Day 120

So today has been largely unproductive.  I spent most of the day trying to control myself while dealing with my nearly 9 year old daughter.  She was trying every ounce of patience today!  So the only person I really prayed for was myself! So I didn't kill her! LOL I am just kidding! 

A few times throughout the day I would someone would pop in my mind and I would just pray for them.  That is always nice :O)  I like it best when I'm praying for someone and I can feel the spirit lift after a few minutes and then I know that I did what I was supposed to do. 

It just hit me... maybe I need to be more specific in letting my daughter know that she completed what I want her to do.  Although at the moment I am just trying to get her to do what I want her to do at all!  It would be a super big bonus if she would do it without shrieking!  I think 9 little girls have the highest pitch of anything I have ever heard.  It almost breaks your ear drum! 

Thanks God for that revelation on dealing with her majesty (aka Meg)!

Day 119 - Some Good News

Earlier this week my father-un-law (no that is not a typo... I might explain later) was taken to the Emergency Room following a series of seizures.  They found a brain tumor.  My church family as well as friends across the country began praying that night. 

They went in to biopsy the tumor and were able to remove all of it.  The tumor was an aggressive fourth stage malignant tumor.  However, because they were able to remove all of it, he has a really great chance of survival. 

I know that his good prognosis is a result of prayer.  His brother died of the same type of tumor just a little more than 18 months ago.  I know God's hand is in this and I know that He is drawing this family closer to Him through this.  I am grateful that He loves us so much that He will redeem us and heal us of even the worst diagnosis.

I got to go out to dinner with some friends tonight.  Now normally I would be completely dreading those kind of social situations, because I am completely socially awkward! If I am talking about the Lord I can talk all night long, but just talking about everyday stuff, I am terrible at.  My friend Megan was there and she wasn't feeling good.  I got to pray for her and she felt better... and it broke the uncomfortableness for me!  I love how God works everything together for our good!

Day 118 - In the T-Mobile Store

I love it when God takes the things that just irritate you and brings them full circle for His glory. 

Today I went for a run and put my cellphone in a pocket next to my skin... and my sweat fried my phone!!! REALLY!?!?!?!

Because I run my own business I have to have a cell phone... I tried to dry the poor thing out in the dryer... it didn't work.  The screen wouldn't work it just flashed and flickered as I got one text after another from clients trying to book appointments.  After about a half an hour of complete frustration, I got up and went to the T-Mobile store. 

The girl working at the store was really nice.  She helped me to make what seemed like one of the hardest decisions ever... the phone I will be stuck with for 22 months! LOL  After talking with her for a few minutes she shared with me about her father's illness.  He was having problems with his heart and kidneys.  As she told me ... out of my mouth comes... I got to a church, and we see a lot of people healed...

She got all wide-eyed!  I started to get nervous... so I just kept talking.  Two hours later... I had a new phone and a new friend!  I got to pray with her for her father's healing and her mother's peace.  I could feel the electricity shooting between our hands.  That is not something that happens very often.  In fact, I often don't feel much of anything when I pray with people.  I know she felt it too. 

It was awesome.  There aren't too many times when I am actually glad that I had to spend $200 that I hadn't plan on spending.  But it was completely worth it!  I love God! And I love the way He brings the right people at the right time.  I also got to invite her to church and I am going to pray that she shows up! :O)

Day 117 - Wow, God!

Today was awesome!  I got the opportunity to go and pass out boxes of food to some of the tornado victims in our area.  We got to meet some really awesome people and we were blessed to get to pray for them and to be His hands and feet. 

I had a really hard time deciding if I should go down there or go workout with my friends... I definitely know that I was at the right place at the right time.  It was awesome!  I would do it again in a heartbeat.

We prayed with people who had cancer, and people who needed peace, and we prayed with a couple who had been married for over 60 years.  Watching God touch them was incredible.  I would love it if I could do that stuff every single day.

We saw God heal a rotator cuff tonight and someone's heart.  I never get tired of that look of freedom when they realize that they are free... from pain, sickness, disease, stress, whatever!  God loves us and His will for us is to be healthy and whole :O)  I love being able to rest and know that that is a part of who God is and that it is true no matter what.  God's goodness is always completely good and sufficient!

Day 116 - His Presence

The last two days I have been really making an effort to spend time with Him and get into His presence and I can feel the fog of selfish self-centeredness lifting.  YAY!  It makes me more steadfast in my belief that God never stops talking to us... we just stop listening to Him.  I am grateful that He is waiting when we come to Him.

Today at our churches corporate prayer meeting His presence was so sweet we just sat there, all of us, in silence, just drinking Him in.  My ex-father-un-law, Keith was undergoing surgery and we were able to pray for him.  Great news... The surgeons believe they were able to get all of the tumor in his brain.  We won't know what kind of tumor it was for a few days, but I am believing God that He heard our prayers and it will be benign.  God is already working in their lives as his wife, at the instruction of one of her doctors, called the pastor of her friend to come and pray with them at the hospital.  I am believing that they will both be back in the House of the Lord in no time!

I love seeing Him touch His people but I am learning to love finding out who He is even more.  Who is this God who created everything with a mere word spoken and yet He cares about our slightest concerns and cares.  I thank You Father that You are helping me to seek You even when I am tired or busy or just plain lazy.  I thank You that Your desire is to reveal Yourself to me. Let Your love take me deeper, take me closer to where You are.  All I want is MORE OF YOU!

PS.  Anyone who would like to lift Keith up in prayer, we would appreciate it!  My kids love their PAPA!

Day 115 - Lots to Pray for Today

Well, when it rains it pours.  Figuratively and literally around here lately.  This past Friday night we were having corporate prayer at church and I saw this porcelain white egg looking dome thing over us.  I knew that it was God's hand and that it was just too bright white for me to make out the fingers and such.  I shared what I saw with a friend and didn't really think more of it.  Today my friend was telling me about the weather patterns around here lately.  The number of tornadoes and the damage that they have done in the last week has been off of the charts.  She was looking at a weather map and it showed our area in this tiny little pocket where the devastation and worst weather was all around us but did not come near us.  He says in the 91st Psalm that the plagues shall not come near our dwelling.  I love having such a wonderful and caring Daddy. 

I have been running on fumes the last few days just trying to make it until the end of the semester and it seems my exhaustion finally caught up with me today.  I got to come home and take an awesome mid afternoon nap where the Lord truly ministered to me, removing some things and healing some wounds in my heart and breaking down my walls.  I have been so busy I have been neglecting Him and my walk with Him.  I am grateful that He would take the time to clean up my mess today and prepare me for what was to come.

Today there seemed like there was an onslaught of prayer needs.  Not that I mind, I love praying with people.  These were all serious medical issues though and the kind where you don't get to see the answer right away.  The one's that you get to see the healing manifest right away are more fun.  These kind it sometimes just feels so heavy on your heart even after praying.  God, I know You are big enough. I know that You have heard my prayers and I know that You will answer them.  I give these people to You because You can take better care of them than I can. Thanks Abba!

Day 114 ~ Miracle Resurrection Sunday

I LOVE EASTER!  Ok, I love pretty much any holiday where I get to eat way too much food and hang out with my family.  Today was special though. 

My childhood friend (we've been friends since kindergarten) came back to church today after more than two years away.  She came and rededicated her life to God at the altar and I got to be there to pray with her.  I am not sure which one of us cried more, her or me.  It's totally against protocol to get all emotional at the altar, but it really was a cleansing moment for both of us. 

I'm going to come clean.  Almost 3 years ago something happened in our friendship.  I am not going to talk about what it was because it is under the Blood of Jesus now and if God doesn't remember then I shouldn't either.  I will say that in the natural I had a valid reason to be upset and I did forgive her with my mind and my mouth.  I don't think my heart was really in it though because I really didn't care if she came back to church or not.  I know that doesn't sound very Christian of me, but if there are people in this world that haven't figured out that I am not a perfect christian yet, well, there is no time like the present!
I am not perfect and there are things in me that God is certainly still working out! LOL

It took my two friends Lisa and Melissa working on her for me to realize that I needed to get over myself and start caring about her too.  They've only known her a few years, I've known her my whole life practically, and if they care enough to keep on her then I should too.

So I text her on Friday and asked her if she was going to come to church.  I love texting because you can talk to people you may not necessarily want to talk to.  (Again, if there was anyone with any delusions about my perfectness... hopefully I have just destroyed them!)  She said she would come.  I kind of didn't believe her because she said she was coming at Christmas and then didn't show.  Praise God that He got her there!

It was beautiful! I couldn't have asked for a better Resurrection Sunday Gift: the Resurrection of a Friendship

Day 113 - The Night Before Easter...

.
Twas the night before Easter and all through the house...
Oh, wait, that's not it!
Anyway, it is the day before Easter and my house is clean and my laundry is mostly done.  Most of the food has been prepped and all that's left is to get out the Easter basket's for my kids ... and PASS OUT!

Getting ready for holidays is a lot of work and I find that often I lose sight of what the day is really about.  Tomorrow will also be the 6 year anniversary of when I decided to give this Christian thing a shot.  It's not the anniversary of when I got saved... that came almost 6 months later! I was a tough sell!  In the beginning I made a 6 week commitment to give the church thing a shot.  Easter weekend was the 7th week.  I am so glad He never let me go. 

As I sat down to write this and quickly reviewed my day, I realized that yet again, I did not get out of my selfish self and pay attention to what God wanted to do today.  I did nice things for people.  I wasn't selfish and self centered. I was just working on my own agenda instead of His. 

I asked Him, "Who could I have prayed for?"  I saw an image of the guy at Borders who I saw twice today.  I am sorry I wasn't paying attention, God. 
This morning I was praying while I was driving down the highway headed to the farmer's market and I was just telling the Lord how much I loved Him.  I heard this song that I used to always sing to my son when he was just a baby.  "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..."  But instead of "sunshine," we are His "Sonshine."  We are to be a light in this world, shining. 

I shined today, but only to people that are in my comfort zone.  People I am close with.  God wants me to be His Sonshine to all of His children, but probably most especially to the ones I won't come in contact with all the time.

Lord, help me to be Your Sonshine in this world, in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Day 112

Driving home from my friend's house around midnight tonight...Exhausted.  Suddenly it hits me that I have to write this blog when I get home.  Suddenly I am filled with dread.  I don't want to do it.  I am exhausted.  I didn't pray with anyone for healing today.  I prayed but not for anyone to be healed specifically.  My mind is saying, "It'll just be lame, so why write it at all?"   I just want to watch the Passion movie and go to bed.  I debated with myself the rest of the way home. 

As I walked through the door, I am bargaining with God about my laptop working so at least I can write in bed tonight.  I am so grateful that He puts up with me.  He really has no reason to, which makes me all the more grateful. So here I am, in my bed and writing about nothing.  At least I am in obedience (:op)

Hopefully tomorrow will be better.  God open my eyes to see and my heart to break for Your hurting and broken children! In Jesus' Name, AMEN!

Day 111 - Answered prayer

God has blessed me so abundantly I just need to brag on Him for a minute.  The Lord put it on my heart to plant a large (for me) financial seed into my church a few weeks ago.  The harvest was exponential.  I reaped almost $9000 off of the seed!  God is so good! I wish everyone understood the value of reaping and sowing.  It is amazing and for their benefit!

Speaking of reaping and sowing... I got to sow into some teens lives tonight.  Periodically I am asked to speak at our local juvenile diversion meetings.  This week I was a last minute fill in and had no time to prepare, it turned out phenomenal.  God just took over and I know that the things the kids needed to hear tonight were said.  God is drawing them closer to Him everyday.  Someday, that harvest for the kingdom will be reaped. 

I didn't pray with anyone while I was out today though.  I think tomorrow I will start my day by asking the Lord to give me a word of knowledge about someone I can pray with.  I know that the only reason I am not out there touching more lives for the kingdom is because I am slacking somewhere.  It is time to find out where and correct the situation.  I want to live this life only for Him.  I want to be so on fire and sold out for Him that I just breathe Him in and out all day long and those around me will get a glimpse of Him through me.

Day 110

It is almost the end of a SUPER long week.  I have been sitting here at my computer since 9pm finishing up a paper that is due in the morning and my hands are cold and exhausted from all the typing, so it is going to be really short tonight.

I think I have decided to revamp this resolution and limit it to people I pray with outside of church.  I seem to have gotten rather lazy with this project.  After some good old fashioned repenting and some deep time with the King of Kings I believe my vigor will be renewed.  I think I will still share about the miracles that happen at church though because it is good to encourage people that healing and miracles do happen any time they happen.  I, however, need to get out of my nice little insulated cocoon and get serious about bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth and sharing about God's goodness and the sacrifice His Son made for us.

I got to pray with several people tonight at church and it was awesome watching the power of God touch each and every one.  I got to use one of my own testimonies when praying with one girl too.  I shared with her how I believed God's word about being healed and I did not accept what the enemy was telling me about cancer.  I have told this story here before so I won't repeat it, however, I told her if God will do it for me then He will do it for you!

Ok, I am about to fall asleep sitting up and the typos are getting out of hand (Pun intended!) Good Night!

Day 109 ~ Silent Prayers get Answered!

I am borrowing this one from my friend today, because it is just too awesome not to share!

My friend called me today to tell me about what happened in Wal-mart.  She was in an aisle doing some shopping for work when she overheard a man talking to his son and explaining why they couldn't buy something because they had lost everything in a house fire. 

She asked the Lord what He wanted her to do.  He told her to pray.  She argued.  "God, are You really sure You want me to do that?"  After a few moments of contemplation, she wheeled around and introduced herself. 

"Hi, my name is Angie and I overheard your conversation.  I am a christian and I was just wondering if I could pray for you?"

She saw the husband's body stiffen and his hands dropped to his sides.  Reticently, he replied that it would have to be his wife's decision.  My friend looked to the wife, who had tears welling up in her eyes.  She replied emphatically that she would appreciate Angie's prayers very much and thanked her for taking the time to care.

Angie handed the woman her business card and said if there is anything I can do for your family, please let me know!  On that, they went their separate ways.

There was no loud "Hallelujah" or overt eloquent prayer calling down angels from heaven or assault the gates of Heaven. No, "I go Boldly to the Throne of Grace" or wailing or tears.  Just kindness from one person to another.  Beautiful.

My friend called me this afternoon to tell me what had happened.  She made the statement, "I don't think God would be mad at me for not praying with them right there?"
My reply was of course NOT!  That was exactly what they needed.  She was there for such a time as this!  I teased her and said that my "Stop, Drop and Pray" tactics would not have worked well in that situation.  That family most likely would have felt very awkward. 
Instead God chose to use someone whose very nature is just kindness and sweetness to let those people know that there are other people in this world that care about them.  Through the people in the world caring about them, they will be drawn closer to Him. 

She got in her car that afternoon and prayed for that family and I have no doubt in all my mind that All of Heaven heard that prayer and that God is working on their situation to bring good to them out of it.

Day 108 ~ Thanks for helping me be obedient

It is almost one in the morning and I have so much school work left to do.  I am grateful that God reminded me that I needed to write this before I went to bed. 

I have to admit I was rather self absorbed today, but God knows just how to pull me out of myself to touch His people when necessary.

This afternoon a friend called and I was tempted not to answer because I was in a hurry and running behind and had a lot on my mind... the usual stuff.  I asked the Lord, "Do I answer?"  His swift reply, "Yes."
It turned out better for me than the other person on the line.  I love when I pray with people because I get so reconnected with Him that the rest of life just melts away.  It was exactly what I needed!

A couple of weeks ago, my daughter and I were playing our "Talk to Jesus" game and she asked Jesus what His favorite color is.  His reply was purple.  I didn't really think anymore of it than just to marvel at the idea of knowing His favorite color.  I was reading a book last night about a little boy's trip to Heaven and He described Jesus and clothed in white with a purple sash.  On the way walking to class this afternoon, I put the two together. 

I asked Him, not really expecting an answer, "Why is purple Your favorite color?" The response I got, "What is purple? Red + Blue.  Red is for My Blood and Blue is for revelation."  It hit me.  Purple is His favorite because it is the combination of understanding and His blood.  I think it brings Him the most joy when we walk in the revelation (deeper level of understanding) of everything that His blood bought and paid for.  Purple is also the color of kings and queens.  Kings and queens have authority.  The authority that He died so that we could have.  I love purple too!  In fact I happened to have a purple shirt on today and my toenails were painted a lovely shade of purple as well!  I might love it more now!
Lord, please help me to walk in Your authority!

Day 107 - God is so Good in the midst of my not so goodness

I'm confessing that I haven't been working as hard as I should have been in building my relationship with God lately.  I've let things distract me and take me away from spending time with Him.  Sometimes I would know when it was happening and sometimes I wouldn't.  There is a song, I forget who it's by, but my daughter has been singing it lately.  HMMMMMM... I wonder if THAT was prophetic! LOL  The song's lyrics say: It's a slow fade when you give yourself away, people never crumble in a day.  That is so true.  It starts with just one, "Oh, I am tired, God, You don't mind if I don't read Your word tonight, do You?"  I don't usually ask Him though... I just don't do it.  Like Paul said, I do what I don't want to do and I don't do what I should do.

Like Paul though, I have to pull myself up by the bootstraps and just make it not an option.  If I want to have relationship with someone, I have to spend time with them.

Ok, enough about my not so goodness.  On to God's goodness!
Donna and I prayed with a lady today who had been diagnosed with water on the brain, she was experiencing dizziness and pain and pressure.  We prayed.  God healed!  GLORY TO GOD!  Another lady tonight had damaged her knee while pulling weeds in the garden.  She came in with a cane and left with almost no pain! Another lady had severe back pain.  When God realigned her back and she saw her feet move into alignment and felt the pain leave, the joy that was on her face was incredible!

There is nothing better in this world than seeing the look of joy and peace and just pure wonderfulness when someone realizes that God really loves them and cares about them and sees their hurt and their pain and that He is more than willing to do something about it!

Some people hunger to see the lost saved, some want to see people healed, some want prosperity.  I think my favorite thing is to see things on this earth be like they are in Heaven.  All things.  Let's not limit Him, eh? God, I think I want to see Heaven so I will know how You want us to live here on earth, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Day 106 - I think I have lost focus

Tonight while I was out walking my dogs before bed, I realized that I had lost focus of what this blog was supposed to be about.  It is about stepping out in faith and praying with people wherever I am, out loud, with them.  Granted I didn't go out of my house today except to walk the dogs, but I still need to make more of an effort to pray with people in the course of my daily life.

I did pray for a friend today.  The Lord really laid this person on my heart and I knew they were going through some difficult stuff and so I just sent my friend and encouraging text message and prayed for God to give her wisdom and peace.

Day 105~ I almost FORGOT!

I was just throwing in the towel for the night on the multitude of papers that have to be finished this week for school.  I took my tea cup to the kitchen and hit the lights in the living room and was headed for the stairs; when all of a sudden I heard, "BLOGGGG!!!"  I almost walked past it for a moment in my stupor of mental exhaustion and spasmodic shoulder muscles.  I wheeled around and headed back to the living room.

Thank You God for helping me to be obedient, at least to the writing part tonight.  I am not sure if I prayed with anyone today or not.  I know that is terrible, but my eyes and my fingers are so tired right now that the screen on my computer is beginning to blur.  3 weeks until the end of the semester and I can be restored to sanity. 

3 WEEKS til the end of the SEMESTER!!!  It just hit me, there are only 3 weeks left.  At the beginning of this project, I met a guy at school with a gunshot injury he earned serving our country.  My goal was to see him healed the rest of the way before the end of the semester.  It has been twelve weeks and I haven't even checked the progress in the last four or five weeks.  Time to storm the gates of Heaven, grab a hold of the horns of the altar, and come boldly to the throne of grace!  Lord, please finish the work that You have begun in that man, in Jesus' Name! I know You want to and I know You will! Thank You!  Amen!

Also, I got a little piece of good news.  Testimony time!  I received a phone call today from the director of the sociology and criminal justice programs. I won a $4500 scholarship toward my tuition for next year!  I am so blessed.  I know that God takes care of me and my family, even and especially financially!  The word says that He has never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread, thank You, Jesus!  I would just like to encourage every single person around me to take Malachi 3:10 seriously.  I have brought my tithe to the storehouses over and over and over again.  Sometimes it hurt.  Sometimes it was a lot of money.  Sometimes it was very little.  He has helped me to stay faithful with my money and He has continually blessed me abundantly above all I can ask or think.  Do I have money coming out of my ears, NO, but I always have enough even when it doesn't look like it!

Day 104 - Bump Go in Jesus' Name

This morning I took my daughter and her best friend to the zoo.  We have one of the best zoos in the world here in St Louis, and it is free.  Free, but I spent plenty of money!  Anyway, while we were in the children's zoo, my daughter's friend slid down a slide and it hurt her back.  Then she told me about this bump she'd had on her back and that her back had hurt since she had fallen on the wood floor at home. 

I asked her if she wanted to pray for it.  She didn't answer, so I took that as a "yes."  I told her to tell that bump to go in Jesus' Name. She repeated, "Bump go, in Jesus' Name."  After a few seconds of prayer her pain was totally gone and she couldn't feel the bump at all!  It was really awesome because she prayed for herself and saw the immediate manifestation!  Glory to God!

Later on in the afternoon we were walking through one of the exhibits when I noticed a boy with a walking stick.  I am not sure to what degree his visual impairment was.  I immediately thought... should I go and ask if I can pray for him.  I hesitated a moment and that was all it took.  The boy began to throw a fit and mom had to drag him away. I was saved!

I was talking to the Lord on the way home from work tonight and I decided not to make any phone calls while I walked the dogs tonight that I would just talk to God.  I said, "Lord, I just need to talk to You tonight."  He asked me if I would really listen to Him.  He brought to light how I can be pretty self absorbed at times and not really focused on what He is doing and what He is saying.  "Will you really listen?"  My answer, "Yes."  Help me Father, to see what You are doing and to hear what You say and to act on it, in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Day 103 - Holy Laughter

It has been said that laughter is the best medicine.  It's true.  Tonight at church a woman came up for prayer at the end of the service with a list of ailments.  We began to pray and God's peace and joy just hit like a freight train!

God started by healing her back.  She yelled out, "I felt it move!"  The vertebrae her back her misaligned.  She just couldn't help but start laughing.  Also, laughter is contagious!  I caught it first.  I'm easy though, I LOVE it when that spirit of joy falls and you just laugh and laugh til your sides hurt and then you laugh some more.  The more we laughed Donna started to catch it, then Peggy and then Mary.  Pretty soon we were all laughing so hard that other people looked over at us and started laughing too.

It was so sweet!  When we finally calmed down a little, the lady admitted that she had been fighting these different health issues for over a year!  She said, "I don't know why I didn't come up for prayer sooner, but I am really glad I did!"

I wonder how many people go to church week after week, sick in their bodies, and either there is no one to ask for prayer, or they don't think that being healthy and whole is for them, or they just have dealt with the pain so long they don't even notice anymore. 

I have seen people healed through Facebook, over the phone, in church, in a Denny's parking lot, at the university, and many other places.  Our Father is the Great Physician and He is in the healing business! One of the greatest things I have ever learned, I learned it from Kevin Dedmon when he came and did a 3 day teaching conference at our church last summer.  It impacted me so deeply that it still resonates in me today.  He said, "It is always God's will to heal." 

If anyone out there that reads this needs healing in their body, I invite you to comment or email me and I would LOVE to pray with you and believe God for a miracle!

Day 102 - Hearing from the Holy Spirit

One of my favorite all time miracles is getting to watch someone else realize that God cares for them and loves them.  Tonight I got to witness that miracle with my own son.  :O)

My son and his classmates are leaving tomorrow on a 3 day field trip to a camp about 3 hours away.  The kids were told they could bring their electronics to play with on the way down and the way back.  My son's DSi has been broken for a couple of months now and as those things are very expensive, I have not been able to get him a new one.  It'll have to wait until his birthday. 

His sister, however, also has a DSi and I suggested he look for hers as she had misplaced it awhile ago.  He agreed.  We cleaned out the car to make sure it hadn't fallen under one of the seats.  ( I knew it hadn't though!  I just figured it was an opportunity for him to clean out the car! LOL)  He looked in the game cabinet which is the last place any one remembered seeing it.  No luck.

After dinner we had to leave and go to karate and then to gymnastics.  My mom was meeting me at the gym and taking Mason home with her. I suggested that he pray and ask the Holy Spirit to tell him where her DSi might be.  After much coercion and my cancelling his negative words, he agreed.  He was completely not believing the Holy Spirit would tell him because it was just a selfish thing and he didn't believe he would hear from God anyway.

When I got home with Meg, he still had not found her DSi.  As I was sitting on the computer allowing Facebook to be a black hole for my precious time instead of doing homework, he came with complete disappointment.  "I can't find it, " he said.  I asked him if he had asked the Holy Spirit and he said that he had and all he heard was "under Meg's bed."  "Mom, it's not there, I LOOKED," he said with complete frustration.  "Can't you just ask God for me, mom?"

I pulled him reluctantly into my lap. I prayed, "Holy Spirit, please tell Mason where Meg's DSi is."  "All I keep hearing is under her bed," he said.  I asked him if he had looked down the side of her bed and behind the train table that is under the bed.  His face lit up as he pulled away from me and ran upstairs. 

About 5 to 7 minutes later, he returned a triumphant and happy boy!  I said, "See, you did hear from God!  I knew He was speaking to you."  He was so excited on the inside but restrained himself from showing it, but I knew he felt it! 

So Amazing seeing my kids learn how to hear the voice of God and to follow it!  He says, "My sheep hear my voice."  Thank You Father for caring about the simplest and the most complex things in our lives! 

Day 101!!! Another Milestone!

So I am sitting here and it is just past midnight on the one hundred and first day of this journey.  I am chatting with my friend and listing what I have left to do, this being one of those things.  I said I don't know what to write about tonight.... UGHHHHH!!!!! His reply, "Why don't you write about being prayed for tonight?"  That seems like as good of an idea as any.  So I am just going to put myself out there.

One of my friends is having a milestone birthday at the end of this month and she mentioned that she was going to have a dinner to celebrate and she asked if I would come.  Of course I replied that I would and marked the date in my planner so as not to double book myself. 

Today I get an email from her mom with dinner details.  Then I scroll up to the contacts to see who else she invited.  Bad plan.  Social functions... meaning more than 6-8 people... have never been my strong suit.  I pretty much avoid them like the plague.  Especially ones involving food.  I don't really know why, but I usually start having a panic attack at even the mere thought of them, unless it is with people that I am close with.   I have tried dealing with this issue before, obviously it didn't work.  I asked myself, "what is the payoff to hanging on to this fear?"  Obviously, if I keep it then I don't have to go to those things, being that I would still rather stick something in my eyeball than be in a large group, still. 

Immediately I start coming up with my exit plan... I will just get her a present and take her out to lunch, or something will "come up" (luckily another friend is having a thing at her house that night and I will know all of those people... I know neurotic, right!?!?!?)  So I don't reply to the email and continue with my day. 

I tried to talk myself into replying to the email at least two more times this afternoon.  It didn't happen.  At least I can laugh at my own silliness, right?

So later this evening I am chatting with my friend and I confess my secretest secret.  I had not really shared that with anyone outside my super close circle. He immediately says we need to pray about it, you need deliverance from that spirit of fear.  He was right.  Do I really want to let it go?

We prayed.  He led.  I resisted.  Then I fought the urge to resist.  Then I let go.  Then I let God. I suppose the next step is just to step out and actively make a choice to fight it.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you, right?!?!?!  Here's believing!

Living in fear is not abundant living. Jesus came and gave and died that I might have life and have it more abundantly.  When I allow fear to keep me from something that God has for me I cheapen His work on the cross.  So, I am going to email her now... I think.  :O)  Pray for me!

Day 100 ~ The Anthem

We sing this song at church called The Anthem by a guy named Jake Hamilton... This is the anthem of our generation/ Here we are God, shake our nation/  All we need is Your love/ You captivate me!  Chorus:  I am royalty/ I have destiny/ I have been set free/ I'm gonna shape history!

We are all called to be history shapers and nation shakers, but that is sometimes so difficult to walk in.  One minute I am praying with people right and left and the next I am wondering why on earth would God ever choose to use me!  I mean really, what was He thinking?!?!?!

Today was one of those days.

First thing this morning a friend facebooked me a prayer request.  I sent her a message back and we decided to pray for her husbands neck over the phone.  He was sleeping when we prayed so I am not sure if the pain left or not.  I know that God is doing a work in him.  Tonight I had a lady come up for prayer who had the same issue that my friend's husband has.  We prayed and we saw God touch and heal her.  I know this sounds dumb, but their names even rhyme.  While I was praying with her I was praying for my friend's husband too.  God is a healing God who doesn't show favorites and what He will do for one, He will do for any other.  So I am believing that Dan's neck is healed, in Jesus' Name! Amen!

In the middle of the worship service tonight,  I am not sure why, but I was grossly aware of my inadequacies.  I missed being in the prayer room prior to service... both services today... I haven't read my Bible like I should, my fellowship time with Him has been completely LAME to non-existent lately, because I have been lazy.  I have been neglecting my best friend.  All this and I am sure much more is running through my head.  I repeat the "focus on Jesus" mantra... it doesn't work.  All of a sudden when I had just about completely talked myself out of ministering tonight, I hear the Lord replaying my own words, the words from probably that morning or countless other times, "Father, I give You my hands; I give You my feet.  I give You my mouth that You would speak.  I give You all of me."

It was like He was saying, "Didn't you mean it?"

Ok, I repent.  I am sorry God.  I'll be obedient, but... no buts.  I'll go.

So the ministry team is called to the front.  I try and line up with my favorite person to pray with, Donna, cause she does all the work. :O)  Quickly I was drawn to pray with someone else because there were too many people coming to the altar for prayer.  The first person I prayed with, God hit her so hard she fell.  That has not happened to me too much when praying alone.  It was cool seeing her get touched.  I on the other hand, felt nothing. No tingles or heat, just an urgency to pray. 

Then a group of teenage girls came up, two of them were the girls that got saved last weekend and they wanted to share God's awesomeness with their friend.  God touched each and everyone of those girls and they caught His sweet spirit of joy, and so did I!  Then we prayed for a little boy legs to grow straight and they looked much better, I am so thankful for God's healing process!  We prayed for a dear friend of mine and her stomach pain went from a ten to a zero, I am thankful for the instant miracles, too! 

God is so Good!  The very moments when I am ready to give up, He shows up and shows off!  I think to remind me that it is Him and not me!  It is not because of my righteousness, but because of His.  This is what allows me to go ahead a claim, "I am gonna shape history!" "Here we are God, shake our nation!"  I am so glad His love and miracle working power is not dependent on my abilities; we'd all be in sorry shape if it were!

Day 99 - Faith Like Potatoes

I just absolutely love it when God gives us little winks to let us know that He is there and He is aware of every seemingly minute thought.  I know I kind of wrote a little bit about this yesterday,  but it is really cool.  Yesterday I was at the library with some friends and I saw this movie title and I thought, "wow that looks cool, I kinda want to see that." Not wanting to look like a dork, I said nothing... To anyone.  Later that night my friend Megan texts me and we were making plans for girls night and she mentioned that she had the same movie I had seen that day at the library.

She brought the movie over tonight... Faith like Potatoes.  It was awesome!  The main guy in the movie starts out all grumpy and crazy and then he gives his heart to Jesus and just like a simple child he takes the Bible at face value.  If Mark 11:24 says that I can have whatever I say if I believe that I have already received it then it will be mine... then it will be mine.  If God raised the dead through Elisha and Jesus, why not through me.  The guy is so on fire for God that when the villagers come and get this guy after a village girl was struck by lightening, he goes running, gets to her hut, goes in and picks her up and tells her to live in Jesus' Name!

Now that is what I am talking about!  Not so much the jerking dead people out of coffins or anything, not that I wouldn't want to see that because I do, but more that crazy kind of faith that will believe for the impossible.  Throughout the movie the guy faced many more trials but he still believed and confessed God's word.  In the end, God gave him some direction on how to do something.  Everyone around him said it was impossible.  He believed God instead and reaped the most UNBELIEVABLE harvest.

I wonder what would happen if all Christians started believing what the Word said.  If we acted like it was truth and were obedient and did what it said?  I believe the harvest would be exponential for us as well.  I am going to start actively working on believing Him for everything.  It says that these signs shall follow them that believe... it's a promise... they shall lay hands on the sick and see them recover, cast out demons in My Name, and drink any evil thing and it will not harm them.  We will see the dead raised, the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, and the lame walking.  If it is happening in other parts of the world then it can happen here too.  God does not love any of us more than any other, and what He will do for one He will do for any of us!

Father, Help me to believe Your Word like a little child full of faith.  Help me to be obedient to Your call and to walk in all of Your ways, in Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Day 98 -

Some days it is super difficult to make myself get on here and write this... other days I can't hardly wait.  Today is one of the procrastination days. 

Last night I was discussing with two of my friends which was better seeing people healed of physical ailments or God healing the emotional pain.  I get to see a lot of both.  I am so blessed!  I am not sure.  I did get to experience both though. 

After I wrote my blog last night I got to pray with a guy for emotional healing over the phone.  When the Lord began telling him about the truth behind certain situations, it was awesome to feel that spirit of heaviness lift off of him. 

I am so grateful to God to get to be a part of what He is doing in these last days.  It is amazing watching the hand of God move and heal someone of sickness and disease, but to hear peace come into their voice for the first time in years is unbelievable.  It reminds me everyday of how much God loves us!

Here is another quick "How much He loves us" moment.  Yesterday my friends and I stopped at the local library on the way back from our walk so they could look at DVD's.  I saw one on the shelf that caught me eye... Faith Like Potatoes... I wanted to see that one, but I didn't really think more of  it.
Tonight I was texting my friend Megan to set up a girl's night for tomorrow night and she said she had this movie... Faith Like Potatoes... and would I like to see it.

God, You are so GOOD!  Just Sayin...

Day 97 - Sometimes It's Me who Needs Prayer

    By the end of the day today I was just spiritually and emotionally wiped out.  I got to church tonight to volunteer with the Juvenile Diversion Program and I had had such rough afternoon I was in no real shape to do anything.  Fortunately for me, we also have Healing Room ministry on Thursday nights.  I headed up to the healing rooms and two of my favorite people were there.

    They prayed with me and all the stress and strain and oppression and fear and sadness... and the headache I was getting from all the above.... left.  Praise GOD!   I am so grateful to God for sending His Son, Jesus, that I don't have to live in that anymore.

    Before I came into the room I was surrounded with this dark cloud.  Jesus came in and replaced it with His light.  He does that all the time for us, takes our darkness and gives us light. 

Day 96 - Sometimes The Answer is Not Yet...?

     This morning I was hanging out with a friend and she has a cold.  When we were getting ready to leave, I asked her if she wanted to pray for her cold.  Her reply was indifferent.  So I just got out of the car and wished her well. 

     All afternoon I have thought about that extremely awkward moment.  Normally I will just pray regardless of any circumstances but this time I hesitated.  I am not sure why.  I am not sure whether it was the right thing to do or not.  I could rationalize this out, but I am way too tired to do that tonight.  I think I will just trust God that it wasn't time yet.  If anyone has any input I would love to hear it!

     Later that afternoon I ran into a friend between classes. She was limping badly.  I asked her if I could pray for her and she said yes.  We sat down on one of the couches and prayed for a few minutes.  The pain in her ankle went from a 10 to a 2!  We prayed again and almost all of the pain was GONE!  Praise God!

Day 95 ~ We Can Do All Things Through Christ...

     I find it really interesting that the Bible verse, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength," does not have the word "BUT" anywhere in it.  It isn't, "I can do all things through Christ, except those things that look too hard."  It says, "I can do ALL things through Christ!" 

     My kids were out of school today because it was election day.  We, well I decided, to take advantage of the beautiful weather and take the kids down to the bike trail and test out my daughter's newly acquired bike riding skills.  I knew that this could be a dangerous venture and I made sure to pack extra band aids just in case!

     My daughter just learned to ride her bike a couple of weeks ago and her skills are not fully developed yet which tends to lend itself to much whining and fussing and overall drama.  I invited two of my friends as witnesses hoping that that would force her to control herself a little more!  I am such a smart mom!

     We got to the bike trail and while we were waiting for my friends to arrive I told her to practice in the parking lot.  That is when it started...  Shrieking and dropping the bike and ... dun duh dun... I CAN'T!  I swiftly informed her in a calm loving way that the "I Can't Monster" was not allowed to come with us on our bike ride.  I told her that she needed to tell him to stay here in the parking lot in Jesus' Name and I had her repeat, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."  She looked at me like I was stupid but I made her say it out loud, and if looks could kill...!  She did it though.  I think I only had to remind her one time that the "I Can't Monster" was not allowed with us. 

    Within less than 30 minutes she was riding all by herself and comfortable enough to ride on ahead of me and try and keep up with her older brother.  At the end of an hour she was riding like a champ!  Her face was beaming and she knew that she had conquered something.  She was so proud of herself that she cannot wait to go riding again.

     It is amazing what can happen when we believe God's Word instead of the lies of the enemy.  We become over comers and conquerors!

Day 94

Well today certainly wasn't as exciting as yesterday, but it would be hard to top yesterday!  It is kinda lame days like this that I have the hardest time writing this.  I didn't have any awesome miracles or anything really. 
I did get to pray for a friend of mine who is making some tough decisions that she would have peace and God's direction on the matter though. 

I know I have talked about this before as well, but it is one of my favorite things.  I am teaching my daughter how to talk with and bring all of her worries and concerns to the Lord.  The last two nights in a row she has wanted to talk with God about different things she is worried about.  It is so awesome to see her take her concerns to Him and for her to be able to articulate what God is telling her.  I am so grateful for the training and practice in different forms of ministry that I have had the opportunity to take part in through my church.  We are so blessed to have pastors whose primary focus is to equip the believers to take God out of the church and into the highways and byways wherever we go. 

I am so grateful for the mentors that I have too.  They have taught me to pray and believe for all things.  I get to pray and be taught by one of them on a daily basis.  There are not too many people out there that have that opportunity and I am grateful for it.  I want to use every tool and opportunity that the Lord has blessed me with in order to become the woman of God that He created me to be.  For me, part of that is continually looking at myself and looking for areas of improvement.  I think I find something new everyday and I actually enjoy getting it corrected... Who Knew?!!?!?!

Anyway, I thank You, Father, for more open doors and opportunities to be Your hand and Your feet and Your mouthpiece tomorrow.  Like Saint Francis said, make me a channel of Your peace.  Where there is hatred let me bring Your love.  Where there is injury, Your pardon, Lord.  Where there is darkness, let me bring Your light.  Where there is doubt, let me bring true faith in You.  Father, I give myself unconditionally to Your service because I love You, because You first loved me.  Amen.

Day 93 - New Lives!!!

I got my socks double blessed off today.  I got to witness some of God's greatest miracles.  This morning I held a little girl named Faith in my arms.  She is almost 20 mos. old and so tiny that she reminds me of my own daughter when she was that age.  Faith is the foster child of a family in our church and Donna and I were so blessed to get to pray for her this morning.  She is just so precious!

I got to share with her foster mom about the diagnoses that I received with my daughter and how she was born whole because of prayer.  As we prayed we could feel the power of God going through her tiny body and even while she slept she clung to me. 

Then her older brother had to get in on the act.  He is the most precious 2 1/2 year old.  He just let me hold him and snuggle him and he kept giving me kisses. It almost gave me baby fever for a minute!  I am content to just borrow other people's kids for a few minutes and send them back to their parents though!

Tonight I saw two young ladies get born again for the first time and commit their lives to Jesus for the first time.  Then we prayed for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  God was so present with them it was AWESOME!!!  The one girl spoke in tongues for the first time and as she was walking out of the sanctuary the power of God hit her and she fell out!  When she got up she was totally drunk in the Lord. 

I shared with her that she could have His presence with her that way anytime and anywhere she was BLOWN AWAY!  God is so Awesome!!!  I LOVE HIM!

Day 92 - First Thing in the Morning

     I do not know why I am so tired and not at all excited about writing tonight.  Saturdays are one of my favorite days of the week because I get to sleep in and watch movies until I am ready to get up. (That was around ten o'clock this morning.)  I had a client scheduled at 10:30 so I had to get up at some point! 

     I met with my client at my office and about halfway through her appointment she shared that she was going to be having surgery for some medical issues.  I shared several of the testimonies of God's healing power that I had seen lately and then asked if she would let me pray with her. 

     Even when I know that someone is a Christian I still get nervous every time I step out on that limb.  The upside is that I know that every time I do, God will bring something good out of it.  I am so thankful to God for the opportunities He gives me to participate in what He is doing.  It is so miraculous!

     My daughter was with me and so the three of us prayed together for her healing.  It is so awesome to be able to raise my kids in an atmosphere of expectation and belief that God loves and cares for us and that He heals us.  I get to train them up to be the hands and feet and mouthpiece of God to the next generation!  Greater things will they do than I am doing... SO COOL!

Day 91!!! ~ Showing up and Showing Off!

Today is the 91st day.  I cannot believe I have stuck with this, I know it must be God! :O)

This morning as I was walking from class to the gym, I got a text from one of my best friends. "Prayers, please."  I had a minute so I called her.  We talked for a few minutes and she thought she might be coming down with something and really didn't want to.  She had a stomach ache and a headache since the night before. 

We prayed.  Nothing really happened.  While we were praying though I kept getting this feeling that I was missing something.  The word "unforgiveness" kept coming from somewhere.  After several minutes I just asked her if there was anyone she needed to forgive.  At first she didn't remember anyone, then all of a sudden she remembered that she had had a dream last night about an old boyfriend who was less than a stellar companion.  We prayed a simple prayer forgiving him and thanking God for taking care of him wherever he is. 

As soon as we finished she felt entirely better and like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders!  Go GOD!!! 

I have to brag on God for a minute for myself as well.  I got some incredible news today.  Worry had started to creep in about my finances again when I went to the ATM to move some money from one bank to another today.  I quickly reminded myself that I am a tither and an offering giver and God will sustain me.  Later this afternoon I got a phone call informing me that I will be receiving a large and extremely unexpected check as a result of some money that was owed to me.  Now I don't have the check yet, so I don't want to count the chickens before they are hatched, but I am pretty excited!  Thank You Jesus!  I am so blessed beyond measure! 

A few weeks ago, I really felt led in my heart to plant a large (for me) financial seed into our church.  As a single parent it was enough to really hurt.  I will admit I was nervous doing it.  The return on that investment was slightly over TEN FOLD!!!  Praise GOD!

I really wanted to take my son and his friends to a karate tournament out of town in May and now it looks as though I will have the funds and more than enough to do it!

I love being a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  He takes such wonderful care of us!  That was even the scripture that came to my heart as I sat down to read earlier... 

"See, I care about you, and I will pay attention to you.  Your ground will be plowed and your crops will be planted."  Ezekiel 36:9