This last Sunday night, May 25th, I had the privilege  of sharing at Capstone Global Ministries in San Antonio Texas where Kyler Thomas functions as  pastor.

As usual, my heart was drawn to talk about intimacy with God by Soaking With A Purpose. in His presence…and how to listen carefully in order to Journal His Heart, making it easy to come into agreement with His plans and purposes for one’s life.

After discussing the hovering presence of God as it relates to Genesis 1:4 we spent around forty minutes soaking. One lady present had never soaked before but she took to it like a duck to water. Water…yes, only this was living water. We were immersed in it.

As we listened to Lover of My Soul by Theresa Griffith Hurlbert and Jeff Hurlbert all were swept away into the very presence of the Lord in one way or another. The call of the Bridegroom to the Bride was very evident in the room.

Many experienced visions and words from the Lord. some found out first hand how to rest in green pasture and walk beside still waters.

One person in particular was given revelation about how she understood the Father’s Love but not the intimate love of being adored by the Lord just as you are and for the person He created the  you/her to be.  She express how excited she was to go on this new adventure with the Lord.

One lady remembered unpleasant incidents of her childhood and saw an eagle flying over a valley. I am sure the Lord was flying over the painful places of her life with prophetic utterance and comfort. She could see even the slightest movement of the eagle’s feathers shift His direction or change his lift.

I personally saw a glass of wine being poured into until it overflowed and flooded the room of my house it was sitting in. I also felt the Lord instruct me to take communion with Him every day. Boy am I glad I wrote this today…I had forgotten His simple yet profound instructions.  This is why it is important to write the things down He tells you. If you do, it is much  easier to remember.

As we sat around discussing the experiences we all had the sweet presence of the Lord lingered making everyone hesitant to leave.

This is the beauty of Soaking With A Purpose. You can do it anytime and as much as you want or your time permits.

Blessings Brenda Craig

By the way we will be adding the music of Theresa Griffith Hurlbert and Jeff Hurlbert to SWAP in the next few days. Be sure to take time to check out their music. It is truly Music to Heal the Heart.

Just wanted to fill you in and let you know how my book signing went. I must admit it was a bit slow…and some came by to say the traffic was slower than they had seen in a long time.  However this did not stop God from working. I had the privilege of speaking with several people and one in particular. It seems I was in the right place at the right time.

One woman in particular whose husband had died purchased the book. At first she acknowledged that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know what God thinks when He whispers her name.

I proceeded to share with her about the goodness of God and how He only thinks good things. He is good and His thoughts are good.  With tears threatening to escape her eyes, she agreed to take a chance.

It is my prayer that Carvings In His Palm, What God Thinks When He Speaks Your Name will minister to the depths of her heart…to every lonely and needy place. If you are reading this, I ask you to say a prayer for her. Don’t worry about not knowing her name….God does and that is all that matters.

~Blessings Brenda

Stepping Up – Gina Higgins and Brenda Craig

I have the privilege of meeting with a group of men and women at Riverside Community Church in Spring Branch, Texas on the first Friday of each month. When we met on May 7, 2008 for the first time we took some time to soak together in His presence. The goal was to hear and see what the Father was saying and doing. And to say the least, we were not disappointed.

Everyone was so tender-hearted…so responsive and Holy Spirit showed up in such an awesome way. When one person received something it led to everyone else  having a bits and pieces bringing completion to the whole puzzle. This is what it is all about…unity…needing one another…iron sharpening iron…community…

A week or so later I was contacted by Gina, part of our group, and she shared some visual impressions Holy Spirit shared with her…I didn’t give her any detailed interpretation…just agreed with her that she was sensing the Lord and should listen to what He was trying to say to her.

Sunday morning, May 12th,on Mother’s Day, Gina emailed me this beautiful poetic, prophetic and challenging Word of revelation which came as a result of her soaking time in the class.

Per my instructions in class, Gina took the picture she saw and meditated on it…let it sink into her spirit and the Lord was faithful to bring meaning to what she saw and experienced.  I believe what The Lord shared with Gina isn’t just for her so I have decided to post it here on SWAP, Behind the Scenes in order for you to benefit from it.

Take time to ponder the words and ask Holy Spirit what areas personally, privately and publicly He is asking you to “Step UP” in. Take time to enjoy the fruit of Gina’s soaking experience and be encouraged. The Lord loves you and is waiting to speak an encouraging Word to you as well.

“Stepping UP!”

There is a moment when one little phrase can cause all the partial revelations seen in pictures, soaking prayer, and real life to rush forward and “create the whole.”

Then you realize that God has been saying repetitively “one” thing (well, one “gigantic” thing) through so many “different” and seemingly “unrelated” avenues – that you almost missed it!  It is in this moment, which the “unrelated” becomes “related” and the “unclear” suddenly “clear!”

Whether it’s a spiritual staircase you are supposed to climb; an area of brokenness you feel you are supposed to share; a difficult situation you must engage; or a desire of your heart that you finally have the confidence to pursue…it is in these many “different” situations, different lives and different hearts that God is saying the same thing.

The Lord Is Saying

To the mother of a teenager running with the wrong crowd, doing wrong, the LORD is saying….STEP UP!

To the “little girl lost,” finally found and ready to share her story, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

To the woman feeling convicted that her error could cost Jesus a heart, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

To the woman knowing it’s time to climb but feeling unsure how to begin, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

To the parents whose children have gone wayward and off the path, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

To the people in need of Jesus but that have yet to open the book, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

To the woman who knows a friend in need who is destitute and frail, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

To the groups that gather and are in need of purpose, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

To the leaders that lead and the teachers that teach, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

To the quiet and the shy; the humble in heart, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

To the confident and the bold; the fearless in spirit, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

To the spouse who is comfortable and resistant to change, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

To the one who knows better and has committed offense, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

To the men who are absent, whether in body or spirit, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

To the people who follow the Shepherd, the people that hear His voice, the LORD is saying…STEP UP!

Step UP Where?

“Step up” into My presence, into the place where I dwell.

“Step up” into My peace, where you can hear Me well.

“Step up” into My covering, where I can hide you in the Rock.

“Step up” into My shielded grace, so I can care for you, My precious flock.

“Step up” into My loving arms into to the place where you are safe…only after you have received from Me, can you run this lengthy race.

“Step Up” into all the places that I call you to be My voice.

“Step Up” into the many situations where I am calling you to make a choice.

“Step Up” into the place that I have prepared for you – a place you know not yet – but soon it will all be revealed, plans in motion, I have set.

Step UP and Continue

Continue on your journey with all your heart, your strength and mind—remember, “I am always with you!” You are the branches and I am the Vine.

Never will I forget you, forsake you nor leave you behind; never a greater, more encompassing love will your heart be able to find.

Love Jesus

Gina Higgins © 2008

I had the privilege of speaking at Riverside Community Church in Spring Branch, Texas on the National Day of Prayer. What an awesome time in the Lord. I can truly say that Riverside Community Church exhibits community in every way. When one of their members gave her testimony about God’s miraculous healing power in her life I was so encouraged and my faith grew by leaps and bounds…however, the most amazing thing in her testimony was the sense of true community she gave voice to…it seemed every other word she spoke was about someone in their church “community” and how they had been there in her times of need which were many.

Her testimony provoked  me to ponder and reflect on our nation at large—realizing that sometimes I see our  nation in such a negative way and  tend to view it as being too large of a task to overcome the many negative issues at hand in our day and time. After all, the news is full of negative and disparaging reports leaving little hope in their wake.

Being with Riverside helped me to change my perspective and Holy Spirit began to break this “bigger than life” concept I had of our nation down into a much simpler more workable scenario—one called “Community”.

I began to see our nation as a community. Yes, it is larger by far than the community of Spring Branch, Texas, but never the less, it is still a community…though built up of many communities just like the one I was privileged to be a part of on the National Day of Prayer.

After hearing the testimony of healing in the life of a believer, I saw how a local community can be changed by the miraculous power of God in the life of one person. Take this example and multiply it across many more communities like it throughout this nation and you have change.

Seeing our nation as a community helps to scale down the largeness into a more palatable and hopeful scenario worth having faith for. You see, one person in need within one local community who is served by those around them transforms the local community. In turn the local community grows in faith, compassion, and hope. They take this growth and do likewise for the larger community around them such as their city, county, state and so on.

In Genesis we are told to be fruitful and multiply. If you notice fruitful comes first. Riverside Community Church became a Tree of Life for one of their family members and she in turn became a testimony to the community of Spring Branch on the National Day of Prayer. Fruitfulness became multiplication. God is the God of multiplication. He is not satisfied with addition.

Therefore, I challenge you to see your nation as a “Community” and start changing it for the better at the most core unit, your personal family and then at the local church level. From these foundational places change will began to take place and multiply to the point His image…His fingerprint will be impressed upon the Earth. After all, it all starts with one person reaching out to one person. This is true “community”. Let it start with you as you give to the need of another. Who knows where it will lead.

Hats off to the family of Riverside Community Church as their commitment to community and ministry within their own family led to a display of God’s glory and power to the people of Spring Branch, Texas.

Brenda Craig ©2008