Friday Five for the first time

I have been part of the RevGal BlogPals for several months but have been too busy to really get involved as much as I hoped to or intended to. I believe today is the best time to get involved as it is the first year anniversary of the site. So ... here I am with the answers to the Friday Five:

1) What is your first memory of the RevGalBlogPals?
My great friend, Penni told me about this great group of women in full time ministry and gave me the link. I figured it would be a great thing for me as I tend to feel alone in my call as a female Pastor. The first time I saw the ring, I was so excited to see other women who were in ministry and who were talking about their lives. It was like a breath of fresh air. Even though our denominations are different, it was awesome to see our similarties within our differences.

2) Have you met any of the other ring members in real life?
Yes! Lorna when she came to Canada from Finland. We had such a wonderful time and it was wayyy too short. I also met her through Penni's blog.

3) Of those you haven't met, name a few you would love to know in person.
Every last one of them!

4) What has Ring Membership added to your life?
As I said, I haven't spent enough time moving around, but I certainly intend to spend some of the time I have promised the Lord I was going to reclaim of my life travelling around the ring!

5) Describe a hope for the future of the WebRing
Lorna has this great idea of writing a book about how we answered our calls ... I pray the WebRing is intimately involved in the vision God has given her!

'k ... I have to run, it's been fun .. have a great day! hugs.

My Time Out Spot

Oh, I have enjoyed my day off today. I'm still not well ... but feeling a little more coherent tonight. This is not a nice virus and we are all so grumpy, it is funny ...

But ... here is my new time out spot, isn't it lovely??



From here I have a lovely view of the garden from several angles. Lorna, it is right where we were sitting, in the driveway. I would rather the back yard, but as you know, there is precious little space for anything other than two feet and a plant back there. Besides, Bill would probably hang something off my arm ...

Where I look to the left ...

To the right ...

So tonight I decide to sit out on my little swing with a blankie and a pillow and read a book. What an unusual thing for me to do and I enjoyed it more than I can tell you. I guess this answers my previous question ... why? What now?? ... If I don't take my Sabbath Rest, the Lord will make sure I do.

*sigh*



It has been sooooo nice.

Oh, and the book? Look Good, Feel Great by Joyce Meyer. I love it.

Ok, what now?

This cyst had developed on my shoulder and it came up to this head ... a few weeks ago I had it excised and now I have nurses visiting every day to pack it and change the dressing. ouch. To complicate matters further, DH came home with an awful flu and guess who got it? I've been on antibiotics almost non stop since March because of sinus infections ... now I'm off work for a few days. argh.

Now ... let's make things even a little more nutty. Yesterday I bought a new airconditioner for the bedroom and while taking it out of the box ... a simple thing right? ... I dropped it on my foot! The same foot that was in a cast last summer because I tore ligaments in the ankle. Guess what is swollen?

I'm going to go back to bed and pull the blanket over my head.

edited ... I'm coming back because I cannot shake why this is bothering me so much.

I was ashamed to admit that I have had this rash of illness ... is it because of the years I spent in a Word of Faith church? Possibly. If I am such a strong Christian and a good Pastor, would I be under this kind of attack? Why has my faith not been strong enough to speak against this illness and tell it to go?

Am I living in sin?

*sigh*

Where is the love in that sort of thinking? Where is the Lord?

Maybe I am just thinking through my medication and illness, but why would I as a Pastor feel this way?

Lorna

This is Lorna on the one day she was allowed to just sit and rest while she was visiting. She had a great time reading a book on Anger ... not that she needed it ... she's one of the most beautiful people I've met.

I miss you Lorna, I wish we had more time together.

Don't cry over spilt ice cream.

This was so funny.

Milly and Robby were making milk shakes and Milly forgot to put the ice cream away ... so when she realized the ice cream was still on the counter, she picked the carton up only to have it splat on the floor.

So Robby, my precious Robby, ran over, got a spoon and a bowl and proceeded to scoop it up citing the "five second rule". The floor had just been washed ... actually they were celebrating the end of Saturday cleaning ... and it was just mere moments ... I'd say about 5 minutes before Lorna was due to arrive.

What else could we do? We couldn't cry over spilt ice cream ... so we ate it.

and laughed and laughed and laughed.

I love having these kids home ...

Can your past disqualify you from being used by God?

That was our question ...

Laura and I co-hosted the TV show Nite Lite Live from 2:00 AM to 4:30 AM last week. My oh My! God is sooo good.

It is a 2 1/2 hour live middle of the night call in show. The regular host, Paul Willoughby was away on vacation and they asked me to host the show. We had such a great time! Four people accepted the Lord and one recommitted their life ... and that is what we know of. It was a wonderful time of talking and ministering to people.

It never ceases to amaze me how God chooses to use this broken vessel ... Laura and I both sat before the show started and asked the Lord if He really knew what He was doing giving us open air on a TV program for 2 1/2 hours, even if it is in the middle of the night! I still shake when I think of it. Not with fear, because I was just talking with a friend, but with excitement that the Lord would choose to anoint me so.

Funny ... the anointing is not there until the camera turns on, or the microphone is in my face, or until I am introduced. Otherwise, I sit in the audience wondering what on earth I am doing ... the enemy is good at reminding me of my faults, but the Lord is always better at reminding me of His power.

Tell me ... Have you ever experienced this? Where someone has asked you to do something ... maybe for the Lord, maybe not ... and this surge of anointing comes upon you and you wonder how you did it? Does your past disqualify you from being used by God?

It's the most awesome part of ministry for me.

Catch you all later, we will be hosting another show soon ...

A rare morning off ...

I am sitting here enjoying a rare morning off. I am enjoying a ton of blogs, catching up on everyone's lives. Penni over at marthamartha has a new tattoo ... Lorna at see-through-faith has been riding her bike ... gayla at heartjourney has an arteest for a son, he has painted an amazing self portrait. It's been a nice morning.

I will be hosting a late night - actually middle of the night - TV show Night Lite Livevery early tomorrow morning. Because of that, I have booked all of my clients for the later part of this day so I can rest and prepare for the show.

I've been a guest on the show several times ... it still amazes me that they would think I would have anything to share, but people are interested in how God carries one through their trials and tribulations! I'm so thankful for the presence of the Lord in my life and my heart!

My choice for guest is a friend of mine. She is one of the Pastors at my new Church and has such an amazing story to tell. She is truly one of my favourite people and I love to spend time listening to her talk about the Lord and what He is doing in her life.

Like me, she has come from a non-practicing Christian family and found herself in the bottom of the pit at one point in her life. But she looked up ... she saw Jesus and she took His Hand.

What He has done in her life since then is amazing. The best part is, she doesn't see it! She just sees herself as a kid ... and she gets to have fun with other kids. It works. It works big time.

She has a children's ministry that is explosive! Her services on Wednesday nights has no less than 100 kids and usually over 150! Can you imagine!?? They have a ball ... I'm so thrilled to be part of her life and to watch God work through her!

It's just too bad that you cannot watch it online. I am fully expecting that God will do an awesome work through her tonight. Please do say a prayer for Laura. I believe this is going to launch her into something really big!!

An opportunity to tell the world...

How Awesome God is!!!!

I had the awesome opportunity to share my story on TV today at the 100 Huntley Street studios in Burlington. It was a terrific day and a chance to share the awesome things God has done in and through Robert.

Please pop over to ...100 Huntley Street's webpage and watch the program ... my segment is on May 30th, Carolyn Ross, and starts at around 36:00

Spiritual Abuse?

Do we abuse those we lead? Are we abused in our churches?

My friend, Michelle, told me about a great article she found on spiritual abuse. It was indeed eye opening ... and ... sobering. Especially for us in Ministry.

Please go to A Pure Heart, Michelle's blog and read. It is powerful.

The gardens

Lorna, here is a foretaste of what God has been doing in our gardens ...

Lorna's Coming to Visit!

Lorna from SeeThroughFaithis coming to visit me next week. All the way from FINLAND!!!!

I'm so excited about spending some time with this wonderful woman of God. I've watched her blog and she's been so faithful to come in and encourage me on this one, I feel so honoured that the Lord would provide an opportunity for me to serve this beautiful Minister of God. It's always nice to be in communion with other female Pastors as we are not as common as I would like to see. Lorna's one of those Pastors who truly do the title justice.

So I'm preparing the house.

May I tell you, what fun it is not! :eek: :giggle: I'm thankful for the opportunity ... do you think maybe the Lord brought Lorna my way to force me to finally rearrange the furniture in the livingroom? We bought new couches over two months ago. I'm so embarassed and the old couch is still in the livingroom, along with the new ones. They're not well placed, believe me. If I were not too proud to show a picture, I would. LOL

God is good.

Lorna, I am so looking forward to meeting you. I pray you enjoy the restful time in our garden after what looks like a very, very busy vacation. Hugs.

Now That's God

This is so beautiful, it was sent to me by some friends by email. Enjoy.

The Cleansing Stream, I see, I see ...

I plunge and oh, it cleanses me!!

I am fresh from another Cleansing Stream retreat. I have attended these retreats twice a year for about the last 10 years ... delighting in the Lord washing away layer and layer of *guck* from my life. This time was no different.

I've been involved in the leadership and on the ministry team for the last 8 years ... my first leadership role was 6 months after I received a healing from M.S. at another retreat.

Now I am on staff at the church which is responsible for Cleansing Stream in Canada and I was on the agenda to present two of the categories as well as responsible for training a group of the 'anointers' ... those who minister God's healing on the prayer line. It is awesome!

I watched as over two hundred people worshipped, listened, wept, repented, cried out to God, prayed together to receive healing and freedom, sang, rejoiced!!! I cried with some, rejoiced with others, cast out a demon or two, danced, sang, and even spent some time on the carpet visiting with God in a precious new way.

Yes, He is so sweet.

I still feel like a little girl dressed up in her mommy's ball gown, complete with pearls and huge high heel shoes and wondering how little ol' me got there! I'm playing with the big fish ... don't they know who I am? Don't they know how inadequate I am? Yup ... giggle ... that's why they ask me to play with them.

It's an honour, a precious time with God's people and I can hardly wait for the seminar to start up again next fall so we can prepare for another retreat in November.

Good Friday and Family

After five years of missing Robby, we are now enjoying family times together ... times we have been denied for so many years. It was beautiful to be together in a restaurant together tonight as a family. It's the first time we've done it. My dear hubby loves to cook and we usually have everyone over, but this year we're struggling with mould in the house and do not want to take the chance on Jadzia getting ill. Soo... we decided to go to a restaurant for our family dinner. It was so precious.

Robby is doing so well. I am incredibly proud of him ... here he is with his girlfriend Milly, and of course, Jadzia.


Kelly and her husband are doing so well. He has just bought a motorcycle and they are incredibly excited about what is ahead of them. This also means maybe Grandma can have so more quality time with grandbaby.



'Unca' Bill is not going to let anyone know how much Jadzia has his heart, but I think this picture sees past his mask and shows his delight with her. She doesn't sit still long enough to get a clear picture ... she's a sweetie.



It is so sweet to be Grandma ... and Mom ... and Mother in Law. It amazes me how a simple time like today could bring me such incredible joy. We surely do not know all of what we have until it is taken away ... and then returned.

God is good.

St Maartens

This was the view for most of last week. Sitting on a lounge chair at a 5 star hotel, watching the water run over the garden in the center of the pool. Ahh, St. Maartens.

Here ... here is the view that met me every morning:


This trip was a gift from God. We ended up with a two bedroom suite complete with terraces off the bedroom with a lagoon view, a terrace off the living room with an ocean view, a full kitchen, a full livingroom with a wall made of sliding glass windows that opened right up ...

Can you imagine???

It was paradise. I felt like a little girl who was given the best gift at Christmas time. My Father loves me so much. What a blessing. I may never again have the opportunity ... or maybe I will ... but to be in that place with a good friend who loves me and listens ... well, it was a gift from God.

New Picture of Grandbaby

So long ...

I realize with surprise that it has been over a month since I last posted. Dear, Precious Husband (DPH) and I have both been struggling with upper respiratory illnesses and it has taken all my energy to simply keep the church responsibilities and ministry running.

I have still to move to the new Church ... but expect that I will be completely moved over by the latter part of April, following the end of semester at the College. Until I complete that work, it does not make sense as my present office is around the corner from the College.

My practice is exploding in my home area and the new church, but I have literally had no new clients at the old office in 2 months. I guess that is confirmation that I must move!

God is good through all this.

As many of you know, I give a lot of free counselling. I cannot say no to people who cannot pay and who genuinely need the help. DPH has often questioned my motives, especially when the bank account is close to 0 and I'm denying myself 10 clients a week at $100.00! But I know the Lord is calling me to do this.

Well, I received a precious gift from the Lord last week. One of my former associates had a time share come available to her in St. Maartens at a 4 star hotel for just the cost of the airfare and she invited me to join her.

So ... we are travelling this Saturday for a week at the cost of just over $700.00! Can you believe it? It is well over a $4,000 Cdn vacation. We had to put it on the credit card ...

God is good. I am thinking that He is giving me a much needed Sabbath rest and I cannot tell you how I am looking forward to it. I cannot express how thankful I am at the opportunity to rest for an entire week! *sigh*

Money is so tight that I cannot buy new clothes and since I've gained weight with all of the medication for a recurring sinus infection, there are few clothes that I can fit into to take with me. But that's ok. I'm just going to be thankful for my old clothes and pack them up and be thankful when I am laying on the beach with my Bible and my dear friend and my Lord.

Doesn't it sound great? Pictures to come ...

Crucified With Christ

This is so beautiful! I found it on



Gal 2:20 - "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." KJV

In this piece, the bride has yielded herself to Christ; here she is basking in the glory of God. She is crucified with Him; nevertheless, she lives. (see Gal 2:20) She has been raised with Christ to a new life sharing His resurrection from the dead – her new, real life is hidden in Christ with God. (read Col 3:1-4 AMP). She, with unveiled face, beholds Him as in a mirror. She is being transformed into the image of the Lord. She has made a divine exchange –her veil for His veil –instead of being separated from Him she has become separated unto Him. The veil then takes on the characteristics and symbolism of the bridal veil. It is symbolic of being spoken for. It is a mantle of purity, signifying that no one else has access to the secret places of her heart (read 2 Cor 3:16-18). The light has shown forth and she shall manifest the majesty and glory of God. (read 2 Cor 4:6).


Glenda Wilson is a passionate student of scripture and has been a prophetic and revelational writer for a number of years. In 2001, she began a new journey …Renderings of the Heart ™ ...a collection of illustrations and writings inspired by dreams, revelation, life experiences, and observations. The most amazing thing about the art is that prior to September 11, she had never created a piece of art. She has had no formal training. He placed His Spirit on the artisans of old, and once again He is supernaturally empowering His people to accomplish His purposes.

Her art, writing, and speaking covers a broad spectrum; from healing the broken-hearted to releasing creativity and revelational gifts. At the heart of everything, is an agenda to teach people how to understand and maximize moments of visitation from the Lord.

The writings that accompany the pieces are as life-changing as the art. God beckons the viewer to go to that place of revelation that He has within each piece …there the Holy Spirit ministers it in a most personal way. In the privacy of their own home, God works through the art and writing to minister His purpose, which for many is something that is better experienced alone with God.

The print can be ordered by telephone, call 1-866-354-5245 (USA only -- if outside the USA, please call 1-541-926-3250) between 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, Pacific Time.

word cloud

I found this on Penni's blog , what a neat idea. It is a word cloud made up of your blog words - then have it made into a tee shirt!

The Divine Ambush

I just had to cut and paste this from the Elijah List dot com today. It fell upon my spirit like the gentle rain of grace. Enjoy.

It is by Jill Austin, one of my favourite authors ...

The Divine Ambush

Jesus Was A Mudslinger Too!

During three days of fasting, the Lord showed me Jeremiah 18:2, "Arise and go down to the potter's house and there I will cause you to hear My words." I thought, "Wow Lord! There are mudslingers in the Bible! You're a potter! But, still, how can You use me? I have such a longing to be used by You but I don't know what it would even look like."


A Holy Ambush

It was the last day of a festival I was attending, and it was drizzling and overcast. I was assigned to spend some time with the children at the festival, and the children reminded me that I had promised to show them a potter's wheel. I really didn't want to go out in the rain, but I knew that I was trapped. So I went out onto the muddy field thinking, I shouldn't have promised and this is stupid. I took a piece of clay and with exasperation, said, "Oh, all right, come on over!" The children were so excited.

Now I had to deal with not only making a pot in the rain, but with my bad attitude. I was frustrated and angry, and I especially didn't want to make a pot for children in the middle of a muddy field. But, I tried to get my heart right because I wanted the Lord to use me. I also wanted to be nice to the kids because I thought, the Lord's going to take me to the woodshed later.


So in the middle of the muddy field and the drizzling rain, I put the clay on the potter's wheel, and I began to center it. All of a sudden, I heard the Lord's voice. It wasn't a big holy moment or a radical revelation. The heavens didn't open, and the angels didn't begin to sing. I was wrestling and working out my heart and, although I didn't realize it yet, God had just ambushed me by using these little children to push me through the birth canal and into what would eventually become my prophetic destiny.


The Audible Voice Of The Lord

As I spun the wheel, I heard God say,

"I will center you and take away your double-mindedness. I know you."

As my hands started to go into the foundations of the clay, He said,

"I will build a foundation which is based on the Word of God. When you were in your mother's womb, I knew you and loved you."

Revelation just started to flow through my whole being. My hands became His hands. I'd made thousands of clay vessels before, but suddenly He added the living word of God.

"You are beautifully and fearfully made."

I was listening to Him talk and thought, Wow, Lord, that is really good! He responded,

"Well, if it's that good, why don't you repeat it?"

So, still concentrating on my pot, I simply repeated what I heard. I said things like,

"I know your destiny, and I know your birthright. Your form was not hidden from Me. Your name is written on the palm of My hand."

As I spoke, the revelation of the Lord fell on me. A crowd started to form around me out in the rain and the dreariness, and people started to laugh and cry.

As I pulled up the walls on the pot, I repeated,

"I will shape you and pull up your walls, almost to the breaking point, but I know who you are. I know your shape; I know your form. I know your function. My fingerprints will be seen on you."

I ended up making two vessels in the rain, and when I got off the wheel, I was trembling. I knew the Lord had sovereignly given me a profound gift. I knew He had spoken through me. I didn't know it was prophecy. This was 1971; there was no language about prophecy yet.


Ambushed Again!

A few days later, my Pastor phoned me and said that he had heard that I was doing stories on the potter's wheel.

"I only did one at the festival," I replied. He shared about the Saturday night concerts at the church and how they wanted to feature local talent before the main band. He asked if I would be willing to share my story on the wheel. Naively, I said I would.

The next Saturday night, I showed up at the church with my potter's wheel and wearing my overalls and my clunky, clay-covered hiking boots. The Pastor asked me to come to his office where all the musicians were hanging out. They were all wearing their black, shiny leather jackets and looking cool. I went up and said, "Hi guys!" and tried to look cool along with them. It's really hard to project a cool image as a female wearing dirty hiking boots.

The Pastor asked, "Do you have your script? Are you ready?"

I was taken aback, "Script? What do you mean by a script?" You see, I was trained as a fine artist, not a theatre major.

All of a sudden, he looked terrified and blurted out, "Well, you have to have a script. I asked you to tell a story on your potter's wheel. Didn't you write down your story and memorize it?" With an intense look on his face he asked, "Haven't you done that?"

Well, you see," I stammered, "God, He talks to me, and I listen and then just repeat it."

He looked shocked and said, "Nooooooo! You can't do it that way!" All of a sudden, sheer panic fell on me.

"You're right, I can't do it that way." I didn't know I needed a script. God, I should have asked You what I was going to talk about. I didn't even know enough to ask. I've got to run and hide and find some place to hear You and pray.

So that's how I ended up in the broom closet, terrified, as I heard the pastor's footsteps coming down the hall. He knocked on the door, and I said as nonchalantly as I could, "Yes? Come in."

He pulled open the door and said sternly, "No. You come out!"

A few guys carried my potter's wheel out onto the stage. Fear gripped my heart as I watched them carry it all the way to the other side of the huge stage. Oh Jesus, why did they take it over there? How am I going to get all the way across the stage?

I took a step out from behind the curtain, got halfway across the stage and made the mistake of looking out at the audience of 2,000 people. Four thousand eyes were all staring back at me, and I froze. I had this silly grin on my face, but inside I was screaming, God, get me out of here. I promise I'll be good! I'll never sin again. I repent, forgive me for the past, the present and the sins I haven't even committed yet. Why was I so stupid to say yes to this? I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I'm so totally disqualified. This was so stupid; I'm so stupid--stupid, stupid, stupid.


God To The Rescue!

Suddenly I saw an open vision, and I heard the Lord say,

"You know your clay, right?"

And then He walked across the stage, and it was like I hung on to the hem of His garment and followed Him across that long stage and sat down at my potter's wheel. I managed to say, "Hi!" to the audience. I was still so scared. I didn't know what else to do, so I began making a pot. I put the clay on the wheel, and as I added water and began to center the clay, I heard the living, audible voice of the Lord.


The Gift of Prophecy

"Oh my child, I will never leave or forsake you."

My response was, "What took you so long?" But I didn't want to get too mad because I didn't want Him to stop speaking. So I began to hear the voice, and once again I portrayed God's heart while making a beautiful vessel.

As my hands went deep into the clay, He said,

"I will pull up your walls and I will shape you. When you were in your mother's womb, I knew you."

As I formed the clay into a pitcher, He said,

"And you shall be My mouth piece. I will glaze you blue with revelation and with the gold of My Glory. I will send you forth to Argentina to bring forth revival to my people."

I shared approximately 15 minutes, and as I walked across the stage, 2,000 people gave me a standing ovation. It sure wasn't because I had stage presence or looked cool. It was because Holy Spirit came.

I believe part of the key of moving in the prophetic is having a heart like a child that will simply follow Him. As soon as you get hung up on the titles, you begin to lose that child-like faith to fly like an eagle.


Jill Austin
Master Potter Ministries
www.masterpotter.com

~~~~~


Holy Ghost Goosebumps! This eaglet is flying!