Setting the Stage

So I'm setting the stage for my glorious God
Getting all eyes ready
Getting hearts ready
I'm not the star of this show
But the star is on the way
Are you ready?
It's going to be so good
When He shows up
You'll be amazed
Delighted
and filled with wonder
Oh His beauty will overwhelm you
The joy He brings will bubble up and overflow
You will tickle all over with laughter
Your heart will be filled
bursting with hope
Oh it will be so good
Are you ready?
I'm setting the stage for the Glorious One
He's getting ready to appear
I know you're getting antsy
Everyone stay in your seats
You don't want to miss this
He's coming soon
he's getting ready to open up the windows of Heaven
His vast treasure store
He's getting ready to rescue
To provide
To comfort
To solve unsolvable problems
To break the unbreakable
To answer the cries
of the helpless
of the hopeless
of the desperate
of the heartbroken
of the forgotten
of those held captive
You see all these challenges set the stage
Are you ready?
He's coming
Don't miss out on this
Sit on the edge of your seat
with eager expectation
He's getting ready to appear
I'm just one of His servants
preparing the way
for His coming
Get ready
Are you excited yet?
Are you like a little kid on christmas morning?
Unable to sleep because you know something good is coming?

I am.

He's coming
soon!

My New King

I've been rescued from the Kingdom of Darkness
I now pledge my allegiance to a new King.
A Righteous, Holy, perfect and loving King
A King that brings only good
A King that is generous and kind.

The old king was a tyrant.

The old king hated me
The old king lorded his power over me
oppressed me
belittled me
and used fear to keep me submissive and weak.
He does this to all of his citizens.
He is a liar.
He made big and bold promises in order to trap me, but once I surrendered myself to him, he immediately accused me,
bringing guilt and shame.
His rules brings hopelessness and despair.
It is a life that is no life.

It is death.

His citizens are the walking dead.
Empty
Lifeless
hopeless
pressed down under the extreme weight of his tyrannical rule.

But I've been set free!

And My new King loves me!
I'm free!

I've been given life that is full
complete
satisfying
I've been given hope that does not disappoint.
I've been given love that is free,
flowing
and abundant.

I've been given  power--
an All-surpassing power
to rule with the King.

I've been given an extravagent supply of gifts with the promise of more,
with NO END in sight.
His gifts are FAR BEYOND my capacity to imagine or understand

He gives and gives and gives.

Every word that comes out of His mouth is true.
I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again
He loves me,
And He is my friend.
I trust this King,
and I gladly and willingly give my life to serve Him.
For serving Him brings utter joy
and the deepest satisfaction
I am satisfied in ways I never even imagined.

It is so good!!!!!!!!

Take More Risks

Take some risks in 2013.  Risk looking like a fool to love someone.  Risk sharing your heart.  Risk being misunderstood and rejected.  Risk failing as you do something BIG!  Risk making a mistake as you seek to listen and obey the voice of God.  Risk being wrong as you speak words of life to the spiritually dead.  Risk being couregous as you face your fears.  Hold nothing back.  Give EVERYTHING--EVERTHING, in order to serve our Majestic and loving King--Jesus.

Will you take more risks in 2013?

40 Days of Discovery - Day 37

I'd like to share a few quotes from "Come Away My Beloved" that blessed me today.

I am aware of your needs and will provide in abundance, but it is for my glory and honor and I will  have praise.  You will tread lightly and not allow your feet to be ensnared in the net of undue concern for the things about you.  They are mine, just as all things are mine and you are mine and I am more interested in you than in things.  Likewise, I want you occupied with Me rather than my gifts.  You will be my mouthpiece in places where there are no other voices to be heard.

You will magnify my name in a dark corner.

You will not allow your foot to be bogged down in the mire of earthly cares and riches.

Thank you Lord for speaking so clearly to your people.

40 Days of Discovery- Day 22

I read two different books, totally unrelated, that talked about learning to reign with Christ.  I believe God's people have FAR more power than we realize.  We were intended to do more than we realize.  I'm convinced of that!  We were meant to do GREAT--even impossible things.  (Things that are humanly impossible.)  We must not take God's mission, and diminish it to something manageable for us to accomplish with out Divine intervention.  Instead of us doing things that require us to depend on God, we tend to set our aims lower.  I know I do.

God's people, like Israel, are meant to advance the Kingdom of God in every segment of society.   We must defeat the enemy that is already there.  We overcome him by the blood of the lamb, and the word of our testimony of Jesus Christ.  We must not make alliances with him.  We must not compromise.  If we do, the enemy will take back the land that we have taken.  And before you know it, we'll be worshipping him, and living under his oppressive reign. God's people are to rescue people from his evil grips.  We rule in righteousness.

We are meant to rule.  NOW!

We cannot do this great work of God if we are weighted down with sin, insecurity about who we are, distracted, or pursuing lesser things.   I must go into battle with no worries!  This battle is too serious to be distracted by financial worries.  It 's too important for us to be distracted by accumulating "stuff".  He wants us focused on the work. 

God's word to me:  "Get busy doing the work of the Kingdom.  I'll take care of all of your needs.  I know your needs.  Get rid of EVERYTHING that hinders you from doing the work of the kingdom. EVERYTHING.  I'd rather you lose an arm, than miss the Kingdom.  This is serious business!  I want you to live in this glorious Kingdom, enjoying all of the benefits of it, but I also want this Kingdom continually expanding.  I care about those poor harassed sheep that aren't in the Kingdom yet.  I have compassion for them.  I want none to perish apart from me."

So the question is:
What is our allotment?  Where has God placed us?  Honestly, we're primarily around other Christians. Yes, we have our community. Lord, show us how we can expand your kingdom in this community.  Show us how to join with others in our community to make your Name known.  We also have passions.  We love to create.  Ed wants to write and perform his music.  He loves connecting with other musicians.  I love being around creative people.  I'm looking into some possibilities for advancing the Kingdom in Austin's music scene.

Teach us how to live as royalty.  Teach us how to rule.  May your kingdom advance, and may your plans be accomplished on earth as it done in Heaven. Amen.

40 Days of Discovery - Day 21

Did lots of creative writing this morning.  I'll post some of it in another posting.

This morning my pastor said something that simply spoke to my heart:

It is God's desire that we would live in the present world like we will live in the world to come. 

You might have to ponder and pray over  that for a while. 

I was confronted again with my "poverty mentality".  Oh how I want to live like a daughter of the King.  Because I AM the daughter of THE KING!  Holy Spirit, teach me how to live in this truth.  Help me to believe.

40 Days of Discovery- Day 19

   Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

If God is able to do immeasurable more than I ask (exceedingly, abundantly more!), why do I ask so little of Him?  My sights are too often too low.

Father help me to ask you for greater things--higher things--those things which fulfill your immense plans and purposes for our lives.  Help me to trust you more.  More than I ever have.  Let me rest soundly in your loving care.  Help me to have full confidence that YOU WILL TAKE care of us--of every need.  Help me Lord. Help me.

Just recently, the Holy Spirit has given me a special gift.  His gifts are amazing, and often surprising.  They are given when we least expect them, and I've decided to receive every gift He wants to give me.  I know I cannot manipulate Him into giving me gifts.  I am absolutely in awe, that my Lord loves me so much as to give me another gift.  He's blessed me so lavishly already.  I have so, so much, and here He comes with arm full of gifts again.  Let me tell you, I'm like a kid on Christmas morning.  I'm so enjoying His gifts to me.  Each one is so perfect for me, so special, so beautiful...  Jesus, thank you for making it possible for me to be in the family of God.  Thank you for sending me your Spirit, and thank you for ALL of the gifts.  Amen. and Amen.

Oh by the way, just in case your wondering...

I've been given the gift of a greater sense of God's presence and power.  I can literally feel His presence--physically.  I've also been given the gift of tongues.  I feel like a two year old trying to talk, and I guess I am.  This is all so new and unexpected.  So unexpected.

40 Days of Discovery- Day 16

Just a couple of things to share today:

I was praying with my friend Sue Cleaver recently.  She said something that was so profound, and it made me smile Big Time!  She said that if God dumped everything he had on a person, God would turn around and find that He still has EVERYTHING.  I love that!  God can give extravagantly, abundantly, lavishly and His supply is never diminished one bit!  And He is my Father.

I truly want to live knowing that I'm the beloved child of the King of the Universe, of El Shaddai-- the one who is the inexhaustible supply of every good and perfect gift.  He says that he withholds no good thing from us.  NO GOOD THING!  He also promises to provide ALL of our need from HIS GLORIOUS RICHES in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19), not my assets.  Praise God for that!

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

So when there is a need, there's no need to worry, to get frustrated, or to try to figure out how we're going to take care of our own need.  We can live like Jesus lived.  He never worried about how he would eat, where he would sleep, or even how to pay His taxes.  He was confident that His Father knew His needs and would take care of every single need.  The only time I ever read of Jesus being hungry was when he was fasting--intentionally.  And scripture never says that Jesus had a job!  We always read him eating at someone's house, or staying at someone's house.  He even commissioned his followers to do the same.

Luke 10: 4- 7 ] Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.  LK 10:5 "When you enter a house, first say, `Peace to this house.' [6] If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. [7] Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

Later Jesus gives them permission to save, and carry what they needed.  By that time, His disciples understood the lesson that Jesus was teaching them.  Our Heavenly Father will take perfect care of you, and meet EVERY SINGLE NEED from His supply, not ours.  

  LK 22:35 Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?"
    "Nothing," they answered.
LK 22:36 He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.

He supplies our through jobs, savings, friends, families, strangers--through a myriad of means.  God is creative and He often surprises us with His means of provision.

My oldest daughter needs braces.  After a consultation yesterday, I realized that braces are about $4000--and that's with insurance.  That's definitely NOT in our budget!  Our income can't support the monthly payments either. So what do we do?  Well, I'll tell you my normal response.  Frustration. Hopelessness. Or dismiss this need as a luxury and go without.  God is teaching me how to respond as His child.  We're bringing this need to the Father who has amply resources to take care of this need.  Does that mean that I'm not being a good steward of what He's given us?  No.  But we're not perfect either.  It means that we ask, and wait for His provision.  I'm looking for His answer, and trying not to be closed minded about His ways of providing.  But I'm NOT taking matters into my own hands.  I'm not using credit or putting our family in some financial bind, because I'm trying to meet a need with the resources we can SEE.  And I'm not trying to make His provision come at MY TIME.  He is all-wise, and He knows when the time is right.

I'll just wait for Him.

40 Days of Discovery- Day 8

 I was doing some research today on freegans.  I love the idea of people using the excess food that stores and restaurants throw away and living off of it.  It breaks my heart when I consider that we throw away of 50% of the food we produce.  That is maddening!  How could we be so frivilous, when so much of the world is dying of hunger.  A child dies every 5 seconds from hunger.  5 seconds.  And we're throwing food, good food in the trash.  Yes, I throw food away too.  And it sickens me.  Lord forgive us for living so selfishly, and carelessly, for thinking that we are entitled to live so lavishly.  How many times have I complained because I don't like what I'm eating?  Too many.  Praise God I have food.  My mom told me stories about her actually not having food to eat.  One time she said they licked salt for dinner, because they had nothing else.  Another time they ate garlic.  There was even a time when there was no water in the well.  So my grandmother, (We call her Madea), sat on the porch and prayed, and God sent rain.  They ran inside to get buckets to catch their water. 

Americans don't seem to need God like that anymore.

Ok, so I was doing some research on freegans and came across an interesting site:  www.thestoryofstuff.com  My daughter and I watch the movie they produced called, "The Story of Stuff".  It is quite enlightening.  Much of it I already knew from reading"Confessions of an Eco-sinner".  Something like that.  But I did discover an interesting quote that I'd like to share.  It was an excerpt of an article written in 1955 by Victor Lebow, a Marketing Consultant,  for  the Spring 1955 issue of the Journal of Retailing.  I found the entire article online at: http://hundredgoals.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/journal-of-retailing.pdf

The article

Here's an excerpt of the article.  It's quite eyeopening! Remember this was written in a journal for retailers.

"The Real Meaning of Consumer Demand
Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfactions, our ego satisfactions, in consumption. The measure of social status, of social acceptance, of prestige, is now to be found in our consumptive patterns. The very meaning and significance of our lives today expressed in consumptive terms. The greater the pressures upon the individual to conform to safe and accepted social standards, the more does he tend to express his aspirations and his individuality in terms of what he wears, drives, eats- his home, his car, his pattern of food serving, his hobbies.
These commodities and services must be offered to the consumer with a special urgency. We require not only “forced draft” consumption, but “expensive” consumption as well. We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced, and discarded at an ever increasing pace. We need to have people eat,drink, dress, ride, live, with ever more complicated and, therefore, constantly more expensive consumption. The home power tools and the whole “do-it-yourself” movement are excellent examples of “expensive” consumption.
What becomes clear is that from the larger viewpoint of our economy, the total effect of all the advertising and promotion and selling is to create and maintain the multiplicity and intensity of wants that are the spur to the standard of living in the United States..."


"Strong Influence of Television
Probably the most powerful weapon of the dominant producers lies in their use of television. To a greater degree than ever before a relative handful of products will share a monopoly of most of the leisure time of the American family. We will have over 30 million television households next year. And television achieves three results to an extent no other advertising medium has ever approached. First, it creates a captive audience. Second, it submits that audience to the most intensive indoctrination. Third, it operates on the entire family."

What do you think?  Have we been duped?

God help us!  We're enslaved and we don't even know it.

40 Days of Discovery- Day 6

God is extremely generous!He gives willingly, but He only gives good and perfect gifts.

He's the perfect Father!  The Father gives good gifts to all who ask him.  He will NEVER give us something bad.  NEVER!

Let us do the same to others by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Intoxicate me with your Spirit so that I may move, speak, and think under His influence.

Some Things Take Time

 

I originally wrote this the day before thanksgiving.

It's the day before thanksgiving and I have begun my cooking marathon.  By the time we sit down to our meal tomorrow, I will have baked potatoes, a turkey, rolls and cornbread dressing.  I will have slowly simmered a turkey back in order to release the flavors and nutrients, creating a full-bodied broth.  I will have chilled my pie crust dough, homemade cranberry sauce, and a homemade dressing. Chilling helps everything to gel, and gives the various flavors time to marry.  I will have soaked my turkey overnight in a brine (water filled with seasoning).  The result will be a flavorful moist turkey.  (It was quite yummy) 

As I sit here listening to my pots bubble on the stove, I was thinking of how it takes time to create a great meal.  A once a year meal!  I can't do this regularly.  But I was thinking that in order for us to have a great meal for our souls, it takes time.  Often, I want my time with God to be quick, microwaved, or stir-fried and quickly consumed so that I can get back to life.  So many needs are calling.  Then I wonder why I'm not fully satisfied.

If I want to get past the surface level of understanding of scripture, I must be willing to pay a price.  It takes time to go deep, to find treasures the lay hidden deep below the surface.  I must be willing to think deeply, to ponder, taking my time, letting the Spirit of God take His word into my inner most parts.  Letting it marinate.  I'm learning the blessing of allowing God's word go down deep , to my very bones.  I want His truth to be the air that I breathe.  I want His thoughts to be my thoughts.

This takes time.

It takes early mornings or late nights so that I won't be interrupted.  Sometimes it means sneaking away from the hustle and bustle of my household.  It means chores go undone, e-mails go unanswered and phone calls don't get made.    But, you see, I must sit at the feet of Jesus, allowing Him to fill me to the fullest measure with Himself.  And that, my friend, takes time.

May you deeply ponder His majesty and grace in your life.  And may your lips be filled with praises for His generous gifts to you.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the season, don't miss out on God's greatest gift to us--His presence.  

O come, O come Emmanuel into our hearts.  Change us forever. Fill us with the life that is truly life.  Loosen our hand's grip on earthly things so that we may grasp the hem of your garment, and be made whole.  Amen.

  Merry Christmas!

What's on Your Mind?

We've been reading Ninety Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper.  As we read today, the Holy Spirit gave us a very practical illustration of a truth that He continues to sear into the core of my being.  We become what we continually think about.  Don talks about a man who became blind.  That blind man was bitter, and angry because of all the things he couldn't do anymore.  But that man had a friend who challenged him to make a list of all the things he could do.  So the man did it--reluctantly.  It completely transformed the man! Suddenly, the man realized that there were thousands of things he could do, and he resolved to spend the rest of his life doing those things.  He moved from bitterness, to thankfulness.

We, too, can transcend the problems and imperfections of this earth, by focusing our minds on Heavenly things, by choosing to dwell on the blessings which flow out of Heaven's gates to earth, by keeping our eyes gazing upward, seeing glimpses of Heavenly treasures, and enjoying the pleasure, beauty and rest that we find in God Himself.  Out of Him flows every good thing.    Praising this magnificent King and thanking Him for His lavish gifts brings us to His gates, allowing us to enter His courts.

Simply stated, praise God and thank Him for everything in your life, good, and bad, small and large.  If we do not do this small thing, we cannot expect to enjoy the delights of His very presence.

There will always be a hundred million things that we don't have in this life.  There will be pain, suffering, and disappointments, but we have the opportunity to choose how we will respond.  Aren't you thankful that we can choose?  I tell my children all of the time, "You choose your attitude."  And aren't you glad that when we choose thankfulness and praise, that we are blessed with sweet heavenly treasures that transcend all human understanding?

I challenge you.  Get out a sheet of paper.  Make a list of everything that you are thankful for--small and large. Nothing is insignificant.   Fill up the front.  Turn over to the back and fill up the back side.  List every positive quality in that person that gets on your last nerve.  As you fill up the paper with your thanks, God will fill up the treasure chest of your heart with peace, contentment, joy and confidence in this God who loves you so dearly.  As my youngest son said to me after completing this activity, "You feel rich!"  It's a promise directly from the Heavenly Throne.

And when you realize how much you've been blessed, you'll want to bless others with the gifts you've received.

Phil 4: 6-9 [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

    PHP 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. [9] Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

As our gift to our friends, and family, we're presenting "The 12 Days of Christmas".  Instead Leaping Ladies, or turtle doves we're giving you songs from the Baptiste family.  We're off to a great start and I'd like to invite all of my blog followers to join us.

Go to:  http://www.youtube.com/user/aleciabaptiste?feature=mhee

I hope you enjoy the songs.  Please feel free to invite friends, and family as you enjoy the festivities.

I pray that your Christmas season is saturated with the presence of Emmanuel.

Merry Christmas!

Day Retreat

My husband and I have begun to make it a tradition to have a "day retreat" right before school starts in August in order to refresh ourselves and to have time alone with God.  I cannot begin to describe the many blessings that we receive from this one day.  God always has such wonderful gifts in store for us.  He's such a  personal God, and He loves special time alone with each of His children. Not only does He want us to hear His voice, he wants us to simply enjoy Him.  He wants us to rest in His presence.

I'd like to share some of the sights that I was able to enjoy on my day retreat.  These are photos I took at Mayfield park in Austin Texas.  It's the perfect place for a day retreat.

Perhaps you'll inspired to have your own "Day Retreat".

Enjoying a Feast in the Midst of life's Difficulties

The journey to the higher places (the  place where we enjoy greater intimacy with the Father) often leads us face-to-face with our greatest fears.  As we experience His protection in these difficult places we learn, that our shepherd doesn't need to remove our enemies (or problems)  in order for us to be secure.  We can enjoy  perfect peace, security and abundance because the Good Shepherd is near.  We can enjoy the feast prepared for us by our Great God, while our enemies look on with utter contempt.  What sweet victory that is!

I've witnessed this with my own eyes.  I've had the blessed opportunity to meet a new friend this past weekend--Linda Giebelhaus.  She's experienced several devastating blows in her life:  losing her wealth, colon cancer (and overcoming it) and now terminal cancer.  According to the doctor, she has about 30 days to live, but you'd never know it if you're around her.  You'd think they've given her 30 years!  She is enjoying the magnificent feast that the Good Shepherd has prepared before her, relishing every choice morsel of her life.  She speaks of the love of the Shepherd and how He daily satisfies her and provides abundantly for her needs.  She is such a delight to be around!  I just love her!  She is one who dances before the Lord.  She truly LOVES the Shepherd.

Please join me in praying that our Heavenly Father would completely heal her and give her many more years to proclaim His goodness here on earth.  If you'd like to follow her journey, see:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/Lindagiebelhaus

 
May each of us proclaim along with the Psalmist and  Linda:

PS 46:1 God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.

  PS 46:2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

  PS 46:3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.
        Selah

Collaboration

   
I was recently blessed with the opportunity to collaborate with some wonderful artists on some art projects.  I've never done anything like this before.  When Kathy first asked me about being a part of the collaboration, I was excited and honored that she would ask me.  But as the time approached for us to begin the collaboration, I began to get nervous.  This was totally out of my comfort zone!  I didn't know what to expect.  There was no plan.  And I had no control over what would happen. I had to trust that God had a plan.
     The first day we met, I remember the anxiety I felt.  I was like, "I'm here.  Now what?"  We prayed.  And God did a marvelous work through us.  We brought our scraps, and leftover pieces and over the course of a month, we're created 6 beautiful works of art.  I'm amazed!  Each piece is so different.  We each contributed in some way, to each piece.  And each person's contribution was absolutely vital to creating that final product.

Interestingly, we are each very different.  We come from different ethinic and cultural backgrounds.  We each work in different mediums.  Our styles are very different.  Even our methods of creating art are different.  But you wouldn't believe how much harmony we've had.  The Spirit of God has worked through each of us enabling us to work with oneness of mind.  We committed ourselves to be servants, listening to the Spirit and being sensitive to the ways that He was moving.

     Did we agree at every moment?  No.  But we always came to an agreement in a peaceful manner.  Sometimes it took time to hear what the Spirit was saying.

     I can honestly say that I could never have created anything like these pieces alone.  Now it almost feels strange working alone in my studio on my personal pieces.  I miss that interaction and feedback.

It's been fun!  And I've learned so much and grown through the process.

I have been given a small glimpse of what God wants to do in His people on a larger scale.  He wants us working together, each bringing our little bit to the table in order to create a Great Feast.  We can't do it alone.  We must be willing to give...and receive.   And in the process each of us will be changed.  Paul says in Ephesians that we become more whole, for you supply what is lacking in me, and I in you.   The church becomes a fuller expression of the Magnificient Glorious Infiinite God.  The knowledge of His glory becomes more complete and more fully displayed.  How exciting!

We need each other.  God wants to use us working together to do something beautiful for Him.

Let's collaborate.