declarations of a warrior daughter.

(As part of Bemidji Area School of Transformation, we do a lot of reading. For each book, we write a book report. The following is a portion of my book report for Spirit Wars, by Kris Vallotton. Quotes are from Spirit Wars and page numbers/chapters are noted.) 
  
I walk this world as a Warrior Daughter. 

My feet tread upon ground that belongs to my Warrior King and His children. I press forward with confidence knowing “there is no victory without a battle, no testimony without a test and no miracle without an impossible circumstance.” (pg 71)

  

I used to be dry bones. But no longer! In my dark times, the Lord began to “arise and shine His spotlight on [my] brokenness in order to make [me] whole.” (pg 56)

  

My new reality – my new normal – is that I am freely living flesh, mind, soul, and spirit. My new normal is not “an exhausting wrestling match with a dead man, but is an abundant, joy-filled life with God, salted with an occasional season of strong resistance from our archenemy.” (pg 44)

  

I arose to the sound of my Warrior King’s voice. He equipped me to keep standing through any circumstance.

My circumstances do not determine my inner condition, no matter the season. (chapter 8, pg 121) I will have the posture of sitting when he calls me to retreat and rest with him. I will have the posture of walking when God says “forward movement, Warrior Daughter”. And through it all, I will stand on his promises. I will stand and face the winds.

I will stand firm, as a rock camps itself in the beds of the river and is unmoved as the currents sweep past it. I will hold the ground promised to me. I am steady because that’s how He made me. I choose to be who my Papa created and destined me to be.

 
I will live and pray offensively. (pg 123) Negative circumstances do not rule me. I don’t let them. It’s really quite simple. I will keep my peace.

  
No need to complicate something that is inherently uncomplicated.

  

As a pioneer advancing into new territory, I will remember the “rules of engagement.” (chapter 3) Jesus is my advocate. He is my attorney. I will let him handle the cases.

  

The enemy’s thoughts, speculations and lofty things cannot enter my thought processes because my mind is a gatekeeper and will not make agreements with those things.

  

A “NO TRESSPASSING” sign is planted firmly in the ground outside my mind. The words are true and hold great authority.

  

If I realize that any partnership has been made, I will break it off by rejecting any ownership. “When [I] refuse to be impressed, alarmed or concerned by these thoughts, it is a sign of destruction for our opponents and of victory for us.” (pg 50) Steadily choosing this will cause a snowball effect of victory for the now…and for the future.

  

I will walk in authority in the place of influence and “sphere of authority” that He has assigned me. (metron - page 65) I will “remain inside my own metron” as this is where I am fully equipped, fueled with insurmountable faith and confidence, and supernaturally infused to “do even greater things than these”. (John 14:12)

   

I choose to remember that as God promotes me in areas of influence, He protects me. (pg 74)

  

I sense that promotions will come as I get more and more healthy. I will take care of myself – body, mind, soul, and spirit. He created us to be wholly healthy. We can walk in complete health now.
  

He has been showing me areas He is restoring to health in my life. He is showing me the value and goodness of accountability and places for honest feedback in a culture rooted in love and empowerment. These are the areas God has hi-lited in the previous week.

::Where do I seek affirmation? He’s been uprooting unhealthy aspects here and bringing me into alignment with Him. I’m learning to unplug from other sources and plug straight into the One who affirms my identity. After all, He is the one who gave it to me. He knows me best. 

:: Confrontations/”So what are you going to do about this…” kind of conversations

As I was journaling about this, I wrote “I do not want to rise up unhealthy people or reproduce unhealthiness!” Then He had me write what I will do: “I will empower healthy, kingdom minded revivalists.” And then God had me take one more step back and declare, “I will be a healthy, kingdom minded revivalist.” I so desire health right now because it’s imperative to move forward. 

::Financial stewardship – budget and STICK WITH IT

::Time stewardship – what/where/who are my “yes” places? It’s time to ask God this question again. 

::Work realm – be early to work, honor my co-workers, empower and build up those we serve. 

::Family – healthy relationships, seek restoration 

::Physical health – eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising 3-4x a week – get back in the groove. In the famous words of Nike – “just do it.” 

::Be plugged into God, first and foremost. Intimacy with Him is first and then embrace the role of community. Who is asking me the tough questions and speaking truth into my life? I can’t sit around and wait for it to happen. I will initiate.

I will treat myself kindly. (chapter 6) I will continue to declare prophetic words over myself. I will speak words of life. This Warrior Daughter will keep laughing. (pg 114) I will put myself in places and in relationship with those who stir up deep joy. I will keep sharing testimonies. I will keep living a life that results in testimonies to share. I will be a world changer. I will help equip others to be world changers, too.

  

I have a lot to learn from chapters 9-11. But it was like being let in on the gameplan of the enemy and beginning to rip it up right in front of him. I have been given power and authority, I just need to learn how to rightly use all the tools on my belt. Increase the gift of discernment, Father God…
  

As I learn to move with the Holy Spirit on these things, I will stand confidently in peace when the battle is strong.
  

I will also ask God to show me more about perfect love so that I can live more in it myself. And give it out. This city is craving perfect love.

  

With all that said, I, His Warrior Daughter, will keep my peace and keep growing.
  

…because my God is victorious and lives inside of me…
  

Yeah Yeah YEAH.

yada yada yada.

I am growing increasingly thankful that I journal.

Looking back is always an adventure.

While I have many recorded words beginning from my junior high years - and can I just say some of them cause me to laugh, cry, and cringe all in the same paragraph - the other night I powered up my time machine with plutonium that created the magical 1.21 gigawatts of energy in the flux capacitor and slammed on the accelerator. When the speedometer hit 88 mph - Great Scott! - I found myself tucked away into November 14, 2005. (Not November 5, 1955...just to clarify. And if you don't know what I'm referencing here, I'm sorry for the confusion but I suggest you just move on. And when you're done reading this blog entry, add "Back to the Future" to your Netflix que.) 
  
I could write thousands of words about what happened as I sifted through the years 2005-2007. But tonight I'm going to share just a tiny glimpse of one of the themes that arose.

It has to do with something that God has been showing me again in the recent months and it's something we prayed together tonight at the end of class.

Part of the prayer went a little something like this: 

Yada yada yada...

Yep. Seriously. I think that was the first time ever I heard the words "yada yada yada" used in a prayer. But it made total sense. And I LOVED it.

Yada, in Hebrew, means "to know." I sensed the heart behind praying these words was a cry out to God to grow in our relationship with Him in intimate ways as we know Him and are known by Him.

One of the themes threaded throughout my time travels the other night was God persistently sharing the Truth that He knows me.

Intimately.

And that He wants me to know Him. 

Intimately.

This is from June 7, 2007:

There is not another person who could look into my eyes and know every depth within me - not my best friends, my family, or one day, even my husband. They each know or will know pieces, but the only one who can and does know me completely is God himself. To be so transparent before another...to be known and understood by someone more than I know and understand myself...God is AMAZING.

Sometimes it just hits me in a new and deeper way how much God knows me. 

He knows you, too. He longs to be near you. His love is greater than anything we can fathom. It's true.

We were created to know Him and be known by Him. But we rejected God by choosing to walk the opposite direction and seek satisfaction and to know and be known by things or people instead of God Himself. God wanted our affections. We threw them away to selfishness, lust, pride, other people, success...to name a few. This brought about death and utter separation from that intimate relationship with our perfect and Holy Creator. Our imperfections couldn't stand in His presence. (Perfect and imperfect can't mesh together.) All this brought a whole lot of brokenness, sickness, and darkness into this world as it gave power to the enemy (satan). 

But Good News - the story didn't end there...

God made a way to be made new again...to give us a second chance at all of this. He sent Jesus straight into the brokenness, sickness, and darkness in our world as the perfect sacrifice to win us back to God. When Jesus died on the cross and then rose again, he defeated death and the enemy's power over us! He satisfied the wrath of God. Jesus stood in our place, taking on the death we deserved for our running away from God and rejecting the One who made us. And Jesus took back the power and authority of God's Kingdom and made it possible for us to be healed in every way and enter back into intimate relationship as Sons and Daughters of the Living God...so that we can partner with Him to bring Life and Hope into all the messed up-ness of our lives and in this world so it will ALL be restored back to it's original design...

to know God and be known by God.

Intimately. 

Yada yada yada...

He knows and loves you. Will you give God your everything to know and love Him back and join the army of people bringing restoration in our world...walking in His power, authority, and goodness?

I'll let this song wrap this up. The first time I heard it, I about melted into a puddle of Suzanne on the floor in my room...

May His presence heal and restore you...

(You Know Me, Bethel - The Loft Sessions)  

living vicariously through other people's fireplaces.

You know what I'd like to have in my house someday? 

I'll give you a couple hints.

They are very amazing to sleep near in the dead of winter.

They emit light.

And warmth.

And I'd like one. (Did I mention that yet?)
  
What is it? 

A fireplace. Ahhhhhhhhh, just the thought makes me smile. 
  
Until I have one in my own place of residence, I guess I'll live vicariously through other people's fireplaces.

Lucky for me, tonight I am house sitting...and guess what? They have a fireplace. I will for sure be resting my head on the leather couch near it tonight. I'm pretty pumped about that. Just sayin.
  
I have spent almost all of my day since getting off work in this place with the fire burning. It's been a restful mixture of activities tonight.
  
As the fire burned in front of me, I read through some old journals and was moved to joyful and thankful tears by God's goodness and faithfulness. Kim Walker and Chris Quilala blasted their melodies through the stereo speakers as a new log caught fire. Em and Bill (niece and nephew) called and we chit chatted away, sharing stories and laughing together as the fire crackled in the background. I sat at the keyboard and was swept away with Daddy in His presence as the light of the fire illuminated the room. That was my most recent endeavor before coming to blog.

During that time, I was drawn into a familiar theme.

The words "come awake" resonated both in the room and in my spirit.

I lingered around in this song for quite some time.

"O Church, come stand in the Light. The glory of God has defeated the night...

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling over death by death.

Come awake, come awake.

Come and rise up from the grave.

Christ is risen from the dead, we are one with him again.

Come awake, come awake.

Come and rise up from the grave."
  
I speak awakening tonight. Awaken us, Daddy, with your presence. Awaken us to know who you are. 

And to know who we are.
   
Burn in us...

5 things.

About two months ago, a shift occurred.

One afternoon at school we were talking about one of our most discussed topics: the power of our thoughts and words.

That day, we wrote down anything in our lives we didn't have peace about or that was causing us stress.

Next, for each circumstance, we wrote down anything and everything we were thankful for about that situation. 

Lastly, for each circumstance, we asked God, "What do you want me to know about this situation?"

I literally felt a shift in me and in the room. By the end of this time there was a peace blanketing the room. 

It was outstandingly powerful.

And you know what else?

It stems straight from God's heart.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Philippians 4:6-8

One more - just for fun. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I've been thinking a lot about thankfulness since that day. I've also been putting it into practice.

That's what inspired this.

I wanted to see more first hand what happens when we really go after gratitude.

The goal was to focus not on the negative, but to intentionally choose and pursue the positive on a daily basis and think about such things, despite circumstances and despite where thoughts or emotions wanted try and carry me that day.

That was my initial 21 day adventure and pursuit. (It became a 21+ day adventure and pursuit.)

Each day, I asked and answered a "5 things" question. Every question was about thankfulness in a particular area of life. A complete list can be found here.

On the surface, it might have looked like a little Facebook rally for positivity. I promised then, and I promise now that it's way beyond that. 

Here are some things I'm learning on my 21+ day pursuit:

• It truly is part of God's heart and will for us. It's .
• Taking the first point and going one more step - if this is part of God's heart and will for us, then believe it's part of our true identity. As a Daughter of God, I should be thankful. Not out of a "have to be" but out of a natural overflow of who I am created to be. It's part of my new identity in Christ.
• The enemy tries to get us to act out of character. The enemy tries to deceive and make us believe that God isn't who He says He is and that we aren't who God says we are. So we have a choice. Who will we believe?
• Our outward circumstances do not need to dictate our inner condition. For far too long I have given my circumstances permission to control me. Nope. Time to stop that. Will there still be super hard days? ...Yes. Plan on it. BUT...we can choose how we respond. No more victim mentality. It's reeks destruction. Choose restoration instead.    
• Some days are much easier than others. However, the hard days are the true test days. It's when the rubber hits the road. It's in the most challenging days and circumstances that I have seen the greatest breakthrough by choosing thankfulness. 
• It's changing me. 
• It's changing my surroundings.
• It's contagious.
• Choosing thankfulness is like linking arms with God and His movements and is a part of seeing heaven come on earth. This is HUUUUUUGE. We can no longer underestimate our thoughts and words and the power behind them. (Sidenote - if choosing thankfulness links our arms with God...think of the implications of choosing negativity/complaining/whining/bitterness/unforgiveness/etc...I believe it's like linking arms with the demonic, evil realm. This really is a big deal. The enemy doesn't want us to know this. But too late. Secret's out.) 
• Unforgiveness makes it pretty stinkin' hard to be thankful. Unforgiveness makes us prisoners, locked up in a jail cell. Jesus has already paid the price for our freedom and new identity in Him. If you've repented (turned in the opposite direction of where you were going) and have given your life to Christ, you actually already hold the key to get of this jail cell. This key has a tag on it that reads, "Forgiveness." Many of us are trapped and don't realize it's not that hard to get out.
  Choose forgiveness. Be specific. Pray, "Father God, I forgive (specific person) for (name outloud the specific things)." Keep calling it out, giving God access to uproot the unhealthiness, bitterness, hurt, etc. Forgive yourself for partnering with unforgiveness and the things that come with it. Repent (turn the other direction). Ask God, "What is Your truth?" Listen for His voice and receive it. Whenever something is uprooted in us, something will take it's place. If it doesn't get filled with truth right away, more lies and deception will enter right back in.
• Living from a place of thankfulness is part of having a victorious mindset and living a victorious lifestyle. 

Still want more proof that there's something with this whole thankfulness thing? Here are a few articles I found online. I'm coming from the perspective and truth that God is the originator of thankfulness, that He's the giver of the blessings in our lives. He is who I thank for these things. Some of these sites don't hold that view but are recognizing there is something very powerful about gratitude.

http://www.managingthought.com/forwardthinkinggentlereminder/volume5/thepowerofthankfulness

https://www.thepowerofthankfulness.com/index.html

http://www.ibethel.tv/watch/1160/the-power-of-thankfulness/2011/11/20

But want the ultimate proof? Try it out in your own life. Visit 5 things - a 21 day pursuit on Facebook.

I dare you to open yourself up to God and His heart in this whole ordeal and see what happens...