Category: Living In Him

It all started in Jr. High – Before The Wind & Fire of God

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It all started in 1993/1994, I was 13/14 years old. There began an insatiable hunger. A hunger that couldn’t be filled. A feeling like there was something about ready to happen and I didn’t know what but I had to start preparing myself to get ready. I can’t believe my daughter is the same age now as I was then. I had this intense urgency to get on my face before God and cry out for something more. I was going to Temple Christian at that time and I asked my teachers if it was ok to go to the chapel during lunch on Tuesday and Thursdays with whoever wanted to come so we would worship and pray.
I would go around the lunch room and invite whoever wanted to come from my Jr. High and sometimes some high schoolers to join us to fast, worship and pray.

I remember leading worship from the piano and we began to join our voices in prayer and worship. There was an intensity that burned inside of me that got stronger and stronger. It was hard going to a private school and wanting the entire school to get on fire for God and not always seeing it. But I knew God had a purpose in us being there and to press in no matter what we saw.

I don’t remember how long those times in the chapel lasted, but I do remember what happened in 1995, when our Pastors at City Bible Church in Portland, Oregon, Frank & Sharon Damazio went to investigate the Toronto Blessing and came back with an impartation that spread like wildfire. All of a sudden the intensity and hunger that I had felt in 1993/1994 began to be filled to overflowing.
Countless services of receiving the love, anointing, holy spirit refilling over and over began. Times laying out under the power of the Holy Spirit and in those times going deeper, seeing visions God was showing me of the lost of other countries around the world and revival hitting them.


Then in the spring/summer of 1995 came the burden, heavy deep burden of intercession that overtook my body and soul. The deep deep loud travail that came out of me shook me to the core. I would spend hours at the alter, or in my bedroom not just crying but deep guttrral travail would come out of me. I lost all sense of what was happening around me when that took place. I would be worshipping or praying and all of a sudden I could feel the heartbeat and grief of God over those who did not know him or had rejected him. The burden to see them come to know Jesus and go to heaven would be the focus of my mind as my body was overcome by intense groaning. After it had lightened and I would stop, my face would be ballooned, eyes totally swollen and red dots all over my face and neck from blood vessels thst had burst. I started calling them Holy ghost dots, haha. Glad I didn’t have much vanity back then.

That summer I went to England on a mission trip with the youth lead by Ed and Heather Schefter. In preparing for that trip, our team had amazing prayer times after our drama practices. One night it went way too long and all of us kids on the team got in trouble by our parents for being out past curfew, but seriously we were slain in the spirit on the chapel alter or drunk in the spirit (no alcohol) and couldn’t get up. Haha. Awesome memories. Our poor parents, how many parents have ever gotten that excuse from their kids.

On that trip God began to talk to me about taking up my cross and following Him. I realized that going to a private school and living in a total Christian bubble, I had no cross to carry. When I got back home from England we had Youth camp. There at the alter, the intercession for the lost hit me again. As I was on my face Weeping, God clearly told me that every tear I cried would be a soul that is saved at Centennial High school. I was like, what? I love my school and my friends are my family (I had been at TCS from 1st grade till 10th). God said it’s time to pick up my cross and follow him. That Centennial was my mission field. I looked up and saw all my closest friends and I went over and gathered them and told them what God had told me and I cried tears of sadness. It was the hardest thing I had ever done till that time.

Obedience and sacrifice was what He had required for the next step of my journey. The mission field.

Knowing the will of God & Making Good Decisions

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Having always been taught by my dad, when making decisions and trying to figure out the will of God to remember James 3:17-18
That the wisdom of God is peaceable.
At first, I can be quick to think that if I do not have peace initially, then it can’t be God’s will to do.
However, when I take a step back, I realize how much of my flesh and carnal thoughts get in the way of what God’s true will is. I can wrestle against something that I feel He has said because of human fears or anxiety about the unknown. That does not mean he doesn’t want me to do it! It can mean that I need to lay down my fears and anxiety at His feet and put my complete trust in Him.
It is ONLY after I have done that completely with a pure willing heart that I need to step back and reevaluate my “Peace Level”.
At that point, as I compare what I feel he is saying with the Bible (that it doesn’t contradict what it says in there), I get godly counsel from spiritual leaders then move ahead with the steps needed to put a peaceful plan in motion.

For me when I hear God tell me something that goes against what my first initial reaction is, there are many times I just have to suck it up and obey. The best part is that He Has Good Things In Store For Those Who Believe and Put Their Trust In Him. He knows the future better than I do 😂 Yes, of course he does. I just need to trust him that he has my best interest at heart and wants to give me peace and bless me.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice] and I will listen to you.Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.I will be found by you,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and I will [free you and] gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ says the Lord , ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

James 3:17-18
But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to listen], full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering, without [self-righteous] hypocrisy [and self-serving guile].And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (spiritual maturity) is sown in peace by those who make peace [by actively encouraging goodwill between individuals]. –

Matthew 7:7-11
7 “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.8 For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened.9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will [instead] give him a stone?10 Or if he asks for a fish, will [instead] give him a snake?11 If you then, evil (sinful by nature) as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give what is good and advantageous to those who keep on asking Him. –

Asking the Holy Spirit to Hover Over Your Prayer Targets

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I heard a message years ago from Beni Johnson that talked about praying for our kids that the Holy Spirit would hover over them like the Holy Spirit did over the waters at creation. The testimonies that came in were unbelievable how lives were changed and how the prodigals returned.

I encourage you to listen to this song and where it says “Rest on Us” replace the US with the name of the person you are praying for. It is soo powerful to combine worship with prayer as it releases faith inside of us and joins our hearts and spirit with Papa God.

This song was playing right when I turned my car on this morning on Air1, I’m so thankful!
Now I’m so excited to hear testimonies from you!

Worship Song, Rest On Us from Maverick City Music.
https://youtu.be/8qryRCbNYro

Rip off those Grave Clothes, Hope to the Hopeless

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Have you ever had one of those long seasons where fear, anger, grief and loss seem to drown out hope and make the promises of God seem like a mirage?
It may be in those seasons like the only thing to do is block out the world around you as much as you can and go on autopilot.
Then when you finally get to a place where you can relax and have peace you realize that all the relaxing in the world does not take the place of Jesus!

When decisions are made that are totally out of your control and you think that the promises God made will never come to pass. That is when we need to recognize the source of those thoughts, from the pit of hell. It is our responsibility to keep praying, keep trusting God, keep declaring His promises over you and your family. Over your children, their spouses, your grandchildren. Never stop crying out to God for His purposes to be done for His will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

It’s time to shake off those grave clothes! I will never forget a sermon I heard years ago that talked about the grave clothes we walk around in. When Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb, he told him to Take off those Grave clothes he was wearing. We can walk around with the heaviness that the enemy wants us to stay in but Jesus makes us free, whole and restored. We can asknowledge that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lord’s is still on the throne. He hasn’t stopped believing his promises so we can’t either.

Time to see that Jesus sits on the throne and he has given us the keys of sin and death. He has given us Authority to trample on the enemy. It’s time to get our fight back. It’s time to realize who is the head and who is the tail. We are MORE Than CONQUERORS through Him who loves us and has called us according to His purposes.

Even if we can’t change the choices that we can’t control around us, we can change our thoughts, heart, attitude and response to it. God give us all the strength and courage to see beyond the surface of the problems. Help us to remember that, you take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it for good. Give us your eyes to see with hope that we will see a victory. We will pray with faith and hold on to hope not fear. We align our faith with the word of God. We will silence the lies of the enemy by speaking the word of God to every twisted idea. Turn on the Worship misic and worship your heart out! We will declare the promises of God every day.

~Sometimes I’m a Princess and
Sometimes I’m a Warrior~

https://youtu.be/q5m09rqOoxE

The Mental Battle is Real – So is its Victory

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It’s time to no longer allow the enemy to take bits of truth and turn it into a twisted daggar.

This last year has been mentally challenging for many of us. But! We with the power of the Holy Spirit working through us can break through those strongholds that are twisting our mind into a frenzie!

Those areas that take a piece of truth and mix it with an assumption, add in some hurt, dissapointment, anger and resentment and you get a fortress in your mind the enemy has built walls around.

Keeping that fortress may allow you a time of self pity, which can feel justified at first, but it will always hurt more. Self pity is the lock and chain around the fortress. We must be willing to acknowledge self pity is wrong and that it is justifying our sinful response instead of acknowledging God’s ability to set us free.

The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ,being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [as a church] is complete. – 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2Corinthians10:4-6&version=AMP

The only things that can break that is the truth of the word of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, repenting of holding on to those lying thoughts as truth and a determination to stop mulling over those painful thoughts after we receive forgiveness.

The next step is putting into action a plan for a new course. Finally seeing it through. You can get help all you want after that. But if the first steps are not taken it won’t do a lick of good. Conquer the battle in the mind first.

This is my testimony this week. I pray it helps you on your own journey of freedom.

How to Stand Firm

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Stand Firm, Matthew 24:13

Wow, Matthew 24:13 jumped off the page this morning. Especially the definition of
STAND Firm.
So HOW do we do that when everything appears chaotic around us? It starts by knowing who we stand firm with! The character and words of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are unchangeable. His words Always come to pass. Maybe not in our timing, but his Promises are true. The word of God, the Bible is our firm foundation. It is not a book of nice stories, it is the infallible words of God with accurate historical facts. It is our rock and our source. It never changes.

Our PEACE is not determined by what we see outside, it comes from trusting and yielding to the Holy Spirit. He is our pure peace. We might have fun doing things in life, but it doesn’t bring true lasting deep peace. It is in that place of peace where we can relax and ask God to speak to us. It could be through his Word, through worship, soaking, praying in the spirit, or just being quiet. He wants to speak to us more than we want to stay quiet and listen.

Our HOPE comes from knowing His Word, Believing in Faith and acknowledging He is in Control and will keep his people in the shelter of His wing. He has given us authority through His son Jesus to rule and reign with him in heavenly places. He has put the enemy Under our feet. (Romans 16:19,20 Be exellent in what is good, be innocent of evil. And the God of Peace will soon crush Satan underneath your feet) We put on our armor Ephesians 6. We know we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and rulers in heavenly places. But, Jesus took the keys of sin and death from the devil after his death on the cross. Jesus said, I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive forevermore. I have the keys of hell and of death. (Rev 1:18)

Our HOPE is knowing that our citizenship is not on Earth. If we belong to Christ, Heaven is our home and we eagerly await our reunion with Him. Phillipians 3:20 Our confidence in this comes from Faith in His Word.

If there was ever a time to read our Bibles it is now!

Pandemic: Never before is hearing God so important. Seek Him!

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Today I was, Soo ready to finally have a chance to escape and deliver a little table to our client in Seaside, OR. Awesome drive here listening to Elevation Church live. Delivered a piece of furniture for the first time with a mask and gloves on. Not normal.

https://www.facebook.com/elevationchurch.org/videos/227573958565893/
Made me reflect on Pastor Steve Furtick’s message this morning about getting back to normal. Very thought provoking and timely. 3 months ago most of us were running around like a chicken with our heads cut off. Dreaming of vacations or things slowing down. Ha! Watch out what you pray for you might actually get it 😂

We are all experiencing a new normal. Some want to get back to the old normal. But what is the normal God has for you in the future. Is it to reexamine our priorities? Spend more time with our families? Not jam pack our schedules with so much busy stuff? Not spend as much money on entertainment or eating out? Imagine how many more opportunities you have now to pick up the phone and catch up with a distant relative or friend. Imagine all the blood pressures that are being naturally lowered and more good endorphins that are being released to bring health and healing to bodies. How many more walks have we taken, I know a lot for myself. More peace.

But joy? Ha 🤔 Joy is always a choice. Even with more time at home, there are things that get in the way of our joy. For me I have been struggling with having to cancel our long awaited and months planning for 20th anniversary trip. I’ve waited 10 years to be in the tropics again. This week I had to cancel multiple fights and a resort stay far away. I had been on a 6 month happy high and it all came crashing down. Running our own business from our home takes a massive amount of grace for our marriage, family and sanity. I needed a break.

But! That is no reason for my attitude to go down the drain, be easy agitated and frustrated. What I need to do is stop and start thanking God for his blessings and pray for all those who are being negitivy affected in this pandemic.

Seaside, Oregon

Driving to the beach today, I began to reflect on the fact that, this Earth is not our home. We are only given a handful or more decades on this planet. There is more to this life than the pleasures we so desire. There is a reason we are breathing, to get to know Father God and help others understand the gift he has given us, Eternal Life.

But living a life with the benefits of heaven doesn’t start when we die. It begins when we start seeing and living life through an eternal kingdom perspective.
What does that mean?
It means we look at each day, every season or trial with the question,
How will God reveal himself himself to me at this time?
What lesson does he want to teach me?
What blessing is he releasing?
How can I touch others with his love in this time?
What is keeping me away from spending time with Him in this time?
What is He speaking to me?
Am I waiting to hear His voice?
How can His power and majesty be shown through this?

God is wanting to show all of us something very specific right now. Each one of us are walking a different path. He doesn’t just throw our a generic word. He has something specific for you and your family. Seek him like never before. In Psalms it says, to those who seek Him, He will be found by them. Call upon him to share the secrets of His heart. He also says, he will reveal his secrets to those who fear him. The world has slowed down. If we take advantage of this once in a lifetime moment, seek His Face! WE WILL FIND HIM LIKE NEVER BEFORE! Don’t miss your chance!

DECLARE THIS OUT LOUD – Standing on the Promises of God

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DECLARE THIS OUT LOUD TODAY!

My belief and trust in the character of God Will not change in bad times. It is in the hard times of life where we have to hold on like never before to who God says he is. He is all-knowing, He is present everywhere at the same time, He has all power and can do anything at anytime. His Love never fails, He is good all the time. He never lies. He is a God of His word. He is a God of truth and justice. The stripes that Jesus took on His back at Calvary are for our healing. We are paid with a price and have full access to EVERYTHING that has been granted to me as a child of the king. There is nothing impossible for our God!

Hold onto this with everything you have if you can’t do it on your own ask for us to stand with you. You’re not alone!

Here is a powerful hymn for you to hold tight to.

Standing on the Promises of God

Standing on the promises of Christ my King
Through eternal ages let his praises ring
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing
Standing on the promises of GodStanding, standing
Standing on the promises of God my Savior
Standing, standing
I’m standing on the promises of GodStanding on the promises, I cannot fall
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call
Resting in my Savior as my all in all
Standing on the promises of GodStanding, standing
Standing on the promises of Christ my Savior
Standing, standing
I’m standing on the promises of God

His Ways Are Higher

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Meditating on one of my favorite chapters this morning, Isaiah 55. What an incredible revelation and promise. Just to think that God’s plans are far higher than we can even strategize and plan out. What a privilege partner with the Creator of the Universe to release His will and purpose on the earth.

Sometimes when I am bogged down with computer work staring at the corner of my desk, my heart longs for something more. But knowing that no matter what I am doing, if I am working at it with all my heart unto the Lord, following Him daily and obeying what he has set before me to do….That is bringing his kingdom to earth.Taking every opportunity to release faith, hope, love and encouragement to others whenever I can, on the phone, by text, by email, at the store, at the gas station at church. My outlook and perspective determines my contentment, peace and joy.

Paul encouraged people from a prison cell. Think about that! HA! And we receive from God pouring through him every day we read the New Testiment. It doesn’t matter where we are in our life’s journey, we never have a reason to feel trapped and unable to use our giftings to pour out to others.

When my kids were toddlers I struggled soo much in feeling trapped and not able to minister to others. Then I realized, there is no reason I cant counsel a young adult with a baby on my lap or while my kids are taking a nap. My mentors at that time, Helene Spacek , Rose Preston and Debbie Brito told me over and over, to find joy and fulfillment in each season I was in. And that it was a Season. I almost started to think the word Season was a swear word. 😂 But God’s purpose and will was found and obeyed in that season.

Nothing is more important than waiting on God, hearing His Voice and obeying. Those are the key foundations of my life. STOP, WAIT, LISTEN & OBEY. I’m thankful that this verse says His words will Not return void but accomplish what he said they would do, Because He has Told Me a lot in the last 40 years. I’m holding Him to his word and promises. Because they are good.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts higher than your thoughts.“For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, Making it bear and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater,So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.“For you will go out [from exile] with joy And be led forth [by the Lord Himself] with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. –

Isaiah 55:8-13 Amplified Version

When someone’s Destiny is cut short – Runing the race for someone else.

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What are we supposed to think when someone has received a word from the Lord of something they will do or be a part of someday and they died before the fulfilment takes place? Do we stop believing in the prophetic or hearing the voice of God? How is this linked to faith?

Hebrews 11:1 says, Now faith is the substance (confident, assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is believing in something God has said that we cannot see, with confidence that it will come to pass. So what happens when we feel God has said something to us but it does not come to pass in our lifetime or in the lifetime of our loved ones?

Many know Hebrews 11 as The Heroes of Faith chapter. But as I was reading it today, I was struck 2 times where it said they did not see the promises come to pass in their lifetime.

Hebrews 11:13, 16

“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”

We applaud them for their faith, not realizing they were human as well, and wrestled with probably the same thoughts we have. They did not see the promises fulfilled in their lifetime. They had to have confidence in God that he would fulfill his word and keep obeying and moving forward, if they saw it with their own eyes or not.

I can’t imagine what that would have been like… Actually, yes I can. I’ve already seen it in my own life. My grandma Johnson about a year or two before she died, went through prophetic assembly at our church. I remember listening to what they were saying and wondering how God was going to fulfill those things in her life. When she died suddenly before doing any of the things they spoke over her, I wrestled with the words they said. After her death, I remember reading through Hebrews 11 and felt like I was reading the last verse for the first time.

Hebrews 11:39-40 NIV

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:39-40 Nkjv

39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Did you catch that? That they should not be made perfect apart from US! And in the NIV version it said since God had planned something better for US so that only together with US- They would be made Perfect.

To me that means the people who came after those Heroes of Faith were the ones who walked out the promises God had given them. If that happened when the Bible was written, it still happens today!

Who went before you that was given a promise from God they never saw fulfilled? What are the things that YOU who have the Baton will be carrying out to perfect their promise? What a sobering thought no wonder it says in chapter 12 verse 1

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

When the Bible was written it was not written in chapters. It was usually a continual thought that flowed from one chapter to another. Unfortunately, many times we don’t read the word of God in context and keep reading before or after the verses that we are focusing on. I’m so glad my awesome College professors at Portland Bible College pounded that into us. Right after it was talking about the Heroes of Faith not seeing the promise that we are supposed to carry on, it goes on to tell US to run the race before us with endurance.

What an incredible revelation! Not only does it answer the probing question of why God can speak something and it not come to pass in our lifetime; it gives us the direction of how to take on the mandates God has spoken over those in the past and run our race with endurance.

The question then comes, what is our race?

How do I know the race that God has set for me?

The answer is simple.

You live each day dedicated to God 100%. Having ears that are open to hear his voice and living in obedience to him. Spending time reading, studying and applying the word of God. Planting yourself in a Bible based local church who is your spiritual covering/authority (wives as well as your husband who is your first level of covering).

You run your race by obeying the things that God has set in front of you to do each day. Trusting Him 100% that as you listen to him, receive counsel and wisdom from your spiritual leaders when needed you will be guided on your race. If your wisdom is lead in purity and peace your path will be made straight and you fill fulfill the race set before you.

James 3:13-18

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and [h]self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Ever decision should be made with the wisdom of God and first pure then with peace. That is another discussion for another day.

My favorite life verse is:

Prov 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall [b]direct your paths.

Let’s keep running, don’t give up if you don’t see someone elses words not fulfilled. If God asks you to, pick up their baton and run like your life depends on it. Because a fulfilled life WILL depend on it.