The grey squirrel and MY fircone

I went bear hunting the other day and found a GIANT fircone. The GIANT fircone part is very true but the bear hunting probably needs some explanation. The 10 min 'on the way home from Whiskey Lake' detour was lead and facilitated by 2 Bedford'ites who are 2nd and 3rd year students, as a 1st year I felt I should listen to them although I did have a few questions - mostly to do with safety if we did find a bear, who was surprised to see us.  It had been declared by the 3rd year that we would see a bear and the 2nd year wasn't going to miss up on the opportunity so we headed up Whiskey Creek where 2nd year had recently been told, by a Ranger on a Kayak trip, that you are more likely to see bears. We traveled up a side track and my concern didn't subside as 3rd year started talking about Mountain Lions and none of us were decided on what we should do if we did see a bear - I was pushing for a joint decision on our exit strategy but we weren't decided on either a) standing still and making lots of noise b) standing still, being quiet but making ourselves look as big as possible or c) running.  Apparently there are different factors to throw into the mix as you respond to different bears in a specific way - identifying bears is not one of my strong points at all. But all concern left when we arrived at our chosen destination and exited the car, stealth was clearly not part of the plan and the noise of flip-flops and general chatter could probably be heard for miles around. Needless to say we didn't see a bear BUT I didn't come home empty handed because I spied a GIANT fircone! (pictured below)
I'd been looking for one for a while but they are usually a bit smashed as they have fallen off a tree - this one was in good tac, suitably spiky and leaking pine sap.  I brought my prized possession home and sat it outside the front door, it sort of looks autumnal and I am decided to add to my collection throughout the year.
And now the Grey Squirrel saga starts:
* I return home to find said Fircone 3 meters from my door, why? - I replace it
* I wake up to find it not at my front door but in the bushes near by, huh? - I replace it
* I return from reading by the pool to find a large Grey Squirrel frantically tugging it into the bushes - he makes a get away but has left a good few teeth marks in it.
As I am the larger species and have apposable thumbs, I'm assuming (rightly) that I will win, but I just want to see how far he can take it, there is a small pipe outside the front door that I am considering tying it too and seeing how Grey Squirrel deals with that - I'll let you know.

                                      Its pretty much as big as my size 8 foot!

First week - abundance is the word

Wow, what a week. So much has happened, I've met loads of new people all with fascinating journeys to Bethel, have had lots of times in worship, really practical and down to earth teaching, moved into an apartment, met with my Revival Group, been to a church service, eaten loads of fruit and veg, discovered Wilco's (a MASSIVE supermarket with Ben and Jerry's ice cream for under $3s that £2!) and nearly read a whole book!

One of the main things that God has been teaching me this week is about His abundant love. Before I came to Bethel lots of people independently prayed for me and used the word ABUNDANCE: that I would know Gods abundance, that this would be a year of abundance, that He would give me abundantly more than I can ask or imagine.  The first few days in Redding where rather difficult, my housing situation didn't work out how I'd hoped it would and I found myself instantly needing to trust all the more in Gods provision. Every day brought answered prayer and then a new battle, Gods timing was perfect (of course it would be).
At the start of the week we needed to move out quickly and into a new home, by the end of the week I am living in an apartment that I literally couldn't have imagined - remember ABUNDANCE - so I have moved from a beautiful house with a swimming pool, my own room and walking distance to school.  I am now living in an apartment complex with my own room, walking distance to shops and school, close to friends, a pool, on site security and right next door to one of the most beautiful places in Redding - plus all of that for cheaper rent and utilities!!! ABUNDANCE.  I literally couldn't have thought, asked or imagined the home I now have - God has given me ABUNDANTLY more than I can ask or imagine.

I've arrived!!!

Hi everyone,
Now that I am safely here the purpose of this blog can come into play!
Thank you for your prayer about travel. Both flights were great, no delays and my vegetarian meal was delicious. I arrived at 10.30pm US time 6.30am UK time, having travelled for 15 hours and with only 3 hours sleep in nearly 24 hours - pretty pooped. My housemate Penny collected me, she is lovely a real blessing.
Redding is beautiful, Iwoke on the first day, looked out of my window onto a beautiful garden with hummig birds darting about and an eagle soaring overhead. Penny has helped me sort out a mobile phone, get some food shopping and today we are off to get a bank account.
All for now
x

Inheriting the Promises of God - Wendy Mann

I was at the Kings Arms a couple of Sundays ago and Wendy Mann spoke on Inheriting the Promises of God. She started by reminding us that we all have promises from God whether prophetic words or scripture and that inheriting them isn't about waiting for them to fall into our lap. Very helpfully we all had a handout and I've copied out her main points, if you get a chance do have a listen http://www.kingsarms.org/

Exodus 3:16-17

1. Remember what God has done:

What has God done for you, write it down, be specific

Forgetting God's provision leads to grumbling (Deut 6:12)

Q: How are you doing at remembering what God has done for you?

2. Practise thanksgiving - Remembering and thanksgiving are linked

We are instructed to cultivate thankful hearts (1 Thes 5:16-18, Eph 5:18-21)

Learn to live life focused on what God is doing rather than what He hasn't yet done

Q: What do you have to be thankful for?

3. Be obedient

Q: How are you doing at being obedient? Is there anything God is asking you to do that you haven't done yet?

4. Be intentional

Wrong thinking - God has given me this promise all I have to do is sit back and wait.

Right thinking - I need to be intentional with the promises God has given me to prepare my heart for when God breaks in.

Q: How are you being intentional about the promises of God over your life?

5. Keep your eyes fixed on God (Joshua and Caleb)

Focusing on God, His character, His faithfulness, produces a response of faith.

After listening to Wendy I went home and read through prophetic words and scriptures that God has spoken over my life. Because I hadn't read them in ages, I'd missed recognising God's hand at work at different times in my life, plus I found a few prophetic words that are totally for my time at BSSM. So to help me to remember, be thankful, obedient and intentional to inherit the promises of God; I've taken to marking my journal with those coloured sticky markers.  Green is for provision, orange for prophetic, yellow for healing/supernatural and blue for specific prayer.  Already at a glance I can easily see God's hand at work in my life!

p.s Wendy writes a blog which is packed full of amazing faith adventures, click on the link in the left hand column.

'You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.'  Iasiah 26: 3-4

'For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.'   Isaiah 41: 13

'For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who recieve God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.'   Romans 5: 17

'For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.'   Romans 2: 10

How dependent on the Holy Spirit are we willing to live?

I've just got back from a weeks holiday with my parents in Croma, Norfolk. I slept on a very comfortable inflatable mattress inside my niece's Cath Kidston tent - inside the awning of my parents caravan.  Each morning we'd have a cup of tea together whilst spending time with God and spying on the neighbours! Whilst there I wanted to get my teeth into the 1 and only book I'm supposed to read before I go to Bethel: 'When Heaven Invades Earth - A practical guide to a life of miracles' by Bill Johnson.

Chapter 2 - Commission Restored, opens with this:

'Jesus could not heal the sick.  Neither could he deliver the tormented from demons or raise the dead.  To believe otherwise is to ignore what He said about Himself, and more importantly, to miss the purpose of His self-imposed restriction to live as a man.

Jesus Christ said of Himself,"The Son can do nothing."......it means NOTHING!...He had NO supernatural capabilities. While He is 100% God, He chose to live with the same limitations that man would face once redeemed......He performed miracles, wonders and signs, as a man in right relationship to God...not as God.  If He performed miracles because He was God, then they would be unattainable for us.  But if He did them as a man, I am responsible to pursue His lifestyle.

What were the distinctions of His humanity?

1. He had no sin to separate Him from the Father.

2. He was completely dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit working through Him.

What are the distinctions of our humanity?

1. We are sinners cleansed by the blood of Jesus...nothing separates us from the Father.

There remains only one unsettled issue -

2. How dependent on the Holy Spirit are we willing to live?'  

HOW CHALLENGING IS THAT! I realised 3 things:

1. I love hearing testimonies of healing, the prophetic and miraculous provision.

2. I've become very comfortable and enjoy being in control (root based in fear)

3. I'm worried Father God will ask me to do something I don't want to

Fast forward to Sunday the 15th and I'm at Kings Arms catching up with friends. After worship they often interview someone who has a testimony. A lady, we'll call her Jen, is interviewed and she talks about how she was in the bus station waiting for her bus when a lady hobbled past.  God said to Jen "I want you to pray for her", Jen said to God "No way, I've not even had Treasure Hunt training", God said "I'm going to give you on the job training". Jen prayed a simple prayer with the lady and asked her to test her leg and see if there was any pain.  The pain had completely gone, a week later Jen sees the lady again and the lady testifies that her leg has remained pain free! Praise God.

What an encouraging testimony I was totally impacted by Jen's obedience and dependence on the Holy Spirit; and realised that I have no excuse. Next time I hear Gods prompting I'm gonna go for it - feel free to hold me accountable.

'I'm leaving, on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again.......'

The 5th of September is D day - Departure day - United 0931 will be leaving Heathrow at 2.10pm and arriving in San Francisco at 5.14pm. From there I'll be catching a mini plane for the 90min flight to Redding Municipal Airport, finally arriving at 10.30pm (6.30am our time) where I'm being picked up by my new house mate, who will have a hire car.

All in all its about a 15 hour trip, including changes. When booking you can choose your in flight meal: standard, low fat, low cal, low GI, vegan, cosha....to name a few, rather than falling into 'standard' I went for vegetarian!

Please pray that I know Gods comfort and peace whilst traveling and that the journey from beginning to end runs smoothly.