“My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

“My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Dreams & Visions, Pearls of Revelation

As I sat in Wednesday prayer this past week, the speaker was talking about how we all have trials and tribulations, how we all get weary in the midst of these seasons of hardship.  As is usual, the speaker began to reference Matthew 11:30,

“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

         

When I think of this verse, I immediately think back to the day that Jesus Christ took my burdens off my shoulders: depression, paranoia, anger, jealousy, exhaustion beyond words, deception about my identity, and bondage to a life not worth living.  His promise in this verse spoke to me.

I murmured, “You want to take this [my life] over, Jesus?  You can have it.  It’s not worth anything; in fact, everything I touch is a mess. You want ‘take the wheel’ – go ahead”…

“Cast all your burdens on Me, and receive the rest I have for you,” He said.

I took up His offer and was saved that day, and I have experienced first-hand over the past 6 years the beautiful rest and joy that emerges from knowing Him and surrendering to Him, even and especially in the midst of trial and tribulation.  When I am weary, I remind myself that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  As St. Augustine once said, “Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee.”

And so back to this past Wednesday.  As I sat and listened to the speaker, the Lord made me smile as He imparted revelation to me about this verse.  Instead of a perspective of the yoke and burdens I carry, the perspective changed, and I saw Jesus sitting on His throne, seeing, hearing, knowing and interceding for all the sins and fears of the world (past, present, and future).

If you have ever seen the movie Bruce Almighty, perhaps you are familiar with the scene where all the prayer emails multiply faster than he can read the subject lines, or him hearing one pleading voice, then three, then a thousand.  I instantly thought, “Oh Lord, what a burden You carry for all of us…it’s never-ending.”

The Lord just smiled and said, “No.  My yoke [My submission to My task of unceasing intercession for the world] is easy, and My burden [the load of the world, past, present, and future] is light. My Love for you is never-ending.”

“How can that be??  I mean, how do You bear it all Lord?” I smiled and asked.

“I have already overcome all burdens; I am the Lord.  My greatest moment of ‘burden’ was carrying the cross to Golgotha, being separated from the Father, being the ultimate sacrifice, and even that was My heart’s delight, for the joy [you, and her, and him, and them, and the freedom I offer you all] set before Me. I receive the billions and billions and billions of requests for peace in the storm, forgiveness of sin, deliverance, and it is not a burden…My yoke is easy because I have already conquered the grave; I no longer carry the same load as the cross – it [the burden of the cross] is finished.  Those burdens of worry and fear and sin are ones you were never meant to carry. Let Me carry your burdens, Katherine. Keep your eyes focused on Me as I carry them for you.”

Lord, I thank You for Your self-control and Your strength to bear my burdens as well as those of the entire world.  Who else is worthy of praise but You!  Thank You for the reminder to lay all my burdens [worries, fears, sins] at Your throne, fix my eyes on You, and let You carry what only You were meant to carry. You are the Good, Good Shepherd that knows how to tend to His flock!

∼ ∼ ∼

Perhaps you read through my conversations with the Lord and think, “He didn’t really say that. He’s not involved with us at that level.  He doesn’t speak or interact with modern-day people. She’s crazy.  She makes these things up in her mind.”

To that, I can only think to reference St. Augustine once more: “Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.”

 

 

 

Peter and Jesus on the water

Peter and Jesus on the water

Missionary, Pearls of Revelation

Peter asks to come out of the water!  Peter asks.  I was always under the impression that Jesus calls him out to the water, and then Peter responds.  (See what comes of reading the Word for yourself! See what comes when we slow down and meditate on the Word with the intention of feasting on it!)

“When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’  When they got into the boat, the wind stopped.” (Matthew 14: 26-32, NASB)

Oh, how I have felt like Peter in these past few months!  I have cast out my own fleece to the Lord, saying “Lord, if You want me to be a missionary…Lord, if You want me to be in disaster relief…Lord, if You want me to be full-time in Your service…Lord, if You want me, if You have chosen me…” – all questions that I imagine most missionaries have dealt with at some point.  And I realize, like Peter, I asked to step into my missionary ministry, as a fleece to know that He is with me, that He walks alongside me.  And so He said, “Come!”…and so I did, and I got out of my metaphorical boat, gained my footing, and proceeded to walk in that ministry.

“But, seeing the wind…”  Wait.  It’s not the chaos of the water or the battering of the waves that makes Peter lose his footing?  It’s not his ability to walk where the natural deems an impossibility?  No.  It’s the wind.  Could the wind represent what we hear the world whisper in our ear of what is logical, or what is possible, or what is healthy, or what is reasonable – the doubts that it casts our way when we choose the path to be set apart as Peter desired.

“But, seeing the wind…” (NASB, NIV, ESV) – and varying translations add to this image:

  • “But, when he saw the strength of the wind…” – Berean bible study
  • “But, when he saw the wind boisterous…” – KJV
  • “And, when he saw the wind was violent…” – Aramaic Bible in plain English

Peter’s eyes focused on Jesus when he first got out of the boat because he “came toward Jesus”.  What happened? Peter’s gaze changed; his nautical bearings shifted so to speak.  He now focused on the force of the wind, wind that he thought would certainly knock him off balance…and so it did.  If Peter had only kept his eyes fixed on Jesus, surely he would not have been knocked down and battered by the waves himself.

Like Peter, I have lost my bearings at times throughout the process of transitioning to full-time ministry.  At times, my gaze is so fixed on Jesus, feeling secure even in the midst of chaos; at times, my gaze is distracted or dulled (lukewarm), and down I go.  Thankfully, Jesus’ loving hand is so quick to reach out, and His loving discipline reminds me of why I went down.  I hear Him saying, “Anchor your eyes on me, Katherine.  All things are possible with Me.  I will lead you to incredible places and experiences you dare not dream of yet.”

  • Again, and again, and each day until You come back Lord, I re-anchor myself in Your presence and declare that winds and waves cannot shake Your kingdom, Lord – that nothing robs me of the love, joy, and peace of God in my heart.  If I’m feeling unstable in my place, thank You Lord for helping me to surf and navigate the place where You have me.
God’s promises, God’s faithfulness

God’s promises, God’s faithfulness

God Stories

Have you ever questioned a word or a promise the Lord gave you?  Have you ever asked the Lord for a fleece? For confirmation?  For clarification?  For fulfillment?  I know I have.  Here are some of the signs and wonders the Lord has sent my way in some of my stretching moments in the past year.

Promise to fulfill the desires of my heart

January 2016 – God promises me that 2016 will be a “get-to-know-you” year, and in 2017, He will give me the desires of my heart.   I then see a vision of me at my wedding, meeting my groom in the middle of the aisle, and the desire I offered up at the altar in sacrifice two years ago is now back on the table.  I question “How could that be?”

Marriage, marriage, weddings, weddings – everywhere I turn for the first three months of the year.  I ask the Lord for confirmation, and He surrounds me with it.

Some months later, when I question whether I heard the wedding promise right – crossing the Congress Street bridge, I hear the Lord say “Look left”, and I see a double rainbow across Town Lake – “I will keep My promise.  There will be peace over Austin waters.”

   

Promise to make me a disciple-maker

Now, the Lord had also instructed me to be open to disciple and assist women.  Me?  I questioned that I was qualified, but sure enough, the Lord started to bring various women across my path, some for longterm friendships, some for short stays in the house, some in touch by phone or text, and some for just the moment of a conversation or a prayer.

One day, I questioned whether I was really meant to disciple women (after a particularly hard day with a houseguest) – I was sitting on my couch with the blinds open, and I heard the Lord say “look left”, and I see a brilliant double rainbow across my backyard.  I stood in awe that this stunning double rainbow followed closely on the heels of the Congress St. bridge double rainbow.  I happened to have a meeting minutes after it appeared with a young woman a friend wanted me to mentor – as I drive the short distance to our meeting place, my eyes are fixed on the double rainbow – it felt like it was following me.  Upon arrival, I found the mentee, introduced myself, and immediately ushered her outside to share in the rainbow of God’s promise.   A blessing for us both!

                                                                                                       

 

Promise of comfort and sustained strength

A month or two later after my backyard double rainbow, I fell ill with the flu.  I had plans to go to a woman’s fellowship day that next week, and I was praying that I would be strong and well enough to attend – we were joining in for a Priscilla Shirer simulcast that I didn’t want to miss.

While I did make it to the fellowship day, I was still feeling weak and not 100%.  I placed myself 2-3 rows behind the ladies attending, and in worship, I called out to the ministering angels to tend to me…and I felt presence to my left and behind me.  I was taken aback by this palpable presence, and I asked the Lord for confirmation that the angels were indeed ministering to me while I was sick – I turn my head to the left, and I see a double white light rainbow over a painted picture (a painting not always in the sanctuary) of the angels ministering and rejoicing over Jesus at His birth.  My heart lept at this intimate moment between me and the Lord and the angels – no one knew of this exchange, and I did indeed feel well by the end of the day.  This was the third double rainbow in a matter of months.

 

Promise of love and tenderness

Road trips are great for reflection.  I find that some of my best conversations with Jesus happen on the open road.  On a road trip to a disaster site in Denham Springs, LA, I felt a tug of the enemy, trying to plant the idea that the Lord’s promise to fulfill the desires of my heart were just feelings, not truly a promise that would be fulfilled.  I repeated the promise that the Lord had given me back in January 2016, and despite the barrage of attack from the enemy about my looks, my weight, my quirks, my whatever, I just kept repeating “Jesus, You are faithful. Jesus, You are faithful.”  It was all I had the mental strength to say.   Minutes afterward, on the left side of the car, over the Baton Rouge bridge entering town, lo and behold, a double rainbow high in the sky.

Oh, You are who You say You are, Lord!  You shine so much brighter than the sun!  And the heavens are on the earth.  There is no, not one like You, Lord!!

          

Promise of provision

Wondering if I was meant to be a missionary and raise my own funds – out of the blue, a woman I’ve met and talked to a handful of times asks if I still need support, and she blesses me with a significant one-time gift, raising my hope and faith that the Lord hears my struggles and answers me with blessings.  A week later, I get offers for short-term teaching gigs, providing for me during my period of partnership development.

 

The Shaking of the Storm

The Shaking of the Storm

Dreams & Visions, Pearls of Revelation

Last spring, the Lord woke me up at 4am, and I felt prompted to peek out the window.  There was a storm with lightning and thunder, and sideways rain, and wild, furious wind that was whipping the trees around like a wet bouquet of parsley – the agaves were unmoved, but the crepe myrtles were bending almost to the ground.  I heard the Lord point out that I was safe amidst the storm (not even in it), that He woke me to witness His power and might and ability to bring such a shaking, that some plants do not move during the winds and others bend, but do not break…and then I went to sleep after an hour of watching the scene outside.

No one else had woken during the storm, and there was not a single branch or a single blossom out of place the next morning.  I shared with Daniel, the director of ADRN, and he told me to pray in the vision that God had allowed me to witness – that I, like the crepe myrtles would be so deeply rooted and flexible so as to bend under the force of the winds but not break, and not a single part of my being would be lost or shaken loose.  I was deeply rooted in Him, though I pray that one day I am like the agave, barely shaken at all.

In hindsight, I can see how the Lord spent 2016, planting roots in me…firmly…so they would not be uprooted or damaged.  

Little did I know that I too had been planting, and earlier this year, the Lord and I looked together at my solo garden, the one I had not asked His permission or counsel to plant.  Before me were three plants, all in varying states of health.  The Lord pointed to the first one and said, “Do you see this one?  It looks healthy on the surface, but its roots are rotted out.  Do you see this second one?  You didn’t need to plant this one at all.  Do you see this last one?  It’s a good plant, but you have planted it without care and it grows sideways.”  He proceeded to pull them all out, rake the dirt, and smiled again. “I will plant a new garden for you, and My garden will provide everything you need.”

Since then, the Lord has held true to His word and has replanted in me what I tried to plant myself…because I wanted it, or thought I needed it, or hurried to set it in place.  When we hear the words “spring up a well”, it’s not that we are creating the well ourselves, but rather that we are asking for the Lord to provide what we cannot of our own flesh…lack of power…lack of wisdom.

In my desire to surrender all to my Lord, each “treasure” or “effort” that is sacrificed shoots out another root that has the sole purpose of reaching toward Him, toward the Living Water.  My root system comprises of my multiple arms reaching out to Him for my multiple needs and wants.

Lord, You are the Great Provider!  Give me the grace to let You tend the garden of my heart and put in place what You know will bless me and prosper me, according to Your plans for me!  Strengthen and expand my root system, that I may always reach for You.

Trapezing with the Lord

Trapezing with the Lord

Missionary

Have you ever tried to trapeze?  To fly high in the air with the greatest of ease?

I had the opportunity back in 1991 to do some trapeze in Port St. Lucy, FL. It requires climbing up a small ladder, being harnessed up, climbing up an even tinier ladder, and standing on a 2×2 platform with a release person.  With a hook, the release person draws back the trapeze bar and tells you to grab hold with both hands; meanwhile, they have a hold of your harness from the back (or in some cases by the waist) – the only thing stopping you from dropping off the platform.

There’s this moment before you let go for the first time.  This moment when these thoughts run through your mind, like “AM I OUT OF MY MIND??”  or “Why am I doing this again?” or “If it doesn’t work out, there’s always the harness or the net to catch me.”  or “What if there’s no connection when I let go?”  (Apparently these thoughts are absolutely normal – normal feelings about an “abnormal” choice to fling all that you are into the wide open air, with little less than rope, a bar, and two hands on the other side waiting to catch you.)

Once you decide to go, you have to tell the release person “Go!” and they release their hold on you as you take your first big swing on the trapeze and then flip yourself up to sit on the bar.  I remember my first time on that platform – I was not afraid of the climb, I was not afraid of the size or the height of the platform, and I was not even afraid of the upcoming catch…but the word “Go!” took its sweet time coming out of my mouth.   I felt I was waiting for a moment to feel secure enough to be all in and release.  I knew it would come.

I finally did say “Go!”, taking a big swing down, hanging from the bar, flipping myself to sitting position and then holding the swing with a kung fu grip.  I DID IT!!  I DID IT!!  I’m swinging!! The feel of the breeze on my body, the pure smell of the air at that height, the Atlantic ocean vistas laid out before me, the joy of having let go and trusted.

Then there was connecting to the other person on the opposite swing, another step of faith – I mean, what if our hands didn’t connect?  what if our hands got sweaty and I fell?  what if I couldn’t find the my swing in the return?  As I turned to position myself to connect, I succeeded in reaching out my hands and locking grips with my trapeze partner, letting go of my swing, relying on the strength of another.

Deciding to become a missionary is like trapezing with the Lord.  There was quite a climb (wrestling with the idea and submitting) …there was a moment of securing myself to a harness (ADRN)…there was a moment of doubt (Am I sure this is the way?)…there is the moment of release (sending out the donation requests)…there is the joy mixed with the kung fu grip of the first full swing (giving in to the thrill of following Christ but clinging to His hand)…there is the fear of not connecting (will others partner with me?)…there is the list of questions (what about bills? insurance? retirement?)…there is the thrill of realizing you are actually doing it (receiving the first payments, working for the Lord)…and then there is the realization of the absolute freedom of a life in Christ, a life with a singular focus of gazing upon His beauty and inquiring in His temple.

Ah the sweetness of trapezing with the Lord! Flying high on eagle’s wings!  Release!

(selah)

“…His banner over me is Love.”

“…His banner over me is Love.”

Pearls of Revelation

Recently, I’ve been reading Song of Songs, with a deeper understanding about how this reflects the progressive maturing of our faith as we become more and more in love with Jesus, knowing Him as a safe Savior.*  In Song of Songs 2:4, “He has brought me to His banquet hall, and His banner over me is love.”  This verse gives me such a visual of His love for me – He brings me to a place of safety and honor, He nourishes me on the finest of blessings, He declares His love with His banner, and He covers me with the same.  A few days later, a friend I haven’t seen in awhile gave me a Hebrew worship cd of a Jewish singer, Ruth Fazal, and in the first song she sings “Digli alayikh ahava” – “My banner over you is love.  How the Lord loves to confirm His truths over us…like the banner, the Word is love.

I invite everyone to submit a verse the Lord is speaking to them and any revelation you would like to share. I find an absolute joy when others share what God is revealing to them and witnessing how that Word is part of their overall journey with the Lord.

  • * from Mike Bickle – The Song of Songs Notes

 

What exactly is a Fire Pearl?

What exactly is a Fire Pearl?

Missionary

 

“…and He pulled out a large, rimmed abalone bowl…”

 

Well, it all started while I was walking in the Spirit.  During a time of deep listening to the Lord, I inquired of the Lord how He saw me.  Immediately I was sitting atop a snowy peak with Jesus looking out on many other snowy peaks surrounded by clouds – it was beautiful and peaceful.  I looked at Him and asked Him how He saw me.  Before I knew it, we were in the Throne room, and He pulled out a large, rimmed abalone bowl, and in the bowl were many pearls of all colors, sizes, and lustre – one pink, one black, one white, one yellow, and then I see Him reaching toward one that was truly like a fire opal, and He confirms that this one is me.

This is the closest I’ve found so far, but pales in comparison to the pearl in the bowl. “For now we see in a mirror, dimly…” (1Corinthians 13:12)

Just as His fingers picked up the “fire” pearl, it transformed from a solid to a starburst of brilliant multi-colored light that shone so brightly that it nearly blinded me.  My jaw dropped in amazement – “Lord, are you sure You have the right one?”  I found it hard to believe myself as this brilliant starburst of light that reached far and wide and filled every space.  The Lord replied, “As a pearl, you are beautiful to Me, but the moment you allow Me to pick you up, My Light fills you and you are much more.”

As I came back to my surroundings with my jaw still open in disbelief, I realized that in taking this step forward as a missionary, I am allowing His Light to fill me up and “greater works than these” I will do – truly my faith is being stretched and tested at just the thought of what He showed me, let alone doing.  I thank the Lord for granting me this vision; I treasure it!  I thank the Lord for increasing my faith and my capacity to keep my eyes on Him.

On 04/17/17, a dear friend Sue blessed me with a beautiful abalone shell in connection to my season, Fire Pearl Missions – thank you so much dear Friend!  Blessings to you and yours, Sue!

Prayer to fuel the Mission

Prayer to fuel the Mission

Missionary
Of all the people in high school likely to become a missionary, I was probably at the bottom of the list.  In fact, I wasn’t even born-again then.  I’m not really even sure I knew what missionaries did.

Fast forward to today, and the picture is a miraculous transformation!  Not only did the Lord save me and accelerate my spiritual growth, but He put a call on my life to help those in crisis through both my church, Glad Tidings of Austin (GT Austin), and Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN). Even more recently in 2016, He called me to step out in faith and become a missionary.

My stereotypes and deceptions about missionary fundraising had to be addressed first, so the Lord has led me on a humbling journey for the large part of a year, and finally, He has indicated that NOW is the time to start my campaign.  My intention is to be full-time at ADRN by January 1st, which doesn’t leave much time to pull in funds, but I’m following the Lord’s lead on this, and if He is for me, who can be against me?  Amen!

So, what’s going to fuel this campaign?  PRAYER!  I cannot do what I’m about to do without 1) the call of the Lord to go before me and lay out the path He has for me, and 2) an abundance of thanksgiving, praise, and prayer.  I am so thankful to each one of you for coming around me as prayer warriors, intercessors for my missionary journey

Cloud 71

Cloud 71

Dreams & Visions

How blessed I was to take a road trip with my sweet Sister in Christ, Veronica Conde.  We both like to see things through the lens of wonder, through the lens of a child, and so this story filled us both – thank you God!

We took a road trip to Kansas City to attend an 8-day prayer immersion workshop called “IMMERSE”, with a focus called “Prayer & the Prophetic”.  Veronica happily volunteered to drive, and so it left me with the rare pleasure to gaze out on the countryside and ponder and meditate as we headed up the highway through Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.  My job was to keep us entertained throughout the journey.

As we headed up Highway 69 through Oklahoma, I was looking out my passenger side window and thinking about the different landscapes, and reflecting on nothing in particular.  Suddenly, I felt a prompting to look left, out the driver side window past Veronica, and there it was….plain as day…marked in the sky…71.  I continued to stare and calmly asked Veronica, “Do you see 71 written in the sky?”  She turned her head and with a quick glance, she said “Yep, I sure do.”

I quickly snapped several pictures in rapid fire succession, and I could not take my eyes off it.  So clear – in italics!  Scripted in the sky!  With no other clouds like it in site!  And all I could think was “How marvelously detailed and attentive and communicative is our God!” As I scrolled back through the pictures, I saw that there were pictures that showed Cloud 71 in two versions: the scripture :71, and a date 7/1.   (And interesting we were about to enter the year 2017.)

We drove on for another hour, and I looked out of my window, keeping vigilant watch over the clouds.  Again, the Lord instructed me to look left, out the driver’s window past Veronica, and there was the number 4 written in the sky, just as plainly as the 71.  (Not sure why we never got a good picture of the 4).  We immediately wondered what verses this might correspond to; as it turned out, Psalms is the only book that has a 71st chapter, so we looked at Psalms 71.  This psalm was particularly poignant for Veronica, a chapter that spoke to her profoundly over the next 8 days.

As I poured over the pictures again, I thought about the :71 version.  Here are all the :71st verses in the NASB bible:

 

Numbers 7:71 –  “and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This [was] the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.”

Nehemiah 7:71 – “Some of the heads of fathers’ [households] gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas.”

Psalm 78:71 – “From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.”

Psalm 119:71 – “It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.”

Matthew 26:71 – “When he had gone out to the gateway, another [servant-girl] saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

Mark 14:71 – “But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!”

Luke 1:71 – “Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES, And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US”

Luke: 22:71 – “Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”

John 6:71 – “Now He meant Judas [the son] of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.”

I continue to ask God for further revelation, and I praise the Lord for His desire to have a conversation with us, however it gets through.  : )  I also look forward to July 1st of this year (7/1/17) to see if anything is noteworthy.****

The Lord impressed upon me that He created the clouds for dreamers and seers, and I will always have a fond place in my heart for Cloud 71.

 

****Postscript to this blog: The 7/1 cloud was seen on the way to an intense time of prayer at IHOPKC, preparing my mind for the rigors of stepping into being a missionary.  As it turns out, and unbeknownst to me prior to a week before, I would temporarily step away from my role at ADRN on July 1, 2017 (7/1/17) to dive into partnership development, which has been a time of intense prayer as well so far.  Thank You Lord for Your heart to prepare us for what is to come!  

The Lord also made known to me in January 2016 that there would be a shift in July and that November 2017 would be the fulfillment to His promise He made to me back in January 2016.  For more on that promise, check out the blog entitled “God’s promises, God’s faithfulness”.  : ) 

 

And the Cross marked the sky…

And the Cross marked the sky…

God Stories

When the Lord wants to get your attention, He uses all manner of signs and wonders!

One night, a friend of mine and I went to a concert down the road at the Promiseland Church on 51st street.  We relished the worship time with Kim Walker Smith, but as the main speaker came on, we both individually felt a prompting to leave.  Finally, we decided to slip out and head to the HOPE Prayer Room worship set that was simultaneously going on.  As we walked down the hallway, we discussed the oddity of this prompting to leave, and then, we walked out of the building.  WOW! What a sky!!  Pinks and purples and oranges, like the evening sky was on fire!

As we knelt and prayed thanksgiving for the show of God’s glory in the cloud colors, I noticed that the clouds started to take on a different shape, and before I knew it, I pointed out to my friend that it looked like an x was marking the sky right over the HOPE Prayer Room, which was newly launched, and she looked at me and said, “An x, or a cross?”

So we raced to the car to head down the road and show others what we were seeing, that we felt the Lord was marking His seal over the HOPE Prayer Room, but in the two minutes it took to get in the car and head out, the sky, just as it had shifted before, was now void of the brilliant colors we had seen and was just a muted gray sky with some streaks of blue lingering.  So thankful I thought to snap this picture!

While this would not be the only time the Lord would show me signposts in the sky, it certainly was one of my favorites!

Two other pictures from that evening…

The sky just prior to the Cross appearing…

 

The sky two minutes later as we were about to leave the Promiseland property.