The Void will Pass

How the dread of night surrounds me, where hope might slip in a stone-blind twilight. Oh my soul! Remember night always grows darkest before dawn. Though I face this void alone, it will pass as a fleeting moment. For even now, the horizon prepares to bloom and earth hurtles on into another day, rising in silver hue, then red, then golden dawn. The light reminds my heart of promise and my sight returns, and Jesus – my Bright and Morning Star – commands His calm across every continental worry and stormy sea. I rise, a dread champion in daybreak, to celebrate my King in coming day. Hallelujah!

- Stephen De Silva (reference Proverbs 4:18-19)

Closer – Bethel Music featuring Steffany Frizzell

How great His love is for us!

This video is from my church recently. Para-sail on the winds of His love.

Endorsements for My Book: “Driving through Walls”

My book will be published soon. When I was a child I woke up really early on Christmas morning because of excitement and anticipation. Since it is still two months before publication, I should probably not stay awake from now until then – despite my joyful enthusiasm. I need my sleep to finish the journey.

I am in the midst of the editing ocean now. It is a great, tedious, and maturing journey.

To whet your appetite for the book, I’m going to drip-drop endorsements for my book onto you in the weeks ahead.

Praise for Driving through Walls

Thousands upon thousands each year go on pilgrimage to the land of the Holy One. There they see the divine majesty of the one who once trod that land. There are very few people who will take residence in that land called Holy, but rent apart by trauma, turmoil, and conflict. I, like Dawn, have lived there and loved that land. In this book you are given the opportunity to see it like it really is. You also see what, I believe, is the only way to cope here, the supernatural miraculous nature of G-d.

As you read Dawn’s inspiring words you will see how from a very young age the Lord was preparing Dawn to be in this place and do this work. Somehow I think this is just the beginning for Dawn, but spiritually this book will give you a chance to come here too.

The Rev’d Canon Andrew P B White, Vicar of Baghdad

President of the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation on the Middle East

 

 

In a fast-paced world of opinions and sound bites it is always refreshing to read a book that matters. Dawn’s story is a story of courage, compassion, wide-eyed wonder and, most of all, faith. She has experienced horrors that none of us ever want to ever see, and wonders that we all hope could happen to us. Her’s is a story that will encourage you and prompt you to seize God’s call on your life. I encourage you to read it with joy!

Dr. Paul Wright

President of Jerusalem University College

Mt. Zion, Jerusalem, Israel

 

 

You can help my book get published by pre-purchasing a copy and/or making a contribution. Anonymous giving is available. I need $1,335 by March 31, 2012 to get the book published. It will be released in MAY!!!! HOORAY!

Info here.

Bethel Conferences Near YOU

Bethel Conferences Near YOU

For all those interested in attending a Bethel Church conference in your area, check out the itinerary. I hope you go to a conference and your life becomes radically more passionate, alive, and whole. 

Back to Eden ****AMAZING FILM!!!!!****

Monday night I went to The Inventors’ Group at my church. As a result I was introduced to the following film. This is one of the most inspiring films I have ever seen. It is about much more than innovative ways of gardening. It’s about a revolution. It’s about thinking outside the box in all areas of life. It’s about co-laboring with God, hearing His ideas, learning from Who He is. It’s about rest, not striving. The whole journey is a brilliant metaphor for life with God: the pruning, the innate water (the Holy Spirit), the choice to follow His design instead of creating  a false sense of control, the reality of quality, and the beauty of a healthy harvest.

Please watch this film and invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you through it. You will be changed.

Watch the film free HERE.

Enjoy an original song from the film HERE.

The Waiter, a Word of Knowledge, and Iraq

Today I was editing my forthcoming book and I came across something I’d forgotten: the waiter that Andrea and I met in July 2008 in Lakeland, Florida was committed to going to IRAQ with the military before we met him! IRAQ! That’s certainly ironic.

Basically, what happened that fateful day was: Andrea and I had lunch at Chili’s and I got a word of knowledge for the waiter. I asked him if he experienced a certain thing in his life, shocked, he said, “Yes. How did you know?” Soon we were chatting about his destiny and God’s pursuit of him. We invited him to the revival gathering that night. He couldn’t come because he was working a double shift, but agreed to come with us to Starbucks across the street between shifts. We went to Starbucks together and ran into some women we’d met the day before. One woman prophesied over our new friend. He was stunned and gladdened. We prayed God would make a way for him to come with us that night. Then we dropped him back off at Chili’s. A few minutes after dropping him off he called us. “‘Hey! Can you guys come back and get me? Right when I walked in to clock in, one of the girls I work with walked up to me and said, “Hey, can I have your shift tonight?” So, I gave it to her and I want to come to the meeting with you.’”

We turned around and he came to the service with us. That night he re-dedicated his life to God. The next night he brought his kids. In the weeks that followed his whole life got straightened out and he was confidently walking toward his dreams for the first time in many years.

All that from a word of knowledge at Chili’s! AND in his re-directing he cancelled his plans to go to Iraq. I’m glad he didn’t go into the midst of war. Of course, I didn’t know at the time that Iraq was actually the next Middle Eastern nation I would focus on.

There is so much power regarding timing and divine appointments as we truly follow Jesus. Wow.

In July 2008 I didn’t know how Iraq related to my life. Now, I do. I long to be back in Iraq; and I wait for that sort of “suddenly” the waiter experienced in which his whole life changed in a day. I wait for that in many areas of my life.

The right thing is great, but the right thing at the RIGHT time is GLORIOUS.

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One of the things I am waiting on is finances. I’m working part-time, but it is not covering my expenses. I’ve applied for over thirty jobs, but nothing else has come together. Technically, I am working a lot, but it is not paid: writing my book, writing articles for websites, speaking to various groups, and other Middle East related projects. If you’d like to help me cover my expenses my urgent need is for $555 this week.

Checks mailed to me are great and tax deductible giving is here:

http://upsidedownbethlehem.wordpress.com/how-to-give-toward-my-life/

Thanks for being part of the journey.

 

“Cybill Shepherd and God Tag-Teaming”: An Excerpt from My Book

I’ve spent a big chunk of today editing my book. It’s at 271 pages and the publisher needs it to be 256. Moreover, I’m not even done WRITING the book so, this is a tremendous editing effort. Anyhow, the bit about my mom hearing from God through Cybill Shepherd’s TV show is one of my favorite parts. ENJOY. 

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My mom was coming around too, unbeknownst to me. My sister informed me that my mom picked up a copy of a magazine that spotlighted Boston and she remarked again-and-again how much the city reminded her of me. I laughed – my mom never mentioned this to me, of course, but it was obvious God was leading her heart to be able to bless my move as well.

Father’s Day weekend in June of 2002 was our big step forward. My dad and my sisters were in Mexico on a missions trip so I trekked up to Fresno, a four hour drive, to spend a few days with my mom. It was the last time I would be with her before my departure in August. My mom made a point of emphasizing that. One afternoon we were seated on the balcony drinking tea and she mournfully said, “Well, I guess this is the last time we will be drinking tea on the balcony.” Later while having dinner, she paused, “Well, I guess this is the last time we will be having dinner together.” “Mom, I will be back to visit. We’ll do these things again, just not as often,” I quipped. Regardless, with nearly every activity we did, my mom would tack on the observation, “I guess this is the last time we will be _____________ together.”

At the visit’s end I stood at the white door to my parents’ house, my sandals on the pale green rug, moving toward the door as they had thousands of times before, and my mom hugged me and said, “Well, I guess this is the last time I will be saying goodbye to you.” I smiled. “I’ll call you when I get back home, Mom.” I plopped in my car and in exasperation said, “God, you have got to talk to my mom about this!”

My car sailed out of Fresno, darting past vineyards, orchards, outlet malls, travel centers, big rigs, out through the central valley, over the grapevine into the Los Angeles basin and all the way into my sunny parking place in Orange County. Topography talks. It’s one of the many reasons I love driving. The changes in trees, hills, fields, and even the drop sheet of the mainly blue sky over the scaffolding of earth’s atmosphere, told me parables. I could see transition. I could see hope. I could feel my beloved 1992 Toyota Celica put on his game face to conquer the steep inclines before him. I could see how, in a mere four hours, nearly everything could change.

I called my mom.

“The strangest thing happened after you left,” she said immediately. “What? What happened?” I asked. “Well, I guess I was feeling lonely and I went and sat down in front of the TV.” “What?” I thought, “My mom almost never sits down and watches TV, particularly on her own. That’s strange already!” She went on, “Well, you know that show with Cybill Shepherd? You know, it’s pretty much her show?” “Yeaaaaaah” I said, remembering how very much my mom adored that particular actress. “So, I saw that show and I started to watch it and it was so strange.” “What do you mean?” I asked. “The show, I mean, the storyline of the show: Cybill Shepherd’s character’s daughter and her lived in Southern California, but her daughter was engaged to a man from Boston. So, her daughter wanted to move to Boston, but Cybil really didn’t want her to… then they all had a discussion about it over dinner. They talked about the pros and cons of Boston versus Southern California. By the end of dinner, Cybill Shepherd’s character realized that Boston was the best place for her daughter and she decided to support her move – even though she would be sad she was far away, she knew it was where she was supposed to be.”

My mom’s voice drifted back into her brain, “Isn’t that odd? I mean, because it’s like you and your situation; and you are moving from Southern California to the Boston area.” Dumbfounded, I said, “Yeah, that’s really amazing, Mom.” Coming back out of her brain she added, “It’s like with me, I mean, I think I see now why you need to move to Massachusetts. And you’ll be far away, and that will be sad for me, but I think it is what you are supposed to do and maybe I need to see it more from your perspective and be more supportive of your decision to move.” I was absolutely beside myself in awe. HOW DID GOD DO THAT? How did He put that together so that one of my mom’s favorite actresses was on a show with that plotline? How did He arrange for the timing so that my mom would go through exactly the emotional journey she needed to, at just the right time? HOW DID GOD DO THAT?

I knew one thing, He loved me more than I could ever fathom. And boy was I glad.

Becoming the Beloved

In honor of Valentine’s Day, here is a beautiful piece of spoken word by Graham Cooke.

“To become the beloved you must see yourself as I see you.” – God

 

I recommend finding a quiet place, closing your eyes, and letting your spirit soak up God’s true love for you.

Faith often wears the clothes of perseverance.

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.

http://upsidedownbethlehem.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/happy-perseverance-seven-times-elijah-said-go-back/

A “Dare” of a Song: “I’ll Stand” by Hillsong

Last night I went to the Prophetic Team Dinner at my church, Bethel Church. There I saw lots of people I had not seen since returning from Iraq December 22. They merrily asked about my trip. They checkered their wonder with sweet encouragement, “Did you feel like you were walking in your destiny?” “Did it confirm that is where your heart is?” “I’m so excited for you!” and I shared snippets of stories and smiles and breakthrough. It was hard. It was hard because I don’t know when I will be back in Iraq. There are a number of things in a state of “wait and see.” Moreover, as one might imagine, a semi-move to a war zone is not straightforward. So, I wait. I look for purpose in this time. And there is purpose. There is always purpose.

Yet, it’s been a really rough month since returning. The wait to return to Iraq has not been the worst of it actually, the worst of it has been the financial drought. I have felt disillusioned, frustrated, discouraged, and sad.  With these responses I have the opportunity to step back and realize emotions like this are not truth and they usually come from lies I am believing. (For example, “God doesn’t care about me enough to put this in order” or “I’ve spent 16 years praying and dreaming and ‘for what?’” or “God is not being faithful to me right now.”) I have to keep coming back to the truth of Who I know God to be, despite the way things “look.” I have to worship Him when I don’t feel like it. I have to dare to find purpose and vision in this season of my life despite the flickers of bitterness in my soul.

Mind you, there is a lot happening: I published two ebooks, I wrote an article for restorationliving.com, I’m writing three more articles for websites, I’m nearly done with writing my first print book, and I’m chatting with a publisher about that. I’ve also had opportunities to speak to people about my trip and to ignite hope for their own dreams to be fulfilled. On top of that, there are some other things brewing right now which are absolutely on my list of “Life Dreams” and I will do internal cartwheels when those things happen. My flatmates and friends are great at helping me see the GOOD things being accomplished. They remind me. Over and over again friends remind me. I’m so thankful. I’ve historically been fiercely independent, but what I have learned about healthy interdependence and the power of unity in the Body of Christ over the past few months has transformed my core.

All to say, when my friend James led worship last night and sang, “I’ll  Stand” it felt like a rebellion against apathy and self-pity, and it made me resolve, yet again, to stay close to my Beloved Jesus no matter what – including when I don’t understand His ways and I am fighting resentment. As I sang, the tears in my eyes were from the pain of choosing intimacy despite my want to “protect” myself from getting “hurt.” I know God doesn’t mean to hurt me, but it’s easier to accuse Him than to really transform my mind (at least it appears easier). So, there’s the truth: I am the one responsible for transforming my mind – thinking renewed thoughts. (Romans 12:2) God wants to help me with this, but I need to want it to happen. I need to get over my deadly blend of fear and control; and let love rule.

As my pastor Bill Johnson says, “If you want peace that passes understanding, you have to give up your right to understand.”

On that note,

“I’ll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, in awe of the One who gave it all”

“I’ll stand my soul, Lord, to you surrendered. All I am is Yours!”

Will you?