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Healed by Light and Sound
God reveals His glory and brings His healing through both light and sound.
If you’ve ever had an x-ray or a radiation procedure - or if you or someone you love is facing this kind of treatment - be encouraged.
God still heals by light and sound.
Align Your Body and Experience Healing
Your body is a healing machine. When things are in alignment, it will naturally heal.
Your body is a healing machine. It has a miraculous ability to heal itself. No one has to tell it what or how to do it. Yet, every day many deal with chronic sickness.
Why?
In this video blog, I share why and how alignment is a critical factor for your physical, emotional and spiritual healing. When what is missing, broken or out of place is properly repositioned we can heal.
The First 48 Hours
Receiving bad news is never easy. Shock comes quickly and so many unanswered questions often overwhelm us.
Receiving bad news is never easy. Shock comes quickly and so many unanswered questions often overwhelm us. It isn’t until later - looking back - that we can identify the miracles that were happening all along the way.
I recently shared my “First 48 Hours” with my Equip team at Gateway Church. They encouraged me to share with you this window into the moments following my diagnosis with breast cancer. Join me as I share about my first 48 hours and how God met in the midst of a really hard day.
Celebrating 10 Years of Healing
My health journey reaches an important mile marker.
When I began my cancer journey in 2009, I had no idea all of the struggles - nor the blessings - that lie ahead. Despite the cost and the struggle, I’ve gained much more than I’ve lost.
Why Is Mentoring Such a Powerful Tool?
You need mentors because you need hope.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Why is mentoring such a powerful tool?
With the launch of Brave Strong Girl I've been really pondering the fundamentals of mentoring.
It's easy to get caught up in the form of mentoring: is it training, teaching, coaching or advising? Often the focus is on a path or pattern of development: is it one-on-one, small group, face to face or anonymous?
All of these questions are important to a successful mentoring experience, but what is it about mentoring that makes it so effective? Why do we find mentoring - whether formal or informal - as an integral part of our human experience?
I believe it's because mentoring is fundamentally about hope.
It has a natural stance that looks ahead and dreams about what could be. It's the opposite of fear, which looks ahead and prophecies destruction. Mentoring looks ahead and declares ability, capacity, fulfillment, transformation, confidence and even eternal purpose.
It is the intersection of two life experiences where one person looks back to extend a hand and say "come on, you can do it". The other person dares to look ahead, stretch out their hand to grasp another and makes a leap of faith.
It is filled with potential and questions of what if. What if I can? What if it matters? What if I change, grow, influence, or impact?
As a person of faith, the what if's go deeper. What if I was born for this? What if it's about more than me? What if I have a purpose or a destiny that matters to me, to God, and to others?
Hope is a key to courage.
The kind of courage that will take you past your weakness and your fear and cause you to become brave and strong.
Hope is a necessity.
It isn't a luxury. Every human heart is shaped with a longing for our eternal purpose to be fulfilled. This life is not just about getting into the doors of heaven. It's about what we do now with what we have and it's eternal impact.
You need mentors because you need hope.
This life tends to wear down hope. It drinks it like afternoon lemonade on a hot summer day. If you let it, life can leave you dry and empty, looking backwards at what happened to you, rather than ahead toward what can be.
This is why the Word of God satisfies the thirst and hunger of the believer. It is a mentoring tool provided by the Chief Mentor (God), given to us by the Chief Servant (Christ) and taught to us by the Chief Teacher (the Holy Spirit).
And it is full of hope.
If you've been without a mentor, then get busy. Open the Word of God and let it lead you. Then find a community that will speak to your future in a brave new way. You can begin right here with us.
Then just leap!
Other Posts That You Will Enjoy:
Mentoring is Fundamentally About Trust
Resource Recommendation: Hope Prevails
Lead Like a Boss
Understand your strength and weaknesses so others can respond effectively to your leadership.
Have you ever worked for a boss who just would not lead? Or maybe you’ve had the dubious privilege of working for a leader who had high expectations but low communication skills. How about when a leader gives responsibility without the appropriate authority? Or when a leader lacks self-control and uses their emotions to force others into obedience?
It’s so frustrating when a leader doesn’t know how to or simply refuses to lead in a manner that empowers others to work toward success. When this happens, the whole team is stunted, other leaders go around the appointed leader or abandon the team, and results are greatly diminished. No one grows stronger and little is accomplished.
So why don’t leader’s lead well? A lack of self-awareness cripples many of us. It is so important that we know and understand ourselves more fully. We must grasp when our actions, style or behavior impacts others in a positive or negative manner.
A self-aware leader understands their own strengths and weaknesses, considers how their personality and delivery style impacts others and works on improving their communication and collaboration so that others can respond effectively to their leadership. Perfection is not required, but a consistent, humble growth in self-awareness will draw influence and release power.
The vast majority of people who bear responsibility for leading, desire to be an effective leader. However, simply being appointed or even desiring to be a leader doesn’t mean that a person has the character, skill, or courage necessary. Many leaders simply haven’t had the time, training or focus to develop a leadership style that empowers others. In addition, many have failed to make the connection between grace and growth.
When we lead by grace, we demonstrate a courage and confidence in how God created us – and we naturally extend the same grace to those who follow. People follow leaders who exhibit a compassionate understanding of where they are right now while empowering them to make courageous, faithful choices that help them become successful.
When we receive grace we are empowered. When we give grace we empower others.
Grace enables us to change, to become like Christ, to mature, to dream, to experience revelation, to become something and someone more than we have ever been. It involves the tenacious belief in the best version of who God created people to be and it refuses to let those we lead live beneath the vision of God’s highest dreams for their lives.
So how does grace translate to the everyday goals and responsibilities of leadership? What does it look like in the real world of team building?
Here are ten grace-filled tips to help you become a more empowering leader.
1. Go ahead and lead
Leadership development is a life-long process that is forged in the fire of leading. Becoming an empowering leader is not just about communication - talking or listening. It’s actually about what you model; what you do. Leadership inherently includes a responsibility to effectively steward the people, resources and opportunities set before us. So don’t let leadership paralysis overtake you. Whether you have a formal position of leadership or you are simply cultivating a leadership lifestyle, you can begin with what you have and where you are. Consider how you might encourage or help others achieve their goals within your current scope of influence. What strength or resources do you already posses that could be used to serve another’s vision? Set forth and model a leadership style that is worthy of emulating and inspires others to grow in productivity and maturity.
2. Assume people are capable
People tend to rise to our expectations. So what are you expecting? Do you have a fundamental faith in people or a fundamental distrust? If you believe that your team members desire to be successful and to contribute effectively to the mission, then demonstrate that belief by expressing confidence in their abilities. (If you don’t believe these things, then why are they on your team?) When you assume people are capable you will entrust them with assignments and responsibilities that are on the edge of their experience. This is how you find treasure in people. You believe in their potential, not just in their track record. This assumption may cause you some difficulties. After all there has to be room for failure, mistakes and learning curves. You may have to step up and help them accomplish the task or cross the finish line. You won’t know the potential in people until you begin to believe they are capable of more.
3. Cast vision
It is so important to learn to cast vision to your team. Teams, consumers and even communities are more motivated by the why of your mission, than by the how. Casting vision not only defines the “win” but also explains what is expected or required of the team. Often team members need to know “is what I am doing making a difference?” or “what’s the goal?” As you cast vision, make your words “salty”, seasoned with respect and confidence. Don’t expect people to stay excited about the mission if you aren’t excited about the mission. Work hard on improving your own communication skills so that vision casting becomes an inherent part of your leadership style.
4. Take more risks
Risk taking yields great reward. Not only should you take more risks, but consider giving others an opportunity to do the same. Clearly define the measurable and objectives, but leave more room for the strategy and tactics. If everyone has to accomplish every task the same way that you do, then you’ve limited your team and destroyed the creative potential within others. Try giving others more permission; permission to draw their own conclusions, determine their own applications; and steward their own portion of the work. Create meaningful and collaborative learning experiences and release others into greater authority.
5. Allow for and forgive failure
When you entrust and empower people with more confidence and authority, you will also be communicating that they have permission to try again. Failure is not the end. It’s only an opportunity to begin again. Allow others the freedom to make mistakes and they will extend the same grace to you. Take time to debrief all along the way so that you can strategize adjustments for the future and encourage others to try again. Keep your focus on how you can improve and don’t hold a grudge.
6. Provide resources and encouragement
Give people as many tools, training and resources as you can in order to equip them for their responsibilities. Sometimes we approach our mission from an attitude of lack or stinginess, expecting others to “produce more bricks with less hay.” Turn that approach around and generously resource your team for maximum effectiveness. Don’t withhold what is needed to facilitate the vision.
7. Build community
Do you want to accomplish big goals? You’ll need a lot of human resource. Everyone has an innate desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Whether you are building a product, selling a service, or leading a life group, you can invite others into your circle of influence so that together you might see a greater return for your investment. This naturally requires human contact. Make more time for people. You can go fast and take along only a few people or you can slow down and take along thousands.
8. Prioritize people over results
I realize this advice is counter culture to most of America’s leadership environments, but when you value people over what they can do for you or with you, you build healthy relationships. When you legitimately care about the people “on the mission” with you, you will naturally build empowering, creative, loyal communities who work more effectively with less supervision. What seems contrary to accomplishing the goal, can actually accelerate the collaboration of team and increase positive outcomes from the bottom line to team loyalty.
9. Be patient
It’s what you do and how you respond when emotions are running high, that reveal if you are an emotionally mature leader. We tend to lean heavily on the intelligence of people (their talents and skills), but it’s our emotional maturity that can trip us up or cause us to break through. People are naturally chaotic. All of us are moving from lost to found and need more grace. Make room in your leadership style to accept people where they are while encouraging them to move toward greater maturity.
10. Take time to celebrate
Often we fail to stop and acknowledge the positive changes and impacts we are looking for. We simply rush to set the next milestone. This can result in discouragement to those who follow. Consider creative measures for recognizing great results. Give away the credit for success to others. Find a way to commemorate important achievements and build reward into your recognition. Public recognition for a job well done inspires the whole team to achieve with excellence and builds tremendous loyalty from the one who is recognized.
Having a team that is empowered and functioning well is the dream of every leader. It will take more than exceptional talent to create that team; it will require the sacrifice of a servant leader mixed with a strong dose of grace.
Are you an empowering leader?
Have you been pruned?
Do you feel like you’ve been pruned? Sharply shaped without your permission? You are not alone.
Do you feel like you’ve been pruned? Cut back? Sharply shaped without your permission? You are not alone. A part of me too is all rough edges, exposed emotions and sappy branches.
In what seemed like a moment, the entire world experienced a sharp and swift pruning of our lives. We were sent home to protect us from an enemy that is invisible and deadly. Our “sheltering at home” will either become place of safety and healing or they will become prisons of pain and fear.
Why would God prune the entire world, all at one time? We can find some understanding In John 15. Jesus reveals the Father as a farmer who cares for his vineyard through pruning so that what is “cut back” will become even more fruitful.
There is only one reason that God prunes a fruitful vine and that is to make it more fruitful. He prunes an unfruitful vine as well, but that vine is clipped off as deadwood, never to reproduce again.
You and I are sitting on the cusp of a great revival of faith in Jesus.
Believers have been called into their personal prayer closets. In private, He is tending to our pruned branches, preparing them to bear more weight - more fruit - more of His glory.
Those who have not yet heard the good news or who might have even rejected or ignored the gospel are experiencing the same pruning as a moment of grace whereby their fear and pain can make way for His healing, rescue and His salvation.
Prepare yourself now to share your testimony tomorrow. The whole world is being “ripened” so that man might listen and believe.
How to Overcome Negative Thoughts
Special guest Nanette Eiland shares how she is standing on God's promises to overcome negative thoughts.
Are you currently facing unexpected and fearful consequences or changes due to the pandemic? Maybe your fears or negative thoughts are centered around concerns for your health, or the stress on your marriage, or maybe you are struggling because there is so much ambiguity in this moment.
Many times we can’t control the circumstances of our lives. Events happen. Changes come. Sometimes we swing “up” in emotion and sometimes we spiral “down.”
My friend, Nanette Eiland, just experienced an unexpected change of her own.
“On Monday, I received a call letting me know my position was being eliminated.”
Nanette, not being one to allow the enemy an opportunity to add his torment to a difficult moment, quickly turned to God’s Word for help.
In this video blog, Nanette and I visit about her journey over the past few weeks. We talk about how she’s coping and what she is doing to keep her fear and negative thoughts from ruling her mind and heart in this moment.
I hope you are encouraged and empowered by this conversation and that you too, will use God’s Word to overcome fear and negative thoughts.
Stay with it all the way to the end and I will bless you with a prophetic word!
Looking for Direction?
“Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ.
So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, mericiful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising Him always. ”
“We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the anointed one. ”
How to Overcome Loneliness
A special guest video blog with Pastor Chelsea Seaton, a 30-something single coping with the loneliness of the “shelter at home” season,
Are you experiencing loneliness? You are not alone. Millions of people around the world are dealing with a new and uncomfortable reality - They are alone.
Whether you are single, isolated by the virus, a widow or even a single parent suddenly home with your family, the sensation of being disconnected from everything you know can make you feel alone.
In this Vblog, I am visiting with my special guest and long-time friend, Chelsea Seaton, who is a 30-something professional young woman who owns her own home and happens to be single. In obedience to the “shelter at home” order, she found herself home alone for weeks, eventually discovering what it feels like to be lonely.
Chelsea offers a Biblical understanding of loneliness along with some practical tips for how to emotionally connect and engage with others.
This is a little longer than my usual videos so grab a cup of coffee and spend about 20 minutes with me and Chelsea.
Ready for Action
I thought I was ready for action, but I was wrong. I am called to rest.
Many of you know about the square up vision God gave me on the day that I knew the cancer had returned again, this time to my liver. If you don't, you can read all about it on one of my original blogs entitled What Happened? This idea of squaring up - of getting into alignment with God's plans and preparing for the fight - have driven me for the past few months. Every decision has been about agreeing with him.
I constantly see myself dressed out in my full pads, looking good in my uniform. (Remember this picture of my son Matthew? I pretend my uniform looks just this great on me.) I imagine I am standing on the field in that strange crouch that Matthew assumes when the ball is about to be snapped. My eyes search for any clue so I can sense what is about to happen.
I look across the offensive line and I see cancer is the quarterback. It's making the calls and moving the ball. Because I am in a defensive position, I strive to anticipate cancer's game plan, read the play, and respond with great skill by sacking the quarterback, striping the ball from a running back or best of all, intercepting a pass.
Yet each time I see the enemy reach for the ball and step back into the pocket, I am frozen. My teammates (those who pray for me) advance, but I standstill. Suddenly, I am filled with doubt... "I am supposed to be in a position of rest. The battle belongs to the Lord. I'm waiting on Him. Maybe I'm not supposed to be so aggressive. I don't want to disobey or spend my energy when God wants to show off on my behalf."
At that moment, I imagine myself as an unseasoned player freaked out by the crowds, the noise, the pressure, the thoughts and I just stand there. Here comes the offensive team - all 11 players (with names like fear, disappointment, discouragement, pain) - who simply crush me on the field. Over and over again, I am flat on my back with a sense of shock wondering why I don't have a defender for the defender. With every snap of the ball, they take more territory and I am pushed back, closer, and closer to death. What is going on?
I recently shared this story with a former NFL player hoping to get some insight. I explained the situation and that I had determined the only way for me to win this battle was for me to move from the defensive team to the offensive team. I had been praying God would show me how to get the ball for myself and put the enemy in the defensive position. I'm tired of chasing cancer around my body. I'm tired of negative reports. I'm tired of a sense of helplessness. I don't know how to walk out this square up word on the field of battle.
He looked me straight in the face and said, "So you think the devil has the ball?" As soon as he said it, I saw the foolishness of my reasoning. He continued, "God has the ball. He is leading the offensive team. The devil is on the defense and he is the one getting creamed. You are on the sidelines resting."
The responsibility of the defensive player while his offensive team is on the field is to recuperate, stay engaged, encourage his team mates and be prepared to enter the game if called upon - basically to rest.
I suddenly remembered that in the original vision I saw myself in Matthew's uniform. I looked so funny that I chuckled. (I thought of what David must have looked like in Saul's gigantic armor.) Rather than what God showed me, I've been imagining myself as the MVP. My uniform is tight, slick, sharp and makes me look so strong. I thought I was ready for action. Yet now I see that I am on the sidelines. My helmet rests on the bench beside me. My uniform is a little ridiculous. I look like a light weight.
But none of that matters because I don't have the ball and neither does cancer.
God is leading the charge. Christ has possession of the ball and he is the anointed, appointed quarterback. He is calling the plays and positioning the players. I am on the bench. I am resting.
I feel so relieved. I am enjoying imaging the pain and anguish which God will leash on those who tried to line up against me. I am confident of the outcome and I am ready to enter the game at a moment's notice. I'm sure there will be a point when I am called to action - but until then I square up by resting, waiting, trusting the Lord.
10 Tips To Grow Strong In Your Prophetic Gift
The word prophecy means to speak, say, declare or make known. In Hebrew, the word “nabi” means to flow, bubble or pour forth words, to gush. When we begin to speak or declare the whispers of God, we will naturally accomplish the biblical purpose of prophecy.
The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. Isaiah 50:4
Is there anything more fun than hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit?
Maybe in worship, you’ve caught the breath of His voice. Maybe as you opened His Word, your spirit leaped. Maybe He has used a friend to say something encouraging when you were weary.
All of these are examples of one of the most powerful gifts discussed in the New Testament – a gift available to every believer. I Corinthian 14:1 says “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophecy.”
Why would you want to prophecy?
The word prophecy means to speak, say, declare or make known. In Hebrew, the word “nabi” means to flow, bubble or pour forth words, to gush. When we begin to speak or declare the whispers of God, we will naturally accomplish the biblical purpose of prophecy. I Corinthians 14:3 says “He who prophesies speaks edification (guidance) exhortation (encouragement) and comfort (cheer).”
Here are ten tips to help you grow strong in your prophetic gift.
It’s normal – Let me clarify a bit of a misconception. Somehow we’ve taught people that hearing God’s voice and sharing your impressions or thoughts with another is abnormal – or at the very least – for only special people. The truth is that hearing the voice of God and sharing what we hear is at the foundation of the Christian experience. Every believer can hear and share.
Tune in – Learning to hear the voice of God is a bit like learning to dial an old fashioned radio. We used to turn the dial until the radio signal became strong. As you were searching for your favorite music, there was a lot of static. But as you drew near to the “channel” things became clear. God’s voice is much like this. As you begin to pray, meditate and listen closely about a particular person or situation, often your channel will become clear. Practice focusing your mind and heart by using a particular question. For example, “What do you want to say to my friend, today?”
Fight fear – When you begin to prophecy, you will encounter fear. It is a “fearful” thing to dare to speak to another an impression, thought or image that is God-inspired. In the moment, your own heart might pound, your breath become short and your hands sweat. I’ve only found one cure for this attack – keep going. You can move past the fear as you humbly submit yourself and the word to the person you are ministering to.
Be teachable – One of the easiest ways to learn how to handle, give and receive prophetic words is to walk alongside someone more experienced than you. They can give you practical instruction, careful guidance and positive encouragement. Don’t be afraid to be corrected. I Corinthians 13:9 says “For we know in part and we prophesy in part…” No one learned to use any gift or talent without practice. If you don’t have someone in your circle who can help, remember that you can be mentored by books, teachings and trainings.
Get a word for yourself – There is no one who can give you a more encouraging prophetic word than Christ himself. Others may speak into your life, confirm some whispers of the Holy Spirit or even call out gifts and talents. But the strongest, most life changing word comes from heaven itself right into your spirit.
Be tender – When you are speaking prophetically to another person, their heart is wide open. Keep in mind that the person before you is vulnerable. Speak carefully, tenderly, with grace. Let God use your cooperation to draw out of people His awesome gifts and abilities. Your word should highlight His greatness, kindness, goodness and unfailing love.
Weigh your words – Words always have tremendous power to bless or to curse, but when you are intentionally speaking an encouragement to another, they are fully loaded for maximum impact. Just because you hear, doesn’t mean you have permission to speak. Sometimes you will have to hold your tongue and submit a matter to prayer.
Offer your word– Prophetic words should be offered or submitted to another person in a humble manner. They are never to be pushed upon someone. If a word is delivered in a demanding or controlling tone, it will set in motion a sense of manipulation and will not accomplish a biblical purpose. You offer and the other person chooses whether or not to receive.
Work on your timing – You can be in a situation where you have the “right” word but it’s the “wrong” time. Before delivering a word, consider if you have the relationship and or authority to speak into this person? Is this the right environment? Is this the right time? It is okay to hold a word, to pray about it and to watch for the opportune timing of God.
Love more – Want to hear God more clearly and give more precise, encouraging words? Love more. That’s right! The greater your love and compassion for God, people and yourself, the more easily you will flow in the gift of prophecy. Love is close to the heart of the Father and according to II Corinthians 13, guaranteed to never fail.
3 Questions to ask God/Activate Your Prophetic Gift
Do you love me?
What do you want to say to me right now?
What are the gifts/talents you have given me you want me to focus on now?