Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Good morning, Friends!

I'd like to thank all of you who have taken time to visit me here on "Back Porch Adventures!" since it was launched this Sunday, May 15, 2011! I have had a wonderful response from you all and the words of encouragement are just a blessing! Hmmm, I wonder who's getting blessed more? You or me?

It's so exciting to see how life in the Kingdom of God brings us all together in many different ways and how each one of us really do have something to offer! Papa is all about blessing us in every area of our lives and even though He sometimes uses a supernatural means to do so, I've learned He'll probably use my neighbor, someone at work, my daughter or even something as unexpected as a rose, a painting or even a donkey to bless me! He is God! And He's definitely not limited in creative expression! Don't you just love that about Him? I do! I want to be just like Him when I grow up!! :)

This morning as I was reflecting and giving the Lord thanks for the privelege and honor to have lived here in Redding CA, and attend Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, I saw this picture of a field that had been plowed, cultivated and sown with seeds superior to all others in quality. I don't really have a full idea at this time all that this crop is going to produce however, these seeds have a promise attached to them. Isaiah 55:11 states,

It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

These seeds have been guaranteed to produce 30, 60 and 100 fold! I saw some of these seeds as plants already coming up and having the buds of the fruit hanging on them. Others were barely out of the ground and still others haven't even broken the soil yet, however, I know these too will prosper.

What I feel this picture is revealing is all that's been sown into our spirits this year is still being processed. The truths, the principles, and the wisdom in how to apply it all is being nurtured and developed by Holy Spirit. And as there is a demand for something Holy Spirit will recall it to our rememberance and it will sprout up or already be in place ready and ripe for us to pluck and serve! I believe this will be a timeless crop as this has not only been sown into our present but also our future for we will not be the only ones that benefit but also those after us.

To my fellow students of BSSM, if there is a small chance you feel you may not have received all you think you wanted to this year, I share this with you to be encouraged! I believe this picture is an illustration of what is happening in us right now even tho we may not see or feel anything to prove it to our natural senses. There has to be time for the seed to germinate! I believe as we continue to walk in faith believing, exercising and stewarding what we have, as there comes a demand for something Holy Spirit will rise up within us and we will have the Word that's needed for that time!

So I just release to you a spirit of power and sound mind in knowing you have received more than you know! And as you walk out your faith and take those risks I remind you that you are equipped with everything needed for the time it's demanded. Christ has given you every spiritual blessing! You are an heir of God and all He has is yours! Run in your destiny releasing His Presence so that the kingdoms of this world become the Kingdom of our God!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Have you ever had the Lord test you to see if you would do what you said you would do? You know, "Lord, I'll do anything, go anywhere I just have to have more of You!" That kind of thing? Well, about a year ago this week, actually, the Lord asked me, "Did you really mean it? Did you really mean you would go anywhere and do anything?" I thought about it for a long while and asked myself, "Did I mean it? Would I leave  my husband, (if he couldn't come with me) would I leave my family, my children and grandchildren and friends? Would I leave everything I know everything I'm familiar with...the comforts of home, my career, would I risk the possibility of my granchildren forgetting me while I'm gone? Would I?" I really pondered these things before I responded and after deep consideration I answered, "Yes, Lord! I'll go anywhere and I'll do anything You ask me to as long as I get to have more of YOU!"

Well, He gave me the test! He asked me to go to Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry in Redding, California! So I said "Alright, if You'll tell my husband and work it out with him so he asks me, and provide all the provisions I need then I'll go because I don't know how to ask him if I can go and I don't know how I can pay for this!" A week went by and then the next week came around and one day coming back from lunch my husband and I were together heading back to the office as was our daily routine. We both were kind of quiet that day and my husband out of the blue asked, "Alright, what have we got to do to get you there?" I was looking out of the passenger's side window and turned to him and asked "What? What do you mean?" and he asked me, "Don't you want to go to Bethel School? Doesn't Bethel have some sort of school?" I know I had to be looking at him quite dumbfounded, because we had never discussed it! I had never said anything about going or even telling him about it other than one day he had walked in the office where I was and asked me what I was looking at online. This day I happened to be looking at Bethel's School website but I didn't go in detail nor did I mention it again!

So, after picking my jaw up out of my lap, I was able to regain my thoughts and something just rose up in me and I answered, "Yes!" Yes, I do want to go!" This was so unlike me. Usually, in the past, and even if it was something I wanted to do I would push it down and not wanting to be a bother to anyone I would say, "Nah, that's ok!" But not this time! It was like something just roared out of me! "YES!" I want to go!" My husband told me that I should go ahead and apply that day if I wanted to go so I did!

Then I heard the Lord say, "Now, write down what you'll need and make a list of the things you need to do!" This was the first time in my life I can ever remember the Lord being so specific and very definitive about something. So, after I applied online to BSSM, I immediately began calculating the finances I would need not only for the school but for living expenses as well. Then I offered this list and the list of things I had to do to the Lord and thanked Him for the provisions, favor, wisdom and strength to get everything accomplished before I was to leave in September if I was accepted.

Two weeks later, I received a word of congratulations that I had been accepted to Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry! Wow! This was like a dream! Was I dreaming? Was this real? Was this actually happening? Was I really going to California? By this time, I had already gotten some of my "list to do" done because I believed this was part of my faith walk doing what I knew to do until I heard differently. So, now that I had been accepted, I just kicked it up a notch working day and late nights to get everything done!  Included on this "list to do" was list and sell 4 of our personal properties (1 was my daughter and son's house and another was the one we were living in)! Not only did all 4 properties sell but all of the "little things" that had to be done was completed along with moving my husband and his brother who lives with us to one of our rental properties! Now, you have to understand, this was when the market was considered to be slow and our house we were living in was in the top of the price range that was even being sold at that time. There were eleven houses in that neighborhood on the market and seven of them were on our street!

May 25 or 27, 2010, was when I applied, June 12 or 15th I got accepted, then September 1, 2010, my amazing husband rode across America with me to see this place we had never heard of or seen before; this place I would call "home" for the next 9 months of my life!

I had no idea what Papa God had in store for me! This has been such an amazing journey!  I have been so blessed and enriched, empowered and so radically changed that I'll never be the same! I have gone from one glory to another and I know there's even more to come!

Today, I begin the next phase of another glory level! Today, I graduated BSSM! Today, is the beginning of another chapter of another awesome journey I will take with Papa! When I answered His call I had no idea where He would lead me. All I knew was like the disciples, were called they left their duties to follow this Man whom they didn't know and had never seen but yet they felt safe and felt they could trust Him to lead them anywhere and keep them along the way. I too, have found Him to be a safe place. One I can trust to lead me and keep me. He has proven this to me and my family! He has provided and done more than I even asked for and it has been more than I ever dreamed it would be! This has been a year of seeing and living heaven on earth and yes, I did get more of Him, however, I'm still just as hungry and thirsty for more as I was when I came. And yes, I will go to the ends of the earth to get more if that's what He asks me to do! Honey, are you ready? :)