" 'An He Came to Me"

WHY PRAY?

A true story from our week...

Yesterday we were driving to soccer practice for our two six year old "twins", Jack and Bruik when 4 year old Ava told us this...

"Mommy, it was dark last night and I was crying in my room."

You were crying? Oh, Ava I'm sorry. Why didn't you come and get me?

"I did somethin else Mommy. I got outa my bed and I got on my knees on the floor and I cried out to God.
An I got back in bed.
An I was still crying.

An Jesus came to my room.

He came to me.
An He said, 'Ava, why are you crying?'

An He had yellow on Him.

An He held my hand and we went into your room to check on you.
An Jesus was very bright."


Praises today to the God who sees us, hears our cries, and who comes to us!!


Psalm 34a

I will extol the Lord at all times;

his praise will always be on my lips.

My soul will boast in the Lord;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the Lord with me;

let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.

This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;

he saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Fear the Lord, you his saints,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Come, my children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Whoever of you loves life

and desires to see many good days,

keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking lies.

Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous

and his ears are attentive to their cry;

the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,

to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;

he delivers them from all their troubles.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

A righteous man may have many troubles,

but the Lord delivers him from them all;

he protects all his bones,

not one of them will be broken.

Evil will slay the wicked;

the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

The Lord redeems his servants;

no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

Blessings,

Gillian

Justice Loves Babies

Home: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
http://www.justicelovesbabies.com/Home.html




This is the next book I am reading to my children. I cried my way through it yesterday in the International House of Prayer bookstore. And I want it in every home that loves Jesus. The text is especially precious to my mama's heart.

My youngest children's mothers made life choices for them that saved not only their physical lives so that they could live and breathe and enjoy life on this Earth--but what I sense SO greatly is that their lives have been saved because Christ has a DESTINY for their lives.

Every life has a destiny

-- an original plan of Jesus for His glory and greatness and the Presence of Himself to shine on the Earth through that life.

Your children have a destiny

So do you.

I have been in awe of this thought lately.

It strikes me as I look in each of my six children's eyes, as I stroke their hair, as I hear their heart - felt prayers. It has always impacted my prayers for all my children as well.

Ava is my example of late, however. Her back story is here in the sidebar --read it if you have not before--but she was picked up from the dust of a street of Addis Ababa when she was just 9 months old. A noisy, precious, screaming baby, who the nannies named, Rakeb, "One who cries loudly." :)

More and more I see this physical saving act and our later adoption as only a shadow of a much greater purpose of the salvation of Jesus to not only come on her life but to flow out of it and to bring a multitude to Jesus through her precious life.

This has been prayed over her and God keeps pressing this on our hearts. Ava's still REALLY loud--there is constant language flowing out of this precious little girl. But what is also there is so glorious--a heart for her savior, Jesus--burning love and worship--all day!! Ava is a little songbird who God is POURING worship songs out of --we have been keeping the tape recorder close by.

And she is a worshiper.

Just the other day she was talking in her room and when she came out she said, "I've been talking to Jesus, Mommy and He told me that He is making a house for me!" She also makes up songs about biblical images that we have never taught her--this is the Holy Spirit's life just flowing through her--it is amazing.

She was singing yesterday about how the trees are "gonna clap their hands to you, Jesus, when you come back to get me an you just love the boys and the girls of the nations--cause the nations belong to you, Jesus"

This child.

She HEARS the voice of God.

We are told this will happen more and more before the return of Jesus--look in Joel 2--it is an exciting passage that says that before Jesus returns He is going to pour out His Spirit on all flesh and that we will experience dreams, encounters with Him, visions--this is not just something for those Eastern countries--those mysterious stories from "those far away places" we hear from across the world--God's voice is breaking in now. He is coming on those who worship Him with incredible Word and in power.

This little girl

who lay in the dust screaming,

now singing and proclaiming the goodness and power of the only Savior of the world.

Oh, my...

Oh, how amazing...

mysterious...

how

GOOD

our God is!!

I want to make sure to saturate myself in His Presence so that I too might enjoy Him and hear Him as my sweet Ava does.

The images in the video are reprsentative of some of our life here revolving around Jesus at a missions' base in Kansas City,Mo. The room with all the international flags is a 24 hour/7 days a week prayer room for intercession and worship.

My older children spend 4 hours a week enjoying the Lord there and the littles and I go in for shorter periods of time to worship and listen to the Lord and to dig into the Bible. Then they share their little pictures with me--"This is when God told me He likes to play tennis with me...this is God and this is me--God is giving me a hug...this is a shield--God is my sheild when the enemy speaks lies about things that are not true or good."...

The images of children in the video below praying are worshiping at our new school, The Daniel Academy, in the prayer room, and in the children's sunday school classroom. It's a little bit of Tucker show and Tell! :)

I am absolutely blown away with the POWER of children's prayers. Last week I was in a room full of about 50 children Kindergarten to 5th grade. This little girl, about 5 years old, --wiggly little girl--,having a hard time keeping still, with a lisp, got on her tiptoes to pray into a microphone in her teacher's hand. As she prayed, this little song came out, "Jesus, I love you, You really looooove us, Jesus." tiny little thing--shaky little voice--and I was literally about knocked off my feet with God's Presence that entered the room at the sound of her sweet voice--SO powerful!!

When these children pray you can feel the WEIGHT of God's Presence-- Place a child intentionally in the Presence of God and they will respond so naturally to Him--Give a child the weightier matters of Life to pray over-- and God will love to respond to their precious prayers...




A note from the author of Justice Loves Babies:


Justice Loves Babies is a precious children's story that emphasizes the worth of life and the impact of prayer. In this picture book the main character "Justice" refers to the child in his mother's womb "Destiny" as a living person. Justice eagerly waits for the birth of his sister Destiny and wants to help his father, who is a Doctor bring Destiny to life outside of the womb.


Justice is a little boy who loves babies. He is eagerly waiting for the birth of his sister, Destiny. He wants to be the first to hold her. Justice talks to Destiny every day in her mother's womb and prays that she would live and be strong.


Soon his father, who is a doctor, will help his mother bring Destiny into the world. But one night Justice has a dream about other babies who were not allowed to be born. "Not all babies get the chance to live like Destiny does," his mother tells him. "Never stop praying for the babies."


This story emphasizes the worth of life and the impact of prayer. Justice Loves Babies will change the way children treasure life by helping them understand that a life begins in the mother's womb. Like Justice, they can pray for Destinies to be born everywhere.


Help us spread this message of life!


- Darlene & Danielle Wibeto

Cross -Training

Watch videos at Vodpod and more of my videos

Hey, everyone!
This is an awesome teaching--a GIFT to you today!! :) Just drag the timer on the vod pod, after you hit play arrow, to 1:09 to the teaching part--this is from Hebrews 11 and 12 if you have your Bible nearby...or enjoy the worship too at the beginning :)...

This teaching is WELL worth the time it takes to hear it!!

Also WELL worth the effort it takes to work it into your walk--or should I say, "run race" in Jesus

May we grow in endurance as we face the race set before us.


Blessings--such blessings in Him!!

Love, Gillian

Whoa!! Stepping out into the ravine? Tucker journey update...

Did you know that when Abraham was called by God out of his family's land, he ended up traveling 1,200 miles ON FOOT to the promised land???

And then...
This "father of nations" spent the rest of his days living in tents--never again did he live over a solid foundation of a home.


That makes 550 miles to Kansas City in a large U-Haul truck and a loaded -down Suburban sound REALLY "cushie" :).

It actually makes our consideration-- in a family meeting the other night with Ashley and Graham-- (due to financial reasons) of fitting our family into a 2 bedroom apartment for the next season sound pretty good too!--But you can stop holding your breath--the apartment management companies would not allow our number of people due to fire codes!! Bummer!! :) That was pretty wild to figure out until we were told no. And, life away from stuff to fuss with seemed rather freeing for a moment too!!

SOoooo the question of late has been somewhat like, "When God has called you to something quite incredible-- when you have heard His voice and KNOW that you KNOW that you KNOW that He is saying, GO!!!!--How 'low' can you go?--How little could you live with or on? or what is so precious to you that you could not live without it or leave it behind?"

This is a VERY easy question for me to answer when we are talking about OTHER people's things. It was exceedingly easy in our family meeting as Graham was instructed that Bella the Python was a pocession that was not right for life in smaller digs!!--or at least sharing bedroom space with my babies or me! :)!!!

Simple, huh?

But when I saw the look in Graham's eye...

...and then, I "got" the same feeling the next day, as I began to fit our pocessions into a space that will be a fourth to a third the size of what we are used to now...

How are you doing packing away YOUR pretties, Gillian?

--I must say--my heart was deceptive,fleshy, and tantrumy--

It was not a pretty site--

Mommy clutching onto my clipboard with cartoon electricity coming out of my hair and dying to that Martha side (I'm refering to the one on T.V. --Ms. Stewart-- not the Biblical one--or maybe there is a sad comparison here!!for my HEART and SPIRIT DO call out to be a 'Mary'--NOT a Martha!!)

Until...

"Gillian, who do you say that I am?"
"Gillian, do you Trust me?"

God pressed on my heart yet again ...and all the fullness of Himself flooded my heart...I had to confess my ugly attitude to my kiddos and with our circumstances and kneel in the middle of our boxes and again make my testimony, "Here I am, God...I love you...I adore you...YOU are my life...send me into the center of your will...not only WHEREever it is but WHATever it is!! ....WHAT a journey we are about to embark on!! Bring on the packing tape and get on with the Craiglistings!!

I actually believe that God is a very generous Father who has amazing plans for His children--He does not leave the righteous forsaken--I proclaim without doubts that as our story unfolds our life in Him will be a testimony,a "proof" of how He loves to complete what He calls us to--and what provision and glories he has for His children that not only hear His voice but follow it.

And we already have praise reports about this as we step into the first part of our call to a new ministry, land, and life:

Two fridays ago, we received a call OUT of the BLUE--a beautiful,Godly family offered to rent our current home until we sell it--what a gift!!

The conversation started out with this phrase, "Hi, Gillian this is J., this is going to be a very unusual conversation." Immediately my ears and heart were pricked--God often calls us to things that are seemingly impossible and absolutely illogical so that He'll get all the credit and glory--"very unusual" sounded very "usual" kingdom-wise. :)

WELL!! the blessing was MUCH more than timing or finance or detail for as we sat in our living room with this PRECIOUS couple and their sweet family they told our story of calling--I mean, it was not the exact story--but EVERY other element was there.

This husband called to be a preacher,

mine called to be a pastor.

They do not know what the next step is except that the only word God has for sure given them is , "Stay"--the only word we have been given is, "GO".

They shared encouraging verses that were "our" verses.

And as S. answered Richard's question of "tell me how you KNOW that God has called you to this next step"--his answer was WORD for WORD what Richard says each time he speaks about this calling and the other times God has brought us on a journey.

"You know you are called when nothing else works and this is the ONLY thing you can do."

We laughed--probably too loud for where we were in this tender conversation--and almost fell out of our chairs--again--It was WORD for WORD what Richard says about calling because of his growth in Jesus. Sometimes God just talks out loud--and gives ALOT of repetition--we must be need of this teaching/parenting style of encouragement for He is literally hedging us in with Word to us about journey, will, following Him, continuing to press into seemingly blank areas so that He can reveal the next step of His will to us...

And then it was Richard's turn to answer the question...
And I have to tell you that he acted this out in our living room as he shared it. :)!!

One of Richard's favorite movies is "Indiana and the Temple of Doom".
Yeah, we were teens in the eighties!!

There is this one scene of a deep and wide ravine--Indiana is being pursued--he is going through a set of "tests" in this ancient area that reveal the way to treasure --each one with a biblical allusion (I loved that part of the movie too!)--at this ravine, he starts sweating and shaking--what is he to do...he looks down--the movie prop rock bounces all the Waaaay down to the depths--we hear its descent...--then he stands up- caaaarefully as he picks up his foot and mumbles, "Of course, the walk of Faith" He puts his foot down into...nothingness...and is jolted still--a stone step has appeared and is holding him up--of course the bad guys are showing up at this point too and Indiana (Harrison Ford) has to leap continually into the nothingness of the ravine as step after step appears only AFTER he has set his feet down. This is one of Richard's favorite pictures of faith--and you gotta see him acting it out for our friends in our livingroom!! No matter what the "test" or the "ravine" or the circumstance--God IS there and I believe God our Father is pleased with our faith that, knowing He is there,does NOT shrink back but banks our life on this and step out into what we cannot see. "Faith is EVIDENCE of what we cannot see" after all...

What is He calling your heart to?

Do you have a ravine in front of you?

We do.

I plan to keep stepping out and letting our Father catch us.

Even this morning we asked Him in tears for Faith that will walk forward into what we do not see.

...And away from those familiar banks...


We had a precious missionary mom in my home this week--a brand new friend who is being called by God with her husband to FRANKLIN in a very dramatic and unique way--God has sent an unusual amount of precious people (that I previously did not have a close relationship with) TO MY DOOR and TO MY PHONE over the past weeks--it has been mind-boggling how sweet He is and how much He is NOT going to let us withdraw from this calling!! B. sat on my livingroom sofa and I knew that she was speaking God's words to me when she said, "All my family lives in ---. This has been heart-breaking to even think of being apart from them--but how could I NOT? I really believe that, now, in this season, God is giving out special assignments to those that are seeking Him out in intercession--This is a really special time to listen to Him. He is getting His people ready--I am seeing so many example of this--moving those who are listening and obeying into position for where they will be most effective for the Great Global Harvest to come before He comes back."

So the rest of our week? What will it hold?

We can't see it yet. :) But we do know we will be hugging precious necks of those we have loved in the Nashville area for almost 20 years...

And crying sweet tears of love.

Thanking God for all He's done here and praising HIm in wonder for what He is bringing us to...

Squeezing my mom and dad REALLY tightly--this part of the call is achy--it literally hurts inside--

We will be finding little boys up to their necks in empty boxes

And catching them being pretty naughty--they think I've pack all the boundaries and rules in our boxes for some reason!!

Teens who are packing up a storm--so excited to grow and celebrate, and serve Jesus in their next school and ministry--you should hear their excitement and JOY!!

Ashley's guitar in packing breaks

Phrases like, "Man!! This room is full of boxes--its like BOXLAND in here!!--lets hideout!!"--from Anders and Jack

When are we going already?--Bruik

"I was made for for LOooooove."--Ava singing

Ashley--our word girl in the midst of the newprint for packing--"Its a win-win situation you get to pack up AND read the comics!!"

EVERYONE ELSE--"Hurry up, Ashley!"

Bella the Ball Python (I think I just like to type her name for effect!)
on her way to another abode--Graham found a buyer!! Mama's pretty happy about this!!

A thousand million last minute details...

If you can help us load the truck on Wednesday give us a shout!!--We are looking for helpers!!

But... we ain't walkin' 1,200 miles!--this isn't so bad!--Let's load er up and go already!!


How lovely is your dwelling place,

O Lord Almighty!

My soul yearns, even faints,

for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and my flesh cry out

for the living God.

Even the sparrow has found a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may have her young—

a place near your altar,

O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house;

they are ever praising you. Selah

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

As they pass through the Valley of Baca,

they make it a place of springs;

the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

They go from strength to strength,

till each appears before God in Zion.

Hear my prayer, O Lord God Almighty;

listen to me, O God of Jacob. Selah

Look upon our shield, O God;

look with favor on your anointed one.

Better is one day in your courts

than a thousand elsewhere;

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

the Lord bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does he withhold

from those whose walk is blameless.

O Lord Almighty,

blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Psalm 84

Love, Gillian

Fountains in the Thirsty Places

Such sweet cousin love. Ava's about as big as M. but was carted around all over the place. :)



Site of the very first airplane flight--was a wonderful learning/appreciating experience!




The GIANT sand dunes of Nags Head, NC--amazing!! Brought back many memories--this is the beach I vacationed with each year growing up with my family.





How GOOD to belong to Him. It was such an incredible blessing to be among these Godly families--to see God creating an inheritance for Himself in yet ANOTHER generation who is turning their hearts to him. He truly blesses through the generations--how precious to belong to Him!!

Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants



Allllmost there....! These dunes are SO high that people hand glide off of them--a real adventure.



...Made me think of the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years...and with so many children in tow...being led by a REAL cloud of the Spirit by day and His firey protection and warmth at night...a wonder...some of the cousins and I talked as we pushed our feet into the sand mountains about how PRECIOUS God's gift of water would have been--in the middle of the desert land...

No stainless steel water bottles clanking on these mama's backs
No beach swim to look forward to later in the day

BUT

Fountains out of DRY rock!

And bread blanketing the ground each morning...

So God provides for me

For us

In the midst of every season--dry or lush...

He carries us

He makes life flow when all we see before us is sand or a big Rock in our way.





Christ IS our LIVING stream in the desert...

He says:

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:38)


Jesus, thank you for the places you walk with us that make us so thirsty for you.




"And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. (Isaiah 58:11)

Love to you all!
Gillian

Wherever you go--There you are ... :)

Hey, everyone! We just returned home last night from a trip to Outer Banks, NC (Nags Head) for a beach trip reunion with Richard's family. We'll post some photos of the beachy love this week--12 kiddos and 8 adults all shared an ocean front home this week--the kids were in cousin heaven!!


But first a smile--you know that ole quotation, "Wherever you go, there you are" ? Well, we had a FUN time with this with our Graham as we road through Graham North Carolina to and fro the beach. The "Mayor" of Graham had a fun time "surveying" his town :)!!--Next we'll need to plan a trip to "Jackson" Miss. and Perhaps to "Anderson" In.--perhaps an Ashley destination...SUGGESTIONS, anyone???...it was so much fun taking these photos--even for those of us with more unusual names!! :)



SWEET!!



The Water Tower that "called Graham's name" from the highway :)




Just Chillin' at Graham's Soda Shop








Graham, "the thinker" :)





Sweet kid--really sweet southern town--lots of fun ;)


Just a funny today--love to you all!
Blessings,
Gillian

The Cry of the Radical Heart

In my circles there has been alot of speech about the word, "radical"--this song speaks well about the working out of this word/theme.

What a RADICAL thing--to be captivated and personally known by the living God.

What would this mean to your life personally?
What if Jesus WAS the lens that you saw all of life out of?

Living Waters that would flow from you--

no striving to serve.

For the river of love straight from the living God would flow to the hearts of whoever we are around--

SPLASH!!

We would bring that awesome river with us wherever we go...

... to splash on whoever is in front of us.

No one would have to convince us with statistics or pain stories to go forth and love for love would simply be in residence in us and would lead us to what Christ's heart burned for.


Fire that no water could ever quench--no ministry burnout here--for the lovesick heart does not wear out by work--

"a lover will out- last a worker every time!!"


No offense toward "others who just don't 'get it' "

for as we are filled with love --

We realise that the strong love we have for the helpless/the hurting is overflow --

NOT from the production of our hearts and desires and will

but overflow

from God's heart

bursting out from inside of us.

We would realise that the SAME love that Christ gives to us,

He has for these same people--who may not as yet

"get it"

FOR

"OH HOW He LOVES the world"--

and this includes

the selfish,

the cynical,

the greedy--

the VERY unsaved ones--"those" ones--

you know...

the one whos picture just came up in your mind--

THAT one--

Oh how He loves--

THAT one

And how great a love they will have for Christ as they are forgiven much

For he who is forgiven much loves much!!

YES, with melting, passionate, self-sacreficing love Jesus would woo them to Himself as well...

JUST like He wooed me...

We EACH and ALL are targets for His love!

We would realise that the point of and definition of the gospel is not only US--not even only others or service to others or the labors of our hands but all about the GLORY of this incredible one,

--JESUS--

who fills all of eternity,

who's glory fills the Earth,

who is coming to reign soon,

yet who's love fills and lives in MY heart.

"How can it be? That you, Oh God should die for me?"
And yet He calls us His BELOVED...

Ah to be captivated by His beauty and glory--

It is what we are made for.

Our eyes are meant to behold HIm.
Our hands were made to bring glory back to Him.
Our relationships to bring glory to Him.
Adoption and other ministries to bring His glory back to Him through these precious lives.

HIM, HIM, HIM...

Jesus is worthy of all the focus, all the strength, all the drive of our lives---HE is what we were made for!


Everything else flows from this...--including the 2nd commandment--to love others as we love ourselves. Only after being captivated by our glorious Jesus personally could we ever love or serve well or have ANY purpose to "lay it all down" or "obey those harder sayings" --until we get this first glimpse and filling of Christs' love in our sight and our hearts.

And this takes action.
But action that brings life and direction.


Plunge into Him--He's waiting for you--like that Lovesick Dad waiting at the end of that dusty path--waiting for His beloved child to return home. To run into His arms is our first requirement--and everything else flows from this--it REALLY does!

Be Blessed be captivated by Glorious Jesus!!
Love, Gillian