Sunday, January 30, 2011

The Equipping

Jan. 30, 2010 - .

God has us on an amazing journey. The other day, while sitting by the pool on a beautiful 70 degree day, I was reading through my journal entries from this past fall. My prayers, my struggles, and my hopes are all woven into those pages. If I hadn't looked back, I would not have seen how far God has taken me in just the past three months. Prayers answered. Struggles vanished. Dreams beginning to be possible...

Our thanks to all who have prayed us through this year. We are doing well as we have a little over three months left. The homework load is huge - and of such quality that even our studying is transforming us and strengthening the daytime hours of lectures.

Rick and I have both been accepted to ministry trips over the next two months. I will be traveling and ministering with Bethel senior pastor Bill Johnson at a Randy Clark healing conference in Orlando, Florida. And we both will be traveling with Eric Johnson, Bill's son, to Tecate, Mexico, for a conference at a school and orphanage center. We are very excited. Rick also has more opportunity to minister on weekend trips with the Global Legacy teams.

These trips literally give us hands-on experience in ministering the love of God and the culture of the Kingdom to people so hungry to enter into the abundant life of victory and freedom. (I'll let Rick tell you more about his recent trip to Oregon in his blog entry - coming soon!)

Here is just a taste of what we are learning...
- God is good and in a good mood.
- The power of generational blessing far outweighs any power of generational curse. Let's focus on what God has done and is doing and will do - on the promises he so lovingly speaks over us. Our part is offering up praise and thanks with a joyful heart.
- This generation's ceiling must become the next generation's floor and we must equip them to do the same - so the present revival and move of God can continue for generations to come.
- No matter what our age, we have purpose and there is all hope to accomplish what God created us for. We can know it. We can live it. We are allowed to dream and expect God to partner with us as we pray for His hand upon our destiny.
- We owe the world an encounter with God - the lover; the healer; the compassionate one; the provider; the protector; the One who sees us.
- God loves community and relationship. His very being is relationship: Father, Son; Holy Spirit. We also should live in close relationship with family and friends. We are the manifestation of Jesus to each other, and to the world.
- Church is not a Sunday morning service. It is much more. We are the Bride of Christ - His Church - and we bring the atmosphere of God into every place we go: home, business, and marketplace. Our lives are "a letter from Christ...written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts." 2 Cor. 3:2-3.
That's it for now. We have so much more to tell you and can't wait to see you again!

Matters for Prayer
- Please pray for our health.
- Provision for Chris' ministry trip to Tecate.
- For focus and clarity as we seek jobs and a home after graduation.
- Protection and blessing for our family.
(Thank you, God, that our trust is in You!)