Tag Archives: season

Shelf Life-Sometimes The Best Things In Life Are But For A Season.

Just a thought?
Just a thought?

For a long time I have said there is a shelf life to things like music, prophecy, beliefs even. The things that are eternal have no shelf life. (By the way “shelf life” simply means that the season of anointing, of grace, of glory has lifted or expired.) The things of legacy, timeless. We cannot live in the past. (Though we must look back in the past to the cross to see our place now. I do not want old slower computers or heavy TV’s or no cell phone.) Continue reading Shelf Life-Sometimes The Best Things In Life Are But For A Season.

Tick, Tick, Tick-The End Of A Season

An update for you!
An update for you!

Yesterday my wife came home at 6:50. In the car was the last stuff we were pulling from the house.

Today at 3PM, our home goes to auction. If you are interested in the long version, I posted that yesterday. Or you can visit the Facebook page to visit pics, etc..

Bottom line we did all that we knew how to do. Right up to the final “bell.”

If I learned one thing in the last five years there are a lot of good people in the world. Many who are content and willing to call me their friend.

There are a lot who took the opportunity as well to lie, steal and cheat while Tina and I went through this season of our life. Bless you!

This week my son came alongside to help out. Thanks Tyler! A friend Matt joined as well as various family. Over the years my friend Mike showed up , along with Joel and Robin to help out. My friend Dave from Barre and his crew. The folks from Village who joined in. And so many more.

There is a freedom that comes at 3. My best efforts will never have been in “vain.” Someone had a dream about me and the freedom that comes with this. I simply believe. (A balloon was tethered, but this week it was set free to travel.)

It is funny, last night I was thinking about the last winter I was working on the house. I was up there by myself, working on the second floor. The next thing I knew or remember I was laying on the cement below with blood on me, the ground and the snow. No recollection of anything. Called my wife to pick me up. She wanted to take me to the hospital. I said, “no Thanksgiving is tomorrow.” She was not impressed. I had a lovely weekend despite the headaches and headed to the ER on Monday. The sacrifice? Nothing compared to others.

So, the clock stops ticking today for us in Springfield. New life, new season.

Mickey Mouse popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad 20 years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb and disaster seemed right around the corner. Walt Disney


A High Speed Rumble – The vibrations of change

I notice that all too often we can get caught up in the reality of this life and forget the realities of His life. The last day or so was one of those times for me.

Life began to move along, and one of the things you recognize at higher “speeds” is the rumbles, the revealing of things you could overlook at slower speeds, is dangerous at the higher speeds.

When I was in my teens, one time I decided to “borrow” someone’s bike. They had padlocked the front wheel to the fender. I undid the fender and it allowed the wheel to freely turn. What happened on the highway was a completely different story. The bike developed a difficult bounce and by the time I reached my destination my hands, arms and shoulders were on fire.

In my own life there is a lot to deal with, a lot that needs Him. In a perfect world, I would live on a mountaintop, come down once a month and “avoid traffic.” I worked hard to do that. Now I live in a city in an apartment with people I do not know. Who would have thought? It was fun for a season, but the idea of isolation is on my mind a lot. Why? Because I do not feel as though I “fit in.” I am not sure I ever did, but various things help you to “get by.” My “get by” factors have evaporated on so many levels.

Not all revelation is fun. It may be necessary, but it is not without pain. I am experiencing one of those “painful” times. I listened to a friend tell me that the stretching they were encountering was painful. I get it. Times of stretching reveal the “memories” that need to be overcome. These times reveal memories of failure, pain, limitations and more. The minor annoyances we incur may be the “checking of the system. “11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Last week, I told God, “I cannot take it anymore.” The apartment had been getting to me, the money had been escaping me, even getting a job seemed beyond my reach. “I am putting on the brakes” I said. I have done all I know how. I stopped. “Gave up” so to speak. I am not being stubborn, just trying to figure out the right place.

I know for many life feels as though it has stood still. It has not. I assure you all systems are being checked out. That which you deem to be a minor annoyance or aggravation has the hand of the Lord on it. For me, I am pulling “back.” Way back. Limiting everything but the things at hand. That means dealing with the house for the final time, the RV and boat, ending that whole phase of anchorship. There is another phase that follows that and I am not excited by that either, but it is another anchor being pulled up. I have applied for work, done the phone screens, but frankly there are some limiting factors I cannot overcome. They have to be God. This time will be pulled back. Way back! I have things that have been spoken that honestly I just need to evaluate.

I have been going through a “risk” thing. Part of my conversation with Him, was “God, put it before me.” So far I have not seen it. But if it involves risk and He tells me, is it risk?

 

REST-He is in it!

I woke up this morning from a dream where an old friend of mine was involved. We had been invited to a meeting. We were staying in a large hotel. We had beautiful rooms. And a noise.  In the dream there was this “mystery” sound. It took me all night to isolate and determine what and where it was. It has taken me much of the morning to understand the thought process behind it.

Yesterday I spoke about set at a table, set in place and set in motion. I believe that is where much of the church is right now.  What is going on? Where is the motion? Where is the “answer”?

I was talking to a friend last night. A savvy business person and good friend, we talked about the current state of life. Like he and myself, many have felt like the motion of things has stopped. We discussed the reasons. Without getting into lots of detail we cleared governments, economies and people. No, something has people in a place of “slowed” or a holding pattern. Even as I thought about the holding pattern, I thought what it was a prelude to. Landing, disembarking, new positions and places all follow. The holding pattern can be discouraging, as it can create impatience or anxiety. Especially when you look out the window and see others “in the air,” circling alongside of you.  (Die Hard 2 maybe?)

My answer is, many are in the place of “what’s next.” Often we see it in an individual or two, but it does seem like many are waiting. What if how well you wait determined how well you “land”?

In my dream we were distracted until late into the night, looking for the source of the noise. When we got close to it, it seemed as if it changed. Direction, sound, volume. I finally got into bed and got some sleep(rest) only to hear the sound a few hours later. I jumped out of bed, opening the door and I saw the source of the noise. A type of “knocker” had been affixed to my friend’s door. I opened the door and there he was, asleep. He was worn out from the night’s explorations. The sun poured through the window.

Only when I was in my room and resting was I able to determine the source of the sound. It was on a door. As we moved about the hotel the previous night, we heard it but could not locate it. There is a new day coming. The Lord is behind the “distractions” but not as you perhaps think. He is not making it hard for you, He is making it easy. There is rest He is calling you to. And only when you are in that rest will you hear the sound. The sound of Him at the door calling you to a new day. A day that is bright. Why a door? Because He is not making this hard or difficult.

I personally just went through a frenzied time. A time that began with a flat tire a few weeks ago. And then a car accident and my wife’s injuries. Finances, vehicle and residence, all seemed to take a hit. It is not “over” but I felt the Lord asking for trust. He is knocking. He has knocked at many people’s “door.” The answer is “open the door.” (It is like, how do you remove the darkness? Turn on the light!)

This is a season of unraveling of thinking, discarding of old thoughts and process and the listening for the sound. My answer in the dream was “right there.” But we could not find it. We did the room to room search, the examination, the interviewing of others…everything but “lie down.”

REST-He is in it!

 

 

Preside Where You Reside

Hitting the target
A word for today.

Yesterday during worship I heard a few things and felt like I needed to set on them for a bit. During a dream last night I received more to what was in play. They had to do with the season we have entered into.

I heard three phrases-

Setting a table. I felt like two things were in play here. One was that we were to be a table. A place of community and respite for those who had needs of the Lord. Not needs of us, but needing Him, though we might be part of the answer. The second part was He was calling us to the table of His fellowship. We know that He prepared a table for us amongst His enemies. There is a calling to a place of rest in Him. The more we know of His rest, the more we know of Him.

Setting in place. This is a season where God is setting in place His people. To fulfill His purpose, I may not be able to fulfill my calling where I was so He moves me. God sets people in place. And He allows for people to be set according to God and one that will be done by man. I literally saw people being “screwed” into place for their purpose. God is allowing no “wriggle” room in that which He has called forth. No longer will short term vision suffice. This is clearly for the long haul.

At the same time, I saw a jewelry setting. Any real jeweler knows that a stone is crafted to produce the most goodness out of its cutting or shaping. In the natural a master jeweler will review the stone to faceted or cut. After research he will decide what is to be done in the process of faceting.  The Lord does this as well. It may be years of watching the “raw” stone before adding a facet. More before the stone adds another. At some point, the stone will be set. A proper setting is devised to release the largest amount of light and brilliance through a gem. A gem can be shiny laying on a piece of black velvet, but its fire and glimmer will never be fulfilled. Even a magnificent stone can be diminished by the wrong setting. The correct setting will allow light to bounce off the inner cuts deep within the stone, refracting and reflecting.

Be willing to be set. Not my will but your will be done.

Set in motion. There are motions that you have set in play and those that the Lord has set in motion. There is a rhythm of God that can be seen being revealed in lives. When the scripture spoke of “waiting” on the Lord, it was not talking of a sitting still, contemplative repose, but a tying in to what the Lord was doing, where He was going and how He was moving. Being “set in motion” is a place of moving. Why am I here? Where am I going? Those are familiar refrains of those who have tied into the Lord.

In the mid 90’s the Lord had given me a vision of a chess board and the pieces being moved about. He shared with me the value of each piece and what life would mean to myself and others moving forward. Too many have wanted to be like Peter and John and build a tabernacle where He is, never realizing He is not stopping or being constrained. There is something mystical about being in Him and knowing not where you go, but knowing it is Him. One of the largest ideas for me to conquer was the moves that I have encountered over my years in Him. And what about those times where it seemed like I was set aside or not moving?

No four….

And then I heard “preside where you reside.” The word “preside” means this: to exercise guidance, direction, or control; to occupy the place of authority. God has given you an influence. He has established you in heavenly places and yet He has given you a sphere of influence, according to the measure or metron He has established, you have received AND you judge to be in you!

God will use you if you allow Him to.

  • By your fellowship He will increase you and your revelation of who He is and who you are.
  • By your placement and where you are set.
  • By your acceptance of His movings.