A Cure for the Negativity that is All Around

August 7, 2016August 7, 2016 / Anne (Grace is my Superhero) / 2 Comments

Have you noticed the negativity all around us lately, with the election and the terrorist attacks and the accusations of racism? What a silly question! We have all noticed it. My last article was “How I feel About Donald Trump”, and I had never written anything “political” or “controversial” before. I was expecting to be attacked by the negativity that has been so prevalent. I was pleasantly surprised that most of the feedback was very positive. Thank you, those who took the time to read my thoughts! Thank you to those who have hearts open to hear a message of hope! Thank you to those who gave me encouragement! One word of encouragement is stronger than a thousand of negative ones!

I am not surprised at all by the negativity of the media or of non-Christians in general. All of these precious people were created to be in a relationship with a God. They have not yet encountered that perfect love and have undoubtedly had their share of hurt and disappointment. They were created for a perfect place, yet live in a world full of sorrow and suffering. They are angry and bitter and don’t even know exactly who they should be angry with. Many of them fight with all their strength against the very thing that could heal their anger and put their world right again. Before we as Christian judge them too harshly, let us remember the words of Abraham Lincoln when he was criticized for wanting to treat the South with compassion, “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” Let us be encouraged by the story of Saul of Tarsus and dare to believe that the greatest enemy of God today could be His greatest champion tomorrow!

What I have been very shocked by is the attitude of many Christians in this elections. Christians should not be impressed by the negativity that the media is trying to feed us. We should not look at the world the way the “world” looks at itself. Jesus said that we shouldn’t judge unless we want to be judged.

Yet I understand why Christians have been so very judgmental. I make judgments all the time. Most are unconscious – I just think I am observing and then coming to a logical conclusion. I want to understand the world around me and why things are the way they are. My brain gathers the information it is given, processes it according to my own experiences and my unique world view and comes up with a determination that makes sense to me. My own wisdom provides a false sense of security.

It is false because my thoughts are not like God’s thoughts. My ways are not like His ways. He is so much higher and has a different perspective. He sees all things that ever were, all things that are, and all that will be. He sees with complete clarity from a heart of perfect love.

I am so thankful when God proves me wrong! I love it when a person who I thought was mean and grumpy turns out to be my best friend! I love it when a situation that appeared to be hopeless gets turned around and becomes the most amazing story of redemption! My incorrect judgments have been exposed enough times for me to realize that the kingdom of God is backwards according to my wisdom. God loves to make the first last and the last first. He loves to use the foolish things to confound the wise. He loves to surprise us and do the unexpected.

I think the reason that Jesus spoke to the masses in parables was that he wanted true followers. True followers are not those who are excellent at following the rules and what seems to be logical. True followers of Jesus are those who have an active relationship with God, who listen for His voice every day. We need His voice to navigate through this confusing world…and GOD DESIGNED IT THAT WAY!

When Jesus told the crowd, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”, do you think He wanted the people to come to the most logical conclusion about Him…either that he was insane or had a morbid fascination with death? He wanted as followers only those people who were willing to seek the voice of God to reveal to them the truth and beauty of His statement that was offensive to most. Perhaps even more than that, Jesus wanted followers that trusted Him enough to follow even if they didn’t understand. Their love and loyalty to this “Son of Man” who had proven His character to them again and again superseded their need to understand.

God’s wondrous plan of salvation for mankind was understood by no man on this earth while it was unfolding. Even though Jesus explained it clearly to his closest disciples, they were in despair when it all happened.

Isaiah said this about Jesus;

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

If I had been there at the cross to see Jesus, beaten and bloodied so that he no longer looked like a man, naked and reviled so I would have to turn my eyes away; how would I have judged that scene? How would I have judged Jesus? I probably would have thought, “What a poor wretched man. What did he do to deserve such a death? This is one of the worst things I have ever witnessed. This is one of the darkest hours in all human history.”

Yet this man was perfect, powerful, and indescribably beautiful. He was not a lowly criminal but the King of the Universe. He accomplished all that He had set out to do, and it was actually the most powerful moment in human history. The moment that sin and death were defeated and all of us were set free…FOREVER!!!

We miss what God is doing because we are focused on the wrong things. If something is despised or rejected by men…it might just be God.

Yes, we need to discern what is the Holy Spirit and what is not. We need to understand what God is doing RIGHT NOW and join HIM in His work. We need to seek His heart and come into unity with Him.

I am not talking about false hope or putting our faith in something that isn’t real. I am not talking about closing our eyes to evil and pretending that it isn’t there. I hate that! I hate believing in lies and I hate disappointment! Yet, those who put their hope in God will not be disappointed! I am talking about a reality that is more real than what we see around us. I am talking about a reality that is higher.

Once I had to seek that reality just to survive. How thankful I am for that time, for I will not be so easily deceived again. You see, I was part of a church that specialized in showing people their sins. They thought they were doing God’s work by helping to “perfect” all the people around them. What they were really doing was speaking the words of the Accuser which only brought condemnation and despair.

They had been working to try and “fix” me for a few years. They finally decided that I was too “broken” to remain part of the church. They said nothing to me about this decision but discussed it among themselves. That morning in my quiet time God gave me a scripture that I will never forget.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her

that her hard service has been completed,

that her sin has been paid for, Is 40:1-2

Even though God was speaking tenderly to me, the church was not. One of the church leaders called my husband to a special meeting and proceeded to tell him that our family could no longer be part of the church because of my sin. She said that I was so deep into my iniquity (no specific sin was mentioned) that I was interfering with their prayers. She said that I was keeping Chris from his destiny, and that it was never God’s will for him to marry me in the first place. She believed that eventually I would leave Chris. Once that happened, he could return to the church.

When Chris told me what they had said to him, I felt as though I had been punched in the gut and had all the wind knocked out of me. Did I believe the words of the Lord that I had received earlier in the day? I am sorry to say that I did not. The words of man are spoken so much louder and seem to be much clearer. Chris and I spent many days in darkness and condemnation, trying to find a way out.

Still the voice of the Lord was whispering to me, and I sought Him like never before! One night I was praying over our family and wondering what would happen next without our church, our friends, our support network, and our future as we had envisioned it. I saw in my mind a picture of an eagle’s nest. It was so high in the rocks of a mountain that you couldn’t see the earth below. The nest was full of baby birds. I felt God say,

“That is your family. You are meant to be eagles and you are to raise your children to be eagles.”

My first thought was, “How dangerous to raise my children on the side of a cliff. What if they fell and went crashing to their deaths?”

But then I realized that eagles were born to be up there. It was their natural habitat, and they were not afraid of it. Babies eagles were born to fly, and fly they most certainly would! They were born to view the earth from a different perspective, a higher perspective.

They can see more at one time and see for longer distances than most animals. But what if an eagle is confined to the ground, to see only what is right in front of them. What if they are thrown down to the dirt and are unable to rise and feel the wind carry them above the smog and the grime. What if they are down there for so long that they forget the beauty of the clouds and the heavens above?

I imagine that they would get frustrated, then afraid, then angry, then bitter…just as I have in the past. Just as many Christian have during this election. I am so thankful that God has given me wings and lifted me up where I belong.

Children of God…you were born to fly!

But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.

The other voices out there will yell at you! They will attract your attention with flashing lights and mesmerizing images. They will pull you in and hold you captive. But the voice of the Lord is still and it is small. In order to hear it, we must silence all other voices, we must silence our own thoughts, and we must wait on the Lord!

Wait on the Lord! For you are a great company of eagles born to fly!

How I Feel About Donald Trump

July 23, 2016October 25, 2016 / Anne (Grace is my Superhero) / 22 Comments

In my junior high and High School years, I knew Donald Trump as the rich guy with the weird hair. I honestly didn’t know what he had done to get so rich, and I didn’t care. When his TV show, The Apprentice came on in 2004, I still wasn’t totally clear on what Trump actually did other than fire and hire people, but it was one of the few reality shows that I actually liked.

I have never spent a lot of time following the news or getting into politics…too many more important things consumed my life, like a new baby roughly every two years or so. Still, I wanted to be a good American and a good citizen, so I always tried to vote and pray for whoever was in power at the time.

Around 2012 I saw a new book from Rick Joyner, I See A New America. I purchased it on the spot (and I never do that!) because his previous books had been so powerful in my life. I thought this was a book of new prophetic revelations and visions about our country, and I could sure use the encouragement. I couldn’t help but notice that my nation was turning away from Christianity, one of my main reasons for homeschooling.

I excitedly dove into this new book only to be disappointed. It wasn’t about visions at all, but observations of what was wrong with our country and the government and how we could fix it. I read about halfway through this 300 page book before I could read no longer. I was shocked and overwhelmed by how bad things really were, yet felt powerless to change anything. What could I do, a housewife, to affect politics? Perhaps one of my children would grow up with the honor, integrity, and self-sacrificing character to go into the government, but I certainly couldn’t.

What I did take away from the book was that the power had to shift from lawyers and professional politicians to real business men. Only then could the noble purpose for government (serving and protecting the citizens) actually be accomplished, and done so efficiently. If our government was a business, it would have gone under long ago. If politicians lived by the same rules as the rest of us, most of them would have been put in jail.

I laid the book aside, but began praying more for our nation. I also encountered more teaching (from folks like Lance Wallnau and Bill Johnson) that Christians had laid down their God given influence in the seven spheres of culture, government included, and it was time to take it back! We couldn’t just hide and wait for the rapture! We had to use our gifts and talents to make heaven manifest on earth. Our lives and our children’s lives depended on it.

I heard Launce during the 2015 Firestorm conference say something that changed the way I looked at voting.

“When Christians look at elections, they want to know, is the guy a believer? That is really not the intelligent question. What you want to know is; who is anointed for the assignment. Now this is controversial because I wouldn’t think that God would actually be working with secular people and anoint them. But I had to reconsider this for the simple fact that I am reading Daniel, and Daniel has an archangel that comes to him and says, ‘As you have been praying Daniel, in the 2^nd year of Darius, I stood by to confirm and stabilize his reign.’ Which means that Darius is a heathen ruler, Darius and the Medes, they’re over the Jewish people; but God knows which heathen is going to be open to the kingdom and which one isn’t. And archangels go to war to make sure that the right heathen gets elected.

“So you go back in American history, most Christians, they just don’t talk about this stuff – Lincoln was God’s chosen man for the complexity of the hour. In retrospect, we look back at him and say – there was the right man for that crucible; but honestly, Charles Finney didn’t think he was, the revivalists in his day didn’t, because he didn’t make a significant enough profession of faith. Now the people who made the great profession of faith were knuckleheads. Because you can follow Salmon Chase and McClellan and see the arrogance and the ego in the guys who actually were evangelical. But then you got a gifted heathen who discovers Christ in the crisis of the White House…

“The fact is, you have to know who God has anointed for the job, not who passes your Sunday School litmus test.

“Churchill falls into the same category. Neville Chamberlain was a great evangelical. Nevil Chamberlain, ‘Peace in our time,’ he totally goofed up. He was trying to be a sheep dealing with a wolf. Churchill from the beginning knew what Nazi Germany was. Churchill was the guy who was anointed.”

That really got me thinking. Lincoln is considered to be one of, if not THE greatest president this nation has ever had. Yet during his time in office, he was disliked, hated, and ridiculed by so many people. I had learned a lot about Lincoln because we studied the Civil War for three years in homeschool. I never planned it that way, but I think God was teaching our family something about the time we are now living in.

Abortion is the modern-day civil rights issue that has become socially acceptable just as slavery was in Lincoln’s time. The Civil War was the terrible result of the sin of slavery. Abortion takes away the rights of those who are considered subhuman to bring wealth to the few. What will be the consequences of this heinous crime? Lincoln fought for the humanity of the slaves without demonizing the slave holders and the south. He knew that after the war, they all had to be united again.

I started asking God to show me who he had anointed for these very difficult and dangerous days. Soon the new presidential hopefuls were all over the news.

I must admit, whenever I saw Donald Trump on TV, I would cringe a little bit inside. Why does he have to seem so prideful and silly? But most of what I saw were just small clips taken out of whole speeches which were then ridiculed by whatever media was showing them. He didn’t look like the leader I had been hoping for, and I felt discouraged.

I heard Lance Wallau at our church again, and he spoke about a meeting that he been in with Donald Trump. His view of the man was so different from what had been portrayed in the media. Lance talked about a man who believed in the Bible, brought his Bible to the meeting, and listened and respected all of the Christians leaders present. This started to give me hope.

I decided to get Trump’s book, Crippled America from the Library to hear about the views and beliefs of this man straight from his own mouth, so to speak. I really enjoyed reading this book and learned so much that I didn’t know. Most importantly, it gave me hope. Hope that someone actually understood what was ailing this country and had a plan to start to fix it. His views were all truly conservative, and I didn’t find a thing that I disagreed with. I did not find anything racist or sexist in the book. Just the opposite. Trump was putting women and minorities in leadership positions in his businesses long before it was politically correct to do so.

I had this book for six weeks, and no one else put it on hold. I find it hard to believe that there is no one else out there wondering what Donald Trump really stands for and is willing to take the time to delve into this book rather than just take the media’s word for it.

Chris and I were business owners for almost four years and realized how hard it really is – not just because it is hard to take risks and strike out on your own – but also because the government seems to be trying to hinder you at every single turn. Our business failed despite our best efforts. I can’t convey to you how much respect I have for Donald; that he has been able to be so successful in so many different businesses when it is so difficult to do so. Being in the business world and meeting so many other owners and entrepreneurs, we saw that it is difficult for everyone.

I can’t describe how amazing it was to read his book and realize that he understands how hard it is and how damaging the government has become for businesses, especially small businesses. He has a plan to change that. Finally a person in politics who has been in the real world and who has had real world success.

In his own words, “The basic difference between the politicians’ way and my way is that I’ve actually had to do the things that politicians only talk about doing.

“I’ve hired thousands of employees. I’ve had to negotiate with contractors and unions. I’ve had to provide health care coverage for my workers. I know what the real costs are, I know what the problems are. I know what works and what doesn’t work.”

Trump has a great track record of taking over historic buildings that have been allowed to become rundown and revitalizing them under time and under budget. You can’t mess around when you want to make a profit. If the government were run like a business, oh how different things would be!

In conclusion, Trump says, “We can take a crippled country and make it great again. Our country has been allowed to languish and become tarnished, second-class place in the eyes of the world…I have a vision and I understand the process by which we’re going to accomplish our goals, We need to strengthen our military, help our vets, stand up to our enemies, deter illegal immigration, rebuild our infrastructure, revamp our tax code and education system, and rip apart the ridiculous policies of the past, including Obamacare and the Iran nuclear ‘agreement.’

“Most important, we need to reinvigorate the American dream and give our country back to the millions of people who have labored so hard for so little…We are at a critical turning point in our history…Our time has not passed, it is here, and the potential is amazing.”

I began a second time to read Rick Joyner’s, I See A New America and this time I finished it! This time I understood more of what he was writing about, having more experiences with government agencies and government regulations and taxes. I also had more hope! The amazing thing was that this book written in 2011 said many of the same things that Trump wrote in his book in 2015. Some statements were almost identical, such as the fact that the government could be run with 20% of its present size. With this type of efficiency, they could actually cut taxes, balance the budget, and strengthen the economy rather than incur more debt.

Rick writes, “The U.S. government was created to serve the people, not to be served by them. It was created to protect our wealth and resources, not consume them. Government workers, from the President down, were to be public servants, not the privileged class they have set themselves up to be…we must resolve to never again elect professional politicians, and determine it is one species we will make extinct in our country. We, the people, must resolve that every elected office in government should be filled with leaders and managers who have a mission and know how to accomplish it…”

Is Donald Trump such a leader? He says that he is. Many people believe that he is.

So how do I feel about Donald Trump? I think he may just have the very rare driven personality (that is willing to take risks and make people mad) that we need to lead us into something different, something better. It may look like a wrecking ball making a big mess of things, but appearances can be deceiving. The more I find out about “business as usual” in Washington, the more I think that unless it all comes tumbling down, we can no longer survive as a nation. It may not be pretty, it may come in a way that none of us expected, but I know that God is doing something wonderful in our nation and in our government.

When I think about Donald Trump, I feel more hope rising with in me than I have ever felt when thinking about politics. I am praying for him, for his safety, for his relationship with God, for his vision for this nation and his ability to carry it out.

But it really doesn’t matter how I feel about Donald Trump. What really matters is who has God anointed for this hour. If Christians could just seek Him for the answer to that question, we could shape the future of our nation.

Here is some food for thought:

Trump: God’s Chaos Candidate

What does the thoughtful Christian do in this election?

Review of Conversation with Trump and Ben Carson

Trump’s road to the White House: 1980-2

Areli’s Adventure in Australia

July 18, 2016July 18, 2016 / Anne (Grace is my Superhero) / Leave a comment

Areli says that she is not a writer, so I will try to tell her story as best I can. The real beauty of this article will be all the wonderful photos that Areli was able to capture on her Australian Adventure.

This adventure began back in September of 2015. This was when the youth leaders, Ben and Dylan called a meeting for anyone interested in going on the summer missions trip. I took Areli, who was so excited to finally get the opportunity to try missions. I was thrilled as well, having done 5 trips as a young woman. I understood how impactful and life changing they are. We learned at the meeting that the destination of the trip had not yet been determined, but it would probably be somewhere in Africa, Asia, or Europe. Oh my…that is most of the world…and so very far from home.

Areli jumped into the unknown with two feet; praying, seeking God, and participating in fund-raising events.

Sometime around February, the exact location had been chosen…rather revealed by God, and it wasn’t Africa, Asia, or Europe.

It was Australia!

Someone had been praying for Dylan and prophesied to him that he would lead a team to Australia. Then one of the girls on the team had a dream that they were all on a beach in Australia helping a man in a red shirt. When the leaders shared this dream with their contact in Australia, Nick from Kenmore Baptist church, Nick said that they had a group in their church that wore red shirts! They were called “The Red Frogs” and they ministered to young adults. So Australia it was!

It turned out that the only time that the team could travel to the “land down under” was the perfect time to be there. It was during their winter break when the Kenmore Baptist Church ran the Kids Holiday Club. This ministered to 380 children, many of whom were unchurched children whose parents needed a safe place for them to be while they were at work. Also, Georgian and Winnie Banov just happened to be at Glory City Church in Brisbane during this time as well! I love how God works out the perfect place at the perfect time.

The team (which consisted of two guy leaders, two women leaders, 16 high school girls, and three high school boys) dove into training almost every weekend starting in April. They had homework each week, to read a chapter of Translating God by Shawn Bolz and complete the workbook. This included many practical applications such as giving encouraging words to three people during the week. I highly recommend this book. I have only read three chapters of it so far and I have encountered revelations from God’s heart that have opened my heart and mind with each chapter!

They practiced listening to God, praying and prophesying over each other, and praying and prophesying over strangers. They practiced treasure hunting at Lancaster’s First Friday. Areli and a group of girls prayed for God to give them clues that would lead them to His special treasure (a person who He wanted them to share His love with). One of the girls got an impression in her mind of the name Angelica. Areli decided to purchase a bunch of flowers and they started giving flowers away while they searched for Angelica. It was time to return and they hadn’t found her, so Jessica yelled out, “Angelica!”

A girl close to them turned around and said in shock and amazement, “How did you know my name?”

“God loves you and he knows your name,” Andrea said. They gave her their very last rose and Angelica walked away still marveling at the fact that God had called her out of the crowd!

Chris and I were a bit concerned about the $3,000 Areli needed for her trip. “Where God guides, He always provides,” we used to say in YWAM, and Areli didn’t seem worried as she enjoyed preparing for her trip. Almost immediately Areli received generous donations that covered her entire trip!

My mother’s heart was overwhelmed and undone, and I felt God say, “None of Areli’s faithfulness has gone unnoticed by me.”

You see, Areli works in the home day after day cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and taking care of her special needs sister and her younger siblings. She almost always has a good attitude. If she worked out of the home doing the same things, she would have quite a nest egg by now! She pours herself out every day for her family, and now her trip was covered!

She still needed spending money, some new clothes, and her dream was to get a new, better camera to satisfy her passion for photography. Now we felt confident that God would provide all of those needs as well…and He did!

Quickly the time for the most anticipated trip had arrived. The team was traveling on Air Canada, and I downloaded the App so I could follow their progress across the world and pray for them. Throughout the day on Wednesday, June 29^th, I saw that their first flight out of Baltimore was being delayed again and again. They finally took off, but their connecting flight in Toronto was supposed to be leaving as they were descending into the Toronto airport. Air Canada held the airplane as the missions team RAN through the airport and security as fast as they could. They made it!

After a 5 hour flight to Vancouver and a 14 hour flight to Brisbane, they were there…and they had lost Thursday. It was now Friday morning even though their bodies were ready for bed. They decided that the best way to beat the jet lag was to stay awake all day and spend it at the beach, the Gold Coast Beach. It was a little cooler there (sixties) being the dead of winter, but it was a lovely day! They even found some strangers to pray for and encourage.

On Saturday the team visited the Byron Bay Light House and explored and treasure hunted. Areli’s group got the clue, “Bumble Bee” but they weren’t sure what that meant. Later in the day, they saw a girl dressed in yellow and black and talked with her and prayed for her.

Sunday morning the team had to pack up because they were leaving the basic motel where they had been staying. The leaders were preparing the students for the worse, hinting that they would probably be roughing it in conditions far inferior to the motel. Areli said they were all bracing themselves for what was coming next…when they arrived at a beautiful 10 bedroom, 6 bathroom mansion! This was a “God thing” as the tennis team who had rented this house for the week had just pulled out before one of the leaders had called to inquire. And it was less expensive than the hotels in the area. It was right in the city and prefect for the youth training meeting that they would be hosting for Kenmore Baptist Church.

The team threw a surprise party for Gillian

Sunday the team went to encourage racers in the Gold Coast Marathon. Dylan and Leah actually ran the half marathon while the other team members ran part of it or cheered and encouraged people from the sidelines. Areli ended up speed walking for 6 miles and she was exhausted! The team still had energy to try some surfing.

That evening they attended the service at Kenmore Baptist Church and met a lot of the members of the church that they would be working with.

Sunday night while they were all sleeping, it was just Sunday afternoon here in PA. Chris and I decided to invite the amazing families of the missions team to our home for a cookout. Many of the parents and their other children were able to come. We had a wonderful time getting to know each other better and sharing the sketchy details that had been trickling in from our children. Some of the parents had purchased international packages for their child’s cell phones and were able to talk or Skype, but not very much. We hadn’t purchased one, but had hoped that Areli would be able to connect to Wi-Fi to message us. It turns out that in Australia Wi-Fi is not such a big deal and hard to find. Still, I had received an email and a text from one of the leaders, Amelia, who was able to send me a Picture of Areli smiling on the beach. That warmed my heart and put my mind at ease.

I thought about what faith my mom had to allow me to travel to Mexico for two weeks without hearing a word from us until we returned. I missed Areli so badly and wanted to hear from her about all that she was doing. Well, talking to the other parents was the next best thing.

Soon all the parents retired into the sitting room while the children went to shoot hoops at the park. We had peace and quiet to share amazing stories and pray for the team. There was such a sense of joyous expectation for what God was going to do. I was sad that I wasn’t able to go to Australia myself, to participate in this wonderful trip. Then I realized that I was sending my very heart and soul and DNA; all that I had taught Areli and invested into her was now being released to bless the people of Australia! One Dad mentioned how a teenager grows and comes into their own on a trip like this in a way they never could do with their parents with them. Another Dad said he saw springs of living water welling up in the floor in the middle of our prayer circle and going out to all the world. I was so encouraged by all of these things.

Monday the team spent the morning helping with the Kids Holiday Club and made some great friends.

Areli and her new friend Alexia

The afternoon was spent training the youth and young adults of the church in prophecy. The Kenmore Baptist Church was just beginning to discover the gifts of the Spirit, and most of them had not prophesied before. Prophecy is simply sharing with other people God’s heart of love for them, sometimes tapping into God’s knowledge of things that we would never know on our own. This was a key ministry and transforming for the young people of the church. Some of them heard God’s voice for the first time! Areli prayed for an Australian, Alexia who would become one of her best friends on the trip. Areli had received the word “Hope” by one of the leaders. Areli saw that Alexia was like a hope dispenser, giving hope to everyone she met. Alexia was quite moved by this revelation. (Sometime later in the trip it was clear that Alexia’s prophetic gift of bringing hope and encouragement had indeed been activated! She went from person to person on the bus, praying for all who were present. Then she continued praying for every shop with in sight. She was catching God’s vision for people and the city and she just couldn’t stop!) Following the prophetic training, they all went out treasure hunting and then returned to the house for an American style Fourth of July barbeque.

Tuesday was more Kids Holiday Club, Prophetic Training, treasure hunting and a bonfire with the church youth. Wednesday’s schedule was very similar with the treasure hunting taking place at Southbank. Areli’s group received the clue “orange” so they walked towards the orange Brisbane sign and then towards an orange bridge behind it. Once they got there, they saw a boy in an orange shirt. They tried to talk to him but he spoke no English, only Italian. This was discouraging because they had been walking for a long time and seemed to have hit a dead-end.

After walking a bit longer, Emma and Gillian both began signing the same song about a consuming fire, so “fire” was the next clue. They encountered Ben who encouraged them that the Italian guys were probably a clue that was pointing to the Italian restaurant across the street. As they walked towards the Italian restaurant, one the Australian guys said he got the clue, “woman” and “broken foot.” They saw another restaurant setting food on fire so they continued towards the fire. Then they kept going towards orange traffic cones (from the original clue) until they got to the street corner. Around the street corner they saw…a woman with a broken foot! The entire group was taken aback by this very obvious fulfillment of the clue and how many clues it had taken to get them there! They prayed for the woman and she was very blessed!

Another team was running along the streets because the time was running out. One of the Australian guys stopped running and Andrea asked him why. He said that he had an old ankle injury that prevented him from running. He had been big into riding his mountain bike in competitions. Andrea prayed for him and his ankle was miraculously healed. (Later in the trip his wrist was also healed. Another healing happened, but I am not sure exactly when so I will include it here. Emma was praying for a teen who hadn’t been able to touch his toes since a childhood skiing accident. He was healed and Emma got a video of him happily touching his toes about a thousand times!)

Thursday morning the team visited the Kai Coffee house, owned by a friend of Ben. They prayed for and encouraged this friend and his family.

After that, the team went hiking on the sunshine coast.

They attended a revival meeting in the evening.

Friday they got to attend a leadership workshop given by Banning Liebscher of Jesus Culture. That evening they went to Glory City Church for Georgian and Winnie Banov’s service. They all prayed for people at the end. Areli and a few other girls were praying for a woman and Jessica got the word “child” for that woman. She said that she and her husband had been trying to conceive a child, so the girls prayed for God to send her that very special blessing!

On Saturday the team helped Kenmore Baptist Church with a service project. They built a fence around the yard of a single mother who had two daughters. One of her daughters had special needs like our daughter Ashlyn. However, this girl couldn’t talk or walk at all. Apparently she was very good at getting around despite her disability, because there had been an incident when the neighbors noticed the girl crawling down the street while her mother was unaware in the house…hence the need for a fence! When I saw pictures of the white picket fence and the raised flower beds that they created around the yard, I was struck by how beautiful it was!

Saturday evening was spent helping Georgian and Winnie again.

Sunday morning the team went to street markets and did some shopping. They visited the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

After that they had fun on at a local watering hole.

They attended the evening service at Kenmore Baptist Church. Ben and Dylan preached and the team prayed for the people. Many of the Australians went out to eat with them, and they said their tearful goodbyes. The team had gained such wonderful friends, and they all want to go back and visit.

Monday morning began their 28 hour return trip home. I was so excited the entire day and watched my phone to track their progress. Cadin was counting the hours until Areli walked through the door because he was tired of cleaning the kitchen, he said.

Areli came home at midnight, tired but happy. Over the next few weeks she has been telling us the marvelous stories. She said that the biggest thing she learned on the trip was that praying for strangers and making new friends was not as hard as she thought! The team’s love and wiliness to work impacted everyone they met. What is more, the gifts that they helped to discover and activate in the youth of the Kenmore Baptist Church will continue to transform the Brisbane area and beyond with the love of a Good Father who knows each of His children by name!

Am I a True Believer?

July 15, 2016July 15, 2016 / Anne (Grace is my Superhero) / 1 Comment

I had just struggled through the door of the orthodontist with my daughter. Ashlyn is almost a teenager and in dire need of braces on her teeth. Doing orthodontic work on a child who is mentally three is difficult enough. Then there is her club foot deformity. She can walk with braces on her feet, but she is very awkward. Sometimes she almost pulls me down while trying to steady herself. We took seats right inside the door. I was feeling a bit self-conscious, expecting people to be staring at me and my special needs daughter.

I found myself in the middle of a conversation between two women. Both were talking about how terrible their knees were. One of the women was in her 40s and had just gotten cortisone shots in each knee which helped considerably. The other women was in her 50s and she told about having trouble with her left knee since she was 24. Back then, since she had some cartilage damage, the doctors decided to do surgery to remove all the cartilage.

“It has just been bone on bone ever since then. It is awful, but I won’t let them cut me open again, no matter how bad it gets,” she said with passion.

“God could give her new cartilage,” I thought to myself. “Areli’s mission’s team in Australia has been seeing healings. Why not here?”

I felt compelled to ask her if I could pray for her. Suddenly I had another thought that stopped me in my tracks.

“You are sitting here with a hip that gives you trouble. You have had prayer so many times and it is not better. What makes you think that you can pray for this woman? You are sitting right next to your daughter who is obviously in need of healing herself. She is evidence that God doesn’t always answer your prayers. It would be better for you to just keep your mouth shut than look like a fool.”

These thoughts all flashed through my mind in the span of a second, but they seemed reasonable to me, and I stayed quiet. Yet I thought about it for the next few days. When I shared this all with Chris, he said, “You know that was the devil.”

I hadn’t realized it, but now that I write it out, it sounds just like that liar! Why do I fall for it almost every time? Over the next few days as I was driving my children around town, I kept encountering God through the Word of Promise New Testament on CD, The Book of Mark.

Jesus said to the father, “You said, ‘If you can!’ All things are possible for him who believes.” Immediately the father cried out, “I do believe! Help me to believe more!”

Jesus healed the boy despite the father’s doubts.

“Jesus, please heal my daughter despite all of MY doubts. How can I obtain this healing for her that seems so mysteriously hidden and out of reach?” I prayed.

Jesus answered “Have faith in God, I tell you the truth. You can say to this mountain, fall into the sea.’ And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that the thing you say will happen, then God will do it for you. So I tell you to ask for things in prayer. And if you believe that you have received those things, then they will be yours.”

“And those who believe will be able to do these things as proof: They will use my name to force demons out of people. They will speak in languages they never learned. They will pick up snakes without being hurt. And they will drink poison without being hurt. They will touch the sick, and the sick will be healed.”

“Wow,” I thought to myself, “I don’t think I am a believer in the way Jesus meant for me to be, because I don’t have much of that evidence in my life. Am I even really a true believer? How can I increase my faith?”

I asked myself those questions all week long. Finally an answer came in a most beautiful way. The sermon on Sunday was being preached by the pastor of Christ Community Church, Dave Hess. He spoke directly to my questioning heart, as though God had instructed him to do so. You can listen to the entire sermon on LCMI.TV.

He was talking about finding what was pleasing to the Lord. He said that God loved it when we joined Him on His adventures, taking risks and seizing opportunities. Our mission (found in Eph 5:8) is to take full advantage of everyday, to make the most of the time (Kairos time – a moment of opportunity that won’t last long). When we see a chance to step out and show God’s love, fear comes from the enemy who is trying to keep us from taking an opportunity that he wanted to use.

Rev 12:12 says that a generation will arise that will make Satan furious because he has run out of Kairos time, which just means that he is getting ticked off because the opportunities that he used to take advantage of are now being overtaken by the people of God.

Then Dave shared about when he first started trying to get words of knowledge for people outside of the church in an effort to bring them healing. He floundered around awkwardly and made many mistakes.

“You will make mistakes”, he said, “But it is worth every risk and mistake because God can use our most stupid moments and make something redemptive.”

Then he read a declaration over all of us that answered the cry of my heart for more faith.

You will live as a child with his Father, flooded with His revelation light.

You will learn to choose what is beautiful to the Lord.

His supernatural fruit will be seen in you – His goodness, His righteousness, and His truth.

You will live with true wisdom having discernment to fully understand His will.

You will take full advantage of every day, every Kairos moment, spending your life for His purposes.

You are going to maximize the opportunities that He brings to you.

I think I am going to write these out and post them on my bathroom mirror. I can read them and build my spiritual muscles by adding faith to every word!

I Want My Life to Mean Something

July 9, 2016July 9, 2016 / Anne (Grace is my Superhero) / 2 Comments

I just had to go to the bathroom! However, on my way there I needed to yell out the window at a boy chasing a ball into the street.

“Calvin, I told you that you are not allowed in the street. You have to play inside now!”

Then I had to stop to referee a fight between two other children.

“If this is Courage’s toy, you have to ask him before you take it! And Courage, do not scream and cry. Just say, ‘This is my toy. Give it back to me please.’ You don’t get anything you want when you scream and cry.”

I feel like I have given this little lesson about five hundred and sixty-four times. Why don’t they remember! I still need to use the restroom (it is getting quite urgent!) yet I cannot stop myself from picking the kitchen towel off the floor which I had already done twice that morning.

“We dry our dishes with this towel, people!” I think to myself. I notice peanut butter on the otherwise white cabinet door. I encounter shoes and the grungiest socks known to man thrown about the living room floor.

“Cooper! Put these in the laundry room!” I call out in desperation, knowing that I will probably have to hunt him down and ask him again later.

I pass Ashlyn’s walking track. She is supposed to be doing her walking exercises right now; building her muscles, organizing her brain, and increasing her balance. She is laying on the sofa, nursing some sores on her feet. I wonder to myself if all the therapy that I have done with her was in vain. She can’t wear her braces if the skin on her feet break down. And she can’t walk if she doesn’t wear her braces.

I get into the bathroom and shut and lock the door. A moment of peace. A quiet space. Ahhhhhh…I can sit down for a moment. WHAT IS THIS!!!!! PEE ON THE TOILET AGAIN!! I just wiped this toilet one hour ago, and the hour before that!

In the relative quiet of my stinky, dirty bathroom I am close to tears.

“Is this my life? Working hard to clean a house that never stays that way? Toiling to teach my children lessons that they never seem to learn. Worried about not doing enough therapy with Ashlyn while simultaneously worrying about doing TOO MUCH therapy with Ashlyn. I want my life to mean something,” I pray to God. “How can I know if my life is making a difference when I see so little good fruit?”

I just love it when I have a really productive day; wrote a blog article, organized an entire room, cleaned out the attic, or created a delicious meal with an abundance of bright colors and fresh ingredients. But what happens when day after day goes by with no real progress of any kind. Moms deal with this phenomena all the time. We pour ourselves out, go to bed late, get up early, work hard; and when we stop to look around…it appears as though we have gotten absolutely nothing accomplished whatsoever!

I have been feeling the frustration and discontent that thousands of women have experienced. We feel unnoticed, unimportant, and meaningless. This has pushed many women to abandon their high calling as a wife and mother to pour themselves into other pursuits…just to feel worthy and fulfilled.

I KNOW that I have the most important career in the world. I KNOW that my life is making a difference in this life and in the next.

It just doesn’t FEEL that way most of the time.

“God, help me to see things the way you do. I need some encouragement here!” I have prayed.

God is answering as He always does. It may take a lifetime to understand all that He is saying and to unravel my own thoughts and ideas. But I think I am making some progress.

I have been listening to the Bible on CD. Listening to a cast of characters reading the Bible as though it were actually happening has helped me to see the stories in a different light. It seems more real and more relevant. Plus it is a different version than what I have read before, and it brings a new dimension to many verses.

As I look at the Bible as a whole; the story of God’s relationship with mankind, there is a common thread that I hadn’t noticed before. God always had a plan. He was always confident that this plan would work. Very few humans actually understood His plan or knowingly helped God work out His plan. The major events in the Bible were orchestrated and accomplished by God, not man. Many times God worked through people and with people but most of the time He moved DESPITE people.

All the amazing events in Acts happened because of God. The disciples didn’t get together after the resurrection and have an intensive strategic planning meeting to figure out how they would acquire the Holy Spirit or how they would add 3,000 people to their number in one day. They didn’t go to college to learn the cutting edge strategies for converting the Jews and then the Gentiles to the Way. (They didn’t even know that the Gentiles COULD be saved until God showed them.)

All the disciples did was wait on God and obey whatever He told them to do. Many times they saw miracles, but more often they encountered opposition and persecution. Often it appeared as though they were accomplishing nothing at all as the churches they planted fell into deceptions and wrong teachings. Yet look at how their lives have affected the entire world!

When I look across all of human history, the person who had the most powerful participation in bringing God’s salvation to the earth was Mary. This is just my opinion but you have to admit, she played a pretty big role.

But what did she actually do?

She BELIEVED what the Angel told her was true.

She SUBMITTED to God’s wonderful plan.

She MOTHERED Jesus.

Could I be as powerful in the course of human history as Mary if I just believe, submit, and mother?

If I could just BELIEVE every word God tells me.

If I could just joyfully SUBMIT, YEILD, and SURRENDER to God’s best for me.

If I could just MOTHER – love, nourish, carry, teach, serve, and protect each child God gives to me.

Even Mary lost her most influential place of mothering for a while. Maybe she didn’t agree with what Jesus was doing because it seemed too controversial or too dangerous. Perhaps she was too weighed down with the concerns of her other children and life in general. When she and her other sons went to see Jesus while He was teaching a large group, He didn’t go out to them.

He said, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” He pointed to His disciples and said, “These are my mother and my brothers. Whoever hears the words of God and does them is my mother and brothers.”

If I had been Mary, I would have been devastated by His words. Then I would have gotten really mad! “Listen mister, I said yes to carrying you in my womb even though it sullied my reputation and messed up my life. I gave birth to you and nursed you and took care of you during all the hard times! None of these guys here know what the angel said to me. They don’t know what Anna or Simeon said about you. They didn’t see you take your first steps or nurse you through sickness. How could you say that they are your mother!”

Yet she must have realized that Jesus was never wrong. He was never disrespectful or vengeful or mean for meanness sake. All His words were true…every time. Mary must have repented before God for not hearing His words and obeying them during this crucial time in Jesus’ ministry, because she was there with disciples in the upper room.

What this story tells me is that anyone, anywhere at anytime can have Mary’s impact if they simply hear God’s voice and obey. To hear God’s voice we must love Him, wait on Him, spend time with Him, read His words over and over. To obey Him is always to love because He is love.

In essence – to BELIEVE

TO SUBMIT

TO MOTHER

To live this kind of life takes faith to believe without seeing.

To live this kind of life is so much harder than just checking items off a to-do list.

To live this kind of life is something I am sure that I can’t do on my own.

To live this kind of life is the POWER and GLORY of my motherhood; to watch God take my little, seemingly insignificant acts of love and obedience and turn them into something

EARTH SHAKING

ETERNITY CHANGING

BEYOND MY IMAGINATION IMPORTANT

What is the Glory of Motherhood?

June 26, 2016June 26, 2016 / Anne (Grace is my Superhero) / 1 Comment

“Will you awaken mothers to the glory of their calling?”

I keep hearing the Holy Spirit asking me that question. And I have to answer with a question of my own.

“What is the glory of my calling?”

Honestly, I am having trouble seeing it in the midst of one big mess after another. Courage’s birthday was a perfect example of this.

It had been a pretty peaceful day. I had time to get the house cleaned and ready for the party celebrating our fiery three-year old. All of his presents were wrapped. The supper was prepared in advance. I had gathered the ingredients for Courage’s heart’s desire; a chocolate dirt cake with gummy bears. I had also made two additional desserts with special ingredients to accommodate the more delicate members of our family.

I was sitting on the sofa, waiting for dinner time. “This is an important part of motherhood right here,” I thought. Celebrating my children and creating happy birthday memories for them. I was hoping that Courage would feel loved and special and that the entire family would have fun.

I started setting the table and getting the food ready when my perfectly planned birthday celebration began to unravel.

“Chai just threw up on the carpet!!!” I heard an excited child yell. At first I tried to ignore it and continued the dinner preparations. Maybe they were exaggerating as children are prone to do, or maybe someone else would take care of it. No such luck.

I went from working with food in the kitchen to scraping stinky puke off the living room carpet. Chai had suddenly gotten sick and ended up sleeping in his bed for the entire birthday party. The smell and the germs were not what I had planned. Thank goodness my mom was the only guest, and we didn’t have a house full of people!

As I began scrubbing the carpet with cleanser, I heard the sound of some sort of ball hitting the side of the house. This didn’t go on for long before I heard Chris yell out the window, “Cole, stop kicking the soccer ball against the house!”

Did Cole heed his father’s wise advice? No, the banging continued once more, twice more, and then…the sickening sound of shattering glass! Cole had just broken our living room window. Thankfully, it was the storm window so none of the glass came into the house. But there was glass all over the back patio.

“Oh well, I can’t worry about that right now,” I thought to myself. “I have to throw in some laundry, get the boys to take out this trash, scrub my hands about fifty times in hot water, and then finish putting the food on the table.”

Back into the kitchen I went. Then Areli came to me holding the cup used to measure the laundry detergent.

“Courage just handed this to me… filled with his pee!” she told me.

“Of course he did,” I thought. I was bracing myself for the next catastrophe that was sure to come.

Amazingly, the rest of the evening went just fine. We all sang “Happy Birthday” very loudly. Cake was eaten. Presents were opened and played with.

We made a big mess and cleaned up a big mess. We put all the children to bed and prayed that no one else would throw up during the night. We got into bed late to get up early and do it all over again. Doesn’t seem very glorious, does it?

“Will you awaken mothers to the glory of their calling?”

Rick Joyner heard a great Queen ask him this very question in a vision that he wrote about in The Torch and the Sword. He said that she was astonishingly beautiful and seemed to be motherhood in all of its glory. She explained that she was Jerusalem above, the mother of all who worship in Spirit and truth, the church as it was called to be.

She asked Rick, “Will you awaken mothers to the glory of their calling? Will you give my daughters swords and torches? They are the ones who keep the torches alive, and they will wield the sword wisely. My daughters will stop the death and bring back the life!”

Perhaps to see a bit of the glory of my calling, I should find out what these swords and torches are all about. Here are a few excerpts from the book and I hope it is encouraging to you!

The Lord handed Rick a torch and told him, “This is the light of My presence. If I was not close to you, you could not hold it. If you drift from My presence, it will become heavy. If you drift very far from Me, you will have to lay it down…It is yours to carry for as long as you stay close to Me…No power on earth can put it out if the torchbearer walks with Me in this realm. Its brightness and power depend on the life of the torch-bearer, and on how close he stays to Me.”

Then Rick met Tomas a Kempis who told him, “You can set people, cities, and even nations free with the light of this torch…The torch you carry has been the source of every true movement of the Spirit. The leaders of these movements were all torchbearers…If you are going to endure to the end, you must stay close to the Source of this light and fire.”

The Lord spoke about Thomas, “Men thought of Thomas as a humble laborer, one to cook, wash dishes, and weed gardens [sounds a lot like a mom’s job!], but he, too, carried this torch. From his post of washing dishes, he became more powerful than kings or emperors. He prophesied to millions over generations. Even today My message goes forth from his writings to help prepare the coming ones. You can be more powerful washing dishes and staying close to Me than you would be leading armies or nations but drifting from Me.”

I need to read that again!

“YOU CAN BE MORE POWERFUL WASHING DISHES AND STAYING CLOSE TO ME than you would be leading armies or nations but drifting from Me.”

To be torchbearers, to carry this fire that brings life rather than destroys, we must abide in Jesus.

Rick met Enoch who had so much of this life flowing through him that he never died. Enoch said, “The Lord makes His messengers flames of fire. You cannot walk with God, or fulfill His purpose for you on the earth, unless you keep this fire burning in your heart. Lukewarmness is your deadly enemy.”

Lukewarmness can easily creep into the mind numbing daily grind of a mother. It is the overwhelming hardships and challenges of motherhood that push us into his presence! How I want to be one of the chosen torchbearers!

Jesus told Rick, “You will know these chosen ones by the fire that already burns in them. They will never be content with religious practices, for they yearn for Me and the reality of this realm. Because they seek Me, I will be found by them. I will give them their heart’s desire – My fellowship. I will be their inheritance.”

Later in the vision, Rick found himself preparing for a battle. The only other warriors with him were a young girl and John Wesley. Wesley told him, “The Lord called a dozen men. He changed them and then they changed the world. In your time He is going to do the same with the children. It is also the time of the lioness. Great are the company of women who will preach the gospel. There will be many great men of God in your time – but the great marvel and great honor will be for the women and children who walk in the ways of the Lord.”

Later the Lord gave Rick a sword and said, “It will only become heavy if you wield it in your own strength. This is my Word of redemption. It cannot be destroyed, but will stand forever…No power on the earth is stronger than my redemption…This is the sword of the Spirit…You are holding my living Word…to receive my word into your heart must be your quest every day. Then you will begin to see. Then you will have understanding.

“It was by my Word that the universe was created, and it is by My Word that it is held together. My Word is the answer to every human problem…The sword that is being given to my messengers in the last days can break any yoke, and cut through any chain.”

“Will you awaken mothers to the glory of their calling? Will you give my daughters swords ad torches? They are the ones who keep the torches alive, and they will wield the sword wisely. My daughters will stop the death and bring back the life!”

“I am a woman. I am a mother. I am the keeper and sustainer of life here on earth. Heaven stands in honor of my mission. No one else can carry my call. I am the daughter of Eve. Eve has been redeemed. I am the opposition of death. I am a woman.” – Christianna Reed Maas

The reality is, we can carry the living fire of His presence and the powerful Word of redemption into every part of our day – the fun celebrations and the puking parties, the playtime and the hard work. That is glorious even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time. We don’t need any special skills or qualifications. All that is required is that we seek Him first, abide in Him, and receive His words into our hearts every day.

A Mini Mother’s Day Makeover

June 17, 2016June 17, 2016 / Anne (Grace is my Superhero) / 2 Comments

It all started with a suggestion I made to Chris.

“Maybe for mother’s day this year, you could paint our bedroom.” I said to him.

We did have gallons of yellow paint in the basement, and our blue bedroom walls were peeling. Chris liked the idea, except he applied it to the living room. The cords hanging down from the flat screen TV had been bothering him for years. We had never owned a flat screen TV until I had the bright idea to ask his friends and family to give Chris donations for a TV in honor of his 40^th birthday. They were all so generous (and Chris is so loved) that he was able to buy quite a big one.

Our living room does need an entire overhaul but Chris suggested because of lack of sufficient time and money, we just do a few walls – a mini makeover. Any makeover is exciting to me, plus I had been wanting to paint a few accent walls…so I told him my idea.

BRIGHT RED!!!

I had been thinking about bright red ever since Christmas when I wanted to buy slip covers for our raggedy sofas. I couldn’t imagine having guests coming over and sitting on those sofas.

But Chris said, “Don’t waste money on slip covers. We just need to buy new sofas.”

Those new sofas did not make it to our house in time for Christmas. In fact it was April when we got them. But what an awesome deal; one hundred bucks for a new looking sofa and love seat. I was thrilled. When we got them into our home, they turned out to be so close in color to the wall and carpet that they practically disappeared. So a few good accent walls would do the trick!

When I was researching red pillows on the internet (back at Christmastime), I found these certain hand-made Pillows on Etsy that I just loved! I couldn’t get the lovely pattern out of my mind. I felt silly for being so obsessed with pillows, and $40 pillows at that. I kept researching and found the fabric at Hancock Fabrics. I put it on my wish list for my 40^th birthday, and my mom was so wonderful to purchase 3 yards of the beautiful stuff!

All we had to do was pick the right red paint to match the fabric. Chris could paint, and I could make pillows to my heart’s content.

Picking out paint is hard! I chose two possibilities and put them on the wall.

“No More Drama” and “Circus Red” they were called. I looked at the wall for days. I asked the opinion of all the children.

Finally it was decided that “No More Drama” was THE RED that we needed.

Chris couldn’t just paint it on the walls however. First he had to strip the wall paper, patch the cracking walls, and skim coat everything.

Then we had our carpenter friend over AGAIN…seems like he helps us with all our projects, and I hope we haven’t worn him out. He and Chris built a box to insert into the wall.

It would hold the cable box and blue ray player. This worked great because there is a closet behind that wall. They ran the power cords behind the wall, and Chris was as happy as a clam!

Finally, on Mother’s day the big moment came.

BRIGHT RED PAINT ON THE WALLS!!!

Once the walls were painted, I loved the look of it; bold and beautiful. The couch didn’t disappear anymore and the beloved fabric would look great. Yet…it wasn’t quite the red I had wanted. In my experience, 100% of the time paint doesn’t look the same on the wall as it does on the card…or the way you had envisioned it in your head. It looked more like “Circus Red” than “No more Drama”, and I was a bit disappointed. I want my house to be peaceful without unnecessary drama. I most certainly did not want to live in a circus!

To make matters worse, one day Chris sat down on the sofa and looked over the house. From his vantage point he could see the bright yellow in the dining room, the deep blue of the entry way and the BRIGHT RED of our new accent wall.

“It looks like Romper Room,” he said and stomped on my delicate heart just a little.

“Don’t let anyone make you doubt your vision,” I said to myself. I had just read that in a magazine in a waiting room that very day. It was a quote from an interior decorator. Some rooms she had designed were featured in the magazine, and I must admit that I had serious doubts about them!

My vision was different. It just had to work out!

Over the next week, I racked my brain for a way to break up all of the BRIGHT RED. Perhaps if I put some of that lovely fabric on picture frames and hung them on the wall. I looked up tutorials on YouTube and found something I wasn’t even looking for; how to make wall panels by stapling fabric on fabric stretchers. That was it! I ordered those fabric stretchers and stapled away.

I was very happy with how they turned out.

It took me a month to arrange the decorations in a way that I was happy with. In that month I attempted to sew my dream pillows. This scenario always happens when I start to sew, because it is kinda like having a baby. Once I have those lovely curtains or pillows gracing my home, I forget about all the pain of making them. Pretty soon I am planning another sewing project. I start out with big dreams! I get just the right fabric. I have to wait until the children go to bed. I only have a few hours before my bedtime, so I have to hurry. I begin the process, making sure everything is clean and ironed and lined up correctly. I begin to sew… and inevitably I mess it up somehow. Either the stitching is all crocked or the hem is in the wrong place or I break the needle.

Then I become the ugly version on myself, cursing my machine and my materials (by cursing, I mean yelling at them and calling them stupid). I chide myself for starting this project in the first place.

“Why did I think that I could actually sew?!” I say. My husband and sweet teenage daughter try to tell me that it will be OK. Under all the frustration, I know that it will be OK…eventually…after a lot of hard work.

So I haven’t gotten all the pillows done yet, but they are on their way. Oh, and I did purchase 4 red pillows at Costco for $30!

I even have some fabric left over to make a cushion for the top of the beautiful wooden toy box that will double as a bench that we will certainly get one day.

The mini makeover is almost finished. The living room still needs the ceiling fixed and new light fixtures put in. The other walls still need the peeling wall paper stripped, then patched, then skim coated, then painted. The carpet still needs to be replaced. But we had already accomplished more than I thought we would this year, all for around $350 which included the sofas!

We are still unsure about all the BRIGHT RED. What do you think? Romper room or bold and beautiful?

My eight year old son, Cooper suggested that we mix the two red colors together to create the perfect shade, “Circus Drama.” That is all we need around here! More Circus Drama!

God is ALWAYS better than we think He is

May 23, 2016May 23, 2016 / Anne (Grace is my Superhero) / Leave a comment

“There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”

This is a famous quote from the Hiding Place, a true story written by Corrie Ten Boom. She and her sister Betsy had defied the Nazis by hiding Jews in their home. When their house was raided, the Jews were never discovered in the expertly designed hiding place, but Corrie and Betsy were taken into custody and eventually put into a concentration camp. Corrie experienced the horrors of a hell on earth. She witnessed the death of many, including her beloved sister. Yet she learned that in the darkest pit, God was there…and He was good…so incredibly good.

She came out of that experience more in love with Jesus, more devoted to following Him. She spent the rest of her life encouraging other people to love Jesus. That is a testimony that no one can deny. No imaginary God, no fairy tale God, no boring or religious God could work a miracle like that; placing a life into the crucible of suffering and making it a joyous offering.

I have often pondered Corrie’s life and wondered what I would have done in her place. It is unlikely that any of us will have to make the choices she had to make. Yet each one of us will have our own personal hell on earth that we will have to navigate through.

On Thursday night, I heard the stories of five women from my church; each I knew well; each had faced their own crucible.

Kristi is a wonderful deejay on the local Christian radio station. She lives in my neighborhood and I sometimes see her pass my house, taking a walk with her little boy in a stroller. She told how just months after their marriage, her husband was diagnosed with cancer. Years later cancer was found in her body as well. In addition, the doctors told them it would be impossible for them to have children. Her story wasn’t about the seven long years of treatment and tests, sorrow and disappointments. Her story was about the goodness of God, His healing power, and their miracle baby!

Bobbie is the mother of one of my first youth leaders, and one of the hardest working, sweetest ladies you will ever meet. She faced breast cancer and multiple cancer scares after that. Does she live in fear? No! Her life is full of joy because of her amazing God!

Tiffany was just a junior higher when I met her. I was in senior high and would sing on stage with the youth worship band. She wrote me a sweet little note at one of the youth retreats that said something like this, “I see you on stage with such grace and confidence, and I know that God does that.” Well, my singing voice is not what it used to be, and I have faded into the background. Now I watch Tiffany on stage worshipping with a clear and powerful voice, singing songs that she has written and recorded, and I am looking up to her in admiration!

Tiffany told the story of suffering a blood clot in her lungs, dying twice, and surviving a surgery that would have killed 499,999 people out of 500,000. Her story wasn’t about the pain and suffering she had to enduring during the recovery process. She didn’t complain about the interruption in their lives with two little girls and a newborn baby boy. She told of how God’s goodness was there every step of the way. She said, “You can NEVER exaggerate the goodness of God. He is ALWAYS better that we think he is!”

Sharon was a leader in youth group when I was in high school. A few years later, I actually saw myself in her wedding album. She and her husband were honeymooning in Boston. I just happened to be there on a missions trip with YWAM, and we randomly ran into each other on the street and snapped a picture! I admired both her and her husband, and when I heard the news that he had left her for another woman while she was pregnant with their second child, I was heartbroken for them. She was devastated and was a single parent for almost 15 years. Yet her story is not one of loss and betrayal. It is a story of learning to love herself, learning to forgive, and learning how much God loved her. Now she sees restoration in all the broken relationships and just married a man who is better than the very best she had ever imagined for herself. God gave her more that she had asked for!

Sue is a powerful woman of God at our church. I first met her when I volunteered to help out with vacation Bible school when I was in high school. I was assigned to help in her room which was the dancing room. Each day, four different groups of children would rotate through our room. Sue led them with a microphone (which she really didn’t need) and tireless energy. I had never had so much fun at vacation Bible school before!

Sue told of her battle with cancer. She was in so much pain that she wished for death. She survived the surgery that took out her entire stomach, part of her esophagus, part of her intestines, and her gallbladder. Her doctors were so surprised, they hadn’t developed a follow-up plan. Cancer free six years later, she doesn’t moan about how unlucky she was. She sings and shouts and passionately tells of her beloved Jesus! She looks like she would explode if she didn’t proclaim her love.

How can this be? Shouldn’t all these women be bitter and cynical, wondering why a loving God would lead them through the valley of the shadow of death? All of these women have a real relationship with a real God who never left them for a moment. In fact He was always right there with them, carrying them, listening to them, speaking to them, and healing them. He was sending answers, giving provision, working miracles and loving on them until they were filled to overflowing with that love.

This is a God that we just cannot deny. I pray that you and I will be encouraged to trust more in His great love for us and have the courage to say in our own trials…

“There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”

How Does God Feel About Mothers?

May 7, 2016May 7, 2016 / Anne (Grace is my Superhero) / Leave a comment

I never considered it a sacrifice to be a mother. I have always thought it was a privilege and the most amazing calling. It is powerful and world-changing to be a mother, to grow and nourish the next generation.

Yet, now that I have been a mother for 17 years, I am getting a bit weary. I have realized that I really don’t have my own life. My days are filled with the needs of my husband and children. I find myself daydreaming about what it would be like to be alone in the house with nothing to do except exactly what I WANTED to do.

Most of the time, I enjoy being at home with my children. It is my favorite place to be. I just assumed that it was my children’s favorite place to be as well. One night Chris was working late and I was sitting at the dinner table with all of my nine children. A peaceful meal is so refreshing to the soul; enjoying the smells and flavors, exchanging stimulating conversation.

A meal is never a peaceful affair at my house. That night the children were all so loud, I couldn’t follow any one conversation. Several of the boys were discussing topics not appropriate for the table. The three-year old kept getting up and wandering around, and the 6-year-old kept standing up on the bench. In an attempt to regain control, I lifted my voice and shouted above the noise, “Everyone be quiet! We are going around the table and I want each one of you to tell me your favorite part of the day. The rest of you just listen!”

The chaos quieted to a dull roar, and the children shared with me what they most enjoyed about their day. The elementary school boys all enjoyed playing kickball at recess. Cadin, who is fifteen, just started Cyber School after being homeschooled. He had to go take the PSSAs for the first time. He had never had to sit for 7 hours in a classroom before, and I thought he would hate it. Yet, when it was his turn to share, Cadin said, “My favorite part of the day was taking the PSSAs.”

“Really?! Why is that?” I asked.

“Because I didn’t have to be at home,” he answered.

“You don’t like being at home?” I asked, feeling very hurt.

“Well,” Cadin started with an apologetic voice, “I got to get a break and I didn’t have to do any chores.”

“I understand how he feels,” said Areli, my 17-year-old daughter. “My favorite part of the day is when I do school, alone in my room.”

Now the small ache in my heart was growing. “Well, I never actually get to be alone,” I said. “Except maybe when I am in the bathroom.”

“You do get a nap every day,” Areli countered.

“That is true, and I so appreciate that nap! But I am still not alone. I have to share the room with the baby and wake up when she wakes up. I am really never alone.” I said.

Cole, the 15-year-old cynic, chimed in, “That’s your own fault for having so many children. You and Dad went a little crazy,” he pointed out.

I felt the wind go out of my sails. My own children didn’t even appreciate my willingness to carry them, give birth to them; give up sleep and privacy and alone time for them. They couldn’t see the purpose in this crazy, loud, mess that is the Brandenburg household. Sometimes I lose sight of it too.

When I look down the corridors of history, I don’t see the stories full of mothers heroically laying their lives down for their children. I see men who fight battles, conquer, and enslave. I see men who fight battles, conquer, and set free. I see stories of kings and rulers.

When I turn on the TV, I don’t see news stories about the amazing mom who changed 24 diapers in the last 24 hours with only 3 hours of sleep the night before. I see lawmakers and lawbreakers, politicians and rebels.

When I watch an awards show, I never see a mom who looks like me get up on stage and accept a prestigious award for her amazing ability to check items off a to do list and keep 9 children clothed and feed. That is for the talented artists who receive the praise of millions of adoring fans.

What I thought was my little fan club was now telling me that they would rather be out of the house or alone instead of spending time with me.

I turned to a book that always helps me gain an eternal perspective, The Final Quest by Rick Joyner. He shares a prophetic experience he had when he was in the throne room of heaven. He started in the very back of the room. On his long walk to the front where the Lord was, he passed crowds of believers who had already died. The multitudes standing at the back were more glorious than Rick had imagined people could ever be. He was shocked to find out that these were in the very lowest rank in heaven.

One man he had known on earth explained it to him this way, “There is an aristocracy of sorts here. The rewards for our earthly lives are the eternal positions that we will have forever. This great multitude are those whom the Lord called ‘foolish virgins.’ We knew the Lord and trusted in His cross for salvation, but we lived for ourselves more than we really lived for him…there is no greater folly than to know the great salvation of God, but then go on living for yourself.”

This man was still more glorious and full of joy and peace than Rick had ever imagined possible. It was simply because even a moment in the lowest part of heaven is much greater than a thousand years in the highest life on earth, and every person there had received so much more than they actually deserved. As Rick moved toward the throne, he learned from the mistakes of those in the lowest ranks, and discovered that those same mistakes resided in his own life.

A great Christian leader during his life on earth told him, “What looks good on earth looks very different here. What will make you a king on earth will often be a stumbling block to keep you from being a king here. What will make you a king here is lowly and unclaimed on earth.”

Later, a famous reformer stepped forward and Rick couldn’t believe that he was in the lowest rank. The reformer told him, “God does have a different set of history books than those on the earth. You have had a glimpse of this but you do not yet know how different they are. Earthly histories will pass away, but the books that are kept here will last forever. If you can rejoice in what heaven is recording about your life, you are blessed indeed.”

Then the reformer gave Rick some advice, “The high calling is not out of reach for anyone that the Lord has called. I will tell you what will keep you on the path of life – love the Savior and seek His glory alone. Everything you do to exalt yourself will one day bring you the most terrible humiliation. Everything you do out of genuine love for the Savior, to glorify His name, will extend the limits of His eternal kingdom and ultimately result in a much higher place for yourself. Live for what is recorded here. Care nothing for what is recorded on earth.”

As Rick continued walking towards the glory of Jesus, he saw that each rank was many times greater than the previous one. He described it like this, “When I was still not even halfway to the throne, what had been the indescribable glory of the first rank now seemed to be outer darkness in comparison to the glory of those I was now passing. The greatest beauty on earth would not qualify to be found anywhere in heaven. And I was told that this room was just the threshold of indescribable realms of glory!”

Rick learned from those who had fallen short of their destinies and also learned from those who had overcome and remained faithful to Jesus. “Those who stumbled did so in many different ways. But those who prevailed all did it the same way: They did not deviate from their devotion to the first and greatest commandment – loving the Lord. In this way, their service was done unto Him, not to men. These were the ones who worshipped the Lamb and followed him wherever He went.”

Finally after what seemed like years of traveling, Rick reached the throne. “Near the judgement seat of Christ, those in the highest ranks were sitting on thrones that were all a part of His throne. Even the least of these thrones was many times more glorious than any earthly throne. Some of those on the thrones were rulers over cities on earth and would soon take their places. Others were rulers over the affairs of heaven, and still others ruled over the affairs of the physical creation, such as star systems and galaxies.

“It was apparent that those who were given authority over cities were esteemed even above those who had been given authority over galaxies. The value OF A SINGLE CHILD (emphasis added) surpassed that of a galaxy of stars because the Lord has chosen men as His eternal dwelling place…

“At one point the Lord looked toward the galleries of thrones around Him. Many were occupied, but many were empty. He then said, ‘These thrones are for the overcomers who have served Me faithfully in every generation. My Father and I prepared them before the foundation of the world. Are you worthy to sit on one of these?’

“…I looked at those who were now seated on the thrones. I could recognize most of those seated had not even been well-known on earth.

“Many of those on the thrones had been missionaries who expended their lives in obscurity. They had never cared to be remembered on earth, but wanted only to be remembered by Him. I was a bit surprised to see some who had been wealthy, and rulers who had been faithful with what they had been given. However, it seemed that faithful, praying women and mothers occupied more thrones than any other single group.”

I have read this passage many times and every time my eyes flood with tears and my heart swells like it will burst! My Lord has so honored mothers that many sit with him on the highest thrones in heaven! My Lord so honors mothers that he allowed Rick Joyner to write down the revelation so that we could read it and be encouraged.

Mothers, let’s receive His grace to walk this path like eternity depends on it. Jesus gave Rick this wisdom, “Those empty seats could have been filled in any generation. I gave the invitation to sit here to everyone who has called upon My name. The seats are still available. Now the last battle has come, and many who are last shall be first. These seats will be filled before the battle is over. Those who sit here will be known by two things: They will wear the mantle of humility, and they will have my likeness.”

I am right where God wants me to be. I am in the perfect place to love Him and to serve Him. I don’t need to be famous or acclaimed or recognized or talented. I just need to be who He has made me to be.

I don’t need the world to understand the importance of what I am doing. I don’t even need my children to understand and appreciate me. I know that Jesus understands and he sees.

I don’t feel at all able to walk this path perfectly. I am full of selfishness and I get off track so easily. I realize that I can’t even do the basics, loving my husband and children, on my own. I need His great grace! But I am in the perfect place to receive His Grace…every…single…day!

I Have Never Felt So Old

April 12, 2016April 12, 2016 / Anne (Grace is my Superhero) / 3 Comments

I just turned 40, and I have never felt so old. I didn’t expect my 40^th birthday to be such a big deal, but it has gotten me rather discouraged.

You see, as a young person, I had a much different vision of the person I would be at age 40. I imagined that I would be firmly established in some great work, resulting in many accomplishments and victories. I thought I would be much more confident and able to teach others all the wisdom I possessed.

The opposite has happened. I have simply become more aware of how infinitesimally small my knowledge really is. I have become more aware of my tired bones and creaky joints. I think the trends and fashions of my teenagers are weird. I have never felt so old.

This is a new feeling for me. I have always looked rather young for my age, not quite as grown up or sophisticated as I should. When I had my first child at age 23, I looked like a teenage mother by people who didn’t know me.

Now I have white streaking through my dark brown hair, and I feel and look older than I ever had before. I know that 40 is still very young, not even middle-aged! I am still full of life and vitality…just sometimes I forget.

I took Courage, my three-year old to the park last week. He was complaining about being cold, so I explained to him that if he started running around, he would warm up. Then I demonstrated by running up the stairs of the jungle gym and dashing up and down the various bridges and towers. Courage thought this was great and joined in. He told me that I should follow him down the slide, so I complied. It was fun until I whacked my hip on the side. It wasn’t made to be used by a full-grown adult. I decided to stand back and watch Courage play.

Suddenly he rushed over to the swings with such enthusiasm, I had to follow. I sat down in the swing next to him. Why did I ever like these things as a child? They are too small and squeeze my hips painfully.

I gave it a try anyway. I started pumping my legs and began to lift into the air. My head began to spin and I got a bit woozy. I thought of my Grammy who would never ride the carousel with me because it would make her dizzy. I never understood why she would give up such joy! Now I understand!

Still, I could feel the cool, crisp wind in my face! It felt like I was flying! I was free, like a bird in the sky! This is how it feels to be a child again, hair blown back, face towards the sun. It was glorious!

It was then that God spoke to me.

“You look at your child with such delight and wonder as he explores and discovers his world. You recognize his potential and celebrate the man he will someday become. You are certain that he will accomplish great things during his life. He is so new and fresh, full of promise.

I see you that same way. I still see you as the young child with wide-eyed wonder, your face towards that sky as you “fly” on the swing. You are full of promise and potential. You are not old at all compared to me, the Ancient of Days. You are not behind schedule and it is not too late.”

I love to hear God’s voice! He energizes me and gives me hope! I was trying to wrap my brain around my new-found childhood throughout the next week and into the weekend when I attended the yearly Women’s Conference at my church, Life Center.

Many amazing women took the stage and shared about the outrageous love, mercy, forgiveness, faithfulness, and goodness of God. At the very end of the conference, a group of young women stood up to share prophetic words that God had given them about the conference attendees. Each of us attending had been given a special name tag that was hanging on a colored ribbon. There were nine colors and each color had its own prophetic word.

My color was pink and Tiffany began to talk about how pink makes us reminiscent of our childhoods.

“What I felt for you women is that God wants you to be able to just see something, see what you are going through, see your life, see everything around you through this different perspective of a childlike faith…childlike expectations…There is just this excitement and enthusiasm that is going to come on you and you’re going to be able to see things from a different angle and from that childlike perspective, and even when hard things come up that you would be able to just not lose your step. I just saw you skipping around.”

God’s voice at the playground had changed my perspective of myself. God viewed me as still full of promise and potential. God delighted in watching me as though I was a carefree and eager child. Perhaps I should think of myself that way too.

A woman I had never met came up to me during the conference. She had a head of completely white hair that was styled in a cute, hip way. She had a very young face (I later found out that she was only 46). She must have notice those white streaks in my hair because she said to me, “I just wanted to let you know that your hair is going to be totally white like mine. Mine started out very dark like yours, but I began to get some white hairs when I started having children.”

“I think your hair is very pretty.” I replied, wondering why she felt the need to inform me of the impending signs of aging knocking at my door.

“How old are you?” She asked.

“40”

“OH MY GOODNESS! I THOUGH YOU WERE IN YOUR TWENTIES!!!!” She looked taken aback by my actual age.

I raised my hands in spontaneous enthusiasm and shouted like a silly child, “THANK YOU JESUS! YES!!!! I look like I am in my twenties! THANK YOU JESUS!”

That women just made my day. I think I am seeing myself more that way God sees me, and I am so tickled about it!