The "Aha" Moment

I was just watching a commercial for Mutual of Omaha.  They are having a contest in which people submit their "Aha Moments." 

One mother of a 6 year old boy was talking about their "Aha Moment."  After watching a show on stray animals the little boy decided to ask all of his birthday party guests to donate money to help homeless animals rather than bring gifts for his birthday.  He is now 9 years old and over the past three years he has raised $2700 for stray animals because he had a "aha moment." 

Another woman had her "Aha Moment" when her mother, the matriarch of her family,  was diagnosed with cancer.  The mother didn't want to die without grandchildren, so the woman decided to adopt a little girl to carry on the family legacy.    That little girl inherited their family name and and they created a legacy through adoption.    (More "Aha Moments"  see:  http://www.ahamoment.com/)

My "Aha Moment" came a couple of years ago... or should I say my "Ah Moment." 
I had been reading in Genesis 17 where God was  blessing Abram with a new name... a name that included part of God's own name... "Yahweh" or sometimes just "Yah."  He gave the "ah" to Abram and he became Abraham.  The LORD also gave His name to Abraham's wife Sarai when He changed her name from Sarai to Sarah.  God had offered Abraham and Sarah his name "Yah" as part of  their covenant ceremony as well. 

When we take someone's name through adoption, and we receive their blessing and their legacy, but we also receive their authority as well.  When Our Heavenly Father gives his children his name to use as part of His covenant, he also gives us the authority to use that name legally... He promises His "power of attorney" and says "All that I have, is yours." 

My own "ah moment" came when the LORD showed me that He had also given me His name, "Yah."  He then pointed out that my actual name already has "ah."  My given name is "Deborah."  When I was born, my parents wanted to name me "Debbie," but I was born in a Catholic hospital so the Sisters wrote my name down as "Deborah" on the birth certificate!!  God had given me His name even at my birth. 

I think back on it now and realize just how powerful that is.  Hebrew 1:14 says that "angels were sent out to minister on behalf of those who will inherit salvation. "  Even as I was a small baby God was showing that He had already chosen me.... That I would be adopted by Him, that I would inherit His Kingdom, and His name.  I am "Deborah." 

Our Quiver is full! We are truly blessed!

Our Quiver is full and we are truly blessed!  This weekend my daughter, Mikayla and I joined Grandma and Grandpa Dean as they journeyed down to Ladysmith for my nephew Ryan's birthday party. 

Ryan had some of his friends at the party of course, but what I noticed was the power of family.  There are now 8 grandchildren for John and Marnie with Ryan, at age 5, being the youngest.  Of those 8 kids, Mikayla, Samantha, Sierra, and Jacob were there to celebrate with Ryan.  

Add to that two grandmothers, a grandfather, two aunts, an uncle, a mom and a dad and you can see that the place gets FULL pretty quickly! The bible tells us that this is a blessing.... it a quiver FULL of arrows ready to take out the enemy!

The older kids and some of the adults took this imagery a step further.  While the young kids were inside playing an exciting game of "Pin the Hat on the Martian," we were outside with the Bow and Arrows taking aim at a make-shift balloon target.  Those balloons didn't stand a chance when they came up against the Deans!!

I'm declaring this to be a prophetic act.  As the mighty Dean's hit our targets  (those menacing balloons!), so too will we hit our targets in prayer!!  Our enemies will be put to shame and they will be swept right out the gate!!  The Message Bible puts it this way; "Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep!"

It's our mighty inheritance to receive!!

Lo, children are a heritage of God; And the fruit of the womb is His reward. As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, So are the children of youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: They shall not be put to shame, When they speak with their enemies in the gate.   (Psa 127:3-5 ASV)

 

An Atheist who preaches the need to spread the Good News (Gospel of Jesus Christ) better than most Christians

A friend of mine sent me this story on facebook.  (*Thanks Katie!)

A guest to the Penn & Teller show gives a surprisingly wonderful gift to Penn.

I was surprised that an atheist has a better grasp on the importance of spreading the Good News than most Christians do!  Check out the quote below and then watch the video....

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The following quote is just one more example of why I feel an urgent need to speak the Gospel to all creation (including YOU!) 

This quote is from the mouth of Penn Gillette (a famous atheist--who said of himself "I am beyond atheist"): 

Here's Penn's quote about Christians, "If you believed that there’s a Heaven and Hell, and that people could be going to Hell, or not getting eternal life, or whatever, and you think that, well it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward . . .  How much do you have to HATE somebody to know that everlasting life is possible and NOT tell them that?

I mean if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you -- there is a certain point where I tackle you --and this is more important than that."

My heart is burdened for those who do not know the true Gospel of Jesus.   If I truly care about people...how can I not share this Good News!   Can you see that truck coming??