A Garden of Plenty

I was in a garden with walls and high gates. I was happy there, for I knew nothing more. But the Lord came and dismantled the gates and tore down the walls. He said to me, “Roam where you want. Do whatever you please. Anything you want, is yours.”

At first I was overwhelmed. Where do I go? What do I do?

 I began to explore and I found great food and joyful parties. I found large kingdoms and all the riches of the world. 

I went deeper in and I found miracles, signs, and wonders. I saw worshippers of the Lord and people manifesting all His greatness. And I saw all that I could be, in all God’s glory. 

Then I turned around and I saw my God. And all else became like dust and ash to me. It was lifeless and dull, and had a draw no longer. So, I ran to my God, my love, and I stayed with him. I communed with him. I laughed with Him. And I loved him. And He was well pleased, for I had chosen Him, and Him alone, in all my freedom.

-Tara

 

Clarity

Wanted to clarify: 

I love the Bible. It's just not my God. The Lord uses it all the time to affirm me in what He is telling me. It's almost like He's saying, "Look, I've said this before."  It also shows me all the wonderful stories and history of God. It shows me how important it is to remember what God has taught me and done for me. It is beautiful and great. I actually enjoy it more now that God is revealing it. Who better to explain it than Him? I love all things of the Lord, however, I am willing to let go of all things, should they hinder me from greater relationship with the Lord.

-Tara 

Why I Am Where I Am

This is another e-mail response that really gives an overview of my journey of how I got to be where I am now. It is much more elaborate than this in practice, but it takes the reader through some of the thought process. This was actually in response to a dear friend challenging me with Mormonism as an option for my life. Please note: All of these responses were in love, not rudeness or anger. I really appreciate the challenge from my friends.

None of us, not one, has a full and complete understanding of who God is. We may know pieces, and some of us know more pieces than others, but not one of us knows Him completely…yet. So, if the Lord were to keep himself from us until we understood him in his fullness, than none of us would have relationship with God. So, the Lord meets us where we are and begins to reveal pieces of Himself, his love. If and when we respond to that love, then He reveals more of himself to us.

You see, we love because He first loved us. He loves, we respond.

3 years ago, the Lord ventured to take me further into him. It was a whole new step.  My dad gave us a book called, “A New Kind of Christian.” I never read it, but DH did. DH began sharing with me the things it was saying. I don’t even remember what it said, but I remember it made me angry. I was livid! I thought, “How can they say things like that!? They are so wrong!”

Yet, the arguments were pretty strong. Strong enough to make me wonder.

Never before in my life had I questioned my religion. But I found myself doing just that. I was so upset that I would even consider it. The more I heard, however, the more I considered it. Not necessarily considering what the book was saying to be true, but really just taking a hard look at my faith.

I realized that my faith was one of my defining features. It was part of who I was. I was a Christian. I stood by Christianity and believed it my whole life. I believed in God, that was not in question. He had proven himself to me too many times for me not to. With all this going through my mind, confusion took over.

I can remember this exact moment. I was standing in the kitchen, doing dishes, and I felt like the world was spinning around me. I could see all my beliefs flying around my head. I didn’t know which ones to grab onto. I probably would have fainted soon, but something happened. I distinctly felt the Lord grab my face. He looked me right in the eye and said, “Hey! It’s about you and me, and that’s it.” Then it was as if someone hit the gravity switch, and all the things around me fell to the ground.

That was the beginning of my religious stripping. 

 

Then the Lord gave me a vision. As I prayed, the Lord came on me and said, "What everyone needs is me. I AM. I AM the want in everyone’s soul. I am the very thing you’re always looking for. When you want chocolate, you’re really wanting me. When you breath, you’re really needing me. When you are hungry, you’re really wanting me. Your body was designed for me, and everything you do is a result of searching for me. So the answer to what anyone needs is me, because I AM everything you need.” As He spoke, He filled me so completely with his presence, that I received the full sensation of what He was talking about. I was high off of it for weeks. Like Moses coming down from the mountain, except I wasn’t glowing.

After that, I went to church and the pastors words were like dust and ash compared to the words of the Lord. Why would I listen to them when I could hear it straight from the source? The Lord showed me He wanted me to stop going to church. As much as this felt contradictory to what I had always believed about God, I was thinking differently now, so I stopped going.

Over the next 3 years, the Lord took me on a journey of showing me more and more about Himself. Books, dreams, circumstances, anything. The spirit was a constant interpreter. He showed me more and more of His love. I began to see how blind I was. 

One day I was asking the Lord to tell me more about Himself and He said, “I AM. I am just me. I cannot describe myself with words, any more than someone could describe you. Someone could write a whole book about you, but unless they spent time with you, they would never really know you. They would just know about you. It is the same with me. You can read all about me, hear all about me, but until you spend time with me, you will never know me. Therefore, I AM. Therefore, take away all my labels, and I am taking away all of yours. Let’s just know each other.”

Another time, He expanded on this. He said, “I am taking you to a place where you will listen to me, and me alone. You will no longer compare what I tell you with any religion, idea, cause, or box. Take me out of all your boxes. Let it all go. You are no longer a Christian. When you label yourself in any religion, you place me in a box. When I act outside of that box, you reject that part of me, and refuse to walk in it. I am bigger than any box you can conceive.”

Since then, I haven’t been a “Christian.”

As far as “universalism,” since that would be the red flag going up in most religions at this point. I’m not clear on it. I don’t have to be, because my opinion won’t change it anyway. I honestly don’t even think about it much.

What I have seen, now that I’m not blinded with fear by other people’s beliefs, is that God is working in Christianity, Mormonism, Catholics, Atheists, Muslims, The Emerging Church, Universalists, etc... Wherever there is love, the Lord is there. The enemy is incapable of love. I can see different pieces of Him in those different places. They are the pieces their box has allowed in.

Where He decides to take people from there, or how He decides to judge them, is out of my understanding right now.

However, I do believe that if we continue to respond to God, He will continue to reveal more and more of himself to us, as this is His desire. He wants to love us and have us receive His love. As He reveals more of Himself to us, we will naturally come into alignment with him. It’s about the journey, not the destination. It’s about a relationship, not a belief system. I am no longer anxious about it. I will follow wherever He leads. Because ultimately, “It’s about me and Him, and that’s it.”

 

Heaven and Hell Explanation

Here is another e-mail response I wanted to share. I have a dear friend that wanted to know what my new opinion on heaven and hell was. This is what I wrote to her.

My ideas about heaven and hell have changed, but are not yet definitive. The main thing that has changed, is that I no longer believe it to be the point. The Christian church is all about "saving you from hell," but I disagree. I don't believe hell is what Jesus came to save us from. I believe Jesus came to set us free from the bondage sin put us in. When we were put into the bondage, we were separated from the Father. I believe when Jesus died, his sin covered everyone, not just those that have faith. 

However, I believe that no one can enter the "Kingdom" unless they have relationship with God, through Jesus. Hence, "No one can enter the Kingdom except through me." Yet, I do not believe the Kingdom is heaven. I believe, but am reserving the right to change my mind on this, that Heaven and Earth are places, and the "world" and the "kingdom" are mindsets (for lack of a better term.)

 I don't even think about hell. 

The Kingdom is an indescribable place where God resides and his authority reigns. The kingdom is the place where you can "ask anything in my name, and it will be given to you." This is why I believe it says, "Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." It is the authority and presence of God. I believe you can be on earth and in the Kingdom at the same time. I hypothesize that would mean you could be in heaven and in the world at the same time.

 I commonly experience the kingdom. I have also experienced being "born again." Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot enter the kingdom." Before I actually experienced it, I thought being born again meant "accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and savior." I now know that when I did that it was my "conception," not birth. Being born was a tedious road of stripping away the foundation of the enemy and squeezing me through a narrow canal out into the kingdom on the other side. (This almost killed me.) Then, having the Lord start me out as a baby, building my foundation on Him, and relationship with Him. I have no other way to describe it than that. I truly believe it has to be experienced, and that only God can do it. There is no set formula or speech to get one there. 

I believe the "world" is the enemies mindset. It is a facade to distract us and get us to worship him and his ways. I believe the central theme of the enemy's kingdom is money. Hence, "you cannot serve both God and money. In the "world" we make it a God, letting it define us and using it as our security. This does not mean I believe everyone that has money is evil. I just know it to be the tool the enemy uses most. In the rich and the poor. It makes people that are poor feel "less than," and people who have money feel "better than." Forcing us to define ourselves by our financial (or success) status, rather than who the Lord says that we are. It consumes our minds and constant thoughts and has corrupted men for all time. However, "the World" is manifested in multiple ways.  

The subject of Hell hasn't really come up between the Lord and I, so I figure it must not be the point, or He probably would have made it urgent. Again, I reserve the right to change my opinion. Hope that explains what I think somewhat. It's really hard to describe, and I never have before. 

Talk to you soon,

Tara

Some Explanation

After some of my last posts, I received a mixed response. It made me realize I should elaborate on some things. Here is one of the responses I got (I've left out names for their privacy), along with my response to them:

Hi Tara,
 Your last blog had some crazy stuff in it and really sounds like you might be conflicted in several areas in your life. I hope you are using the Bible as your ultimate guide and remember that the Lord doesn't want us to be totally emotionally driven and be thrown about like waves in the sea James 1:5 states "if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach and it will be given to them. v6. But he must ask in faith without any doubting for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind." I guess I got from your blog that you aren't sure of your authority and that everyone and their doctrine points to God. God was clear with that though when he said I AM the one and only true God, I AM THE WAY, TRUTH and LIFE. NOT ALL RELIGIONS TEACH THAT!  There was just a lot going on in that blog and I just want you to know that I am bothered by the fact that you are struggling with your foundation. You have Christ and the Bible and all the answers are there!
I am going through a study on James for the second time and It's a very applicable book of the Bible and very straight forward about how Christians need to be living their lives. The Bible is so clear on most everything we deal with, sure some stuff might be grey but not much. I just pray that you are clearly reading and looking to the Bible for your direction in this time of discovery in your life. I also pray for protection for you and your family that Satan doesn't move in in areas that you are unsure or are struggling with.
 
My Response:

Know that this letter comes to you in love, and that it is with a tender voice, not a judgmental or offended one. That is one downside to e-mail, we assume the tone.

About my blogs: they are a very small snippet of what's going on in my heart and I apologize for not elaborating. You are right however, that I no longer have my foundation in Christianity, but now have it solely in Christ. I no longer possess a doctrine, because I desire to follow God, not a religion. I know how that looks, but I don't care. I have never been more intimate with God. I am willing to follow him anywhere, regardless of what beliefs I have to let go of. My desire is relationship with him and my compass is love, not the Bible. Even the verse you quoted in James says to ask the Lord, and so I am. The Lord reveals the Bible to me, not the other way around. If I am honest in saying that I am fallible, instead of being prideful and unwilling to change, put it to my credit, for the Lord is a gracious God. I have made mistakes and wavered, but I have sought the Lord with all my heart.

Also, know that I am not saying all religions are right, but that all religions are wrong, including Christianity, and Atheism, and whatever else there is out there. Religion is man designed, not God designed. It is man run, not God run. I believe that none of us has a full understanding of who God is, but that God meets us where we are and calls us to Him. He calls, we respond. As long as we respond to Him, he can continue to reveal Himself to us. When we stop responding, or get blocked by a certain belief system we're not willing to let go of, then we cease to know any more about God...yet he loves us still. So, if none of us has a full understanding, how can we say that God is not meeting people with a different understanding than ourselves? It is ridiculous to think that. You do realize that other religions think the exact same thing about Christians. I sat and listened to my Mormon friend give me the EXACT arguments against Christianity that Christians use against them. The exact ones, wording and everything! The Lord is calling us into intimacy, not religion. I believe the Lord meets us where we are, and if we follow Him, we will eventually let go of our religion and seek only him. I also believe the Bible teaches this, yet we have a funny way of interpreting it to say what we all want it to say, don't we? So, I don't consider it a reliable source, in and of itself. I do, however, consider the Holy Spirit extremely reliable, as She seems to be able to make anything and everything about Jesus. She really loves Him. It's amazing really. And She has shown me so many wonderful things in the Bible. None of it interpreted the way I thought it was supposed to. Actually, when interpreted by her, there's a lot less need for "blind faith," or "Grey areas" as things actually start to make sense... well, in a Kingdom way. Anyhow, I'm so glad you challenged me, because it really shows me how much you care about me. I would honestly be somewhat offended if Christians weren't fighting for my soul.

So, fear not, the Lord is with me.

Tara      

Religion

When I look at people in other religions, I am not angry, but gracious. I am gracious because I can let go of the theology, and see their heart towards the Lord. I am not threatened by their religion because I am not afraid it will corrupt me, or even them. I believe the Lord is bigger than our religion. I believe each religion has pieces of God in it. I believe that if a person is seeking God, he will find God. I believe that if they keep their mind and heart open to Him, God will show them the way into His heart.

When I look at Christianity, I am threatened by it. It battles with me. It is too close to home. It still pulls me in and tricks me. It threatens me, so I rebel against it. I am timid in it’s presence and intimidated by those that run it. When a powerful church leader that has taught me so much about God, doesn’t agree with what the Lord is telling me, I doubt my ability to hear the Lord. I doubt what I have heard. I think maybe the Lord only meant it for me, or for a single season in my life. I just assume I am wrong, instead of listening to the voice of God. I don’t just hand them over to the Lord, like I do people in other religions, I try to convert them to my thinking, as this will appease my mind and illiminate the turmoil. Yet, that just makes me another religion. That’s what religion does, it tries to convert others to its singular way of thinking and is threatened by anything else. It is threatened by any other manifestation of God that it cannot comprehend. Lord, strip me of my religious spirit and make me a confident follower of you, and you alone.

It is time to grow up in the Lord. I am no longer a baby with a baby bottle. I am an adult and need to get out from under the wing of my parents (church authorities and leaders). I need to be subject to God and God alone. I hear His voice for myself and He is the ultimate authority over all. If someone disagrees with him, they are wrong. Period. End of discussion. 

-Tara

  

His plan

Wow! I am in awe. We are in such a flow of the Spirit right now. It is such a refreshing time. 

The last two days have been grounding, but great. The Holy Spirit showed me that I have been mystified by the local church here. I came here thinking that the church was the reason we were moving up here, but I was wrong. The church is still just another church. No matter how you package it, it's still a church. The Lord showed me that is not why we are here. The people are why we are here. He reminded me that He has taken me out of Christianity and all other boxes and to not fall into that thinking any longer. I am free from it! 

God has been bringing us a group of people that are of the same heart, and I am ecstatic. We have been living in our house less than a week, and tonight we had 10 visitors. All of them were wonderful! We threw a birthday party for a new friend who is 45-ish :), and then when they left (and we were cleaning up and getting the kids ready for bed) 6 more people showed up. 5 of them were new people. The second group was a group of artists, and they played music, we sang, saw a spiritual card trick, danced, and talked. Oh yeah, one of the guys had written two songs, one for me and one for Danny, that symbolized who we were. They were completely instrumental, and right on! It was such a blessing. It was great. DH found a running partner, as well as a dance instructor who teaches swing on Thursday nights. I found a group of people to explore the arts with. The owner of the gallery holds Saturday night sessions where there is music, and art that everyone can get involved in. I am going to go to these. I think I will blossom in that environment. I have decided not to go to iWar, so if I asked you for a recommendation, please disregard it.  Like I've said before: I reserve the right to change my opinion or stance on anything. I am completely open to letting the Lord correct me, because I want what He has planned, not anything I come up with on my own.

Talk to you soon...

Tara

    

Family

Yesterday was just another amazing day in the Lord! 

In the morning, a new friend came by because her tire had gotten a flat and it was still sitting in front of our house. She chatted and ate peanut butter and honey sandwiches with us, while we waited for AAA. (The good thing about living downtown, is that all of us are walking distance from each other. We were able to just walk her home the night before.) This wonderful woman is a limousine driver and offered to chauffeur us around the city and show us where certain stores and other places of interest are. We took her up on her offer and were given a luxury ride around town, great music and all. She dropped us off at "The Gallery" in downtown, where a woman from the church runs a children's art gallery. Here children learn about how much they are loved by God, and how to express themselves through worship art. It is a great place and I just love her heart for the kids. 

We had gone to the Gallery for a purpose. I am planning on attending a school called IWAR and, knowing this would require me to find a place for my children while I attended, had caused me a little angst. However, the night before, it had been made apparent to me that if God had a plan for me to attend this school, He also had a plan for my kids. That's when the gallery was mentioned. 

So, I walked into the gallery and started talking to the woman who owns it. She is amazing! I just love her spirit. She said she was starting a homeschool co-op that would be two days a week. She described it to me and it sounds perfect for my kids. They will be focusing on different parts of the world, learning about them, praying for them, listening to music and viewing art from the area, doing intercessory prayer, working in the prophetic, learning how to play instruments, building drums, you name it! How perfect to prepare my children in this way! Thank you Lord! This way, while I am learning worship arts, they are. What a great way to grow our family together.

While we were at the gallery, another woman from the church came in to pick her daughter up. She has an 11 week old baby, along with her two other daughters, and she was joking about all the laundry piling up and her having no time to do anything. I looked at her and said, "Well, if your house needs help, we're coming over to clean it." She broke down crying and said, "I'm just going to receive that from you. Thank you, Lord. "  

While we were talking to this woman, a man walked in that we were supposed to meet at some point, as he was a friend of the limousine driver. We told him who we were and asked him if he would be at the birthday party on Thursday. He said that he was coming over that very night, as that is when he had been invited. We just said, "Okay! Tonight it is!" Then we invited the Gallery owner to dinner, and she accepted. 

So, we went home, ate lunch, went and cleaned the new mom's house (where my girls made a fast friend in her oldest daughter), came home and cooked dinner, and had another amazing get together with more amazing people, including the limousine driver. All the people that have come over are already like a family. When we rented this house, we declared that it would be a revolving door, with people coming in and out of it all the time. We've only been here a few days, and it is already that way. Some of the people don't even knock, and we love it! They just know they're welcome. We set up a bulletin board by our front door with colorful 3x5 cards pinned all over it. All of our new friends have put their name and phone number on one of the cards. I just know that by the way things are going, it will be bursting with cards before long. 

Today, I went to the church to talk to the Leaders of both IWAR and Potter's House to see which was a better fit. The Lord really met me there and made it clear to me that IWAR was the one to attend. I am so excited about this new adventure in our lives, and this is just the beginning! 

I am truly living a life full of awe and wonder, overwhelmed by the goodness of God. I could not possibly imagine a better life. Thank you, Lord.

-Tara  

Dinner Party

The Lord is moving!!! Today, after church, I saw the woman that had prayed us into the yellow house. I went up to her and told her we were now living in it. She was elated and said, "Can I come over?" 

"Of course," we said.

"Like today, and can I bring a friend?" she says.

"Yes," we said, "but you'll have to bring your own chair, as we don't have enough yet."  

This made us very excited, as it is the most intentionality anyone has shown towards us thus far. So, we told her to come over for dinner. We also invited another woman that we are getting intentional with. 

At dinner time they both showed up and it turned out the other woman we invited was the same one that "yellow house woman" was going to invite! When we were sitting on the porch, one of the neighbors walked by and we invited her to join us. So, we ended up with an impromptu dinner party and had amazing fellowship! It was a total God appointment. We talked about all sorts of things, including who the Lord says we are and what's going on in our lives. We are destined to be a family. 

We found out it is one of the ladies birthdays on Thursday, and her being new to town, knew it was our job (her new family) to throw her a party. So, on Thursday, we're having a party. I have no doubt it will be a packed house. We're praying that God blesses us with chairs before then, otherwise it will be a BYOC (bring your own chair) party. Haha. I believe He will. 

It was a great night. More and more is being revealed to us about why we are here. It is definitely to prepare the way, as we can see the Lord about to break loose here in this neighborhood. Also, we can see the equipping and training being very helpful.

I'll keep you updated, as I am expecting great things!

Tara

Update

As many of you know, our family has been on an amazing journey. I wanted to take this time to update everyone on what is going on. I am finally at a place where I feel like I can bring you up to speed. Before now, I didn’t have enough of an understanding to do so. Believe it or not, this is the short version:

When we first got here, we were expecting something big to happen. We knew that acting in obedience to the Lord would break something open for us, but what that was, we had no clue. We just knew God was good and had a plan. After arriving, we were a bit discouraged. There was no great “thing” that happened. We had felt a sense of urgency, yet we got here and there was nothing to do. We went by the church, eager to meet people, and met only the receptionist and her husband. There was no great connection there, although they were very nice, but not the connection we were hoping for. The soonest chance we would have to “plug in” would be Saturday, when there would be a brunch for the women in the church. This was Tuesday. The church was open for prayer in the evenings, however, if we wanted to go there. We showed up to this open prayer time, hoping to meet someone that would say, “Wow! The Lord has been telling me about you. This is what he says to do next.” When we got there, no one else was there. So, we prayed and the Lord showed us a picture of wheat blowing dry in the wind and a title wave rising up behind it. He said we were like this wheat, feeling dried out and in want, and we have no idea God has been preparing a title wave to wash over us. Then he said, “Just wait for it.”

Wait? Not the answer we were hoping for. What were we going to do now? We didn’t know anything outside of “move,” so we didn’t want to look for a house or place to rent, because we knew the Lord had a plan. So, we were stuck in the waiting. Dan couldn’t even start working because of some technical difficulties with his transfer.

 It was so frustrating! We were so eager to connect and there was no one to be found! We were so eager to move forward, and there was no direction to go. We were just sitting in this big fat void!

So, we went exploring and got to know the area. One of the days we went up and visited my mom about two hours north of where we are.

On Saturday I went to the woman’s meeting and I could feel something starting to spark in my mind, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was. I did, however, start to feel my confidence and strength replacing my timidity.

Sunday was the day that things really started to happen. We went to church, again hoping to have some miraculous breakthrough and word form the Lord. We were hoping to meet some people that would immediately take us under their wing and minister to us. We met up with the people that had prophesied over us last month, and figured out where everyone would be going to lunch. We went to lunch and introduced ourselves to a bunch of people. One of the guys came over to pray for us. “The Lord sent me over here to pray for you, “ he said.

“Great! I thought. This is where the Lord reveals his plan!”

When he prayed he said, “I pray for a sense of home.”

We felt an incredible peace and the presence of the Spirit. But, still no direction.

We decided that there wasn’t a magical person waiting for us that was going to say, “I have a place for you to stay.” Or, “The Lord says…”

So, we set out looking for furnished places to rent. That didn’t last long as there weren’t any. I guess it’s too far from a big city for there to be a demand for something like that.

Sunday night we went to a special healing service. This is where they lay hands on the sick and heal them. While we were there praying for people, one of the guys comes up to us and says, “Where is your youngest daughter? I want to see her.” We went and got her and he said, “The Lord showed me that you are a healer and a prophet. Sometimes he shows me things like that about children. I am going to pray that you receive that gifting now, and, if you feel like it, you can lay hands on this girl with me.” He prayed and they laid hands  on the girl, and she was healed. It was great! (The girl had a broken knuckle, if you were curious.)

When we left there, The Lord started talking to Danny. As we were driving, Danny suddenly turned. He didn’t say anything, but I could tell he was hearing from the Lord, because he gets a distinct look. He slowed down and made another turn. Then, we pulled up to an adorable yellow house with a “for rent” sign in front of it. Danny said, “The Lord told me to turn here and pay attention.” We jotted down the number and vowed to call the next day.

The next day we called the number, but there was no answer, so we went to drive by the house. The owner happened to be out front and we had a great conversation with him. He showed us the house and it was perfect. Very simple, perfect location. We filled out an application and hoped for the best.

That night I panicked. “Why would you have us sell everything we own just to have us buy it all again? I don’t want to just start over in a new place. Are we doing the right thing? Did we really hear from you? Etc…” Well, the Lord met me.

He expanded on the vision he gave me way back in December. I had been working from a very small window of this vision, but knowing the Lord would reveal more when it was time. He had shown me that we would be going from place to place visiting people and preparing the way for him. But, in the vision, I knew the people. They were great friends. This had always confused me because I don’t know people all over the world. Yet, I knew the Lord would work it all out. He showed me that at first the visiting would be a longer term, like two years at a time. It would be a “living there.” Then, we would go back and visit the places we had been. He showed me that he already has done that with a few other places in our lives. We will have “bride pods” all over the world. So, right now, we will be living here, establishing relationships. He said that he had us sell everything, because it doesn’t matter. The “stuff” holds you back from being flexible. He said that every time we leave a place, he wants us to sell everything we have and go, then get new things there.

On Wednesday I went to the woman’s group and there were two women that spoke words from the Lord over me. One was a great prophetic word that affirmed everything the Lord has been telling us, along with saying that she believed we were here for equipping and training. That was a huge blessing!

The other conversation was with a woman sitting at my table. She told me some great things. She asked me if I’d found a place to live yet. I said we were still looking. She said, “There’s a house down the street from me that just went up for rent. I’ve been praying over it that Godly people would move in. I live in downtown.”

I looked at her and said, “Is it a yellow house?”  

She said, “YES!”

I said, “We just put in an application for that house!”

Today, we sign a lease for that yellow house! The funny thing is, he tried to offer it to two other people before us and for some reason or another, they fell through. It’s amazing what the Lord is doing.

There are pages more that I could tell you. This really is the short version. It is just this incredible weaving of the Lord’s will that astonishes me. It’s the amazing fact that God is real! He really does have a plan. And he really will be there to see it through!

Until next time,

Tara 

Jelly Belly

Today we took the Jelly Belly Factory tour. They showed us how they make their famous Jelly Bellies and then gave us all a free bag of the little guys to munch on. It was a lot of fun for the kids. Danny ate one of their trick flavors: "rotten egg". He almost threw up. The guy next to us tried "skunk spray" and had a similar reaction. I stuck to the yummy flavors. 

Which brings me to my next thought. 

I have totally gone off gear with my healthy eating!!! I need to get back on track. I need to somehow figure out how to eat healthy on the go. I think my biggest problem is that I give myself permission to eat worse on the road. That is definitely not going to work long term. Something to think about... 

Tara 

To Sell Everything We Have...

Well, we did it! We sold EVERYTHING we owned, gave to the poor, and followed him! Everything we own fits with us in our Prius (basically clothes). Now we are officially relocated, yet mobile. We are staying in an extended stay hotel, where we won't have to be tied down or committed to anything, and will receive housekeeping. :) We are waiting on the Lord for our next move. There are some exciting things going on at the church locally that I'll share more about later. We are in total anticipation of what the Lord's going to do. Praise God that He has a perfect plan! 

Side note to all those that know how much this matters in our family, the library here is amazing!

If you are a friend or family member, e-mail me and I'll give you our new info.

Tara

Enemy Chefs

The Lord gave me a vision. He showed me a picture of a battlefield. On this battlefield, there was our army (that of the Bride) on one side, and the enemy's army on the other side.

I saw something strange. One of the soldiers for the enemy was sneaking into our kitchen and putting food into it. Then he snuck out again. Our army went into the kitchen and ate the food happily, unknowing it was from the enemy. We liked the food and continued eating it, even denying our own food in demand of the enemy's. 

Our army began to get tired and sluggish.We began to get sick, some even died. We began to get moody and unmotivated. We began to fight among ourselves. Our confidence faded. We were week and the enemy attacked us. We were unable to defend ourselves. 

The Lord showed me that this is what the enemy has done in America and is doing all over the world. He has been sneaking into our kitchens and has been feeding us his poison. This is an old tactic of the enemy. 

As always, we can look at history to see how the enemy attacks. 

In Ezekiel 16:49 it says: Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

This verse doesn't lay out all their individual sins, but it does show that they were overfed. The enemy has used food to ruin people since the beginning of time. The food so controlled them that they were willing to stuff themselves and let others starve. 

Think of the forbidden fruit.

Think how the Lord gave the Israelites food laws. It was so they would not eat the enemies food.  

Of course he has many other tactics, but food is one that has really gone unnoticed as an attack from the enemy. We can see its effects all around us, but we think it's just us. No, it's a strategic attack. 

So, the Lord showed me that His food is good and nourishing. It makes us strong, clear headed, and emotionally stable. There is something to be said about that. Give it a try. It's all the stuff in its natural form. Not processed, genetically or chemically modified, preserved, or refined. Just good natural food.

Surprise

Well, the Lord has been moving like crazy in our lives. He really has been for the past year, which is right in line with the "quickening" prophecy that came to us via Graham Cooke. The Lord has been showing us a lot about who we are according to his kingdom, which is radically different than who we are according to the world. As he has revealed these things to us, he has given us specific tasks to complete and challenges to overcome. All to bring us closer to who He wants us to be. One specific line in the prophecy is:

When you know who you are, then you know how you are supposed to live.

This being said, He has revealed who we are and what our role in the kingdom is. A good overview of this comes in Luke 10. Luke 10 is the verse we just received via prophecy this past weekend. Here is a piece of that verse:

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road..."

It was really a good overview of everything the Lord has been telling us. The prophecy also stressed moving immediately. Unsure of where that might be, we went home in anticipation of the Lord showing up and revealing His plan to us. This was Sunday. On Wednesday, the plan started to unfold. By Thursday morning, it was in motion. 

What's the plan? Well, as far as we can see, we will be moving up to Vacaville, Ca, and immersing ourselves in the kingdom culture there via the Mission fellowship. All the doors have been swung wide open for this. My husband's company even had an opening in Sacramento and were happy to give it to him. I'm not sure what the Father's plan is, and whenever I try to figure it out, I get stressed and overwhelmed. So all I can say is, I trust him. I do not know the full extent of His plan. But I know it's Him, so I know it's good.   

As of right now, our time frame is about 2 months before we leave, but we are open to whatever the Lord has planned. He is good and His timing is perfect. As always, updates will follow. 

Until then,

Tara

A Quick Taste

So much is going on with our family that it would be a very long blog to catch everyone up, so I will just tell you one story for now.

 For the past two weeks, I have been tormented at night by the enemy. Every time I am about to fall asleep, I get woken up. Almost as if someone were poking me. I have been able to sense that this was a spiritual thing and have been trying to figure it all out while half asleep. One night I even saw the demon that had been pestering me. I woke up and saw him in the corner. I screamed on the top of my lungs, much to the startling of my wonderful husband, and then I couldn't see him any longer, leaving me in more torment. 

So, having seen him, it was confirmed. Some might be wondering why I didn't just stand up and rebuke him. Well, I think I knew there was something to be learned. I kept asking the Spirit what it was. Last night I got my answer, finally! I was laying there, awake, and I thought, "Okay. If the enemy is coming against me, it means I have an equal and opposite blessing waiting for me."

That's when the Spirit spoke to me. She said, "I am going to give you dreams of the Kingdom of God."

Of course! That's why the enemy doesn't want me to go to sleep! I have had a handful of "God" dreams in the past, and they have been real breaking points for me spiritually. When the Lord gives us dreams, he can push us past our boxes, into His kingdom. I love dreams! 

So, after realizing this, I just smiled big. And I could almost feel the enemy lose heart, like the previously stated quote. I sat up and calmly said (much to my poor sleeping husbands surprise), "I understand now why you are here. Thank you, for now the Lord is going to give me dreams about His kingdom. I now rebuke you in the name of Jesus. Please leave."  

After that, I fell into a deep sleep and slept well until I needed to wake up. When I did wake up, I was fully rested, even though I did not get to bed until around 4AM. Before I had gone to sleep, I asked the Lord to make me rested, and so He came through. 

So, when I have a dream or dreams, I will be sure to post them, as I am believing the Lord for them. 

Until next post,

Tara

Gotta Love it!

My mom just sent me an e-mail and the very first line was great! 

Be the kind of woman that when your feet

hit the floor each morning
the devil says
"Oh Crap, She's up!"

This is definitely a personal goal.

WOOPS!

Woops! I accidently gave the wrong link for my sister's site. I changed it on my blog, but if you receive this via e-mail, the link will be wrong. Here is the right link to God Stories. 

Two Things

Two things:

First, my sister just created a blog, and even though she has only had one post, it is great! She is an "interpreter" in the Kingdom, so she is able to put things in a way that are really relatable. I love what she's already written. So, go to her site and check it out!

Second. I would just like to declare that I LOVE PEOPLE! People are a joy to me and I am privileged to live in a world full of them!

Trusting God Alone

That we ought, once for all, heartily to put our whole trust in GOD,

and make a total surrender of ourselves to Him, secure that He would

not deceive us.  

 -An excerpt from The Practice of the Presence of God the Best Rule of a Holy Life, Brother Lawrence 

 This is where I am, and it is the hardest challenge I have yet to face. I am not a peacemaker, I am an ice breaker, and in that, I will never please man. I cannot please both man and God, and while that seems like a no brainer, it is the hardest thing yet. To have a world angry at you for the sake of God, is no more comforting than knowing you will be executed in the morning. However, there is freedom in it. There is freedom on the other side of this that I can taste. So, I press on and know the Lord is good.

Random Happenings

I just got the feedback from my first writing assignment, and I was so nervous to read it! However, the teacher is great and did a good job at really building up what I did right before giving me some advice. I feel encouraged that this class will help me to sharpen my writing skills. 

I am in complete learning mode again. For a few months there I didn't want to learn anything new. My brain was in mid-paradigm shift and needed all its energy for that! Now it's ready to work again. I'm taking a writing class, guitar lessons, dance lessons, and reading Graham Cooke's book on developing your prophetic gift, all while the Lord is teaching me about who I am in his kingdom. Wow! A lot to take in at once!  I am excited as I feel like the Lord is giving my family some really great tools for worship. We are all learning music and dance, which can be such a great expression to the Lord. 

The Lord has also been bringing so many friends into my life, and it is so overwhelmingly wonderful! I am so blessed to be living right now.

Jesus said in Luke that he came so that we may have life and live it to the full! I believe him.

Tara

Enemy or Ally?

In life it is important to pay attention to who you're listening to. Many times, your enemy will tell you the things you want to hear, and your ally the things you don't. But your enemy's advice will destroy you, and your ally's advice will save you.

A White Canvas

I saw a vision. A vision of many people going about their lives. Some were working, some washing their cars, some mowing lawns, some reading, some playing. Just life happening all around. The Lord came to me and said, "Now let me show you what is real." And he took away everything but the people. All the people were standing as if on a white canvas. There were no houses, no cars, no jobs, no lawns, no sky or clouds, no food, just people. My heart went out to them as I realized the lies of the enemy. We are so distracted from what really matters. I'm angry that I have allowed the enemy to keep me from my brothers and sisters; that I have not loved them. I wanted to stretch out my arms and pull them all into me and just love on them in whatever way possible. 

Friends, the ONLY thing that matters is relationships. Relationship with God and relationships with people. All else will decay and waste away. All else is a lie from the enemy to keep us distracted from truth. I think this is why God takes us away from our homes many times to minister to people. It takes us away from our distractions, like keeping our house clean, or our lawn mowed, or our business in order, and it takes us into a place where people are what matters. Where all you have left are the people. If only we could grasp that in our home. If only we could all see it and embrace each other in that way, prioritizing each other, opening our hearts to each other, sharing the Lord with each other, then we would be so much stronger, so much more in the truth. 

What can we do to remedy this? Is there an answer? Do you notice when you are away from home that you are more likely to focus on relationships? Do you think it's possible to let go of all else and live for relationships alone? Do we dare?

Tara

The other 20 things....

6. I love to write. It's probably the best way I express myself.

7. I rub my nose when I am in deep thought. I didn't even notice this until about two years ago when a friend pointed it out. I think it stems from when I had a blankie as a child and sucked my thumb. 

8. When I am having good conversations, I play with my hair, sometimes putting it up and taking it out again multiple times. 

9. I am allergic to nuts. This is fairly recent, and very depressing. 

10. I want to have great friends all over the world, and I believe I will. I intend to live all over the world. 

11. I started dating my husband when I was 14, been together since. 

12. I would love to live in a "Kingdom Culture" commune.

13. I love people. I get energized by being around them.

14. I sell or donate everything! It has become a joke in my family. I really believe my family and I will live a "backpack" life, and it's my way of preparing.

15. I have come to really enjoy the way the Lord's plan is always a surprise. I used to try to figure it out, but now I just love being surprised. It helps me to enjoy the day more.

16. Every night, my mom, my husband, and I stay up late playing games, watching movies, or talking. It has made us really close.

17. I love to study. It is a talent of mine.

18. I eat and make healthy food. I'm a really good cook. I try to make everything from scratch, but have been known to just get take out when too tired.

19. I used to play the flute, and now I am going to take guitar lessons with my husband. I come from a very musical family.

20. I wear jewelry every day. I love jewelry.

21. I recently discovered a root pump mousse that works really well.

22. I have lived in 10 houses in the nine years we have been married. I lived in one house from first grade until I got married.

23. I love the beach. Everything about it. Even the sand all over everything.

24. I am dramatic. And I love that about myself.

25. I am an ice breaker for the Kingdom. Something I have come to really love about how the Lord made me. Knowing this has allowed me to let go of trying to be a peace maker.

There we go. 25 things. That was a lot harder than I thought it would be. What are yours?

-Tara        

5 Things About Me

Coffegirl Confessions posted on her blog about sharing 25 things about yourself. I was reading people's comments and thought it would be fun for us to share. If you are receiving this by e-mail, you will have to log onto my blog to leave a comment. Okay, here are the first five things about me. 

1. I commonly "shh" people when they are loud or annoying. It is a huge fault of mine, and a great annoyance to my loud husband. 

2. I am a gasper. If anything surprises me, I gasp loudly. 

3. I am an all or nothing person. I'm either all for it, or could care less.

4. I love food variety. I can't eat the same thing within at least three weeks of having eaten it before. Well, except pizza. I love pizza.

5. I have a secret desire to be a singer in a band. Still wondering what that's all about.

Your turn. Show me what you're made of!

-Tara 

Call to Arms Update

On March 13th I posted a Call to Arms about blessing others by hiring them in this time of recession. The Lord personally challenged me to employ as many people as I could. He did this in almost a teasing manner, as if to say, "Bet you can't hire faster than I can bless!" He showed me how I can be on the offensive in this time instead of the defensive. When all I do is focus on the negative, then I become defensive, trying to save up my money in an attempt at feeling secure. When I focus on the Lord's attack on the enemy (the offense), then I just want to use whatever resources I have to fight, by hiring those that the enemy is trying to discourage and destroy. Well, I have been hiring and the Lord has been blessing!!! Just a month ago when I wrote the Call to Arms I supported SOW, had a hair dresser, and was about to hire a mow and blow gardener. Now, I have employed:

1. A Landscaper, who had been laid off, that is ripping out wild bushes everywhere and planting flowers in addition to weekly maintenance. 
   
2. A housekeeper that comes every other week, even though she's pregnant.
3. A Hairdresser, who's clients are coming much less often than they used to.
4. My husband now goes to his hair dresser twice a month instead of once.
5. A Manicurist, who's house is in default.
6. A violin teacher, for both my daughters, that desperately needed to hear that she was worth the money she was asking.
7. SOW Women in Africa

Coming Soon: Guitar teacher for my husband and I, and a piano or voice teacher for my mom!

How are we affording this? I'm not quite sure!!! We sold one of our cars, because we felt the Lord wanted us to. We paid off a credit card, that happened to go out of business and therefore credited a third of what we owed them in order to settle their debts (the balance was the exact amount we got back from taxes! If that's not God, what is?) And every time we turn around things are either costing us less or we are receiving more money. 

Why am I telling you this? It is not to brag or boast! It is to say that God is real, He does work, and he doesn't lie. So when He says, "Give and it shall be given to you. Pressed down, shaken together, and running over," He means it! So go out there and bless someone! Every time you do, you defeat the enemies plan of destroying them in that moment!

Tara

Friends

I had a great day today! I met up with two different friends from my past. One that I hadn't seen in 4 years and one I hadn't seen in 13 years! They were both great visits and I am so glad to be connected with them again as I believe we will be good friends once more. I met with them each separately, but they happen to live about two blocks from each other, which made the double visit possible. It was a total God thing!

Recession or time of opportunity?

I thought I'd pass this podcast link along from Graham Cooke. The Lord has been doing much of this in our lives; getting us to see things through his eyes instead of the world's. It is so important to recognize the enemy, otherwise he just sneaks in and we don't even know we've been defeated.

Tara

More Desert Truth

 "I am not what I think I am. I am not what you think I am. I am what I think you think I am." 

All our lives, people and culture tell us who we are, and we believe them. We accept it and define ourselves by their labels... yet they are wrong. The Lord has a different definition of who we are, and it is the truth. 

The truth is, Jesus died for all our ugliness. He died for all our impurities, our pride, our shame, our malice, and our mistakes. It's done, settled, paid for, forgotten. They no longer exist. Therefore, all accounts of recollection are merely shadows, as all else in this world is that is outside of relationship. It is just another piece of unreality. It is a piece that lives on the wrong side of the cross, outside of the Kingdom. The Kingdom is on the right side of the cross. And there is no shame in the Kingdom. 

The Lord's opinion and His word are the truth, no matter how anyone else sees it. If the opinion is in contradiction to the Lord, then it is the one that is wrong, not God. So when we feel like we are something other than what the Lord says we are, we are the ones that are wrong. The Lord is truthful; he cannot lie. It is not in His nature.

The Lord's grace fills in all the holes to make us truly all these things He says we are. It takes all our lives and makes them a beautiful story of love and perfection, so that when we are weak, he is strong. Therefore, it glorifies Him all the more! We cannot go wrong!

We must choose to believe the truth, even when we don't feel it. The Lord has proven himself trustworthy.  

The Lord loves me intimately and personally. I am a beautiful person because of the Lord. No longer will I let the fall determine who I am. Now, I will let the cross determine it, and I will live in his grace.   

 

Presence

I have come to realize, that without the presence of the Lord, all is void and meaningless; with the presence of the Lord, just existing drips with meaning. 

Shamelessness

I am beginning to realize that freedom is shamelessness, an absence of pride. Being able to fully express myself, with no regard to outside opinion. Living in the total acceptance of my God, my love.

Desert Time

The Lord has brought me into the desert and it is a dry and lonely place. Thankfully, He told me he was bringing me into the desert, otherwise I might be more discouraged than I currently am. Knowing there is purpose in it gives me hope at least. I was reading Hosea 2, and seeing many parallels in it for me in my life and just knowing the Lord will restore me and speak sweetly to me. Right now he is stripping me of my false gods which have for so long given me identity and purpose. He is stripping me of the pride I have placed around my heart that blocks out his love and prevents me from being fully beloved. God is showing me that the only thing that can prevent him from entering fully into my heart, is my unwillingness to let him in. That cannot be forced. That cannot be taken. It has to be given. Right now, he is shining light on those protectors I have placed around my heart, and it hurts. It hurts to know that I have blocked out my love. It hurts to know that I have been wrong. It hurts to be humbled, but I want it. I want all of it. "Crush me Lord into a fine powder, and rebuild me again from the fires of love!"    

Grace

Two nights ago, I was exposed. I was like a volcano that had exploded. My top blown off and all my ugliness sprawled all over, completely unsheltered. As I walked around this mess, I knew there was no excuse to be made for it, no way to explain it away. There was no way to put it all back together. No way to hide it. There it all was, completely defenseless. Most of it had gone unrecognized by myself, unknown, until that night. I looked at it and was disgusted, ashamed. I wept bitterly, knowing it was all true, knowing I had not the power to change any of it. I couldn't even imagine it away. I knew there was meaning in this. I knew that I needed to see it. I knew that I was hideous and unlovable. I knew that in this state, I could not even ask for love. I didn't want to ask for it, because I had nothing to offer in return. I could promise nothing. I could not say that I would get better; that I would please in any way. All I could say was, " I am ugly." 

Then the Lord did something amazing, He looked straight at my ugliness, not denying it, and loved me anyway. He held me and loved me entirely in his own power and capacity to love, receiving nothing from me, and I was undeservedly safe. Completely accepted because of who God is, not because of who I am. It is unfathomable.

I have never understood grace like this before. Never know it to this capacity before. The Lord loved me in my shame, so I can do nothing to part from his love, nothing to un-deserve it, because I didn't deserve it to begin with.  In this, how can I not trust the Lord with my entire life, my entire being? He loves me more than I love myself. Even I was not willing to love such an ugly person, yet his love alone has made me beautiful. Therefore, the Lord may have my life to the fullest, for he has proven himself trustworthy.

-Tara  

Call to Arms

There is an interesting phenomenon going on with our economy. We are in a global recession. We all know this. We hear it on the news, know many that are being laid off, or have experienced it personally. There is something hidden though, that the enemy doesn't want us to see.  You see, the Kingdom of God is not bankrupt. It has unlimited resources. The Lord has it all. However, hell does not. Hell has to use what it is given. So, when the world is in a recession, so is the enemy. He is losing resources to do his work. Yet we still have access to resources. Therefore, we are given an extreme advantage. On that note, I have a challenge for you. I challenge you to look into your life and see where the enemy is using resources to do his work, then take those funds away from him and use them for the Kingdom. Bless those around you. Hire people. Hire a gardener, a housekeeper, a personal trainer. Get your hair done, or your nails. Hire a friend that is struggling as a handyman, painter, or dog walker. Get creative! Remember, when you hire people, you help to feed their families. It blesses them.  

One of the ways my husband and I are doing this, with cooperation from my mom (as we all live together), is turning off the Direct TV. The TV is a relationship breaker, distracting us so that we avoid conversations with each other and God. This is a tool of the enemy in our house. A subtle one, but one none the less. Yesterday, we hired a landscaper who had recently been laid off, to do some random work for us. He was so grateful and urged us to hire him as our weekly gardener. (Up until this point, we have done our own gardening.) He also showed us all the different things he could do to the house, wanting to use it as a showcase to gain business in our area for his landscaping. We don't need this stuff done, but that is besides the point. He needs the money. He has a family to support. By paying him to do these things, we are putting money and resources into the work of the Kingdom. I believe the Lord has challenged us to employ as many people as we can. Right now it might be a gardener and some great women in Africa, but I believe as we employ people, the Lord will provide more funds to employ more people. What a great way to fight the enemy! 

So this is a call to arms! Look around you! What can you do? We are the army of the Lord and this is our opportunity to fight! 

Jesus says in Luke 6:38 - "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured in your lap."

Until next time...

Tara

Back Home

Quick note: my last post had a missing link to go to chapter one of my book. I have now added the link, so you can click on it. If you are receiving this via e-mail, you will have to go onto my site to view the updated version...I think. 

Anyhow, we are back in California! We left Sunday afternoon and arrived late Monday night. I think it was 12:30AM. It was an exciting road trip as we had to go through a blizzard. It started snowing pretty bad in Flagstaff and didn't stop until we were out of Kingman! The Lord led us through, however, with a little help here and there, like a snow plow entering the freeway right in front of us. We followed that thing a good 30 miles. So, we are back and resting up, looking forward to some healthy greens.

My Book

I had it pointed out to me by a friend that I haven't added to my book. I just kind of built up the suspense and then stopped. Well, this prompted me to go back over it, and it has inspired me to add to it! The reason I stopped was I entered a time of digestion. The Lord started working and changing me, and I didn't know how to articulate it. However, now I can, so I will write more and post it. If you haven't read the first six chapters, click here to go to chapter one at the bottom of the page. Then, just click "newer posts" to read further on. There are six chapters total. Enjoy the drama! 

Road Trip

For the last 5 days, my mom, my kids, and I have been on a road trip. Thus far, we have been in Phoenix, and our next destination is Denver. The weather has been beautiful and clear, hovering in the 70s, with a fresh cool breeze, much to our delight. My mom has been working at a quilt show at the Phoenix fair grounds (hence the reason for the road trip), as she will be doing in Denver, having officially become a Carny. So, while she has been doing that, the kids and I have been having fun! We spent a whole day at the Arizona Science Center. Literally, five and a half hours. It was really great with all sorts of hands on things for the kids to do. Even my four year old was entertained the entire time. We learned all sorts of things, while we played and watched demonstrations, that got our minds moving and thinking. We even watched a 45 minute Imax film about migration that was really interesting and had great detailed shots of butterflies and small crabs. For lunch, we ate at City Bakery, which was excellent, albeit expensive. I got an idea for another side dish: white bean salad. It is something I would have never thought to make, but tasted great! 

The next day I took the kids to Piestewa Peak in Phoenix, determined to climb the Summit Trail. It was marked moderate, but I thought, "With a little determination, we can do anything." Well, it was steep, rocky, crowded, long, and hot! And after many breaks, a few encouraging pep talks, a mile long trek, and an hour and 50 minutes, the kids gave out on me and we started back down...with only about 400 feet to the summit. It took us another hour and 30 minutes to get back down, but we were rewarded with great views and amazed remarks from other hikers that the kids had made it so far. When we got to the bottom, we were exhausted! It was great, though, to get out and get some exercise and sunshine. It was also a great relationship builder between the kids and I. Although, we sure missed daddy there to carry and drag us all along!

Today, we got an exciting oil change! Okay, it was uneventful and took all of 5 minutes, but it could have been exciting, if you use your imagination. Then we went swimming in the hotel pool, which was a pleasant temperature, and ate lunch at Jason's Deli (a great deal).

 Everyone here is all excited about the Super Bowl, and I'm pretty sure Chipotle was giving out free food to fans with t-shirts, since there was a line of about 300 people coming out their door, all bearing Cardinal t-shirts.

We head out tomorrow towards Denver, so I will keep you posted! 

To know me...

Moses once asked the Lord, "Who shall I say sent me?" 

What he was really saying is, " How shall I label you? What box shall I contain you in?"

The Lord answered, "You can tell them, I AM sent you."

The truth is, God cannot be labeled or contained in a box. God cannot be given a title. He is so much more than that...and so are we. 

I am not a Christian, an American, a caucasian, a middle class woman, a mother, a homeschooler, or a twenty-six year old wife. None of these labels contain who I am. None of these can capture my essence. Only relationship with me will tell a person who I am, and only relationship with God will reveal His person. And when it is revealed, there will be no label, there will only be an understanding. 

So, we cannot know God through our labels for him, our sermons, sayings, or books. They cannot contain Him any more than they could contain you. So in response to who I am. All I can say is, "I am. I am just me." No label will tell you the full truth about me. And no label will tell you the full truth about God. When you ask him who he is, he just says, "I AM...I am me."