Restoration A Process

from broken spirit to life from Jesus the love of God comes to me

changed in an instant from blindness to sight

from lameness to life

from broken to repaired, restored

from captured to one set free

healed in one second as he breathed on me

time is meaningless as life begins at the beating of his heart

his word, his Spirit hovering, he looks and sees that it is good

it is very good.

who can know him, hold him, embrace him?

he is wind, he rides upon cherub wings

he is wine and bread, water and wind living in timeless existence

that he alone understands, he created it

there is no barrier to hold him,

who shall build a dwelling place for him?

he is endless upon endless upon everlasting love

words are not enough, experience is not enough,

imaginations are too small to describe such a one as he,

an awesome God.

he comes to me, words on wind, words of wind

wind words hovering, creations breath in every whisper

ever so slowly, gently, fathering me with fire words

passion, love, embracing my heart, spirit.

Now his rushing wind of presence into my space

filling, lifting, piercing me through and through

i am helpless sails on a ship, i just let go

engulfed in what is unseen and yet there and everywhere

i am saturated, i am breathless, i am and I am.

i an eagle high upon a perch, and now catapulting

wings out and out and out, stretching reaching as far as i can

i want every breath of wind, riding, gliding, soaring,

pouring myself into this joy, now effortless updraft upon updraft

higher and higher living for these moments, days, months, years

fulfilling my purpose in life to bring him joy.

he wants me to ride his winds, always new heights, new winds

new life, new purpose, and the wind i knew a second ago is gone.

i wait once again, looking, listening, eyes open, ears perked

day upon day with intent,

for i am created for his glory, and good pleasure to enjoy.

In his presence is fullness of joy and at his right hand are pleasures forever more.

Feb. 05 rewritten March .09

L.

Steady as we go.Holding the course.

Our winter session for our home group came to an end on Friday with a social evening of sharing some food, laughter, and prayer.

Out of 32 groups for the winter session, there were lots to choose from. Ours was designated to 30+ singles and we studied a book about the heart by John Eldredge. (of which i had written in the past.)

i think we all were affected in one way or another and blessed.

John Eldredge has written many fine books, this being one of them.

Next session will start up after Easter and go till June.

We will decide what direction we are going, as i've ordered some books to view and get a feel for where to take us.

This week at the church brings us to a special happening called; Three Days in His Presence. People will contribute time to prayer and fasting and meeting with God. There will be a focus from music, worship, praise, adoration, prayer, intercession, all to entreat God's special visitation on behalf of our community, city, surrounding area, province and country.

We have great expectation and know that God's heart is to affect people. He is so in love with us all and really desires to bring his glory into our midst. He's awesome, there is no one like him. We are totally in love with him and we have no reservation about sharing him with others.

When Jesus was here he showed us the heart of the Father and we gained a wonderful insight into his person. He lavishes his love on us, wants to see us free from things that would harm us, bind us, control us, damage us, kill us with diseases or crippling our health.

i have not regretted, that at 18 yrs of age i made a decision to follow him. Had i not, i might very well be dead right now. i am a better person, worker, citizen, and no one has been twisting my arm or threatening me with beatings or anything else. i do what i do because i want to, because he is easy to love and when you love someone you don't want to hurt that special someone.

It's now some 36 years later and not without its mishaps and failures. Out of weakness comes strength and foolish things to mess with the heads of the so-called wise.

As most of you awaken tomorrow and the sun lights up the sky, you won't be thinking about creation, or the big bang theory, or Darwinism, or what can i do to make someone else's life easier. No you'll be looking for your coffee, hoping no one will tick you off or get in your way so your day can serve you.

All the while he will be addressing ways to get your attention and he has done that throughout every day of your life.

Thank you Lord!

(photo: waiting on the bridge at Sarnia, ON, before heading south. L.)

i was re-listening to a past sermon at our church by Larry Randolph, who came for a couple days in November, to share some things with us.

Don't despise transition.

All of us have heard the story of butterflies before and their metamorphosis from worm to cocoon to transformation into some of the most colourful of God's creation.

He parallels the Christian life, and our struggle. We eat and eat and eat, prepare, prepare, prepare, struggle, struggle, struggle most all our lives.

Some of us make it and some of us don't.

He spoke about many scientific studies with different stages of the insect and how environment plays such a huge roll in our development. Who we are surrounded by, who is leading, going in circles and starving to death.

We should be excited about transition, the squeezing, molding, growing up, development, character, becoming the real church.

Many times God forces change, simply because we don't want to, are not willing to change.

The cocoon is a special length of time, like a child in a womb. Designated time for 9 months to complete the process. This 9 months to us could be 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years.

The birth process is messy, and usually loud.

Discern: the spirit of religion could have you bound to old stuff, past, dead, unwilling to move into something new.

God is a God of the positive, linear, progressive, does not live in the past.

Joshua and Caleb got hold of God's thinking, while the others were stuck.

Jesus spoke in Jn 14, about not letting our hearts be troubled or afraid, right before he went off to be crucified. Something new was about to happen and Peter had tried to stop him when he said, "get behind me Satan".

Positive thinking sends the right chemicals through our bodies and promotes health and well being. Phil. 4, Paul encourages us about the things we should be thinking. We should be talking God talk not our talk.

God's truth is absolute but it is also progressive, developmental, growth faceted and we should always be ready for the unfolding of God.

Museums have a museum mentality. God doesn't live in a museum.

God is extraordinary, extravagant and we need this to pour out of the church. The church is filled with God likenesses, creative, incredible people who should be leading the world.

During economic uncertainty Joseph rose to his destiny, his blessing.

There are gold fish that will grow within the confines of their specific environment and no more.

Jn 3:16 "For God so loved the WORLD", not just mankind.

The church has the ability to change the landscape.

We are each a unique piece of God's personality, a special individual given the ability to think God thoughts, with Godly mindedness and each of us have a place and are needed to fill it. Enough of us together with the courage to enter into the provision of God, and who knows what could happen. We are given permission to succeed.

(These thoughts were taken from my notes on the subject)

Dreams and Winds of Holy Spirit

Right Where i Belong!

i was reviewing some past journaling from .05 and came across some dreams i had written down.

One was about being in a vehicle with my Father and a building, like a fort with a blue roof , and what appeared to be white stone walls. The building stuck out and had some significance.

i moved in the winter of .06, January, to where i am now, because of a relationship here. Not thinking that this dream might have meaning. As i re-read these pages again a few months ago i realized a couple of things.

But let me back up a bit.

The relationship grows and i re-marry, but before that happens we (new wife and me) sense the need to seek out a different church for our growth and after some months of searching come to a decision (with the help of some revelation) on The Embassy. This is Nov. 07. A month later the pastor speaks prophetically to us on a Sunday morning, from the pulpit before dismissing the congregation. He gives us a very encouraging word, and we feel right at home.

Now, sometime near the end of summer .08, i notice that the roof of the church is blue, and the walls are brown brick and another section is white. So it has two sections. The building in my dream has two sections also. Suddenly the dream comes into focus in my mind, and i connect the dots.

i have had other prophetic dreams and what is known as open visions, where you are awake and see things. This goes back to well over ten years now, so i try to remember all i can of dreams as i awake. Sometimes the scenes are very vivid and easy to remember and other times not so.

i had one significant dream about a friend of mine a number of years ago. i wrote down the particulars and shared it with him. It was right on!

i have not really studied much on dreams over the years, as there was not a lot of writing about them from a Christian perspective. Now that is changing and i have some great friends who have written a couple of books and teach and speak on the subject. There is a growing acceptance of their importance in the role of the church now.

We see throughout the Bible dreams, visions, prophetic symbolism etc. God uses different means to speak and get our attention. Everyone knows the story of Joseph the dreamer and his brothers, as so with John and Revelations.

But unfortunetly, many clerical people have dismissed the moving of the Spirit and His input .

God is in the encouraging business. He enjoys blessing us and also giving us small pieces of the puzzle as we journey along with Him. When we figure it out and get the picture, we sometimes go, "man that is so cool!" "Thank you God!"

It's all written down for us, that we will see visions and we will dream dreams.

(beautiful stained glass, artist Sylvia Laks)

Where dreams Began

(Photo Isle of Skye, Scotland)

In My Stead

i found these hands inside my head

removing all the words i'd said

i said, to these hands, i said,

"get to the outer side of my head

oh for sure for soon you're dead.

for what's inside me is mine", i said

"my words, my thoughts, i am fed,

all mine well versed and well read!

what's mined is mine in mind ahead."

founding the find of golden mined

thoughts from old and new and bread

the life giving life bearing treasure bed

wisdom, revelation, heart eyes lead,

and heart eyes agreements bled,

for my sole whole was stead

for i am counted amongst the dead

freed from a dismal life of dread,

free to mine the mind of said

a mind well said as i be lead

on my account he set forth bled

such love i love forever said.

past agreements we be said

to our future they be wed

with death's destruction they are bred

to silence golden words of said

to take you down to death's dark bed

you'll find your mind in darkness lead,

the said be set, and be said

these sticky hands inside your head,

on an angry course of curses fed

to empty heart, soul, spirit's breath

in death, foul death, without regret.

their mission from the darkness lead

with every sulphur stinking breath

whispers dripping deepest dread

with hatred laced and hatred fed

bent on derangement of one who bled,

on our behalf to save thus said.

from agreements i am shed

through confession of all been said

and to the cross is nailed instead,

past, present, future credited.

Life's Journey(s)

i don't know about you, but;

i have had numerous interruptions, crushed dreams, experiences, changes of course, and many times in mid-stream. i have crossed mountains, deserts, plains, valleys, forded rivers, dams, hiked trails, rode bicycles, rode trains, driven a multitude of trucks, cars, motorcycles, jeeps, heavy equipment, passengered small and large aircraft, ridden on ferries, operated boats, paddled canoes, even tried sailboarding, trekked and rode my way here and there for many years.

i've been neurotic, depressed, oppressed, stoned, drunken, sad, extremely lonely, crazy, angry, introverted, proud, boastful, arrogant, stupid, wise, inventive, destructive; i've cried, screamed, been heartbroken, tired, bored, busy, hated my job, hated myself, hated others for what they had done or said to me, i've been at the bottom, burnt out, forgotten, misunderstood, misdirected, mystified, mismatched, and mismanaged, injured, sick, wounded, hospitalized, and almost died; been a father, husband, lover, friend, and enjoyed a few chosen friends.

i've slung manure, rode horses, chased sheep, cows, owned dogs, cats, had at one time, monkeys, snakes, lizards, toads and other reptiles share my home. Been bit by numerous dogs, clawed and scratched by other things, kicked by, stepped on, and threatened by horses.

i've worked on the railroad, construction, sales, photography, cleaned, operated bulldozers, loaders, excavators, all sort of trucks, worked with dynamite, dug ditches, trenches, lay sod, lay pipes, strung electric wire, plumbing, hammered nails, felled trees, sawn logs, split wood, did carpentry, sold cars, worked retail stores, run forklifts, managed warehouses, installed wood stoves, repaired cars, trucks, equipment, seen livestock slaughtered, cleaned horses hooves, raked and shoveled dirt, directed loaders, excavators, bulldozers, trucks, loaded hay wagons, driven farm machinery, slung milk cans, hoisted hay bales, flown in overloaded aircraft, built and repaired hunting camps.

Gone fishing, in all kinds of weather, boating, trolling, shore casting, stream fishing, cleaning, camping, making fires and cooking the catch. Run rapids, cruised the lakes, portaged the trails and high hills, drank the water, seen crystal clear lakes, swam, skinny-dipped, got dumped, almost drown, fell in a large eddy, got hoisted out by an angel. (not everybody can say that) Chased wild turkeys, caught snapping turtles, handled guns.

i've photographed wildlife, many, many many people all over the country, in churches, homes, restaurants, halls, golf courses, riversides, parks, on horses, wagons, sleighs, with animals, dogs, horses, cars, trucks, buses, hockey, baseball, soccer players, people in markets, foreign places, beautiful children, brides, scenery, sunsets, sunrise, storm clouds, derelict buildings, musicians, artists, artwork, almost anything.

i've written poems, stories, study guides, shared prayers, and helped others learn to pray, and taught deeper intercession, spoken and have seen people healed, set free, encouraged, laugh, find their life, their dreams, and find intimacy with God, as well as experienced his directness, closeness, the heaviness and lightness of his presence, love and best of all his forgiveness.

Of all the other things i've had a part in these last few outweigh anything and everything i could have ever imagined doing in my life.

i only want for more of this type of living, to give away the life that i've been given, with all it's gifts to share, and love from the heart of God flowing out through me!

That will be the absolute best!

(Photo 12th Century ruins, Austria .08)

And now for something completely different!

Every one has a story, or two or three.

Where they've been, what they've seen and so on.

Some are interesting, and then there are the down right lies because the teller always wanted to be someone else.

We all do it one way or another. We get involved in a good book or movie and become transformed into the character.

Remember when you were a kid, you let your imagination whisk you away. You were a cowboy, then an Indian, Robin Hood, a valiant knight riding and dueling with the forces of evil or a dragon slayer. There was no stopping you.

You could jump from one stage to another and never miss a beat. You had great friends with whom you shared a camaraderie and went to war with. Someone was always the bad guy and there might have been a traitor or two in the bunch. You all got to trade parts and have fun. Sometimes but not very often it got a bit too serious, and somebody went home crying.

The backyard, the street, an old building, the barn, or even a railway car could become the stage. Amazingly enough you were having so much fun that rarely did anything bad happen. Oh there was a fall here or there, a scraped knee, a banged up arm, or a bump on the head but it was all laughed at when the day ended and you couldn't wait to start a new adventure tomorrow.

i was the one they called the day-dreamer all through grade school.

A lot of adults, especially boxed up, toe the line teachers who didn't know how to harness and help those with vivid imaginations ended up being the dream crushers. They didn't understand, didn't want to understand and could care less if your heart got wrecked through their use of demeaning words. At the end of their day they wanted results on paper, and it was their way or the highway, to steal a phrase.

Many a great person, when you look at their stories started off with a learning curve. i don't have to go into names here, anyone in the know has heard the stories shared by those who were dreamers. Many who were told time and time again you will never amount to anything until you grow up and get serious. i had a friend who was a suffering dyslexic who became a psychologist.

Then there were and still are the ones who are so far ahead in their thinking that it will take a few decades to catch up.

There were empires here centuries ago that we are still trying to figure out how they did the feats they accomplished and with such accuracy, both mathematically and scientifically.

Where did these thoughts, ideas, spring out of? Active imaginations, dreams and staring off into the distance and wondering if this would work or this or that?

If it were not for fresh thinking, people living outside of the box, to steal another phrase, dreamers and idea people, we might still be writing on the walls of a cave somewhere.

Today adults, are designing games for the computer, or PlayStation or Gameboy. They design them for others who missed some of their childhood and need this escape to regain what got put aside. Some get too far into it and lose themselves, but for the most part they bring some joy.

My step-daughters husband is an owner in an animation company and gets to play at something he loves all day. They have a top of the charts program running in the US, second year in a row.

Don't we all wish for that dream job, or not to have to work at all. We're dreaming about winning those millions, that our ship would come in, that the government would suddenly realize they owed you some money, you'd get that inheritance, and so on and so on.

So in one form or another we're still dreaming, still imagining, still gazing off into the clouds.

So why is it that we stop when it comes to the things of God? Suddenly there is a road block in the mind. A seriousness takes over and we cringe, like death is around the corner or something.

Come on!!

Take a long hard look around and tell me there wasn't some kinda serious imagination going to work behind the scenes to have a creation like the one we live in? And a great sense of humor too!!

Just look at all the things you personally reflect on, that really grips you, from the vast universe, planets and stars, comets and all the cool stuff going on in space. To the waterfalls, sunsets, beautiful oceans, and whales and colors of fish and on and on and on, to mountains and deserts, awesome rivers and all kinds of birds of the air.

We have all said, "man i'd love to be an eagle, WOW!"

Take a read through the book of Revelation and get a look at some heavenly creatures and the layout of Heaven and tell me God didn't put something into the minds of man, that has a part of him in us.

Man thinks, at least a number of theologians think they have God cornered. They have everything figured out, by rationalized thought. They will have the rest of eternity to see just how far off and wrong they were. i want to see their faces when they meet him, it will be priceless.

Not as far reaching and world changing as men in our past, i have a dream too! And with the help of the one who gave me such a great imagination, i will accomplish it also.

When the dream fits wear the shoes and try to not forget where it came from.