challenging us to love extravagantly, and walk with utmost integrity of heart in all our relationships. There are some birth pains here as we make our way through to emerge with a new operating system in relationship to one another.  I hear Him saying, "Come up higher into love, truth, honor, humility, and integrity in all your interactions with one another."

Old ways of operating are being exposed in this season, but it is His loving hand that is allowing it, so that adjustments can be made and a corporate unity and acceleration can occur. 

So, four hard drives later, I'm excited about receiving a new operating system from Him. I'm excited for this season of expectation and preparation and I think it's the greatest time ever to be alive. It's a time for 'all hands on deck'.  It's a time be alert, wakeful, and vigilant. It's a time to lock arms and advance forward. I'm thankful to partner with a wonderful church body to make way for the King and His harvest. Like a recent speaker prophesied over our church, let's build for babies!  

"Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.  For you will spread out to the right and to the left...." Isaiah 54:2-3a

When Sheep Bite

     
Have you had hurtful
experiences in church?                                                                                                
Does the word 'church'
conjure up negative thoughts
and emotions in you?

Have you given up hope in
finding the perfect church?

If your answer to any of the above questions is 'yes', then you are not alone.  Many, many people have been hurt in church.  In fact, almost every person I know has experienced some degree of hurt at one time or another in church.  Do you know why?  Because people attend church.  Or, let me put it a little more gently.......people in process attend church.  A speaker I heard put it this way, "Sheep bite".

I am in no way excusing hurtful attitudes and behavior from individuals in church, but I would like to share some thoughts and truth that I have learned along the way that might help in dealing with pain  experienced from such encounters.

But first, I would like to share just a smidgeon of my journey. I was raised in a traditional denominational church in a small community in the south. You may be surprised, but my overall experience with church all the way till adulthood was pretty positive. I attribute this to a couple of things.  One, my parents had a pretty high value for respecting not only the leaders and authority in the church, but also those who attended. The benefit and result of this was that I grew up with a respect and understanding of honoring people of all types.

The second reason I believe my church experience was positive is found within the church community where I belonged. I could name off quite a list of adults who poured into my life through the years of Sunday school, VBS, choir, mission trips, etc. In many ways it felt like a big family to me. I grew up with these people. I felt loved there. They nurtured me, pastored me, mentored me, and helped launch me into the first steps of the calling on my life.

Now, fast forward about 10 years and my husband and I have begun our journey of experiencing the in's and out's of church ministry life. After pastoring for 9 years in the Northwest, an experience full of life lessons not to be delved into here, we entered a 10 year desert season where we experienced the gamut of hurtful church experiences, some intentional and some not.

It was about halfway through that 10 years that I spiraled into depression.  I had never been depressed before, so I didn't see it coming, and I didn't recognize the unhealthy thought patterns that allowed this dark cloud to overtake me.  I sought God in that place of desperation and He was so faithful to bring me out of one very dark pit.

During this time, a couple of books ministered greatly to me; Letters to a Devastated Christian by Gene Edwards, and God Meant it For Good, by R.T. Kendall. A CD I listened to over and over during our wilderness season was Why Wounded and Betrayed Believers are So Useful to God, by Graham Cooke.  I began to see clearly the enemies' plan to cause me to give up on the church, the destiny that God had for me, and ultimately God. The enemy was up to something, but God was up to something much bigger and greater.

With the constant help of the Holy Spirit, I began to sort out truth from lies and come to a place of  healing in my heart.

Below are listed some of the steps towards healing and lessons I learned on my journey.  I hope they will be helpful for you.

1.  Forgiveness for all those involved is an essential first step.

2.  Make a firm commitment to quit rehashing the whole ordeal.  By all means talk with a trusted friend or counselor, but you cannot release things until you quit rehearsing them.

3. Remember that all people (Christians, too!) are in process and many are badly broken. Broken people hurt people, so don't be surprised when you encounter conflict in the church. Understand that everyone is in process and varying stages of wholeness and healing. Having healthy structures, ministries, and core values for dealing with brokenness is essential to a healthy church.

4. Thankfulness and gratefulness for your journey is a giant step toward having your heart healed. It was not until I could begin to see with grateful eyes how God wanted to use my journey, that I began to experience the grace to be healed. The life story of Joseph was bread for me during those desert years and I was continually reminded of Gen. 50:20, "You intended to harm me but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

5.  Allow God to use the furnace you are in to purify your own heart. Remember that God is never the author of evil, but He is an expert at taking the evil that befalls us and turning it around for our good. Part of that process involves letting our injustices cause the impurities of our own hearts to come to the surface. Repentance and cleansing will always change your perspective.

6.  Don't let your hurt cause you to be jaded and carry you into cynicism. In our journey we made a decision not to give up on the church. Why?  God hasn't given up on the church, so neither should we. When we separate ourselves from the Body of Christ we have taken a step away from the very ones who will help us step into our own destiny. I don't mean that we are supposed to remain in unhealthy, abusive situations, but find a church body that generally operates with healthy core values and practices and find your place in the wall. When we remove ourselves at the first sign of trouble, we are most likely removing ourselves from the very process that God wants to use in our life.

7.  The only way to trust again is to trust again. Self preservation never leads us in a good direction, but instead takes us farther into isolation from others and from God. Take His hand and let Him lead you out of the heartache you have experienced and into a place of healing. Acknowledge your own inadequacy to protect yourself and find rest from your striving under His wings.

8.  Have your mind renewed to begin seeing the people around you as treasures, made in the image of God with potential for greatness. Ask God to give you eyes to see them as He sees them, looking past the brokenness to call forth their treasure.

Now, back to those three questions at the beginning of my blog. I must admit that third question was a trick question. If you answered 'yes' to "Have you given up hope in finding the perfect church?", then give yourself a pat on the back, because there are no perfect churches. But, there are plenty of churches filled will beautiful, redeemed people who are right in the middle of their journey of growth and healing. Most are hungry for something real in their relationships.

I encourage you to find a community where you can love and be loved as you take the step to trust God with His process in your life.