A while ago I wrote the following blog post. I re-read it today. I meditated on it to encourage myself. May it encourage you as well. Whatever you do, don’t give up on the journey to your destiny. It matters to God and it matters to the world.
Feb13
Tag Archives: faith
Aug11
“Faith” & “40″ by Jason Upton
I was driving home from a friend’s tonight and my ipod shuffled to a song which took me back – to the summer after I graduated from university (2001). I would play the song on repeat, windows open, arm outstretched, a veritable mobile worship unit of hope and passion. The song is “Faith” by Jason Upton.
The next song in the shuffle tonight was “40″ by Jason Upton. It was another song I used as a fishing rod, casting the line from 2001 far into the future – into the nation of Iraq. It was in 2001 I had a dream of myself and some friends in one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces in Iraq. We were leading a Christian meeting. Saddam’s regime had fallen and he was dead. I knew it was a prophetic picture to be fulfilled. Now, ten years later (to the month) I am preparing to reel in the fish I threw my faith-hook into a decade ago. I am getting ready to go to Iraq.
He is faithful.
To lay faith on faith on faith, here is Jason’s song about Martin Luther King Jr, “Never Alone Martin.” I have had many moments when I felt Jesus grab my hand while listening to this song. He says to my heart, “Never alone, Dawn.” Hear him say it to your heart too. YOU are NEVER alone.
Jul11
“Take Heart” song by Hillsong
Be encouraged. God is ALWAYS FAITHFUL and ALWAYS GOOD.
We must not be led by how things “look.” There is always HOPE.
“TAKE HEART, HIS LOVE WILL LEAD US THROUGH!!!!
Hold on to hope and take courage again!”
Jul5
intellect santa, revelation belly
I moved. On the winds of books and furniture, pots and clothing, I was swept from a house to an apartment. On Friday, in a series of many back-and-forths, I moved. Now, I am unpacking. Today my books came out to play.
Despite the fact that I sold about one hundred books when I moved to Redding almost two years ago, I still have hundreds of books. I love them. Like some people love eye crinkles because they are distinguishing, or my seminary friend Lizzie loves scar stories because they are, in a sense, personally historic; I love books because they held my hand through valleys, across rivers, and around tight bends. In the dark of night we’ve talked: conversations which shaped me significantly. And now, I am asking my books to inhale deeply so I can squeeze them onto a tall bookshelf a friend gave me a few days ago.
I was thinking while situating my booklings. I was thinking about education, about the foundations God builds in our lives, and particularly about my own education. Here I am nearly done with my third Master’s Degree; living in Northern California; financially stretched; doing a research job part-time; applying and waiting for more jobs; and preparing to semi-move to Baghdad, Iraq after May 2012. There is a lot of mystery, but today I laughed remembering a prophetic word I received when I was 18 years old, “You will get countless degrees.” At the time I had taken a year off between high school and university, a decision I got an overwhelming amount of flak for. I have always heard God’s leading clearly with regard to education. There has been no uncertainty in where I went to school or when I went there. And so, today, I’m 31, and my black bookshelf, a plump Santa Claus whose tummy of books jiggles when he laughs, is testimony to my journey past and my journey future. God and I have built a foundation, through countless hours immersed in theology in the seminary library basement to long nights grueling over Palestinian political parties in my tiny Jerusalem bedroom, through cold winters in Massachusetts to hot summers in Israel, we have built, and built, and built.
The last floor we’ve completed, but certainly not the last one to be built, is the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry floor. Two years of studying revivalists and revivals, experiencing more and more of the Holy Spirit, and daring to think world-changing thoughts with world-changing people.
Revelation in many aspects is the crown of my education. And this gives me a freedom and a power far beyond academia.
This uses the fuel in my tank and adds 200 mile per hour driving skills. This makes me ready.
Madeleine L’Engle articulates the relationship between the intellect and revelation in her book “Walking on Water”
“not to set aside or discard the intellect, but to understand that it is not to become a dictator,
for when it does we are closed off from revelation.”
Like this:
Jun11
trust: walking into the unknown with purpose
“THE WAY OF TRUST IS A MOVEMENT INTO OBSCURITY,
INTO THE UNDEFINED,
INTO AMBIGUITY…
THE REALITY OF NAKED TRUST IS THE LIFE OF THE PILGRIM
WHO LEAVES WHAT IS NAILED DOWN, OBVIOUS, AND SECURE,
AND WALKS INTO THE UNKNOWN
WITHOUT ANY RATIONAL EXPLANATION TO JUSTIFY THE DECISION
OR GUARANTEE THE FUTURE.
WHY?
BECAUSE GOD HAS SIGNALED THE MOVEMENT
AND OFFERED IT HIS PRESENCE AND HIS PROMISE.”
~Brennan Manning
May23
the statistics that matter are heaven’s
Like this:
May20
God has VIEW.
Merrily reading “Walking on Water: Reflections of Faith and Art” by Madeleine L’ Engle today, drinking up creative writing juices as I continue to work on writing my book, I drifted upon this brilliant sentence:
“I have a point of view.
You have a point of view.
But God has view.”
(page 179)
Like this:
May9
* impossABILITY *
| “In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd.” | |
|
- Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (Spanish writer, author of the masterwork ‘El quijote’, 1547-1616)
“Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility; for it thinks all things lawful for itself, - Thomas Kempis |
My friend and Central Asia travel partner, Laura, assembled a DREAM BOOK consisting of the dreams of students at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, where I am currently finishing my second year. I suggest browsing our dreams here:
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2167122
Be inspired. Write out your own dreams. Smash boxes. Dream the “impossible” dream. : )
Mar21
“Never stop hoping” and other marvelous things the Bible says.
Heart colored with HOPE. (a painting by my gorgeous sister Dana)
I was innocently reading the books of Hebrews and James in the New Testament today and I came across several stunning somethings. One day I will sit with the writers of those books, drink some heavenly tea, and laugh really outlandishly. They pitched a fast ball with a lot of their sentences and I can still hear the “SMACK” as the Holy Spirit hits it out of the park. HOME RUN.
“We must hold on to the hope we have, never hesitating to tell people about it. We can trust God to do what He promised.”
(Hebrew 10:23 ERV)
“All of them had great faith. And with that faith they defeated kingdoms. They did what was right, and God helped them in the ways He promised. With their faith some people closed the mouths of lions. And some were able to stop blazing fires. Others escaped from being killed with swords. Some who were weak were made strong. They became powerful in battle and defeated other armies.”
(Hebrews 11:33-35 ERV)
“You must be patient too. NEVER STOP HOPING.”
(James 5:8 ERV)
"AMAL" - that's "hope" in Arabic and it makes me thirsty just looking at it. Thirsty for heaven on earth.
Dec31
Streeeetching past disappointment
Some of the most defining and determining moments in our lives are the moments when we decide how to deal with disappointment. We either get weary and leave open the doors of our souls for dissatisfaction and unbelief to come in OR we resolutely shake off the experience, close the doors, and move forward DARING to hold on to hope.
In these pivot points we set the tone for the rest of our lives.
Onward and upward is the choice of brave hearts.
Sometimes the discipline of choosing belief is excruciatingly painful. Eustace says in the latest Chronicles of Narnia film, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, when describing how Aslan (the God-figure) brought him in an instant from the transition of a dragon-body back to his human state, “It was really painful, but in a good way – like having a thorn removed from your foot.” It is in the choosing, despite the cost of comfort, that the great sloughing off occurs. It is in the yanking through a narrow spot that the refining happens.
It is in the conviction toward joy when it is expensive, that heavenly habits are formed.
I like heavenly habits. And really, I’m much too smitten with the Holy Spirit to hop out of the reformation-mobile and establish a “healthy” distance from the Holy Spirit. Yuck. That sounds entirely horrible.
The last few months ripe in growth, have also contained backroads of *ouch* and *aaaaaaaargh!* I’ve had thyroid disease since I was seven and though it is normally stable with medication there have been times – like when I moved to Israel in 2006 – that my body goes out of whack. I’ve been prayed for dozens and dozens of times. I know God heals. I know healing is easy from heaven’s perspective and healing is our inheritance on earth. In the journey of the last few years I’ve seen hundreds of people healed through my own hands. I rarely felt bitter that my own healing hadn’t come. I just love seeing people healed and happy; and I know my own healing is en route. Well, in the last several months I have really focused on healing for my thyroid and I’ve seen measures of breakthrough. I’ve also had powerful encounters with God: I’ve been tackled in my bedroom; I’ve spent hours on the floor outside the healing rooms at church after going out in the Spirit; I’ve had people approach me with profound words of knowledge and pray for me; I’ve collapsed under the power of His Presence here and there and everywhere. And the healing has yet to show up on earth. In the interim I’ve walked through lethargy, facial swelling, intestinal issues, slow metabolism, and a litany of other not-so-pretty symptoms. In time a doctor’s appointment, a blood test, and a fresh prescription have brought balance and removed most symptoms, but I am still really excited to be healed one day soon.
I’m not sharing any of that for pity. I hate pity. Compassion is fine, but pity is unhelpful. I prefer advocacy and a heavenly perspective. I’m sharing because there is a long-held awareness in my life that in my honesty others find strength and inspiration. I’m sharing because as the New Year pokes through the sky tonight, we need to choose to let GO of the old and grab a hold of the new. We need to issue a rally cry to everyone that JESUS IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!!! And we will flourish as we let go of unanswered questions, confusion, and fear; and dive into the syrupy Presence of the One who understands ALL. What an honor to have a best friend who knows everything, sees outside of time, and LOVES beyond measure!
Right now we could choose to focus on what is not. We could stare at lack. We could grumble. We could be self-focused. We could be fearful that we will be terminally disappointed. And we could miss the opportunities to love and transform the world around us. We could miss out on the great masterpiece our beautiful Creator is making.
Or we could celebrate every victory, no matter how small. We could fast negativity (as in commit to not say and think negative things). We could speak the truth of God over our lives daily: I am powerful, I am seated with Christ in heavenly places, circumstances are under my feet, sickness flees in my presence. We could make every day a party. We could let loose the shoelaces of our love, toss off our hindrances and dance barefoot!
I have to choose the latter. My heart must have closeness with God. Nothing else will ever persuade me of a greater worth. He’s it. haha. No need to search for the next best thing. He is the always best thing.
So, whoever you are, wherever you are. Shake it off. Whatever you negatively fixate on about 2010, blink it away. Stop thinking about changing your ways and just change them. Be YOU. You can do it. You were born to succeed! You were designed to live an outrageously wonderful life so full of love and power that the whole universe awakens in awe to your beauty.
Ezekiel 16:9-14 paints a gorgeous image of us redeemed and beautified by our Husband,
“I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
We have been lavished with salvation and beauty – so much beauty the nations are in awe. We have a choice of what to do with that beauty. In Ezekiel, the woman ( Jerusalem), squanders the love by throwing her attentions and her affections other places. Let’s be the woman who shows the nations their own beauty and lavishes them with the same love that brought us into salvation and wholeness.
Let’s stretch. Let’s grow.
2011, HERE WE GROW!!!!!!!
hahahaha!!!
I love all of you (even the internet wanderers who followed the yellow brick road here that I don’t know personally)!
I recommend listening to two teachings in the box.net on the left side bar of my blog: parts 1 & 2 of “Living Un-Offended at God” by Bill Johnson. ENJOY!!! Get radical with HOPE!
Happy NEW-EST YEAR!!!
You have a destiny and a purpose!
p.s. As my sister Dori is going to India in 4 days to work in a restoration house with survivors of the sex trade for 3 months, this form of slavery is on the forefront of my mind.
(Her blog: http://pinkdor.wordpress.com/ )
We must be courageous and set the captives free. How about Isaiah 61 as a New Year’s Resolution!?! Let’s eradicate disease, slavery, and darkness from the planet! As you link with heaven’s faith, here’s music to believe by: http://www.exoduscry.com/ I especially like tracks 3 & 10. )
