Wow. (Ash, "wow!")

That's all I can say to life right now. I've been mulling over a lot lately, and I feel with each cycle of the material, my faith grows a bit more. I was at home vacuuming the day after elections and I was praying. I hadn't been as broken up as everyone else over Obama being elected, I'd remembered Dennis Peacocke saying the Sunday before that God would give His people what we need. And this was it.

I wondered some if I should be more upset- I mean, I care deeply about the unborn, and a man was just elected who doesn't. But I felt something in my spirit I couldn't ignore. Rona had shared at the mic about the verse that says forget the old for I am going to do a new thing....she elaborated how the Lord had been speaking to her that we have to not try to do things exactly how we did them before and it worked- in essence, we have to "forget" our old successes, because God is bringing new ones, and He is doing them in a new way.

The Lord started speaking to me as I "colored my carpet" (vacuumed), last Presidential election we were high on our success of voting in a God-fearing man. This time, God is going to do a new thing- a new success. I feel strongly that God is going to raise His people up and bring change from the bottom. It's His way! I already feel a new responsibility growing in me for my country and my realm. I can't rely that my country is a "God-fearing nation" because our head is a man who fears God- no, our country will be a God-fearing nation when the hearts of the people are turned and encounter a God who is worthy of being feared and adored.

I am excited! God is doing a new thing- a good thing. He's birthing something deep inside of us, and it's starting to grow. I've heard more people share revelations about their responsibility to pray for our leadership and for our country than I have in years, if ever (all my 21 years, hahaa). So pray, and seek God, own what you own...and Lord, extend our tent pegs.

At the ladies fall brunch Mrs. Tannehil (sorry, I know I spelt that wrong) mentioned the favor that is on us right now, and not fearing it. It's our moment. And I have to agree. Just that morning, I'd been driving, thinking of the favor I've recently had with my professors, and my manager, and with strangers! I feel like there is a new favor, and a new capacity.

I mentioned recently that I feel capable of doing my job in a new way. At work- I literally feel like all these boundaries were taken off of me, and I was told to just do it, and jump. And I have been, and I've been loving it! The same is true of so many places of my life- including the Christmas play- I knew the Lord was telling me to do it and to take the risk back in August. And over the past few weeks there have been a few times when I'd wished I hadn't- or maybe not, but at least reallllly disliked what I was doing. But in the last week, there's been another shift and I am enjoying living outside of the boundaries I'd once given myself.

This is such a sweet time to be taking risks! God is removing lies that I've believed about myself- He's convincing me that I have to be my encourager (as self-help as that sounds), we have enough other voices telling us we can't do 'that' and not to dare imagine it- but the voice the Lord is drawn near to is the one who says "Surely we can do it!" - maybe in a whisper at first. I want that to be the posture of my heart. If God is for us, who can be against us? That's reality. I don't want to be prideful, at all, but I also don't want to tie myself up before God does anything great through me.

I WANT TO DO SOMETHING GREAT- INCREDIBLE- UNBELIEVABLE, that MAKES PEOPLE BELIEVE!

I really do, and I feel like I can more than ever. God's showing me that the old boundaries aren't there, and He has big plans :)

This may be fall, but God is bearing much fruit in His people right now- don't go to sleep, you'll miss out on too much fun!