Voice

I Made My Voice Heard: I Spoke at a School Board Meeting!

/ Anne (Grace is my Superhero) / 5 Comments

“We can no longer stay silent!  We must speak out!” says one impressive leader.

                “We can no longer hide inside the church walls!  We must take the kingdom of God into every mountain of culture!” says another leader.

                “As Christians we have access to the most powerful, creative, intelligent and compassionate being in the universe.  We should be at the top of every mountain!” says another.

                I whole heartedly agree! God put us on this earth, not to find comfort and happiness for ourselves, but to bring His kingdom into this war-torn battlefield.  Whenever I hear a call to action, my first reaction is guilt. In my estimation, I haven’t done very much to impact culture.  Second, I feel overwhelmed with the enormity of the job and the smallness of me.

                How CAN I make my voice heard?

                How DO I make a difference?

                I try to be connected to the Holy Spirit everyday and simply obey what He is telling me to do.  Most days obedience is spending time with Him, serving my family, educating my children, and researching important topics. I know that if I can love my family and teach my children God’s ways, I have accomplished my destiny.  There is nothing more powerful than being part of a living, breathing example of God’s Love.

                Sometimes I feel pushed to do more. Over a year ago I began emailing my school board and superintendent.  This has led to great conversations. I have started to learn about our school district and follow the school board meetings.

                I didn’t want to enroll my three older sons in public school this year.  I had a bad feeling about it. They were adamant about wanting to attend in person school rather than cyber school.  My husband felt that we should give it a shot, since masks were optional. 

                I took my son to the “New Student Orientation” at the High School. We all sat in the auditorium for a message from the principal.  He seemed like a good leader, and I loved his message. 

                “This could be a good place for my son,” I thought to myself. 

                My opinion changed as the principal started giving the parents and students medical advice.  Because of a new quarantine protocol, he advised all students to be vaccinated and wear a mask.  That way, no one would have to lose days of school.  Any student who had been in contact with a sick student would have to quarantine for 10-14 days if they were not vaccinated or not wearing a mask.  His advice had nothing to do with health.  From his perspective, his job was to see all his students successfully through to graduation, and this was the most effective way to do that.

                It was obvious that the protocol was designed to push students to vaccinate.  This is not the place of a school district.  And here was a principal advising that my student get experimental gene therapy with no idea what the short-term or long-term effects would be, simply for the sake of CONVIENIENCE!  How could I let this go unchallenged?

                “You should speak at the next School Board meeting,” I felt the Holy Spirit whispering to me the following weekend.

                “Really!  I don’t think I am ready for that.  Is it really that important? Couldn’t I just email them my views,” I whispered back.

                I COULD NOT shake the feeling.  It got stronger Sunday morning in worship. I asked God for a verse.  He gave me Eph 5:8-11

                “…for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as Children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true) and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

                These words made me certain that I would please the LORD if I would speak the truth at the school board meeting.  It may not change the dynamics or decisions of the school board that much.  It may not make a huge difference in my children’s schools.  But at least I could please God!  At least I could speak out truth and know that it would not return void!

                I had watched school board meetings over the summer, and the high school auditorium was empty except for the school board members in the front and a few people in the audience.  The last time there were only two public speakers. It would likely just be me and the school board, no big deal. I could do this!

                Monday morning came and I planned on spending most of the day working on a 5-minute speech. I asked my oldest if she could manage the younger children so I could focus.

                I looked on the district website to check the agenda for the meeting. Close to the beginning was time for public speakers.  There were already nine speakers scheduled to speak!  Most appeared to be in favor of universal masking.  One was someone I knew who had previously ripped into me for supporting the Republican platform.  One was the principal himself!  The man who was to be the central focus of my speech to the school board. 

Instantly arrows of palpable fear ripped through my body!

It wasn’t just me and an empty auditorium anymore!  I would have to stand up in front of those who oppose me. What if I was the only one? What if I was attacked?  Public speaking can be daunting. I used to be petrified of the mere thought of it, but God had healed me of that. I wrote about overcoming my fear of rejection in my article, “Fear Won’t Steal my Voice.” I have been able to speak in front of others by His power, but I had never done it in such a circumstance as this.

I retreated to the bathroom to be alone.  My heart was thumping! 

“I don’t think I can do this! How am I going to do this?” I asked God.

God impressed upon me that it was even more important that I speak up. I HAD TO BE A VOICE FOR MY CHILDREN. In fact, my children had a voice also.  If they were going to attempt to thrive in the public school system that was designed to persecute them, they would HAVE to find their voices.

I called on some close friends for prayer coverage.  I told the three boys that they would be speaking tonight and to write out something to say.  I prayed that God would give me a strategy for the day.  He did!  Step by step I followed what I felt He was telling me to do.  I was trembling literally and figuratively, but I couldn’t stop to think about it, I had to keep moving forward.

I looked at the entire agenda again.  Sure enough, right after the public speakers, a new health and safety plan would be approved or denied.  I called the school district to get myself and my boys on the agenda.  The woman told me that the new plan should be uploaded to the website soon. I only had to wait a half an hour before my hunch was confirmed. The plan contained universal masking for every person inside school buildings.

After I had gone to the trouble of registering my students for school and one week before school was to begin, they wanted to change the plan! 

I decided to call the school board members who had given me their phone numbers.  I got through to one.  We had a long conversation, and I learned more than I was bargaining for.  Previously I had thought the board was populated by good meaning people who cared about my students. Perhaps they were just misinformed.  I learned that it is much bigger and much deeper than that: A political and spiritual battle with political and spiritual forces.  Thank goodness I had a prayer covering!

I also learned that 90% of the parental feed back had been pro-mask.  Come on PRO-FREEDOM parents!  We must make our voices heard!

I called two families in the district to ask for their support.  They didn’t realize that a new plan was going to be voted on, probably like most parents in the district.  They couldn’t come to the meeting, but they would pray for me. 

I figured that I should talk with the principal who I was going to reference in my speech.  He actually answered the phone, and we had a great conversation. I first thanked him for his strong leadership. Then I explained to him my position:

We could have in person school and STILL give students medical freedom.

He said that they all had to follow the protocols given to them by the Dept of Education.  I explained to him that those were not laws but guidance, and that our school board had the ability to create their own protocols. He didn’t think that was true: they had to follow other rules given to them by the DOE like the requirement for all 11 graders to get a physical or be prevented from graduating.  I replied that the physical requirement was state law. It had been a bill that was passed by the Senate and the House and signed by the governor years ago.  This new protocol was NOT law, but rather something that the Dept of Health and Dept of Education were telling them they should do.  He admitted that he never realized that there was a difference.

I knew that this battle was not about health at all.  It was about politics.  It was about freedom.  I asked God to show me exactly what He wanted me to speak.  I could have spoken for hours, but I only had five minutes.

I started typing and it took a long time to express all that was rolling around in my brain.  Once I was done, it was way too long.  I cut it, cut it, and cut it again. I had certain objectives:

To please God

To speak truth that had power behind it

To address the concerns of the school board (personal and district liability)

To treat everyone as my advocate or future advocate.  I didn’t want to build a wall. I wanted these people to work for me and with me!

I then researched information on the Senate hearing where the Secretary of Health and the Secretary of Education both stated that the details of the Health and Safety plan were up to the local school boards to determine.  I found the videos and sent them to every school board member and the superintendent. (Since then the Gov. and Sec. of Health have issued mandates that they promised they would never issure, but those mandates are ILLEGAL!)

                I read and reread my speech out loud to make sure it sounded right and was within time.  I read over my boys’ speeches and gave some pointers.  I had them read them out loud to practice.

                All of this took most of the day.  My stomach was churning, and I didn’t feel like eating, but I made myself eat all three meals.  Finally, the time was drawing near.  I didn’t see how I was going to be able to function as nervous as I was.  I had been praying all day, but I finally decided to pray out loud the scripture I had put up on my mirror, Jer 1:7

The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy,’ for you will go to all to whom I send you.  Do not be afraid of them for I am with you to deliver you.”

                As soon as I spoke out that scripture, a peace descended.  My nervous trembling stopped. I felt confident. God would do it!

                I encouraged my boys to speak loud with confidence.  I told them how very proud of them I was!  My husband and oldest daughter were able to come along for moral support. As we pulled into the school parking lot, a good friend (who is also my sons’ youth pastor) pulled in next to us.  What an encouragement!

                We entered the building and there were many more people than I had ever expected!  It seemed half were wearing masks and sitting alone, and the other half were showing their faces and sitting in groups. We found seats and were joined by another friend from church. 

                It seemed to take forever for the meeting to start and to get through all the boring stuff.  Finally, it was time for the public speakers.  One speaker after another lectured on the same theme: we have to protect our students and staff by instituting universal masking.  Nine speakers all had this opinion, and the meeting was very boring.  My confidence had grown into a burning desire.

                “Let me up there!  Let me speak a different word!” my spirit was screaming. I was excited when it was my turn.  I began in a loud and enthusiastic tone. (My family told me later that the audience roused from their stupor and looked up at this point.)

                When I mentioned that I had 6 children in the district and 10 children in all, I felt a small shock wave ripple through the auditorium.  A man sitting close by who had been on his computer got up and began recording me with his phone.

                “At least they are waking up!” I thought. 

                I was able to speak out truth! For the first time that evening, I heard exclamations from the audience.  Outbursts of support! My sons spoke next (the only students to speak) and they all did an excellent job.  Thankfully after that, many others spoke for freedom and truth including parents, the county coroner, a lawyer, and a bus driver. It was a wonderful discussion, and a few points became very clear.

Freedom was the primary issue.

Students are not at risk from this virus.

Masks are only effective if they are N95 and properly fitted and there are no child sizes.

The board listened to everyone respectfully and then began to discuss their own views on the subject. One board member asked the district doctor to come and explain the situation.  It was very clear that she was uncomfortable, nervous, and was gasping for air under her N95.  She hemmed and hawed around the point, and I couldn’t understand how the school board found this testimony compelling enough to support universal masking.

        When it became clear that most of the board had already made up their minds before the meeting even began, anger erupted from the audience. This was quite distressing for the board. When the vote was taken, 7 voted for the new plan and 2 voted no.

        Praise God for those 2 glorious, rebellious NO VOTES! 

        I counted the evening a victory and an important step in winning the entire war. Here is why:

  1. I spoke the truth and truth will prevail.  Who knows where all those truth seeds have landed?  For some they are just an irritant.  But for others they will take root and grow!
  2. I got to meet many of the other speakers and audience members and expanded my knowledge and sphere of influence.
  3. My children learned how to participate in the process of freedom.
  4. In the weeks following I have heard from many people who were watching the recording and who were cheering me on!
  5. A father saw my speech. He reached out to me to explain how he is devoting a good portion of his time to fight for freedom in our school district.  He has been talking with school board members and lawyers.  He has been talking to parents and community members to pull us together into a larger force.  He told me he has a “fire in his belly” and he is not going to stop.  What an answer to prayer he is!  I don’t have the time to do what he can do, but I can support him!
  6. One school board member emailed me, “Thank you and your children for having the courage to speak.  Although I was prepared to say something, I didn’t feel it was necessary after you all spoke.  Your words have power.”
  7. Another member emailed me, “You and your incredibly well spoken, thoughtful and intelligent children did an amazing job of driving home so many important points… you can be so proud of your family and the wonderful human beings you are raising. It can be so difficult speaking up when you find yourself holding a minority opinion- but it is so important that we have these dialogues, and we voice concerns about giving our government more latitude than they may deserve out of propagandized fear.” 
  8. Most importantly, I experienced in my own life that God’s words are true, and He will do what He said He would do.

The Lord said to me, “Do not say ‘I can’t do it, I am only a mom with no credential or experience.’ I will put my word in your mouth.  You will go to all whom I send you.  You will not be afraid for I AM with you!”

                Those words were true for me that night at the school board meeting.  Those words are true for me every day.  Those words are true for you as well!

Here are the words I spoke that night (modified to take out specific names).

Members of the school board, thank you for all you do for our students!  Thank you for responding to my emails and talking with me on the phone.

I am the mother of six children in the school district. I have 10 children and have been studying nutrition, health, brain development, and education for the past 23 years. I concentrate on building their health from the inside with good food and good habits.  We never have to go to the doctor for being sick.  We have no asthma, allergies, or take any medications.  We didn’t change anything about our lifestyle when this pandemic began and have continued to be extremely healthy.             

Thank you, High School Principal, for your wonderful leadership at the high school new student orientation.  Your speech is what inspired me to come tonight.  You encouraged the students to come to you if they had a conflict with another student. You said that we could work out any situation if we just get together and talk about it. 

                It is pretty clear that we have a situation now, and I know that we can protect our students and staff while still protecting their most sacred rights.  The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is the foundation of our country.  To protect life, we must insure medical freedom.  Life is in the breath, and my students have the right to breathe fresh air.  I have seen many studies that prove that masks are not effective in stopping the COVID virus. I have never read a study proving that they are. 

Masking violates that very way our immune systems were designed to work.  The respiratory system is an open system, always receiving foreign gases, particles, and microorganisms along with oxygen.  The way our body cleanses out the bad is the exhale.  To trap my child’s exhale against his nose and mouth in a warm, moist environment doesn’t allow his immune system to work properly.

                I have heard from many in the district that we may have to return to mandatory masking and that is just the way that it is.  Whenever you say, “That is just the way that it is”, you eliminate all discussion, all questions, all research, all individual freedoms. That is not what I want my children to learn when they are in school.  I want them to learn to think for themselves, to question, to study, to research, to come up with new and better answers.

                This is what the Principal talks about when he calls on his students to “BE Great Every Day!” This is the way of all inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs.  When we issue one size fits all mandates, it is not teaching our children to be great and to make informed decisions.  We are teaching them to comply to a socialist system.

                I have heard it recommended that all students be vaccinated and wear masks, so they won’t have to miss important days of school to quarantining.  It is not the virus that is interrupting school, it is the quarantine protocols. It is very clear that the unvaccinated students would be the ones denied their right to a public-school education even if they are perfectly healthy. With all the talk about inclusion and equity these days, I am very surprised that you would discriminate against one group of students.

My entire family probably had COVID in the past year. For us it was a mild cold that didn’t even slow my boys down.  Yet now they have a robust and durable immunity.  Did you see the recent study that looked at people who recovered from SARS 19 years ago?  They are still immune to SARS today along with SARS-CO-V2!  Our natural immunity not only lasts but recognizes all 29 proteins on the surface of the corona virus, rather than just one spike protein as with the vaccine.  The vaccine does not prevent infection or transmission as the head of the CDC recently admitted. There were over 10,0000 breakthrough cases reported before the CDC stopped counted them. 

                I sent you all links to the Senate Hearing where you can hear both the Secretary of Education and The Secretary of Health state that the details of the Health and Safety Plan are in the control of local school boards and will not affect the Esser Funding.

                Please correct this illogical protocol of masking and quarantining healthy students. Please protect their freedoms.  Thank you!

Fear Won’t Steal My Voice

/ Anne (Grace is my Superhero) / 2 Comments

women-at-life

As a young child, I believed several lies about myself.  I felt that I was vastly inferior in certain areas such as physical appearance, social graces, coordination, athletic ability, and the ability to speak with people I didn’t know very well.  I was sure that I would be rejected, so the fear of rejection was my constant companion.  I didn’t know about “the fear of rejection”, this was just my reality.  It was just the way the world worked, and I lived and made decisions to protect myself from rejection.

In Elementary school I always got an “A ”in conduct, because I was well behaved and talked very little.  I didn’t want to do anything that would draw attention to myself. I wanted to hide or at least blend in to avoid any negative reactions.  In new situations with new people, I felt almost paralyzed by the fear.  Faced with a social situation that required small talk, my mind became absolutely blank.  I couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

Fear would steal my voice.

This continued until junior high when something amazing happened.  God began to alter my path.  My first boyfriend, Jesse, invited me to his church (Word Fellowship which is now Life Center) for a youth event.  I agreed to go simply because I liked Jesse so much.  I found myself in the church gym, surrounded by the overpowering smell of fresh onions, helping to assemble hundreds of subs for the youth fundraiser.  [Here is a little fun fact: who do you think rode into the gym on a skateboard and was introduced to me as Jesse’s best friend?  None other than Chris Brandenburg!  Of course I was too shy to really talk to him at that point.]

This youth fundraiser was also an overnight event complete with food and fun games.  Jesse was very outgoing and knew everyone at the church.  He also loved the game of bombardment, which is similar to dodge ball.  The thought of participating in anything that would expose my physical awkwardness was terrifying to me.  I was hoping that Jesse would sacrifice his love for the game to stay with me.  But he didn’t.  He left me in the youth room while he returned to the gym.

I found a chair to sit in and felt completely alone.  The fear of rejection had me so paralyzed that I didn’t move from that spot for what seemed like hours.  Other students came and went, some sitting close to me to carry on a conversation.  But not a single person spoke to me.  I didn’t move or even look at them.  I tried to become invisible and wished I had never come.

Yet when Jesse invited me to come to a Wednesday night youth service, I found myself saying, “I’ll be there.”  I showed up that Wednesday night, but I still felt very uncomfortable.  A ray of sunshine by the name of Patty Leach (wife of the youth pastor) shone on me.  She said with a big smile on her lovely face, “So you are Anne?  You are a lot prettier than Jesse’s last guest.” [Disclaimer: Jesse’s last guest was a boy so this was not really an insult to say that he wasn’t pretty.]

Just the fact that someone had spoken to me and called me pretty was very encouraging!  I continued to come for a few months and felt confused by this charismatic church culture.  It was all new and strange.

One wintery Wednesday night changed everything for me – forever!  There was a guest speaker who I had never seen before.  At the end of his sermon, he asked us to come up to the front if we wanted prayer.  I found myself standing in the front with a whole crowd of other teenagers.  I don’t know how I got there, as usually fear would have me rooted to my seat.  He began to pray for the students and they seemed really impacted. A few of them started to cry.

“I wonder if he will know that I don’t believe in this stuff.”  I thought to myself.

Sure enough, he knew.  The youth pastor, John Leach, appeared seemingly out of nowhere and asked if I wanted to be saved.  The truth was, I didn’t know what “saved” meant and had never heard the “sinner’s prayer.”  But I said yes, and repeated the prayer after John.  I hadn’t been looking for God.  I didn’t believe in Him or felt that I needed Him.  Yet He burst into my heart anyway.  I felt Him and I felt His amazing love for me.  The scales fell off of my eyes and the world seemed entirely new to me.

This was the beginning of my freedom from fear!  It didn’t happen overnight.  I came each Wednesday night to youth group which was called Heirborne, but I still hadn’t made many friends.  It seemed that everyone else was a part of the group but me.  I was a silent observer most of the time.  One night I went home feeling the sting of rejection.  No one had been mean to me, but I felt like such an outsider.

“I can’t continue to do this to myself, this is torture.” I reasoned.  I would just have to tell Jesse that this church thing wasn’t really for me.  I was very serious about never returning to Heirborne again.

I never did have that conversation with Jesse. I was probably just too shy.  I found myself at youth group each Wednesday and gradually I made friends.  Slowly I learned that small talk wasn’t brain surgery.  Slowly I began to feel like I belonged there.

Sometime during my high school years, John’s brother Bryan took over as youth pastor.  He had a crazy idea; the youth should help to lead Heirborne.  He chose a group of us and called us the SALT team (Student Action Leadership Team).  Just the fact that Bryan had chosen me sent me an important message.  I had value.  I didn’t have to be like anyone else.  I could be myself, and I could be an important member of the team.  Bryan and his wife Marcey helped me to realize my worth.

We would meet once a week to pray and plan the next youth meeting.  We would take turns being responsible for different parts of the service – offering, announcements, and the teaching.  We would brainstorm wild ideas for skits or fun games that would illustrate the main point of the teaching.  I found myself up front speaking, teaching, or even dressed in crazy costumes doing ridiculous skits.  Talk about being out of my comfort zone!

Just the fact that I was able to get up in front of a group of people and talk was MIRACULOUS!

Once I was chosen to portray a “party girl” in a skit.  It was supposed to be a game show that had many different types of people answering the questions.  I would have never chosen this character for myself, being just the opposite of a “party girl.”  Yet I was determined to do the best job that I could.  I wore the closest thing to a mini skirt that I owned (which really was practically down to my knees).  A friend teased my hair until it was perfect 80s “big hair”.  I got out there with all the other crazy characters and acted as loud and obnoxious as I could, yelling out about wanting a case of “Red Bull.”

I felt absolutely ridiculous, yet there was no fear!  I wasn’t worried about being rejected by the other teens at youth that night.  I was just having fun and hoping that I could help the other teens have fun, feel a part of the group, and learn about God.  I stopped thinking about myself and began to want to be a blessing to others.  Fear became less and less a part of my life as I graduated High School and did missions with Youth With A Mission.  Preaching in front of others and meeting new people from all over the world became exhilarating.

I came back from YWAM and married that kid on the skateboard, Chris Brandenburg.  After a year of working and being youth leaders, we moved to Colorado Springs. We became part of a small church, but after 7 years I experienced the biggest rejection of my life.

I had always dealt with the FEAR of rejection but now what I had dreaded had come upon me.  The church (which was comprised of our leaders, closest friends, and spiritual family – almost our ENTIRE support network there in Colorado), kicked us out.  The main leader, Mary, told Chris that we could no longer be part of the church because of MY iniquities.  She said that I was interfering with their prayers.  She said I was holding Chris back from his destiny and that I was not the woman that God had wanted him to marry.  She said that I would one day leave him.  Once that happened, Chris could return to the church. Imagine hearing these words from someone you honored and respected as your leader.  I honored and respected Mary, but I also feared her. Mary had spoken harsh words to me before.  I had tried my best to follow God, yet she was always able to find something about me to criticize.  I remember thinking, “I will never be free until Mary dies.”  Isn’t that horrible?

Thankfully Mary didn’t have to die for me to be free from fear.  She just had to reject me, and God began to set me free!

I sought God like never before and do you know what I realized?

All of His words to me were good!

He loved me, more that I could take in or comprehend!

He delighted in me and actually liked me!

He gave me so much joy, more than I had ever had before!

He began to show me that the church that had rejected me did not have His heart.  Rather, they were working for the Accuser of the Brethren.  I am sure that the enemy of my soul, that dirty rotten liar of an accuser had a plan that he thought was fool proof.  He would link my heart and my identity to this little church and then turn them against me.  I would finally suffer the dreaded REJECTION and receive a mortal wound that would fester until the bitterness had consumed me.

BUT GOD…

GOD came down and saved me and filled me with His acceptance.  He loved me no matter what I had done right or wrong.  He loved me whether I had accomplished anything important or not.  Because of Him, I had a value that nothing could ever take away.

I had come face to face with my greatest fear.

I had met REJECTION and stared into its ugly, contorted face and you know what…it wasn’t so bad.

In fact, I actually felt honored that a church that had fallen so far from the Amazing Grace of God had rejected me. I wouldn’t have wanted to be the type of person that they would have accepted – one that feared men more than God.  It was a compliment that The Accuser had felt that I was enough of a threat to come after me like that.

Now I look back at that rejection and feel that it was one of the biggest blessings in my life!  I learned so much about God and about myself, and I was set free from that cult.  Of course I had a lot of healing to do, a lot of wrong teachings to unlearn.

Again, Life Center played a big role in my freedom from fear.  A year after that big rejection, Life Center offered Chris a job and helped to move us back to PA.  The atmosphere of love and acceptance at that wonderful church was just what we needed to heal.

I would love to say that now I never feel fear, that I boldly go speaking the Words of God wherever I go.  That is not the case.  Fear, specifically fear of rejection, is still my biggest hurdle to overcome before doing anything out of my normal routine.  Something as simple as making a phone call, walking across the street to talk to a neighbor, initiating a conversation with a stranger, or speaking in front of a group can bring on a flurry of anxious thoughts.  I would rather stay in my safe zone and never have to risk rejection again.  But now, it is usually very easy to silence those thoughts.  I simply stop thinking about myself and ask God to make me a blessing to whoever I am going to encounter.

Speaking at the Propel meeting was just an example of this.  I have enjoyed attending the monthly Propel meetings over the last year.  I have sat in the audience and looked up on stage at the many beautiful women and have been touched by their amazing stories.  Yet, I would think to myself, “I would never want to sit up there with them where everyone could see me and realize that I am not as pretty as the others.”

When Patty called me last week to ask if I would share at the February meeting, immediately that fearful thought flashed through my mind.  I heard myself saying, “Yes, I can be there,” because there was a much more dominating thought.  That thought was, “I know that God has put something inside of me that could be a blessing to the other women…

 and I don’t want fear to steal my voice again!”

Fear tried to silence my voice.  But in God I have found my voice.  Many times when I talk to a group or one on one – I can feel God speaking through me.  I feel lies being broken.  I feel atmospheres shifting.  I feel hope rising.  I feel peace coming down and settling.  When I am in tune with Christ, THERE IS POWER in my voice!  Yet many times I must chose to overcome fear before I am able to open my mouth.

Fear feels to me like Paul’s thorn in the flesh.  In 2 Cor 12:8-10 he says, “Three times I pleaded with the LORD to take it away from me.  But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

There is also power in my written words.  Power to crack open strongholds.  Power to impart wisdom.  Power to lead others to God.  I have loved exploring the power of my written words with this blog.  There is a certain amount of fear involved with telling your inner most thoughts to the world.  But I am not trying to make myself look perfect to avoid rejection.  In fact, most of my articles are about my weaknesses, my insecurities, my mistakes, and my failures. That is where I find His Grace.  That is where my real power lies – in my imperfection.  For when I am weak…

Then God shows Himself Strong!