This is from my study this morning, I think even when we revere the Lord, we're still a long ways from where we need to be~
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Saturday, April 20, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The Newest Project
Hola!
For the latest news now, Lane is preparing to start a YouTube Ministry!
We are in the labor pains of it now, first is the twinkle in the eye of the first inspirations. Then the planning and preparing...now to the last pains and pushing to get it into the world~
Because I am the behind the scenes person(in charge of motivation and publicity), I'm not even able to tell you exactly what Lane will speak about except it will be motivating, it will be what God puts in his heart, and knowing Lane, I am sure that you won't want to miss it!
We had set a date for the beginning, but due to a few unforeseen hindrances we've had to reset the date. We'll post the date as soon as possible!
For the latest news now, Lane is preparing to start a YouTube Ministry!
We are in the labor pains of it now, first is the twinkle in the eye of the first inspirations. Then the planning and preparing...now to the last pains and pushing to get it into the world~
Because I am the behind the scenes person(in charge of motivation and publicity), I'm not even able to tell you exactly what Lane will speak about except it will be motivating, it will be what God puts in his heart, and knowing Lane, I am sure that you won't want to miss it!
We had set a date for the beginning, but due to a few unforeseen hindrances we've had to reset the date. We'll post the date as soon as possible!
Friday, February 22, 2013
Hurt=Rejection=Self-Centered=Easily Offended (Part 1)
I'm not looking forward to this blog entry, but it is still on my heart to write and share. God, Abba, my father has given me this assignment of study, understanding and writing to help me come to terms with my feelings of rejection, both real and imagined, so this is a cathartic writing. I have been feeling conviction that my "sensitive nature" or another way of saying it "easily offended" nature, needs to be dealt with! With the help of a man of God, and his ministry, that is willing to be instruments of God I have been shown the root problem is not so much my sensitive nature, but is "hurt" that I've received. I have been hurt in life and I need to deal with it in order to not focus on my own feelings and needs. Properly healed I will be able to focus on others, their needs and not just my own feelings! I am looking forward to the new freedom and wholeness that will come with this healing!
When I was born I had an issue with my eyes, they were crossed. I had not realized how much this was an issue to me in acceptance of myself until recently. Everyone has things about themselves that they want to change or don't like, but to have what we consider a "birth defect" is a whole different issue. If we have gained too much weight we can choose to lose it, but if we were born with something that is ours for a lifetime barring doctor intervention then it is a whole different level of self acceptance or self rejection.
At the age of two I had several surgeries to "free" my eyes from over active muscles, to be able to see ahead, the surgery coupled with eyeglasses allowed me to almost see like other people do. Recently my mother told me that when I was a baby in her arms she was not even able to tell if I was looking at her or not. That is not just a little crossed, that is a major issue!
I believe that even when we think that our "soul self" isn't aware of a problem, our "spirit self" is very aware. I'm sure there were many comments and a lot of conversations about my eyes and how wrong or unacceptable they were, both from family and friends to doctors and nurses. Now as an adult I don't remember all that I went through with doctor appointments, diagnostics, surgeries, hospital stays or words spoken by family and friends when I was two years old, but my spirit does.
That is when self rejection started, from there comments, insults and emotional injuries just confirmed what my spirit had already come to believe. I had branded myself as a reject and many events in my life showed me what a reject I was. When starting with this type of life foundation of who I was, or how I perceived myself, I found everything to say "you don't measure up", "you're not as good as everyone else", "you are different", "you are defective".
What many people experience as a natural part of life's bumps and bruises was magnified through the lens of self rejection and the thick lenses of the glasses that I wore. A simple criticism from a parent or teacher was magnified in my spirit as rejection. Normal childhood conflicts emphasized to my spirit that I was an outsider, a reject from the other kids.
Even though I was never called "four eyes" I applied this name to myself after hearing it used for people who wore glasses (that was the rejection spirit planting itself yet deeper!). The name "four eyes" is a small issue compared to all of the jokes or stigmas of people with crossed eyes. Even as an adult now, I see many people who refuse to simply wear glasses, they resist being seen as a person that has to have the dreaded "glasses"! Why do we let ourselves see glasses as acceptable or unacceptable? Why aren't they just what they are, an aid for a better life? There are much worse things in life than having to wear glasses, but our society is very vain and we focus a great deal on our appearances!
(And let me say here that yes, I know there are different levels of things that people have to go through in their lives, some of those much, much worse than being born with "crossed-eyes", but I can only speak from my experiences and let others speak from theirs.)
To go on with my writing and healing assignment, let me add that as all people experience in life there were people that I encountered that made me feel my shortcomings even more so. I could go through sharing many things and times that made deep scars on my spirit and added to the foundation of rejection that I had started my life with, but the main point of this writing is not to share all of the pain, but to see that sometimes when you think you are dealing with one issue you may just be dealing with the symptoms of the "issue".
Yes, I never satisfied my parent's expectations,...yes, other children didn't accept a girl wearing glasses(and sadly even in adults this is an issue!), yes,..I developed scoliosis and had to wear a back brace(that really multiplied the rejection issue!),.. yes, I wasn't a straight A student,..yes, I was socially challenged(and still am for that matter!),...yes, I adopted a rebellious attitude towards life,... yes I became very strong willed and independent, and smilingly I have to admit that I have had a lot of things that God has been dealing with in my spirit.
I smile because He is such a loving Father, and He has worked on each of my "issues" in a loving and patient way. His Holy Spirit has brought each item out of my "closet" and shown them to me in a loving way. He started with smaller things, working His way to the bigger more complex problems. I'm sure He will bring out more for me to face, but rejection is a big, big problem, not just for me, but for many. How many careless words have started a spirit of rejection in a small child or baby? Just a suggestion here, please be careful of your words, they can build up or tear down, purpose to only build up!
For this to be the cleansing, healing exercise that it is supposed to be, I want to say that even though I was born cross-eyed I was not an accident or mistake, I have been wonderfully and fearfully made. I am made in the image of my Father, Yahweh, by His very hands! Knit together in my mother's womb by Him!
Even though there are many people that like to make fun of people that they deem to be physically less perfect than themselves, they are wrong! God is not a respecter of persons and I am just as loved and carefully molded as them or any model strutting her stuff down the fashion runway, and just as blessed as any financially well off person that gets in their high dollar car and goes for an unrestrained shopping trip through an exclusive shopping mall, or their personal jet to head for some exclusive five star resort! My Father is a King! I am His precious daughter of joy! And if you belong to Him you can claim this royal standing also! Not just for now, but through eternity! Do you know how long eternity is? It's way more than the 80 years or so that most people can expect to live on Earth! Accept God's view of you, not man's~
When I was born I had an issue with my eyes, they were crossed. I had not realized how much this was an issue to me in acceptance of myself until recently. Everyone has things about themselves that they want to change or don't like, but to have what we consider a "birth defect" is a whole different issue. If we have gained too much weight we can choose to lose it, but if we were born with something that is ours for a lifetime barring doctor intervention then it is a whole different level of self acceptance or self rejection.
At the age of two I had several surgeries to "free" my eyes from over active muscles, to be able to see ahead, the surgery coupled with eyeglasses allowed me to almost see like other people do. Recently my mother told me that when I was a baby in her arms she was not even able to tell if I was looking at her or not. That is not just a little crossed, that is a major issue!
I believe that even when we think that our "soul self" isn't aware of a problem, our "spirit self" is very aware. I'm sure there were many comments and a lot of conversations about my eyes and how wrong or unacceptable they were, both from family and friends to doctors and nurses. Now as an adult I don't remember all that I went through with doctor appointments, diagnostics, surgeries, hospital stays or words spoken by family and friends when I was two years old, but my spirit does.
That is when self rejection started, from there comments, insults and emotional injuries just confirmed what my spirit had already come to believe. I had branded myself as a reject and many events in my life showed me what a reject I was. When starting with this type of life foundation of who I was, or how I perceived myself, I found everything to say "you don't measure up", "you're not as good as everyone else", "you are different", "you are defective".
What many people experience as a natural part of life's bumps and bruises was magnified through the lens of self rejection and the thick lenses of the glasses that I wore. A simple criticism from a parent or teacher was magnified in my spirit as rejection. Normal childhood conflicts emphasized to my spirit that I was an outsider, a reject from the other kids.
Even though I was never called "four eyes" I applied this name to myself after hearing it used for people who wore glasses (that was the rejection spirit planting itself yet deeper!). The name "four eyes" is a small issue compared to all of the jokes or stigmas of people with crossed eyes. Even as an adult now, I see many people who refuse to simply wear glasses, they resist being seen as a person that has to have the dreaded "glasses"! Why do we let ourselves see glasses as acceptable or unacceptable? Why aren't they just what they are, an aid for a better life? There are much worse things in life than having to wear glasses, but our society is very vain and we focus a great deal on our appearances!
(And let me say here that yes, I know there are different levels of things that people have to go through in their lives, some of those much, much worse than being born with "crossed-eyes", but I can only speak from my experiences and let others speak from theirs.)
To go on with my writing and healing assignment, let me add that as all people experience in life there were people that I encountered that made me feel my shortcomings even more so. I could go through sharing many things and times that made deep scars on my spirit and added to the foundation of rejection that I had started my life with, but the main point of this writing is not to share all of the pain, but to see that sometimes when you think you are dealing with one issue you may just be dealing with the symptoms of the "issue".
Yes, I never satisfied my parent's expectations,...yes, other children didn't accept a girl wearing glasses(and sadly even in adults this is an issue!), yes,..I developed scoliosis and had to wear a back brace(that really multiplied the rejection issue!),.. yes, I wasn't a straight A student,..yes, I was socially challenged(and still am for that matter!),...yes, I adopted a rebellious attitude towards life,... yes I became very strong willed and independent, and smilingly I have to admit that I have had a lot of things that God has been dealing with in my spirit.
I smile because He is such a loving Father, and He has worked on each of my "issues" in a loving and patient way. His Holy Spirit has brought each item out of my "closet" and shown them to me in a loving way. He started with smaller things, working His way to the bigger more complex problems. I'm sure He will bring out more for me to face, but rejection is a big, big problem, not just for me, but for many. How many careless words have started a spirit of rejection in a small child or baby? Just a suggestion here, please be careful of your words, they can build up or tear down, purpose to only build up!
For this to be the cleansing, healing exercise that it is supposed to be, I want to say that even though I was born cross-eyed I was not an accident or mistake, I have been wonderfully and fearfully made. I am made in the image of my Father, Yahweh, by His very hands! Knit together in my mother's womb by Him!
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—You’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
You know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, You watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before You,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.
you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—You’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
You know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, You watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before You,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.
Psalm 139:14-15
The Message
Even though there are many people that like to make fun of people that they deem to be physically less perfect than themselves, they are wrong! God is not a respecter of persons and I am just as loved and carefully molded as them or any model strutting her stuff down the fashion runway, and just as blessed as any financially well off person that gets in their high dollar car and goes for an unrestrained shopping trip through an exclusive shopping mall, or their personal jet to head for some exclusive five star resort! My Father is a King! I am His precious daughter of joy! And if you belong to Him you can claim this royal standing also! Not just for now, but through eternity! Do you know how long eternity is? It's way more than the 80 years or so that most people can expect to live on Earth! Accept God's view of you, not man's~
Friday, February 15, 2013
Faith And Obedience
From a devotional that I'm enjoying Seize the Day with Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I have come to understand this in a whole new way~ =} (shared by Lorna)
"Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes." ~ The Cost of Discipleship
God calls us to embrace His words and His ways. This is the first call to obedience. It also remains the last call, for the Christian life is nothing more or less than a continual response to God's Word and Spirit in faith and obedience. Faith is not simply accepting that the things that God has revealed are true, but it involves the challenge that we order the whole of our lives accordingly. Walking this journey will always involve risks and requires the beneficent grace of God.
I have come to understand this in a whole new way~ =} (shared by Lorna)
"Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes." ~ The Cost of Discipleship
God calls us to embrace His words and His ways. This is the first call to obedience. It also remains the last call, for the Christian life is nothing more or less than a continual response to God's Word and Spirit in faith and obedience. Faith is not simply accepting that the things that God has revealed are true, but it involves the challenge that we order the whole of our lives accordingly. Walking this journey will always involve risks and requires the beneficent grace of God.
Meditation
Christian belief leads to a relationship and intimacy with God, and this intimacy expresses itself in deeds of faith and acts of love.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Winter :-(
I tend to struggle with winter..I thought this year that I was ready for it, I even psyched myself up for it! I got snow boots! I told myself that it would be cozy! It would be nice, I would hibernate! I would stay in, study, crochet, write, bake, create… but psyching up has NOT worked! The cold temperatures feel like a personal attack! I just long to escape! There are people that actually enjoy this stuff! cold temperatures, snow...but I have to ask WHY!?! I really think I belong in a tropical paradise! Here' s a picture of Lane in the good ol' days....at the nice,sunny, warm beach!! ps This is written by Lorna...Lane is '' okay'' with winter...
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Thursday, January 17, 2013
Revival!
Lord! Loving Father! Redeeming Brother! Comforting Counselor! You are the Great I Am, the Alpha and Omega, the Amazing Creator - You know all things from the beginning to the end (but there is no end!). You hold the universe in the palm of Your hand! and yet You are mindful of us...even to know the number of hairs on our heads!
When we grasp the truth of this, how can we let any fear take root in our hearts?!
You are our Shepherd, You protect us, guide us and provide for us. Over and over You have told us "Fear Not!".
Lord, I know I previously lived my life in my own power, what a foolish thing! I did what "I" thought was right. I prayed and asked for direction but I have only recently learned how to listen to the answer. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit living in me being Your Communicator, Guide and Teacher to my spirit. I have been "saved" for a long time, but I didn't know Your power. I had not learned how to walk, live, breathe and rest in You. Even now I'm still learning to grasp the authority You have provided for us! "Us" as Your children, but also "Us" as Your body on Earth!
Thank You Lord! You have provided all we need to walk in victory, please help us find our way to the path of victory, please remove the scales from our eyes! Remove our apathetic hearts! I hear Your call Lord and I ask that Your whole body wake up and "hear" it as well!
If this election had gone to the candidate that I supported would people have backed off on their drive to bring our nation into Your will? ...Probably...Even now we have shown ourselves too weak to support a man that wanted to stand with Israel and to protect unborn babies! We need You Lord! We need the strength of Your Holy Spirit poured out upon our Nation! We need revival that can only be brought through an outpouring of Your Spirit! Lord we pray now, Let it be! Pour Your Spirit over our Nation, One Nation under You! In Jesus' powerful name and through His precious blood we pray, Amen!
-Lorna Mercer
When we grasp the truth of this, how can we let any fear take root in our hearts?!
You are our Shepherd, You protect us, guide us and provide for us. Over and over You have told us "Fear Not!".
Lord, I know I previously lived my life in my own power, what a foolish thing! I did what "I" thought was right. I prayed and asked for direction but I have only recently learned how to listen to the answer. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit living in me being Your Communicator, Guide and Teacher to my spirit. I have been "saved" for a long time, but I didn't know Your power. I had not learned how to walk, live, breathe and rest in You. Even now I'm still learning to grasp the authority You have provided for us! "Us" as Your children, but also "Us" as Your body on Earth!
Thank You Lord! You have provided all we need to walk in victory, please help us find our way to the path of victory, please remove the scales from our eyes! Remove our apathetic hearts! I hear Your call Lord and I ask that Your whole body wake up and "hear" it as well!
If this election had gone to the candidate that I supported would people have backed off on their drive to bring our nation into Your will? ...Probably...Even now we have shown ourselves too weak to support a man that wanted to stand with Israel and to protect unborn babies! We need You Lord! We need the strength of Your Holy Spirit poured out upon our Nation! We need revival that can only be brought through an outpouring of Your Spirit! Lord we pray now, Let it be! Pour Your Spirit over our Nation, One Nation under You! In Jesus' powerful name and through His precious blood we pray, Amen!
-Lorna Mercer
Friday, January 4, 2013
Looking Forward by Looking Back
It is amazing how fast time really is. Yes, I know it is about this time last year that it was this date. So, in that regard, time has not sped up nor slowed down. What I mean is, in looking back it is hard to believe a calendar year has come and gone.
I think back to just a year ago I was finishing up the Christmas break and about to head back to a school of ministry in Kansas City, MO. Here I sit in central Wisconsin at our son's place - school no where on my mind nor even on the radar. In this past year we have traveled to different parts of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Wisconsin and a small bit into Illinois.
I am quite sure I have left out many events, situations, circumstances, encounters, spoken words and so forth as I look back over 2012 - the goal here was not to list them all, it is to highlight that You, God are on the move in a mighty way! This is just a snapshot of You working in our lives - now take that and multiply that out to all of the followers of You, Jesus! Your word declares You are not a respecter of persons - if You do this with one, then it can and will be done for through all of Your children, thank You Lord!
I am looking forward to what you have in store for us and Your body for 2013. I don't even pretend to know - looking back, how would I have ever put it together that You would do all of that through a lost and found datebook - even taking that out of the picture, what we have had happen and what we experienced, who could do that but you Lord - no one, that is who!
I love You and I welcome You into my life, my family, my job, my finances, my housing, my transportation - everything and every area, come and have Your way, God! Come and have Your way, Jesus! Come and have Your way, Holy Spirit!
- Posted by Lane Mercer
I think back to just a year ago I was finishing up the Christmas break and about to head back to a school of ministry in Kansas City, MO. Here I sit in central Wisconsin at our son's place - school no where on my mind nor even on the radar. In this past year we have traveled to different parts of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Wisconsin and a small bit into Illinois.
- We have lost a vehicle - gained one (lost as in not working and needing a new motor, so not likely to work!)
- We have had two offers to buy our house in Oklahoma - two offers withdrawn (one by us and one by them)
- We have been prayed for by different ones and have prayed for different ones
- We have been blessed financially and have been a blessing financially
- We have become more comfortable and excited with the leading of the Lord in our lives
- We have been to two professional sports games (one together and one each individually)
- We have gone to our first symphony, loved it and want to go again
- We have gone from having one job to having two jobs and then back to one
- We have seen prophetic words spoken over us and to us starting to take shape and happening
- One of them being a voice to the nations - being on radio that broadcast (at last count) to 24 nations and over 30 states in the USA
- Another one is becoming the hand that wields the sword - having a knowing when to leave the second job - which opened the door for the radio (one among many other examples)
- The Canadian man having a place to stay in Kansas City for a week, with us, resulting in us having a second vehicle for a few months while he was away to Africa on a mission trip
- The Canadian man becoming connected with a church in Kansas City where the pastor operates strongly in a deliverance and restorative ministry and thus this Canadian gaining more freedom and restoration
- The Canadian man, during a spiritual leadership forum (The Master's Word Shop) upon his return from Africa shares his experiences of what God was and is doing in Africa. During this time, a member of the audience was directed by the Lord to speak to the pastor from Kansas City that the Canadian had met and share that they want to personally finance bringing over a pastor from Africa that the Candian's testimony mentioned
I am quite sure I have left out many events, situations, circumstances, encounters, spoken words and so forth as I look back over 2012 - the goal here was not to list them all, it is to highlight that You, God are on the move in a mighty way! This is just a snapshot of You working in our lives - now take that and multiply that out to all of the followers of You, Jesus! Your word declares You are not a respecter of persons - if You do this with one, then it can and will be done for through all of Your children, thank You Lord!
I am looking forward to what you have in store for us and Your body for 2013. I don't even pretend to know - looking back, how would I have ever put it together that You would do all of that through a lost and found datebook - even taking that out of the picture, what we have had happen and what we experienced, who could do that but you Lord - no one, that is who!
I love You and I welcome You into my life, my family, my job, my finances, my housing, my transportation - everything and every area, come and have Your way, God! Come and have Your way, Jesus! Come and have Your way, Holy Spirit!
- Posted by Lane Mercer
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