I’ve played thousands of guitars from working and playing in the Industry for 20 years. I’ve owned several hundred, bought and sold (I only have 4-5 right now-fairly light when I play music full time)

So last year I discovered a life changing Strat, my Custom Shop Suhr. Beautiful Guitar. It’s Emerald Green. Not my first or even 5th color choice, but it’s not about color. It’s about playability and tone. So I use it all the time.

I needed a good humbucker equipped guitar with a tremolo, because my existing guitar was too ‘bitey’ for my taste. I wanted something with depth and body, Like a les Paul, tonally, but not the weight, or the look.

So, I came across an Ernie Ball MusicMan JP6 the other week in Denver. It was another one of those moments like an electric shock. I hunted around, and very shortly afterwards came across a silly deal on that model. It arrived this week, and sure enough it also deserved induction into a rare category called ‘lifechanger’

It too was Emerald Green. Now, I’ve always been one to be sensitive in the Spirit to let the Holy Spirit speak to me about Numerics (Bible Numerics) and Etymology (word meanings) Colors also have representations, like If some sees red, or they are feeling blue etc. So I thought, this is really strange, I have these two guitars, both Emerald Green, and my connection to them far surpasses that of a regular instrument…

After I realized this guitar was the pinnacle of what I was searching for I felt the Holy Spirit saying, connect the dots Fletch, search the meaning of the color Emerald Green. Here is what was said

In the Christian faith it is the symbol of faith and hope. It is considered by many to be the stone of prophecy. For some the emerald acts as a tranquilizer for a troubled mind.

Ok, considering that I work with a Prophetic Ministry, and my sole focus in playing music is to bring glory to God, and my goal each time in Worship is to have people encounter the Love of the Father, and give hope to the hopeless…… the connection is too large to ignore.

In this episode, we take a look at what it means to redeem the time. Redeeming the time simply means to take every opportunity of our Kairos moments God has allowed us to enter. In our last episode, we talked about how we are often chasing time and running right past our Kairos moments, moments that we define as God’s time in which He draws us closer to Him.

Tko od nas ne voli kada su mu stvari, okolnosti, ljudi pa čak i cijeli život pod kontrolom? Priznajem da sam “Control freak” i da volim taj osjećaj da mogu utjecati na veliki dio svog života. Ipak, kako postajem stariji (čitaj:iskusniji), nekako sve više imam dojam da moja kontrola života nije ništa drugo do iluzija kontrole. Nedavni događaj je samo utvrdio tu moju spoznaju.

Moja prijateljica je prije tri mjeseca organizirala jedno poslovno druženje i pozvala je jednu od svojih kolegica na to druženje. S obzirom da se radilo o nečem novom, kolegica je imala jako veliki otpor prema dolasku : “Pa meni je tamo glupo dolaziti!” “Već sam bila na nekoliko takvih druženja!” “Ti mene zoveš na druženje s nekim osnovnim temama – što želiš reći da ja to ne znam?!” Izgovori i otpori su se nizali jedni za drugim. Moja je prijateljica još neko vrijeme pokušavala i onda je odustala. Njena kolegica nije došla na to druženje i ono se održalo bez nje.

Prošli tjedan je mojoj prijateljici zazvonio telefon. Bila je iznenađena kada je čula glas gore spomenute kolegice kako ju pozdravlja.  Iznenađenje se još više povećalo kada ju je kolegica zapitala “Čula sam da idući tjedan ponovno organiziraš ono druženje. Ima li mjesta za mene?”

Ovaj me događaj jako zamislio kao osobu koja ima želju za kontrolom. Pitao sam se kako bih ja postupio na mjestu svoje prijateljice. Kako je važno da sve bude pod kontrolom, ja bih već na njeno odbijanje reagirao drugačije. Nema ona što ne dolaziti kada sam ju ja pozvao i kada ona mora biti na tom druženju s obzirom da sam ja to tako zamislio u svojoj pametnoj glavi i to, naravno, tako mora biti.

Zato bih krenuo s manipulacijom! Možda bih je pokušao emocionalno ucijeniti : “Pa, kako mi to možeš napraviti? Ja sam tebi došao na tvoj xy, a ti meni ne možeš doći na ovaj događaj koji je meni jako važan?!” Možda bih igrao na njenu samilost : Pa dođi, molim te! Molim te, stvarno mi je važno. Napravi to za mene! Nemoj biti takva!” Ili bih možda napravio pritisak, bilo direktno “Ako ne ođeš tamo, pobrinut ću se da ne dobiješ bonus ovaj mjesec!”, bilo indirektno preko pritiska na njenog šefa.

Koji bi bio rezultat moje manipulacije? Što bih njome postigao? Svoj cilj definitivno! Osoba bi bila na druženju, baš kao što sam zamislio i planirao. Svijet bi ponovno bio pod mojom kontrolom! Ali što bih time napravio toj osobi? Kako bi se ona osjećala? Kako bi dalje izgledao naš odnos? Vjerojatno bi na druženju bila protiv svoje volje, ne bi na njemu uživala, možda bi potkopavala atmosferu, sve bi joj bilo glupo i dosadno, a meni bi, bilo svjesno ili nesvjesno, zamjerila tu manipulaciju.

U prirodi sve ima svoje vrijeme. Razmišljam koliko mi našom željom za kontrolom doslovce “silujemo” našu okolinu – kupce, kolege, prijatelje, djecu, partnere. Želimo ih uklopiti u NAŠE snove o tome kakav bi svijet trebao biti, kakvi bi oni trebali biti, kako bi to sve trebalo izgledati. Mislimo kako ćemo biti sretni kada sve bude KAKO mi želimo i da to mora biti tako KADA mi to želimo! Zanimljivo je da takvim postupcima prema drugima u stvari “silujemo” sebe! A zapravo svi smo mi dio prirode. A u prirodi se stvari odvijaju u svom ritmu. Kada možemo otpustiti našu želju za kontrolom, zapravo se počinjemo usklađivati sa životom kakav je, a ne s našom iskrivljenom slikom kakav bi trebao biti. Pitanje je samo možemo li pustiti i prihvatiti ljude i stvari kakve jesu?

Moja je prijateljica napravila upravo to. Prihvatila je da njena kolegica sada nema želju doći na druženje. Tri mjeseca kasnije, kolegica želi doći na druženje. Došlo je njeno vrijeme. Možete li zamisliti kako će sada izgledati i ponašati se na tom druženju? Mogu zamisliti da će biti dobro raspoložena, družiti se s ostalim ljudima i prenositi svoju pozitivnu energiju. Njen odnos s mojom prijateljicom? Pa, mislim kako će samo biti kvalitetniji i s više obostranog poštovanja.

Od tada jako razmišljam koliko je “ispravno” forsirati kupca na kupnju po svaku cijenu jer ja baš moram napraviti svoj plan za ovaj mjesec! A izmanipulirati kolegu da dobijem svoj godišnji baš u vrijeme kada ja to želim? Ili nagovoriti prijatelja da idemo na izlet baš tamo gdje se meni ide? A da ne govorimo kako je od ekstremne važnosti za cijeli svemir da dijete pojede večeru jer je to “dobro” za njega/nju, iako to ne želi ili da završi taj tečaj engleskog na koji ste ga upisali jer VI znate što je najbolje za NJEGA! Kontola, kontrola, kontrola…

Od sada ću si što češće postavljati sljedeće pitanje : “Koliko je to što sada želim/moram da bude po mome kvalitetno za ljude oko mene, okolinu i mene samog?” I ako primjetim otpor, hoću li zastati i upitati se je li uistinu sada pravo vrijeme (grčki : KAIROS) ili se samo radi o mojoj potrebi i kontroli da se to dogodi kada je želim (grčki : KRONOS)?

It is small, but mighty. On a lsland not far from the mainland, Livan-drea occupies a tiny pocket but its heart is larger than many lives I know put together.

Some called it a fortress City yet it was more the size of a Village. It was mighty since the River anchored it and drove its industry, trade, animals and peoples. Impossibly large sailing vessels occupied its waterways, tightly packed boats with equipment treacherously set sail time after time, only a few to return from the fight to make a living to supply food from the ocean to the outer regions. Interestingly enough the Cattalin region was a sister city although thousands of miles away, its spirit and legend based on its land, now also as Livan-drea, in decline. Geography is important and until you are sent into an unknown land you do not realize the necessity and purpose of the geography you inhabit. I was fortunate to inhabit Livan-drea, to live in its fair walls.

I had requested natural resources, waterways and wide open space. I was granted all three. Time travel permitted that I wait at least one season before I go. The preparation required was longer that I imagined. It honed my patience further and whetted my appetite. One season meant a undetermined period until Chronos and Kairos overshadowed one another. All I could do was watch the celestial beings, the stars, the earth to await the bidding. I knew I was ready to meet her and whether she knew it or not, she was too. I was happy when I was sent to Livan-drea since its history was rich with animals, people and half breeds who selflessly had given their lives for the preservation of el futuro. In essence against all odds these ones struggled against natures cruel tempests, they were the true adventurers and soldiers of the land. Foreigners would come to benefit off of their labour and they would pay a high price for the red flesh of the surrounding sea.

“Kiera was being prepared for her eventuality, for her place in the story and to tell a pre-determined story that would weave an entire community together. The story stronger than the fiercest winds would direct her yet she in turn would affect the outcome of the story unbeknownst to her, it would be her own strength that would meet the wager. An armed conflict had been foretold, a fray that would have an asking price that would yield a resplendent reward”

I live in the Monastery with a view of the Foundry, 8 minutes from the Foundry to be exact. Most days except one, play out to a rhythm. A pattern well familiar to us for centuries. We go to the pace of the seasons here. There is no other way. Best to submit to the natural world and it’s moods and temperaments. The natural world being the elements and all that it brings or takes away. We have discovered that fighting the rhythm is a waste of our precious time. Since the time we have is limited we cannot afford to squander it on efforts that are misdirected.

Kiera had travelled a long ways for far too long. It was her own choice to do so. She knew very little at the beginning, in fact her path was a moderately difficult one for she had to collect instruments and tools along the way and teach herself to use them without instruction. She was described to me as impetuous, full of folly like a child who is untaught. This roused my curiosity and I knew from the beginning that I had a natural affection for her. When I was told she was a Liger, I was honoured. For Liger’s—although half-breeds, were mixed with the blood of the Lion. Their dna long sought after for their imprints. The strands in their dna were a vanishing phenomenon. So it was upon me to receive her and bring her into the period of her journey that would reveal her true nature.

My part was to guide, to walk with her into and beyond Livan-drea. I was eager to meet her and whisper the ancient word to her that would give her the elixir, a preparation that was supposedly able to change metals into gold, sought by alchemists, universally….

A Liger’s Tale by Erika Koenig is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.erikakoenigworkman.com.

I’ve been enjoying Lauren C. Gorgo’s writing for some time now. In her own voice, she addresses the many bizarrities that we’re going through as they impact us — body, psyche & soul — with great humor. I feel kindred connection; helps to feel a little less the isolated mutant when you’re in good-humored company! When she channels various entities, the messages are always worth reading and mulching (with discernment . This one was posted on her new blog last week. (Note to self: Put up a blog roll here!) If you haven’t seen this already, perhaps now is the time!  If you have, well, there’s always more to glean the 2nd time around. Lauren’s blog is: http://galactic-times.blogspot.com/ (Cartoon: my addition.)

Love all~

Whitehawk

Artist: Fallen On September
Title: Kairos
Website: http://www.fallenonseptember.com
Style: Rock/ Power Pop
Rating: 8.7 out of 10
By C.W. Ross

Band Members: Mayra Brizuela (vocals, keyboard), Sergio Puente (guitar, backing vocals), Angel Brizuela (bass, synth), and Ernie Everett (drums, samples).

The band Fallen On September was formed in September of 2007 and hails from Laredo, TX. The band has two previously released EPs (Storms and The Eye of the Storm-Acoustic), but Kairos, is the band’s full length debut.

This female fronted band plays a brand of power pop / rock music that’s filled with driving beats. They list groups like, Blindside, Chevelle, At The Drive-In, Dredg, Paramore, Flyleaf, Incubus and Deftones as some of their musical influences.

The songs found on Kairos are filled with big guitars sounds, rocking drum beats, a bass line that’s always right there, topped off with great lead vocals that always have enough rock n’ roll spirit in them to drive home the message of the song.

After listening to the songs found on Kairos I took away several thoughts. The first one is the need to not compromise on your own values and principles to conform to someone

else’s idea of what they think you should be like. The second is that sometimes even though you really love someone that may not always be enough. The last point is that sometimes by what we do or don’t do we can be our own worst enemy.

Some of the tracks that stood out for me are, “Miss Nemesis,” that has a nice bass line that reminded me of the arcade game, Whack-A-Mole. The bass line is happy to mostly stay in the background, then comes to the forefront for awhile, then falls back, much like the little mole poking his head up from time-to-time in the game.

I also liked the stabbing guitar attack found on the track, “Only in Your Eyes.” The song, “Undone,” is a nice power ballad.

I didn’t really dislike any of the tracks found on Kairos. This band has a tight, much more advanced sound, then one might expect from a band that’s only been together for a little over two-years.

The band has already won several awards and with the music that they put forth on Kairos I can see that list of awards growing rapidly. If you’re into power pop/ rock songs that are filled with big hooks, driving beats, and female rock vocals that command your attention, then Fallen On September is a band that you need to checkout.

Just testing out WP.
Love mercy, do justice, walk humbly with my God.

Il Comune di Avigliano Umbro, d’intesa con il CET – Centro Europeo Toscolano e la Società Cooperativa Kairòs, invita i ragazzi della scuola primaria e secondaria di primo grado a esprimere sentimenti, memorie, idee, sul tema: “La Foresta Fossile, con i suoi alberi giganteschi, era viva due milioni di anni fa”. Come immagino l’ambiente e la vita nella rigogliosa foresta.
Il testo scritto, elaborato da ragazzi singoli o in gruppo, dovrà pervenire al Comune di Avigliano Umbro entro il 28 febbraio 2010. I testi verranno letti dal Maestro Mogol che li selezionerà individuandone almeno sei,  a suo insindacabile giudizio, come i più stimolanti per fantasia, vivacità e creatività,. Gli autori dei testi selezionati e le loro classi saranno invitati ad un incontro alla Foresta Fossile e successivamente premiati al CET dal Sindaco di Avigliano Umbro e dal Maestro Mogol. Il Comune di Avigliano Umbro offrirà la colazione e la visita alla Foresta.

Per informazioni:
Comune di Terni
Direzione Sistema Museale
Via G. Bruno, 3
Tel.: 0744.434210
dim@comune.terni.it

After Adam fell into sin in the garden, he found himself for the first time in Chronos time. His life was now measured by a clock and calendar, and was limited. Today, we find ourselves chasing the clock. We have busy schedules. Every hour of the day is taken up as we run to and fro. Sometimes we fall behind time and find ourselves late for an appointment. This chasing the clock causes us to run right past God’s time or what I call Kairos time. Thus, we are often late for God’s appointed time for us – that time in which He intends for us to grow in our spiritual life. Don’t be so busy that you miss God’s appointed time!

We had a great night at Awaken!  We began our worship with several songs. Justin continued our series on talking about some of the words/phrases that we hear in church that we might be unclear on.  Last night we talked about “The Body of Christ”.  We looked at the phrase and talked about what that means and what that looks like.  After a time for some message, we had a time for prayer.  We closed our worship with a song and time of prayer.  After worship we all went down to the kitchen and baked 10 dozen cookies for Kairos.  Kairos is a prison ministry you can check it out here.  Come and join us next week as we continue to talk “Church Talk”.  Bring a friend with you and we will see you soon!

Prayer Board for November 10th
 
(click on the image to make it much bigger)
If you would like to add to the prayer board please do so… All you need to do is leave us a comment and we can check back and pray with you just as we hope you will pray with us!

visto en La Media Hostia

Quando se trata de aprender a conviver, necessitamos de uma formação integral. Na educação convencional, fortemente irrigada pela normose social, uma pessoa poderá conseguir títulos, segundo um fazer mecanicista e alienado, porém seguirá, no geral, como um analfabeto emocional, desorientado para esses tempos críticos de desalentos e massificação.

Talvez fosse necessário, com humildade e consistência,  o resgate da educação perene das antigas escolas de sabedoria, ou seja, termos a coragem de integrar nos currículos escolares (do fundamental à universidade), o compromisso com o despertar integral, o que chama as práticas da meditação, da contemplação, das artes do espírito, que complementam os saberes do corpo, segundo uma dinâmica que valorize a aliança entre a escuta e o olhar, entre o feminino e o masculino.

Sem dúvida, há um desejo profundo que habita o coração de cada ser humano: o desejo de tornar-se o Si-mesmo, isto é, desenvolver sua consciência e talentos de modo a oferecer à outridade algo novo, a singularidade da própria essência transparecendo na existência.

À medida que o saber facilita a habilidade para a passagem de conhecimentos, práticas e habilidades mais vastos, muito além das exigências do paradigma materialista do racionalismo positivista, a educação (individual e coletiva) deixa de servir apenas aos campos restritos do conhecer e do fazer, abrindo-se à ousadia do conviver e do ser…

Essa maneira de educar-se, uma paideia,  não se inclina apenas ao acúmulo, mas compreende  que não basta o abrir-se para a apreensão quantitativa das coisas, pois o grande desafio é o exercício do discernimento, precariamente desenvolvido pela proliferação das diversas disciplinas gestadas continuamente pela educação convencional moderna.

É fato: conhecemos cada vez mais e, no entanto, compreendemos cada vez menos. As funções dos especialistas não dão conta das lacunas presentes no cerne da crise contemporânea, uma crise do conhecimento do conhecimento, pois se trata de recuperar, urgentemente, um aprender a aprender…

E do ponto de vista do ser e do conviver, necessitamos aprimorar, de maneira cordial e harmoniosa, razão e sentimento, sensação e intuição.

Infelizmente, o Ocidente ocupou-se em enfatizar nos últimos séculos as funções do princípio masculino – razão e sensação –, e isso em prol, sobretudo, do paradigma científico (racional e empírico), bem a gosto da lógica do capital.

Uma educação integral, então, necessariamente sugestiva à inteligência emocional, onírica e relacional, pede, por sua vez, que seja valorizada  a trilha  do sentimento e da intuição – funções do princípio feminino.

 O contexto da educação formal estimula uma sociedade competitiva, fragmentada, conduzida pela normose, pela repressão do feminino, refletindo um mundo de exclusão e de consumismo extremo, muito apropriado ao modelo newtoniano-cartesiano…

Onde aprendemos a existir? Finitude e eternidade se entrelaçam na arte de viver o cotidiano… Certezas e incertezas também estão implicadas com as lições do amor, do perdão, de uma pedagogia que deixe de nos aprisionar no sistema fechado do domínio egóico, que se alimenta do não-aprofundamento, de um contato relacional estéril, gerador do fracasso da intimidade e do ser.

Onde aprendemos a existir? Uma formação integral pode nos preparar para a compreensão que focaliza a dimensão da alma, do pessoal e do transpessoal, da convergência entre ciência e saberes milenares, entre sociedade e natureza, entre masculino e feminino, segundo o potencial humano de abrir-se à qualidade e à florescência.   

Como ninguém aprende sozinho, lembro-me, finalmente, de um poema de Pessoa:

Baste a quem baste o que lhe basta

O bastante de lhe bastar!

A vida é breve, a alma é vasta;

Ter é tardar.

Eugênia Pickina – Palavra Terra

Laura Ingalls Wilder could arguably be the person whose diaries are the most famous in the world. While her name may not be a household name, her diaries which became ‘Little house on the Prairie’ have remained constantly in print for over 5 decades, have sold millions of copies and have been translated into 40 languages.

Laura stated she wrote her books in the first place to preserve the stories of her childhood for today’s children, to help them to understand how much America had changed during her lifetime.

For Christians, modern day journaling as it is now called, offers the same benefits Laura shared, but allows the believer to more accurately hear the voice of the Father, grow deeper in their walk with God, and accurately chart their progression of faith & revelation as seasons and years pass.

There are many approaches to Biblical journaling. My approach has been very similar to this 5 step approach below.

1. Reading the Bible
2. Responding to the Word
3. Making the Words My Own
4. Applying Biblical Truth To My Life
5. Speaking to God About What I’ve Learned

Typically, I have 3-4 devotions I like to process through daily. Usually, something will stand off the page to me, sometimes it will be a simple sentence (read my post Revelation in a hotel lobby) or sometimes it is a broad measure of scripture that details a theme.

I will re-write the portion of scripture, and meditate on how it applies to my life. I will sometimes write out that connection beneath the scripture. Then, I will wait upon the Lord and ask Him for what He is saying to me about it. This is a critical step into beginning to hear the mind will and emotions of God in relation to our personal lives. Then finally, to seal this in prayer with Him.

Having done this for the last 8 years now (the last 3 years conscientiously) I have seen enormous personal changes, firstly, a significant increase in the ability to hear the voice of God, improved discernment, greater understanding of more complex Biblical concepts, and finally a personal chart to see maturation in Christ. In addition when I have taken time to journal my dreams, goals & desires, as I believe they line up with God’s plans for me, I have seen a very high percentage of these things come to pass.

If you are sitting there wondering, What is God’s will for my life? I believe one of the key goals is to start journaling and open the conversation with God. To those who have remained deliberate in journaling, I have yet to meet someone who felt journaling did not shift their ability to draw closer to God, or more distinctly hear His voice.

In this episode, I list four ways in which we might respond to those Kairos moments in our lives – those Kairos moments that are usually etched into our lives and define us for the rest of our lives. They define who we are. They are events in our lives that will define us as a bitter person or a better person depending on how we respond to these moments. We must look at these moments as being a positive force in our lives to grow us in our spiritual life.

I am having trouble with my vision. While challenging myself to look at this temporary condition on a different level, I think about…

• Keeping the lens clean for optimal vision
• Checking your“equilibrium” (balance) – it will affect your “vision”
• How as Christians we live under a magnifying lens, and people tend look through the lens to assess our walk with God
• By the same token when people look through the lens they ought to see Jesus magnified in us.  Let our desire be “Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death” (Phil. 1:20).

I have been in conversation with God about my present limitations.  He said “Believe my word”.  So this is the perspective I choose – I have an assignment yet to accomplish, so I will overcome this visual acuity test and get one step closer to fulfilling my assignment.

I considered the life of Paul, and what we read in the New Testament letters of his life and many journeys.  I recalled the persecution he suffered, and the infirmities and weaknesses he spoke of in his letters (epistles).  There is great controversy about his “thorn in the flesh”, and I have read multiple opinions and conclusions ranging from eye disease, continual persecution and/or the stoning.  One thing is sure, Paul entrusted “all” to God. Let’s read:

2 Corinthians 12: 8 – 10 (New International Version) – 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

If we read Acts 14 carefully we find that he stayed awhile in Galatia because he was recovering from the stoning, and as a result many came to the Lord.  Genesis 50:20 says it this way:

Genesis 50:20 (New International Version)

²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Genesis 50:20 (King James Version)

²⁰But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

I receive two Words:

• Ani nichna (spelled A’ni  Ni’c'na – Hebrew) meaning “Surrender”
• Ayin – “eye; to see; to understand and obey”

Brethren, let’s not wait to have a “stoning” experience like that in order to share the Word of God or to grow into mature Christians.  What will it take for you to be persuaded?  Paul writes in Romans 8, that he is “persuaded” (Romans 8:35 to 39). “All” that he had faced in his journey’s persuaded him. He surrendered all, and in his afflictions he developed a “spiritual eye.”

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NIV) – “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

This brings me back to the beginning again, it is a scripture which set the Kairos Journey in motion in 2006, and subsequently to this Damascus Journey. That verse is:  Habakkuk 2:3 (King James Version) –  3For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Habakkuk was a Watchman and a Prophet.  Ezekiel 33:1-7 speaks of the duties of a “Watchman”. Let’s read (Amplified Bible):

 ¹AND THE word of the Lord came to me, saying,

    ²Son of man, speak to your people [the Israelite captives in Babylon] and say to them, When I bring the sword upon a land and the people of the land take a man from among them and make him their watchman,

    ³If when he sees the sword coming upon the land, he blows the trumpet and warns the people,

    ⁴Then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

    ⁵He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning shall save his life.

    ⁶But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, he is taken away in and for his perversity and iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.

    ⁷So you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at My mouth and give them warning from Me

The Watchman works together with the Gatekeeper. The watchman has the ability to watch (see) and (again the Word Ayin – “eye; to see; to understand and obey”), from a distance, enabling him to guard the people of God, and to warn the gatekeeper, and the gatekeeper can see and guard the kingdom and the House of God (up close).

1 Chronicles 9:26 -27 reads:  “But the four principal gatekeepers were entrusted with the responsibility for the rooms and treasuries in the house of God. They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning.”

Watchmen, Prophets, and Gatekeepers, all have assignments and responsibilities and are authorized by the King in strategic placement. These are exclusive relationships, just as our relationship to Christ is exclusive.

Psalm 84:10 tells us that King David was also a gatekeeper.  Peter in the Bible was and is a Gatekeeper. John was a Watchman who was also a Scribe, giving us the Book of Revelations.

God has enabled us with gifts and tools. Some to be Watchmen, Shofar blowers, Gatekeepers, Prophets,  Psalmists, Writers (Scribes). Whatever our gifts, our enabling, our vessels, must be available for and to God, to be used.

Again I have a Word that is familiar to this blog: (Kerugma October 2008 Journey):

Kerugma means – Greek Word –(Strong’s 2782) – proclamation; message preached

Also, Greek Lexicon – (Bible Crosswalk) Kerugma – that which is proclaimed by a herald or public crier.

“What is to be proclaimed ?”  I ask of God.

I have the Greek Words “Logos” and “Rhema” in my spirit.  One is His written Word (Logos) and the other (Rhema) is God’s spoken Word.  It all points to Jesus, the Word of God. We are watching for the day the Living Word of God returns for his Church.

Grace and Peace..Alma

The Vision Isn’t Late from increasingbrightness

Robin Mark – Watchman from coolram52

Word Of God Speak from beachtides24

Brighter days lay ahead, even in November.

The sun from the south beckons many. A place such as Cabo San Lucas. It hasn’t been too long now that I dreamt I went there myself. Yet the only thing I can remember at this hour in the afternoon is the glass boat and while peering into the bottom of the one we sailed in to view the fantastic sea life below, I looked closer than I had ever looked before, there on the ocean floor, was my compass….

The Road to Damascus Journey…

I told several friends I felt a journey was on the horizon.

Sunday night to Monday morning – I was awakened at 4:30am to spend time with God. I inquired of the Lord – “what is it?”

I receive a Word – Olam (Hebrew). Obediently I got up and did a Word study. This is what I learned:

“In the ancient Hebrew words that are used to described distance and direction are also used to describe time. The Hebrew word for east is qedem and literally means “the direction of the rising sun”. We use north as our major orientation such as in maps which are always oriented to the north. While we use the north as our major direction the Hebrews used the east and all directions are oriented to this direction. For example one of the words for south is teyman from the root yaman meaning “to the right”. The word qedem is also the word for the past. In the ancient Hebrew mind the past is in front of you while the future is behind you, the opposite way we think of the past and future. The Hebrew word olam means in the far distance. When looking off in the far distance it is difficult to make out any details and what is beyond that horizon cannot be seen. This concept is the olam. The word olam is also used for time for the distant past or the distant future as a time that is difficult to know or perceive. This word is frequently translated as eternity or forever but in the English language it is misunderstood to mean a continual span of time that never ends. In the Hebrew mind it is simply what is at or beyond the horizon, a very distant time. A common phrase in the Hebrew is “l’olam va’ed” and is usually translated as “forever and ever” but in the Hebrew it means “to the distant horizon and again” meaning “a very distant time and even further” and is used to express the idea of a very ancient or future time.” From – http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/27_eternity.html

A Hebrew word with insight to “Horizon”. “Yes Lord, a trip on the Horizon”, I said.

Interestingly enough, Horizon is listed in “Roget’s II, The New Thesaurus, Third Edition 1995” as a noun and shows Horizon as “The extent of one’s perception, understanding, knowledge, or vision.”

Wikipedia shows horizon as “the apparent line that separates earth from sky. It is the line that divides all visible directions into two categories: those that intersect the Earth’s surface, and those that do not. ”

Next word – “Emrooz” (Farsi) – meaning today. “Is today the day Lord?” I ask.

The next word is “derekh” (Hebrew) meaning way, path or road, leading to a specific location. Then He drops the name of this Journey into my heart, “The Road to Damascus Journey”. I stay quiet awhile. That Journey for Paul turned out to be a heavy spiritual encounter. That same encounter (journey) was a conversion experience (his testimony) which had an eternal outcome (for more than one). We can read about Paul’s spiritual encounter in Acts 26 (King James Version)

The next thing I heard was, “People have been interceding on your behalf. It has been a struggle with death itself. There are many who have interceded with you and for you.” I continued to praise God and asked blessings upon the intercessors. I have continued to claim my healing in Kairos time. I acknowledge God in all of my ways and days, because only through Him, could I have progressed so far.

The next few things were on instructions for this Damascus Word Journey I was beginning. It is to be a 21 day journey. I committed these things to prayer and started my day in the wee morning hours. I hurried along because I had another doctor’s appointment to get some results back and check my ongoing Diabetes related health and some residuals I was experiencing.

My sister dropped me off at the doctor’s office, and while I waited to be called, I contemplated the Journey I was about to embark on, and began to receive some Words for upcoming posts. “How am I to begin this Journey Lord, with what post?” Suddenly a song echoed in my heart and mind. “His Eye is on the Sparrow” and I tried to remember the words to the song, but only the chorus kept ringing in my ear…”Why should I be discouraged? When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

Just then I was called in to see the doctor, I was celebrated for having kept an A1c reading of 6, which is a desirable number on the scale for people challenged with Diabetes. In fact, in some respects, I was doing so well, my medication was decreased. Out of over a dozen medications plus insulin, I was down to only 2 medications. Then the doctor said, “Are you aware that in 21 days, it will be one year from your date of onset?”

21 days. That really sparked my attention. As Christians we know there are no coincidences in God. I had a “testimony.” God had been working these 11 months in miraculous ways, and it seemed there was much more on His mind. The doctor told me there were some abnormal results totally unrelated to Diabetes, which required further testing and a biopsy. He grabbed my hand, and he said, “don’t be afraid.” (For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7)

I smiled a gentle quiet smile, and he asked if I had heard him, or understood what he was telling me. “I understand,” I answered, “and I am trusting in God. He has kept me all this way.” He stopped typing data into his computer, and peered at me. He gave me further instructions and left me to the nurse.

Once outside, waiting for my sister to come and get me, I contemplated “The Road to Damascus Journey.” “Okay Lord, let’s do this. Show me what I am to post,” I said. “Start at the beginning” dropped into my heart. Somehow I knew right away that He was referring to the first writing He gave me for “KairosKingdomWomen”. It is found here in the 1st newsletter, and is titled, “Tweet, Tweet, Said the Lord.” I said, “Okay Lord, but could you confirm that I am on the right track, you know what with “His Eye is on the Sparrow” song and the “Tweet, Tweet” post, I want to be sure.

Even as I spoke, three things happened, I have the Word “tsipor” meaning bird in Hebrew, looked down, and saw I was standing by a flower bed containing “bird of paradise” flowers, and then I was aware of fluttering at eye level to my left side (peripheral vision), and about two hand breadths away, so I slowly turned my head thinking it was a huge bee (so afraid of bees!), there it was, a Hummingbird in mid air, looking at me!

Amen, nothing more need be said. Here is the post from the Summer of 2006…read on… Tweet Tweet said the Lord – Summer 2006 (Previously Posted)

First Occasion

 I came out before mid-day and saw my mother feeding the birds and caring for them, and just fawning over the birds. Now this had been an especially hard morning with some financial issues and just a hard morning in general. I looked out the door at the birds, and opened the door a crack and saw the little wrens that fly about, stopping to eat of the seed that had fallen to the ground from the cages birds. I peered out at the blue sky and I said in a sigh, “Lord I know that you are the one that provides for these birds, and just like your eye is on the sparrow, and you watch over them, watch and provide for me Lord.” Well as I walked away to go back to work, my inner nature came up and I said, “maybe I’m not as important as that bird Lord, but keep me in mind anyway”, then I went about my business.

Later that same day, as I went out to walk precious Kiki, about 7:45ish, our usual walking time, and as I stepped out onto the porch, I saw from the corner of my eye, a little wren swoop down from the roof top to a low branch of the avocado tree. I remember I briefly acknowledged that the bird was there, and thought it odd for a little bird to be out after dark, when they are usually snuggled up somewhere. Well, as I walked along, the little bird chirped, then he chirped out loudly, and swooped down near my head, as I left the walk from my house, and turned left to walk down my block. This also caught Kiki’s attention, and he stopped and looked at the bird for a long time. As I urged Kiki along, the bird chirped out loudly, and jumped from tree to tree, following my path right beside me.

You should know, I live on a tree lined street, some small, some large, but most have branches at my height. Well the bird chirped his way down the block, and followed me along, getting louder along the way, until he swooped down and lightly fussed my hair. Well Kiki stopped and looked at the bird, and then looked at me, as if to say, did you see that? Well, it was already more on the dark side of the sunset, and was close to eight by now, and it was obvious this bird meant business with me. Well Kiki wouldn’t budge, until I acknowledged the bird, so I said in a sort of kidding way, “is that you Lord”, and the bird chirped, and as he looked at me from a distance of an arm’s length away at eye level, he turned his head inquisitively from side to side. I looked around to see if anyone was witnessing the crazy lady and dog talking to the little bird, but the street was quiet and you could clearly hear the bird chirping. Well, I sort of shook myself off, and said, “okay Kiki, let’s be on our way”, and made to cross the street, some seven to eight trees down our block. Well as we crossed, the bird swooped across the street to the tree, and looked toward me and practically screeched at me. I stopped in amazement, and this had Kiki’s attention too, he wasn’t pulling forward on the leash as usual. I said, “Okay Lord, is that you trying to tell me something”, and then came the strong scent of roses, which is my usual sign that the Lord wants my attention, and immediately my words from earlier that morning came rushing back to me, and as I looked back up at the bird, he began to chirp as if singing, you know bird singing, like tweet, tweet, tweet. And as I humbly acknowledged the Lord, and praised him and just worshiped him as I walked slowly along, the bird followed along from tree to tree, all the way down this side of the street too. When I came to the place where I cross the street to come back home, the bird chirped loudly and flew overhead as I crossed the street. I turned to Kiki and said, “Kik, that was the Lord”, and Kiki wagged his tail as he looked at the bird sitting on the roof of the porch.

Second Occasion

I was walking Kiki one evening, about a week later from the first incident, and was about a block away from where I usually walk, and as I turned a corner, a little bird looking suspiciously like that same little bird, swooped in front of my face at about two hands length, which caused me to pull back suddenly, as birds don’t usually do that. Well, Kiki again acknowledged the bird, and I said in a whisper, “Hello Lord, is that you?”, to which the bird chirped as he sat on a tree branch slightly above head level. I thanked the Lord for visiting me in the form of the bird, and reminding me that I am His, and that I abide under the wings of the almighty”, and continued on my way, with the bird following me home, and as I reached my home, I said “Thank You Lord for accompanying me on the way”, the bird again sang out a tune, and flew and came to rest on the roof over the porch area.

Third Occasion

Two weeks after that, on a Friday, after having delivered reports, Kiki demanded I walk him, and as anyone who knows Kiki, I mean demanded. So out we went on a walk, and as I spoke to the Lord, and thanked him for the week of work that he had given us and enabled us, I also told him of how discouraging a day it had been, and asked his favor over my life, and of course from a tree down the street, I saw a little wren, swooping down in my direction, stopping close in a nearby tree and chirping at me, as he seemed to be looking at me, and moving his head from side to side. I thanked the Lord for his care, and for watching over me, and I quietly sang the hymn, “his eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me”, the little bird flew along, until we made it home again.

FROM: Tweet Tweet said the Lord – Summer 2006 (Previously Posted) – TAKEN FROM THE 1ST NEWSLETTER POSTED HERE

So dear friends, I have to sign off now. As you read, I am preparing for a Road Trip. I will check in during this 21-day journey. Jesus is the driver, I am just a passenger. We might fly some days, and others we will be fast pedaling up hill, others will be a slow drive through soft green hills, and sometimes we might walk. There will be plenty of living water for refreshment. We will see the road from different angles and situations. There will be days when I will not be able to talk (type) fast enough, and others where we might just walk on in silence.

My spirit tells me you too are facing situations and challenges that have left you speechless. You might be weary, but you are never alone. There is one that will never forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5 . . . God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”) Let’s pray today that we will pause long enough in our journeys to be able to Hear His Word. His Word will direct us and His voice will make our Hearts burn within us. His voice comes in many forms, listen for it.

Grace and Peace…Alma

His Eye Is On The Sparrow – The Gaither Vocal Band/Lynda Randle & Friends From gospelhour

“The defining moments of life” series I pray will be a blessing to you. It is about the Kairos moments that take place in our lives. Moments that actually define our life. Kairos moments of time are not associated with a clock or a calendar, they are simply an event, an occasion, an opportunity.What I want to emphasis is the fact that as painful as they may be they also can be a positive time in our lives drawing us closer to God.

It was not until much later that Kiera began her journey to seek out the one who would begin to teach her. She knew there had to be a place where she could learn so she left home. Her will drove her out onto the streets of Livan-drea, led by its current which was like a live wire under her skin. She could no longer stop the force of it or hold it back. Many have said over time that,

‘when the student is ready the master will appear’.

In and out of small grottos, up and down stairs, through entry ways and exits where long corridors were lit with dim light and filled with fumes, Kiera walked. Today the foundry was quiet yet it’s drone echoed deep within her. Before she stepped inside she stood on the banks of Livan-drea’s central mount and looked down the River south to see the outline of the foundry. It’s smoke stacks clear, the sleeping giant loomed large and did not recede into the background. It came ever forward while Mt Kab-ir formed a stunning backdrop of layers of frozen snow and ice with its pinnacle reaching just 1000 lengths above the foundry’s peak. Kiera’s insides warmed as she took in the black-gray patina of the foundry, even from this distance she could see the glints of copper and today the sun caught the jeweled windows framed by the impossibly intricate wrought iron work. The rust had formed so beautifully over the years on the those frames, she thought.

Turning North she walked not far to find a undistinguished building, surrounded by the trappings of the trade of the metal workers she climbed the steep stairs to the third floor where a door was propped half open. Patiently looking, she came across a character that welcomed her warmly.Was it that she knew him already, she thought?

“I know the purpose of his stride, I could have sworn that I saw him in the alley the other day. With the coming and going of many vehicles I remember a settling occurring. That is the moment when he morphed from animal to man. The settling must have happened in between the impossibly small walkway of the north path between structures. No, that cannot be right….why would he take such as risk….?” Kiera mused.

Gathering her confidence and putting timidity aside in the moment she extended herself to him. Hmv, the man had long since left the quarry and turned to designing monuments and entry ways executing each project with mathematical precision—his work set apart a building or a street corner. All day he was happy to assemble and deconstruct and then re-construct models and maquettes, his accent and countenance intrigued her and while listening she saw in him an earnestness that she had not encountered in Livan-drea for some time. Integrity was about him and determination to pass on his knowledge to anyone who would agree to be his apprentice. His kindness and bright humour caught Kiera and it was from this moment she recollected in hindsight that the relentless passage of listening to the River beneath the River welled up within her.

Within a succinct period of time there was a transaction that easily occurred. The formalization of an agreement between them that would be mutually beneficial for both. She was enthralled and he delighted. She began her apprentice listening to him for 39 days. Sitting by his side she watched the gestures of his hands as his eyes welled up with passion the lines in his face deepened, he spoke in two languages and revealed his Timeline.

Kiera wanted nothing else than to listen and watch endlessly day in and out. She often hurried through her morning disciplines in order to arrive earlier each day at his side. Compelling stories of events that dated backwards and forwards of time travel infused with rejection, loss, greed, indifference and betrayal. Kiera noted beginning and ending successes that stood as bookends holding the Timeline in its precarious place.

“I will act now and not remain silent any longer I will tell a story, a Timeline….I will whisper, and inscribe your words to me for myself first and then for any one else who is fit to hear them….”Kiera decided.

A Liger’s Tale by Erika Koenig is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.erikakoenigworkman.com.

Jimmy Needham and Jello Chocolate Mousse pudding are a GREAT way to end a day, for the record.

Today was SUCH a Tuesday. “What does that mean, Lo? ” Well I’ll tell you.

It was SUCH a Tuesday. I woke up at 6:45 (a.m. OBVIOUSLY) to begin the familiar tasks of getting ready. Of course these start earliest on Tuesdays and Thursdays thanks to my 8:30 drawing class. Weather recap: drizzly, gray, chilly, and one of those PLEASE let me stay in bed kind of days. Not to mention it was still a little dark when I woke up, which didn’t add to the uneasiness of getting out of my warm bed.

So I get ready, and then read a text from one of my room mates (whose room is right next to the bathroom?) that says: “Not feeling to hot. See you in Design.” Oh, okay. We were going to drive separately anyway on account of Laura and I’s math class in the afternoon. However, then I talk to Laura somewhere between the kitchen and the couches. She decides not to go either. BUT my stuff is in her car. Final verdict? I would drive her car to school and she would ride with Kat to design.

Sounds like no big deal. BUT What I left out was that Laura drives a Yukon. I do not know how many of you are FAMILIAR with a Yukon, but it is SURELY a lot bigger than a Mazda3. It surely does NOT have the same gear changing mechanism, windshield wiper position, or parking ease. OH AND DID I MENTION that since they are repaving our parking lot she had to park ON THE OTHER SIDE of the complex. Keep in mind it was raining. And where was my umbrella? In MY car. Guess who walked across the complex with a plastic bag on her head and OF COURSE happened to run into neighbors at the dog park.

On the brightside, once I had my freakout/got the hang out driving the SUV I got to Drawing just fine. Class was good, other than my hands and nails being coated in charcoal, and I even made it to Design Fundamentals alright. Even parked without any damaging side effects. Impressive, yes?
The rest of my day went pretty normally. Design I conversed with LeKeishya, Lunch I attempted to study for my math test (which I was REAL stressed out about at the time) AND scored 2 free oatmeal cookies, and then math. Took the test…MADE A 96. Open book tests, FTW. Got my paper printed for tomorrow. Everything was running smooth.

But then, I went to Verizon with Laura. We walk in, and after she checks in we start looking around at the phones. Well, there was a display with nothing on it. Like, on of those things that usually would have a demo phone sitting on it. Well I guess I rubbed it the wrong way because THE ALARM STARTED GOING OFF. On instinct, I put my hands in the air (and according to Laura) had one of the most priceless facial expressions, EVER. Most of the people in the store had looked to see what the commotion was by then so I just tried to look natural… probably with cheeks the color of tomatoes and a goofy smile. So, after all the excitement dies down I point out a phone to Laura I don’t like. After explaining that I think it looks like a hover craft I was going to slide it open. GUESS WHAT HAPPENED. The back cover came off. AND THEN THE ALARM SOUND STARTED GOING AGAIN. I felt like a moron. So I proceeded to go sit on a bench and not touch ANYTHING else for the rest of the visit there. And then when Laura was finishing up her phone business the man helping her made fun of me. “You seem to be a little accident prone..” he said. IF YOU ARE READING THIS. ANYONE COULD HAVE DONE THAT. TWICE.

Things died down after that. Relaxed, ate a little dinner, and went to an awesome church service with Carter and Kat. ALSO: Might have an ultimate frisbee game to look forward to on Sunday at Centennial. Fingers crossed.

Now? Jimmy Needham and an empty pudding cup. What a day.
What. A. Day.

Until Inspiration Strikes,

Lo

  (Eu uso Google Imagens)                       Às vezes me pergunto. “Por quê existem sonhos que conseguimos realizar rapidamente e outros parecem que se distanciam de nós, a ponto de pensarmos que serão inatingíveis?”

Refletindo sobre esse assunto entendi que nós só conhecemos o Chronos, que é nosso tempo cronológico. Já o Kairós, que é “o tempo de Deus”, é um momento indeterminado dentro do Chronos, em que algo especial acontece.

Por seu cuidado para conosco, Deus monitora o tempo de realização dos nossos sonhos; somente Ele sabe quando estamos suficientemente estruturados para vivenciá-los, ou não.

Esse monitoramento divino pode ser comparado a um pêndulo qualquer, que busca o seu equilíbrio. Ele para somente quando estiver em total sintonia com a lei da gravidade. Isso só vai acontecer depois que o pêndulo passar pelo ponto “zero”, tantas vezes quantas forem necessárias, até que sua posição forme um ângulo de 90° com o chão. 

Entendo que o tempo que o pêndulo gasta, para  estabilizar-se no ponto “zero”, é o período de desencontros que passamos em nossa vida; parece até, que não conseguimos alcançar o que desejamos, porque estamos sempre no lugar e na hora “errada”.

Esse tempo de desencontros também pode ser comparado a uma balança, aonde vamos colocando pesos do lado oposto ao produto a ser pesado, até que esteja equilibrada.

Sabendo então, que o Kairós de Deus está acima do nosso Chronos, precisamos aguardar com serenidade até que esses dois tempos estejam em sintonia, caminhando na mesma frequencia.

Como Deus está no controle de todas as coisas, quando isso acontecer, estaremos preparados para conhecer novos horizontes e vivenciar os sonhos que antes pareciam inatingíveis. Devemos apenas ficar  alertas e preparados emocionalmente, para quando esse momento chegar!

Até que os tempos se equilibrem, vamos vivendo!… 

“Se não entendemos o tempo, nos tornamos vítimas dele.” (Gleick)

 
Sonia Valerio da Costa

(24/10/2009)