Friday, November 27, 2015

New Normal

Messy Mashed Potato Making
Happy Thanksgiving to all my Blogger Friends!  Some of you have been wanting an update on our move and so I figured the day after Thanksgiving is a perfect day to cozy in, grab a cup of tea, slip on my slippers and share with you a bit of life in Arizona.

Thanksgiving was so fun! I was in charge of mashed potatoes for 25 people, as you can see from my messy stove, I rocked it!   Ron & Patricia, the founder of the church and
Jason Being Baptized
ministry we are hoping to partner with, had us over for dinner.  Patricia has been a huge influencer (mentor) in my life (and John's) over the last 15 years.  We treasure her and what she carries as a Prophet and Minister on the earth.  There was so much delicious food, more than we could begin to eat, we met many beautiful people, and one of the highlights for me was having a gentleman from India who is in training for the coming Olympics baptized in Ron & Patricia's freezing cold pool (I'll post a video of it on my FB page).  So awesome!!  We ended our evening with a super fun game that had me almost crying laughing at times.  So, if you must be away from family on the holidays, this was definitely the way to spend it.

We are loving it here.  We feel like we have come "home".  The climate is a lot like Africa where John grew up.  This time of year is so beautiful.  It's cold in the mornings and evenings and somewhere between 60-75 degrees during the day.  The sunsets are glorious here.  This is one from my friend, Melissa's house the other night.

The kids are enjoying their school, although Destiny is really missing her friends.  It's a pretty rough group of kids from a lot of brokenness but they are making friends, Destiny is already witnessing for Jesus, and  as you know - they are rockin their uniforms. :-)

We are leasing a Bed & Breakfast that needs a lot of TLC.  I am still unpacking and I hope to get to the Casita (guest house) next week and begin to unpack and decorate it.  We have tons of yard work, but it's so beautiful.  The property is full of mature saguaro cactus'.  In fact today a friend is coming out to our property to do a photo shoot since the cactus' are so beautiful.  John just got the heater in the pool and hot tub working so he is happy to be entering back into his morning swim routine.  It's
Censored Photo used with "Permission" :-)
wild to step outside and swim in your own pool instead of go to the club.  I will try to take some pictures and post them in the month ahead.  We were invited with our church group to take a camping trip to the beach in Mexico in a couple weeks, but I'm not sure we will be able to make it.  We have some of my family coming for Christmas and we still have lots of unpacking, decorating, painting, cleaning to do - we'll see! :-)  Would absolutely LOVE to be on the beaches in Mexico but we would also love for our house to be a Christmas delight for the Wenger's.

I just finished a Glory School a couple weeks ago.  Great review on  the presence and person of God and the supernatural.  I think I had taken the same school about twelve years ago, but this was good review.  Unfortunately, it was right after we moved and I was soooo tired from packing and unpacking I kept fighting sleep.  At one time the glory of God came upon me so deeply that I thought my cheeks were going to be pulled to the floor.  I have never experienced the manifest presence of God quite that deeply.  I often get a heavy feeling starting at the top of my head and moving down my shoulders but this was bit more intense.  I kept sliding down my chair as the weightiness of His presence increased.  Thankfully I was not flattened. God is so big!  So amazing!  So incredible!  Soon after that experience I had a beautiful prophesy over me - wish I had been more alert to record it.

One of the highlights for me these past couple weeks was an evening with
Destiny, Nita & Patricia Praying
Patricia and friends and them prophesying over Destiny and I.  You know those prophesies that are such a witness to your spirit and also confirm other words spoken over you - well it was one of those times.  In fact, Robert had a word for me that was almost identical to a word given me the day of our move from Sacramento when a gal stopped in at our house to buy a couch off of Craigslist and ended up prophesying over John and I.  Robert had no idea of this previous encounter.  Isn't that just too fun!  Needless to say, I (and Destiny) felt opulently spoiled. ahh!

This past week I attended a Women in Ministry Network training.  Patricia King taught the entire two days as women from all over the states came together for the training.  It was again wonderful, Biblical, foundational material, with good insights and concrete practical applications.  It felt so rich to be sitting on the front row just eating good spiritual truths.  The last night, Patricia anointed everyone with oil that she brought back from Israel and it became a Holy Spirit anointing party as pastors, leaders and ministers of the gospel were laid out on the floor.  Never a dull moment around here. :-)
Live Studio - Different Taping
I also had a chance to sit in on a live taping that Robert Hotchkin's and Patricia King were taping in their TV Studio.  So fun!  I was on the front seat learning about God's Law of Attraction.  What a hoot!  So, with all this fun training going on, it's not wonder my dinning room is still in boxes. :-)  God is good!

Simeon on Top of the Mountain
We are in an area of Arizona with high drug and illegal immigrant human trafficking.  The other day we were out hiking on a mountain and border patrol stopped to check us out.  The officer informed me (graciously) that I  now live in Arizona and he advised me to "Pack".  Pack?!!?  What on earth?!  It's not every day you are out taking a hike by your property and are told by an officer that you should be packing a gun for safety.  I can write more in months ahead about what is happening around our area with the Mexican Drug Cartel but suffice it to say, I have my work cut out for me in prayer.  This is not okay, and I am putting my faith towards a shift in the atmosphere and  corridor that we live in.

John, Simeon & Steve
This morning Simeon and John are out hiking a mountain with a friend!  Simeon is so totally in his element!  He is living the outdoor dream! :-)

Well, that's a little update on us, for those who have been asking.  We are happy and feeling like this relocation is in step with what God is doing in our lives and of course sunshine baby!  I think we have found lots of it!   We are feeling like this was definitely a "suddenly" of God or as my friend, Tatiana would say, "God is about to catapult you into an entirely new season" . . . and He did!  It's a comfort to know that those nine months of WAITING and hearing from God but being in a waiting pattern have finally converged and tipped us over into Maricopa.  "Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him."  ~Isaiah 64:4