Know Who You Are and OWN It!!!!

Do You Know Who You Are?
by Os Hillman

"Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart" (Ps 36:10).

Someone once said, "Success is when those who know you the best are those who love you the most."

Years ago a man named Jahari developed a self-assessment tool that helps us understand how we relate to others. The Jahari Window helps us realize where we are in our ability to know who we are and for others to know who we are. Real transparency in communication takes place when those we associate with us know who we are after we discover who we really are. See if you can identify what category you might fall among these four:

Transparent LifeThe transparent life is the life we should desire. I know who I am and others know me. There is nothing hidden. I have come to know who I am as an individual and basically people get what they see in me.

Bull-In-The-China Shop This person is blinded to the things that others recognize about him. The solution to becoming a transparent person is to get feedback from those around us about the blind spots in our personality. We must ask for the feedback and be willing to respond to their input.

Aloof/Hidden SecretsThis person lives in a secret world. They don't allow others to know about themselves. They know themselves but are fearful of letting others know. Those around them do not know them either. What do others really know about you? Have you allowed yourself to get close enough to others to share who you really are inside?

Hidden PotentialThis is a combination of Bull-In-A-China Shop and Aloof/Hidden Secrets. It is the saddest of all conditions. These people don't know themselves and others don't know them either. This means both parties have to invest the energy to communicate and get feedback from one another.
How about you? Why not take a step to find out who you really are in the eyes of others. It could change your life.

Celebrating with the Irish! :-)

(Celtic/Irish celebration song)

words by Sydney Carter, music traditional

I danced in the morning when the world was begun
I danced in the Moon & the Stars & the Sun
I came down from Heaven & I danced on Earth
At Bethlehem I had my birth:

Dance then, wherever you may be
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He!
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said He!
(...lead you all in the Dance, said He!)

I danced for the scribe & the pharisee
But they would not dance & they wouldn't follow me
I danced for fishermen, for James & John
They came with me & the Dance went on:

I danced on the Sabbath & I cured the lame
The holy people said it was a shame!
They whipped & they stripped & they hung me high
And they left me there on a cross to die!

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black
It's hard to dance with the devil on your back
They buried my body & they thought I'd gone
But I am the Dance & I still go on!

They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the Life that'll never, never die!
I'll live in you if you'll live in Me -
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He!

Deliverance/Infusion:

Light, light
All around light

Surrounding
Infusion

Escape from confusion
Deliverance

From temptation
Surrounded by light.

Where darkness accuses
Seduction and muses

Are calling your name
In the darkest of night

I declare infusion
Escape from delusion

Escape from temptation
And pathway to flight

Weighted glory
Will win in this story

And darkness is snuffed out.
And I declare light!


Children of sorrow
Lift your heads

For each morrow
The grace is upon you

To walk in the light.

In a daze for a moment

It thought it could hold you
But your True God is for you

And He declares light.



Light, light,
All around light!


Children of darkness

Now walk in the light.


Infusion upon you
Illusion had bound you.
Confusion had found you.
But I declare light.
The brightness of glory
Is grace in this story
Deliverance has found you
And I declare light.



(I saw light coming down and in the midst of darkness and temptation the lights were turned completely on in the grace of God to preserve His children from being tempted in darkness. He always provides a way of escape. I saw him FLOODING the rooms with BRIGHT LIGHT. And it was the cry of His soldiers hearts to escape temptation though it may have had a momentary lure. It was not their true hearts' desire to give way to temptation, but to be delivered from evil. And God promises ALWAYS to give a way of escape. In His grace, He infused the building with light. Full blown, beautiful light that totally stomped out the darkness from existence and eliminated its power completely--exposing its lies. The beauty of the brightness was overwhelming and completely perfect in its beauty. And all things were possible in the beauty of this brightness.)

From the Courts of my God...

Okay, its one thing to be a butterfly and enjoy the benefits of knowing so many wonderful people and experiencing so much of the country and the world. This has been an incredible few years of traveling and fulfilling specific assignments in specific places and mapping the country and different parts of the world....

However, traveling and being a butterfly makes it extremely difficult to settle into any one place and put in the roots that you would want in order to make a life for yourself that is focused in any of several directions....

I have had so many dreams deposited in me over the last several years and have obediently stayed on the path of the Lord's leading as He has brought me all over the place and through many fields and valleys along the way.

Yesterday, I was reminded of Psalm 84 and how the Lord had given me this verse at various points of this journey of traveling...

Psalm 84
2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.

Honestly, I have no idea how I ended up in the place I have ended up except that I have been following the Lord in His plans for me and trusting Him to align me completely with the desires of my heart in every way He has spoken to me about in the past. I have come not a day sooner than I felt led.

Today, I am experiencing freedoms to make my plans for the next season in ways that I have never felt so clearly before. The Lord often speaks to me through pictures of horses and again this week someone prayed for me and said, "I see a picture of a horse jumping over a row of bushes that are like a boundary line. And the horse is in the air. And the rider on that horse is you. And you are flying over boundary lines and barriers and the Lord is expanding your boundaries. I see that 2009 is a year of complete freedom for you." :-)

Well, I am feeling ready to settle in with my freedom. I am open to the Lord leading me to travel more and know for sure that I am suppose to go to Myanmar at some time. I have been planning on going this spring and still working out some possibilities for that option.

But I have also decided that unless I hear otherwise from the Lord, He is indeed blessing my travels to Hollywood and to Southern California. I have been pointed in the direction of coming here for several years and now I am finally here. In my freedom, this may be where I want to settle in and get to work on the dreams that have been planted in my heart over the last several years.

I have a lot of things to do and it will require much work! But I am ready for it and have been ready for a long time. I was antsy, but there were things I believe the Lord was doing in my heart and it seems like a relocation may have been fun and maybe even necessary. The plans are in motion. The story is unfolding.

I have made amazing connections here with old friends, new friends, and people on the streets. I will send out an official email update soon with more info on my travels here.

I just got an email this week that reminded me that I never was passive, though the Lord used the Valley of Baca to hide me for a while...He is also taking me from "strength to strength."

I remember who I used to be and how the Lord has carried me for the last few years. I feel a shifting back to the fullness of my personality. It has really been an interesting ride. I am really interested still in being carried, but it is also time to take the bull by the horns. ;-)

Well, someone sent me this email this week:

"Hey Cowgirl, I'm still praying for you. Hope God's rockin' your day, and the Holy Spirit's leading. Kick ass and walk hard. =) "

I appreciate that! :-)

~Sarah

Dove's Eyes

I don't want to talk about You like You're not in the room
I want to look right at You
I want to sing right to You

I believe that You are listening
I believe that You move at the sound of my voice

Give me dove's eyes
Give me undistracted devotion for only You

--Misty Edwards

To my Dad on his birthday!

Happy 53rd birthday today on earth to my Dad in heaven! Can't wait to meet you in the age to come!! Love you!! ~Sarah

To the ends of the earth....

Sent from one of my darling sisters while "listening."

"Here I am, I will go." The LORD delights in your eagerness to follow Him to the ends of the earth. HE is your provision. Stand in awe of His mighty deeds.

Bea*con

bea⋅con 

 /ˈbikən/ [bee-kuhn] –noun
1.
a guiding or warning signal, as a light or fire, esp. one in an elevated position.

2.
a tower or hill used for such purposes.
3.
a lighthouse, signal buoy, etc., on a shore or at a dangerous area at sea to warn and guide vessels.
4.
Navigation.
a.
radio beacon.
b.
a radar device at a fixed location that, upon receiving a radar pulse, transmits a reply pulse that enables the original sender to determine his or her position relative to the fixed location.
.
5.
a person, act, or thing that warns or guides.
6.
a person or thing that illuminates or inspires:

–verb (used with object)
7.
to serve as a beacon to; warn or guide.

8.
to furnish or mark with beacons: a ship assigned to beacon the shoals. –verb (used without object)
9.
to serve or shine as a beacon: A steady light beaconed from the shore.

St. Theresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within.
May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

peace, peace, God's peace....

today a friend cried as she told me a picture the Lord showed her of me on her way to my house for breakfast. she was praying for me and she saw this beautiful picture of.... and in it I was.... and then there came a ....and instead of....

and it was the most beautiful picture and a total confirmation to me of what the Lord has been speaking over me. what struck me the most was how comforting it was to me. the Lord chose to comfort my heart through the word from this friend...

thank you, friend for your joy and tears
my heart is so grateful...

Ethereal Beauty

unfolding...

words spoken
without form
thoughts like air
floating, warm
i can see the picture starting to gel
like airborn molecules of another realm

[like static electricity, come and look at this with me]

i can see the picture now

i wanted to show you before
but the words wouldn't form


thoughts like air
hanging there

now I know what i see
do you know what i see?
(with pairs of eyes now watching me)

its hard to tell you what I mean
but i really love you and I want you to see
the picture of love that is visible to me

this is how i live, how i see
its how i know
and how i breathe

this is how i think, how i feel
pictures of love both ethereal and real

words like air
in motion and real
words like air
but potent still.

The Captain of the Host

Lord, (Heavenly Father)

For such a time as this
You have anointed and appointed
For such a time as this
Fathers and mothers and sisters and brothers.
Family for the lost, the lonely, the hurting, and afraid.
One voice.
In unity.
Choices made.
Family, friends, and co-laborers in your fields.
Harvest
Choice.
In unity.
Rejoice.
The captain of the host is Jesus.
Your wish is my command.
Marching orders.
Rank and order.
Territory.
Assigned for glory.
The captain of the host is Jesus.

Tears Like Prayers.... Luke 7:38

37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume,

38and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. .

Voluntary Weakness, Humility, and Love

Weakness and Love

Strong on the inside
Christ in me.
Strength wrapped in weakness
Voluntary meekness.


Strength under control.


Like a muscle
That is kept
not flaunted.

Christ in me.

My glory.


Strength in me.
Authority.


Demonstrating strength
Made perfect in weakness.
Brilliantly perfected in weakness and love.
I will arise and go forth in the name of the Lord

Meekness.
Protection.
Humility
and Love.

Power released
Authority.
Healing.

Christ in me.

II Corinthians 4:7 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

I Corinthians 4:20 "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power."

Luke 12:32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom."

Matthew 16:19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."





I am...
a voice
a presence
a helper
a giver.

empty of self
full of love
ready to give all.

Made to be...

loved and enjoyed.

seeing.

being

occasionally speaking...

I am...
a prophet
an intercessor
a seer
a speaker.

Christ in me.

Walk in authority and holding the keys...

humility
meekness
wisdom
love.

Confidence

What is and will be.
Strength in weakness.

Humility

Being.




1 Corinthians 13



Love


1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Woundedness and Love.

The process of being truly conformed to Christ compels us into deeper degrees of transformation. Indeed, just as Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered (see Hebrews 5:8), so also must we. And it is here, even while we stand in intercession or service to God, that Christ gives us the gift of woundedness.

"Gift?" you ask.

Yes, to be wounded in the service of mercy and, instead of closing our hearts, allow woundedness to crown love, is to release God's power in redemption. The steadfast prayer of the wounded intercessor holds great sway upon the heart of God.

We cannot become Christlike without being wounded. You see, even after we come to Christ, we carry encoded within us preset limits concerning how far we will go for love, and how much we are willing to suffer for redemption. When God allows us to be wounded, He exposes those human boundaries and reveals what we lack of His nature.


The path narrows as we seek true transformation. Indeed, many Christians fall short of Christ's stature because they have been hurt and offended by people. They leave churches discouraged, vowing never again to serve or lead or contribute because, when they offered themselves, their gift was marred by unloving people. To be struck or rejected in the administration of our service can become a great offense to us, especially as we are waiting for, and even expecting, a reward for our good efforts.

Yet wounding is inevitable if we are following Christ. Jesus was both "marred" (Isaiah 52:14) and "wounded" (Zechariah 13:6), and if we are sincere in our pursuit of His nature, we will suffer as well. How else will love be perfected?

--Francis Frangipane

Tender Love

Tender love
I will keep you warm

Stoke the fires of love
In the eye of the storm

Gentle whispers
With the tears rolling down

I see where you're coming from

I want to be around.

From a mile away
I will capture your gaze


For look in my eyes
You can see my heart best


You don't have to wander
You really can rest.

More on the White Horses...

Here is a poem-prayer written by another for a friend of mine. Someone sent this poem to me b/c they thought I may find it comforting in general. Funny enough, I had just written the other poem below (Running Horses: Revolution) the night before. They had no idea what had been going on in my heart this last week regarding these topics. God, help us all who are faithful in love with You and who want our strength to be bridled without losing our spirit. I remember that someone once prayed and prophesied over me that I am like the sword maiden in Lord of the Rings who is mighty with the sword and longs to be free. (Well, that doesn't mean I don't thrive in relationships...it just means I long to be understood in that.) :-)

There is a reason for that passion. It is not meant to keep people away or to be independent. It is meant to be the fullness of what and who we are in the fullness of our free spirit. It is meant to be brought into the fullness of strength and the fullness of love and the fullness of running. It is not independence. It is not rebellion. It is not impossible to be bridled or brought into a pack. It is just a flavor of beauty that is meant to be all that it is meant to be. The easiest way to crush the spirit of one who is free is to tell it that it has to be something other than what it is made to be....

Thank you to the one who sent me this poem. It was so timely and needed. I appreciate this and all that the Lord is teaching me regarding all of this at this time.... This topic has come up through a variety of circumstances and I am learning that I have to trust others that just because they want to harness that strength that they are not going to crush my spirit.

I am free.


Heavenly Father
I praise You for Your daughter
like a white stallion
who cannot be bridled
Though they may try

though they have the bit in her mouth
though they surround her and pull her down to tame her
they cannot
she won't have it
Just a gentle touch of the windin her mane
is enough to send her rearing
and crying out to God, "Set me free from them."

Though they are many they cannot hold her
cannot break the spirit rising now
cannot give her to the marketplaceto be sold
to one other than her Maker

Her spirit is strong and will not be broken
courageous and will not falter
Until she is running freely in the groves and along shores
exalting Jesus as Lord.

A message for a flower...

THEN THE TIME CAME WHEN THE RISK IT TOOK TO REMAIN TIGHT IN A BUD WAS MORE PAINFUL THAN THE RISK IT TOOK TO BLOSSOM. ~ ANAIS NIN

Running Horses: Revolution

running, running
hearts desire
horses running
balls of fire
rolling, rolling
off their manes
the faster they run
the brighter the flames
freely, freely
running freely
hearts of fire
singing sweetly
white horses running
far, far away
freedom is their melody
fire is their mane
the faster they go
the larger the fire
rolls from their manes
in burning desire
feasting, feasting
feasting their eyes
one goal before them
one Man the prize
run freely horses
remember the pain
that held you back
when you were enchained
run freely horses
with the fires of love
there is One who is for you
with heart made of love
don't stop your running
or your freedom song
its yours to sing
and they're singing along
the many horses that are joining your tribe
one nation born
in freedom
RIDE!
dance, dance
feel the beat and the fusion
the horses are trotting to
the beat of revolution
run freely white horses
with rolling manes of fire
your freedom is given
you never will tire
sing revolution
freedom and love
burning desire
that comes from above
these horses from heaven
were shown me on earth
i was told i am like them
for what it is worth.
:-)

"I was prayin for ya and thought I would tell ya what I felt God saying. I felt God was saying It is released. It is released. I felt it was something that is something that you and God know about deep in the recesses of you. I felt like It has been released and so know it is coming. Timing, I felt was out of his hands of sorts like it is released and depending on stuff between there and you it will arrive. So just know it. Felt like you would dance about it, like a happy dance."

:-) How can I help but smile when receiving this email. First of all, this email came from a new friend. 2nd, yes--there is something that me and God know about deep within the recesses of me. And last, the Lord and I have been talking about just such a release. This is a beautiful confirmation to me from a beloved new friend. (Thank you, Lord. And thank you new friend!)

And by the way, I will be doing a VERY happy dance. :-)

The Lord and I have LOTS of secrets! Like Mary, He has allowed me to ponder a lot while being very quiet! But He is so fun! It is just like Him to give a little clue like this to let me know He is thinking about our secrets and moving on them behind the scenes! He is awesome! He is God!

The Downpour of the Lord

“God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.' Job 37:5-6

He sets the lonely in families.

Psalm 68:6 "God sets the lonely in families."



Last night I dreamed that I was traveling the world and I was doing many things on this trip. I was on the trip alone, but there were many, many people around me. I stepped onto a stage and I don't know if there were any people there or not (I don't remember seeing any people). But the Lord had given me a message of power and I released it over the microphone and the message went out. I don't know what I said, but I know that it was the power of God and the arrows of the Lord going deep and far. I watched a video of it later in the dream and the video had no sound. I never heard what I said, but knew the arrows of the Lord were coming out.



When I woke up I realized that the word I was giving with my life in that dream was Psalm 68:6 "God sets the lonely in families." And the Lord showed me the great need for this message--not just in words--but in His desire to bring RESTORATION to families--to the broken hearts in the inner city and also to the orphans of the world. The Lord is bringing restoration to the family.

Being raised in a loving family is something the enemy is trying to destroy. He has already wreaked havoc and brought destruction in the lives of so many people. God is calling us to take and live a different approach and to take up this calling and anointing for the restoration of the family.



In the dream the Lord showed me that this would be a huge life message that would be lived out and carried out by me and my husband. There is a world out there that has no idea what it means to be loved in the context of a family and God is wanting to restore that to those who have never had. He is wanting to bring healing to devastation and to protect, defend, and restore the family unit in America and all over the world! He wants the orphans to know He sets the lonely in families and that they are not alone. He wants those who have never had fathers or husbands or mothers or brothers to know that they are loved and that there is a God who loves them and people around them who represent the face of God right in front of them.



Oh Lord, please bring restoration to the families of the world. Turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the children to their fathers. Please restore the broken hearts of this generation and meet the lonely and tell them they are not alone. And Lord, let us carry this mantle of anointing for family and raise a generation who will know you as Father and Husband and who will be cared for by fathers and mothers who know that this destruction has been a specific attack.



May the grace of God come under the many who are anointed to carry this call for family and to trumpet it while raising the next generation so that there can be a true turning of the hearts of the fathers and children toward one another. I pray this in the name of Jesus--especially for the orphans and inner city children and broken families of the world.



Amen.

Theme Songs: The Beu Sisters: Catch Me If You Can

What you get is
What you see
And you can bet it's worth it, baby
'Cause what you get is me.

So keep it real and just say what you feel
Don't be scared to fall in love.

Do you really want it, if you want it you can get it
If you get it don't regret it, I can bet you're gonna let it take you
Higher and higher (so what you gonna do?)
Love is like a butterfly, tapestry across the sky
Doesn't need a reason why
Feel it taking you and I
Higher and higher (I wanna get with you)

So, catch me if you can
Oh, catch me if you can.

Now you know, just what it takes
To make a little bit of heaven, baby.
So hold on tight, but learn to let go.
We'll be free to be every color of the rainbow.

Don't be afraid to, let it embrace you
I'm gonna show you every little thing about love, yeah.

Do you really want it, if you want it you can get it
If you get it don't regret it, I can bet you're gonna let it take you
Higher and higher (so what you gonna do)
Love is like a butterfly, tapestry across the sky
Doesn't need a reason why
Feel it taking you and I
Higher and higher (I wanna get with you)

So, catch me if you can

I know you don't wanna show how you feel
So you try and deny that your feelings are real
'cause you're scared to believe all you need is l-o-v-e, love
(All you need is love)
You can run, you can hide, but you know down inside
It will catch up to you, when you see you will find out
You better believe all you need is l-o-v-e love, love

Do you really want it, if you want it you can get it
If you get it don't regret it, I can bet you're gonna let it take you
Higher and higher (what you gonna do)
Love is like a butterfly, tapestry across the sky
Doesn't need a reason why
Feel it taking you and I
Higher and higher (I wanna get with you)

Do you really want it, if you want it you can get it
If you get it don't regret it, I can bet you're gonna let it take you
Higher and higher
Love is like a butterfly, tapestry across the sky
Doesn't need a reason why
Feel it taking you and I
Higher and higher

I know you want me baby
Come on and get me baby

Tiny Dancer (Theme Song)

"Tiny Dancer"



Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band

Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man

Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand

And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand



Jesus freaks out in the street

Handing tickets out for God

Turning back she just laughs

The boulevard is not that bad



Piano man he makes his stand

In the auditorium

Looking on she sings the songs

The words she knows the tune she hums



But oh how it feels so real

Lying here with no one near

Only you and you can hear me

When I say softly slowly



Hold me closer tiny dancer

Count the headlights on the highway

Lay me down in sheets of linen

you had a busy day today



Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band

Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man

Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand

And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand

Theme Songs: Time and Confusion: Anberlin

woah oh, yeah-ahwoah oh, yeah-ahwoah oh

live for today we'll dream tomorrow
we've got big plans in sight
we'll take this city and by nightfall...
the bright lights are calling

everything is going our way
everything is just as we've planned
this is our future (from what we've heard)
and i've still got your hand

and it feels like we could last forever
and i'm not doing this alone

[Chorus]
when memories fade
we've got each other
when time and confusion collide
singin' i hold it all when i hold you

when friends walk other ways
we've got each other
i hold it all when i hold
i hold it all when i hold you

woah oh, yeah-ahwoah oh, yeah-ahwoah oh

we fell on hard times
this isn't the ideal
we're miles from home doing the best that we can
(best that we can)

i won't do this without you
i won't do this without you so take heart...
'cause you know that you have mine

and it feels like we could last forever
and i'm not doing to do this alone

[Chorus]
[Bridge:]
its not about the money we make
its about the passions that we ache for
what makes your heart beat faster
tell me now what does your body long after
i don't care now where we live
it's not where, or what, or who we were with
i just need you in my life
so promise me again

when memories fade
we've got each other
when time and confusion collide
singin' i hold it all when i hold you

when friends walk other ways
we've got each other
i hold it all when i hold i hold it all when i hold you

woah oh, yeah-ahwoah oh, yeah-ahwoah oh

Tears in a bottle: known, loved, and free.

Tears in a bottle
Treasured and stored.
No one can cry
From a heart made of stone.
Wring out my heart
Make it wet with your tears
Until I can cry with you
Again and again.

Cry again
Oh my soul
Pain has become you
And made your heart whole
Love, love
Until you can’t stand it
This is the way that love will demand it.
Love, lover
Feel the pain of the yearning.
This is the fire of love that is burning.
Touch my heart.
Take this hand by my side
You are my Husband
I am your Bride


Feel the pain
Of opening
Opening your chest
Sharing love's secrets
And finding love’s rest.
You are the lover
And open will be
All who are intimate
Known, loved,
And free

On the topic of pain...and Human Trafficking.

Alright, here it is...such pain. I cannot even handle it or take it in. For one thing, as we recently found out...I'm a 7 on the Enneagram--a liver of LIFE--and an avoider of pain. (Now, I don't really avoid pain, but feel it extremely deeply for others who are in deep places of pain. It moves me DEEPLY and, thankfully, I understand a lot more about human suffering and joy now than I did back in the day!)

Let's talk about when my Grandma was diagnosed with advanced Leukemia--my Grandma whom I love and who loves me dearly. Let's remember when I went with her to the hospital and stayed for several days. I took notes from the doctors, kept her in good spirits, prayed with her. Then lets talk about several weeks later when she was in the hospital again having suffered a heart attack from the medicine. She was in so much pain, I stayed for an hour and LITERALLY FELT MY ADRENALS SHUT DOWN. I left sobbing silently and checked myself into a hotel for the rest of the night while she slept.

When there is intense suffering involved and a vulnerable person (I mean one that even the Lord in Scripture would generally regard as weak or in need of protection or love) I am inclined to feel an extraordinary amount of their pain. When, it is someone who I consider stronger or more understanding or equipped, I still feel it, but I do not shut down b/c of it! I still love deeply, but I can more naturally manage the pain.

Perhaps this is what led the Lord to prophesy over me so many, many times about being in the healing professions--maybe not so much in the literal sense, but for all He is desiring to heal--to nurture them and bind up their wounds and to teach them to find the same joy in the Lord that I have found--a joy that is not dependent on circumstances, but on the God who made us. :-)

In the last 2 years I have come across something that I had never come across before. This is the issue of Human Trafficking. I simply cannot handle the subject, but by the grace of God. I've been raising awareness for over a year--formerly helping Faceless International as a volunteer and more actively through Zenia Clothing Company which was started over a year ago to help raise awareness and bring in resources to help women and children who are involved in this horrible thing.

For those of you who don't know...Human Trafficking is a form of slave labor most often involving women and especially children who have been sold, stolen, or kidnapped and then sold again into the sex trade industries in various countries including our own.

Many people think that slavery is an old issue and doesn't exist in the world today. You are wrong. It is a horrible injustice. Having worked with women who have chosen to be involved in the sex trade industries for various reasons and the impact it has had on them (Red Light District, Amsterdam-- even in our very own Grand Rapids, MI) was hard enough. Imagine the millions of children who are taken as early as 2,3, and 4 to be trained as sex slaves to locals and foreignors throughout the world. It is WRONG.

This last year, I have been partnering in prayer with a friend and mentor, Dr. Bob Hagerty (formerly Vice President of Cornerstone University and President and Superintendant of several other schools). He is the great nephew of George Mueller, who many of you know rescued THOUSANDS of street orphans in England in the 1800's. Dr. Hagerty has been working with locals in Myanmar for the last year and half--well before the Cyclone hit--and has helped the locals there in establishing orphanages that they had in their heart to begin. He has been working here in the States praying and raising support and awareness of the needs there--especially after the CYCLONE destroyed the orphanages--though every single orphan and staff member was saved! He has also been going back and forth to help and see firsthand the work that is being done in the face of such great need.

One of the greatest dangers for children in Myanmar (formerly Burma) right now is that many have been orphaned or separated from their parents because of the CYCLONE and are at great risk for being kidnapped into the sex trade industries of Thailand. The government is working (amazingly) to try to set up refuge camps for the children, but there is a great need for orphanages to be built and for people to come and staff them.

I have been invited to go in 2009 and will definately be seeking the Lord as to how long I will be able to take on this adventure. These children have already been breaking my heart. The country is in a devestated position still in the aftermath of the cyclone.

Many of you know that I just recently returned from a really nice trip to Asia--Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea--helping my friend Jaeson and his ministry team at some conferences and trainings for young Asian students who are committed to making a difference in the world through church planting and spending two years in unevangelized areas of Asia and the Middle East.

While in Taiwan, I got a serious invitation to go with Dr. Hagerty to Myanmar. In Hong Kong, the Holy Spirit hit me with a serious burden and weeping intercession for these children. I got seven more confirmations before I had even come home. Since I have arrived in Kansas City, the Lord continually is talking with me about these children!!! I have had many more connections and confirmations since arriving here less than 3 weeks ago!

Ah! Pray for the pain that they feel to be healed by Jesus. I will never forget in Hong Kong. I have no idea what was preached or what joyful song was played during the music set. I was weeping the whole night for these little ones. I kept saying to the Lord... "Oh Lord, the pain" (because I could feel it and I was literally sobbing). And yet I know I can't fully know it.
Then I would pray, "Oh Lord, you know I literally have nothing to give."

And this is what is painful for me. In Hong Kong, my friend Chris quoted Heidi Baker,"It is dangerous to have love without power or power without love." He went on to explain that love without power is devestating b/c you see the need, but know there is nothing you can do about it. Power without love is dangerous b/c it breeds pride and abuse of power. This made so much sense to me. This is why my adrenal glands shut down when I see people dying in pain and there is nothing I can do about it. I have love, but no power of my own....

So in Hong Kong, I prayed, "Lord, I have nothing to give. Finally, I am empty of self. I KNOW I have NOTHING TO GIVE! Lord, you have to stand behind me and give the children bread. I cannot heal them. I cannot feed them. But I can stand in front of you and pass to them what you give me. I can lay my hands on them and You can heal them. I have nothing in my hands, but You can do it..and you must!" (Matthew 15:25-28)

I have no power, but He literally has ALL power.

So I have changed the way that I pray now. The reasons 7's avoid pain is b/c they know the world is supposed to be joyful and fully restored. And yet an integrated 7 knows that we are the means through which the Lord will start to bring justice and action and help. He will restore THROUGH us. (Isaiah 61). Oh, how I have known this.

And I have been given a grace... to sleep with the rats if necessary. God has given me this willingness and this grace because there is a world out there in need.

I pray for grace to face the pain and to seek the Lord for His healing and kindness to come through me and the many others who will go.

James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

These recent blogs have not been extremely well written and are extremely raw. I really want to sit down and write some articles and other things that will take some time. But for now, this very small amount of information seems enough to say we've "bitten off more than we can chew."

Let's ask God to help us to assimilate the needs of human suffering across the world--while letting Him carry the burden and the pain.

By the way, we need more people to go! Feel free to contact me if you are interested in learning more, praying more specifically, or actually going to see the needs and be part of the solution!

WAYS TO HELP:

1) I know of two very reputable, dynamic ministry organization that are helping with this cause. If you would like to donate to helping the children directly, please contact:

Dr. Bob Hagerty with Mercy For the Children, Myanmar: Roberth@netpenny.net

or Levi Lim at: http://www.ilovemyanmar.org/

2) Also, you can help support Zenia Clothing Company that works to promote awareness and raise funds for these needs: www.myspace.com/zeniaclothing

3) And you can pray for me and the many others who will be working with orphans this year and the issue of stopping human trafficking. If you are interested in supporting a missionary later in the year, I will be going to work with the children myself. I would love to have your prayers and financial backing! Those who can't go...SEND! :-)

Many blessings!
~Sarah Weichhand

Another site with resources and other links: http://www.facelessinternational.com/

I have to add as a post script thought: Helping these children just to help them is a wonderful thing. I have spent the last year observing that many people are trying to help these women and children and end this injustice. We cannot do this on our own. We cannot save, deliver, or heal of ourselves. The best human ideas and actions fall sooooo short of what only God can do. Only God can turn hearts of government officials and raise up workers to go. Only God can bring physical healing to bodies that have been ripped and devestated and physically and sexually abused. Only God can mend a heart. We cannot do this with our best human counseling and attempts at providing other jobs for these children. WE must marry our actions with our prayers to a BIG GOD who can do what ONLY HE CAN DO!!! We can help, but we cannot save, heal, or deliver without Him! Please join with me in prayer for these children.

II Thessalonians 3:1-5

Request for Prayer for the children: 1Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. 3But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.

Prayer for these organizations, young missionaries like myself, and others who will go...
I Thessalonians 1:5 "For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake."

Thank you! I also just read on my friend Jaeson's blog that there is a documentary coming out that will start to expose the industry by bringing it out to the public. You can watch that pilot for that film here: http://www.jaesonma.com/

Butterflies and Free Spirits 9/27/08

I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be a free spirit again. Freedom has always been my song and my life creed.

"It is for freedom that we were set free, therefore do not be entangled again by a yoke of slavery!" (Gal. 5:1)

I will always have freedom!

...Freedom from sin and religion!!
...Freedom to love and to be loved!!!!

(I love that...Freedom from...and freedom TO...) :-)

Freedom is not merely the absence of restraint, but it is the ability to choose where to focus time, love, attention, etc... and on whom. This is what is so beautiful about love. It is a choice--made out of freedom.

I choose to bring myself into the flight pattern of another or to run with another. I choose to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. I choose who I want to be in covenantal relationship with.

No one can take away my choice. They could take away my life before they can take my choice.
Love has to be given freely.

And... I'll add to that...that sometimes in following the leading of the Holy Spirit, He seems to lead you away before He leads you to. (This reminds me of Hind's Feet on High Places! Oh how I wept through parts of that book--especially when the Shepherd leads Much Afraid AWAY from the High Places.) It is a strict obedience to the cross.

Even though I have a choice in my heart's desire, my first commitment is to honor God and the leading of His Holy Spirit--even if He is giving me glimpses of things to come. He has a timetable worked out. He has a plan. He doesn't leave us out of the plan, but speaks to us daily, encourages us, directs us, prompts us, blesses us, and even sometimes commands or requests of us. (Galatians 5:25)

I know for sure GOD is getting ready to launch me into a new season soon (soon in comparison to the stretching 28 years of my life)! Right now is a brief pause--as a moment of transition between movements. As with other dreams, I have always trusted Him to cross my path with my "other" exactly in the way He wisely would choose. And I've always trusted it would be GOOD!!! When I am presented with a choice (a man who invites me to choose him), I will gladly make that choice. In this moment--in having to choose between taking what I want now...or waiting for what the Spirit is going to do...I have to love and obey the Spirit first. Once I am in a flight pattern with another--the Spirit will lead us together and I will follow that lead. While we may have different roles or be away from each other at times, the Spirit will not lead us apart. We will be led together.

In the meantime, I am trusting the Spirit is leading our paths to cross and intersect perfectly, that we will recognize and choose each other, and that I will be recognized as an "other." ;-)

I just found out that I am a 7 on the Enneagram (an ancient personality profile detailing 9 personality types and their growth, development, and spirituality). 7's greatest fear is being deprived or trapped in pain. Their basic desire is to be happy, satisfied, and find fulfillment.

It is possible to be in a relationship that involves the utmost human commitment (covenant) and true "oneness" (Book of John) that God calls for when He says that two can become one--and still have perfect freedom in relationship. Freedom is not for self. Freedom is for love.

So... love gives freedom and freedom...can give love?!

Yes. It is a grand decision. And one I will look forward to making... :-)

(Gal. 5:13, I Peter 2:16)

"My heart has asked for you to crawl in, but sometimes I have resisted my heart."

The Spirit and the glory. And the poem of waiting....

"I am so filled with the glory of the Lord and the intensity of His glory that I can't even handle it myself. My mouth is closed. My mind is full and at peace. My body shakes with the intensity of it all. My heart wants to leap of out of my body and run into the purposes of the Lord. I cannot go any faster than the timing of the Lord. I can only move at the pace He is moving and in the meantime I am filled with more intensity than this little body can handle or hold. Oh Jesus, make my body and soul align with you as I worship and move with you in both Spirit and in Truth."

I wrote this post a while ago and saved it as a draft. I also just found this poem below that I wrote maybe 6 months ago. Its a "cute" poem. It describes how I've been held in a waiting pattern and am so eager to go forward and yet am caught up in the timing of the Lord--refusing to move faster than His pace. :-) I am still in the wrapping up of this season. I am still moving at His pace and no faster. I am gifted. I am trained. I am a lady waiting to be released into another season with another pace--a pace that scares me honestly! Still, I wait... I wait for the timing and the release of the Lord. For now, I receive this season as a gift--this time of waiting for the future as a gift of the present. I am happy, contented, joyful, and expectantly waiting! :-)


Dreams, simple dreams.
Are often working out in the subconscious of my mind
In the night—I leap, I fly…
In the day, I sleep, I lie…
Waiting, waiting..
Hesitating?
Standing, then sitting
Is this really living?
I jump up.
You motion me down.
My eyes are open
I’m looking around.
The world is turning and passing me by
I wait and I trust. I can smile and cry.
“No good thing will I withhold from you.”
I believe you
Based on your Word
Your character and your Word
I’ve heard your voice.
You’ve seen where I sleep.
I’ve got to believe you have something for me.


Have you ever seen a girl so eager?
Watch her lips quaver, she’s so eager?
See her tears of longing…
Longing bitter
The tears of her heart could have cried you a river.
She’s standing there smiling
Waiting for Me.
The One her heart loves
Whom with faith she can see.
I won’t disappoint her
Not for eternity
I’m setting her up.
Just watch her wait and see.

Love Letter. Sealed with a kiss.

This week I experienced a love letter from the Lord. I had no idea that He was going to give it to me and I have found myself so blessed because I get to listen to it over and over. I was expecting the Lord to tell me something great or wonderful that He was going to call me to do… and instead…all He said was “I really love you.” I realized that at first I was disappointed. I wanted an assignment. I wanted something to do. But all He wanted me to know was that He values our relationship soooo much. (Thank you!)

The next day, I was at a training in Kansas City for some future work I will be doing in Asia and beyond. I heard the Lord speak love over me and as the man who was teaching prayed for me, I felt the Holy Spirit come upon me in love in a way that made me lose my ability to stand. I could only be filled with His love and His presence and rest in it. I later took a nap and enjoyed further fellowship with the Holy Spirit--just laying there enjoying His presence! He is so good.

If the first day was a love letter, the second day was the Lord sealing it with a kiss. What a special message that God wanted to bring! The last three years of waiting on the Lord and being hidden in His time and location brought me to a place of rest and trust, settling into the dynamics of relationship instead of just doing all the time, I think this is a good message for me as I think of my future husband. That our lives may be purposed to serve the Lord and fulfill His purposes together, but the value is not on the doing, but on the relationship with God and each other.
God has sealed his message of love to me these last three years with a letter of love and a kiss. I am so blessed.

“Set me as a seal upon your heart, like a seal upon your arm: for love is as strong as death, jealousy is as hard and cruel as Sheol. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a most vehement flame (the very flame of the Lord)! Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man tried to sell everything he owned for love, he could not do it.” Song of Solomon 8:6,7

Forever

Forever


Come and sing with me
Looking in my eyes
And smiling, too.


I am with you now.
For a moment now
I am smiling, too.


I am crying now
For what might have been

The music stopped
Were you crying, too?


I was at the theatre
I sat with you.
The film ran out
What a dazzling jewel.


It all seems over now.

Does the north wind blow
Now over my soul?


Winds, refresh me!
Come glorious winds!
Make this boat take sail
With my face to the wind

And the sun on my back
I am willing to go
With you.


Just take me with your flow

With the wind
Against the tide
Put the wind in my sail
And take me there.


I am smiling at you

Know there's nothing I can do.


I wait for the wind
To embrace my sail
And I long for you
Like a child would do.


And I wait and I wonder
What will become of me?
Wind, take my sails.

Come along to the land!

I go now toward the sand!
(Won't you please take my hand?)


I am with you for the ride.
The wild ride.
The pleasurable ride.
Make a go with me on the wild side.

Adventure is calling.


Just take me away

With the wind in my sails
I trust you now to get me there.

Lamentations 3

Almighty God
Be ever near me
Clarify my heart before you
Do unto me according to Your Word
Ever faithful God
Forget not your little daughter
Grant me the desires of our hearts together
Hear my prayers.
I love you, Lord
Just as I always knew I would
Kind forever
Limitless God
My favored One
Never leaving nor forsaking
Open for all to come running to Your arms
Present Helper
Quest of my all
Reason with me
Share your heart
Thank you always
Understanding
Very
Wise
Xalted God
You are mine
Zealous Fiery One.

Who can handle me?
If you can handle me,
I challenge you
To tame this heart
And travel with me
To the ends of the earth
And the depths of my soul.
You can handle it, sir.
Its not that hard.

~Leaping Fawn to the one who rides with the horses of fire. The Story of My Life.

Awakening Love

In search of the other.

____________

Pause. Selah.

(Time has stilled.)

Enter in

To this moment.

Awakening love

Open the door.

The fresh air awaits you
________________

Now is the time
For love to come.

Softly.
Gently.
Come and melt me.

The sun is shining
And I am here
Bare and near
Though I've wrestled with fear.

Overcome me.

I asked for an answer
And got a perfect answer.

Love is come.

Your choice is perfect.
Your hearts desire is for one.

The time is now.
Love, sweet love.

Don't ask for the answers.
Live, tiny dancer.

Swing into the treehouse of love
Eat well.

Dine with Love.
And cast away hell.

Compel
Propel

Our time will tell

Our commitments
Our equity
With a greater return.

Wear your whole heart, now.
Yearn, lover, yearn.

Investing
Investing

With you I am resting.

And dancing and singing

And loving and needing.

Pace

Pace

Your perfect pace.

Your perfect place.

You find your pace.

Come see me, now.

I am dressed up for you.

If you can remove the layers I have chosen
I trust you to get there.

A warm heart longs to be known.

Out in the cold

You run out in a hurry.

You can handle her, Love.

There is no doubt or worry.

You can handle her, darling.

Or haven't you heard?

That life is a joy

With a girl like a bird.

written by Sarah Weichhand
(property of Sarah Weichhand)

FIre and Ice

Fire and Ice

I see your fire
And the red of your hair.
You're burning
Alive
And your passion is rare.

(Ice, ice baby.
You seem so rehearsed.
You're telling you'd love love,
But you don't know the verse.)

Pain
Pain
Selfish gain.
Love is for lovers.
Not for the vain.

Love is for love-ers
Feel the song of the rain.

Sing sweetly dear waters
The waters of love
Are rushing and rushing
The song of your love.

Rushing and rushing
The song of your love.
They're rushing and rushing
The one that you love.

Sing sweetly dear waters
Sing deeply dear wind.
For love covers all
The dear char of this sin.

Rush, rush
The wind and the waves
Go gently sweet waters
And wind, slow your pace.

Rush, rush
Why the strong force?
Is love so determined
It can't have a choice?

Rush, rush.
Again, please slow down.
I wanted to tell you
I don't want to drown.

Rush, rush.
Hear the calm of my heart.
I will not regret this.
I want to be smart.

Hear the calm of my waters.
I'm willing to swim
To jump and to play
In the rhythms of Him.

Isaiah 51

Everlasting Salvation for Zion

1 "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
and who seek the LORD :
Look to the rock from which you were cut
and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
2 look to Abraham, your father,
and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was but one,
and I blessed him and made him many.

3 The LORD will surely comfort Zion
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

I am Yours

(Misty Edwards wrote this.)

I danced to it at the photo shoot last Saturday.

Though I sleep, my heart is awake
Though it’s night, on You I wait

It’s been a long night, and I am weary
It’s been a long time, and I am hungry

So I’ll wait in the stillness again
I’ll wait in the quiet again

For when I heard Your voice
When You said my name
When I heard Your voice
My heart it yearned

In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night
My heart it yearns

Though You’re far away, still I’m here to say
"I am Yours, I am Yours"

And when You feel so far away, still I am here to say
"I am Yours, I am Yours."

And I pay my vows, no turning around
I burn the bridges that can’t be found.

For when I heard Your voice
And You said my name
When I heard Your voice
My heart it yearned
For You.

The Price of Love

Price Of Love
Performed by- Heather Clark

VERSE(1): I have seen a million miles of desert land,
and I have learned to be free.
And I have walked the shadow lands of Egypt,
and I have learned to be free.
And I have held the mane of untamed horses,
and I have learned to be free.
And I have walked on frozen lakes in my soul,
and I have learned to be free.

CHORUS: And I have known the price of love,
And given all I have for a moment's time with you.
And I have died a thousand times,
And I have learned to be free.

VERSE(2): And I have lost what only death could take from me,
and I have learned to be free.
And I have gained what only life could give to me,
and I have learned to be free.

VERSE(3): And I have craved and walked away in the silence,
and I have learned to be free.
And I have looked into the face of injustice,
and I have learned to be free.

God is a Lover Looking for a Lover.

Summer of LOVE.

The idea for the fast was that 40 years ago this summer marked the "Summer of Love" in San Franscisco which was the beginning of a movement of open rebellion and destructive relationships, etc. in the name of love. This summer, our generation is being called to take it back and live lives of REAL love and freedom--using our lives to make a real difference in the name of Love.

We are a generation of lovers who need healing from the brokenness of the hurts of the past. We need eyes to see that real love isn't cheap. Its deeper than some may want to get into. It involves a commitment and results in a life that is free.

What--in the name of Love--is God doing in a generation of seekers so desperately in need of His help? Why don't you ask Him and find out. What can YOU do?

It is funny that the Lord has been talking with me mostly about feasting and not as much about fasting. But I am joining in the prayer efforts and will be asking Him how our generation can reclaim His heart in this 40 day period...

Summer of LOVE.


http://emacusi.wordpress.com/2007/05/27/forty-days-for-forty-years-by-lou-engle/

It's all about timing... (His)

(Luke 5:1-11)

Jesus tells Peter to put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch. Jesus’ command had a specific purpose: He wanted to teach Peter a lesson in trusting Him. Peter was a fisherman and knew the Sea of Galilee like the back of his hand. He had been born there and spent days and nights lowering the nest ever since he was a boy. Peter knew from a human point of view, it wasn’t the best time or place to cast the nets. They had already tried all night and used all their skill, yet caught nothing. By saying “We have been working all night and have caught nothing,” Peter gives Christ a valid human reason not to cast his nets, not to obey his order. To human logic it made sense not to repeat something that hadn’t worked. But Peter also says “But in your name, I will pay out the nets,” making it clear to Jesus that he, a professional fisherman, would never have fished there at that time of day, but that his trust in Jesus was greater than the confidence that came from his experience and practice. In that he is saying that he trusted Christ more than he trusted himself.

They lower the nets and we all know they are instantly filled with fish, so many they need the help of another boat. Everyone is amazed and they throw themselves at Christ’s feet acknowledging their Master’s greatness and their own nothingness. Jesus then lifts up Peter and says “Do not be afraid. From now on it is men you will catch.” With the words of before “put out into the deep,” Jesus is telling Peter there are still new experiences to be had, that he doesn’t know it all, there are powers of knowledge outside of this world, regions of mystery he has yet to explore. When we are to put out into the deep we are to enter into the mystery of God, by faith. This “to put out into the deep,” to believe more strongly, to hope more lovingly, to love more passionately. It invites us to take the path and cast our nets in His name, knowing that He will fill them with an abundant catch! Even if we have tried that spot before at that very time of day : )

Prince Valiant

My dear Prince Valiant
Warrior Strong
Come away for a moment
And I'll sing you a song.

My heart has been singing
Come away,
Love, and rest.
Your body is tired.
Your soul needs a rest.

My arms are around you.
My body with yours.
Forever embrace you.
Tu es m' amour.

To hold you till your brave heart melts
And keep you safe and warm.
I offer myself as your princess of love.
I am shelter from the storm.

Fight on Prince,
Valiant Warrior Strong
And remember your heart sings, too.
And when your heart for a shelter yearns--
Remember my offer to you.

October 17, 2005

conglitteration: (roots, family, freedom, and wings)

To: princess strong heart
For springtime
In the garden of dreams

The old shell has fallen to the ground
and life breaks forth anew....

Fresh air dispelled to the musty places.
(Open your heart.)

(Were you scared before
for the life passing before you
might only disappoint you ?)

(Enter in.)



Winter has come with a blanket of love to cover the past.
Again.

I say rest.

Child, again, I say, "rest."

The elements:
of
the cold,
the harsh,
the angry
the scared

Protected.
And done, now.

Spring has come..

Death has no victory. Absolutely no sting.

(The shell has been broken.)

Your free hearts can sing!

The tomb of bright expression has pressed forth from within.
Your dream has been planted.

Begin.
Again.

And the world will know.

that wisdom and love
married dancing and singing.

And grace has come for the poor and the needy.

(Love is patient.)
Watch it grow.

Love grows up......
and roots grow below.

Gentle breezes
and warm rains know....

It's a Michigan summer.
(but fly away home)

(Desire. desire.)
My heart is on fire.

and i long for you.
i hope for you.
and today you told me my dreams could come true.

enter in,
you say.
to my warm embrace

fear Pain
No more.
settle into my grace

though Sorrow.
Will come.
you will weather each storm

Come in,
My love,
I will keep you warm.

My dear Princess,

Strong Heart.
Remember the dove.

My arms, they
await you.
with unfailing love.


seeds planted in the soil of My heart will bring a perfect gain
you will gain the whole world and lose not your soul

be loved, child.
in the garden of your dreams
i dream for you, too
beloved

unwinding cable car

emotive unstable.
your like an unwinding cable car.
listening for voices,
buts its the choices that make us who we are.

go your own way.
even season have change.
just burn those new leaves over.
so self-absorbed,
you've seem to ignore,
the prayers that have already come about.

this is the correlation of salvation and love.
(dont drop your arms)
dont drop your arms.
i'll guard your heart.
with quite words i'll lead you in.
la la la la la la la la la la lala la la la la la la la la la la

backing away from the problem of pain.
you never had a home.
you've been misguided.
you're hiding in shadows for so very long.
don't you believe that you've been deceived?
that your no better than...

the hair in your eyes
it never disguised
what your really thinking of.[x2]

this is the correlation of salvation and love.
(dont drop your arms)
dont drop your arms.
i'll guard your heart.
with quite words i'll lead you in.[x2]

you're so brilliant.
dont soon forget.
your so brilliant.
grace marked your heart.
this is the correlation of salvation and love.

dont drop your arms.
i'll guard your heart.
with quite words i'll lead you in and out of the dark.

la la la la la la la la la la la
dont drop your arms.

la la la la la la la la la la la[x2]

this is the correlation of salvation and love.
(dont drop your arms)
dont drop your arms.
i'll guard your heart.
with quite words i'll lead you in.

-anberlin/cities

Sarah's verse

"And the Lord was gracious to Sarah just as He had said. And the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised."Genesis 21:1

by Jenny Messinger

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Hopeful Unbelief
Grieve, my heart.
Weep with those who weep.
Unbelief and sorrow.
Mourning and tears.

Sing, my heart.
Rejoice with those who rejoice.
Hope in things not seen.
Believe, Trust.

He will never put more on us than we can bear.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace...." (Matthew 11)

At the Edge

To Sarah--

Finally,You have come this far
To the edge of a new world.

New life.
New hope.
New future.

Territory.
Not for the weak of heart.
Put on your fightin’ suit.

It is time for the end of mediocre living
Exchange your heavy heart
For trust in the Lord.

Resting with waiting
Has come to an end.

Arise and shine for your light has come.
The glory of the Lord rises on you.

A promise given.
A promise kept.

Why is life worth living?
Romance.
Adventure.

Sitting on the couch with Him
You overcame.
Learning it is Christ who will carry your victories.

Raise the banner high.

He is at work
So we can rest.
Always rest.
Fully rest.

Now. (Selah)

Put on your victory suit.
It is time to conquer and defeat.
The enemy is at your feet.

Worship God
With the captain of the host of the Lord.
You are standing now on holy ground.

This battle is not for the faint of heart.
But God has given you the victory.
Go now at His command.

Do you see what I can see?
The enemy trembling.
(God is for you.)

Your battle is not against flesh and blood
Have no fear.
Be strong, my dear.

God is stronger.
Fiercer in His justice.
Seething in His fury.

Suddenly…
The enemy is at His mercy.

Have no fear.
Stand firm, my dear.

"You know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed." Joshua 23:14

God of the city.

It has come to my attention (after a momentary lapse of about a year) that God is a God of the city. Not to say that I didn't know this, but God himself has brought it to my attention in a way that has captured me once again as a city girl.

My heart is aching once again to be reminded of all that I have to see and learn here. I am in awe--of how much I don't know--of how many PEOPLE I don't know. It seems there is so much to learn when there are so many people you don't know--b/c people primarily learn through people.

How do I know what my neighbor is like...unless I get to know my neighbor? How can I be sure that I "know it all" when I am clearly limited to my own experiences and need an "in" to the experiences of others.

There is so much to learn.

I am amazed as I walk by strangers everyday--realizing that b/c I am here (literally here in this city) that I am only one step away from knowing somebody new at every turn. All it takes is a smile and friendly gesture, as well as a sort of opening heart.

People have barriers and soft spots. There is so much to learn...and so much to know.

And I have so much to share.

In the neighborhood or at the city bar, I am always open for new friends.

God is here.

"Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, non-religious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized--whoever.

I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ--but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be IN on it!"

I Cor. 9: 19-

The whole that fills us.

"The very fact that we humans experience desire is proof that we are creatures. Incomplete in ourselves, we desire whatever we think is beckoning to complete us. God alone needs nothing outside of himself, because he himself is the highest and the only lasting good. So all objects we desire short of God are as finite and incomplete as we ourselves are and, therefore, disappointing if we make them the objects of ultimate desire."

-- Os Guiness, The Call, 13

The Altar of Love:

Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy! He who goes weeping, carrying seed to sow, Will return with songs of joy, Carrying sheaves with him. (Psalm 126:4-6)

"Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5)


The Desert:

Much-Afraid looked to the left and right, but through it seemed incredible, there was no way possible by which they could continue to climb upward. The hill they were on ended abruptly at this precipice, and the rocky cliffs towered above them in every direction straight as walls with no possible foothold.

"I can't go down there,' panted Much-Afraid, sick with shock and fear. "He can never mean that --never! He called me up to the High Places, and this is an absolute contradiction of all that he promised."

The she lifted up her voice and called desperately, "Shepherd, come to me. Oh, I need you. Come and help me." In a moment he was there, standing beside her.

"Shepherd, I can't understand this. The guides you gave me say that we must go down there into that desert, turning right away from the High Places altogether. You don't mean that do you? You can't contradict yourself. Tell them we are not to go there, and show us another way. Make a way for us, Shepherd, as you promised."

He looked at her and answered very gently, "That is the path, Much Afraid, and you are to go down there."

"Oh no!" she cried. "You can't mean it! You said if I would trust you, you would bring me to the High Places and the path leads right away from them. It contradicts all that you promised."

"No," said the Shepherd, "it is not contradiction, only a postponement for the best to become possible."

Much-Afraid felt as though He had stabbed her to the heart. "You mean," she said incredulously, "you really mean that I am to follow that path down and down into that wilderness and then over that desert away from the mountains indefinately?"

"Why" (and there was a sob of anguish in her voice) "it may be months, even years, before that path leads back to the mountains again. O Shepherd, do you mean it is indefinite postponement?"

He bowed his head silently, and Much-Afraid sank on her knees at his feet, almost overwhelmed. He was leading her away from her heart's desire altogether and gave no promise at all as to when he would bring her back. As she looked out over what seemed an endless desert, the only path she could see led farther and farther away from the High Places, and it was all desert.

Then he answered very quietly, "Much-Afraid, do you love me enough to accept the postponement and the apparent contradiction of the promise, and to go down there with me into the desert?"

She was still crouching at his feet, sobbing as if her heart would break, but now she looked up through her tears, caught his hand in hers, and said trembling. "I do love you, you know that I love you. Oh forgive me because I can't help my tears. I will go down with you into the wilderness, right away from the promise, if you really wish it. Even if you cannot tell me why it has to be, I will go with you, for you know I do love you, and you have the right to choose for me anything that you please."

....Obediently Much-Afraid raised a little heap of sand and loose stones, which was all she could find in the desert, and again laid down her will and said with tears (for Sorrow had stepped forward and knelt beside her), "I delight to do thy will, o my God."

From somewhere, though they could not see the source, there came a spurt of flame which consumed the offering and left a little heap of ashes on the altar. Then came the Shepherd's voice. "This further delay is not unto death, but for the glory of God; that the Son of God may be glorified."

Joy comes in the morning!!! (Ps. 30)

Hallelujah!


I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.

O LORD, you brought me up from the grave ; you spared me from going down into the pit.

Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;
Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."

O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help."

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Girl For the Nations

I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard My people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin,
My hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear My light to them?
Whom shall I send?

I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have born my people's pain.
I have wept for love of them,
They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak My word to them,
Whom shall I send?

I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them,
My hand will save
Finest bread I will provide,
Till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give My life to them,
Whom shall I send?

Here I am Lord,
Is it I Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.

by Dan Schutte S.J

There must be more than this...

There must be more than this...Oh breath of God come breath within. There must be more than this....Spirit of God we wait for you. Fill us anew we pray! Fill us anew we pray!

Consuming Fire--Fan into flame--a passion for your name! Spirit of God fall in this place! Lord, have your way...Lord have your way with us.

Come like a rushing wind. Fill us with power from on high....Now set the captives free! Leave us abandoned to your praise! Lord let your glory fall! Lord let your glory fall!

Consuming Fire--Fan into flame--a passion for your name! Spirit of God fall in this place! Lord have your way...Lord have your way with us!

Life is a challenge!

Within the sound and guarded will of God...

"If it makes me scared, I should probably go for it."

To the young:

Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. (I Timothy 4:12)

To the young:

Follow the Leader.
Your leader is Christ.
Obey your Teacher.
The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.

Honor and respect your elders
with love.
(And elders remember…
A child can lead you.)

Holy Spirit come.
Light a fire in this generation

For the hearts that are young
Please come.

Fill us with fire!
Let your anointing fall
On the next generation.
As your Spirit is poured out
And your gifts are ignited with fire
Let us be a generation that burns.

When we burn, let us burn for you.

For a new generation...

"He commanded our ancestors to teach them to our children, so the next generation might know them--even the children not yet born--that they in turn might teach their children. So each generation can set its hope anew on God, remembering his glorious miracles and obeying his commands." Psalm 78:5-7, NLT

"He who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks--it is opened." Matthew 7: 8

"He who seeks to make footprints and do sublime things is a failure. A self-conscious poser is a loser. Let self intrude and the whole is spoiled. Excellency is proportioned to the oblivion of self. A fisher for compliments has lost God. Self-consciousness must go. We are too conscious of the other fellow, we need a God-consciousness. Humility, not infallibility, becomes fallen creatures. Infallibility is the apex of Satan's proposition to man. The deepest repentance and humility and our own frailty and weakness must be realized before we can know God's strength. Receding guns vanish out of sight after firing and so must we, for safety. WE NEED TO BE BROKEN!"

--Frank Bartleman

I am crucified with Christ--nevertheless--I live! Yet, not I, but Christ lives in me! The life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave Himself for me."

Galatians 2:20

So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.... For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature! If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law!
...Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit!

Galatians 5:24,25

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature he will reap destruction, but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life!

Galatians 6: 8

"Laughter is carbonated holiness."

--Anne Lamott

Truth and People

"We might not have time to pursue every dream, so we must choose to spend time on what's important. Successful people learn to eliminate nonessentials, those things that won't matter ten years from now. We saw earlier that only two things will last forever, truth and people. Invest your life in those things that will outlast you."
--Tommy Barnett

My dream...

Lord, give me a dream
A very large dream
That is so enormous
It cannot be contained.
A dream so very large
It cannot be controlled by me,
Maintained or grown by me,
And may it outlive me by 1000%.

May your gifts to me be multiplied
And invested wisely
To build your dream.
To please your heart.
To bless the world.

May the castle of my imagination
Be a place where your glory can dwell.
And may your word take root in me
And bring forth the riches of Christ
That give life to the world.
Amen.

Jesus lead on....

"To know and follow hard after You....
To grow as your disciple in the Truth....
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you, my Lord.
Lead me on... and I will run after you.
Lead me one and I will run after you!"

Lord,

You have been a dwelling place throughout all generations.
Before the mountains were born or
you brought forth the earth and
the world, from everlasting to everlasting--you are God!

Psalm 90:1,2

Who Pursues Whom?

Have you ever wondered why all those creatures in Revelation had so many eyes? They could literally not stop worshiping Jesus day or night. So mesmerizing--this lover of our souls. It is impossible to not be touched and moved by Him. It is torture to even look away when one with Him who encompasses our very being. Lock eyes with Him. From glory to glory we are changed. His love unfolds in waves that wash us, flood us, and utterly transform us in a heavenly way. All the while we are still on earth.

Bride of Christ. Love your lover. Who pursues whom? He has already made His move.

To worship= to reach up and kiss.

Let Me Grow (Let Me Go)

Anger
Frustration
Miscommunication
Sedation.

Hear me.
I hear you.
Can’t change me.
Can’t change you.

Please stop.
I can’t absorb it now.
I don’t want to know what you think right now.
Please stop.
It is more than I have patience for.

Let me grow.
Please leave me alone.
I want memories, not advice.
Please leave me alone.
Unless you want to just be.

Don’t speak.
It is not the time
Nor the place.
Trusting is believing.
Believing means knowing
That all will be well.

All will be well.

Rest, child.

Rest, child.
Rest.
The winter is coming.
The earth is now sleeping.
The snow is now falling.

So rest, child.
Rest.
In the arms of another.
The arms of your Lover.
Please rest.

This time is for knowing.
For trusting.
For growing.
So rest, child.
Forever, please rest.

Her name.

How glorious is the princess within her chambers.
All her garments are interwoven with gold.

Princess.
You are lovely.
Protected.
True.

One of grace.
Compassionate.
Fierce.
Merciful.

Soft hands.
Strong heart.
Dedicated.
Just.

The king is enthralled by your beauty.

Oct. 23, 2005

What is your dance?

I dedicate this link to Jennie Turton and Elyse DeGrazier and all the girls in my small group as well as Laura Ennis (who I danced crazily with in the kitchen last night) who I pray will forever have the faith, hope, and love to dance through life with much grace!

http://music.yahoo.com/vid-2152420--I-Hope-You-Dance

Go to:

Music videos
My videos
Type "I Hope You Dance" in the box that says video search
Click "go"
Click on the link at bottom that says "I Hope You Dance" to watch the video.
There will be a couple of quick 30 second commercials and then the video!

White

Innocence
In an age of fraud.
Of passing to maturity
Before one’s time.

Child of Light.
There is no need to go.
No need to hide.
You are radiant in your brightness.

Casting warmth.
Dispelling fear.
Encouraging growth.
You are mine to behold.

Silent and knowing

Your eyes invite

Me

To know you.

You are a sight to behold.
Standing in the moonlight
With glory in your eyes
The starlight in your hair.

You give me your life.
I give you mine.
One passion.
One heart. Fair.

Time has stilled for us tonight.
Let us then be filled with light
From glowing embers
Hot and white.

Undone.
Let me rest with you
Till morning.
One.

My dear.

the heart

Well, how can I tell what I only hope to know?
How can I taste what my eyes refuse to see?
How can I let myself trust what I don’t rely on?
The heart? The deceitful heart.

You say a heart redeemed can counsel in the night.
But how far redeemed can it be to be perfectly right?
I know my heart deceives me and so I do not trust.
The heart. The hopeful, hopeful heart.

Is this wrong? Too protective? To guard the wellspring of life?
How does one remain open and vulnerable while guarding this well?
Is it a picket fence instead of the grand cement wall
That encumbers me.

I remember that there was a door.
They said their sister was not a wall anymore.
But a door that at the correct time could be opened.
And thus it is so.

My heart is a door. So opened or closed.
Swinging shut for protection or open for air.
Sunshine is welcome, but the elements protected
From the sweet, underlying hopeful, counseling, redeemed deceitful heart.

2005 Sarah Weichhand

Armor of Mine

Truly, truly I say unto you...unless a kernal of wheat die, it can never produce fruit....

Armor of mine.
Protective Barrier,
Keep out the elements.
Protect my insides.

Jesus save me. Only You.
Change me.
Form me from the inside out.
Let the tomb of bright expression
Press into the sunlight
As the darkness longs for You.
And I long too.

To Sarah on her 25th birthday...

? What is relevance ?
Is it mindless conformity of fitting in with what is popular or is it over the edge thinking that paves a way for a believing world....

Hate nothing but evil and apathy. Think for a change. Turn your light on. Brighten your world. Learn something-- be thrilled with academia. Live for Light! Seek freedom for your heart and your mind. Do not be chained in slavery to what you've always been told. Real Truth can stand for itself. If you seek it you will find it. The Truth is out there. It is an unchanging reality. It speaks to, lives in, and transforms those who choose to be molded by it.

Find something worth dying for and live for it with all your heart. What happens today is built upon yesterday and next week will be built on tomorrow, so don't live in the apathy of today, but delight yourself in the present and believe with hope for the future.

Most of all, love and be loved by others. Love changes us. Find people who will unconditionally accept you and model this kind of love to the world. Love heals, protects, and woos. Real love never fails.

Friend in my eyes...
You are the one.
Friend in my eyes...
I'll take your hand
And off we will run!

We'll run through the snow
And we'll share all that we know...
About angels and visions and prophets of old
Stories of God that remain to be told
Under blue skies and in valleys below!

-Dakota Motor Co.

In the Name of the Father and the Son

Suspension. Obsession.
This container: explosive.
Your power is held within.
A boiling mass of churning words
Won't form.
Anger. Missed its time.
From fear to pain. Fear to pain.
Rage inside. Hate inside.
(You know he knows better.)
Wait inside. Wait inside.
Looking for Truth, he found an answer.
You know he knows better.
But pain inside. Slain inside.
Open your eyes. Daylight is coming.
On the horizon--a new day.
Open the door to your pain.

Betrayal. Come anger.
That demon--it chained him.
The darkness...it told him would love and enfold him.
But you found a struggler and now it is over.
He found it a comfort, but you found him in pain
Floodlights expose him.
Turn the lights on, but hold him.
You know that he's fighting for love--so give it away.
(He knows you know better.)
And truth cuts like a knife.
Control can't hold you.
There's no fight for grace tonight.
Surrender.
You know it is better.

So open your eyes. Your freedom is coming.
And tomorrow a new day. So welcome it in.
Won't you open the door to your pain.
Your healing will come if you open the door to your pain.
The new day will come when you open the door to your pain.

--August 2004
Sarah Weichhand