Opened Eyes...Opened Heart

My heart is filled with an outpouring of Compassion. I love when the Lord allows me to see through His eyes, His heart. Oh precious and beautiful it is. He sees us, His people so different than we look and see each other. If I was able to grab everyone and hug them with the love I have flowing out of me right now I would...

In these moments of Compassion that God allows me to experience is causes me to stand in-between time. I see people who have crossed my path, people whose lives I have touched, people whose lives I have yet to impact. I see these people and I begin to see them as God sees them...the beauty they hold as His creations. I am filled with this love I cannot contain or explain, but I want to just grab them and tell them how special they are and all that God wants to do with them. Would they hear me? Would they listen? Simultaneously, I am also seeing myself. I see the areas in my life where God wants to bring increase in my gifts and accomplish the purpose He has for me. He begins to renew my faith in His hand on my life. The fears, struggles, distractions, doubts, negativity all fades away like a distant voice far away and barely heard. Instead I hear, see, and feel Him. He is taking me by the hand to each of these areas where He wants to take me to the next level. Any other time I am completely overwhelmed by the all that it will take to achieve these goals I am working towards, yet in these moments those overwhelming feelings are so far behind me and I am able to just see.

A glance, a moment of an Opened Heart! God really does Love me!!!! He really does Love His people. If only we would hearken to His voice more often, we would begin to walk more upright, more confident, and more bold in who He has called us to be and what He has called us to do.

Tonight...I KNOW that I CAN through Jesus Christ. All these things set before me right now....are IN HIS HANDS. I put my Trust in Him and walk into His arms...I am Safe in Him. Your Will Father, be done!!! In Jesus Name, Amen!

Show Me Your Glory...

I'm thirsty.

I'm dry.
I'm hungry.
I'm longing.

Oh Lord, would You just come down into this place and fill me, fill this atmosphere with You. Lord, I need You, I want You, I gotta have You. Let Your Everlasting Beauty surround me. Surround me Oh Lord. Surround me Oh Lord. Fill me up with more of You. Surround me Oh Lord. Surround me Oh Lord. Fill me up with more of You.

That is truly the cry of my heart. I long for Him, I long for His presence and for some reason I keep trying to go these spurts without Him. I don't even do it intentionally. I am just going about my business, working, cleaning, daily duties, and then the realization hits and the emotions begin to swell within me....JESUS, I NEED YOU! I begin to experience this insatiable desire, a craving, I NEED Him, I NEED Him, I NEED Him! I was working on my computer while also doing some baking and I had originally been watching some shows on Hulu (it helps my brain remain calm sometimes while thinking so hard...haha). Yet, I felt this void growing within me all of a sudden. I needed to experience the presence of God. I needed to feel Him and I immediately begin to feel far from Him. I turned on some worship and it was if my arms were opening wider while I was also running closer to this thing in front of me...It was like a magnetized force was pulling me forward towards Him....He was the "thing" I was sensing. Do you ever feel like certain songs come at that right moment, like, "God, are You doing that for me?" ......that's what was happening with me and with each song the intensity grew, my spirit stirred...

I have had so much on my mind the past week and I am trying to avoid coming "unhinged" while completing some of these tasks in front of me. I am walking in an uncomfortable territory, an unknown territory, a place in which trust is the only way I am able to see my foot take a step. I'm a little afraid by the NEW, but at the same time I am full of confidence, a knowing, that I am on the right path. I'm pushing down and out all the thoughts that are trying to plague my mind and my emotions, that I am not able to accomplish all these things that God is and has been stirring within me since He first created me. He put things within me and I have uncovered some of them, yet now it's as though the field just bloomed and it's Harvest Time!! I'm scared that I might fail, that I might get too overwhelmed, that I........I don't even really know......Flip side, I am oddly brave and finding myself taking these giant leaps before turning around and realizing what I have just done.

All I can stop and think is, MORE LORD! Give me More!!! Show me Your Glory Father. Rain down Your Presence all over me, fill me, surround me, reign Lord, reign over me. I'm stepping my feet out of the boat and walking toward MY GOD out on the water. I know He will keep me. I know I am safe even though my senses my be experiencing a different scenario. Lol! I'm stepping into the Glory Cloud and I'm not afraid...I'm Ready!

Show me Your Glory Lord!!!

Are You Ready For 2012?

Well, seems I have let time come between us again...Lol! I hope everyone enjoyed their End of the Year Celebrations, Family Time, Christmas, New Year, etc. Are you ready for 2012? We are half way into this first month. Have you started working on those pesky Resolutions yet? You know, join a gym, lose weight, buff up, be a better person, cut out the negativity, clean your bad mouth out, be a better Mom/Dad/Sister/Brother/Husband/
Wife/Daughter/Son/Friend...whatever! The list of many millions of people around the world. The list you start and somehow by the end of the year, during the times of reflection, you gripe at yourself for not living up to something as simple as this list. Oh, but that's not you, right!?!?!


I will admitt, I have been that person many a time. I have joined gyms in January (I joined one this January), then stopped going. I always had justifiable reasons WHY? Once you disrupt the routine you amped yourself up to begin, it's so hard to jump back in the game. Then it's one excuse after the next. Excuses do Not produce results people! I KNOW!!!


For the past few years now, I have started the New Year with a  F a s t. It seems churches everywhere have caught on to the "F a s t i n g  F a d". Oh, but I don't want my time of Fasting to be a Hobby or Bi-Anual Habit, a Trendy Thing To Do, an All-About-Food-Focus, an Anything but God time...For me, Fasting is a way to Force my Flesh to Submit. Simple as that! I consider myself a Moderately Disciplined Person. Some areas of my life are very disciplined, while others..well....I am a Procrastinating Perfectionist. It is what keeps me sane, yet also seems to drive me insane. Some weird catch-22 I suppose. Maybe even a tad sad. Eh, it's how I usually operate. Fasting somewhat breaks that cycle for a time...or maybe it doesn't, but it is definitely a Boot Camp for my flesh and my spirit. You see, my Flesh is learning to relinquish control (something I disillusion myself that I have), it's being put through Ettiquiette Training, it's Stretching Out  a l l  E l a s t i c-Like...like a Giant Rubber Band Ball Bouncing Around the Walls of "Shut-Up, Sit-Down, and Listen!"...It's not a bad thing at all! It's great! My flesh forgets who it is, gets a little Hot-Headed, Pride pushes in, Self-Will begins to take control...No Good I tell ya! But the Boot Camp isn't JUST for "Reminding my Flesh" of some things. This Boot Camp is producing Strength, Power, Authority, Righhteousness, Stature, Awareness, Soberness, Agility, Passion, Purpose Released! My SPIRIT is finally allowed Freedom to operate how it was intended. My Flesh, always trying to steal the spot light from My Spirit...it's my Fiesty Flesh...a good smack, a little time-out, all goes a long way! 

F a s t i n g!

Sing it out now....

"FREEEEEEEDOM, FREEEEEEEEDOM, 

FREEEEEEEEEDOM, FREEEEEEEDOM! 

I'm gonna Clap a little louder, sing a little stronger, 

dance more freely, jump higher, spin around, shout it out loud! 

No More Shackles, No More Chains, No More Bondage, My Spirit is Free! 

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, 

FREEEEEEEEEEEDOM!"

BUT....then also, Fasting isn't so Fancy Free and Fun! It's at times very challenging! It does not feel good to see your flaws. Have you ever started a workout routine...energy is high, then comes pain and soreness, then energy kicks up again and you "feel" like your really making changes, but maybe you don't "see" them changing fully yet. I was listening on the radio this morning and they were discussing a News Releasing indicating a New Pill they want to release on the market that has all the answers...you know this pill...the one that gives you the perfect body WITHOUT the workout. Sadly, if that does ever actually come out, people WILL buy it. I mean who would want to actually DO the work that produces results, when a pill could DO it for you. (insert sarcastic eye rolling here!) It's the EASY BUTTON MENTALITY...always looking for shortcuts. At what price though and with what reward? Is your life worth it? What is more rewarding than sweating it out and achieving a goal! Gee, wonder if Jesus had a shortcut to our salvation....oh wait, He did! LUKE 4...you see Jesus was coming off a 40 day fast, He was hungry...wouldn't you be? I mean He sure wasn't eating Corn Tortillas, because technically they are a vegetable. Or drinking your morning cup of coffee because taking that away just doesn't work, caffeine withdrawals, needing the wake-up-in-a-cup to get through the day. Now I am not saying your fast doesn't count when you do this. The focus of the fast is not about food, what you can or can't eat. The focus is denying your flesh, replacing those fleshly desires for closeness with God, being more sober, more spiritually aware that you are weak and you need God. I am a huge modifier of fasting(yep I admitted it), so I am not being hypocritical, just stating the obvious in regards to how we desire the Easy way. My life isn't even all that awful, it's actually pretty great, yet I still find myself looking for something easy amidst so many other "not-so-easy" things. Anyways, off track as usual....Satan tempted Jesus with the EASY BUTTON more than once. What if He took it? Where would our Freedom and Salvation be then?


Let me put it like this.....

If God doesn't step in 

and intervene, 

we get stoned!

I was thinking of Mary, the mother of Jesus, when the people found out she was pregnant and UN-married and Joseph wasn't claiming that baby. The people wanted to stone her to death, that was the law! She must be punished! After all, it wasn't Joseph's baby, people don't just become pregnant without the "doing-it" part! BUT, God totally stepped in and intervened. The Angel visited Joseph, the story takes a dramatic turn back on track. For every "YES" to God's Will and to God's Way, something marvelous is birthed. You see, Mary said "YES" to God and the Salvation of the World was birthed. Jesus said YES to God, and The Salvation of Mankind was Fulfilled! What happens when we say YES to God...What amazing thing is God birthing through our YES? From Moses to Abraham to Issac to Jacob all the way to David and all the way to Mary. All these people said YES and something GREAT was able to be made manifest. If just ONE of them said NO, the picture would not be like this. So what thing(s) is God asking you to say "YES" to? Have you said Yes? It doesn't actually Stop with the Yes. Yes is the beginning. Don't let that scare you though. The rest is Easy, well not Easy Button Easy, but Easy in the sense that you just Let God Be God! You pray, you seek Him, you worship, you guard and protect the thing you birthed, you let Him be God. Mary said YES to God, Jesus was birthed, then she had to Let God be God. She was not in control of how Jesus would Save the World. As a Mom, I am sure she had moments of being Mom-like, but in the end God had to step in, intervene, and have HIS way so His will would be accomplished. "IT IS FINISHED!"
Yet, it's not over! Jesus is returning for His people...are we ready for Him? Have we done all God has asked us to do to Prepare the Way for the King? What things are we still needing to Say YES to? God works in steps to fulfill His purpose. It was steps from the beginning of creation, the flood era, the promise of Abraham, the heart of David and the restoration of the Tabernacle, the birth of Jesus, the obedience of the Disciples. Each person, each area, played a significant role to accomplish the bigger picture. I am sure that when each person said YES they didn't realize the magnitude of what was then able to be accomplished at large. God may have even given them glimpses, but to take in in full the vastness of His plans....


If you don't say YES, if you don't Let God Be God, if you skip out on Your Part of the Whole...what are you doing to the Larger picture? 


ARE YOU READY FOR 2012 now?

Move Forward...

Calling all people...calling all people!!! God is calling forth a people who will Rise Up! He is calling the Church to Rise Up!

My heart has been filled today with many things. I feel stirred in my Spirit! I am vibrant with anticipation!(weird word choice? I know) Have you ever felt excited for something...like a kid waiting for their birthday or something? Well deep down, somewhere in the pit of me, I have this feeling welling up inside like I am waiting for God to do this super awesome, amazing thing! I know He always does super awesome, amazing things, but this is different, this feels different. I try and always have "Great Expectation" for God to show up and meet me, meet His people, and fill us with His presence, surround us with His Goodness. I never want to put a box around God, what He is doing or going to do, and how He is going to do it. This actually takes effort!!! Our carnal minds so easily want to put everything into a neat little compartment that we can store away and label as this or that. Lord, please help me to get rid of, get out of THE BOX! No more limits, no more boundaries, no more labels, no more BOXES that define who God is. How can we, with our insignificant selves, (compared to God that is) presume to really "know" God? Our life is a journey of "Knowing Him"!!! Well, it should be. To KNOW God more, to KNOW His heart, to KNOW His character, to KNOW Him intimately in our lives, to KNOW Him in every sense of the word KNOW.

In the Bible, when talking about two people coming together in a union of marriage that they would then "know" each other. Now that isn't a cover word for sex, although when getting married, well, you hopefully will be having sex...but it means on all levels to "Know" that person. You know all about them in every way - spirit, soul, body, and mind...the ultimate being ONE with someone...and are we not to be ONE with God as we are ONE-Flesh with our spouse?

(((It's funny...this is not my original direction but things just flow out sometimes...)))

God is calling us to KNOW Him and to Rise Up In Him!!! Where are the True Worshippers as spoken about in John 4:23? Where is the last day "Church-the body and Bride of Christ"? Where are the "Chosen Generation", the "Peculiar People", the "Royal Priesthood"? Where are YOU!?!?!

God is calling us to come forth and rise up in Him, so that we may move forward in fulfillment of our calling according to His purpose. Don't we get it? God is "CALLING" us because we all have been "CALLED"! We all have a purpose, a destiny, a plan that God has laid out for us as our Father and through Jesus and His Blood we have become joint-heirs with Him and can boldly, with authority, walk in ALL that God has!!!

Don't you want that? I sure do! God is stirring up a WORD in me that will come forth soon...we must prepare ourselves...we must prepare the way for the soon coming King of Kings - JESUS...but we must prepare ourselves - the Church - God's people - as the Bride of Christ. He is coming back for us...that word will come soon..

I wanted to share a poem I wrote a month ago and then finished yesterday. I wasn't purposing to write any poem but like my words, I just get things and have to write them down. For me it is a constant in pouring from God and outpouring for myself and God's people...and ever-overflowing-cup...a well...a spring...like the bible says we are filled with the living waters....living water...water with Life...God's Life pouring into us and overflowing out! Continual! Aaaahhhhhhhh! I love God so!

So here is my poem. Hope you enjoy it! It's nothing super fancy just a small outpouring from my heart. Funny thing also is that I don't consider myself a "poem writer" but God has a way of helping me to see who I am and then I begin accepting more things...I am a Writer, I am a Worship Leader, I am a Youth Pastor, I am a Teacher, I am an Exhorter, I am a Mommy, I am a Wife, I am a Creative in arts, I am a Prophetic Worshipper, I am a Coffee shop Cafe Owner, I am a Candle Make, I am many things...and although none of these things DEFINE me as a person, because I refuse to be put in a box...They are very much a huge part of me and a part of the inpouring outpouring process...My list keeps growing and rightly so because God promises INCREASE and in Him I am MORE THAN....which means there is always more and from a God who is always faithful to fulfill His promise even if we don't see it...Abraham did not see the manifestation or fulfillment of God's promise but we see it today as we are a part of that Promise. Ok, so I better stop I could probably pour all day! :) Hopefully in my pouring you were blessed!

Loves, Hugs, and Enjoy Life!
Christina



Our Yesterday's do not have to affect our today's because we move forward with purpose being raised up in Christ as new creatures, forgiven, restored, and walking in alignment with God's will so as to fulfill our mandated vision that God has called us to according to His purpose! Awaken, Arise, and Move Forward with HIM!!! :)


MY POEM:

"NOT GOING BACK, MOVING AHEAD!



I'm not going back, I'm moving ahead


I was once bound by sin but now sin is dead


My life is now free, no more chains holding me


I live in the One who brings peace


I have my release


Jesus has come, to set the captives free


I have found Him won't you come follow me


Follow me as I follow Christ


In Him you can find new life


Free from the pain, free from the hurt, free to rejoice, free in His court


Jesus has come to set the captives free, Jesus has come He lives in you and me


Now moving forward, Moving ahead, never looking back, among the living not the dead


I once was blind but now I can see


I live in Jesus and He lives in me!


I am free to worship, I am free to praise


I have new life and new purpose


In Him I was made


I can speak through my singing, my writing, and more


But I give Him all the Glory, He's what I do this for


He's the reason for my worship, the reason for my praise, the reason I'm even in this whole race


A race to the end, victory is sure


Victory in Him means life evermore


So on I go, moving ahead


Not looking back but looking to Him instead


Fulfillment in my calling, my destiny is set


I rejoice cause He's returning, He's not finished with us yet


Keep pressing on, don't give up or give in


Move forward with purpose, move forward with Him.


I'm not going back, I'm moving ahead!"


BY: CHRISTINA CARROLL!!! ME!!! :)

Light...

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
(Psalms 119:105)

I found this quote that said, "We don't walk spiritually by electric light, but by a hand-held lantern. And a lantern shows only the next step --- not several steps ahead".

This really got me thinking...

We often, as a society of people, look for the "quickest, easiest, way" to do something. It is proven in every gadget we ever create or even the technology we use. We want everything to be ready for us instead of us waiting for something. We want fast money, fast food (at restaurants), fast services, fast Internet...we get impatient in waiting but we also expect the best quality in the fastness...lol!

So, I was thinking about how electricity...love it by the way...is one of those "easier" ways of enjoying something natural. Before electricity or light, we would only be able to utilize the natural light and that meant waking up at dawn to have time to get all the work done before dusk. But with electricity we go to bed whenever and wake up whenever...

(On another note: There is evidence pointing to people in earlier years having a much wider spectrum of vision from ultra-violet to infra-red and that the whole theory of us getting smarter with advancements in technology is completely inaccurate and we are actually getting less smart...not calling anyone stupid...just saying that we are not advancing as though it may appear. Evolution and its ridiculous thought that we are evolving when we are really devolving is so false. Even Darwin himself completely recants his theory but they won't tell you that...before he died he said he was wrong and that He believed God to be the creator...if you take ARMOUR BEARERS Level One you could learn all these controversies and conspiracies and how the bible proves them all wrong and that their is evidence out there that is so stuffed and hidden so as to keep us in the dark that really always points back to the bible that our society and government is trying to take away...OK I'm done with that side-note for now...take Armour Bearers, the next semester starts in September/October...)

Anyhoo...my point for this whole post today was that we need to stop going towards the easier things and go towards the more natural things that are the key to our spiritual walk. Now I am not saying go be a super "Green", "all-natural" "eco-friendly" extra over the top type of person, not that trying to save the earth is wrong but that isn't my point. But knowing that God does things purposefully...a lantern--using a natural light source---fire--shows us our next step. It keeps our focus on that step so that we can fulfill that step. Knowing everything in advance, however much we think we need that, would only have us getting in the way with our own thoughts, ideas, and strategies, and not relying on God. It's that need for control thing we have issue with and why we have a hard time fully trusting God to be in control. We are in the woods surrounded by trees trying to find the best way out and we go this way and that...all God is saying is trust me because I have the aerial view and can see all entry and exit points and I can see what dangers lie ahead at each corner. If we trusted him to guide us by His word, which is his voice, than step by step He would direct us out and into fulfillment of our purpose and destiny with Him.

I so easily go off track from the original point because there are so many things connected...like a big tree with branches that have branches that have branches...I must remember where the main part of the tree is! LOL!

Hopefully you were encouraged or stirred up in some way...
Loves & Hugs,
Christina