Miracle Baby!

Posted on March 17, 2017 by thelivinghopeblog

Patti and Wade Jenkins knew they wanted more children.  When the fertility treatments worked, they were overjoyed to tell their young son Paxton that he would soon be a big brother!  However, their joy turned to dread when Patti started bleeding and continued to do so throughout the entire pregnancy.  Thankfully, Patti’s doctor, Dr. Linda Ramsey, of Evansville, Indiana, understood and incorporated the spirit teaching from the Nurturing Your Spirit DVDs by Arthur Burk into her practice.  As a believing doctor, she purposed to nurture both mother’s and baby’s whole person–spirit, soul, and body–during pregnancy.

Dr. Ramsey monitored the baby throughout Patti’s pregnancy, using sonograms.  By the end of the second trimester, she shared with Patti that the sonograms consistently showed that the infant had club feet and no sign of a nasal bone.  These features could indicate mental retardation.  In obstetric practice for over 25 years, Dr. Ramsey is a mature believer who is not quick to react or to cause alarm in her patients.  She seeks guidance from God, The Great Physician, trusting Him to lead her in treatment decisions.  Immediately after sharing the “condition” she had observed during the pregnancy, Dr. Ramsey prayed for Patti and the baby, and then called a specialist colleague who agreed to see Patti the next morning.

In shock, Patti left her appointment, went home, and called her mother Bunny Warlen who worked in California at the time.  Immediately, Bunny and a few other intercessors started crying out to the Father on behalf of the baby.  Bunny called the baby’s spirit to attention across time and space and spoke life, healing, and purpose.

The very next day, Patti underwent hours of special tests.  Both physicians and tech-assistants performed numerous scans, evaluating the baby from many different angles.  After contrasting the previous sonograms with the new images, the specialist concluded that a “shadow” caused the club feet to appear and the nasal bone to be hidden.  The new report showed absolutely no abnormalities, just a normal, healthy baby!  However, Wade, Patti, Bunny, and the intercessors received the baby’s new test results as a miracle from God!

Knowing her daughter still had several hurdles to overcome, Bunny changed plans, tied up loose ends, packed, and drove cross-country where she lived with Wade and Patti for the next five months, caring for Patti who had been placed on bed-rest and her son, five year-old Paxton.  In spite of the bed-rest, Patti experienced increasing sharp pain in her pelvic area.  At her regular appointment, four weeks before her due date, Dr. Ramsey detected no movement from the baby.  Additionally, Patti could barely walk.  “The baby’s telling us she’s in distress,” said Dr. Ramsey who checked Patti into the hospital directly from her office and scheduled an emergency C-section.

Events took an unexpected turn propelling the family into the hospital prematurely.  Yet, as they entered Patti’s room and prayed, the atmosphere exuded peace.  Wade, his mom Barb, and Paxton arrived and spoke quietly with Patti as the staff prepared for surgery.  Though she endured excruciating pain in her pelvis, Patti showed no signs of labor at all.  Bunny called the baby’s spirit to attention, “Baby Jenkins, I speak to your spirit, we are all listening to you.  You will be guiding Dr. Ramsey in the operating room, just let her know what you need.”  Shortly thereafter, Patti’s water broke, releasing a stream of blood.  Since babies trigger labor, the baby’s response proved that she heard and responded to her grandmother’s prayer and blessing.  However, the family was not out of the woods yet.

Later that day, a healthy, happy baby girl arrived in the Jenkins family.  They named her Hadley Jamison Jenkins.  At Hadley’s birth, Dr. Ramsey discovered the source of Patti’s pain. The 1/8” ridge in the baby’s skull showed where she had been wedged deeply into Patti’s cervix.  Trapped there, Hadley could not move.  Following examination of the placenta, Dr. Ramsey discovered that the umbilical cord had been bent in a stressful position where it deteriorated and subsequently shredded during the whole pregnancy.  Together with the family, Dr. Ramsey stood in amazement that Hadley received adequate nourishment, with the condition of the umbilical cord, to be born a healthy six and one-half pound baby!

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Six months later, Paxton and his baby sister Hadley spent some time visiting their Grandma Bunny at her home in Kentucky.  When the phone rang, Hadley laid quietly on her back in the cradle.  Bunny received news that a project for which she had been praying (the book Pure Joy!) was “stuck in the birthing canal.”  Bunny felt impressed to garner Hadley’s prayers in addition to her own.  Walking to the cradle, Bunny explained the situation to Hadley and said, “I need you to intercede with me.”  Immediately changing from her relaxed position, Hadley vigorously kicked her legs, flung her arms, looked straight at Bunny, her face filled with joy and animation, and started giggling.  Hadley fully engaged her spirit to pray with her grandmother.  Bunny felt the spirit of agreement between them just as with any adult intercessor.  Responding to Hadley’s initiative, Bunny sang joyfully.  Together, they agreed with their spirits and prayers for the release of the joy book.

The human spirit is eternal.  Though a baby’s soul is not yet fully developed, his or her spirit is present, alive, and can be engaged to pray, to praise, and to worship the Father.  What a wondrous time!   Presently, Bunny’s phone rang again with the good news that the glitch in the book’s lay-out design had been manually fixed.  Hadley experienced a “manual birth” when she arrived by C-section.  Literally, this miracle baby helped to birth another manual.  At only six months of age, Hadley had the earned authority* to intercede with power and effectiveness, and her grandmother recognized this and engaged her spirit to implement God’s purposes!  “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and avenger” (Psalm 8:2).

*For more information concerning this concept, see Earned Authority in the Keys for Parents section.

(excerpt from Perfect Peace by Crystal Wade, copryight 2010)

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Difference between Spirit and Soul Development

Posted on February 24, 2017 by thelivinghopeblog

Scientific studies have shown that it is impossible for the organic brain to think or remember until six weeks after birth.  Myelination of the nerve sheaths is the technical term for the process in which the organic brain is systematically matured through the insulation of the nerves in the brain.  This process begins six weeks after birth and continues methodically until the baby reaches 24 months of age.  Both the soul and body are entirely dependent upon the organic brain.  Before myelination of the nerve sheaths, data cannot connect and flow in the organic brain; therefore, there can be no independent thinking or memories in the soul’s mind, will, and emotions until this process is complete.  This explains why learning in babyhood and the toddler years takes place rather slowly.  The soul’s development is dependent on the organic brain’s growth.

We, however, already understand that the spirit is fully present at this point.  Without an interpreter (the C.I.A.), this can be a frustrating time for a baby whose large spirit is active and aware!  They grunt, groan, cry, and laugh to communicate.  Those are the options of communication for the spirit until the soul is developed enough to “translate” for the spirit.  (These are also the only options certain handicapped people have, as well as those who have suffered strokes.  To have lost our soul translator is extremely frustrating to our spirit, not to mention the dignity-theft.)  This line of communication is absolutely fine to our Father as He established praise from the mouths of children and infants to:  “confuse his enemies, silencing the foe and avenger,” says Psalms 8:2.  The best case scenario is that we nurture our children’s spirit to the point that they can direct their soul to properly translate once it has acquired language.  (And, for those who have not gained, or have lost, their soul translator, the Holy Spirit is speaking through you in groans that are secret ops.  Your voice is heard in Heaven.)

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, our Father presents His order for nurture, “May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  What scientific discovery gave us is the exclamation point to God’s depth of commitment to the nurture of the spirit!  Since the organic brain functions only modestly by the time a child is two years old, our Father created a window of opportunity (a kairos time) to nurture our children’s spirits by intentionally shutting down their soul.  Nurturing the spirit of a baby in the womb gives a ten month head-start which is a solid foundation.  It can be rigorously built on until the child is two years old.  However, we don’t want to stop there!  If our Father’s order is recognized and implemented consistently, our children will be:

  1. very spiritually sensitive
  2. secure in our Father’s great love for them
  3. at peace with themselves
  4. understanding of others
  5. strong in their boundaries
  6. confident
  7. spiritually literate
  8. possessing the aptitude to direct their soul to translate
  9. enjoying the ability to easily connect to our Father’s Spirit in the heavenly places in worship
  10. having the ability to hear His voice, and
  11. being able to act on His instructions with great faith.

We have the opportunity to invest in our children so they begin life with a healthy, vibrant spirit instead of wasting years adding to their spirit’s wounding by acting out of sinfulness, rebellion, confusion, or internal turmoil.

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At this time, our child’s spirit has an immense capacity to learn and to grow in the fruit of the Spirit, the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ’s grace and truth, the worship of our Father God, all with minimum effort.  All it takes is a willing, available parent or caregiver—the C.I.A.–to feed this incredibly hungry and open fresh spirit the truth and love of our gracious Heavenly Father.  There is no greater eternal return on investment.

(excerpt from Perfect Peace by Crystal Wade, copyright 2010)

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Power of Blessing with Spirit Ministry to Children in Public School

Posted on February 10, 2017 by thelivinghopeblog

An intensely artistic person with a gift for taking physical objects and designing a spiritual flow using color, pattern, texture, lighting and space, Linda creates an experience in her public school classroom.  Linda employs all her passion and creativity to accomplish the goal of championing children.  She views herself as an undercover agent whose goal is to affirm the identity and the great destiny of each child which God assigns her.  It works!  Parents vie for their children to be assigned to her class.

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(Hope Streams’ Living Water painting is original prophetic art by Linda.)

A public school teacher, Linda always loved and set boundaries for her students, never allowing them to put each other down.  However, the most momentous change in her spiritual approach to her students came the year she started incorporating the CD set Developing Your Spirit by Arthur Burk.  Quietly, she played the CDs on the lowest possible volume on her computer during class.  In addition, she played them before and after school as she crafted lesson plans or graded papers.  The room became saturated with the sound of these spirit-based blessings.  As a result of playing the CDs consistently in the classroom, Linda discovered that she had keener ability to recognize her students’ specific struggles, her patience increased noticeably, and her students’ performance on annual state-mandated assessments improved dramatically.

One year, Linda worked with a friend who crafted name blessings based on their historical meanings and the Holy Spirit’s interpretation of key Scriptures.  When she presented the name meanings in bookmark form to the class, a couple of children had questions.  Linda seized the opportunity and honored each child by reading and explaining the meaning of their name to the class.  As she had already developed a culture of team-playing, respect, and looking each other in the eye, each child’s name was read to the cheers of the class.  The children’s eyes sparkled as they discovered new facets of their unique God-given identity.  Linda allowed them to place the bookmark on their desks as they took the state-based assessment test.  That point of contact and her continuous encouragement propelled the children to achieve a higher score as a class that year in a district known for its mediocrity due to its “disadvantaged” status in the community.

Having learned the power of blessing with spirit ministry, Linda determined to employ it in her public school classroom.  Since teachers are limited in their expression of faith in the classroom, Linda resorted to another form of creativity.  When she led the Friday math competition, some students approached their turn in line shaking with anxiety.  Linda knelt down to look them in the eye, knowing that truth is communicated from eye-to-eye contact.  “Repeat after me,” Linda said to the trembling student, “I can do this.”  When she began this exercise at the beginning of the year, the anxious students responded, “But, I can’t!”  Still maintaining eye contact, Linda replied, “No, that’s not true.  Say, I can do this.”  A couple encouragements later, the student repeated “I can do this” while looking Linda in the eye.  The truth-fire in Linda ignited a flame in the child.  This is undercover blessing in action!

Invariably, those same students went on to beat their opponents.  The other students stood in amazement because the students who Linda took through this process were overtly insecure, often very small, and usually had some sort of speech or mental disability.  The other math teachers present during the competition often laughed with joy and disbelief as they witnessed those “disabled” children accomplish a seemingly impossible feat.

To Linda, however, this process is neither vague nor mysterious.  She believes in the power of truth to transform.  “I literally feel the transformation as it is happening.  I love transferring God’s love and truth from my eyes to theirs,” said Linda.  She does not even use the term, “I bless you.”  Yet, the effect of Linda’s kneeling to acknowledge and honor that child’s presence and taking the time to convey truth from her eyes to theirs is that they are blessed.  The effect of that blessing is evidenced when those children then go on to face and to beat their opponent.  That simple exercise both helps the child to perform well at the math competition and to build a memory of success which God will use throughout his or her life.

One morning while driving to school, her mind settled on the math benchmark test her three fifth-grade math classes would be taking that day.  “I speak peace and success over all these children,” spoke Linda boldly.  The atmosphere in the classroom felt significantly different that day.  Of the 70 students, 69 passed the difficult assessment.  “I knew their success had been hugely influenced by the simple blessing spoken over them,” said Linda.

(excerpt from Perfect Peace by Crystal Wade, 2010)

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Let’s Wade In

Posted on February 8, 2017 by thelivinghopeblog

About Let’s Wade In

Hope Streams, a family business, has a mission to connect the generations to the Father and to each other. So that we can: Start well. Live well. Recover well. Build well. Finish well.

To that end for children, tweens and teens, we’ve launched the first phase of Let’s Wade In. It’s a YouTube channel (search: Hope Streams Let’s Wade In) and a Facebook page (Let’s Wade In@letswadein). It’s both a TOOL for parents, grandparents and caregivers to assist you in your spiritual work with your children and grandchildren–and a COMMUNITY for the children, tweens and teens to gather, to learn, to encourage and be encouraged as well as trained and equipped.

Our spirits are aware and alert from the moment our Heavenly Father places us in our mother’s womb. Children, tweens and teens have the ability to learn and grow in spiritual things. In fact, it has been said that a child’s worldview is set by the time they turn five (wow, not much time!). However, we know from our work in youth ministry and with our own children that there’s an opportune window of time to “imprint” truth, love, and connected values throughout childhood and the teen years. It’s the PRIME time! And, the children are READY, the Heavenly Father spoke to our family.

The whole foundation of Let’s Wade In is helping the children, tweens and teens connect in the first-person to our Heavenly Father, and go with God, go for the gold in the race of their OWN lives on their OWN faith, not on the coat-tails of their parents’, caregivers’, or teachers’ faith.

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What we’re doing is actively acknowledging their unique—and irreplaceable–place in our Father’s heart, in their personhood, and in their missions on earth, as well as intentional training in godliness that emphasizes spirit nurture and soul development.

We know from Scripture and history that when Joshua led the children of Israel in war and in peace, they prospered. However, when the Joshua generation passed over to their Heavenly reward, the children of Israel were lost spiritually. As a result, the situation in the nation rapidly deteriorated.

It is of premium importance that we actively work to pass forward TRUTH AND LOVE to the next generations so that: “When the Joshua generation is gone, the children can carry on. Strong.”

If you’ve been wanting a way to connect to the younger generation and/or be a part of the active passing of your faith, here is something to consider. Hope Streams is a business in structure, but a ministry at heart. Those who have chosen to partner with us are so appreciated.

— prayer and blessing gifts are spiritual forms of partnering and are so appreciated (Colossians 1:9-11 is an excellent model).

–helping us spread the word that Let’s Wade In is open to the children, tweens and teens in your life!

–financial gifts are brought to our Father with heart-felt thanks and the circle of giving and receiving flows (2 Corinthians 9:12-15).

— for your financial gift for Let’s Wade In, the audio download of “Peace of Sabbath Rest” is our gift to you!

Note: Donations are not tax-deductible.

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America, GOD shed His GRACE on Thee!

Posted on January 20, 2017 by thelivinghopeblog

From Heaven the words to “America the Beautiful” dropped into Katharine Lee Bates’ spirit as she stood atop Pikes Peak in Colorado in 1893.

Yes, Father did shed His grace on this land—for which we give thanks today to Him and all those through all the years who laid down their lives for this land.

An African pastor told us—yes there is a grace on this land to prosper.

And there are reasons for that. . .

In the 1830s, Alexis de Tocqueville traveled America to study social structures as his native France found itself in a transition—in a revolving door of bloody revolution–and he wanted to learn and share how to best balance that critical period. He advocated freedom, law, and respect for rights.

His observations led him to make this astounding statement:

“America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

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God shed His grace on thee. America, you are good and filled with beauty and strength. The land—and the people—and the God of our fathers and mothers who formed them all. We give You thanks for leading our nation with Your chosen president, and leaders in the civil and religious arenas.

by Crystal Wade, Inauguration Day 2017

 

 

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Is it Spirit? Or Physical?

Posted on January 6, 2017 by thelivinghopeblog

Taking advantage of the head start God has built in by nurturing our child’s spirit in the womb will create a spiritually sensitive child.  Since so much of our culture’s media and shopping centers are permeated with a defiled spiritual presence and overt witchcraft which offends and burdens our children’s spirits, this calls for vigilance on our part as parents to protect and to continue nurturing their spirits.  Let’s keep in mind that this is a marathon, not just a sprint through pregnancy.  Raising a strong-spirited (and, therefore, strong-willed!) child is a demanding job.  However, the rewards are great.  Other parents may lament their child’s rebellion during the teenage years, but those who have continuously nurtured and protected their child’s spirit will be reaping the benefits with joy.  These children-turned-teens love God, stand strong for righteousness, and recognize and reject evil.  Nurturing a child’s spirit, starting in the womb, and continuing through their growing up years, with love, wisdom, Scripture, the counsel of the Holy Spirit, and blessing is the antidote to rebellion.  However, rebellion is just the negative side of the number line.  What we want to achieve is a strong-spirited child who is whole.  From that point of internal wholeness, our children will be positioned to hear and to walk in the fullness of the calling God has designed for them.  We are not simply talking about insulating them from rebellion; we are talking about raising spiritual Olympic champions.  This is the righteous objective.

In this new frontier of raising strong-spirited children, we have learned that they are affected in extreme ways by components such as sound and time.  So, in order for more parents to walk down this path of raising spiritual champions faster and more effectively, we present the following tools which were unearthed in the lives of real people raising real champions.  We bless you as you go forward on this demanding, yet rewarding journey!

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Teething

While the purpose of this section is to outline different spirit issues that affect our children, there are still physical issues which need to be considered.  We need to expand our understanding of spirit issues, while maintaining balance, knowing that physical issues affect our children as well.  One mom considered that all the generational work they had done was surely flushed down the drain as her easy-going, happy child turned into a growling “bear” for about two days.  She wondered, “Had they not disciplined enough?  prayed enough?  fasted enough?”  When he returned to normalcy, it turned out that culprit behind his “bear” behavior was his teeth.

So, your baby may be nurtured in the womb, but from two to six months, he or she will start the normal process of teething which can temporarily cut into their usual joy or peace level.  Until he or she is three, teeth will continue to arrive!  If your baby seems to have a personality change and you’ve prayed, run through the list of potential spirit issues, and still see no relief, check their teeth (and ears, too, since earaches often do not appear till they are full-blown).

Please note that the “terrible twos” do not have to be a reality in your home!  When you nurture your child’s spirit, he or she will have a base-camp of joy, peace, and hope.  Yet, your child will experience life.  This will include pain and fussiness from teething, bumps, bruises, and not getting their way from time to time!  A key factor which creates the “terrible twos” is frustration over the lack of ability to communicate.  This is a real issue.  Their spirits know so much more than they are verbally able to express.

(excerpt from “Balancing the Physical and Spiritual” in Perfect Peace by Crystal Wade, copyright 2010)

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Light is Now! Micro-Time Here!

Posted on December 27, 2016 by thelivinghopeblog

There’s a unique micro-time in this Christmas season as our Father (in His cosmic planning) chose Hanukkah to intersect Christmas and New Year’s. Unique and unusual time alignment.

This time also intersects a window of seasonal change—the winter solstice.

What this means is that there is huge spiritual activity in the atmosphere. And we feel it.

We do not want to miss the excellent good Father has in this time.

But first we have to clear our atmosphere. . . .

How we may feel it is with pain. Seemingly little words or disappointments, which we know should not create such a disproportionate response in us and yet they do!, happen to point us in the direction of a wound we forgot about. He is highlighting these wounds we forgot were there, but He didn’t!! He’s doing this to release healing so our spirits (and souls) are aligned to His time and positioned for the release of miracles in us, and through us, by His Holy Spirit.

Seize the NOW moment!

  1. Don’t ignore the pain flickers—they are pointers to places our Father is releasing healing to our spirits, souls and bodies. He wants us healed and whole so we can be ready to step forward with Him into 2017.
  1. Get quiet and listen to yourself. Why am I so angry? Hurt? Disappointed? Where is this landing? Awhile back, I found myself banging pots and pans in the kitchen, angry. THAT time (big smile!), I caught myself and sat down for a minute. WHAT is going on? Why am I carrying this anger? I asked The Lord to help me, as I sat in my prayer spot. Then, He caused me to remember “the what and when” that started the anger—a note from a friend! The note was fine and the friend wonderful—but it landed on a wound of being responded to as negative when I was coming in the positive. The Lord didn’t chastise me, He just helped me remember that my disproportionate response was based on the way I had been responded to wrongly in my life, and I asked Him to heal that wound (which I of course have done to others as well)—which WAY preceded the note I had received. I got up, restored to peace, and so was the kitchen atmosphere! He is our peace for sure. But there is some work of reconciling that needs to happen on our part—namely coming to Him and working it out!
  1. SET the atmosphere for miracles. Look, and keep looking at His LIGHT (listen to or read John!). Think and keep thinking about His LIGHT. THIS is the time of miracles—at this time is Hanukkah. After a MIRACULOUS backing by the Father and angelic armies, the small team of priests that led the small army of Israelis defeated a huge nation, restored the Temple, and lit the menorah IN FAITH. And Father backed them with miracle after miraculous intervention. And these miracles center on FAITH (believing the promptings in our spirits from our Father by His Holy Spirit when our souls have not yet seen the intervention), actions taken in faith, courage, and LIGHT. Our Lord Jesus Christ IS the Light of the World.
  1. Clearing out our internal atmosphere (don’t ignore the pain, deal with it) and setting the atmosphere by focusing on His light, praying His light, speaking out His light, in this time prepares us to step into His miracles—AND TAKE THEM WITH US into 2017.

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Let’s pray!

Father, thank you for this unique mirco-time of preparation, healing and miracles. I consecrate myself, my spirit, soul, body, time and timing, to You, and ask You to cleanse, heal, set me apart to Yourself, and anoint me with Your Holy Spirit. Help me remember what You want me to remember and forget what You want me to forget. Give me courage and assistance to not ignore the pain, but bring it to You for Your gracious healing. Back me up as I set my thoughts in the direction of Your LIGHT—help me keep my focus in Your direction—and receive all that You are sending to me and my family in this time.

Father, on behalf of these praying and Your family, please bless and anoint their time so there will be room, quiet, space, and help to recognize when they are hurting. Give them grace and space to get quiet and hear from You so that Your healing words and affirmation restore them from their wounds. Align them so that healing flows and miracles burst forth all around as You so desire.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

by Crystal Wade, copyright 2016

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Burden Bearing and Emotional Filter

Posted on December 15, 2016 by thelivinghopeblog

Children, whose spirits are designed by God as burden-bearing intercessors, carry (and/or can feel) an intense level of pain. So do children whose spirits are wired by God to process life emotionally first instead of the culturally-approved way to process intellectually first. These children emotionally filter the pain and emotions of their families and people with whom they are in relationship.

A burden of intercession may be for a person, group of people, nation, land, time, or social justice issue. The purpose of the burden is to agree with the Father’s plans for that issue in prayer. Just like a physical burden bearer–such as a horse or donkey–does not carry their burden permanently, a burden-bearing intercessor is not designed by God to carry the pain he or she senses forever. The burden is to be carried to the destination, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is always interceding.

If your child is sensitive to the pain of others or easily distressed when hearing issues concerning injustice, he or she may well be a burden bearer. It is important to distinguish and to reiterate that not all pain they sense is their own. Whether the burden is a personal one, or a burden for a larger issue, parents can teach children to quickly carry it to the Lord Jesus Christ. [Note: It is crucial for parents (grandparents or caregivers) to help their children, and especially their sons, to recognize, to articulate, and to pray through the pain they sense with their spirits. Many adult male substance abusers have the calling of burden bearers or emotional filters, but never received guidance regarding how to release the staggering load of pain they carry. This pain compacted inside, turns into a compressed anger aerosol can or depression. So, they turned to addictions to drown out the massive pain which is their daily reality.]

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Kyle* cried profusely when his parents gave away his brother’s dog due to its unbreakable habit of barking all night beneath their window. Noticing that Kyle did not quickly recover to his normal joyous outlook, they gently questioned him. After offering different words to help him describe how he felt, Kyle revealed that he felt a burden of grief (grief means “pain over a loss,” and is not limited to death alone) over his perception that both the dog and his brother were rejected and abandoned (though his brother appeared unaffected by the whole incident). [Note: Parents must cultivate the skill of recognizing and separating pain from their children. Children most likely will not recognize that they are carrying pain for others first; they will assume it is their own pain. Also, parents cannot expect children to automatically use precise words to describe the ways they feel. Most often, it is like playing a game in which the parents hold out “word clues” for their children to select which ones fit the way they feel.] Kyle’s parents led him to pray, taking the burden of abandonment and separation to the Lord Jesus Christ and laying it down at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, asking for His will to be done and for realignment to joy, then requesting that the Lord would lift the burden off Kyle. After that time of prayer, Kyle experienced no further grief or sorrow regarding the dog. “Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer,” goes the old hymn that still speaks truth for us today.

A very kind-hearted child, two year old Donnie* enjoyed spending time at his grandmother’s house in the country. After one afternoon at her house, Donnie cried unusually hard when it was time to leave. His parents sensed that something out of the ordinary added to his distress. Having already left with Donnie wailing, “Grandma, Grandma,” they decided to return. Donnie found his grandma, climbed onto her lap, and calmly patted her face. She began to cry. As it turns out, Donnie’s grandma experienced a surge of grief over the recent loss of her husband during Donnie’s visit. Donnie sensed the grief in her spirit through his emotional filter. Though two years old, his spirit needed to minister peace to his grandma. His screaming in the car flowed not from the “terrible twos” but from the distress in his spirit since he could not minister to his grandma. When his spirit sensed that she returned to peace, he felt better. However, Donnie did not feel free to leave until Grandma verbally expressed, “Thank you, I feel better. I bless and release you to go home, Donnie.” At that point, two year old Donnie climbed calmly into the car with his parents for the drive home.

A person who emotionally filters will experience the pain or burdens of family, close friends, co-workers, or other people in the same room. They sense pain from people close in proximity or relationship to themselves. Burden bearers operate the same way, except they may also experience a “sudden burden” from the other side of the world. Their pain is not contingent on proximity in relationship or location. Regardless of where the pain came from, the burdens go to the same destination—the Lord Jesus Christ! [Note: God did not design His burden bearers or emotional filters to absorb or to filter all pain from all sources. Some families find it beneficial to pray for the Lord Jesus Christ to shield them from picking up burdens or filtering emotions before they enter a potentially stressful situation.]

*names changed

excerpt from Perfect Peace by Crystal Wade, copyright 2010

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Who Let the Dogs Out? Spirits of Steel.

Posted on December 2, 2016 by thelivinghopeblog

We were at a stand-off. My son and I.

His dog, taking advantage of an additional missing fence panel, lunged her 60+ pounds through the opening. Her shoulders were clearly sticking out of the fence.

We were in the car, ready to leave.

My son was torn, but he stood on principle. “Dad said she would be OK.” “Dad’s not here. The dog is almost out of the fence. Put another panel up. Now.” I said, standing on principle, too.

If we’d been shooting a scene for film, the iconic Western soundtrack, of two pistol-armed cowboys facing each other at high noon, would have punctuated our words.

His brother helped him move past the strict adherence to Dad’s last command by getting out of the car and stacking a ladder in front of the gap in the fence. That motivated him to get a panel and secure it with the ladder, as a temporary fix before we left. (Brothers have a way of “motivating” each other!)

I don’t like stand offs, but I didn’t want his dog to escape, and we return home to find the dog in Animal Control’s care. He doesn’t care for stand offs, either, but he wanted to be true to Dad’s word, and my departure deadline.

Both of us were right. But, this situation called for an adjustment.

bella-fence

Children and Teens with Big Spirits

One of the results of nurturing children’s spirits is that they have a strong will. This is actually a good thing. Parents, however, be advised: It is a challenge. But, it’s worth it.

My son stood on principle. He fought me in order to follow his dad’s instruction. If his dad had been there in that moment, he would have given different instructions because the dog had wiggled another panel loose. It was right for my son to use his nurtured spirit with his strong will to stand against anyone (me included) to follow his dad’s directive.

Yet, this particular time called for a flexibility and not a rigidity of “obeying Dad.”

This desire in our sons to stand strong, to not bend, to follow Dad’s word, which we have noted over the years of nurturing their spirits, indicates the God-GPS in their spirits to obey (and please) their Heavenly Father.

If you’ve nurtured your children’s spirits and they seem to be fighting you, remember this. It’s very likely they may be fighting for an important principle. The strategy is to get calm enough to not leave the situation on a bad note, even if that means leaving it for the moment. Ask the Father for clarity, and circle back to it when you both are calm enough to talk about where you’re coming from.

The Father needs children, teens and adults with big spirits and strong wills, who are willing to stand alone and who will fight, if necessary, to do what He has said to do.

Adults

The Holy Spirit scrolled through my mental files. Aha. Several “files” came up with me standing strong on principle of following what I thought the Father wanted (had said) when the “dog had wiggled another panel out of the fence.”

I understood that many of our strong adult disagreements over ideology or theology hinges on our being so committed personally to what the Father had said, or we thought He wanted.

It’s a rigidity in our mental processes.

That can be a good thing—but rigid strength needs to be melded with flexibility. In fact, we can see this with iron. When iron goes through the fire, its strength is tempered into steel, a metal more flexible than iron but even stronger.

Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit as wind. Wind moves. Scripture says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit,” Galatians 5:25.

This calls for flexibility. Truth is eternal, but the Holy Spirit will give different applications according to the wisdom of the Father. We learn to walk with Him, which requires movement and flexibility on our part.

Prayer Response

Father, thank You for Your eternal word, unconditional love, and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Please grant me the ability to understand where my children are coming from, and nurture their spirits, wills, and principles for You. Grant me and my children peace, grace of understanding, strength to stand, and flexibility to move and adjust as You lead. Help us be the team You want us to be.

Father, please forgive me where I have stood against You or others, thinking I was standing on Your Word, when You really wanted me to move and flow. Grant greater grace to me and Your Body to work with You and not against You by standing strong when needs be and being adjustable by keeping in step with Your Spirit. Thank You in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

Crystal Wade, copyright 2016

Posted in Connected Parenting, Parenting and Our Children's Spirits | Leave a comment

Breathing Room for the Holy Spirit

Posted on November 18, 2016 by thelivinghopeblog

 

Church and Marketplace

I sat there as an observer in the conference room, provided by local business owners, in my dream. In walked the pastor who had just finished his retreat. Up looked his wife, expectantly. They anticipated refreshing from the Lord, and a fresh word, too. Both were so tired, having served the Lord in the pastorate for decades. They agreed this retreat would help him hear from the Lord so they could continue on.

He spoke the words neither expected.

“I called you to be a fisher of men,” spoke the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, allowing that realization to sink in.

The pastor told his wife, in my hearing, that he understood that to mean, all those years ago, “become a pastor.” This understanding was based on what he was taught as a young boy about acceptable ways to serve the Lord. However, this retreat revealed that pastoring was not what the Lord called him to do.

All these years they labored whole-heartedly for the Lord. They were feeling very spiritually dry, but pressing onward, serving the Lord with all their strength.

The man and wife who owned/operated the business (which included a restaurant, retreat, and shuttle service) did not appear as devout as the pastor and his wife. And yet, the business owners were doing the work the Lord had called them to, I understood in the dream.

Life’s Context

I knew how the pastor felt. I’ve worked with all my strength, and discovered later, it wasn’t what the Lord was wanting me to do.

There has been a Great Divide in our thinking which separated our spiritual lives from our physical lives.

The businessman in my dream was God-called to business as his ministry or service. And the pastor in my dream was God-called to evangelism. . .most likely intended to serve his ministry in the marketplace.

Allowing the Holy Spirit to Move

Rigidly enforcing the way we were taught to do things, even things for God, restrict the life-flow of the Holy Spirit. When this happens, it is we, His people, who are restricting Holy Spirit’s movement in the Body of Christ. And when the breath is not allowed room–even when our hearts are good–the life in the Body withers.

We can be so sure we are right–while we are actually opposing the Holy Spirit’s movement. Think about the Apostle Paul’s life as a Pharisee.

The Lord Jesus Christ is aligning His Body in this new hour. Let us allow His Spirit room to breathe through us so that He can freely move.

Holy spirit dove flying in the sky

White dove in a blue sky, symbol of faith

Prayer Response

Father, thank You for the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ which speaks mercy for me and others. Father, it is true things are not always as they appear for myself or others.

I yield to You and ask for Your grace to keep my mind, heart and plans open to You. On my behalf. And on others’ behalf.

In my attempt to serve You, I’ve missed the boat, and caused You loss serving in arenas You didn’t call me to. Please forgive me, and Your Family, and grant greater grace to restore the time in and through us.

Help me to want to do what You want me to do. Help me to have courage to be who You created me to be, released from who I became through mis-teachings, mis-interpretations, or others’ expectations/demands. Grant me, my family, and Your Family grace to give the Holy Spirit room to breathe and move, so we can be who You created us to be, and who we want to be. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

copyright, Crystal Wade, 2016

Posted in Body of Christ, Prayer Strategy (Personal) | 2 Comments