Outside everything looks great. The day glistens with sunshine. People move place to place with seemingly great ease and purpose. The clock demands my focus to tasks at hand. Basics of life are within reach. Prayers mutter through my mind as I think of those I love. All in all --everything casts a content hue. Yet...
Inside - instability. Discontentment. Is it holy discontentment or just missed place hope?
Velcro of the Heart. One side "needs" the other side "hopes." We are called trust (root meaning ATTACH OUR SELVES TO) the Lord. Hope is the ingredient that stabilizes contentment within my soul. If I am discontent than I have plugged into an object or a person that will not fulfill. For God promises that hoping in Him will cause me to thirst no more. What an audacious promise!
Discontment is bred in my attachment to anything but Him.
Time to embrace the sound of velcro coming undone. I long to reattach to the Lover of My Soul.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Winds of Change
Today, I sensed "delay." It was thick in the atmosphere of my mind. Thoughts of Daniel and the angel being delayed by tne enemy shot through my mind. A fierce wave of intolerance rolled over me; there is no reason -- no earthly reason --breakthrough hasn't occurred. Sitting at the stop light with hands gripping the steering wheel, I gazed at the taunting RED light. Enough. It is time for change.
The words roared out of my mouth:
"To the north, south, east, and west I call for the winds of change. Bring release. Bring breakthrough. Delay no longer."
A storm raged through Atlanta this afternoon...
Winds of Change.
The words roared out of my mouth:
"To the north, south, east, and west I call for the winds of change. Bring release. Bring breakthrough. Delay no longer."
A storm raged through Atlanta this afternoon...
Winds of Change.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Lost in the Cameroon Time Zone
The team has fallen...fallen into the Cameroonian time zone. When we walk, we casually shuffle (back in an hour means--maybe 2 hours). When we talk, we dialogue for hours. When we sing, we sweat from the dancing. When we pray, we are asked to pray more. Cameroonian time means longer, slower, and definitely deeper.
Yesterday was filled with home visits, enjoying the market place, and indulging ourselves deeper into the culture. We joined the city wide pray meeting last night in a massive stone dirt floor--unfinished-- Baptist church. The sounds of youth gathering in the night hours crying out for their nation. Different styles, different perspectives...but one heart-- Cameroom will see change by the Spirit of God.
Today-- the Hotpic Orphange. 100+ children waiting for us to join them. The Agenda: LOVE, FUN, LAUGHTER, SINGING, and FINGER PAINTING. Then off to a "going away party" with all the students that we have so intimately connected with over the last week. One final AMAZING Cameroonian meal, and it off to our 20+ hour journey home.
We have passed through so many times zones...including the time zones of our heart. The team has been tested with agendas changing last minute, things taking 3x as longer to get done then expected, waiting and waiting just because its the culture, and facing restlessness and exhaustion all at the same time. They have persevered and demonstrated such grace and love! They entered the Cameroonian time zone and took it on with great style.
We are headed home...our hearts filled with beautiful images and memories frozen in time!
Yesterday was filled with home visits, enjoying the market place, and indulging ourselves deeper into the culture. We joined the city wide pray meeting last night in a massive stone dirt floor--unfinished-- Baptist church. The sounds of youth gathering in the night hours crying out for their nation. Different styles, different perspectives...but one heart-- Cameroom will see change by the Spirit of God.
Today-- the Hotpic Orphange. 100+ children waiting for us to join them. The Agenda: LOVE, FUN, LAUGHTER, SINGING, and FINGER PAINTING. Then off to a "going away party" with all the students that we have so intimately connected with over the last week. One final AMAZING Cameroonian meal, and it off to our 20+ hour journey home.
We have passed through so many times zones...including the time zones of our heart. The team has been tested with agendas changing last minute, things taking 3x as longer to get done then expected, waiting and waiting just because its the culture, and facing restlessness and exhaustion all at the same time. They have persevered and demonstrated such grace and love! They entered the Cameroonian time zone and took it on with great style.
We are headed home...our hearts filled with beautiful images and memories frozen in time!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Gold Pure Gold
We awoke to the smell of Cameroonian pancakes, bananas, and Tartina (a version of Nutella--YUM).The water was running and warm showers were being had by all. But everyone was moving a bit slower. The heat, the pace, and the time clock change had finally shown it's toll on everyone. Somehow in the back of my head--- this then will be the perfect day for God to show His strength!
The morning was filled with breakthroughs and freedom. Stories started flooding to us about how things were changing in their (the students) hearts and affecting their families. We had people starting to randomly show up to the building for prayer desiring healing; those with HIV, blindness, and other illnesses have started to come.After our morning classes, we had enough time to eat lunch (at 3p)and head out to do Treasure Hunting. (we are on Cameroonian time--when it happens it happens)
Treasure Hunting was new concept for many of the students. It is a simple term to describe a fun way to organize outreach. We split the groups up, and asked each group to pray and ask God for "words of knowledge" about people. The words were like treasure clues though. Simple things like color of shirts, an image of a store, or a child. The students then shared their clues with one another, prayed, and set out to the areas of Buea to see if they could find the people God was asking them to bless.
Well the best testimony to illustrate a Treasure Hunt was from a student who had an image of young man 24yrs old, named Sergio, and new someone called Solenge. Well, as this team arrived to their location to the student's surprise there was a young man standing alone who "looked" like the one saw. He went in boldness and said to the young man, is your name Sergio, and he said -- yes. And then asked if he was 24 yrs old and new someone named Solenge...the answer was yes to both. So had an opportunity to pray with this young man, and bless him with God's love. The young man was blown away.
I could go on and on with the testimonies from our Treasure Hunts yesterday. There were healings; babies and young children who recently lost one or both of their parents being blessed with words of love, destiny, and joy; a family --with 4 generations present-- set free with love; students blessing students to succeed and follow their dreams. Life came to Buea in a whole new way.
The students returned from the outreach with SHEER joy.They saw that God can speak to them in the simplest ways...and it can have a GREAT impact.
Through humidity, tiredness, and cultural differences...the team persevered and through our weakness God was STRONG!
The day was gold --pure gold. Treasure had been found.
The morning was filled with breakthroughs and freedom. Stories started flooding to us about how things were changing in their (the students) hearts and affecting their families. We had people starting to randomly show up to the building for prayer desiring healing; those with HIV, blindness, and other illnesses have started to come.After our morning classes, we had enough time to eat lunch (at 3p)and head out to do Treasure Hunting. (we are on Cameroonian time--when it happens it happens)
Treasure Hunting was new concept for many of the students. It is a simple term to describe a fun way to organize outreach. We split the groups up, and asked each group to pray and ask God for "words of knowledge" about people. The words were like treasure clues though. Simple things like color of shirts, an image of a store, or a child. The students then shared their clues with one another, prayed, and set out to the areas of Buea to see if they could find the people God was asking them to bless.
Well the best testimony to illustrate a Treasure Hunt was from a student who had an image of young man 24yrs old, named Sergio, and new someone called Solenge. Well, as this team arrived to their location to the student's surprise there was a young man standing alone who "looked" like the one saw. He went in boldness and said to the young man, is your name Sergio, and he said -- yes. And then asked if he was 24 yrs old and new someone named Solenge...the answer was yes to both. So had an opportunity to pray with this young man, and bless him with God's love. The young man was blown away.
I could go on and on with the testimonies from our Treasure Hunts yesterday. There were healings; babies and young children who recently lost one or both of their parents being blessed with words of love, destiny, and joy; a family --with 4 generations present-- set free with love; students blessing students to succeed and follow their dreams. Life came to Buea in a whole new way.
The students returned from the outreach with SHEER joy.They saw that God can speak to them in the simplest ways...and it can have a GREAT impact.
Through humidity, tiredness, and cultural differences...the team persevered and through our weakness God was STRONG!
The day was gold --pure gold. Treasure had been found.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Faith and Joy
The house is quiet this morning. Everyone is catching up on much needed sleep. The sounds of car horns, roosters, delivery trucks, and locals still penetrate the air, but they are blending into the "quiet" the longer we stay.
Yesterday FAITH and JOY emerged. Hospitals and homes were the target -- we were going out to pray for the sick. The students of the school and our team gathered in the morning to break into teams. There was a seriousness among the students. They had heard testimonies of our team laying hands on the sick and them being healed...and the yearned to see the same thing happen to them. There was one mandate that I gave: 'GO IN LOVE, honor the people you are praying for by taking love not just power, and then demonstrate that love through power. GO IN LOVE---and JOY!!!!" The students here are accustom to religion being something that requires you to be very serious, and "godly" in all your actions (quite legalistic and very judgemental)---and somehow the lie has come that your relationship with Christ does not include JOY! So-- we released the teams to go be the person God created each one to be -- BE YOU! Take the love of Christ through YOU and take the joy and spread it around.
Well, I smiled for hours as the teams returned. Yes, they were carrying testimonies of healings: knees healed, pelvic bones being healed, paralytics walking, and pain leaving bodies. But the JOY came when they started talking about how people wept (it is not common for people to cry in this culture) from feeling loved. The people in the hospital went from angry and depressed to smiling, lauging, and full of joy. One team visited a little 5yr old girl who is paralyzed. This little one has not smiled nor giggled in quite sometime. Can you imagine being a little one who loves to dance, and now your body is trapped from being free to be a child. The team prayed, and then someone followed their heart (Go Holy Spirit Go) and began dancing around her. The team said...we all became 5 years old again. As they all started dancing, this little one began to giggle and smile and hug, and even got swept up in the arms of the team and danced! She did not get healed physically-- but her heart was captivated by joy! Joy of the Lord is our strength!!!
We did a time of testimonies when the teams returned...and to my delight, everyone was full of faith and joy. The common response to outreach in the past has been discouragement and disappointment. Because "spiritual medicine" is common here -- the students hunger for power. They want to see the power of their God defeat the enemy...yesterday they watched love, joy, and yes--healing, push back the gates of hell in their city. But for the first time in response to some being healed and some NOT being healed their response was the same--JOY overtook them...the power of love is changing their city.
"Treasure Hunting" today!
For those who haven't a clue as to what that is...stay tuned for an update!
Yesterday FAITH and JOY emerged. Hospitals and homes were the target -- we were going out to pray for the sick. The students of the school and our team gathered in the morning to break into teams. There was a seriousness among the students. They had heard testimonies of our team laying hands on the sick and them being healed...and the yearned to see the same thing happen to them. There was one mandate that I gave: 'GO IN LOVE, honor the people you are praying for by taking love not just power, and then demonstrate that love through power. GO IN LOVE---and JOY!!!!" The students here are accustom to religion being something that requires you to be very serious, and "godly" in all your actions (quite legalistic and very judgemental)---and somehow the lie has come that your relationship with Christ does not include JOY! So-- we released the teams to go be the person God created each one to be -- BE YOU! Take the love of Christ through YOU and take the joy and spread it around.
Well, I smiled for hours as the teams returned. Yes, they were carrying testimonies of healings: knees healed, pelvic bones being healed, paralytics walking, and pain leaving bodies. But the JOY came when they started talking about how people wept (it is not common for people to cry in this culture) from feeling loved. The people in the hospital went from angry and depressed to smiling, lauging, and full of joy. One team visited a little 5yr old girl who is paralyzed. This little one has not smiled nor giggled in quite sometime. Can you imagine being a little one who loves to dance, and now your body is trapped from being free to be a child. The team prayed, and then someone followed their heart (Go Holy Spirit Go) and began dancing around her. The team said...we all became 5 years old again. As they all started dancing, this little one began to giggle and smile and hug, and even got swept up in the arms of the team and danced! She did not get healed physically-- but her heart was captivated by joy! Joy of the Lord is our strength!!!
We did a time of testimonies when the teams returned...and to my delight, everyone was full of faith and joy. The common response to outreach in the past has been discouragement and disappointment. Because "spiritual medicine" is common here -- the students hunger for power. They want to see the power of their God defeat the enemy...yesterday they watched love, joy, and yes--healing, push back the gates of hell in their city. But for the first time in response to some being healed and some NOT being healed their response was the same--JOY overtook them...the power of love is changing their city.
"Treasure Hunting" today!
For those who haven't a clue as to what that is...stay tuned for an update!
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Sounds
The storm came raging in around 2am Sunday morning. Our team, though spread out across the beauitful town of Buea, was wide awake. But as the faithful sleepy team they are ...they began to pray and hear God's heart for the week to come. Rain and heavy storms are a common occurance here, but somehow we all felt God brought the rain! In the morning we awoke to the clouds being lifted and the glorious Mt. Cameroon showing its peak. (perfect place for a picture if I could get the pictures to upload!)But with lack of sleep, we were TIRED!
ASHIA is word we have come quite accustom to here. It means "I'm sorry" or "OOOO...too bad." The morning started to dawn-- roosters crowing as early as 4a, soliders marching by chanting at the top of their lungs, pigs squealing, and car horns honking---the water is off -- bucket baths again, electricity is off, and it was hot already...perfect conditions to test our attitudes..."ASHIA!" But the team was in rare form and ready for the day.
We had church-- 5+ hours of church yesterday. African music with voices blending in a harmonious sound that reminded us all of the heart beat of God. Meredith felt at home with the African music, the girls loved the dancing, the guys smiled in sheer contentment-- we are in Africa!
Most of the church was young adults that are apart of Youth Aglo-- not related to other internatianal youth aglos--but rather a group of young people here in Cameroom that came together from many different churches to pursue God ...amazing! They led worship, I preached a bit and then we opened the "doors" for ministry. We prophesied, delivered words of knowledge, and had the famous "fire tunnel," (this is where the team makes a tunnel and individuals pass between us as we lay hands on them to bless, impart, and stir them up to walk in the fullness God has for them. There were healings of backs, ears, and other pains...there were tears of joy and release from the prophetic words, and there were even demons cast out and a young man started his journey of becoming whole-- sounds like the Gospel! The team brought Good News and God demonstrated His love in powerful ways! No "Ashaia!"
The afternoon was spent with was a house full of people. We laughed, enjoyed a meal together, and shared our stories of the day about how good God is. The day birthed a deeper connection between us all...I even received the loving honorable name of "Auntie."
Today, we are hitting the streets and then school tonight with the ministry students.
More stories of God's goodness to come!
ASHIA is word we have come quite accustom to here. It means "I'm sorry" or "OOOO...too bad." The morning started to dawn-- roosters crowing as early as 4a, soliders marching by chanting at the top of their lungs, pigs squealing, and car horns honking---the water is off -- bucket baths again, electricity is off, and it was hot already...perfect conditions to test our attitudes..."ASHIA!" But the team was in rare form and ready for the day.
We had church-- 5+ hours of church yesterday. African music with voices blending in a harmonious sound that reminded us all of the heart beat of God. Meredith felt at home with the African music, the girls loved the dancing, the guys smiled in sheer contentment-- we are in Africa!
Most of the church was young adults that are apart of Youth Aglo-- not related to other internatianal youth aglos--but rather a group of young people here in Cameroom that came together from many different churches to pursue God ...amazing! They led worship, I preached a bit and then we opened the "doors" for ministry. We prophesied, delivered words of knowledge, and had the famous "fire tunnel," (this is where the team makes a tunnel and individuals pass between us as we lay hands on them to bless, impart, and stir them up to walk in the fullness God has for them. There were healings of backs, ears, and other pains...there were tears of joy and release from the prophetic words, and there were even demons cast out and a young man started his journey of becoming whole-- sounds like the Gospel! The team brought Good News and God demonstrated His love in powerful ways! No "Ashaia!"
The afternoon was spent with was a house full of people. We laughed, enjoyed a meal together, and shared our stories of the day about how good God is. The day birthed a deeper connection between us all...I even received the loving honorable name of "Auntie."
Today, we are hitting the streets and then school tonight with the ministry students.
More stories of God's goodness to come!
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