Life is good. Last week was rather busy: Monday afternoon (we did have the morning off which was nice) we had ministry team training in preparation for the conferance, Tuesday we were with Ivan and Isabel again which was good though hard to sit through three sessions that lasted all day when we had heard from them for four days the week prior, and Wednesday started the conferance craziness. All the students were assigned work duties and mine was a four hour shift in the Cafe which meant I had to wipe down the tables when people left and to vacuum when it closed after lunch. Kristyn was on duty with me, but there really wasn't enough work for two people for four hours so we had significant time chatting with friends on lunch break. Not too bad. One downside was that we missed most of the afternoon sessions. All students were also considered on the ministry team which meant that if there was a prayer time or an impartation time we were the pray-ers or catchers or ministers. So much fun to take part in such things.
Conferance= Signs & Wonders with speakers John and Carol Arnott- founding pastors of CTF, Wes Hall- from IHOP Kansas City, Randy Clark- was in here at the start of revival in '94, and Andres Bisonni- on-fire pastor from TX. There were tons of healings- back pain, Parkinson's, cartilage in knees, scoliosis, etc. One session Randy Clark showed a video where tons of people were healed and then spent the rest of the time hearing from people who were healed while watching it. He didn't even pray for anyone and the Holy Spirit touched so many; it was so cool! God works in so many awesome ways and He is so good to us. Two of my friends were healed of scoliosis this weekend which makes it even cooler.
Works of the heart were also in abundance this week. God is bringing a lot of stuff up in my heart and I can't wait for it to be completely dealt with. This week is "Father Heart" week. I am so excited; it's going to be hard, uncomfortable, snotty, and full of tears. And I'm banking on a lot of healing too. Next week is "Inner Healing" so after these two weeks, I should be an entirely new person! :)
Backtracking a bit, Saturday night was especially mindblowing. I was rather tired from working all week and always being in the conf. sessions, but before the night session God gave me a bit more pep in my step. Doing fire tunnels during the ministry team prayer time definitely helped too. haha. We were practicing for later that night because it is typical for us to do fire tunnels the last night of a conferance -Saturdays are the impartation days. This led into a great worship session led by Nicole Smith and then Wes Hall leading a healing/ministry/preaching time. I got to pray for pastors and students and others= so fun. The HS presence was so strong the whole night! Since it was rather late our pastor had us pray for each other and then released all of us because the ministry team had had a long week. We SoM'rs were a bit disappointed so we stuck around for a bit more of the HS. We thought about starting our own fire tunnels but instead we got caught up in learning more about being a "seer" from our prophetic friend Mark. He was teaching Jez to pass it on (principle of giving and receiving in play here). Jez' hands got super hot and had oil on them which he passed on...later I got it too! I have had glitter a few times but never oil so this was a really cool experience. Also it was encouraging Mark told me I was super sensitive to the Spirit even though I think I'm not. PTL. Everyone receives from the Spirit differently and manifests differently so it's important not to get discouraged when how I feel it (or don't) isn't like everyone else. That was one major lesson that was emphasized to me this week. Slowing but surely, I'll get it.
Peace.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
All Things Life
The rest of our time with Ivan and Isabel was wonderful; my small group received individual prophesies from Isabel on Thursday. She didn't mention if she recognized me from last December which is completely understandable since they minister over hundreds every year. Her word was also entirely new minus telling me of the teaching anointing that is on me that she mentioned before. She also said that there is an apostolic mantle coming for me and that I will be coming in contact with others of an apostolic anointing who I will work with throughout my "ministry".
My small group consists of Michelle and Amber from PA; Olivia, Carmen, and Andrea from Ontario, and our leader Judith from Germany. Oddly enough, I'm the oldest in the group by at least two years, weird. I love them all already and I think we will all mesh quite well. Praise the Lord.
The Ping Squash Tournament on Sat was great. I made it to the second round and then lost by a hair. Hopefully we'll be having more in the future; stuff to do in our free time does not make a very long list. After the tournament, my roomies walked to the mall where I had to buy some essentials including a new watch b/c my battery died. :( It's cool: red gelly plastic. The directions were poorly translated and quite incomplete, but I do like how it goes with every outfit though. haha. Another activity that we resort to because of boredom is walking to a Tim Horton's or Williams coffee shop relatively nearby. I went with a group Friday night after a game of Sardines in the parking lot fizzled out due to lack of hiding places. When we got back another group wanted to go so I walked with them as well - might as well do something physically stimulating if you have the opportunity, right? We didn't really check the time going and while there realized that our curfew (yes, we have one) was two minutes away. I wasn't really bothered by that fact, but we left soon after. When we got back, we were met by most of the SGL's who had a clipboard marking off all our names. Yes, it is the second week and I already have a disciplinary slip! Wow, don't think I've ever gotten in trouble for curfew in 22 years. Sorry, Mom! :) Some of us went out tonight but we did go a bit earlier.
This week we will be consumed with the Signs and Wonders Conference that runs Wed-Sat or Sun. Tomorrow we are sitting in the Supernatural Prophetic Seminar that Ivan and Isabel are doing with the church from 9-9 which should provide some good challenging practice. Another fun fact: All the students are now on chore rotation and tomorrow I get to serve dinner! How fun!
My small group consists of Michelle and Amber from PA; Olivia, Carmen, and Andrea from Ontario, and our leader Judith from Germany. Oddly enough, I'm the oldest in the group by at least two years, weird. I love them all already and I think we will all mesh quite well. Praise the Lord.
The Ping Squash Tournament on Sat was great. I made it to the second round and then lost by a hair. Hopefully we'll be having more in the future; stuff to do in our free time does not make a very long list. After the tournament, my roomies walked to the mall where I had to buy some essentials including a new watch b/c my battery died. :( It's cool: red gelly plastic. The directions were poorly translated and quite incomplete, but I do like how it goes with every outfit though. haha. Another activity that we resort to because of boredom is walking to a Tim Horton's or Williams coffee shop relatively nearby. I went with a group Friday night after a game of Sardines in the parking lot fizzled out due to lack of hiding places. When we got back another group wanted to go so I walked with them as well - might as well do something physically stimulating if you have the opportunity, right? We didn't really check the time going and while there realized that our curfew (yes, we have one) was two minutes away. I wasn't really bothered by that fact, but we left soon after. When we got back, we were met by most of the SGL's who had a clipboard marking off all our names. Yes, it is the second week and I already have a disciplinary slip! Wow, don't think I've ever gotten in trouble for curfew in 22 years. Sorry, Mom! :) Some of us went out tonight but we did go a bit earlier.
This week we will be consumed with the Signs and Wonders Conference that runs Wed-Sat or Sun. Tomorrow we are sitting in the Supernatural Prophetic Seminar that Ivan and Isabel are doing with the church from 9-9 which should provide some good challenging practice. Another fun fact: All the students are now on chore rotation and tomorrow I get to serve dinner! How fun!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Practicing the Prophetic etc.
This week we are blessed with Isabel and Ivan Allum from Stratford, Ontario with us. We heard from Isabel Mon/Tues about how simple the prohpetic is (it's hearing what God says and telling it another), the filters we must use when speaking to another (if you're wrong will it be harmful or harmless?), and the difference between the office of a prophet and simply being prophetic (the office reproduces and imparts, but both can give equally powerful words). Monday afternoon we practice prophetic activation with one another. Definitely did some stretching exercises but it was all great fun. Everyone received really cool words from others and really cool pictures/words for others. (please excuse the lack of adjectives) I attempted to scribble everything down that was given to me; hopefully, I got most of it. Wed or Thurs either of the Allums will be prophesying over the girls in my small group; I'm really looking forward to that!
We have a Ping Squash Tournament coming up this Saturday which should be quite exhilerating. Stemming from last week's teaching on Hearing God's Voice some of the guys received divine relavation that birthed a new game: Ping Squash. You bounce a ping pong ball off the wall and on the table back and forth. Various points are awarded for where the ball lands before your opponent misses it. A quite simple game but a bit more active than regular ping pong, especially with corner walls that cause a more varied flight pattern for the ball. So, I've entered the weekend tournament and plan to have a ball. haha.
Today was my first time to ride the public transport when a group of us took the bus to a very pitiful Wal-Mart store across town (or as the Brits say it, "Worh- Maahht"). I only got some envelopes to send letters home - if I get around to it - and air freshener for the room and some how ended up carrying someone else's bag all the way home which was about 30lb. Not sure how that worked out.
We have a Ping Squash Tournament coming up this Saturday which should be quite exhilerating. Stemming from last week's teaching on Hearing God's Voice some of the guys received divine relavation that birthed a new game: Ping Squash. You bounce a ping pong ball off the wall and on the table back and forth. Various points are awarded for where the ball lands before your opponent misses it. A quite simple game but a bit more active than regular ping pong, especially with corner walls that cause a more varied flight pattern for the ball. So, I've entered the weekend tournament and plan to have a ball. haha.
Today was my first time to ride the public transport when a group of us took the bus to a very pitiful Wal-Mart store across town (or as the Brits say it, "Worh- Maahht"). I only got some envelopes to send letters home - if I get around to it - and air freshener for the room and some how ended up carrying someone else's bag all the way home which was about 30lb. Not sure how that worked out.
Sunday Service Spectacular
Sunday was the first for the SOM (School of Ministry) to be all together at church. Catch the Fire Toronto is a charismatic church with a heart to hear the Father, remain sensitive to the Spirit, and spread His love and heart to all. Sunday worship was wonderful; they had all of us students come and worship at the front which was a good way to start off. Then during announcement time, we went back up to the front to be prayed for by the ministry team. One lady started prophesying over me, but I really couldn't hear her. The pastor, Steve Long, spoke this day about Dorcas from the book of Acts. Though Dorcas held a regular job - a seamstress - she used her talents and abilities to impact her city, so much that when she died all mourned for her. We, likewise, are to use our gifts and talents to serve one another and our cities so that every part is impacted for Christ.
At the end of his message, Steve had us pray for our neighbor that dreams would rise up and that breakthrough would come in those areas as well. Here's where it got fun. I started by praying for my roommate sitting next to me - Erin. She started feeling the Spirit which is of course contagious and made me get excited and the momentum just kept building. Next we prayed for those needing healings or immediate breakthroughs. Then the church was dismissed, but the SOM kids were just getting started. God was really moving and no one wanted to step out of it. We all kept moving from one person to the next praying for each other, mostly without words, and then they started a fire tunnel (two lines of people face each other and one by one others walk through the tunnel and get prayed for and doused in the Holy Spirit). Everyone went through the tunnel at least 3-4 times and many could barely make it through all the way on their feet.
It was so fabulous so see all my new friends so touched by the Lord and to now that a great work was happening. All this brought us together more as well, especially my roommate and I because we were often together while praying for others. And it was cool to see clearly that everyone experiences the HS differently. Some people feel electricity and others don't feel much at all physically. (I would be in the latter group.) Even as we made our way through the lunch line, people were quite affected. It's just so AMAZING that the Lord of the Universe delights in sharing with us experiences such as this to remind us of His great love for us. Blows me away. He is so GOOD. He is nothing but good. And He loves me. Wow.
At the end of his message, Steve had us pray for our neighbor that dreams would rise up and that breakthrough would come in those areas as well. Here's where it got fun. I started by praying for my roommate sitting next to me - Erin. She started feeling the Spirit which is of course contagious and made me get excited and the momentum just kept building. Next we prayed for those needing healings or immediate breakthroughs. Then the church was dismissed, but the SOM kids were just getting started. God was really moving and no one wanted to step out of it. We all kept moving from one person to the next praying for each other, mostly without words, and then they started a fire tunnel (two lines of people face each other and one by one others walk through the tunnel and get prayed for and doused in the Holy Spirit). Everyone went through the tunnel at least 3-4 times and many could barely make it through all the way on their feet.
It was so fabulous so see all my new friends so touched by the Lord and to now that a great work was happening. All this brought us together more as well, especially my roommate and I because we were often together while praying for others. And it was cool to see clearly that everyone experiences the HS differently. Some people feel electricity and others don't feel much at all physically. (I would be in the latter group.) Even as we made our way through the lunch line, people were quite affected. It's just so AMAZING that the Lord of the Universe delights in sharing with us experiences such as this to remind us of His great love for us. Blows me away. He is so GOOD. He is nothing but good. And He loves me. Wow.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Getting Off to a Good Start
One of the central parts of the school is small groups of 5-6 students with a leader. Mine is from Germany and a really sweet girl. She left me a note in my room before I arrived which said that while praying for me she saw God pulling out gold nuggets from a treasure box and handing me one after another! Also, as we came in there was a large mirror with a paper for each student hanging one it. The leaders had cut out magazines and written prophetic words on them for us, all before even meeting us. Mine had wonderful words like "cherished," "daughter," and "loved beyond imagination" on it. Best part? They glued a picture of a palm tree on it!! God is so cool.
The first week of class we were honored with teachings by Mark Virkler of Communion with God Ministries. The topic for the three days was Hearing the Voice of God. Foundamental, I believe, if you want to really go deeper (or anywhere) with God. We found that hearing the voice of God is as simple as 1. Quieting yourself down 2. Fixing your eyes on Jesus 3. Tuning to spontaneity and 4. Writing it down. Simple really. The voice of God is, in fact, spontaneous thought that light upon the mind. And we should all desire this and take the time to do so since as believers we are His sheep, and His sheep hear His voice. Revolutionary, right?
This coming week is Prophetic Week with Isabel and Ivan Allum! She came to my home church last December and gave me an awesome word so I'm really looking forward to what God gives all of us through her. Also, among the semester line up we have Peter & Heather Jackson, John & Carol Arnott, Chris DuPre, Mike Pilavachi, Steve Long, and others. Aaannnnd, we will be going to the Signs & Wonders Conference in a couple weeks and the Mountain Movers conference later on. Exciting.
Dorm life has been good. I was sort of worried because the last two years at college I was in a quasi-apartment, but my roomies are wonderful, we have a lovely bathroom, and I have a tree outside my window. We have worship every morning and every Thursday we have live worship that is broadcasted on CBN. So, tune in from 7-9pm EST. It's great and you can go to the chat room and send prayer requests or testimonies to us.
Friends are great. All the students here are wonderful and have such good hearts. The diversity is amazing and I'm loving all the accents. Maybe I'll have one when I return!
The first week of class we were honored with teachings by Mark Virkler of Communion with God Ministries. The topic for the three days was Hearing the Voice of God. Foundamental, I believe, if you want to really go deeper (or anywhere) with God. We found that hearing the voice of God is as simple as 1. Quieting yourself down 2. Fixing your eyes on Jesus 3. Tuning to spontaneity and 4. Writing it down. Simple really. The voice of God is, in fact, spontaneous thought that light upon the mind. And we should all desire this and take the time to do so since as believers we are His sheep, and His sheep hear His voice. Revolutionary, right?
This coming week is Prophetic Week with Isabel and Ivan Allum! She came to my home church last December and gave me an awesome word so I'm really looking forward to what God gives all of us through her. Also, among the semester line up we have Peter & Heather Jackson, John & Carol Arnott, Chris DuPre, Mike Pilavachi, Steve Long, and others. Aaannnnd, we will be going to the Signs & Wonders Conference in a couple weeks and the Mountain Movers conference later on. Exciting.
Dorm life has been good. I was sort of worried because the last two years at college I was in a quasi-apartment, but my roomies are wonderful, we have a lovely bathroom, and I have a tree outside my window. We have worship every morning and every Thursday we have live worship that is broadcasted on CBN. So, tune in from 7-9pm EST. It's great and you can go to the chat room and send prayer requests or testimonies to us.
Friends are great. All the students here are wonderful and have such good hearts. The diversity is amazing and I'm loving all the accents. Maybe I'll have one when I return!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Toronto
The journey begins here in Toronto at Catch the Fire's School of Ministry. I am so excited to be here. Blessings to my wonderful mother and friend how endured the 10 hour van ride here. We stayed at a hotel for the night and today walked on Lake Ontario a bit and a little in Downtown Toronto. We found a Cheese Shop that made all of us drool and it didn't take much for us to decide the grilled cheese sandwiches were what we needed to have for lunch. I'm glad we had time to explore some and that we found our way despite a very inadequate map from AAA.
Later at check-in, I was feeling rather self-conscious lugging all of my stuff out of the van after seeing those from overseas with just one or two suitcases. Once again the question, "Why do I have so much stuff?" flies across my mind. But there is no judgment here, so why should I be worried about it? haha, well all things now have a home and I stayed on my side of the room. The dorm rooms here each have a "washroom" and 4 beds. Two of my roommates are here, one from Holland and one from Montreal. How cool! Dinner was delicious though more than one person metioned that we should enjoy it because it was the best one for our entire 5 months. Tomorrow begins the sessions and I'm quite looking forward to it. ...if there is anything specific someone wants me to write about just comment to tell me. Peace.
Later at check-in, I was feeling rather self-conscious lugging all of my stuff out of the van after seeing those from overseas with just one or two suitcases. Once again the question, "Why do I have so much stuff?" flies across my mind. But there is no judgment here, so why should I be worried about it? haha, well all things now have a home and I stayed on my side of the room. The dorm rooms here each have a "washroom" and 4 beds. Two of my roommates are here, one from Holland and one from Montreal. How cool! Dinner was delicious though more than one person metioned that we should enjoy it because it was the best one for our entire 5 months. Tomorrow begins the sessions and I'm quite looking forward to it. ...if there is anything specific someone wants me to write about just comment to tell me. Peace.
Welcome
So, I'm creating this blog to record my travels and adventures. God is doing amazing things and I believe the more we talk about it and share with others, the more contagious our love for the Creator and our passion for living for Him gets. Welcome. May you be blessed today and always and thanks for visiting.
Friends and family from various parts, I love you and miss you. Thanks for joining me on this journey.
Friends and family from various parts, I love you and miss you. Thanks for joining me on this journey.
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