Don't just ask . . . Declare!



The beautiful belt my talented husband tooled
using his amazing leather crafting skills  :0)

Matthew had a 4-H shooting sports meeting on Valentine's Day but he told me he had a surprise planned for this past Saturday.  Unfortunately, I left work half way through Friday with a horrible stomach ache, fever, and aching body.  I slept all afternoon until Matthew came home from work.  He was going skiing with his parent's and their FCA group so I had the house to myself for the evening.  I spent the entire night watching Netflix, drinking tea and asking God to allow me to feel better for my surprise the next day.  My fever broke sometime during the night on Friday so I thought that was pretty good news!  The next day I felt well enough to do some cleaning and cooking; then, I got ready for my surprise.  Matthew took me to a local dinner theatre.  It was wonderful except my stomach ached terribly after we ate dinner.  It made for a very long show even though it was hilarious.  Again, I prayed God would help me to feel better and He did . . . but I still didn't feel the best.  Sunday I woke up and ate breakfast.  When we got to church I felt horrible again.  I was catching on to the fact that each time I ate anything I was bound to feel terrible.  By the time we had bible study on Sunday night I was thinking to myself . . . well, I feel a lot better than Friday but I'm not so sure I want to teach students feeling this way.  Then, it occured to me: Not once this weekend did I take my power and authority God has given me through His son Jesus

My Valentine's Rose

to declare healing.  I was whinning from the couch that I could not be sick for school the next day then I stopped.  I asked Matthew to come and pray with me for healing. We prayed together, not that I would feel better, but that God would heal my stomach and allow me to function the way he intended me to.  . . . by his stripes we ARE healed . . .  not will be healed, not if God chooses to he can heal me, the bible says, "we are healed".  The instant Matthew said, "We declare in Jesus' name that this sickness would leave." I felt my stomach twitch.  We finished our prayer, he looked at me and said, "When you feel well, get up and help me make the popcorn."  This may sound harsh, but it was a reminder to me that if I'm going to declare healing, I need to believe that I am healed.  I can't continue lying on the couch acting like a sick person when I know I can be healed by God.  I got up from the couch and have not had a pain in my stomach in over 24 hours.  Now, I understand this may sound odd to many people and until a year ago I would have thought I was crazy.  Ever since we were part of a bible study last spring and summer we have been learning a lot about declaring our authority in Christ, healing, God's character and many other topics.  By allowing God's WORD to renew and transform our minds we have gained many understandings I know other Christians do now know or trust in today.  We have learned SO many "outside the box" ideas.  But . . . what did the disciples do during and after the days of Jesus?  They were filled with the Holy Spirit, declared their authority and healed many.  Maybe we don't see healing because we don't believe it, we just ask for what we want, we don't declare it with the POWER we have inside us from the SPIRIT of GOD.

What's your ultimate value?

Wow . . . it's been a month!  My last month of school has consisted of . . . End of Quarter testing, grading tests, SAGE Testing, more grading tests, Report Cards, Conferences and don't forget the regular day-to-day activities.  I spent one too many Saturdays in January at school.  And just when you're excited for a week without extra work . . . Valentine's Day Party and School Forest field trip all in one day!  Today was a blast with my students though.  It is great to see the joy on their faces as they walk around the room saying thank you to their classmates as they open their sticker sealed Valentine's cards.  I've never seen children get so excited about Tootsie Rolls either. 
On top of life at school my husband and I have been busy too.  We helped lead FCA at his alma mater for a couple weeks and we started a Young Adults bible study at our church. 
We have been going through the study Act Normal by Scott Wilson.  The study is based on Acts and what the church looked like during life just after Jesus' resurrection.  Why doesn't church look the same now as it did then?  Should it look the same now as it did then?  There are so many things I could say about this study but one hit me the hardest.  I am extremely goal oriented.  I like to make plans, execute plans and then rejoice in the completion of the plans.  Unfortunately, I sometimes forget to let God tell me the plan . . . can you relate to that? 
For example, I'll bring you back to the time when I was planning for college.  I found one school I wanted to go to, applied, got accepted, and I was going to that school.  After a few things changed I discovered in May that I would no longer be able to attend the only school I had looked at.  Hmm . . . problem?  So . . . I reluctantly found a new school, dragging my feet along the way.  It didn't take long to figure out God clearly wanted me at his choice instead of my choice.  I was just about to finish school, student teach, live with my dad, find a job and save up for my first house or townhome.  Then I met my husband; more plans I had made and God quickly changed. 
Well . . . then I got married and created new goals in life.  Get a job, pay off school, save money, replace our "college/highschool cars," save more money, buy a house and have children somewhere in there.  So, I was thinking - we're doing pretty well!  I had some long term subbing positions (almost a "real" job), paid off my school, replaced Matt's car, Matt graduated and got a job, paid off Matt's school, I finally got a job, now we're saving for the house . . . 
That brings us to Sunday morning.  Our Pastor said, "Let's figure out the real difference between the people in Acts and us."  He had a timeline of a person's life: birth all the way to retirement and of course a grave at the end.  He went over events that come up in our lives and put up pictures to represent each one: school, high school youth group, graduation, first car, college/first job, marriage, new car, first house, kids, bigger house, another kid, bigger car . . . And we're all just trying to make enough money so we can retire and enjoy life.  We want our lives to be comfortable.  God is supposed to bless his people . . . so bless me God  . . . make my life wonderful because I deserve it and I try really hard.  WHOA! 
Then Pastor took a spool of string.  He put a small dot on the end and gave it to the Youth Pastor to hold.  The dot represents our lives on earth and the string represents eternity.  He then walked around the entire church body unraveling the string.  "The difference between us and Paul is . . . Paul was living for eternity and we're living for the dot.  Paul knew that his dot affected eternity." He knew he ONLY had that dot TO affect eternity.  While it is fine to have value for things on this earth we can not let value become ultimate value.  As Scott Wilson wrote, "God is the only ultimate value in life."

Lord . . . challenge me and inspire me to love you with all my heart . . . and to sacrifice anything and everything in joyful service to You the One who has proven love for me!