Thursday, October 4, 2012

Paint the Dream, Trust the Dream

Sometimes we just need to trust our dreams. True, not always, but I think we usually can tell which ones to trust and which to question. There is just something different about the trusted ones; the ones that we have a sense are more than just indigestion.

I've heard a lot of excuses over the years that someone had a strange dream because of what they ate, and while occasionally that might be true, I don't think it is where the dreams came from most of the time. Dreams come from three places, that I am aware of: the subconscious, the enemy, and our Creator God. Being holistic beings, the spirit, soul, body are all connected even in dream time and therefore we are still susceptible to what our dreams deliver.

There is a saying, we get out what we put in; similar to when Jesus spoke of sowing and reaping, as well as faith accordance for what occurs in life; faith is a type of sowing. Are we sowing our faith to the things of God, or the things of the world?

Dreams are one are we can look at that question, among many. We can look at a dream and it might seem just amazingly crazy. I know;l I've had them at times. But when we pray about them; seek God for a meaning, we can get a better sense of whether it was from the flesh, the Spirit, or the enemy, and therefore gain an interpretation that is fitting to what was occurring in the dream world.

One such dream that I've had recently... one of those crazy-seeming dreams that at first seem like  mixed up jumbles was vibrant enough that I've been painting it, in part. As a follower of Christ, I am used to this type of dream though I don't always find an answer right away; I am thankful to have a dream interpretation partner who is also a strong believer.


Jacob is an example in the Bible of someone else who had some vivid and amazing dreams. In Genesis 28, verses 10-12, we read (Message version): 

Jacob left Beersheba and went to Haran. He came to a certain place and camped for the night since the sun had set. He took one of the stones there, set it under his head and lay down to sleep. And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground and it reached all the way to the sky; angels of God were going up and going down on it.

WeHeartIt.com  
 His ladder... his stairway... was in the dream I've begun painting.

How do I know that it was Jacob's ladder? I know by faith, and I know by confirmation. And the ladder was surrounded with angel wings, in the sky, attached to a piano with a door that opens and closes between the keys and steps. There were stars everywhere that looked almost like seashells in their beauty. And of course, angels... not just wings floating in the atmosphere, but angels going up and down the ladder, through the door, and at one point, Jesus interacted with one of them. It was quite intense....

                                                     Lenny Kravitz- Calling All Angels

This is an example of a dream that I just have to trust God on... as well as its interpretation. And the painting I've been working on this past week will be a reminder that sometimes, we just need to trust our dreams and the ultimate Dream Creator, our Creator

Thursday, August 9, 2012

In Store

Sometimes, God shows us ahead of time what's in store.

Does this mean we "get it" right away? Not always.

We see, sense, know that we know things when God speaks to us through dreams, visions, other people, the media, and experiences, among other ways, and if we have ears to hear, and eyes to see, we will at least receive the message even if we don't understand it.

When God speaks to or interacts with us, it is a face-to-face, heart-to-heart encounter with God sometimes:
An angel arrives... recognized as such, or not.
A miracle occurs above and beyond the call of the prayers.
A dream warns us.
A friend shares wisdom that could only come from The Creator.

What is God saying to you?

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Dreamer's Watch, Part 2: Foreknowledge

Many people can relate to what I'm about to say... and many won't be able to. As a precursor to the rest of the blog, I do NOT believe in psychics, horoscopes, or witchcraft; I do NOT take heed of alternate ways to see into the realm of the Spirit, but follow Jesus only. And for some, this is a heavy topic, so this post is not for everyone...

ALL photos on this page courtesy of WeHeartIt.com

Now that that's out of the way, on to the topic of foreseeing or foretelling something on God's behalf...

Thing is, there are some of us who sense death when it is happening, prior to it, or very soon afterward. It is not something we seek out - at least I don't - but is part of a gift we have that the Spirit of God has given us. Whether in a dream, a vision, or "simply" having a knowing (as in, word of knowledge)... there are people who pass away, and God reveals it to some of the world before the rest of us have any idea what has happened.

I will not say that I have experienced this often... but there have been a handful of times when I have had a sense, a dream, or a vision that someone is passing or has passed, only to find out that it is so.

With all of the recent celebrity deaths, it seemed a fitting time to mention the topic.

I knew when in California God didn't want me to go to Oceanside. I didn't know why... I just knew something was about to happen. Junior Seau's life here on earth ended, and the world will not be the same. My every condolence to you, his family, if you are seeing this post... He made his mark on this world, and on those who loved him. I can only imagine what you must be going through. My heart goes out to his family, neighbors, and close friends from his football days...



When I heard someone say Robin Gibb died I already knew. In fact, I "heard" it a couple weeks ago, and so wondered if it were in a dream, a vision, or where I heard it. My friend Stephenie, who mentioned it, seemed not to know how to take that I had heard already when no one had told me. Condolences go out to the Gibb family, as well... his music goes on forever.



When Whitney Houston died, I didn't know she was dead but I had a sense something awful had happened... I wasn't sure until I saw online the headlines of her passing. One of my mentors, however, had a deeper knowing and sensed her passing from one realm to the other, I understand... And condolences go out... her talent and heart have truly touched the world.



Three people from high school died, and I already knew. I didn't know how I knew... I just knew. One, I was a few blocks away when he was shot... and I knew he was gone. I barely knew him, and didn't know where he was, but I "saw" the whole thing in my mind. It was confirmed a few days later. I know you likely won't see this and know if it's your family, but know... anyone who has lost their child in the early years, it is difficult. My heart goes out to each one!

When Michael Jackson died, I saw it in a dream the night before. It was freaky... a nightmare... but when, the day after the dream, I heard he was gone, I wasn't fazed. Saddened, but not surprised. I was IM-ing with a friend at the time, and he's who mentioned it to me... and I recall saying, "No surprise." He was pissed until I told him I saw it in a dream the night before. And when I later on revealed the whole dream to another friend before there was a case against C. Murray, she, too, was surprised somewhat but more than that, saddened. She, too, has a similar gift and so I think she understood... If you're reading this, those who hold him in your hearts; those who were close to him... my sincere condolences. He was a wonderful man, and it is only up to God to judge him... not those of us in the world. God knew his heart and intents, and that is what matters.



My grandfather, when he passed, I sensed he was gone. I called his house right after he passed, and asked how he was, knowing he was gone, and was told at the time, he was fine. Later I found out it was less than 10 minutes after he passed. Those in my family and friends who knew and loved Grampa will know that I mean it when I say... he will forever be missed... though no longer in pain and with his Maker now, he is thought of every single day... as I'm sure the rest of those mentioned are, as well, by someone.

A friend from college, when she passed... I was one of the last people to speak to her before she died. I must have dreamed it though I honestly don't recall the dream... I just know that as I walked to my first class the day after she left this earth, I just had a knowing. I was still a bit shocked, having just spoken to her, but I knew... And in this case, so did at least two other people I knew at the time. Again, no words but condolences.. those who know who I mean, and miss her... will understand the depth of the loss.

And a final example... I had a knowing something was wrong in the family of one of my good friends from growing up. I hadn't spoken with anyone in the family for a few years... and then all of a sudden I knew I had to call. I didn't know why... but I did. Less than a week later, one of the two people who answered the phone was dead, and the other had found the first.  I think for me, this was the most intense other than the shooting and Michael Jackson. I'd be surprised if you're reading this, but I think you will know who you are if you do... and my dearest, deepest condolences to those of you who DO miss him. Your family member had a lot to give this world, and did much good, even if most didn't see it. I miss him, too... and all of you.

So, here's what's up: How many people have these experiences? Are they rare, or common? I've heard both as perspectives... but what does the Bible show about the commonality of this gift?

When I read the Bible, it was very rare that someone could sense a death. There were times when some of the prophets knew... like when Elijah was going to die and God revealed it to Elisha and the band of prophets that were nearby. God showed Hezekiah he was preparing to bring him home, and Hezekiah was able to intercede for himself in the hope God would add more years to his life. Mostly, though, God revealed the death of Jesus to many over the years, revealing it to His people throughout the centuries in pieces... right up until He was crucified and raised from the dead.


God revealed and continues to reveal to His people that which is important. He gives visions, dreams, words of wisdom and knowledge, discernment, and the auditory prophetic gifts to His people, and in this way, helps the Body of Christ have a fuller understanding of the times as well as the future.

God shows people a lot of different things; not just death. Most of what He shows us is life, or leads to life for one or more people. 

For example, when He showed me that if my ex's cousin went to court over a car accident she was in, there would be a deadly accident on the way to the courthouse. It was a dream, and I didn't know who she was... that she was even related. I just described what I saw, and he called the cousin, who was suing another cousin, and they stopped the case. An accident DID occur that day, but neither of these women were part of it.

Another time, a perfect stranger needed to heed a warning that God had for her, and she did, to her credit. She made the right decision, and as a result her family stayed together and stayed alive. Had she walked into what she was planning, then her family would have been lost to her. In her case, she had to decide between alcohol and life. A couple years after our conversation, she came up to me, and I didn't recognize her, I admit... but she walked up, gave me a hug, and said the word she received saved her life... was I an angel? I told her, no, I'm not an angel, but that sometimes God uses His people to speak into the lives of others so that there is clarity. The person hearing the word still has a choice, but they HAVE heard from God.

You see, when someone with a true prophetic gift, in whatever form it is... or a gift of word of wisdom or knowledge... it is one of the ways God speaks to the world. Sometimes this is showing a word picture so that when a death occurs, someone is prepared to help comfort others. Sometimes, it is helping someone see the decision in front of them so they can make the right choice. Sometimes, it is a word that brings healing, or encouragement. And there are other things God says through His people, but always, always, when the vessel is truly open to God and in line with Him, He speaks what He must and the outcome is then left for free choice to interact with the word.

When Jonah ran away from God, it was because he knew that Ninevah might repent and God wouldn't actually destroy their city. He knew God was compassionate and that when people repent... when they turn from their wicked ways... God sometimes relents. This was true with Hezekiah, as well... he knew that God is compassionate and full of mercy, and that if he turned his life around, God might grant him a furtherance in years to live.

What about you? When and if you've seen or heard specifically from God... when there has been a directive, or you had a dream, vision, or "knowing" of things happening or to come, how did you respond? What choice did you make?

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Psalms 91 and 121- Wonderful Reminders

    Psalm 121 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Lord the Keeper of Israel. 

A Song of Ascents.

121 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.

      Psalm 91     New Living Translation (NLT)
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
Though a thousand fall at your side,
    though ten thousand are dying around you,
    these evils will not touch you.
Just open your eyes,
    and see how the wicked are punished.
If you make the Lord your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
    to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
    you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.”

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Hope and Faith

"Now, there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons."

  ~1 Corinthians 12:4-6



God has been interesting. Isn't He always? And I mean this in the most sincere way, as He has led me through some very tough times and blessed me in amazingly wonderful ways; miraculous ways.

Some of these things have been more recent than one might think...

As I continue to discuss the gifts of the Spirit, and the topic of dreams as a subset of that, other topics are, of course, woven into the weft of the conversation here.


Something I said in Dreamer's Watch, Part 1 has caught my eye to start us off today: The Eternal dwells within and works through the Mortal… He has for centuries and doesn’t plan to stop.


God knows us all inside and out. He created life and personhood, and works through His creation as His plan moves forward through time. One of those ways is the gifts of the Spirit. And within each believer's life, there is a GIFT MIX that He uses for His glory; giftings which He doesn't take back when we mess things up (thank You!) but that work best when we are fully in line with His will, His way, His purposes not just for our lives but for the world and history.

In my own life, time will tell the ultimate goals of the Lord. I think it is safe to say about any life that this is the case... but for my own, I know for sure life is a panoramic work in progress.

Much prophecy through others has come to pass, and through myself. Some has yet to be revealed and I await the outcomes. I also know, though, that because of free will, God's best promises aren't always the reality we walk into as life occurs. God alone can create the results He promises, and sometimes we live life never seeing the promises fulfilled because there is a greater plan, so someone else sees the promise who lives beyond us.

There have been times in my life where I have known or witnessed people who looked forward to the promises that never happened for them, but who trusted God all the way. And if I end up being one of those people who never see some of the promises, I want to be someone God says "well done, good and faithful servant" to because, in spite of not seeing, I believed. I trusted Him. I had faith.

Faith comes not with sight but with insight. Inner sight. Seeing with the eyes of the heart and knowing what we know. Whether this knowing comes because we have seen a dream or vision, heard a word, or sensed a knowing in our spirit... whether it comes from hearing someone else mention something that catches our heart, looking at a photograph, or any other way... faith is knowing that we know what we know. 

I read a few weeks ago someone who said, in effect:

HOPE can be described as believing that God is able.
FAITH is knowing that not only is God able, He  is willing and will do what we believe He will do.

How do YOU describe Hope? How do you define Faith? Is there a difference? What is the TRUTH?

The Eternal works through the Mortal. God works through PEOPLE. And He does this, in part, when we HOPE, and have FAITH. When we TRUST Him for the TRUTH. He works through us through prophecy, through words of knowledge and wisdom, and through all of the gifts of the Spirit. Through experiences. Through LIFE.

He worked through JESUS. Through the prophets. Through the woodworkers and musicians and parents and royals; through the common folk and the well-known. He works through YOU; through ME. He works through everything and everyone we interact with, our thoughts and feeling included, to create a reality for each of us that lines up with His will as best as possible as free will twirls through the atmosphere and interacts with His will.

In this whirly-twirly world of God's will meets free will... in this world God created and calls us to co-create with Him... HOPE and FAITH work wonders.

How do you describe Hope? How do YOU define Faith? Is there a difference? What is the TRUTH?

 

Friday, April 20, 2012

Dreamer's Watch, Part 1


For those who have been following my testimony over at The Color of Faith, welcome!! For those who want more background but haven’t followed it, I invite you to check it out. The Testimony tag will lead you to the whole series. Thanks!!

Photos from WeHeartIt.com

This blog is meant to go more in-depth and isn’t for the faint of heart or the skeptical. I will let you know that right now. This blog is for prayer warriors; fellow dreamers; people of God and those interested in learning about what happens in the lives of everyday people of God. If you have a heart for God, a heart for His people, a heart to see Him at work in the world, then you’re in the right place… where the Supernatural dwells side by side with the Natural. The Eternal dwells within and works through the Mortal… He has for centuries and doesn’t plan to stop.

Dreamer’s Watch is meant to be an in-depth of some of what was discussed in Wings, Fangs, and Flight over at The Color of Faith, and the plan is to coincide it with some related posts over at Kura Kimanna, as well. This blog series will fill in some of the blanks from my testimony… the more Supernatural blanks…

In my initial testimony series, you learned about some of the more major attacks that were happening in my life: the TIRE IRON incident, Dad’s accident, relational issues with the ex-husband and how God put me through school while I was technically homeless… moving couch to couch and room to room, not having a place to call my own until close to the end of graduate school. And there is so much more…

There are the gifts of the SPIRIT OF GOD… The following results are from Gifted2Serve
Healing, Prophecy, Intercession- 20
Knowledge, Exhortation- 19
Faith- 18
Mercy, Tongues- 17
Hospitality, Teaching- 16
Missionary, Wisdom, Giving, Leadership- 15
Ekballism, Helps- 14
Miracles, Evangelism- 13
Shepherd, Apostle- 12
Administration, Voluntary Poverty- 11
Interpretation of Tongues- 10
Service- 9

Interestingly enough, in the Network book, published by Zondervan, I came up with similar but distinctly differing results. This is IN PART because not all the same gifts are recognized between the two… lol
Word of Knowledge- 21
Faith, Intercession – 20
Creative Communication, Mercy – 19
Prophecy- 18
Encouragement, Shepherding- 17
Teaching, Discernment, Hospitality- 16
Evangelism- 15
Word of Wisdom, Administration- 14
Craftsmanship- 13
Giving- 12
Leadership, Helps- 11
****Healing, Interpretation, Miracles, and Tongues all checkmarked as YES (they don’t have scores for some reason?!)



While for many, this means almost nothing… for others, this profile of spiritual awareness and assessment is helpful in understanding who I truly am, in my ontological self as God created me to be. 

Several things have happened in my life of a supernatural nature that many would not even believe, including BELIEVERS… I know we have all lived through some things that have been of this nature… the things others see as impossible. I thought that there was something wrong with me when I was a very small child because I was SOOO different from everyone else I knew. I knew nobody who displayed the PROPHETIC gift… the SEER gift (SEERS are those whose prophetic gift come mainly through visions, dreams, and other visuals from God and the SPIRIT REALM). Some of my very earliest memories are of this GIFT… I had no name for it; I had no name for any of the gifts, really, at the age of two or three, which is the earliest memory I have of the SPIRITUAL world.

Some might look at the experience I had in the rocking chair as a child, where I was singing to God in heavenly language, and say, “But you were a child… you were likely making it up.” I’ve actually had these kind of comments. The thing is… I have always known the difference between my own imagination and what God was doing, even if I had no idea how I knew. The earliest prophetic WORDS I received from Him were at this same age… two or three years old. Many of the words have come to pass… others, I still wait for and pray over, but God is the One Who does the work for prophecy to come to pass… not man. I learned that the hard way over the years.

                                          Natasha Beddingfield- Unwritten

I look forward to sharing my journey with you through this testimony, and through life… PLEASE, don’t forget to come on back and check out what is happening… and stay tuned, because God has some amazing things to share with you… and I look forward to the future He has shown! What about you!


Friday, February 10, 2012

Dreams and Visions

For an early Valentine's Day gift, God gave me a pretty cool vision. I was able to share it with one of my prayer partners... the only one I shared the whole thing with. Was pretty intense... trees, a lion, a lamb, and some pretty intensely beautiful roses as some of the themes...

Then, yesterday, I got back into contact with a friend whose birthday is... Valentine's Day, the day after three different random people asked if I had a Valentine. It's been interesting... lol

Whatever your dreams, I hope you have a wonderful week! Hopefully I'll be able to update more often soon...

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Interesting... Very Interesting...

There's a particular date has been in my mind and heart for a few weeks now, most of all in the past week, and has now been in visions and dreams with some detail. I'm pretty excited about the possibilities... the non-date details have been confirmed and the date details have interesting texture to them that I find fascinating. I can hardly wait to see how God will work it all out, and what will happen.