tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80446616040536403522024-03-21T10:46:08.204-05:00He Still Moves...the life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it... 1 John 1:2Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-51141343768041430442013-05-12T12:33:00.000-05:002014-10-18T23:31:35.691-05:00Cry Out and I Will Answer<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When our friends Brandon and
Mandy were expecting their fifth child, Brandon had a dream a couple of months
before their baby was born. He knew it was more than just a dream.
Brandon shared it with my husband, Mark, but chose not to share the details
with Mandy in order to protect her from fear. In the dream, their baby
had just been born, he was seated in a specific spot in their bedroom, and
something was very wrong. The situation, which was not clear in the
dream, was life or death. The message in the dream was clear… “if you cry
out to Me, I will answer.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When the time came, Mandy’s
labor went smoothly. Molly Jo was born peacefully in the water at home,
with Brandon supporting her. But quickly their midwives
noted that Molly Jo was not breathing. Hastily, they had Brandon cut the
cord, got Molly Jo, and started giving her chest compressions and oxygen in a
mask. For at least twenty minutes, they worked hard breathing for her and
removing amniotic fluid from her lungs. </span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdEwqhhQNDuIAxUS018b17uCu8_B2_0szivcHaYeHWstv61dYr0_xeMbLasWwJQf0Z-k4YgeogNabb1ixi1lgZsZNS23w3QoNip1fxzaH1nKs2UmvzfxsF2kja5QsQEh8kd4LmTBib3S5/s1600/Mandy+Molly+Jo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdEwqhhQNDuIAxUS018b17uCu8_B2_0szivcHaYeHWstv61dYr0_xeMbLasWwJQf0Z-k4YgeogNabb1ixi1lgZsZNS23w3QoNip1fxzaH1nKs2UmvzfxsF2kja5QsQEh8kd4LmTBib3S5/s320/Mandy+Molly+Jo.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Mandy and Molly Jo</i></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Right after the birth, when
it was clear Molly Jo was not breathing, Brandon found himself in the exact
same spot in the room where he had been in the dream, living what he had
envisioned. He cried out passionately to the Lord as <span style="font-family: inherit;">Molly Jo<span style="font-family: inherit;"> was being worked on</span></span>. Meanwhile, Mandy was embraced by <span style="font-family: inherit;">supernatural </span>peace and knew that the Lord would save Molly Jo.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A little side note here… the
midwives had not been told of Brandon’s dream. But as <span style="font-family: inherit;">one of them </span>cared for Molly Jo, she heard from the Lord the exact same message that Brandon
had received earlier… “if you cry out to Me, I will answer.” <span style="font-family: inherit;">The midwives </span>were certainly crying out as they worked on Molly Jo!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Lord did answer.
After twenty minutes, He breathed life into Molly Jo, much to the joy of
everyone in the room (thus, the addition of “Jubilee” to her name)! I
love to remember this miracle whenever I gaze upon sweet Molly Jo. She is
a reminder of His tender love, in the good times and the bad. He is
faithful.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-73563345646035987452011-08-17T14:41:00.000-05:002011-08-17T14:41:30.351-05:00A Knock On the Door<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed writing a post. On those rare occasions that I cannot sleep, I often feel the Lord impressing on me a story to share. Tonight, for some reason, it is an old story that I have wanted to write, but never did find the time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the Fall of 2002, Mark and I lived in San Diego, California with our two young boys (Pierce – 2 ½; Jaden – 6 months). Mark worked as an electrical engineer at Intel, and found himself at an interesting crossroads with his career. When Mark was a bachelor, he put in long hours at work with little consequence. Once we married, however, and especially after we started having children, the expectations grew to be unreasonable. Mark’s work/life balance was painfully off-balance, to the tune of being expected to work 80 hours per week. He began to seek the Lord constantly in prayer regarding the situation, and interestingly, things at work grew to be ridiculously painful. It became clear to Mark that he was to quit. Interesting, considering that his goal prior to this season in life was to work his way up the ladder to become a VP at Intel.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In December 2002, we visited friends of ours in Houston. Knowing that Mark planned to quit in the Spring, they joked that we should move to Houston and purchase a lot in their neighborhood. They recently built a new home on a golf course, and empty lots lined their street. This joke held no temptation for Mark, but I actually found the idea rather appealing. I spoke with him within the next couple of days regarding the many benefits to moving to Houston (cheaper cost of living, living near good friends, support with home schooling, etc.). He was not impressed… at all. But he said that he would pray about it, and he was open to my staying a bit longer in Houston to research building a home on a lot. You could say he was humoring me : )</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Things seemed to fall easily into place regarding the home we would want built in Houston. When Spring arrived, we had one foot invested in building a home on a lot across the street from our good friends. It was a low risk to Mark, because pulling out meant little money lost. He was happy living in our home in a beautiful valley in San Diego. Moving to Houston still held little appeal, but he was faithful in prayer, asking for confirmation. He planned to quit in April, as he felt the Lord was leading him clearly in that area, but he had no idea what was around the corner regarding career. There was no reason – yet – to move.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One Saturday that Spring, Mark lined up a few different realtors to interview them regarding selling our home in San Diego. Once again, he was just speculating – simply doing his research. A heavy, closed door regarding moving to Houston would be a great relief to Mark. But if the Lord knew better, Mark would certainly follow.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mind you, our home was not on the market. There was no ‘For Sale’ sign in the yard. Mark was simply talking with three realtors, one interview lined up after another, at our kitchen table. During one of the interviews, the realtor shared with Mark a story about a home in our neighborhood. The home was not for sale, but someone knocked on the door asking to buy it, and the house ended up being sold to them. In the midst of this story, exactly when the lady said the word “knocked,” there was a knock on our door. Not the ringing of a door bell. A <b>knock</b>. Mark got up, answered the door, and was in shock to hear a man expressing interest in seeing our home - to possibly purchase it. Mark motioned to the lady at our kitchen table, to express that he was currently talking with a realtor and would have to get back with him. The man expressed that he, himself, was a realtor. He explained that he had a client that may be interested in our home. And beyond that, he and his wife were interested personally. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After viewing our home, his client was indeed interested, which irritated his wife because she was interested in our home! Short story - a contract was signed within three days for them to purchase our home (wife won, client lost!). No fees, mind you, because he was a realtor and took care of the paperwork himself. Also, Mark asked that the sale of their home not be contingent, which the realtor had no qualms with. Mark was blown away.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With little doubt that he was not only to quit his job, but also to move to Houston, Mark willingly went through the motions to move our family to a hot, humid, flat city with plenty of traffic. Obedient to the promptings God gave us, his nervous stomach didn’t follow suit as easily, and he threw up that first night in our new home in Houston. He laughs about that now, as we’ve been so incredibly blessed by God’s redirection in our lives.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the Fall of 2003, fires tore through San Diego, burning down homes in our old area and altering the beautiful views of that valley that we lived in. Mark pondered the sad timing of that tragedy with awe. Looking back, we also wonder that if we had stayed in San Diego, Mark most likely would have taken another high-tech job (leading to more work/life imbalance) through connections with friends, rather than start the <a href="http://www.nurturedfamily.com/">family business</a> that the Lord led him to in Houston. Not to mention, we couldn’t have afforded to survive financially in San Diego, with its cost of living, running our family business. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Lord works in mysterious ways. We find that the directions He has us take often look ‘crazy’ to the world. But if we follow, we find ourselves on a beautiful path. We’re thankful that He intervened in the details of Mark’s career, which has altered the dynamics of our family dramatically for the better. We marvel at the confirmations He gave us along the way, including that perfectly timed knock on the door.<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Chaparral Pro","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-12604572145772070362010-12-01T14:26:00.000-06:002010-12-01T14:26:36.283-06:00The CardinalI'd like to share the Lord's involvement in our lives regarding our recent move. It always amazes me how He works in the details of our lives -- in details that would seem to be trivial to the Creator of the universe, like moving from one home to another. I'm thankful He loves us just that much.<br />
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When we moved to Houston in 2003, we moved across the street from good friends of ours, in a golf course subdivision. A few years later, our friends ended up moving to Colorado. Also, the backyard was small and we weren’t allowed to walk on the golf course. And if our trash can was in the wrong spot, we’d get a letter. J We longed for a home on some land in a country setting, so the children could play outside and dig in the dirt. But the years passed without our pursuing it, as we watched the economy slow down and homes sit in our neighborhood with ‘for sale’ signs in the yards.<br />
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Last November (a year ago), Mark and I were blessed to have some prophetic words spoken over us by an older couple that we’d never met before. They prayed over us and shared four things that they felt the Lord was impressing on them about us. They were all right on – concerning the baby we were expecting, a ministry the Lord had placed on both of our hearts, an upcoming time of confusion, and about our desire to move. Regarding that, they said, “we’re getting that you’d like to move to a new home. Not out of state or anything, but a different home. You’ve been cautious for a long time. The Lord wants you to know He’ll be in the details.” Wow, that was encouraging to hear! We had been cautious, so it was nice to have that invitation.<br />
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That week, I got online and set up a simple search on a real estate site. Not many homes came across my email, because I made the search pretty specific - over half an acre, one story (or no bedrooms upstairs), etc. In early March, a home came across that looked interesting. We called a real estate agent that friends of ours liked, and set an appointment to see the home that weekend. The night before, I prayed and asked the Lord for a confirmation. Knowing that we could love the house, but He could have a different home in mind for us, I wanted His guidance. I hadn’t thought about a specific confirmation, but a cardinal came to my mind when I paused in my prayer. So I prayed that while we viewed the home, we would see a cardinal if it was the right home for us. I hadn’t seen a cardinal in two years, and that was when we were out of town on a camping trip. So, that was my fleece (Judges 6).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPgmHZKibDShyd9qwhuzbGXviODbs4sQqlVvKKKvkUgImceRL5Otob5hYyegtriwE9yE1SdpCPuGZSlotvbInn1V4iO8urTo7ZvWAFaosG_bjG7w1x4fhQ4cQPQorATRNjOyW8x6m9nh9/s1600/cardinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPgmHZKibDShyd9qwhuzbGXviODbs4sQqlVvKKKvkUgImceRL5Otob5hYyegtriwE9yE1SdpCPuGZSlotvbInn1V4iO8urTo7ZvWAFaosG_bjG7w1x4fhQ4cQPQorATRNjOyW8x6m9nh9/s200/cardinal.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The next day, we pulled up to the home and I joked with Mark as I got out of the car “let me know if you see a cardinal…” (I hadn’t mentioned my prayer to him yet). The house was just right as we walked through it. At one point, I looked out a back window, and a cardinal flew down and landed on a bird bath in the back yard. I called my son Pierce over to see it, and Mark as well. I shared my prayer with them – how exciting to have a confirmation!<br />
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We weren’t doing things in the typical order – but we hurriedly did months of house projects, decluttering and cleaning in about a week and put our home up for sale. Knowing that the Lord would be in the details, we figured a sale would be quick and easy. We decided it'd be best for me to take the children to my parents’ home in Louisiana for a few weeks, to allow the house to stay in order and sell. How funny to think that things would be quick & easy. If we’d really thought about it, we’d have known that things may just be very difficult and slow, because that builds character! Seven stressful months followed, with many house showings, while homeschooling five children and having a new baby. During that seven months, we faced very difficult times with our business. Three times stand out in our minds when buying a home looking downright impossible. By human wisdom, we would have taken the ‘for sale’ sign out of the front yard. Yet each time, we watched the Lord clear the obstacle. How sweet to have a confirmation in order to keep us on the path we were on.<br />
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All the while, it was amazing that the home we found didn’t sell out from under us. At one point, the owner (who was also a realtor) found that the agency that sets up showings was denying all showings on the home! Our realtor joked with her that her clients were really praying about the home, so we had a lot of power on our side. The other realtor joked back, “well, tell them to stop praying!” <br />
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Eventually we had a reasonable offer from a sweet family that wanted to buy our home, and we were able to close on both homes exactly 7 months after listing our home. Mark & I are still looking at each other in wonder – we can’t believe we’re here – in the ‘cardinal’ house! The Lord truly was in the details, and He used the slow, challenging process to build our faith and teach us more dependence on Him. He is faithful – always.<br />
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- RebeccaRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-8143469489848168642010-09-09T12:30:00.000-05:002014-10-18T23:26:52.233-05:00Hearing from HimAs I was driving to meet with some friends to pray together, this song played on the radio - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1YLXWANhvI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1YLXWANhvI</a> – which I’d heard many times before, but never paid attention to the words. At one point, the words became crystal clear to me and seemed to be spoken straight to my heart. <br />
I arrived at my friend’s house, and there was a good time of sharing and prayer. Much of what my friends had for me in reply to what I shared seemed pertinent to the section of the song that stood out so strongly to me. I shared that perhaps the Lord spoke something to me on the drive over which tied in to what was being revealed. They asked what, and I explained about the song, and I sang the section that the Lord highlighted for me:<br />
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<blockquote>
<i>“..got a couple dents in my fender - a couple rips in my jeans. Try and fit the pieces together, but PERFECTION is my enemy. On my own I'm so clumsy, but on Your shoulders I can see, I'm FREE to be me.” </i></blockquote>
At that point, a friend reached behind her and grabbed a sheet of paper. On her drive over (1 hour and 45 minutes in traffic!), she had heard the same song, and the Lord impressed on her that the words were meant for me (that specific section that I had just sung!). There it was – scribbled on her paper (quite scribbled, because she wrote it while driving – ha!!)... the exact section of the song! How amazing to have the Lord confirm His encouragement to me. He is incredibly kind. : )<br />
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I'm a child in this journey, but I'm so glad that my ears are opening and I'm learning to recognize His voice. I hope this story speaks to you in some way! He is VERY real - He is CRAZY about you - and He does speak and move in powerful ways.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-88396374209907501792010-07-19T11:51:00.000-05:002010-07-19T11:51:50.138-05:00Trusting Jehovah JirehMy wife and I sat in our bedroom staring at each other. Everything just seemed to continue to grow worse and worse. Money was getting way too tight and we had already cut the fat out of our spending. We had just purchased a new home by the skin of our teeth last month. While I had only been at my job for little less than a year, it was a company I enjoyed being at and was perfectly suited to my skill set. I was going to have to find a higher paying job. My wife worked at a company that she loved for the past three years, but if I wasn't able to move up in pay quickly she would have to leave it completely. We both sent out a multitude of resumes and applications. I quickly received a response for a position where I could make a lot more money than my current paycheck. I went in for an interview and found out it was a sales position with a very well established company. The thing is I’m not a sales man. I do tech support for an Internet hosting company. While I’ve tried in my past to do sales, it’s never worked out. The information I received about the company seemed like a great way to start a new path in my life and better provide for my family.<br />
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We were again at a place where we had we had no choice, but to trust whole-heartedly in God and His plans for our lives. We chose to fast for a day while we prayed for wisdom on what to do. Should I leave my current position that I’ve been at and well suited for or should my wife leave her job that she had been at for three years? There was so much that had happened in our life recently that it felt that God had really stripped us of everything that was not of him. We had been put on the burning alter multiple times to have the fat burned off only to leave an acceptable offering to Him. This had lead us to the place where we knew a decision was more about his wants for us than for what our simple wants and desires were.<br />
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The fast had begun and we had come to the day when it was time to tell my company I was leaving or turn down the new job. The plan was to wait until lunch and go talk to the people in HR, but strangely enough they called me in before I could get to them. As I entered the head of HR’s office I noticed my supervisor was in the room as well. It felt a bit like high school again, but unlike high school I couldn’t think of a reason I would be called in. They sat me down and began to inform me that the company I had applied for called to check my resume and references with my current position. I began to figure that I was going to be let go for looking for a new job and not informing them. They asked me why I was leaving and I honestly replied, “The money. I have a wife, two children and a new mortgage and I need to make more money. I really like what I do and this company, but the needs of my family have to take precedence.” They looked at each other, asked me to step outside, and after a brief pow-wow called me back in. I was beginning to assume that God had made his choice and that a new career was in my very new future, but historically speaking my ability to figure out God’s plans for my future are not too great. My supervisor began to tell me how I was a great asset to the company and that a promotion was already in the works for me, which would include a raise, and that my year review was coming up, in which my performance warranted another raise. They asked me if I would stay if they offered me both of those raises right away, as they would be mine if I stayed. There it was. God at work. I stepped outside, called my wife to let her know of the offer and confer with her which wasn’t a long call, then came back and accepted the 15% raise and coming promotion.<br />
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My wife and I had made a choice to put everything in God’s hands and then to simply follow the path he laid out. Sometimes it feels the road doesn’t appear until our feet hit the ground, which shouldn’t surprise us because He’s God. He is Jehovah Jireh. There is a song where the lyrics speak of birds singing of how not to worry and how everything would be okay. They may seem like ridiculous lyrics, but they’re so true. It’s a musical reference to Matthew 6:26:<br />
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<blockquote>“Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to Him than they are?”</blockquote>Every day is a reminder of how we are to put everything we are in God’s hands and it is only by following His plan do we succeed and every now and then we get a few rewards along the way.<br />
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- David & CindieRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-13369680601155292742009-07-30T22:42:00.005-05:002009-08-01T22:56:45.456-05:00God Hears; God Heals<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I recently got home from an unexpected trip to Colorado. Russ, my older brother, was on his way home to Amarillo with his family after visiting our parents in Evergreen. As they were driving through Colorado Springs, they had to stop due to traffic. Debris in the road caused a chain reaction of people hitting their breaks. As Russ checked his <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">rear view</span> mirror to be sure the cars behind him stopped, he saw a motor home veer out of traffic onto the right shoulder of the road. As the motor home came up on the shoulder next to Russ’s car, it hit a sign and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">burst</span> into flames. <a href="http://www.krdo.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?clipId1=3989672&at1=News&vt1=v&h1=Hero+Rescues+Man+From+Burning+Vehicle&d1=113033&redirUrl=www.krdo.com&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=flv&rnd=84421770">Russ knew he had to do something</a>. He pulled his car forward and out of traffic in front of the fiery vehicle and ran back to help the man as Tracy and the kids, still in their car, started to pray for protection. Tracy said Si, their oldest son, told her not to worry, that his dad would be alright. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Tracy and Si could see Russ as he ran into the fire at the driver’s door. He was not able to get the door open, but the window was open and Russ was able to grab the top of the door frame and peel it down and out to force it open. Fighting flames that were fueled by a gas tank in the motor home, Russ’s next obstacle was the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">seat belt</span>. He was able to get the shoulder belt around to the back of the man, but the lap belt was still holding him in. Russ said he was unable to release the belt and was asking God for help. A police officer came in with a knife and cut the lap belt. Russ, along with others who had come to help, was able to pull the man to safety. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">The chaos of the scene must have been amazing. Tracy talked about the sounds of cars hitting car parts flying. She thought something had hit them, but their car is undamaged. There were 6 other cars that were involved in accidents due to this one that was still burning. A police officer came and evacuated Tracy and the kids from their car in case the fire spread their way. They were pulled to safety away from where Russ was. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I can’t imagine the all of the events that unfolded during this time. Lots of very scary moments that must have happened so fast but felt like they would never end. Russ was with the man and did talk with him and was able to get a response, right after he was pulled out. At some point the firemen saw Russ and told him to sit down. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">The paramedics and firemen were tending to the victims, Russ included. A fireman went to Tracy to tell her about Russ’s injuries and then talked to the kids about their daddy. Tracy said he was very kind, sensitive and straight with them. He told them that Russ had been burned on his face, arms, and hands and that they would be transporting him to the hospital. Tracy was to follow the ambulance to the hospital in Colorado Springs. (He was later transported to the burn unit at University of Colorado Hospital in Denver)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Tracy is an amazing woman. She gathered her children and prayed. She told the kids that God is a God of healing and would heal their dad. As they drove, Tracy had <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Breck</span> start calling people and asking for prayers of healing. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">News of Russ being injured with burns to his face, arms, and hands went out and people all over started to pray.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">God hears prayers! God protects the righteous! God heals his children!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I arrived to the University of Colorado Burn Unit less than 24 hours after this all happened. The burns on Russ’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>face were gone! The burns on his arms were gone! His eyes were fine & his lungs were clear! Praise God! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I believe firemen know what burns look like. I can’t believe a fireman would tell a family that their husband and father had burns that were not really there. I can believe that our God would use an ambulance ride to heal those burns. Whether He healed Russ in that ambulance or protected him in the fire (OR BOTH) I praise God for the miracles of the weekend. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I believe God used Russ to save this man, Jose Fernandez, from the fire. I believe God protected Russ from the chemicals and flames, and healed his burns on his face and arms. I know the burns on his hands will be used to testify to people of Jesus’ love for each of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I am so proud of each of my nieces and nephews. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Brently</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Breck</span>, Si, Jake, Braid, and Asher, are all incredible young people. The events that took place in Colorado Springs on July 25<sup><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span></sup> were huge and each of these kids rose to the occasion with beautiful poise. Tracy is such a great example of a Godly woman, wife, and mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Her strength and faith are immeasurable. Then there is Russ…of the burns, the blisters, the singed hair, the bandages, the stories and memories of the events…what sticks out to me right now as I write his name is his face…His expression of compassion, tenderness, grace, and love when he was asked what made him run to a burning car and he answered “because Jesus lives in my heart”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I would like to thank you for lifting Russ up in prayers. I ask that you continue to pray for healing for his hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I would like to ask that you add Jose Fernandez and his family to your prayers. He is in stable but critical condition. He is 75 years old and burned on almost half of his body. He is in the Burn Unit at University of Colorado. He is surrounded with family who love him. A son and grandson came to visit with Russ in the hospital. They told Russ that he had accepted Christ about 3 months ago and was baptized. They are all very sweet, gracious people and need your prayers through this very difficult time. When I spoke to them on Monday, after the accident, they said that they are holding on to the idea of having him home for Thanksgiving to carve the turkey. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I would like to thank you for lifting Russ up in prayer. I ask that you continue to pray for healing for his hands and for God to be glorified through all of this. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Cheryl</span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-23601182585189382652009-06-19T17:17:00.003-05:002009-06-19T17:21:08.843-05:00A Love Note in the form of a Free CarMy faith in God started as a child, in Someone I couldn't see. This was important, because "...without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" Hebrews 11:6.<br /><br />But over the years, as my faith has grown and I have walked with Him, I've been blessed to see and experience things so that even by sight, there's no possibility of denying He's real. That's one of the reasons I started this blog. I so desire to share some of these stories from the past that have just blown me away, because He is so intimately and powerfully at work in the lives of those who are surrendered to Him. However, in this busy season of life I'm in, raising four children and expecting #5, I haven't been able to post many of the stories from the past that I'm itching to!<br /><br />For now, I'd like to share a little story from this week (because I just can't keep it in!). Recently, I shared the story of our friend <a href="http://hestillmoves.blogspot.com/2009/03/davids-story-god-at-work.html">David</a>, who has come out of a very troubled past. His transformation - out of drug use & selling and psychological struggles - has been radical. But accepting Christ does not bring about a rosy, trouble-free life, of course. Life is a battle - it's simply good to know where to draw your strength from for it. Lately, David has struggled with depression, as well as being out of work and the loss of their car.<br /><br />David's father made an offer that he was willing to pay $3000 for a car. So, David and his wife, Cynthia, started searching for a used car, but $3000 still didn't seem to be enough to find anything except junk. And then there would be the issue of where to find the money to insure the car.<br /><br />On Sunday (five days ago), I decided to post David & Cynthia's needs for jobs & a car on several local homeschooling loops I'm a part of. I didn't ask for a freebie, I simply mentioned that $3000 was what they could spend on a car. But I did pray and ask God, "Would you please just GIVE them a car?" What a great encouragement that would be to them!<br /><br />We've received several good job leads. Then, Wednesday night, I received an email from a lady who is new to one of the homeschooling loops (I've never met her). It said:<br /><br />"Hi Rebecca,We have a high mileage 1999 Camry that is in excellent mechanical condition (even new tires & will have a new battery) that my husband was contemplating selling because it wasn’t being used. We feel God has asked us to donate it to David & Cynthia. I think we could have it ready by Sunday if they are interested. You can email me back or call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx.Thanks, Xxxxxxx" - excuse the x's, I'm respecting their privacy : )<br /><br />Because a car is being given to David & Cynthia, David's father is now willing to pay for 6 months of car insurance for them.<br /><br />WOW! We're all feeling very thankful over here, and pondering the mystery of God, who hears our prayers and asks strangers on our behalf to do a good work for His glory. He is GOOD! He is good through the good and bad in life - by the way - He's just always good to walk through anything with!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-15240079273696801692009-03-01T17:13:00.001-06:002009-03-01T17:13:52.299-06:00David's Story - God at WorkI've been wanting to write the story of David for a year now. This is such an encouraging God story to me - I hope it blesses you as well. I'd like to warn you that it deals with subjects (demons, for example) that aren't accepted in our logical Western culture. But David can tell you that he has experienced satan and the work of his demons. Thankfully, he has also experienced the incredible mercy of God and the truth that God is more powerful than satan. I believe that satan knows that it's to his advantage to seem 'not real' to our Western minds, so he works powerfully 'behind the scenes' in our country. In other cultures where satan knows that his spiritual reality is known, he might as well work in more direct ways. And in those places, demonic activity is well known. Either way, we know that satan "comes only to steal and kill and destroy," but Jesus came that we "may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).<br /><br />For the 2005-06 school year, I was blessed to get to know a group of 11th grade girls at our church, as I served as one of their Sunday night group leaders. A very sad, memorable time of that year was when one of their friends, Arnold, passed away in October 2005. Involved in drugs, Arnold accidentally shot himself. I didn't know Arnold, but was saddened by this tragic loss, and felt for his family and friends.<br /><br />Two years later, on February 10, 2008, I was sitting in our church building auditorium during Sunday morning worship. My baby girl was just a few months old, and I was accustomed to having to get up and walk outside of the auditorium when she started making too much noise. But on this day, she was perfectly content. Despite that, I had the weirdest "antsy" feeling... I just had to get up. It's not like me to just 'have to get up' from worship service, and walk out. In fact, it had never happened before. I didn't realize this was the Holy Spirit at work until later.<br /><br />I walked out to the coffee bar area just outside of the auditorium, where there are several tables. A few minutes later, a young man walked in the front door of the church and sunk down at one of the tables near me. No one else was around. This young man, about 20 years old, was covered with a spirit of darkness. It was as if a cloud was upon him. Covered in tattoos, battered from life, and dressed in dark clothes, he simply sat with his head hanging down. I knew I needed to talk to him. I introduced myself, and he mumbled that his name was David. He would not make eye contact with me. I tried to converse with him, but his answers were short. After a couple of minutes, I asked what brought him here. He mumbled, "no where else to go." I felt the need to pray for him and asked if I could. He mumbled something, and shrugged. I asked if he would wait there while I got some others to pray for him, and he mumbled, unsure, to that. I ran to the side door of the auditorium, where I found my dear friends Bob & Alicia. They came with me, and Bob immediately recognized David, greeted him, and they sat down with him. <br /><br />My baby now wanted me to walk her, so I could not stay by David and pray for him there, as much as I wanted to. Rather, I walked and prayed immediately, begging God to save David. It wasn't until early that afternoon that Bob called me from the hospital, where they had taken David because he was so agitated. I learned from Bob that David was Arnold's big brother. David had been with Arnold the night of his death, and was living a very troubled life. Later that night, I spoke with Bob and Alicia again. It turned out that when Alicia sat down and placed her hand on David's arm to pray for him, she got a picture which helped her know how to pray. Alicia could see demons clawing within David. With that, she prayed for David to be delivered from satan, his demons, and their work in his life. After praying, it was clear to Bob and Alicia through what David was feeling that he was suicidal. They got Angela, a professional counselor within the church body, to come over to help. She talked to David and recommended going to the hospital. Once at the hospital, they tried to calm David. He remained highly agitated, despite the drugs that were administered, which should have calmed anyone. Bob was so discouraged with how helpless they felt, ministering to David, yet feeling as if there was no breakthrough. <br /><br />A few days later, Bob was surprised to get a call from David. It turned out that David was at a halfway house. His tone was entirely different than a few days before, and he was speaking clearly. He told Bob that he wanted to be baptized in front of everyone the next Sunday morning - he wanted to surrender his life to Jesus Christ. When Sunday morning arrived, he thanked everyone who had reached out to him the week before, and told them that they had saved his life. When he stood before the congregation to be immersed in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, he was asked first if he believed that Jesus was Lord. He boldly said, "Jesus is everyone's Lord, whether they like it or not!" <br /><br />We have come to know David much better over the last year, as he comes to our home many Sunday nights, joining us and a few other families who are striving to draw closer to God and each other. It has been amazing to see the drastically different person that David is now compared to before he turned to Christ. Not perfect by any means (Who is? We're all on a journey...) but he's a whole new man. We've been sharing our stories, and it was intriguing to hear David's story several months ago. His past was very dark. He was medicated for years for Bipolar disorder (though he is now free of all medications), and felt that he slept much of his childhood away. He was active in using and selling drugs, and was scarred by the painful memories he has of his younger brother's death. <br /><br />At one point in his story, David said that he used to be able to feel demons clawing inside of him, until that day when he was prayed over in February 2008. At that, I felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck, knowing how that fit with what God revealed to Alicia. After his story, I was able to share with David and the others the strange feeling I'd had sitting in the church that day - how I just had to get up. I also shared the picture that was revealed to Alicia when she prayed for him that day, regarding demonic activity. This was the first time David had been told about that, and it was incredible to realize just how God had delivered David, using many people as instruments. David also shared how much it meant to him that Bob had simply patted his back at the hospital and told him that he was going to be OK, and that Bob loved him. How encouraging to see how God turned a hopeless situation around, and used people (who even felt discouraged through the process) to powerfully transform a life. We were all thankful for the depth of God's love for David and how He pursued David and saved him.<br /><br />David and his young wife, Cynthia, have many struggles to overcome as they strive to turn their lives around - not just for their sake, but also for their children. Satan is as active as ever, constantly throwing hardships their way and bringing up their past. Just a week ago, God spoke to me of how David may fall down, but he can get back up again. I wondered - has David gotten into drugs again, or what? My knee-jerk reaction was "Oh no!" - as if David had fallen off a cliff and the situation was hopeless. Immediately, I heard something different - God is not a control freak like we can be. God gave us the freedom to make terrible choices with terrible consequences, yet He acts redemptively through our mistakes if our hearts are turned to Him. I wondered at this random thought that came into my head about David falling down. Later that night, I learned of some serious hardships that David and Cynthia were facing due to some terrible choices they made. What would have normally thrown me for a loop did not. Rather, I was excited to realize that God's word to me was timely, true - and for my encouragement. God longs to give David hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). He wants to redeem David's past and give him a crown of beauty instead of ashes (Isaiah 61:3). When you think of David, please pray for him, his wife Cynthia, and their children. Pray for perseverance and strength through this battle, that they will be transformed to experience the full life Christ has in mind for them.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-37854578452966123182008-09-20T21:07:00.003-05:002008-09-20T21:22:05.693-05:00The Holy Spirit & the Airport BathroomSilly title, but I wanted to share this God story because I just love how He cares for us so much that He is involved in the details...<br /><br />On September 6, we went to Las Vegas (for the first time) for a huge baby product trade show called ABC. We were going to represent SlingEZee, our baby sling business. SlingEZee has been our favorite baby carrier for years, and we were blessed to buy the business in January 2007. We had worked incredibly hard for many months to prepare for ABC. The week before leaving for Vegas, a particular section of scripture spoke to Mark, and he sent this e-mail to some of our employees and me the day before we left for the show:<br /><br /><blockquote>Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 8:42 AM<br /><br />Unless the LORD builds the house,<br />They labor in vain who build it;<br />Unless the LORD guards the city,<br />The watchman keeps awake in vain.<br />It is vain for you to rise up early,<br />To retire late,<br />To eat the bread of painful labors;<br />For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.<br /> Psalm 127:1-2<br /><br />This Psalm that has been on my mind for the past week and I’d like to share it with all of you because I think it pertains to us. We have put all kinds of time and effort into this years ABC Show but I ask that you pray today and through next week that God will do with this show and SlingEZee whatever he wishes. Whether we win or we lose in the worlds eyes lets thank God for being there and bringing us on this journey.<br /><br />Thanks, Mark<br /></blockquote><br />We had given our business over to the Lord, which only made sense as it was clear to us that He led us into owning SlingEZee. Once again, we asked Him to do what He wanted with it - it was His. <br /><br />The next day, we drove to the off-airport parking lot for Houston Hobby, parked the truck, caught a shuttle, and checked in at the curb for Southwest. Mark realized at that point that he forgot his glasses in the truck, and would need to go back. I told him to go ahead - I'd run to the bathroom and meet him near security so we could go through together.<br /><br />I walked down to the baggage claim area at Houston Hobby and found a bathroom. It was clean and offered about 10 empty stalls. I stood there looking at the empty stalls (really needing to go) and felt that I was not supposed to be in this bathroom. Why? I couldn't figure it out. There was nothing scary about it. I tapped each stall door open and looked in, seeing that each one truly was empty. I felt so goofy - what was my deal? Though I toyed with telling myself that I was being silly, I'd had this strange feeling before and decided to listen. After leaving the bathroom, I called Mark on his cell purely because I felt so strange and didn't know what to do with myself. I told him that I needed to go to the bathroom, but didn't feel good about this one and would wait for him to return. He said that was fine - he needed to go, too - and we'd look for one after going through security.<br /><br />After going through security, we turned toward our gate and each went into our designated bathroom. While in the ladies' bathroom, I heard a few women talking while washing their hands. It was clear they were going to the ABC show as well. I came out of my stall, noticed the ladies who were chatting, and proceeded to wash my hands. When Mark and I met back up, I pointed the ladies out to him, now chatting in front of our gate, and told him that they were going to ABC as well. He said that I ought to meet them, and I agreed, but the timing did not feel right.<br /><br />Settled on our plane, we ended up in front of one of the ladies, who happened to own a diaper bag company. She would be representing her company at ABC. The other two ladies were seated far ahead of us, and had made a comment about my baby sling as we passed their aisle. <br /><br />A while into the flight, Havilah, our 10 month old baby, became tired and started to nurse in the sling. I got up and went to meet the two ladies seated ahead. They affirmed that they were going to the ABC show, and explained that they were buyers for a baby furniture store in Houston that has several locations. When they asked what we were going for, I explained that we were representing SlingEZee, the baby sling I was wearing. They responded with the trouble they were having with the slings being sold in their stores, which led into my passion for babywearing and offering workshops to help mothers. I was able to show how SlingEzee is constructed differently, making wearing your baby comfortable for longer periods of time. When I mentioned how easy it was to breastfeed in it, they were both surprised to learn that Havilah was nursing herself to sleep. When she finished, I was able to readjust her vertically against my chest and tighten the top rail of the sling independently - something that most pouches don't allow. The owner of the baby furniture store was very pleased with what she saw of SlingEZee. She then told me how she was part of a large buying group. This group consisted of owners of baby stores across the United States. She wanted to mention SlingEZee to her group at their upcoming meeting. This buying group, which I was previously ignorant of, happened to be at the root of the ABC show's start years ago.<br /><br />As I walked back to my seat on the airplane after conversing with the ladies, I realized the huge gift the Lord was giving us - as He gives His beloved even in his sleep. I realized that He led me to this opportunity by placing me in the right place at the right time. I was clearly not supposed to use that first bathroom - for reasons that I was not aware of. I was supposed to be in that second bathroom - at just the right time. I sit in awe at the Holy Spirit's mysterious ways, helping Mark to leave his glasses behind, and speaking to me through a strange feeling in that first bathroom. The gift the Lord gave to our business was very exciting, but more exciting to me than that was His involvement. He's shown Himself over and over again in our lives, and there is fresh awe every time.<br /><br />I remember learning through my studies at a Christian university about how God used to speak to people and work in miraculous ways, but He no longer does. I accepted this, since it fit my experience. Fourteen years down the road, however - having grown closer to the Lord through trials and joyful times - I have watched my intellectual (often legalistic) faith transform into a deeper, living faith. Increasingly, I was experiencing God - not because God decided to finally speak to me or interact with me - but I think because my relationship with Him was deepening and my eyes and ears were starting to open. I'm still a child on this walk, praying for my eyes and ears to be truly open. It amazes me how often He speaks to believers today (just thinking of my friends here in Houston!) and how often He miraculously heals and manifests Himself to those who love Him. How strange to see this consistent, wonderful truth amidst a culture that denies His power and very existence. If you're struggling with doubt, be encouraged. He's really there, and He wants you to know Him intimately. Pray for open eyes and open ears, so you can hear the words that are falling all around you, and see the opportunities for a fuller life that await you.<br /><br />RebeccaRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-91277988014109289042008-08-19T18:28:00.006-05:002008-08-19T20:03:57.085-05:00ReliefOver the years, I have suffered from mild pain in my hips or lower back due to a slight curvature in my spine. For some reason, pain had escalated in my left hip over the last six months. Perhaps this was due to having my fourth child in October 2007. Daily the pain would start in my left hip so that I was in pain by nightfall. Perhaps if my physical load was lighter, it would not start hurting until the afternoon. Or sometimes it would start off in the morning. But every day, the pain would build without fail.<br /><br />Emotionally I was feeling overwhelmed with this pain. With four children ages 8 and under, I needed my strength. It was disheartening to need to walk across the house in order to change a diaper and feel overwhelmed by that simple task. The words that always came to my mind regarding my hip joint as I walked across the house were 'dry' and 'grinding.' I cried out to God and asked Him to heal me of whatever was causing pain.<br /><br />On Saturday, July 26, 2008 I was able to attend another Ministry Team Training at <a href="http://hestillmoves.blogspot.com/2008/03/calvary-community-church.html">Calvary Community Church</a>. The Lord had used these conferences to bless my relationship with Him incredibly. At past conferences, words of knowledge had been shared with me from brothers and sisters in Christ that did not know me at all - words that only God could have shared with them. The Lord used these prophetic words to show me that He knows me intimately and loves me. I'd been encouraged deeply. I had also witnessed close friends of mine experience physical or emotional healing, but I had not experienced that personally myself.<br /><br />The morning of the July 26th conference, I thought, "If anyone mentions anything about left hip pain today, I'm getting up!" During the afternoon session, a regular part of the Ministry Team Training is to practice listening for a word from the Lord concerning needs of healing. Sure enough, at the afternoon session, someone got "left hip." I raised my hand in response. At the end of the 'listening' time, I went forward to join the group of believers who were to pray over my hip. A sister in Christ placed her hand on my left hip, and the team prayed for me. At one point, a college aged girl got a word - 'lubrication.' I thought to myself - "Yes, Lord! That is exactly what I need for this dry, grinding hip." I had not shared anything about my hip pain with the team. It was neat to hear this very fitting word.<br /><br />The same girl also received another word, which I have had a hard time recalling since that day. It is something similar to 'strife' or 'conflict' - I remember thinking that I definitely related to the word in regard to the spiritual war within me while mothering my children. I had been struggling for years to show the love of Christ, while often feeling incredible anger or frustration. How wearying it was to 'lose it' with the children so often. How often had I asked the Lord to release me from this inner war? Very, very often...<br /><br />I thanked the team for their prayers, but had nothing to report when they asked me if anything felt different. The pain had not started yet that day, since it had been a very easy day for me physically, attending the conference. I stood talking with a lovely older Christian woman named Carolyn afterwards, who happened to be a member at Calvary Community Church. She had led the prayer team that prayed for me. She shared her <a href="http://hestillmoves.blogspot.com/2008/08/re-alignment.html">daughter's testimony</a> of healing with me with great excitement when I mentioned to her that part of my issue may be due to having a slightly curved spine. Her daughter, Kathy, joined us, and they prayed again, this time for healing regarding my spine.<br /><br />The day wrapped up, and once again I was blessed by joining the believers at Calvary for their day of sharing. A few days passed, and ironically I did not think about my hip once. It took me a few days to realize - 'Wait a minute!! I haven't had one speck of pain!' It has been almost a month now, and I have not had one minute of pain. Frequently as I go about my tasks, I recall the pain that gripped me daily, and I thank God over and over again for His merciful healing. I know that my new body will be a glorious, pain-free, sick-free body after this life. But what a treat to experience healing from Him on this side of heaven!<br /><br />It took me a while longer to recognize that the war within me toward my children has been greatly relieved. Of course, with four young children, the days are a whirlwind. But I have not felt that hot anger inside of me swell up. What a wonderful relief!<br /><br />Praise God for His mercies!<br /><br />Rebecca<br /><br /><br /><blockquote>I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his <strong>incomparably great power</strong> for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which <strong>he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms</strong>, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.<br /><br />Ephesians 1:17-23</blockquote>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-39721126101617684882008-08-19T17:56:00.004-05:002008-08-19T18:13:32.651-05:00Re-AlignmentIn the Summer of 1976, as an incoming ninth grade freshman, I was diagnosed with Scoliosis or curvature of the spine. Unlike the Hunchback of Notre Dame, I had an S-curve with a twist and not a C-curve which would’ve visibly bent me over to one side. At the time, I was crushed by the “prescription” which was to have me wear a full torso, neck and head Milwaukee brace 22 hours a day, 7 days a week. I spontaneously cried off and on for weeks after being fitted that September, feeling sorry for myself, awkward, ugly and just frankly upset that I was not able to do or wear what was normal for 14-year-old girls. In the nights, when I couldn’t sleep due to pain and the inability to find a comfortable position in such a contraption, I would cry out to God, asking, “Why me, why did You allow this, and why don’t You make it go away?” I couldn’t understand why “a child of the Most High God, (me), would have to be crooked, gangly and unattractive. I had and could get no answers, but I started to pray for healing and for a miracle. I knew and believed God was able and willing to do this for me if I just began to ask and pray.<br /><br />What I assumed was that the supernatural healing that I desired and prayed for was just like a miracle - instantaneous.<br /><br />Fast forward to the spring of 2002. I was a single 41-year-old mother of two girls, a three-year-old and a seven-year-old. Also, the three of us were living with my retired parents who I hadn’t lived with in 19 years. I was recovering and healing from a very disheartening divorce. I continued to pray for restoration, reconciliation and overall healing for me, the girls and their father. As part of the process, I had to realize that the girls’ father would not be returning and that I was the sole responsible parent. I looked at my situation, my age, my health and my stewardship with the upbringing of two children on my own. In my mind and heart, I had to be the healthiest I could be, not only emotionally and spiritually, but also physically. I meditated without ceasing, praying for wholeness, and a healthy chance to start a new life with my daughters, whatever that meant or looked like. One morning I woke up at my parents' home and realized I’d been healed of my Scoliosis. But not like I assumed, expected or thought it would be when it happened. I’d been healed of the pain associated with the Scoliosis. I told my mother, while she stood over the kitchen sink trying to wake up before her first cup of coffee. “Mom, God’s healed me of my Scoliosis, but not like I thought, He’s taken away all the pain.” In my mind, soul and spirit, I said, “O.K., God, I’ll take whatever You’ll give me, thank You, and oh, I understand now what You mean by ‘My ways are not your ways’.“ I was and am grateful, thankful and happy that He’d faithfully revealed Himself to me in this way at that time in my life.<br /><br />In August of 2006 I lost my job as a VP Marketing & Communications, and I begin to soul search and ask God what He wanted of me again. In the nights my right hip began to hurt, ache and have pain. God healed me of Scoliosis pain four years earlier, so this was a new twinging malady. I began to pray for healing in the nights, touching my own hand to my hip bone, laying hands on myself. I knew that if God could remove the pain from 30 some years of Scoliosis, He could touch this hip in the same way.<br /><br />On Sunday July 1, 2007, I was worshiping and meditating in the morning Reflections service at our <a href="http://hestillmoves.blogspot.com/2008/03/calvary-community-church.html">church</a>. After the singing, Pastor Jeff McGee came to the altar to close the service with prayer, but before he did, he announced that he’d received a word of knowledge from the Lord and it was this: “Someone is having hip pain and you are to be healed.” Immediately, I raised both arms, smiled and said, “That’s me . . . that word is for me!” He told us all that he wasn’t sure whether everyone there was to pray over me then or wait until after the main preaching service. He told me that if our senior Pastor Steve Meeks didn’t call the Ministry Teams for prayer following the main service to come find him, and he’d lay hands on me and pray. I did just that. After the service I went to Jeff, and said, “I’m here, I’m ready, I’m doing exactly what you told me to do. I’m here to be prayed for and receive the word of healing that was brought forth earlier." He called a beautiful older woman up to the altar to be the one to physically lay hands on my hip. Jeff was in front of me; my mother was right beside me. As we all began to pray, Jeff prayed for me to receive the healing word, for the fire of God to fall upon me and for the pain to be released from my bones. Then, the woman, who I’d never met, brought forth what she was hearing in her spirit, even though she didn’t understand why, she said, “All I’m getting is RE-ALIGNMENT.” I knew instantly what God wanted for me at that time and moment - alignment of the curvature of the spine, healing for my Scoliosis! I opened my heart, my spirit, to receive the healing miracle that Jesus died for me to have and to receive as a child of the Most High God. Before I left, Jeff told me to continue to meditate, pray and stand on the words brought forth by the Lord through his servants that morning. He said to pray all week, and if need be come back the following Sunday and they’d lay hands on me again until God’s promise for me was manifest.<br /><br />By Thursday evening, July 5th, I was beginning to have back pain like I’d not felt in several years. I chalked it off to stress from starting a new business, my husband, Dennis, being ill and losing his biggest client, and my uncle being critically ill. I continued to pray and also self-remedy or medicate. By Saturday, the entire left side of my back was full of knots; I was in pain and could hardly move. Then our dear friends, Daniel and Marlene DeJesus, called to check in on Dennis since he’d been so sick with a cold. Daniel wanted to come and minister to Dennis, and offered that he and Marlene would come and give him a massage. When I heard that, I said, “I’M THE ONE WHO NEEDS A MASSAGE!” They didn’t know I’d told Dennis earlier that day that I was on the verge of investing some money in a massage. God knew what I needed and sovereignly provided the massage through Daniel and Marlene. I immediately jumped in my car and went to their home. There Marlene gave me a very thorough, deep tissue massage on my left back. I walked away sore as gee whiz but knew the hurt would be a healing one. Before and after the massage we prayed for me, for Dennis, the girls, my parents traveling to Wichita and my uncle. They knew nothing about the words of knowledge I'd received from the Lord on Sunday morning.<br /><br />In the night of July 6th, I woke up to a clear revelation: God was gradually re-aligning my spine from glory to glory, and the muscles in my back were not used to being in the new and normal position they were being forced into by the progressive healing. I got up early Sunday morning, paced around the house, knowing what God told me in the night. I kept asking, “Really God, really?” I was almost giddy - overjoyed, overwhelmed, and in absolute awe and amazement. I finally brought myself to the defining moment. I went into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror to view a body that had not stood straight for 32 years. My shoulders were even on both sides, my hips weren't tilted askew and my arms hung straight at my sides!<br /><br />God continues to align my spine and heal my body even now. It wasn’t and hasn’t been instantaneous as I thought it would and should be, but it is nonetheless a miracle. I’m feeling stronger physically and spiritually than I have in a long time. I don’t know why or can’t explain God’s progressive healing for me, why He chose this for me or why now. All I know is His grace and mercies are available to us all. His miraculous healing power is there for us all to embrace. We just need to open ourselves up, expecting God to touch us. Just don’t tell Him how or when to do something. He’s got HIS OWN PLAN IN MIND for us all. We just need to be still and know that HE is God.<br /><br />Much love,<br />KathyRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-58084607929962344042008-06-30T20:49:00.002-05:002008-06-30T20:54:23.563-05:00Speaking His LoveI have experienced the Spirit of God come over someone about 5 times in the last 16 years, mainly through my loving husband, either while he was praying or worshipping/singing. It has been different every time. An overwhelming empathy comes over him, where he actually feels the person’s pain. On two occasions I was the only witness. Knowing my husband so well, I knew that it was only God anointing him in that way. On other occasions, there were other witnesses where an instance similar to Numbers 11:17 occurred, where God took the Spirit that was on the leader and put it on the followers. For example, once there were about 8 of us praying in a home, when the Spirit fell upon us. There was a sense of incredible peace upon everyone - a heavy anointing. We sat in awe silently for 5 minutes after. The experience was so unbelievable, that not a word has been spoken about it since. Looking back, it strikes me as sad how people do not know how to react when they are not used to His presence. I felt like, "Wow! What just happened? Now what do we do?"<br /><br />I had only ever felt the anointing of the Spirit with my husband present, so I sort of relied on his ability to "tap into it." And when you feel it, you want so much to live there forever, to never let it go. And when it is gone, you are in total awe of what just happened. Intellectually, I knew that the Spirit could manifest in any form or fashion, whenever or wherever He wanted. But I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">didn'</span>t really accept that in my heart until I had an experience without my husband present beside me. This occurred in February '08 when I went to receive a prophetic word about myself from God from a prayer team at <a href="http://hestillmoves.blogspot.com/2008/03/calvary-community-church.html">Calvary Community Church</a>. This was a special session that I signed up for after attending one of their Ministry Team Training conferences.<br /><br />As I entered a room with 4 people whom I had never met before, I thought they would tell me "OK, let's be quiet for a minute and listen to God, to see what He has to say". Well, I had no sooner sat myself in the chair than the first woman began to speak. She spoke of an explosion of force. Then the man beside her described the force being like a drag racing car taking off on the start line. The wheels spin off of the pavement, burn out, then take off in full force as their tires make contact. As he was describing this, the look on his face was quizzical. I felt that he was wondering if I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">wouldn'</span>t understand what he was talking about. He was getting a picture of a drag race car, but would a woman know anything about that? I just nodded my head, purposefully not giving him much feedback because I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">didn'</span>t want to react to what he was saying.<br /><br />The woman who had spoken first also gave the last comment. She said, "I notice you are wearing white socks. You are conservative. God wants you to know you should wear colored socks." I almost fell out of my chair at this point. No one in the entire world knew, except myself, that I had been phasing colored socks out of my sock drawer for six months. I had only white, black, and khaki left, and intended to get rid of the remaining khaki ones.<br /><br />These people also were unaware that my father is a drag racer. My childhood was spent on many drag strips in the Southern part of the United States. In a sense, the drag strip was my church. I knew exactly what the man on the prayer team was talking about. When the tires of a drag racing car make contact, that's when the power happens. For about six months, I'd been feeling like my wheels were spinning regarding what my role was as support to my husband in his business, and my role as mother to my children. I'd been praying for direction. With the picture of drag racing that the Lord provided, I knew that God knew me intimately and He would take care of me. He was speaking my language to me. TO ME, personally in a way that I would understand! This was HUGE for me. So huge, that I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">couldn't</span> grasp it and take it all in. I just had to sob with joy! It was absolutely amazing.<br /><br />God was speaking His love to me through prophecy. Now I had experienced it myself. And now, by the way, I wear colored socks!<br /><br />-JeniferRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-67681273027119479622008-04-17T18:53:00.003-05:002008-04-17T19:04:00.217-05:00Healed within the WombI have to share about the Lord's mercy and grace in my life. During my last pregnancy, on a Thursday, my doctor had called with some bad news. My ultrasound came back showing many cysts on my baby's kidneys. I was devastated. I cried out to God and prayed for a healing miracle. I called on many friends and prayer warriors who prayed and laid hands on my belly. I wanted righteous anger to rise up in us against the enemy's plans and stand and fight! The Lord spoke to me about His promises and gave me complete peace.<br /><br />On Monday, I went to see a fetal specialist who would handle my pregnancy now that there was a complication. My last baby died at 32 weeks gestation, so you can imagine what I was up against. I reminded God of His promise to me over and over and also reminded Satan. At my appointment, the doctor did a level 2 ultrasound and asked me why I was there. He saw nothing wrong with her kidneys! I knew instantly that she was healed in the name of Jesus. I later talked with my general OB and he confirmed that he saw many cysts on her kidneys. I told him that I believed what he saw, but that God is still on the throne and that He heals the same yesterday and today! <br /><br />God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Hallelujah!<br /><br />SophieRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-91477357113386613752008-04-11T10:40:00.009-05:002008-04-11T17:37:09.693-05:00Healed from Food AllergiesGod's Word says that the enemy comes 'to kill, to steal and destroy' - John 10:10 - but Jesus came to bring us 'life to the full.' What a contrast! For ten and a half years 'food allergies' have been part of Marianne's life and ours. Many of you have joined us to pray for her over this time at specific occasions and now we want you to rejoice with us for Jesus Christ has healed her.<br /><br />As most of you will be aware, in early January the situation rapidly deteriorated for Marianne in an unexplained way. Even one consultant Pediatric Allergist in a top children's hospital was baffled and told us that she had never seen the like of it in all her years of experience, losing so many food items at one go from an already highly restricted diet. The only hope we were given was that it might be a 'virus' and the treatment was one and a half months of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">antihistamine</span> to be taken before each meal.<br /><br />Despite keeping <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">rigorously</span> to the medication, 'to be taken twenty minutes before each meal for maximum effect,' we saw very little improvement. We kept a food diary during the time and for each meal, each day there continued to be an obvious, ugly reaction. Just finding something to cook was a trial. There were so many things she could not eat that citing what she could eat was easier. (At one point when we had hit rock bottom this had been cornflakes, raisins, dried apricots and precious little else). The traditional cure of 'lamb and rice' even proved too much for her system as she had reactions to these as well.<br /><br />Despite the difficulties of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">finding</span> something for her, the worst part was that her lips were so swollen, damaged and infected as a result of the reactions that she struggled even to eat with a teaspoon and drink with a straw (this situation being a side-effect of chronic eczema around her mouth). You can understand in the circumstances that instead of being a pleasure, eating was a moment we all dreaded, knowing that there would be pain, rashes, itchiness and inevitably of course, tears.<br /><br />During this time God made it clear to me one day while reading Scripture that we had to 'resist the devil, standing firm in the faith' - 1 Peter 5:8-9. By chance I decided to looked up the word for 'resist' in the original Greek in order to fully understand what this meant. (This is not something I do ordinarily!) There it was, with its English translation, meaning: 'to stand against, to oppose, to withstand ' but it was especially the English gloss of the Greek which I found interesting - for there was God's answer to our question of how to put the 'resistance' into practice. The actual word in Greek was '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">anthistemi</span>' - something which bears a striking <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">resemblance</span> to '<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">antihistamine</span>!'<br /><br />In faith, and trusting God that this was the divine 'prescription' for our situation for Marianne, instead of taking <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">antihistamine</span> in medical form before each meal we 'resisted' the real enemy, (since food was clearly not the real enemy here, although it had every appearance of being so). Since our offensive weapon against the enemy is God's Word, (see Ephesians 6), and we prayed before each meal using a verse in 1 Timothy 4: 4,5 which declares : 'For all (food) is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving for it is consecrated by the Word of God and prayer.'<br /><br />Amazingly through prayer alone and the application of this Word of Scripture, within a very few days Marianne was able to eat almost all of the foods that she had stopped taking since the time of crisis in early January had begun. It wasn't a 'magic formula' though, for in our battle the enemy fought back. Despite our victories, we also had many occasions when we had to take Marianne aside during a meal because despite faithfully praying this Scripture, she had still reacted to something. We would then continue to pray until the reaction stopped which it generally did.<br /><br />If this all sounds too good to be true to you and completely unlike anything you have ever experienced, rest assured that we have never experienced anything like this before either! However, we have not been duped, the enemy has repeatedly thrown off his disguise and bared his fist at us quite literally for daring to challenge him in this sickness. But we have stood in Christ's victory over him through the Cross and he has had to flee. We have tested and seen that God's Word is truth: John 17:17 and that when we resist the enemy, he will flee (James 4:7).<br /><br />The end of this story came on March 31st when as a step of faith that God had completely healed Marianne as a result of specific prayers of faith, we re-introduced cow's milk into her diet, one of the previously big allergens in her diet besides peanuts. She did have a major reaction, the biggest of any since all of the other food '<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">reintroductions</span>' began. But, when dealt with in accordance with God's word, the enemy had to flee again and the reaction disappeared, frightening though it was. It is a testimony to this that the following day when we saw the Pediatric Allergist in Paris for a routine check-up, which had been scheduled some time before, she conducted a series of tests from which she concluded that not only did Marianne no longer have any restrictions on her diet, but she could even have peanuts, something which she then tested on the spot. Marianne's conclusion was that peanut butter was great!<br /><br />So just what do we make of all this? It is very hard to resume in a paragraph God's entirely sovereign plan during all of this and why healing would have been delayed for 10 years. Yet, we have seen His mighty hand act. Medically speaking, statistics were against us, as a child with serious multiple food allergies will never fully 'grow out of it.' But God is greater than stats! We now also <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">understand</span> in a very concrete way that when we stand on the promises of God there will be resistance from an enemy who is real and who will stand against us, who will threaten us and who will try to scare us, but we are 'more than conquerors though Him who loved us,' Romans 8:37.<br /><br />What has Marianne's reaction been to her healing? You can bet that it was less spiritual!! In short it was just utter amazement that after all these years she is able to finally have an ice cream - aren't children down-to-earth! She has revelled since Monday in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">yogurt</span> and cheese, eaten her first real pizza, cooked and eaten brownies and chocolate chip cookies with me... all of those things which we consider 'normal' experiences for a child. How can we fathom God's wisdom and His power? Surely His name is great in all the Earth and His love knows no end.<br /><br />In Christ the King,<br /><br />ElizabethRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-16535737108676244402008-03-31T14:23:00.002-05:002008-03-31T14:29:51.774-05:00Healed from Depression<div align="left">AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL FROM ONE SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD<br /><br />I have a story to tell. It is a story about hope where there was no hope, about a God who is bigger than anything I ever imagined.<br /><br />I have had serious depression for the last 10 to 12 years. Each year seemed to get worse and worse. I had been through all the antidepressants, alcohol, counseling, praying, being prayed for and nothing was helping. The last week of January 2002, was the worst it had ever been. Crying every day in sadness and desperation. I was as far down the dark end of the street as you can go. There was no hope left for me in family, friends, myself or God. The only thing I could take comfort in was the thought of killing myself and ending the pain. It was so dark, lonely and hopeless I couldn’t face many more days hurting like this. I was at the end of my rope.<br /><br />That week some friends who are involved with a ministry out of town invited me to go back with them and see what God might do. I didn’t really want to go out of town but I had nowhere else to turn, so I went.<br /><br />I spent many hours each day before God. I found myself in the midst of others praying, interceding, praising and worshiping. I was prayed for several times. The best way I can describe what happened was that God met me there and His love flowed over me. When there was nothing but God things began to change. By the time I left for home the depression was completely gone! I have been totally healed! Not only is the darkness gone but also many things from deep in the past are also gone. I now have a new love for God and people that I never had before. So many things have changed I don’t have room to tell them all.<br /><br />In the Book of Acts a lame man is healed. He jumps up and tells everyone what God has done for him. Like that lame man I was crippled in my mind. Like that lame man I now have a story to tell about what God did for me. Miracles and wonders will happen so the world will know of the power of God. I am telling my story so you will know. If you have never before seen or heard of a miracle you have now.<br /><br />My life is a new adventure. Each day I look forward to what God will do. I don’t have an agenda other than loving God and looking for Him to guide. Everything is not perfect but with a new mind and God’s love there is lots of hope.<br /><br /><blockquote>I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the Living. Ps 27:13 </blockquote>If there is some way in which I can encourage, talk to or pray with you please let me know. My desire is that you know the same freedom Christ has given me.<br /><br />Gary<br /><a href="mailto:gkr50@yahoo.com">gkr50@yahoo.com</a></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-89871724697938084322008-03-28T21:00:00.003-05:002008-03-31T14:18:08.952-05:00Shocked by the Voice of GodFrom gracEmail, by Edward Fudge:<br /><br />"Sure, God spoke to Noah, Isaac and Phillip," we sometimes think. "But he would never speak to me." Little wonder that when he does speak directly today, it is often a shocking experience. At my request, gracEmail subscriber Jack Outhier has reluctantly but kindly given me permission to relate his shocking encounter with the voice of God -- and the good fruit that resulted from it. Jack's email address is <a href="mailto:jack.outhier@LegacySolutionsLLC.com">jack.outhier@LegacySolutionsLLC.com</a><br /><br />* * *<br /><br />"I was driving alone. Suddenly, within my spirit, I felt moved to turn at an upcoming intersection to go 'speak' to a couple who lived nearby. I knew who they were but did not know them and had no idea what I would say. I struggled for a mile as I approached the intersection, my logic arguing with the Spirit’s leading. I sped past the intersection at about 70 m.p.h. when the next instant a voice boomed into the silence of my vehicle, 'I SAID TURN!' It was a loud and forceful demand that shocked me into slamming on my brakes and pulling off the road. I turned around and took the road He had first 'nudged' me to take.<br /><br />"Pulling into the couple's driveway, I was totally confused, scared and at an absolute loss of what to say. To my relief, no one answered the door and I headed back to my car. Then, as if a rubber band were pulling me, I was drawn around to the back of the house where I found them working in the garden. They were probably as confused as I was to see me walking back there. They knew who I was, but we had no common ties, had never visited and I now lived 100 miles away,<br /><br />"We never even shook hands. I just began to speak, revealing things to them that I did not know and could not have known. That scared me to death and turned their faces white with shock. It was my voice but they were not my words. I spoke of their addiction to alcohol and drugs, naming places they frequented which I had never heard of. I named a man whose name I had never heard, with whom the wife was having an affair, and charged the husband with other sins. My 'speaking' went for about ten minutes while all the blood seemed to drain from their faces. When the words stopped coming out of my mouth I had no idea what to say next. I felt terrible for what I had said and simply departed, leaving them arguing, crying, screaming and denying as I drove away. For the next hour I drove in stunned silence. I dared not tell my own church what had transpired and had no one else to discuss this with.<br /><br />"The next week the woman checked herself into treatment for chemical abuse and the man divorced her while she was in the hospital. Five years later this lady remarried and asked me to perform her wedding. During that interval she had given her heart and life to the Lord and I had baptized her into Christ. She had daughters who all led their husbands to Christ and are raising their children in the Lord. Last year the mom told me that 26 people are joyously walking a Christian walk today because of the voice I heard that day on the highway."<br /><br />For more about the Christian grace-gift of prophecy, click <a href="http://www.edwardfudge.com/gracemails/prophecy_Christian_series1.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Copyright 2008 by Edward Fudge for Jack Outhier.<br />Subscribe to <a href="http://www.injesus.com/index.php?module=group&task=subscribe&GroupID=DA007Q4Q">gracEmail</a>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-13039400740277220202008-02-26T21:38:00.010-06:002015-06-22T18:16:49.774-05:00Anointed by the SpiritThe past five Ministry Team Training Conferences (November 2006 through February 2008) at the <a href="http://hestillmoves.blogspot.com/2008/03/calvary-community-church.html">Calvary Community Church </a>in Houston have been a great blessing in my life. It has strengthened my relationship with God and deepened my love for Him.<br />
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In November 2004, I found out I had six blockages (some 95%) in my coronary arteries and had by-pass heart surgery. This scare made me want to be closer to God. For the next two years, I started praying daily and studied God’s Word often, but still I felt I did not have a deep personal relationship with Him.<br />
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At the invitation of my daughter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rebecca</span>, I attended my first Ministry Team Training in November 2006. I was encouraged by the stories of God’s Holy Spirit being active in people’s lives today, healing them, and giving them prophetic words of encouragement. The first words given to me during a Prophetic Ministry session rang amazingly true. One person said when he prayed for me, he saw me standing in the woods near a stream and the Lord came to me and asked "What can I do for you, Joseph?". I said I just love being near Him in the beauty of the outdoors. The Lord said "I know that, but still what can I do for you?" The picture revealed to that person by the Holy Spirit was so true. I have always loved the beauty of the woods and waters, and often praised God there for His wonderful creation.<br />
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During the next three Ministry Team Training and Prophetic Ministry sessions in 2007, I received more insight into the will of God for my life. In these sessions and also at home, at church, and in Bible studies, I became closer to God and developed a deep love for Him. I felt the Holy Spirit slowly making changes in me.<br />
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The Ministry Team Training in October 2007 was amazing for me. I was in Jeff McGee’s class on Deliverance and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Anointing</span> of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the class at 3:30 PM, the class stood in a large circle in the classroom while Jeff slowly prayed for the Holy Spirit to come. I kept my mind still and waited on the Lord. I just occasionally prayed "Come, Holy Spirit". I felt a tingling in my fingers and a heaviness in my body. I prayed "Increase your power, Holy Spirit." After a few minutes, I had to sit in a chair behind me because of the heaviness. For thirty minutes as I sat slumped back in that chair, I had the most intense feeling of peace and love throughout my body that I had ever felt in my entire life!<br />
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At 4:10 PM, still feeling heavy with the peace and love of the Holy Spirit, I went downstairs with Jeff. I waited on the back row as all the classes came down, and as Steve and the other pastors started organizing teams to pray for healing. I joined a team to pray for a man who had hurt his right shoulder and elbow. The leader prayed first, then the second team member, then me. I placed my left hand on the man’s shoulder and my right hand on his elbow. I humbly prayed only a few words - for the Holy Spirit to heal the man and take away his pain, and to do it to glorify God. I blessed the work of the Lord and then waited on the Spirit for a minute or two in silence. After I prayed thanks to God and removed my hands, all four of us discussed our prayer session. Although I really was expecting a healing, I was still amazed when the man told us that when I placed my hands on his shoulder and elbow and started praying, he felt a tingling and then warmth at those two spots, and then his pain was gone! I knew that God had <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">anointed</span> me with His Holy Spirit in the classroom, and then used me just like a "mailman" to deliver His healing to that man.<br />
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~ Joseph<br />
<a href="mailto:jgs106@juno.com">jgs106@juno.com</a>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-51227798073580683072008-02-15T20:55:00.001-06:002015-06-22T18:15:58.988-05:00Calvary Community ChurchI wanted to post a brief description of Calvary Community Church, since it is being referenced in some of the posts on this blog.<br />
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<a href="http://www.calvaryhouston.com/">Calvary Community Church</a> has been used by the Lord to bless many believers in the Houston area and beyond. They have a very interesting history. Calvary started as a Southern Baptist Church. In the 1980’s, the pastor was feeling burnt out, and went through a season of seeking and crying out to the Lord. The Holy Spirit surprised Calvary with an intense time of manifesting Himself powerfully. They experienced healings, gifts of knowledge, and discernment between spirits, among other manifestations. Since they originally believed that the Holy Spirit no longer worked as He did in New Testament times, they were challenged to go back to the Bible and re-evaluate what they believed, in light of their experiences.<br />
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Calvary has been building up and encouraging fellow Christians for years through their Ministry Team Training conferences that they hold every few months<a href="http://www.calvaryhouston.com/MTTbrochure.pdf"></a>. The first session, Foundations for Power Ministry, led by Steve Meeks, is a great day of hearing the incredible history of what God did at Calvary as well as being challenged by what the Bible says about how the Holy Spirit works. By learning how the Holy Spirit works, believers are challenged to live as disciples by actively ministering to, healing, and teaching others.<br />
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Calvary went through a season of the Holy Spirit being poured out very frequently. Steve likened it to God 'advertising' for the kingdom to come. He can do what He wants when He wants to. They continue to be obedient in ministering to others, leaving the work to the Holy Spirit - and He does as He desires.<br />
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The teachings at the Ministry Team Training's are Biblically grounded, and there is plenty of opportunity to ask questions. After the conference, there is the option of being ministered to through one of their prophecy teams. Their prophecy teams consist of two to four people, who pray and listen for a word from the Lord to share. It is encouraging to receive a word from the Lord that is meant only for you (and validating to realize that it has to be from the Lord because these people know nothing about you, but the message is very personal). It is comforting to be reminded that God is still present, powerful and intimately involved in our lives.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-73807468183375275102008-01-28T14:52:00.003-06:002015-06-22T18:34:21.669-05:00Healed from ParalysisI'll write for my grandfather, who has already passed on. In the 1950's, my grandfather worked in New Orleans picking up and delivering laundry to homes. He had a terrible accident, and my father, 5 years old at the time, recalls my grandfather pulling himself up the steps to their shotgun style home. He was admitted to Charity Hospital, where my father remembers being smuggled up the back staircase to visit his dad. It was confirmed that he was paralyzed... he would never walk again. Despite this news from the doctors, my grandfather prayed fervently through the night. That night, he saw Jesus, shining brightly before him. The Lord said, "Joseph, get up and walk." My grandfather was healed, and shared his testimony repeatedly over the years.<br />
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Written by Rebecca, for Joseph (Sr.)<br />
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Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8044661604053640352.post-9816601076081076002008-01-28T14:31:00.001-06:002008-01-28T14:43:13.647-06:00The PurposeWhile attending a Christian college, I learned that the Holy Spirit only acted in certain ways up until about the first century. The Spirit worked in special ways to confirm the truth about Jesus Christ, especially since the Bible was not yet in print for the people. But since then, I have come to experience otherwise. Yes, the Spirit did work in that way... but He still moves, often in wondrous ways. And honestly, He's been nagging me (in His gentle way!) for a long time to put this blog together. So, here goes. This blog is here to point to Him. It will be a place for testimonies from various people to be posted. Because He's<em><strong> </strong>still</em> at work. May this glorify Him.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04232712371795659631noreply@blogger.com