Author: shellym

Prophetic people love to hear God’s voice. They are constantly watching for ways He is speaking to them. It’s beautiful as they are so ready to receive from Him. One of the ways they will hear from him is by noticing little signs around them of the Lord speaking to them. They might see the clock say 5:55, a certain bird flies by that they haven’t seen before, multiple good things happen in their life, or something happening in their life in a set of three. They will receive more from Him as they are looking for Him with expectancy.

I’ve also noticed that prophetic people can tend to put value on a negative sign, as well. For instance, last year had some hard things in it for me and my family. If I take that as an entire bad year, I’m declaring something over my life and my family’s life that won’t help. I’m making it too personal, when really, bad things just happen sometimes in a non-perfect world. Similarly, if you see a flock of vultures nearby and wonder what will be “eaten up,” or you see the numbers 666 somewhere. Don’t spend time agreeing with the enemy’s bait to think bad things are happening.

When we see negative things in our lives as a sign that we give weight to, we are listening to the wrong voice. When we give merit to the negative things that happen in or around our lives meaning calamity or destruction to us, it’s called superstition. Superstition is prophetically listening to the wrong voice. That, when you think about it and declare it, is like prophesying it. Don’t breathe life on what the enemy is trying to do.

Superstition is based in fear. What are you afraid of? Face it and deal with it.

The only signs I want to spend any time on are the ones from Him, the ones that encourage, bring hope and life, and correct me so sweetly. The best way to tell if you are going with a sign as from the enemy is if it brings fear into you. If you become afraid of something, that’s a good indicator that you are listening to the wrong voice. His voice is good, guiding, and encouraging. Ask God what He is doing and don’t let the enemy distract you with what he’s trying to do. He’s a waste of time. What God is doing is always good and always for you and for your family.

I’d love to hear if you have any examples of this happening in your own life.

Peter had told Jesus that He would never forsake him, he would go to the grave with Him when Jesus told him he would deny him 3 times before the rooster crowed. His passionate love for the Messiah was beautiful and strong. Yet hours later, Peter was dying with remorse, weeping bitterly at the thought that he had just denied Christ. It happened just as Jesus had said.

What would have happened if Peter decided to agree with shame from that choice? He could have easily felt the need to make his own punishment of excusing himself from ministry, not being worthy of who Christ called him to be.

Have you ever regretted a poor choice so much that shame overtook you? Did you find yourself choosing consequences for yourself? I wonder if God chose those or if you could have been punishing yourself. It sure seems like the enemy wants to use shame to excuse us from the table…”you don’t deserve to be there or to do that!”

If Peter would have punished himself and thought, ‘I am unworthy to carry out God’s word over my life’, where would the church be today? He was the Rock Christ started the entire church with. He could have had some time thinking that, and he would be right, but it’s not about him. It’s about who God is…Forgiver and Restorer, and about what He is doing, not what we are or are not doing.

If you have shame over something you have done or not done, forgive yourself. You are human. That’s why you need Jesus. He didn’t die for nothing. Then repent for agreeing with shame, kick shame out of your life, and choose your new thoughts about who you are that agree with Christ. Now you can move on in freedom. Bless you, friend.

What is it with us and being corrected? We dislike it so much we do whatever we can to avoid it…from blaming it on others or our circumstances to giving “reasons” why. (Totally talking to myself. Maybe if I post this it will really sink in!)

I’ve been listening to the Gospels on CD. They are coming alive more than ever right now. I was thinking about how in Luke 22:36, Jesus told them to sell things to buy a sword. It was time for that. Then in Luke 22:51, still the same chapter, Jesus is betrayed with the kiss and Peter thinks, “This must be where the sword comes in!” and cuts off the guard’s ear. Jesus tells Peter, “No more of this!” and heals the man’s ear. I suppose Peter’s best response could be one of not taking it personal. He thought one way, but was wrong. That’s ok, now he knows. And that’s it. No regret. No reliving his choice. No wondering what Jesus thought of him now that he had done such a thing. Nope, Jesus knew who Peter was and who he would be, regardless of his bad choice. It didn’t affect his future in any way.

Since Christ paid for it all anyways, and what He thinks is the only thought that matters, correct away! We’ll only gain from it. We can be thankful for all the people who care enough and consider us worth that investment.

“…The Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.” Proverbs 3:12

The Father corrects those He calls his children. If He didn’t love us, He wouldn’t bother.

And if you don’t get corrected once in a while by someone, you can check to see if you need deeper relationships around you, people who are investing in you and you in them.

The last couple of days I’ve been feeling like I needed to let go of some dreams. I feel He’s asking me to think through some things perhaps not happening as I had hoped for them to. So this morning I was talking with the Lord about the mystery of letting go but keeping the dreams out there. He has also said to ask of Him, and we have not because we ask not. And lately I’ve had a couple people tell me it’s time to start dreaming again. It’s such a vulnerable thing, to dream, and to wait, to hope, and to wait. How do we dream and surrender the dream at the same time?

I think it might be more of a letting go of how I think the dreams will come to pass, not the dreams themselves. As I was spending time with Him I pictured myself holding up my dreams to Him. My hands were high and open with the dreams in the center but my face was down and turned away. It was like I was ready and willing to give them to Him, but I was afraid of what He would do with them, or not do with them. I couldn’t look.

He then prompted me to recall dreams that have come true. As I did a quick survey of my life touching down on the biggest dreams come true along the way I remembered that I got to be a horse girl growing up. We had horses most of my childhood. I loved caring for them, riding them, and racing them. I wanted to be married. The Lord gave me the best husband for me whom I deeply admire more and more every year. We tried for a few years to get pregnant. Now we have two incredible sons, growing up so well. I have the most amazing friends, we got to move our family to Redding to grow spiritually, I taught at Bethel Christian School, I went to first year Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, and I have such good connection with my sons and my husband. These were all dreams that have come true. I’m so thankful.

After going through the list, I became sure of the future. I can only assume the Lord will continue to be as He has been. He makes dreams come true.

I asked the Lord to show me His version of the vision I had of myself holding up my dreams for Him but not looking. I saw Him lift my chin up to look towards Him. I saw His eyes, crystal blue, penetrating like light, so deep, so focused on me. He had one hand helping me hold up my dreams. The other was brushing the hair away from my face. Such sweet care for me, so tender. At that moment, I felt that He was my prize. He is what I hope for. He is my reward. It was like I won what I dreamt of in just experiencing Him.

What are you dreaming of? Ask Him to show you an interaction with Him. He knows just what you need.

Picture a line graph that is your life. From your start to the seasons that follow, the line rises with growth as it moves forward with time. The idea would be that your line would progress upward as it moves along the timeline of your life.

What I mean by growth is the changes in your life that lead to maturity, character, experience and wisdom. By the way, growth is completely your choice. You get to choose if you want to be a better person through the challenges of life. It’s not easy, but it’s better.

When you are in a season where you are beaming, in your zone, or killin’ it, let’s call that a winning season. You are winning! On the line graph of your life, it coasts, or plateaus a little. You can still be growing but it’s nothing like the challenge times offers you. When you are winning, it all feels right, the stars have aligned, and you can feel amazing. Who wouldn’t want to just stay right there?

A deception can happen when you are in a growing emphasis time. You may not feel successful, like #1, or that you are doing a good job at anything. (This can also be called “transition.”) But it’s not true. The fact is on that line graph, your line is gaining altitude. By the time you hit your next “winning” season, it will be at a much higher location than your previous one.

You are winning when you are growing!

My son, Caleb, loves to play soccer. He’s been one of the best on the team through many rec. seasons. When he started to play competitive, travel soccer, he became one of many great players, but not the best on the team anymore. He is challenged to grow and is being pushed to his maximum with soccer, but he rarely gets to feel like he’s the best. He is always being challenged to a higher ability, which helps him grow in his skills immensely. During the off-season, he’s been doing some pick-up indoor games where he gets to shine again as one of the best. He’s enjoying this winning season a lot. It’s casual, he alone challenges himself, and he gets to score much more often. Which does he pick? It is because of the challenging growing version of soccer (travel ball) he is able to win at a higher skill level than if he’d never played with them.

I am personally in a growing season of life. Some pretty big challenges hit my life in 2017 that I am recovering from. Most important of all, my best friend of 21 years suddenly passed away. As I go through the process of grief, it is hard to feel like I am successful or doing a good job at life. What has happened to my character, my strength? All I have been able to do in the past months is the basics for my family and take care of myself. I have had to choose for this time to believe it is valuable. I have not digressed. I am successful. And at the end of this, the line on my graph will be much higher. I will be more mature, have greater character, more experience and wisdom because of this season. I don’t feel like that now, I just know it will be true. I will be back, but more me than even before. I win.

You, my friend, get to win even when you are growing more and shining less. I think, after all, that we are shining to Him no matter what season we are in. He is so good and cares so deeply for us regardless of what we are going through. In fact, I wonder if He even thinks, “What season? All I see is you, my beloved. And oh, how I adore you.”

Process. Something many people often hold little value for. We have places in life we want to be…out of debt, married, have children, good friendships, own a house, have a great job, walking in our destiny.

We all get fast tracks here or there. Some have their dream job but long for a spouse, while others are married but are waiting and going through years of infertility with longings in their hearts to have children….

And when someone else has the fast track we want, we get jealous. The fact is, you have had the fast track to one or two breakthroughs someone else longs for.  The more years of life I go through, the more I realize, if it is not one process it’s another.

What we are doing or have done matters less than who we are. God cares so much about our character. Often we wait because we are becoming. He has good gift after good gift. We will miss them along the way if we don’t recognize each of them and give thanks to Him constantly. And more good is on the way! But sometimes we will need to wait. Often we wait. It WILL come. The bonus is what He’s doing in you while you wait.   The funny thing is, it’s probably in direct answer to your deepest prayers.

I think God’s favorite part about process and who we are becoming is the connection He has with us in the midst of it.  He loves to communicate with us; listen to our hearts and speak to us, drawing close.  Close to Him, that is my favorite.

When you are waiting, it’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’. So rejoice and be found thankful now. It’s coming. And it’s going to be so good.