Finishing Well

Oops... I missed November! 🤭😅 It was a mentally and physically exhausting month. I had many ideas, but a link in the chain from thought to typing broke 🙃 I will continue to work on those ideas, and bring them to life in the future.

Recently, I caught up with my original intercessor & prophetic mentors. One of our topics of conversation was, "Finishing Well".

I had a friend, a pastor from Texas who's blog was named, "Finishing Well". He passed away about a year ago. We never actually met in person, but he was a source of encouragement to me. He was like a wise uncle who would occasionally check in on me, and encouraged me when I needed. As a Palliative Care Chaplain, he helped me through the process of losing my parents-in-law. 

His aim in life was to Finish Well. I believe he did. 

I'm sure many of us desire to finish well. To hear those words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant" (Matthew 5:23).  

How many of us, if we're honest, question how we would respond in a life or death situation? Would we be prepared to die for our faith? To be imprisoned for following Jesus? With the way the world is going, it can be quite a sobering topic. None of us wants to die for our faith, right? But, I'm sure most of us would rather find ourselves in heaven, for being faithful, than hell, for giving in to fear.

I loved how my mentors concluded this subject.... we all need to be praying for ourselves, and our friends to finish well. 

So, if you are reading this, I pray that you have the courage and determination to finish well. To eventually hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant". 🦋©️

Vision of the Potter's Lantern

 This morning at church, during worship, God showed me a vision. I saw a potter's wheel, but instead of clay, a glass ball was being created. Two hands were holding it, as if it was a crystal ball. I said, "God, I don't like this. I don't understand what it means!"

 He continued the vision. As I watched the hands working, I began to see the ball shape change. It began to stretch upwards. What began as a ball gave the appearance of a lantern. The old fashioned style oil lantern. I felt God say, "Don't accept what you first see. Things are not always as they initially appear. I AM in the details. Don't be afraid. Don't stress. Just wait. Wait for me to show you MY version. What the enemy means for evil, I turn around to GOOD". He showed me that he uses US as lights in the lantern. His light shines through us, and when we feel surrounded by darkness, we are to be His light. 

Isaiah 41:10 NIV-  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

This resonated with me, as I've been experiencing intense spiritual warfare during the last few weeks. I'm sure I'm not the only one who needs to hear this. 🦋©️

Renew our strength, Lord

 Isaiah 40:30-31 NIV - Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.

On the eve of a new month, I'm reminded of the weary feeling... it's a battle to not "grow tired and weary" , but life doesn't always go as planned... and I'm holding on to that hope of the Lord to renew my strength. 

I have been weary this month. I'm standing on His hope. His strength. I continue to stand, even though I'm tired. 

I'm praying for all of us feeling the weariness from constant warfare, mixed with 'life'.

Tomorrow is a new day...a new month. The warfare probably won't decrease- after all it will be October... but we can continue to stand and hope in the Lord's strength to keep refreshing us, and pushing us forward.  

Let's continue to ready ourselves to soon soar on wings like Eagles! We may be tired, but we will rise, if we don't give in to the weariness 🦋

Let Nothing Move You

1 Corinthians 15:58: Let nothing move you.  (Condensed by me).

One morning, as I was walking from the train, I came towards about 30 pigeons on the ground. They were feeding in the grass. As I approached, they all flew away...except for one scruffy looking black bird. It wasn't until the others flew away, that this different bird was exposed. It just stood there looking at me. No fear. It wasn't moving for anything! It was the lone one. I also just looked at, without a care, as I continued to walk by. Just like that bird was not moving, I had no intention to stop walking.  

I thought, that is how we, and our prayers should be. We don't fly away, or run when we perceive a possible threat... we stand. We should be so secure in our faith, and in ourselves, that we are unmovable. We stay at our post. 

When evil approaches, the light within us should scare away the darkness. Evil flies away, not us!

It reminds me of the phrase, "Eagles don't fly with pigeons". 

It could have been easy for that lone bird to just follow the pigeons, and fly away. It chose to be an 'eagle'. Both times. I can confirm there was no danger for either of us, but those pigeons didn't stay to find out. Let's not be like those pigeons. We're created to be Eagles.

(I didn't take any photos that day...but a few days later, the exact experience repeated.... so then I took photos!) ©️🦋

The Story of Daisy and Lily

 This creative story was inspired around 2012. It is metaphorically based on a real friendship that was impacted by mental health issues. There are two sides to every story - this story is based on my feelings and thought processes at the time.

This is the story of two friends, Daisy & Lily. Daisy lived in a lovely house with a white verandah and white picket fence.
Sometimes her friend Lily would walk past and see Daisy sitting on her verandah. When Daisy saw Lily, she would walk down her path to her picket gate and greet Lily. They would have great chats and leave
each other’s company feeling happy.

One day, Lily walked to Daisy's house, but before she could reach the gate, Daisy walked inside. Lily knew Daisy could have days where she didn’t want to talk to people, so she kept walking that day.
The next day, the same thing happened. Lily did not know what to do, so she decided to knock on Daisy's door to see if she was ok. Daisy did not respond, so Lily continued on her way.

It seemed to Lily that Daisy was going through a rough time and did not want to talk to Lily, so Lily left notes in Daisy's mailbox to let her know she cared. Daisy did not respond.

After a few occasions of Lily walking by and not seeing Daisy, there came a day when Daisy was again sitting on her verandah. Lily saw this, and decided to walk up to the gate and say Hello. Daisy ignored Lily! So Lily continued on her way...

A few days later, Lily walked up to the gate, and Daisy was again sitting on her verandah. Again, Lily said, "Hello". This time Daisy glared at Lily, as if the friendly gesture was an offense. Lily began to find walking past Daisy's house difficult. She tried not to avoid Daisy, because they were good friends, but the rejection was becoming too much. There were times when Daisy would see Lily coming, and look towards a neighbour to begin a conversation, so as to avoid Lily completely.

Lily finally stepped aside. The constant rejection from Daisy had reached its limit. She had tried to let Daisy know she cared, but to no avail. At one point, Daisy spoke very loudly to a neighbour - as Lily was passing by - that placing notes in the mailbox was offensive and not good enough. That was the last straw for Lily. As much as she cared for Daisy, she valued her self-respect more... so she began to take a different path that did not pass Daisy's house.

Daisy had been too busy not letting others into her world, that she rejected those who cared about her. In the end, her friends felt so rejected, they could not take any more rejection. They did not allow themselves to be in situations where they could experience rejection... which made the one doing the rejecting even more angry... but that was something only one person could change.

So... even though Lily changed her route to avoid further rejection and emotional abuse, she didn’t stop caring for Daisy. She felt Daisy needed time and space to work through her issues, so gave Daisy space to do so, hoping she would be able to again walk by that gate soon. To experience an, "Hello" instead of a scowl. It took much time for the "Hello" to return... although the friendship was now fractured.

After thought:
Mental illness is very real. Please don't take your friends for granted - Their feelings and mental health are just as valued as yours. 🦋©️

Keep Going! 🔥

 This month, instead of trying to untangle the spaghetti strands of thoughts in my head, I'll leave you with this encouraging quote from Facebook 🦋

Prophetic Word 24/5/24

 

As I sat down on the train this morning, I thought, "What a beautiful sight! The sunshine breaking through the haze". God then reminded me, "That's Mount Disappointment" (you can google the story-  2 explorers were disappointed by the view). I took more photos from my destination station & outside work. I love His nature! 

I feel God is saying, Don't focus on the mountain... the men may have named that mountain, but God continues to rise above it! Keep your eyes focused on the light, and don't let the disappointments have any power! I will ALWAYS rise like the morning sun. ‭

Psalm 121:1 NIV‬ I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?

Mother's Day Tribute

I wrote this in 2019. My beautiful pastor at the time asked me to give a presentation to the church on Mother's Day. She read aloud the following on my behalf, as I felt the loss of my Mother-in-law was still too raw.

I could so easily edit & 'improve' my writing, however, as with my creative stories, I choose to leave it unedited, true to the time it was written.

🦋 On this Mother’s Day I feel blessed to have 2 strong women of faith in my life, who I call mum. 

My 1st mum is the eldest of 10 children born to Italian migrants. Her life experiences have both intrigued and inspired me. Growing up, we always had everything we needed, but not everything we wanted. It wasn’t until I was older, that I understood just how poor we were, and how much my amazing parents did for my siblings and I.  Not once did we feel poor. We understood we couldn’t afford everything, but hearing mum talk about times she saved up 5 and 10 cent coins to buy milk and bread, really surprised me, and gave me a greater appreciation for her.

My mum has always been there for me. People have told me I am very much like her - which I don’t take lightly. I feel that if I could be even just half of what she is, I am blessed. People have called her an iron fist in a satin glove. She is loving and kind, but very strong. I often look up to her strength.

She gave birth naturally to fraternal twins, something uncommon these days. Being the eldest of 3, I was often given more responsibility - when I complained, she would say, “You will be blessed”. I began to understand that it was more about reliability. She knew I would be the one to follow through with her requests. She was equipping me for a life of independence. So yes, I was blessed.

My mum was the catalyst for my whole family finding Jesus. Through her life stories, I can see that God has always had a hand on her life. She did the searching and found Jesus – then we followed. He has had his hand of protection on her all through her life.

My mum has such a heart full of love. Growing up, we would often find kids at our house, because they loved our mum. She made them feel valued. She left seeds of love in their hearts, even if she didn’t necessarily like their behavior. Their tender hearts received a love only Jesus could offer, and they found themselves drawn to that through my mum. I’ve lost touch with many of these friends, but even as young adults, they would tell me how much my mum helped them as children, just by loving them when other people rejected them. I felt proud to call her MY mum.

Now, I see her sprinkle those seeds of love in her grandchildren. I love to see the 5 of them all hoping to be the first to hug their nonna. They can’t run fast enough into her arms. I am looking forward to more grandchildren running into her lap – in God’s perfect timing.


My 2nd mum, my mum-in-love, was called home to heaven 14 months ago. This is our 2nd Mothers Day without her. As much as we miss her, we rejoice because there is no doubt she is with Jesus. She lost her battle with Motor Neurone Disease after a triumphant fight.
Just like my 1st mum, my mum-in-love was full of love. Nobody could leave her presence without feeling God’s love. She didn’t give birth to me, but she loved me as if she did, and I loved her in the same way. Unlike my 1st mum, my mum-in-love came from a strong protestant Christian heritage.

I could not have asked for a better 2nd mum. I thanked God for her daily. When others complained about their in-laws, I thanked God for the huge blessing mine was. She was another iron fist in a satin glove. Because she lived in NSW, we mostly talked over the phone or via Skype. We would often text small messages to each other. I loved sharing news with her. She encouraged me in my faith, and life in general. We could talk about the bible and personal things. She understood some of my hardest battles in ways many others couldn’t. She had an amazing strength. Her faith was strong, no matter what was going on around her. When she had every right to complain, she instead sowed seeds of grace and dignity. This is something I often remind myself – when I am inclined to complain, I remember her example. I can’t say I have reached her level, but I try.

She had an amazing sense of humour – which I often see in [my husband]. They had a special bond I loved to see. There is something so precious in seeing your husband and his mum bonding, enjoying each other’s company. There is no doubt she invested in her 2 sons – love, faith and strength. Through my husband, I can see the immense love I felt from my mum-in-love was only a portion of what her sons felt for her during her lifetime. So, even though she wasn’t in my life as long as I’d hoped, she left a huge impact on me and my heart. I feel privileged to call her mum. Again, when people tell me about how much she has impacted their lives, I feel proud to be able to call her mum. 🦋©️

Set Apart

 

Romans 12:2 - Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This month, I haven't spent much time thinking about writing, but have continued to be "snap happy" - stopping and taking photos, here, there and everywhere! Nature speaks to me. People who know me well, know that at any moment, I could stop suddenly, or backtrack, get out my phone and take a photo! Sometimes I laugh at myself. People must think I'm strange! I wonder if somebody is watching me, wondering what the heck I'm taking a photo of! But...the photo moment is worth it. I love when I witness somebody else doing the same! There's something in the MOMENT. There are many times where I miss the moment... either by over-thinking about whether I should take a photo, or I'm not quick enough with the camera. I try to capture the moment before thinking too much! 

Have you ever been amused by somebody taking a photo? Next time, may I suggest you take a look and try to capture the moment too. Or even ask them what has caught their attention. You may be surprised by what you see, sense and feel in that moment. 

I am also learning to be unafraid to be me. To take photos without feeling shy or insecure. To be bold. To not regret a moment due to fear of man.  

The above photo was taken yesterday, on my walk home from the train. I actually backtracked. People probably saw me, and I'm probably on camera. So what? 😅 I just loved the brightness of that lone autumn leaf, among the dull, dry eucalyptus leaves. It reminded me of how I have been feeling lately. 

Since attending the Seers & Dreamers Gathering in Perth, I have been feeling "brighter", more confident and self-assured. I've been feeling set apart in a deeper level... like that bright autumn leaf. It stands out...it didn't choose to stand out, but it was created to stand out. To reach that beautiful, deep crimson colour, took a process. A journey. Without this journey, I would not have noticed it. I wouldn't be able to share it with you. 

Years ago, I would have felt very insecure to be that leaf. I didn't want to be seen. I didn't want to be hurt. I just wanted to blend in. In my 20s (20yrs ago 🤭), I went through some amazing deep, inner healing that helped me break that mindset. 

Fast forward to today...after years of trying to blend in... I have purple hair. I make an effort with my appearance. I love dresses and nice shoes. (About 15yrs ago, I was a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant. Selling is not my passion, so I left that role after a few years). I'm no longer afraid to be noticed. I can't be hurt if I am self-assured. The enemy tried to pull me down, but I have come out much, much stronger. I know who, and whose I am! And so does the enemy!! I'm sure he regrets messing with me! 

Yes, recently I have been feeling set apart. It's not always nice to feel different. However, I'm not afraid to be different. I am clearly aware that my mindset and belief system differs to those of many around me. It can be lonely at times... but I know I have been transformed, with a renewed mind...and there is no way, despite the loneliness, that I will turn back! I was not designed to be a dried up eucalyptus leaf. Even if I could blend in, why would I want to. I've come too far to blend in. ©️😅🦋

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 🦋

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. 🦋©️

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!" 🤣 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 😌) 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! 🦋©️

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 ĺthe world. but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. 

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! 🦋©️

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 🇦🇺🇮🇹🇦🇺🇮🇪🇦🇺