good word

My friend, Jess posted this blog. It’s a good word about the power of prayer and the heart of God. Give it a read!

Our July ‘08 Racers are currently in Vietnam, and the Lord has begun to reveal to them the power of intercession and spiritual warfare. The hotel they are staying in rents their bottom floor to people for an hourly rate-basically a thinly veiled prostitution ring. The racers hearts have been broken and as they have asked, Lord what can we do?? He has given them His answer. Pray. Interceed. Stand in the gap. So they have heeded His call. They have rented a room on the first floor, in the very midst of the darkness, to pray 24/7. My heart simultaneoulsy aches and rejoices as I hear about their experiences. I rejoice in how I see God teaching these warriors to fight-not against flesh and blood, but with power. My heart aches for those who are trapped in this darkness, and it aches to somehow go be apart of it. At the same time, I am thankful that, in some small way, I am. I can agree with them in prayer for light to penetrate, even all the way from Gainesville, GA. I can ask the Lord to open my eyes to the battle that is raging in my own community. I can be willing to respond, just like my brothers and sisters in Vietnam have.

Here is a powerful blog from Pamela Philp that spoke to my heart today. Please keep this team in your prayers as they are on the front lines of this warfare for freedom.

Putting my hands against the walls, knowing that on the other side there is a man and a woman who are so lost in their identities. A women who has lost her value, her worth. She has believed all the lies that have been poured over her life, and she cant escape. She thinks that this is all she has to offer, and so she has settled. She’s settled for abuse and manipulation, because no one has shown her love and truth. Then there is a man, whose idols now control his life. The idol of lust is overwhelming and he cant stop giving in. He leaves his home, even his family, for an hour to feed this idol. By controlling and abusing another human being he thinks he is a man; he is feeding his idol of power. He doesn’t know about his call to be a leader, his call to love others like a father and to be willing to lay down his life as a protector.
My hands start to shake as I press them harder against the wall, and tears fall down my face as my heart breaks, as I start seeing them through Gods eyes. On the other side of this wall are a man and a woman who are so completely broken. So what can I do? And what can I say?

2 Corinthians 3:16-17
‘But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.’

I proclaim that the Spirit of the Lord is present, that He is penetrating this wall and that He is bringing freedom. I pray that through the Holy Spirit, God is breaking off the chains that have bound up this man and this woman. I pray that they are no longer bound to the lies or their idols, but that they will reach out for truth and find freedom. Light is penetrating into the darkness. The power of the Lord is unstoppable and we can proclaim life into these rooms. His authority is living inside of me and it is an overwhelming force that cannot be overcome. So I pray against the lies that take away value and worth; and I pray against he idols that control this industry, the idols of money and power and lust. And I proclaim that these people are children of the Father, daughters and sons. And I proclaim God as our Savior, provider, redeemer, and Father. I pray for restoration and a new confidence in a true identity.

Last night was a night of power. The power of the Lord had shown up, and He is taking this hotel. The darkness is slowly being lifted. The devil is scared. He is losing his power over this place and he knows it. During our first hour of worship together we had people pounding on the walls for us to be quiet, but we just sung louder. There is a different feel in our hotel. We have no fear except fear of the Lord and we know Satan cant touch us. So, for our final week in this place we will continue to go into battle. We will continue to spend our nights in prayer, breaking down the strongholds that darkness had, and proclaiming this place for the kingdom. The fire of the Lord is here and it cannot be contained.

Hebrews 12:28
‘Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.’

wondering in my waiting room

Like a rushing river am I
Like a raging torrent inside
I find that I’m full of knowing nothing
I find that I’m hungry for the fullness of Christ

Like a rushing river am I
Like a raging torrent inside
I find that I’m free falling again
I’m letting go of the mountain view,
Letting go, but what into…

I’ve been crucified with Christ
Yet not I, for one thing I know…
You make all things beautiful
just in time

“Just in Time” by Misty Edwards

I’ve been listening to this song over and over this week. I think it just conveys my heart’s cry at the moment, I guess. I find myself in the waiting room, but I have no idea what I’m waiting for – all i know is I can trust Him who leads me and the waiting is making me hungry.

The Chronicles of Noah…

After Jubilee-ing it up with my team we had a few weeks of vacation. I headed with some of my team to The Call in Washington D.C. where people from all over the country gathered for a day of prayer and fasting for our nation. God continues to meld to my heart a desire to intercede for this nation, for its leaders, and for LIFE. Prior to going to The Call, we were actually able to spend a day in DC and visit the Holocaust Museum which was very, very moving. I may write more about these things later, there was a lot of reflection and processing from my time in DC.

After DC I rented a car and drove down to Roanoke, Virginia. It was a treat to drive through the “mountains” and just be with the Lord. I met up with my sister, Katie and her husband, Phillip, my mom and our friend Michelle from Chicago for two weeks of baby fun.

Baby Noah, my sister and Phillip’s first child, was a little late in showing up, but it was a blessing to get to pray for him and Katie one more time before his official arrival and to sing a special song over him from the Lord. A day later he decided it was time to come join the fun and on August 20th Noah Marshall Pickard was born!

I’ve never really been around a newborn before so this was very new and exciting. I always remember my sister saying when I was growing up that she remembered the day I was born, but I was the youngest of four children and I don’t remember being there when anyone was born, so I feel really privileged to now have a wee one to say this about!

So here are a few of the little things that God has taught me/made me wonder about in Noah’s first few weeks…

I really thing the maternity ward must be a terrifying place for the enemy because day after day new people keep showing up all looking like God.

Innocence is completely enthralling.

It’s easier to understand how God could look upon us and be willing to give his own life when you look upon Noah and know you’d be willing to give yours. (This was my mom’s very profound realization).

What do babies dream about?!! I so want to know. What makes them smile and laugh in their sleep?!

I think the Lord must look upon us the same way I looked upon Noah, anxiously waiting for that moment when his eyes would focus and he would realize who I am….and not stare off at curtains.

I wonder if God stares at us like I stare at Noah when he’s sleeping thinking…he has no idea the great things he’ll discover, the plans that lay ahead, and the beautiful purpose he was created for.

Thank you for the lessons, Noah. I know there will be more. I love you, poppet. I can’t wait to tell you all about the Kingdom you were created for and the gentle, kind, good, warrior King who created you to reign with him, simply because you delight His heart. It’s a good story, Noah…an epic one, fraught with adventure and great love. And Noah, don’t be afraid and don’t be anxious…our good King is victorious.

Anna Rebecca Rust

The first grandchild in our family arrived August 14th, Anna Rebecca Rust born to my oldest brother Shawn and his beautiful wife Katy!! She looks beautiful and her name is power packed, what can I say. May she grow to know and love Jesus like the Anna in the Bible. I love her already and can’t wait to meet her the next time I head down to Texas. I know she is blessed to have such loving parents and that she will learn to laugh very early with those two around. It’s exciting to think of my big brother as a father and all the things little Anna will teach her parents about God’s love for them.

Welcome, little one! God has chosen you to be a part of a very special generation!

Jubilee

We finished out summer with a celebration at the nearing-completion Hannah’s House. We cleaned up the house a bit for a good ole fashioned pot luck and finished the evening with some lovely Jewish dancing. The summer was a blessing – blessed to be united with the YouthWorks staff for a season, to see God’s faithfulness to move in this community again, and blessed to learn and grow in my own walk with the Lord.