Summer of Healing

This summer we didn’t go anywhere tropical or on a trip of a lifetime. We don’t have pictures to post all over Facebook about fun adventures or amazing places visited. Yet, this summer has been one of the most powerful, impactful, and life-changing that Bryan and I have ever had. It is hard to put into words. I can't really do it justice because our experiences haven’t been about good information but supernatural transformation. Now that I look on the past year, I know God has been getting us ready, preparing us, for these divine appointments with Him.

This summer has been about healing ...healing our hearts where we didn't even know there were wounds. Digging down to the places buried deep in the corners where unforgiveness had taken root, hidden by those fortified walls we build to protect us from hurt, and releasing it all at the feet of His throne. Wow! This was so freeing but yet not easy....roots are often strong and entrenched, not wanting to give up their hold with just a gentle tug! There was a cost and an emptiness that had to be replaced with the love of God by the power of the Holy Spirit.

...healing our trust that God does indeed have a plan and a purpose for Tucson! That this desert will not be spiritually dry forever. The time is coming when He will saturate the land with living streams of water that will restore, renew, and refresh the territory that belongs to Him!

...healing us of an unnatural heaviness that weighed down our shoulders physically and our souls spiritually. Jesus says in Matthew 11:30, "For my yolk is easy and my burden is light." We had to honestly search our hearts where we had taken up yolks that were not ours to carry. We had to confess doing things in our own strength and relying on our skills rather than in Him.

This summer has been about discovery of the POWER of prayer that went beyond what we could ever imagine. Not our usual small mamby-pamby prayers of checklists and begging for things we want. The kind of strategic and specific prayer that comes from being connected to His Spirit that unleashes the fullness of His power! Prayer that expects mountains to move, chains to break, and the darkness to bow because of the Great I AM!

We discovered the gifts that God has given us with His Holy Spirit. Gifts that are not often talked about in most churches or are surrounded by confusion because they seem weird. The gifts of wisdom, great faith, special messages, discernment, miraculous acts, prophecy, healing, unknown languages, and interpretation of these unknown languages. (1 Cor 12:-10) God has a toolbox of gifts for us to use and we walk around carrying a little lunch box. Maybe the power tools of the Spirit are scarier, misused or misunderstood so we just don't bother to talk about them. But Bryan and I got to experience what true unity and a oneness looks like with a group of believers all working together in their gifts and it was amazing! Now that we have tasted this, we crave it.

God also gave us REST this summer....not the kind we try to get on a vacation or a day off but rest IN Him! We can find rest in His word, in His presence, in His power... whenever we spend time with Him. This kind of rest fills our soul like nothing else this world has to offer! Our creator longs for a relationship with us. Not a check-in when we think about it or when we are desperate; but a vibrant, active, on-going, real connection to Him. All we have to do is ask!

Healing, discovery, and rest...not usually on our bucket lists. Can't make a photo book about it. Won't get many likes on social media....but really how are we living without these?

"With my whole heart, with my whole life, and with my innermost being, I bow in wonder and love before you, the holy God! Yahweh, you are my soul’s celebration. How could I ever forget the miracles of kindness you’ve done for me? You kissed my heart with forgiveness, in spite of all I’ve done. You’ve healed me inside and out from every disease. You’ve rescued me from hell and saved my life. You’ve crowned me with love and mercy. You satisfy my every desire with good things. You’ve supercharged my life so that I soar again like a flying eagle in the sky!" Psalm 103:1-5 Passion Translation 

Can You Hear Me Now? Part 4

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." James 1:5-6  

     Finally, God speaks to me because I talk to him.... a lot! Now before you get down on yourself because you feel you don't do this enough, hear me out. Yes, He talks to me when I pray. Prayer is a direct communication line. But again, I don't pray as much as I should. When I say talk, I mean throughout the day. I have constant mini conversations or arguments with him all day. Lying in bed in the morning I pray dear God help me get through this day. In the shower I ask him,' What do you really want from me today?" Driving to work I tell him to help me not bump anyone off the road because they are going so slow or not to yell at the McDonald's lady because she gave me sweet tea. Sometime during lunch I again will ask,"What do you want from me?" not in a very nice way. Many times he is silent. I hear nothing. 
    When I come home after work my first reaction is to go hide in my room and decompress but I will feel a gentle nudge, "Kimberley you are blessed to have children... go spend time with them."  or when I snap at my husband, I feel a pull at my heart to apologize. Or when I am at Target really wanting to buy that skirt on sale and I feel, "No you don't need that. Have some self-restraint." These are moments I call Go-Go and No-No moments. God sent his Holy Spirit to live in us. He will direct your path. This isn't Jimney Cricket your conscience talking to you. These are the moments where you know you are supposed to go and do something or you know you are supposed  to definitely NOT do something. The more you listen and obey the clearer this voice gets. Just keep talking to Him!!!

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people" Ephesians 1:17-18

Can You Hear Me Now Part 3

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7

      God uses other people to talk to me. When I listen to those who have integrity and are actively following Jesus, he uses them to speak to me, either by their actions or words. I have listened to a sermon that I felt was created just for me. As if, I was the only person in the room and the pastor was talking directly to me. The message moved me to action, to change something, to go talk to someone, to repent. This is God SPEAKING, giving me a push!
      Other times I have seen a person serve with humility, unselfishness, and love that gave me an example for what I should be doing. People who would go on a missions trip they could not afford, to a country that no one wants to go to, leaving their family behind because God told them to go. He speaks through them by the way they courageously acted. (The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 12:26)  God has used my son to set an example of boldly proclaiming His name to his friends and not be ashamed. When I asked him if he felt silly or was scared to talk to his friends on the playground about God his response put me in my place, "Mom, why would I be afraid? I have God on my side what else do I need? I want them to know Jesus."  Yes, God can speak through a child. 
      I have seen a man stand before others as they were tearing down his character and not reply in anger but in grace. When I asked him why he didn't stand up for himself or put those people in their place his reply was, "Who I am does not come from what they think. Who I am comes from the one who created me. He holds my reputation in his hands. Yelling back gives others power and takes away His glory in me."  After that God definitely spoke to my heart about how I respond in certain situations!

      I know there are many people out there proclaiming falsehoods about our God and we do need to guard our hearts. But God does use others to speak into our lives whether it is a pastor, friend, child, coworker, or even a stranger. Again we have the choice to listen, filter it through the truths we know from the Bible, and act upon it.  Will we CHOOSE to be foolish or wise? Because my friends, it is definitely a choice whether to listen or not.

"....if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you, 

 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding— 

indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding" Proverbs 2: 1-3

Can You Hear Me Now Part 2

       

Another way I hear God is through music. I will be driving along and hear a song come on KLOVE that will knock my socks off. I could have heard it a hundred times before and all of a sudden today, it hits me like a ton of bricks. He will use songs to comfort me like, "Never Let Go" by David Crowder. This song promises that God will not let go of me.....EVER! He will always be there even when no one else is. 

       He will use a song to remind me of where I came from like the "The Vow" by Geoff Moore. It states that right here, right now I stand alone and I make my vow. Whatever it takes I will be faithful.
       Sometimes he just wants to remind me who is he, like "All Consuming Fire" by Jesus Culture. God is not something to dabble in he wants to consume my life to live it for him. 
       Other times he is saying get off your butt and proclaim my name, "Go" by Hillsong United which states just that. GO!. 
       Often he is bending my will, like "Here for You" by Chris Tomlin. This song makes me weep. God wants it all. He wants my heart to be filled with his love. My heart to be open to him, not hiding. It is not about what I want but what He wants. I am here for him, created by him, for his will.
      The song that brings me to His throne is "In Christ Alone".  One of the choruses goes like this:
                                     No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me; 

From life's first cry to final breath. 

Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

You want to hear God? Turn on some worship music and start singing.

                      "I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High." Psalms 9:2

TO BE CONTINUED>>>>>>>>

Can U Hear Me Now?

People often ask me, "Kimberley how do you know God is speaking to you?" or they say, "God just doesn't speak to me." When I answer the first question I don't have a lot of theological jargon to back me up. I also don't give a how to blog or step-by-step process that will give them a "better chance". How do I hear God? Well, I hate to state the obvious but the Bible is a big one for me. I don't open it as often as I should, but sometimes when I am reading it the words just come alive! I come across a verse that shoots like an arrow straight to my soul. Like the verse in Psalms 18:2

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. 

That speaks straight to my heart. God is saying, "Kimberley I am your strength when you are wounded and scared, come to me. I will protect you. I am your safe place."

In James 3:9-10 "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be."

In this verse, God is telling me to shut my mouth. When I talk about others it dilutes my praises to him. 

In Matthew 6:34 it says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." 

If you read that what do you think God is saying? Yep! DO NOT Worry! So if we are honest with ourselves much of the bible is pretty clear on what God wants from us. Yes there are parts that are harder to understand. The whole book of Revelation boggles my mind. Yes, there are parts that people have been arguing over for generations. 

But the Bible is the living word of God. It is his spoken words and meant for us to actually use to get to know him better. When you are interested in someone you tend to try to find out everything you can about that person. The same with God. If you want to know him. Read his words. He will speak to you through them. It is up to you to listen!

TO BE CONTINUED>>>>> Part 2 of How I hear God tomorrow!