Freedom Impact Statement

Just believe. (Luke 8:50)

A very dear friend just told me about an experience she had with God. During study and prayer time, she surrendered herself to God and told Him she would do anything He wanted her to do. She explained how she could physically feel His anointing by means of heat and tingling come on her hands, feet, and in her mouth. God had a word for her through me, she will go places for Him, touch people for Him, and say things for Him. 

She is very excited about her experience but explained she couldn't share the experience with "just anyone" because sometimes others cannot believe what she feels physically. 

Jennie Crowell, one of my instructors at Life Christian Universities and one of my closest friends, taught on this subject during one of my LCU classes. She explained, we are not in a position to refuse to believe someone else's experience with God, we were not there. And "it is a very good idea to protect that anointing and that precious intimate experience with God".

Just because some can't believe an experience doesn't make the experience any less true. Are we to say how our Heavenly Father moves on or through someone else? Does He communicate with each of us using the same technique every time? 

Do we as parents communicate with our children in the same manner every time? Or, do we spend enough time with each of them to communicate in a way that is most effective to them as an individual? Do we minister to them individually, communicating in such a way to effectively reach them as individuals? How much more does God, our perfect Father, communicate with each of us as individuals?

God has blessed me with three phenomenal girls. I have been stretched by parenthood having to learn many ways to relate to them that ministers to them. I communicate with one through words of affirmation, another through quality time, and another through physical touch. Thank you Dr. Gary Chapman and The 5 Love Languages.

We must not be so wrapped up in our own understanding of how God communicates with others or we could miss an opportunity to be ministered to or minister to others. Had I totally closed off my mind to the experience my friend told me, I would have missed God's opportunity to speak through me to her. If I decide, based on her experience, she's too far out there for me and then God wants to use her to bless me, it may be very difficult for me to receive from her. Solely based on my own limitations and through a self imposed filter. 

Here is what I call my, "Freedom Impact Statement". No one is 100% completely correct 100% of the time, except Him. In some cases, we have to be as smart as a cow, eat the hay, and spit out the sticks. But we canot be so concerned with the sticks that we miss out on the hay. 

We cannot become so familiar with someone, seeing them in the "natural" and all their quirks...hey, we all got 'em...or what we perceive as quirks in them...that we cheat ourselves out of a blessing. For example, Dr. Larry Ollison once taught on a husband's authority in the home. Just because a husband may have left his dirty clothes on the floor does not dilute the authority and anointing placed in and on him by God. 

This may seem irrelevant but it is pertinent. My friend surrendered herself to God and received direction. While some beg God and receive no direction. As a child of God, we are not begging God to move on our behalf. (1 John 1:12, 13) He has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). He offered up His own Son. (Romans 8:32) After offering up His own Son, there is nothing else to withhold. He freely gives us all things. 

Just believe. 

A Kiss for Payment

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1  Thessalonians 5:18, NLT)

Since my girls were babies, in return for me doing something for them or giving them something, I asked them to give me a kiss for payment. It has become our way of saying thank you. 

For example, when they asked for a cup of juice, or when I helped put their shoes on, I'd smile really big and say, "Kiss for payment!"

This morning, I was deep into a pile of work when my youngest handed me a baby doll and said, "Mommy can you please help me with this?" As soon as I heard her little voice say  "Mommy", I stopped everything and gave her my full attention. She was having a problem with her baby doll's dress and needed help untying a knot. After untying the knot, I smiled and said, "Kiss for payment!" That just never gets old!

I love it when they come to me. I stop everything when I hear their voice. Hearing their little voices call me by name is one of the most precious sounds in the world. Then when they smile really big and give me a kiss, I cannot even put it into words. Their thankful hearts is one of my greatest blessings of all. 

How much more, does our Heavenly Father love it when we go to Him?

 (Jeremiah 33:3)

How much more, does our voice make Him stop just to listen to us? 

(1 John 5:14)

How much much more, does He love hearing our voice call Him by name?

 (Romans 10:13)

How much more, does it bless Him to experience our thankful heart?

 (Psalm 103:1)

How much more, does He love to receive a kiss for payment? 

(1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Going for the Gold!

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6, NKJV)

While watching the 2012 Olympics, I started thinking about how critical training is. Especially training for living life. If we want to live a life surrounded by gold (life in excessive abundance) we must continually engage in training. The sooner we engage, the sooner we can go for the gold!

Today, my nine year old told me about a bible lesson she was taught when she was four years old. She went into very intricate detail about how her teacher used a pumpkin and the significance of the lesson. She also had vivid detail of her teacher and the church we were in at the time. Most significantly, she elaborated on how much her Sunday school teacher loved her. 

I'm not sure what sparked the memory of this particular Sunday school teacher or this lesson. But I certainly enjoyed the look on my child's face and enjoyed listening to every word as she recalled this loving memory. 

Every week, Sunday school teachers prepare lessons, teach the Bible, and love our children. Their ministry is a direct call from God. The impact they are making impacts lives now and for eternity. Not only for children but for families as well. 

Sunday school teachers, keep walking in God's call! Thank you to each and every one of you for helping parents train up our children in the way they should go so they can go for the gold!

Chicken Wars

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12, NLT)

I wasn't going to do it but as you can see, I'm doing it, i.e. jumping on the recent chicken war band wagon. I mean, how can I not? There are too many puns, hash tags, and poultry jokes to miss this opportunity!

I like Chick-fil-A for a lot of reasons; however, I cannot show my support by contributing to the increase of their sales today because we don't have one where we live. Even if they had a location near us, it is highly unlikely I would eat at one of their locations today because I'd much rather sit on a quiet beach, absorbing the surf, and eating a Clif Bar in exchange for long lines, hungry people and fried chicken. 

Assumptions of that part of my personality can and have been interpreted on both ends of that spectrum. I have learned to file assumptions in the "Big Woo" department. You should try it, it's life changing! 

Please forgive the digression. Moving right along. 

Regarding the Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, we could get real deep real quick. For example, what if rallies like this occurred every single day until there were no more innocent babies being slaughtered with tax payers money, or not another child died of hunger, or Social Security/Military pay weren't threatened while politicians pay remains secure?Whoa, we got real deep real quick.

There are more issues revolving around this hot topic than can be covered in this post. So I will concentrate on one.

As a business owner, my biggest issue with this conflict is that of power and control; namely, Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religious Expression. However, that is still not the foundational issue. The bottom line (no pun intended) issue is we do not wrestle with flesh and blood. The only way to combat this war is "on our knees", not with chicken. By that, I mean the wars being waged behind the chicken (Appreciation Day vs. Kiss In, etc). 

I am in no way diluting the efforts of over 600,000 participants (at last reporting) in the Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day waiting in line for over two hours in up 109 degree heat because it reminds me, when we stand in agreement powerful things happen!

My argument is we can't be distracted and fail to realize this is a spiritual battle. 

So Matthew 6:33 and "Eat mor chickin"!

Standing!

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23, NKJV)

I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. (Mark 11:24, New Living Translation)

This morning I woke up with the Legacy Church (www.legacykona.com) Praise Team singing in my head. Loud and clear, I could hear William McDowell's version of  "Standing".   

"We are stand-ing... stand-ing...

Standing on the promise of Christ our Savior!"

If you've never heard that version of the song, I encourage you to meditate on it. It will really bless you. I so deeply appreciate the impact worship teams have on congregations! Life giving words set to music and whole heartedly belted out during services in a "corporate setting" continue to minister days, weeks, even months or years later! I consistently revert to praise songs I heard over twenty years ago. Worship teams, don't ever fall for the lie that you are not impacting His kingdom. 

But, praise teams is not what this post is about. Today's post is about standing on His promises! 

After I worshipped the LORD with that song, thanked Him for His great faithfulness, and enjoyed His amazing presence, I asked Him what He would have me write today. He said, "Standing!"

In a previous blog post, I discussed speech issues that we've battled with my youngest child. If you missed that post, you can read it here.  

http://keytovblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/stay-in-it-to-win-it.html

The following Sunday after Gracie's initial consultation, I took her to our pastor,  Dr. Larry Ollison. He prayed for her and declared all would be right with her. Additionally, he spoke life and peace into me. That moment was a turning point. From fear and despair to faith and hope. 

This morning God brought to my remembrance, our family's confession for the past 4 + years during the speech battle with Gracie. Basic, simple and very uncomplicated, every time the LORD brought it to our remembrance or every time the enemy would whisper in our ear, "It's been so long, she will never speak correctly." We laid our hands on Gracie's head and gently spoke, "Perfect speech in the name of Jesus." We also taught her and her sister to stay in agreement with us by speaking the same thing. We refused to get in agreement with what we were seeing and hearing. Instead, we were standing in agreement with His promises. 

Last year, when Gracie was six years old, she was tested by a www.chea-elks.org speech pathologist. At that time, her speech was at a five year old level (one year behind). Last week, she was re-tested, her speech is now at an eight year old level (one year ahead).

In this fast food nation, the temptation to give up if immediate results don't manifest may strike. Strike back! It is more crucial now than ever, to forego what we are told in the natural and hold fast to that which is permanent without wavering because He who has promised is faithful! 

"We are stand-ing... stand-ing...

Standing on the promise of Christ our Savior!"

This Just In: God Called Me to Pastor!

As many of  you know, my mother died in a car wreck when I was 2 years old. As a result, I learned from a very early age to compartmentalize life's issues in one of two categories: Critical or Non critical  As a result, I have unintentionally disregarded many of my children's childhood issues filing them in the non critical category. At times, my method has made them feel unheard because their issues were only non critical to me. The LORD recently told me, "Their little issues are just as large to them from their perspective as yours are to you from your perspective." I recently heard Jimmy Evans at Marriage Today say, "Husbands must pastor their wives all day long, every day". For example, if the garbage disposal breaks, the husband pastors her (ministers to her) and says, "Honey, I will call the plumber right now and get it fixed." If the wife's mother breaks her foot, the husband pastors her and says, "Honey, it's ok, we will do what we have to do to take care of her." God woke me up last night at 3:00 A.M. He lovingly told me, I am called to pastor my children in much the same manner a husband pastors a wife. I am to insure our daily schedule is not overwhelmed so that when one of my girls brings an issue to me, I consistently have time, energy and attention to say, "Honey, it's ok, we will (fill in the blank)".  Who has He called you to pastor?

My Children's Chazown

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6, NKJV)

This past weekend I attended The Chazown Experience at www.legacykona.com. Please see prior blog post for more information.

In the class, I committed to use the Chazown Experience website (www.chazown.com) on an ongoing consistent basis in order to keep my priorities in line with what I learned in class. 

The Chazown Experience doesn’t focus on just one area of my life. It focuses on major key points keeping me aligned in order to fulfill the desired end result...the reason God created me.

This morning, as I was working on the website, I had a thought. 

What if, I had  the Chazown Experience when:

• I graduated college, or 

• graduated high school, or 

• before I entered college or high school? 

Then I went a step further, what if I had been given the Chazown Experience when I was a child?

Unfortunately, until I was in my late twenties, I had very little focus. For the most part, for almost thirty years, I lived day to day with little regard for my future. Thirty years is a long time.

Then I thought of my girls. God has given me the awesome privilege of training them up in the way they should go, insuring when they are old they will not depart from it.

Then my spirit leaped! I can walk my girls through the Chazown Experience now! So we started today! We are walking through our Chazown together! I am determined that this Fulton O’Hana will end up somewhere on purpose!

You are going to end up somewhere. The question is, will you end up somewhere on purpose?