Handle Bars

Worship begins, so much has been weighing on me this week, I am easily distracted. As I enter into His presence, the Lord takes me on a trip. I am on this old fashioned bike. 

I am heading down a long hill, gripping the handle bars and as I pick up speed the thought comes to me to let go of the handle bars. Just let go. 

Gasp!.. I let go... Oh wow, a little nervous but this feels good. A little steadier...as I put my hands straight out.. I'm flying,.. at least it feels that way. The breeze is blowing across my face as I lean my head back. I've let go...this feels so good...the anxiety disappears and the laughter comes in. Fearless..I can't believe I'm doing this! I love it...yes this feels like freedom. For those few moments, I had completely let go of everything weighing me down. 

As I opened my eyes I am standing in the middle of these seats, with arms stretched wide open. Others immersed in the presence of God. I needed a reminder of how it felt to just let go and trust God with the outcome. 

Even in the Whisper..

When we take the path opened before us, we don't always know where it leads but we do know if we don't go down that path we may never know what is there for us. 


This photo I took at Burney Falls has always reminded me of how God gives light to each step and although I can't see where it ends, I trust He is there for me, at every turn, with every bump, with every detour, He is there for me. He always brings me back where I am supposed to be. 


Never give up on your destiny, never give up on your ability to hear His voice even in the whisper...

Los Angeles 2/2012

This past week I returned to Los Angeles for a time of ministry. I am usually with teams from Bethel but this time it was just me. I learned more about me on this trip, and more about others.
When I arrived plans didn't work out as they were so eloquently listed in my new journey notebook, (note to self, always confirm your plans once again prior to leaving), but although they didn't God came through and took care of me.

First lesson? Don't panic until you know for certain God is not coming through for you. If that happens you have my blessings to panic away.  God orchestrated such a blessing by taking care of every need I had during my entire visit.

Seeing old friends and making new ones.  I met some amazing women of God who showed me relationship. I felt so honored and blessed; not once did I ever feel I was intruding on their space. You see I landed on their couch for 5 nights. When I woke up there was peace in their home and it carried the presence of God 24/7. Whether playing cards or worshiping to the guitar playing by Ritz, it was complete peace.

I had the opportunity to pray for the sick, physically and mentally at "The House of Healing" in Pasadena. The next morning I was invited to attend a meeting for Social Justice/Sex trafficking which was informative and I gained insight of the different levels of social justice.  Poverty links many to sex trafficking because they think of it as a quick fix when in essence it ruins lives. Pornography plays a huge roll in the need for sex and how that trickles down to sex trafficking young girls and boys.  Additionally how can you restore the lives of these individuals after such a horrific time of drug induced, forced sex and threats of harm?

Saturday evening I ministered at "The Well". It's where thirty of us prophesied and gave words of knowledge to appoximately 150 people lined up the street, hungry for what God wanted to say to them. After 5 hours of ministering I was seriously ready for bed.

Sunday morning I headed over to Praise Chapel in the Hollywood area to minister but the Lord had other plans. I could have gotten offended or disappointed but I didn't, I allowed the Holy Spirit to do what He wanted to do and how wonderful it was. I was able to do some more prophesying and praying over some in the church but my heart was touched by two young girls living in a drug infested hotel, give their hearts to the Lord and said "I want more Lord".

I will share some testimonies received after this time in Los Angeles, CA. I want to thank those who covered me in prayer, provided and loved on me while I was there. My plans are to return to Los Angeles soon. I am excited to see all that God is doing.

Blessings!! Tricia

Testimony of God's Goodness

Testimony of God's goodness:


For those of you who have been praying for my son MIcheal for his vision. Last report was, he was losing his vision and going blind. There was nothing else that could be done for his sight. This morning I received a call telling me his specialist is referring him to a cornea expert because the scar tissue has STOPPED GROWING and they believe the scar tissue blocking his vision can be REMOVED!!! and HE WILL SEE AGAIN! This is one happy momma!! I know this is an answer to the prayers that have been lifted up on his behalf. Thank you for your prayers. He goes Friday the 20th, please continue to pray for complete restoration to his eye sight.

If you need healing of any kind take this testimony as a confirmation of the fact that God heals!!!!!!

The Year 2012

2012 is not only the year of "Hope" but its the year I choose to walk in what God has shown me, that I am. In 2009-10 God showed me how He saw me and how much He loved me, and in 2010-11 was the year of God showing me what I am capable of doing if I would trust Him with the walk. I declare that 2012 will be the year, that all He has predestined me to be, the purpose He has for me will be put into effect. (Eph 1)

"Hope" a really good (re-post) from a friend

Today a friend shared this with me and I think it says a lot so I am passing it onto you. Enjoy it!

• • Happy New Year.
    
    Some of you may have noticed I've been talking about hope a lot for the last number of months. It's been interesting intentionally raising my hope level whilst also trying to process through deferred hope and disappointment. Or things not working out quite as you had supposed.
    I am really ready for 2011 to be over and I am very hopeful as to what 2012 holds....even though there is a lot still shrouded in mystery. My last quarter in 2011 was a poor one if I am honest with you. Probably one of the toughest ones I've had in a while, partly because it changed from one extreme to the other almost over night. I have to remind myself that breakthrough and growth can look and feel different from season to season.
    I wanted to share something with you as we step into a new year that has been really powerful to me.
    Almost 2 months ago I had an encounter with God that was really powerful. I was in worship when I heard Him say to me "there's things that you are holding on to in your heart that are taking up room for my hope to occupy. Let go and let hope. Let hope invade. Let hope expand. Let hope do its work." I was floored. I knew exactly what He was referring to. In that moment, I knew He was releasing a supernatural ability to let go of those things, the pain, the disappointment etc and in faith, to step forward into higher levels of His hope. Letting go meant being ok with not having answers right now and possibly ever for why certain things, situations, relationships did or didn't happen. This has been a process for me, not merely limited to just one moment in worship, nor one breakthrough encounter. Its been an intentional day by day saying "im ok with not knowing. Im ok with no answers. I trust in your goodness. And that gives me hope".
    In coming to this place and this practice, I've found my expectation for what's next in 2012 increase and expand. I've even noticed recently a renewed hope in the areas where there were formerly unique disappointments. It makes no sense.
    
    A lot of the prophets are already saying it, but I think it's really key and worth repetition: It's time to get your hopes up as high as they will go as we come into a new year. I feel strongly that some of the things that we still cant see clearly about 2012 are because it's yet to be determined. And we have an invitation to be a part of determining what unfolds. That being said, I feel like our hope levels will be really influential in determining what plays out.
    Often, it can be hard to raise our hopes when we've encountered disappointment in specific areas. And whilst that is true, I know and I've experienced this grace He is releasing to let go of the disappointment in order to come up to a higher place of hope.
    I feel strongly that the areas where you've been disappointed whether it's delayed dreams, promises, community not quite panning out, relational tension, uncertainty & disappointment, position, job, geography being a cause of hopelessness that these will be the areas that you see the greatest increase in terms of your hope level. And its because of this grace He is releasing.
    We may not step into new things over night as we move into 2012 because there is value to process, but in saying that, Hope will be really strategic in navigating and positioning us into proper alignment so that we can be in the right places at the right times with the right people and see the hope we've been cultivating make way for the things our hearts long for to be made manifest. Hope is likened to an anchor in scripture for a reason. In transition, in the waves, in the shaking, it keeps us grounded. Hope means we do not have to be at the mercy of the wind or the waves around us.
    
    
    This year I am making it my goal, my mission to live my life with the most hope ever. And to leak this hope where ever I go.
    I say all of this for the reason to encourage you to let go and let hope. There is a grace to leave discouragement, hopelessness and disappointment behind if you will only receive this Hope invitation from Him.
    His justice in your life looks like Him restoring your capacity to hope in the areas where you may have scars of disappointment.
    "we have this hope as an anchor..."
    
• 
  

Christmas and Family

I love Christmas time, not only is it a time to reflect on the birth of Christ but a time to come together with family. This year I had the chance to spend time with my son-n-law's family. It was good to connect with them and interesting to say the least. When I watched the connection between one another I couldnt help to think of the differences between families.

I love how God talks to me in many different ways, showing me things about my expectations of family. I can't sit here and say that I don't get frustrated or disappointed but I was reminded to enjoy the moment and the simple things Christmas brings.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and this New Year will bring joy to your lives. Blessings!

Oh He has a sense of humor!

God has a sense of humor!

My knee has been prayed for numerous times and thinking God has recently healed it , it had begun to hurt more. (actually behind my knee). So the last the last few days, more pain. I kept hearing Lord telling me I needed to rest it. Now for those of us who dont have health insurance but do hear God, all is not lost.

A new nurse I recently began to work with noticed I was having some issues with it. Now keep in mind God is still telling me I need to rest my knee and of course I am telling Him I need to work? Otherwise, I haven't said anything to her. After leaving work she later called and said she had a "gift" for me. She returned with crutches, stating God told her to buy them for me because I "needed to rest my knee". What?  She later jokingly said her mother always told her she was prophetic. lol

Interesting enough, a few weeks ago she asked if I would take her to Bethel for church with me sometime.  God does have a sense of humor. Oh and yes I definitely think I will heed His advice.

LA Ministry Trip - Skid Row

A little cloudy outside, a few stops and turns and we arrived at what is known as "Skid Row". 

As soon as you get out of your car the smell of urine is strong and the homeless line the streets as if they are waiting for something to happen. Some sleeping, some passed out from alcohol, some searching for recycle items to either sleep on or get what little change they can.  

As we pass out sandwiches you can't help but wonder why or how can people live this way. This hard life is so apparent on the faces of those you meet. Last year when I visited Skid Row with another of Sara's team I remembered her telling me to not partner with hopelessness while I am there. This was important to hear especially if you are a person of mercy. 

We walk the streets showing love to those who will trust you to get close enough. They are use to people coming down and helping but even then some refuse to let you get close. As I turn one corner I see grocery baskets, full of miscellaneous items, lined on the street like parked cars. Wondering what’s going on I get a little closer and I notice a ministry is allowing people to come into a building to feed them, some can take a shower or sit and listen to worship music playing on a make shift stage.

Moving on we stop to talk to many about how much God loves them and I got the notion (an official southern term) to begin to ask people how can they be helped to get out of their circumstances? Some of the answers were to never have started drugs or alcohol in the first place. It was obvious there were some who chose to live this lifestyle but just as many if not more, didn't choose it. A loss of their jobs, addictions, "life" issues and mental illness were some of the reasons. 

We had time to pray for a man that was blind and when you first approach him you may feel sorry for him but don't. We prayed for healing but we didn't see the miracle we wanted, but he did share how he sees things and how God allows him to see in different ways, how his cane helps him rely of God to lead his path. What a blessing! There were many that received prayer that day and many memories made.

Through all the praying, laughing, and some tears I hope we made an impact into someone's life. Either way, can you ever get too much compassion?

Los Angeles, CA Ministry Trip (Day One)

Let me begin saying this trip was a ground breaking trip for me.

I am not sure where to begin but I will just jump in and see where it takes us. If you read my last blog you see this could be a dangerous thing.




Venice Beach:

Our first full day in LA we went to Venice Beach. Venice Beach is always an experience! Full of interesting characters like the young man who hitchiked from Washington state and plays music on plastic containers hoping for that break of stardom, or the lady who sells braclets for a friend because she is homeless and it gives her something to do, and lets not forget the man who after gaining your attention for thirty minutes, walks on glass in thirty seconds.  A lot of music, acts, and of course "medical" marijuana for every need you could ever imagine. There is a lot of drug use, homelessness, and prostitution that seems to go on forever. One of my dreams would be to take a worship group down and just let loose for hours and prophetic paintings that bring people into the presence of God. Could you imagine having a long term place there where all you had to do was bring in the presence of God? Worship, dance, sing, paint, and much more. I can definitely see that as a "after BSSM" ministry calling for some of our students.

The beach, the skate park, and the walkway, haring God's love, giving our version of "Spiritual readings" and drawing prophetic art. Mostly we talked with individuals and shared what God would put on our hearts for them, you could tell some were just hungry for conversation.

 Bonnie Brae House:

We were then able to go to the Bonnie Brae house where the Azusa Street revival began. The tour took all but 5 minutes because the house but so small but you could feel the presence of God there. Some collected in the back bedroom and began singing hymns and familiar songs. I chose to lie in the main area's floor and soak up the sweet presence there. At one moment I could just take myself into the midst of the revival and hear the singing and praising of miracles. This prompted me to open my eyes and see what they saw from the floor and all I saw was this small round vent.  For a second there I thought it was a good idea but it didnt do much for me, the vent that is. I later proceeded to the back bedroom and I laid my head up against the wall, asking myself, as though the walls were talking to me, what stories did they have to tell of the revival, the miracles, the powerful presence of God. Although my mind wondered all they could say I didn't actually hear anything. It was good while it lasted. I then found myself doing a very spiritual thing, I began sliding on the floors in my sock feet down the hallway with a few other guys. Yes! it was childlike and fun, and I throughly enjoyed it.

To be continued......

Yes you can pray for me and if you have some Ritalin, thats a possiblity too! lol

I was headed to bed around 11, then I saw something I needed to do, then it reminded me of appointment I have this morning and for some odd reason, that made me think of my strengths, so I got out my Strength Finders book and wrote down my strengths and that made me think that I haven't documented the prophetic words I have received this year so I thought my quickest way would be to take a picture of them and make it into a slide show. After that I wanted to put a copy in my journal and so I did, when I went into my journal I saw all the cartoons and colorings the kids did for me when I went to Haiti, so I took a pic of them also and began working on getting them in a frame so I would have them. When getting the frame I came across a paper that had my declarations and got on the computer to type them and ended back up on FB.

Its now 3:12am and I have to be up by 8am, Do you see a pattern here? yes I will take around the clock prayer for this, or you can slip me some Ritilan lol

I matter and I make a difference

I have a card on my wall that reminds me of this daily. I didnt use to think I mattered nor could I make a difference but I know that was a lie. So now I purposefully walk in this daily. Life does happen and can get you distracted easily. The next thing you know, you are having to get back on track. 

Ephesians 1, tells me "long before the foundations of the earth", He had us in mind. He has settled onto us as the focus of His love, as it says in the Message Bible. 

I matter because I was made out of the focus of His love. I like that!  God thought of everything! 

In verse 11 it states, It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. All our hopes and dreams designed in the beginning by Him. 

If I say I don't matter then I am saying what He has made, the dreams He has placed within me, doesn't matter. I want to see mine and His dreams come to fruition. 

I love the journey I am on, I get to see my dreams come true and I get to participate in making a differnce in the world around me. Each one of us matters, don't ever think you don't. Your world may be from one continent to another, or it may be the 50 feet around you. Either way you do matter and you can make a difference in that space. 

Could It Be Any Clearer?

 Working in Mental health in California, or at least Shasta County is a bit challenging. It actually has made me sad because there are no resources in this county presently for those who are truly sick. In CA when someone has mental health issues they are often defined as a "5150". Just four numbers and you can be labled for the rest of your life. It can affect your job, your identity, and future decisions. It will be in the "system" wherever you go. 


What if your past, the times you have made an impulsive decision,  made some poor choices or just went through a difficult time in your life, and it was there to always remind you. 


In my past I had a period of time that was very difficult for me to get through. But I made it and I used it to help others. I look back on that time now and I am so glad for the grace of God and the love of my children. 


What if God labled you? Never forgot your mistakes? Never forgave you? That is what some of us walk in when we think we have to ask Christ to forgive us of our sins. Christ died for our sins, all of them!


I recently heard a teaching by Seth Dahl of how he would go through every night asking God to forgive every sin he committed that day. The realization, what if you forgot one? And because of that you would end of in hell instead of heaven?  Christ forgave all your sins, not just the ones you confessed. 


 Romans 6:6- 11 The Message Bible:
"Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did."


I love the Message Bible, how clearer could it be?  Patricia

Whatever you fear...

"Whatever you fear will ultimately become your master. This is the process of allowing deception to take control of your mind. It all starts by allowing small, cunning lies to creep in undetected. At first, they seem rational a vital contribution to the wellbeing of your personhood. They come cloaked in common sense and take up residence in side of logic and reason. But their deception is deep and destructive. Their words have nothing to do with the Father's heart, for they are only a facade of true light."

"Yet, because we are often oblivious to what is going on inside of us, it can be hard to recognize what is actually driving us."

An excerpt from, The Supernatural Power of Forgiveness by Jason Vallotton
Chapter "He Who Holds the Key", pg 56

This book is a great read, you can get it at Bethel's bookstore (ibethel.org) or Amazon.

Hugs and Lies and Laughter

What an amazing time in Revival Group today following Jason Vallotton's teaching on believing lies the enemy tells you and speaking about what you need from others. 

First Marlene has our group form an inner circle and an outer circle and we hugged each other, giving our best shot at the best hug we could give someone. Then rotate to the next person. Everyone began laughing and sharing with one another. I jumped the line and got double hugs from most everyone. At a total of 70 plus hugs. That’s a lot of love. lol

Next we went around the room telling the lies we have believed and then we just laughed at them. There was such breakthrough and freedom was released through out the room. Lies such as, I'm not beautiful, no would accept the real me, If I don’t do my best then I can't be blessed, I have to do to receive, no one will love me unconditionally, I'm not good enough, and on and on..So many lies and such breakthrough. 

Here are some comments posted from out RG FB page: 

" Really enjoyed laughing at lies today..... amazing how powerful that was. It was fun watching people's faces. We'd share a lie with somber face (and rightfully so, it's intimate), but some crazy guy burst out in obnoxiously loud laughter and everyone joins in.... you can't help but cement how silly/restrictive/destructive/etc. the lies actually were. Before I start preaching.... I love you guys. The End."

"Best revival group meeting so far, no? I'm not going to hide anymore and I'm not going to feed this false alter ego that's been trying to seduce me ever since I got here. I have something to give and I have something to receive!"

*Sigh* I'm so in love with God in the sense that He loves me so much that He placed me with all of you amazing people! Today was life changing to say the least. Having us go hug each other was something profoundly incredible for me and then to laugh at the lies.....Oh Jesus.....what fun! I love you all sooooo much and I can't wait to see what God will do next in our amazing family! :D YAY GOD!!!!!"

"Revival group was so wonderful today... so happy to be here with all you amazing peeps...Love you."

Thank you Lord for such breakthrough!