A New Season... are you ready for Change?

Once again, I have neglected my writing (thus, my blogs) for months due to other activities that have required my attention - but I have been missing this outlet and way that I tend to clarify that which God is speaking to me! So - here I am... without clear direction, but knowing that I am here because He has something to say - to you, and to me! So - buckle up... and here we go!

Over the past few months, I have been loving my Monday morning group! I meet up weekly with a powerful amazing group of ladies in my home as we study through Bill Johnsons' The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind. We wrap it up this week and it has been so encouraging and so challenging... we truly do want to live, as Bill puts it, the 'normal Christian life'! That is my hearts' desire and I long for opportunity mixed with boldness to SEE the sick healed, the lame walking, the blind receiving sight, the lepers cleansed, the demons cast out, and the dead rising! I really do... and this past season was a season of training. It was a season of finding out if this is really something you really honestly want - if we can catch His heart for wholeness and freedom and extend His love in every situation... as He leads! We can SAY we do - because we know we should... but just between you and Him - that is what this past season has been about! What is in you and what does He want to spill out? In the end, really - it's always been and always will be all about His Love!

I have walked through a transitional season with the Lord in the past year and a half. He gently called me to work on my follow through and we picked the most obvious area that it was lacking in... however, I knew overcoming this lack of follow through would bring to light many other changes and many reasons for my lack in the past. What it comes down to for me... I have in the past always been afraid of change. I kicked against the goads and even if it looked like it would be for the best - I hated it. Honestly - in my flesh, I can get real comfortable in my comfort zone and not want to venture out. However, I have known that there is a call on my life that requires my comfort zone to constantly change... let me tell you - you do too! Once you come to Jesus and give Him your life - you are in for a life of change... a life of adventure and opportunities... a life of destiny and blessings. In the flesh - I love my life the way it is right now... I love it! I am not the most wealthy person by a long shot - but I am properous and I love my life. I am blessed with an amazing husband who I adore and who loves me incredibly... I am blessed with an incredible daughter and extended family on both sides... lots of true friends... not to mention the Most Important Person in my life and His great Love for me... I am blessed and happy. But in this past season - the Lord has helped me to work on my follow through and I have realized that while I CAN be comfortable here and I AM blessed - if I am just willing... just WILLING to step out and follow Him, He will open doors that I never would have considered. He will make a way where there seems to be no way and He will cause me to step into the destiny that He has planned for me ahead of time! (Eph 2:10) If I am to fulfill the Call... if I am to step into those prophetic words spoken over me - I will need to be willing to change!

For the first time in my life, I am open and willing to change locations! I love my city and love living here... this is the town I grew up in and most of my family is here... I am not itching to leave - but I can see now for the first time - He can move me and I will be ok. In fact, if He wants me somewhere else - I WANT to be there... because ultimately - if He wants me there - He has something for me there.. to give and to recieve! So - now, not only am I open to change - and I am actually feeling Him stir up in me an excitement FOR it! There is a song on the radio right now called The Motions by Matt West... I love this song - it is so my anthem right now! Here are the lyrics:

"This might hurt
It’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care
If I break
At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just ok
Is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions

No regrets
Not this time
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love
Make me whole
I think I’m finally feeling something

Take me all the way

I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions..."
(The Motions by Matt West)

So - I am not saying I have this follow-through deal mastered - obviously I have not since I haven't been HERE for so long... but, I am seeing that part of why I dug my heels in it for so long to following through was because I knew it would ring about change - or an opportunity to change... and I was not so sure I would be ready or wanting to step into the next season!

I am excited to share that God is literally paying my way to attend a Writers Conference in a couple of weeks! A friend sent me a link in an e-mail and pointed out a Writers Conference being held at Bethel Church in Redding, CA... which means the speakers will include all my favorite authors right now like Bill and Beni Johnons, Kris Vallotton, Danny Silk - pretty much the staff at Bethel - and the keynote speaker is none other than the author of The Shack! Oh my!? Honestly - my first thought when I read that e-mail was, "Linda is MEAN!" LOL! I never thought that I would be able to go! We are planning a big vacation in June that is taking up our vacation budget for the year pretty much and I just didn't even really consider it! However, my husband said that maybe we could swing it... this opened the door for me to pray about it. So - I actually prayed and heard the Lord not only tell me who to bring with me, but He assured me that we are a good investment! That is what He keeps saying over me... "You are a Good Investment!" Amen! He says that over me... and He says that over you! and the good news is that He means it! He has already invested His Life in you... and you are worth it! So - over the past few weeks, the Lord has paid for our Registration fees and is bringing in money to cover our travel expenses. We have not asked anyone for money - but whenever we are tempted to get into worry about the cost of it all... God says, You are a Good Investment - and money shows up! He so desires us to be there... I am excited for the opportunities that He has in mind for us and for the work that He has for us to and the blessings He has for us there... that will equip us for this next season! I am believing that not only will the Writers conference help stir me up and give me direction in my writing - but that I will get a tranferrable anointing there - to live that 'normal Christian life'! Yes, Lord - that is what I want!!!

Recently, I read a word that came across The Elijah List and I just wanted to quote a small portion of what was shared! The author was talking about learning how to host the Presence and he said "...we have access to the unlimited measure of God's presence, but He doesn't entrust Himself to untrustworthy people. All of the measurements are set up on our end of the equation. He typically entrusts us with the measure of the presence we are willing to jealously guard.

We are to become His resting place—the place from which the exploits of Heaven are accomplished. For when the Lord rests upon a person, there is actually an atmospheric shift that takes place wherever that person goes. How do you think Peter's shadow healed people? Our shadow will always release whatever overshadows us. When we learn to host the presence of the Lord, we get more breakthroughs by accident than ever used to happen on purpose. That is a possibility for every Believer every day." (Bill Johnson, "Learning to Host the Presence")

The portion in bold type was actually that way in the original post - but the sentence that really stood out to me was the one right before it... "Our shadow will always release whatever overshadows us." Wow?! So - the question then is this - what is it that is overshadowing you? What is it that is occupying your thoughts and consuming your attention? In this world - in this economy - in this (insert whatever concerns you right now) - it's tough to not let these things overshadow us, but I do not want worry and fear and anxiety to spill out of me... so I must stay focused and in tune and filled up with Him.

During a meeting on Friday night, I heard the Lord say, "If it concerns you, it concerns Me!" Another friend was lead to Psalm 138 and she read it in the New American Standard Version. Verses 7 & 8 read like this:
"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
The LORD will accomplish what concerns me;
Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands."

Whatever it is that concerns you, you can rest assured that it concerns Him as well! And if it concerns Him... you can rest assured that He has your back! He will work it out and cause blessing to overshadow you despite what you may see in the natural! Remember, He is no respecter of persons, and He says that you are a Good Investment!

Love in Abundance, Grace Abounding,
Be Blessed,
~Karrilee~