God is good - week 2

Has it been 2 weeks? Some days, I feel like it's only been a couple of days; Other days, it seems as though we have been here all our lives. It's a good thing.

Today is Monday November 3. Luke and I find ourselves, once again, sitting in the cozy basement of Shane & Nikki Fox. Funny as it sounds, this place is our getaway from our getaway.
This week has been amazing- busy, emotional... a time of discovering more about out Heavenly Father.

Our leaders were excited to inform us that we would be sharing lectures with the New Waves DTS. Since most of them speak English as a second language, they had a Simoan translator for the whole week. This meant, though, that we would be in lectures in morning and afternoon.

We were told ahead of time that this week's topic- "The Father heart of God" would be hard, both content and application.

At first it was tricky to, ahem, stay awake, but it got easier as the days went on. It was most difficult after lunch. ("I just need to close my eyes for five minutes!")
We discussed attributes of our Earthly fathers, areas of darkness in our hearts which became strongholds in our lives preventing us from accepting God as our Father. Forgiveness. Reconciliation. Restoration.

Larry (our lecturer) shared many personal experiences & revelations. The raw emotion he brought to the class was incredible, and eventually many students felt moved to share. After much prayer and waiting, more and more came out and healing began in many.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.
But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18 NKJV

I have to say, I was resistant at first. Little by little, in my own times of reflection, the Lord began to show me dark places in my heart. There are many of which I am already aware, but He wanted to go deeper. Why do I do the things I do?

God is amazing, and what He does when we are obedient, and just listen and wait. This has been a struggle for me- waiting, listening.

Hallelujah! I love it when He brings things to the light. I walked for a long time in the shadows, in fear. When things come out, it hurts, but the freedom is worth it.

"To those who have been called,
who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:
Mercy, Peace and Love
be yours in abundance[!]"
Jude 1:1-2 NIV

(Luke)
Yes this week was definately a harder week than last. This week we walked through a segment of teaching called "openness and brokenness". The goal of this time is to ask God to go deep into your heart and search out any areas of darkness that are in your life. Difficult! The goal of which is to bring further healing and humility. It was definitely an intense time of listening to God speak to us.
It has been so amazing here so far. I am learning to wait and hear from God. I know most of us have been in a place before where we are asking God to speak to us and when we think we hear something, we wrestle with if it was just us or if it was actually God speaking. I have been learning to discern that voice inside my head.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7 NASB

This week we talked a lot about Love and fear. At one point our speaker noted that there is no fear in love, and quoted 1 John 4:18. I reflected a while on my walk with God and as I did I pondered upon my own revelations of fear and love and I was lead to conclude that there is fear in love but not the fear that is experienced by a wife with a overly oppressive husband. The fear I have in my relationship with God is a holy fear. A fear of doing something that would break God's heart and, the fact of the matter is, I have. In sin of omission and comission I have done this numerous times. But as I am further sanctified in my walk with Christ I can further develop a Holy fear of the Living Father God.

Cool. Well we will be writing more as the days go on. Please remember to pray for us and feel free to comment.

Blessings,
Luke & Barbie.