Listen

It has been awhile since I have come here to.....just talk. So this morning I thought I would change that. :) Here is a little peek into my life the last two days.

Last night while at church one of the women in our group was just bubbling about what God had done in the past week. She had actually shared some things in Bible study Sunday night..but since I was not there because of a visit from a migraine....I missed it.

Last Wednesday night during our time of prayer she had asked that we pray for one of her cousins who has been lost to serious drug addiction for over 20 years. Many have prayed over the years but for some reason she felt called to ask for prayer for him last Wednesday evening. 

We had all already given our prayer requests and began our time of prayer...each praying for the persons requests on their right.

Since she was to my right....I prayed for her requests.

As I began to pray for her requests a picture began to develop in my head. As I prayed for this young man I began to see walls made of concrete block...it was dark and I guess I thought I was looking at some alley between buildings. I couldn't see where it was...it just looked like a closed in place to my minds eye.

And then I felt a heat begin to build in me...kind of like the warmth of a fire...only I was feeling it on the inside. Words began to flow from my mouth that were calling for freedom for this young man....I knew the Spirit was praying through me. He called for the veil to be removed from this mans eyes...for him to be surrounded with the peace and love of God and for him to have a face to face with Jesus.

  When I finished praying....I knew that something had taken place. I wanted to jump up and say, "Did you feel that?!...He was here...He is moving on behalf of this guy!!!". But I didn't....it had been so long since I had felt that fire that I thought maybe it was my imagination.

And then church last night.....when the lady who had made the request saw me...her face just lit up.

And I knew!

She spoke about the amazing things she had found out after the service last week. She had not even known at the time we were praying that her cousin had been arrested the day before and was actually in jail.

 I think what I was seeing when I prayed were the concrete blocks inside the jail.

Either way.....his life had closed in around him. He told his family that he did not want them to post bail because He had found Jesus right there in jail.

I am just thanking God for the power of prayer! He talks...we listen...we pray what is according to His will and He moves. It is simple and it is beautiful.

And then this morning...if last night were not enough....I had a WONDERFUL talk with a sweet sister in Christ. I just love how He provided FB so that we could keep in contact. And the world thought it was for them! LOL Anyway....I had a sweet conversation with this sister. God used her to encourage my heart once again. Nice to know that He DID NOT put me in the back of the broom closet and forget about me. I am excited about what the future holds....even more excited about those individuals that He will use me to touch. There are so many out there that need to be touched by His love....they need to know that they are loved. Goodness...if it is hard sometimes to believe that this perfect God is willing to love this imperfect me..and I know Him....can you imagine how hard it is to imagine that He loves them and they don't even know Him?

I encourage to you today to reach out with His love. When you are reaching out....remember that you are touching a potential brother and sister. You are touching them with His love....a love that is so intense that it has the power to bring them home.

Well...that is it for now......love you!

Elijah's Coin

Click on the picture to find it on Amazon.

Recently I was asked by The Cadence Group to review a really incredible book by Steve O'Brien. Here is a little something from the author about this young adult book, published by A&N Publishing.

From the author:

Elijah's Coin is the story of Tom, a young man who has suffered a tragic loss and is spiraling out of control.  He's angry, anti-social, and rapidly descending into a life of crime. Then, during a night of folly, as he brazenly commits burglary, Tom encounters the night watchman Elijah King, a mysterious figure with a shrouded past. Elijah, unexpectedly, doesn't turn Tom in but instead becomes a stern and rather cryptic mentor to him. Rather than laying his lessons out in a straightforward manner, Elijah gives Tom an enigmatic coin and sends him on a mission of self-discovery.

 This really was a book that I think pre-teens and teens will love. And although this book is presented as a YA book......I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it myself. Steve O'Brien splendidly captures the attention of the reader from the very beginning with a story full of suspense and mystery.  As I followed the life of  Tom, the main character, I found that I began anticipating  the next secret that was to unfold as the story developed. It was obvious that the author did not want the reader to forget the important life lessons taught within this book.....so he included a "sweet" gift in the back of the book.

 This inspirational book has the potential to change the thinking of the reader. Although I do not believe that is book would be considered a Christian read......it runs along the lines of many of the lessons taught in the Bible. For those who are homeschooling or your young adult just loves to read....this would be a great book to add to their reading list. And since I am so sold on the value of this book and the fact that I found it a great read....I am going to forward my copy to someone who leaves a comment in the next few days. Remember.....this book is a great for all those who open the cover! So, yes, I will pass this along to adults too.

Thank you to The Cadence Group for sending this out for me to review.       

Click on the picture above to check them out on Facebook!