Soaking

I have been waiting 2 weeks for Session 6 of Bethel's Fall Leader's Advance Conference to be uploaded onto iBethel.tv and to my joy when I checked today it was.  I wanted to listen to Beni Johnson speak.  I love how she always covers all the bases, body, soul and spirit.  

I enjoyed the session and to my pleasure she spoke about the importance of soaking.  I knew of the concept of "soaking", which is to soak in and with the Lord.  To spend time with Jesus, usually with soft praise music and quiet. Just you and the Lord.  No Bible, no cell phone, no paper.  Just good conversation and hopefully a vision or two.  Beni Johnson actually ended her session with 20 minutes of soaking.  

I was thinking how cool it would be to have the night end with some soaking. Since I also love to share new tools that bring us closer to God with the kids I decided to have some soaking time as part of our bedtime routine tonight.  I played some music by Alberto and Kimberly Rivera.  Great stuff and you can find them on Spotify! 

So I played some music for my 2 year old to go to sleep by and my older two boys and I had about 15 minutes of soaking with the Lord.  My four year old doesn't yet understand the concept of talking to Jesus in your head but that is ok.  I figure I am laying down the foundation for a strong relationship with the Lord on the cellular level for him.  My 6 year old loved it.  He even had a vision of an angel telling him not to be afraid and another vision of floating up to heaven and speaking to Jesus.  He so inspires me!

I am still on a journey to "see" Jesus in my spirit.  But I know as I spend more time chatting and soaking Him up, my spiritual eyes will open up and that will be as real to me as my physical surroundings.  I did get to have a good chat with my Father Jesus and it is so nice and peaceful in the house.  

I will definitely be taking a good soak on a regular basis.  Thank you Jesus for new revelation on how to walk daily with you.  

Plans

My six year old son recently started speaking in tongues and has the gift to interpret them.  I asked him if he would interpret something I was saying and this is what he translated it to "Jesus has plans for you and you can trust Him."  What a simple yet profound word.  Especially since we as a family are on a quest to see the newest plans God has for us.  Later on my son nonchalantly added,  "Jesus has plans for everyone."  Oh so true!  If only we believed His plans were the best for us and that we could rest knowing that these plans are good.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." NIV

Friends

I received a phone call the other day and it got me thinking about friends.  Friends are such an important part of our walk in life.  God created us to have a community of believing friends to do life with.  What happens inside of us when we don't have good friends, especially to young people?  Is a lack of friendship why so many young people get depressed, try to hurt themselves or end their lives?  Or is their something deeper going on? 

If someone came to me because they were having a hard time with any issue in life, my answer would always be Jesus.  It wouldn't be the end of the answer but it would be the starting point.  Pinpointing the exact issues and then the scripture verses that bring clarity and answers would be the process to overcoming any issue.  So what if someone was lonely or lacking in community or deep friendship?  

Many times people answer with, be a good friend and you will have friends.  Well, maybe.  But how can you be a good friend if you don't have friends?  And what are the reasons you don't have good friends?  I think the answer lies in the Bible. The Word states in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that as a born again believer "your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body," Ok, so you may be asking what does this have to do with getting friends?  Well, I was thinking, who makes the best friends?  One's that drain you. or are negative or have nothing to sow into your life?  No, the best friends, are confident, love themselves without conceit, have Christ to sow into you and love to be with you. 

So back to the temple of the Holy Spirit, why does He live in us?  For salvation only?  No, He is here for community.  To love on you, and for you to commune easily with the One True God.  How do you show honor to this gift?  By taking time to commune with Jesus and by taking care of your own body so you feel good and can give time and energy to Him.  This also helps keep your soul in check.  By exercising your body you release good endorphins and energy into your body and you'll see less negative emotions like depression.  

So it is a win, win,  Your three parts, body, soul and spirit are all fed and strong by following this one verse.  I know looking back at my own life that I am ready to be a good friend when I love myself. I love myself when my spirit is being fed by communing daily with Jesus.  Taking walks with Him, chatting with Him over the dishes, reading His word, singing praise to Him.  I feel great when I am exercising regularly and eating a good balance of foods. 
Psalm 34:5 says, "They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed."We radiate Christ when we honor being the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus trusts us to be a good friend and answers our plea for friendship when we take serious His already spoken answer of how to get there.  We don't need to listen to the enemies lies of how we aren't friend worthy and swirl into depression.  We just need to follow the word and allow Christ to transform our lives. 

Have faith in the Word!

The Ephemeral

GOD.  Could there be a more powerful word in the English language?  So small, yet so over powering.  GOD, often associated with greatness, distance and power.  What does this word mean to you?  What picture resonates with you when this simple word is said or read?

When I was a child, God meant a good, powerful creator but distant.  Somewhere up in the clouds.  As a married woman I learned more of God and His son Jesus and my picture changed. God's Word changed my life and its power was amazing when applied to seemingly impossible circumstances. God was now closer but not as close as the air I breathed. Now as a mom, I'm learning God means a constant source of power, relief, rest and manna. He is the air I want to breath.  The friend I want to hear from. The moments that I don't remember God is there can be tense and often depressing.  Yet, as the Holy Spirit reminds, I turn my eye and see my savior, my friend and my door out of this current situation.  Jesus.  G-O-D,  is the most complex, 3 part being in existence.  Yet due to His love for us, His creation, He has made it possible for us to know Him.  We know Him through His son Jesus.  Jesus has saved me from so many things, from going to hell, from living the worldly life, from losing my marriage, from depression, from loneliness, from childlessness, oh the list goes on and on.

It is so awesome to know Jesus.  It is my prayer for all to know Christ and to know how much He loves you.  This is also my prayer for myself, for I know when you truly know the love of God, you can get through anything and the door to His Kingdom is so easily stepped through.