Grace To Me Part 2: I Am and Lack Nothing

A Grace message is about who you are and is uncontaminated with anything that implies you have to do to become. Grace sees that you have everything already. Anything that implies you have lack in your life is not the grace message. Don't believe lies that you lack something. People who think they lack are easily manipulated because they doubt the voice within them. Grace is that I have died and the me that now walks around enjoying life is really Jesus in me because we are one.

A mixed message is completely dangerous because it has enough truth in it to make it seem right to people. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end leads to death.” (Right and Wrong = death.) A gallon of water with one drop of poison still looks like water, but it will kill you. Mixers throw in the truth just to make the lies taste palatable. Jesus said a little leaven leaven the whole. It is a good thing that nothing real can be threatened and therefore we don't have to battle with the mixers. If it is not pure grace, it is not grace at all. There is one voice that matters. Hear ye Him and enjoy this life the God quality way.

Grace recognizes the completeness in Jesus. Law is something you need to do to become. This is in every area of life, not just the Leviticus laws. If you recognize law, you don't see that you already “Am.” If you think you need to do something to be perfect, then you don't know you are already. You have BEEN MADE righteous. There is no need to do anything AND I MEAN ANYTHING to become. Recognizing that you lack is not only an imagination, but will keep you bondage in your mind and lead to death. Whether a law that you can't pick up sticks on the Sabbath day to be righteous, or You have to be in a church every week to be a good Christian, or you have to help coach a football team to be a good dad. If you think you have to do to be....this is not grace. Right living is not about right and wrong any longer. There is no more sin because there is no more law that would make you guilty. To think there is still sin is to believe in an illusion that only existed before Jesus. The imagination of it is still bondage and will keep you from God-quality of life. Well, of course there are consequences to actions. DUH! But focusing on the choices will only keep you making the same ones over and over. Holy Self-Righteous Cow! The Truth is the only thing that sets people free from a life of “trying” to live right. Truth is God's perspective, not our perspective. Can you not see that “trying” to live right is the very definition of self-righteousness. We have been made righteous. I am righteous. Trying to be righteous is like me trying to be an American. I am an American because I was born here. Righteous is who I am. How could I try to be something I already am. Jesus is NOT OUR EXAMPLE! He is our LIFE. We wouldn't need him if we could try and get it right. Is this not the sweet and simple Truth?!?! Oh, and I guess I should add I automatically act like a stereotypical American. I like everything instantly. I tear up when I see an American soldier. I believe in the American dream that anybody can have success. And I always wear white socks. Nobody had to teach me to do those things. It just came because I was born here. Nobody has to teach me what loving people looks like because I was born in love.

Grace to Me part 1: God's Quality of Life.

This is Grace to me....

Grace is more than God being a good God and having mercy on his children. Grace is a COMPLETE life transformation in every single area of life. It is no longer my life, but Christ.

Grace is a celebration. It is enjoying life. It is the revelation of heaven on earth. Grace is seeing people and situations through the eyes of Jesus. It is love that compels us. And we simply enjoy. Well of course bad things still happen. We live in a fallen world. But when you see from God's perspective, you see the world differently than we were always taught. We walk fearlessly through the valley of the shadow (illusion) of death because our focus is on the still waters.

When I act contrarily to my new nature, I have just forgotten who I am. The Holy Spirit reminds us of all things---Who we are! Hallelujah! Grace is not just my relationship with my father. Grace is my life now. In the old way of thinking, I might wash the dishes because that is what I expect from me as a wife and mother. With my new nature, I wash the dishes because I want to. And I DO want to because I enjoy a clean kitchen. I enjoy sitting with my family eating on clean plates. It's quiet time where I can commune with my Father. My “want to” changed only when I rest in the Truth about who I am. His love for me is my tackling fuel.

Daily tasks are now effortless and fun...not because I HAVE to, but because it is something I do as a result of seeing and believing who I am. Can you see the difference? Who is the Father of the things you do? Even self-expectations are a fruit of the fallen world. Grace overcomes ALL of these. Jesus fulfilled ALL laws...the ones written in stone AND the ones we write ourselves on our hearts. This is exceptionally excellent news!

Grace-full Ponder

A recent ponder....  Ever wonder about the law from the Old Testament thinking verses Jesus in us and New Testament thinking?  Hope something resonates.

 

1. There is a HUGE difference between Scripture and the Word of God. Actually, I believe they are opposites because one produced death and the other life. Thank God that he loved the people of the Old Testament enough to teach them how to live safely, etc. and also bring them to a place where they could see they needed a savior. He continued to offer them relationship, but when they refused, he gave them what they wanted to show them it is really not what they wanted. The law-minded read the scripture. The Spirit-lead read the Word of God. Can you see the difference?

#2. The Old Testament wasn't bad. Jesus and Paul read the same scriptures of what the Pharisees read, but they interpreted love from it. They saw it from a higher perspective. Now that I understand grace, I also read the Old Testament and see grace. For example, Song of Solomon taught me that maturity is to say, “God loves me.” Immaturity is to say, “I love God.” Job is about Jesus. The reason Cain’s sacrifice was rejected is because his offering was a fruit of his toil. God always intended for our sins to be paid for by another. Thank you Jesus for grace-filled revelations from the Old Testament!

#3. However, when we look at the Old Testament from the perspective of right and wrong, this will produce death. Right and wrong is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It’s the focus on the behavior (or the fruit) rather than the source of life that feeds the tree. Our actions must never be lead by the “right thing to do.” We are lead by the Spirit. The action may be the same….The written law says no potty in the kitchen. The Spirit won’t lead us to put a potty in the kitchen. But who is the father of that fruit or action? The law or the Spirit? If it is birthed from the thinking that you MUST DO TO BECOME...You are committing adultery on the Bride Groom with the one he freed you from.  I could literally dance around the house when I think about that!  GOOD NEWS!

I LOVE this next one...

#4. This is a revelation that saved my life: Grace does not empower us to do the law. Grace is not the ability to behave. Grace has ZERO to do with behavior. I think this is what was meant by “having a form of Godliness but denying the power.” This is how I might explain it…We need to get to Australia to save our life. It’s impossible to swim there. So Jesus brought us back Life (His life) on a big cruise ship. Now all we must do to have his quality of life is to hop aboard and enjoy the ride. Mixing the gospel would be like thinking we now can swim the pacific with WWJD on our water wings. While Jesus sails on his cruise ship beside us cheering us own. No! If you are swimming, He’s hollering out, “come and rest and let us enjoy this life in relationship together.” Swimming makes you look like a champ to people watching from the shore, but you look like an idiot to the people in the boat.

#5. The written law came with Moses, but actually, law entered hearts with Adam. It is a mindset that, “I can become if I do.” Everyone agrees that our “doing” has nothing to do with our righteousness before God, but I tell you any tiny drop of that belief for ANY area of our life is poison. If you think you have to do something to improve, grow, press-in, be, etc...then you do not understand that you already ARE. I AM because HE “AM” (Sorry grammar girls.) Together WE ARE! Yes and Yes!

#6. Some people use pretty words that make the law sound right. But I tell you that there is a way that seems RIGHT to a man, but in the end... yep, = death. Let God be true and every man a liar! You know you hear the truth because you get a hallelujah in the heart. I like to call it a “flip flop” in my heart. Even if it is the “right” doctrine from man, but there is no hallelujah, I disregard it. Truth MUST come from the right heart. ( I personally think this is because it is revelation that is communicated more than mere words.) Even Satan used words that were truth. Satan’s “right doctrine” was the bait. If you see it as right or wrong, you are focusing on behavior/fruit instead of enjoying life that feeds the tree. You see Scripture and not Word. You hear with your fleshly ears instead of the ears of your heart. This is the knowledge of good and evil.

#7. Stop and think about this statement for about five seconds:  “Wisdom (a.k.a Good advice) will help you improve your life.”  Think.  Think.  Think.  Think.  Think about what you are thinking about.   

Can you hear it? What happened in your heart when you read that? This is subtle trouble. “Improving your quality of life” sounds good to the fleshly ears. Please open your ears and hear! If YOU think YOU can DO something to improve your life, JESUS WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO COME! It’s all or nothing, my friends. Just pick hot or cold. Luke warm tastes disgusting. To think you need improving is to still think you lack something. You must now DO something to become or improve---live Godly.  It’s poison! It is this very way of thinking that lead Adam to take a bite of that apple to become somebody. He already was somebody but thinking he lacked KILLED US. Again I ask you, who is the Father of this fruit/behavior? Abraham had to cast out the Bond Woman AND her fruit. Was she a bad person? No way, but it wasn’t the promise. Abraham did that in his own efforts. Look at the death he produced. God created the promise in a womb that was once dead. Ga-lory! Just like Jesus becoming the sin and law and dying, then raised to life. And we have the same power within us. Not to live the law, but to have LIFE. We can learn to know if we are listening with the ears of our heart or the ears of our head. It's like a switch. Which ears are you listening with?

#8. When people focus on their behavior at all, they fall into the trap, “I must do to become.” They begin to doubt the voice in them and think they must rely on a man to tell them how to think and act toward God. This is a dangerous thing. They become sin/self/fruit-conscious instead of God-conscious. It happens even in grace circles. This is not one bit different than the Hebrew children sending Moses up on the mountain to hear from God for them. So sad because it hinders relationship and LIFE even if they know God is not mad at them.

#9. It is this belief system that Jesus abolished. It used to bother me that Jesus took a whip into the temple, but now that I see, I ADORE him for it. He was crashing the belief system because they were imputing that system onto people. Believe what you want, but don’t you dare mess with God’s kids and make them think they are not enough. Jesus fulfilled all the written and unwritten law. Where there is no law there is no sin. And let's face it. Sin like people think of sin is only fruit of unbelief. That's it. When we tell them the truth, they have the information that will help them believe. They already have the Truth on the inside.  Sometimes they need to hear it from another so they can hear it in their heart.  They will see who they are and they will stop producing the “bad” fruit.

#10. Thank God he loves us and doesn't enforce HIS system on us either. He allows us to choose… What a fabulous Daddy! What a fabulous bridegroom!

#11. Please allow me to give a very practical example of what I'm talking about. Nowhere in the Scripture does it say that I must have the house clean, kids clothed, and supper on the table by 6:00. But I thought I did. This was an expectation I had on myself. A law was written on my heart. The thought that, “If I want to be a good mom and good wife, this is what I must do.” It caused frustration. Negative emotions always mean there is a law somewhere in your heart. The pressure I placed on myself leaked into our whole family. Is it considered wisdom to keep the house clean and cook supper? I tried to use grace to fulfill those responsible tasks to help me become the mom I should be. (Sounds crazy to me now.) The actions themselves are a blessing to our family, but it was causing death in the peace and relationships of our home. There was no life. If I didn’t get it done, I felt guilty and condemned. I felt less than. If Wayne came home and began to help me, I became offended because it was just a reminder that I couldn’t do “my” job. It wasn’t until I understood grace and cast that “law” into the sea that life was allowed to enter. My value is not placed on what I can do. My value is not even based upon the behavior of my kids. I allow myself to be pampered and served and loved by the Lord and simply out of that enjoyment, I do stuff. I know I don’t have to do it, but I want to. That is the difference. Cooking supper is fruit from love and value I have for myself and my family. Now there is rest and peace. No pressure. There is contentment with or without a messy house. This is life of the God kind. The actions are the same, but one way of thinking produced the fruit with death. The other produced the fruit with life. This is what Grace is….not the ability to do law. It is believing and resting and finding our true value…our life hidden is his, one with him. We are valuable because he loves us. Not because we can do stuff. “Apart from Him, I can do Nothing” You know what that word “nothing” means in the Greek? ----“NOTHING”

#12. Wisdom is Innocence. Does that resonate?

Pied Piper

This came into my head during my commute today.  It is a poem about the same mindset that Jesus drove out of the temple.

Pied Piper

Pied Piper, You try to tickle my ears.
In my heart I hear truth.  Your words are not real.
Your music is deceiving and played with such skill.
It sounds good for a season, but eventually kills.

Pied Piper, your flute sings a reasonable song.
The lyrics sound right, but your heart makes them wrong.
I see you entertaining.  Your motives are clear.
You think people are puppets and you their grand puppeteer.

Pied Piper, you increase the volume skillfully loud.
It drowns out relationships to draw a big crowd.
You seem very talented, but you play only games.
You love your own life and lead others astray. 

Pied Piper, you smile, but I see your tears.
You trust in your music because Truth makes you fear. 
You march to your stanzas but desire to rest.
You entice the innocent to validate your quest.  

Pied Piper, you kiss the instrument of death.
You are just like the victims you sing to impress.
Have faith and don't doubt. Cast your flute to the sea.
Decide this is useless and you have no needs.

Pied Piper, you are deaf.  Can you  not hear my song?
It comes from the one to whom you also belong.
My heart rings with life from a live symphony.
I dance WITH a lover to its Truth melodies.

Pied Piper your analysis of me is all wrong.
It's not a rejection if I don't dance to your song.
Tune in your real ears!  How I wish you could see!
You're worth more than your music.  You are loved and set free. 

Life With Boys Part 2

Life with Boys  The Sequel.   The fun never ends...

1. Boys have the best imaginations EVER.  Once I watched them work together to build a big bond fire in our living room.  Brown pillows were the logs, and red pillow shams with multicolored thin stripes were placed on top for the fire.
   
   
2. My rough and tumble boys still like soft things. Everybody likes to sleep by me especially when I wear silky PJs. Jack used to be sort of possessive over soft pretty pink things so I made him pinky promise me when he was two that he would never kiss a girl until he got married.
   
   
3. Boys growl and roar.
   
   
4. Boys have this "tough guy" tone I'm fascinated with when they communicate about stereotypical-boy things like cars or sports. They all do it as soon as they can talk.
   
   
5. Boots and cape required.  Underwear optional.
   
   
6. Boys wrestle. Then they wrestle some more.  And when they greet each other, they wrestle.  And when it is not wrestling, it is playing "punch" or just a good hearty tackle.  They are even born knowing what to wear for this bonding experience.....Pants (or underwear.) No Shirt.  Socks on their hands.
   
   
7. Quote #539:  "Don't clean up this pile, Mom.  It's special."
   
   
8. How do boys under six know how to talk "army"?
   
   
9. Boys greet other boys they love with punching or tackling. My boys always punch their uncles when they first see them.
   
   
10. I heart superhero underwear.
    
    
11. Boys ALWAYS try to turn an ordinary task into a game. For example, "Come and let me put on your shoes." Might turn into a chase. They see how close they can get to you then run away screaming to see if you'll chase them. After they see your not in the mood to play, they'll comply.
    
    
12. When boys approach you, they stop about three feet away from you and then jump the remaining distance. All my boys do this.  Every. Single. Time.
    
    
13. Beans = tackling fuel.
    
    
14. What Mom says is considered.  What Daddy says is law.
    
    
15. Boys will obey for safety that is explained logically, but they don't have a real sense of danger.  They think that the reason they busted their head on the ground was just a fluke, and therefore will hang upside down in the swing immediately again with their dirt-stained tear streaks still fresh on their faces.
    
    
16. Boys love naked time.
    
    
17. Boys wander.  We are constantly reminding them to stay close.  After number three, Wayne said we went from man to man to zone coverage.
    
    
18. I'm not proud of this, but all my boys have at least one chipped tooth, and my four-year-old is mithing two from rough-housing.
    
    
19. Boys thinks it's funny when their mama says bad words.(Bungle. Dumb. Butt.---you know.  The real badies.)
    
    
20. Even boys like bubble baths and candles lit by the tub.
    
    
21. Boys have a fascination with their special part that I do not understand. That's all I'll say about that except that when Ben-dudey was born, the doctor said, "Looks like another machine gun!"
    
    
22. Where there is a boy in your bed, there will also be sand.
    
    
23. In a house of boys, it is inevitable to have feet on the table.
    
    
24. Oh it's not just an inner tube, it's a force field.
    
    
25. Parents of boys say things like, "Well, we're just not allowed to take weapons into Wal-mart.  You'll have to leave your quadruple-iron-headed spear here in the truck."
    
    
26. Never, and I mean never look under the car seat. And the worst is when you have to remove one to let someone ride with you.
    
    
27. Embarrassing quote #757:  "Is that a mole or a nipple?"
    
    
28. My boys have no concept that people get sick and die.  Six-year-old Luke had never even heard of the word, "disease."  Obviously the only real explanation for death is that, "he must have eaten a mushroom from the woods."  The mushrooms from the store are okay though.
    
    
29. Even if they don't admit it, boys like girls.  My baby daddy had a, "girls aren't so bad" talk with them that produced the top ten best girls list.  Yep.  Yours Truly made number one and the rest of the gals on the list should feel mighty proud too.  It was well thought out.
    
    
30. A mother who raised four boys recently made a comment that brought freedom to my inner most being...."We didn't have company for TEN YEARS!"  ...Yes! I know why!!!!
    
    
31. Nobody quite "gets" you like a family with boys.  Love my friends who parent little little engines fueled by testosterone.  I feel at rest with them because, "they know how it is."
    
    
32. Manners are a privilege for boys to have, and it brings a sense of honor to them when they use them.  The best is when manners are used inappropriately.  Like parents may be in a serious conversation with another adult.  Boy passes gas that no one would otherwise ever know about, then you hear, "Pardon Me!  I pooted."  REALLY loud.  We try to teach them to say pardon me only as loud as the gas itself.  (That's handed down from Don Bohannon.)          Or how about this classic...
    Parent--- "Ben, come and help me pick up these toys please."    Ben-- "No thank you."     or maybe    when one says "Yes, Sir" to a lady who looks like a sir. 
    
    
33. To quote the Coach from the Boys home at the Mustard Seed Ranch, "If you have one boy, you have one boy working.  If you have two boys, you have half a boy working."  ----Could not be more true.  His math skills are impeccable.
    
    
34. Daddys of boys FINALLY have somebody who will play with them.
    
    
35. No matter what age...boys can EAT!
    
    
36. Classic example of Blaylock Boy conversation: 'There are two reason why a terror bird won't poop on our car.  They can't fly and they are dead."
    
    
37. Boys are natural protectors.
    
    
38. A ball is the most destructive force found in a house full of boys. AND the only real toy a boy needs.
    
    
39. Parents of boys say things like, "That was really amazing, but don't ever do it again."
    
    
40. Brothers love their brothers.
    
    
41. When should you clip a boy's fingernails?  When they are long enough to stay dirty even after a hot soaking bath.  My personal favorite is when you clip the nail and the dirt stays on as is so it has to be knocked off.
    
    
42. Boys get REALLY excited to show their brothers something amazing.  A cool trick.  An awesome toy.  A pile of poo.
    
    
43. Sleeping boys are the best snugglers.
    
    
44. The crawl space under the register at the grocery store is The Bat Cave.  Just F.Y.I.
    
    
45. It's fun to have a house full of boys and even more fun to talk about it with other parents who live in a house full of boys. 
46. Parents of boys are exhausted....and happy.

Looking forward to my house full of boys tomorrow. 

Life With Boys Part 1

I think very often about my life and how it is probably different from at least half of the world. I have boys. Boy oh Boy! I was raised with two brothers. My dad is a great dad. I'm married to a grown-up boy. But now I see that being a mom to boys is a world I was not really prepared for, as if one could be prepared for any sort of parenting. I have come to realize that any household where the female species is outnumbered by at least two males is a much different environment to one where the genders are equal or there are more females. When my boys were smaller, it used to aggravate me that people would stop me and say things like, "Three boys? I bet you have your hands full." or "I raised three boys too. I feel for you, Mama." I heard a whole lot with a pat on the back: "There is a special place in heaven for a mom with three boys." Although I liked that last one, I would think they didn't really know what they were talking about. I knew my boys were good and just as active as any other kid, girl or boy. When I only had two of them, my mom gave me a quote to put on my wall that says, "Boys: n. A noise with dirt on it." I thought it was cute, but at the time when they were just little toddlers, it didn't really mean anything. Um.....now I know! All three of my boys are still preschool, but they can all walk and talk very well. I understand more of why others felt the need to pat me on the back. They are all three still really good, but they are bigger, heavier, more active, and sweat testosterone. The more boys you have, the more the boy-ness is compounded in the next boy and it becomes this strange snowball effect of testosterone. It is puzzling how this happens, but I can tell you I am experiencing an avalanche.

I. HAVE. BOYS! ...and I love it.

Aren't they cuties!

I do sometimes wonder if Father God thought it would be really funny to give me three little boys without a teenage girl first, but like I tell my boys, "You get what you get and don't throw a fit." Oh how I wish I had a teenage girl, even better would be one around nine or ten. It's okay though because I have good ones that I rent from time to time. Wayne is home with them now while I get to work and that is blessing for both of us. Life now is just what the doctor ordered. I can see how and why he set things in motion for our life in this moment. This switch-a-roo has been the best thing for our whole family. I am very thankful. I can already see a difference in all of us.

These are a few things I have learned so far about bringing up boys:

1. Boys really are dirty and loud. My boys even color loud. (Is that possible? I assure it is reality.)

2. Boys run and don't walk.

3. Boys are born with a natural ability for sound effects with their mouths that include but are not limited to all motors, guns, passing gas, and trains.

4. Oh, You are one of those moms who don't believe in buying your boys toy weapons? You can forget that, because they literally don't need them. There are plenty of regular household items that make guns, swords, and a plethora of other fun weapons. Guns are made from things like bananas, 3D alphabet letters("F" is a perfect gun if you hold it horizontally,) and really elaborate guns with multiple barrels are easily constructed from tinker toys. Swords? You name it. Umbrellas, curtain rods, and wooden spoons... Well of course you can't have a sword without a shield! No problem. Trash can and pot lids. Very often I go upstairs to the weapon arsenal A.K.A lower bunk bed stripped from all bedding and loaded with weapons of all shapes and sizes strategically placed. Gasp! Do you teach them this? ....nope. Boys are born with this.

5. Boys speak a unique language. We often get to use fun vocabulary words in everyday conversation such as, "Portal, vortex, secret-passage-way, booby trap, butt-ticks, and bungle." (Bungle is actually a bad word they made up that we think means, "bung hole.")

6. NEVER, and I mean NEVER, buy a new couch.

7. Invest stock in Magic Erasers. Use them to clean up the messes you can. Treasure the memories of the ones you can't. From personal experience I can tell you that these little cleaning devices even work on faces. Yes...I have used a magic eraser on a face. It was an emergency. When Luke was two-years-old, he decided he needed to use a permanent red marker to draw stripes on his face just before we were headed out for something important where permanent red on the face would be disastrous. It even went across his eye-lid. I tried all the gentle stuff first. Soap would not touch it. I even tried alcohol to no avail. So I pulled out the magic eraser. I rubbed it on my face first and it felt ok. It took the red right off, and he never complained once. I guess I wouldn't make a habit of it, but in emergencies, you got to do what you got to do.

8. Boys love their mamas, but they need their dads or a least some significant boy time with a grown up who understands how they think. My boys have a great dad, fantastic grandfathers, and really cool and fun uncles.

9. It's a good thing I read "Bringing Up Boys" by Dobson. I really didn't love that book, but I did learn some valuable things about being a boy mama. I'm sure Dr. James is a nice guy and has helped a whole lot of peep, but this book was a real Debbie Downer. I guess we all walk in the light that we have, but parts of this book literally made feel guilty for bringing a child into this world. That was unnecessary in my opinion. However, I did learn something very important. Boys go through two developmental stages whereas girls go through one. Girls and boys both go through puberty, but boys go through one between ages 18 months or so to five years (I think) where they make a mental separation that they are different from their moms and begin to identify more with the males they are around. All three of mine are in this age. What a blessing that their dad is willing to stay home with them during this time. There has been a huge difference in our little guys since the big guy took on the primary parent role.

10. Boys can only think about one thing at a time. If they are busy and do not respond to your voice, touch them and speak. They literally may not hear you. They are wired differently.

11. Don't try to tell two or more stories at one time. You just confuse and frustrate them. Their brains do not multitask like girl's brains. You'll just end up trying to explain yourself or repeat both the stories again separately. Just simplify stories the first time to save you all the trouble.

12. If it can be climbed on, it will be climbed on. If it is impossible to climb, it will also be climbed on.

13. Boys are confident to accessorize their outfits and costumes. Machine guns in their underwear. Capes and rain boots any time. Swords always, even when they have nothing on but a bath towel. One time we were about to eat spaghetti for supper and Jack insisted on putting on different clothes. I didn't want this because I knew whatever he wore would get sauce all over it. I thought he might as well wear the dirty one that he had on. But I allowed him to change. When he returned to the table, he was shirtless, sporting a sword tucked in his pants, a Spiderman web launcher on one wrist, shin guards, wrist guard, and elbow guards, 9 jelly bracelets, and a camouflage hat.

14. Everything and I mean everything is a train or can be converted easily to one. Sound effects, remember, are included in the boy.

15. "Punch" is quality time for the male species and must be done shirtless with socks on the hands. And you have to say, "ding, ding" before the first punch in thrown. It occurs on the king-sized mattress with all bedding piled into the floor around the bed.

16. Sometimes there literally are not words I can find to say and all that I can muster to come out is, "Aaaaaaaah!"

17. The dryer makes an excellent hiding spot.

18. Everything is a competition. When I say everything I mean everything. Even the day a person was born. According to my boys, Ben has a better birthday because he was born on July 22, and 22 is bigger than June 3 or October 12. ...I'm not kidding.

19. Apparently, boys never stop growing. If you are 60, you are "bigger" than someone who is 40. This is very important to four-year-olds in ways I cannot explain.

20. A king bed is not big enough.

21. Expect the unexpected like matchbox cars in your lab coat pocket. Name writing practice on nutritional assessments. Treasure map drawings on that bill you were fixing to mail. Toothpicks in the cracks of tables. Any small item you've misplaced for weeks will be under the seat of a riding toy. Or my personal favorite...Mr. Potato Head's arm in the electrical socket. Oh. My. Gosh!

22. Cranky. Noun. Messed up or imperfect. As in, "The creased paper is cranky." or "Jack made my bed cranky, and I already made it up."

23. Brothers LOVE. They are only an average of 18 months apart. They are very close. They might get mad at each other, but they love each other more than they love anything. Watching them is a sight to behold and lesson for sure.

24. Boys make up games that mamas do not find funny. Seriously, sometimes I just have to leave the room. Wayne taught them how to spray the wood floor with a little furniture polish and slide with sock feet. (I'm cuss-laughing under my breath.) "Oh it was safe before you got home. We slid into pillows and blankets."

25. Boys jump and swing on everything, but especially other people. It was cute and hardly noticeable when they were just little toddlers. Now that the combined weight is over a hundred pounds, I have to stay on my toes. If I bend down to pick up something off the floor, I can most likely expect at least one of them to pounce on my back. Never turn your back to a boy who is on a higher elevation than you are. Be ready if they are above you on the stairs coming down. Oh they'll get you when you least expect it.

26. Boys teach you how to let things go and just enjoy life. Just what I needed.

27. It doesn't matter how old the boy gets. Farts are ALWAYS funny. So funny in fact they will lose their breath laughing. In fact, the funniest thing on the planet is anything that has to do with bodily functions.

This precious laughy picture was made possible because Ben ripped a big loudy just as Jack laid his head down on his rear.

28. Nothing is sweeter than a little boy snuggle bug. One time I was woken up because Luke gave me a kiss as he was snuggling in our bed. I couldn't even tell who it was until I asked the next morning.

29. "More Powerful" is used to define rank. For example, Daddy is more powerful than Mama. Luke is more powerful than Ben. Jack is more powerful than the bug.

30. "A little bit fast" means slow.
"A little bit loud" means quiet.

31. Boys just know how to sword fight, upper cut, and be crass. Teaching is required to undo these things.

32. Boys know how to do things I don't understand how or why. Like, Why did Luke tell me that I needed to get gasoline to help me get the paint off counter?

33. "Superheros go to weddings."

34. Expect on-purpose tumbles and falls complete with sound effects and exaggerated movements like you might see in a animated cartoon. This is done for personal satisfaction of the boy, and an offering of entertainment for the observer. Kramer is an over sized five-year-old.

35. No matter where you are, they will find the race track. Running in circles through rooms and around furniture is just part of the daily routine and as natural as breathing.

36. Boys are worth it. They are my greatest teacher.

Prophecy Gift

I've had a stirring to jot down some things about prophecy for many, many months. I cannot claim to "know" anything, but I do have a passion for the prophetic. The more I learn about it, the more intrigued I become. I had a dream a few months ago like I have never had before. In it I was instructing others on prophecy and also giving words to four ladies. What is cool is that I really believe the four ladies represented me so I was really speaking to myself. (I love dreams. The stranger the better.) Other than the Bible and some dream-interpretation books, I have actually never read a book about prophecy, however recently I have purchased some I am excited to read.

I have had some Teachers that I admire in this area and want to share about them.

First, Mary Dorian. I cannot say enough good things about her. She is the real deal, and I am so honored to call her friend. She is the first person I ever saw minister to others with the prophetic gift. She is always kind and full of love. She is someone that Wayne and I trust to speak into our lives regularly. She is a safe place. Love her. Love her. Love her.

Second, Ryan Rufus. He is a great teacher and is the associate pastor for City Church Hong Kong. When I needed some spiritual advice, he responded. I was astounded at his accuracy and insight. He's got some great teachings on prophecy on their website: http://ccihk.com/

Third is Isi De Gersigny. She is a recent acquaintance, and I'm in total love with the God that shines through her. I could listen to her all day speak on the prophetic. She is kind and gentle and gorgeous. She pastors Jubilee International Church in Sydney Australia with her husband Fini. http://www.jubilee.org.au/ Pretty much every message she preaches has some sort of prophetic teaching.

Finally, Melissa Flores. I haven't ever had any personal contact with her, but I enjoy her blog called, "Defining Words." http://definingwords.com/ Most things are over my head, but some things have really changed my perspective in regard to the supernatural.

So here are some "things" I've learned...

1. There are no rules. People who teach their are rules about prophecy do not know what they are talking about in my experience. The way they describe their gift may be accurate for them, but not you. It is inappropriate to box God in.

2. Having said that, here is rule number one....A word from God will ALWAYS be lovely because he is love. If there is even a hint of judgmental, condemnation, accusatory crap, it is NOT from God PERIOD.

3. Having said that, it doesn't mean that every word from the Lord will be sunshine and rainbows. There have been a few and I mean like two or three words tops that I have ever gotten for other people that felt harsh. Really, I only judge them to be harsh out of my own personality. God knows what they need to hear. One in particular was a very strong warning about the person's behavior and where their life would end up if they continued. I just meditated on that word for over a month before I felt comfortable to tell the person just because I wanted to be extra sure that it was from God. I didn't want to even speak anything out like that unless I was sure. So I finally gave the person the word in private. Even though I thought the word had a negative slant to it, she felt so honored that God in heaven would warn her because he cared about her. She was truly touched and truly changed. It is the goodness of God that brings people to a place to change. She felt loved by him. God knew what he was doing even thought I didn't. Giving that word taught me loads about his love for people because apparently I don't know much.

4. The instruction on how to deliver it comes with the word. Sometimes you get a word and might feel like you can post it on facebook. Sometimes you tell in front of a small group. Sometimes you tell in front of large group. Sometimes you tell in private. Sometimes you tell in front of their parents. Sometimes you write it in a letter. Sometimes it doesn't matter how you deliver it. When in doubt, just wait. Sometimes all God wants you to do is pray about it for the person. Maybe they never need to know.

5. Prophecy looks like a lot of different things. Sometimes it is a verbal word. Sometimes a song. Sometimes a vision. Sometimes a painting. Sometimes a dream. Sometimes a dance. Sometimes a trance. Sometimes for yourself. Sometimes for a friend. Sometimes for the world. Maybe you see angels or hear them. Sometimes you just know what to pray. Maybe you smell a scent from heaven. Just as it is inappropriate to box in God, the same goes for prophecy.

6. The way I think of the prophetic is that you see or experience the supernatural. I believe that the Bible tells us to desire prophecy because we speak out Father's heart into the earth. Wow!

7. The difference between a gift of prophecy and a prophet. Um....I've heard teachings on this that I do not agree with. I have to go out on a limb here and say there is no difference. It's the same thing. This is my meager analogy. My sister is an expert cake baker. She has made wedding cakes, all my boys birthday cakes, etc. She makes cakes because she enjoys it. She has a passion for it. She does it for love. If you asked her what she does for a living, she would tell you that she is a high school teacher. But there are many wonderful cake decorators who actually have a full time job baking and selling cakes. Does that mean that because they get paid for what they do that their cakes look better and taste yummier? Nope. Both are just as wonderful.

This is why I think there is no difference. Any gift from the Lord is an act of love. A thirteen year old girl gave me a word from God once with tears streaking down her face that was five English words long. It has been a big source of hope for me and I still cling to it. Then you have these people who prophecy about major world events. Both are cool. Both are powerful. Both are demonstrations of love. One is not "harder" than the other because nothing is hard for God. If both are from God, and both are acts of love, how can we say one is greater? Do we really think we can categorize love? Love is love is love. Categorizing anything from God, in my opinion, sows lack into the people who God says lacks nothing. Don't do that. Don't sow lack. Sow love. Someone who hears an angel sing, or smells fragrance from heaven, or has a vivid dream is experiencing just as much God as someone who falls into a trance for forty days and wakes up with lots to tell. Love is love. There are no levels in love.

8. Interpreting prophecy.... Don't add to what God says. It's fine to not know the answer. I've heard before that "people shouldn't give a word if they don't have the interpretation." FALSE! God will tell you all you need to know. I like it when I see a vision and God gives me the interpretation because I also get to share in their word, but sometimes the interpretation is absolutely none of my business. Just share what you know. Many, many, many times I got a vision for someone without the interpretation. You know what? They know the interpretation. God knows what they need. One time I had a word for someone, but God told me the person who would interpret it. So I gave the gentleman the word, and told him who would interpret it. That's exactly what happened too, and the interpretation was amazing. Team work!

9. If someone keeps popping up into your mind, that is a big clue to slow down and either pray for them or see what the Lord wants you to do. The same with songs, or clips from movies, or scenes from your own past. Ask the Lord why you keep thinking on those things.

10. Stay open for anything. I heard Isi give a powerful word once that the Lord showed her through street signs as she traveled down the road. He's just cool like that. He's a super fun God. He just wants to talk to us because he loves us. He'll use all kinds of fun methods.

11. Prophetic words will be confirmation. If it doesn't bear witness, simply disregard it. I almost always tell a person that what God says in them or shows them means more than what I say. If it doesn't confirm or bear witness, then just disregard it. I especially say that when I am helping someone with their dream.

I have personally gotten words that were good words, but I did not want to hear. (This was back in the days I thought it was appropriate to be judgmental.) Mary told me a word that I felt offensive about because in my mind, "that person doesn't deserve that." or whatever bull crapola I was thinking. (I'm so thankful I am not that person anymore. I actually thought I was free! DISGUST!) Anyway, I think she could feel my obstinacy to the word she spoke out. I've felt the same obstinacy from others before. But that word WAS from the Lord and it planted something in my heart that made my heart start softening up toward the person. It has come to pass. Wow! Thank God for his word.

12. Be faithful over what he shows you. It's not your word, it's the Lords. If they reject it, it is not you they are rejecting. Don't ever think you did something wrong if someone starts accusing you. If your heart has good intentions, God will cover you. It's impossible to fail with a pure heart.

13. If you don't know what to do, you are in a perfect place. It is actually really easy. You hear what he tells you or shows you, and then you do it. The hardest part for me was getting over myself.

14. Also, I once had a lot of pressure on me to "perform" using the gift. God told me not to. His instruction for me was to not do anything. He said that he was sowing into me like a dammed river lake. One day he would open the flood gates. It took away the pressure. I knew what my Father had said, so when the pressure from others came, I didn't care what they thought. I think I didn't give any words for about six months. Then one day Wayne and I were driving to minister somewhere and God told me that I would be ministering to them with the gift of prophecy. Whoa! It was so much fun. Best fun ever. The dam gates were opened and it just gushed out in an atmosphere of freedom. God works with us as individuals. There is no formula. Formula equals magic. God is love, not magic.

15. How do you know if you have the gift of prophecy? Then answer this question....Do you want it? Then you have that gift of prophecy. God's given us all of him. We lack nothing. Love people first. Everything else will fall into place. We love people because we know God loves us. That's it. Easy Greasy.

16. When I first started realizing I had this gift, I would get physical sensations. Like sometimes I would sort of ache in a part of my body and know that someone was hurting there and God wanted to heal them. Or often I felt like I wanted to throw up or just start shaking. I think this happened for training purposes. It was sort of an outward cue that I could associate with the voice of my Father to share the gift. Now that my confidence has grown in his voice, I don't have those symptoms any more. The more confident that we hear his voice and know him apart from ourselves, the easier and sweeter it becomes because we rest and trust him more and more. I do not doubt his voice any more, but I used to. Even in doubting, you can't go wrong with a message of loveliness and a pure heart. Jesus covers us. Love covers us.

17. Sharing the gift strengthens us and the receiver simultaneously. so cool. I love heavenly mathematics. The more you give away, the bigger it gets.

18. You don't need any person to teach you. You have the Holy Spirit who is our teacher. What you might need is a little encouraging that you do indeed hear your father's voice. It's your right to hear him as a child of God.

19. One very cool thing about prophecy is how it can wipe out a voice of accusation. Accusation, judgment, condemnation and guilt can keep a person smashed down in a pit of despair. One word and I mean only one, can jerk them up out of that pit and onto the mountain top. It's happened to me a lot. sometimes it could be as simple as a hug.