A move is coming ...

As I was praying I could feel God's growing power as a blizzard ... If felt like it was cold and dark outside, but the snow was starting to come, the wind starting to blow, things starting to stir! It may be cold, dark times but God is moving and stirring and the blizzard of His Spirit, love and power is coming! I especially felt this move concerning the saving of the lost - God is coming for them!!!
Come Lord Jesus, come!
Show them who You are!
Come like a blizzard!

Dreaming my life away~

I used to have very vivid dreams when I was younger. Almost every night ... dreams that would stick in my mind for the rest of my day, week, month and even on into the years. I never put too much stock into them ... well, I wasn't a believer until a few years ago, so I don't suppose I would have picked up on any meaning anyways! I even tried to get rid of them at one point (with a dream catcher) because they were getting increasingly scary or disturbing, if I remember correctly. Well, as it happened, around the time I got saved was when I stopped dreaming ... at least I cannot recall any for the last 3 or so years. Especially since moving to Japan, I have had almost no dreams whatsoever. That is, of course, until now. Since getting to IHOP it appears that I cannot stop dreaming. I am still not sure what to make of them. Some are very obviously from God and some seem to be but I cannot figure out what they mean. Two of them in particular have me a bit confused because I have had virtually the same basic dream in both occasions but different reactions and things ... gah, it's hard to explain ... Well, I am praying for clarity and we'll see where this goes. I usually don't look for God to speak to me through my dreams, but if He is, I want to be ready and open to receive what He is saying!
More Lord! Let me hear your voice in new and wonderful way!

The Supernatural Ways of Royalty

This is an amazing book. I am only about halfway through reading it, but I would seriously recommend it to anyone looking for a closer relationship with God and a better understanding of who they are in Christ! It covers the poverty spirit, forgiveness, friendship with God and so much more! I really can't express how much I genuinely like this book and how much I feel I have learned from it already! If you are looking for something to read, and even if you aren't, you should definitely give this one a try!
SO GOOD!
YES!

It's kind of personal ...

So, I feel that I haven't been posting as much as I could be, and I'm sorry, but looking back over my journal I've realized that most of the last week+ has been personal revelation, stronghold breaking and God working IN me. Not exactly the best writing material (well, I guess that is debatable but it's not the best for ME). To share briefly, the last few weeks have been a lot about getting stuff out of me that doesn't belong ... not always the most fun process, but a necessary for sure! It's been hard, revealing and, most importantly, freeing! I hope I will have more to share in the future! Yay!

B-B-B-Blackout!

Okay, so the last few days have been a little tough with my cold, not sleeping well and a couple other factors, but today takes the cake for mishaps! As I was in the bathroom, everything suddenly started to go black and I knew it wouldn't be long before I totally lost consciousness ... unfortunately for me, I wasn't fast enough. I suddenly tipped over and smashed my face right onto the tile floor ... was so fuzzy I couldn't even think to put my hands out to catch myself! I landed smack on my mouth and right shoulder. I think the fall actually helped to keep me awake (cause of the pain) and I managed to figure out what was going on pretty quickly. I reached my hand to my mouth only to discover that my labret piercing as gone back through my lip splitting a part of my chin open (and was oozing blood), another piercing had secured itself in my skin and my lip was severely swollen and blood burst! I managed to get up, stick a tissue on my lip, gather my stuff and slink to my bedroom just in time to lay down (preventing me from blacking out again)!
I'm doing much better now ... still in a bit of pain, but no worse off than I normally am! It was an adventure, but not one I'd like to be repeating soon!


Sorry about the up the nose shot on the first pic, but it was the only way to get the full effect! =/

Touched

This last Friday I was able to go out and enjoy some juice with a Japanese friend I met here at IHOP. It was fun to sit and talk and hang out. Later, we went to the Encounter God Service and as I have a cold, asked her to pray for me. As it turns out, Wes had just called out migraines as a prayer focus and so the lady I live with and her friend came to pray over me for that. As they were praying, I felt completely light, as if I wasn't even sitting on the seat anymore. I felt something in my head as well, but am not sure what it was. I don't know if I got healed or not, but the Holy Spirit was definitely doing something!
After they left, my friend asked me if there was anything I was struggling with that I got in Japan - not necessarily a sickness, but any spirit or feeling. Nothing really came to mind, but she felt led to pray over me, break things off and ask forgiveness for her country for the things I had endured there and anything that was clinging to me! It was awesome! It really spoke to my heart. I have never had someone do that for me! In all honesty, I had never thought about things from Japan really attaching themselves to me ... people prayed about it before I left, but I didn't pay it much mind. Hearing her pray for me, thank me for going to her country and then apologize for ways that Japan could have influenced me negatively (plus calling out protection for the next time I go) was SO encouraging and incredible.
I am so grateful.
Thank you Papa for inspiring our hearts and how we pray!
I love this!

An exchange of hearts~

I got a picture the other day of a small, playful fox who, after looking at me, took a running leap and jumped right inside my chest to where my heart is. He looked at it and said "I love this heart" and proceeded to give my heart a huge hug. He then asked "can I consume it?" Not eat it or devour it, but consume it. He waited for a while then asked "well, can I?" I quietly answered yes and in one gulp, he swallowed it whole. Then, his chest began to pulse and his own heart came through. This he set in the place where mine used to dwell. It was dark red, filled with fire and burning coals. "Won't you die without it?" I inquired. "I have yours to sustain me," he replied, "It's worth the sacrifice just to have your heart! To exchange your heart with mine!" Later on, a slinky little weasel tried to get at my new heart but couldn't because it was too hot to touch.

It's a weird picture, but it really speaks to me about the work God wants to do in each of us. He loves our hearts! He delights in them! He wants to consume them, to have them all to Himself. He won't take it unless you let Him. He will wait until you are ready and willing to give it all to Him. When we decided to give all that we have, our whole heart, to Him, He in turn gives us His own heart. It is different, it burns with a fire unlike that of our natural heart. It may be uncomfortable at times, heavier than we are used to, but the exchange is far more than worth it! Having the heart of God protects us from things that would try and enter where they are not wanted. God's heart is a treasure that He is offering for the simple price of our own. Are we willing to pay it?

Make us willing Papa!
Make us desirous of a total heart exchange!

...uh...random...

So, the other day was chock full of random. I couldn't escape it! First, I was in the prayer room and decided to make a run to the restroom. Whilst washing my hands, I observed a girl going from mirror to mirror looking intently at her reflection. Suddenly she turned to me and said "my eyes are lighter ... they like, have light in them or something!" "Oh really?" I said ... I had never met this girl before so I wouldn't have know one way or the other if they were any different than before! "They're different," she said as she proceeded to stick her face an inch away from mine and stare into my eyes so I could see the evidence for myself. Not being too terribly comfortable with the situation, I managed a disbelieving "are they?" "Yes," she confirmed as she finally backed away and out the door. When I told the lady I am staying with about it later, all she had to say was "well, we do attract some crazy ones here." Hahaha!
After that, I waited for my friend to come pick me up and while sitting there, had an interesting conversation with an old lady. She was very sweet, but like to keep a running commentary on the people going in and out of the building. She also is not fond of people who wear jackets when their kids don't have one and Arab people taking over buildings in London, so she said. She was constantly asking if I was cold and had anything warmer at home and if I had a ride. I'm pretty sure she would have driven me home and gotten me a coat on the way if I didn't have them already!
Lastly, I was sitting in on the student chapel ... just chilling in the back on the bleachers getting prayer and this guy comes up to me and asked "are you from Japan?" So I told him yes I was and he informed me that we had met over there when he came before and was wondering if I remembered him. Of course, I said I did but it wasn't until a little while later that I actually figured out who he was. He thought it was "sweet" that I was here. I agree.

Japan team cometh!

So, for the past few weeks, I have been mostly only going between my house and the prayer room. Haven't really ventured out much more than that. It has been really good, but I was looking for a wee bit more people connection. This week I found out that there is a group that prays for Japan every Wednesday and that I was invited to join them! It was very exciting and encouraging to meet with them and pray for Japan together! It is so humbling to meet people whose prayers have made the way for my work in Japan. They have been interceding and crying out for this country long before it was even an idea to me - before I was even a believer! I feel SO honored to not only be called to Japan, and not only to have already gone, but to have been there for 2 years and to get to go back! Also at the meeting, I discovered that there is an IHOP team headed for Japan in less than a week! I had met some of them before, so it was fun to see them again and get to know the new people as well. I attended a sushi fund raiser for them and they prayed over me and encouraged me in my work in Japan. It was really really good! Today I am going to their last team meeting and sharing with them about being American in Japan - the cultural dos and don'ts! I am really glad that I can be a blessing to them, even in this small way! I am so thankful that I have gotten to meet them before I go! It truly was a divine appointment! Thank you Papa!