Day 129

Day 129 of  The Red Shoe Project was like discovering a Time Machine.  In the last 24 hours, while wearing my RED shoes, God has brought me to both ends of the time spectrum, and then, conveniently, dropped me back off, somewhere in the middle.

PAST  -  PRESENT  -  FUTURE

How God does that? I'll never know. But He can & He does & He did it to me.

A Dynamic Past!

Last night, some dear friends of mine invited me and a few others to their home for a cookout and fellowship.  What a wonderful time!  Chips, salsa and home-made guacamole! YUM.  Salad, baked potatoes and beans.  Burgers on the grill...  And my little veggie burger.  (Everyone seemed to have a good laugh over that!  I was the only non-meat eater.) 

After dinner, a brisk walk and a sunset, we gathered around in the living room to get to know one another a little better.  It was testimony time!  There is nothing like hearing a good testimony about how someone came to know Christ.  That alone will blow you right out of the water!  That's God's opportunity to change your whole mindset on what you thought about a person.  The details of the "Divine Partnership" rise to the surface.  Truly God works in magnificent ways!  It makes me want to stand up and applaud.,

 "Bravo!  Jesus  Bravo!"

So I haven't had the opportunity to tell my entire testimony for some time now...  until last night.  What a BLAST from the past!  I got caught up in my own testimony and came pretty close to preaching!  LOL.  God just wildly and wonderfully stirred me up as I remembered where I've come from in Christ;  How I got saved;  the promises God made to me; and the  visions He's given me.  I think I lit myself on fire just talking about all that.  LOL!

Back to the Future!

This afternoon I headed out to a very important business meeting with a Mentor of Mentors.  I'm really not at liberty to share details at this time, but I can say this...  God has given me a very powerful vision for the future.  

Whenever I have received a vision from God,  it's often been like watching a movie on the big screen, only I'm the main character.  It can be quite overwhelming.  Laughingly, I've thought to myself...  

"Yeah... that's great...  

but there's no way 

I could ever do that!" 

I've come to realize that visions are prophetic.  They're about the future. The person I see in the vision is not me today,  it's me in the future.   

God will somehow mold me into that person in that vision.  He will use situations and circumstances to mature me into that role. When the appointed time arrives and that vision becomes a reality, God will have prepared me to play that part perfectly. 

"This vision is for a future time. 

 It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.  

If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, 

for it will surely take place.  It will not be delayed. "  

(Habakkuk  2:3)

Today's meeting seemed "normal" except for the fact that this individual is levels above me, incredibly successful, and fully experienced in the position I will one day step into.  Somehow, I have been granted favor, beyond anything I could ever imagine, to sit in this person's presence and receive.  A Divine Connection has taken place, because God has a plan.  It's amazing to see Him shuffle around people, calendars and situations to bring about His perfect will.  When I left my business meeting, I didn't even make it to my car before losing it.  I couldn't believe what had just taken place.  It's not supposed to happen that way!  I had nothing to do with it!  I was just set up! Yes... God does work supernaturally in the business arena! Thank You, Jesus!

God is working here and now, all around me!

I barely got home in time to shift gears and head off to the God-Seekers discussion group.  This one guy has been so diligent, in the last month or two, at attending everything and anything offered to grab ahold of God.  I've been asking him week after week, "What's God been doing in your life?"  Lately, He has been looking everywhere - behind every tree - under every rock, per say.  And tonight, He hit the jackpot, and I'm not sure he even fully realizes it!

First... He started off with the words, "Well, Today..."   That's right... Today.  Today he was looking and listening for God. In fact, these days, he's looking and listening for God everyday!  And today, God just straight out prompted him to do some things...  Not once  --  but twice!  And to top it all off... He did what God told him to do and was the better for it.  It is a glorious thing to see someone slip into the groove of walking and talking with Jesus!  And this is just the beginning for him.  Hallelujah!  That just makes me want to dance.

Time to put on "The Happy Song" and cut a little rug, in RED shoes.

Care to join me?

Gail

Day 128

Today was the 128th Day of  The Red Shoe Project.  I must admit, I had on a few different pairs of RED shoes throughout the day, but today was the first day that I sported my RED wedge sandals.  I bought them years ago, and just re-discovered them in the back of my closet.  What a nice surprise!

As I  headed home from an appointment this afternoon, I found myself chatting with God from the driver's seat.  Someone had recently asked me some questions about where I was at in my life with God and ministry. As I shared with them, they challenged me on a few things.  I was a little surprised at their perception of my life.  

 I was reminded that 

sometimes the way I see things 

are not the way others view them. 

So, my conversation with God was about  "What people think."  (Yup... here we go again.  This isn't the first time God's talked with me on this subject.)  God made it very clear.  Even in the best of situations -- when I've done everything completely right -- He says there will always be someone who -- doesn't have all the facts -- or who doesn't really know me or my heart -- or who has issues of their own, and will have a problem with something I'm doing.  Maybe it won't be a problem.  It may just be an opinion.  They may choose to speak out against me.  They may choose to ignore me. They may choose to defame me.  And that's under the best of conditions? (Oh Boy!)  With that said...

God stressed that the only one 
I ever have to please

is Him.  

I thought about where I am in my relationship with God.  Never before have I felt Him so near.  Everyday is a blessed adventure with Him.  ( I have 128 days of phenomenal testimonies to back that.)  I've never been so strong in my faith.  I've never been so happy.  I've never been so focused.  I've never seen so much fruit.  There's something about being in alignment with God... being "in step" with His Spirit.

"Since we live by the Spirit, 

let us keep in step with the Spirit"

Galatians 5:25

I don't expect everyone to understand where I'm at with God,  to agree with it,  or to even support it.  It's my life,  not theirs.  

I can attest to the fact that God is doing a deep, 

personal and intimate work in my heart, 

preparing me for what He has in store for me.  

My life is personal and my God is personal.  With that, I have a full plate.  No offense, but I don't have time to worry about the details of your life and whether or not you're on track.  That's your job.  My job is to stay connected with God and be accountable to Him for my life.  I know that I take very seriously everything I do, and I have no worries about what God thinks, because I talk to Him about it frequently throughout the day,  everyday!

No... no one has been critical towards me thus far.  (My "rubies"  are incredibly loving, prayerful and supportive.)  But some day,  there may be,  and God's working with me on that now, so that I'm ready when it happens... so that it doesn't ruffle me, effect me, or knock me for a loop.  He wants me to be able to stand firm in Him, in all I say and do.  On this 128th Day of TRSP,  God is reinforcing this important understanding.  

" I've fixed my eyes and heart on Jesus,

 the Author and Finisher of my faith." 

(Hebrews 12:2)

Gail

Day 127

Day 127 of  The Red Shoe Project was a day of "wrecking,"  
RED shoes and all!

To "wreck" means...

• to destroy 
• to pull down  
• to shred in pieces
• to demolish 
• to break down 

Today,  I witnessed a "wrecking" right in front of my very eyes.  In fact it was just a couple feet from me.  

Not the wrecking of a building, 

but the wrecking of a man.  

Wow! What a sight to see.  

When I was a young teenager, I remember being with my Dad and watching a wrecking crew take down a huge building in downtown Boston.  It started with a wrecking ball, and ultimately they brought in dynamite.  The whole thing just collapsed, exactly the way they anticipated it would.  The cleaning crew took weeks to get all the rubble out of there and clean up the property.  Eventually, they built something entirely new in its place.  

Sporting my RED shoes, I sat in the circle of my Bible 101 group and opened up the class with the same question I always do...

"Who wants to share what 

God's been doing in their life this week?"

Several people responded with some very good testimonies.  But then something unexpected happened...  

My co-facilitator asked if he could share something.  He recently bought a book about modern day martyrs for Christ.  As he walked by his coffee table, where he had placed it,  God spoke to him quite conversationally stating, "You really need to read that book."

My friend knows the voice of God.  He was intrigued with The Holy Spirit's prompting and thereby  decided to read it sooner than later.  Yup...  that's when it happened...  the wrecking process began.  With each story in the book, God tore apart his heart, more and more.  God was messing him up!

As he attempted to tell us what God was doing,  it just came out in bits in pieces... almost like a pile of rubble.  

I recall something about Christian prisoners being put to the test and somehow finding the ability to love the prison guards with the love of God, regardless of their brutality.  Another story was about a woman in Russia who was tortured and raped on her wedding day because she had shared the Gospel.  

It was hard to take it all in.  Our dear friend and teacher, who was telling the story, was completely broken.  He was crying and sniffling and couldn't quite get the words out.  He's never like that.  And the Holy Spirit wasn't just moving in his heart,  He was reaching out and grabbing ahold of all of our hearts as we listened and observed.  I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.  God's presence was moving in.

The man continued to relay his experience with us.   He was so moved by the testimonies of these modern day martyrs,  He wondered out loud, 

"How can I complain about anything?  

My life is so easy in comparison to these saints!  

Could I ever have a heart for Christ like these people?  

Would I  stand strong in my faith if I were ever confronted with such situations?"

Yup... God is wrecking him... right there in front of us all.  And he didn't care in the least.  It's a GOOD wrecking.  God  is challenging his perspective of things.  He's seeing something differently... from God's vantage point.  The Holy Spirit is churning his heart in a most masterful way. 

  

I've been wrecked by God many times myself, so I can say this...  

It is a glorious thing 

to be wrecked by God.  

Why?  Because you realize that God is taking the time to supernaturally move on your heart.  The Creator, Himself, has decided to make a few changes in you, for the better.  He's molding you into something new.  He's tearing down your way, your thinking, your perspective, and replacing it with His.  And His... is always better!  Isn't that what we want?  To be more like Him?

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, 

are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, 

which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

(2 Corinthians 3:18)

This "wrecking"  of my friend, is by no means complete.  He hasn't finished the book yet.  It will be interesting to see what he has to say about it all in the upcoming weeks.  I'm sure that he's not even aware of the fullness of what God is actually doing in him... but time will tell. 

And that's what I discovered while wearing RED shoes today!

Gail

Day 126

Today was Day 126 of  The Red Shoe Project,  and I was adorned in my RED Jessica Simpson heels  for an important business meeting downtown.  As beautiful as they are, they are not great for "walking it out."  Talk about high!  They must be at least 4" and they are the only shoes that keep the hem of my white pants from touching the ground.


Sometimes, however,  it's not about how things look, it's about how things work. With that in mind, I headed to my Spiritual Wardrobe with a specific outfit in mind.
From the moment I awoke, I realized it was one of those days.  Arrows of defeat and discouragement were flying in from all directions.  I pulled out the Armor of God and got dressed.

"Therefore, put on the full armor of God..."

At Sozo, last week, the main focus was on dispelling the lies that I have come to believe as truth, so that I can move forward, successfully,  in all that God has for me.  Today was a constant onslaught of lies pouring down on me.  The voices in my mind pushed and pushed trying to gain back the ground they lost last week, and it was up to me to defend the territory of truth that I had won back.  It wasn't easy!  It was a day of  "walking it out!"  

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 

but against the rulers, against the authorities, 

against the powers of this dark world and against 

the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms.  

 (Ephesians 6:12)

I've come to realize that  no one else can "walk it out for me."  That's something that I have to do myself.  I have to put forth the effort and  "just do it."  People can tell me about it.  I can read books on it.  My pastor may preach it from the pulpit.  I can even pray about it with a trusted friend.  But at some point.  I've got to put on my RED shoes and "walk it out."  I've got to do what God tells me to do.  I've got to put God's Word into action.  I've got to apply it to my personal life.   Does it really work?  I'll never know for sure until I give it a try.

It doesn't surprise me that the enemy has already attacked in hope of taking back the land. Today was "Bill Paying Day."  I love paying bills!  It's one of my favorite things to do.  But when there's not quite enough money to pay all of the bills, on the day I choose to pay them, the enemy sees that as the perfect opportunity to attack.  Watch out!  Here come the lies!

"Your God didn't really say that He'd provide.  That's just you thinking that!  See, there's not enough.  He's not doing it!  You're never going to make it.  Better just pack the whole thing up and get a real job.  If God were in this, you wouldn't be in need.  It's just not working.  See, there's that feeling again.  You're overwhelmed... and rightfully so.  No one can do this.  You're never going to make it.  What were you thinking?"

Okay... so I want to laugh hysterically after reading that because it's such a blatant attempt by the devil to bring me down!  But it didn't seem that way earlier today.  His voice seemed so loud and powerfully persuasive.  The Holy Spirit picked up on it immediately, though, and brought it to my attention that the enemy was on the offensive.

But you know what?  I'm tired of hearing that same old, same old dialog from the devil.  I've heard it all before.  And between Sozo,  dear friends praying on my behalf,  the angels of God,  great Biblical teaching and all this time I'm spending in the Secret Place with God...  Well  --  I'm stronger now!
No more pulling my tail between my legs and scurrying over to the corner in defeat.  That's not an option anymore.   I'm ready to fight back! I'm prepared to "walk it out!"

So I looked in the mirror, 

made sure my armor was fully in place, 

pulled out my sword and lunged forward!

 I've learned to dismember the lies of the enemy 

with the truth of God's Word.  

I know exactly what God spoke to me.   Jesus, Himself, said... 

"My sheep know my voice; I know them; and they follow me." 
(John 10:27)

His Word says "My God shall provide all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

"Abraham called that place, Jehovah Jireh - The Lord will provide."  (Genesis 22:14)  He is the God who sees the situation beforehand and is able to provide for  my needs. 

My God is faithful to deliver on His promises.  "His name is Faithful and True" (Revelation 19:11)

Today, I stand firm 
on His Word, believing!  

It was a rough day!  A day of holding down the fort, per say.  A day of repeating over and over again the scriptures I stand on when it comes to financial promises.  But it was also a day of praising God .  Later in the afternoon, I found myself singing that old chorus:

Jehovah Jireh, My Provider.

His Grace is Sufficient for Me.

My God shall supply all my needs,

according to His riches in glory.

He will give his angels charge over me.

Jehovah Jireh cares for me.

Jehovah Jireh cares for me.

With that song, the cloud of darkness seemed to lift, at least for now.  But sword in hand, I'm prepared for when the enemy returns.  I'm not sure how long this particular battle will last, but I expect to be Victorious!  I know that there will always be some sort of battle.  And I always have the choice to plunge forward or to retreat.  But in exercising my faith and "walking it out,"  I put God to the test, and God never fails! 

Will you take your place in the ranks of God's army?  Will you put on your RED shoes and "walk it out?"  Will you exercise your faith in your particular situation and watch God come through for you?

 I can't do that for you.  I've got my own "walking it out"  to do.   You have to do that yourself.  But know that I am praying for you.

You can do it!

Gail