to tempe we go...

[a few pictures for you from the george family's homestead in lindsay, california--
a. me holding the orange bag as mrs. george clips us some deee-licious oranges for mel & i to enjoy on the road!
b. the view from their back yard...i KNOW! stunning!
c. a hill i climbed--some of the greenest green and coolest boulders with snow-capped mountains in the far-off horizon.
d. our hostess for 2 days- the lovely mrs. george with mel & myself.]


i am at a starbucks in some city in southern california. i find myself sitting @ a little coffee table, the sun pouring in from a nearby window, hearing bits & pieces of 2 middle-aged men's conversation-- they are discussing God's goodness & psalm 110 together as ella fitzgerald music sings to us!
today mel & i are on our way to tempe, arizona--home of arizona state university to meet up with friends who live & worh there--to learn, encourage, & minister with them to whomever God may lead us to.

mel & i just spent two marvelous nights in lindsay, california @ the home of the george family.
this family is truly one of the most enjoyable, life-giving, creative families and marriages i have ever seen with my own peepers!

they live on an orange grove smack dab in the middle of california. yep.
i spent the better part of yesterday climbing a hill or two to overlook the gorgeous valley that they call home.
picture hawaii colors and plants with the backdrop of snowtopped swiss mountains off in the distance.
not sure i've been many places in my life that so dramatically whispered hints of Paradise...

last night we had the joy and honor of being a part of the 20-or-so member small group that the george's host @ their abode every tuesday evening.
the presence of God was so tangible & His prayers, love, and healing were indeed set loose!
we saw God @ work in a myriad of ways--His presence was visible in the individuals laying hands on & praying for freedom for a mom & her sweet handicapped daughter; a young woman creating a prophetic painting; others dancing, laughing, & crying.
God is SOO on the move in the lives of this community & we look forward to hearing the work He continues to do in their lives in the days to come...

it was just inexpressibly encouraging to have spent 10 days or so in redding, california @ bethel church where people from all around the globe come to hear/learn/see God so obviously on the move in that place; & then to have traveled south a few hours to the george's place in lindsey, california only to see the Presence of God just as near & real in this little community in the middle or nowhere as well.

as God's people continue to put feet to the head knowledge God has given us, this world will continue to be captured by God's affections and great purposes.

His Kingdom come.
His will done.

in redding.

my journeying compadre mel & i leave redding, ca here in an hour or so; then it's on to tempe, arizona & the Arizona State University campus! EeeEk!
we've been here in redding about 10 days & it's been so rich, so full.

this community of Believers @ bethel church carry so much of the heart of God to see the Body of Christ walk in the fullness of Her identity as whole, healed, joyful, powerful, peaceful, world-changing kids of the King who bring His Kingdom down to this planet because they actually believe & live out what God says about them.
ya know, when i open up my bible and read books like Mark or Acts--it becomes very clear, very fast that the "normal" life with Christ is to see God perform healings, miracles, & deliverances through His people on this earth.
THAT'S normal.
according to God.

and seeing other brothers & sisters walking with God in a constant state of awareness of His presence & peace; of living a LIFESTYLE of the miraculous in daily life, has of course stirred the soil of my heart enough to lead me to evaluate the places inside myself that have been ravished by the apathy, excuse, complacency, & cowering that i've allowed to come in. i live a life at times that, i am ashamed to say, is so easily distracted that i fail to remember my great desperation and soul-craving for this God Who is much more strong, beautiful, brave & creative than anything i can find on this planet or within myself.

we've had the sheer joy of hearing story... after story... after story of His desires coming down to this earth--of His Kingdom crashing into the lives of individuals & entire communities. and as mel & i have been traveling around the past 6 weeks or so, it's apparent- there's indeed an awakening stirring all over this nation. the Bride is getting back up once more, looking her Husband-God in the face and remembering who He is & who He says She is.
He is worthy of no less.

God is on the move. always. forever.
and may no temporary, shallow distraction or any false pleasure or vain escape keep us from seeing Him as He is and offering all of Him & His love to this world all around us.

do you know it? that God LIVES in you?
can you feel it? can you feel Jesus wanting out of you to touch this world and every individual it contains that His heart so longs for?

sooo...hmmm...i haven't been super-committed to this blog thing-but that's changing!

yowzers friends,
apparently it's been 2 years since i last visited this little blog here.
and boy has it been 2 years stuffed full of the goodness of God.

i have found myself in places, with people, doing things i never bothered conjuring up or dreaming about on my own.
God is a treasure-revealing, surprising, fun, GOOD God.

i so look forward to sharing a bit of my life with you on this blog once again in the days to come...
until then, enjoy some of my old thoughts in blog-form--some of which are up to 3 years old! my o my it's cool/weird to see how active God's been in my life--He's always carrying on His work in each of us, isn't He?
bless you today friends!