Prayer, Power and Authority

These three words really say it all.  It is hard to use one without the others.  When we pray, we don't just ask God for stuff, we praise Him and command things, in HIS NAME!  By using our authority we are proving who God is!  You wouldn't call things out in His Name if you didn't expect Him to do it, would you?  I think a lot of times we get weak in prayer.  I know for me, there have been many times when I have allowed the enemy to sway me into thinking that there are things that God may not "want" to do, so I leave it alone. 

I'm going to tell you a story:  Several years ago, along with some of my coworkers, I went to a training class a couple of hours away.  The weather was really bad and it rained on us the whole trip.  As we got a few miles from our destination we came up on a really bad wreck.  All we could  tell was that it involved a small truck and a semi.  The little truck looked pretty bad and we could also tell that it had just happened because there were no emergency vehicles there yet, but we could see them coming.  There were people around the scene.  I was driving and I  turned to my friend and said pray for those people!  She immediately began to pray and we all joined in agreement with her. 

We went on to our training but I just could not get that off my mind.  My mother lives about 5 miles from where all this had occurred so I called her during one of our breaks and asked her if there was anything on the news about this wreck.  She said she had not heard about it but that she was working later that night and if she found out anything she would call me.  My mother is a nurse at a hospital.  My friends and I talked about it off and on but I just had a stirring in my spirit that would not let up!  I needed to know what happened to those people!

We finished up our day of training a drove back home.  Later that night my mother called me and said, "You are not going to believe this..."  The driver of that car was taken to the hospital and was MY MOMS PATIENT!!!  The emergency people and doctors said they could not understand how she made it out of that wreck as well off as she did!  There was also a child in the backseat that was perfectly fine!!!  As soon as I got off the phone I began to thank God!  He not only heard our prayers and answered them, He saw fit to make sure I KNEW He had taken care of them!  Because He is concerned about the matters of my heart.  I also got this vision in my spirit of Satan pulling on that lady (trying to take her), but because we claimed OUR AUTHORITY through prayer, she was saved!  It was like we said, "No, No, Satan, you will NOT get this one!"  NOT ON OUR WATCH!!!!!  He HAD to let her go because IN THE NAME OF JESUS WE CLAIMED HER!!! 

Many times I sense in my spirit to pray for someone and I go back to that day and that wreck.  I may be in town running errands and get a tug in my gut to drive by my son's school and just plead the blood over the school.  I will drive all around the outside of the school and just call for protection over the kids and teachers and workers.  There have been times that I feel impressed to pray specifically for "anyone who walks onto the property."  I KNOW that those prayers have stopped the plan of the enemy!  See, we don't have to wait for something to happen to pray.  We can actually pray and prevent things!  (Psalm 91)

By renewing our minds (ALL THE TIME), we become sensitive to the things that go on in the spirit realm and adjust ourselves accordingly.  This used to all sound way out there to me!  It not only is confirmed in
God's Word, but I have experienced it FIRST HAND and I have been convinced of it's reality! 

I know there are those who will say things like, what if it was God's Will for this or that to happen?  That is why renewing our minds is SO IMPORTANT!  When we know the nature of Daddy God and we know His Word, then we know how to pray!  John 10:10 tells us that it is the enemy (Satan) who comes to kill, steal, and destroy....to take us out!  But God comes to GIVE LIFE!  Give ABUNDANT life!  So I know that The Life Giver did not try to take the lady in that wreck!  It was the LIFE THIEF!  Satan!  And we have authority over that! 

Bad things happen; Satan wins a few small battles, but THE VICTORY is CHRIST!!!  It was not God's Will for me to be raped.  It IS His Will for me to live a life of VICTORY!  The enemy has won many small battles in my life but the Victory covers them all.  God took what the enemy did to me and bound him up for it!  That is how I am able to live a life of JOY, PEACE, FREEDOM, and LOVE!!!!!!  And that my friends is why am so passionate about this message of knowing Who we belong to!  I am a precious child of Daddy God and I will NOT be made to feel any less!


Be blessed today and be aware of things going on around you.  Be aware of the things going on within you.  Pay attention to those "gut checks", when you feel deep in your gut that you need to be alert, and take action! 

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!

Excerpt From Book

Today I am posting another excerpt from my book (soon to be released!).  In this chapter I recall the day I was called to the Hospital (as a volunteer for DVP).  The lady I write about has since become a very special friend and she has written a book about her experience.  He story is of amazing strength and power to regain her worth.  *A must read!  The title is "This Woman's Worth:  Reclaiming Life after Trauma"  by: Pam White

Be encouraged today that Daddy God is working even when we do not see it with our natural eyes!  That which the enemy intends to destroy God The Father can restore to fullness!!!

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!

It was a beautiful spring day in May. A storm had come through a few days before and uprooted a pecan tree beside our house, and it landed in our home! We had to go stay with Max’s grandmother until our house could be repaired. I had just left work and stopped by the house to grab some more clothes for Max, Hunter, and me. I was in a hurry and packed a bag quickly and was heading out the front door when the phone rang. I almost just kept going because everyone who knew us knew that we were not staying at the house. But I answered the phone, and it was the Rape Crisis Hotline. I was not on call, so this caught me off guard. The lady said that she needed me to go to the hospital to meet a rape victim. First of all, I had only taken one phone call to listen to a lady on the other end talk about being attacked by her husband. I had not made any hospital visits. In our training, we were told that there would be a supervisor to go with us on the first few visits to guide us in how to handle ourselves. I informed the lady from the hotline that I was very new and had not even been on a hospital call before, AND I wasn’t even on call this day! She said that she had made several phone calls and I was the ONLY one she could get a hold of! I was very nervous, but at the same time I knew what it was like to be sitting at that hospital with no one there with me! I said I would be on my way. When I got in the car I called my friend and told her what was going on and that I was really nervous. She prayed with me on the phone, and I felt a peace come over me that told me that I was right where I was supposed to be, doing just what I was supposed to be doing. I felt completely led by the Lord. But I was still nervous!

When I got to the hospital, I had no idea where to go or what to do. I walked in and told the lady at the desk all the information I had been given. I was told to go to the hospital to meet a woman named Pam who had been raped, stabbed, and beaten. I was so not prepared for what I saw when they took me into that room! The first thing I noticed was that she had bruises on her toes!! She had wounds from head to toe! Then I looked up and saw two familiar faces. Two of the other ladies in the room were parents of kids that attended the child care center where I worked. I soon found out this was their sister! I told Pam that I was very sorry and would be praying for her and for her family. I also told her to call me if she needed me for anything. I spoke briefly with her sisters, who were very upset. I assured them I would do whatever I could

to help them. I told Pam that I had experienced being attacked myself, and that if she needed to talk, I would be there for her. I left the hospital, but I could not get Pam off my mind. She was the reason I was doing this work. I knew that my calling for this time was to minister to her and share with her the healing that would come from our Creator. I felt almost immediately that all that soul-wrenching writing that was my journal was for her! I do not believe that God chose for either of us to be raped. That only happened because of the evil in this world and the free will of people who had opened themselves to the evil one. But God knows all things past, present, and future, and He prepared a supernatural work through me that would change her!

I love when God takes what the enemy intended to destroy us with and turns it for good to glorify himself! He is not only our strength but our Healer!

I kept up with Pam through her sisters and a few weeks later, I told one of her sisters about my journal and that I felt led to share it with Pam. She thought it was a great idea. She said Pam had refused to talk about her attack with any of them. I gave her the journal to take to Pam. Pam kept it for a while. I was quite nervous the whole time she had it. I prayed for God to use it to heal her and comfort her. Finally after a few weeks, I got the journal back and Pam had written this note to me:

Dear Teena,

Thank you so much for sharing your journal. At first I thought it would be too hard to read, but I found much comfort in knowing you have experienced and understand a lot of what I feel. Your journal, and you, will be so much help to others. I have felt very alone and did not want my family and friends to experience my pain. I know that many women have suffered this same fate. I hope that I can be like you and continue to get stronger. I’m trusting God to get us past this and to a better place.

Thank you for your support!

Storms

Although I have a hundred topics I want to blog about today my mind is fixed on the weather!  We have had some pretty ugly storms in our area the past couple of weeks and last night was a bit scary!  I acknowledge that I have dealt with my fear of storms (tornadoes) and I have come a very long  from the nights of dragging (and I mean literally dragging) Max and Hunter into the closet during a storm.  I have had full on panic attacks before and during a storm.  I associate storms with the night I was raped because it was storming that night.  In my mind for years storms reminded me of bad things happening.  I believe that was a curse!  The enemy planted that in my mind and it took root deep inside of me.  I have worked really hard at uprooting that lie and as I sit here right now I have all the confidence in the world that I have all authority over that fear.  When the skies go dark and the trees bend from the wind however I seem to shrink down to that girl that has not yet learned she has power! 

Thank God that I know where the fear comes from and that I have found TRUTH to cover the lies.  Satan cannot take my power and authority away but he does try and distract me.  NOT TODAY!  Today I am going to fill myself with God's TRUTH and His truth tells me that fear is a spirit, and it does NOT come from God! 
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Tim. 1:7)

Talk about God sending a word right on time!  As I was writing this blog (and struggling over my fear and the storms that are predicted for this afternoon and night), God sent a beautiful vessel to speak a word to me!  My friend stopped by and I was telling her what I was blogging about and how I can feel so confident before the storm hits and powerless when it arrives at my front door.  She reminded me of Peter!  How his confidence faded as he took his eyes off of Jesus!  She told  me to keep my eyes on Jesus (and what He has said).  I am so thankful that God sends me friends that know The Word and are not afraid to speak it when needed!!! 

I have a lot to do today and I am praying for the weather to be stable and for no damage or injury to come from any storm that may develop.  I am now going to write a few scriptures down to put in my pocket so I can speak it when needed and share it with those around me =)

Today seems to just be a rambling of thoughts!  BUT, I am strong in the Lord and I claim the truth of 2 Tim. 1:7....I do NOT have a spirit of fear but POWER, and LOVE and A SOUND MIND!!!

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!

Excerpt from my book

Today I am sharing an excerpt from my book, "Familiar Stranger; Journal of a Rape Survivor"   that will be released soon.

Each time I take the opportunity to open up and share my story I get a little anxious but I am trusting the Lord Who is leading me,  to cover me and my story with His anointing.  Most of my book is made up of entries into my journal.  I did, however go back and kind of "set up" each section.  This part that I am sharing today is talking about my experience after the rape and my first contact with the police and hospital. 


(Excerpt from, "Familiar Stranger; Journal of a Rape Survivor")

When the police car pulled up, we walked outside. There were two officers, a male and a female. The male officer was the one who asked the questions. The female just sat there. We sat in the car as I gave my report. I didn’t give any details, only that I had been raped by someone I did not know. I said I went with him because I thought he was taking me home. I had not asked to go to his house. I told them he drove a van. I gave them his first name. That is really all I remember in the police car. They then drove me to the hospital. I remember going into an exam room and standing on brown paper to get undressed. They combed my hair into a bag. Scraped under my fingernails. Then came the hard part. The exam itself. I remember being very cold. To the point of shaking. I was already very sore. A lady took photos of me. Without my clothes. They gave me a pill, and a shot, of what I do not remember. They kept my clothes and gave me other clothes to put on. The thing I remember most is that no one touched me unless they were retrieving evidence. No one came in and put their arms around me and said everything was going to be OK. Maybe because it wasn’t. I remember the police talking to me about pressing charges, and if I went to trial whether or not we would use my real name. At first I told them I didn’t care what I had to do, I wanted him to go to jail. I’m not sure what all else happened right after that, but the next thing I can remember is the lady police officer asking me if she could take me home. I said yes, I really just wanted to go home and take a shower. I wanted to see my boyfriend. I was so afraid of how hurt he was going to be.

I really do not know how to end this blog so I will simply sign out with....BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

Who's to Blame?

One of the issues as a rape survivor is, who's to blame?  For years I blamed myself.  Did the decisions I made lead to my attack?  Did I ask for it?  Was I just to stupid to see it coming?  And the big one; was God trying to get my attention or teach me a lesson?  I struggled with these questions (and many more) for years.  I settled, for a time, on blaming God, but not in a bad way!  I was scared to be mad at God so I just figured He had His reasons and I would just be gracious and accept it and move on.  I even thanked God for choosing me to be sexually assaulted!!! 

 WOW!  I blow my own mind sometimes at the things I believe!  I find it very interesting that I never placed the blame where it belonged.  I never blamed the rapist.  Don't get me wrong, I knew what he did was wrong, and I was hurt on a level that I cannot even express in words, but the emotion that I reserved for the rapist was, wait for it.......sadness!  Yes, I felt sorry for him!  Even before I knew why, I felt sorry for him.  I just could not for the life of me wrap my head around how he could have been so evil.  Why was he so evil?

  It was only after God reveled some TRUTH to me that the blame was to rest on the one responsible for all that evil.  It was Satan!  The ruler of the darkness.  See, God is LIGHT and there is NO darkness in Him!  It is the enemy who comes to kill, steal, and destroy.  God comes to give LIFE and give it in abundance!!!  I was giving God credit for something the devil was responsible for!  My Daddy God is a life GIVER!!!  Satan is a life killer!  I also came to the understanding that my rapist made choices, out of his free will, he allowed himself to be so influenced by the enemy that he was capable of  caring out the unspeakable acts that day.  God didn't give him the ability or instruction to rape me! 

 I do not have ALL the answers but I do know what the Lord has reveled to me and shown me.  Everything else is on a need-to-know basis and when I hit that point I replace my questions with TRUST and FAITH that God is the ultimate winner and I will be delivered to my place at His feet when HE sees fit, NOT when the devil says so!  See, if it were up to Satan, I believe he would have taken me out that day.  BUT GOD!  God was with me then and He has been with me everyday since, and He still has work for me to do in HIS Name! 

 When I share this belief, some have asked me why I think God "allowed" this to happen to me.  Why do bad things happen to good people???  In case you haven't noticed, we live in a fallen world!  All I know is that God is GOD and I trust Him.  He is ABOVE Satan and his demons that roam this earth!  And a day is coming when HE will stand and even the demons will bow down!  I am on HIS side, no matter what!  I have had this vision of the demons bowing and all evil bowing like cowards, and all of GOD'S CHILDREN are standing behind Him peeking around His robe, safe behind DADDY!!!!  At that time we will no longer have to exist in a world filled with evil.  BUT, until that day comes, it is up to us (as Christians) to speak TRUTH into as many lives as we can!  Greater is HE that is living inside of me!  We have the Holy Spirit as our helper, and we are to be a witness to the LOVE and SALVATION of Jesus Christ!  Let's live our lives like we have been changed, and be LIFE CHANGERS!!!!!

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!

The Beauty of Letting Go

There have been many times in my life when I have had to 'let go' and trust God but yesterday as I prepared to share my story was like no other time I can remember! I have shared my life with a select circle and a few strangers but as my finger pressed that "enter" key, that word "enter" took on a whole other meaning!  As my hand shook I was about to open my very heart for everyone to enter into and stroll around and really get to know the real me.  The me that has a past, the me that allowed darkness to overtake my life, the me that hurt, the me that struggled with fear....but as I pressed "enter" I was also inviting everyone to enter into a life that has been changed, into a life of restoration, a life made complete by the healing powers of my Daddy God!  So as I pressed that computer key I "let go" and everything in me was overtaken with complete TRUST in God!  My life is His masterpiece and I am excited to show it off! 

I started receiving messages within FIVE MINUTES!!!  I was blown away by the raw and honest words that were being sent to me!  Hearts were deeply touched (mine felt like it was going to explode!), and relationships were mending.  God is on the move and I can hardly contain myself!!!  I am super stoked to have all of you walking with me and cannot wait to witness all the amazing things that our Father is going to work through each of us as he weaves us together as His children to go out and be LIFE CHANGERS!!!!

Some have asked about the book progress and I will just say that God has taken care of every detail in the process!  When I knew that the Lord was instructing me to publish my story I had NO idea of how, what, where!!!  hahaha  I first needed my journal edited!  I had a friend from high school that took on the task of taking the journey into my mind and edit my LIFE!  She did this for no other reason than to help me!  I  know it was not easy for her because she has a family and a job and she took this on during what spare time she had and did an outstanding job!!!  I researched a few publishing companies and settled on one fairly quick.  Because I am an unknown author and I didn't  want my story to be altered, my only option was to self publish.  This meant that I would be completely responsible for paying for the publishing and promotion.  As the publishing rep explained to me the cost (at that time is would be $1500.00), I told him that I was trusting God to clear this path because it was HIM that instructed me to move in this direction.  I knew that God wouldn't call me to do something that He had not already worked out!  Max and I being in full time ministry we do not have thousands of dollars laying around the house!  lol  The rep told me that he could bill me in 3 payments of just over $500 for the next three months.  At that time I told him that I would talk with Max and let him know what we decide in a few days.  Max and I agreed from the very beginning that money would not even be a part of any decision we made.  Money wouldn't hold us back from doing what we KNEW the Lord had told us to do.  That very afternoon a woman gave me $100 and said she wanted to sow seed into my life!  I put it into an envelope and labeled it "Teena's Book--Seed Money"....As I shared with a few people that I was publishing my story (non of which did I ever ask for any help)...I began to receive more "seed"....in 4 days I had $500, my first payment for publishing!!!  I called the rep and told him I was ready to sign up and make my first payment.  As we started setting up there were some problems with my bank card.  It seemed that there was a limit as to how much I could charge a day.  Instead of it ending there, the rep said to me "Do no worry about this, it will work out"...within about 20 minutes he had re figured me a deal where my payment were $430 for three months!!!  See, God really is THAT good!!!

I made that payment and by the next day I already had received enough "seed" to make my next payment!  I have learned so much about TRUSTING God through this.  When He says, "all your need with be provided," He MEANS ALL YOUR NEED WILL BE PROVIDED!!!  My last payment is due the 14th of this month and I know that even though it is not in my envelope in the "natural' God has ALREADY supernaturally supplied it!!!!!!!!!!! 

So that is the story within the story of how God is using THIS child to accomplish HIS Will =)  

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING =)