Saturday, September 15, 2018

Fasting and Praying

Fasting and praying has been something I have been teaching my girls about from the day they both decided to follow Jesus.  We always let God lead us in when, how long, what to fast, and how much to fast.  It's something He leads us to do when we are deep in sin and need help.  It's something He leads us to do for others, their sin or suffering.  We do it for friends that we see need rescue.   It's a time to focus only on Jesus.  We go into the trenches and fight for our lives, literally.  We deny ourselves and fight in the heavenly realm for those that cannot fight.  Esther called for the multitude to fast before she went to the king.  Jesus said some spirits must be casted out with prayer and fasting.   Nehemiah fasted about what he saw before him and the wall.  People fasted in the Bible before making decisions, for victory, to repent of sins committed--ultimately to seek the Lord's will and turn back to their First Love.

If you know Daniela, she loves food.  LOVES.  Fasting food usually isn't her go to.  She usually will fast soccer, phone, or movies.  Last week she started a fast of food.  When I got home from work and she wasn't eating dinner, I quickly turned around asking what sin was going on.  One of my spiritual gifts is faith.  I believe in moving mountains, and if she's in trouble, I'm going into a fast with her immediately.    God is more powerful than anything against us in this world.  We have many promises in Him and I claim them fully.

Instead of sin she said, Eva.

Eva is a common name in this house.  She has been the classroom gang leader.  She has a group of girls and they have to do as she says.  Once you are in, you are locked down to do what is instructed.  There are many of these groups lurking around Daniela.  Maybe you can't talk to certain girls (Daniela).  You have to be mean to certain ones (Daniela).  You have to keep a boyfriend.  Some groups you have to be having sex.  When one of your group is in a fight, everyone must jump in.

Daniela isn't in any of these mean girl groups, so they tend to target her.  Since she has been growing in the Lord, she has been turning her cheek more and not fighting.  She allows people to say things to her without popping off at the mouth (I know she still does, but not every time).

When D felt she should fast for this girl.  Her immediate thought was no way.  Not this girl.  But she knew she heard God.  This girl hates Daniela and we knew her back story was trauma. From the beginning, I was baffled how this girl could hate Daniela.  They both had the same trauma story of Dad killing mom. But the devil loved for them to have hate and not come together in helping one another.

After a day, I thought D should probably come out of the fast.  She's still young (14) and I had perimeters in my mind about her doing it.  So when day 2 started, I reminded her that she shouldn't mess around with fasting and only let God lead.  When she felt led to eat, she would.  It included nuts, little chips and little carrots.  By the second day, she had revelation that this was for Eva's life, but also for Daniela's heart to her.  She had come to have little to no compassion for her and didn't want to be a part of her rescue.  As she surrendered that, she felt led to eat on day 3 like normal.

Monday  came and D told Eva she was praying for her and she responded I don't need your prayers.  She calmly said ok and walked away.  Later that day, Eva was crying on the floor and D asked what was going on.  She told D there were a lot of problems at home. She lives with her aunt.  She asked if D remembered about her mom and she thought D forgot about it.  No one can forget that.  She went into details about her mom and life.

Can I pray for you?  Eva said sure.  She prayed outloud about how she thinks Eva blames herself for her mom's murder.  How she doesn't have to be mean because she has suffering inside.

She just let God speak and prayed.  Eva thanked her for praying, she apologized for always being so mean to Daniela.

She's been slowly telling D everything about her traumatic life, this past week.  She told her director Daniela is like her sister, she feels pulled to talk to her about her issues.

When Daniela came home and told me about this breakthrough,  I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!  Daniela fasted and prayed for 2 days for this girl and BOOM!  Deliverance.  Wow.


CHANGE TO ANOTHER STORY AT SCHOOL
Another mean girl group targeted Daniela this week.  D got punched in the back the other day, but ignored them.  Later in the day, the group came to her class "looking for her" like a pack of wolves.  The teacher sent them away, but the next day they tracked down her schedule and waited for her in the stairwell when they knew she was going to get her bag.  With no one around,  she got punched in the nose by Elle, while a group held her down.  She struggled to get a punch in and landed one in the jaw and pulled out way too much hair.

EVA comes up the stairs and BITES one of the girls in the neck! Trying to help Daniela!  Ripping girls off her.

That ended with the office and in school suspension with work detail of painting Friday.

Elle told Daniela she was shocked Eva helped D because everyone knew Eva hated Daniela.

When they got to soccer, Coach asked if they can practice together.  Elle asked if she could talk to D.  She ended up apologizing to Daniela.  Telling her she took out her bad life on her and she went into the dirty secrets of her home life.   She said it wasn't an excuse for targeting Daniela, but it was her reason.

They know Daniela's Christian now and they know she doesn't fight anymore.  So, she is an easy target to harass and bully, and know she is going to to take it.  Daniela was known before as being a beast.  AND SHE IS.  That beast came flying out in the stairwell.

Daniela kept crying to me and was so angry she was going to get a punishment for fighting.  She has not had a suspension in a full year trying to get into the other school Jess goes to.  I told her let it go.  I don't care about her consequence, just pray what God wants to do and let the consequence go for defending your body.  They decided to suspend both and my Spirit said let it be.  So i left it alone and didn't go into how they premeditated this jump.  Her principal called and said they would paint and talk.  Luke told me he loved this "outside the box" punishment and the more I thought about it, I could totally agree!

They talked and told stories of their deep secret lives and then D prayed over her.  She felt led to pray for a changed heart and how God has sent Daniela to help Elle walk though her trauma.  Elle should cast her burdens on God because His yoke is easy.  She carried on lifting her up to the Lord.

(I cry as I type this!  This is my kid??  The one that ran away from home and hated me.  The one that was so dark at one time, she scared me in my house.  The one that hated the Bible and could careless about God during her crazy phase.  The one that made me cry and cry at night about because I felt like she ruined my joyful, happy life.  This kid brings me so much joy now.  I think of her during the day at work and my eyes fill with tears about who she is in God).

Elle is on her way to our house now to walk with D to soccer.  They are friends now.

I sat on my couch with D before she left for work detail yesterday and prayed the mightiest prayers for Daniela to be used by God, and sent her off to school.  I sat on the couch talking with God and then I saw the path come full circle.  We have prayed so much to get into the "other school."  I have been so over this abuse to D mentally and physically by these girls, but D told me this year, Mom, God has me at my school for a purpose.  I have to keep going there.

Here's the purpose.  Daniela has been going after these giants.  She is definitely the one for GOD TO USE.  She has it within, to withstand, in the power of Christ. These deeply broken girls abusing other girls because they have been abused and God is sending a rescue with Daniela.  AHH!  We welcome this suffering in D because it means these girls are learning about Christ and His path for them that is not pain and trauma, but VICTORY AND HEALING.

Are you praying and fasting for deliverance in your life?  In your kid's life?  In your neighbor's life?


Thursday, July 26, 2018

Seeking the Lord

Quick post...

I have a laundry list of things that I hear the Lord speaking to me about, but no full circles.  I decided to fast today and see if I can close some of these revelations.  Dani and Jess came up for lunch.  I casually said I wasn't eating.  D asked if I was praying for our dump truck purchase situation with ministry.  I said yeah...among a list of other things I'm talking to God about.

What are you praying about, Mom?

Well, I think God revealed another spiritual gift of yours, D.  I want to really seek Him on that before I talk to you about it.  

What?  Seriously?  I had a thought about this, too!  I felt like something is missing and wondered why?  I thought maybe I had another gift I don't know about yet!!

So cool to hear that, D.  I'm also praying about my husband that is coming.

Mom!  I WAS JUST PRAYING DOWNSTAIRS about him!  Ok.  I'm in.  I want to know this new gift I have.  

She got up from eating on couch as I folded clothes.  I realized it and thought she was getting more food.  She was in her room, instead.

Hey, don't throw that food out!

I didn't! 

Well, how did you eat that that fast!?

I didn't, I put it back.  I'm fasting!


You may not know D very well, but to jump into a fast with pasta in her lap is ONLY OF GOD.  She loves food more than Tio loves food.  And she RARELY does a food fast because she loves it so much.  It's mentally difficult for anyone to jump into a fast at meal time, let alone her.

I know I am constantly raving about her, but she just amazes me.  She makes my heart full and my eyes well up.  Can you imagine what our churches would look like if our believers would fast and seek His face in petition, prayer, and revelation for spiritual gifts?  






Saturday, June 16, 2018

Daniela's 4th Anniversary!



A whisper in the night woke me up to surrendering a call to take-in Daniela.

Tears and wrestling with the Lord all night turned into a yes, Your desire and will, not mine.  I finalized it with her sister on a Friday and Monday I picked her up.  She had nothing packed to bring.  Her neighbor even asked for her shoes back because they were borrowed. We both were a little shocked. 

Life was horrible in the beginning but I clung to the fact that God led me to the girls and anything else would be disobedient.  I don't even know how I lived without them now.

I sit with D often asking her to tell me her thoughts.  I want to hear the things the devil is saying to counter act what is real and what isn't real.  There are lots of secrets around her life that I am slowly releasing as she gets older, too.  I'm against telling her a story when she is 18 or 30.  Knowing the truth helps her to understand and process it all now.

She told me a few weeks ago, “I didn’t think I was ever going to be loved again. My Mom was gone, my Dad wanted to kill me, and my (older) sisters didn’t love me. No one loved me after my Mom died. I wasn’t even allowed to cry about my Mom. I would have to hide in the bathroom to cry. Then, I moved here.”

The devil’s lies run deep. I’m thankful for Jesus whom sets us free and replaces lies with TRUTH. A miracle took place the day mom died.

A miracle. 

2 little girls were kept from harm from a demon-possessed man screaming, “I killed your mom and I’m going to kill you.” 

But Jesus never allowed it to happen. 

Dad never found them even though they were feet away and Jessica had been hysterical in screams. Yet, Dad could not hear it? I do not know.  I just know Jesus said no.  They were saved from death.  The lion not only didn't kill them, it did not even scratch them (Daniel 6).  Daniela's name is derived from the name Daniel, "God is my judge."  Jessica means God beholds, or God sees. 

Indeed.

This is Love...From a Savior. 

2 years later the Holy Spirit would have me pray a very specific prayer over my kids to a Jehovah Witness claiming my girls as His kids and that will be in His Kingdom.  Then, months later they were both Saved from this earthly life and died with Him, to Live with Him (2 Tim).

D said she hid Jessica and ran back into the house to help Mom.  To see what she could do.  She was 9.  She stood frozen-- like we have in dreams when you can't move, as she watched Dad swing a hammer at Mom's body.  She said Dad was emotionless.  No crying and no anger, just swinging and swinging like a robot.  He looked up at her.  Looked at Mom, then turned to Daniela slowly walking towards her.  Finally the frozen body effect melted, and she ran out of the house screaming and the neighbor teens came out running to help.  Dad ran for the hills.

BUT. 

The real Father ran in. Jehovah Rapha. The One that heals. The One that is capable of erasing all of this horror and replacing it because He is Jehovah Shalom.  I asked D to tell me about her thoughts the other day.  Tell me what the devil is saying...her response was nothing to do with her mom and dad and the trauma. It was an everyday kid thing about getting along with her cousin.  Inside I cried the happiest of tears driving and looking out the window-- pacing my breathing to not allow tears to fall out of my eyes.  Really?? 

Happy 4 years, mija!  In a few more days, we would talk the other older sister into letting me have Jessi.


mom

Look at chubby Jessi in yellow, D is far left leaning in







with older sister and cousin



All these are photos of the girls before they moved in.


my favorite photo of Daniela

Mom's sisters and a cousin

Sister with my girls

Jessica's salvation prayer caught on camera!  Thought she was so cute praying.  Little did I know it was Salvation!


Daniela's baptism



Jessica's baptism, she was held under longer :)

brother's baptism




Grandpa O <3







Uses a peeler to peel an ORANGE

She is so tiny at 4!

Mom's 4 youngest <3

Pedicures before NY trip

Cousin Ethan


It's been the best journey of my life!  


Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Jesus' Love to Me

Taken on my walk tonight.  I couldn't see how the picture came out because of the sun until I got home.
I spent my evening reading Joshua and asking the Lord to show me what His love for me is like...in relating it to how I love others like He does to me. <3


To death, that which goes down to bring up
Quiet and powerful FIGHT
Love with no parameters, abounding
Eternal, not just present
Endured pain to release pain
Knows past, present, and future sins against Him and still said, "I want to be with you."
Constant, without fail- STANDS
Mighty


Saturday, June 9, 2018

Too Long Gone!

Guys. I know.  It's been way too long.  My old blog is held up in blog limbo and I have no idea how to recover it. I really want to recover it to have my old stories of the miraculous things the Lord has done in my life.  When I started to blog, I stopped journaling!  ::tears::

Let's start new.  Let's start over with a sweet, sweet story about Jesus and His precious daughter named Jessica.

Jessica has been in her room for two days, mas o menos.  She gives me a headache.  Usually a heartache, too.  Tonight, she finally wants to repent and turn it all around.  As I prayed for the Holy Spirit to reveal to me what to say, I spoke to her.  The Lord reminded me how I read in Revelations, earlier this afternoon, that He is the Root.  I spoke to her about how He must be her root.  We spoke about how in order to produce fruit, she must be connected to Him.  Without Him, she dies.  Without Him, she fails.  Without Him, the tree falls over and cannot withstand ANYTHING.  We need His living water!

We finished chatting on the porch as the sweet wind blew on this gorgeous day.  As we cooked dinner, iTunes was on shuffle.  For Your Splendor by Christy Nockels came on and I just started to cry.  Jessica, LISTEN!! This is from JESUS to you!

His love is truly intoxicating.


I'm so concerned with what I look like from the outside
Will I blossom into what You hope I'll be
Yet You're so patient just to help me see
The blooms come from a deeper seed that You planted in me

Sometimes it's hard to grow when everybody's watching
To have your heart pruned by the one who knows best
And though I'm bare and cold I know my season's coming
And I'll spring up in Your endless faithfulness

With my roots deep in You I'll grow the branch that bears the fruit
And though I'm small, I'll still be standing in the storm
'Cause I am planted by the river by Your streams of living water
And I'll grow up strong and beautiful, all for Your splendor, Lord

So with my arms stretched out, I'm swaying to Your heartbeat
I'm growing with the sound of Your voice calling
You're bringing out the beauty that You have put in me
For Your joy and for Your glory falling



Awareness

 Last night Dani and I went to a concert in the capital. It’s always exciting when we are able to go because they are so few and far between...