Day 178

Day 178 of The Red Shoe Project found me crawling out of bed at noon -  no shoes... just my painted RED toe nails!   All my traveling finally caught up with me.  I was physically exhausted and not feeling so well, so I cancelled all my appointments and made today an official day of rest -- even if it is the middle of the week!  Later in the early evening,  I felt strong enough to get back into my routine of Prayer Walking.


As I took on the challenge and walked out the three mile course, God was faithful to fill my mind with person after person.  I prayed for each one as they were brought to mind.  For many my prayer was this...

• That they would sense God's presence in a powerful way.
• That they would hear God's voice, and respond accordingly.
• That somehow God would draw them in deeper, closer to Him.
• That He would be ever so real in their life.
• That they would make room for a greater relationship with Him.
• That He would work out His perfect will in them.

At one point, God brought a specific young man to mind who is currently in rehab.  His name is Charlie.  I prayed my heart out before God for his divine deliverance.  

Oh that God might bring a strong Christian 

into this young person's life with the 

gospel message of salvation and deliverance!  

Then God asked me to petition my son, Joe,  to partner with me in this prayerful endeavor.  I called my son in Dallas and asked if he would agree with me in prayer for this young man's release from the bondage of drug addiction.  He responded affirmatively and also offered to write to the young man as well.  Perhaps God will use my son's testimony to reach Charlie.  I know that whatever transpires between the two of them will be God induced  -- because God has his eye on Charlie for a purpose.  He has a plan for this young man's life.  Will you take a moment and lift Charlie's name before God's throne today?  I would appreciate your partnership in this matter. 

God has sensitized my heart for those who are entangled in drug addiction.  A sensitivity --  not to judge them -- but to intercede on their behalf.  With that, God has also given me a holy boldness to claim them for Christ.  The evil one of this world is determined to rob people of their lives... and one of the ways he does that best is with drugs.  I don't know what they call it nowadays, but in the days of my own youth they referred to partying as "getting wasted!"  How appropriate a term.  Why oh why does the drug user not see that he or she is "wasting" their life away with drug use?  It's not a joke.  If it is...  it's a bad joke and the joke is on them.   The enemy has blinded them and deceived them into thinking it's all a big party!  It's not because they are kids and don't know any better...  because it's not just kids, and regardless, they do know better.   It's because the devil is a liar and a deceiver.  He's known to many as the  "the father of lies" and he's come to "kill, steal and destroy"  (John 10:10)  your life --  my life -- the lives of those we love -- and the lives of those all around us.  The Word of God says...

"The devil was a murderer from the beginning, 

not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.  

When he lies, he speaks his native language, 

for he is a liar and the father of lies." 

John 8:44

Drug addiction is his territory.  It's his stomping ground.  He knows all the ins and outs.  And he's continually recruiting.  But I've been recruited myself...  

Recruited to be a "Soul Snatcher"  for God!  

To go to the edge of Hell and proclaim freedom 

over people's lives,  in the Name of Jesus, 

and to carry them back to the arms of Father God,

the One who loves them with a never-ending love, 

so much so that He sent His Son,

Jesus, to die for their freedom.  

"If  the Son sets you free you will be free indeed!"

John 8:36

I do believe I have been enlisted in God's Army to one day be a full-fledged,  Soul Snatcher.  Currently, I am  in training... a Deliverance Boot Camp of sorts.  I know this... the uniform includes RED boots!  Boots that are covered in the Blood of Christ. 

Gail

Day 177

It's Day 177 of The Red Shoe Project and I'm back in Sarasota, sporting my Ruby Reds and merging gently back into the daily routine.  At 8:30 a.m  I could be found walking Pauly around the block.

Immediately after that, I headed for "The Bonfire,"  our weekly Women's Bible Study.  Today was our last day meeting at the bookstore.  We have outgrown that venue.  The room we meet in fits sixteen.  Today we topped it off with twenty.
Significant Growth -- that is a good problem to have!

This morning of blessing started long before 10 a.m..  Kami arrives at 9 to pray specifically for God to move amongst us in our time together.  I arrived just before 10 and it seemed that a few other women had joined her.  With that in mind, what happened next didn't surprise me.


Before everyone had even arrived and taken a seat, one of the women jumped up and stated that her hands were on fire and that God wanted to heal people.  One by one, the women stood in front of her for prayer.  Every so often, the power of God would hit someone and down they went on the floor.


It was only a matter of minutes before several people started claiming they were healed.  I, myself, stepped forward.  Why not?  My neck was stiff and sore from sleeping in that recliner several nights in a row.  I felt a soothing warmth penetrate into my neck as she laid hands on me to pray.  Within a minute or two, she asked me to move my neck around... The pain was gone!   What's better than that?

Nancy,  Angie and myself all shared some great testimonies, with the ladies, of what God had done at the conference.  Bonnie brought it all together with a good word from God.  Another great meeting!

Afterwards, we headed over to Restoration Church to confirm our new location.  This local church, just around the corner from where we've been meeting, has agreed to let us use one of their rooms.  This venue will  hold at least fifty, so there's plenty of room for growth.  How exciting!  The Spirit of God is undoubtedly drawing people to our study.  I can't wait to see what happens next.

When I was a little girl -- maybe eight years old or so -- I played in a big field just down the street from my house.  It wasn't a park, with nicely manicured greens.  It was a field of wild grass, rocks and wetland.  It wasn't unusual during the hot summer days, for a fire to start there.  The firemen would come out in big RED fire trucks with blasting sirens, to extinguish the flames with their hoses.  


One day, while playing outside, I saw a fire.  No one was around, so I ran to the telephone pole where the fire alarm hung.  As a youngster, I was always taught never to pull the fire alarm unless there was a true emergency.  I looked back at the grassy area, the fire was all the way at the other end of the field and looked about four feet high.  I looked back at the big RED emergency box on the pole with it's giant letters  F - I - R - E.  What should I do?  The fire was burning.  I sensed the importance of time.  My hands were sweating as I stood on my tiptoes, pulled down the little white door, and pulled the alarm.  I took a deep breath of relief.  I did it!  Then I looked back at the field, only to find that the fire had gone out.  I couldn't believe it.  Where did the fire go?  I was so afraid of getting into trouble,  I ran home before the fire trucks arrived and never told a soul.


Today, it's a different story.  I'm sounding the alarm in hope that many will come out to check out the fire of God.  I'm mindful that the fire starts in me.  But it's also in the women of God around me.  They, too,  are ablaze for Jesus!   Remember that old Sunday school song?

"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!
Let it shine.  Let it shine.  Let it shine."

"Don't let nobody blow it out!  I'm gonna let it shine!
Don't let nobody blow it out!  I'm gonna let it shine!
Don't let nobody blow it out!  I'm gonna let it shine!
Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine."


As we go forth into this next phase of ministry with  "The Bonfire,"  I am praying that God will draw in more and more women.  Oh that people would find Christ --  be healed --  set free -- and set on fire for God!  We won't be calling on the Fire Department to put out the blaze.  No!  No!  We will be fanning the flame!  And I will be there, in my RED shoes, believing God to do a mighty work!

Don't think that the thought hasn't crossed my mind...
"What if the fire goes out?  
What if the group doesn't continue to grow?  
What if I sound the alarm and people come out to see the fire 
and nothing is there?"   


I feel like I'm eight all over again.

There I am facing the big RED firebox, 

contemplating whether or not to pull the alarm.  

Well,  I'm not that little girl any more.  I'm a seasoned professional in Christ.  I'm no longer afraid.  I'm sounding the alarm and I'm waiting to see who comes out.  I'm going to be part of this project that lights the hearts of others with the love of Jesus. 

And I'm going to do it in RED shoes!
You are welcome to join me.

Gail

Day 176

It's Day 176 of  The Red Shoe Project and I'm wearing my RED shoes and comfortable clothing.  The time has come to go home.  

Who would have imagined that God would do so much, in a mere five days, right here, in Rome, Georgia?   Many of the rich experiences I've had here, I've written to you about, but there was so much more.  After all, there were at least ten people staying at Mama Fire's and many more who stayed elsewhere and attended the conference. They all take with them their own treasured memories.

There was Lesha, who played piano;  Kelly with the amazing smile and her wonderful little girl, Hope;    Edna, who preached a great word, (she's Mama's sister);  my new friends Marilyn and Carol, who know more old choruses than I do;  there was Jean, sweet Jean,  and the gals from Ohio who stayed with Kathy, (a powerhouse of prayer, who's also Mama Fire's daughter);  my FL/GA friends...  Annie and Peg;  And us Florida gals... Angie, Nancy, Bonnie and myself.  Yesterday, Angie  flew home.  Today, Bonnie, Nancy and I are driving.  We had a time of prayer, this morning, with Mama and Leslie and headed out.  I jumped in the SUV and positioned myself in the front passenger seat, Nancy hopped in the back, and Bonnie started her up -- Off we went!

I thought about all the amazing women that I was with this week. One, in particular, I got to know a little more than the others.  I can't help but think about how Marilyn and I connected.  We shared a room together.  She slept on an air mattress and I slept on the recliner.  You get to know someone when you share a room.  She played the guitar and led us in choruses well into the night.  We had a lot of laughs together.  She likes to laugh and I think that she may have as many stories as I do.  After everyone else went to sleep, Marilyn and I stayed up and chatted even longer.  A new friendship has begun!

I can't leave Georgia without giving THANKS TO GOD for the Woman of God who really made this all happen.  She'd point out all the wonderful ladies involved who cooked, prayed, preached, worshipped, ministered, invited, housed, transported, advertised and funded this whole project.  And they are to be commended.   But at the heart of it all is our beloved,  "Mama Fire"...  a woman sold out to God - to do His work - to lead souls to Christ - to preach His Word - to lay hands on people and pray for their salvation,  baptism,  healing,  and deliverance.  She's there to be an example, and to direct and guide women, like us, whom God has given the opportunity to sit at her feet.



"The Spirit of the Sovereign 
 LORD is on me, because 
 the LORD has anointed me
 to proclaim good news 
 to the poor.
 He has sent me to 
 bind up the brokenhearted, 
 to proclaim freedom for the 
 captives and release from 
 darkness for the prisoners, 
 to proclaim the year of the 
 LORD's favor and the day
 of vengeance of our God..."
 Isaiah 61:1

THANK YOU Mama Fire 

for your generosity and love!

We made it back to Sarasota in about ten hours.  We stopped many times for gas, snacks, and restroom breaks. We weren't gone half an hour and we pulled into the first Starbucks we saw for a Chai Tea Latte. (That was my idea!)  LOL.   We finished reading our book on "Deliverance."   We had some good ministry discussion.  We testified back and forth of all the things the Lord had done.  We laughed. And we cried.

We popped on some victory music and hooted and hollered, joyfully, unto the Lord!  Then, right as we were pulling into Sarasota, we saw a rainbow.

It was a GREAT road trip in RED shoes!

Gail

Day 175

I started off Day 175 of The Red Shoe Project  in RED high heels and headed out of the house bright and early to Glory Tabernacle.  What a service!!!  Not only was Nancy waving the flag,  today she was wearing high heels.  It wasn't long ago that she was sitting at home in her office chair on wheels.  She'd roll around the room on that chair pushing the vacuum cleaner.  She had so little strength, that was the only way she could clean her carpet.  Yes... how sad, but NOW...  she's dancing in high heels and waving flags!  Glory Hallelujah! God has done miracles in her life and she is not wasting a moment  to give Him praise!

The worship this morning was spectacular. Perhaps it's because we've been coming into the temple day after day after day, continually worshipping the Lord, seeking His face, hearing His Word preached and believing for The Holy Spirit to minister to us. Whenever we leave,  we go home to the house and simply gather around together there and pray, worship and testify some more. We go to sleep FULL.  We wake up FULL.  And before we know it, we are back in the House of the Lord for more.

As FULL as we all may be,  I am still quite hungry for the Lord.   I'm here in Georgia to meet with God. I've left all the distractions behind.  There's no phone calls, no classes, no appointments, no errands, no walking the dog,  no "other" things.  It's all about God here.  That's why I came.

This Christian Retreat is a time set aside for me

to withdraw  from my daily routine and environment, 

and focus my attention, my thoughts,  my actions, 

and my time...  totally on God.

As the music started this morning, I lifted my hands, closed my eyes and sang my heart out unto the Lord.  Something was different.  The whole area in front of me, from the front row to the altar seemed electrically charged.  

Earlier this morning I had taken my first shower while I've been here.  The hot water felt so good as it poured down onto my face.  Here, in the church, something else was showering down upon me. Could it be the Glory of God?  It was wonderfully refreshing. It was like raindrops of glory coming down from the heavens and falling right upon me.

In front of me, on the platform were the musicians.  A new friend of mine was sitting up there playing the flute.  She had twisted her ankle right before the service began, so she was unable to stand.  To the left of me, at the other end of the aisle, were my Florida friends. They were worshipping and clapping with great joy.   My pal, who had wondered about Pentecostal churches, smiled at me as she waved a bright pink flag, back and forth, back and forth.  Bonnie was to my immediate left.  She was just having an awesome time of worship.  

In front of me... there was a big open space.  No one was there.  Usually people came forward during the worship.  This morning,  there were only two flag wavers.  Hmmm.   I was so FULL of that glory.  My heart seemed filled with utter delight. Then the musicians began to sing  "The Happy Song."   That's my song!  That's the song I dance to in my living room.  A thought crossed my mind...

 "I suppose I could just step out there,

in that big open space,

and have a fine dance before the Lord."    

The glory continued to fall upon me.  I looked up again at my dear friend, playing the flute,  who couldn't even stand up.   

"Perhaps I could dance for the both of us," 

 I contemplated.   

Bonnie was doing her "Swishhhh" thing.  I can't even tell you what that is.   It's indescribable.  But she does it when God is really moving on her heart!  It's a sound she makes that reminds me of a gust of wind.

I opened my eyes just enough to peek out.  That space was still there -- wide open.  It felt like electricity was moving through my legs.  What a weird feeling.  The tops of my legs were like jello.  Just standing there singing, I was a bit wobbly.  Perhaps it was due to my RED high heels?  

"I wouldn't be able to dance with these shoes on."  

I thought.   "I'd be down, in a second, on the floor.  

But I could just kick my off my shoes 

and push them under my chair. 

Why not?  No one would even notice."   

So  that's exactly what I did.   I gently stepped out of my Ruby Reds...  and pushed them under my seat with my toes.   Just then that little voice in my mind went wild.

"You know...  if you don't step out there now, you're gonna miss out.  How often do you even get the opportunity to just dance before The Lord in church...  especially with all this open space.  Go for it!   Go on!  You know you want to!  Go now!" 

"Why not?"  I thought.

  "Why not now?"  

and out I went.  

I was a bit wobbly right from the start.
I guess it wasn't the heels.  LOL.
No matter...  I stomped my feet,  jumped up and down, twirled around and around,  and soared like an eagle. It was wonderful.  I enjoyed every minute of it and I think God did too.  Who knows a few onlookers might have gotten a chuckle out of it.


There's nothing like a good laugh mixed with the Holy Ghost.  I've done that myself.  That's when you start laughing because you know the person you're watching would never be part of such a public display on their own.  You know that you know that you know... that it's a God thing -- Joy Unspeakable bubbles up from your belly. You can't help yourself.  You start laughing, and that makes the glory fall all the more! That's how people get swept away in the glory.  They witness an unexpected manifestation of God on someone they know... and it's over.  They are blown away in the glory.  And all they were doing was watching.  It's a glorious thing!!! 

After that song, we sang a beautiful chorus called "Shikinah Glory." 

"We wait for You.

We wait for You.

We wait for You.

To walk in the room."

"Here we are, standing in your presence.

Here we are, standing in your presence.

Shikinah Glory come down.

Shikinah Glory come down."

"Release the fullness of Your Spirit.

Shikinah Glory come.  

Shikinah Glory come.

We want more. We want more.

We want more. We want more.

We want more.  We want more

More of Your Spirit.

The Lord has given us freedom, given us freedom , given us joy!

The Lord has given us freedom, given us freedom, given us joy!

Lord I can't get enough of your presence.

I said I can't get enough of your presence.

I said I can't get get enough of your presence.

I can't get enough... Can't get enough.

One of the things that I love about old time Pentecostal churches is that they will sing and sing and sing a chorus until everyone pretty much knows all the words by heart.  We must have sung this song for twenty minutes or longer. It was great!   I just stood at the front, eyes closed, hands raised to God, swaying back and forth to the music as I sang whole-heartedly unto the Lord.  

You know... the funniest thing happened.  The Glory of God was so present that when I opened my eyes, I could of swore that I saw angels... all over the place.  That open area that I talked about earlier was now filled with people... but stuffed in amongst all the people, as well as on the platform, and even throughout all the seats in the sanctuary were angels galore.  I remember thinking that there was more angels in the sanctuary than people. I don't quite know how to explain to you what that looks like.  It's like you see this heavenly realm of angels, super-imposed over the earthly realm of people.  Everyone - People and Angels -- was crowded into Glory Tabernacle and it was AWESOME! Of course I didn't tell anyone that!  That is until I heard several women at the house talking about how they saw angels all over the sanctuary.  I guess I wasn't the only one!

I know that you might think that this is a little much.  I don't expect you to fully get it because you weren't there. Just know that glorious things happen when you hunger and search after God.  He will be found.  Perhaps one day you'll have your own Glory stories.

Twirling in RED shoes,

Gail