Crash Into Him

“I feel as though I have been riding this amazing wave for the past two months and I just crashed”. These were my words to my husband recently. He no doubt did not know what to think, let alone how to respond.
 
The past week, the intensity level of creating works was not as full throttle as the weeks before. With a speaking engagement and a need to button up Beyond 2020, completing one work was the extent of my creative capacity.

​This past weekend I had the privilege and honor of being the keynote speaker for a women’s retreat with gals in my community. CONNECTION is the annual retreat’s focal point, Beyond was the theme this year. The central focus of each session is the central focus of Beyond: Growing in our love for God through Scripture, prayer and Holy Spirit. ​For some, these daily connection opportunities with God are already established, for others, the ability to lay hold of these opportunities seems out of reach. ​For all, my prayer was for each gall to leave the weekend with ​ some degree of breakthrough,

equipped to go further with the Lord and inspired by His Spirit to more deeply love the Lord and others while resting in Him, so His glory can fill their portion of the earth. God was so faithful! He moved me to remain faithful and be the threshing instrument against the darkness attempting to stifle and quench Holy Spirit’s desire to provide healing, reviving and seeds of His Truth being planted (Isaiah 41:15). Go GOD!!

​​I had hopes of sharing Beyond 2020 booklets with the gals – I can’t help it! I love gifting! While I was able to complete the design and submit to publishing, approvals were hung up and providing the booklet was not an option. ​I could sense the 

Lord speaking, “I AM THE GIFT. The message I have for them through you is the best you can give them.” Well okie dokie. Thank You Jesus. As gals allowed others and me to pray for them, I was reminded of what He said. When gals raised their hands sharing they experienced breakthrough over the weekend, I praised Him for being our treasure and the only gift any of us will ever need! And wouldn’t you know? I had no issues publishing Beyond 2020 after the event? Ha! If you would like to get a jump start on the New Year, you can order your copy now or perhaps even consider as a gift for your loved ones. The content is primarily the same, but the calendars have been updated and there are added pages for VISION and doodling your revelations or thoughts.​

​Amidst preparing for the retreat weekend and attempting to publish Beyond 2020, another commissioned work was created and finalized. As I created the piece, God shared that He has been preparing me for this new season the majority of my life. As a graphic designer for a sign company over the course of three years, I learned to listen to the sales rep, synthesize and create multiple sign proposals for clients. As a product development CAD designer for nearly twenty years and running (holy schnikes that is a looong time!) I have had to listen to the input of orthopedic surgeons, engineers and senior management to develop viable concepts and 

products for the market place. My entire career in design has held one common theme – LISTEN. Listening and paying attention, hearing what the client isn’t saying, and listening to Holy Spirit are the dimensions composing what one may consider prophetic art. And it is so cool! Especially when I receive messages like this from folks I have only spoken with once, but had the honor of blessing as God led me to...
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“How can I repay you? This is amazing… I am overcome with thanks for you. I am so in awe of this right now. So many could be blessed by your work!!"

​So why did you feel like you crashed on the wave, you might be asking yourself? You’re likely familiar with this, when we take a step of obedience, the enemy is right there to counter. Enemies (yes plural) are waiting to retaliate, crouching, ready to pounce at any given, unexpected, moment (1 Peter 5:8). Once I kicked my feet up Sunday afternoon, after two days immersed in ministry – a fog of fatigue set in like I have not endured in quite some time. Add the time change, and I seemed to be all sorts of out of whack. I was able to fight through Monday and made our weekly Bible study. I was fervent to keep fighting Tuesday and made it to a city wide prayer meeting in Fort Wayne. Wednesday, the fatigue fought hard to keep me down and threw in a side of overwhelming, unmerited, sadness. I felt crushed – for no reason other than the powers and principalities and rulers of darkness were trying to get me to QUIT (Ephesians 6:12). Not today satan. Not today. Not now. Not ever! I called my Husband, my first source of guidance second to seeking the Lord. I then reached out to my personal prayer support. I listened, worshiped and took a walk to pray in the Spirit. It lifted! Thank You Lord!
 
I pray you are blessed this week and the Lord continues to draw you into the call He has for you, it truly is joy-filled to rest in the Lord! I praying you keep fighting the good fight of faith. Blessings!