Let's rise to our feet!

In my true form. =) 

Hi friend.  Amanda here.  Remember when I made a promise to you?  I promised to be real with you,  So this is me making good on that promise.

Where to start?  It's hard to type out the hugeness that is a heart changed, a heart and spirit filled.  A life completely changed.   How does one go about portraying that in text. I don't know.  But I know I have to give it a try.  Something worth doing is worth doing poorly. (don't worry, I'll explain.)  =) 

School of Prayer.  

The transcripts of our prayer life becomes the script of our lives.   Do you like what you see? I didn't. My prayer life has been anemic.   This past Saturday I attended a school of prayer.  HELLO.  A place deep down in my heart has changed.

God ANSWERS PRAYER.  He does, He is in the business of it.  Sometimes He says yes, if it is alignment with His will and for our good.  Sometimes He says no, if it's not in alignment with His will, or if a "yes" would bring harm to us.  Sometimes He says "wait"  He has something greater in-store for us, or wants us in a different season of life.    Be encouraged.

How do you find the will of God?  Find the WORD of God, let the Holy Spirit breath on it and see what happens!

BOLD prayers honor God. God honors bold prayers.  Do you want to amaze God? Have crazy faith. Ask God for big things.  Look at the story in the Bible of Jesus and the centurion...he amazed Jesus with his crazy faith. (Matthew 8:5-13)

Want to know what blew my mind?   Prayer is not battling with the reluctance of God, it is partnering with the willingness of God.   

So often I have felt like I needed to manipulate God to answer my prayers because He was reluctant.    So not true!   With God we have Position, Power and Authority.  Position. We are in the family. We need to know WHO we are, we are sons and daughters God!  (like when Grace walks into the room and needs me, she has my full attention)  We don't have to fight for God's attention. We have it.  
Power.  (Acts 4:11-12  2 Timothy 1:7)  There is power in the name of Jesus. The same power that rose Jesus from the grave, the same power that moves mountains when He speaks, the same power that calms the seas LIVES IN US.  We must know the power we have through Jesus, and not let the enemy lie to us.  As Christians we are not called to limp through this life, feeling like we are barely hanging on. That is how the enemy wants us to live. This doesn't mean trials don't come, obviously, but when they do, they will not overcome us, they will not defeat us.

When we pray we know that we have a big God, We have His attention, we are in His family, and He wants us to talk to Him.   Boom.

Friend, let me tell you something amazing. (preaching to myself here)

The enemy, He is real. But He can't touch you.  Like in basketball. When a person is about to make a basket, the other team can't touch them, but they will do whatever they can to block their vision, distract them.  If you are bought with the blood of Jesus, he can't touch you, but he can and will lie to you, block your vision, make you feel isolated... but we have the authority through Jesus to tell him to MOVE ASIDE, get behind us! Because we are dealing with an enemy that has already been defeated.  We are living in-between two victories.  When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He took all power from satan. The victory is already won friend. so we know in the end who wins.
So when we fight, we fight from a place of victory, we don't fight for the victory.  Because Jesus already won!    

Boom.


So this last bit blew my mind.

The kingdom of darkness doesn't want us to pray, because when we open our mouths in Jesus name, and with faith, THINGS HAPPEN.  The kingdom of darkness has strongholds on this earth and it doesn't want us proclaiming the name of Jesus, or the kingdom of Heaven to come.   When this happens we see shaking. Spiritual warfare.  Shaking of ideas, governments, nations, cultures, physical shaking of our lands.  Turn on the news and see all the shaking in this world.   It has always freaked me out.  How about you. Seems like the world is falling apart and getting scarier and scarier.

New way to think.  It is EXCITING to watch the news, because that means the Kingdom of God is advancing and it is freaking out the kingdom of darkness.  Things are happening in this world, and in this battle.... but guess who wins?!  :) Guess who is greater!?   We have nothing to fear.  Jesus is coming back to set up a kingdom that cannot be shaken!

We have nothing to fear, but we have lots to do.


Remember those bold prayers?  Here is my chance.  Yours too.  I am praying. I pray the world would know the kind of love that breaks every chain.  That hearts would be wide awake.  Jesus is working miracles.

Praying for the leaders of terrorist groups to fall at the feet of Jesus.  The biggest, baddest terrorist. The nations of the middle east to be swept in revival for Jesus. America to be swept in revival.  Our government to run to Jesus.  The nations who restrict the gospel to open their doors to it. For the terrorists beheading Christians in the middle east to receive Jesus grace and mercy.  Pray for your friend who is drowning in drug addiction. It's big. Jesus is bigger.  Friends, lets rise to our feet and proclaim the name of Jesus! So we can see the walls break, the captives run free, the doubting believe!

Before Paul in the Bible became a Christian he was a terrorist to Christians.  PRAY BOLD PRAYERS.

When we open our mouths and pray to the God of this universe things happen.  Let us not forget the power that lives in us.  We will stand and not be shaken.

If you don't know how to pray like this, that's okay. I'm learning too.  But something worth doing is worth doing poorly, rather than not at all.  Keep doing it. Let's grow together.

A few thoughts from my heart that is so full.

I have more stories.  Some I can't share on social media.  If you want to hear them let me know.

helibladesoflove.blogspot.com     Thanks for listening friend.  I love you. Goodnight.

Much love,

Amanda

Leaders of terror groups around the world who need Jesus.  We get to pray for them by name. 

The Spring Thaw is On....so that means we jump in puddles!

Well hello there friend! 

 Spring may have FINALLY arrived in New York! We have had two days of 45* weather! 

HEAT WAVE!

Today we wandered around campus and had some fun.  The campus really is beautiful.  Here is a peek at what our life looks like here. Plus some of the shenanigans we have with our fellow Helimission friends from Australia...the Webers.

This picture was much harder to take than it looks.

Perfect picture opportunity. 

The Tab.  2 classes in here.

The spring thaw is on! Puddle jumping is the new highlight of Gracie's life. 

Daddy and Grace first time "splunking" rocks down the drain

You grow so fast baby girl.  Mommy and daddy were just doing this yesterday it feels like.

Like all good babysitters we taught them to light matches and fire rockets. 

Sometimes it's probably better if mom just doesn't know what is happening. ;)

Rocket launches (after many failed attempts) were finally a success!

I was properly educated by the Weber kids (Zeke, Layla, Oakley) how to make "Fairy Bread"

Body balloon art. 

Home decor balloon art.  One must get creative during cold days. 

we might be a little looney, but it makes us more fun right?

Grace and her buddy Layla....who's name we get to hear all day as Grace asks to go play with her.  =)  Blessed by this little girl. =)

Well friends, that is all for now.  We love you.   Can you believe we are over halfway done with our time here?!  It's bittersweet.  We love it here. But we are excited for our next step as well!

As Tigger says....TTFN.

Matt, Amanda and Grace.