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| It's a happy day today. It was thunderstorming this morning (even though the sun is back now). Yesterday too Tami and I got to spend the entire evening with my grandparents Masters. We visited the nursing home where my grandmother is living now and sat with her and my grandpa during dinner. Then we went to her room and sat and talked for about an hour! They are so amazing! I love them! Grandpa had brought a CD of famous marching tunes (Grandma always loved the old marches) and we listened to that as we talked. Grandma had a stroke back in March, and so sometimes it's hard for her to speak what she's thinking, but her rhythm was still right on as she clapped and tapped her foot. We talked about everything from family to weather to how they first met, to memorizing and quoting the Bible! They were so sweet, loving each other, teasing each other. At one point an old love song came on.. something about "Summertime" and Grandma started singing it out of nowhere! Grandpa joined her and helped her with some of the words she couldn't form. Tami and I just sat there reveling in the moment and tearing up at the sweetness! When she was ready for bed, Grandpa was even helping the nursing staff by making her bed for her and getting it all ready. After she laid down and we were saying goodbye and good night, Grandpa leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. As he was getting up she puckered up her lips to get a kiss on the lips too, and of course he obliged! I'm telling you this put The Notebook to shame! :D
Then after she went to bed we went to Cracker Barrel with my Grandpa and spent even more time talking. So much history and wisdom and just wonderful love for people and God shines through in his life!
I pray with all my heart that I will be that way someday!
Now for the sad part... which doesn't seem as sad now that I've been remembering the really important things in life. Bennigan's parent company has gone out of business! The only restaurants that will remain are the ones that are franchised. It's a very sad happening. They truly had the best french fries in the world.
http://www.bnet.com/2407-13071_23-213076.html?tag=content;col1
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| Well, things are moving forward for us. We're still working on locations and dates for the wedding, but we're trying to take the time we need, and enjoy the journey. That's what everyone has counseled us to do.
It's been such an awesomely happy time though! I loves me some Tami! :D
On a more non-personal note I read this today from Mike Huckabee, and thought it was an amazingly good point worth sharing:
Mike Huckabee wrote:My
speech to the Foreign Correspondents Club a few days ago seemed to have
generated some buzz both here and back home when I mentioned that it
would be a “fundamental if not fatal mistake for the GOP to demonize
Barak Obama” in order to win the election. Some seem to have taken that
to mean I was all but endorsing Obama! Quite the opposite.
I
believe his ideas are totally wrong for America and many of his plans
would take us the opposite direction from where I think we need to go.
He is an ardent supporter for the most liberal and indefensible
positions on abortion, including his refusal to support a ban on the
most vile forms of all, partial birth abortion. He has stated that he
would be an activist in seeking to push for what the anti-life forces
euphemistically call “reproductive rights.”
His plan to raise
taxes would be an economic disaster for our nation. We would lose jobs
and investment and see the economy really squeeze the working class
with even higher fuel and food prices.
He would implement more
government control on everything from health care to small business and
that’s not the right direction for us.
What I am saying is that
we need to challenge Obama on the basis that his ideas are the wrong
ones—not attacking him personally. If people spend their time repeating
a bunch of internet driven drivel about his middle name (he didn’t
choose his anymore than I chose mine), or his race (I do sincerely
celebrate that our country has moved to a place where a person’s race
doesn’t limit him from aspiring to the highest office in our land, but
I just believe that due to his proposals and lack of substantive
experience, he’s gone far enough—not because of his race, but because
of his sincere, but misguided proposals), or his church (there are far
more important reasons for us to elect Senator McCain than where Obama
went to church).
Politics ought to be VERTICAL and Obama’s ideas
will not take this country UP, but DOWN. I think he is a sincere and
obviously a very intelligent and charismatic person. For us to deny
that is foolish. Our focus should be to logically and systematically
explain why ideas really do matter and why some are bad for those
struggling as it is to pay the rent.
Elections ought to be about
elevating the best ideas and exposing the worst ones—not engaging in
character assassination with half truths, innuendoes, and disputable
“internet facts.”
In addition, focusing on crap like that makes Republicans seem shallower than it should, and (I believe) than they are.
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| Well, the remainder of the conference was phenomenal!
Saturday morning we broke up into side tracks. Tami and I went to a specialization in prophecy. It was some good down to earth teaching on what the prophetic is (encouragement, exhortation and comfort) and then actual practical training on learning to listen to the Spirit and discern direction and promptings. Then we attended one on words of knowledge which was a little more just testifying, but very encouraging about how God can move.
Then in the afternoon they broke us up and sent us out to various malls and stores to talk to people. They taught us to pray and ask God for a word of knowledge on who to look for and talk to. We did, but we never saw anyone who fit our descriptions. Well, I might have, but I couldn't catch them to talk to them. We talked to a few people, and prayed for one little girl's broken arm. Tami actually did most of the praying. I was just there for agreement and moral support. :D
Other groups had more success stories, and I really do believe that this kind of living is real and we can learn to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in our every-day lives. I'm hungry to see signs and wonders in the market place. I want to see and be a part of that!
Saturday night we got to hear from Cindy Jacobs who was extremely motivating and encouraging. She was releasing a prophetic word and anointing over the next generation of student volunteer missionaries! It was a strong night of impartation.
Sunday morning the pastor at Shady Grove gave them the service too. It was not their usual method of operation to have a meeting on Sunday morning, but it was good anyway. Banning Liebscher, who heads up the Jesus Culture events spoke an awesome word about aligning Moses' Rod (symbolic of the older generation with authority and wisdom) and Joshua's Sword (symbolic of the younger generation with zeal and power). It was a strong caution to young people to honor their spiritual fathers and mothers in revival. Not to allow rebellion or an independent spirit to take hold and cause division. He had a quote from Lou Engel saying that the seeds that killed the Jesus movement in the 60's and 70's were found in strife between the generations.
It's sad, and a strong warning for the future. I appreciated the balance because that attitude is a dangerous one that needs to be curbed!
It was an exciting weekend and I'm hungry for more of God in my life every day!
P.S. I almost forgot to cover Friday night!!
Bill Johnson spoke again. Repeating some of what was said on Thursday night to the much larger Friday night crowd. He also began flowing in words of knowledge regarding healing and we saw over 200 people with pain or sickness in their bodies that were completely healed that night!!!! It was amazing!! We serve an awesome God and He longs to be awesome in and through us!
It's the same message preached: In You Now Through You, You've Got The Power!
Now you know.. and knowing is half the battle!
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| Maybe I'll do a multi-part blog about what happens this weekend at Jesus Culture...
Last night was a preliminary meeting with Pastor Bill Johnson from Bethel church in Redding, CA.
It was amazing! The worship was... unique, but anointed. Just took a while for me to get into it. It wasn't the Jesus Culture band. There was some time of prayer as the worship continued. I prayed for Tami and there was an awesome presence of God on it. It felt like my hands started burning, like a friction heat. I was praying for saturation in the oil and not 5 minutes later Banning (the leader of the Jesus Culture conferences) began praying the same thing! I love being in tune with the Spirit like that! It's thrilling!!
Then Bill got up and began to just share from his heart. He gave testimonies about healings from Bethel. Talked about how their desire is to see these happen around the world. But most interestingly, he began to talk about how the goal and the purpose should never be the signs and wonders, but the glory of God. His manifested presence. He showed how miracles bring the glory of God, and the glory brings miracles with it.
Another interesting comment he said was that it is possible to be Biblically accurate, but not Spiritually correct. He pointed out Paul attempting to go into Asia in Acts where the Spirit forbade him. He was obeying the Scriptural command to go into all the world, but that was subject to being lead by the Holy Spirit.
This is a concept that I have been considering lately. Jesus said he didn't do anything unless he saw His Father do it first. Bill said, "I don't want to be praying for healings when the Holy Spirit wants to prophesy, and I don't want to be prophesying when the Spirit wants to heal."
I think the only thing we must be careful of, is that we stay alert for opportunities to be used by the Spirit. Too often we use the cop out that "the Spirit didn't lead me" to defend the fact that we just aren't aware of the Spirit in our everyday lives. I know that's been the case for me in the past anyway. I pray that this changes! God's given us the power, and the greatest power lies in immediate obedience to the leadings of the Spirit!
To Be Continued...
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