Breakthrough

Hmmm...

I thought I knew what this word meant.  I mean...

I had a short reach on it in my mind...

but when I was trying to explain it to a friend today...

I knew there was more to be discovered.

Breakthrough.  We see it in the dawning light.  We see it when babies are born.  We see it when a seed sprouts up through the ground...and when the waves break on the shore.  We feel it when there is a change of heart.  We see it when that change of heart becomes a life turnaround.  We know it when something heavenly is revealed to our hearts and that truth becomes a part of us.  We see it in a miracle.  When brokenness is made whole...or when disease is reversed.  We see it in the Bible when God parted the waters and the people walked through on dry land.  And when lack was turned to abundance in Jesus rockin' display of his Father's Kingdom of Increase where he turned water to wine and a few loaves and fishes into a feast.  Breakthrough.

And then there are the examples that hit closer to home...like my brother returning from a 2 year unexplained estrangement and coming to the family Thanksgiving dinner...and the way we have been able to receive God's gifts to us this year like never before...and the way I am learning to actively love and honor my children with my time and attention and extend friendship to them.  And my "good days" mentality is dissolving into another language called grace.   And the extended moments in busy seasons where I have learned to linger, to really see people,  and to be present...those are multiplying with heaven-speed.   

The Hebrew rendering of "break" carries a liberating message...to break, to free, or to deliver.

And the word "through":  from end to end, or from side to side; from one surface or limit to the opposite; over the whole surface or extent; from beginning to end; to the end; to the ultimate purpose.  Seems that breakthrough is bigger than I imagined it to be by definition.  It's all-encompassing  freedom and deliverance.  Right now.  I guess my mindset has been an obstacle course of freedom sprints moving from one area of breakthrough to the next... and my focus has weighed more heavily on the desire for breakthrough and the incremental victories than on the fullness and enormity of salvation already IN CHRIST.  

He broke it all.  When he got up from being dead, Jesus did it.  Once for all.  Finito.  He became our Breakthrough.  He became our Salvation.  He became our Deliverance. 

 

So this morning I heard a recording of that old worship song...Holiness, holiness, is what I long for...Holiness is what I need.  And there's a verse in there somewhere  about ...brokenness, brokenness...is what I need.  Really?  Seems that without an understanding of who I AM, I am just a bag of brokenness, living from a completely fractured heart of hurt and angst.  Yes, I understand we must all come to a realization that we are THAT  broken (in need of regeneration) at one point in time.  And then... there's the turning and the returning to wholeness.  BUT...it's Christians that sing that song in worship.  That was me still singing songs like that even a couple of years ago completely believing that I needed to reach a more broken/contrite state to be accepted and loved.  Whoa.  When I started understanding that that wasn't an appropriate spirit stance anymore (now that God has declared me righteous in His Son), I ran the other direction.  It is not God-honoring for me to continue to declare something that is IN THE PAST.  I'd certainly rather live in the truth, declare the truth over my life, move in the power that comes when heaven and earth agree.  

Brokenness is not part of the vocabulary of heaven.  It's not even in the dictionary.  Breakthrough, on the other hand, is fully in there.  And you know what the definition is?  Simply...Christ.  It is His breakthrough in our place that allows us the freedom to live and move and breathe and dance and thrive and joy and love as He intended.  And I'm starting to think I've been missing out on the plunge into life by thinking that I have to "work through" so much "stuff" to get into the clearing.  Maybe it would just be easier to realize Breakthrough is NOW and just be okay with that and let go of the maze-crawling creep into freedom.  It is ALL-ENCOMPASSING, ALL FOR ME, ALL FOR NOW.  I'll take it.

Thaaaaaaaaaankful!

Another happy holiday has come and gone like lightning.  We had a houseful of friends and family.  Too much food, of course.  It was a beautiful day of doing things differently.  And the fridge of full with the promise of satisfied appetites for the next week.  I will take a vacation from meal planning and prep.  I love that.

I think Thanksgiving doesn't get the attention that it really deserves.  If "thank you" is the password to enter God's gates (and it is...confirmed by those who believe it and those who don't know that's what's happening), then it seems like a day of celebration around gratefulness should go on for at least a month like Christmas does.  Don't you think?  It needs to make the imprint and take influence over all the grumbling and complaining that seems to come right after the turnover of the new year (so easily).

Our family has recently landed on a prayer/declaration that we gather around almost everyday.  I thought I would post it here.  It has been a journey to even be able to speak this out with such conviction...so the daily rehearsal has become such a joy around here.  We are seeing new things happen all the time as we are believing for more.  I'm learning that the kingdom of God is about increase...multiplication...exponential solar flare.  This truth is making a home in our hearts.  And I am grateful.  So here it is:

WE MAKE IT OUR BUSINESS TO REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE AND TO REJOICE IN WHAT HE IS DOING.  WE SPEND NO TIME WITH COMPLAINTS OR EXCUSES (THAT IS THE LAND OF DARKNESS).  WE REJOICE IN GOD'S GOODNESS!  IT'S HIS GOODNESS THAT  PERPETUATES HIS ABUNDANT FAITHFULNESS.  HE ACTUALLY CANNOT BE ANYTHING BUT GOOD.

WE REFUSE TO TAKE OFFENSE AT GOD'S DOING OR HIS NON-DOING, OR AT HIS PACE AND TIME FRAME.  HE IS ALWAYS GOOD AND ONLY HAS GOOD INTENTIONS TOWARDS US.

WE DECLARE THE INCREASE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD OVER OUR LIVES - OUT LOUD AND CONSISTENTLY.  WE ADAMANTLY REBUKE THE LIES OF DARKNESS, POVERTY, AND INSUFFICIENCY.  WE PROCLAIM THE JOY AND LIFE-FORCE OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST JESUS OVER OUR LIVES AND INTO PHYSICAL REALITY.  WE ARE ROYAL PRINCES AND PRINCESSES OF THE KING OF GLORY; WE WILL ACT AS SUCH AND HOLD FORTH GREAT EXPECTATION ACCORDINGLY.

WE DO NOT ALLOW SELF-DEPRACATING LANGUAGE OR BERATING BEHAVIOR.  WE ARE NOT NEEDY OR DESPERATE.  WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN ALL WE NEED FOR LIFE AND GODLINESS IN CHRIST JESUS.  WE HAVE BEEN BURIED WITH HIM IN DEATH TO OLD NATURE AND OLD ALLOWANCES, AND WE HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH HIM IN LIFE AND GLORY, AND WE HAVE BEEN SEATED WITH HIM IN HEAVENLY REALMS FAR ABOVE ALL RULE, PRINCIPALITIES AND DOMINION.  WE ARE THE LIFE OF GOD IN THE EARTH!  WE ARE THE KINGDOM OF GOD COME!

WE ARE ABUNDANTLY WEALTHY BEYOND IMAGINATION.  AND WE WILL PERSISTENTLY AND VERBALLY DECLARE THIS REALITY - THE SPIRIT REALITY OF THE GLORY OF GOD - UNTIL IT IS MADE PHYSICAL REALITY IN OUR LIVING.

WE ARE BLESSED SO THAT WE CAN BE A BLESSING TO EVERYONE WE TOUCH, EVERYONE WE SPEAK TO, EVERYONE WE SING OVER - DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY.  OUR CHILDREN ARE BLESSED, OUR GENERATIONS ARE BLESSED.  THERE IS NO END TO THE INCREASE OF GOD'S KINGDOM IN US.

The Bath

Oh how I love a good bath.  

As often as I can, I take them long and hot.

Lots of lavender, ginger, body scrub, inflatable pillows, bubbles, candles, a good book.

I'll stay there until the water is cold, if there is time.

It's interesting to me just how different the motivation for bathtime is for kids.

They love a good bath just as much as I do.  

HOWEVER...their idea of a good time is lots of toys and noise and splashes all around...screaming and squirting and bath paint on the porcelain.  And then the last hurrah when someone flips on the shower head and it thrills the bigs and freaks the littles.  Oh joy!

It's hilarious.  And in my mind there was nothing relaxing or soothing about it.  Or was there?

They're probably wondering why I make bathtime so boring and dull.  In their little heads, are they thinking that this is the fate of the bath?  A most sacred event of fun must finally surrender to a sleepy ritual?

The other night my two year old was still awake at 10:00pm.  She must have taken the looooong nap that day (I can't really remember).  But she was there and I was ready to wind it down and take a bath.  So I run the water all nice and steamy, light my candles, and grab my book.  I was thinking she would just play with my makeup or keep flushing the toilet for sport while I enjoyed "my time."  Oh no.  Not ever.

Little Violet saw what I was doing, laying there all quiet and sinking in deep, and she ran to the other bathroom.  She brought back the bucket of bathtub toys  and started throwing them in on top of me.  "Toys, mommy."  She brought me the kid bubble bath and said, "Bubba, mommy?"  Then she turned the water on cold and poured the soap into my area creating "bubbas."  Then she took a paintbrush from her toy bucket and started brushing my hair with it...top to bottom, front to back, side to side.  Then she proceeded to dip the brush into the soap and started painting my body with it.  By this point, I was fully in.  She had me at "toys?"  

The life and energy that is inside of these little people is crazy.  So necessary.  

The next time I get ready for a bath...I'll have a decision to make.  I might just choose toys. 

The Vacuum and the Violin

My favorite new toy to play with in my new house on my new carpet is...  Our first real vacuum cleaner that works like a charm...Simplicity.  It was designed by a woman and moves like a real person.  I would never buy any other, but apparently I won't need to because it's made to last a lifetime.  I'm hooked.  And I use it everyday.  Sorry no advertising pic.

Something else I use everyday is my violin.  How anyone can get through the beginning stages of playing the violin is a mystery.  All the squeaks and note bending filling the air.  My contribution to the noise of life.  At least it's joyful.  I love it.

Why Does His Face Look Like That?

Just to give you the backfacts...our family does not eat sugar.  Our children have never had it.  We read every label with a microscope and we're pretty much psycho about not letting processed white sugar into our life.  Our children make us really proud when people offer them candy, etc. and they turn it down without hesitating, whether we are watching or not.  They know the whys and the wherefores and wonder why anyone else wants to ever eat the stuff.  Blah blah...moving on...

We arrived at home today from a long walk in the beautiful fall weather.  A man was walking along the sidewalk in front of our house with a grim expression and much beer in his hands.  My oldest daughter Merci (who actually is not that old really) said, "Mommy, why does that man's face look like that?"  And I said, "Like what?  Like sad or mad or something?"  And she said, "Yes.  His face is all twisted up.  I'm sure he eats sugar."  Of course I had to laugh about that way down deep.  And then she added..."or Mommy, maybe he just doesn't like himself very much and he doesn't know how much God loves him and it makes him so sad."  Quite the insightful observation for a five year old.

This is the journey to understanding and wisdom.  This is the road marked with suffering.  And compassion is always close at hand.

May that man be awakened from a long, deep sleep to know how high and how long and how wide and deep is the Love for him.  Good Spirit, hover and whisper and shout how you feel about him in a way that he can receive it.  Jesus, personalize yourself to him right.  Meet him in the deep dark angry places that just need a little lovin'.  And the next time we see him as he walks the sidewalk in front of our house, may he have the happiest of all faces.  Yes.  

Crafted Prayer

Somewhere in time, my husband and I read and studied on a subject called "crafted prayer."  Most of what we read was written by a man named Graham Cooke.  I think the whole concept of crafting/scripting prayers around specific themes and agendas in your life is really cool.  You listen for God's heartbeat for something that you're focusing on/needing an answer for/requesting of Him...and you write down what you hear.  Some thoughts may trickle down over an extended period of time and settle into a groove that you now have a record of.  You can pray this prayer until you find clarity and feel peace.  And then move on to crafting the next one. 

 Right language is really important.  It's well worth the time to listen for exactly what it is you are trying to express;  and to hear Father's answer in the midst of all the words.  Writing stuff down is always a good idea.  Combine that with listening inside as the Spirit speaks and you've got a clear path.

  

Recently, Todd encouraged me to get started crafting a prayer about something in our life.  It was specific to his personal journey.  And though I pray for him like breathing, I thought it was an interesting opportunity to practice again with intention.  So I begin my listening homework for my husband tonight.  I'll report the progress.