So You Are Excited About Reaching Out...

I wrote a little note to a friend who was all excited about getting out in her neighborhood in her part of the world to make a difference for Jesus by herself. She was very excited about her new commitment to the Lord, but was unsure of how to deal with her fear issues, which is very understandable.

Jesus sent them two by two. So if at all possible go out with another believer. Until then, you can pray that the Lord will give you a prayer partner and witness wherever you go... ad lib.

Ask the Lord to bring to you someone who will pray with you. Ask the Lord for opportunities to witness every day, every where you go.

We want to take Baby Steps of Obedience. I hear your heart sister and if you start now, you will make a huge difference for the Lord.

So lets fight fear by building up your inner man with scripture confessions like:

"Thank You Jesus, that you arm me with strength and power and you make my way perfect." 2Sam.22:33

"Thank You Jesus, that you haven't given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self control." 2Tim.1:7

Thank You Jesus that I'm bold as a lion, because I'm righteous. Prov.28:1
Thank You Jesus that Your love is shed abroad in my heart by Holy Spirit." Rom. 5:5

Thank you Lord that you've given your angels charge over me and my family. Ps. 91

You'll Find other scriptures as you read your bible that will help you so that you are not in fear anymore but "strong in the Lord and His mighty power."

Start where you are with the situation you are in. We all grow by baby steps. Ha ha! How many times do babies fall down when they are learning to walk? I can't count.

Maybe the first thing to do is pray till His compassion and love drives out the fear in you and you have His heart for the people. Romans 5:5 says that His love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Ask the Lord if that makes sense for you.

Have fun with the Lord. Keep asking lots of questions. That's the best way to learn Holy Spirit's voice.

Whose Report Will You Believe?

I fractured my right wrist June 26th in a freak accident that shouldn't have happened. I spent a few hours in emergency and was x-rayed and my right arm was put in a cast.

My arm swelled up as soon as the ice was gone and by the next day I had to have it recast because it was cutting off the circulation in my hand.

I had a couch ministry for a week. I was in so much pain all I could do was keep going over my scripture confession sheets and rest. I cut way back on my food intake because I didn't want to gain weight.

By the third week of having a cast on it was really loose and I was learning how to eat and write with my left hand. It was quite the learning curve and I found it very humbling. I was keeping my chin up and trying to make lemonade out of my lemons but it was tough. I even started watching movies again, something I haven't done in years.

I did help with the hay by driving a tractor and baler and I did help put square bales in the barn when the kids were getting frustrated at having to work. I figured if I was working with one hand, they could do it with two hands. It worked! We got it done before it rained and I wasn't sore for very long afterwords.

I was able to slip off my cast to get the hay out and then I put it back on. Mean while I was working my faith over time. I got all my friends to agree with me that by His stripes I was healed. (Isa. 53:3-5)

A girlfriend gave me some dvd's by great preacher Dave Hockaday and I watched them and built up my faith.

Well, I guess I took off my cast one too many times to air my sweaty, smelly arm because my daughter Tricia started playing with my cast and she got the bandages on the inside all twisted up. I couldn't get my hand back in that cast no matter how hard I tried! I felt like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar!

I got a wrist brace to fix my predicament and to keep my family pacified. It worked well.

A few days later a friend told me that I should get x-rays on it so that I could get confirmation it was healed and then go start physio therapy.

So I went to emergency at the local hospital and waited 5 hours only to hear that my wrist had not healed at all. I asked to see the x-rays and she showed me the break. I said, "That can't be right. Look how I can move my hand around," I exclaimed and demonstrated.

She wouldn't listen to me and put on another tight cast. I couldn't hold my arm across my chest to keep it elevated so while it was setting I broke the arm edge so it wouldn't pinch so bad.

I was upset to say the least. 4.5 weeks in a loose cast that I told the specialist was loose and he said it was okay! Now the emergency room doctor is saying it hasn't healed at all?!

I went home and called my mom. I told her that I wanted to cry. I've got on my third cast. It's itchy already and I know that "By His stripes I was healed!" All I could do was keep standing on the Word of God.
I told everybody that this was a test and I was going to pass it. Holy Spirit kept saying to me, "Whose report will you believe?" All I could do was sing back to Him, "We will believe the report of the Lord."

As an act of faith I started to pray for other people that had broken arms or bone problems whenever I would feel and ache or pain myself. I didn't know exactly who else I was praying for, but it sure felt good to knock the devil back a loop or two.

That third cast started falling apart around my hand pretty fast and it was only a day or two and I pulled it off. The splint wrist brace was much more comfortable and I could wash it when my arm got all sweaty.

Two days before I was to go to the orthopedic specialist I was worshiping and spending time alone with the Lord. This had been a tough thing for me to do as disappointment stole my desire for fellowship with Holy Spirit. Also, it sure didn't help that my house was so busy. In desperation I cut off a girlfriend on the phone saying, "I've only got half an hour before the house gets busy again. I need to go worship and hear from the Lord."

Thank God for understanding girlfriends. She said she would pray for me and let me go.
Holy Spirit was right there, as soon as I started to sing. (You can't tell me it doesn't help to have friends who know how to get a hold of God!) Holy Spirit downloaded some things to me and when I just thought about my wrist I felt Holy Spirit say, "None issue."

I wanted to laugh. It might have seemed like a non issue for Him, but this wrist was messing up all my summer activities and job hunting to boot!

Never the less, I held onto that word and kept it close to my heart. I didn't even tell anybody. I couldn't risk another disappointment at that time.

I did get two girlfriends to agree with me that the x-ray would give a correct result and that there would be no mistakes. I also prayed for favor with the doctor regarding my lack of a cast.

I went to the specialist in the city by myself. I didn't want to hear another, "I told you so," if the x-ray results were bad.

The specialist didn't say anything about me not having a cast on -- he just sent me for an x-ray to see how I was progressing.

I got back and he told me, "Okay you are good to start physio therapy and make sure that splint is off for good in a week... 10 days tops."

I replied, "Everything's okay?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Do you know that they told me last week in Arnprior that my wrist hadn't started healing at all?", I asked.

Dead silence. He just looked at me.

"Okay, I'm good to go then?" I asked.

Yes, go start physio," he said.

I walked out of his office and it hit me as I was going out of the hospital. Just like Holy Spirit said-- it was a 'non issue.'

I don't know what happened in that week between the emergency room doctor's report and the specialist's report but I know who who gets the Glory! Jesus! You are awesome and I magnify Your Holy Name! Great things You have done for your little girl!

Let me pray for you now:   "Lord what You have done for me I freely give away.  Let the person reading this be ignited with fresh faith to believe You and Your report over any other.  I loose the Joy of the Lord for their journey and I declare and decree that they are fully satisfied in this lifetime.  Every God given dream come back to life now!  Every place where hope deferred has stolen from them, be healed now, in Jesus' name!  Amen!  You are blessed and a blessing wherever you go and you make a difference for God today. Amen!"

Big hugs,
Brenda Gale

New Songs!

Thank You Lord for new songs of praise and worship to lift up and Magnify your Awesome, Majestic Name!

The last few months I've been in a war and as I was praying Holy Spirit showed me how the enemy was distracting me from worship by all the negative circumstances, accidents and negative news going on around me. The devil wants to be magnified and this is how he gets us to take our eyes off of Jesus.

We are in a war of worship. We all worship something. It can be our kids, our husbands, our hobbies or our jobs. Whatever takes our focus gets our worship. It's dawning on me that the enemy is trying to beat us down by keeping us busy and distracted so we don't make time to magnify the Lord. Without God's input daily, our spiritual gas tanks soon run on empty and then we have nothing to help others with, never mind ourselves.

I am going to make a conscious effort to magnify the Lord at least 7 times a day. I remember King David doing that and the Glory of the Lord was in his life in a great way.

Discernment is required to recognize the attack of the enemy to steal our time and our worship.

For a few weeks I had a hard time singing, there was such an attack of oppression on me and I was asking the Lord what was going on. It is not normal for me to not be able to praise and worship. The Lord led me to the article I wrote about "filling your spiritual gas tank" and said that because I was helping so many others by giving them keys for breakthrough the enemy had launched a counterattack. I immediately asked the Lord what to do and He said to bind the spirit of backlash and retaliation. The next day was much better. Hallelujah!!! It's been getting better every day.

This is a battle we are destined to win! We have been equipped with Heaven's arsenal. Holy Spirit wants to help us and God has Angels to help you and I.

Let's press on to know Him more.

Bless You in Jesus' name as you sing the cry of your heart to Him!

Things I Don't Take For Granted Anymore

There are so many things I've had to quit doing or adapt to new methods. I never realized how hard it could be to learn how to be a lefty after being right handed for so long.

1. Doing up a bra is next to impossible for me. I wonder how amputees manage?
2. Writing is a tough one. My writing is now worse than my 11 year old daughters. Just this week I've been able to start using my right hand to help me type a bit.

3. Cutting up vegetables is very difficult. The first couple of weeks I couldn't use my right hand to help at all. On a good note, I am eating a lot slower these days.

4. Pulling up your pants is difficult on hot summer days when everything wants to stick and roll. You get the drift. I gave up on jeans and belts. Can't do them up. Ha, Ha!

5. Having a shower in our tiny shower stall was interesting because I wasn't supposed to get the cast wet. Hubby helped, Thank God and we had a few good laughs.

6. I was so upset at not being able to train my horses. Summer is so short and here I am, can't go riding or hubby will shoot me. So I tried doing some lounge line work 2 days ago with my three year old and it worked. My hand was a bit sore after but it healed up fast.

On a very good note, I have had lots of time to read and worship, without the piano of course. I know the Lord understands. He's always after the cry of our hearts. So I have been singing about frustration, pain, adapting and determination. Sometimes our dreams get delayed but if we won't give up God will continue to help us work towards our dreams.

On that note I'm going to keep dreaming and talking to the Lord Jesus about His dream for our lives.

July, 2009

Hi all. Sorry I haven't been around. I've been driving a school bus on a very long run (1450 kms per week)

Just last Saturday I was riding one of my younger horses when she threw a little temper tantrum. I didn't fall off but my hand hit the saddle horn hard and caused a fracture.


I'm right handed and having my right arm in a cast is slowing me down to a snail's pace.
Haying still needs to be done... yeah. Only a farmer can know the stress haying can put on a family. It's one of the most weather sensitive, labor intensive crops on a farm.
Let's Pray....
"Thank You Lord for good weather and good times haying this year. Thank You Lord for supernatural healing in my wrist and arm and that my wrist is better than ever!
Thank You Lord for camaraderie in our home and on our farm & that we all get along and the kids are not resentful about having to help more. Thank You Lord that You have work for Roy and I. Please continue to lead us and guide us by your Holy Spirit. Amen!" (Isa 53:3-5, Phil 4:13,19)

Bless you!
Big hugs,
Brenda Gale Thompson

Being Available And How To Fill Up Your Spiritual Gas Tank

You are important to God. Your life matters. Your life counts for a lot and God wants to use you now.
It's not about how old you are or how young you are or how qualified you are. It's about being available because God can equip you to do His work, He just needs your availability.

You might not think you have much to offer, I know I wondered what I could do when I started out. I had no clue what I was called to do as a baby Christian. I just had Holy Spirit's love in my heart and I wanted to make a difference. We can all make a difference as we ask Holy Spirit to shed abroad His love in our hearts. (Rom.5:5) Then we move out from that overflow of love into our world, going about our daily business, bringing the sweet fragrance of the Lord with us. We change circumstances and the atmosphere around us because we are carrying His presence on us, which is so totally amazing. (2Cor.2:14)
If you are available, get filled up with Holy Spirit and then move out and watch Holy Spirit use you.
The gifts of Holy Spirit will start to flow. This is completely natural. You might notice that you've got a word for someone or you know how to organize an event or you notice that you are gifted at praying. These are all ministry gifts and they all start with Love.

Some gifts come naturally, and some take more effort. I was asking the Lord for more words of knowledge so I could witness more because not everybody is sick. As I asked the Lord and shared with people the impressions I was getting, I grew in the gift. I also started studying how other prophets functioned in their gifts and learned from their example. I would not worry if you don't have the gift you desire from birth because God will answer you as you seek Him and pursue Him for more to help His people.

You will seek Me and Find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. (Jer. 29:13)
The desires of the diligent will be fully satisfied.(Proverbs 13:4)

We need to desire the gift in order to go after it. If you don't, who will? That is what the Lord told me. He was desperate to have someone who could (and would) lay hands on the sick and pray in public and at work. He wants us to be available to go give someone an encouraging word. This is how we go out and impact people with Jesus. People are tired of being told stuff, they want to see a demonstration of the gospel.

They do not know that they don't have to stay addicted, full of fear, full of bitterness, wondering if this is all they can ever hope for in this life. Jesus is the answer and we (you) can do this. You can be the answer to someone's prayer as you make yourself available. This is not only for the pastors in the body of Christ. God gave the great commission to all the body. Everybody, not just a few. (See Mark 16:15-20)

A big key to being an effective witness is, "Tarry in Jerusalem until you receive power." (Luke 24:49) This is very important. I think a lot of us think we can do ministry running on empty. We all need to fill up our spiritual gas tanks with Holy Spirit every day so we have something to offer people.

One of the best ways I have found to fill up my spiritual gas tank is to just set aside some time every day to just worship the Lord. This works even if you are not a singer because you can speak words out loud. It's all about the words you speak out loud or sing out loud.
Let me give you an example. It's the middle of my day I've got a ten minute break so what am I going to do? I want to worship the Lord I want to enter into His presence so I say something like, "Lord show me how."

I tell Holy Spirit, "I just want to enter into your presence now. I just want to love on You, Lord today. Did I tell you Holy Spirit how much you mean to me today? Did I tell you how much Your salvation means to me today? Did I tell you Holy Spirit that You are the best thing that's ever happened to me? You make my life worthwhile. You are my life. You are my hope and You are my joy and I thank You Holy Spirit for waking up with me this morning. I thank You Lord that You are with me all through my day. I thank You Lord that You are helping me to bring You glory throughout my day."

Now if you just say something like that to the Lord, (out loud) you can feel Holy Spirit all over you like a glove, like a beautiful shawl around your shoulders. If you don't feel His presence ask Him why. Sometimes sin that has not been repented of will hinder us from hearing His voice or feeling His presence.

We were created for fellowship with an awesome God. We can all spend time with the Lord and tell Him how much we love Him. It's like a friendship that grows as we spend time with Him.

Tell Him what He means to you, in your own words. Tell Him how you treasure those little nuggets He gives you or tell him how much you love it when He highlights a verse in the Bible for you. Tell Him how you love to play the blessing game, where you try Bless the Lord and Holy Spirit more than He's blessed you. Tell Him how you long to serenade Him today. Pretend you are Romeo or Juliet, singing your love to Him from a balcony and if you don't know a love song ask Him to give you a special one just for you and Him.

Sometimes I'll ask the Lord what song He would like to hear to bless His heart. Then I'll sing that song to Him and You know what? He always finds a way to bless me back!
These are just a couple of ways that we can enter the Lord's presence so we have something to offer the people around us that we see in our day.

May you spread the fragrance of Him everywhere you go today! (2Cor. 2:14)

Dreams and Hard Work

I have been getting a horse ready for sale the last two weeks. It's a lot of work. She (Tina) is not quite three and would like us to believe that she has forgotten everything she learned last fall with the trainer. It takes a lot of time, dedication and vision to see the potential in a horse when they are acting like broncos or spoiled brats. The miracle is that with enough time, patience, training and hard work we can turn them into show winners.

In the same way there is no short cut to fulfilling a dream. They all take time, dedication, a willingness to learn and lots of work.

I think that is what Jesus meant when He asked us to consider the cost before we committed to Him. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? (Luke 14:28)

What would happen if I quit on my horse? She would never attain her full potential and there's a very good possibility that her life would be cut short. Horses with bad manners, that you can't ride are not good for much.

To me the cost is worth it. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel because my trainer and I have trained a few horses. I know that if I work hard now, in a while she will be more manageable and it won't be so hard next year to get her ready for riding.

Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel? If you work hard can you see a part of your dream coming to pass? I guess the big question is, "What are you willing to go without or do without to pursue your dream?"

I know for me... I have been committing a couple of hours every second day to training plus the additional time of handling, grooming, feeding every day. I do not have time for many things right now, but that is okay, because I have made the choice to do this. When we decide what we will do with our free time it empowers us somehow. It's easier to sacrifice when it's not forced on us by others.

On that note, I am still trying to help a lady with her dream of learning to play the piano. She now knows how to chord a worship song and I am teaching her some music theory along the way.

What I've noticed though, is now that she's realizing how hard it is to play the piano well, she is reconsidering how much she wants the dream. You see, she has three young children and she works and she still wants to read her fiction books every night. As you can imagine... practicing the piano is not happening.

This happens to many people. We start off great but then when we realize that it will take a lot longer than we imagined to achieve our dream, we want to give up. Do not shelve or give up on your dream! Instead, break your dream down into many small steps and figure out what one step you can start on now. Be realistic with your goal setting.

For example, I am going to encourage the piano lady to make some baby sized goals to start with and see how see does with that. It can be a challenge breaking down a dream into manageable, bite-sized pieces, but it can be done. Pursuing a dream, however slowly makes us more alive, more vibrant. Do not let anything or anyone steal your dream because "hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." (Proverbs 13:12) Even achieving the smallest part of a dream gives you courage to keep believing God for more and along the way or journey we become a tree of life to help others pursue their dreams. It is amazing how God changes us and uses us along the way!


Lord Jesus, You are so awesome! Bless this reader as they pursue You and Your dream for their lives!