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Tuesday 26 March 2024

Creative Story #1



I've felt the undeniable prompt(s!) to begin sharing my creative writing... stories I wrote as I was processing and overcoming trauma. These stories are precious to me, because they were written from a raw place of my heart, and brought the emotional healing I needed. They are from a season of my life many chapters ago. I no longer relate to the writer, as she was left behind, as a caterpillar in a cocoon. The caterpillar wrote these stories. The butterfly is sharing them.

I'm not yet ready to publicly tell my story, however I will begin with a creative story I've shared with friends. This story has helped friends process their own traumas, so I know my creative writing is a tool for healing. God has been prompting me for a long time to share my stories... but because they are precious to me, I hesitated. I've shared them with friends, but never in a public space. I hope they bless you ๐Ÿฆ‹

The Two Sides of the Glass Mirror Wall 

  There was once a young girl who had so many desires and dreams…but she also had a lot of inhibitions and fears. She was standing in front of a huge mirror – like a huge wall she couldn’t pass. She could see her destiny and dreams on the other side, but knew it would take great courage to live them. The only way she knew how to cross to the other side would be to shatter the mirror… She also knew that she would be cut by the glass…but that was the only way.

As she lived each day, yearning to be on the other side, she built up her courage and tried to expose her vulnerabilities to herself. In seeing them, she tried to understand and deal with them. This was also a part of her shattering the glass. She could see what she wanted. The more she saw she was missing, the more she desired it. She could see those bear hugs and gentle security in the arms of her ‘prince’, but she also knew it didn’t matter how much she desired these things, she must shatter the wall. And only she could do it.

She felt like her future was staring at her. She knew she could be there…if she had enough courage to leave the lonely comfort zone she found herself in. Yes, the glass may cut her, but cuts heal…and on the other side, she would be cared about. The cuts wouldn’t matter…In fact, the cuts may even increase the love awaiting her on the other side. She knew she had unconsciously “switched off” part of her thoughts/feelings relating to that prince. She had not allowed herself to feel what most people would feel. She felt it was a coping mechanism….that wouldn’t get her hurt. If she didn’t feel she wouldn’t hurt. But now she has begun to discover what she subconsciously hid from herself. She had cut off her ability to properly ‘feel’. She wanted to…she knew she wasn’t normal, but she wasn’t sure how to be normal. She could see how her own actions had hindered her ability to feel, and so she understood how she found herself staring at the glass wall…the wall she herself had subconsciously erected. And now, she knew, she must knock it down. 

It had held her captive, and she no longer wanted to be that prisoner. She wanted to punch the wall…to experience that pure, gentle love awaiting her on the other side. The one that knew she was captive, but was willing to wait for her to have the courage to come to him. He was just waiting…knowingly… and patiently for the day his princess would finally run into his arms, no longer held back by the glass… It may even be that the shards of glass will fall all over her…arms, head, chest…and she may require some TLC once the wall is gone…but the sheer fact she has made it to the other side should be enough to encourage her.
The love awaiting her will tend to her needs and help her to heal…and she will. The shards of glass will only be temporary reminders of what she has come from….the cuts will fade in time. She knows once on the other side, she won’t want to turn back. She’ll feel the normal feelings of a normal person, and she won’t feel bad for feeling normal. Gradually, all the feelings she has denied herself will be released and not be discouraged. She won’t have to feel so self protective, and she will freely love and allow herself to be loved in return. ๐Ÿฆ‹©️

Sunday 10 March 2024

Perceptions of Angels

 

Recently, I was browsing through a store, when I came across this car ornament - a bobble-head angel. Most people would probably think, "Oh, how cute!" Not me... I thought, "That's ridiculous!" ๐Ÿคฃ Yes, it does look cute, however for me, as a prophetic intercessor... it just felt wrong! The thought of an angel just "sitting pretty", hands folded in prayer felt ridiculous... because in my world, angels are not simply pretty. The angels in my world are always active! They don't have time to be cute and pretty.

In my world, I often sense their presence. Sometimes it's simply a feeling, other times I see a shape or shadow. Occasionally I see a physical manifestation, such as a flash of light under a door, or feathers drop around me. I am aware that angels are always around me. 

If they are ever sitting quietly, they are still on alert. They may be waiting for an assignment or a marching order, or they may be watching as protectors, but they are never idle.  

I see them on my car when I'm driving, waiting at the gate to greet me at work, and around others. I see them dancing during church worship. Last week, during the Seers & Dreamers Gathering (SDG), I saw some sitting on a platform, above the worship team, swinging their legs joyfully, participating in the worship. 

Also at the SDG, while we were preparing for the Prophetic Appointments, our team was in a circle, worshiping, and I saw an angel draw oil from a well in the centre of the room. It drew one cup for every person, and individually poured the cup of oil over our heads. It was beautiful. What came after that, during the prophetic time was simply amazing and beautiful. God had so much to say to His precious children, and it was an honour to be part of the team giving to others. 

To me, if not already active, angels are always waiting for their next order/assignment. They need our prayers to set them in motion. When we pray to God (never to an angel!), He gives the orders and gets them moving. It is not our job to speak to angels. We can acknowlege them, but we are not to enter that spirit realm of interacting with them (eg, meditation, astro travel). Instead, we are to speak to, and worship God (Revelation 22:9).

Examples of active angels I have sensed, or prayed for God to activate, are Warring angels, Ministering angels, and Healing angels. As a prophetic intercessor, life is never boring! There are always spiritual battles to deal with, and often the angels take charge of the fighting. My prayers set them to action, but I don't give the orders - God does. Ministering angels are the peace bringers- when somebody is unwell, struggling, or even dying, we pray for God to send His Ministering angels to bring comfort and peace. Healing angels work in a similar manner. 

A few years ago, I had a car accident. While I was sitting stationary at a red light, I was hit from behind by a cement truck (empty of cement ๐Ÿ˜Œ) at 60 km per hour. The driver was not paying attention. There were other cars stopped in front of me. No other cars were hit....the only logical explanation for that...was there was no logical explanation! It was clear an angel had intervened as a buffer between my car and the one in front. Logically, my car should have been pushed into the car in front. The impact pushed my car forward, but hit nothing. We only experienced minor injuries, but lost the car. Protecting angels were on assignment that day! I was upset about my car, but cars can be replaced. I was in awe of the protection we experienced!

As you can see, my experience with angels is not represented by that cute bobble-head. If you haven't experienced the reality of angels, I pray God opens your spiritual eyes... they are not to be feared, but bring a sense of peace and joy. 

On a final note, always test the spirits. If you feel uneasy, it's probably not an angel, but a demon pretending to be an angel.

If you have been engaging with 'angels'- eg speaking with your "guardian angel" through meditation, or used things such as Tarot cards, etc, I pray your eyes are opened to the dangers of this. I also highly recommend googling Kristine McGuire and hearing/reading her testimony. She is a former medium who engaged in these spiritual activities & explains the impact, enticement and how demons work through these practices (and how to stop it). She is now a prophetic intercessor. 

Be blessed! ๐Ÿฆ‹©️

1 John 4: Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into ฤบthe world. but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. 

Saturday 10 February 2024

A whisper more powerful than a yell


 For those who celebrate, Gong Xi Fa Cai!

I was in a place this morning, where the sounds of the Chinese New Year Lion dance were loud and clear! Dancing around the streets, making an impact with loud bangs and joyful onlookers. Although I didn't see it, I knew without a doubt, it was there. 

It got me thinking, if part of the Lion dance is to chase away evil spirits, the spirits would need to be afraid of loud noises - BOOMS of fire crackers, BANGING of drums and CLANGING bells. It would need to evoke a sense of intimidation. 

The amusing thing is, evil spirits are unafraid of these intimidation-focused acts. They use these tactics themselves. But they ARE afraid of a quietly spoken prayer warrior! 

They may laugh and mock at these cultural dance moves, but one prayerful, whispered command is far more fear-inducing than a booming yell! A quietly confident whisper (while also possibly shaking at the knees) that commands attention and really chases away the evil spirits. It generally says to the devil, "I'm still standing! Get outta my way!" (Ephesians 6).

So, if you feel insecure by the taunts of the enemy...when your mind is clouded and you feel afraid, or anxious... just simply whisper a prayer of faith. A prayer with the authority of Jesus. It can be as simple as, "Go away, in Jesus' name!", "In the name of Jesus, I am not afraid", or "In Jesus' name, I have a clear mind". The enemy may not be afraid of fire crackers, but watch him quickly run when he hears the powerful name of JESUS! ๐Ÿฆ‹©️

Tuesday 30 January 2024

Australia Day - one perspective of the "Australian Dream"


On 26th of January, many (not all, & that's a whole other perspective to this story) Aussies celebrate "Australia Day". I like to think Australia Day celebrates what makes us "Australians"- we ALL have a story. Most of us are here because an ancestor or parent/s travelled, whether by force, war, or a dream. I also acknowledge our amazing First Nations friends. You are seen and valued. Your stories are being heard. 

MY story is a young Italian man had a dream. I called him Nonno (grandfather). He worked hard to migrate from the Veneto region to Melbourne. He continued to work hard for a year, to pay for his bride to travel by ship to join him, and they were married the following day. They had 10 children, the eldest being my mum. If my Nonno did not follow his dream, I probably wouldn't be here, nor call this beautiful country my home. 

On the other side, in Ireland, my Great Great (Great?) Grandfather had the same dream...to migrate to Australia. Never underestimate the power of a dream! These men's dreams impacted multiple generations! I am a proud Italian Irish Australian ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ

Thursday 21 December 2023

2023 - What is Victory?

 This year, our church had the theme: Year of VICTORY. Initially, I was excited by this word. It felt that finally, we had  entered a year that would bring more joy than sadness. After many years of trials, we would finally experience triumph.

Then, we walked into the new year... I don't know what Victory means to you, but for me, it was a word I learned would have a different meaning to my expectations. 

It has been another year of trials. Finding ourselves in places we didn't expect, and couldn't understand. However, we never felt God had removed His hand from our lives. He has been with us through the valleys and the hilltops...although 2023 brought more time in the valley. We still don't know what our hilltop will look like. We just know God is in control. His will may be different to our will... or maybe His will is a surprise or a miracle. Either way, we are ok. We've been through so many trials, we know nothing will keep us down. 

So, we began this year in anticipation of an expected victory, and we come to the end with a different understanding of what that means for us, personally. It has been a tough, yet rewarding year. Both in unexpected ways. Be blessed...there are always rainbows after the rain ๐Ÿฆ‹

Thursday 30 November 2023

November

 I haven't been on top of the monthly posts... my mind is struggling to process the fact it is the 30th of November! Wasn't it just July?? Wow... this year has really flown! I have so many thoughts flowing through my mind, but nothing that calls, "Blog this!",or the urge to write fades like a passing cloud. These last 6 months have been a different kind of rollercoaster. Ups and downs...learning to thrive in the valleys, and make the most of the mountain tops. There have been more valleys than mountain tops this year. One year I may be able to say the valleys have been few and far between... but not these last few years. 

The main reason I haven't blogged as much...is I'm just tired. Worn out from the challenges of the year. Maybe I simply need to adjust my priorities, but for now, I will go to bed. Happy December! ๐Ÿฆ‹

Saturday 30 September 2023

Angels

Is it just me, or is the second half if this year flying through? 

I've been pondering what to write about, but the inspiration hasn't really peaked this month. 

My mind has been flowing with ideas, but nothing has prompted me to stop and write. 

One thing I've enjoyed during the last few months is that I have been experiencing an increased awareness of angelic presence in my life, which has been both encouraging and exciting. 

It's pretty cool to sense angels waiting for you as you enter through the work gates, then feeling them linking arms with you as you walk towards the entrance. I often walk from the train station, but I drove one day last week, and suddenly wondered what the angels would do when I drove by them...the next thing I knew, I sensed 3 of them sitting in my car with me! One in the front, 2 in the back. It was very encouraging. 

I will sign off here, and possibly write more on this another time. ๐Ÿฆ‹