The best part about today started when I had been sitting at the airport for 30 minutes waiting for my phone to ping me and tell me I had a ride. (I started driving for Lyft on the side a few weeks ago.) I decided to apply a little of my faith and ask God to help send me rides so I could make some cash. His response. "Did I ask you to do this today?"
Ouch. So, I kinda tried to make excuses and then started over thinking that I never should've signed up for Lyft in the first place (dramatic I know), when he asked me to turn off the app and go spend some time with him by the dam. I sighed and punched it into my GPS and headed that way. Kinda feeling down like I missed it and I wasted time all day getting to the point where he could tell me I was missing it. Not the greatest feeling in the world.
As I'm driving he starts to tell me how he just wants me to be out in the sun and fresh air and enjoy it with him. Somehow I believed he had some hard conversation or daunting task I would have to accomplish. Nope. Somehow I forgot how crazy in love with me he is and how for me he is. He wanted me to enjoy today for ME. Wierd concept in trying to still wrap my brain around after years of pursuing him and more of just letting him pursue me.
I'm almost to the marina where I thought I was headed, a place he's sent me many times before, when I saw the rocks going out along side of the dam and it just looked wonderfully inviting. I parked and headed down there. Took off my shirt to enjoy the fullness of the vitamin D that I could absorb (also realizing that I need to work on toning my body and taking care of the temple he's given me and I've kinda started to let go. Anyways, back to the story.) and headed down to the rocks. I found this nice big flat one right by the waters edge in the sun.
It was nice but a little awkward as well. Everyone else there was down the pier a ways and fishing. And here's me tanning or whatever I was doing. I felt weird before the fisherman started taking pics of the "hippie kid meditating on the rock". Haha. Oh well. I started to get antsy and was like, "God, why am I here?" He just told me to lay down and enjoy it. So I did. It was awesome. My off day turned into a restful restorative day thanks to him.
At this point you're probably thinking, "Tony, I just read this story and now what? You ran that right off a cliff. Where are you going with this?" Haha. Funny you ask. I'm getting there. The point is, sometimes there doesn't have to be a big point, or some mind blowing experience or encounter. Sometimes it's just ok to be with him. It can be one of the most restoring things to your mind, body, and spirit.
I just finished off the night after coming home and having some hard conversations that needed to be had and worshipping him, to type this up and let whoever reads know that Jesus is worth it. Following him, giving him your whole life is exhilarating and scary and awesome and at times painful and exhausting. But at the end of the day. Every day. It's worth it.
As always, be encouraged friends.
Till next time...
Monday, March 14, 2016
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Impossible Promises Faithfully Kept
This story starts around 4 years ago. I had just quit my band of 4+ years playing bass to start my own project doing vocals. I finally got the lineup of guys and a friend of ours demanded we play their EP release show. The only catch... Their show was a month out and my guys hadn't played a note together and the 4 of us were spread out across the state. But, in my ambition (or surrender) I agreed. We all did.
The next 3 weeks we spent all of our weekends writing and practicing for the show. We ended up with 3 tracks to play. Not bad if you asked us. We were having fun and we didn't sound half bad either. The day of the show comes. We practice and set up and then find ourselves in the back room with the band members of my friends band who demanded we play the show with them. We circled up and prayed. This wasn't your typical "let's pray cuz we're a Christian band and we have to prayer." No, this was a room full of men who were hungry and desperate for the presence and power of God to come. We cried out. We gave the night over to the glory of God and the advancement of his kingdom. I left that room and it didn't matter. Nothing did. I was full. I was complete. I didn't even pic up a mic yet and it didn't matter. I didn't care if I did well or we bombed the show. Cuz I encountered haven with my friends in the back room before we even took the stage.
Our slot rolls around later in the evening and we play. Someone happened to record the evening and I'll post the links at the end of this entry for anyone who's curious what happened. We got off the stage feeling pretty good. We all thought the show went well until we saw the video. In our eyes we looked like a band that had been touring awhile and kinda knew what they were doing. It wasn't us. The heaven we encountered in the back room came with us into that stage and encountered that whole room. To this day that night is one of my favorite memories and I'm so thankful someone felt the need to capture it so I could pop back and relive that special night once in awhile.
The night ends and we have to head back home. We have 3 1/2 hrs or more to drive home. We get about 30 minutes out of town and the alternator in my truck dies. Great. Tow and back to the friends house for the night. We hang out for a couple days and need to head back home. We felt the need to just pray and go. Our good friend drops us off and we throw a jump on the truck from his van pray and start driving. Something told me to record what was happening so I did. That video is here.
From there we went a good part of the way home and pulled off into a gas station to go to the bathroom. The truck died. I was devastated. After seeing such a demonstration of Gods power, how could he leave us hanging? I called a friend to come pick us up who unknowingly to me had prayed that morning, "God give me someone to sacrifice for today." And so in order to answer his prayer God worked it out to write another page of a crazy story. As I'm sitting there waiting, I call my dad. I tell him I'm basically gonna scrap the perfectly working truck (other than the alternator) cuz I feel like Gods telling me I'm done with it. My dad, thinks I'm crazy and gets pretty upset that I'm being foolish at "the voice of God". Until I realize it. I'm supposed to give my truck to my dad.
A few months prior, my dad was in a nasty accident where he rolled his truck I believe 9 times going down the highway. He had always wanted a truck to pull a boat and just to have. He had the truck for less than a year when this happened. And when all of it was said and done it was more cost effective to purchase a car for my mom to drive out of state and replace her car than for him to replace the truck.
I saw in that moment God wanted to honor my dads sacrifice of giving up his dream vehicle for the betterment of my mom and give him a truck again. My dad thought I was crazy and refused. So a few weeks later I replaced the alternator and drive the truck to my dad and dropped it off. Leaving me without a vehicle. It was the middle of winter in Wisconsin and I was walking to work over an hour in the snow one way. I was nuts. But I held to my convictions. A few months later my parents gave me the extra car they no longer needed. I almost immediately sold it and drove to Wyoming to buy a van from some friends at a great deal as a band vehicle.
Very shortly after that I had an encounter with Jesus that changed my life. Prior to this point I had lived my life for God but on that day I gave my everything TO him. I quit my band. A few months later I quit my jobs. I gave the van away. I gave a lot of stuff away. I didn't need it. Thousands of dollars worth of music equipment, my whole life up to that point, given away to people who could use it or at least be blessed by it.
During this time I strongly felt God tell me that the next vehicle I would have would be a brand new car. I held to that promise tightly until the batteredness of the journey made me forget the promise alltogether. I ended up through a crazy journey here in Tennessee. I've had no easy times since I've been here. From loving homeless in a park for 2 weeks to having to get up at 4 in the morning to walk an hour to the bus to ride the bus for 2 hours just to get to work.
All that time I never quit. I was close. I said I quit but inside of me I never ever quit. Eventually a friend let me drive a car for a few months. I thought I had something lined up knowing the timeframe was ending and last minute that fell through. That was this weekend. When I got a text that said you have 9 days to figure something out with a vehicle.
I had no idea what I was going to do. So I woke up early to head to the bank and see what I could do for a loan. Nothing. My credit was 10 points shy of getting a loan. Off to the dealers it was to get a higher interest loan then I guess. I drive from one mom n pop place to another. I'm about ready to give up when I just drive through the parking lot of the Nissan dealer by my house. The kind lady stops me and asks to help me. So I park and decide to humor her knowing everything there I cannot afford. We drive a couple used vehicles that were super nice. They try to get me into one and my credit is too whack. Then they try to get me into a new vehicle as they are easier to get approved for and have more rebates and since it's the last day of the month, they are desperate for sales to make quota.
They make me an offer and it's double what I wanted pay a month. I kindly thank them for their time and head home. I had gotten my hopes up and was pretty sure I heard God tell me as I was test driving the last car "this is what I have for you". I really started to doubt that when I was driving home. I got home and did what I knew to do. Started looking at bus routes. Somewhere between me getting depressed that there's no bus routes that work to get to my new job and not knowing what to do, my phone rings. It's the Nissan dealer promising me a price I can afford and to come back in. No way!!! I go back in and come back a few hours later after paperwork with a brand new 2016 Nissan Versa. It's amazing and I've never owned a brand new vehicle before.
It wasn't until two days later when I was pulling groceries out of my trunk that God reminded me of his promise of the next vehicle I owned being a brand new car. Years later. After I had long forgotten and given up hope on what he told me, he remembered. He was faithful to do what he said.
I share this long story tonight to hopefully give someone a breath of hope. It's not about me or my story. Don't marvel at that. Marvel at the goodness and faithfulness of a God who never forgets if we never quit and stay the course to receive what he has coming. He is faithful. Following him is the hardest thing you'll ever do. But it's worth it. Hope this is encouraging to you. If there's promises he's made, he will keep them. In his way and in his time. He is faithful. Hang in there friend. You're not alone. Hope is coming. Hope is here.
For those who wanted to see the videos to the show here they are:
Clip 1
Clip 2
Clip 3
The next 3 weeks we spent all of our weekends writing and practicing for the show. We ended up with 3 tracks to play. Not bad if you asked us. We were having fun and we didn't sound half bad either. The day of the show comes. We practice and set up and then find ourselves in the back room with the band members of my friends band who demanded we play the show with them. We circled up and prayed. This wasn't your typical "let's pray cuz we're a Christian band and we have to prayer." No, this was a room full of men who were hungry and desperate for the presence and power of God to come. We cried out. We gave the night over to the glory of God and the advancement of his kingdom. I left that room and it didn't matter. Nothing did. I was full. I was complete. I didn't even pic up a mic yet and it didn't matter. I didn't care if I did well or we bombed the show. Cuz I encountered haven with my friends in the back room before we even took the stage.
Our slot rolls around later in the evening and we play. Someone happened to record the evening and I'll post the links at the end of this entry for anyone who's curious what happened. We got off the stage feeling pretty good. We all thought the show went well until we saw the video. In our eyes we looked like a band that had been touring awhile and kinda knew what they were doing. It wasn't us. The heaven we encountered in the back room came with us into that stage and encountered that whole room. To this day that night is one of my favorite memories and I'm so thankful someone felt the need to capture it so I could pop back and relive that special night once in awhile.
The night ends and we have to head back home. We have 3 1/2 hrs or more to drive home. We get about 30 minutes out of town and the alternator in my truck dies. Great. Tow and back to the friends house for the night. We hang out for a couple days and need to head back home. We felt the need to just pray and go. Our good friend drops us off and we throw a jump on the truck from his van pray and start driving. Something told me to record what was happening so I did. That video is here.
From there we went a good part of the way home and pulled off into a gas station to go to the bathroom. The truck died. I was devastated. After seeing such a demonstration of Gods power, how could he leave us hanging? I called a friend to come pick us up who unknowingly to me had prayed that morning, "God give me someone to sacrifice for today." And so in order to answer his prayer God worked it out to write another page of a crazy story. As I'm sitting there waiting, I call my dad. I tell him I'm basically gonna scrap the perfectly working truck (other than the alternator) cuz I feel like Gods telling me I'm done with it. My dad, thinks I'm crazy and gets pretty upset that I'm being foolish at "the voice of God". Until I realize it. I'm supposed to give my truck to my dad.
A few months prior, my dad was in a nasty accident where he rolled his truck I believe 9 times going down the highway. He had always wanted a truck to pull a boat and just to have. He had the truck for less than a year when this happened. And when all of it was said and done it was more cost effective to purchase a car for my mom to drive out of state and replace her car than for him to replace the truck.
I saw in that moment God wanted to honor my dads sacrifice of giving up his dream vehicle for the betterment of my mom and give him a truck again. My dad thought I was crazy and refused. So a few weeks later I replaced the alternator and drive the truck to my dad and dropped it off. Leaving me without a vehicle. It was the middle of winter in Wisconsin and I was walking to work over an hour in the snow one way. I was nuts. But I held to my convictions. A few months later my parents gave me the extra car they no longer needed. I almost immediately sold it and drove to Wyoming to buy a van from some friends at a great deal as a band vehicle.
Very shortly after that I had an encounter with Jesus that changed my life. Prior to this point I had lived my life for God but on that day I gave my everything TO him. I quit my band. A few months later I quit my jobs. I gave the van away. I gave a lot of stuff away. I didn't need it. Thousands of dollars worth of music equipment, my whole life up to that point, given away to people who could use it or at least be blessed by it.
During this time I strongly felt God tell me that the next vehicle I would have would be a brand new car. I held to that promise tightly until the batteredness of the journey made me forget the promise alltogether. I ended up through a crazy journey here in Tennessee. I've had no easy times since I've been here. From loving homeless in a park for 2 weeks to having to get up at 4 in the morning to walk an hour to the bus to ride the bus for 2 hours just to get to work.
All that time I never quit. I was close. I said I quit but inside of me I never ever quit. Eventually a friend let me drive a car for a few months. I thought I had something lined up knowing the timeframe was ending and last minute that fell through. That was this weekend. When I got a text that said you have 9 days to figure something out with a vehicle.
I had no idea what I was going to do. So I woke up early to head to the bank and see what I could do for a loan. Nothing. My credit was 10 points shy of getting a loan. Off to the dealers it was to get a higher interest loan then I guess. I drive from one mom n pop place to another. I'm about ready to give up when I just drive through the parking lot of the Nissan dealer by my house. The kind lady stops me and asks to help me. So I park and decide to humor her knowing everything there I cannot afford. We drive a couple used vehicles that were super nice. They try to get me into one and my credit is too whack. Then they try to get me into a new vehicle as they are easier to get approved for and have more rebates and since it's the last day of the month, they are desperate for sales to make quota.
They make me an offer and it's double what I wanted pay a month. I kindly thank them for their time and head home. I had gotten my hopes up and was pretty sure I heard God tell me as I was test driving the last car "this is what I have for you". I really started to doubt that when I was driving home. I got home and did what I knew to do. Started looking at bus routes. Somewhere between me getting depressed that there's no bus routes that work to get to my new job and not knowing what to do, my phone rings. It's the Nissan dealer promising me a price I can afford and to come back in. No way!!! I go back in and come back a few hours later after paperwork with a brand new 2016 Nissan Versa. It's amazing and I've never owned a brand new vehicle before.
It wasn't until two days later when I was pulling groceries out of my trunk that God reminded me of his promise of the next vehicle I owned being a brand new car. Years later. After I had long forgotten and given up hope on what he told me, he remembered. He was faithful to do what he said.
I share this long story tonight to hopefully give someone a breath of hope. It's not about me or my story. Don't marvel at that. Marvel at the goodness and faithfulness of a God who never forgets if we never quit and stay the course to receive what he has coming. He is faithful. Following him is the hardest thing you'll ever do. But it's worth it. Hope this is encouraging to you. If there's promises he's made, he will keep them. In his way and in his time. He is faithful. Hang in there friend. You're not alone. Hope is coming. Hope is here.
For those who wanted to see the videos to the show here they are:
Clip 1
Clip 2
Clip 3
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Navigating the Void
My heart is a little heavy as I type this out. I've been reading a book called "The Five People You Meet in Heaven". The main character just met his wife as the fourth person and now she's gone. Terrible explanation, I know. But anyways it's a starting point to show you what got me thinking. I've never really considered heaven to be anything other than shared with my friends and loved ones. This book made me consider not being able to spend eternity with them.
I'm not afraid of my friends or family dying. Death doesn't scare me. It's the void that follows. I understand that in a void something else can come, something greater. But this is something I don't wish to upgrade. I want to keep the friends, the relationships I have as long as I can and never replace them when they're gone.
The truth is, individuals can never be replaced. Everyone was made unique. Replacing someone is impossible. But if you lose someone or for whatever reason your time with them comes to an end, a void is left. Now you can either protect that void and feel the emptiness it creates or you can let that space be filled with someone or something new. Just because a space in your life is filled does not invalidate or cheapen what filled it before. Does the time I spend daily with my closest friend(s) cheapen the time I used to spend similarly with the friend(s) in high school? No. It's just different. It's the same space filled in different ways. The ways the space is filled are incomparable.
You have to allow yourself to love. Do not fear the void. The void is there only as long as you want it to be. You have to invest in people. People are the only thing that transcends time into eternity. Lives are eternal currency. You want to be rich? Invest. Anyone you meet. Encourage. Lift up. Speak life. Declare destiny. Just go about your day being who you are and love people. When you do you won't even realize the depth of change you are creating in people's lives.
You have to push. Push to excel and to help others around you to excel. That is how you avoid the depravity of the void. And don't take things to the other extreme when you lose someone or something and just hop from friend to friend or thing to thing. Grieve and admit the loss. But get back up and continue to love. Love through the grieving. It sucks, but it's the best way to deal with the pain. Let love invade that place and overwhelm the pain.
Well, there's my heart and my thoughts for the evening. As always hopefully it's encouraging and inspires you to be exactly who you were created to be.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Extravagant, Unconditional Love
So, tonight Gods been showing me himself throughout my life. He's revealed to me how much he has loved me and how much the people around me have loved me my whole life. But I never knew how to receive it or hold onto it because I self sabotaged. Some people physically cut their bodies, I cut my spirit. So that every time love would come to me I would cut my heart and the love that was given that was meant to last would pour out of me wasted.
I can't be the only one and that's part of why I'm writing this. But what's got my mind spinning more than the "emotional cutting" I did to myself for years was the incessant pouring out of love that Papa did to me. Even though I either had gaping open wounds that the love would trickle out of or I was about to right after he showed his love to me, he never stopped loving me.
A lot of times we stop loving with our actions and say, "Oh, I still love you but..." Love has no buts. It didn't matter how "wasteful" his love seemed, he kept loving me. Even though I chose not to keep the love he gave. He still saw value and worth in showing me love even if I was going to just let that previous love fall carelessly to the ground as if it meant nothing. I'm sure that had to hurt. You pour out everything for someone and they just let it spill to the ground as if it has no value. And yet he keeps pouring.
I have so many good people in my life right now and I'm going to keep it that way. I'm not going to let another person get burnt out of pouring into me just to have me forget that I'm loved and make them and their love feel worthless. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is to hold onto the love we're given and never let it go.
I'm so thankful Papa is so kind to me to show me my shortcomings so he can fix them. And to show me his faithfulness despite my human imperfection. He always covers the lack and bridges the gap. What an amazing God we love.
I can't be the only one and that's part of why I'm writing this. But what's got my mind spinning more than the "emotional cutting" I did to myself for years was the incessant pouring out of love that Papa did to me. Even though I either had gaping open wounds that the love would trickle out of or I was about to right after he showed his love to me, he never stopped loving me.
A lot of times we stop loving with our actions and say, "Oh, I still love you but..." Love has no buts. It didn't matter how "wasteful" his love seemed, he kept loving me. Even though I chose not to keep the love he gave. He still saw value and worth in showing me love even if I was going to just let that previous love fall carelessly to the ground as if it meant nothing. I'm sure that had to hurt. You pour out everything for someone and they just let it spill to the ground as if it has no value. And yet he keeps pouring.
I have so many good people in my life right now and I'm going to keep it that way. I'm not going to let another person get burnt out of pouring into me just to have me forget that I'm loved and make them and their love feel worthless. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is to hold onto the love we're given and never let it go.
I'm so thankful Papa is so kind to me to show me my shortcomings so he can fix them. And to show me his faithfulness despite my human imperfection. He always covers the lack and bridges the gap. What an amazing God we love.
How Was Your Day?
So, this weekend I had a pretty intense encounter with heaven. I wrote it all down and have been going back to it trying to unpack the fullness of it. I was asking questions and writing down what I heard heaven telling me. As I sat down tonight, I was about to jump right back in and start asking questions and learning more about what Papa had for me when a different thought took over me. Instead of just selfishly digging out what I was seeking I asked a different question, "How was your day today?"
His answer surprised me. It was like I could hear and "feel" his thoughts and he considered the flood in South Carolina, starvation throughout the world, suffering and abuse. After thinking about all those things, he said this:
"Today was a good day. It's always a good day to me. We don't have bad days here in heaven. Yes, I know there are terrible things going on in the world. And my heart breaks and I am far from ignorant or unaware. But I choose to focus on the good things. Today people were healed all over the world. Today people were set free. Today people thought differently about me, more towards the way I truly am."
Wow! This is pretty incredible to me. God is not unhappy. Even on the most atrocious days he chooses to find the good in it and say, "Today was a good day." I want to do the same.
His answer surprised me. It was like I could hear and "feel" his thoughts and he considered the flood in South Carolina, starvation throughout the world, suffering and abuse. After thinking about all those things, he said this:
"Today was a good day. It's always a good day to me. We don't have bad days here in heaven. Yes, I know there are terrible things going on in the world. And my heart breaks and I am far from ignorant or unaware. But I choose to focus on the good things. Today people were healed all over the world. Today people were set free. Today people thought differently about me, more towards the way I truly am."
Wow! This is pretty incredible to me. God is not unhappy. Even on the most atrocious days he chooses to find the good in it and say, "Today was a good day." I want to do the same.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
A Moment in Time
There are times in life where everything falls into place. Nothing changes. Yet at the same time everything does. It comes suddenly, unexpectedly. You could be riding the bus to work or having dinner with friends when WHAM!!! the realization that everything you have been waiting on, all the work all the patience, has suddenly paid off.
I remember back roughly 2 years ago when I encountered God in a more powerful and intimate way than I had ever done before. I believe I had accepted the free gift of salvation prior to this, but I hadn't truly given my life to him until this point. I quit my band, which, if you knew me at all during this timeframe you knew that was where the fullness of my identity lied, in music. A couple months later, at the leading of the Holy Spirit, I quit my jobs. A couple months later after some intense times of prayer and worship, I was off on my journey of faith, headed to Nashville Tennessee. In order to go, I gave up everything of value I had at the time: my hope of a music career, my relationship with my family, my music equipment, my vehicle, everything I had, he required of me.
December of 2013, me and Ben Miller headed out of town to go to a music festival in Iowa where I was scheduled to speak. The morning we left I looked at Ben and said something to the affect of, "You know if we do this, everything changes and we can never come back." I was speaking metaphorically of course but little did I know how literal that statement would become. We headed off and had a car that shouldn't have been taken out of town much less out of state. And we only had $30 cash to our names between the two of us. We left without even enough gas money to get where we intended to go. But we had faith. Unshakeable faith.
One thing after another, miraculously and right on time, God provided all we needed. We not only got to Iowa for me to speak at the small music festival which ironically was called Leap of Faith, we made it on to our next assignment in Nashville. I can still remember that first night driving down into the city on highway 65. As you start to come into the city, you come down a hill. As you come over the crest of the hill and make the descent into the city you see the beautiful skyline. It's gorgeous at night. One of the most beautiful sights in the world, to me at least. I knew the moment my eyes beheld that beautiful skyline that I was home. And not only was I home, but this would always be home.
Tonight I made that drive again. What started out being an awesome night with my roommate Jono and myself heading to our friends David and Vicki's house turned into a night I will never forget. I don't know if it hit me while I was eating desert, or maybe it was on the ride home, I'll never be sure of the exact moment. But at some point tonight, everything froze as I realized everything was about to change. Everything had changed.
I gave up everything when I left Wisconsin, and it's always been worth it. But tonight in the presence of even more world changers I realized that everyone in my life, everyone close to me is royalty. As I thought about that a bit more, I realized that royalty hangs out with royalty. And if I'm looking around and all I see is royalty, then I must be royalty too. Everything made sense. Everything I am called to do, I am positioned for. I have the most amazing people in my life. Not just the ones I mentioned tonight.
I am home. Everything is about to change. Everything has changed. I was the first one to realize it. Now everyone around me will start to realize it as the things that have been prepared start to happen in bigger and more amazing ways. But as my destiny unfolds and all things I'm dreaming about begin to come to pass, I realize I have more than I could ever have dreamed for. Living life with people who are kings and queens.
I remember back roughly 2 years ago when I encountered God in a more powerful and intimate way than I had ever done before. I believe I had accepted the free gift of salvation prior to this, but I hadn't truly given my life to him until this point. I quit my band, which, if you knew me at all during this timeframe you knew that was where the fullness of my identity lied, in music. A couple months later, at the leading of the Holy Spirit, I quit my jobs. A couple months later after some intense times of prayer and worship, I was off on my journey of faith, headed to Nashville Tennessee. In order to go, I gave up everything of value I had at the time: my hope of a music career, my relationship with my family, my music equipment, my vehicle, everything I had, he required of me.
December of 2013, me and Ben Miller headed out of town to go to a music festival in Iowa where I was scheduled to speak. The morning we left I looked at Ben and said something to the affect of, "You know if we do this, everything changes and we can never come back." I was speaking metaphorically of course but little did I know how literal that statement would become. We headed off and had a car that shouldn't have been taken out of town much less out of state. And we only had $30 cash to our names between the two of us. We left without even enough gas money to get where we intended to go. But we had faith. Unshakeable faith.
One thing after another, miraculously and right on time, God provided all we needed. We not only got to Iowa for me to speak at the small music festival which ironically was called Leap of Faith, we made it on to our next assignment in Nashville. I can still remember that first night driving down into the city on highway 65. As you start to come into the city, you come down a hill. As you come over the crest of the hill and make the descent into the city you see the beautiful skyline. It's gorgeous at night. One of the most beautiful sights in the world, to me at least. I knew the moment my eyes beheld that beautiful skyline that I was home. And not only was I home, but this would always be home.
Tonight I made that drive again. What started out being an awesome night with my roommate Jono and myself heading to our friends David and Vicki's house turned into a night I will never forget. I don't know if it hit me while I was eating desert, or maybe it was on the ride home, I'll never be sure of the exact moment. But at some point tonight, everything froze as I realized everything was about to change. Everything had changed.
I gave up everything when I left Wisconsin, and it's always been worth it. But tonight in the presence of even more world changers I realized that everyone in my life, everyone close to me is royalty. As I thought about that a bit more, I realized that royalty hangs out with royalty. And if I'm looking around and all I see is royalty, then I must be royalty too. Everything made sense. Everything I am called to do, I am positioned for. I have the most amazing people in my life. Not just the ones I mentioned tonight.
I am home. Everything is about to change. Everything has changed. I was the first one to realize it. Now everyone around me will start to realize it as the things that have been prepared start to happen in bigger and more amazing ways. But as my destiny unfolds and all things I'm dreaming about begin to come to pass, I realize I have more than I could ever have dreamed for. Living life with people who are kings and queens.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Encounter at Work
So today I was at work and shortly after I came back from lunch a coworker was telling me a story about how she had gotten some deliverance since the last time I saw her and God just rocked her. Now, for those of you who don't know, my spirit is very sensitive to the touch of God. That doesn't make me better or worse than anyone else, just how I'm wired.
Anyways, I turn back to my desk and instantly I feel the tangible presence of God. I start shaking and buckling over in my chair and I start asking God what he's doing. He tells me that he can move anytime, anywhere. Regardless of the atmosphere. Regardless of the faith in the room. His power and presence can come invade and change a room at anytime. The point he was trying to make was we don't have to only go to a revival service or a glory/impartation/healing meeting to see him come shake things up. (Nothing against any of those places. They are some of my favorite places/atmospheres to be in.).
He then gives me this word that I had to write down right then and there that I want to share with you now.
"I am coming.
I am coming this month to change everything.
Everything is about to change.
Much like the flood transformed the earth as it was known, I am about to change this world. This year ushers in the most radical change that the world is seen in 100 years. The shaking is happening now to release my leaders and to break the ground they have been hidden under. They have stewarded the secret place and the wilderness well and now I am bringing them out and elevating them. My leaders for this generation have been groomed. They have suffered. They have prepared in faith having only their redeemed imagination to see. I have seen it all. I will honor those who have honored me. All are about to see the ones I trust. They will come from no where and be thrust into the spotlight. Not because they have ever desired the spotlight but because they desired me. Because they desired me, they got me. And I am on and in their lives. I am putting them in the spotlight even now to shine the light on me. To shine the light of my glory upon them. These ones I am lifting up are the canvasses. I am the art.
A wave of my glory is coming. A wave much like a tsunami that will come and rearrange things. Many of my prophets and kids who have leaned into my chest to hear what my heart is saying have heard the change that's coming. There are some that have prepared and have positioned themselves by building an ark where there has never been rain. They have been mocked and ridiculed. But those who stayed the course, those who stayed in position, are the very ones who I will elevate for their faithful obedience. They will rise as my tsunami wave of glory comes. They will ride what many see as a storm into the positions of influence and authority I have prepared for them.
Now is the time."
Hopefully that is encouraging to you guys as it was to me. Till next time...
Anyways, I turn back to my desk and instantly I feel the tangible presence of God. I start shaking and buckling over in my chair and I start asking God what he's doing. He tells me that he can move anytime, anywhere. Regardless of the atmosphere. Regardless of the faith in the room. His power and presence can come invade and change a room at anytime. The point he was trying to make was we don't have to only go to a revival service or a glory/impartation/healing meeting to see him come shake things up. (Nothing against any of those places. They are some of my favorite places/atmospheres to be in.).
He then gives me this word that I had to write down right then and there that I want to share with you now.
"I am coming.
I am coming this month to change everything.
Everything is about to change.
Much like the flood transformed the earth as it was known, I am about to change this world. This year ushers in the most radical change that the world is seen in 100 years. The shaking is happening now to release my leaders and to break the ground they have been hidden under. They have stewarded the secret place and the wilderness well and now I am bringing them out and elevating them. My leaders for this generation have been groomed. They have suffered. They have prepared in faith having only their redeemed imagination to see. I have seen it all. I will honor those who have honored me. All are about to see the ones I trust. They will come from no where and be thrust into the spotlight. Not because they have ever desired the spotlight but because they desired me. Because they desired me, they got me. And I am on and in their lives. I am putting them in the spotlight even now to shine the light on me. To shine the light of my glory upon them. These ones I am lifting up are the canvasses. I am the art.
A wave of my glory is coming. A wave much like a tsunami that will come and rearrange things. Many of my prophets and kids who have leaned into my chest to hear what my heart is saying have heard the change that's coming. There are some that have prepared and have positioned themselves by building an ark where there has never been rain. They have been mocked and ridiculed. But those who stayed the course, those who stayed in position, are the very ones who I will elevate for their faithful obedience. They will rise as my tsunami wave of glory comes. They will ride what many see as a storm into the positions of influence and authority I have prepared for them.
Now is the time."
Hopefully that is encouraging to you guys as it was to me. Till next time...
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