Is This Thing On?

Yeah, I am not even sure if I am doing this right! I think I got signed up, logged on, picture displayed, but how in the heck do you post comments???? I am sure I'll figure it out!

Well, I have been thinkning (KC says that is always a dangerous thing)and I have decided doing something great for God is always better when people come along with you. Living for God together is so much easier than doing it alone. Be encouraged...you are not alone on your journey.

With that being said, so much of our journies are personal and individual. Although we are doing this together, there will come a time for each of us when it will be a personal decision to continue. It will be an intentional act to do what He called you to do. I am praying that when the time of testing comes each of us will allow His Spirit to transform our lives. So go ahead and deal with those things that need to be dealt with...go to the hard places. Even though you go alone...we go together!
I believe in His calling on your life...let's do this!!! :)

A New Level

I am about 33 hrs into the time of fasting that I have set aside to open up our 30 day journey, and I am amazed at the awareness in my spirit that seems to be increasing by the hour. After having spent much of the first day using my thoughts of food as a catalyst for prayer, this day has taken on a new dynamic. While physical hunger still remains something that I am dealing with (I am pretty sure my headache needs some gravy not some Tylenol), it has become a background thing. More than any time I can readily remember I have found myself desiring to lay down any part of me that isn't pleasing to the Lord and to see Him move in an amazing way. What's cool is that these were already things I desired... but I can feel those desires growing. It is great to be in a place where I know I am open to whatever the Lord would desire.

One other thought this evening... I have decided that when Paul says that he "daily crucifies his flesh" and when he gives the instruction to "pray without ceasing" that he is writing from the perspective gained through a lifestyle of fasting and self-denial. I believe that by the regular pattern of "squishing down self" we can come to the place of dying to ourselves and living in a completely heightened awareness of God.

I talk a lot about being a channel for God's power... I believe we are all in the midst of having our channels widened and deepened by the Holy Spirit and I can't wait to see what amazing things will happen when God pours His power through our remade vessels!

See all of you in the morning and make sure you come with an expectation of God moving in your hearts!

DAY 2 -God is mindful of each of us

My First Two Things and Counting:

Yesterday as I was praying over each of the commitment cards, the Lord directed me to be praying for Chaya. I was not aware of her situation for the day but He had a plan for her... to be successful in the midst of all of the events for the day.

While I was praying, I got a phone call from one of our members that called to say they thought we should be praying over the very thing that I was pondering at the moment. This time it was regarding my family and the future. God does have a plan and He is most willing to let us find His perfect plan for each of us.

As the month progresses, we will find ourselves in a heighten awareness of the needs around us because of God's desire for us to be the ministers to those around us. Keep your ears open...He may need you to be the person of prayer or action on someones behalf.

I am looking forward to all of the amazing things, big and small, we will be sharing together!

Day 1: Beginning of Spiritual Warfare

Lemme just start with saying that I have smoked for the last 10 years of my life. Upto a pack, to a pack and a 1/2 every day. And I want you to know that I have chosen to set aside cigarrettes for the next 30 days of my sacrificial fast. I work at a bank in a bad part of Dallas, and as I was on my way to work this morning with out smoking a cigarrette, I began to plan the rest of my day and how it would go. I figured I would still go at 11:00 on the dot for my smoke break but instead of smoking I'd spend sometime with the Lord. I figured I'd go grab lunch and bring it back to the Bank and eat it and then spend some more time with the Lord instead of smoking the rest of my lunch....anyhow.....Little did I know that satan already had his plan devised to try and stop me from my fast. Because to day for the first time in my four years of being with the Bank....we were robbed, had a bomb threat w/evacuation, and we had 1 delirious person that I had to escort out of the bank after we had already reopened for service after the robbery.
I'm not quite sure what that may make you think, but I know what it makes me think....

Is that First of all
:THANK YOU TO WHO EVER PRAYED FOR PROTECTION OVER THE CHURCH BODY WHILE FASTING (because spiritual warfare is not going to stop and satan wont quit till he keeps us from getting that spiritual closeness fasting brings!!

also Second:
we must have satan shakin in his boots cause the struggles that we are facing while fasting seemed pretty tough and if satan went through that much trouble to try and make us not fast we MUST BE AWAITING something pretty extroidinary at the end with God and with each other as a church body!!!!



CHURCH it's only day one imagine how we will be refined through this fire at the end!!!!!! WOOOO-HOOOO!! Im excited!!!!!!

pray:
Please refine us through this fire,
please refine this church body through this fire, and God please refine me in this fire,In your mighty name Jesus, Amen!!
sing:
IN the name of Jesus, In the name of Jesus we have have the victory...In the name of Jesus, In the name of Jesus .....satan will have to flee!!!!

Day 1

Hello Lakes Community Church! Hope all is well with the start to our journey together for the next 30 days. I just wanted to say that I am praying for each individual of our church family to become involved and to share in the joy of knowing we are doing something so amazing to lift our God up. He has challenged many of us in different areas of our lives to put aside our earthly and flesh desires and in turn draw closer to him thru prayer, worship, and reading of His word. I am truely grateful to have such wonderful people in my life to share this experience with. I know through Christ Jesus our savior that "All things are possible" and that through sharing of our personal testimonies of what God has put in our heart we will only grow stronger as The Body of Christ! Looking forward to exciting new changes to be done in my life as well as yours!

Day 1

I am excited to see what God is going to do even in these initial few days. I believe even this Sunday we will see some of the results and I look forward to it with great anticipation.

Fasting

You know, this may be difficult, but I think mostly it is a mind set that will help us become more aware that there is a GOD always close to us. We forget him sometimes and mostly, we see what we, our flesh, needs instead of what our spirit needs. Fasting will help us realize that the only thing we really need is God and as we draw close to him in our fasting and develop a deeper dependency on him as he replaces our fleshly needs. The fruits of the spirit will start showing in our lives because it is when we feel close to God that we will not worry about hunger,so we develop temperance (self control). We won't worry about needing or wanting our spouses to fill that void because God will slowly start filling the place he belongs so there will be PEACE in our relationships as the pressure on our spouses to fill the void is taken from them and given to God. There will be PATIENCE as we learn to depend on God through the length of the fast to help us get through the long days and nights of being hungry. We will find JOY and LOVE as we remove ourselves from the picture and put our needs on the back burner as we become family within the church body and as we lift each other up in prayer and start learning things about your family that we never left time to learn before. Without our own needs taking up so much time, we will be able to develop relationships with those around us and with GOODNESS in our relationships LOVE will be found. We will find GENTLENESS as we read others testimonies and hardships that others are needing us to stand in the GAP for them for. . We will find FAITH as we fast because trust and faith come with relationship and the more relationship we develop with God as we depend on God to get us through our fast we will become so dependant on him that there will be no room left for doubt. We will see MEEKNESS in the submission of ourselves to the Lord and others. Fasting is a boot camp for the spirit and a suicide to the sinful man. We can do this and I REALLY want Gods attention to be swept away by our dedication to his will. For instance, when you see your child do something absolutely amazing that you never thought he or she could do on their own, what does it do? It grabs your attention and your in awe of the ability that your child has. Lets show daddy God that we have it and that we want him to recognize us in a way he never has before. OHH dear God put us to work, we are hungry for your will..WE CAN DO IT father! When we start becoming more aware of what our spirit needs, we will develop a dependency on God instead of keeping dependencies on the flesh. This is the reason I have decided to give up my cell phone and my e-mail (Outside of this blog) over the weekends as well as what I committed to on the commitment card. The more that I sacrifice my needs for Gods will, the more aware that I am that I need none of the things that became Gods replacement in my life..

Crazy Excited About the Commitments

This past Sunday was an awesome day at TLCC... we had 74 people make specific commitments to the Lord for our 30 days of prayer and fasting. Everything from regular "water only" fasts to Daniel fasts, to the sacrificing of things like TV, secular music, sweets, and coffee were willingly laid down and dedicated to the Lord.

We have processed the cards we received and have begun the process of praying over the commitments and the prayer requests. Please see one of our staff to get a copy of your commitment card to take home with you next time you are at church.

I wanted to say a special "thanks" to Suzy Erwin for volunteering to hand write each public prayer request into our prayer journal and to Joe Thacker for entering email invitations to the 30 people who asked to be authors on this blog. The two of you are awesome and we appreciate your help!!!

Don't forget that our 30 Day Revolution begins this Friday morning at midnight. There is a real excitement and expectation in the air and on the lips of people this week, and I can not wait to see what the Lord is going to do in our midst.

Until next time... Looking Up & Reaching Out!

In The Beginning...

Catchy title, huh? Think I read that somewhere else before...

As we set out on this incredible spiritual adventure, I thought it would be good to have a place for everyone of us to share our stories. I know that we will each have unique experiences as we purpose in our hearts to see ourselves decrease, that God might increase in our lives and community. This blog will be the online home for those stories.

I trust that throughout your own personal 30 day journey that you will, at just the time you need it, find encouragement, inspiration, and strength in the thoughts others leave here... And that you will also find a great satisfaction and fulfillment in knowing that your thoughts have brought those same things to the lives of others.

I am believing God this these 30 days will be a time of unparalleled divine revelation and spiritual development in our lives. Make sure and check back daily for updates on how things are going in the journey of others, and if you would like to be added to our list of approved authors just leave a comment on this posting.

So we are off and running together... can't wait to share the path with you all!