A Girl Named Grace ....

 A Book Review

A Girl Named Grace is a fiction novel, by Janna Lafrance. It is wonderfully written; full of ups and downs, twists and turns.  The story is one that everyone can relate to easily and had me at times, on the edge of my seat.

I felt that the main character could be a close friend of mine.  Experiencing what she experienced has introduced me to a more deeper side of my Savior.  A Girl Named Grace is truely a gift to us readers as well.

Even if you do not have a relationship with Jesus, I challenge you to read this book as it will show you Him in a way that no one has ever shown Him to you before.  You WILL be changed.

Find Janna on facebook here

Janna has created a Giveaway Contest for a free digital copy of A Girl Named Grace. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cisterns ...

Jeremiah 2:13 "For (Our children) have committed two evils; They have forsaken (Us), the Fountain of Living Waters, and made themselves cisterns - broken cisterns that can hold no water."

I read this today. I read it and was instantly saddened by the truth of it. The truth that cannot be countered by the time it was written in or my state of being right now. It is truth for all the ages, in all times of our lives.

When we try to fill ourselves with something ... anything ... other than Him, then Them, we find ourselves at a lack. We find ourselves wanting more. We find ourselves addicted. An addict can never be satisfied.

This hunger will ultimately lead to our death. The death of hope. The death of life. Without flowing water, everything becomes stale. That is why I picked a burial jar for my picture today.

I am learning that I am found in Him, in Them. That everything in me, around me and coming to me, is from Their hand. I am learning that I don't need a jar or pot to draw from the well. For I am the pot! I am the jar!

He has come to "bind up the broken hearted" - He has come to mend me .... And He is.

John 4:14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing (jumping, leaping) up into everlasting life."

Glory to Glory!

There is a line in a Jonathan David Helser's song, "I will walk out the dreams you have placed in me and scream down the walls of fear". I am holding on to that line with everything in me right now. I feel a shift around me ... in me. I don't know if you've felt it too?

Life as I know it is no longer the same. Even though some things that I would love Him to change, haven't been. I ... am ... closer. I am now feeling Him move in my day to day experiences.

I was asking Papa, asking myself, asking the air around me, "How do you live the thickness of the Spirit all the time?" When you are at your job, frustrated over the printer not printing! When you are taking a break from the kids because they are running around and around! When you are looking at your husband wanting to slap him ... how do you submerse yourself in Him?

Well, I believe He answered me. I feel like the air has shifted around me and it is now energized. Energized with love, with purpose and with Him. At any moment, I feel like I can move into a pool of Him. I know He was always here, around me, loving me ... but now I feel like I've gone deeper.

I am screaming at the walls of fear around me. We've talked about it before, that going deeper sometimes makes you feel like you are drowning. But I wonder if that sensation is the walls that we have built up around us. Walls to protect us and stop the love from Him touching us, because at some point we thought He would hurt us. I wonder if that drowning feeling could be those walls imploding on themselves. We no longer need them when we're going deeper, so they start to break up. The false sense of security breaks apart and it takes a moment to get used to ... Him!

Capsizing your boat ....

I was singing along with Misty Edwards, this morning, in my car. The words to "All consuming fire!" were playing loud. At a certain part in the song, I found myself singing capsize us, not baptize us.

Call it what you will - a Freudian slip, my brain playing tricks or a simple slip of the tongue. I call it Holy Spirit speaking to my soul! He is placing His finger on a theme, over and over again in my life. And in lives around me. (See my wonderful friend's blog here)

We have heard, countless times, to jump out of the boat and into the river! I think there is something about that that Papa wants to go deeper with ... literally.

I believe He wants us IN the water. He IS the water, He's not ON the water waiting for us. He IS the water. Deep calls unto deep. Drinking Him in, breathing in Papa, being inside Him. Having Him all around us, swimming in He wondrous presence!

"How deep is your love for us?" - Misty Edwards

Let's not jump out of our boats ... Let's capsize them! Go deeper.

Are you like Moses?

I feel like Papa is continuing to speak to me after reading the latest Awaken post.

The last paragraph of the post mentioned above, is:

"A great awakening is coming . . . be among those who hear the call. It's time to fight a battle that will mean something. A battle of epic proportions. A battle that will make you come more alive than you could ever dream. "

The writer was talking about men and the heavenly planted need to fight, that is inside them. After reading her words, I was lead to the below scripture.

Numbers 12:7 and 8 "But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD."

Moses a man with faults. A man who killed, who did not have wonderful auditory skills. A man who doubted himself and doubted his God on occasion. A man who beyond all odds, delivered a nation out of captivity. A man, that out of his passionate heart, made a wrong choice and because of that, did not see The Promised Land.

A man that was not the best of men. Who you would not think a great specimen of a leader, he even tried to get out of this role. Nonetheless, he did it. He was a leader. He was a great man.

Why? Because he fought. He fought through his own distrust of himself. He fought through the distrust of the nation he was to save. He fought through the mockery of the Egyptians. He fought through the mockery of the nation he had saved. He fought through his doubts in what they had done. He fought through the desert. He fought through.

Why? Because he knew God. He knew the face of God.

Your God is calling you. Do you see the bush burning out of the corner of your eye, as you focus on the diversion? Do you hear the still, small voice of a Mighty Man whispering your name, ever so softly. It's breaking through the din of the madness around you, isn't it?

There is a new day coming. A new call, that is so very old. Stand up! Arise! Be ready! Fight!

Join together in heaven's court, staring at your General ... face to face. He has a plan.

Jeremiah 51:20 "You are My battle-ax and weapons of war: for with you I will break the nation in pieces; with you I will destroy kingdoms."

A picture - Women and a Tree ....

We were all represented by a tree trunk. All strong as individuals, having our own struggles and triumphs. On our own though, we were just that - on our own.

So we came together. Turing, moving, growing together. Becoming one tree. Fortified, persevering, reaching up, producing fruit, being unified.

The driving force behind this growing tree, the force inside the tree, the very thing that feeds the tree is Life ... Jesus. He brings us together. In vulnerability, we intertwine with each other, creating something new, something more intimate than before. Something stronger. Together we will reach new heights. Together we will find more growth, more fruit than we would have on our own. Together we can reach further. Fulfilling the call for each of our lives because each of us needs another and another to help us move forth and up.

The old and the young come together, both needed to bring balance to the tree. As new wood grows over the old bark, our foundations are built upon the generations before. Your wisdom, knowledge and depth helps younger women to stand, to maintain strength of our own. One cannot live without the other. If the old bark is left on the tree, it will become brittle. If the tree stays young and new, it will be weak, not able to stand. Together, we are unified. The young in turn, will become the old and what was passed on will bring forth another powerful generation.

Each generation that comes will be more and more unified, intertwined and alive. Alive in Him and alive in the now joined calling of fulfilling our purposes. The destinies that were meant to come together. Like the puzzle pieces that all fit perfectly, to make a bigger picture, we all share a common goal.

A family, a bride, together being groomed for our bridegroom.

He's calling. Reach forth, grab a hand close to you and move together.

The Gloves are Off ...

Here we are again ... Joined by words, by a common heartbeat and by love. I hope this touches you and brings to you peace and hope in your situation.

I received this word a while ago and feel that I am to post it now. I had asked the question to Papa, "Why does it seem that it is so hard for so many people right now (in their lives)?"

His answer:

"Because the gloves are off! I am no longer waiting around for the enemy to slaughter anymore of My children. I am hitting him back with all I have. I am going after the gusto. Not pulling any punches. I want freedom and I want it now!

A new day is dawning. A new army is rising up. Many will feel as if I am dragging them through it - I am! No longer am I willing to wait - I want freedom.

And so, I am bringing it! Yes, it is still a choice, but many of you made that choice many years ago and I am holding you to it now. My army needs to get out of the barracks and into the fight!

(I instantly saw the scene in Navy Seals when all the training soldiers line up each day to wait on anyone who wants to ring the bell and get out of training.)

"You will not ring that bell! None of you are going to fall or fail! I am here! I am calling out your destinies. I am in charge of everything and I want your hearts, your very souls. No one is going to take you from Me - not even you, yourself. I have you and I am keeping you.

Be encouraged, for My love is all you need.I am cleaning up the cob webs. I am making you perfect. No more fear will remain. Out of the darkness, light will appear. Glory, freedom, a reigning Kingdom of Hope, goodness and truth. Spread the word - Life is here! We are on the threshold and I am going to carry My Bride across it. Come into more intimacy with Me. Come, drink the new wine. You are all My beauties! You are all Mine! Hallelujah! I am here - it has come."

I was directed to some scriptures after receiving this word. Deuteronomy 32: 10 - 12, Psalm 9: 9, 10 and Joshua 1: 2 - 4. In the land of promise, there can still be wilderness. I believe it is essential! In the wilderness, our faith is born and strenthened. Brought to a place that cannot be shaken anymore.