Outside the Pigeon Holes

I don't usually relay testimonies that are beyond 3 degrees of separation because then it starts getting into Urban Legend territory...But this was cool...It is just a really good example of the absolute wildness of God! He'll do sooo much to make Himself real to us! if we'll just ask! My friend's sister was at church and there was a guest speaker who was delivering prophetic words (like calling out illnesses and situations he was receiving from God and having people come up for prayer regarding those things). A woman from the audience came up to him during the service and said that that God had given her a word. She didn't know why, but she needed to borrow the stage for something. The leaders from the church assured the speaker that this lady was pretty accurate when she got words of knowledge and to let her. He stepped aside and this woman - wearing a dress, mind you, turned a cartwheel right across the stage...A man in the balcony stood up with his hands in the...

The Lakeland Revival has made the mainstream news. The following article is one from MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24524742/ For what it's worth here are are my musings on the article: Bob Gomeringer, a Lakeland retiree, works part time parking cars at Lakeland Center events and finds the services unsettling. He hears loud music – "the same song being played over and over and over again" – coming out from the arena. I'm kinda with him on this. I like some repetition in songs - "Let it rain" and "Open the eyes of my heart" are fab but when it goes on and on and starts to get into a frenzied feel it starts to get on my nerves. I think of old brainwashing techniques I read about psychology classes. He watches ministry workers carry in buckets "to rake in all the money" during offerings. And secular events like concerts and sports don't "rake in money"? Why is it that people are always suspitious of Christian organizations ...

OK, I know I seem to be harping on the wrath issue lately...I ask for grace. Since I am "detoxing" as Melanie so aptly described it, I have to have a place to put all of this processing...My blog is a great place! You lucky readers! I was talking to a dear friend of mine this week and she made a comment that at first I wanted to agree with and then the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I have absolutely no interest in agreeing with it. She said she loves to read the stories in the Old Testament of God's wrath...When he takes out a village, she says happily - "Yeah, that's my dad!" Now, I understand where she is coming from - we do have a big, strong daddy who is just and righteous who takes out evil...But I just can't be down with gloating when people went against God's plan so many times that he saw it better to destroy them than to let them continue on. I don't believe God takes pleasure in that...I think it breaks his heart. ...

In the past week, the Holy Spirit has been showing me things that have contributed to my spiritual struggles with fear. I believe He is doing it so I can continue to deal with these things and be free from them. Last night I got wrecked at the prayer meeting and got rid of some more of it - including the "spirit of religion"...Below is a good example of some religious propaganda that I internalized as a kid... This is from one of the tracts that they used to have at the church I grew up in. These things gave me nightmares. All of the tracts had images similar to this and the point was to scare the sh-- out of you so you'd repent. (italicized comments are mine :) )... Bad dude dies and judgment day comes: He visits the faceless, impersonal, wrathful God... Angel takes bad dude on a review of his life and we see all the bad things he did, like being mean to someone, giving a lady the once over, smoking and drinking. Then they return to God for the verdict: Bad dude wakes ...

Sozo is a greek word that appears 110 times in the New Testament. It means "to save or make well or whole". As part of the prayer and healing ministry at church a group of us are studying a ministry called Sozo that began in California at Bethel Church . The training provides tools (not rules) with which we can more effectively assist a person to the feet of Jesus so that He can minister to them. It is not therapy or advice. It simply allows facilitates connection with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Yesterday we were given our first opportunity to minister. A wonderful gentleman I will call James was a sport enough to allowing this gaggle of Sozo newbies to sit with him and see what God would do. As a war veteran he struggled with a lot of issues that he has tried to deal with in various ways over the years including counseling and therapy. Still, he had lingering problems and feelings he dealt with day in and day out. He said he was tired. Without divulging too much, in 30...

All of the entries were fun to read! :) Thanks all! First place goes to Dan Thoms: If you love gas station bathrooms than you'll love our store. Thanks, Dan! Honorable mentions: Cynthia Jane: "We are out of Speed, but Heroine is on sale in Aisle 6...Thanks for shopping at Peedway." Steve Nixon: "I drank too much water and peedway too much" Carol Whetstone: "Your too busy to stop! So get a catheter and pee away in your own bag today!"

Disclaimer: The following is a discussion of teachings that I take issue with and in no way implies that I am judging the people behind them who are my brothers and sisters in Christ. I went to a revival last night...And it WAS a revival - it revived all sorts of bad stuff inside of me. It went from great music and expressive worship to a little visit to my past. Yipeee. My friends told me that some cool stuff did happen later on in the service but I had since left. Here is the low down in Reader's Digest form: I was doing great until the preaching turned into a holiness teaching that included things like this, "Tell Him you won't be secular anymore!" "Tell him you'll do what he says" "Tell him you'll obey"..."We want revival! We want to get our fire back!" On the overhead it said "Fire comes through obedience"... Read between the lines here: IF you obey, you'll get that revival, If you are good God will bless you...

Thought? Winner gets their caption posted in a new blog with credit and everything! :)

I have 4 weeks to finish my screenplay that was conceived over 20 years ago. It has gone through a lot of changes but the core story has remained the same since almost the beginning. The very first idea was really stupid but the 2 main characters were born there and have remained...Their story has unfolded in my brain as the years have gone on and it has been a fun, sometimes frustrating ride. It will be good to finish... But it will be hard because these characters are so close to me. It will be hard to let them go. In the last year since I turned the story over to God He has brought in some cool elements that I hope will make it a story that will reach people who are hurting and struggling. Maybe God will use it to teach about His patience and also put skin on the words "God works everything together for good for those who love Him." I'll also miss that this screenplay has provided some intriguing weirdness. :) Situations and themes that I have written about have happ...

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! "Whose choices should we countermand, Mackenzie? Perhaps I should never have created? Perhaps Adam should have been stopped before he chose independence? What about your choice to have another daughter? Or your father's choice to beat his son? You demand your independence and then complain that I love you enough to give it to you." ******** "Through Jesus' death and resurrection, I am now fully reconciled to the world...The whole world, Mack...Reconciliation is a two way street and I have done my part, totally, completely, finally. It is not the nature of love to force a relationship but it is the nature of love to open the way." ******** I especially love the final line of this one: (Jesus speaking) "Those who love me com from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not a part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions. I have fol...

One of the best books I have ever read. Blew through it in 3 days. Hard to put down! I wouldn't do it justice to try and explain it...So I'll just recommend it...It has already impacted my relationship with my Heavenly Daddy-O as well as other people. You can see more info here: www.theshackbook.com Enjoy!

After school last week Katie and I were cleaning up the room and waiting with 3 students for their buses to be called. Colten said something about "they said a bad word"...Katie, who was paying most of her attention to her task at hand said, "who said a bad word?" Colten answered "You know, in that song". "Oh - what did they say?" Katie asked, thinking he was refering to one of our school songs which occasionally have lyrics like "dumb old lummuck". "Crazy B*tch" Colten answered plainly. I was sweeping the floor and had to turn away to try not to laugh. "You're right - those are not nice words" Katie said, downplaying it so the other 2 kids in the room wouldn't catch on that those are REALLY bad words. Fortunately they didn't seem to notice. Katie and I recovered and all was well. Later we talked about the humor factor of the moment but also wondered why people think that it's OK to play songs with ly...

While not under the most joyful of circumstances it was good to see my family in South Carolina this weekend. I love my family. They are a close-knit and fun bunch of folks. It amazes me the way God can take what the enemy meant to breed fear, ugliness and anger into an opportunity for people to love on one another. There is big stuff in this spiritual war we're in, but sometimes I think the simple things do just as much, if not more damage to the gates of hell than an evening of deliverance ministry or an Easter Sunday alter call. The love that was in that house was tangible. There were moments of helplessness of course - like the night Aunt Helen's meds left her kind of out of her head....of sadness at the possibility that this is Aunt Helen's last family reunion here on Earth...But there was also a lot of hope because this is an entire house full of people who believe that God is bigger than anything. Above all that, it was simply the sense of abiding love. And that'...

God is up to something...I don't know what. I just know that he is not allowing me to sit back and let cancer kill my aunt without a fight. I was well prepared to do that. She has said she is ready to go. She is more concerned for the people she'd leave behind. I was ready to accept that. I am completely at peace with where she will be headed when she leaves here. Jesus has prepared a mansion for her beyond belief I am sure! But when I went to God in scripture the night I first learned about this circumstance and was unsure of how to pray for her, I opened up to the gospels...Any gospel was fine. Where I opened to was John 14:11 which says this: Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so...

That's my beautiful Aunt Helen there on the left in the purple shirt...Then me, then my gorgeous, fantastic and wonderful mom, then my awesome and lovely Aunt Ann. I was named after both of my aunts and I am proud to carry their names. This is my Aunt Helen again, in her very trendy and becoming sun hat. Next to her is my cousin Iris and my other cousin, Greg. Aunt Helen is full of life and humor and love. She loves Jesus, her family and her friends. I can only hope to be half as cool of an Aunt Helen as she is. My nieces will have to let me know someday how I am doing... My Aunt Helen is very sick. They say that the cancer is in her lymph nodes and there isn't much they can do. They say she doesn't have a lot of time. I don't think I have ever quite felt the way I feel before. I have never known my life without Aunt Helen. Even though she lived in North Carolina and Florida and we lived here in Ohio, she was always there...You know? And now I have to face the reality ...

My brother and sister-in-law are awesome. They have reserved 2 rooms at this nice little abode in Indianapolis. It's just an overnighter but it will be good to see Ken, Kathy, Melody, Joy and my mom..I also feel like God is going to do something cool. I don't know what. I just have a weirdness in my belly...I'm nervous and I don't know why kind of thing. He does cool stuff everyday - just waking up in the morning is a cool God thing...But I dunno...Maybe He has something extra neato misquito in mind. :) We'll see! At the very least it will be a blessing to get away for a bit! I'll miss my church family tonight and tomorrow but will look forward to the Podcasts.

As if I am not spoiled already...God sent my friend Marie to me today. She called out of the blue saying she was in my neck of the woods for a job interview. We met at Front Porch for a brief get-together. We updated one another and talked about God stuff. Before we parted ways she simply said "Helen, you are exactly where you should be. God is using you and your gifts for his glory". This comes after a couple of weeks of battling old tapes and doubts in my head. But not once during my conversation with Marie did I even hint at this recent battle. In fact I have been in a pretty good place today. So I know that this was something God wanted me to know. I love Him. Love Him Love Him! And I thank Marie for being such a wonderful friend and vessel of God's love!

Remember in the first Superman movie when Lois Lane died in the earthquake? He flew out and orbitted the Earth backward until before it all happened. I want to do that.

We said goodbye to Dave today. It is one of those days that I'll never forget. It seems to have dragged on. But it has gone quickly at the same time. It has reminded me how short life is. And it has reminded me how much I don't understand life. So many times today I tried to just return my mind to an understanding that life is simple...We're born, we live, we die. The point is to enjoy it all. But I know that this is not completely true. No matter how valiant my attempts to keep it simple, my brain just doesn't work that way. Like a child who takes apart a toy just to see how it works, I can't stop myself at summing it all up with "Life is short - have a beer." Nice sentiment, I know Dave might have appreciated that. :) But I think he might have agreed that it doesn't suffice. Today I faced again the contradiction that we seem to live in. Life in this world is temporal. I am taught by my Father not to cling to it because there is much more. Yet I sel...

Vlog! It's been forever since I have done one of these...Come along on my hair color adventure (??)... Follow these links to journey along! :) Step one: just the ends... Step 2: the roots Step 4: The big moment!