Well, it's that time of year again... my annual "end of summer" post.
Few people get to experience the joy of the lifestyle that a teacher has. During the school year, we work so hard and are must adhere so closely to a routine and structure. (Seriously, who else knows exactly where they will be at 10:47 every Thursday? Who else mus schedule bathroom breaks for between 9:34-10:25?) In the summer, we are suddenly freed from our routine and workloads. Though most of us take classes at some point during the summer, it is not the strict routine or heavy workload of the school year.
The more I grow in Yahweh, the more the difference between summer and the school year lessens. It's funny to say that because my hours and free time will drastically change, and yet the stress of starting school that I had in previous years is gone. I no longer worry about things that used to bother me incessantly. I'm actually excited to return to school, meet new people, and teach new lessons. (I learned how to teach PHONICS this summer!)
Still, I am ever introspective and I must consider what it means that summer is ending. Yahweh has been talking to me lately about frequency, and the frequency of our dance will change. I'm beginning to enjoy change, and as the dance goes on, I don't really mind the change so long as I have my Dance Partner.
This summer has been different than others, but I say that every summer. Time went by so quickly, I feel like summer just began yesterday. This summer I went on my first missions trip to Belize and met a group of wonderful people. It was an amazing, purposed time for which I will forever be grateful.
My second book was largely completed this summer. I won't get final copies back until September, but the editing and cover design are done.
I have grown so much in Yahweh this summer. I've learned about things that I never even dreamed before, and I started a new blog to talk about some of these things. You can read them about them here. And while some people may not think that this is as big as the other, obvious changes from this summer, I would say that the way you see the world will impact the way you live your life, and so changing the way you see the world will change your life. It certainly has mine.
All in all, it's been a wonderful summer full of adventures, fun with friends, and growing up. I am twenty-nine years old, and most people would consider that grown up, but we never stop growing. And I am more myself today than I have ever been, more aware of Reality and the beauties of the Father.
I shall be sure to enjoy this last week of summer as I have all of the others. Then I will dive into the new school year with equal, if different, enjoyment.
Monday, July 31, 2017
Monday, June 12, 2017
My First Missions Trip: Belize
First I'd like to say that I am part of the most amazing Kingdom family. We are a people of strength and maturity who have cultivated the gifts of Yahweh inside of each of us and found our Promise and who we are. The Spirit has total access to our lives and flows freely through us so that we can express Yahweh anywhere we are in the world. This is even more amazing because I have an extended Kingdom family in other ecclesiae (churches) around the US, and we got to do this trip with some of them also. The same Spirit runs in all of us, and we give Him all glory and honor.
We spent eleven days in Belize, but it felt like a lifetime. This is probably because the impact that we had there will last a lifetime... an eternal lifetime. We found the same Spirit that we brought with us there in a group of faithful people. Partnering with them, we ministered to the entire nation. Yes, the nation. We infiltrated systems that impact the whole country including the schools, national TV and radio shows, and even the Belizean Coast Guard. There was no door closed to us, and I know that is because the people who have been there and taken their place as kings and priests of their land have opened the door for us. We just came alongside of them and input our own anointings and expressions of Yahweh.
My favorite part, of course, was ministering to the schools. Getting to go and do what I do every day in another country opened my eyes to where my students have come from, and it also opened my eyes to me. I am able to take the Infinite and bring it to a level where people can understand and apply it. I do it every day, and I did not realize that before this trip. In fact, much of what I did on this trip is exactly what I do in Arkansas. On Tuesday I was teaching for our last day of school. Thursday I flew to Belize, and Friday I was teaching school again. I think one of the things I learned the most was that Yahweh is the same wherever you are, and that you in Him are the same wherever you are. It is like one of my poems:
"Wherever I go the Kingdom is
Wherever I am Yahweh's Promise
Shines brightly forth in the emptiness
The hope that creation will harness"
It doesn't matter if you are in Belize on a missions trip, working at your everyday job, in a service at your local ecclesia, or laying in bed all day sleeping. You are still Yahweh's Promise, and when you are faithful to go where He sends you, that Promise is able to be expressed everywhere.
I went to Belize largely to see what Yahweh looked like in Belize. What does He look like on a missions trip? What does He look like in another country? This is only the second time I've left the country, and I know Him so much better now than I did the last time; I wanted to see. Lo and behold He looks the same. It really drove home the point that Yahweh--in complete and utter totality--is in everything and everyone. Hear, oh nations, Yahweh our Elohim, Yahweh is One! And we are One in Him.
He even talked to me about the Infinite just like He does here in Arkansas, and at the advice of my Apostle, I will be starting a blog about that soon. More details to come on that one.
Everything Yahweh told me about Belize during intercession before we left was confirmed when we got there. It was a land of Promise, purity, and unity. They have the same surface problems I see in America, but nothing can touch or alter the Promise of Yahweh. It is still there waiting for the kings and priests to discover it and take their places. Some of them already have, but more are coming.
Overall, it was a wonderful trip, and I loved getting to minister there. The tropical climate is not one that I enjoy, so I would never have taken a vacation there, but they do have some beautiful scenery that we also got to explore. I loved seeing the Mayan ruins because history is the BEST, and climbing to the top was just another way to prove that there is no such thing as death. I also loved seeing the beaches and the original way to make chocolate. Sampling the chocolate was definitely a highlight of the trip also. Let's just say that people should make chocolate with ginger and chocolate with cardamom more easily available in the USA.
The eleven-day lifetime we spent in Belize was amazing and eternal. I will forever cherish the memories and love the relationships we built there. I doubt it will be the last time we go, and I can't wait to see all that Yahweh brings of what we have just seen begin.
We spent eleven days in Belize, but it felt like a lifetime. This is probably because the impact that we had there will last a lifetime... an eternal lifetime. We found the same Spirit that we brought with us there in a group of faithful people. Partnering with them, we ministered to the entire nation. Yes, the nation. We infiltrated systems that impact the whole country including the schools, national TV and radio shows, and even the Belizean Coast Guard. There was no door closed to us, and I know that is because the people who have been there and taken their place as kings and priests of their land have opened the door for us. We just came alongside of them and input our own anointings and expressions of Yahweh.
My favorite part, of course, was ministering to the schools. Getting to go and do what I do every day in another country opened my eyes to where my students have come from, and it also opened my eyes to me. I am able to take the Infinite and bring it to a level where people can understand and apply it. I do it every day, and I did not realize that before this trip. In fact, much of what I did on this trip is exactly what I do in Arkansas. On Tuesday I was teaching for our last day of school. Thursday I flew to Belize, and Friday I was teaching school again. I think one of the things I learned the most was that Yahweh is the same wherever you are, and that you in Him are the same wherever you are. It is like one of my poems:
"Wherever I go the Kingdom is
Wherever I am Yahweh's Promise
Shines brightly forth in the emptiness
The hope that creation will harness"
It doesn't matter if you are in Belize on a missions trip, working at your everyday job, in a service at your local ecclesia, or laying in bed all day sleeping. You are still Yahweh's Promise, and when you are faithful to go where He sends you, that Promise is able to be expressed everywhere.
I went to Belize largely to see what Yahweh looked like in Belize. What does He look like on a missions trip? What does He look like in another country? This is only the second time I've left the country, and I know Him so much better now than I did the last time; I wanted to see. Lo and behold He looks the same. It really drove home the point that Yahweh--in complete and utter totality--is in everything and everyone. Hear, oh nations, Yahweh our Elohim, Yahweh is One! And we are One in Him.
He even talked to me about the Infinite just like He does here in Arkansas, and at the advice of my Apostle, I will be starting a blog about that soon. More details to come on that one.
Everything Yahweh told me about Belize during intercession before we left was confirmed when we got there. It was a land of Promise, purity, and unity. They have the same surface problems I see in America, but nothing can touch or alter the Promise of Yahweh. It is still there waiting for the kings and priests to discover it and take their places. Some of them already have, but more are coming.
Overall, it was a wonderful trip, and I loved getting to minister there. The tropical climate is not one that I enjoy, so I would never have taken a vacation there, but they do have some beautiful scenery that we also got to explore. I loved seeing the Mayan ruins because history is the BEST, and climbing to the top was just another way to prove that there is no such thing as death. I also loved seeing the beaches and the original way to make chocolate. Sampling the chocolate was definitely a highlight of the trip also. Let's just say that people should make chocolate with ginger and chocolate with cardamom more easily available in the USA.
The eleven-day lifetime we spent in Belize was amazing and eternal. I will forever cherish the memories and love the relationships we built there. I doubt it will be the last time we go, and I can't wait to see all that Yahweh brings of what we have just seen begin.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Heaven and Hell
I have never read Paradise Lost, nor do I know anything about John Milton or his beliefs. I cannot endorse either, nor can I speak against them.
All I can say is that this quote speaks to me.
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.”
― John Milton, Paradise Lost
Yahweh has been showing me recently that the way you see the world is the key to what you experience, how you live, and how much you are able to grow and make a difference. Everybody sees the world differently. That is good and that is right, for we all have different purposes and metrons in Yahweh to steward. We are not all kings of the same region, but we are all kings in Him.
Problems don't arise from seeing from different perspectives. Problems arise when we look at anything but Yahweh. When we look at Yahweh, we can see all other things through Him. When we look away from Him, we see shadows and illusions--things that should never be.
When we look at Yahweh, we see and abide in Heaven.
When we look away from Him, we see and abide in Hell.
Let us look to Yahweh and let us allow Him to show us Himself in ever expanding and increasing measures. Let's explore Heaven together.
All I can say is that this quote speaks to me.
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.”
― John Milton, Paradise Lost
Yahweh has been showing me recently that the way you see the world is the key to what you experience, how you live, and how much you are able to grow and make a difference. Everybody sees the world differently. That is good and that is right, for we all have different purposes and metrons in Yahweh to steward. We are not all kings of the same region, but we are all kings in Him.
Problems don't arise from seeing from different perspectives. Problems arise when we look at anything but Yahweh. When we look at Yahweh, we can see all other things through Him. When we look away from Him, we see shadows and illusions--things that should never be.
When we look at Yahweh, we see and abide in Heaven.
When we look away from Him, we see and abide in Hell.
Let us look to Yahweh and let us allow Him to show us Himself in ever expanding and increasing measures. Let's explore Heaven together.
Sunday, January 29, 2017
The United States of America
Hear, oh United States of America, Yahweh your God, Yahweh is One!
We as a nation were created to showcase the glory of Yahweh, and recently we have fallen short of the fullness of what we could be. Let us repent! For there is more than what we are walking in.
Yahweh calls us forth to greater unity. The enemy has sown seeds of division and separation based on special interests and common ground (or lack thereof). He has caused discontent in the hearts of Americans who do not feel that their voices are being heard or their needs are being met because they know they are unsatisfied with their lives.
Many Christians have fallen victim to this ploy, and I repent as well for the fear that I held during the election that Christianity would fall under greater attack than it already was. It is not acceptable to submit to fear, for fear brings division.
People of various races, religions, and abilities have different perspectives on the world. The enemy has lied to them, saying that if everyone could see from their perspective then their needs would be met and they would no longer feel unfulfilled. Yet, the only thing that can fulfill anyone is Yahweh. The enemy has also placed fear into them, telling them that if people don't see from their perspective, they will be killed or persecuted or degraded. Yet, the only protection and provision is Yahweh.
Yahweh is a God of Unity, but He expresses Himself in diverse ways. He does not want men to see from women's perspectives. He wants men and women to be different, to have different perspectives and roles so that He can be glorified twice as much as He could be if there were only one gender.
Yahweh does not want there to be one race. He wanted people of various flavors and cultures and colors to work together in unity, using their different perspectives for His glory. He did not want their differences to cause division, but to cause mutual edification!
Yet, none of this is possible without Yahweh and without faith. Unity can only come by faith, but if man is too afraid to unite together because they have believed the lies of the enemy that are fear-based and based in lack of identity, then none of what Yahweh dreamed for our nation will be possible.
America has always been a melting pot, a place where diverse groups of people could be made into one nation. One of our national mottoes is E Pluribus Unum: Out of Many, One. Yet, in recent years, it has been more like "Out of many, many." People have clung fiercely to the things they think identify them and make them separate from others. They have decided that they must fight for these things, growing angry and militant in the fear that these false identities will be removed.
Yet, if we lay down what we think we are, Yahweh will give us something better.
So let us move on, America! Black, white, Hispanic, Asian... we are not the color of our skin or the culture into which we were born or raised. We are not the language that we speak or the expression of values that we held dear. We are not our gender, occupation, or how the world treats us. We are Yahweh's and only what He made us.
Once we know who we are, we can accept others, but not until then. Once we know who we are and have united with Yahweh, we can unite with others, but not until then.
So let us take the first step and discover ourselves in Yahweh that we can again become The United States of America: One nation under God, and truly with liberty and justice for all.
It is the only way liberty and justice for all is ever going to be possible.
We as a nation were created to showcase the glory of Yahweh, and recently we have fallen short of the fullness of what we could be. Let us repent! For there is more than what we are walking in.
Yahweh calls us forth to greater unity. The enemy has sown seeds of division and separation based on special interests and common ground (or lack thereof). He has caused discontent in the hearts of Americans who do not feel that their voices are being heard or their needs are being met because they know they are unsatisfied with their lives.
Many Christians have fallen victim to this ploy, and I repent as well for the fear that I held during the election that Christianity would fall under greater attack than it already was. It is not acceptable to submit to fear, for fear brings division.
People of various races, religions, and abilities have different perspectives on the world. The enemy has lied to them, saying that if everyone could see from their perspective then their needs would be met and they would no longer feel unfulfilled. Yet, the only thing that can fulfill anyone is Yahweh. The enemy has also placed fear into them, telling them that if people don't see from their perspective, they will be killed or persecuted or degraded. Yet, the only protection and provision is Yahweh.
Yahweh is a God of Unity, but He expresses Himself in diverse ways. He does not want men to see from women's perspectives. He wants men and women to be different, to have different perspectives and roles so that He can be glorified twice as much as He could be if there were only one gender.
Yahweh does not want there to be one race. He wanted people of various flavors and cultures and colors to work together in unity, using their different perspectives for His glory. He did not want their differences to cause division, but to cause mutual edification!
Yet, none of this is possible without Yahweh and without faith. Unity can only come by faith, but if man is too afraid to unite together because they have believed the lies of the enemy that are fear-based and based in lack of identity, then none of what Yahweh dreamed for our nation will be possible.
America has always been a melting pot, a place where diverse groups of people could be made into one nation. One of our national mottoes is E Pluribus Unum: Out of Many, One. Yet, in recent years, it has been more like "Out of many, many." People have clung fiercely to the things they think identify them and make them separate from others. They have decided that they must fight for these things, growing angry and militant in the fear that these false identities will be removed.
Yet, if we lay down what we think we are, Yahweh will give us something better.
So let us move on, America! Black, white, Hispanic, Asian... we are not the color of our skin or the culture into which we were born or raised. We are not the language that we speak or the expression of values that we held dear. We are not our gender, occupation, or how the world treats us. We are Yahweh's and only what He made us.
Once we know who we are, we can accept others, but not until then. Once we know who we are and have united with Yahweh, we can unite with others, but not until then.
So let us take the first step and discover ourselves in Yahweh that we can again become The United States of America: One nation under God, and truly with liberty and justice for all.
It is the only way liberty and justice for all is ever going to be possible.
Friday, January 27, 2017
Abortion
Today there was a national march for life in Washington, D.C. to protest the rampant slaughter of the innocents that takes place in America every day since the decision to legalize abortions in 1973.
Yet, as with all things, the physical is one with the spiritual, demonstrating in the substance what is believed for in Heaven.
Abortion happens for many reasons. Often it is because people want something, but they don't want the consequences of that something. They think that the consequences will be too difficult, too dangerous, or just plain inconvenient. Yet, the very consequence most feared can become the most beautiful and wonderful gift if you could but see it the right way.
When Yahweh gives you a Promise, He also gives you a process. That process is completely wrapped up in the Promise and that Promise is completely wrapped up in the process. Each step in the process is essential for that Promise to be complete. Abort even one step, and you abort the Promise.
Why, though, would anyone abort the Promise that Yahweh has given them?
Why do so many misguided women murder their babies?
Some people abort the process because it is inconvenient. It does not fit in with their lifestyle decisions or plans that they had for their futures.
Some women abort their babies because they are inconvenient. They had other lifestyles and futures planned out.
Some people abort the process because it is difficult... and I've been through this process, so I can tell you that there are many, many chances to turn around and say no. The process ranges from merely "difficult" to "I literally don't think I can survive this for one more second."
Some women abort their babies because pregnancy is difficult. I admit, I've never been pregnant, but I readily acknowledge how uncomfortable it can be. Again, this ranges from merely "I'm bigger than I want to be and have hormonal mood swings" to "medical complications might literally kill me."
Some people abort the process because they don't think they can handle what has been Promised. This ranges from thinking they are unworthy of the Promise offered to them to fearing the level of responsibility it will bring upon them.
Some women abort their babies because they don't think they can provide their children with a good life, they don't think they deserve children, or they don't trust themselves a parents.
Every abortion of a Promise is showing Yahweh that you don't trust Him to deliver what He has Promised to you. You either don't believe Him or you think that you will somehow mess it up because some part of it is riding on your shoulders.
Every abortion of a baby is showing Yahweh that you don't trust Him to deliver what He has Promised to you. You either don't believe He put that baby inside of you or you think that you will somehow mess him or her up because his or her future is riding on your shoulders.
Abortion is not merely murder. Abortion means "to bring to a premature end."
Yahweh's Promises were never meant to end. They were always meant to be eternal, so any ending of them is premature.
And every single life is a Promise.
Yet, as with all things, the physical is one with the spiritual, demonstrating in the substance what is believed for in Heaven.
Abortion happens for many reasons. Often it is because people want something, but they don't want the consequences of that something. They think that the consequences will be too difficult, too dangerous, or just plain inconvenient. Yet, the very consequence most feared can become the most beautiful and wonderful gift if you could but see it the right way.
When Yahweh gives you a Promise, He also gives you a process. That process is completely wrapped up in the Promise and that Promise is completely wrapped up in the process. Each step in the process is essential for that Promise to be complete. Abort even one step, and you abort the Promise.
Why, though, would anyone abort the Promise that Yahweh has given them?
Why do so many misguided women murder their babies?
Some people abort the process because it is inconvenient. It does not fit in with their lifestyle decisions or plans that they had for their futures.
Some women abort their babies because they are inconvenient. They had other lifestyles and futures planned out.
Some people abort the process because it is difficult... and I've been through this process, so I can tell you that there are many, many chances to turn around and say no. The process ranges from merely "difficult" to "I literally don't think I can survive this for one more second."
Some women abort their babies because pregnancy is difficult. I admit, I've never been pregnant, but I readily acknowledge how uncomfortable it can be. Again, this ranges from merely "I'm bigger than I want to be and have hormonal mood swings" to "medical complications might literally kill me."
Some people abort the process because they don't think they can handle what has been Promised. This ranges from thinking they are unworthy of the Promise offered to them to fearing the level of responsibility it will bring upon them.
Some women abort their babies because they don't think they can provide their children with a good life, they don't think they deserve children, or they don't trust themselves a parents.
Every abortion of a Promise is showing Yahweh that you don't trust Him to deliver what He has Promised to you. You either don't believe Him or you think that you will somehow mess it up because some part of it is riding on your shoulders.
Every abortion of a baby is showing Yahweh that you don't trust Him to deliver what He has Promised to you. You either don't believe He put that baby inside of you or you think that you will somehow mess him or her up because his or her future is riding on your shoulders.
Abortion is not merely murder. Abortion means "to bring to a premature end."
Yahweh's Promises were never meant to end. They were always meant to be eternal, so any ending of them is premature.
And every single life is a Promise.
Friday, January 6, 2017
Surprise Snow Day
Today has been very interesting. It was not the day I thought I'd have when I woke up. I thought I'd have a normal Friday at school followed by a workout and getting home around 6:30 or 7:30 pm. Nope.
I woke up and turned on the TV because there was the possibility of a light snow dusting and I wanted to be sure that it hadn't snowed in the city I work in because I live about 45 minutes away. I looked out the window and there was no snow on the ground. The news said there was a little snow to the side of the roads on the main highway I'd have to take to get in to school, and so I quickly turned it off and jumped in the shower because I sleep as much as possible in the mornings and didn't have a lot of time to get ready.
The whole way to school, the roads are clear and dry. As I got closer, I noticed snow on the grass and on the side roads. Then, as I pulled into the school parking lot I was shocked to see one or two cars in the administration parking lot and no kids outside or buses.
"No," I whispered to myself as I drove to the back parking lot. "The kids are huddled inside waiting." I reasoned, "I came in the gap between bus drop offs."
I refused to believe it until I saw that the staff parking lot was entirely empty. I pulled in and whipped out my phone, googling my school district's name to find it CLOSED.
I had to decide what to feel in that moment. Part of me was upset--I could've slept to my normal circadian rhythmic hours! Mostly, though, I was ecstatic.
I love snow days! It's not because I want to be lazy and miss work or because I don't like my job. I love my job and I love being able to express Yahweh there. It's not even because I love the biting air and the beautiful blanket of white, though I do. I love snow days because they are a special gift from Yahweh.
You see, He uses snow days to give me time. This time is completely free of all obligations or requirements, as the obligations and requirements that were there have been cancelled. I can fill it with whatever I want, and because my heart is one with Yahweh, anything I fill it with is good.
So today I went to the gym (after buying some showering supplies in Walmart) and then headed to my parents' house for a while because I asked my mom if she wanted to see a movie. After a lunch date that she'd had with her friend, we saw "Collateral Beauty."
Then I came home, and the whole thing was entirely beautiful. It was a wonderful day, a gift.
And I realized that Yahweh had fulfilled the Promise He made to me three years ago when He told me that, "Life is a gift, and this world is a beautiful place." But oh, how I did not know it then. I held on to that Promise in faith because all I'd ever seen of the world was hatred and all I'd ever felt of life was pain.
Yet now, even when confronted with the things of the enemy in the world, I can still walk in the Spirit and Power of Yahweh. I can still walk in my Promise. I can receive His gifts, like today, and every day that He gives me to express and glorify Him here on the Earth.
I woke up and turned on the TV because there was the possibility of a light snow dusting and I wanted to be sure that it hadn't snowed in the city I work in because I live about 45 minutes away. I looked out the window and there was no snow on the ground. The news said there was a little snow to the side of the roads on the main highway I'd have to take to get in to school, and so I quickly turned it off and jumped in the shower because I sleep as much as possible in the mornings and didn't have a lot of time to get ready.
The whole way to school, the roads are clear and dry. As I got closer, I noticed snow on the grass and on the side roads. Then, as I pulled into the school parking lot I was shocked to see one or two cars in the administration parking lot and no kids outside or buses.
"No," I whispered to myself as I drove to the back parking lot. "The kids are huddled inside waiting." I reasoned, "I came in the gap between bus drop offs."
I refused to believe it until I saw that the staff parking lot was entirely empty. I pulled in and whipped out my phone, googling my school district's name to find it CLOSED.
I had to decide what to feel in that moment. Part of me was upset--I could've slept to my normal circadian rhythmic hours! Mostly, though, I was ecstatic.
I love snow days! It's not because I want to be lazy and miss work or because I don't like my job. I love my job and I love being able to express Yahweh there. It's not even because I love the biting air and the beautiful blanket of white, though I do. I love snow days because they are a special gift from Yahweh.
You see, He uses snow days to give me time. This time is completely free of all obligations or requirements, as the obligations and requirements that were there have been cancelled. I can fill it with whatever I want, and because my heart is one with Yahweh, anything I fill it with is good.
So today I went to the gym (after buying some showering supplies in Walmart) and then headed to my parents' house for a while because I asked my mom if she wanted to see a movie. After a lunch date that she'd had with her friend, we saw "Collateral Beauty."
Then I came home, and the whole thing was entirely beautiful. It was a wonderful day, a gift.
And I realized that Yahweh had fulfilled the Promise He made to me three years ago when He told me that, "Life is a gift, and this world is a beautiful place." But oh, how I did not know it then. I held on to that Promise in faith because all I'd ever seen of the world was hatred and all I'd ever felt of life was pain.
Yet now, even when confronted with the things of the enemy in the world, I can still walk in the Spirit and Power of Yahweh. I can still walk in my Promise. I can receive His gifts, like today, and every day that He gives me to express and glorify Him here on the Earth.
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