Don't Stop Believing!!

What are you believing for? What is brewing on the inside of you that you are longing to see fulfilled in your world? What do you dream about as you sleep at night? Do you awake full of hope, knowing that it is going to happen?

This is a season for expectation to increase. It's a season to believe at a higher level. Don't stop dreaming, and don't give up on the things that you are believing for. I promise, they ARE coming to pass.

What if the fulfillment and actualization of what you are believing for is scheduled to happen tomorrow, and you give up today?? The release of your promise could very well be that close. Think of that every day and let it help motivate you to continue to believe BIG.

Galatians 6:9 says "let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap a harvest if we do not lose heart (give up)"

You are closer than you realize. The only way you will not get what you are believing for is if you give up and stop believing. So don't!!

Be open. Stay soft and pliable. Maybe in this season Holy Spirit wants to whisper some new strategy in your ear as you press in. Perhaps He wants to give you a new key to your breakthrough. God is always about the process and the journey. He knows that this waiting season is not meant for discouragement or passivity, but it is meant to stretch you, challenge you, and pull you higher. You will look back on this season and see some of your greatest growth as you've learned to trust at a greater level, learned to activate your faith, learned to stay in hope!

A new strategy is the very thing God dropped into my ear on Monday as I travelled back home from my holidays. For those of you who know me well, you know that I have been struggling with a broken voice for over a year now. I've been able to sing, lead and prophesy still, but with less volume/strength as usual. It's like my "oompher" is broke. So, for all these months I've gone through specialist tests, herbal remedies, and crying out to God for answers, healing, and breakthrough. Some strength has come back, sometimes momentary oomph, but not complete use. Well, God dropped something new into my spirit as I travelled this week. I sensed that I needed to stop asking for restoration in this area. I know - sounds strange - but keep reading.

For months I have been crying out to Him, sometimes begging, for restoration of my voice, that He would bring it back in it's full strength, stronger than ever before. Great prayer. However, over the last couple months specifically I have also been praying for our worship in the house, and sensing that God wants to release something very fresh. A new season of songs, creativity, a rise of the prophetic. A NEW SOUND. I sometimes hear glimpses of it in our Sunday worship. It's beautiful, it's deep, it's heavenly lovely. Now let me take you back to my car/travel revelation...I sensed God tell me stop praying for restoration of my old voice, and to start prophesying and declaring a NEW VOICE. This new sound requires an altogether NEW VOICE. It was a powerful key dropped into my lap, and I sang my whole way home. It was a beautiful release, unlike anything I have ever experienced before.

I share that all to say, keep believing, keep dreaming, and be open to God dropping some fresh strategy into your world in regards to what you are believing for!
It is a new season. And your future is bright.
"Sorrow may last for a night, but JOY comes with the morning." (Psalm 30:5)

Just as a new voice/sound is coming for me, a new release is also coming for you. New oppotunities, new ideas, new relationships, new adventures. Get ready! Don't stop believing! Keep your ears and eyes open!

xoxo Mir

One of My Summer Challenges...

Quite often people see January as a good time for goal setting, New Year's resolutions, self-evaluation, etc, as do I, but there is also a couple other pivitol times of the year for me.

September feels like the "start" of the new year quite often, mainly due to the fact that I am a teacher and things kick into full swing in God's house (where I am blessed to have the opportunity to serve and do life).

Another pivitol time is starting this week for me. Evolve classes are over, my music students are on break till September, and things have now slowed down (be it ever-so-slightly) in the House. People around me are making their plans for summer holiday excursions, pulling out their flipflops & shorts, and shifting into "chill mode". I myself have begun indulging in all those routines, minus the shorts, as I plan to spend my summer in DRESSES and flipflops. Loveliness.

Having said all that, I have also made a decision in the midst of this chill season...I am going to do A LOT of reading this summer. I want to read 2 books each week!! If I stick to the plan, by the time things kick back into full swing on September 5th, I will have enjoyed 22 books!

This might sound exhausting to some, but I am over-the-moon about it. Reading is refreshing for me, it stirs my spirit, creates somewhat of an awakening in me. It stretches my "tent pegs" and increases my capacity.

So, I will be sharing this journey with you readers, somewhat, if you don't mind! Not really a summary, but more a description of the change these books will bring in me, the enlarging they will cause to happen.

This week's reads arrived in the mail only yesterday, so I have only a half week to finish them. I have already begun reading "Shame and Grace", a book recommended to me by a spiritual dad in my world (one who inspires me with his never-back-down, always-be-growing way of life). It has already captivated me, and it is causing a shift deep within my spirit. The second book, which I will start tomorrow, is "The Art of Possibility", recommended by a lovely Vancouverite gal who dares to fill her world with nothing but possibility. I can't wait to read it!

I can't help but feel like this summer is going to be full of treasured moments, seeing the goodness of God around every corner. He takes such great delight in us, it's incredible!!

So...
What are your summer plans?

xoxo Mir

Comparison: EXPOSED

In a culture burdened with striving to "keep up with the Jones", to always have the latest technology, and worst of all, the weight of trying to look like some half-contrived-version of those computer enhanced magazine beauties (even THEY wish they looked like THAT), it's no wonder that so many have lost their own unique sense of identity.

Do you KNOW who you are? Do you KNOW who created you, and that He NEVER makes mistakes? To be quite honest, I'm just starting to scratch the surface myself. Just beginning to hear the beautiful answers to these questions.

For a great portion of my life up until this point, I have struggled with self-loathing, distorted mirror views, the tug-of-war between what I'm told to be true and what I actually believe about myself, and the biggest "ugly" of all...COMPARISON.

Why do we compare ourselves to other people??
It's a paradox really.
God created us as unique, one-of-a-kind beauties, fashioned in His image, and yet we look at what we have and want something else, or look at what we don't have and pine after it.

Here lies the problem...

When we compare ourselves to others we are quite often matching our weakness against their strength, and feeling like we don't measure up in some way. Well of course we are gonna feel discouraged doing that! Just as they would if they were to match their weakness against our strength!

If you are vertically challenged like me, perhaps you find yourself looking at some tall, blonde, legs-for-days beauty, wishing you could just grow, whining that "if I was only that tall i could...".

Maybe you are gorgeous, matching society's view of beauty in every way, yet find yourself wishing people would notice how brilliant you are, and not just how you look. You envy the "average" girl...as if God made such a person.

No matter your struggle, the result is the same. We end up discouraged whenever we try to compare ourselves to anyone or anything. It's the enemy's tactic to make you feel this way. It's his great pleasure to make you wish you were someone else, because he knows all-to-well, that if you got even a glimpse of who God created you to be, he would be SCREWED. So he keeps his hooks of comparison locked deep.

Who are we to compare anyways, when the creator of the universe made us, stood back and declared "it is GOOD"!?!

You and I are beautiful BEYOND COMPARE:

Song of Solomon 4:6
"The sweet, fragrant curves of your body, the soft, spiced contours of your flesh Invite me, and I come. I stay until dawn breathes its light and night slips away. You're beautiful from head to toe, my dear love, beautiful beyond compare, absolutely flawless."

That's how He sees us!! Incredible.

I know it's one thing to read that today, or hear it spoken to you, but it's another thing to believe it, to let it go deep into your spirit, to let it bring a change to your belief about yourself. That's where Holy Spirit comes in. He longs to GIVE you the gift of revelation. He wants to REVEAL to you the mysteries of God's love towards you, to see yourself the way He sees you.

You are beautiful beyond compare. You have captured His heart with one glance of your eye. He has made you unique, beautiful, incredible.

Don't waste another second comparing yourself to someone else. You are you. They are not. No one is better suited for the role of you than you!

You are more lovely than you ever imagined.

A Little Something in the Air

A lazy Monday morning. Still in my pajamas, relaxing in my bed, nuzzled under my purple damask comforter. Divine.

The only thing that could make this day any better would be...you guessed it...rain. I know it's been raining for several days though, so I will let my friends enjoy the sunshine today and be happy for them. :) I will settle on a lovely Starbucks run shortly. There's nothing like a Venti Americano followed by a Value Village treasure hunt to make a day off perfect.

All that loveliness aside, there is something in the air today. I don't know if you can smell it, or feel it, but there is just this sense that the possibilities are endless. We have been wired for something great, and on the inside of us is the most incredible potential for creativity and bigness. It's powerful. Stop whatever you are doing, and think about it for a moment.

Let me speak to your spirit.

You are known, you are loved. You are treasured beyond measure. The Creator of the universe formed you, and before the foundation of the world, He knew you. He had your future in mind. He dreams dreams for you - bigger than the dreams you cling to.

He put within you a powerful voice. A voice that is meant to be heard. A voice that is slathered with the anointing to empower, motivate, and challenge people.

He has placed in you a gift. A gift that is unique to only you. I'm not talking about what you can "do", I'm speaking of the gift of WHO you are. The color that is you! When you walk, live, and breathe "you", you bring greatness to the world around you. And by being you, you inspire others, and unknowingly give them the permission to do the same.

He has written His truth on your heart. You are powerful beyond measure. Christ in you, the hope of glory. It's no longer you that lives, but Christ IN YOU.

Don't settle for anything less than this.
You are wired for greatness. Don't hold back. Don't compare yourself to others. (this is another blog all in itself - I will tackle "Comparison" later this week)
Be who you were created to be. If you don't know who this is, ask Holy Spirit to show you. He longs to grant you revelation!!

That's what's in the air today.
So breathe in deeply.
Breathe in possibility.
Absorb the revelation of all God has for you.
There are no limits on you.

BE.

xoxo Mir

Ears to Hear

Wow. Another day of off-and-on rain...I LOVE it! For those who don't know, I LOVE rain - everything about it. I love the way it looks, smells, and sounds (especially the way it hits the metal roof at work) Beautiful. I believe God makes it rain just for me. :) It's Him romancing me. Reminding me of His endless love for me. Complete loveliness really.

Anyways...let me get to the real point of this entry.
Ears to hear.

I have had several seasons in my life where the intensity seems to get turned up, and I am more aware of the voice/leading/etc of Holy Spirit. It will happen at the oddest times, and sometimes in the most simple of places. Like the grocery store.
(Some of you know about my sour cream story!)

Well, yesterday was just such a day.

I came home from work around 5:45pm and as I walked in, I didn't lock the door as I usually would. However, as soon as I took my shoes off in the entrance I felt this impression "don't forget to lock the door". I turned towards the door and thought, no, I will be going out again in a bit, it should be fine.
So, off I went to the kitchen to make some yummy supper. As I sat eating it, and watching TLC (my fave channel), I heard the door open. I said "hey" assuming it was my roomie coming home. But nope. The voice of a strange man said "oh sorry, wrong suite" and the door shut again.

I'm not sure how long I sat on the couch with my heart racing before I finally stood up, looked around me, and then walked to the door and locked it. CRAZY! For the next few minutes following, I found myself looking around in every nook and cranny of our suite to make sure I was the only one still there. The whole experience was a bit un-nerving.

Now, just for the record, I don't lock my door because I'm scared this sort of thing will happen, I lock my door so I don't have to think/worry about anything and can just go about my business. Apparently it is a good habit, that I should continue.

Now, fast forward a couple hours and you will find me in the middle of Superstore, doing a little grocery shopping for the week. As I am approaching the checkout, I spot mustard on sale, and realize (though it's not on my list) that I do in fact need some. So, I grab a large bottle off the shelf. I find myself doing a double take looking at the price. It's on for $2.29 a bottle. and I stare at the price and say it out loud a couple times. I had a thought, "don't forget to check the price at the till to make sure it goes in at that price". Hmmm. Strange thought.

I get to the till, and watch meticulously as my items are being scanned, especially since I've become a bit of a coupon nut (what an adventure). As the mustard scans, I realize it has come up at $2.79, so I mention to the cashier that it is incorrect. She has the item price checked, and sure enough it's wrong...so i get the bottle FREE! It's at this moment I kick myself for not having grabbed a few bottles!! (Policy is, you can get up to $10 free on a single item if the shelf-to-till price is different)

Maybe you are wondering why I am saying all this?

Well...believe it or not...I know both these occasions were the voice of Holy Spirit prompting me. You see, favor can show up in my world in many ways because I am in covenant with a covenant keeping God...and to be honest, it happens most the time in a way I would never expect.

Part of our inheritance is blessing and protection.
Everything God does is for our blessing or protection.
We get to live under an open heaven of blessing and protection.

Case in point...I woke up this morning and thought about going to get a Starbucks. I made the choice not to go, as I have been going a little too often lately. So, I decided to brew my own iced coffee and off I went to work. On my way I prayed and invited Holy Spirit into my day, to lead and guide me, and open doors of opportunity. I even found myself asking Him to provide me with some Starbucks money.
Well, just now, SERIOUSLY just this last minute, someone walked into my office as I typed this very blog, and handed me a $20 Starbucks card.

That's favor.
That's blessing.
From a God who loves me, hears me, and wants to be bring INCREASE into EVERY area of my life.
WOW.

So let me end by encouraging you.
Ask Holy Spirit to open your ears to hear Him today. In a way you've never heard Him before. Ask Him to make His voice and promptings so clear that you won't miss them.
Ask Him to start with simple things...like the grocery store.

xoxo Mir

A Tribute To A Momma of The House

On Sunday May 1st, 2011 we said tearful goodbyes to a beloved lady, a warrior, a true "momma of the house".

Elsie Irene Bohne was born on Monday April 10th, 1933, and little did I know it (mainly because my own parents weren't even born yet), but the world gained a precious gem.

I had the privilege of meeting Elsie when I made the move to Medicine Hat on October 1st, 2002. I became a part of The Dream Centre Church staff in March of 2003, and Elsie and I worked together right up until her retirement in December of 2009. This is a woman who has rocked my world on many occasions.

I could write, probably for hours, of all the endless words of encouragement, dreams, and challenging (but loving) "nudges" that Elsie gave me over the years, but I will try to be brief.

From Elsie I learned...

How to love God.

How to love people.

How to love and serve faithfully in God's house.

From Elsie I saw...

A deep wisdom, and great levels of discernment on when to release that wisdom.

A woman of devotion...to her Lord, her church, and her family.

An incredible example of how to be a woman of strength, grace, and truth.

With Elsie I discovered...

How to get to the roots, and not just deal with fruit.

That it's okay to feel deeply.

That we all have a huge capacity for love.

Because of Elsie...

I will always choose to rise up and never back down.

I am more free than when I arrived here.

I am a better woman, leader, and friend.

Thank you woman of God for being a spiritual pitbull and going where others might not have.

Thank you beautiful lady for being you, and empowering other women to be themselves.

Thank you momma for enriching my life.

Love you, miss you. See you later.

xoxo Mir

A Long Time Comin'

This is incredibly exciting...
A new day, a new blog. Considering I have not written on here since 2008, I perhaps should be terribly embarassed, but I'm not. I actually find myself blushing with joy as I read my last entry and then ponder all that I have accomplished since that last entry...

I have moved, and live with a fabulous roomate, in a beautiful, much more spacious, condo.
I have formed MANY beautfiul, deep, new friendships.
I have made several trips to the coast to visit "my people".
I am in awe as I lead the most generous, faithful, anointed worship team in the country every week.
I continue to serve in God's House, and rub shoulders every day with great people.
I have written many things down in my journals...stories of answered prayer, dreams and interpretations, encouragements, words from Holy Spirit, and so much more. Words that will hopefully someday encourage and inspire others.
I joined the women's leadership team "INSPIRE" at The DC, with 4 incredible, beautiful, gracious women...and together we get to inspire, empower and speak into the lives of the gorgeous women of the house.

And though there are so many more things I could write....my final and most-exciting-to-write accomplishment....
I have lost almost 100 lbs!!!
I am on a victorious road to health!
All i can say on that note is, wow. I feel more alive then ever. Free. Myself.
I have a vision for the future and it is bright, expansive, and limitless.
More on that journey in a later post. (Maybe I will even get brave enough to post pics).

xoxo Mir