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

it's not random.

God speaks.

It's really quite simple. 

But we complicate it. We think we can't hear Him. We tune into the wrong voices. We doubt.

Yet the Truth remains. 

He speaks.

We can hear Him.

God wants to interact with us. Focus in on that Truth.

If you are reading this, know right now that the God who created this world also created you and wants to breathe Life into your soul by speaking words of Life into your very being.

It's set on my heart tonight to share words of Life that the Living God spoke through Justin Rizzo during an IHOP Worship With the Word session on August 6th.

I could go deep with how these words have been interacting with my soul in the last number of weeks, but I don't believe that's the point right now. Plus, one thing He's teaching me lately is that not everything that happens in our relationship with Him needs to be shared. There is secret time with Him that's not intended for others to see. Cool, huh? I like that.

Friends, enjoy Him. May your ears and soul be open to the Holy Spirit and receive whatever it is that He is speaking into your life.

August 6, 2011, 8am Worship:

You say, "But Lord, all that I've longed for has yet to appear and I just seem to be shifting and changing year after year. 

Going here. Going there. Trying to find. Going there. Moving here.

Wandering."

But the Lord says, "You are in my purpose."

The Lord says, "You are in my will." 

The Lord says, "Even as you go, I will direct your steps. I am leading you. I have always been. I'm not far away or detached from you.

You've been blaming yourself for who you are. But I'm saying I love every part of you. You are beloved. I love who you are. And I brought you here this very morning. I brought you here to hear me loud and clear.

Do not despise that which I have made. Do not doubt me.

My leadership of your life is perfect," says the Lord.

"And as you go, I'm there with you. It's my hand leading you.

Oh, how I love you.
Oh, how I love you.
Oh, how I love you," says the Lord of hosts.

"Oh, how I love you. Oh, how I love you.

You're beautiful.

You're beautiful.

Just rest in me. Just rest in me.

Just rest in me.

I love you so dearly.

Just rest in me. Just rest in me.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful. Just rest in me.

Let me do my work in you," says the Lord.

"Let it go deep.

Let it go deep.

Let it go deep.

Your identity is in me.

You're beautiful because I created you.

It's not about what you do.

You're beautiful simply because I dreamed a dream and I brought you forth.

Do you know the plans I have for you?" says the Lord.

"I brought you forth. I have you all figured out. You're not a mystery to me. I have your life planned. And it's more than you've ever dreamed. You're not a mystery to me. I have your life planned. And it's more than you've ever dreamed. You're beautiful.

So rest. 

So rest. 

So rest in me.

The journey is only just begun. So rest in me, my fair one.

You're not made a mistake. Every single road you've been on you've been learning. I've been teaching.

It's not random what I'm doing in you.

You're not a mystery to me. I have you all figured out. For I formed and created you. Know this without a doubt. 

You're beautiful. 

So rest in me."

unplugged.

I baptized my phone in Lake Bemidji today. It certainly was not intentional but in many ways, I think it was a good thing.

Also, internet is down at home. Again, I think this can be a good thing.

I decided to hit up the library to make a post on Facebook just in case anyone has been texting or calling me today just to let them know I'm not ignoring them. 

It kind of makes me laugh how dependant we are on technology to stay connected. It seems like the things that keep us "in touch" with others are all devices that need to be plugged in to stay charged up to make our connections possible.

Right now, although I am on a computer at the library for another 30 minutes, it kind of feels good to be unplugged. I'll expand on this in a bit.

But first, like I said, I didn't intentionally throw my phone into the lake today. It was just one of those moments. I smelled cigarette smoke and I was trying to turn around to see if someone was hovering above me or around me smoking. Not sure what I was going to do if that was the case. Probably just move. I dislike cigarette smoke and it was distracting me.

Anyway, as I tried to turn, that's when things went downhill. My eyes got huge as I tried to catch my little Droid as it slid off the rock and hung in air centimeters above the surface of the water. My headphone chord was, at that point, saving it from the water. But my phone was just a few ounces too heavy for the chord to bear the weight. It plopped in. I fished it out immediately and...well, I didn't swear...but my words weren't exactly praiseworthy words. I almost got mad about it but then I actually laughed a little bit.

Just earlier in the day I was reminded that I actually wanted to downgrade my phone because I don't really need all the fancy features of a smart phone and I could save some money. Although, my idea of downgrade didn't involve Lake Bemidji anywhere in the process, but oh well.

Also, I was listening to a song by United Pursuit Band as it took the plunge. The last words I heard in my ear were, "You are good, You always will be..."

God started to turn my attitude around.

And then I suddenly felt free being disconnected.

"Come away with Me," He whispered in my ear.

That's why I had gone down to the lake in the first place. It was a place to meet with God and just be still before Him. So much has been happening in the recent weeks. So much to thank Him for! So much to rejoice over! So much to try and take in. New life is springing up in this city. A new normal is forming. A changing season is underway.

I've said this before, but I love summer. When September came, it brought Autumn weather right along with it. It's not bad by any means. I just love summer! And so it makes me kind of sad seeing it's departure. 


The song, Every Season, that inspired this blog has a great line about the changing of summer to autumn. "I will offer thanks for what has been and what's to come. You are autumn." This is perfect for the changing of seasons right now.

The seasons change (weather-wise) is reflective of another changing season of life and journey with Christ. I moved to a new house for work. I changed from overnights to day shift. I'm starting Bemidji Area School of Transformation next week. New schedules. New relationships forming. Lots of learning. And growing. 

And God is moving mightily...

There are seriously stories daily of seeing Him transform lives here. And everytime something awesome happens, I keep hearing, "This is just the beginning..." WOW.

A new normal is developing. A new season of transformation and revival. It's incredibly amazing and also challenging at the same time. God is shifting things in my heart and surroundings. Being grounded and rooted is an emerging theme once again. Finding steadiness in Him is of utmost importance. Not running on fumes of the amazing stories, but running on the fuel He provides directly from secret time with Him is what is needed.

So now I'm unplugged from things that sometimes distract me and this afternoon has been good. Song of Songs swept me away.

Arise my darling, my beautiful one. Come with me...