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A Quiet Weekend Away

We got to spend a little time away this weekend.

We went to the village of Williams Bay, Wisconsin to the Conference Point Center. http://www.lgyc.org/retreats/conference-point-center/

It was a lovely place to be, as you will see. The Soderquist Lodge http://www.lgyc.org/soderquist-lodge/ was our home for the weekend.

At first glance.
Roughing it. Not.

We went to attend the Aglow International Southwestern Wisconsin 2020 Rising “SPRING” retreat.

Our friend Sandy was the speaker.

She spoke to us about how important our jobs are.

Even if they look small to us.

She encouraged us to Dream Small.

It’s the little things you do every day that matter.

Boy I needed to hear that one!

She encouraged us to do what we were created to do;

And reminded us that the ordinary stuff is not so ordinary after all.

The view from our room.
Within a stones throw!
Just a little walk.
Too bad we didn’t have a boat!
My guy is always silly!
So relaxing.
So peaceful.

Of course have no idea how many groups of people canceled their time at this amazing venue due to COVID19.

It was not nearly as crowded as would be normal.

Bad for them, but great for us.

Every single thing it seems, was there just for us.

Until next time …

Hindsight 20/20

Several years ago, (17 to be exact) I came across a teaching by a Seattle pastor named Casey Treat.

The name of the series was “The Orphan Heart”.

I had not even heard of that before, but it caught my attention.

The book was entitled “Healing the Orphan Heart”.

In a nutshell, Casey maintained that the orphan heart is mainly caused by the “lack of biblical fathering”, that “causes many people to struggle with inferiority, insecurity, and defensiveness.”

“If your heart is orphaned, your life is broken; and if your heart is whole, your life is whole.”

“If you pursue a whole heart there is no limit to what God can do in your life.”

Healing the Orphaned Heart by Casey Treat

I’ve been hearing the term” Orphaned Heart” in many different places recently, so this made me want to go back, and look at the topic again.

Oh my goodness how that topic has been expanded.

To tell the truth, I think that quarantine time has managed to show me that some of those issues, although healed, are trying to come back.

Join me while I go and look back, (Hindsight 20/20 in 2020) and then look forward again.

My hope is that together, we can get a bigger perspective, and catch some more healing for our souls.

Since the resources are so vast, I’ll just post on this on Wednesdays, so that we can learn together.

I look forward to learning more about it with you!

Until next time …

Intimidation Screams

In keeping with my recent encouragements for us all to “Be not afraid”, and “Fear not”, I found the following to be super encouraging and well written.

I hope you will as well.

I share this here with you with the permission of the original author; the formatting is my own.

Carla Jean Ives

Breaking Intimidation…Intimidation Defined: to make timid or fearful : frighten; especially : to compel or deter by or as if by threats.

I’ve been in a spiritual battle for the past two weeks. I’ve evaluated my heart, checked for open gates, rested my body, reduced distraction, refreshed my soul with people I love and spent hours in the Word of God and prayer.

Today, I finally identified my unseen enemy…Intimidation.

The spirit of intimidation is debilitating and subtle. It sneaks up on you, hits hard and runs. It’s fueling chaos all over the world. It’s laying over the global Church like a heavy, wet blanket, trying to smother God’s people into silent submission.

Intimidation has many voices. It shouts through politicians and political parties, screams through the screens of mainstream media, spreads fear through real and imaginary stories that are shared like juicy gossip on social media.

Sometimes it comes through strangers who attack our spoken thoughts or even those we would least expect – our Christian brothers and sisters, our friends.

Intimidation is loud, harsh and unfeeling.

It sends one message to everyone in it’s path…Be afraid.

If we believe the spirit of intimidation, fear will immobilize us.

It will silence us. It will divide and conquer us. It will steal our sleep and torment us in our waking hours.

IF we believe the voice of fear…I refuse to believe it anymore. I know what the Bible teaches.

I’m not fighting people. I’m not fighting politicians or political parties, movements or causes, rioters or looters, races, cultures, a gender or generation, history or history-makers, sinners or saints.

I don’t see any person as my enemy.

It makes the fight so much easier when I recognize that I truly only have one enemy – Satan – and his little demonic minions who have been legally stripped of all power to act UNLESS the Church is silent.

Which is why Intimidation has been so busy…The Bible says “we wrestle NOT against flesh and blood.” (Ephesians 6:12) Our fight isn’t against one another, friend.

We’re getting beat up and bloodying our knuckles for no reason. Fighting one another will never shut down, shut up or shut out enemy activity.

It’s a battle that is won first in the spirit and then manifests in the earth.

Tonight, I am declaring that the airwaves are being reclaimed for the kingdom of God.

I’m announcing the defeat of intimidation, deception, manipulation and destruction in the Name of the Overcomer, Jesus Christ.

I am proclaiming the victory that Jesus won at the cross over every sickness and disease.

I am affirming my commitment to teach the Word of God, make disciples and to do my best to live my faith loudly.

I’m decreeing healing over the land and ripping that ugly, wet blanket of intimidation off of the Church so she can rise up and take her place, bringing Kingdom order to this world in chaos.

I prophesy a unity coming to the bride of Christ that gathers us from every tribe, tongue, race and nation into one people who together bring transformation to our individual countries.

I’m dancing on deception and singing deliverance over the land.

I will write, speak and do whatever God’s Word and Spirit tell me to without apology.

I will love lavishly, boldly and unconditionally. I will not be ashamed of my tears and I won’t lose my laughter.

I am a daughter of the MOST High!

I know who and Whose I am.

I am NOT afraid.

Image may contain: text that says 'she who kneels before God can stand before anyone. Romans 8:31 @sweet south @sweet.southern.sister ern. sister'

I wholeheartedly agree with the words from this women whom I have never even met.

My spirit bears witness.

Yours may, or may not, but if you’re still reading, then these words are certainly worth your consideration.

Until next time.