Friday, February 3, 2012

It's Time!




Soon after moving to the Carolinas six years ago, I began to notice when the clock read 9:11--usually in the mornings. It occurred a few times a week.


I remember commenting to one of the leaders of the church I was fellowshipping with about this. Something in the day's service must have prompted me to go up and talk with him. I said, "I believe the Spirit of the Lord is showing us the urgency of the time we are living in." I don't remember his reaction or whether he even commented on what I shared.

Since then, my 'sightings' have increased to the point that I notice 9:11 in the morning and in the evening. Now my husband is beginning to notice it!

Why? Why are we noticing when the time is 9:11?

A couple weeks ago I joined friends of mine who oversee a ministry, House of Hope, for what I thought was simply a time of worship. It turned out that it was worship along with intercession for an event that was to occur the following evening hosted by a group called Ignite Hickory.

During worship, a microphone was made available so that anyone who was led to sing or prophesy or pray, could do so. At one point, a short song rose up within me, so I went to the mic to sing as the Holy Spirit led. It helped that I had ministered before with the brother who was leading the worship that night, and he smiled with approval as I began to sing:
Hickory dickory dock
You better wind up the clock
'Cuz it's time!

I sang my few lyrics twice and then went back to where I had been standing. Others came up and prayed and I began to understand that Ignite Hickory was a group of believers who expected revival in their city. That night they were pressing in to see the hand of God move the next evening where they had organized a worship event in one of the area hotels.

Later I ambled up to the mic again and shared how I had been seeing 9:11 for years, and that night I knew the Spirit of the Lord was saying--"It's time!" Time for Amos 9:11-13:

In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. - Amos 9:11-13 KJV
As I finished speaking and went to set my Bible down, a couple of the young men there shouted, "Look at the clock!" I looked up and the hour hand was on the '9' and the minute hand was on the '11'!

We all took this as confirmation of what I was led to speak. It seems to have been so long that I have waited for this time to arrive--the great move of Yahweh in the last days...

I went to that gathering at the hotel the next night. The worship was high and when anyone spoke, they remained in the crowd instead of prancing up on the stage where the worship team was ministering. It blessed my heart to see that they wanted to be 'nameless and faceless'. Designated teams were praying for people in the back of the huge room.

When a friend came up to me afterwards to ask my impression, I said, "It felt like a great plowing session in the spirit realm. I could see it was like sparks of Heaven falling on people who were getting healed and saved--sparks can cause a great fire!"

Do you, dear readers, believe 'It's time'?






Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Trial Duty


Shouldn't that title be 'Jury Duty'? No, but let me explain...

Like a multitude of other families, we live in an area severely affected economically. This has hit close to home now to the point where I realize we are truly going to have to walk by faith in order to continue paying for what are considered 'basic bills' here in America--water, electricity, gas, home-health-auto insurances etc. Oh, and let's not forget groceries!

This is not something entirely new to me. In the very first year of our marriage, I was forced to stop working early due to a car accident resulting in the premature birth of our first child. (I share this story and the harrowing tales of my other two pregnancies in The Mommy Manual. Click here.)

Financial help was short in supply and our own auto insurance company was trying to pin the blame for the accident on us so that they wouldn't have to pay us! (The other driver was a minor who ran the light and smashed into us at high speed totalling our car. It was a miracle Tom and I and our unborn survived.)

The thought of having to live through a time similar to that pulled me down into a dark place--a place I did not want to go. Like David in Psalms, I poured my heart out to my Heavenly Father. I was led to read in I Corinthians beginning in Chapter 9, but kept reading the next chapter. A verse that had been of great encouragement to me in the past was there like an old friend to greet me again~

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV

This verse if powerful once you better understand the word 'temptation'. It was translated from the Greek word peirasmos and means 'trial, proof'. What a promise!

No trial will come upon you that any other person hasn't already gone through. God is faithful and will not allow you to be proved beyond what you can bear and will make a way for you to come up out of the trial, so that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 LOV (Lyn's Own Version)

As I write this, I am remembering two specific things the Lord did for us that difficult year. I received a check for $200 unexpectedly from the State with a note claiming that I had overpaid my taxes. This was the exact amount we were short that month in order to pay the rent! Another incident was that we found groceries sitting outside our apartment door, although we had not told anyone of our plight.

Again, like David, I am thankful to remember how my God is faithful. He has delivered us through the fire before, so I know I can trust Him to come through for us once again.
[Note: The LOV is based on studying the words according to the Young's Analytical Concordance.]

Friday, December 30, 2011

I Am the New Year



I Am the New Year

Author Unknown

I am the new year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.

I am your next chance at the art of living.

I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.

All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it out with more determination.

All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.

All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have~
These slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose.

I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Him who said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

I am the new year.


Friday, December 16, 2011

Christmas--Lost & Found




My sister sent me a Christmas card as usual, but this time she wrote a comment that struck me. "Hey, doesn't this look like something Grandma B. would have sent?" Sure enough the angelic print trimmed in gold resembled the old fashioned Christmas cards our grandmother sent us when she was living.

Lately it has really hit me--the pain of loss many, many folks experience at the holiday season--the loss of loved ones who are no longer with us for various reasons. This year I realized that I have no mother, no father, no grandmothers, and no grandfathers to celebrate the season with. No uncles and no aunts.

Instead of dwelling on the loss, I decided to recall favorite memories, like the one my sister shared with me. I have the old--I mean really old--Christmas songs that my mother would sing to us when we were children like 'Here Comes Suzy Snowflake' and 'Hurrah for Captain Santa Claus'. The words and melody just crop up in me and I begin to sing them no matter where I am or what I am doing. And I have old ornaments and holiday decor. There's the corroding silver ball ornament with my name and birthdate that my Mom painted onto it with red nail polish the first Christmas after I was born. I still remember that my husband's mother gave us the golden-haired angel with the flowing crimson gown.

Our Heavenly Father has a way to redeem all loss. Some losses are redeemed in this earthly lifetime. I was witness to such a thing recently.

I have a sweet neighbor who lost her husband and her long-haired dachshund this past year. My daughter Rachel and I visited her a couple of weeks ago. Knowing how lonely she must feel I asked, "Have you been thinking about getting another dog?"

She smiled and said she had put a few calls into places looking for a small dog but that it was difficult to find one that was not a puppy. She didn't have the strength to train a puppy. "Somehow I think this dog will just come to me," she admitted with a shy grin.

Later that week, Rachel went out to the mailbox and spied a small white dog trotting down the street. The poor thing looked wretched with its matted coat wet from the day's rainfall. "Here, puppy," Rachel coaxed. But the dog scurried away in fear.

Two days later another neighbor called me and told me how she had trapped a small runaway dog and was going to take it to the groomer and the vet. On her way home from the vet, Gloria came by to see me. In her arms was the cutest little dog I have ever seen with red and green plaid bows tied to her ears.

As if reading my mind, Gloria asked, "So who wants her?"

"My daughter Rachel just reminded me that this little dog would be perfect for our neighbor acrossed the street!" I exclaimed and gave her a few details. Gloria's mind was made up when I repeated my neighbor's comment, "And she believes this dog will simply come to her!"

Tears sprung to my eyes as I watched Gloria ring the doorbell to my neighbor's door. "Oh, Mighty Father! How good You are that You would do such a thing to bless this dear woman at this holiday season!"

I decided to wait a couple of days before poking my nose in and seeing how they were doing. "Thank you so much," she said when I called, "And thank Rachel too for thinking of me! I've named the dog Holly." She shared more of Holly's story with me. I was so happy for her...and for Holly!

May yours be a Christmas of Holy Redemption!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

There's No Place Like Home



...Consider the lilies of the field... Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith?Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?... - Matthew 6:28-31 in part KJV

This is one of those nights when I just don't sleep well. I'm not always certain whether it is the Spirit of the Lord waking me or simply the result of 'getting to that age'.

I look around my room and see a picture we never hung and I know there's another one in the finished basement. We don't hang up all our pictures, I think, because we don't feel at home. I don't think I have ever felt at home anywhere on earth. Ever.


This world is not my home

I'm just a passin' through


as the song goes. Oh, Father God, how I long to go Home.

I wait--will He speak comfort to me?

I charge you to go forward, Daughter, fearing nothing. For truly I have a plan for you and truly My word does not fail. The days are dark and will be darker. But I would not have you to fear for I AM is with you. I AM is for you and goes before you. So fear not.

Do I not take care of the lilies of the field and the birds of the air? How much more do I care for you, Daughter! How much more do I care for you!


...But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. - Matthew 6:33 KJV