I had said in my last post that I was going to try to blog a little more regularly. Well, I am going to try to, but I decided to start a new blog rather than posting more regularly to this one. I will still post here if there is something to share directly related to the ministry, but for day to day stuff, I wanted the freedom to simply post whatever is on my mind or heart so I created a new blog for that purpose. If anyone is interested, my new blog is called “Dancing With the Wind” but the address, is under my name: http://cindypowell.wordpress.com
I am pressing the reset button in a few areas of my life and in WATW Ministries. Although this decision is the culmination of much prayer and pondering over the past few months, I’m still not entirely sure what it will mean. The Lord has been doing something deep within my heart and life in recent years - much of which I can’t seem to adequately express or explain. WATW and our prayer room have sort of followed me through this transition. I’m still not sure where it will all land, but I cannot escape the fact that the season has indeed changed and, therefore, I need to make some corresponding changes – maybe temporarily, maybe longer term – with the ministry.
So I’m pressing the reset button. It’s tempting to use a lot of words to try to explain what can’t be explained, but I will refrain. While there is much that is yet to be defined, here’s what I do know: as of right now we are putting most of the activities of the ministry on hold.This includes our recently launched Friday night worship and ministry times. The only thing we will continue doing, for now, is taking appointments for personal ministry, but it willbe by appointment only and we will no longer have “open” times in the prayer room on Saturdays. (Send an email to prayer@waitingatthewellministries.org if you would like to come in for prayer.)
I want to be clear that at this time, this move is a “pause” and not a “delete.” Only time will tell how things will play out in the future. I will keep the email list intact and should I have something to share, I will send out a group email at that time – but, for the moment anyway, I have no plans to send out regular updates. However, I am going to attempt to post to this blog on a semi-regular basis - but no promises.
One last thing – for those of you dear compassionate souls who sweetly worry for my well being – I am fine. Actually, much more than fine – I’ve been feeling tremendously blessed. I am quite hopeful and expectant for the future. Most of the time, I’m so deliriously happy and content that there ought to be a law against it! Trust me, I’m good and Jesus takes very good care of me! I’m more in love with Him than ever and walking in a greater degree of freedom and joy than I have ever known. For me, this is NOT a bad season a – just a different one. It is simply time to take care of some loose ends and start fresh in a number of areas. I think that is a good thing.
I offer you all my thanks for your support and encouragement in the past, as well as my prayers for more and more of His goodness to fill your lives now and in the future!
Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
I haven’t been writing or blogging a lot lately. Been thinking a lot. Been pondering and praying a lot. Just haven’t been recording it for all to see. Sometimes I just don’t feel like I have a lot to say. For the longest time it seems that Jesus has been turning so much of my thinking inside out and upside down. Really, I think He is actually trying to turn it right side up - but it doesn’t always feel that way!
Seems He has been doing that in a lot of us these days. I know so many who have been questioning their assumptions. So many who’ve been provoked to actually think and examine long held beliefs and doctrine. So many whose eyes have been opened to recognize how much is still done out of religious dogma and habit rather than out of genuine, living, breathing relationship.
Honestly, I’ve never been fond of the whole “religion” thing and have genuinely loved Jesus in a deep and real way for a long time - but that doesn’t mean I haven’t bought into an assortment of religious lies and habits along the way. I honestly don’t know anyone even remotely affiliated with “the church” who hasn’t. It’s sobering to be faced with that reality, but I guess we’re just prone that way. But the good news is that He is awakening us and - I think - bringing us into a greater revelation of who He truly is and of who we are in Him. The not quite so good news is that actually getting there is kind of a freefall - if you want to fly you have to jump off the cliff.
So, while I’m learning to fly, I’ve been pondering these things in my heart. Don’t feel like I’ve got a lot of it figured out. And a lot of what I used to think I knew, I’m not so sure of any more. I’ve never wanted to write just to put words on a piece of paper simply because I can - I want to have something to say. Yet, as I’ve been pondering, I’ve also realized that if I wait until my ideas are all sorted out and I’ve got just the right words to express just the right sentiments of my heart, I may wait a very long time. Since we’re all in process, I guess sharing the process with others can be a good thing.
This is my tentative step out of the silent ponderings of the last several weeks and back onto paper. Not so profound. Definitely not poetic. And most certainly not perfected. Simple words from a simple person who wants to learn to express my love for Him as authentically as He has, and does, express His for me.
I’m still not sure I have much to say - but, for today anyway, this is what’s on my heart.
Isaiah 26:8 Yes Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you.
Walking and waiting. I love that. So often when people think of waiting on the Lord they think of waiting passively or even helplessly, but I don’t think that is ever what the Lord has in mind. While we wait, we keep doing what we know to be doing. While we wait, we keep moving forward. While we wait, we walk in the truth we have. While we wait…we just keep walking.
I read somewhere recently that one of the Hebrew words that is often translated as “rest” can also be translated as “taking a liesurely walk.” Isn’t that interesting? Adam walked with the Lord in the cool of the day. Enoch walked with God. Many through the ages have walked with God. And as we wait for Him - we can walk with Him too.
I love that simple picture. Leisurely strolling with Him. Being with Him. Moving on with Him. Hmm…makes waiting seem almost pleasant. Perhaps that is the idea?
Lord, Thank You for the truth You’ve revealed to my heart and for the partnership You’ve called me into. Jesus, as I wait, I want to keep walking with You - I want to keep moving in Your ways. Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your laws, I wait for you!
2 Corinthians 11:3-4 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted–you may well put up with it!
I have often remarked that my faith is very simple. I used to think that wasn’t such a positive thing, but if “simplicity” is to be understood the way the NIV translates 2 Corinthians 11:3 - “sincere and pure devotion” - then I guess simple isn’t such a bad thing after all.
I am not a theologian and I will never be a theologian - a fact, I’m sure, that is painfully obvious by many of the things I say and write! While I certainly do want to approach the Bible with honesty and integrity, my primary desire has always been to hear God’s heart through His Word rather than to dot all my doctrinal ‘i’s and cross all my theological ‘t’s. There is much to stimulate the intellect contained in the pages of Scripture, but I’m far more interested in exploring the depths of His heart than I am in engaging in a rousing theological debate.
I’ve come to see that simple faith isn’t faith without depth - it is faith without a lot of intellectual complication and convolution. Doctrine and theology most certainly do have their place, but if we allow them to corrupt our minds from a pure and simple devotion to Jesus - they’ve gone well beyondtheir proper place. Without sincere and pure devotion, religious dogma begins to take the place of intimacy. It’s no coincidence that when we lose the simplicity of our devotion to Jesus, we begin to see and preach a “different” Jesus than the one Paul knew.
I don’t know about you, but I want the real Jesus. And if it’s simple faith that will keep me connected to His heart – then that’s the kind of faith I want!
Lord - please - guard our minds and keep our hearts in a place of pure and simple devotion to You
Well, we’re mixing things up a little bit these days. Cancelling the Thursday night prayer meetings (except for the last Thursday of the month) and adding some new nights of ministry on Fridays. Email: info@waitingatthewell.org or call 909.856.1766 for more info. Here are the calendars:
I woke up this morning with tears in my eyes. Right before going to bed last night I learned that Jill Austin had gone to be with the Lord after a three day battle with severe intestinal problems. I had been getting prayer alerts the past few days and, along with many others, had been contending for her life. I’m not sure how old she was - I just know she was too young and the Body of Christ will feel the loss.
Honestly, I’m surprised how much her death has impacted me. I didn’t know her well. But I realized this morning that her death has impacted me - because she impacted me. I first met Jill about 13-14 years ago through a friend who had been part of a “kinship” group with her several years earlier. I don’t think I’ve had more than a handful of brief face to face conversations with her in my life. I haven’t even been to that many public gatherings where she was ministering over the years, but a couple of those that I did attend were strategic and became turning points in my life.
Jill opened my eyes and heart to realms of God I never knew existed. When I listened to her talk about Jesus and saw the way she moved in the Spirit, something was stirred in me that hasn’t been quenched to this day. When I was first filled with the Spirit I had experiences with God that most of those around me couldn’t seem to relate to and I needed to know I wasn’t “losing it.” When I met Jill, I realized that she had encounters with Jesus that were way beyond what I had experienced. As a result, she made me hungry. She made me realize that not only was I not “losing it” but that there was always “more” and that we should go after it. She gave me a paradigm for prophetic ministry functioning in the church TODAY. She even gave me the first public “word” I’ve ever recieved. Really, she opened a key door in my life by showing me a living breathing example of a woman in ministry fulfilling her destiny with an “out of the box” call - despite the many limitations the mainstream church tried to place on her. She was a true forerunner and we owe her a great debt for breaking so many things open in the heavenlies and making the way easier for others to follow.
Like all of us, she wasn’t perfect. Over the years she had all kinds of unkind things said about her and many who questioned the “legitimacy” of her ministry. Honestly, there were times I didn’t track with her myself - but that doesn’t take away from the impact of what God did through her ministry. If only the body of Christ could truly get a hold of that concept. We’d be so much richer - and so much wiser. There is SO much we can and should be learning from one another. The fact that Jill’s life and ministry were imperfect make her impact all the greater because my life and ministry are imperfect, too. And if her life had this great an impact on me, well, maybe - just maybe - my imperfect life can make an impact too.
One thing I do know is that Jill loved Jesus and now the encounter will never end. Jill, you may have taken your last breath on this side, but you left me with one more living breathing example…the impact of one life.
Thank you - I’m still hungry for more. And because of a life well lived in abandon to Jesus, I know many others are too.
3 John :4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Recently I asked the Lord what would bring joy to His heart and His answer was very similar to the verse above - “I have no greater joy than watching my children walk in the truth.”
Jesus is the Truth. Truth exposes lies that kill, steal and destroy and replaces them with the reality of God’s heart and purposes for us. Truth renews our minds and reveals our destiny. Truth sets us free. The more we walk in the truth, the more we can lay hold of all He paid so much to purchase for us. And the more we walk in truth - the greater His joy!
Lord, May I give you great joy by walking in an ever increasing revelation of truth!
Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
To us a child is born - to us a Son is given. God gave us His very best. “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all-how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”(Rom.8:32).God graciously gives us all good things. Every good and perfect gift is from above.
God sent His Son into a dark and hopeless world. And because He did - we never have to live without hope. He kept His promises then, and He is still keeping His promises today.
Jesus is the Light of the world. He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. If God didn’t withhold His very best then - we can rest secure in His ongoing goodness and grace throughout our lives and into eternity. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Heb.6:19). If that’s not worth celebrating, I don’t know what is! Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! Amen!!
I will be posting the latest on WATW international trips in this category.
We are tentatively planning to take a prayer team to Thailand and, possibly, Vietnam in the Spring of ‘09, but the details have been slow in coming together - so stay tuned. As soon as I am able to confirm one way or the other whether or not the trip is on - I will post it here!