Time To Fly

Today it is time to fly . . . we leave for Romania in a few hours. How do I feel? Excited, tired (up late packing), hopeful, anxious . . . yet at peace. Julie will be posting an update (right Julie?) as we answer the Lord's call.

Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Keep us in your prayers, Kim

All Other Ground is Sinking Sand

Kim leaves for Romania in two days. Traveling to a country with such hurt, oppression, need, darkness.

The news each hour seems more and more grim. Fear seems to prevail.

The election is about 25 days away. Mudslinging. Attacks.

The gate seems even more narrow these days. The faithful voices weeping and praying for reawakening seems faint, almost inaudible.

But don't believe the lies or the hype.

Prayers are increasing, hearts are repenting. Heaven is opening.

If fear is trying to take you down, hold on to Hope. There is one foundation that will never crumble, shake or topple. That Address is not Wall Street, not Main Street, but in the nail scarred hands of Jesus Christ.

Place your trust there. Everything else is sinking sand.

May this video lift your spirits and give you truth today.

Kim, blessings for an amazing time in Oradea!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuSC3qOER58

Julie Arduini is a surrendered writer with her own blog, http://thesurrenderedscribe.blogspot.com/. A graduate of the Christian Writers Guild, she also blogs for the Christian Writers Forum Sundays as the mommy blogger. She is active with FaithWriters and has several writings ready to publish in different books and anthologies in 2008-09. One of the books will be a quote in Kathy Vick's Simon and Schuster/Howard's gift book, "Run Like a Girl."You can also find Julie the third Wednesday of each month over at Take Root and Write with her columns, Finding Freedom through Surrender and Marriage: Striving for Oneness. She facilitates groups by the same name at the sister social networking site, Christian Women Take Root.

Spirit and Glory Worshipper

I am currently at the "Spirit and Glory Worshippers Conference" in Dover, OH.
I will have many words to come from this amazing prophetic atmosphere soon...

But for now, please soak in Ephesians 4:17

"...And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power,
together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is
the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may
be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Know that God loves you beyond all of your own thinking and understanding, and He is calling you to fulfill His purpose for you on this earth.... Yes, you.

Soaking in Him,
Maria
(Butterfly Girl)

p.s.--Check out worship by Suzy Wills Yaraei of Morningstar Ministries. Her anointing is spilling out over me this weekend! Amen!

Maria and her family reside in NE Ohio. She and her husband are the parents of two. Their daughter is a person with hemipelegic cerebral palsy.Because of her experiences, Maria provides parent-to-parent support for families involved in her local early intervention program. Her gift for writing has come directly from the Lord since her daughter’s diagnosis. She writes a monthly column entitled, “Special Parents, Special Kids” for the Mahoning Valley Parent magazine in Ohio; and has expanded into Parent magazines in parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. She is also a contributing author at www.mommiesmagazine.com.

Maria's first published work is in Jan Ross and Jeanice McDade's Women of Passion's anthology, "Ordinary Women Serving an Extraordinary God". Both Kim and Maria have been selected to have their work tentatively included in Lori Wagner,s upcoming book, Quilting Patches of Life, Volume 2.

One Week Away

(heartlight.org)

My trip to Romania is one week away and honestly I already feel 'raw.'

The past few weeks the Lord has been raising my awareness of my own surroundings, the blessings that we have, and the many, many luxuries of living in a 'free' country. At a time when the economy is struggling, gas prices are high, and every penny counts all I keep thinking about are the thousands of children who go to bed every night sad, lonely, cold, hungry, and unloved.

I travel in a week, return home in 2 1/2, and already I am wondering how I am going to transition back home.

So tonight I sit and wonder how this is all going to be walked out. For me I do not want this to just be an annual trip like a week long summer vacation that one looks forward to all year but rather another step into the purpose He designed me for. If only He would give me a peek:)

Keep me in your prayers, Kim

A Crafted Prayer for Governor Palin and Her Family

Today I'm setting aside time to specifically pray for America. Over at The Surrendered Scribe and Christian Women Take Root, I shared a prayer I was given earlier this week concerning things to pray for the economy. I hope you check it out.



Last month I received an e mail that was a crafted prayer with Scripture to pray for Governor Palin and her family. I did not research the authenticity of this e mail, but felt how could I go wrong praying Scripture over someone?



Each week at the Scribe I try to give a balanced look at the election, and I've tried hard not to let my red blood show over there. But honestly, I'm posting it here because this is a blog of deeper things of faith, no one sent me a crafted prayer on any other candidate (including Senator McCain) and I personally feel she needs extra covering in prayer. There is something in her, not perfection, but what a bunch of intercessors are seeing as a Deborah spirit. If you know Deborah's story from Judges, she had power in her own right, but not once did she use that power for her own good or to belittle the men around her. In fact, quite the opposite. God used her mightily because she had that alignment. The world hates the Deborah spirit. Unless you live in a cave, you have to admit she has seen unprecedented attack since being named as the VP candidate choice.



For that, I feel led to share that prayer. If anyone has a crafted prayer with Scripture for any of the other candidates, I'd love to know about it. I include that e mail in its entirety.



This email is from Rosemary Dupras, whose daughter is on Gov. Palin's staff. Regardless of your political persuasion, these words are straight from scripture and can be prayed over anyone or any situation, of course Rosanne and Rosemary are asking for your intercession for Gov.Sarah Palin according to Psalms 27.


Sarah Palin is a born-again, Spirit-filled Godly person who said 'yes' when asked recently to serve her country. Since then, Gov. Palin asked my daughter Rosanne, who is part of her staff in Anchorage, for prayer, and so over the weekend Rosanne and I put together the attached 'Psalm for Sarah for 66.' It's intercessory prayer using Psalm 27 for the 66 days between the date of Sarah's accepting McCain's offer and election day, Nov. 4; it's not about who wins the election or about politics or your voting choice. We've sent it to a number of Christians across the county so would you also pray for Gov. Palin in this Esther-like time of her life? You might also pass it along or copy any one who might pray. If this request is offensive to you, I apologize. Rosemary Dupras


A Psalm for Sarah for 66 Days:Sixty-six Days of Intercession for Gov. Sarah Palin according to Psalm 27 Pray for Sarah, husband Todd, sons Track, baby Trig, daughters Bristol, Willow, Piper, from August 29 through November 4.



Pray for: Singleness of Vision, Moral Clarity Ps 27:1a - The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?Fearlessness, BoldnessPs 27:1b - The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?


Protection from Libel, Slander, Hatred, PersecutionPs 27:2 - When [not 'if'] evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.


Confidence in Christ, a Guarded HeartPs 27:3 - Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident. Priorities Devotions, Rest, Balance



Ps 27:4 - One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple.


Deliverance, Favor Ps 27:5 - For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. An Overcoming Spirit, a Higher Perspective



Ps 27:6 - And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me; And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Direction, Wisdom, Surefootedness



Ps 27:7, 11 - Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, and be gracious to me and answer me. . . . Teach me Thy way, O Lord and lead me in a level path because of my foes.




A Release of Faith, an Expectancy of Good,Ps 27:13 - I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.



Strength, Courage, Endurance,Ps 27:14 - Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage.Yes, wait for the Lord. And let Your kingdom come and let Your will be done.




'The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” Nehemiah 4:19-20 NKJ



Julie Arduini is a surrendered writer with her own blog, http://thesurrenderedscribe.blogspot.com/. A graduate of the Christian Writers Guild, she also blogs for the Christian Writers Forum Sundays as the mommy blogger. She is active with FaithWriters and has several writings ready to publish in different books and anthologies in 2008-09. One of the books will be a quote in Kathy Vick's Simon and Schuster/Howard's gift book, "Run Like a Girl."You can also find Julie the third Wednesday of each month over at Take Root and Write with her column, Finding Freedom through Surrender. She facilitates a group by the same name at the sister social networking site, Christian Women Take Root.

Trusting God as My Defender

Believe it or not, the cardinal sightings for us continue. Last week I received more to the puzzle, something that has been staring at me most of the year, yet I failed to recognize His message for me.

I was in a meeting confessing my double mindedness. I preach a message of surrender and yet for most of this year have held on to anger and mistrust towards God because financially, things did not work out the way I thought things would this year. At all. Instead of praising Him, I turned my back and actually made the situation worse through denial, spending anyway, and just pure rebellion.

As I confessed and repented, the ladies looked at me and smiled. One of them, who also has been seeing cardinals and having them dive bomb her, related her cardinal revelation with me by saying,

"Just how many times do you need to see a cardinal before you realize God is asking you to trust Him as your defender?"

It was so simple and dead on it was hysterical. As we googled cardinal earlier in the year, we learned the male cardinal is a defender and if I saw a male cardinal trying to get my attention once, it happened a dozen times. He dive bombed me at least three times.

And yet my anger and rebellion continued.

All the way home I kept praying the words, "Your banner over me is love and I want to trust You as my defender."

It's a process for me, I know this won't be an overnight change unless God deems it.

But I'm aware now.

He is my defender, and yours. And I really want to trust Him that way.

Do you?

Julie Arduini is a surrendered writer with her own blog, http://thesurrenderedscribe.blogspot.com/. A graduate of the Christian Writers Guild, she also blogs for the Christian Writers Forum Sundays as the mommy blogger. She is active with FaithWriters and has several writings ready to publish in different books and anthologies in 2008-09. One of the books will be a quote in Kathy Vick's Simon and Schuster/Howard's gift book, "Run Like a Girl."You can also find Julie the third Wednesday of each month over at Take Root and Write with her column, Finding Freedom through Surrender. She facilitates a group by the same name at the sister social networking site, Christian Women Take Root.

You Are So Beautiful!

"You are so beautiful to me, can't you see?"

These are the words that my uncle used to sing in the car when I was a child. They were the words to his favorite song, "You are so beautiful to me, can't you see?" I can hear them like it was yesterday.

Beautiful . . . the dictionary defines beautiful as "having qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind." Beautiful, that is how God sees us. So much that He sent His one and only son to die on a cross for us. Beautiful . . . He takes great pleasure in His creation.

So . . . why is it that the words I heard from women this week were . . . 'I had to go get my license picture this week and I look like such an old hag! Or 'I'm eating french fries for lunch, I'm such a hog!' Or 'Why can't I have those beautiful legs and hair like the woman leading the aerobics class!' If the Lord sees us as beautiful, made in His own image, and we believe what He says then what are we doing to ourselves . . . and Him? (Please do not run out of the gate, I am talking to myself too.)

Beautiful . . . that is how He sees us. You and me, your neighbor next door, your child's teacher, your fellow co-worker, your children, your spouse, and even those people you may not be fond of. He delights in us and He wants us to stop and listen. You may even hear Him singing, "You are so beautiful to me, can't you see?"

Let Him love you today, Kim

My Hope and My Heart

With everything in the news about the economy and the election, I was blown away by this video I received. At The Surrendered Scribe I try to summarize the election each week and this video speaks my heart. These are the important things. With the economy, the war, and so many things at stake to cause anxiety, my hope is in the Lord.

Please take a couple minutes and watch this video. It is powerful.




Julie Arduini is a surrendered writer with her own blog, http://thesurrenderedscribe.blogspot.com/. A graduate of the Christian Writers Guild, she also blogs for the Christian Writers Forum Sundays as the mommy blogger. She is active with FaithWriters and has several writings ready to publish in different books and anthologies in 2008-09. One of the books will be a quote in Kathy Vick's Simon and Schuster/Howard's gift book, "Run Like a Girl."You can also find Julie the third Thursday of each month over at Take Root and Write with her column, Finding Freedom through Surrender. She facilates a group by the same name at the sister social networking site, Christian Women Take Root.