Wake Up People!

The Tardy God

2012-01-20T03:27:00.000-08:00

I suppose that maybe it is appropriate that I make my first post of the year in the middle of the night. I have had internet access since December 19th, but then it was the holidays and I was busy. A couple times I actually tried to post some things – but I had a really bad attitude, and maybe I still do in a way. I’ve been dying to write a scathing rebuttal to a series of posts one of my ex-friends has been writing about how women should behave and dress from the Word according to him. I think if he spent less time worrying about whether or not a women is wearing a t-shirt with words on it, or if she disagrees with anything he is teaching she is a Jezebel, and more time concentrating on the verse how a man that doesn’t take care of his own house is worse than an unbeliever. Because I think people don’t realize this series of teachings is coming from a man who has been jailed twice for failing to pay his alimony and child support. It’s just easier to make the woman the bad guy – she did eat the fruit first you know.

But then I realized that Love THINKS no EVIL! So this guy should be prayed for mightily, but girls, do not get sucked into his slanted teachings. I’m just warning you for your own good.

I’ve actually had some amazing trials since I’ve been gone. I lost some fair weather friends, among other things. Johnny and I broke up around Thanksgiving, although ironically he called me last night. Let’s see: Nov. Dec. Jan. Yep, it is now a fact that the boy can’t go more than three months without calling me. But as in everything in my life, the Lord was 100% involved in that situation and I’m not entirely convinced that man won’t show up on my front porch when his parole is up. That is also in the Lord’s hands and I learned a lot about unconditional love through out.

I’m going through a trial at the moment. One in which, as usual, I am waiting. The news I am waiting on could literally change my very life. I was talking to my mom on the phone and she said, “Remember, God is NEVER late.” Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I said, “Chapter and verse on that one. It doesn’t say anywhere that God is never late, that is just a tradition.” I have since thought about it over and over. Not only is God late, He is habitually late. He is so late, in fact, that He has made waiting for Him an active part of our relationship with Him.

Abraham was already an old man when God promised him a son. He had to wait TWENTY-FIVE YEARS before he saw that promise come to pass. 25 years is a disgustingly long time for anyone to wait. No wonder Abraham went about trying to get the promise to get here faster and ended up with an Ishmael. He got sick of waiting, and I mean sick in the literal sense. He and Sarah had literally given up hope that the promise was going to come. That is why Sarah laughed. They had waited so long that they probably figured that maybe that promise was somehow allegorical and not literal, because they were way too old now.

It is almost a standing joke here now, how I am waiting on the Lord. Even the fortune cookie at the Chinese restaurant the other night said, “Good things come to those who wait, Be Patient.” We all laughed, but there was a part of me that is afraid, that I will be an old woman before the things the Lord has promised me will come to pass. I had quite a rude awakening when I first realized that the Lord was late in my life, when I lost hope. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. That is so true. Maybe it is because I have a birthday coming up. 45 didn’t really seem so old, but 46! Eww.

The good thing is, now I know. The Lord is breaking the traditions I am holding in my mind and the idea of Him never being late is one of them. I guess it is better to know. One thing I do know, someday, all this will be behind us, He will wipe away every tear from our eyes and the former things will be passed away. Unfortunately for me, in this age of microwaves and Androids, of instant gratification, the waiting is killing me. All things work for good, and patience is part of the learning curve that makes us over-comers. I think at one point I told the Lord I was no longer interested in being an over-comer, but I don’t think that changed His mind.

So in the meantime, as always, I wait.

Lots of love and patience my friends!
Linda

A moment of internet access!

2011-10-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

I am at my aunt's house with my computer so this is the first time that I have been able to post to my blog. The Lord is showering me with physical blesssings so much that I can hardly contain it. My job is going well and my one boss brought me amazing burgundy leather living furniture. I just found out on Friday that a different boss is giving me a bedroom set - so slowly but surely my house is getting set up.

I am still hoping to have internet access at home sometime in November - so thanks for hanging with me.

the Lord is mightly to bless and take care of all of our needs. Thanks for your prayers and I will hope to post a real post soon.

lots of love!
Linda

The Little Yellow House

2011-09-27T05:11:00.000-07:00

I was able to rent the little yellow house last night. Isn't it cute? I don't have any furniture - and it may be awhile before I have any, but the Lord will make sure I have what I need, He always does. So I may be moving in here and there until this weekend when I officially stop living at my cousin's house. I do not know yet if I will have internet access so I will check in when I can, it may be November before I can afford to get internet at my house if I can't find some wifi to jump onto. So I may be offline for several weeks, but I could use a bit of a break as well. I will post again soon.

lots of love!
Linda

Ode to Johnny

2011-09-26T05:17:00.001-07:00

Ode to Johnny

sleep escapes me
my eyes are closed
i try to remember
a kiss stolen
when i wasn't ready
oh how i wish
i could turn back time

i can see you
in my mind
lying on a picnic table
black shades and
big smile
johnny come lately
the park where we met

a fire is burning
inside my chest
i am afraid
for the world
earthquakes and eruptions
should we ever be allowed
to kiss again

take heart my johnny
the time is coming soon
i will bring colors back
with me to ontario
when we are together
i pray the lord
my johnny to keep

it is quiet now
i am breathing in
breathing out
waiting for you
when the door is opened
i want to put my finger
on your tattoo

- by Linda Stevenson

For Dips and Others

2011-09-25T07:41:00.001-07:00

Saw this sign yesterday and my aunt was kind enough to pull over so I could take this picture. We went to see apartments yesterday. The first apartment was a studio for $485. The outside of the building had paint peeling off and the hallway carpeting was all ripped up. My aunt whispered, "slumlord" as she indicated that she was not going to bother going up 3 flights of stairs to see this apartment.

She was right not to make the effort because it was pretty much awfulness personified. The kitchen was a joke with a tiny stove shoved into a corner on a diagonal and a HUGE utility sink with no place to stack dishes. I pretty much decided against seeing any other apartments this realty company had to offer after that.

There was another apartment that was furnished for $600 - $550 if you don't smoke - which I don't. We went to see that one, but it also was pretty bad. But it did have furniture and I thought that if I got some sheets to cover the furniture and the little bed that I might be able to live there since it was only three blocks from the hospital. The urgency of the situation was getting the better of me.

My aunt thought the place smelt like pee.

I couldn't smell anything.

She said I wouldnt feel safe around all the drunks and possible meth addicts and downright icky people that might be living there.

I didn't feel unsafe, I thought I could live there until I got a car and could move somewhere else.

My aunt finally got exasperated with my making excuses for the dive and said, No Linda! The Lord did not give you this great job so that you could live in an awful apartment with furniture that WHO KNOWS WHAT! has taken place on! or BUGS! The Lord has something else in mind for you and you will just have to be patient about it.

We drove around for another hour looking to see if there were signs in the windows, we got some numbers and made some calls but just got machines, so we called it a day and went back to her house for BLT's.

She dropped me off at my cousins early in the afternoon. My cousin wanted to go drive around some more and look around some more so we did. Strangely we drove right past this sign again and saw a house that had a sign for rent in the window. When I called the number the answering machine message said that they had an apartment for show around the corner that was $750 a month with a $500 deposit. So we drove around the corner and here was the CUTEST! little yellow house. The door was unlocked so we went inside.

It was huge! It was the top level of a house that was converted into an apartment with another apartment in the basement. But it had a huge bedroom and a huge livingroom/dining room and a huge kitchen. Plus it was all vintage looking with arches for doorways and little recessed mirrors in the living room, and hardwood floors throughout. I loved it! So did my cousin and she said that she would pull the $750 out of her savings and let me borrow it to pay the rent until I get paid again on the 7th. The message said to fill out an application and leave it on the kitchen counter. Well there were no applications except mine. I said, I think I'm getting this house. My cousin said, I think so too, this one or the first one - we will have to look at that one too. So we have been praying about it and we are going to pray again today when we all get together for prayer. This house is 4 blocks away from the hospital.

The Lord is mighty to take care of the details in my life and He will find just the right place for me. Thank you for all your prayers!

Lots of love
Linda

And now for something completely different...

2011-09-24T08:18:00.001-07:00

TGIF

2011-09-23T03:19:00.001-07:00

Wow. Where did the week go? Both the apartments I looked at got rented by people other than myself. Which is ok. I got paid today so I was unable to rent them anyway - and they both had some ghetto type issues to them. But the Lord is big. I mean REALLY big and if He brings me a good apartment the way He brought me a good job, I will be truly set. My cousin's new husband is moving his son in Oct 1st so the big hint is that I need to be out of here by then although the words are, "I don't want you to feel rushed..."

Right. I don't want you to feel rushed but if you could get out of here as soon as possible that would be great. Oh well, I never wanted to move in here in the first place, but was sortof forced to at the time. Pressure is what turns coal into diamonds my friends. So I should be a veritable ROCK by the time this is over.

I almost cried at my job yesterday morning. The girl who is supposed to be training me is deliberately NOT training me so once again, I am at a job where, having been thrown to the sharks, will either sink or swim. Thanks, I prefer to swim and Thank God for my ability to figure things out. My work and the quality of my work will prove me in the end. But I did go to the bathroom and pray that the Lord would take all the pressure off me and make it so that I didn't cry. My eyes watered, but no actual tears fell. Thank God. This is the type of stuff that makes me hate working in the secular realm. Yet, this is where the Lord has placed me for a season so Sie La Vie.

Thank you for all your prayers. Please pray for me to get into a decent apartment soon.

Lots of love!
Linda

stuff

2011-09-19T04:02:00.000-07:00

There is alot going on in my life. I really love my new job, but I've been starting around 7am and going until 5:30pm or so due to the fact that I do not have a car and so must work around my cousin's schedule.

I was discussing the idea that if I wanted to get a car and also go see Johnny for Thanksgiving - taking into account the amount of paychecks I have between here and there - I was not sure if I would be able to move out until January.

My cousin's husband said, "JANUARY!!" and gave me the dirtiest look, so I decided that the apartment would have to take precedent over a car. I looked in the paper and there is actually an apartment available two blocks away from the hospital for $500 a month. If they were to allow me to pay the deposit in later paychecks, I could possibly move into the apartment on Oct 1st. I would have no furniture for a while and would probably have to eat at the hospital cafeteria for a couple weeks, but the location and rent is perfect and I could walk to work and for-go getting a car until I had saved up some money.

The Lord's timing is perfect, so He will open the doors for this apartment if it is His will. In the mean time, blog posting may be sketchy for a while.

Please pray for me my friends,
love in Christ
Linda

New World Next Week

2011-09-16T04:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys...

2011-09-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

My new job is really awesome and really exhausting - so it's pretty much been work and sleep for me this week. I will hopefully be able to post again soon.

love in Christ
Linda

The Kingdom of Heaven Part 1

2011-09-13T05:31:00.001-07:00

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matt 5:3

The word blessed in the above verse is an adjective that really means happy. The word poor is the Greek word Ptochos which means poor, needy, beggar. According to Thayer’s Lexicon it means, “one who slinks and crouches, often involving the idea of roving around in wretchedness.” Roving around in wretchedness – wow! It goes on to say, “but it always had a bad sense until it was ennobled by the Gospels.” So it was always considered bad to be poor, until it was cool.

So in other words, “Happy is the poor and wretched and lacking in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

It’s a contrast to those rich men that will find it hard to get into the kingdom of heaven:

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Matt 19:23-24.

We need to look at this spiritually and not carnally. It is not really talking about wealth, although that is a part of it. The rich man, believes in his wealth and believes in the carnal world around him and cannot see spiritual things. The rich man, as noted by the rich young ruler who went away sorrowing in Matt 19:22, was unwilling to get rid of his possessions in order to really follow Jesus. Sometimes it is required to get rid of your possessions so that you can clearly see spiritual things from the Lord – but many people in the bible were rich, like Joseph of Arimethia, Abraham and Job. It’s not so much riches and wealth – but what they represent.

The reason it is so hard for a wealthy person to understand the things of God is that they believe that their wealth and their possessions are what brings happiness and understanding. They cannot see past that in order to see spiritual truths. The poor in spirit, those walking around aware of their wretchedness – they are seeking spiritual truths and they won’t let anything from the carnal realm stop them. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven, because the kingdom of heaven is available to all who will follow Christ and who seek after spiritual truths.

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs IS the kingdom of heaven.

There is more to the Kingdom of Heaven, but that is all I have time for today.

Love in Christ
Linda

The Heavens Were Opened

2011-09-12T04:47:00.000-07:00

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:16-17

The above verses do not say that the clouds were opened and some sunlight shown down on Jesus. It says that the heavens were opened unto him, as in REVELATION! I never got that before because traditionally, like an old Renaissance painting, I always pictured that verse as saying the sky opened and the clouds parted and a little dove flew down. But this was a vision that Jesus was having, and the revelation of what the heavens really mean was revealed to him, and his understanding was opened. After that, Jesus began to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven.

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4:17

The Words Jesus spoke were Spirit and they were Life.

Anyway, just a little nugget to chew on for now. The concept of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God is so vast, that I have only begun to understand the depth of it.

I start my new job today. Please pray for me!
Love in Christ
Linda

It Is What It Is

2011-09-11T08:07:00.001-07:00

There is a certain relationship in my life that does not make any sense to me at times. I have tried to end it on numerous occasions and the other person has tried to end it, yet somehow, we are still friends. My friendship with this person has been a constant up and down struggle and I have asked the Lord why it continues and what purpose it serves. Is there a future? Will it end? Why is it still going on?

"It is what it is" was the answer I got.

The more I thought about that, the more profound it seemed to me. It is what it is actually explains a LOT about this life. So many things do not make sense, so many questions seem to not have an answer. But if I just accept it - whatever that may be - as it is - as it presents itself to me - then that in itself is the answer.

That is also how I can look at people sometimes. They are who they are. I can only accept them, right where they are, and who they are and love them where they are. Should I think, in my infinite wisdom that that particular person needs changing - well, I'm welcome to pray for them, but ultimately, I need to love and accept that person for who they are and where they are at, at that moment in time. No more, no less.

My life is what it is. Where the Lord has me at this moment is what it is. What the future holds cannot be found out today no matter what I do, or think, or struggle with. Because even the future is what it is. It will be revealed soon enough.

Please pray for me tomorrow as I start my new job.
Love in Christ!
Linda

New World Next Week

2011-09-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

Loving Strangers

2011-09-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

I went to my new HR department at the hospital where I will be working. I filled out all the forms to be employed in the United States, W-4 and I-9 and others. I was told that I needed to bring my shot records. I know that I last saw my shot records back in Oregon. I have been carting them around in my "important papers" file for years and years, yet it was not in my important papers file that I have here. So I actually think that sometime back in Oregon when I was cleaning out the file and tossing old federal tax forms etc, that I looked at that shot record and concluded that since no-one has asked me for it in 20 years and since I highly doubt I will be taking any vaccines anytime soon, that I can just toss it. That sounds like me and yes, I am an idiot.

I spent the afternoon meeting people and everyone I met, seemed very important to me. It's kind of a new experience for me since before I was NEVER a people person. But now that I am endeavoring to love the people that I meet, the people that I meet seem WAY more interesting than ever before.

I had to go to another company in order to get drug-tested. The guy who drug tested me was tall and bald and had a tattoo on his arm. His eyes were dark blue. He said he knew where Sherwood and Tigard and Portland were and that he knew this guy named Garcia there. I said, "Ed?, that was killed in the military a few years back?" He looked at me with a big grin and shock and said, "Yeah!" So we talked about the rain and landmarks and how it totally sucks you can't get Tillamook Ice Cream out here in Casper. I asked him what his name is and it is Alan. It was like we were already friends. He said maybe he would see me around. I said, yeah, cuz it seems like a small world today!

The nurse that helped take my health evaluation was named Peggy and she also had blue eyes and was very intense and very nice. Since I don't have any shot records, (I told Peggy that I must have lost them in the move and not that I may have deliberately tossed them. It's not really lying because I can't remember deliberately tossing them, I just think that's what I may have done) they were going to just take some blood and check them for antibodies. They have mandatory flu shots here but she told me that they pay extra so that their shots are mercury and themerisol free. Good to know.

I explained to the two men in the lab that my little veins like to collapse the minute anyone thinks about poking me with a needle. I may have intimidated the new guy but the other guy wasn't afraid and actually got some blood first time out. Normally they have to poke me three or four times before they get blood out of me. I had a healthy respect for the lab guys now.

So that was all for today. I am to go back at 7:45am on Monday the 12th for my badge and my TB test. I will actually be starting the new position that day after lunch and will do the rest of my orientation on the 19th and 20th because they are desperate to get me in there and trained. I'm excited. I'm really looking forward to all the people I am going to be able to meet. I am looking forward to making friends and I know that the Lord will place people in my life for refining and His purposes.

You know what? Loving people is not as hard as I thought it might be. I think I am really going to be good at this! : )

love in Christ
Linda

5 am

2011-09-06T04:05:00.001-07:00

I am getting up early this week to test my morning routine before I actually start work next week. My cousin leaves for the hospital at 6:45 so she can be to work by 7am, but my schedule will be 8-5. So until I get a car of my own, I will have to try to work within this schedule. I am still trying to walk, do my exercises and practice my guitar and shower all before I have to leave the house. My cousin asked why I don't just do it after work. It's because I know myself, I won't do it at the end of the day.

So as it stands right now here is my morning schedule:

3am - phone alarm goes off and I snooze it until:
3:30-4:15 - read the bible and do my journaling
4:15-4:30 - check email
4:30-5:00 - practice guitar
5:00-5:15 - online
5:15-6:00 - walk and do exercises
6:00-6:15 - online - eat oatmeal
6:15-6:45 - shower and get ready
6:45 - leave for work with my cousin

Now this schedule will be adjusted once I get my own car and then also, my cousin tells me that they give a 20% discount to hospital employees at the local athletic club. There is a really nice athletic club close by that has both an indoor track and a pool, so once I get settled in I can join it and then do all my exercises straight after work, or something like that. I like the idea of maybe taking some water aerobics classes. I am still hoping to lose weight while I'm here. I have lost close to 10 pounds so far, but that also means I need to make sure I get my exercising in.

Ok - that's my 15 minutes online. Now for my walk.

have a good day!
love in Christ
Linda

Loaf N Jug

2011-09-05T07:22:00.000-07:00

Now that Casper Wyoming and I are going to be such good friends, I thought I would post about one of my favorite places here. Yep. The Loaf N Jug. Although we have similar venues out there in Oregon, the Loaf N Jug is a staple of life in the mid-west.

I did an extensive search of scriptures and found that it is NOT a sin to have a 44oz. fountain drink of diet pepsi from the Loaf N Jug so I usually try to indulge at least once a day, sometimes twice. It is $1.49 for an original, but if you save your cup you can get a refill for only $.76. Ahh, the small pleasures of life.

I finally got the last $500 from the sale of my van. The Lord was working on an extreme series of events that kept me from actually receiving the money for over a month, just in case I would have already purchased a bus ticket back to Portland. As it was, I got it just in time to buy some nice clothes for my new job.

My aunt and I had a coupon for $20 off of $100 from J.C.Penny's so we went shopping yesterday. We walked into the shoe section and I saw a FABULOUS pair of black leather boots that were not only extremely cute, but would be very functional for me to wear to my new job during the winter. They were originally $90 on sale for $50. I went to ask the saleslady if they had size 9. Nope they were all out of any sizes higher than 8. My aunt said, "you can order them." I said, "No, I think the Lord is telling me not to get them." We went and paid for the clothes I was buying and at the end of the transaction, the saleslady handed me a coupon for $10 off my next purchase of shoes! So my aunt said, "that means you have to go order those boots!" So I ordered the boots and got them for $40. God really is good my friends.

I broke the news to Johnny that I got the job. He congratulated me but he was pretty quiet and I know that deep down he felt disappointed, just like I did as far as this part. Because that means it will be at least 6 months if not longer before I can see him. But that is in the Lord's hands. It is the Lord that is keeping us apart at the moment because the Lord knows that at this moment in time, Johnny and I are such horn dogs that we would be unable to contain ourselves should we ever be allowed to be in the same room with each other. Sorry, but it is the truth of the matter. There are no accidents and I believe the Lord is working something out there and by the time we do finally get to see each other, we will hopefully be more calmed down. Anyway, I am really trusting the Lord on that part. We shall see.

I am so thankful about this job and my aunt has been using it as a testimony to how amazing the Lord is at all the different churches we have been going to. I mean - this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and the Lord is really showing that He has a purpose for me here beyond moving my aunt after all. I go in to fill out paperwork on Wednesday and then officially start the job on the 12th. I am getting up early this week to get my body used to having to be somewhere at 7:30am again. I am trying to work out how I'm still going to get my exercise and practice my guitar, but I'm sure I will come up with a solution somehow.

The Lord is showing me extremely meaty amazing things about heaven and the concept of heaven, but so far, I have not really been released to write about it. When I try to write a blog post I sit with a Word document open and the title written and stare at a blank page. So I am waiting on the inspiration from the Lord and what He would have me write about it, and it may end up being a mult-part post. But in the meantime, I feel such peace and joy, just finally having some answers and direction in my life, you have no idea.

I'll keep you posted my friends!
Love in Christ
Linda

A Future and A Hope - God is Good

2011-09-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

Everyday since my job interview last Friday I have woken up with a different idea on what the future held for me. One day I would wake up and say - I'm not getting that job, the Lord probably wants me to go back to the rain and the traffic and I can get a job out there in Portland. The next day I would think - well if I go to Ontario Oregon and see Johnny then it is more deserty and maybe the Lord will open up a door there for me. This morning I wake up and think, it would just be better for me to get that job and get an apartment and a car and save up some money and go visit Johnny and get my teeth fixed and make some friends. Thy will be done.

I just got the call. I am the new Executive Secretary to the CFO of one of the top hospitals in the state of Wyoming. I will be making $44,000 a year which is more money than I have ever made in my life. The Lords plans for me ARE good, and He is paving the way for me to have a FUTURE and a HOPE! This is abundantly above what I could ask or even think and I am so very thankful to my Father at the moment.

The process that the Lord has been taking me through was to get me to the point where my heart was ready to recieve good things. I was so used to the "afflicted path" that I had no joy, I was so used to the "suffering" that I was unable to believe that there was any good coming in the future - even though I clung to that Jer 29:11 and the promise that the plans of the Father for me were good. Boy howdy, Good is an understatement. Excellent and blowing my mind are more like it.

Thanks Father, for your promises and sweet care of my life!
love in Christ
Linda

The Legalism Beyond Legalism

2011-09-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

As I sit at the center of the multi-directional fork in the road, I reflect upon what the Father has been working on in me since I came to Casper Wyoming. People who are under the law – cannot see that they are under the law. Legalism is a dirty word and no one wants to be labeled a Pharisee. When I was under the law, I pointed my finger at the Seventh Day Adventists because they believed that the Sabbath was on Saturday and therefore they did no work from sun-down Friday night to sun-down Saturday night. They also STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that you don’t eat meat. To me, they were under the law.

When I was under the law, I pointed my fingers at the Catholics because they were the leading examples of idolatry outside of the Hindu religion. O how I loved to point my finger at “others”. That is a favorite pastime of someone under the law. How do I know I was under the law? I didn’t. Not until the Lord began to show me the difference between being under the law and being truly free born in Christ.

I thought that I had been delivered from the law, until I was confronted with the manifestation of speaking in tongues in a different way then I had been taught. Because my mindset on speaking in tongues was so set in stone, it was probably the hardest thing I have yet to overcome in this spiritual journey. To allow someone the opportunity to speak in tongues (with or without interpretation), to worship the Father in spirit and in truth, the way that person was being led to operate was a milestone for me. I had a one-way in which to operate speaking in tongues mindset that had to literally be dismantled in me, in order to see that the Lord is not legalistic in that manner either.

O I know that a case could be made from scriptures to do it this way, or to do it that way – and depending on which way you interpret it from the scriptures, you can be a Pentacostal or a Baptist or a Charismatic. It is all the various ways in which scriptures can be interpreted that cause all the divisions in the body of Christ. It’s not the scriptures fault, of course. I don’t know that there is a remedy for that, in which all the Christians in all the denominations will suddenly come to agreement and unity and put away their differences.

Then of course, there is hell. What happens after you die? You go to heaven or hell right?

Wrong.

After you die, you lie in the grave until you are resurrected.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. Ecc. 9:10

That is why death is called sleep in the New Testament, because it is like sleeping.

These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. John 11:11-14

The Voice of the Lord

2011-08-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

When my cousin's daughter (who is 9 years old) wanted to get baptized, she asked her parents what they thought about the decision. My cousin and her husband told the girl to pray about it and see what the Lord said about it. So she prayed about it and she felt the Lord said ok to being baptized.

The pastor asked the girl - "What did the voice of the Lord sound like?"

She said, "I don't know - but it was CLEAR"

I thought that was a wonderful answer.

Waiting for the Clear Voice of the Lord -
Lots of love
Linda

Moving Day

2011-08-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday was moving day. There were about 12 of us, including 4 strong men with a truck and trailer who moved the heavy furniture. It went fast. We started at 9am and were done and eating sandwiches by noon and everything was moved into the new apartment. My two cousins and I stayed until 4 and helped unpack all the boxes and find places for my aunt's stuff. We were totally wiped out when we were done.

I woke up with muscle spasms in my lower back yesterday. I prayed for healing and for those muscles to relax. My aunt and cousins and I all went to church because my little niece was getting baptized and then we all went out to eat. My aunt said, "Since I have to work this week, you want to come over to the old apartment on Wednesday and clean it for me and I will pay you?" I said, "Can we do it on Monday instead? Maybe I will be starting my new job on Wednesday?" My cousin got a big grin on her face and said, "Yeah! We are believing that she is going to get that job."

So later today I'm going over to clean my aunt's old apartment, even though I am still having painful muscle spasms. I will just have to do the best I can.

These muscle spasms kind of remind me of some of the things I have been going through lately. Just because it hurts, doesn't mean I can stop and take it easy. The things that need to get done, still need to get done. I'm still at a crossroads in my life and no amount of crying and praying is going to really be able to change the outcome. If it is the Lord's will for me to return to Oregon, then that is where I will go, and if it is His will that I stay here - than I will stay here. But I'm surprised that I still have trust issues. I am surprised that after all this time, I still don't trust that where I am - and where I am going to be is the Lord's will and that He is in control. I am horrified to admit that a part of me still believes that if it is the Lord's will for me - that somehow that means it is going to suck.

Somedays I actually think I am crying because I am mourning the loss of the illusion that I have some control over my life. I have no control over my life and that fact has been so obvious to me, especially the last couple days. I was resigned to go back to Oregon - almost looking forward to it - when this job interview came out of nowhere. Every time I had a job interview before, and didn't get the job, we said, "Well the Lord has something better in mind for you." Now I think, there is NO better job for me in this state but this job. Now I feel like I almost HAVE to get this job, because if I don't, then what was the whole point of the interview in the first place - for another hope deferred? That would suck! It would have been better for me to go back to Oregon without this stupid job interview to get my hopes all up.

But I don't know yet if I'm going back to Oregon or if I'm getting that job and staying here and let me tell you - the suspence is KILLING ME! Then there is another part of me that doesn't even want to post about these things on this blog. Maybe I am mourning the loss of being a know-it-all legalist with an answer for everything and a good rant about all those blind guides out there. Even the false prophets out there that I spent such an enourmous amount of blog space pointing my fingers at - now I just feel sorry for them as they wait for comet elinin to come destroy the earth or that the yellowstone caldera will blow or the new madrid earthquake will come and God's supposed judgement will finally have happened - even they will be saved and we have to love them too. Because deep down, I'm a better fighter than a lover.

Yet, I am a member of the body of Christ. Am I an eye? A nose? A big toe? I don't know. What is my purpose and where am I suppose to be? Why - right where the Lord has me - that is where. I'm here in Casper and I have helped the people here. If the Lord sends me back to Oregon - then I will help people there and if He has me stay here and work a real job for a season - does that mean my journey is over? That what purpose my life had will be changed - and I will just be a regular non-special egyptian again? I think not.

Some days there is no deep revelation and insight into spiritual matters. Some days it is about cleaning the toilet and vacuuming and wondering if the boy I love, loves me back. Some days it is about lonliness and heartache and somedays it is about cute bunnies and joy in the Lord. Oh how I wish I really trusted the Lord, so that no matter where I am or what I am doing, I am content and super spiritual and every word that comes out of my mouth is grace and salt and light. O how I wish I was that girl. Somedays I wish I really knew how to end one of these blog posts. Somedays I guess I just have to stop typing and push "publish post"

love in Christ
Linda

Crack O Dawn Report - Martin Zender

2011-08-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

I am so

2011-08-26T12:55:00.001-07:00

getting this job! I'll find out for sure next week!

Where the Wind Blows

2011-08-25T11:31:00.001-07:00

Every day is an exciting adventure in this journey we call life. Plot twists and turns and from one minute to the next – we do not know what the future will bring:

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. John 3:8

The word for wind in that verse is pnuema – the same word for spirit.

Last May, while I was in Greybull, Wyoming with my parents, the Lord began to put on my aunt’s heart to look into moving to Greybull to be near my grandparents. She had a job interview with the local counseling center – a possible position in her field had opened up – and also found a great downstairs apartment for only $450 a month. The idea that I could stay and help her move was put on both our hearts. It all seemed like the leading of the Lord.

The job and the idea of moving to Greybull all fizzled, so then we knew that the Lord had not opened doors there like we thought. Yet, a door was opened there. The door for me to come out here to Wyoming to help my aunt was still open. But now I would be helping her move in Casper and not up to Greybull like we had originally thought.

The first place my aunt looked into was a mobile home for sale for $45,000. My aunt really loved it and thought that maybe it would be better to buy rather than rent. This mobile home was located in a senior park and the owner was willing to work with her. As she made some phone calls for financing, one of the people who worked at the bank said that his sister owned a mobile home at that same park for only $36,000. So we went to see this new mobile home. It was much nicer than the first one, and less expensive so she decided that maybe the Lord was leading her to get this one. We were praying daily that we could know the Lord’s will, that He would open doors and close doors. She was able to find a lending company that would lend for the purchase of a mobile home. Everything seemed like it was a go from the Lord, so she put an offer on the mobile home for the asking price $36,000.

But strangely, the people selling the home rejected her offer, and we were back to square one. Continuing to pray, we looked at other mobile homes, but my aunt was now less inclined to buy since the mobile home parks had a lot of control issues, and she wanted to have more freedom. She began to look into apartments. We went to see a few and then there was one that seemed perfect for her, except that the landlady knew everyone’s business at that complex and had mentioned to my aunt, “If you need to babysit your grandkids, maybe you could do it at their house.” It still seemed to my aunt that it was the Lord so she decided to meet with the landlady to give her a check for the deposit and sign the lease.

Yet, when my aunt got there, deposit in hand, she had such a check in her spirit, that she started to cry. She told the landlady that she was not able to make a decision at that moment. In the car, on the way home, my aunt was crying and seeking the Lord and saying, “Lord! What is wrong with me? What is your will, why is this happening?” Three days later, around the corner from that apartment, was an identical apartment owned by a different landlady for $25 less a month, plus they paid all the utilities, plus it had an attached garage. That was the apartment that the Lord had really opened up for her that was, by far, the best of all the situations that had presented themselves before then. Every step of the way seemed like the right one to us, yet the Lord had other ideas. When all was said and done, the Lord found the perfect situation and He ordered our steps, although it was a believing process, and spiritual lessons were learned along the way.

I am once again at a crossroads. So far I have been on 7 job interviews with no job offers. Some of those jobs seemed like they would be perfect for me, but then I did not get the job. I began to think that maybe the Lord was showing me that I should move back to Oregon. In fact, there seemed to be so much evidence (or seemingly confirmations) that I called my parents and told them that I was considering moving back. I am waiting on this check from my son for the van. It was literally supposed to be here a month ago, but it has been stalled for one reason or another. I could use that check to buy a bus ticket back home and also to mail some boxes back. Every thing seemed like a go from the Lord, that my work of helping my aunt move would be complete in a couple weeks so I was considering buying a bus ticket so that I would be heading back to Oregon on September 15th. It all seemed like the Lord’s will, that is, until yesterday.

Yesterday, I got a call from the hospital here in town. I had applied for an Executive Secretary to the CFO position there and they wanted me to come in for an interview. I was completely surprised of even getting an interview and the job pays $40,000 a year. Not that money sways me, because it doesn’t, but I do have some needs at the moment that cost money, a car, quite a bit of expensive dental work that needs to be done, among other things.

So literally, it could go either way. The Lord will either open a door here in Casper and I will get this job, or He will open doors for me to head back to Oregon and I will have opportunities out there. The amazing thing is – I’m ok either way, because I know now, probably even more so than before, that the Lord is going to take care of me either way. I won’t know if I will have a job offer for at least a couple weeks. We will continue to pray for the Lord’s will to be done, and that the Lord will open doors for me and let me know where I am to go next. In the meantime, I am content. The Lord has shown me time and time again that His plans for me are good, that He is going to give me a future and a hope.

Where that will be – only the Spirit knows.

Lots of love in Christ
Linda

Being in the Moment

2011-08-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

My phone alarm goes off at 4:30am. I hit the snooze so I can stay in that awesome dream I am having. I talk to the Lord about the coming day, that I can know His will for me and that I have the energy to carry it out. I pray for the people in my life and I pray for Johnny, who seems to be on my heart and mind a lot these days.

The alarm goes off again and I get up and walk upstairs to let the dogs out. I guess one of them (probably Sweetie) couldn’t wait until 5am and pooped in the mudroom. Grr. Oh well, I clean it up.

I let the dogs out into the back yard. I put food in their dishes. Misty comes in through the doggie door, she is a long-hair wiener dog, who is black. Sweetie is a long-hair wiener dog too, but she is multi-colored. Sweetie is also old and blind and has snot running out of her nose all the time. Gross. I give her a little pill wrapped up in a doggie treat. Misty gets a treat too so she isn’t jealous. I am watching the dogs and my cousin’s house for her this week while her and her new husband go to Texas for their honeymoon.

I make coffee for the first time in this coffee maker. I guess I didn’t put the pot all the way in because coffee went everywhere and so did the grinds. I clean it up and put it in the trash can. Later, I bump into that trash can and it falls over spilling coffee grounds all over the floor! I clean that up too.

I get my mp3 player on and my running shoes and go out for my daily walk. I have scoped out a nice walking route that takes 20 minutes to do. I’ll walk it again later so that I get in 40 minutes of walking a day. I am listening to Gary Siglar do a teaching, but sometimes I listen to Russ Dizdar or Chris White. There are wild bunnies hopping around people’s yards here. You never see wild bunnies in neighborhoods in Oregon – just out in the boonies. I saw 4 different bunnies today. They are so cute.

People’s sprinklers are making tiny rainbows as they water the lawn. It reminds me of how the Father always takes such good care of me, and that I need to remember to be thankful and to be in the moment. The future will come and the Father will take care of that too.

Later, I hear thunder and I take a blanket out onto the front porch and watch a spectacular lighting show. I see the flash of lightning and then I count, one one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand, four – then I hear the thunder. Wow, a close one. I really wish they had great storms like this in Oregon. The storm takes about 45 minutes to go over head and then it goes away and you start to see blue sky again. So weird.

I am enjoying this time alone in a beautiful house, but I feel the winds of change again on the horizon. The Lord is planning another move for me again. I will tell you more about that soon, but for now, I am thankful for the beauty of every moment and I know the Father has good plans for me, where ever I am.

Take time to enjoy the little blessings in your lives. Pray for the people in your life and walk in newness of spirit. The Lord is in control of EVERYTHING – and we just have to trust Him.

Lots of love!
Linda

New World Next Week

2011-08-20T08:50:00.000-07:00

North Casper

2011-08-18T15:12:00.001-07:00

I’ve been living in North Casper for the last month and a half. It is the bad part of town or as the locals call it: ghetto. There are leash laws here, but in this part of town, people let their dogs roam free. I have encountered more than one on my daily walks.

A couple weeks ago, some teenaged boys who live a block or so away from here, spent the evening doing drugs and breaking into cars. One boy was 17 and one boy was 16 and they were best friends. In one of the cars they broke into, they found a loaded handgun. Later at one of their houses, goofing off and being stupid boys, the 17 year old accidentally shot the 16 year old, killing him instantly. Now this boy will probably face being in prison for the rest of his life. Horrible and tragic and when I saw this young boys picture in the paper, I just started crying and praying for him. One life over, one life forever changed. God, how much I hate this stupid evil world sometimes.

Thankfully, today is my last day in North Casper. My cousin is picking me up in a couple hours to take me back to her house in East Casper, where the dogs stay in their respective back yards and there isn’t meth houses next door with paint peeling off of them. My aunt will be moving to East Casper next weekend.

I’m trusting the Lord for my daily provision and I know that every day – where He has me is where I am supposed to be. I’ve been applying for jobs and I have had 7 interviews but no job offers. I am praying that if it is His will for me to get a job, He will open doors. I signed up with a temp agency, but I’m not so sure I’m supposed to have a secular job just yet. My lots of job interviews keeps my aunt happy, and we have been praying for the Lord’s will – so that is all I can do for now. As I said on a comment recently, my ability to predict the future is at an all time low. I understand now, that it doesn’t matter yet, if I am to stay in Casper for a season, or go to Ontario, or anything. Today, I am going to my cousins house to house sit for a week and help my aunt move during that time and that is all the future I need to know about. The future will come and bring with it more adventures and more uncertainty.

But there is no uncertainly with the Father. My life is in His hands and I am in His will because this is all of His will that He has revealed to me. I can rest in the knowledge that when it is His will that I move again or get a job or a car or an apartment – then He will reveal those things to me at that time. I will just live in Today knowing the Father is always with me and has good plans for me.

Today, I am walking in newness of life and the newness of the spirit and not the oldness of the letter (Rom 6:4, Rom 7:6) I am right where the Father wants me to be.

Love you all!
Linda

Just checking in

2011-08-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to get on real quick to let you all know that I am super busy at the moment. I am moving in at my cousins house on Friday because I will be housesitting for her next week as she goes to Texas, but I will also help my aunt move into her new apartment - so we just decided that I would move in with my cousin until I can get my own apartment. My life is in the hand of the Father, so we are trusting Him for my provisions.

So I will be blogging when I can. Hopefully soon.

love you all!
LLinda

God is Sovereign

2011-08-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

A close friend sent me an email this morning. She told me she was tired and didn't think she could go on anymore and then I was unable to get a response back. It may be too soon to tell, but I am very concerned that my friend may have done something drastic. But, I don't know where she lives. Only the state and that particular state happens to be pretty big. Probably takes a couple days to drive from one end to the other.

Pray for my friend. My friend is in a very bad place and the adversary is trying to convince her that it is not worth going on. But that is a lie. God has a plan for each and everyone one of you and you are the image of God. Never let anyone tell you different. So please pray that my friend is just offline for a while and not something more. Also, take the time today to find out where your internet friends live - like city and state and not just state.

Thanks for praying
love in Christ
Linda

Martin Zender - Crack O Dawn Report

2011-08-13T07:13:00.001-07:00

Mercy is Better than Judgment

2011-08-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

There was a blog the other day that I was reading. The man who writes the blog considers himself a minister of God. He met a man that he believed was mocking God and when the man asked the minister to pray for him, he refused, believing that this man was not deserving of prayer because of his ungodly attitude. I was heartbroken when I read that.

The fact that the man asked this minster to pray for him at all, shows that he at least acknowledges the fact that he needs prayer and the Lord. The Lord has chosen US, his sons and daughters to be the ones who show the lost who God is. Unfortunately for that man, the God he was shown was one who looks on the outward appearances and attitudes and condemns them, and forever separates Himself from that lost sinner.

But that is NOT who the true God is. The true God would have mercy on that poor lost man, who knows ONLY what the world has taught him. The true God would love the sinner and especially those that oppose themselves in their ignorance. The true God would have had mercy on that poor man, and said, "God loves you, even if you don't know it or appreciate it." God would forgive that man seventy times seven times, or so many times it would be beyond our human ability to count.

I do not even judge this particular minister. He is blinded by the same legalism that blinds the pharisees. The pharisees would say everyone who was not them was a sinner, and they could not see that they themselves were the biggest sinners of all because of their lack of love and compassion. This minister built a case against this man, a case in which the minister was justified in his condemnation of this poor lost man. This minister believes that his judgement against this man is God's judgment against this man. I'm sure the man believed that too. How very sad.

We are not to judge the lost, but love them and speak grace to them and not condemnation. There is ENOUGH condemnation in this awful evil world. We should endeavour to love people like Christ loved them and NOT condemn them, even if they are guilty - just like the woman taken in adultery. Jesus could have condemned that woman, but He didn't. Why? Because God is in the business of mercy more than judgment.

Be merciful to the people you come across in life today my friends. Love them that oppose themselves and are guilty. Forgive them and love them and don't hold their sins against them, because there may come a time in your life, when you need mercy and forgiveness. What goes around comes around.

Love in Christ
Linda

Plans Confirmed

2011-08-10T09:01:00.001-07:00

The theme of this journey to Wyoming has definitely been Jeremiah 29:11. Before I even got here the Lord had put that verse on my heart. When I first walked into my aunt's house that verse was on a little plaque on her bathroom wall. She ended up giving me that plaque when we packed up her stuff in anticipation of her move.

Yesterday, my aunt and I were in a Christian bookstore looking for a gift for my cousin's wedding. I was just wandering around looking at stuff and saw a little stand that had a bunch of journals on it. I pulled one out to look at it, and on the front cover it said, "For I know the PLANS I have for you." Jeremiah 29:11! Wow. It was just a nice little confirmation once again that the Lord is still in control and has good plans for me, even if nothing seems to be happening at the moment.

My aunt found an apartment that is very nice and suits her needs and also has a garage that she was specifically praying about. We will be moving her over the next month. I have confirmation that I am to settle into Casper for a while and get a job, apartment, and eventually a car. I will be spending some time here, to see what the Lord would have me to see. I am trusting the Father that His plans for me are good. I have a job interview on Thursday.

My cousin is getting married tonight and my grandma and uncle and his wife are coming to stay at my aunt’s house tonight. There is a lot of things going on here, things I can’t go into detail on this blog, but my aunt and I have been praying a lot and doing spiritual warfare. I am beginning to see that a lot of my past walk has been works based, even though I did not see it at the time. It is not about what I am doing, but about the Lord and what He is doing, in my life, and the lives of those around me. I am learning to cleave to the Lord in His grace and mercy in my life, and trust in HIS PLANS for me, and not my own.

I see things differently now, and the legalism that was once who I was, is being purged from my system. Trusting in your walk and your works, is still legalism. But everyday brings new challenges and new awareness. Thank God for His amazing tender mercy in how he is dealing with me.

Love in Christ
Linda

Be Strong and of Good Courage

2011-08-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

Three times the Lord told Joshua to be strong and of good courage before he was to lead the people of Isreal into the promised land. Today, the Lord wants us, His sons and daughters to also be strong and of good courage:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Eph 6:10

Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Tim 2:1

I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 1 John 2:14.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalms 27:14

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. Psalms 31:24

When our hope is in the Lord, He strengthens our heart, and wants us to be of GOOD courage.

The word courage from the dictionary reference website here is defined as, “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.”

It means fearlessness. Perfect love casts out fear. Fear is our biggest enemy because he who fears is NOT made perfect in love. If we have areas of fear and the one that I personally battle with lately is FEAR OF THE FUTURE – then we can pray to the Father to become fearless. To be filled with all strength in the Father and to have good courage.

Lots of love
Linda

Purpose of Heart

2011-08-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

In Acts 11:22-23, Barnabas when he came to Antioch the first time, it says, "when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord."

We sometimes have to purpose in our hearts that we will cleave unto the Lord no matter what is going on in our lives around us. We especially need to cleave unto the Lord when under extreme stress and anxiety. Sometimes we need to make a decision to delight in the Lord so that when troubles come, we cleave unto the Lord first thing.

The plans the Father has for us are GOOD, and NOT EVIL. Purpose in your heart that you will cleave unto the Father, come what may.

Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalms 37:4

But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Psalms 37:11

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. Psalms 37:23-24

Love in Christ my friends
Linda

Love is Salvation

2011-08-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Voice of Truth

2011-08-05T07:56:00.001-07:00

Big Scary Bugs

2011-08-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

(Ok, ok. Maybe not actually size! But close! Definitely close.)

Okay the last few weeks, my aunt and I have been having a battle against some AMAZINGLY FREAKY-ass bugs. Above is a picture of the first one we came across.

My aunt said if I cleaned her apartment she would give me $25 every two weeks so that I had a little spending money. So one day a couple weeks ago, I went into the kitchen with the view to sweeping and mopping, but what should I see creeping slowly across the kitchen floor but the above bug! I took a picture of it because I didn’t think anyone would believe how honking big this bug was. I get goose-bumps every time I think about it.

So I grabbed a paper plate and coaxed the hideous creature to step onto it, all the while imagining the bug flying towards me and eating off half my face. Luckily it stayed on the plate until I could throw away the plate and then quickly I tied the garbage bag and walked it out to the dumpster across the street. Phew.

Later when my aunt came home I showed her the picture and regaled my heroism in my battle against an unknown adversary. She looked at the picture and said, “I’ve never seen a bug like that.”

A couple days later, the second battle of the bugs occurred. This time my aunt was alone when she came across another bug, just like the first. She told me that she was not going to bother with paper plates and just grabbed a rolled up newspaper and hit it and hit it until it stopped twitching. I was horrified! “You killed it?” I gasped, “Oh my God, there will probably be some evil bug karma now (even though I don’t really believe in karma). I can’t believe you killed it!” So we knew something was on.

The next day I went to have a bowl of oatmeal. I keep my container of Quaker oats and the container of whey protein that I put in my oatmeal and the brown sugar, all in a plastic bag on top of the refrigerator because it is handy. When I brought down the bag, the bottom of the bag ripped and the contents fell out onto the floor. As I bent down to pick the stuff up, here was one of these bugs! It was dead, so I had no idea if the bug was in the sack before it ripped or just happened to be on the floor when the contents spilled out possibly killing it instantly. I shudder to think of it slinking around my breakfast bag.

Then a day or so later I went to wash the dishes. The little plastic tub that we wash dishes in was already full of soapy water so I reach in to grab the sponge and one of those bugs was stuck on the sponge! I tried to shake the bug off the sponge into the garbage but it was dead. It must have drowned but it was unshakably stuck to the sponge so I threw the bug away sponge and all. Later when my aunt got home from work I lifted up the lid to the garbage and showed her the bug stuck to the sponge. She said, “Lets bag that up so I can show my friend Sue and she can tell us what kind of bug it is.” I was all queasy fishing out the sponge with the dead bug stuck to it, but phew, got it put into a plastic bag for analyzing later.

Sue came over and we were moving some boxes out of the storage room when I noticed one of those same bugs dead on the sidewalk. It seems that someone went before me and decapitated the little fellow because its head was about three inches away from its body. I said, “Sue, come over here and see one of these bugs and tell me if you know what it is?”

So she walks over and what does she do? She steps right on the head! “EWWWWW!” I exclaim, “You stepped on the head!” Yuck. So she bends down and peers at the body and says, “That’s a Mormon cricket.” I thought, Yeah, Mormon. I told her I thought that they looked like a scarab and she said that scarabs are crickets which was something I did not know.

This brings us to today. I went into the kitchen this morning and noticed that there were not very many dishes to be washed, so I decided that I would wait until after I had breakfast to wash the dishes. There were a few spoons in the strainer and a bowl so I put them away. Then I heard a strange noise. It was kind of like a hissing noise. I wondered if there was air in the pipes or something and peered into the sink. Something caught my eye in the silverware holder of the strainer. I heard the noise again. Hiss, hiss. Inside the silverware holder was one of these bugs. Hiss, hiss.

Oh. My. God. Did you just hiss at me?

Sure enough, that bug’s body was moving in time with the hissing.

Hiss. Hiss.

OH THAT IS IT!!! I grabbed the strainer out of the sink and banged it over the garbage. The bug was out of the strainer but I couldn’t see it in the garbage bag. But I could hear it…

Hiss. Hiss. Hiss.

I was MORT-I-FIED! So I tied up that bag and walked it out to the dumpster but I could still hear that evil hiss coming from the bag. UGH. So that is the sixth occurrence of these bugs and as we all know, six is the number of all things scary.

Phew, I am getting goose-bumps just relating this horribleness. Have a good day today my friends and DON’T FORGET THE BUG SPRAY!~

Love in Christ
Linda

The Tarnishing Of A Brother’s Reputation

2011-08-03T09:25:00.001-07:00

Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. Psalms 52:2-4

Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them? They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away. And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. Psalms 64: 3 -9

There is a law of reaping and sowing in effect. What we sow we SHALL reap, no matter what. Maybe if we discover it, the Lord may have mercy on us and not make us reap what we sow, but that is the exception to the rule.

Last year when I found myself in the middle of no where with NO money and NO gas I met a man who was kind to me. He didn’t have any money to give me, but he had a food stamp card and bought me some food. He found me a place to park my van, where I could sleep for the night. He liked me and tried to hold my hand. I was extremely focused on the Lord at that time so I told this man that I could not be in a relationship. We shared meals together. He found me some work and we worked together. We had a disagreement about an NA meeting, but then later after that, when I was crying he tried to kiss me.

I then proceeded to tear this man down and tarnish his reputation in order to justify my position as the heroine of the story and for dramatic effect. It wasn’t hard. He was a felon, so I magnified that point. It doesn’t matter that I actually believed my position on the matter, I was convinced that I was in the right and found a verse that justified my position by further making this man out to be the bad guy. I’m sure you know by now that I am talking about Johnny.

This man was in prison because he got drunk and did something reckless and stupid for which he paid for it by sitting in jail for six long years. He didn’t grow up in church and doesn’t know anything about the Lord, so he just did the best he could to do the right thing. He kept calling me and wanting me to come back down to Ontario to see him. But I resisted because I believed all the horrible things I had said about him. I believed he was an enemy trying to get me off the straight and narrow. I believed it because I was so legalistic that I believed that anything I really loved was somehow a sin and therefore had to be resisted at all costs.

Johnny got drunk and did something reckless. Maybe some of you that read this blog all the time, know that I myself got drunk a couple months ago. I posted as much on this blog. What most of you do NOT know is that when I got drunk, I called Johnny. Of course, I don’t know what I said to him, but he definitely made a renewed effort to contact me after that. I think he would be horrified and definitely would not want to be with me if he knew all the awful things I have posted about him on this blog.

God is not without a sense of irony. For God Himself opened my eyes to the truth. That God was the one that introduced me to Johnny, and it was God who kept that door open all this whole year so that when I began to see that not everything I loved was a sin, that Johnny was still there. But now, of course, everyone hates Johnny. My family, you all, etc. And why do you hate him? Because I made you hate him. Now that Johnny and I are getting together in a really good way – in a God sanctioned way – what I have sewn has come back to haunt me, to bite me in the ass. Oh people, understand – Johnny is NOT the bad guy.

I am.

So this is my public apology for all the bad things I said about Johnny. None of it was true. Well, it was true, we did have a little fight and he did try to hold my hand and kiss me – but I twisted those things to make them seem ominous and evil when they were really innocent. I can’t undo it, but I did delete those posts from last year and I am posting this apology so that you can know the truth.

Be careful my friends. Watch every idle word you may speak against someone, they could all come back on you. Speak grace and not condemnation, because you never know if you have to eat those same words later on.

I’m not so sure I want to keep blogging. So much of what I have posted in the past is legalism and a great way to elevate myself. I don’t believe that way anymore and I truly regret tarnishing Johnny’s reputation the way I did. I can’t take it back, I can just try now to make it right. Richard, understand that if you are going to beat me up with your comments – I’m not going to post them.

I hope you can forgive me.

Linda

Divisions

2011-08-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

Three times in the gospel of John, it states that there was a division among the people.

The first instance is in John 7. It starts when the Jews began to talk about Jesus. Some say, “He is a good man.” And others say, “Nay – but he deceives the people.” Many of the people said, “Of a truth this is the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Shall Christ come out of Galilee?”

So there was a division among the people because of him. John 7:43

The Pharisees sent officers to take Jesus, but then later the Pharisees came upon the officers and said, “Why have ye not brought him?” The officers answered, “Never man spake like this man.” Then answered the Pharisees, “Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who know not the law are cursed.”

Jesus Christ IS the TRUTH. The people who saw Jesus for what He was – the TRUTH, believed on Him, but the Pharisees would not acknowledge that Jesus was the TRUTH because they found a way to twist the scriptures to prove their point against Him. In this instance it was that the Christ would not be from Galilee.

The second and third instance was in John 9 and 10, right after Jesus had opened the eyes of the man who was born blind. He was saying that He was the good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. Then:

There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? John 10:19 – 21

That word division is the same Greek word that was translated “rent” in when you put a new piece of cloth on an old one the “rent” would become worse. It’s the Greek word schisma where we get the word schism. It is symbolic of the idea of one piece of cloth being torn. I Corinthians also has three instances of the same word division.

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions (schisma) among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1 Cor 1:10

In 1 Corinthians, the context of the divisions, were that the believer’s were divided over who their leadership was. They had missed the point. They were beginning to follow men instead of following the leading of the spirit of Christ within them. So that Paul has to state, “Is Christ divided?” The answer would be no! The body of Christ is not divided but one body. Yet within the Corinthian church of that day, they were divided. Paul states why they are divided:

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions (schisma), are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 1 Cor 3:1-4

They were divided because they were still carnally minded and not spiritually minded. Bottom line was, they were spiritually immature and could not get past the carnal mind to grow up into the truth. Even so, how does one become un-carnally minded? The carnal mind is blinded from the truth of spiritual things that are understood by the mind of Christ.

At the same time that Jesus was opening the eyes of one that was born blind – he was reproving the Pharisees because of their spiritual blindness. Seeing they see not. There are two things that blind people’s minds to the truth. The god of this world, (2 Cor 4:4) or the reading of the old testament when not rightly divided or seen through the accomplishments of Christ:

But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 2 Cor 3:14-15

It is the Lord who opens people’s eyes and it is the Lord who leaves people blind. The carnal mind is enmity against the mind of Christ. When the blind men were sitting on the side of the road and heard that Jesus passed by, they cried out for him. When the people reproved them, they cried the louder. Then Jesus came and gave them sight, or un-blinded them. So it is available to cry out to the Father to have our eyes and minds open to His truth and to understand the old testament as it relates to the New covenant and the mind of Christ.

Unfortunately, most people do not know they are blind, just like the Pharisees. It is the Father’s will that the body of Christ be with out divisions. That there be no schisms in the body. The Father is opening the eyes of the blind all around us, the vail is being taken away. Cry out to Jesus to receive your sight and heal your carnal mind. You already have the mind of Christ.

Love in Christ
Linda

Soldiers of the Light

2011-07-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

My aunt lives in a pretty seedy part of town, which is one of the reasons why she is trying to move. A block away is a plain white building with a cross on the side. Normally it is quiet but on Friday nights it is filled with music. The name of the ministry is "Soldiers of the Light." Friday's they have Christian bands play or sometimes a teaching but each time it is a little different. We have gone the last three Fridays and it is really enjoyable.

The local baseball team is called the Ghosts (as in Casper - get it?) Tonight they are playing on the home field and afterward they had a fireworks show that we could see from my aunt's front door.

It has been an exciting week. My aunt got offered a different job so that she will be working Mon-Fri 8-5 instead of the crazy schedule she had been working. An answer to prayer. I had a couple job interviews this afternoon, but I am applying at GameStop tomorrow and that is the job I really want, but it is all in the Lord's hands and He will order my steps here.

Tomorrow my aunt and I will run errands and look at more apartments. So far, we haven't found the right one to move. My aunt is not ready to give her 30 day notice by Aug 1st, but she is still hoping to give her notice by Aug 15. We are having a garage sale next weekend so we will be working on getting that ready most evenings next week.

I have to get my B string replaced. Seems there is a worn spot on the string that is making one bad note - it just happens to be a note used all the time, which I guess explains the worn spot. I didn't know a guitar string could get worn down in just one spot.

Just a little update.
Take care out there.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Who am I?

2011-07-28T13:42:00.001-07:00

My name is Linda Stevenson. I have brown eyes and brown hair that is beginning to turn gray. I wear glasses and without them I am nearsighted and can’t see far ahead. I weigh 221 pounds and I’m 5 feet four inches tall. I have an Oregon driver’s license and two sisters. I have two children and an ex-husband and one grandchild. I have an Associate’s Degree and was a plumber in the U.S. Air Force.

But none of those things are me.

I am a spiritual being. I am a son of God. I am an epistle, known and read of all men. I labor in order to present EVERY MAN perfect in Christ. My past is behind me and I am stretching forth towards the mark of the high calling of God. I am skinny and beautiful and kind.

I love video games and if it is the Lord’s will, I am going to get my dream job at GameStop where I will sell video game equipment to the masses. If it is the Lord’s will – I am going to play the new Zelda game.

I love Johnny and I have resisted him long enough. If it is the Lord’s will then I will go and visit him as soon as I can.

I can come boldly to the throne of God because He does not see me, but only sees Christ in me – the hope of Glory.

Where I walk is holy ground. Jesus died for my sins so that I can be free from sin. He died for EVERY MAN, whether they ever know it or not.

I am the salt of the earth. I am a light in this world.

You are too.

From now on I will endeavor to speak only spirit and life into people that they may be encouraged and grow in Christ. I will only do the Father’s will. His will is for me to love Him and love my neighbor. So that is what I’m going to do.

Much love and blessings in Christ
Linda

P.S. Here is a great video!

Fervent Prayer

2011-07-26T11:39:00.001-07:00

Not sure if I told you this story already but here goes.

When I was a baby believer I met a boy at a bible class in Indiana that I really liked. When I got back to Oregon, I got it in my head that I wanted a chance to go out with this boy. I started praying about it. Now at that time I did not know the Lord like I know Him now. I knew OF the Lord but didn’t really know Him personally. Nevertheless, I believed the bible and I started to pray for this boy to move out to Oregon and I would have a chance to go out with him. I prayed night and day. It became part of my daily routine. I didn’t really believe that this particular prayer would be answered, but that did not stop me from continuing to pray.

Seven months later, I went to my regular bible study that I always went to on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and here was this boy! He was at MY bible study! Because I never really believed that all that praying was actually going to be answered, I was in shock that this boy was at my bible study. I thought it was a miracle! Like a gift-wrapped present from God Himself. So I did end up going out with him.

Nobody hurt me like this guy.

It was THE most painful relationship I have ever had. I was devastated when all was said and done and it took me YEARS to get over him.

So I learned some very important lessons with that experience. First, God does answer prayers. Second, be careful what you pray for.

My aunt is a great example of fervent prayer. Every Sunday, her and my cousins (her daughters) get together to pray. It takes a couple hours because first they talk about the needs in the family and what things need to be prayed for and then my aunt writes it all down in a prayer journal. It is a really nice time to fellowship as well. Then when we think the list is complete, we start praying in agreement for everything listed. Plus it is nice to look at things we have prayed for in the past to see what prayers have been answered. I have really enjoyed this time because I have really wanted to have this kind of prayer fellowship in my life.

So this Sunday we were talking about the needs of my aunt and cousins and wrote those things down and of course, continuing to pray for little baby Blake. My aunt said, “Ok Linda. Your turn. What do you want me to write down for us to pray for you specifically?” I answered, “Let’s just draw a big question mark and pray over that!” Everyone laughed but I was actually kind of serious. The Lord knows what that question mark really represents and I just want to pray that His will is accomplished.

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16.

That word fervent actually means worketh. The same way that the phrase “worketh in me mightily” is in the following verses: “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.” Col 1:27-29

It’s a verb. An action on my part. I am beginning to get some answers that I have been seeking from the Lord, but the Lord has also been putting it on my heart to pray for these answers and the future in the same way I once prayed for that boy. Non-stop until I see the answer. Of course, being me, I said, Ok Lord, but it better not suck like it did last time! No sucking this time, just fervent prayer until I get the victory. What an amazing Father we have.

Please pray for my big question mark.
Lots of love
Linda

Hope Deferred

2011-07-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

(Little baby Blake is home now and doing well. Thank you very much for your prayers. He is currently on a monitor that is tracking his breathing but we are hoping that he is over the hard part and will be fine from now on. Thank the Lord!)

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12.

It’s been a hard week. I had hoped I was going to get that job that (in my mind) would have been perfect for me. $15 an hour plus it was in walking distance Monday thru Friday 8-5 with 401k and dental and health blah blah blah. So I was very disappointed when that guy didn’t call like he said he would.

My aunt got a call from the owner’s of the mobile home she was in the process of buying. They decided not to accept her offer because they were unwilling to get the appraisal that the lender required.

So in an instant – both my aunt and I were sitting there stunned. The plans surrounding the buying of the mobile home, the timelines and the paperwork and even our plans for that day – all fell to the ground. We had prayed that we only wanted to do the Lord’s will and specifically prayed that He would open doors and close doors in accordance with His timing and perfect will.

We understood then, that the Lord had closed those doors. I like to say, “Well, that means the Lord has something better in store.” But that doesn’t mean that I handle the grief part well. The heart sick part is something that I am becoming intimately familiar with.

I had another good interview Friday and they said they would let me know either way by middle of next week. My aunt and I spent the day driving around the other mobile home parks in Casper. We have an appointment to see a different mobile home tomorrow although this mobile home is both older and more expensive than the one she was going to buy before.

I am very thankful that the Lord has confirmed the verse Jeremiah 29:11 for me, it is something I can hold onto, every time my hopes come crashing down once again. “I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord “Plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

In the meantime we have been cleaning out closets and packing up stuff. We packed all the pictures on the walls in my aunt’s bedroom and the bathroom. My aunt gave me that little plaque with the Jeremiah 29:11 verse on it, since that verse seems to be the theme of this leg of the journey. We still don’t know how long the Lord will have me here, but it forces us to live one day at a time and to not worry about the future. I need to keep my feet on the ground and not keep getting my hopes up and my own expectations on what is going to happen, because nothing is working out the way that I expected it. That in itself is a spiritual lesson. Cling to the Father and be anxious for nothing, giving no thought for tomorrow.

Please continue to pray for us my friends.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Patience

2011-07-21T13:29:00.001-07:00

At dinner with my cousins the other day, one of my cousins said something about praying for patience. I said, "You know, if you pray for patience, the Lord will usually put you in situations where you will have to wait!" I should know, I am waiting right now.

My aunt was approved for her financing this mobile home, but now we have to wait until we can get all the various paperwork together, and stuff that the seller has to fill out. I applied for some jobs and immediately got appointments for three job interviews. I went on one job interview that seemed perfect for me and the phone interview and the face to face interview went great and he said he would call me back by that evening or at the latest the next morning. So I waited for the phone to ring. Wouldn't you know he was a big fat liar and not only didn't call me but blew me off entirely! I hate that! It is so unprofessional. But we know it is the Lord protecting me from working for a jerk. I have another job interview at a different place scheduled for 11am tomorrow.

I got a letter from Johnny. He says that the three days I was in Ontario were the best three days of his life. Yeah, they were pretty special to me too. I am glad the Lord has given me the okay to be friends with Johnny again. I wrote about the Lord and told Johnny that he was the salt of the earth and that he was a light in this world and that if he reads the words of Jesus he will see that it is true. I am encoraging him to continue to seek the Lord for himself and maybe the Lord will lead me back to Ontario again some day. I guess we will wait and shall see.

My cousin's daughter had a baby 10 days ago, but in the last two days the baby has stopped breathing twice. He is in the hospital for observation and we are praying for him to be ok. Please lift him in your prayers - his name is Blake.

So we are waiting on the Lord - to see what His will is for us and little by little, more is revealed to us. I still need patience since whenever I get anxious or worried that things are not happening fast enough, I know it is unbelief that the Lord is not going to come through for me. I know that waiting is good, because it makes me more patient and more trusting that the Father knows what He is doing and will take care of everything.

I can't wait.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Strongholds

2011-07-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

I can’t move my arm. I’m having some kind of charley horse/muscle spasm going on in my shoulder. I can hardly lift it without shooting pain.

Whenever I get weird aches and pains I try to see the parable in it. Arm. Right Arm. Arm of the Flesh. Arm of the Flesh is…

…useless.

Right. Got it.

When I was in the Way International, we all spoke in tongues. We all interpreted and we all prophesied. Someone would call on you to speak in tongues and interpret and you would speak in tongues and then give the interpretation. If they called on you to give a prophecy then you would give a prophecy which was basically an interpretation without the tongue. Always for edification and comfort of the body. It was done by two and at the most by three, in order and the spirits of the prophets were subject to the prophets. It was all very decent and in order.

That is how I learned it. One big thing was the not speaking in tongues without the interpretation in the assembly. That was a BIG NO-NO! Then it could be counterfeit – witchcraft spirits or tribal spirits or all sorts of demonic things could be opened up to by that one act of speaking in tongues without the interpretation. It was a really strong pet doctrine of mine. A stronghold if you will.

A stronghold is a seemingly impenetrable fortress, in our minds. It is usually caused by a doctrine that may even seem biblical or unquestionable yet can actually hinder the movement of the spirit of God in our lives.

So I told my aunt how upset I was by the prayer meeting on Friday night and especially the speaking in tongues without interpretation. I told her about how I learned it. She said, “That is true, but this other way is also valid. It is praying in tongues and it is just as valid as the other one.” She took me to the verses in Acts where people who got born again spoke in tongues without interpretation. I said, “what about the businesses, businesses, businesses part the Lord wouldn’t start with businesses!” She said, “He was just praying in tongues and then was saying out loud the things he was praying in tongues for specifically – like the local businesses.” Oh, I thought.

So I brought up every problem I had including the fact that there can be counterfeit tongues if there is no interpretation. She said, “That is true, there is counterfeits out there, but that is where you have to trust in the Lord. You are covered by the blood of Jesus and you also know better. Nothing demonic can get on you unless you allow it. There are some people that just follow every crazy thing with no discernment. We don’t want to be at the place where we are unteachable. Maybe this is why the Lord brought you here.”

Unteachable. Ouch. Good one auntie.

That night I lay in bed, struggling to get comfortable when every time I moved my arm the pain would wake me up. I thought about being unteachable and also what it would take for me to pray in tongues in a group of people. What would it take for me to put away the doctrine and look at this praying in tongues in a new way. A very wise woman I know told me recently that the Lord was taking me deeper in my faith walk. I realized that in order to break this stronghold, I would truly have to trust the Lord more fully.

The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. That is true, but if I am holding so tightly to the manifestation of speaking in tongues, if I am in so tight in control, then the Holy Spirit manifestations cannot be spontaneous, cannot be inspired and to “flow” as one pastor put it. The trust is that I can let go enough to let the Father move in me in that way, but trust that He alone will protect me from anything that is not of Him. Almost like those trust games where you are going to fall flat backwards and someone is going to catch you. You truly have to trust that person is not going to let you fall.

The cognitive dissonance of this has not quite settled in me yet concerning this. But maybe this IS why the Lord brought me here. Maybe I am not as screwed as I thought. I have more strongholds to battle here than I once thought, but that is good. Maybe this one doctrine has prevented me from seeing true moves of the Spirit.

It’s a walk my friends, and I’m going to fall here and there. Probably more frequently than I care to admit. My life is an open book here and you can reject me if you need to. I understand. How can the Lord fully open my eyes, if I am not first blind?

Please pray for me. Pray that these strongholds in the imagination of my mind can be pulled down, so that I can see clearly. Thanks for sticking with me.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Just checking in

2011-07-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

Hi, just a short note to let you know I am doing much better. I'd like to especially thank Alicia, Ma and Yolanda for their prayers and encouragement. Will write more soon.

Snake Oil

2011-07-16T08:03:00.001-07:00

So yeah, I had a bad day yesterday. It didn’t start out that way.

First thing in the morning, my aunt found out that she got the financing for the beautiful mobile home that we had looked at. We went over to talk to the mobile home park manager. To me, there seemed like a lot of rules and regulations. It was a senior park so no babysitting the grandkids of course, but there were a lot of other rules that I thought were nonsense. I thought, why leave one nazi regime (apartment living) just to join up with another nazi regime (this place). But that is just me.

So my aunt was telling the lady how I had moved out from Oregon to help her move and that I am going to be staying with her while I looked for a job and an apartment. “Oh no!” the lady said, “she cannot stay with you, she is not a senior.” The woman went on to say that they had strict rules against that because some seniors wanted their grandchildren to stay with them while they went to college etc, and they just don’t allow it. My aunt didn’t like that, but she didn’t say anything more to the lady about it.

We did not get a chance to talk about it more until later that night. In the meantime she gave her 30 day notice at her apartment. So now I understood that I had only 30 days before I would need a different living situation, and not at least a couple months like I originally thought to look for a job and a housing situation. Now I know that the Lord is in control so please bear with my humanity for just a moment. So now with this idea that I couldn’t stay with my aunt like I originally thought, I was really looking forward to this prayer meeting we were going to. I thought maybe someone there would lay hands on me and prophecy over me with specific answers to my questions or at least some comfort and edification. I got answers all right, just not the kind I was expecting.

We got to the prayer meeting and things started out great. The prayer leader guy was reading the passages in Corinthians where it says that we are not to speak in tongues in the church without interpretation. I said Amen! But when he started the praying – what did he do but start speaking in tongues without interpreting. But it is actually much worse. Here is a sample of what he was praying, “(speaking in tongues, speaking in tongues) businesses! Businesses, businesses, businesses! (speaking in tongues, speaking in tongues) businesses~! Business men, businesses!”

I sat in my chair with my hands folded in my lap and my head bowed. I prayed. “O. My. God. Really Lord? Businesses?” Then the man went on in his prayer, “(speaking in tongues, speaking in tongues) Prisons! Prisons and Nursing Homes!”

(my friends I wish to insert here that – I wish that I was making this all up for your reading pleasure and entertainment – but this is the actual witness of events that I saw with my own eyes. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t so sad, pathetic and scary)

I continued praying, “Really Lord? Prisons and Nursing Homes? What about prisons and nursing homes? This cannot be of you Lord.” At that point, all I wanted to do was get out of there. I prayed that they would not try to do any imparting or laying on of hands to me because it was all deception and not of the Holy Spirit. The guy called everyone down to the front for a big group hug, but I felt strongly that I didn’t want anyone touching me so I just said, “No thanks.” I know it probably sounds like I bring this stuff on myself, but here I was sitting out in the audience alone, saying, “Lord, is it just me? Why is everything so screwed up?”

Finally it was over and we could leave, but I had already established myself as the leper of the group. My aunt said to me, “It was the anointing! Did you feel it?” I couldn’t tell her that the only thing I felt was uncomfortable. Extremely uncomfortable.

Later in the car on the way home my aunt said, “For you we need to concentrate on the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the manifestation of speaking in tongues. “ I said, “I do speak in tongues. That guy read that verse about not speaking in tongues unless there is an interpreter and then he spoke in tongues without interpreting!” She said, “Oh no, one is the gift of tongues, the other is a personal prayer language – they are two different things.” I knew there was no arguing that twisting of scripture. That tradition nullifies the clear instruction of the scripture. I also knew then that I was totally screwed.

Now I do not blame my aunt. She just doesn’t see what is really going on. She truly does love the Lord and loves to pray. It is not her fault that she is deceived. Now I know the Lord is sovereign and I have been walking out in faith for the last several years and the Lord has ALWAYS gotten me out of whatever situation I was in. The Lord knows I am tied up on the railroad tracks and the train is coming. I know that supernaturally He will swoop in at the last minute and rescue me – but for the moment all I see is the train barreling down the track and hearing the train whistle blowing. All I want to do is scream. And scream and scream.

I know that someday I will look back on this time of my life and laugh.

Hopefully.

So, just taking things one day at a time. The Lord knows the plans He has for me. Plans for Good and NOT Evil! I’ll let you know how that is going.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Encouraged in the Lord

2011-07-15T09:14:00.001-07:00

It has now been a week that I have been in Casper. I was a little discouraged the first part of the week. I mistakenly thought that all my questions would be answered (as far as what the Lord's will for my life was here) instantaneously. I don't know what I was thinking, that the Lord would draw me a map or something? Well, the Lord doesn't work that way and I should know that by now.

But I do know some things at this point. My aunt needs to move within the next month or so. We have been looking at a couple of nice mobile homes in senior parks that she is looking into buying. I have more personal expenses here than I did at my parents house so I am beginning to feel I need to look for a job. So my aunt and I have sat together to pray in agreement that we are seeking the Lord's will in these areas and that the Lord will open doors for us - or shut them - and we will know what direction He wants us to go. I'm also thinking that I am going to need a car as well.

The Lord is truly amazing in that He knows our frame, that we are dust and can't see far off. He knows that we get impatient or discouraged and that is why He put so many promises in His Word for us to hold onto. I recently found a website that has some audios called Sigler Ministries. I scrolled down and saw one named Encouragement. I started to listen to it and the man on the audio starts out talking about Jeremiah 29:11! I said, Thanks Lord. I knew it was just the Lords way of reminding me that He is in control and has a plan for me. But that these things take time to set up.

I just keep reminding myself that trusting in the Lord means not being anxious or worried or impatient. But to rest in the knowledge that the Lord is sovereign and in control and will work out all things for good.

There is a strong Christian community here in Casper and my aunt is non-denominational and goes to several different churches as she feels led. Tonight we are going to this special prayer meeting at a church called Word of Faith Family Church but usually on Friday nights my aunts goes to another ministry that has musicians play and they minister to alot of homeless and street people that my aunt thinks may have some opportunities for me. We shall see. It is nice to be around strong Christians. My aunt has a strong suit in prayer and intercession and I feel already that I have learned so much from her about giving things to the Lord. She keeps reminding me that the Lord has me here for a season for a reason. I'm sure answers will be forthcoming.

Please join me in prayer for my aunt and her housing situation. Please pray for me to know about a job and a car. Thanks.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

The Love of Many Will Grow Cold

2011-07-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

It is strange that my little comment that Jesus would save the Queen and Tony Blair yesterday actually upset some people. Why would that upset people? Is it because people believe the Queen and Tony Blair are high level Satanists?

“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Cor 6:11

Many people who were once high level Satanists get born again and come to the knowledge of the truth. Wouldn’t we want to jump for joy at the prospect?

Is it because people believe they are Nephilim? I don’t know – they don’t LOOK like giants! Oh, maybe you believe that their blood is tainted with Nephilim blood like when the sons of God came unto the daughters of men and took them wives back in Genesis 6? Hhmmm, except who’s the sons of God now? US! We are the sons of God. Why would the sons of God in the Old Testament be evil angels but in the New Testament be us? Doesn’t make very much sense hermeneutically, since the Word interprets itself. So either the sons of God in Genesis 6 were men, or we are angels. You decide.

The lie that there are half-breeds among us tainted with demon blood is so ridiculous yet I believed in it too in my past. But that is why it is such a perfect trick of the devil. Once you establish a people as being less than human, you open the door for all sorts of atrocities. That is what they did with the slaves when this country was new. That is what Hitler did with the Jews during the Holocaust. That is what we do today in our battle against the rich oligarchs. Even these people that are supposed to be tainted with Nephilim blood believe it is true and so they are sold out to worshipping the devil with no hope of ever having a real relationship with the Father, or of understanding what Jesus accomplished on the cross for them. How very sad.

We put people into little boxes, into categories that we think define them and I have been just as guilty of this as anyone else. If we think that GENETICALLY a person is beyond saving, then we won’t bother praying for them and witnessing to them or GOD FORBID loving them!

Where does it stop? Why stop with the elite? What about Muslims or Mormons or anyone else that does not believe like “us?” What about the people in Guantanamo? They are deserving of torture according to many professed Christians, certainly Jesus didn’t die to save them as well? Why does the idea of Jesus dying to save all really bother so many people? It is because deep down, people worship their own selves and call it Christianity. If they think they are “saved” and everyone else is going to hell in a handbasket, then they can believe that they are special and better than anyone else.

The Pharisees knew the scriptures and yet with those same scriptures they justified killing the Savior. We are now the generation that calls hate love and separation unity. We hate homosexuals and muslims and say that we are good little Christians. Even the idea of really loving them and not condemning them is foreign to us when we Christians should be the ones who show the greatest amount of love to these people and teach others how to love. But alas, the love of many has waxed cold.

Pray for those elites – trapped in generational cycles of Satanism and abuse. They actually need our prayers more than anyone. Pray that as a whole Christianity will become more loving and abandon the spirit of Condemnation that now reigns in our modern churches. Pray to understand the love of God and how to love your neighbor - whoever that may be.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

A Future and A Hope

2011-07-12T09:49:00.001-07:00

A couple days before I left Oregon, I listened to a recent podcast from Chris White at Nowhere to Run website. He played a clip of a testimony from a man named Jon Courson. I'd never heard of Jon Courson or heard his testimony before but it really affected me. In the clip Jon was saying how the Lord had given him the verse Jeremiah 29:11 right at the time that his wife was killed in a car crash and how much that verse was something he was able to hold onto as he dealt with this horrendous situation. You can listen to Jon's full testimony here. I cried the whole way through listening to the clip but I never had a chance to get to listen to the whole testimony.

The Wednesday before I left I was able to get together with my youngest sister for a 'girl's night out.' We were waiting in the Dutch Bros drive thru so my sister could get a strawberry infused Red Bull and I was telling her this story about this guy and how the Lord had given him that verse right before his wife died etc. (there is much more to the story but you should listen to his testimony, I can't do the story justice, it should come from the source.) I couldn't even tell my sister the story without crying some more. Just that the man had to go through such hardships but the the Lord in his tender mercy gave that man just the verse he needed to see him through.

Toward the end of this recent bus trip I began to get discouraged. I'm sure I have the patience of a rock now but I was starting to stress out after 35 hours. All sorts of stupid thoughts were going through my mind. What if my cousins were mean to me like they were when we were kids? What if my aunt thought that I was a heretic if I believe that all men will be saved, even the Queen and Tony Blair? What if the pressure is more than I can handle and I have a nervous breakdown or become catatonic? What if they discover that I am just a big dork after all?

It was 12:30am when I called my aunt to come pick me up at the bus station. I desperately wanted a shower but I was so tired that I didn't think that I could lift up my hands in order to wash my hair. She showed me my room, gave me a hug and told me we would talk in the morning. "I'm glad you are here." she said as she showed me the bathroom. Right on her wall was hanging the verse Jeremiah 29:11. It was worded different than I had heard it in the teaching, but it was really what I needed to see at that particular moment:

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "Plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Thank you Lord for that.

The next morning I talked to my aunt and told her how much seeing that verse in her bathroom had meant to me. I also told her some of my concerns about the future. She said, "The Father has a plan for your life. You just need to be encouraged in the Lord because He knows the desires of your heart." Then she brought her portable CD player into my room and said I could use it anytime and that I could listen to any of her christian music CD's. It was amazing how comforting it was to listen to some music and remember all the good the Lord has done in my life and that He does have a future for me. And a hope.

(LOVE) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (1 Cor 13:7)

Blessings in Christ
Linda

There are NO Accidents

2011-07-11T11:28:00.001-07:00

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

The Lord brings people into our lives for a reason. Sometimes He reveals the reasons to us – but most of the time He doesn’t. But whatever the reasons – revealed or not – nothing happens by accident.

So it was no accident that after an exhausting ride on the bus for 21 hours my phone rang. I had to dig through my backpack carry on in order to answer it.

It was Johnny.

I had actually been thinking about Johnny lately. Ever since my profound theological and spiritual paradigm shift, where it was revealed to me that all men would be saved through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Since I had met Johnny last summer and he committed the ultimate faux pas of grabbing me and kissing me like they do in the movies, I have prayed that the Lord would truly save him. I had told Johnny that I could not be friends with him because I really needed to focus on the things of the Lord, and I believed at the time that it was God’s will that I not be in contact with him. But even after that he still left messages on my voice mail and sent me text messages every month or so saying, “Come to Ontario. I miss you.”

So now that the scales had fallen off my eyes, I began to see people differently. There was a man on the bus ride with me who had tattoos on his face and a tattoo of a spider web on his hand. He was really nice. I actually talked to him a bit when we were stuck in the station for 13 hours. But what I had really noticed about him was his walk. It reminded me of the way that Johnny had walked. I wondered at the time if it was a gang walk or a prison walk, what was it about that walk? Something about it was this air of slow confidence that said, Yeah people, I’m here and you know it. Later he was sitting in the seat in front of me when we could finally head out again. A boy got on at the next stop and sat with him and I overheard the boy ask him where he was headed. “Hell if I don’t change my ways.” He answered matter of factly. I’m pretty sure he had answered that question the same way many times before.

I was still praying for Johnny every day, but now I began to ask the Lord – what about Johnny Lord? Why is he still calling me? Why did we meet? Why do I still think about him? My newfound understanding that Love conquers all and that we are to love people no matter who they are – because Jesus died for them as well – was making me question the legalistic way I had judged Johnny before. The Lord began to show me that here was Johnny: Grew up in the gangs of Southern Oregon, was in trouble all his life, tried to commit suicide by running over a cop with his car thinking the cop would shoot him, but it didn’t work out that way. Did 6 years in prison for that, was released from that prison just to be trapped in the bigger prison of Ontario Oregon, the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. He was seeking the Lord the only way he knew how – going from church to church and talking to the pastors telling them that he was trying to straighten out his life and know the Lord.

I always knew that the reason that I went to Ontario on that amazing trip last summer was to meet Johnny and to pray for him. At the time I thought, who is going to pray for Johnny if I don’t pray for him? But now the Lord began to tell me that it was ok for me to talk to Johnny and befriend him because he is a baby Christian that really needs some encouragement right now. Of course, I made sure to tell the Lord that I would need a confirmation that it was really from Him. I hadn’t heard from Johnny since April, so I told the Lord that if was really His will that it was okay for me to be friends with Johnny now, that the Lord would have Johnny call me again.

So now here he was, on the other end of the line. I told him I was going to Wyoming to help my aunt move and possibly help my 93 year old grandparents. I asked how he was doing and he said, “so it’s ok for us to be friends now?” I said, “yeah, I think so” So I got his address and told him I would write him a letter from Wyoming. He was pretty happy when we got off the phone.

I told this story to my aunt (who is an amazingly strong Christian and I have more to say about her in a later post.) She immediately felt led to put Johnny on our prayer list that we can pray for him that a man with the spirit of truth within him would find Johnny and be a mentor for him and disciple him. She told me, “Everything happens for a reason and there are no accidents with the Lord. It is good that you are here in Wyoming for a season, so you can be a friend but you are too far away to jump in a car and go down and see him. The Lord has a work in Johnny, just as He also has a work in you. Let’s just continue to pray for him.”

Now I am beginning to understand that the Lord didn’t want me talking to Johnny when I was so legalistic. He didn’t want me getting any of my legalism on Johnny and contaminating him, he’s had enough hardship in his life without that. So now I can encourage him in the Lord and see what happens with that day by day.

Pray for Johnny my friends.
Blessings in Christ,
Linda

In a nutshell:

2011-07-09T15:49:00.001-07:00

27 and a half hours on a bus with
55 other people
3 separate roadsigns with the words "crossroads" on it
2 medical emergencies from fellow passengers
13 hours waiting in the station for connecting bus

1 amazing Lord and Savior who was with me through it all and made sure I arrived safely in Casper -

Priceless!

The Adventure Begins...

2011-07-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

I am filled with excitement! Today I am doing up the last of my laundry and packing. I really wish I had that Mary Poppins bag that I was talking about since I may not be able to shut my suitcase when everything is said and done. Maybe I will have to cut some more stuff at the last minute. But it's all good.

Tomorrow my dad is taking me to the bus station around 9am and the bus leaves at 10am. I am taking my computer because the website says that they have wifi and plug ins for your computer on the bus. But you never know. I will touch base from the bus if I can, but if not, I will post when I can. Not sure what my internet access will be once I get into Wyoming. Please pray for me while I travel.

I talked to my aunt this morning who said that on Saturday my one cousin is getting baptized and they are having a BBQ after that we will go to. Cool, more BBQ's! My personal goal is to lose 80 pounds while I am in Wyoming - but even that is ordered by the Lord so I will leave it in His hands and keep working on that lifestyle change, one day at a time.

Love you all and we'll talk again soon!
Blessings in Christ
Linda

Loose Ends Tied

2011-07-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

It was a busy weekend. My son’s friend from Idyllwild who is now living with his grandpa in Coos Bay came up to spend the weekend at my parents while my son was down. He did that last year when my son was here and we were joking about making it an annual thing. He is a good kid and he and my son and I all went down to Saturday market in downtown Portland. We also went to see the movie “Green Lantern.” Then we had a BBQ (again!) at my folks and my sisters and their families came over.

Sunday, my dad and I decided to follow my son back to Spokane since the van was not running 100%. It was overheating and my son concluded that it probably needs to have the radiator replaced, which was not going to happen this 4th of July weekend. So we were stuck driving no faster than 55 miles an hour and stopping every 30 miles to let the van cool down before continuing on.

During times that we were stopped my son would get frustrated. I would pray and sought the Lord about the situation as I usually do during times of stress (and non-stress!) The answer was, “sometimes the trial is not yours.” That made sense. The trial was clearly my son’s because I had brought a book and my embroidery and so felt that I was ok no matter if we were moving or not. So I prayed for the van and my son as we traveled. Remembering once again that the Father and Creator of the Universe is in complete control of my life, made me relax and enjoy the ride – no matter how long it was going to take.

We made it to Pasco when we decided to stop for the night. The next morning we headed out early while it was still cold outside and the van made it the rest of the way to Spokane without overheating. Then my dad and I turned around and headed back down and were home again by early afternoon.

Today my mom is treating me to a pedicure and then I will have my last day at work. My boss has been a good friend and it has been nice to be her personal assistant. I will miss her. She was funny and said that I was like Mary Poppins, my work here is done now I just open my umbrella and float off to Wyoming, to where the need is. I said, yeah, I wish I had a suitcase that I could stick an entire coat rack into!

So my van is taken care of, my car insurance cancelled and my job over. Tonight we are going out for sushi one last time. I’m sure they have sushi in Wyoming but it won’t be Sushi Hana sushi which may possibly be the world’s best sushi outside of Japan. No sushi I have had compares to Sushi Hana. I will miss it! Tomorrow I will wash all my bedding and clothes and then pack.

I have been praying that the Lord softens the road for me in Wyoming and been praying for open doors to love people and tell them the REAL GOOD NEWS. My wise friend Alicia said in a comment on her blog, “Wyoming could also be a place of ‘rest’. He does give us some resting periods – there will always be challenges wherever we are, but sometimes some of them are less than what we previously experienced, or sometimes worse – only HE knows what we NEED to accomplish what it is He wants to accomplish in us.” I have been thinking of that comment during stress moments the last couple days and saying to myself, “maybe that was a prophecy!” The idea has definitely given me comfort many times over the last week or so.

Rest. I like that idea. I still remember Micah 2:10 that I really felt the Lord gave me when I was to leave last summer. I still think it applies to my life today. “Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it will destroy you, even with a sore destruction.” This is not my rest. So maybe I will find rest in Wyoming. I hope so. Maybe the kind of rest that Naomi said to Ruth, “shall I find rest for you?” We shall see. Ironically the latest podcast from Voddie Baucham is on Ruth. You can listen to it here. I also read a great post from Stacey Robbins at Free Believers Network.

I’ll check in tomorrow before I take off. Rest in the Lord today my friends. He is in control.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Ordered Steps

2011-07-01T13:20:00.001-07:00

The Lord is so amazing the way He reveals Himself to us. Line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little. When we begin to see and understand the concept of Christ being formed IN us, then our eyes are REALLY open to begin to be able to see Christ being formed in others as well. Before we ever got born again, while we were YET SINNERS, Christ died for us. That is, Christ died for every single person on this planet, even if they don’t know it yet. Even if they are worshipping idols or thinking of themselves as atheists or buddhists or mormons or muslim or whatever. Ten lepers were healed, but only one turned back to thank Jesus. Only one leper recognized the SOURCE of his healing.

That is why, we as Christians – who understand what it is like to have a relationship with the Father and who understand that the Kingdom of God is within us – have to love those around us who do not yet know our Father and His amazing plan of redemption for the whole world through the finished work of Christ. We are to be ready with an answer for anyone who asks of the hope that is in us, that is – Christ IN YOU the HOPE of Glory!

What is more, when we decide that we will no longer judge people or be critical of them in any way, or expect that they need to agree with us on every point of doctrine - but ONLY LOVE THEM – then we begin to really SEE the Christ in THEM even if they are not a professing Christian. Being critical or judging others not only brings criticism and judgment on ourselves, but keeps us blind from seeing the “Christ in you” in those around us.

I saw Christ in my friend that I stayed with in Spokane, even though she is not a Christian. She has so much love for people and one of the reasons we are still friends after all these years is because every couple years she has called me to see how I am. She never says anything bad about anyone, and was such a wonderful hostess.

Last week her and several other people went to go see the band KISS in concert and she had posted a bunch of pictures on her facebook page of them all making the rocker hand sign and wearing KISS like make-up. The old religious holier than thou me would have maybe decided not to go visit her because of those pictures and I would have missed such a wonderful time and I would have missed a wonderful loving friend. I told her that I really believed the Lord arranged this opportunity for me to see her and she listened when I talked about the Lord and was very glad and thankful when I told her I would pray for her sick brother.

I felt this visit was also a preview of what things may be like in Wyoming. Meeting people and loving them and sharing the Lord and maybe jamming with them as well! There is no need for the “hard sell” or closing the deal as in religion’s idea of evangelism. We plant and we water – but ONLY God gives the increase. Either HE draws them now, or HE draws them later – but we don’t save anyone, only the Father through Jesus Christ saves people – and whether or not they are “saved” is not the most important thing. Making sure they are LOVED is.

My son is here and the battery on my van was dead. He got a new battery and it fired right up and will most likely be able to be driven back to Spokane. But we know and recognize that the Lord also ordered all these circumstances to His Glory and for His plan. There had been no-one to look at the van here to say what was wrong with it but if everything hadn’t happened the way they happened, I would not have been able to see my friend in Spokane and share the Lord with her, or see my son before I move to Wyoming or have been able to let go of the van in order to travel that much lighter. My Heavenly Father is so very amazing that I just want to cry in utter AWE at His tenderness and mercy and detail oriented care over all the details of my life.

Love people today, my friends. Show them the love of Christ and look for the Christ in them as you live your lives.

Blessings in Christ,
Linda

Side Quest - Spokane

2011-06-30T11:12:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I spent the first part of the day driving up to Spokane from Oregon. It is another example of how the Lord orders my steps in this life and makes a way in every circumstance. My friend from high school that I wrote about a couple weeks ago invited me to come spend the night. I decided to take her up on it and then pick up my son and bring him back so he can take the van.

The drive was about 6 hours and then I arrived at my friend’s house. We went out to Red Lobster for dinner and then came back and played the guitar! She is learning the bass guitar and showed me a couple of the songs she knows and I played the song that I know.

Her husband and daughter came home from the baseball game and her husband gave me a T-shirt from the team. Then he gave us an impromptu concert that was totally awesome. It was getting late and he had to work the next day so he kissed my friend goodnight. I said, “Thanks for the concert!...and the T-shirt!” and for some reason we thought that was really funny and started laughing.

Later we just shared what was going on in our lives and I had an opportunity to share about the Lord. She said, “almost you make me want to be a Christian!” I knew then, that one opportunity was what the Lord had brought me here for. It was a very nice night.

Today we made a music video! – So this is my very first music video. I was really nervous – but my friend is a master at making videos and she did a really good job making this video. So here I am:

Blessings in Christ
Linda

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Bookstore...

2011-06-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, before I was getting ready to go driving around with my sister, I came across a book online. The title of the book was, "The Misunderstood God." by - I think his name was - Daniel Huffin? Anyway, I don't even remember the blog I was reading that recommended it because it was a blog I have never been to before. So I wrote down the title and decided that we could stop at the bookstore while we were out running errands.

Now there are lots and lots and LOTS of books about God out there and once or twice I have bought them and sometimes they have been beneficial and sometimes they have been fluff pieces or lies and propaganda. But the man that was recommending it was HIGHLY recommending it and I thought maybe the Lord was really prompting me to get that book.

There is a great used bookstore here in the Portland area called Powell's Books. Ultimate best bookstore ever. I was looking for that book I told you about and a book on guitar scales. I know that I need to learn all the scales in order to be a good guitarist (also improvisation is really all based on scales.) So we stopped at Powell's. It is very interesting sometimes the way the Father will order our steps.

The misunderstood God book was not at the bookstore but I found this book from the picture called, "The Kingdom of God is Within You." by Leo Tolstoy. So I picked it up and kindof flipped through it and set it back down and continued to look through the shelves of books. But I kept coming back to this book. I started to read it in the aisle and it was SO MUCH about what I am going through right now as far as seeing the truth of God that is not being taught in the churches. I realized that Tolstoy's book was the real book that God wanted me to buy.

Now, I'm only on page 57 so far but right now this book is blowing my mind. Just as a confirmation to the things the Father has already been showing me. It's really too bad that Count Tolstoy lived and wrote this book back in the 1880's because it would be so nice to email him and ask him some questions. In one part of the book he is using an example that one doctrine that is unquestionable and that all agree on is the doctrine that at no time is it ok to fornicate. He would be really shocked today if he saw the rampant fornication and adultery going on in the churches today. But the jist of the book is how Jesus taught not to resist evil by force and that He negated the doctrine of an eye for an eye. Jesus taught that if someone hit you on the left cheek, turn to him the right cheek and if someone sued you for your coat - give him your cloak as well.

Tolstoy makes the point that the churches do not teach this and that is still correct even to this day. I attended a southern baptist church on Memorial day weekend and within that 1 hour and 15 minutes we watched a You-tube video of that song about letters from the front - heard a twisted teaching on that the levitical priests gave their lives in service to the people just as our service men give their lives in service to us. They also taught about how the priests picked up the stones out of the river and the ushers had a plastic container filled with polished stones they were calling touchstones. My aunt and cousin both took one but I said, "no thanks, I'm living stone free these days." Later when they asked me about it I just said that I'm living light these days and don't need a bunch of stones to weigh me down.

Now - I know that maybe this little church I attended was not always this way, but only because it was Memorial Day. I get that.

I had a friend that was a staunch believer in the doctrine of non-resistance to evil by force, but he also went around verbally assaulting people and then would say - shouldn't you just take it like a good christian? I guess he is right about that! I, myself, may not be ready for the truth of this doctrine, but I still gotta love my friend for his ideals, if not his bad application of it.

I'll let you know more when I'm finished.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

House Update

2011-06-27T09:58:00.001-07:00

My parents have decided to take their house off the market.

Apparantly while I was out shopping with my sister on Saturday, my mom had some sort of Nuclear Melt Down. The realtor had sent her an email with feedback from the young couple who had seen our house recently. They liked the house but complained that the master bath was "dated" and there was no granite countertops in the kitchen. I'm sure they have just watched one too many HGTV shows, but it really pissed my mother off. "I don't want people trapsing through MY house telling me my bathroom is dated! I KNOW it is dated! There is nothing I can do about that right now! WELL I have HAD IT, I don't have to sell my house right now" she explained.

My first reaction was to praise the Lord for His amazing timing in having me out of the house when said Nuclear Melt Down was taking place or my newly realized philosophy of non-resistance to evil might have gone completely out the window. My patience, long-suffering and tolerance level of adult-onset tantrum throwing has really been reached.

Then I thanked Him again for the confirmation that the door is really closing for me here as it is opening in Wyoming. Before, I was concerned that if I left for Wyoming and then my parents sold their house, I would need to come back to help them move. Now, thankfully, I can look forward to Wyoming without having to think of coming back anytime soon.

Thank you Lord.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Arnie

2011-06-26T20:10:00.001-07:00

I've been busy this weekend with visiting and shopping. I've done alot of driving and for some reason whenever I was driving this weekend for extended periods of time, I started to think about this person from my past.

I'm sortof in a theological vortex at the moment and it reminds me of when I left the Way International cult years ago. Maybe that is why I keep thinking of this guy. When I was in "the Way" I would go out on the witnessing trips with a group and we would go door to door, telling people the good news according to the Way International. I made a fine cult member back in those days. I knew the ministry approved doctrines and also knew what happened when you left the cult.

Anyway, I remember the day I first met Arnie. We were going door to door witnessing one sunny afternoon and he opened his door to us. I can see his face perfectly. He had flaming red hair and soft blue eyes. He was very quiet and shy and humble. He had no idea how beautiful he was. He listened to us tell him "the Word" and he wanted what we had. He really did want to know more about Jesus and the bible and he was like a sponge soaking in everything we told him.

Ok. Maybe I was a little in love with him, but I never let him know that. As an elderish cult member, I decided to take Arnie under my wing, show him the ropes and what's what and all that. We became good friends. I took him to the way functions, barbeques and get-togethers and answered his questions to the best of my way-infested ability.

I told him about how WE had the truth and those people who left the ministry were turning their back on the truth. What fellowship does light have with darkness? That is why we don't talk to those people anymore. They have turned their back on God.

Arnie continued to read the bible and learn about God. He really did have a sweetness about him and an innocence. I really enjoyed just hanging out with him. He helped me buy my first computer because he knew all about computers. He told me that he'd gotten kicked out of art school because the head of the school told him that he had no artistic ability. I told him that was stupid! What did that guy know anyway?!

I was going to school to get my Associate's degree and I talked Arnie into going to school too. We even had some classes together and enjoyed visting and working on our homework together. It was nice.

Then came the day when the Lord opened my eyes to the REAL truth about the Way International and their cultish mind-control guilt-tripping manipulations. The Lord showed me that it was time to leave the Way. When I left that ministry, I also had to leave all my friends and people that I had known for seven years.

The first Monday after leaving, I went to my class and there was Arnie. I went to talk to him and he didn't want to talk to me. I was now Mark and Avoid and he was just doing what I, ME, What I had taught him to do. I had made him twice the child of hell that I had been. So I just looked at him and said, I understand - just remember how I treated you. When that class was over, I never saw him again.

I don't know why I keep thinking about him. I feel like praying for him, that he got out of that evil cult and maybe God has healed him and he is okay now. I'm sure he is okay, God is in control right?

Pray for my old friend Arnie. Please pray for me my imaginary internet friends. Thanks.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

I believe in Universal Salvation - NOW WHAT???

2011-06-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

New World Next Week

2011-06-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

The Summer of My Discontent

2011-06-22T17:58:00.001-07:00

I am not perfect on this walk by any means. I have flagrant character flaws just like everybody else. I know there are Chinese believers being tortured in prison for their faith who would think my trials are a cake walk. So I began to pray that the Lord would help me to be content in all things, whether I was abased or whether I abounded. My Heavenly Father is not without a sense of irony.

Back in the day, I thrived on chaos. Give me deadlines and 30 hours to complete a 45 hour job and I'm your woman. I was addicted to drama and stress - it was like an elixer. The busier I was and the more that was expected of me, the better I did. But give me five days off, and I would start to feel panicky.

My mom told me I was like that as a child. I loved the routine of school but long days and summer vacation used to make me antsy. Too much time and not enough to do - would wear me down after a while. I'm still like that. I can make a daily routine up, you know: walk, practice guitar, listen to Russ Dizdar live at 3pm, clean the kitchen, do the laundry, etc. That was fine for a while, but after 10 months, I was beginning to wear down some. I realized that the Father was teaching me to be content, but thankfully, He is also so tender and merciful and knows just where our breaking point is.

His timing is perfect. If I didn't know that I was leaving here in the next couple weeks, being here would have crossed the threshold of tolerance for me. It would be unbearable now, but because a way out is on the horizon, it is bearable. Thank God for the promises He has given us. That what He has started, He is able to finish and that someday, Christ will be revealed in me, and I will be content with all things.

Please pray for me.
Blessings in Christ
Linda

Hebdomēkontakis

2011-06-21T10:15:00.001-07:00

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven (hebdomēkontakis). Matt 18:21-22

Back in the days of Jesus, saying seventy times seven was almost like saying infinity. The word translated seventy times seven is the Greek word hebdomēkontakis and it also means countless times. As in, unable to count times. Seventy times seven was a lot in those days, not like now when a billion just doesn't seem like that big a number since we hear alot about billions these days.

And, inevitably, in His infinite wisdom and work of changing us into His image, the Lord Almighty puts people in our path, that require us to forgive them countless times.

Jesus then went on to tell a parable of what happens when someone doesn't forgive. They are turned over to the tormenters until every last bit of debt is paid. Matt 18:23-35. Unforgiveness is a sin that carries it's own consequences with it. If you hold a grudge (which is unforgiveness) it is like a seed against that person within your mind. A seed that grows and festers and becomes a giant of unforgiveness. The seed of unforgiveness becomes the tormenter of your mind. It is better to pick out the seed and toss it away in the form of forgiving someone right away, then to later battle it like an old enemy giant later on.

You don't have to necessarily say to that person "I forgive you." because most offenses people do against us, they probably do completely unawares, maybe they said something overly harsh that stuck to you that day. But to give that seed to the Father, because He is really the one that can help us forgive and be forgiving. Forgive at the point of injury and don't allow that seed to take root and grow into something horrendous later.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Van Update

2011-06-20T10:26:00.001-07:00

So the car guy blew me off twice this weekend. I knew that was God's way of saying, don't have this guy come look at your van. So I called my son to tell him that I'm still not sure what to do with the van, even though it did start up.

My son says, "I'll buy it. How much?"

"I'd really like to get $500 out of it, but you can just pay me what you think it should be since it isn't running." I answered.

"Ok," he says, "Eight hundred."

"What?! No! Honey, it isn't even running." I said.

He said, "Mom! That is the coolest van and it is worth it. I know you wanted $800 for it and I'm sure I can get it running."

So it is really amazing how the Lord takes care of the little things when you really step out on faith and TRUST HIM. Now, not only am I going to get a decent amount for the van, but my son will come down over the 4th of July weekend to get it so I will be able to see him and visit him before I head to Wyoming. It's so cute - he is bragging about it on his facebook page saying that it has a 460 engine and can pull a house off of it's foundations. Secretly I wonder if I will be using the money to buy a vehicle once I'm in Wyoming, but we shall see what the Lord has in store.

It is quiet right now in my life. Yesterday we celebrated father's day with my dad and brother-in-law and ate BBQ'd ribs and strawberry shortcake. (no kidding so much for trying to lose weight!!!) It was nice to visit with my family and enjoy life. It is important that I am enjoying life, because I have been under a self-imposed law of touch not, taste not, handle not, giving up things that religion says is bad, when it doesn't say there is anything wrong with it in the scriptures.

I finally got one of my sisters to watch my all time favorite movie yesterday, "Kung Fu Panda." Frankly, I totally love Kung Fu movies. I always have. I love Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan movies and because of the "mysticism" involved in martial arts, have not allowed myself to really watch or at least ENJOY a good martial arts movie. I know it is really dumb. I got rid of my entire CD collection except for two instrumental CD's - The soundtrack to "the piano", and a private CD from a friend who played classical guitar. While we were driving around garage saling Saturday in my sisters van, I saw my old Pink Floyd "Wish you were here" CD. I said, Hmm, I should take that back. I didn't because of my suitcases already being too full.

I had originally gotten rid of those CD's because of the satanic influence in the music realm, blah blah blah. Now I understand satan has no power over me, and just because he may have infiltrated every strata of society, doesn't mean I can't enjoy the music that is out there. Not that I'm going to run out and listen to Lady Gaga and Marilyn Manson, I do have taste.

It may seem that there is a lack of meat here on my blog lately, but that is because the Lord is preparing me for the work that will be done in Wyoming. I believe very strongly that I will be able to share the hope that is in me with people there and help others to escape the bondage of religion and carnal christianity and to do the work the Lord has prepared for me. I have had thoughts of worry, maybe it will be a furnace heated seven times hotter, then I remember that the Lord will be with me in the heat and the work of revealing Christ in me the hope of glory will continue. The Lord only gives us what we can handle. Should there be tribulation in Wyoming - then I will thank the Lord for the peaceable fruits of righteousness that will be the result.

If you haven't watched "Kung Fu Panda" yet, I highly recommend it!
Blessings in Christ
Linda

Happy Fathers Day

2011-06-19T10:23:00.001-07:00

I don't normally endorse secular holidays, but today is a good day to hug your dad. Forgive him for the past, no matter what may have happened, and start today with a clean slate. Love and Honor your father that it may be well with YOU and that YOU may live long on the earth!

I love you dad!

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Garage Sales and Gyros

2011-06-18T15:28:00.001-07:00

Some days are just living life.

My sisters took me out to lunch. They are excited for me to go to Wyoming but sad to see me go. I have really great sisters.

Then we drove around in the rain, going to garage sales. It was a nice afternoon.

Enjoy life today my friends!
Blessings in Christ!
Linda

New World Next Week

2011-06-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

My stuff

2011-06-16T12:05:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of all my worldly possessions not including a box of quilting stuff that is going to stay at my parents and will only be mailed to me in a quilting emergency. The guitar is non-negotiable since it is the Lord's will that I learn guitar - but I got rid of my bedroll (except the first quilt I made and my very hard to replace gushy pillow. I can put the quilt in the pillowcase and take it on the bus as a sneaky carry on. I also got rid of alot of clothes that I actually wear, but then I remembered that if I need clothes in Wyoming the Lord will provide. It made it easier to get rid of the bulky sweaters that I will not be needing for several months.

So I am going to Casper Wyoming (YAYAYAYAYAY THANK YOU GOD!!!) I have bought a one-way bus ticket for $89 and I leave July 7th and will arrive in Casper Wyoming on July 8th. My aunt is very excited for me to come stay with her and help her move. She still doesnt know if she is moving to another apartment in Casper or moving to Greybull but either way she has to move from her apartment.

When I was talking to my aunt - she said that she thought it was very strange how the apartment and job interview in Greybull seemed to be arranged from the Lord yet everything else now seems to indicate that she is to stay in Casper (although she has not yet received a difinitive "NO" from the job in Greybull.) I told her I believed it was the Lord because if things had not happened that way while we were over there, my aunt would not have thought to invite me to come help her. So we both agreed that this is the Lord's will.

So I am still tying up the myriad of loose ends here. I have literally been working on going through my stuff and paring down, paring down. I do believe the paring down part is over. I have a box of stuff that I will be mailing to my aunt, stuff I use almost daily but can live without for a week or two until it gets there. I am getting together birthday presents and cards because everyone in my family has birthdays and anniversaries in July, but I will just miss them. I made some new business cards with my new address on, and the new phone number. I'm writing letters to people and calling so that they know I will be leaving. Whenever I leave here, I always prepare for never coming back. But this will be the 5th time I'm "never coming back" so I told my mom, Don't worry, the Lord has a way of bringing me back here one way or the other, so who knows, I may be back sooner than we think.

Just in case you might be thinking that my blog has gotten less controversial lately here is a nice controversial you-tube video. Watch it all the way to the end because things are not always what they seem!

I have been guilty of using the scriptures to tear others down. I hope you will forgive me. I want no thing between me and the Lord and want to love my friends and enemies and strangers. I believe I will have some great love opportunities out there in Wyoming.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Quilt Update

2011-06-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

I finished this quilt recently but it is a surprise gift for someone so I didn't want to post it - but I can't help it! It is my fifth and best quilt yet. I have named it a Mother's Love - but it is a secret name that I didn't actually put on the quilt.
I actually started another quilt too that has browns and dark reds and is completely random. But I laid it all out on the floor and I have started to sew it. I am trying to plan how I can downsize and yet take the minimum sewing supplies with in order to work on a quilt.

I think I am down to the bare minimum of possessions, but I feel I will probably do one maybe two more pare-down sessions. I am contemplating getting rid of my bedroll which consists of a small gray comforter, two pillows (one the best squishy pillow that I have had for years!) and my first quilt. I use my bedroll every night on the couch and everywhere I go (couchwise) I have used these items and then rolled them up into a small roll wrapped with a belt. I went to a camping store and bought a bag that I can put my bedroll into if I needed to take it on a plane as luggage. I could almost put the quilt into the pillowcase of the squishy pillow and use it as a carry on.

I looked into bus tickets to Casper Wyoming and it is only $89 dollars if I buy the ticket in advance. That is good to know for future reference. My mom asked if I even know where I'll be going with all this sorting and downsizing. I said no. But the Lord gives us plenty of time to get ready for the next phase. I'm just getting ready for come what may.

Please pray for clear answers on my van. It is completely cleaned out now and I'm calling the car guy later to see when he can come give me an estimate. Please pray for me to have clear answers on where I am going next or whether I am staying here.
Thanks!

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Present suffering..

2011-06-13T10:46:00.000-07:00

Confessions of a Hoarder

2011-06-12T18:17:00.001-07:00

I come from a long line of hoarders. Which is why I can be so sympathetic when working with hoarders, I've been there. I got rid of a lifetime of accumulation when I first started this trip a couple years ago. Oh, furniture and dishes are fairly easy to replace - but it is the little sentimental things that are the hardest to part with.

When I first started out on the road in June of 2009 I had a little blue mini van. I had an air mattress in the back to sleep on and blue storage containers with cooking utensils and canned goods. I had several suitcases strapped to the top with stuff I just kindof felt at the time was unique and irreplaceable. Little paintings and nice clothes. I justified keeping the nice clothes in case I get a job, you know, I might NEED them!

Of course, this is Oregon. I know you people out there in Texas praying for rain, don't have the concept of the amount of rain we get here in Oregon. It practically rains every 20 minutes here and other times it pours. (ok, we may have a few clear days here and there, but most of the time rain rain rain.) So of course after driving in the rain for a couple of months, I took down the suitcases to readjust. Everything in those suitcases had molded. It was very gross.

I knew the Lord was trying to show me, that I wasn't going to need that stuff, but more importantly, that keeping that stuff was a product of unbelief. Deep down, I didn't believe the Lord would meet my needs.

When that van died I went through my stuff again. But I still kept all my canned goods and cook stove and little green bottles of propane. I was still in the surviving the post-apocalyptic world mindset and I was ready for the downfall of society. (sortof pre-madmax) Which is why I LOVED this van. It was so big and I could sleep rather comfortably. I did need all that stuff that I had then to travel and cook with and especially when I went down to Southern Oregon and lived in a Wal-mart parking lot for over two weeks.

Then this van broke down. It was okay, I wasn't using it at that point anyway because I was helping my parents go through their 35 years of accumulation in order to get their house on the market. Somedays were harder than others, but now my parents are seeing the benefits of living lighter and not having all this STUFF weighing them down.

I understand now why I wasn't getting answers from the Lord about my van. I wasn't yet ready to part with the stuff I had in the van and get my possessions down even further. So that is what I have been working on the last few days. I realize that I will not be riding out the end of civilized society in my van and camping out off the grid somewhere. The nature of my journey is changing. The Lord will provide me with whatever I need on this journey, but for now, it does not include tents and cooking stoves (and cans of Spaghettio's.)

The things of this world hold us back sometimes from the spiritual insight that the Lord wants to share. In order to really let go of those things, you need to TRUST that the Lord will provide. I feel I am finally ready to let go of these things, but still, the process is not without a certain amount of heavy sighing and determining what can be kept and what has to go. It is definiately a process.

Blessings on a much lighter side
In Christ
Linda

My favorite teaching on Romans 14

2011-06-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

The Grim Reaper

2011-06-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

There are times that I am so in awe of my Heavenly Father and how He directs my steps and arranges things in my life for His glory. He never ceases to amaze me.

I'd been feeling a little "what's my purpose in life" lately like I sort of talked about in my Twilight Zone post. When I was talking to my mom on the phone, after she told me that my aunt had not gotten the job, I had said, "Well, if it is the Lord's will for me to go out there, He will make a way. If He has work for me out there." My mom said, "He has work for you here!" At the time I kindof shrugged and thought, what work? In my stupid human brain, I have felt that I'm just ticking off the days, practicing my guitar, trying to exercise and lose weight and I have lost weight! The same three pounds over and over. Checking off the days of the calander with big red imaginary X's.

Several weeks ago, a friend from high school called to see how I was doing. She calls every five years or so, and she is nice, I like her but we always live several states away. She kept asking what I was doing and I was hesitant to tell her because you know why. She could really tell I was reluctant to talk about my life. Finally I said, "Fine - you want to know what I am doing? I am on a special journey from the Lord!" Although that didn't quite open any doors to share about God's word, I did have an opportunity to share a bit of my testimony. She said, "Maybe you can go to the Peace Corps or go to Africa for a mission trip?" I said, "There are lost people right here that need to hear about the Lord." She laughed and said, "I never thought about it like that!~"

I know that it is just the adversary trying to make me feel like I don't have a purpose - like the Lord doesn't really have a plan for my life (or worse that the plan is for me to slowly rot away in my parent's basement surrounded by quilts and guitar manuals. Oh and chocolate.)

The first night that we got back from Wyoming my sister stopped by. I was very happy when she asked if I would come over to farm sit. The plan was that she would come pick me up Wednesday morning and bring me back to her house and then her and her husband and my niece and nephew were going to go to the beach.

When my sister came to pick me up though, she was saying that her and her husband were not going to let my nephew (who is 18) go with because he was behind in his schoolwork. They still wanted me to come over so I could keep an eye on things (and maybe to add insult to injury by telling him he needed a babysitter.)

Now I have really have a soft-spot for this boy. He is my only nephew and I have prayed for open doors to share the truth of God's Word with him. I used to be the awesome gaming aunt who could discuss the latest Nintedo DS games or the Wii games and I was very cool. So my turning my back on all things gaming and turning towards the things of the Lord was quite the uncool thing to do.

My nephew had several pictures of the grim reaper on his walls that he had drawn. In times past I would use the pictures of the grim reaper to open a conversation about spiritual matters but they always seemed to turn into arguments. But then, I was a different person and didn't mind a good knock down, tear down argument.

So after everyone body left for the beach, my nephew was justifyable angry. He started to clean his room by pulling his mattresses off the bed and was making alot of noise. I went in and told him to put his bed back together and to stop throwing stuff around and gave him the "you want a piece of me?" look. He calmed down and said ok. He spent the next couple hours cleaning his room more quietly.

He came out and we talked about regular stuff. I told him that it really was out of love that his parents kept him home, that he really needs to finish his school work so he can graduate. He said, "I know, I know." Then he made this excellent chicken stir fry and I helped by cutting up the vegtables and it was really fun. I set the table and we sat down to a proper meal. I blessed the food and he was okay with that. I told him, "I'm really glad you are here. This is amazing food and this is fun. I would just be eating a turkey sandwich if I was here alone!" He said, "I'm actually glad too."

Later after we had cleaned up and I was sitting at the coffee table with my computer - he brought up the fact that we used to argue all the time, I said, (and I believe this was inspired by the Holy Spirit), "I think you only argued with me because you really want to know more about the Lord, but are afraid to ask so arguing with me was just your way of talking about it. You just took the opposite view of whatever I said"

Then the miracle occured. He said, "You know, I do have some questions." He sat down across from me in the living room and we talked about the Lord for almost two hours! I talked to him about God's amazing love and the fact that everyone will be saved in their order and that it is God that does the saving. He talked a little about the grim reaper. Not that he worships the grim reaper but he believes in the ministry of the grim reaper as an actual entity that takes people from this life to the next level. I asked, "what's the next level?" he answered, "Exactly" I laughed. The Lord will sort all that out later. I let it go.

My nephew told me that he had been going to a little church in town and that his parents didn't really like to talk about God. I told him not to worry about his parents, God will sort all that out too. He brought out a little book he is reading called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan that he will let me borrow when he is done. Then he went back into his room to work on his homework.

I sat there for a few minutes praising my Father for the opportunity to share His love and Word with my nephew and prayed for the Lord to continue to work on my nephew's heart. I thought about my mom saying that I had work here too. I guess maybe I do. Thank you Lord!

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Twilight Zone

2011-06-09T13:43:00.001-07:00

When we were still in Wyoming there was a time when everyone went to the store except for me and my 93 year old grandfather. We were watching tv and I'll have to admit, he's kind of intimidating so I was a little uncomfortable with our lack of conversation. The show Jeopardy came on. So we had a little bit of a competition by shouting out the answers to the Jeopardy questions. My grandfather is quite the history buff so he knows alot of the answers. But I know some stuff too and was able to answer some questions that he didn't know.

Then came a strange question. "a layer of the ocean's stratosphere and also a 60's television show". (I'm paraphrasing because I can't quite remember the exact wording.) My grandfather looks at me, but I just shrugged. I'm wracking my brain but I got nothing. Then Alex Trebek says, "What is the Twilight Zone." Wow, I shoulda known.

(While I was writing this blog post my mom called to tell me that my aunt did not get that job. My aunt was really upset about it because she had felt that the Lord had set up the job interview and the apartment. Now, it is not clear what she will do. But she has to move from her current apartment around August/September no matter what. I said, "maybe the Lord wants her to stay in Casper?" So I may still be going to Casper to help her move at some point. The Lord's timing is perfect so we will just take it one day at a time.

I forgot to bring my guitar (and my cell phone) to the farm so I am not happy about having to go three days without practicing. Hope my callouses hold up.) As I sit on the back porch looking over the valley - I feel somewhat like I have entered my own private twilight zone.

I once believed in the Rapture and I regularly sent my tithe to a man and his wife who had a rapture themed ministry. Of course the false doctrine of the pre-trib rapture also has somewhere in the doctrines that the bear of Daniel is Russia, and that Putin was probably the antichrist or at least AN antichrist. Or something ridiculous like that - I don't remember now. Many times the Father had directed me to send them money and many times they would write and tell me that the money came just in time - that sort of thing. I was on their email list. But the Lord was beginning to show me that the truth was not in the rapture doctrine. So one day I got an email from their ministry. It was of one of their followers going off on this rant about Putin and how he was so evil you could see it in his beady little eyes, etc.

I immediately emailed that man and told him to take me off his email list. He was justifyably shocked and asked me why since I had been a stauch supporter before. I told him that I no longer believed in the pre-trib rapture doctrine so would not be a part of his ministry any longer. That was true of course, but it was the hatred toward Putin that this other follower had spewed forth and was forwarded by the minister that really bothered me, even though I had posted pictures of Putin with his shirt off on this very blog with the words EWWWWW under it. So I was not without my own sin in that respect.

Next the Lord lead me to a website that talked alot about authority and submission, the Jezebel spirit and head coverings. At first I cried like a baby when I thought I was supposed to wear a handkerchief on my head. O. My. God. You want to know about persecution? Go from being a beer drinking, cigarette smoking, cussing, video gaming carnal christian chick to quitting everything and wearing a doily on your head! Oh no. That did not go over very well with the fam.

I just wanted to obey, but said, "Oh Lord! Have mercy on me I can't keep this thing on my head! It keeps getting caught in the bushes and slips down and I look absolutely horrible in it. It's really not me Lord." Thankfully He led me to Target where a hat that hadn't been there the day before that was really cool with patches and stiches that went outside the box was. "Ok Lord, I'll wear this hat as a headcovering." Phew.

So then I spent the next couple years under the law. Oh you know. Looking down my long legalistic nose at all those sinners out there. What?! Are you wearing earrings? The kind I use to wear? Is that make-up. Well, I'm not quite to the skirt wearing phase but my jean's are modest let me tell you. Under the law, I listened to all the "old testament prophets" Doom and Gloom baby, doom and gloom. Yep. Any moment God is going to judge all you 53 million abortion people with all SORTS of natural disasters and there is just not enough repentence in the world to save the lot of you. I, of course, will be tucked safely under the wings of the Father because not only am I one of the elect - but I am also wearing my special hat slash secret headcovering.

Oh Phooey.

Thankfully, the Lord began to show me Who HE really was. An amazing God of Love, full of mercy and long suffering toward us and that Jesus saved the whole world by his sacrifice and resurrection.

That of course, is where the twilight zone comes in. Now what? What do I believe now? What does the Word say now? I guess I'm no longer an evangalical or a pentacostal or a charismatic. Even though, I never allowed myself an actually label. I went to the Seventh Day Adventist church for a while and a independent pentacostal, but I never identified myself as an Adventist or Pentacostal. I used to say, "I'm a member of the Body of Christ so I guess I can go to whatever church I want."

There is a group that calls themselves Christian Universalists that I suppose I can identify myself with, but even they all have a bunch of different doctrines between them. Some of which I think tend to want to mix New Age and Christianity, which I think is a dangerous road to be on.

So once again, I'm not going to put myself under another man-made doctrine by giving myself a label. I'm going to believe the part of God's Word that is the simple truth. God sent His only Begotten son, not to condemn the world but to save it. Also. I have figured out that I really don't know anything at all. I thought I knew the truth when I believed in the rapture. I thought I knew the truth when I was under the New Testament law with it's head coverings and eternal torment.

I am now at the place where I have determined not to know ANYTHING but Christ, and Him crucified. Maybe now, the Lord can begin to teach me His truth.

Blessings from the Twilight Zone
In Christ!
Linda

Farm Break

2011-06-08T18:43:00.001-07:00

I am farmsitting for the next couple days while my sister and her family go to the beach for a mini vacation. My aunt still hasn't heard whether or not she has gotten that job, but we are still thinking that if she gets the job, I may still go out there to help her move. There is some loose ends I need to attend to here before I can really go out there. Mainly, my van.

Several months ago as I went to move my van, I was driving it around the block and it just died. It wouldn't start again. Almost a week later, I again attempted to start it and it wouldn't start. I called AAA and they came with a special tow truck for one ton vehicles like mine and towed it up to my parents house where it has been sitting ever since.

When we were coming back from Wyoming we had an opportunity to stop and see my son who is stationed in Spokane. I told him I really felt like it was time to have someone else come look at the van since he was not going to be able to make it down to Oregon to work on it. But my son was not very happy about that so he made me promise that we would do a phone inspection before someone else looked at it. He wanted me to listen for the fuel pump and if I didn't hear it then I was to switch tanks and try again and if I didn't hear the fuel pump again then it was an electrical problem.

So the day after I got home, he called me on the phone and I took the phone out to the van and went to start it. It started right up! My son started launghing and said, "I fixed your van!" Of course, I don't yet want to drive it without someone taking a look at it. My dad said, "Well, I wonder why it wouldn't start when we were trying a couple months ago." I said, "I think it was supernatural." My van not running meant that I didn't pick up and start driving to the other side of the country. There was a couple times when situations came up that, had my van been running, I would have gone places I do not believe the Lord wanted me to go. The fact that my van has started now, kindof shows me that it is time to deal with it.

So it is looking like it is time to get rid of my van. Even if my van was fixed, it is so expensive to drive it anywhere with the gas prices the way they are, that it is just not worth it for me to keep. If I go to Casper to help my aunt, then I can fly, and if I don't go to Casper, I can drive my parents vehicles which is what I have been doing anyway. I am feeling now is the time to deal with the van. Of course, that also means all the stuff I have been keeping in my van has to be dealt with.

I am going to give my tent and air mattress and all my camping (survivalist) gear to my son so that he can use it to camp with his friends. I've already gone through my clothes and I didn't have a lot before but I went from two roller suitcases down to one. But I've been feeling for a couple months now that I was going to go down to just a roller suitcase, my laptop, my guitar, my bedroll and my backpack. Even that seems like a lot for a plane trip, but that will be all my possessions when I am done sorting stuff out.

I may have my mom mail my quilting stuff to my aunt's later, but for now, I am sewing the binding on my current quilt and will probably try to plan my next one to take with. Last year when I didnt have a van I had this overwhelming sense of homelessness. Now, I am a different person and I know that no matter where I am, I am at home with the Lord. Whether that is at my parents house or the start of a new adventure in Wyoming. We shall see.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Things that Cannot Separate Us from the Love of God - PERSECUTION

2011-06-06T14:25:00.001-07:00

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39

Here in America, we still have freedom of worship. Christians are free to go to the church of their choosing and except for San Diego – can have bible studies in their home, without persecution or any kind of harassment. The thought police of this country are not yet scrutinizing people’s individual ways of worshipping the Creator.

Our Christian brothers and sisters in many other countries must hide their faith. Either their governments forbid the practice of Christianity or the local religions forbid any kind of conversion to Christianity. Many Christians in other countries are severely persecuted for their faith in Jesus. Some times it is illegal to own a Bible or to share their faith or even teach their own children about Jesus.

Here are some websites that track the current state of persecution of Christians in our world today, and where you can get more information to support these brothers and sisters in Christ:

Christian Persecution Info

The Voice of the Martyrs

2 Timothy 3:12 says that ALL that live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution and even in this country and especially in our own families we have been subjected to persecution in one form or another – and it definitely hurts when we have gone through it.

Thank God – persecution cannot separate us from the Love of God. When we are persecuted, we can count it all joy to be found worthy to suffer persecution for Christ’s sake.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Things that Cannot Separate Us from the Love of God – DISTRESS

2011-06-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39

I’ve read the word distress many times, but I really did not know what it meant. This word distress in the above verses literally means – a narrow place. We would say – a tight spot, a jam or in the middle of a mess. The definition of distress from the Accurate and Reliable online dictionary has several definitions. The first definition was: “Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as, to suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of friends.” Wow. I know about that last one. I suppose the idea that I bring that one on myself is debatable.

Other definitions include – having someone come and repo your stuff in order to pay a debt, a ship in distress from leaking water, psychological suffering. Basically it is mental anguish.

We all go through mental anguish. The good news is – our mental anguish cannot separate us from the love of God! Nowadays when I find myself in anguish about circumstances in my life – I turn them over to the Father. Here Lord, here is this problem that I just don’t know what to do about or how to handle. Please take care of this for me. Giving it to the Father, helps take away the mental anguish. He knows the end from the beginning on every possible thing in our lives.

Remember I said the Lord wanted me to write to this man in jail that I had had a falling out with? Well, the man wrote back and told me that it was a blessing to hear from me. I guess ex-friends are not always ex-friends forever. I bought a really colorful card to send him again so that the dreary walls of the jailhouse aren’t too depressing. Good things always turn out when we obey the Lord.

Distress cannot separate us from the Love of God!

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Things that Cannot Separate Us from the Love of God - TRIBULATION

2011-06-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39

One of the most insidious tricks of the devil is to convince people that they can be separated from the love of God. God IS love and He is always with us. God was IN Christ reconciling the WORLD unto Himself and we have Christ IN us which is the Hope of Glory.

There is a lot of talk and speculation about the coming “tribulation” or GREAT TRIBULATION if you will. It’s like this scary boogieman that is coming to get us AT ANY MOMENT! Everyone is wondering – are we IN the great tribulation? Is it coming soon? What is going to happen in the great tribulation? Should we be buying guns and gold? Should we be stocking up on food and water? How will we survive this coming great tribulation?

The Word repeatedly tells us that tribulation is a part of our walk with the Lord. In fact as it states in the book of Acts – it is a requirement to have tribulation in order to enter the Kingdom of God.

Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. ACTS 14:22

The word tribulation was first used in the King James Version in the book of Deuteronomy. But when God said it – He said WHEN you have tribulation – not IF. “When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. Deuteronomy 4:31-32

Tribulation has a purpose in our lives and our spiritual walk. It reminds us how much we NEED the Father and His love and mercy in our lives. Like any really good parent, he wants us to obey His voice because He is trying to keep us from the consequences and hurt that sin brings into our lives. It is out of His extreme love for us that He tells us these things – that He will not destroy us, nor forsake us.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:1-5

Tribulation works patience which then works experience and then hope. Without tribulation there is no patience (which is a fruit of the Spirit), there is no experience and ultimately there is no hope! Tribulation is part of the process of manifesting your sonship and Christ being revealed IN YOU. It is a work of the Holy Spirit that causes the love of God to be shed abroad in our hearts! We are to glory in our tribulations because ultimately it brings in the peaceful fruits of righteousness.

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Romans 12:12

Another purpose for Tribulation is so that we can also in turn be comforted! “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” 2 Cor 1:3-5

We should welcome tribulations and trials because they are what eventually brings us into the Kingdom of God. We who come out of great tribulation will have washed our robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. Rev 7:14. Tribulation is never something that separates us from God’s Love – but will actually be instrumental in bringing us closer to Him!

Blessings in Christ
Linda

The accuser

2011-06-03T13:19:00.001-07:00

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. Revelation 12:10

I remember the first time I ever read that verse. I had a picture in my mind of the accuser. I saw God sitting on his throne up in heaven and the devil standing in front of God pointing down towards earth and saying accusations day and night. Later, I realized that the accuser accuses us in our mind day and night or he uses other people to accuse us right here on earth. Whenever I came across accusations in my life I always thought of that mind picture.

Now I realize that I did not get the true meaning out of that verse. The truth in that verse is the fact that the accuser is cast down. The important part of that verse is not the accuser. It is the fact that NOW is come our salvation, our strength in the Lord, the kingdom of our God and the POWER OF HIS CHRIST. The accuser has already been defeated! Whenever the accuser tries to accuse us in our daily lives - we can claim the promise that the accuse is cast down - and the Power of Christ reigns in our lives.

Have a good weekend my friends!
Blessings in Christ
Linda

Little Pieces of Unforgiveness

2011-06-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

As I was driving through some SPECTACULARLY beautiful country - I was thinking about my last blog posts. Why am I so irritated with my mom? It's not that traveling is stressful - I'm not feeling stressed.

I once had a boyfriend who was a deaf mute. Once he signed to me, "Are you mad at me?" Well, no. I'm not mad. What is the sign for annoyed? What is the sign for irritated? What?! What do you mean there are no signs for that? Oh. Ok. I guess maybe I am a little mad.

The Word says, "Be ye angry and sin not." Anger is a feeling. Feelings can't just be ignored or discarded. They need to be dealt with.

Oh I know. Dead men don't have feelings. But we are only metaphorically dead - not literally. While we still live in this flesh body - we still have feelings that need to be dealt with.

So I asked the Lord why I was so irritated. The Lord began to show me that not only was each incidence of irritation on my part - little pieces of unforgiveness - but they were miss opportunities as well.

Every time I was irritated - I should have forgiven her. Every time I was annoyed - I should have prayed. For my mom - that I can love her like Christ loved me and gave himself for me - and that she could be blessed, that she could be saved and that the Lord can heal her and open her eyes. I could have prayed for myself - that I can be more loving and forgiving and patient. I should have been giving thanks to my Heavenly Father for all the blessings He gives me on a daily basis. To thank Him for my mom and for this vacation and the beautiful countryside. I should be praying without ceasing - especially when I am felling annoyed or irritated!

Please pray for me my friends.
Blessings in Christ
Linda

Travelers

2011-06-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

I really want this blog post to be called "Honor thy mother" because I am really having a hard time at the moment. Don't get me wrong. I love my mom. But she is NOT an easy woman to travel with.

When we stop at a rest area and everyone had gone to the bathroom, then she decides she will go. We have to wait so long for her to finish that I have to go again! My father and I are the drivers so we really need our sleep. But when she can't sleep at 3am in the hotel room, she turns on the light and starts to read. Thanks mom. Now we can't sleep either. When I say I am going to practice my guitar - she rolls her eyes and I feel just like a little awkward kid again.

I really felt like crying that I couldn't go with my aunt. I know the Lord has His reasons for me to stay at my parents house without a job, without looking for a job, waiting on Him. I beg the Father for mercy. I know that the Lord wants me to love my mom with that same unconditional love that I am to love Him and my neighbors with. To honor her - which is to cherish her. I know Lord - I am.

This morning at the desk in the Hotel, I found this little card that I wanted to share. It was a little prayer - which was both sweet and unusual:

“To Our Guests – In ancient times, there was a prayer for “the stranger within our gates.” Because this hotel is a human institution to serve people, and not solely a money-making organization, we hope that God will grant you peace and rest while you are under our roof.

May this room and hotel be your second home. May those you love be near you in thoughts and dreams. Even though we may not get to know you, we hope that you will be as comfortable and happy as if you were in your own home.

May the business that brought you our way prosper. May every call you make and every message you receive add to your joy. When you leave, may your journey be safe.

We are all travelers. From birth till death we travel between eternities. May these days be pleasant for you, profitable for society, helpful for those you meet, and a joy to those who know and love you best.”

That last part really hit me. I am a traveler. I journey for the Lord and I go where He sends me and stays where He wants me to stay. Currently - that is with my parents. So I will spend my time there as I have been. Praying and interssessing for those around me. Studying God's Word and practicing the guitar and waiting for the plan the Lord has for me.

and loving and honoring my parents. I love you mom.

Blessings in Christ!
Linda

Crossroads - UPDATED

2011-05-30T19:25:00.001-07:00

Wow. What a crazy week. We have had a lovely time. My grandfather is much better. My mom's sister has been up from Casper. My parents and her and my uncle all talked about what we could do about my grandparents living situation. Nothing really presented itself. But my aunt said that she needs to move from her apartment down in Casper before the winter and that they had just raised her rent $200 a month. In order for her to make ends meet she would need to start working full time at her job, which she really doesn't want to do because she is 67 years old.

She asks us to pray for her to see if it is the Lord's will for her to move up from Casper to Greybull so that she could be near my grandparents and look out for them and drive them around etc. So we prayed that if it was the Lord's will for her to move up here from Casper that the Lord would open doors for her up here and close the ones down in Casper. She knows that no matter what - she has to move from her apartment down there because the stairs get too icy during the winter and she has to carry her laundry down and with the raised rent - it just was beginning to seem that the Lord was already starting to close the doors down there for her.

Yesterday (Sunday on Memorial Day weekend) she got a call from the local counseling center. She had called them earlier in the week to see if there were any job openings - preferrably part time in her field. The doctor thinks there may be a position available for her and he set up an interview for tomorrow at 11am. Then an apartment that is a two bedroom - ground floor apartment with a washer and dryer in it may also be available that we were actually able to go see today. It is a very cute apartment and would only be $450 a month!

So it seems like the Lord is opening doors up here. Of course everything hinges on this interview tomorrow. My parents have decided to wait until after her interview before we head back to Oregon. We are thinking that if she gets the job, then I will go down to Casper with her and spend the next couple months with her to help her go through all her stuff (my forte) and help her with the move. I would be here with her until sometime in August and we would worry about how I would get back later. If she doesn't get the job - then I will head back to Oregon with my parents. So this crossroads in my aunt's life, may very well be a crossroads in mine. Of course - we know that these things are always ordered by the Lord. Should it be the Lord's will that she move up here and gets the job, I will stay with her for the next couple months. If it is not the Lord's will - then I will return home, with mom and dad. Which isn't really my home either - because I go where the Lord wants me to go and stay where the Lord wants me to stay. I have really known this week that it was the Lord's will that I was here on this vacation with my parents.

So after my aunt's job interview I will know if I head to Oregon or stay in Wyoming. I don't know what my internet access will be for either direction so you will just have to be in suspense until I will be able to get online and let you know which way I went. Sorry guys.

Please pray for my family, my aunt and my parents and my grandparents. That the Lord will continue to look out for us in Jesus name!

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Updated - they were unable to let my aunt know if she got the job so I am heading back to Oregon and we will play things by ear.

Butterfly Kisses

2011-05-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

This email showed up in my inbox this morning and I thought I would share it with you all. It is from Gary Amirault from Tentmaker Minsitries -

"We often learn the most from our children. Some time ago, a friend of mine punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper.

Money was tight, and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy." He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found that the box was empty.

He yelled at her, "Don't you know that when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside of it?"

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy."

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged her forgiveness. My friend told me that he kept that gold box by his bed for years. Whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us as parents has been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children.

There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.
-- unknown author

The world is full of little boxes filled with butterfly kisses if we would but look with the eyes of Christ deep into the hearts of God's children (young and old) all over the world. But we often allow the cares of this world to cloud our vision and therefore miss the thousands of blessings our heavenly Father has scattered along the paths on which we walk. Oh, the joy that would fill our hearts every day, if we could put off those nasty obstacles lodged in our minds...fear, insecurity, anger, bitterness, jealousy, resentment, prejudice, coveteousness, greed, pride, etc.

I had an experience with the Lord in which I walked this earth in perfect love for a few days. People of God, this world is truly a paradise, even today, if one can see with the eyes of His faith. Butterfly kisses around every corner of our walk sent from above from a Father who loves His children with more love than they are able to carry in their little mortal bodies.

Let us pray for perfect vision. Let us beg the Father of lights to be healed forever of those diseases which hinder our God-given vision that we may capture more and more of those butterfly kisses. I believe that the more we are able to capture these butterfly kisses the more the world will see Christ in us and that will set the world on a course of healing.

Let us today purpose in our hearts to give up a few more of those things which cloud our vision. Ask Him, even today to show you a box full of butterfly kisses. Ask Him to heal your eyes that you might not miss the ones He has planned for your tomorrows. It is time we, Children of the Most High, behold the Glory of our Heavenly Father. This world IS filled with His glory even this day...if we are able to see with the eyes of faith, the eyes of our Lord, Savior, and King...King Jesus." --Gary Amirault

Have a wonderful weekend my friends.
Blessings in Christ
Linda

Love Conquers All

2011-05-26T16:42:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had the Lord be really obvious about something that He wants you to be working on in your life? Well, the Lord has really been showing me that I need to be more loving and less swordy.

Several of my favorite websites had postings on love and I had been thinking about it a lot but it took a close friend to say to me that I don’t always have to be wielding a sword, that I could concentrate on love more. She was right of course.

We have been driving a lot lately. There are a lot of miles between everything you may want to do in Wyoming so I have had a lot of time to talk to the Lord as I rode in the car. Yesterday we drove to Cody which is about an hour away. I told the Lord, I know I need to be more loving Lord. How do I do that Lord? Can you help me? Where do I start?

I realized that this is a giant in my life. And not the kind of giant you can just rebuke in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and it goes away. It was the 1st Corinthians 13 kind of love. Do I speak with tongues? Yes – but I don’t have love so I am sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Do I understand all mysteries and all knowledge? Well, maybe not ALL, but I don’t have love. Do have the rest of that stuff? Not quite but it doesn’t matter because if I don’t have love, I am nothing. I profit nothing. But most of all, without love, the Lord cannot use me.

We had Chinese food last night with my grandparents. My dad broke open a fortune cookie and put the fortune in front of me. “Love conquers all.” Yes Lord. I get it. I thought about the word study I did on the white horse rider a while ago. In Revelation verse 6:2 for “going forth conquering and to conquer.” That word conquer is actually the same Greek word that was translated overcomes all the times before. The text is actually saying “going forth overcoming and to overcome” and I never understood why they didn’t translate it that way. Love overcomes all.

Today my grandmother was making peanut butter cookies. She usually makes them twice a week because even now, they are my grandfather’s favorite. He yells from the other room, “Woman! I need to take another one of those pills.” My grandmother says, “Ok” and stops what she is doing to take a pain pill and some water to my grandfather. She pats him on the hand and smiles and comes back to putting little fork marks on the cookies. She never complains. She never gets angry. She never talks bad about my grandfather even though he is a difficult man. She is strong and steadfast.

That is love – the Lord says to me.

A man that I was close friends with at one point is in jail. He was in jail a while back and I wrote to him a couple times to send him words of encouragement and to let him know that I was praying for him. He had written me back to tell me that those letters really meant something to him. We have since had a fairly major falling out. For consciousness sake, we made up, but we never really talked to each other again.

Today, the Lord began to put on my heart that I need to write to him again in jail. I said, “Lord, we are not even friends anymore. I’m sure the last thing he wants is a letter from me.” Yet, there it was. The gentle insistence was there from the Lord for me to write him a card to let him know that I’m still praying for him. That is true, even though I felt I was praying for him as an enemy and not a friend – although I will not tell him that part. I said, “But Lord, he is a false prophet! I’ve even mentioned his false prophecies on my site!”

The Lord said, “Are false prophecies the unforgivable sin now?”

Hhmmm. No. Ok Lord, I will write him a nice card sending words of encouragement even though he probably hates me now.

That is love – the Lord says to me.

Love is laying down your life for the brethren. Love is forgiving and comforting the brethren so that they will not be swallowed up in overmuch sorrow. Love is reaching out without protecting yourself against possible rejection and betrayal. Love never fails.

Please pray for me to be more loving my friends.
Blessings in Christ
Linda

Elements of God's Word - Wind

2011-05-25T06:07:00.000-07:00

My grandfather watches Fox News all day long, so I was watching it with him yesterday and saw all the horror and destruction that has been left in the wake of these tornados. One story in particular really made me cry. There was a boy who just graduated from high school, coming back from the graduation ceremony with his father and uncle in a truck, and the tornado sucked that kid right out of the truck through the sun roof. So far they have not found him. My mom came into the room to ask me what happened and I started to cry as I told her the story. There was another news story about a little two year old boy who was found. His head was split open and he had roof shingles embedded in his abdomen and his mother and sister were dead. My mind instantly made a picture of what it looked like for that little boy to have shingles sticking out of his little stomach. How awful. How incredibly awful.

Later I came online to hear person after person talk about how this was God’s judgment. I had just witnessed the Lord save my grandfather from certain death falling down the stairs and people are saying that My Heavenly Father pulled that kid out the sun roof and embedded roofing tiles in a two year old, not to mention killing all those people and destroying all that property. I lay in bed crying out to the Father, not believing it for a moment saying, “Lord, are they right? Is that really Your judgment?” The Lord showed me who pulled that kid out of the sun roof. It was satan.

I used to think that HAARP was the devil’s weapon that he was using to make hurricanes and earthquakes etc. But the devil doesn’t need man-made weapons in order to cause destruction and mayhem. He can use the wind anytime he wants. He is called the Prince of the Power of the Air for a reason. In Job 1:19 it shows satan’s handiwork – “And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, (Job’s children) and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.”

I have been doing a lot of study lately on false prophets and false prophecies and they all have one thing in common. They love to talk about God’s judgments coming on the land. In Matthew 24 Jesus said that there would be earthquakes and famines and pestilences etc. But Jesus never said that any of those things were God’s judgments. He said they would happen like birth pains and those things are happening like birth pangs – but this is satan’s realm. He is the thief that comes to KILL, STEAL, and DESTROY. Jesus came so that we could have life and have it abundantly. He also came to destroy the works of the devil.

The problem lies in wrongly dividing the Word of God again. I know there will be those that will not be able to receive this, and I am truly sorry about that. The false traditions of God’s wrathful judgments are just too embedded in our belief system for some. Under the Old Testament covenant the children of Israel had real battles against real demon-possessed people and nations. But satan’s realm and his hordes of demons were for the most part concealed. Good and bad were all attributed to God, and God allowed that. The Old Testament is important because it was all written for our learning. But now we are under the New covenant of Jesus Christ. Jesus in his ministry revealed satan and his kingdom. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. This is a spiritual battle against satan and his evil kingdom.

Jesus came to proclaim a Heavenly Father that was a God of love. I know our churches today have watered down the gospel so much that God is made to look like a wishy washy God of love who never corrects His kids. God does correct people and He does judge people, but His judgment is always corrective. God HATED perverted judgment in the Old Testament and still hates it.

Satan has succeeded in not only causing destruction in the form of tornados and floods and earthquakes in this country – killing as many people as he can and destroying as much as he can – he has also succeeded in getting an extremely large amount of believing Christians to believe that God is the one who has done it. After reading this post, there will still be those that will believe it, and will think that I am the one who is wrong. It’s not about me.

God is only just and righteous and his judgments are always corrective. God so LOVED the WORLD that He gave His only begotten Son. It’s not that He so loved the elect. While we were YET SINNERS Jesus died for us. We are all sinners, even those of us who are believers and have been washed by the blood of Jesus. If we say we don’t sin we are liars.

If you had a child who was throwing rocks at cars, you might go out and spank your child. Let’s say the neighbor kid was throwing rocks too, do you go out and beat that kid to a bloody pulp? No. Did God suck that kid out the sun roof? I tell you NO. Did God embed roof tiles in that little kid? I tell you NO. Did God judge America yesterday? NO! Satan is out doing what he does best. DESTROYING. KILLING. BLAMING GOD AND MAKING GOD LOOK LIKE HE IS UNLOVING.

I know there are those people that believe that anytime America moves against Israel God sends a calamity. Well, there are plenty of earthquakes, floods and tornados going on every day when nothing is going on between Israel and America. What about that? Once again, they are wrongly dividing God’s Word. But people are going to believe what they want to believe about that.

God IS Love. God is about saving people not destroying them, no matter what the false prophets may be saying. God’s will is for ALL men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. There will continue to be earthquakes, floods and tornados. It is not God that is doing it, although He is the one that will be blamed for it. Understand who the real enemy is and who it is that we fight against. Satan.

Please pray for those in satan’s destructive path and for the people who have to rebuild their lives. Pray that they can understand the Truth about our Heavenly Father. Pray that they can understand God’s redemptive plan for the world through Jesus Christ our savior. Pray that Jesus will crush satan under His feet soon.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Old School - UPDATED

2011-05-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

My grandparents are both 93 years old, but they are fiercely independent and have all their mental faculties. My grandfather would be a curmudgeon if he wasn’t so dang funny. My grandma never misses a beat when she says, “It’s a good life if you don’t weaken!” My grandfather calls her, “woman” and towers over her 4 foot two frame. But they have been married for 70 years now. Grandma says, “I never thought I would be married for 70 years,” and Grandpa says, “yeah, well it was touch and go there for a while.” It’s so funny because we all know there wasn’t any touch and go for them.

Around the dinner table my grandfather is telling us a story that he remembers from when he was six or seven years old and attending a Catholic elementary school. He says the nun there told them to save their nickels and dimes for the pagan babies. My grandfather said he didn’t know what a pagan baby was, but he knew that he wanted one! He saved up till he had fifty cents. He wasn’t sure how he would care for a pagan baby, so he outfitted a cardboard box that he kept under the bed. He was disappointed that those pagan babies never did show up at his school.

Yesterday as my mother and grandmother were sitting outside enjoying the smell of the lilac trees, my grandmother confided that it is very hard for them to keep living in this house that they have lived in for 30 years. My grandmother has to go down two flights of stairs to do the laundry and the only shower they have is downstairs, so my grandfather has to go down the stairs to have his daily shower. When we got to my uncles house in the next town over, they were telling us that some of the walls in grandma’s house are literally crumbling down. There is also an actual oil well underneath their house that bows the floor in one of the bedrooms. No one thinks they can sell the house; they will just have to bulldoze it when they are done with it. I said, can’t they bulldoze the house, set up the oil well and live off the proceeds? No, the laws in this state are that you can own the land but not the mineral rights. I thought, yeah, of course. Jerks.

Later this morning we were supposed to go pick up my grandparents and drive to Cody for lunch and shopping. But when my grandma came home from church and found my grandfather sitting in his chair, he told her he had fallen down the stairs. He was able to get back up the stairs to sit in his chair, but he was hurting pretty bad and she was going to take him to the hospital. We haven’t heard yet what the doctor said. My grandfather may just be convinced now that they need to move. There are some senior apartments in town that are based on your income. My grandma would like to move there, but they have so much stuff in their house that would need to be gone through. I’m wondering if this will be my next assignment. I guess we shall see.

Please pray for my grandparents.

I’ll check in again soon.
Blessings in Christ
Linda

UPDATED - Who ever heard of a 93 year old man falling BACKWARDS down a flight of stairs and walking away without a scratch or a broken bone. That is my Wonderful Heavenly Father at work. I told my mom that the Lord must have a cushion of air around my grandfather. He is ok. He is pretty bruised, but he is definately ok.

Thank you very much for your prayers.

Big Sky Country

2011-05-22T21:11:00.001-07:00

Wha..? The world is still here? Hee Hee! Yeah, I kind of thought it would be. Don't get me wrong - I knew it wasn't going to happen but secretly wished it would. I knew I could empatically state that Jesus wasn't coming back yesterday because if I was wrong and Jesus did come back, I would be with Him so I wouldn't be here any longer for anyone to say to me that I was wrong. Safe bet! : )

Anyone who believes that the world is overpopulated has not driven through Montana and Wyoming lately. Believe me, we have lots of room left on this planet.

We are safely tucked away in Greybull Wyoming tonight. We got in too late to see our family, so we are at a motel - one that has excellent internet access unlike the one we stayed in last night. So I just thought I would check in on everyone. Hope you are all doing well.

Take care for now!
Blessings in Christ
Linda

False Prophets 101 - Repost

2011-05-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

I'm getting ready to drive to Wyoming with my parents for a couple weeks. I will post when I can but most likely not tomorrow. I thought I would repost links to all the False Prophets 101 posts in honor of tomorrow's non-event.

False Prophets 101 - Wolves in Sheeps Clothing

False Prophets 101 - Eyes to See

False Prophets 101 - Cult Mentality

False Prophets 101 - Spiritual Abuse

False Prophets 101 - Another Gospel

False Prophets 101 - Old Testament vs New Testament

False Prophets 101 - Signs in the Heavens

False Prophets 101 - Fables

False Prophets 101 - Preparation

False Prophets 101 – Date Setting

I will most likely be online here and there the next two weeks if you need to email me at wendyworn@yahoo.com.

Blessings in Christ!
Linda

False Prophets 101 – Date Setting

2011-05-19T13:09:00.001-07:00

I know I touched on this subject a couple days ago, but I want to make some more observations on this subject with Harold Camping’s false May 21, 2011 Rapture date coming just a few days from now.

Of course, I also already stated that I know that absolutely nothing is happening on Saturday. This Harold Camping guy has already proven himself to be a false prophet for setting the date of the Rapture and the end of the world back in 1994.

First of all, as always, we need to know exactly – what does the Word of God say on this subject?

Divination and soothsaying (both of which can be called in our modern vernacular – predicting the future) are strictly prohibited and are considered grave sin to anyone who participates in these practices. In many instances, in the bible, these activities are called “Observing the times.”

Jesus, right before He ascended said to His apostles who asked Him if He would be restoring the Kingdom to Israel, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” In fact, it was THE last thing Jesus said to them. I would think that Jesus’ last words would be important. (Acts 1:6-7)

If Jesus said that it is not for us to know the times or the seasons – why is there so many people who believe that we are to know the times or the season? He also said the following:

“But of that day and hour knoweth NO MAN, no, not the angels of heaven, but MY FATHER ONLY” Matt 24:36

“Watch therefore: for ye KNOW NOT what hour your Lord doth come.” Matt 24:42

“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye THINK NOT the Son of man cometh.” Matt 24:44

“The lord of that servant shall come in a DAY when he looketh not for him, and in an HOUR that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the HYPOCRITES; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matt 24:51

“Watch therefore, for ye KNOW NEITHER THE DAY NOR THE HOUR wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matt 25:13

I think that if there had been some hidden way to calculate the time or hour from the scriptures Jesus would have said so. But clearly Jesus said we were not to know the day or the hour or the times or the seasons.

If it is just a question of whether or not we are now in the last days, 1st John 2:18 states “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come , even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” That word time is the same Hebrew word Hora that was translated hour in the verses in Matthew. We have been in the last hour and last days since John wrote that verse.

We are to be followers of Christ. We are to watch and pray ALWAYS because Christ could return at any time. If we DID know the day and hour, as these false prophets suppose, then we would party like its 1999 and then clean up our act, repent and be all ready for the day when the Son of man would return, sort of like how they act for Mardi Gras. God knows this about us.

Now I know that it is fascinating to speculate and talk about the coming of our Lord. I wish it was today and this hour. But we are not to be caught up in all this talk about whether the Lord is coming back or not. He is. We know this. We should be ready and watching for his return and praying for the lost, among other things.

But most importantly we are NOT to be setting dates. I believe there may be some out there who have followed date setters and or set dates themselves and have been proven wrong, and are genuinely remorseful. If they were to repent and never set a date again, then they would be forgiven. Unfortunately, it is usually a pride thing and the date setters keep working away feverishly trying to figure out the next date that they can proclaim. I actually knew someone who told me that God told her she would die on Passover, Apr 22nd of this year. I told her I believed that satan had somehow infiltrated her prayer time with the Lord and was trying to make her into a false prophet. Of course, she didn’t want to hang out with me anymore after that. She is posting on her blog as of today, proving that she did not die on Passover. I haven’t gotten any kind of apology or anything, and now, having failed to predict her own death, she is predicting the death of America. Sorry if I don’t feel much like holding my breath on that one.

I know I say that dark days are coming. They are already here. Just look around at our society or watch TV sometime. It doesn’t take a prophecy to see that. All the more reason to watch and pray and to reach the lost while there is still time. How much time? I don’t know – and neither do you. I do, believe that if you meet someone who claims to have some insider knowledge of the day of the return of Christ or the rapture – or even the downfall of America or the stock market – I would be extra cautious before you start selling all your possessions or drink the Kool-aid.

Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves my friends.
Stay away from date setters and from meaningless speculations on the times we are living in. Jesus Christ could come back at anytime, but the Father is long-suffering, because He desires all to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Thank God for that.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Around the blogosphere...

2011-05-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

It is a really beautiful blue sky day here in Oregon so I am going to get out of the basement and out of the house for a while! At the moment, things are peaceful and quiet in my life so I am using this time to work on things. I'm practicing my guitar and walking and trying to lose some weight. We are getting ready to head to Wyoming for a couple weeks so I will try to post my road trips adventures. For now - here are some inspired writings that I have found on the net today that I think you would like to read:

Jane Doe, Meet Your Sin Nature from Lauren at One Bright Corner blog

Moving Heaven! Part 1
Moving Heaven! Part 2
both from Michael Boldea over at Homeward Bound

5.17 Riding a Lawn Mower Blindfolded from Amy Trosen at Today's Thought

Have a good day my friends!
Blessings in Christ
Linda

God's First Messages to Man (Part 3) By Zac Poonen

2011-05-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

Aristarchus

2011-05-16T10:09:00.001-07:00

Aristarchus was a Macedonian, specifically from Thessalonica. He was traveling with Paul and he is mentioned five times in the bible. Five is the number for grace. We see that Aristarchus was in Ephesus with Paul at the time that the crowds were yelling “Great is (the goddess) Diana of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:28) and was pulled into the theatre. Bad things could have happened to Aristarchus if the Lord by way of the townclerk did not intervene on his and the other believer’s behalf.

Paul named Aristarchus a fellowlabourer in the book of Philemon but also a fellowprisoner in the book of Colossians. He followed Paul into his bondage for the Lord and was unwilling to separate himself from Paul’s ministry.

The name Aristarchus means “the best ruler.” In Colossians 4 after listing several believers including Aristarchus, Paul says, “These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.”

He also has a facebook page. Well, someone has a facebook page in his honor I guess!

I just noticed his name today while I was reading the bible and thought I would share a little bit more about him.

Have a great day my friends!
Linda

A Little Sanctuary

2011-05-15T15:21:00.001-07:00

Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. Eze 11:16

When the children of Israel were scattered to all the countries around them, the Lord promised that He would be a little sanctuary for them to come and be able to find rest.

The Merrium-Webster online dictionary defines the word sanctuary as a consecrated place or a place of refuge and protection.

Today – the Lord is still that place of refuge. He is our sanctuary and we have no reason to be afraid of the storms and giants of this world. We can rest in His protection.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Spiritual Dishonesty

2011-05-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am very upset by what I see as a plethora of bad prophecies and fear-mongering going on all over the internet. This billboard above is located just a few miles from my house. I’ll bet that since this guy completely believes that the world is ending next Saturday, he has spent his entire life savings putting these stupid billboards up all over the country. Boy! Is he going to be in for a surprise!

Now I went to his website in order to see where he is coming from. In a nutshell, he is saying that because Noah was in the ark for seven days before the flood, that means that the Lord, (who one day is like a thousand years) was saying that it would be seven thousand years and the world would be destroyed. Pretty simplistic – but ok – I understand what you are saying. He put the flood of Noah’s time at 4990 B.C. He mathematically concludes that 4990 + 2011 = 7001 or something like that. The real problem with his fuzzy math is; try googling Noah’s flood and you will come up with several time frames. Josephus, the famous Jewish historian put Noah’s flood between 2500 and 2300 B.C. where others say it could also be 3600 B.C. The point is it’s kind of hard to nail down the exact year that Noah’s flood happened.

As I have stated before on this blog – the Word can be twisted to say whatever someone wants it to say. Many people before this man have set the date of the end of the world – and you can guarantee – there will be people after him.

I’m here to tell you ABSOLUTELY that the world will not be ending next Saturday because we are leaving that day to go on our trip to Wyoming. We also have plans for Memorial Day weekend.

There is something else that has been upsetting me as well. All these people (and I’m not pointing my fingers at anyone in particular because I have seen SEVERAL Christian websites do this) that make a point of saying that some calamity is coming and either they set a date like the guy above OR they say that the spirit of God is giving them a bad feeling that some calamity is going to happen today or tomorrow. But they clarify it with the phrase, “but I could be wrong.”

Now I looked up the phrase, “I could be wrong” in the bible. Guess what? It’s not in there! In fact, even the Old Testament false prophets wouldn’t be so spiritually dishonest as to attach a clarifier to their false prophecies. Either the Spirit of God told you something or He did not. The minute you added the words, “Maybe I’m wrong” or “I could be wrong.” You became a liar. In order to even put the words “I could be wrong” with your fear-mongering date-setting, you had to know deep down, that the Spirit of God DID NOT tell you that. Because if the Holy Spirit HAD said something to you or put something on your heart – YOU WOULD KNOW IT and there would be no need for any kind of cover-your-own-ass statement like, “Maybe I’m wrong.”

I see this over and over on Christian websites, and I am just appalled. They come out saying the Lord woke them up at 3am with a bad case of heartburn so they know something bad is going to happen today, but, “I could be wrong!” You could be wrong? Buddy! You ARE WRONG! Then of course, nothing happens that day so the next day they come out with the obligatory apology post. So they say they are sorry, but a couple weeks later – here they are again with another, “God told me bad stuff is going to happen but I could be wrong”

!

I tell you now, you are NOT sorry. You are only sorry that nothing happened to validate you and the lying spirit you are listening too. Because if something HAD happened – you would be right up there at the front of the line claiming that you were right and that God had told you. Oh you are so spiritual!

So I have something important to say to all of the people who are engaged in this pattern of behavior, coming out and saying that the Father told you something bad was going to happen on such and such a date or that something bad is going to happen but you could be wrong and then it doesn’t happen so you have to come out and apologize but later you make another prediction. And believe me when I say, that I say this with the utmost love and concern for your soul.

Shut the hell up.

I’m sorry, does that sound too harsh? Is that too offensive? Well, it’s offensive that you are taking my Father’s name in vain. It is offensive that you are speaking lies in my Father’s name and it is offensive that you have no shame to claim to speak for God and you overthrow the faith of some and drag my Father’s glory through the dirt! How dare you. But, I am trying to be more loving so I will say it again, softly this time.

Shut the hell up. Please.

There are people who are literally salivating at the idea of the downfall of our country, and every other week make false predictions of its demise. Our country will fall sure enough because evil men are destroying it from the inside in order to make way for satan’s evil agenda, and no one is stopping them. There are enough real calamities coming and enough real darkness coming. We don’t need your lies and propaganda and fear-mongering on top of it. Whether or not it is God’s judgment is not for me to say.

If you are hearing from the Lord about some calamity, you had better double and triple check that what you heard is REALLY from the Lord before you go saying, “Thus saith the Lord.” Anything less is spiritual dishonesty.

With great love and concern for the brethren,
Linda

New World Next Week

2011-05-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

Super Soldier for Jesus

2011-05-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

So I had to get a cavity filled first thing yesterday morning – and it kind of affected my whole day. The first part of the morning the left part of my face was numb even up to my eyeball. The second part, after the numbness wore off, my jaw hurt and I had a headache and did not want to do my normal daily routine. So I sat around on the couch and watched movies most of the day. To be honest – I was kind of milking my wounds as an excuse to be lazy.

The first movie I watched was Splice – which was really disturbing and sick. I do not recommend it. The second movie I watched was Hanna, which was a really good movie. Afterwards I felt a little guilty that I had wasted the day. I began to realize that the movies I watched were both about genetically modified humans.

Russ Dizdar, who I have great love and respect for, wrote a book called “The Black Awakening. Rise of the satanic super soldier and the coming chaos.” I’ve read that book and I listen to his radio program almost every day, if not live, at least on the archives. He has done a lot of deliverance on people who claim to be chosen ones for satan. The movie Hanna reminded me of the satanic super soldier. I thought about the fact that satan is relentless in his training of the super soldiers. They know how to fight, they know how to do spiritual warfare, they know how to speak several languages, they know how to hunt. They have the skills necessary to do whatever it is that the adversary requires them to do to further his evil agenda.

I thought about that, and the fact that, here I am. God has me, and I’m on the couch nursing my wounds doing nothing to further the plans of my Father. So when I woke up this morning I was determined to make some changes. Now I’m not talking about doing anything to make myself righteous or to save myself, don’t misunderstand. That’s all legalism. I’m talking about within what the Lord has given me to do, in His Will, what am I doing? I know that I should be getting more physically fit, walking, learning to play the guitar and blogging. These are things the Lord has specifically laid on me. What the Lord has laid on your life will be different.

There are certain things that we as believers are instructed to do in the Word. We have touched on the armor of light from Ephesians 6, but that is defensive. What does the Word tell us to do offensively? Here are a few:

1.) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15

We should be studying the Word of God for ourselves, daily. The Word instructs us to be ready (in season, out of season) at all times to give an answer of the hope that is in us. That hope is Christ in us, and can be their hope as well. Also, rightly dividing the Word is just as important. Don’t rely on someone else to rightly divide the word for you – most often than not, they aren’t. Study the Word and pray beforehand that the Holy Spirit will guide you into what is the truth.

2.) Pray without ceasing. 1 Thes 5:17.

There is a place to step into your prayer closet and get on your knees to repent before the Father. But we can’t always stay on our knees all day long. We’ve got places we have to be. So Pray without ceasing. Pray as you go through the aisles at the grocery store. Pray in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. Pray as you work out at the gym and as you drive in rush-hour traffic. Be a prayer warrior for all the lost people in your life, for your local government officials all the way up to the president. Pray spiritual warfare prayers against the adversary’s plans and that the Word of God would have free course. Pray to know the Lord’s specific Will for your life and then for the grace to carry it out.

Pray in tongues also, because the Word says we don’t know what we should pray for as we ought. If you have disrespect for speaking in tongues, then you have disrespect for God’s Word, and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. If you want to discuss speaking in tongues, if you need help with that, I am available to help or if you disagree, you are welcome to email me at wendyworn@yahoo.com. Don’t bother leaving a comment about it, that is not the focus of this blog post, but I will discuss it at length with you through email.

3.) Be not ignorant.

I put a link on the word ignorant to blueletterbible.org’s word study on ignorant, because the word lists several things we as believers are not to be ignorant of. We are not to be ignorant of spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:1.) We are not to be ignorant of satan’s devices (2 Cor 2:11.) We are not to be ignorant of many things too numerous to list here. We find out what those things are by studying God’s rightly divided Word.

4.) Understanding what God’s Will for your Life is.

All of our walks before the Father are different. We are part of the body of Christ and members in particular. We all have different callings on our lives. Seek the Lord to what His calling is for your life. Maybe the Lord has already called you to something that seems like it is too big for you to accomplish. For example, maybe the Lord has called you to be a nurse. First you would look into what it takes to become a nurse. You would need to look into local colleges for nursing programs and look into what it entails to get into a local nursing program. Maybe you don’t have money for school, so you would need to look into scholarships.

Whatever the Lord is leading you to do, He will also make a way for it to happen, and nothing is impossible. When I was a single mother of two working as a waitress, someone told me they thought I should go back to school, and I truly believed it was the Lord’s will. I believed that if the Lord wanted me to go to school, then He could make a way for me to go to school without also going into debt. I was able to win several scholarships and I was able to get my Associates Degree without going into debt. I’m just saying, if I can do it, so can you.

Michael Boldea had a great teaching on being a holy nation in terms of spiritual warfare that I thought was very timely:

The Battle For The Borders!

Time is short my friends. Use this time to be a super soldier for Christ and run to do the Father’s Will.

With love
Linda

Shroud of Turin

2011-05-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

Photo sources

The Lord has put it on my heart to address from his Holy Word the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin. I suppose I will even lose friends over it, since that is what happened when I addressed the idea of Niburu – the newest fad among my brothers and sisters in Christ. Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth? I guess so.

Before I start there is some truth from God’s Word that we must be in absolute agreement on.

First – That you, as a reader of this blog, are interested in what IS the TRUTH, and are willing to put away any false doctrines that you may hold in order to have the truth. If you just want to keep your pet doctrines, than nothing I am going to say here will change your mind. Have a good life.

Second – That the Word of God is true and has been supernaturally protected by God to come to us in order that we may know the mind of Christ, and may be able to use the Word to determine what is God’s Truth, and to discern truth from error.

Now I know that the word can be twisted to mean just about anything. So there isn’t going to be any fishy twisting of God’s Word here today, just presenting His Word the way it is written and let it speak for itself.

Third – That God is sovereign and CHANGES NOT. The sins of the past are the sins of today unless otherwise specified. (For example – God made all animals now clean to be eaten and confirmed with His vision to Peter.) Many sins from the law are established as still sins in the New Testament – specifically IDOLATRY, or MAKING IMAGES AND IDOLS, is still forbidden in the New Testament.

So here is what God said specifically about the making of images in the Old Testament:

Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:

Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,

The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:

And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven. Deut 4:15-19

Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. Deut 4:23

The New Testament has this to say:

Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I Cor 10:14

You are welcome to look up idols and idolatry for yourself at www.blueletterbible.org.

The bible never has had a description of what Jesus Christ looked like. The only thing it says about Jesus, is that he was not beautiful, that someone should desire him (based on his beauty.) It doesn’t say he had a beard, it doesn’t say he had long hair, it doesn’t say he had a flaming heart with thorns around it. It does, however, say that he was beat up so bad that “his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men” Isa 52:14. Other than that Jesus’ looks are never mentioned.

So I would like to posit right now that based on the fact that the Lord was adamantly opposed to the making of images and/or idols of ANY kind, that He would not break His own Word to supernaturally superimpose His own image onto a piece of linen. I can tell you absolutely He would not. But maybe that in and of itself is not proof enough for you.

So here is a picture of the whole shroud. It appears that the bottom of the shroud would have been placed on his feet and then the shroud would have been laid flat over the rest of his body to his head and then would go over the top of the head of the man in order to get the whole backside onto the shroud. Never mind that even artistically it is bad perspective, but the Word says this:

Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. John 20:6-7

It was the custom to wrap the head of the deceased with a separate napkin and God’s Word clearly states that the napkin that wrapped Christ’s head was SEPARATE from the rest of the linen clothes that he was buried in. It says the same about Lazurus: “And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.” John 11:43-44.

See. No funny business, no twisting of God’s Word. Just the simplicity of the fact that the napkin that was wrapped around the head of Jesus was separate from the rest of the grave clothes proves that the Shroud of Turin is a fake.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Hug your mom today

2011-05-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

Whatever reason you are not talking to your mom, today is the day to forgive her and welcome her back into your life.

Life is too short.

Call your mom, hug your mom, tell your mom you love her.

It will be worth it in the long run.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Zeal without Knowledge

2011-05-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered Voddie Baucham. He has a great teaching on Zeal without Knowledge that I highly recommend that you listen to: Click on link below for popup (Make sure to have it pop up in new window!)

http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=53111240487

The original is located here along with other teachings he did.

When I was in the cult the Way International, I learned many strange doctrines. All the doctrines that the Way taught were all found in the bible – clear as day. Their doctrines ranged from some fairly innocuous ones like, that Peter denied Christ six times and that there was four crucified with Christ, to some more elaborate and blasphemous ones. Dr. Victor Paul Weirwille, who founded the cult, wrote several books, one of which was called, “Jesus Christ is NOT God.” I read that book, and even believed what was written therein. I read all their books and believed all their doctrines. Why wouldn’t I? How could I, as a baby believer, know that they were leading me astray?

Well, I couldn’t know it. They all believed the same as me. They were all astray themselves even as they were led. Dr. Weirwille claimed a special anointing from the Lord to teach these “truths” out of the bible. He claimed several confirmations from the Lord, that what he was teaching was the ONLY truth. That all those people who didn’t believe like we did, were out from under the protection of God, and especially those who may reject our specific teachings. Those that left the “ministry” were doubly damned because having had the truth, then rejecting it, well, there was no more sacrifice for sin for them, was there? Woe to those who reject the ONE TRUE MINISTRY.

Did you know that you can prove abortion is not a sin out of the bible? Well, they did it in the Way International. You’re not alive until you take your first breath – nephesh kai – or something like that, I don’t remember now. Adam wasn’t alive until God breathed into him the breath of life. It also says that holy “thing” when referring to Mary’s pregnancy. Look it up. It’s there. They just sort of glossed over the fact that John was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb. Or the fact that the life of the flesh is in the blood. But all that doesn’t matter. To the undiscerning and in my case, unstable, if it’s in the bible like that, it must be true.

Someone recently wrote an article and I truly apologize because I cannot remember where I read this, that God chooses people’s delusions, and that He will use wrongly dividing the Word to do it. Like homosexual’s who try to prove that homosexuality is not a sin or who (I hate it when they do this) try to teach that David and Johnathan were gay or even Jesus. No. Sorry. The Word doesn’t say those things, yet they will try to prove their false doctrines out of the Word.

In these last days, false prophets and false teachers will abound. I don’t believe that a person has to have evil motives or even be a wolf in sheep’s clothing to be a false teacher. They just have to zealously believe that their false doctrines arrived by wrongly dividing God’s Word, is the absolute truth. Deceiving and being deceived. When I was in the Way – I was filled with false doctrines that I believed wholeheartedly. I loved to go out witnessing and I took several new believers under my wing because I loved God and loved His Word. It wasn’t until later that I found out that what I believed was false. Just like when I believed in a Pre-Trib Rapture. Oh what a sad day of cognitive dissonance that was to learn that Jesus wasn’t going to come take me away from all this before everything turned to crap.

Don’t just be willing to take someone’s word for it, when it comes to knowledge from God’s Word. The Holy Spirit Himself will teach you from the Word. Don’t doubt yourself if you feel like something does not line up with the Word. It probably doesn’t. But unless you make the every single day commitment to study God’s Word for yourself, you are on the edge of being deceived. This whole world is SATURATED in false doctrine, lies and propaganda. Unless you have a solid relationship with the Lord for yourself and are rooted and grounded in the truths of God’s Word – you will be led astray. Your adversary, as a roaring lion, is wandering about seeking whom he may devour and if you are a serious student of the bible and have a tender close relationship with God, well, my friend, you have a target on your head. The adversary will now use every weapon in his arsenal against you and especially your own weaknesses.

Pray that the Lord will protect you from false doctrines and deception. Draw close to the Father, because He is the only safe place to be.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

We interrupt this Impending Apocolypse...

2011-05-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

for an acoustic musical interlude. This is NOT ME! This is Anna Nalick with the acoustic version of Wreck of the Day:

have a nice Friday my friends.
Listen to some music~!
Linda