The meaning of this word has changed during my lifetime. 

When I was in highschool, a time out was something my coach had me  signal for at a critical point in the basketball game.

As I was raising my kids, a new meaning began to emerge.  A “time out” became known as a period of enforced isolation which resulted from inappropriate behavior. 

It took a while, but eventually my children knew exactly what was expected of them when those words were spoken to them.

This week I’m taking an extended vacation for the first time since taking over my new job.  I just sent my husband off to work and right now the rest of the family is still sleeping in.  As I’m enjoying the early morning peace and quiet, those two words echo through my mind. . . TIME OUT !

Is that my own heart crying out for a short repreive from this game of life; or is that My Heavenly Daddy sending me off to my corner?

Actually, I think it’s a little of both.

I know there are some things that God has been wanting me to do - there are also some things that God has been wanting me to change.  The problem is, it can be very difficult to fully understand what “the coach” is asking you to do when the game has been extremely fast paced and you’re really tired. . .  maybe that’s why those two words have echoed through my mind this morning. . .

I’m looking forward to some time on “the bench” so that I can not only catch my breath; but pull up my socks, straighten out my uniform, tie my shoe laces and drink in some of that refreshing “water of life”.

Sometimes it’s nice to just snuggle up next to the coach and gain a fresh perspective on the game.

Maybe a “time out” isn ‘t such a bad thing after all. . .

On September 23, 2008 I was blessed with a beautiful granddaughter named Natalee Ann.

My daughter amazed me in the midst of it all. She was only 16, and labor was long and intense. Natalee weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs 9 oz but Heather managed as well as I had with my first baby (and I was 29 when Heather was born).

Then on September 25, 2008, I moved into a new position at work. I became the Team Leader of Volunteers and Emergency Disaster Services for The Salvation Army here in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

I had wrestled with God about this job change.

When it was first offered to me AND I found out when the transition would be taking place, I declined the offer. I really wanted the job, but was afraid I would end up hurting myself and/or my family if I attempted it. . .

Heather would be recovering from delivery and adjusting to life as a new mom. I would be adding a newborn to my household and taking on some of those early morning bottle feedings until Heather was strong enough to manage on her own. Add to that the fact that my new department was going to need a HUGE amount of TLC to get it running smoothly and efficiently before all of our Christmas outreaches would need to be staffed with volunteers. And to top it all off I would also need to train and coach my replacement in the food warehouse. I knew my limitations, and this was just too much to handle all at once.

But God had different ideas - the Holy Spirit kept reminding me about Esther who had been “created for such a time as this”. . . and Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. . . Jesus begged His Father to “let this cup pass” but in the end, Jesus realized that this was His Father’s will for Him and submitted.

Now NOTHING can compare with the sacrifices that Jesus made 1) to become a human being, 2) to bear the weight of all the sins of humanity (past, present and future) and 3) to endure the pain of the crucifixion.

But in my own insignificant way, I began to realize that this new job was my Father’s will for me, and that I too was being asked to submit my will to His. I had to be willing to adjust my calendar to His.

I had hopes of prayerfully building a team of “city-reachers”and bringing them with me to Minneapolis in October. I have no doubt that this is still part of God’s plan - I just have to trust Him to build IT in HIS time and in HIS way.

“My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” -Isaiah 55:8 (NLT)

In that case, I think submission is the best decision - don’t you?

Lately the Lord’s been asking me to make some changes to my daily routine.

I know what He wants me to start doing - I’ve even written it down; but there are mornings when I just don’t want to roll out of bed and do what I know He wants me to do.

I’ve turned off the alarm clock, crawled back into my cozy bed and once again closed my sleepy eyes. Then it happens. . . I see five letters burning across the inside of my eyelids.

REPENT

He doesn’t blast me out of bed with a lightning bolt, but He does remind me that at that very moment in time I’m making a choice: To do it my way, or to do it His way.

This has happened several times already, and now the Holy Spirit is urging me to learn more about what this word REPENT means, and what it looks like in my day to day life.

So stay tuned. . . (if you dare).

I’m going to be sharing what I discover right here on HisKingdomReign.com

The evening began by giving some background information about events that had taken place at Wylie Park in 2001 and 2002 as part of the Jesus Day Celebrations.

Throughout scripture we read about places where God and His people have had very powerful encounters. They return to that same place to re-connect. (See Genesis 28:10-22 and Genesis 35:1-15 for one example)

This Tuesday I felt God calling us back to Shelter A.

Worship music for the evening was chosen from a “God, what do you want to hear us sing to you?” perspective.

I’ve not played songs from The Best of Jesus Day CD in a long time, and yet I sensed that these were songs that God was longing to hear once again.

After our opening prayer (the same opening prayer that was prayed at The Pavilion in 2001),we sang the first two songs.

Somewhere in the midst of the sharing time that followed, the wind died down, the sun broke through the clouds and the most awesome sight appeared:

It looked as if God had turned on a garden sprinkler on a bright spring day. The rain was falling straight down (an unusual sight in South Dakota where the wind seems to blow constantly) and the sunlight brought out the most glorious shades of green as we looked to the west. Then, as we looked to the east there was a rainbow!

It felt strongly as if this natural occurrence was no accident. . .

During the sharing time we summarized what has already been proclaimed over our city in song. We also pointed out all of the change that have occurred in the natural on Main Street since God asked us to give Him the heart of our city in 2002.

We also shared about the coordinated prayer walk in April of 2007. Christians in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland (our namesake) were prayer walking the center of their city at the exact same time we were prayer walking the original 16 block plat of our city.

We then sang a song about turning our hearts. The topic of repentance and turning our hearts was shared.

Several people shared about a couple that was ministering in Aberdeen this past April. One of the things that they shared was that Aberdeen has been so prayed over; and God is saying now that “It is done.” From this point forward we are to begin thanking and praising Him for what He is about to do.

It was also shared that a group of Aberdeen intercessors saw a dark cloud hanging over Aberdeen during their prayer time several years ago. They had recently seen those dark clouds beginning to break up. It felt as if what we saw happening in nature tonight and the information that had just been shared were confirmations of the message

It IS done

People are now hearing “Get ready.”

We then asked the question: “What if 2,000 or 3,000 or 5,000 people were ready to come to Christ tonight? Would we even know how to introduce them to Christ? Would we be equipped and ready to begin discipling that many people?

This reminded me of a movie I had seen called “The Harvest”. In it there was a scene where a row of combines were bringing in the harvest at a phenomenal rate. Trucks were standing by to unload the combines and preserve the harvest.

Later that week as I was pondering that scene in the film, I saw a very old, broken truck bed. The walls of the truck bed were very thin, weak, and not well connected to each other. I also noticed that the end gate was wide open.

Could it be that “the Church in the city of Aberdeen” is the truck God is going to use to bring in this harvest?

What kind of shape are we in?

A gentleman also spent some time sharing about a praise/worship/evangelistic event that God has been asking him to coordinate.

It’s called The Mustard Seed Gathering and will be taking place in Aberdeen on Tuesday, July 29, 2008. It will be held around the Melgaard Park Band Shell (on the corner of South Lloyd Street and 17th Ave SE) from 6 - 9 pm.

Some closing thoughts:

From the book Experiencing God” by Henry Blackaby and Claude V. King:

pg 68 & 69
Learn to ask questions of people who cross your path to find out what God is doing in their lives. For instance:

How can I pray for you?

What can I pray for you?

Do you want to talk?

What do you see as the greatest challenge in your life?

What is the most significant thing happening in your life right now?

Would you tell me what God is doing in your life?

What particular burden has God given you?

There are some things only God can do: When you see someone coming to Christ, asking about spiritual matters, coming to understand spiritual truth, experiencing conviction of sin, being convinced of the righteousness of Christ, being convinced of judgment, you can know that God is at work there.

Be ready to make whatever adjustments are required to join God in what He is doing.

pg 141-142
Waiting on God: You may think of waiting a a passive, inactive time. Waiting on the Lord is anything but inactive. While you wait on Him, you will be praying with a passion to know him, his purposes, his ways. You will be watching circumstances and asking God to interpret them by revealing to you His perspective. You will be sharing with other believers to find out what God is saying to them. As you wait on God, you will be very active in asking, seeking, and knocking. In waiting you are shifting the responsibility of the outcome to God - where it belongs.

Then, when God gives you specific guidance, He will do through you more in days and weeks than you could ever accomplish in years of labor. Waiting on Him is always worth the wait. His timing and His ways are always right.

Here’s another insight that I gained while traveling to Paradise ‘08.

I decided to invite my son to join me on my trip to Paradise ‘08.

I knew I would take this journey regardless of the decision he made, but I enjoyed his company and felt he was ready for an experience like this.

When I first mentioned the prospect of a trip to Kansas with me, he eagerly accepted my invitation.

As I began to explain that there would be no fireworks, no light shows, no T-shirts, his eagerness began to fade and he asked for some time to think about it.

As the driver, I continued to make preparations for the journey as I gave him time to decide.

I prepared the vehicle we would use to get there. I determined the route we would take and made arrangements for our sleeping accommodations. I had plenty of cash, my debit card, and even a credit card; so I was ready to meet any financial need that might arise.

But there came a point in time where he had to give me either a “YES” or a “NO”.

He told me he wasn’t good at praying out loud in a group. . . he didn’t think he could spend an hour in silence. . . but he REALLY wanted to spend time with me. . . so his answer was yes.

I felt God smiling as I watched my son wrestle with making his decision. “Like mother, like son!” was a phrase that popped into my head on more than one occasion.

I think at times we all struggle with the decision of whether or not to join God on His journey. We like Moses offer up reasons why we feel we’re less than qualified (especially once we realize that it won’t be all fun and games).

Are you so desperate to spend time with Him that it doesn’t matter if the entire trip takes you through unknown territory and unfamiliar experiences?

My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:8 NIV)

ONCE AGAIN, GOD DIDN’T DO WHAT I EXPECTED HIM TO DO. . .

I expected to have a flood of spiritual insights as I worshiped Him during a four hour sacred assembly in a field in the middle of Kansas.

Why was I surprised when He allowed me worship Him without “the distraction” of grabbing a pencil and paper in an attempt to capture another “gold nugget” of spiritual insight?

Most of the “aha” moments for me occurred on the journey down and back.

Here’s one of them. . .

The Paradise field had experienced flooding for 2 days prior to our leaving for Kansas. I had no idea what type of a situation we might find ourselves in.

I knew that a 4 wheel drive vehicle would insure that we could get to that field no matter what the weather; but it would be an expensive undertaking with a vehicle that only gets 16 miles per gallon.

I found it interesting (and frustrating) that I had to fight a head wind for nearly 10 hours before arriving at my destination.

While the wind was buffeting my vehicle I found God asking me how badly I wanted His kingdom to come and His will to be done in my life, in my family, in my city. Was I willing to press forward even when faced with opposition? Was I willing to absorb additional expense to insure that I would arrive at my destination no matter what?

Once again I found myself pondering the Parable of the 10 virgins.

I couldn’t help but smile when I checked the oil level in my Jeep.

We had burned 2 quarts of oil just getting to our destination !

Paradise ‘08 was a unique worship experience for me.

That’s quite a statement considering the journey I’ve been on for the past 40 some years. Raised in a liturgical tradition as a Roman Catholic, introduced to Christ on a Catholic retreat for teens, mentored in the scriptures at a small charismatic bible church, and now in The King’s service as a soldier in The Salvation Army.

It didn’t seem like 4 hours to me.

We listened as “The Father” spoke to us about His Son through the scriptures. We listened to the words of Jesus as He spoke about Himself, His Father and The Kingdom.

We declared and decreed the words of scripture as our voices joined in agreement.

We experienced different prayer postures as we knelt, stood and joined hands with those near by.

I’m thankful that the script from this 4 hour assembly is going to be made available. I’m looking forward to pondering over the scriptures and sharing some new songs with friends who weren’t able to attend.

I think the most interesting thing of all for me was the fact that God spoke more to me more while I was on the journey to and from Paradise ‘08 than He did while I was actually there.

Be watching for “Paradise Parables” over the next few weeks on HisKingdomReign.com.

For a great news story about Paradise ‘08, follow this link to Baptist Press .

I stared in shock at my desk calendar as I realized that The National Day of Prayer was less than 24 hours away!

How could it have crept up on me so fast?

I logged onto the NDOP website, hoping to find a listing for Aberdeen, SD. . . there was none.

I clicked on a video that I had found on their home page. It asked “What if?”

What if we refused to answer the call to prayer? What if we forgot the God of our fathers? What if we just didn’t care?

I felt like one of those five foolish virgins who had just run out of oil (see Matthew 25).

BUT WAS IT REALLY TOO LATE?

I called an intercessor friend of mine and asked him if we should do something.

He said “You tell me where and when and I’ll be there”.

That was all I needed to hear. We set the time and the place and started calling everyone we knew who had a heart for prayer and asked them to call everyone they knew who had a heart of prayer.

And guess what? The turn out this year was almost identical to last year’s!!!!

At 12:05 I announced:

This has been a test of the emergency prayer response network.

YOU HAVE PASSED YOUR TEST!”

Everyone chuckled. Then I shared this story with them:

It was September 12, 2001 - one day after the attack on The Twin Towers in New York City. I stopped by The Salvation Army to see if I could be of any help.

As I walked past an empty chapel, I saw a white board with several prayer requests written on it. As I stepped into the community room, I saw a room filled with people milling around. There were representatives from FEMA, The Red Cross, Local Law Enforcement and many other agencies in the city, and a phone bank staffed with counselors.

Five days later the congregations in Aberdeen gathered together to pray. . .

My heart was sick for weeks after.

The “agencies” in Aberdeen were well connected. They knew who had what resources. They knew who was specially trained for what types of service and they were able to mobilize a rapid response to our community’s needs. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BODY OF CHRIST IN THE CITY OF ABERDEEN?

I think this year’s National Day of Prayer turned out exactly the way Daddy wanted it to! I found it very encouraging that we could gather together a group of intercessors from various congregations in the city to pray for a specific purpose with less than 24 hours notice!

Were we able to gather huge numbers? NO, WE WEREN’T. But this little “test run” gave us a vision for what’s possible and why it’s so necessary.

With God’s guidance, there’s no telling where we can go from here!

THERE WILL BE AN IMPROMPTU GATHERING FOR THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER TODAY.

We will gather in The Salvation Army Chapel (1003 6th Ave SW in Aberdeen, SD) and begin our prayer time at 12:05

We will finish by 12:50.

Don’t worry about arriving late or leaving early!

This event is being publicized exclusively through “The Kingdom’s Grapevine” so it’s up to YOU to pass the word along to everyone within your sphere of influence!

“Everybody thought that Somebody was going to get it done so Nobody did it.”

Have you ever had God change things up at the last minute?

You know, that sitting on the edge of your seat - waiting to see how He’s going to make this one turn out- kind of day?

That was today.

I knew I was supposed to be in Pierre on Saturday - no doubt about it in my mind. I still wasn’t sure if He wanted me to drive by myself or catch a ride with one of my intercessor buddies.

I don’t mind driving by myself. I actually find it rather enjoyable to be alone in the quiet. BUT. . . I also know that a long drive across the South Dakota prairie has laid the foundation for several lasting friendships.

It started snowing sometime after 9 am. I looked out the window at the diagonal snowfall and told My Daddy that I didn’t appreciate His sense of humor. I am so over snow! The lawns are just starting to green up and the trees are budding AND IT’S SNOWING. This is soooo not funny!

And it didn’t stop!

I called around to find out if anyone was willing to pick up an extra passenger for the trek to Pierre. I found room in one car, but they were leaving earlier than I had planned, so I thought that meant I was supposed to travel alone this time.

By 1:30 I was anxiously scanning The Weather Channel website to see what the weather was like to the West. The interstates had already been closed to the east and I was starting to sweat. I made arrangements to leave work earlier than I had planned because we already had 2-3 inches of wet sloppy snow, and it showed no signs of letting up soon.

My friend called back and asked me what I was doing. I told her I was going home to throw some things into a suit case and get on the road ASAP before I got snowed in. She was just getting ready to leave as well, so we decided to double up in her car so at least one of us could push if we got stuck in a ditch.

By the time she got to my house I was packed and ready to go (I’ll let you know how good the job was when I get back home!)

We were on the road by 3:00. We drove 20 miles to the west and were out of the snow.

GO FIGURE!

Then I started to think about what I had just done. . . I had jumped into a car that was traveling through Pierre and on to Rapid City. We thought I’d be able to share a hotel room with a friend of mine who we thought must have already left for Pierre since she didn’t answer her home phone.

It was possible that I could end up in Pierre, by myself, with no transportation.

Hmmmmmm.

When I shared my thoughts out loud with Jan, she just laughed and said “O God’s got a plan - we just don’t know what it is yet!” Being the great woman of faith that I am I thought to my self “Easy for her to say”.

The time flew by as we talked about her trip to Israel, work, family and the latest insights we’d gotten during our prayer times. Shortly after 6pm I found myself at a prayer meeting on the steps of the state capitol with food, lodging and transportation provided by my Daddy via two of His lovely daughters (Thanks Jan and Karon!).

After a beautiful drive around Lake Oahe, I found myself munching on a “roast beast” sandwich, sipping a Diet Pepsi and enjoying one of the most beautiful South Dakota sunsets I’ve seen in a long time. I was treated to some delightful conversation in front of a cozy fireplace while nestled in sofa that seemed to reach out and hug you.

And at this very moment I am typing this entry on a borrowed computer in a stunningly beautiful office that’s fit for the daughter of The King of Kings! So before I climb the beautiful wooden staircase that leads to my private bedroom, I find myself being reminded once again:

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. . .

There’s a Super Bowl Sunday, a Super Tuesday and now-

The Kingdom of God is proclaiming a SUPER SATURDAY!

It appears that the Lord is orchestrating the day to begin with 7 hours of silent sieging as Bound4LIFE and theCall gather in front of supreme courts in all 50 states with LIFE tape - identifying with the voiceless and pleading a better blood than the shed blood of millions of infants.

This is followed by 5 additional hours of repentance and intercession and worship with Reign Down USA.

In essence we will be taking every seat of government in the US by storm simultaneously for 12 hours straight on the last day of Passover.

THE MERCY SEAT

On Saturday, April 26th Bound4LIFE and theCall will be mobilizing Christians to gather at supreme courts in all 50 states along with the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC. Would you answer this urgent call to prayer and join with thousands across the nation on this day when we will be holding a simultaneous Silent Siege of every Supreme Court? Coinciding with Passover, the purpose of this day will be to stand in silent prayer before the doors of our justice system and plead the blood of Jesus.

Registration is necessary for participation in this event.

Click on the graphic below to register and get more information.

REIGN DOWN USA

ReignDown USA started as a vision. A vision in which every state in our nation would come together with one purpose: To worship, pray and seek God’s forgiveness and mercy (repent). Our mission statement is: “To humbly seek God’s presence and ask for His forgiveness so that He will reign down and restore our relationship with Him and with one another.”

ReignDown USA is a worship and prayer movement that will reach out to all Christians throughout the United States and bring them together in large venues/stadiums in every state. This movement will begin with simultaneous worship, which will be led by a worship leader from the Capital in Washington, D.C. broadcast via satellite. After a period of worship and praise to God Almighty, we will then stand together and pray over our President and future elected Presidents to come, as well as the U.S. Congress and Senate and those judges serving on the Supreme Court. After that time the broadcast will end; worship and prayer will then continue in every state venue. Prayers will go up for each states’ respective Governors, Mayors, civil state employees, pastors/churches, teachers, corporate leaders and any person in a leadership role, eventually ending with individual prayer for one another.

The purpose through all of this is to seek God’s presence and ask for His forgiveness and mercy to reign free in our lives and our nation to bring healing and restoration.

Starting times:
Eastern Time Zone: 6:00 PM EDT
Central Time Zone: 5:00 PM CDT
Mountain Time Zone: 4:00 PM MDT (Arizona: 3:00 PM MST)
Pacific Time Zone: 3:00 PM PDT
Alaskan Time Zone: 2:00 PM AKDT
Hawaiian Time Zone: 12:00 PM HST

To register and get more information on a Reign Down USA gathering near you follow this link:

Reign Down USA

PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYER THIS SATURDAY. . . IF YOU’RE HEADED TO PIERRE,  SD

I’LL SEE YOU THERE!

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that what I do (or don’t do) doesn’t really matter all that much.

What does it matter if I decide to sleep in and not write a blog this morning?

The trouble is that I can’t read my bible for very long without being confronted by the fact that time after time, story after story, scripture highlights the fact that WHAT I CHOOSE TO DO AND WHAT I CHOOSE TO LEAVE UNDONE, MATTERS.

The perfectionist in me freezes in fear when faced with the reality of this truth. . .How can I possibly make the right choice every single minute of every single day?

I CAN’T! (duh)

THAT’S WHY I SO DESPERATELY NEED MY SAVIOR !!!!!!

Like a silly sheep I need a Good Shepherd who will guide me through each day. His rod and His staff aren’t there to beat up on me - they are there to keep me out of danger and encourage me to move on to greener pastures and restful waters.

Three years ago on April fools day, my then 13 year-old daughter came into my bedroom, and with a very serious face said, “Mom, I’m pregnant.”

Before I could get a word out she said “April Fools!” and ran away giggling.

Three months ago on January 29th, my now 16 year-old daughter called me into her bedroom, and with a very serious face said, “Mom, I’m pregnant.”

I said, “This isn’t April 1st. . .” as she handed me the results of a pregnancy test.

There was only one phrase that came to my mind in that moment as time stood still.

It was something that Alan Keyes had shared at a pro-life rally in 2006. “Every child is conceived in the mind of God long before it is conceived in the body of a woman.”

As I sat down with her on her bedroom floor, I told her that I might be surprised, but God wasn’t.

God’s known since the beginning of time that she would make the choice she did. He’s also promised that He will make all things work together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purposes.

She’s made her peace with God. Now we’re trying to prayerfully find our way down this new road we find ourselves on.

It’s easy to talk the pro-life talk.

Now I’m being given the opportunity to walk the pro-life walk.

In 1963, my mother was battling kidney disease. She traveled to The Mayo Clinic on a regular basis to check on the progression of this disease which at the time had no cure but to avoid undue stress on the urinary tract.

She took my Dad with her to this appointment. She knew it wasn’t going to be pretty.

Her doctor was less than pleased with her first pregnancy. She was a young bride so he figured he’d humor her through one pregnancy BUT NO MORE! Now she was pregnant with baby number 2 (yep, it was me!) and she knew she was in for the fight of her life (and mine!).

In 1963 you didn’t argue much with your home town doctor. But to go to The Mayo Clinic and defy the advice of a physician there was almost unheard of!

She was right. After a grueling day of tests and endless hours of sitting in waiting rooms they weren’t surprised at the advice they were given: terminate this pregnancy for the health of the mother. My mom and dad stood their ground and let that doctor know that it wasn’t an option for them and left.

While they were walking back to their hotel, my mom wanted to shop for something for this little life that wasn’t born yet. “I feel like everything is against this little baby. I just want to find a little gift to let it know that we’re on its side.

A little silver baby spoon is now one of my most precious treasures.

When I was in grade school, my mom took me with her to The Mayo Clinic. She stood with me in front of a huge board filled with white letters. She said:

“Do you see that name up there? That’s the doctor that didn’t want me to have you. I’m so tempted to march up there and say ‘Do you see this beautiful child? She’s the one you didn’t want me to have! I’d never get to see him without an appointment. Besides, he’s not my doctor anymore.”

So you see, for me this whole abortion issue hits very close to home. . . MY HOME!

Thanks Mom and Dad. . .I COULD HAVE BEEN A STATISTIC. . .

I had never heard of Louie Giglio until yesterday. . .

I watched a presentation by Him entitled “How Great is Your God?”.

First he used scientific research about outer space to help people understand the bigness of God. Then he used information that a microbiologist had shared with him to explain just how interested God is the tiniest detail of each and every human being he has ever created.

I haven’t been able to find a high quality sample of his presentation anywhere online. I would highly recommend adding this DVD to your arsenal of Christian media.

The DVD is entitled “How Great is Our God Message” and is available for $15.00 through

268 Store.com.

DADDY, I KNEW YOU WERE GREAT, BUT I NEVER REALIZED JUST HOW GREAT YOU REALLY ARE !

Over the past year, God has been challenging me to embrace a new name for this ministry and to occupy a new domain here on the internet.

He’s also challenged me to examine my personal life and honestly answer some rather tough questions in light of the choices I make every day.

When I make decisions on my own without consulting Him, I hear the question “Who’s kingdom is it anyway?”.

When I stubbornly refuse to do the uncomfortable and resist His challenge to believe in extra-ordinary possibilities, He quietly whispers “Who’s sitting on the throne now?”

Time and again I have had to repent and confess that it’s HIS kingdom and that HE is the one who rules and reigns over me.

I am the one who should be at HIS beck and call, not the other way around.

That’s why a change in name and domain is so significant for this ministry.

It’s not about me, it’s about Him.

It’s not about Him coming alongside my life; it’s about my life coming alongside His plans and purposes.

I’ve shared with all of you about Paradise ‘08.

This morning I found out about another thing God’s got on His agenda for this spring.

It’s called Reign Down USA.

It’s scheduled to take place on Saturday April 26, 2008

Click on “The Vision” tab at the top of the page.  When you get there and be inspired by the story of a kingdom person who’s living a kingdom lifestyle that is accomplishing kingdom purposes!

(They’ll even keep you posted on the most recent developments if you give them your email address).

Check it out at reigndownusa.com

I can remember a time in my late 30’s when I would look in a mirror and wonder who that was staring back at me. It was one of those seasons in my life where God was re-arranging so many things on so many levels, and at such a fast pace. . .

It all started with a dream:

I was seated at a table with a white cloth. Before me was spread an elaborate place setting for a very formal dinner.

The most surprising thing of all was that none of the dishes were in their proper place. A beautiful crystal goblet was laying on its side. . . the plate was upside down. . .the silverware was scattered about.

In my mind I began to criticize the person who had so carelessly set the table. In an instant I sensed the Lord leaning over my right shoulder, and I knew immediately that I was the one who was responsible for setting the table.

My face blushed in shame and tears welled up in my eyes as I hurriedly attempted to straighten out the mess I had made. Suddenly I realized that I had no idea how this table should look. My mind was a total blank and I began to weep uncontrollably.

The Lord began to comfort and reassure me with the tender love of a father and the gentle patience of a teacher.

I watched as His strong right arm silently swept all of the silverware, delicate crystal and china off to one side without chipping anything. As He did this, I sensed that He was sweeping His arm across my life and clearing away all of my projects, activities, desires, concerns and responsibilities. (I also knew that He would be the one to “re-set” my table; and that I was to keep my hands folded in my lap, listen and learn!)

He began to replace each piece while patiently explaining why the plate and the goblet must be placed upright, and why I should resist that urge to grab the napkin from the pile. “No, not yet. . .you won’t be needing that until the food arrives. It’s not ready yet.”

Later I came across this scripture - “Normally the master sits at the table and is served by his servants. But not here, for I am your servant.” (Luke 22:27 NLT)

I’m finding myself in a similar situation as of late. So much of what has been familiar, comfortable, stable and predictable in my life has been swept away recently.

I’ve found myself grieving for what used to be but no longer is . And yet in those dark moments (thankfully they’ve only been moments) I force myself to lift my head above the wave that threatens to sweep over me and declare that my King is still on His throne.

Then in the flash of a moment, my King is there. He draws me onto His lap, wraps me in His warm embrace and begins to whisper all of His promises in my ear once again. . .

You are seated with me in heavenly places. (Ephesian 2:4-7 NIV)

I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:5 NIV)

In all things, I work for the good of those who love Me, who have been called according to My purpose. (Romans 8:28 NIV)

I am your Shepherd, you shall not want. (Psalm 23:1 NIV)

And some people wonder why I love Him so much. . .

One of the obvious priorities for me is my home life. Since the accident, I’ve been barely able to do damage control around the house.

My oldest son (age 13) sent me an email a few months ago. I was surprised to find it in my “in box” because he never sends me emails. He said he was sorry that I was hurting so badly and hoped that I’d get better soon. It was the last line that pierced my heart “I miss the old mom”.

I began wondering what he meant by “the old mom”. What did he remember that I wasn’t able to do anymore?

I remembered the days when I ran a registered daycare in my home. It was my home-based business, and I took it very seriously. In order to be reimbursed for the meals I served, I had to prepare nutritious menu plans and meals. The house was kept very clean to keep everyone (especially my own children) healthy. The rooms were picked up frequently so that little feet wouldn’t trip and fall over a lot of clutter. That’s what came to my mind when he mentioned “the old mom”.

Once I went to work away from home, my attention shifted. I had a new business to run and my home-keeping at times slipped into hobby status.

As I was pondering this, I began asking God what I should do.

“The Smidt Family Bed and Breakfast” is what came to mind.

At first I argued with Him. “I don’t want another job!!!” But over the course of several days My Heavenly Daddy began to remind me about all of the times that people have noticed my gift of hospitality. He also reminded me of the times that I had experienced the gift of hospitality in the homes of my friends and family.

I began to realize that I wasn’t supposed to run this “home based business” by myself. He wanted me to teach my entire family about the gift of hospitality and teach them some of the necessary skills (like meal planning, food prep, and clean-up). But I noticed there was an unexpected by product of this teaching time.

They began to enjoy the fellowship with me in the kitchen and take pride in the new skills they’re learning. My youngest son is becoming an expert at running the bread machine. We’ve enjoyed fresh hot bread at our meals, caramel rolls, homemade pizza and now we’re moving on to homemade buns.

We’ve also come to realize that my oldest son has a real talent when it comes to selecting seasonings to flavor up the food we’re cooking. Each of them have learned how to set a table properly and they even enjoy lighting candles as part of our evening meal preparations.

They’re beginning to enjoy their own gifts of hospitality. And I’m beginning to realize that “The Smidt Family B&B is actually more of a ministry than a business.

As my children grow up and move away, they’ll have the opportunity to open their own little franchises. And who knows; once their friends experience that gift of hospitality, perhaps they too will be inspired to open a franchise as well.

Learning to HEAR God’s voice is one thing.

Learning to LISTEN to God is something totally different.

Have you ever asked someone to do something for you, only to have them give absolutely no response to your request?

Then, when you try to get their attention again, they give you this irritated response;

“I HEARD YOU!”.

I wonder how often we’ve done that to God.

We know what He wants us to do. . . we’ll get around to it eventually. . . it’s just not at the top of our priority list right now.

Perhaps part of our problem is that we picture our Heavenly Father sitting in a recliner in the living room of our lives.

Would our response to Him and our priorities be different if we really understood the reality of who He is?

In chapter 17 of the book of Matthew, three disciples were given the opportunity to see Jesus and His Father the way they really are:

2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

4 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials*-one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said,”This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground. (NLT)

In the blink of an eye their perspective had changed.

Once that bright cloud overshadowed them, they lost site of that bright idea that threatened to distract them.

In the swirling mist they were once again able to focus on that which was truly important. . . listening.

REALLY listening.

Our Heavenly Daddy loves us deeply and unconditionally. It’s really hard for human beings to understand the depth of His love for us, because most of us have never had an opportunity to experience anything that comes close to unconditional love.

Yet in the midst of this unconditional love is the ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY of the CREATOR, RULER and SUSTAINER of EVERYTHING.

SO LISTEN TO HIM !