and so we wait for the Sons and Daughters.

"And so we wait, and so we wait, for you to come..."
  
A couple weeks ago at Friday Night Worship we were singing "St. Francis". It was written as a song of Hope for San Francisco. It's a genuine cry out for a city to hold on to the promise that God will bring freedom, healing, and restoration to a wounded town.

We have been singing it often on Friday nights and the words have become a prayer for Bemidji. It's awesome.

But while singing it that night, something felt different. 

As we sang, "And so we wait, so we wait, for the sun to shine. And so we wait, so we wait for You to come," God interrupted my singing and said, "You don't have to wait for me. I'm here."

Suddenly, it wasn't us singing those words to God.

We were actually being sung to.

Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and His angel armies were singing those words over us and over Bemidji. They were crying out for the city to not lose hope. 

They were crying out, "And so We wait, and so We wait, for the Sons and Daughters to shine. And so We wait, and so We wait, for you to come."

We are being beckoned. We are being called to come!

Sons and Daughters, come awake! Arise! Walk in Truth of who were created to be! Shine. Shine My glory! For the sake of this city, I burn in you. For the sake of the world, I burn in you. For the sake of the ones who've yet to taste and see, I burn like a fire in you, my Sons and Daughters!

Now is the time to press in and answer the call!

  
This is totally a re-emerging theme from this summer. The following was written June 10, 2011:

My heart is being stirred...it's like something is missing. I'm at worship...and there was a call to move with God. [This word was so right on! Then shortly after that we started singing another song with the words, "I am Yours, I am Your, I am forever Yours." Totally great song...but this is what I sensed the Lord saying back as the words were being sung...] We're singing "I am Yours" and God's like, "Yes, this is Truth! And I love you. But there is a city full of people who don't embrace this yet. And I am wanting to use YOU to bring light, truth and revival..are you going to stay in your safe zone or step out onto the water? Don't just talk about it!
You cry out for me [God] to move. I'm moving! I'm crying out for the same for my people." 
The Holy Spirit is urging us, "Come on, Holy people!" 
"All the things you pray for me to do...to move...to sweep across this city...to transform lives...to see revival...You are the answers to your own prayers, my people! When I said to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out more workers in the fields as the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, what happened next? (Luke 10) I sent the disciples out in my authority.
They didn't just pray for it. They didn't just talk about it it. They want. They moved.

Shortly after this was written, some of us started to spend a lot of time downtown. We met a lot of amazing people this summer while we'd worship, hang out and chat with and pray for people as the walked from bar to bar. One night a man named Larry stopped by the corner we were chilling at. Some people prayed with him that night. He started coming to Friday Night Worship and going to church. This fall, he was baptized in Lake Bemidji. Long story short in the midst of those things, God got a hold of his heart and now he's a new man in Christ! Larry's heart is now to see a ripple effect of God's movement in this city.


COME.ON.


He recently shared these words:

hey everyone i was just thinking about life and stuff lol.....and i realized that the best thing that ever happend to me was meeting u all that friday night downtown.. if it was not for that i would not have been saved, i would not have jesus in my life and i would not have great friends like u all..........praise god..i love u all and god bless...

Press into God's presence. Grow in intimacy with Him and you will shine His glory. People are waiting all over this city. Downtown. In your neighborhood. At your job. When you're in the grocery store. When you're buying stamps at the post office. When you're grabbing a burger at McDonalds. Or sipping coffee at The Cabin. 

Every day, no matter where you're at, ask God what He's doing and move alongside Him. And see what kind of crazy-awesome, powerful things happen.

Then release the testimony and do it again... 

Arise, Sons and Daughters! LET'S GO.

this is what You do.

You invite me to run through the rain until I'm drenched.

You make me laugh...super hard.

You heal me.

You pull me up off the ground to stand in the greatest strength I have ever known.
You compel me to dance so much that I'm sore the next morning.
You make me love.

You make me smile...lots.

You cause me to fall to my knees in awe.

You catch my tears.

You make me tremble in Your power.

You infuse me with joy overflowing.

You cut off death to bring me life.

You call me to the magnificent waterfall.

You name me.

You touch my skin.

You permeate my very being.

You captivate me.

You whisper in my ears until they burn for Your words.

You compel me stay up all night long with You.

You make me shine like the dawn.

You challenge me.

You grow me.

You give me purpose and vision.

You soak me in courage.

You grow my expectancy on the shoreline.

You pursue my heart.

You engage my mind.

You free my soul.

You make me long for You more and more and more and more...

You make me come ALIVE.

shallal.

I feel like making up a new word.
  
One that would perfectly describe the last few days...

Hmmmm....

Malazzical.

Shallal.

Okay, I guess two words.

They both have red, squiggly lines underneath. Spell check clearly doesn't recognize them. Malazzical stumped Google, so I think we're good to go on that one. It's just fun to say.

Fitting.

These last few days have been "fun" but in a new layer and dimension kind of way that extends far beyond what we typically think of as fun...it's fun completely intertwined with big time, legitimate joy. I guess I'll call that kind of intertwined fun and joy "malazzical" for now. Ha!

Okay, about shallal...whoa.

I kid you not, I was just sitting here and those are those two combination of letters are what I typed. I did not sketch out what this blog post was going to look like beforehand. This is just coming out right now...

Something felt different with "shallal". When I Googled it, there actually were some results.

It's a Muslim name meaning, "waterfalls". 

Hmm. WOW.

My "WOW" requires some backdrop.

I wrote a little bit about waterfalls a couple months ago. The theme of water always strikes a chord in me. Specifically in recent months, it's waterfalls and shorelines that get me. Shorelines tend to come up more when it's just me and God spending time together. When others have been speaking and sharing words and images with me while they pray for me, waterfalls have been a part of these words and images definitely more than once in the last few months.

The other day, I went to the Cabin Coffeehouse to read.

As I was driving there, I told myself that if this one particular loveseat was open, I'd stay there and read. But if someone was already sitting there, I really felt like finding another place in town to chill. That loveseat area is totally my favorite spot in the whole place. I've read and journaled there numerous times. To my delight, the spot was wide open.

After sitting there for a couple hours, I started to really notice the artwork all around.

Yes, I was there for a couple of hours before really noticing the specifics of what was around me.

See, when I walk into a room, I don't really see details (generally speaking). I take in the bigger picture and notice themes, colors and the overall "feel" of the space. Unless I'm very, very, very intentional about observing it or it's not hi-lighted for some reason, I typically won't be able to tell you much about the details. True story.

I started to take in more of the details around me and I was enjoying some captivating pictures and painting near the fireplace. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw blue...which is my favorite color. Any shade of blue. I'll take it. This blue was on the painting directly above the loveseat I was sprawled out on. I looked up to my right and there hung a large painting of...shallal...a magnificent waterfall. 

I was sitting right underneath it.

Which is where I feel like I have been dwelling in this new season of life.

I'm either underneath/near a waterfall or I'm hanging out on a shoreline while the waves splash on my feel and I watch mighty waves forming out on the horizon. They are coming soon.

I know I'll have much more to share about this journey with joyfilled, powerful waves and joyfilled, roaring shallal in the days ahead.

Malazzical shallal. I'm claiming that phrase right now.

And I'm expectant. Very, very expectant. 

let it come, let it come, let it come.

I think the answer might be snow.

Umm, okay? Sooo...what's the question?

I'll get there.

First, I gotta say that this summer I acquired a new found love of rain. Now that it started snowing in beautiful Northern Minnesota and winter is truly upon us, I acquired a new found love of snow.
  

This is a strange comment for me.

Summer has always been my best buddy when it comes to seasons. Winter and snow...I don't not like these things. However, my spirit has never had such a response to the snow like it has during the first snowfalls this season.

Something's different this year.

  

And it's snowing again tonight.

Gently.

Powerfully.

Steadily.

When you look up, it seems never ending. Pure, white flakes just keep falling from sky, filling the air and landing on this city. A fresh blanket of snow rests upon the streets. On rooftops. Over fields. It traces the tops of fences and makes it's home on the tops of tree branches.

Everything out in the open has a new covering.

It's awesome.

When I got off work tonight, I spent time outside by the lake simply enjoying the snow. 

I can't help but desire to be surrounded by it. I genuinely want it to fall upon me. I can't stop gazing into it. It's captivating. It carries such peace and hope.

After I got home, I started listening to this song.

  

"What does it sound like when you sing heaven's song? 

What does it feel like when heaven comes down? 

What does it look like when God is all around?

Let it come."

That's the question: What does it look like when God is all around?

What do I think the answer is?

Snow.

I think it looks like snow, at least in part.

Something inside knows it's a lot more than just the snow. But this is one of the tangible ways God is showing me the awesomeness of His presence right now...through the snow.

And it doesn't show signs of stopping.

So let it snow.

Let it come.

Let Your presence come and fall.

Let it be a new covering here.

90° corner back.

I took my drivers test twice in high school.

During my first attempt, the 90 degree corner back got me. My parent's Buick got a little too acquainted with those bright orange cones.  

It wasn't the Buick's fault. Or the cones. The driver just hadn't quite mastered the move yet.  

But as a 15 year old hoping to walk away with my farmer's license that day, I allowed it to be a pretty big bummer. As a 29 year old looking back on it all, it makes me chuckle.  

Especially when I think about an image that God gave me the other day as I thought about all the stretching and growing I am in the midst of right now.  

I saw myself in my car with Jesus and he was teaching me to drive. And guess what we were working on?  

Yep, 90 degree corner backs.

He certainly has a sense of humor, don't you think? 

In this vision, Bertha, my Pontiac, was getting acquainted with those bright orange cones. I wasn't exactly thrilled about it right away.  

Until I realized Jesus wasn't freaking out about it. He wasn't upset with me. He didn't think I was incapable of getting it. He wasn't disappointed. In fact, he was kind of laughing. Not at me. Just at the situation. He was delighted in the whole deal. And he released a whole bunch of grace and joy in the learning process. I lightened up and laughed, too. And kept pressing in and trying.

In life lately, I'm learning how to do 90 degree corner backs. Things with relationships. Confrontation. Stewarding time. Forgiveness. Honor. Leadership...

As I learn, I am hitting some cones. Each time it happens, I'm realizing more and more that I have a choice. I can choose to give attention to the pain and lean into the disappointment of the situation. Or I can choose to press into God, praise Him, and receive healing and courage to keep going.

I'm not suggesting we need to deny the hits and shove them under the rug. But we certainly don't need to glorify and feed them either! The pain of "hitting cones" will happen in life. As Becky said last night, "Put it on your planner!" 

It's what we do when we're faced with the challenges. I think how we react or respond is the true test of revealing in whom or what we're placing our identity.

...phew, that's hitting my heart big time in the last couple of weeks.

It always comes back to identity. Wow. 
    
... this seems like a good pause point ...

Alright, now jump back to my drivers test for a second. If I didn't go back and take the test for the second time in high school, I'd still be getting around on a bike today.
  
I'm not knocking bikes here. But seriously, why ride around on a bike when there is something far greater and more powerful as your inheritance?

If I don't press into these current challenges, before I know it, I'll be 89 and still avoiding the corner backs of life and will have strayed away from my purpose and inheritance.

No thanks! I choose to press in and leave an imprint in my Daddy...

What are your corner backs of life right now? What would it look like for you to press into God and courageously move forward...or backward, that is, if you're doing a corner back.

Friends, I declare right now an outpouring of grace, healing, and courage to take ownership in our lives!

thank·ful [thangk-fuhl]

Tonight, I choose thankfulness.
     
It's been a week of living in tensions. Fighting to remind myself of the truth of who I am. Sifting through many thoughts and emotions with Dad. I sense so much rising up in me. New revelations. Healing. Destiny. It's gotta break soon. Until then, I press into Him and choose to remain thankful. Praise and thanksgiving alter the condition of our spirit and our atmosphere.
       
So, tonight, I declare my gratitude for...
      
::time today to rest and be still in God's presence.
::spending time with friends I haven't seen for awhile.
::sleeping in.
::a new winter hat. Let the winter hat wearing commence.
::a Daddy who catches our tears and draws in near to His children.
::Branch Court.
::my family. I miss them so very much.
::going deeper.
::(I can't believe I'm saying this) but the snow. It's a quiet night as I look out my bedroom window and see it accumulating on the grass and on the porch. It's peaceful.
::the fact that "elf yourself" is back. If you know what elf yourself is, you are probably thankful as well.
::unexpected provisions.
::cozy coffeeshops and hot chocolate.
::journals.
::ibethel.tv
::the city of Bemidji.
::psalms.
::Bemidji Area School of Transformation.
::new life. (A friend is in labor right now...they will be welcoming to the world a precious little one soon!)
::healing.
::discovering new music.
::words of encouragement.
::friendship.
::the way all this makes me smile.

one.

Just One Drop 

by Jonathan David Helser

Just one drop of your blood and my sins are gone

Just one thread of your robe and I'm made whole

Just one glimpse of your face is all I dream of

Just one moment of your favor is so much greater

You are the One who was

You are the One who is

You are the One who will always be

Just one word from your lips and the heaves were made

Just one touch of your hand and I am changed

Just one breath from your mouth and I come alive

Just one moment of your favor is so much greater

No matter what my circumstances try to say

I will trust in you, I will lift my voice

And I will say, "You are greatly to be praised!"

Just one drop and everything will change

Just look at the nations

And watch and be amazed

I'm gonna do something in your days

You wouldn't even believe if I told you

All it takes is one drop

One mustard seed

And mountains will move

Just one

Just one drop, just watch

Just one drop

That's all it takes

And everything will change

Just look at the nations

Rain is coming

I can feel the first drops falling

Open up you ancient wells

Open wide

unprecedented awakening.

ripples that steadily form into tidal waves.
washing over and flooding life into everything desperate. dry. withering.
  
a single spark exploding into a mass of radiance. 
pressing through a barely cracked open door.
swinging wide the barrier with an invasion of light.


darkness vanished.


illuminated love and hope in homes.
on the streets. entire cities. the world.
nations.


souls no longer sleepwalking.


eyes opened.
seeing again.
truly seeing. 
the way we were created to see.

ears unplugged.
hearing again.
truly hearing. 
the way we were created to hear.

minds renewed.
knowing again.
truly knowing.
the way we were created to know.

bodies healed.
living again.
truly living.
the way we were created to live.

emotions captivated.
feeling again.
truly feeling. 
the way we were created to feel.

hearts beating.
loving again.
truly loving.
the way we were created to love.

an army rising up.
walking in the confidence and power of our true identity. 

the way we were created to walk.

on earth as it is in heaven.

keep hoping, waseca.

There will always be something special about your hometown. 

Mine rests in southern Minnesota where highway 13 and highway 14 intersect. As you drive into the city, the signs welcome you and invite you to "Discover Waseca".

If you spend much time there and get to know the residents in this little town, I think you'd quickly discover that there is a unique sense of community. I totally felt it growing up but didn't realize the depth until I graduated college and I'd come back to visit. 

Just see what happens when students gather for a sporting event and the community rallies around them. Or when the Marching Jays play their show one last time long after the judges are gone and it's just the parents and others from the community who traveled hours to cheer them on with an outpouring of support. 

Or see what happens with tragic events hit hard. There is a coming together to encourage each other towards healing. 

But there have been too many of these instances over the years and even recent months. Another one just occurred in the last 24 hours. There is a sadness inside knowing that when life ends abruptly, it has deep impact on many people whom I love so dearly. I mourn alongside you, family and friends.

In the midst of this mourning, I am compelled to speak of Hope.  

City and community of Waseca, you are a unique and special people with a purpose and destiny. Declare with me for the release of Life and Hope that comes from the heart of Jesus to fill the streets of this city and saturate the lives of all who reside there! We speak Life over Waseca! 

This song, by Kristine Mueller, was written as a song of Hope for San Francisco. It's a genuine and mighty cry out for a city to keep holding on to the promise that God will bring freedom, healing, and restoration to a wounded community.

"So keep hoping, [Waseca]...You'll see the sun shine again over your city streets..."

cartwheels.

Cartwheels = Joy.

I'll explain.

Some of you, if you're like me, can't really do a cartwheel. I can hardly do a summersault without getting dizzy. 

I'm not kidding.

Whatever happened to the days I could flip upside down, spin around in circles, and roll down hills without losing my cookies?

Things change, I guess.  

I didn't associate cartwheels with joy until last week. It was part of the crazy adventure last Friday. You can read more about that here if you haven't already. Looking for a reason to believe that God speaks and truly wants to love us? Then check it out. It's a long story, but totally worth the read. 

After passing a very bad accident on the way to the cities, we were overcome with sadness and grief. It's hard to describe what shifted in the air. But something definitely shifted.

A few miles more down the road, we passed a baseball field full of children. They were playing and throwing around a huge ball to one another. A girl wearing red out in left field caught my eye. Out of nowhere, she did a cartwheel. It brought a smile to my face in the midst of a heaviness that we were feeling after the accident scene. Something shifted again in the air, this time in the direction of Hope.

I really don't think this girl was disinterested in the throw-a-super-giant-ball-at-each-other-game. Who wouldn't enjoy that?!

Although I don't really know everything she was thinking in the moment she gracefully rolled herself over, I do like to think she just had something inside her that compelled her to release some goodness and joy out there on that green playing field on a sun filled, fall afternoon.

I like to think she just couldn't help it.

When you've got the joy and you are full of it to the point of overflowing, it's hard not to do a cartwheel. Or laugh uncontrollably. Or speak words of Life and Hope. Or serve humbly. Or forgive. Or honor one another. 

You might be asking, "But, what about the times when trial and pain are all around me? What about the times I pass by a horrendous accident on the road of life? It's hard to do a cartwheel then."

Then hold onto Joy and lean into God's Truth in the midst of challenge with such intensity that you leave an imprint in Him. He's the source of joy. When you press into Him, it'll absorb right into you.

Then release it to the world around you...

Do a cartwheel.

amber: precious jewel.

"You will release Life today."

  

These words, a promise from God, written in black ink rested between the blue lines on a simple piece of college lined notebook paper. They were scribed onto that paper during a drive down to the cities Friday afternoon.

  

The trip started like any other roadtrip. Classmates of the Bemidji Area School of Transformation, but more so friends on an incredible journey of learning together, piled into two vehicles. We were anticipating the day ahead while dancing to the music in the car, chatting away and getting to know each other.

  

We were on our way to listen to Randall Worley at a church in Burnsville. We left early so we could go to the Mall of America beforehand to see how God was at work there.

  

And of course He was at work there. He's at work everywhere.
  
On our last stretch of the trip, we all took time together to focus on God, His heart, and His desires for the day and sought after what the Father was doing so that we could partner with that.
  
As this occurred, a police car sped past us. Right after, I closed my eyes and put in earphones. We didn't know yet, but up ahead was a scene that would cause a seriousness and grief to settle over us all.
  
Because my eyes were shut and I had headphones in my ears up until we drove directly by, I didn't have much time to take in everything that was going on. But there was enough time for some vivid images to flood my mind. There was a car totally mangled and flipped over while a small group of people were huddled around a body laying on the ground in the ditch. They were covering the person up with a blanket.
  
We immediately started praying and interceding. We prayed about whether or not we should stop. We heard "no." So we kept driving. Two of us (without knowing until a little later) saw angels of comfort completely immersed in the situation.
  
Passing the scene of that accident shifted something in the air around us. Soon after, Becky called us from the other car to process what just happened.
  
Steph heard something very specific as she prayed and as it was shared, much stirred in our spirit. She heard God say that he wanted to intervene in a life or death situation while we were at the Mall of America. It was a wake up call for us that we needed to be alert to what God was doing that day. 
  
I'm not sure any of us really knew what this life and death situation was going to look like, but something inside knew that God was speaking clearly and intently to us. There was a confidence that when we saw it, we'd know.
  
I need to explain something more before I move on. When we pulled out of the driveway in Bemidji, I noticed Steph's license plate was SRB116. 
  
You know how when you see your name or your initials, it snags your attention? I guess when we see our name or identity, it does something inside. As it should.
  
Well, SRB are my initials. When I saw that I immediately thought Psalm 116 because it reminded me of my amazing Uncle Donnie and Aunt Susie. In 1998, my cousin, Nick (their son), was killed in a motorcycle accident. After he died, my aunt shared a story about how the license plate of his truck encouraged her. (I don't recall the specifics of how right now.) I also recalled how after Nick died she woke up in the middle of the night and was lead to read Psalm 116.
  
Even though that psalm came to mind right away when seeing SRB116, I didn't read it until after we passed the accident.
  
You can read the psalm here.

I was blown away by the theme of death and life in this passage. It was completely fitting with what we were praying about and overall sensed as we continued towards the cities.
  
I was going to share it with my friends in the car, but decided to wait until the song that we were listening to at the time, You Won't Relent, was over. Meanwhile, I decided to copy down the passage on another piece of paper.
  
As I'm writing the first line, "I love the Lord, for..." Justin asks from up front, "Hey Suzanne, you have your Bible?"
  
"Yyyyyep."
  
"Can you turn to Psalm 116?"
  
*insert slight jaw drop moment*
  
"Uhhhh, yeah, so I'm opened up to that right now and I just starting copying it down."
  
Wow.
  
We read it outloud and God used it big time as we got closer to the mall. It affirmed that we were to keep our peace and joy as we partnered with the Holy Spirit that day.
  
Alright, jump ahead to us at the mall. We broke up into a few groups and started walking around. Some of us had some specific leadings as to where to go. 
  
(And FYI - there are more great testimonies of that day that we are praising and thanking God for! He truly worked through everyone that day. I love partnering with you guys! God is awesome.) 
  
Once we got to the mall each of us moved forward with the ways God had spoken to us on the way down. For me, there was one particular place in the mall I kept envisioning. I was incredibly compelled to linger around a specific restaurant. 
  
I eventually reached that area with Heather and Mark. Right when we arrived there, Heather leaned over to me and declared, "There is major peace here."
  
So true.
  
The impression we had was to just hang out there and God would reveal the next steps.
  
A few minutes later, I found myself standing next to one of the girls that worked there. She was tidying things up. It's hard to explain, but words were coming out of my mouth before I even had time to think about what I was saying.
  
"This seems like a really fun place to work. Do you enjoy it here?" I asked.
  
This simple question opened the door to a phenomenal, divine conversation.
  
A few minutes into our conversation, she asked me what I was doing at the mall. I shared that I was a part of a ministry school in Bemidji and we were going to a speaker at a church in Burnsville that night.
  
I felt silenced about saying anything about being at the mall to see how God was at work. It's like God put a little cork in my mouth in that moment. So I stood there, not sure what to say.
  
In my silence, the next thing she said was, "I haven't been to church in like three years..."
  
She then opened up a bit about her life and background. What emerged next was a genuine desire and hunger for something of God. She said that she would like to go to church again, but didn't know where to go.
  
Okay, God...what do you want me to do with this? She's desiring this, but I live no where near the cities and I highly doubt she'll roadtrip to Bemdiji each Sunday morning. ;)
  
What did I hear? 
  
"Connect her."
  
I asked her, if she was comfortable, if she'd like to give me her name and contact info and I'd connect her with some of my friends in the cities who go to church. I know they'd welcome her and love to go with her and help her check things out.
  
She agreed and we exchanged names and numbers.
  
As I handed her a little slip of paper with my info, she started to cry.
  
Quietly and almost to herself, she said, "I can't believe I'm having this conversation right now."
  
What she shared next still causes me to come before God with great awe...possibly even more so then the first time around. It blows me away every time I think about it.
  
With tears in her eyes, she shared, "Two days ago, I tried to kill myself. And today...I almost didn't come to work. I was going to call in..."
  
But there she stood.
  
And there I stood.
  
And there God was in our midst, radically pursuing His precious daughter.

She said she was looking for a sign that someone truly cared about her. 
  
That's exactly what God did that day. He won't relent, "for there is love that is as strong as death, jealously demanding as the grave...
  
...and many waters cannot quench this love."
  
She was in awe. I was in awe. We were both trying to absorb everything as we both had tears in our eyes.
  
Things from earlier in the day were starting to make much more sense as she also told me that she had been looking for a sign that she was truly loved by someone.
  
God was bringing life, intervening in a life and death situation.
  
Wow, wow, wow.  
  
Declare my love to her and read Psalm 116...
  
And share about why you're at the mall.
  
God removed that cork from my mouth as that became the right time to share. I released God's Words of Life. I told her the story about the trip down. The accident. How we were lead to Psalm 116. That we were at the mall because God was at work there and wanted to have encounters with people. And that, among many other ways God was at work that day, he wanted to bring Life into a life or death situation.
  
After I declared the psalm over her we talked some more.
  
Eventually, I laid hands on her and prayed.
  
Friends, there is power in the name of Jesus. Call upon His name! He is mighty to save.
  
After making sure she was going to be okay when she got off work our conversation came to a close she said, "Maybe you can call or text me later with another thing to read in the Bible?"
  
"Absolutely, Amber. Do you have a Bible at home?"
  
"I don't," she replied.
  
Well, she does now. 
  
It has duct tape wrapped around it to hold it together. There are tear stains on some of the pages that fell from my face during secret place time with my Daddy. And there's a yellow star sticky note with my name on it in the front cover. I kept it in there and told her, "When you think of it, you can pray for me, too, k?"
  
I had slipped in my Bible those college lined pieces of paper from the car ride down with prayers and promptings for the day. As I pulled them out, Ephesians caught my eye. Just the day before, as part of an assignment for school, I had hi-lighted everything in blue in chapters 1 and 2 that declared our identity in Christ. This pointed her to the next part of Scripture to read.
  
We hugged goodbye, told her I loved her and that God loved her like crazy and we parted ways.
  
I walked out into the busy mall, speechless. Yet my spirit was sending out major and intense thanksgiving to God.
  
Later that night I received a text from Amber.
  
"Thank u god blessed me with u today it kinda changed my life. I can't believe how he works and puts people together. thank u for the bible I read the highlighted parts and I couldn't help but cry. I hope u really can find someone I can meet to go to church. I feel so new...I went from wanting to die and give up on my life and kids and something brought u into the store. :)"
  
That "something" is the Holy Spirit. And friends, this "something" is seeking to lead you into the very places that God wants to breathe Life and shine Light. Church, come awake and let's move forward into our calling and identity! Testimonies like this are becoming our new normal.
  
Let's walk in this new normal! We have been given and already possess all that we need to see heaven invade earth!
  
...
  
Since Friday, Amber and I have been in communication and have helped to link her up with some awesome friends in the cities. The Holy Spirit will carry things forth into more and more Life.
  
Something else hit me the other day. I felt like there was something to this during our conversation. The whole time we talked, we were standing by these coffeemugs with names on them. The entire time we talked, she was "tidying" up this area so that we could keep talking and she could appear to keep "working." :) It was cute.
  
I believe there is something about identity here. After I got home, I looked up what Amber means and what the color, amber, means.
  
Amber: precious jewel.
The color amber: the Father's heavenly care, glory of God
  
Amber, your life is purposeful! Your life will shine the glory of God to many. You have greatly impacted my life already. I thank God for you and your life! You are a beautiful, loved, and cherished Daughter of the Father. You are His precious jewel.
  
Thanks be to our Glorious Father!
  
*Amber gave me permission to share this story.*

like a waterfall.

It is, indeed, a new season.

I mean that in a lot of ways.

I am not going to go into every realm in which that is true but I feel the need to declare that it is a new dawn! 

A new day!

A new season!

Like, now. 

It's not a future event. (Yes, that sounds strangely familiar to something Jillian Michaels says in one of her crazy ridiculous work out videos.)

Last March, I heard God say a new day and a new dawn was coming.

Yesterday, I heard Jillian Michaels say that "transformation is not a future event. It's a present activity." Little does she know how much God spoke through her as she kicked my butt during a workout.

This new day is not a future event. It's a present reality.  

The sky has officially and wonderfully turned from vast darkness to the warm colors of a morning dawn.

And the sun has started to peak it's glorious light over the horizon.

It's bright. 

It's beautiful. 

This picture (especially from a little phone camera) doesn't do justice to the beauty of what God is up to. Take this image and magnify the glory and beauty times...oh, i don't know...at least 33 trillion and that might almost line up to the awesomeness and wonder of this new day that God has brought forth.

...Wow. 

What new day or new season is God bringing forth in and around you? Ask Him. He'll show and tell. 

Remember, He speaks. And we can hear Him.

There are so many dimensions to the new day that God has created into existence. I am learning to live in this new day and season. Just like last May, there is more new territory and I've recently turned onto more unfamiliar roads. 

I'm very much a growing and stretched student of God right now. 

It's gooooooooood to be stretched. I'm wearing a rubber band around my wrist for the rest of this school year to remind myself of that. 

One current stretching and tension I'm living in is how to steward my time.

It looks a lot different than it did this summer. Because of my work schedule and how my life looked at that time, I had lots and lots of time to soak in God's presence and also enjoy the company of lots and lots of different people and partner with God in these relationships and circles of connections.

Well, I know that I still NEED super solid time of soaking with God in this new season and any and every season yet to come. So that cannot be shortchanged...ever.

It keeps me grounded and is the source of my strength, joy, hope, vision, identity and deep desire to release Life and Light into darkness. Intimate time with Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit deeply compels me to outward mission.

There are so many "good" things right now that I could spend my time doing. But I'm sensing that as part of this new season, I need to have laser-pointed focus on where and with whom I am to be intentional.

Between working full time and being a student with the Bemidji Area School of Transformation (connected to Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry), I don't have the kind of free time that I did this summer.

I'm learning more about boundaries (again!) and learning to say "no".

Strrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrretch.

Sometimes it's saying "no" to seemingly good things. Like hanging out with people. Leading a small group. Being a part of a small group. Helping start 24/7 prayer at church. Going downtown 2-3 nights a week. These are a few of the good opportunities before me in the last week alone. I want to do them all to some degree. But I can't. And shouldn't.

It's becoming about asking, "God, what are you doing" and then saying "yes" to the right things...the things that line up with what He's doing and where He wants me to go and what He wants me to do. Otherwise I will totally burn out if I just say yes to every single great opportunity that crosses my path. Which I have to admit, I can be tempted to do. But I guess that's never really a healthy way to live no matter what season you're in even if you have all the time in the world.

God, what are you doing?

I totally sense God greatly narrowing my focus when it comes to relationships and places of mission for a season.

Don't hear me wrong, I'm not saying that I'm not investing in relationships or living missionally. But in this new season, it looks very different than it has looked. I'm still discovering what that means.

I do know that I'm going to have a small inner circle of close and trusted friends that I'm journeying along in life, as iron sharpens iron, whom I will connect with intentionally and consistently. I praise God for these amazing, trusted friends.

I also know that Light is not meant to be hidden, so I will still shine and invade darkness in partnership with Him. And have some fun knocking down some walls that are holding the Light back right now. Ha!

But how I'm to serve and what that all looks like...totally asking God what's going on here. I have soooo many things on my mind and heart. I trust He'll hi-lite the people and places.

I believe direction will come more and more in that secret time with Him. Another reason I need that time. And we all need that time. It aligns us more with His heartbeat and moves us to move with Him.

This song has stalked me the last few months. It came up again tonight during school. 

Oh Lord, I need You.

Capture me and steal me away.

Take me deeper, into Your heart.

Surround me with Your love and hold me close.

And never, never let me go.

So close that I can feel Your every breath until my heart begins to dance with Yours..

Never let me go.

Won't you take me to a new place.

To a realm of mercy and grace.

Where love, love flows heavy.

Like a waterfall.
Like a waterfall of honey.

Let Your love be poured out on me.

Overcome me.

-United Pursuit Band-Waterfall