Untitled Document

Dear friends...there is a lot in this newsletter, and many of you may not have time to read it all; others have heard about bits and pieces of it. Therefore I have put it into smaller sections for easy access to the sections you are interested in reading as able. I hope this helps :)

This update is waaaay past due! I had hoped to get it out months ago but my health has had some major setbacks which means that I am still backlogged in many ways. Thank you for your patience!

I haven't had time to include details, yet, of some of the things that have been happening lately or of things that I'm currently working on/about to develop (Lord willing), but hope to have that done shortly. At that time I'll let you know so you can connect to sections on my web site which include more details on the parts you're interested in.

In the meantime, below, I will try to include a brief summary about some of the items in some sections in order to hopefully help you to feel more updated.

TRANSITIONS & RE-POSITIONING:
--------------------------------------------------
I hope you are all doing well in the midst of the many transitions which seem to be taking place in all of our lives and around the globe on every level in these days! In Heb. we are told that God is going to shake everything that can be shaken, and I believe He has been doing this for some time and is still doing that.

It seems to be a season, in the Church internationally, where part of the transitions are that He is re-positioning many in order to see them / us become more fruitful in the midst of a world which looks very bleak in many ways and is growing darker. The Light shines brighter as the darkness gets darker. I have been absolutely amazed at how many believers are moving to other countries, cities, changing jobs, moving to another house, changing churches, experiencing relational transitions, experiencing health transitions, changing ministries, developing gifts that were previously dormant, etc. and the list goes on. So don't be too surprised if God seems to be re-positioning and / or recommissioning you, too! - http://ethniclink.net/EthniClayburningbush.html

THE BEST IS YET TO COME:
-----------------------------------------
This past Christmas/New Year's season as I was again praying about God's direction for me for the coming year, I felt that He was strongly impressing on my heart that THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

As I prayed for confirmations about this, as well as asked what He meant by this, I felt He brought several situations to my attention:

For example:
+ Joseph - after many years of unjust imprisonment, was suddenly promoted to major leader of the land
+ Israel - after many years in the wilderness, were now taking the land God had promised them in Canaan - an incredible land (more about that in Deut 6, etc.)
+ Noah - after the devastation of the deluge, suddenly there was a new, clean slate to start from!
+ Job - after losing everything, had MUCH more of everything later than before!
+ In Haggai, the glory of the second temple was FAR GREATER than the glory of the first one
+ Jesus - after His death He was resurrected, taking back all that the enemy had stolen
+ Ezekiel story of the DRY BONES - life came into the dry bones
+ Lazaras - after he was resurrected, I'm sure his quality of life was far improved from how it was before?
+ then there is the verse in John? which talks about the corn of wheat having to fall into the ground and die before it can bear much fruit.
+ there's also the reality that in order to produce a better crop the coming year, the current crop must be pruned/cut back….ouch!!
+ the example of the caterpillar going through the metamorphosis to become a butterfly - whose purpose is to REPRODUCE (more about this Metamorphosis process soon - this has been a major theme of His for me this year!!)
+ etc.

Interestingly, shortly after this, when I was listening to Stephen Harper's speech when he became Prime Minister, one of the things he said was 'The Best Is Yet To Come'! It hit me and I felt like God was using him to help affirm again what He had been saying to me for some time!

The principle/theme of DEATH TO RESURRECTION runs throughout Scripture and if there are aspects or seasons of our lives where we see death, destruction, devastation, etc., may our hearts be encouraged because as we look to Jesus, who IS THE RESURRECTION & THE LIFE, we can look forward with anticipation to the fact that THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

We have tended to focus so much on His death, that we have tended to miss out on the incredible reality of Him as THE LIFE - OUR LIFE! HE…IS...THE…RESURRECTION!! I have been sensing Him encouraging me to meditate more on this truth and reality and not just on His death, as crucial as that was and is.

He is preparing His Church, I believe, for this next new season where He is seemingly in the process of revealing His Kingdom to our hearts and through us in deeper levels as we continue to agree with Him "May Your Kingdom, come, and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!" Matt.24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

The Good News of the Kingdom was Jesus' main focus when He was here. He proclaimed it, declared it and demonstrated it! It was what He preached/taught about! His mandate for us was / is to do the same! It seems to me, however, that we have not tended to have been raised with an understanding of His Kingdom other than basically it being a place where believers live out eternity after they die. But that is only a part of God's Kingdom! And as in the Lord's Prayer, and as we see throughout His life, there is much more to His Kingdom purposes for the HERE AND NOW as well, than we have tended to be aware of!

But it's all about God's timing, and the Good News is that the Kingdom of God has been growing like a seed and continues to grow, and that the Bride is being brought into maturity as she is being washed by Him of her spots and wrinkles. It seems that the more this is happening, the more of an understanding He is also giving His people around the globe of His heart regarding His Kingdom! Does not the coming fulfillment of His Kingdom as described in Scripture not also yet again remind us that THE BEST IS YET TO COME?!

In His timing the darkness will again be swallowed up as we see in Revelation, as His purposes come to pass. Our hearts are longing for Him to bring His just and righteous rule and may our hearts and lives truly express to Him the cry at the end of Rev., "Come, Lord Jesus!"

So I want to encourage you that I believe that for you, too, THE BEST IS YET TO COME as you continue to "seek FIRST the KINGDOM OF GOD and His righteousness…" as He continues to draw you into deeper intimacy with Himself!

GOD'S HEART TO BRING RESTORATION:
-----------------------------------------------------------
Along with this / a major part of this is a growing sense of the deep desire and passion of His heart to bring RESTORATION.

For example, in Psalm 23:3…"he restores my soul…" (and notice what the context is of where He restores David's soul - lying down in green pastures, resting beside still waters, etc. Aaaaaaahhh - heavy sigh! Makes you want to go there, hey?!). http://ethniclink.net/EthniClayHeRestoresMySoul.html

Jeremiah 31:3,4 "…"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt…Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful…."

Isaiah 61…"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations…"

Job 36:15,16 But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction. "He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 - May GOD HIMSELF, the God of peace, sanctify you THROUGH and THROUGH. May your whole SPIRIT, SOUL & BODY be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 5:10 And the GOD OF ALL GRACE, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will HIMSELF restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

3 John 1:2 - Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

1 Sam 30 - the RECOVERY OF ALL!!! EVERYTHING!!!!! that the enemy has stolen from us!!!!!

1 Sam 30 begins by talking about the 'third day', which it also refers to in Hosea 6:1-3? - and which seems to be symbolic, often, in Scripture, of God's restoration....ie. Jesus was also raised to life on the third day, etc...

Anyway, this was when the Amalekites had so plundered David and the people of Israel that everything was stolen, including their wives and children.... David and his army are weeping and mourning over this unbelievable devastation and inquire of the Lord about how to respond....

Anyway, the part that keeps striking me is how it emphasizes, again and again in a short section, how David RECOVERED ALL - EVERYTHING!!!!!! that was stolen by the enemy!!!

A dear friend sent me some of her notes on the above, which I would like to also pass on to you because I think they are very helpful!

"In reading through the passage again I noticed that the focus is on family (v.2, 3, 6, 18) being taken by the enemy. The home (Ziklag) is destroyed. Their wealth (in the form of livestock) is also taken. David takes back what is his but also gains back extra in the form of wealth held by the enemy (a double portion).

I like David's attitude through this event:
v.6 with his men threatening to stone him, David goes to the Lord for strength
v. 7 he seeks the Lord for direction
He shares the plunder with his men and from it gives gifts to his friends.
As he returns to Ziklag (v. 26) he must have rebuilt it to continue living there..."

Also, the whole book of Nehemiah talks about the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall and temple...it is God's heart to rebuild and restore...

And of course one of the names of God is REDEEMER, and the amazing fact that in Col. we are told that Jesus is CHRIST IN US, THE HOPE OF GLORY…. THE HOPE OF GLORY indicates that THE BEST IS YET TO COME!! as Christ continues to be formed in us!

LAMENTING: PART OF THE RESTORATION PROCESS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interestingly, one of the initial things that appears to be a part of the restoration process is the recognition that restoration is needed. There is grief and mourning (and lamenting) over all that has been lost - see the book of Lamentations, Nehemiah, 1 Sam 30, Job, etc. And James 4:7"…Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up…" Revelation 3:17 "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you CAN become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."

I have been asking God to put His 'eyesalve' on my eyes so I can see and be willing to face / respond to the truth, and to 'buy from Him His white clothes to cover my shameful nakedness'… so that I CAN live in the abundance that He has planned for us as we 'seek first His kingdom and His righteousness' - then all the other things we need will be added to us.

I think that over the generations we have lost the art of lamenting; we've seemingly lost the sense of our need to do so and instead seem to feel like we have to have an endless smile on our faces no matter what is going on. We feel that in order to look like a 'victorious Christian', we have to keep our masks on…but I believe it is a day when the Church is being called to lament and that our lamenting will also help to bring healing and restoration…not only to us but also to those around us. I believe there is going to be a growing ministry of 'weeping with those who weep' as we are called of the Lord to increasingly share the burdens of those around us - those in the Church and those all around us/in the marketplace, etc.

Think of the many around the world that are going through horrendous disasters and catastrophes… in order to move on and see healing and restoration, the grief must be faced.

Several months ago I felt like God was impressing on my heart that He was bringing me through the Valley of Baca (weeping). It certainly has been that and I believe there is more to come. Though it is painful to go through, as the verse about the Valley of Baca says (see link below), this actually brings SPRINGS into our lives!

I think Scripture teaches that unless there is a grieving through the losses (which we have often tended to stuff and not acknowledge in our culture), that true healing and restoration is probably not possible. Restoration requires facing the truth and often we are finally having to come face to face with the grief and losses we may not have even realized were piling up in our hearts because we've gotten so good at 'sucking it up'.

THE REFINING FIRE/WILDERNESS/PRUNING INTENSIFIES!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It seems that for myself and many others I know, the past months have been very intense, or are becoming increasingly intense as God's Refining Fire continues to purify our hearts!

I have found, during past wildernesses and this current one that I'm in, that in order to be able to get through them, I need to focus on the One who has endured the cross, as well as on the PURPOSE of the refining - which is deepening intimacy with Him, MORE FRUIT - FRUIT THAT WILL LAST!! and the fact that He disciplines those He LOVES. Heb. 12:2-6. I also need to learn to allow Him to love me in the midst of these painful processes….but more about that soon…

Anyway, as you may or may not recall, last summer and early last fall some interesting things were happening in my life. While, on one hand, God was increasingly pruning / cutting back many areas of my life (this is never fun or easy, as you know!!), He also seemed to have a number of long-time dreams on my heart on the verge of coming into being - dreams I had prayed and waited for His timing for for years!

One such dream that suddenly seemed to come into being was my initial EthniClay Christmas card promotion - which you may recall! It was amazing to see how God suddenly brought it together and into being! It looked like things were about ready to roll at long last!

BUT…just after the initial promotion and one 'open house' to sell the figurines (where there was only one sale but it was a BIG sale), it all seemed to shut down again as suddenly as it had started, due to some health situations which came up right after.

In asking God about the very unusual lone BIG SALE of my figurines/cards, I felt like what happened was very significant and so I asked Him what it signified. I felt that He impressed on my heart the story of Elijah where the cloud the size of the man's hand was coming up and he had to start running so he wouldn't be deluged with rain! I felt that that sale was like the cloud, and that it wouldn't be too long before I was going to have to start running because of the 'rain' to come. That really encouraged me, especially a week or so later when my health suddenly took a major downturn and EthniClay had to stop indefinitely.

Well, several months before that, around that time when He seemed to be stripping me of more and more things in my life, He had me meditate for weeks on 1 Cor. 15:36 "…What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body."

I really needed to hear that in a number of situations where He was stripping me of various things, especially ministry aspects - like laying down the Gateway Creation Arts Centre we had taken 3 years to lay foundations for (more about this in the last newsletter) and felt it was about to take off, just before sensing I was to lay it down/plant my seed and let it die. Yes, there were definitely tears!! in laying down another Isaac, but also HOPE that He gave me through this verse, that it would look waaaay different when it 'came up out of the ground - and would be able to accomplish what it COULDN'T accomplish in its SEED form. HE would give it the 'body' He would want it to have - in His timing and in His way.

That is basically what happened with EthniClay at that time, too, though different…I felt it was temporary, whereas the Gateway Creation Arts Centre felt very different. Final in its state at that time, anyway.

Right after I felt like He spoke to my heart about the cloud and the above passage, suddenly my health got worse than it has ever been! Within 2 weeks I had two of the worst 'bone attacks' that I've ever had. I was in agony and could hardly move quite a bit of the time. It got so bad that I have had to increase my medication so much that it has really been affecting my memory a lot and getting very frustrating at times, not to mention what all the extra medications have been doing to my body. However, it was amazing how God enabled me to sense His Presence and give me such hope in the midst of it because He kept reminding me of the things He was preparing me for, making it clear that He was in the process of 'tearing down' before He could 'build up', and further developing my relationship with Him - which is what I knew this was all about. So though I would not want to go through that again!!!!, I know it has been necessary and I was aware of His Presence and knew I wasn't alone even though in many ways it FELT like all of my life was disappearing. (So far, many months later, I have only been able to slightly reduce this additional amount.)

Along with this, I also experienced the lowest emotional and spiritual low I have ever had! He had made clear to me earlier on that He was going to be working on bringing healing to me emotionally, physically and spiritually, since they're all linked. It has been a very educational and very interesting journey! It kept on getting more and more intense and once the new year began, it seemed He turned UP the heat and intensity EVEN MORE for the next few months!

And it seemed that the longer things went, the weaker I got physically, emotionally and spiritually, until He brought me to a new end of myself and to a depth I have not been before…but more about that in the next update…It seems God is very intent on leading us into situations in life where we really experience just how weak we are so we can increasingly know Him as our strength! I thought He had already taught me a lot about that over the years, but in some ways it seems I'm just beginning to learn this!

THANKFULLY it was in the midst of all of this that He encouraged me that THE BEST IS YET TO COME, even though there were no signs of it at the time!!!!

It has been the most painful refining fire/wilderness I have ever gone through, but somehow in my heart, in the midst of the many unanswered questions, fears, and all the other horrifying and heart-wrenching dross that surfaces in our hearts when we go through these processes where we have to be willing to face ourselves more honestly and risk discovering more of God that we don't know or understand, He kept reassuring me that He was pruning me in order that I would become more fruitful and especially so that I would experience greater intimacy with Him and we would have deeper fellowship with each other.

Interestingly, one of the names in Scripture which has been meaningful to me since I was a fairly new believer, is the name EPHRAIM, which means, basically "You have made me fruitful in the land of my suffering". During this refining season I have often felt that the Holy Spirit reminded me of this name and that He was/is indeed in the process of making me (and the Church) fruitful in the land of my/our suffering.

He had been preparing me for this for many months…the past several years in fact, as many of my modeling clay figurines will attest to. (The Journey: Some of the Processes God Brings His People Through: http://ethniclink.net/EthniClayProcesses.html) I'm hoping to soon develop this into a Powerpoint presentation which will also hopefully include some of the lyrics of some of my songs and some of my poems as well, as well as some other thoughts in between the various slides of the various figurines, in order to help tie it all together. Hopefully this is something that will be of some encouragement to folks in the future.

MY 'GUEST HOUSE' - COME TO ME ALL YOU WHO ARE WEARY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I became so weak in every way that I could so easily and quickly get totally overwhelmed with all that needed to be done just to survive and get some work done. I was having trouble coping and rarely had enough energy to even have someone come over…not even to help…many times I didn't feel I had enough strength to get to the door to let anyone in! And yet I felt that God was in control and so there was a sense of peace in it even though it felt LOUSY!!!!

At one point I felt soo overwhelmed and was feeling pretty frustrated, and I poured out my heart to God about how I was feeling about it! I included that I just felt like leaving the planet for awhile and hanging out somewhere where I wouldn't have to deal with anyone or anything for awhile until I regained my strength! Not that I didn't love people here or enjoy my work, but I was too weak to have the energy to cope with anything right then.

I was sooo touched and surprised by His wonderful response when I felt directed, in a unique way, to a particular Psalm, which led me to His message for me in THE MESSAGE that evening!

This is what I felt He said to me:
+ Ps 61 ...you always give me breathing room...a place to get away from it all; a lifetime pass to your safe-house, an open invitation as your house guest
+ Ps 62 ...He's breathing room for my soul
+ Ps 71:-1-3 ...give me space for salvation. BE A GUEST ROOM WHERE I CAN RETREAT...you said your door was always open.
+ Ps 69 I'm hurt and in pain; give me space for healing and mountain air
+ ....don't put me out to pasture when I'm old, or put me on a shelf when I can't pull my weight...

I felt like He was saying He wanted to be my 'Guest Room' where I could retreat for a bit... I wasn't sure what this all would mean, but it sure does sounded good!

He also reminded me a lot of Ps 23 - He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters…HE RESTORES MY SOUL…and I kept sensing that He was saying to me (as many other friends have sensed Him saying to them the past months as well) COME TO ME…AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST….( http://ethniclink.net/EthniClayComeToMe.html) . Boy, did I need that!!

Although it has meant a slowed down lifestyle for much of the past months since the end of October, mostly it has been a changing perspective of how to 'do life' in the future…

For example, whereas much of my life over the years has involved many administrative aspects, I've increasingly sensed Him pulling me out of this more and more at various levels. He's even used extended computer crashes, serious carpal tunnel problems on and off (including major bouts the past months), a reversal with the diabetes which meant another focus on diabetic diets to see if it could be reversed again, other health issues and another recent 28 day antibiotic stint for another major leg infection which I am still recovering from (14 of those days I needed to go to the hospital for IV antibiotics - about half of that time I had to go in twice a day! During that time my whole life consisted of going to the hospital, getting my naps and planning rides for the next day with friends who could push me in my wheelchair!). I was totally exhausted after my hospital visits were over!

Two of my wonderful IV nurses with me - spent a lot of time in this room for those 14 days! :) Can you believe we even got to sit on Lazy Boys during the procedure??!! Incredible!

HOWEVER, I don't know how God does it, and I will tell you more details next time, but in the midst of this potentially devastating situation (for various reasons), it totally blew me away how God took what the enemy meant for evil and turned it around for GOOD!! The 14 days of going to the hospital ended up being like a mini holiday for me, especially because of all the great fellowship I was able to share with the dear friends who took me!! It ended up being one of the highlights of the past few years for me!!!!!!! Go figure! Sure wonder how God does that?!?!!

So in between naps and the rest I needed physically, spiritually and emotionally, He had me spending little time in front of the computer for quite a few months and when I was able to work, I was tying up loose ends from various admin. and other projects for work which I could do from my couch! : ) Again, part of the pruning process to get rid of what's not necessary in order to free me up for further fruitfulness in His timing!

OPEN HEART SURGERY
---------------------------------------
And of course a major focus for my time 'in my Guest Room' was for me to find spiritual, physical and emotional rest IN HIM during this time in a much more focused way….and during this time He began some MAJOR 'Open Heart Surgery' (http://ethniclink.net/EthniClayOpenHeartSurgery.html) on me, to an extent that I have never experienced before!

I have never cried so much or had so much heart anguish in my life before! Some of the things He's been dealing with are even more fears, especially fear of abandonment (which I had NO IDEA was even an issue!!), and some grief, anger and shame & pride issues, etc. - again, to deeper levels than in the past. The amazing thing is that we have no idea these things are there until the Light of the World/the Truth shines His light on them in His timing and reveals them to our hearts when we're ready.

HOWEVER, in the midst of it, as we are told in Hosea 2:14 ("Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. 15 There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor [trouble] a door of hope. There she will sing [2] as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt."), in the midst of the pain He speaks tenderly to us, and He is doing this SO THAT He can 'give us back our vineyards' and make our 'valleys of trouble' a DOOR OF HOPE!

I have found that that is indeed very true! While we're going through it, much of the process feels like the opposite, and our hearts really wonder about the goodness of God during those times, but I believe it's by His grace that He calls us aside, at times, into these hidden times with Him where He longs to restore us and give us increasing REST IN HIM…yes, that sometimes includes physical rest as well, but it's a much deeper rest and dependency on Him which He's developing in us, which is absolutely vital for our increasing fruitfulness.

During these times He also intersperses much-needed special ways of communicating His love to our HEARTS which melt our hearts, draw us closer to Him and to trusting Him more. As He increasingly brings His TRUTH into our HEARTS, our hearts become freer and more and more healed!

ABUNDANCE? GREATER THINGS?
-----------------------------------------------------
It seems a major focus of our Wonderful Counsellor's during these times is to restore our foundations on Himself, the True Foundation, to get, from our heads more deeply into our hearts, the basics of true biblical Christianity which it seems believers through time have struggled with. No wonder there are several books of the New Testament focused on these things: ie. Romans, Colossians, Ephesians, Galatians, etc. - knowing and being in Christ and having Him formed in us: basically as it says in Gal. 5:1 it is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not LET yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery…"

Our growing freedom is in knowing Him, the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, more intimately, and not in our ability to 'keep the rules'. I know we know this intellectually and to some degree in our hearts, but it seems we need to keep experiencing the truth and reality of that in increasing measure as Jesus is in the process of bringing us to maturity - ie. Eph. 3:16 "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Galatians 4:19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until CHRIST IS FORMED IN YOU.." It is about much more than having an intellectual understanding and a degree of heart understanding about Him….it is about HIM BEING FORMED IN US AND DWELLING IN US - ie. Remain in Me and I will remain in you…(John 15). It's KNOWING HIM and not just about Him for the most part. Thankfully it is a day in which He is calling us deeper and we aren't satisfied with an intellectual understanding - we want HIM!

Are we experiencing His loving Father-heart towards us as we read about in Scripture? 1 John 3:1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! - or does this seem like an illusive dream? Do we instead see Him as someone who is demanding and to whose standards we can't possibly measure up?

What about the 'abundant life' we have read about? What is that about? Are we really experiencing the abundant/full life that He paid so dearly for for us? or are much of our lives still being held captive by the enemy? John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Are we truly experiencing the GREATER THINGS that Jesus said we would do if we have faith in Him? If not, what might that look like? Are we there yet? John 14:12 "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing and only said what He heard His Father saying…I believe the more we learn to live like this, we WILL see Him doing GREATER THINGS in and through us!

Are we seeing/experiencing Him destroying the work of the devil in our lives and in the world around us as we are 'walking as Jesus did'? (I John 3: The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." 1 John 2:6 "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."

Galatians 5:6 "For IN CHRIST JESUS neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The ONLY THING THAT COUNTS is FAITH EXPRESSING ITSELF THROUGH LOVE." - which, of course, is how Jesus lived and how He destroyed the enemy! 1 Cor. 14:1"Follow the WAY OF LOVE and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy." This is also the way to allow God's Spirit to draw others to Him through us - as we LOVE…1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. But PERFECT LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR…" The more deeply we experience HIS love for us, the more effectively HE can love others THROUGH us. I know this isn't new stuff to you guys, but it's just been becoming alive to me again in deeper ways so I wanted to share it.

THE ONLY THING THAT COUNTS IS FAITH EXPRESSING ITSELF THROUGH LOVE!! Wow!! That is profound!!!! I have been meditating on that a lot the past months…It sure helps to simplify life - back to the two most important commandments yet again - loving God and loving others. We tend to complicate it soooo much and then get so frustrated and disillusioned.

But what does this love look like??? That is something I want to talk more about next time…and something I've been pondering and praying about for a long time, as well… I have a wrinkled and messed up sign on my fridge which I often have to read, which says "LIFE IS FOR LEARNING AGAPE (God's kind of) LOVE." (sorry I don't know whose quote that is). I think that is a very helpful perspective about LIFE.

Are we experiencing God doing FAR MORE than we have asked or imagined in and through our lives as He desires to do? Or does that seem like a pipe dream? Ephesians 3:20 "20Now to him who is able to do IMMEASURABLY MORE than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…" How much of His power is at work within us? How much of 'self' still needs to be cleared out so He has more freedom to do more in and through our lives? John 3:30 says "He MUST increase, but I must decrease…" We don't like the process - Jesus also asked if His cup could be taken from Him - but "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…" (Heb 12:2)

Either what Jesus was saying and desiring for us is TRUE, or it's not. I know that my heart hungers to walk in this kind of life, and I believe yours does, too! - even though I'm sure ALL of us are afraid of what it may mean to keep walking forward with Him. Yes, it will mean pain and suffering, but let's focus on THE JOY SET BEFORE US so we, too, with CHRIST IN US, THE HOPE OF GLORY, endure 'the cross'.

If we are honest with ourselves and realize that these things are not happening to the degree that the Bible teaches, may we TAKE HEART that THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!

I tell you, after all of these years of being a believer, I feel like such a beginner/'newbie' and that He's been having to, and continues to have to teach me all over again to deeper levels… (ie. Psalm 42:7 "Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.")

The Bible is summed up in the two greatest commandments. But how CAN we truly love Him with ALL our HEART, soul, mind and strength if we only know/experience some aspects of who He is and what He has done for us? I believe it is a growing process to develop that whole-hearted love for Him as He reveals more of who HE is to us, and more of who we are in Christ - both of which enable us to come out from under the prison of deception we are still so often under in many areas of our lives.

So how does this develop? The Bible says WE LOVE HIM BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US and that PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR….and in Eph. 3 it re-iterates that...and that's WHY we NEED to understand/experience His long, high, deep and wide love for us at such deep levels if we are indeed to become mature and to see Christ increasingly formed in us - where we are moving from one degree of glory to another…and seeing Him do the impossible through us, doing FAR MORE than we have asked or imagined!

SOME OF THE PROCESS OF METAMORPHOSIS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The picture of the stages of life of the butterfly and the metamorphosis process have and continue to deeply encourage me during these months, and I can hardly wait to share more of that with you! - http://disciplethenations.org/article_metamorphosis.html

But here are a few articles which I found to be of deep encouragement through this wilderness/metamorphosis process, and which I hope will also greatly encourage you if you're going through some major refining these days, which I suspect may be the case, considering what God seems to be doing worldwide these days! May the GOD OF ALL COMFORT comfort and encourage your heart as you look to Him to be your WONDERFUL COUNSELLOR! He is amazing! He also uses our brothers and sisters in Him in parts of the healing process, so I encourage you to pray that God will connect you to the people He wants to have walking through these wildernesses with you in His timing, and where He wants to use you to help walk others through their wildernesses as well.

There are a lot more figurines about these processes He's been bringing me through that I still haven't made yet, but which are brewing in my heart.

REFINING FIRE TEMPORARILY COOLED DOWN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
When I went to the hospital for the leg infection in May, it seemed God decided to give me a 'break' from the intensity of the spiritual/emotional struggles (which was a wonderful relief in many ways!), and although there were numerous faith challenges during the leg infection as well, somehow it seemed like He had 'cooled down' the refining fire's temperatures a lot during that time.

Interestingly, during this 'cooler' time (in the past several weeks He has been gradually increasing the heat again and more open heart surgery has begun), one night when I felt He wanted to speak to me, I felt that He basically sat me down and asked me to write down what He was about to put on my heart.

What came to mind was very interesting and encouraging for me, because during the months of the intense refining fire, threshing, winepress, etc., it was hard to see much clearly and there was much confusion and insecurity. It certainly requires God's gracious grace in giving us faith and His power in us (Christ in us, the hope of glory!!) to be able to endure, because we sure can't on our strength!!

Firstly, I felt like He had me a list of many of the areas that He had been pruning over the past months, especially since He had given me the 1 Cor. 15 verse about the seeds having to die before they'd come up the way HE wanted them to come up….which is a LOT better, as a plant, than I had 'put them into the ground' - as just a 'seed'. As I saw this, I was amazed at how He had done it and how that would free me up in the future to do the things He's had me praying and dreaming about for years while I've been waiting for His timing and for Him to bring the right people and circumstances together!

Then, as if that wasn't encouraging enough, I felt that the next thing He had me do was write down the things He showed me which were some of the 'seeds' that I've been praying about for years, and how they had been, even during the most intense times in the fiery furnace when I didn't notice them, starting to come up!! Not plants, yet, but little seedlings beginning to sprout out of the ground! LOTS OF THEM!! Many dreams I've had for 4, 7, 10 years or even more!!

SOME 'SEEDLINGS' BEGINNING TO COME UP OUT OF THE GROUND - a SEASON OF NEW BIRTHS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In fall I also sensed that He was speaking a lot to my heart through Scriptures and other ways about giving birth, and it being the time to give birth, etc., and in Isaiah where it talks about how the person that hasn't had a husband will have more children than the one that has a husband…and that He was about to 'enlarge the place of my tent', etc. - something He has been impressing on my heart for years. But now it was like He was making it clear to me that NOW IS THE TIME and He began making it clear to me that there were all kinds of 'births' over the months when I was writhing in the transition (like in the delivery of a baby!!!) - and now they were becoming evident as the seeds were popping out over the ground and beginning to develop into tiny seedlings…

Possibly even the same week, He began to do some other things which confirmed His timing on some things and I got the distinct impression that I had finally broken through my 'cocoon' that I felt I had been in for eons!! - not yet ready to fly with my new wings, but in the 'sticky wing, leg-stretching stage as the butterfly is beginning to break free of the cocoon… I kind of have the sense that this stage will take me till about 2007 and I feel that He then indicated some of my next steps for the rest of this year and planning for 2007. Until this time, for many months it seemed He had put my sense of direction totally on hold and it was very unclear while He was having me focus on things He was doing in my HEART.

Since then, it has been interesting to see how He has been moving things forward on various fronts…some more forward a LOT one week, and then it seems He puts that on hold and has me focus on something else for a few days or a few weeks for the most part, and then suddenly things will change again… It's been very interesting….sort of like going different speeds at various points on a roller coaster…all depends on what He's doing at the time! It is like a flow, or like seeds coming up - they open and close, open and close….grow a bit here, grow a bit there, develop a leaf, develop another leaf, develop a flower, etc.

It seems the POINT is that God wants us to walk with Him STEP BY STEP (http://ethniclink.net/EthniClayProv16_9.html) and to be FLEXIBLE and willing to stop or start or turn around or do whatever, whenever He asks. I believe this is crucial for the time in which He is bringing us into.

A major part of this whole wilderness process is LEARNING TO HEAR HIS VOICE better, and to become more dependant on Him, and I believe that in the time He's bringing us into, we are going to have to be able to be like a solider in an army and be willing/able to change course on a dime if we need to. So it is and has been very interesting! And verrrry encouraging to experience the many amazing divine appts. and confirmations He's giving me on many fronts re these 'seedlings' at this time!!

+ MORE WRITING: sense that after about 10 years of working on my book about music and the arts and the Great Commission, it's time to hopefully finish that before Christmas (my goal at this point, anyway : I also have felt that it's time to write many articles that have been brewing in my heart for months or a couple years, as well as time to further develop some of the training materials which I believe I'm to make available in the future.

It seems that in order to help confirm this (see '2 or 3 witnesses'), out of the blue I received, about a week or so ago, an invitation from a Canadian author, to contribute a chapter in a book he is putting together about house churches along with about 35+ other authors, most of which I'm familiar with. The book is to be published by William Carey Library which is part of the US Center for World Mission (where I was spending some time working with our mission's US office - on the same campus - about 16 years ago just before I helped to start our Canadian office!) I have always appreciated the very good books that the William Carey Library produces!

+ ONLINE SELF-DIRECTED STUDY re ARTS - I also hope to begin another book and finish up what I can at this point on the online self-directed study I started developing years ago for musicians and artists who have a heart for the Great Commission.

+ HAND PHYSIO - after over a year of praying for a hand physio that would be willing to come to my home to do physio with me after my hand surgery, I finally have someone that is planning on doing this for me! Very interesting how she and I connected!!! Thank you Lord!!

+ ARAVA - my new medication which I avoided for 4 years but which, after having to work through some major fears about potential side effects of the drug, I felt God leading me to take. As soon as I started taking it, my faith was challenged in the area of my exact previous fears about this! (more next time), but miraculously He has given me peace to continue with it until He directs me otherwise. Hopefully there will soon be some positive effects.

+ Began Local AIDS ORPHAN Network newsletter among local believers that share a heart for AIDS orphans.

+ Linking up with the Canadian and locally-head-quartered REFUGEE HIGHWAY NETWORK (Christian ministry)

+ ETHNICLAY - Marketing - God has brought some wonderful friends who are wanting to help me in this process!!!!!!!! Wow!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Lord!

+ ARTS SHOWS - a couple dear friends have offered to coordinate an arts show (separate ones) for me!!!! Wow!!! Thank you Lord!

+ ARTS THERAPY - for some years I've felt to work together with a team, in God's timing, to put together biblically-based arts therapy which can be incorporated into various situations - such as music/arts camps to reach out to local multicultural refugees, or at-risk youth, or the homeless, or perhaps adapted to be used to encourage AIDS orphans overseas, etc. Just this week, I received a couple emails (at a time when I felt I was to start to work on this in the coming weeks), which I feel help to confirm the timing to go ahead with this one step at a time! I'm very excited! It'll be a big learning curve in many ways but Jesus is a good Teacher!!

+ POWERPOINT - I was asked to put together some promotional powerpoint slides (regarding my involvements re music and the arts and the Great Commission) as part of a presentation which is about to be shown at the Global Consultation on Music & Missions in the US that I am unable to attend again this time, but this gives me a voice there, anyway, and many of those attending have been receiving my Ethnic Worship & Arts Focus newsletter for years.

ANYWAY, I tried doing it myself since I had late notice and I was very encouraged that I was able to figure it out (at least a basic format), because I have all kinds of Powerpoint presentations that I've been praying about for the past years and I feel like this, too, is an indication to begin to move forward with these in the coming months - mostly next year instead of this year.

+ INTERNSHIPS & SUMMER/SHORT TERM TEAMS - I've worked with some wonderful interns in the past and have sent out some wonderful folks on short terms overseas, but have not been able to do that in the past couple years or so due to my health. However, I've felt that in 2007 that is to start happening again and become more of a focus, and so am in the process of putting together some internship and summer team/short term proposals which can give folks ideas of how we might be able to work together. My heart is to help train Great Commission-hearted musicians/artists locally or from elsewhere to reach out into the multicultural marketplace here, and then to also consider the possibility of going overseas should the Lord lead them there in the future. I'm thrilled that a local church is interested in talking further together about these possibilities further shortly.

+ LOWER MAINLAND NETWORK OF CHRISTIANS IN BUSINESS - began to send out the first e-newsletter for this a month or so ago. Hoping to potentially facilitate a network meeting for interested parties for the later this year or early next year, Lord willing.

+ MAC Computer - after my computer crashed big time for the second time last year, I felt I needed to plan for a longer term solution than just getting the old one fixed. After researching the situation and praying for the finances for the computer, God provided the computer about a year later and so I have been in the process of learning it! I hope both computers last a long time because both have some wonderful pros and both have some cons. The MAC is especially suited to musicians/artists, and this is one of the reasons I got it, since that is, I feel, an area where God wants me to focus quite a bit more in the future - not only encouraging other artists but using the artistic gifts He's given me for His purposes in worship and the Great Commission, as well.

+ VOICE ACTIVATION Computer Program - I've finally got the voice activation program working so now I need to practice, so that I can prepare for my recovery time after my hand surgery (more about my health in update to come shortly), as well as to protect my hands from further deterioration as quickly from all my typing.

+ WEB SITE re INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING DIRECTORY OF CHRISTIAN MUSICIANS/ARTISTS (that's not it's name but it gives you the idea) - after many years of waiting and praying to see something like this developed as it is a great need internationally, in the past month God again seems to have brought the right person and situation along so that this can begin as well!! My new ministry partner on this front, and I, are very excited about this! He's also a Great Commission-hearted musician/artist and his family and I have been friends for several years! He's a gem and hopefully this web site will be a blessing to the Body of Christ!

+ SUMMER TEAM and MISSIONARY TRAINING PREP with churches/missions - because of my years as a personnel director at our mission, and because of the training/orientation I've done in the past and the many missions resources I have available, it is a blessing and joy to be able to share these with churches and missions that are developing their own missionary training as well. At this point I've got a lot of the resources on my web site, but am needing to update my web site this fall and make it more user-friendly as well. I also need to add a bunch of helpful resources which I've not had a chance to add as yet. Hopefully that will be done before too long so it will help to give folks access to the resources more quickly than having to contact me directly.

LEARNING NEW THINGS:
---------------------------------------
This 'new season' also seems to be a season where I'm on a learning curve in a lot of new ways:
+ voice activation program
+ MAC computer
+ emotional/spiritual healing ministries
+ photo editing programs
+ developing my 'Scooter View Photography' photo note cards
+ Powerpoint
+ arts therapy
+ arts camps
+ songwriting/printing program on my new computer - hoping to learn that this fall
Etc.

God's timing is super important, I've discovered over the years, so although we are counseled in Proverbs, etc. to make plans, we need to hold them loosely so God can adjust them as He desires. So here are some of the things I have felt that He is leading me to work on in the coming months till around the end of the year.

+ Writing, as mentioned above - will practice using my voice activation program at the same time, to help prepare for my upcoming hand surgery and to relieve my hands in between even before my surgery and to help give relief - especially from carpal tunnel, after my hand surgery recovery
+ developing biblical arts therapy with some others in the region etc.
+ international networking directory for Christian musicians/artists and arts supporters
+ further developing artistic gifts - mostly writing this fall but other aspects next year, and next year a much greater focus
+ more time with the Lord/intercession
+ developing relationships - networking
+ continuing to send out the various networking e-newsletters
+ begin to develop local ministry team/s to reach out into the marketplace
+ help encourage/coordinate house concerts re music and art, etc. - a way to reach out into the multicultural marketplace through friendship evangelism/the arts, etc.
+ develop more photo cards
+ more local outreach on my Scooter etc. and through my modeling clay, etc. as the Lord leads
+ health issues
+ family
+ hand surgery prep
+ update web site
+ EthniClay - marketing
+ Art Shows
+ write out various proposals - internships, summer / short term teams, etc.
+ Foundations
+ Gateway Restoration Network - launch with e-newsletter in July, Lord willing
+ EthniClay to help missions/ministries raise funds, etc.
Etc.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
-------------------------------
+ that God will increasingly encourage His Bride with His love and restoration
+ that God will increasingly pour out His heart of love for the lost through His Church
+ that we'll/I'll allow Him to do whatever He wants to do in/through our/my life and learn the lessons He's wanting to teach us/me
+ God's wisdom and sensitivity to His timing and ways
+ that I'll focus on Him more and know Him more intimately
+ writing
+ proposals
+ health issues
+ other items mentioned above, etc.

Well, my friends, there is always so much to share even though I feel like i've just started cause there's so much I haven't shared yet!!

THANK YOU!!! soo much for all your love, prayers, friendship and for investing in my life and the ministries that God has me/us involved in together in various ways!!!!! I appreciate you very much and thank God for you!!

I look forward to hearing what's been happening with you, too, as you're able!!!

I hope you all have a very encouraging summer and a deep sense of God's Presence, with an increase in understanding of His direction for you for the coming year! I believe that, as in so many examples in Scripture, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!

TWO OR THREE WITNESSES:
-------------------------------------------
One of the ways that I have sensed that God has been teaching me to learn to recognize His confirmations of direction/timing, etc. has to do with the passages about 'two or three witnesses':

Deuteronomy 19:15 - "…A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." Matthew 18:16 "But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 2 Corinthians 13:1"Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." 1 Timothy 5:19 "Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses."

Although the context is about relationships and making judgements, etc., to me, regarding confirmations, this means that in a situation where, for example, something has been on my heart for a long time and I've been praying about the timing of when God wants to bring it about, suddenly as I'll be thinking and praying about it more again, perhaps a verse of Scripture or several passages of Scripture will stand out to me and I'll have a strong sense that it has to do with that situation. And perhaps 'out of the blue' one of my prayer partners or someone else will mention or ask about the situation and encourage me in that, even though they didn't know it was coming up again. And perhaps I then receive an email from someone or read a book which 'happens' to talk about that type of situation as well.

To me, each of these things coming from a different angle, or several from the same type of angle, are like another 'witness'. I used to wait till there was pretty well no faith risk left in making decisions, because I didn't want to do the wrong thing, but I feel that using this '2 or 3 witnesses' indicator really helps me to have courage to step out in faith a lot sooner to at least take the NEXT STEP, and see whether God continues to confirm my following steps from there…or whether He makes it clear that I did make a mistake and need to change course.

I have found that God has used this approach to encourage me and help to confirm direction or other things to me many times, so wanted to share it with you in case you may also find it to be helpful…?

CONTENTS

Grace's email address

HOME