I am alive and I am very well.......
Our computer has been down for the last week and a half, and it has been a big blessing in disguise for me. I've been spending some good times with God, and He has been revealing more of who He is to me. I serve an amazing God! He has been pruning, doing some major character tweeks, but most of all, blessing me more than I ever thought imaginable. The spirit of God is alive people!! I believe that I am on the verge of a major breakthrough, in my spiritual journey with the Lord. He has been taking me places, places unknown, where I have been expected to take what He has been teaching me, and put it into action. Many times, I have fallen short, but I am called to be an overcomer! A warrior, not just a lazy christian who barely makes it through the day, let alone bringing the gospel to the nations. The Lord has been showing me that it takes more than once in a while, that it takes more than only going to Him at times of crisis and desperation. It takes more than words, empty promises, and good intentions. The word says in Ecclesiastes 5:4 that God has no interest in fools who do not fulfill their vows.
God has been preparing my heart for what I believe is now. I believe now is the time, for many, to walk out in faith, and in freedom and confidence anticipate a huge outpour of the holy spirit! He is alive! Hallelulia Praise You Jesus! He is so good.......
It was such a nice treat to catch up on all of your blogs, and it's also been nice to put the computer aside and build into those special relationships that God has put in place. It is so pleasing to the Lord when we get together and lift one another up in encouragment and prayer. So may the relationships God has placed in your life to be fed in this season, be blessed, and fruitful. And may the relationships that are called to a time of rest, or "letting go" as princess warrior put it, also be blessed and released in the name of the Lord. May He reign over it all! Love you guys,
-Nin

A few things I have learned in the last few days.....

"The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."
-Proverbs 12:16 A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
-Proverbs 10:31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.

"Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic."
-Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.

"In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday."
-Seize the day, make it count, it's the first day of the rest of your life, or maybe, the last.

HOPE

This is a picture of the tunnel at the Forestry Farm. But this was not what I saw. I saw a light. A bright and shinning light at the end of a tunnel. I saw hope.

Hope is something that I've been learning about. The bible says in Romans 5:5 that hope does not disppoint us. Never. Hope will never fail us, let us down, neglect, be inefficient or unsuccessful. Now, this is a promise that I can easily stand on.

But, how do we achive a state of hope? I think we all know it takes a little more than will-power. In the very same passage that we find this wonderful promise it first states that we must "rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering develops perseverance, perseverance character, and charater hope." There is an order here, the first is to rejoice in sufferings, only then will we begin to develop perseverance, and only then will we develop our character, and only then, will we be able to add, hope.
Isaiah 40:31 says that "those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint."
This doesn't say, 'Everyone' will renew their strength. It doesn't say 'Anyone and everyone' will soar like eagles. It says, Those who put their hope in the Lord. The word "put" is an action word. It means to place, to assign and to apply. It's a verb, which means it actually requires us to do something. To hope is to choose to rejoice in the sufferings of Christ, because He loved us first!
"But hope that is seen is not hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." (Ro 8:24)
Hope does not disppoint us! Our hope comes from HIM! If we can walk in obedience to the almighty, and embrace in His sufferings, then we can truly say and believe, that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
Father you are the giver of hope. You are the perfector of our faith. May we lay down our own strength, our feeble knees and weak arms.... It is only by your grace that we can become mighty warriors, warriors who fight for hope. I pray Lord that you would pour out your hope on us, that we could walk out in the sufferings that we are all facing God, that we could embrace them with rejoicing, knowing that you are our hope. And you will never leave us or forsake us, you will never fail us or disappoint us. Thank you Jesus for who you are, and may we continue to gain understanding of how to be more like you.

I'm not stayin.....

"You cannot go with God and remain where you are."
You mean to say, something is actually required of me to follow God?
Do not try to shortcut the desert time, it only leads to cul-de-sacs, which force you to revisit the lessons you are meant to learn. You can either decide you don't need the desert, maybe you have too much pride to admit you have no idea what you're doing. Or, you can decide to give up, and refuse it, maybe you think you've had your share of suffering. Or, you can decide to accept it, to embrace it. God often keeps us in these places until we accept it anyway......
"If My people would but listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!" (Ps. 81:13-14)

Incase you're wondering, I'm speaking to myself. There have been lessons God has been trying to teach me, that I don't seem to be getting. But yesterday I put a stake in the ground. I decided to give it all back to the Lord, and to choose His peace, despite what may be happening around me. I want to go with God, so I'm not staying here......