Adventure-land here we come!

Often I am requested to explain how I am doing so soundly with the transition of having children in my home to one of them living in Norway since 2010 and the other who at 17, after graduating high school, elected to stay and live with friends in Illinois in 2012. I believe I have found the true component to transitioning successfully.

It is difficult at times without the boys, but I have to concentrate on the fact – they are doing what Father desires for them. I could be selfish with my emotions and desires and want them near me but I KNOW that is NOT God's will for them. I want them to be in His will. It has not been easy but it has been easier than I thought. I have allowed to GIVE myself the peace and gifts talked about in Galatians 5:22-23. We have the gifts but it is our choice whether we want to give them to others and ourselves.

It was a little concerning for me when Keven and I moved out here all by ourselves. It was the first time we had been together as a couple for an extended length of time since our first six months of marriage and even then I was pregnant. We definitely had a week or so of adjusting to the two of us without Micheal but I clung to Christ. I asked Him to help me see Keven through His eyes and love Him with His heart. I also took on the word Adventure. Every time Keven and I would talk about our lives together finally as a couple without kids or go anywhere, we would both say we are going on an adventure. That was what we talked about on the way out to New York. It was our adventure.

One thing you can choose to do is find a positive word to use that describes this new season in life. You can surely use ours to view this new season in your lives as an adventure, it will help to fight the enemy who would love you to embrace and keep grief close to your heart. Yes, there are times of grief due to the fact our children are gone and no longer in constant need of us. HOWEVER, it is our choice whether or not we embrace grief and loneliness or if we embrace the new beginning, adventure or season Father has for us now.

We have to choose to release our children so they do not desire to come back home. We must choose to release our children so they do not feel guilty about living somewhere else, but release them and ourselves to follow hard after the Lord through this transition and the rest of their lives. We must embrace Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit and keep our eyes fixed on Them as well as lavish our love on our husbands as well. For so long our husbands have not been the complete concentration in our lives under God because we were raising our children, but now it is a new season.

Are you struggling in any other areas in your life journey? If you could read what I have previously written and apply it to this difficulty the principles apply the same. It is our choice. We can embrace healthy eating, truth, wisdom, etc. or embrace harmful eating (etc.) due to sadness, boredom, loneliness and change. I encourage you to make a plan for doing what is right in this tough area for the rest of today and all day tomorrow. If you want to do something not so healthy put it in your plan, as long as it is not harmful to anyone or yourself, please. Start there. You can do this. You can make the change from diet to lifestyle change, from gloom and doom to gladness and vivaciousness, or from living in sin to living in victory. Sure, there are bumps, but you can make it through them.

Talk to me. Share with me. If not me, then the support you have. I am here for you. We CAN do this.

You are an amazing, powerful, devoted, intelligent, child of God. Welcome to your fresh season, your different adventure, your new beginning. You get to select where you are going and what you determine to embrace. There is no condemnation with any choice, unless you are walking in disobedience for condemnation follows disobedience because Satan slaps it upside your head. Conviction on the other hand is from Holy Spirit, which is one of the benefits of being a child of Father. When you are ready, Father will help and assist you to make the adjustments needed. Cry. Weep. Rejoice. Talk. Pray. Read the Bible. Journal. Strategically plan one day at a time. Embrace God. Embrace Jesus. Embrace joy. Embrace life. Embrace God's will for your kids and every single area of struggle and victory in life. Also, ask Father for grace throughout this transition.

I must also make certain I let you distinguish the fact that I am still very much in ‘want’ of information and conversation from my children so I ask many questions. I would like to hear from them more even if it is through a text stating, “I love you, Mom”. This is in no way to drop any hints to them either to contact me or to make them feel guilty when they do not. Life is busy for them, I understand completely. Recently I have come to accept the fact that they do not need to hear from me as much as I would like to hear from them. Again, this is in NO WAY a reflection of their love for me. Their love for me is trustworthy and not reliant upon how many texts, calls or visits I receive from them. I know they love me just as they know I love them, no matter what.

The true component in transitioning from children being in our home to Keven and I being the only ones in our home is being at peace with the fact that my children hear God and are following His design for their lives. The peace I have comes even when they may choose to do things differently than I would. I may share my unwarranted opinion, but I think that comes along with being a mom until they have their own families.

**Fun Fact (?) It has been said that 95% of all Jacuzzi's have fecal matter in them. Yikes!

Jacuzzi Time! Wooooooooooohooooooooooooooooo!

A friend of mine, Rufina, posted this comment on Facebook: "The question is not 'Do you know and admit you're a sinner?' Even the devil can admit to that! He would say 'Yes, I am a sinner and a very fine one at that!' The real question is 'do you hate your sin?'"

Here was my response:

I think we need to dig even deeper than ‘do I hate sin’? Yes, I hate sin yet I still do it. It comes down to choice. Am I going to walk in sin RIGHT NOW...this very moment...this very hour...and then what am I going to do if I do walk in sin? Am I going to stay in my Jacuzzi of sin (which I like to call 'poo')?

Just think about that a minute – a Jacuzzi of sin. When we choose to sin we are placing ourselves in the Jacuzzi of c--p and poo...do you have a picture of a Jacuzzi, cesspool or a sewer of poo? Good, THAT IS the image I am trying to display in your mind. We say to ourselves, and others, while we are sitting in this hot tub of poo, disgust, and rank odors, "Come on in, the water's fine" or "I'm doing great here". We end up splashing around in it, which causes all the 'floaters' to go wild and we 'think' we are having so much fun. Then before we know it we find ourselves sinking lower and lower in the poo (sin), getting darker and darker, smelling more gross not even concerned with how we smell, look or emit ourselves to and UPON others. Yikes! This is disgusting, I know! This is what sin is like, but much more devastating.

I mean, can you imagine playing in a Jacuzzi full of c--p? No way, the infections and diseases found in feces are horrendous. We are so careful to wash our hands when we use the bathroom and for a very good reason, yet we choose to take part in sin, which is far worse than not washing our hands after using the restroom. Maybe when we are literally washing our hands from now on we will ask Holy Spirit to reveal to us the Jacuzzi's of poo, c--p, and sin we are playing in, get out of the Jacuzzi and get clean.

Yes, let us choose to hate sin, walk away from it before even entering the Jacuzzi full of poo, thus staying clean.

I know this image is crude but there is much truth to it. My sister, Angela Dilley, and I have been discussing it for the last year. When one of us is in the Jacuzzi of sin we always ask, "Are you ready to get out or are you going to sit there and play in it some more?" Sometimes to be honest, we do stay, but having that revelation often brings about quick change.

NOW, if we are in the stinking' Jacuzzi, let us choose to get OUT quick and allow Jesus to cleanse us with our confessions of wrongdoing. Let us shower, bathe, and swim in the pools or Rivers of Life He offers and not in the hot, stinky, gross, sticky, brown, black Jacuzzi of sin. Amen?

It's Time

      1 Chronicles 10:4 It is time for us to draw our swords and thrust our enemies through causing them death. 8 It is time for us to strip the slain enemies taking back all that belongs to us. It is time to send word throughout our friend’s lands and ours “God’s victories are for us TODAY!” It is time for our temples – body, soul and spirit – to KNOW that the enemy has been defeated, death cannot hold us down and to lift our hands in victory letting His praises out.

  12 We must be valiant (boldly courageous; brave; stouthearted), rising and taking back from the enemy that which he has stolen as well as what we handed over to him to have control. 13 It is time for us to choose to stop being unfaithful to the Lord and the guidance He gives us. It is time we stop killing ourselves. It is time we stop causing untimely and unwarranted death in the very facets of our lives: emotionally, financially, physically, mentally, spiritually, relationally, in our character (EF PMS RCT) and with the time we have been given. It is time for death, due to our poor choices and our enemies, to STOP being so prevalent in our lives.

It is time for LIFE, ABUNDANT LIFE, to be predominant and widespread EF PMS RCT. It is time for us to keep the word of the Lord alive and active in our lives so its sharp two-edged sword can pierce to the very fiber of our being, bone and marrow. It is time for us to continually inquire of the Lord as to what we should do, go, say, feel, think, act, eat, smell and know allowing His life to be produced and doors opened into other kingdoms for our good pleasure and His.

Hebrews 3:15 Today as we hear His voice let us not harden our hearts as we did in our rebellion, Let’s choose to stop our defiance and bring ourselves to His feet for His direction. Let’s choose to do His will and not our will in our EF PMS RCT.

Misty Edwards – As in the Days of Noah                           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shi8fPtjFdc.

Prompted to Praise. Prompted to Pray.

Happy 4th of July, Independence Day everyone!

I have had many prayer requests for healing come to me from friends, and friends of friends with intense infections, diseases and cancers. I have been reading in 2 Kings with my daily Bible (remember I sent the reading guide out last week) about Hezekiah and how sick he was and how the Lord healed him. I believe the Lord gave me a prayer strategy for healing and have been praying it for the requests that are coming my way. I would like to challenge all of us that when someone asks us to pray for them before the end of our time with them we take their hand (if you are comfortable with that) and pray for them. It doesn't have to be a long prayer as a matter of fact, it can be as simple and full of faith as saying "Jesus" into and over their situation. 

Healing can come with just the name of Jesus being spoken as a prayer. Yes, it can and it has happened. One of our leaders at my church went to pray for someone in the hospital. On his drive there he was thinking of all the things he could pray when he got into the room. When he did get into the room and started to pray he spoke "Jesus" and could say nothing more. The woman he was praying for was healed INSTANTLY. I am NOT kidding. There is power in the name of Jesus. There is POWER in the presence of Jesus in our lives, we CARRY Him and all His kingdom with us. Let's give Him out to others:). If you have time to listen and also have time to soak in this song please give it a listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOyjD5Zw2ew. The name of the song is Break Every Chain by Jesus Culture.

I have also heard  two more miracles of healing and these were in my family in the past two weeks. My sister Angela was hit on the head by a van hatch door and went to the ER. She didn't break anything but her pain levels were off the charts. The doctors couldn't do anything but give her medicine for it. She went home and for a couple days was in severe pain all over. A couple of her girlfriends threw her a small birthday party and at the end of the party they prayed for her healing. Do you know she was healed from all the pain and affects of that accident? Yes she was! 

The other story I would like to share happened two days ago on July 2. In the morning I was writing some updates on Facebook and I thought to myself 'no one in my family is in the hospital'. I sat delighted in the Lord and praising the Lord for His healing and protection then went about my day. That evening I received a call from my sister that my dad had fallen off a stool while putting tiles on a wall and he was headed to the ER. Dad had bumped his head and neck against a door corner and had used his left hand to break his fall. He was in such terrific pain and the swelling was tremendous in his wrist. Angela and I immediately sent out prayer requests to our prayer partners and family. Dad had a CT scan and x-rays. The CT scan showed dad's head and neck were just fine, as always, thank You, Jesus! The X-ray showed a possible hairline fracture so they put a temporary cast on him and sent him home. Yesterday dad was in NO pain whatsoever. He was only taking ibuprofen for the swelling. Can I hear a Hallelujah?! One doctor said dad did not have a fracture but they are waiting on the results from the radiologist which should come by Friday.

Here's the thing, Holy Spirit prompted me that morning to praise ahead of time which I believe was part of the reason dad's injury was lessened. Holy Spirit prompted Angela and I to call others to arms, to battle, to war for dad and that also sent miraculous healing into the situation. I stand right now and give Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit praise! They are worthy! Worthy of all my praise They are! woooooooooohooooooooooooooooo!

My heart and my flesh are crying out for more of Him. I want so much to enjoy Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit. I want them to totally saturate me. 

I pray the prayer below encourages you and promotes healing into your bodies as well as others as you it pray over them. It is not Wendi's prayer. It is the Word of God turned into a prayer. Let us follow the Word of God and lay hands on our sick bodies, praying in faith, believing He will manifest healing into and through us. Let us also lay our hands on other's praying in faith, believing He will manifest healing into them (Mark 16:18).

2 Kings 18:15 Today Father we refuse to pay ‘money’ or give any credit to the diagnosis of (person’s name you are praying for) ________the doctors have given (name) _________. 19:6-8 We speak that fear will have no hold over (name) _________, their family and their friends that they have heard or felt. We speak that all bad reports like these are blasphemous as they discount Your power and might working in and through (name) _________. We command these reports and any more that will rear their pathetic heads to be bound and sent into dark, lonely and voided places, in Jesus’ name.

                14-16 We, like Hezekiah, have received the word from the hand of the messengers (the doctors) and have read it. We also have come to You, spread it out before You and are praying now. We will continue to do so until the day of his/her manifested, confirmed healing.

                O Lord God of (name) _________, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear, open Your eyes and see, and hear the words of the messengers, which reproach You. 19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save (name) _________ from the hand of (diagnosis) ________________ that all the kingdoms of (name) _________’s earth, all the people in (name) _________’s life and so many others may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.

                20-24 We thank You that You have heard the prayers we have prayed and this is what You are going to do for (name) _________: You will cause (name) _________ to shake his/her head “NO” to those who have despised him/her by these reports.

These reports have reproached and blasphemed Your will for his/her life. They have raised their voice, lifted their eyes on high against Your word and will for (name) _________. They have cut down Your word in him/her and have entered the extremities of his/her being, going into his/her darkest of places. They have dug and divided out things that should not have happened. 27-28 Yet You know their dwelling places, these enemies of ours – their going out and coming in and their rage against You and Your child. Because their rage against You and Your child and their tumult (turmoil) have come up to Your ears, You will therefore put Your hook in their nose and Your bridle in their lips, turning them back by the way they came saying,

32-34 “You shall not come into (name) _________ again. You shall leave and take every vile thing connected to you out, nor shoot any more arrows there, nor come before him/her with a shield, nor build siege mounds against him/her. By the way you came (diagnosis)__________________, you will return; You will not come into this child again. For I am and will continue to defend (name) _________, to save him/her, for My own sake.”

35 Father cause Your Angel to go out and kill (name) _________’s enemies right now.

"...But forget all that - it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.  For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun!  Do you not see it?"  says the Lord. Isaiah 43:18-19 NLT