Fifteen or twenty years ago Chuck and I along with our youngest son, Chris, and my mom went to Israel for the first time. We all had great expectations but the trip for the most part was a disappointment especially to me.  The main thing that I wanted to come home with was a real understanding of the geography of the land where my Lord had lived and ministered. However, it snowed or rained the whole time we were there, causing us to have to make continuous route changes and cancel planned events.  The weather was so cold and wet that we could not see out of the fogged bus windows.  There was tension in the air and soldiers with huge guns were everywhere.  As American Christian tourists we were treated as if they wanted our money but our presence was not really welcome.  When I left I thought I would never want to return until the Lord put his feet again on the Mt of Olives. I kept a love for the land and people my Lord loves and prayed and stood for Israel, but lost the overwhelming desire to be there physically.

However, about two years ago the desire to return to Israel returned inside of me. The desire was not just for a visit but to stay awhile and really be a part of the land and the people that God chose for His own.  I have been waiting for connections to happen that would be the open door for the fulfillment of that dream, but it has not yet come.  Last year, when our pastors took a group I tried to go, but again it did not work out.   Then suddenly the end of last year it seemed to be the time and Chuck had a desire to go also. It was not going to be the long trip but it may be the first step.

The week prior to our leaving for Israel the Lord gave me the above scripture and also gave my friend Karen, who would be on this Journey with us, 2 Chron. 6:32-33. This increased the intensity of anticipation that the Lord was going to do some mighty things in our lives while there.  When I looked at the agenda that the tour company sent I noticed a pattern. The last four numbers of  the phone number of our first hotel was 5555, our second hotel in Tiberias was 8888 and our third hotel at the dead sea was 9999. Five means grace, 8 means new beginnings or resurrection and 9 means fruitfulness. There was no pattern once we got to Jerusalem but the last four numbers added up to 25 which means silver or redemption.  All this added up to a life changing adventure for us all.

Feb 23, 2010 we started our adventure to Israel from Charlotte. Five of us from our Church, Antioch International Church, left on the same flight heading to Newark where we would meet up with the rest of our team on this journey. 

We had an easy flight to Newark, but we had to retrieve our bags and check in for our international flight. Since signs were nonexistant we went up and down, down and up until we finally got to the right desk to check in our luggage and get our boarding pass. Then it was through security once again and grab lunch.

We met up with our pastors, Peter & Joy, while eating and then once we got through the final security line we met the rest of the team.

We had a great group of 17 pilgrims to the Holy Land.  A family of four from Indiana, three ladies from TX, one lady from Charlotte and the rest of us were Church family.  The flight to Tel Aviv from Newark was over 11 hours and since there was a 7 hour time difference we were leaving mid afternoon in New York and arriving the next morning at 9:30 in Israel.  Many did not sleep on the flight, however, I did get some rest. Chuck did not sleep at all. But we made it safely and finally stepped onto the land of Israel.

After taking this picture of Karen and with much excitement and weariness we got our bags and followed the leader to our purple bus that would be our daily transportation.

After driving an hour we arrived at our first hotel which was right on the Mediterranean.  The view from our room was breath taking. We took a nap and then took a short walk on the beach, but it was very cold.

Our first meal gave us an introduction to Israeli food which I like a lot and our first time to really sit and fellowship with our companions for the next 10 days.  Israel has wonderful fresh vegetables and fruit that are grown on land that prior to 1948 was desolate. The land has bloomed thanks to the promises and blessings of God to the point that they supply a large portion of Europe.  From the first meal I became hooked on their salads especially the tomatoes and cucumbers.

With full stomachs we all headed to our rooms to try to get some sleep before our 6:30 am wake up call.

For you, My people, are in a season of change.  There are things that will change in your life now.  Remain hopeful for those changes will all be for the better.  There will be changes that will come that will re-direct you; changes that will necessitate My wisdom; that will stretch your abilities.  But, I say unto you this day, I will be with you in these changes.  For I am the Lord your God who watches over all things, and I watch over you.  I know the thoughts that I have of you; the thoughts of good and not of evil.  So, when you find it necessary to make changes that will effect your life and to take on new responsibilities or to go in a new direction then worship, for I. the Lord God,  will lead and guide you.

I know you can't see Andrew's cute face, but this photo gives you a little insiight into Mr Andrew.  Today he turns 7 years old and is half way through first grade and reading at almost 3rd grade level.

Even though Andrew is very smart, he is also very active and loves playing outside. He is physically very strong for his age and build. As you can see he could not wait long enough to take off his PJ's to try out his new bike.  With that cowboy hat, I am thinking he should have gotten a pony instead.

Even though Andrew is a boys, boy he loves to praise the Lord.  He sings with as much energy as he plays.

I personally think his new hair do makes him  a Ty Pennington look a like. Only problem is he is at present more adapt to tearing up a room than building it.  Well, you have to start somewhere, right?

We have been away from MS all of Andrew's life. We have missed so much of his childhood already which we find sad.  However, we have watched him grow into a wonderful young boy and we love him so much. God must love him very much too. His birthday gift to Andrew is a day off school and snow on the grownd.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANDREW!!

Four years ago the Lord led Chuck and I to move to the Charlotte, NC area and the day we arrived we found the townhouse in Fort Mill, SC where we now reside. This townhouse is on the original PTL property and we can see the tall brick building from our house that was the big problem for Jim and Tammy Faye Baker.

While PTL was on this land many tell me that they felt the presence of God when they entered the property. This land and the buildings were dedicated to the Lord and the people who were drawn here to live were drawn by their love of the Lord and His presence.  Many moved here from other states for that very reason and many brought their handicapped children and moved into homes built on the property believing those children would be healed.

After the fall and closing of PTL darkness and even witchcraft encroached on the land. But those people who had come here to live  prayed, many walked the land and prayed. Several secular businesses tried to take over the land and they all failed. Malayans bought up a lot of the land and developed it and even had the control for a while, but now they are gone.

I am a firm believer that we have the authority through Christ Jesus to claim territory for the Lord. We can not walk land and claim it for ourselves when it belongs to someone else just because you want  to live there. That's lusting after what belongs to your brother.  But in the spiritual sense there are to kingdoms, the kingdom of Satan(darkness) and the Kingdom of God(light). We need to drive back the darkness and take back the land.

The Lord told Abraham in Genesis 13:17 Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you."  As children of the living God we need to walk the land and pray.  I proclaim many times that where my feet step I am claiming the land under my feet for the Lord God.

The other day I was walking in one of the neighborhoods that was built when PTL was here. I had started out claiming the land. Suddenly out of my spirit I started reminding the Lord of how many prayers had gone up for this place and how those parents who brought their children here are now among the clouds of witnesses and the children are adults left behind.  I asked Him to pour out those prayers on this land and cause an explosion of His presence like not known thus far.  A huge supernatural move of the Holy Presence of God that no man can take the glory for.

This explosion is coming I believe.  It will rock the world we know. There will be no big named men/women of flesh to share the glory that is only due to our loving God. It is coming because of the prayers of the widows, hurting parents and hungry souls who remained faithful. No man shall glory.

1Corinthians 1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- 31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord."

He voiced several frustrations about having to go around the "red tape" of organizations and governments.  I see it as the letter of the law.  Governments and organizations make rules and regulations as they should but in a disaster it seems to me that the letter of the law killeth and the spirit of the law gives life.  I sure don't have the answers but I know sometimes you just got to do what you got to do.

In defense of the organizations, Chuck and I have responded to a couple of big disasters in the US and have seen many incidents of people of both sides taking advangage of the system and draining the funds.  When we were in TX responding to Ike people would show up over and over to the supply stations and get the items and then turn around and sell them.  Also people were sent to work and they seemed to only come for a free ride.  So there are big problems that come with having big operations.

Below is a series of tweets that Shaun King, the pastor from Atlanta, sent out to share his thoughts.  I thought they were worth publishing to encourage anyone who feels to go and help the Haitian people or any other disaster response you may be involved with.

When the earthquake 1st hit, thousands of you immediately wanted to go and help BE the solution, be the hands & feet of God...

But you were told by the experts NOT TO COME. You were told to wait until some magical time when things were much better.

The experts were wrong. Some probably meant well because they didn't want you to get hurt or be in the way, but let me tell you what is missing in Haiti -passionate, hard-working, unskilled, loving, non-experts. They are in SHORT SUPPLY. I mean RARE.

Consequently, the MAJORITY of supplies are sitting unused & the teams of unskilled non-experts I am advising are regularly 9 days later, regularly the first people to have ever visited orphanages and disaster sites.

They ALL tell me that we should have...IGNORED the experts. Let me tell you a story that will kill you. The caretaker of the Notre Dame orphanage told @SpenceNix ...

She heard dozens of dying babies trapped in the rubble scream & cry for 5 whole days before they all died. 55 babies died. Nobody ever came.

One more tweet from me then I want to type you a quote from our team on the ground...

It is NOT TOO LATE.  If you feel CALLED to go to Haiti GO. GO! GOOOO! It is tough work, but GO! I will help you.

Next tweets are direct from our teams on the ground

"The growing feeling here in Haiti is that the BIG ORGS & government don't really care. It's like they are here b/c the world is focused here. If they care, little passion is ever displayed. Seems like a job or obligation. Even my sponsoring organization (name of large Christian org) pretty much just set up a tent, gave us a vest and stickers and said go. No support. No passion. No question large amounts of supplies are just sitting in boxes everywhere. I have seen them there for days while hurting people & doctors need them. 

This has opened my eyes wider to the wastefulness of large charities and benefit of small, nimble, passionate groups. I have been in Haiti for 6 days and I still have not seen one large Red Cross presence. I honestly think social media has saved more lives since the earthquake than all but 3-4 great organizations here now. Passion. Relationships. Technology has changed the game. We saved so many lives today and it was just us doing it bro." <<<<<End of quote..

Enough! Enough of what you have done, Satan! For this is indeed the day of My power, and I will bless My people exceedingly abundantly beyond anything they can imagine; beyond anything they can receive. I will bless them in their store house and in their bodies. I will cause them to be such a blessing that it cannot be overlooked in this world. They will be my witnesses in this the end of the time and the people will call them "those are the blessed of the Lord".

So, I say, get ready for the blessings. You would say, "what blessings?" I would say unto you, that which I have in store for you; that which I have in mind for you and not as you think but that which I know you need and that which I shall give. For you are called Beulah land, the place of blessing; the New Jerusalem, the city of blessing. For you are called the bride of the Lord, the most Holy. And, it shall be according to that which I have called you, says the Lord, and not according to that which the enemy has purposed for you. For he lives under the realm of My authority and when I say 'enough' he knows the meaning of that word and he shall withdraw his purposes and his armies from you, says the Lord.

Out of the habitation of these years past and out of the dust of those years shall arise one new man, the man of power, a man who is formed in the likeness of Jesus Christ -- those that will operate in the fullness of the strength of the Holy Spirit and through His gifts they shall overcome. And by the power of His gifts they shall be blessing to others.

I say arise, My children, for this is indeed your finest hour, and My blessings shall be poured out into your lives for you are living in My company; you are living under My outstretched wings; you are living in the time of achievement, the time of announcement, the time of overcoming. and the time of the defeat of the evil one. For indeed these things are written and they shall come to pass even as My word has declared.

My authority I give unto you. It is the authority that has been contended for and brought opposition in to your life. It is the power of the kingdom in manifestation. You know that you walk in this authority and know that you are suppose to have this authority. But, I say, at this time you shall know the reality of its purpose, says the Lord. For indeed even the angels wait to see what you will do with this authority -- this authority of mine that brings power and stops the rain and brings the rain. It is the authority that calls peace be still to the waves and the storms of your life and manages victory over all the works of the enemy. This authority I give unto you, says the Lord. It will be the focus of My work in the days ahead.

So remember those words that I have spoken to you, "Behold I give unto you authority". Let those words resound in your spirit; let them strengthen you, empower you and pick you up from where ever you might be. Behold I give unto you power. I give unto you authority, says the Lord. And in the days that follow you shall learn how to use this authority. You shall learn how to walk in this authority with humility. You shall learn the strength of it and the purpose of it. For it is My authority that will cause all things to manifest. It is My authority that shall regain the kingdoms of this world and cause them to be My kingdom, says the Lord. So walk in authority.

My children, stand erect and believe. Begin again to walk as children of victory -- those who are more than conquerors. Give no quarter and no place to the enemy. Walk in such a place of victory that even the world will know that you belong to Me. Rise up from weakness into strength and from hopelessness to faith. Let My faith become a reality to you in this time, says the Lord.

Both of our parents lived through the depression. Chuck's parents were in their early 20's and my parents were teenagers.  Chuck's dad at age 24 had been hundreds of miles away from home and on his own for 9 years. The Williams lived in the Waggener(Chuck's maternal grandparents) home in Vicksburg and the two families lived together until the Waggener's drew their last breath.

My dad was living on a farm in Clifton, LA with his parents and 10+ siblings. My mom lived with her widowed mother and 3 siblings in downtown Tylertown, MS.  My maternal grandmother ran a boarding house just down from the Railroad depot to provide for her family. My mother was four months old when her father died in the  flu epidemic.

My mom was working from the time she was 13, my dad worked on the farm and Mr Williams worked as brick layer by the time he was 15. Mom Williams was probably the most affluent of the four but not wealthy.

The 1920's were considered the "Roaring 20's". Wikipedia says this about the early 20's. The spirit of the Roaring Twenties was marked by a general feeling of discontinuity associated with modernity, a break with traditions. Everything seemed to be feasible through modern technology. New technologies, especially automobiles, moving pictures and radio proliferated 'modernity' to a large part of the population. Formal decorative frills were shed in favor of practicality, in architecture as well as in daily life. At the same time, amusement, fun and lightness were cultivated in jazz and dancing, in defiance of the horrors of World War I, which remained present in people's minds.

The Roaring twenties came on the back of the WWI victory and America was riding high economically with huge technological breakthroughs. For the most part Christian values were being layed aside and materialism was rampant.  Americans were eating, drinking, buying, selling etc etc and forgetting where their blessings came from and throwing practicality to the wind.  There seemed to be an attitude like Nebuchadnezzar who looked across his kingdom and said "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" 

Well just as Nebuchadnezzar lost his position for a season, America had the rug pulled out from under her in 1929. I don't think there was anyone who was not affected. However, some were able to adapt more than others. Many families ended up homeless and living on the street. Some could not face their loss and jumped to their death.

My mother-in-law, the most affluent of our family, was probably the most conservative. I watched her scrape every minute bit of butter off the wrapping every time she made a cake. Most all of the furniture they had in the house was pre-depression and it was cared for very well.  She had very little patience with extravagance or waste and yet always saw to it that her children & grandchildren had the necessities.

Well, in our family three more generations have been born since 1929 and it seems Americans have come full circle. The signs are all around us and yet personal debt is at an all time high in order to satisfy the insatiable appetite for things. A huge amount of Americans are one paycheck away from homelessness and yet have no understanding that there is a difference between want and necessity. My husband remembers his family getting a bill in the morning and sending him with the money that afternoon to pay it. But he never had a bedroom to himself or had his own car while in their home.  He had some wants and all necessities met and had a happy childhood. 

I have worked since I was 13 until 4 years ago. My grandmother who lived with us when I was young had a garden that produced a huge amount of the food we ate.  I too never had a car and I worked to pay for all my school clothes after I became a teenager.

As I sat in the Malls this past Christmas in a time that many have no jobs or their jobs are shaky, the dollar's value is way down and personal and government debt is at an all time high, I became almost frightened for the masses.  I got the revelation that most do not have a concept of doing without for the greater gain. In the former generation they knew the people they owed. Now it is just some corporation with no familiar face so it seems easier to not pay them what we owe and keep on spending.

Please, I am not judging, I am very concerned.  When our children were small we were so much in debt that we had to sell our home and lived on a very tight budget.  It took us a number of years but we were able with the grace of God to get out of debt except for a mortgage. Our sons did have cars and we paid for special school for one and a college education for the other. We were not always wise in our spending but for the most part we have learned to live conservatively. Everyone is always tempted by impulsive spending and we all fall into that trap at times, but we can't make it a lifestyle without extreme consequences. 

I personally believe we are headed toward another depression. We have a little time left to prepare. Those our age will probably be more prepared to survive just because of the enviroment in which we were raised.  I watch some of the older generation shopping and they look at the things on the selves and evaluate each purchase.  We all need to ask the Lord to help us prepare mentally, spiritually and financially for what is ahead so that we will be in a position to not only survive but to be a blessing.