Be encouraged Jesus is alive!! :)
From a background that really never taught me about Jesus this book does a great job clearing things up. Having learned about Jesus background has helped me so much understand the perspective and society he lived under what kind of world he came to and realize his life was never a "charmed one" so to speak. From the moment he was born his life was being sought after. How many of us can say that we had to flee from a King as soon as we were born in order to not be killed? His family hid him in Egypt to keep him safe. Imagine that welcome to planet Earth!
I didn't really know that Jesus grew up in poverty this too is mentioned. Which makes me wonder if this is why he can sympathize so much with the poor. It's easier to identify if you've been there. The temptation in the desert was such an eye opening chapter!
I always knew the story but I never knew how hard those temptations were for Jesus. We have read the temptations but never are we taught about his feelings. He was utterly tortured to prove who he was. Satan told him to do something that would amaze him mocking his very identity! What's worse is we never told what the temptations were all about. The very temptations were Satan's way to prevent Jesus from taking on the cross. He wanted to show him an easier way out!
If we were offered all the kingdoms of the world wouldn't that sound more enticing then a horrific death on a cross? It was the same way for Jesus. In the Garden he's troubled to the point of death because he's pleading for this cup to pass. I'm really able to connect with the human person of Christ as I read these pages! He really reveals a whole new side that I've never seen before. Even though Jesus knew what fate awaited him he kept the course. Just think what would have happened if he didn't. I shudder to think about what our world (if there would be one) would look like.
There was also kind of a challenge posed what if Jesus really did rise from the dead? What if scripture is actually factual? What if on Easter Sunday Jesus was no longer in that tomb how different would our world look?
For me there's no denying there was a resurrection! I have experienced life change of miraculous proportions and it's all because Jesus did keep steady through his long treck through our world and into his Glory. There's a comfort knowing death is not the final answer. It's not in the doctor's hands, environment, societal position it's all in God's perfect and scarred hands. He defeated death on that Easter Sunday so we never had to live in fear of it again! We could be encouraged to know that there is so much more waiting for us on the other side!
Some may know that I have suffered a massive loss last year in December. A pure angel on Earth was taken to Heaven only 15 years old. Her death forced me to see life as precious. That every moment we have with our loved ones is so precious. She cast so much light into my life in a time where much darkness loomed. Through her love I became in a sense "resurrected". I have to believe in the resurrection because I'm clinging to the hope I will see her again and give her a huge hug and tell her how much I missed her! Sleep peacefully baby girl or fly with the angels till we meet again! I love you Santana Wood. You'll always be my girl in my heart.
We've all lost someone in our lives that we loved very deeply. Jesus rising again proves that death is not the final anwser. Death has no power over God's will! Be encouraged Jesus is alive and with that knowledge we know our loved ones are also!! I wait for the day when I can be with dear loved ones and those I just met again and it will be perfect! Thank you Jesus for showing us that death does not have the final say!
Six Hours One Friday
Six hours one Friday is no ordinary book! Max Lucado brought me to tears this morning. We know the story. It’s Good Friday. I’ve always questioned why it’s called Good Friday since it’s really actually a very tragic day but this is the label it has. This book opens up with the normal life in Jerusalem of that day. I’ve never thought about what life was like on that day for other villagers. What a shock to have your world turned upside down!
A shepherd in the field tending his flocks, a priest helping give birth, an old man dies in 6 hours. 9am to 3pm. While the Savior was dying on a cross the rest of Jerusalem was living. I wonder what the Shepherd looking up at the sky was feeling. The author tells us “What is this hellish blackness?” Just as he came into this world Jesus only had a select audience. He came with little audience he died the same way. I often times tell myself I would have been there. In reality would I be? Would I know what was happening? This Christmas Season I really want to reflect on the Nature of God. For me it’s building an unbreakable relationship with my Daddy! Even if we wouldn’t be there that day he still dies for us. His love is truly a rescue to our dry and weary land.
The woman at the well is another powerful story. A woman that was hiding from her society came out to draw water from the well. She expected solitude but she got Jesus! As I read this scene I realized he was praying! My thought is for what and then I realize it’s probably for her! He was probably asking Daddy to give him the words to speak into her broken and tattered heart.
We all need someone to speak into the emptiness we feel in this life. On this day Jesus became her anchor! She forgot the water jar at the well that day to tell everyone what she just experienced. Why is that significant you may ask? She left her burden behind! In that moment she was revived and loved for who she is! She was so excited about that it was pointless for her to carry that water jug any longer! What water jug are we carrying that we can let go at the feet of Jesus? How did Jesus respond in this?
He refused to eat! He was so excited that he didn’t need to be nourished by bread he just witnessed a life come back to life! He just witnessed a Samaritan woman into the Kingdom! Many know that I get really excited at times sometimes over colors, dogs, presents, cards, family, shiny things, loved ones etc. the list goes on for a while. My greatest excitement and joy comes from seeing life come back to life!
As a tutor I’m able to see this. A student that is struggling with their math or reading comes back to life when they “get it”. Last night this happened with the Somali students I work with! Both students have struggled with math and reading but last night they both lit up because they understood how to complete the problems. I wonder how Jesus felt in that moment?
Was he smiling like I was? Did he feel proud of their accomplishment? Did he throw a party in Heaven for them coming back to life? I believe so! I know I was feeling all that and more inside. There’s nothing more disheartening to a student than bad grades. Our education system is grades focused that it’s hard to get them to think comprehension focus. When you see a person light up I believe God celebrates with you! Did you catch they were Somali with a totally different style of worship and life. Does God care about that? I think we know the answer to that. Jesus reaches his love and invitation to everyone! He doesn’t care what you look like, speak like even live like, when he puts his seal on you you’re his and that’s it!
This Christmas season I want to get to know more about who God is and why he chose to be among us. A video that was playing at church last Sunday has been resonating with me. God with us. He left Heaven and his Throne to be with us! He loves us that much that on that day as we call Good Friday He gave himself up for us and now can be with us forever! I know there is a lot of other religions out there but I don’t know of any other God that did what Jesus did!
May you find it in your hearts to revere God in your life and thank him for all he’s done. There is no limit to God. He sees a hurting soul he invites himself to be the healer. Thank you for sharing this journey with us Jesus! Thank you for not leaving us as orphans and sending your Counselor the Holy Spirit to dwell in our midst. Thank you God for being with us!
Blessings to you and your family this Holiday Season!
From our Family to Yours
more revelations
wow! Slam dunk again for this book! The author really brings it home.
Have we ever really thought about what Jesus went through in the garden? The author Hal Perkins had a revelation of this scene. In it he sees Christ praying to his Father to pass this cup from his hands. God has to remind Jesus of the greater plan he has for salvation. The severity of emotions I felt from this left me almost unable to continue reading. I actually had to pray for God to continue to let me read the book if he so wished it.
In Passion we see Christ's agony but do we really feel it? Why was he bleeding drops of blood? He didn't want to suffer the death of the cross. Can you really blame him??? He also was so torn up in his heart by his love for us and the death he must suffer to give us eternal life. Could you stop for a second and just in your human ability try to imagine this. Our Savior pleading to His Father Please don't make me do this!! God's answer at first is silence then he speaks.
He tells Jesus he wishes more then anything there was another way and even at that moment he was trying to come up with a different way but there was none. God chose His only son to bear the sins of the world so WE can have eternal life with Him. What struck me so much was even Jesus was weak. Jesus was crying out to his Father and everything inside of him was screaming to let it pass. God had to re establish Christ's heart for us.
God had to remind Jesus and leave the choice up to him of how the salvation plan would work. What if Jesus never brought his fears, and torment to God? What if he never went to the garden for his most terrifying moment? Would we exist? I think you know the answer?
This morning reading this book I spent some time with Jesus. He let me in on some revelations I'd like to share. The harvest is plenty but the laborers are few both Matthew and Luke speak of this scripture. In revelation 14 once again the harvest is mentioned. In revelation 14 someone like the son of man takes a sickle to the Earth and Harvests it. Another angel takes a sickle to the Earth and prepares it God's wrath winepress.
Jesus said to me "The harvest are people like you who love me and obey me. The laborers are those with the truth but do not share it." I also asked him about the garden and at first he wouldn't tell me but then he said "It was the most terrible moment of my existence. I was torn between my love for you and that horrible death on that cross. With a kiss on my forehead he said "I'm Glad I chose you." Jesus chose the cross how many of us can say that? How many of us can and will willingly endure that much suffering for the good of the order?
I learned to really see God's heart. He spoke even to Jesus about how much he loves us. He gave back the impossible choice into Jesus's hands. As we approach the Christmas season may we truly remember the reason to celebrate is a God who loves us so much that he sent his only Son to die a horrible death and bring him and us back to New Life! We live Because Jesus died! He now is in the ultimate seat of Glory in Heaven and I can't wait to be there with him! In our moments of our Garden of Gethsemane Jesus promises to be our comfort and strength. In his dire need God became His.
May we count our blessings each and every day for each day we wake is one more opportunity to share what we have to say. Our stories are being written but they are all in his hands. May you feel the presence of God re establishing your heart for what breaks his!
Blessings form our family to your family!
Love you
Tina Putney
Have we ever really thought about what Jesus went through in the garden? The author Hal Perkins had a revelation of this scene. In it he sees Christ praying to his Father to pass this cup from his hands. God has to remind Jesus of the greater plan he has for salvation. The severity of emotions I felt from this left me almost unable to continue reading. I actually had to pray for God to continue to let me read the book if he so wished it.
In Passion we see Christ's agony but do we really feel it? Why was he bleeding drops of blood? He didn't want to suffer the death of the cross. Can you really blame him??? He also was so torn up in his heart by his love for us and the death he must suffer to give us eternal life. Could you stop for a second and just in your human ability try to imagine this. Our Savior pleading to His Father Please don't make me do this!! God's answer at first is silence then he speaks.
He tells Jesus he wishes more then anything there was another way and even at that moment he was trying to come up with a different way but there was none. God chose His only son to bear the sins of the world so WE can have eternal life with Him. What struck me so much was even Jesus was weak. Jesus was crying out to his Father and everything inside of him was screaming to let it pass. God had to re establish Christ's heart for us.
God had to remind Jesus and leave the choice up to him of how the salvation plan would work. What if Jesus never brought his fears, and torment to God? What if he never went to the garden for his most terrifying moment? Would we exist? I think you know the answer?
This morning reading this book I spent some time with Jesus. He let me in on some revelations I'd like to share. The harvest is plenty but the laborers are few both Matthew and Luke speak of this scripture. In revelation 14 once again the harvest is mentioned. In revelation 14 someone like the son of man takes a sickle to the Earth and Harvests it. Another angel takes a sickle to the Earth and prepares it God's wrath winepress.
Jesus said to me "The harvest are people like you who love me and obey me. The laborers are those with the truth but do not share it." I also asked him about the garden and at first he wouldn't tell me but then he said "It was the most terrible moment of my existence. I was torn between my love for you and that horrible death on that cross. With a kiss on my forehead he said "I'm Glad I chose you." Jesus chose the cross how many of us can say that? How many of us can and will willingly endure that much suffering for the good of the order?
I learned to really see God's heart. He spoke even to Jesus about how much he loves us. He gave back the impossible choice into Jesus's hands. As we approach the Christmas season may we truly remember the reason to celebrate is a God who loves us so much that he sent his only Son to die a horrible death and bring him and us back to New Life! We live Because Jesus died! He now is in the ultimate seat of Glory in Heaven and I can't wait to be there with him! In our moments of our Garden of Gethsemane Jesus promises to be our comfort and strength. In his dire need God became His.
May we count our blessings each and every day for each day we wake is one more opportunity to share what we have to say. Our stories are being written but they are all in his hands. May you feel the presence of God re establishing your heart for what breaks his!
Blessings form our family to your family!
Love you
Tina Putney
If Jesus were a parent
I'm learning alot from this book. I got it on our honeymoon! I didn't know why God had me pick that book up but I'm so thankful now!! I found out recently that I am pregnant!! Now I have time to learn what kind of mom I want to be. I'm really encouraged by the modeling the author and his wife are doing.
My dream is for my child to know and love God so strongly that every decision he makes will go through His filter! Jesus is a wonderful example of the life I want to lead my child in. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, forgave sinners even as he was dying! This book is a great conversation starter. I was so encouraged to read the author bringing in Jesus to their child's life.
The dad would ask what do you think Jesus would want you to do? This is an upbringing I've always dreamed of!! I love Jesus and I want nothing more then to be obedient to him. I would have loved Jesus to have been brought in to our conversations. The reality is this this Thanksgiving there is a man without his family around to celebrate. That man is my earthly dad.
My earthly dad worked hard to perform. He is still performing and trying desperatley to gain approval. This is very tragic. No one should live like that! If you're ideal world is one with fake joy and no dreams for something bigger that is sad indeed. Real life is not a Christmas display it's people, hearts, and memories you make, it's the struggles you face but come out stronger in the end. Now he's alone not by my choice. This has been a long journey and I'm seeing the fruit of obedience.I had to take a very painful step last July. It was the hardest decision I've ever made! It left me shattered. This is not what a family should look like I thought. I shouldn't have to do this. I had to sign a restraining order against my dad. Like I said it was the hardest decision of my life. I cried severely the next morning. Reality hits me hard sometimes but I have a PRICELESS gift! I have hope! Hope that God changed the landscape of my life!
I'm a married woman, we just found out we're parents and we have an amazing support network of believers that love us like crazy! There's days I wonder how I could be so blessed! I love every single moment of my life now! I wouldn't trade anything. I love my husband to no end, would die for him easily, I'd take a bullet for any one of my friends, I'm seeing the fruits of my labor with the students I work with and individuals. I am breaking the need to perform to be loved. My dad wrote that I don't earn the words I love you. How sad. What child should work to gain their parent's love?
The kind of mom I will be is a never give-up kind. No matter what my son does I will never stop loving him. I am committed to raising him with love that is unconditional. He will never have to work to earn my love because as a mom ordained by God to show him Christ's love I will freely give it! I will never leave a day that my son will not hear I love you! Even if we don't talk everyday I will never make him question my love for him. I will pray for him as I do now. I will teach him the ways of the Lord. My husband and I will raise him in a home that seeks to train him to seek his eternal home. I will offer him hope as this world grows darker. Most importantly I won't give up. I will never forfeit my role as a parent. The last thing I ever want to do is let him down.
Please hold the Putneys in your prayers as we prepare for this journey and adventure in our lives. Thank you for all of you who have supported us in all the amazing ways with showing us your love. We love you!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!!
Tina Putney
My dream is for my child to know and love God so strongly that every decision he makes will go through His filter! Jesus is a wonderful example of the life I want to lead my child in. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, forgave sinners even as he was dying! This book is a great conversation starter. I was so encouraged to read the author bringing in Jesus to their child's life.
The dad would ask what do you think Jesus would want you to do? This is an upbringing I've always dreamed of!! I love Jesus and I want nothing more then to be obedient to him. I would have loved Jesus to have been brought in to our conversations. The reality is this this Thanksgiving there is a man without his family around to celebrate. That man is my earthly dad.
My earthly dad worked hard to perform. He is still performing and trying desperatley to gain approval. This is very tragic. No one should live like that! If you're ideal world is one with fake joy and no dreams for something bigger that is sad indeed. Real life is not a Christmas display it's people, hearts, and memories you make, it's the struggles you face but come out stronger in the end. Now he's alone not by my choice. This has been a long journey and I'm seeing the fruit of obedience.I had to take a very painful step last July. It was the hardest decision I've ever made! It left me shattered. This is not what a family should look like I thought. I shouldn't have to do this. I had to sign a restraining order against my dad. Like I said it was the hardest decision of my life. I cried severely the next morning. Reality hits me hard sometimes but I have a PRICELESS gift! I have hope! Hope that God changed the landscape of my life!
I'm a married woman, we just found out we're parents and we have an amazing support network of believers that love us like crazy! There's days I wonder how I could be so blessed! I love every single moment of my life now! I wouldn't trade anything. I love my husband to no end, would die for him easily, I'd take a bullet for any one of my friends, I'm seeing the fruits of my labor with the students I work with and individuals. I am breaking the need to perform to be loved. My dad wrote that I don't earn the words I love you. How sad. What child should work to gain their parent's love?
The kind of mom I will be is a never give-up kind. No matter what my son does I will never stop loving him. I am committed to raising him with love that is unconditional. He will never have to work to earn my love because as a mom ordained by God to show him Christ's love I will freely give it! I will never leave a day that my son will not hear I love you! Even if we don't talk everyday I will never make him question my love for him. I will pray for him as I do now. I will teach him the ways of the Lord. My husband and I will raise him in a home that seeks to train him to seek his eternal home. I will offer him hope as this world grows darker. Most importantly I won't give up. I will never forfeit my role as a parent. The last thing I ever want to do is let him down.
Please hold the Putneys in your prayers as we prepare for this journey and adventure in our lives. Thank you for all of you who have supported us in all the amazing ways with showing us your love. We love you!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!!
Tina Putney
Lionesses raise their pride together!
I love this book!!!! I'm learning so much from it!!! This morning I learned that lionesses raise their young together!! This was really beautiful to me because I always dreamed of that! I always wanted to raise my children with sisters in Christ!! Lionesses learn to work together and that is so encouraging to me!
In our ministry God has been moving in all our hearts like crazy! We find ways all the time to support each other in what ever way we can!
Last Thursday night my husband and I were supposed to go the vision dinner at church. But what God placed on my heart was just to real for me not to share it with brothers and Father in Faith that we changed the plan for the night and hosted Sleepwaker instead!! It still amazes me what God has formed in us! We are really a family going through this journey of life together! In this Family you can be real. You don't have to perform for us to love you you just be who you are. My Spiritual Dad always tells me "just be you." We laugh we cry and we grow together. Much like my lioness sister. The pride sticks together! Just like our ministry is close the lionesses are constantly working together to protect the pride cubs. In our ministry we have lion cubs to protect. As the sole lioness in the ministry I will protect the cubs so to speak. There will be more cubs in the future of our ministry family and every single one needs protection! My prayer is God rises up more lioness sisters in this ministry so we can protect each other's "lion cubs" The time to learn from these majestic creatures is now!! I pray that we all have lioness sisters that will help us raise our lion cubs to be mighty lions and lionesses with a loud roar! Join the call!
Also the strategy of the lioness hunt fascinates me. Lionesses hunt together! When they are ready to hunt they strategically place themselves to be ready for their role in the hunt. One lioness scares the impala another is nearby and yet a third is close in range. You see they feed the same pride so they all have some significant role in providing for their cubs. No one role is any less significant and they will change from time to time. It's like my job, I am trained in all aspects of it because in any given day my lioness coworkers may need me to use my training for assistance. I need to know the routes so when a new staff drives I can get everyone where they need to be, I need to know holds in case my staff is being agressed at, I need to know medications so the individuals I serve are taken care of. In the hunt of the lioness we all have our roles and we must be ready for them to change!!
I'm learning not to fear the power God has placed in me! I'm learning that I am needed for the hunt! I play a significant part in the success of the hunt. You do too! Dear lioness sister will you take your post? Will you join the force of rising that is coming? The world can not wait it needs your heart, hands, feet and mind to act in the authority given to you by the Lion of the tribe of Judah Jesus Himself! Rise my beautiful lioness sister and stand full in the power you own inside of you! The future of the lion pride depends on it! Be blessed my sister!
From our Pride to Yours!
Tina Putney
In our ministry God has been moving in all our hearts like crazy! We find ways all the time to support each other in what ever way we can!
Last Thursday night my husband and I were supposed to go the vision dinner at church. But what God placed on my heart was just to real for me not to share it with brothers and Father in Faith that we changed the plan for the night and hosted Sleepwaker instead!! It still amazes me what God has formed in us! We are really a family going through this journey of life together! In this Family you can be real. You don't have to perform for us to love you you just be who you are. My Spiritual Dad always tells me "just be you." We laugh we cry and we grow together. Much like my lioness sister. The pride sticks together! Just like our ministry is close the lionesses are constantly working together to protect the pride cubs. In our ministry we have lion cubs to protect. As the sole lioness in the ministry I will protect the cubs so to speak. There will be more cubs in the future of our ministry family and every single one needs protection! My prayer is God rises up more lioness sisters in this ministry so we can protect each other's "lion cubs" The time to learn from these majestic creatures is now!! I pray that we all have lioness sisters that will help us raise our lion cubs to be mighty lions and lionesses with a loud roar! Join the call!
Also the strategy of the lioness hunt fascinates me. Lionesses hunt together! When they are ready to hunt they strategically place themselves to be ready for their role in the hunt. One lioness scares the impala another is nearby and yet a third is close in range. You see they feed the same pride so they all have some significant role in providing for their cubs. No one role is any less significant and they will change from time to time. It's like my job, I am trained in all aspects of it because in any given day my lioness coworkers may need me to use my training for assistance. I need to know the routes so when a new staff drives I can get everyone where they need to be, I need to know holds in case my staff is being agressed at, I need to know medications so the individuals I serve are taken care of. In the hunt of the lioness we all have our roles and we must be ready for them to change!!
I'm learning not to fear the power God has placed in me! I'm learning that I am needed for the hunt! I play a significant part in the success of the hunt. You do too! Dear lioness sister will you take your post? Will you join the force of rising that is coming? The world can not wait it needs your heart, hands, feet and mind to act in the authority given to you by the Lion of the tribe of Judah Jesus Himself! Rise my beautiful lioness sister and stand full in the power you own inside of you! The future of the lion pride depends on it! Be blessed my sister!
From our Pride to Yours!
Tina Putney
Approaching the throne!
Hello!
I've been reading Lioness Arising lately and it's a great book!! It's teaching me a lot about being a lioness. I don't know what it is about her but she never seems to stop amazing me! She's a beautiful creature and one I very much would love to be like.
The lioness has unmatched beauty in my opinion than all the animals that roam the earth. No one is as majestic and beautiful as she. That's why I have the lioness as my cover picture on my Facebook page. I'm literally captivated by her every time!!!
In this book we are called to arise and be the woman we're called to be. Let me say this. Woman out there YOU ARE GOD'S SOLUTION! In the story of Adam and Eve God created Eve for Adam because he saw that man needed a companion someone who would love him and support him and bring him life. To this we can see why Adam was given Eve. Eve is life giver, she births two sons with Adam. If God didn't care about our very needs he could have left Adam alone to roam the earth in all its splendor but he creates Eve. We know the story of Cain and Abel but we also can see God is faithful to Eve and keeps his promises. He gives her more sons to help her cope with the loss of her first two one by death the other by choice.
As a wife now I see this very important role and dynamic playing out. There's things I can see that my husband can't and vise versa. We need each other to keep the other accountable and continuing to pursue the task of following God's command. To me the lioness is that, she's a guarder of her mate and household.
In the book there was a story how people were trying to take a tracking device off a lion. Not knowing that the lioness was nearby they tranquilized the lion. Who but the lioness appeared! She stood between her mate and the men and they had to tranquilize her in order to get to him. While I'm not saving my husband from being tranquilized I am standing between him and forces that are threatening to attack or discourage him. Praying for my husband is the single most important protection I can provide. I want to be this lioness standing in front ready to take those arrows and so to speak "paw them down" It's not always easy but it's always necessary!
I think woman for a long time have gotten used to not having power or authority because of many reasons. Well God is telling me it's time we rise up and take power through Him and lead a massive revival of awakening the sleepers! We do it together! Instead of just the men leading we lead too! We have the power ladies to love like crazy and lead with that.
When you don't feel love every single day is an opportunity to put it into action!! Love is Action! God loved us so much that he Gave us his Only Son! He didn't just say I love them but I'm still going to let them figure it out! He sent Jesus! He teaches us all that we need to act, forgive, give, receive, pray and seek him like crazy.
I love panda bears but I don't want to be one! If I'm called to be a lioness then that's what I'm going to be! I pray that you will join me! Let's rise up to the courageous leaders we were always meant to be! Let's lead our hearts instead of let our feelings lead us! Let's all realize the power we were born with!
A vision I'd like to share is lionesses all over approaching Jesus's throne! We are those lionesses! Men don't check out here I also saw lions and lionesses together! It's time men and woman alike to seek God harder then you've ever done so before and go to him to seek HIS Identity in you! Let him rise you up out of the pit into his marvelous light! Let him restore all that is broken! Let him call you by name!
Let Jesus teach you how to roar!
We'll see you at the throne!
From our Family to yours
Tina Putney
I've been reading Lioness Arising lately and it's a great book!! It's teaching me a lot about being a lioness. I don't know what it is about her but she never seems to stop amazing me! She's a beautiful creature and one I very much would love to be like.
The lioness has unmatched beauty in my opinion than all the animals that roam the earth. No one is as majestic and beautiful as she. That's why I have the lioness as my cover picture on my Facebook page. I'm literally captivated by her every time!!!
In this book we are called to arise and be the woman we're called to be. Let me say this. Woman out there YOU ARE GOD'S SOLUTION! In the story of Adam and Eve God created Eve for Adam because he saw that man needed a companion someone who would love him and support him and bring him life. To this we can see why Adam was given Eve. Eve is life giver, she births two sons with Adam. If God didn't care about our very needs he could have left Adam alone to roam the earth in all its splendor but he creates Eve. We know the story of Cain and Abel but we also can see God is faithful to Eve and keeps his promises. He gives her more sons to help her cope with the loss of her first two one by death the other by choice.
As a wife now I see this very important role and dynamic playing out. There's things I can see that my husband can't and vise versa. We need each other to keep the other accountable and continuing to pursue the task of following God's command. To me the lioness is that, she's a guarder of her mate and household.
In the book there was a story how people were trying to take a tracking device off a lion. Not knowing that the lioness was nearby they tranquilized the lion. Who but the lioness appeared! She stood between her mate and the men and they had to tranquilize her in order to get to him. While I'm not saving my husband from being tranquilized I am standing between him and forces that are threatening to attack or discourage him. Praying for my husband is the single most important protection I can provide. I want to be this lioness standing in front ready to take those arrows and so to speak "paw them down" It's not always easy but it's always necessary!
I think woman for a long time have gotten used to not having power or authority because of many reasons. Well God is telling me it's time we rise up and take power through Him and lead a massive revival of awakening the sleepers! We do it together! Instead of just the men leading we lead too! We have the power ladies to love like crazy and lead with that.
When you don't feel love every single day is an opportunity to put it into action!! Love is Action! God loved us so much that he Gave us his Only Son! He didn't just say I love them but I'm still going to let them figure it out! He sent Jesus! He teaches us all that we need to act, forgive, give, receive, pray and seek him like crazy.
I love panda bears but I don't want to be one! If I'm called to be a lioness then that's what I'm going to be! I pray that you will join me! Let's rise up to the courageous leaders we were always meant to be! Let's lead our hearts instead of let our feelings lead us! Let's all realize the power we were born with!
A vision I'd like to share is lionesses all over approaching Jesus's throne! We are those lionesses! Men don't check out here I also saw lions and lionesses together! It's time men and woman alike to seek God harder then you've ever done so before and go to him to seek HIS Identity in you! Let him rise you up out of the pit into his marvelous light! Let him restore all that is broken! Let him call you by name!
Let Jesus teach you how to roar!
We'll see you at the throne!
From our Family to yours
Tina Putney
Fall Retreat and Beyond...
Here we are again learning more about who God is and who we are! Last weekend I was on a youth retreat with youth from our church and for me it was a powerful weekend! I learned a lot about who I was and am as Christ lives in me. I learned how to walk in that identity.
The leaders seemed to connect throughout the weekend that was really awesome to see. I as a new youth leader got to experience my first retreat with youth. Last year when I was serving with AmeriCorps I got to go on an overnight trip with summer school students. That trip was just a glimpse of what this retreat was going to be!
The theme for retreat was secret identity and how to live it out. We found out who we were who Christ is and what Christ desires for us. The most impactful question to me was "I made you in my image now what are you going to do with that?" Good question huh? It's a true assessment of who we want to be. I ask and answer that question everyday to myself.
God has given me a heart for people with disabilities. I was at a church plant meeting at NCU tonight and walked into an amazing ministry opportunity with people with disabilities. Not only do I now get to work with them in their day treatment and homes but I also get to see people worship at church! I'm so excited to be a part of this! Coming back form retreat I want to make it my mission to live out my identity 100 percent of the time. I don't want to lose my identity. So what's my identity?
It really comes down to love and be loved. I was born to show love and I was born to feel loved. Many know my empathetic heart, you can't be around me to long and not see that my heart breaks for a lot of topics, circumstances and life situations. It especially breaks for any oppression and injustice. Last weekend I was able to love the youth of our church now I get to love anyone God places in my path and so do you!
At the meeting tonight God told me to pray over someone and I did. The man immediately felt and looked better. God is a great God! He connects people with the strangest and often times hardest backgrounds and he really does make it beautiful. When we think we've gone to far and there's just no hope for anyone to love us God will continually show me and so many others that He Has No Limit! He will never stop pursuing us! He will let us make the choice to love him and respect what we decide but in the end No one can love you more!
God has given each one of us an identity because he loves each and every single one of us! He sees beauty when we see a disaster. When we look at the temporary he looks at the Eternal. I hope and pray that we could all seek our Father and let him reveal our identities and let him teach us how to work within them!
Love you and I am praying that God reveals Himself to you and shows you who You are in Him!
From our Family to Yours
Tina Putney
The leaders seemed to connect throughout the weekend that was really awesome to see. I as a new youth leader got to experience my first retreat with youth. Last year when I was serving with AmeriCorps I got to go on an overnight trip with summer school students. That trip was just a glimpse of what this retreat was going to be!
The theme for retreat was secret identity and how to live it out. We found out who we were who Christ is and what Christ desires for us. The most impactful question to me was "I made you in my image now what are you going to do with that?" Good question huh? It's a true assessment of who we want to be. I ask and answer that question everyday to myself.
God has given me a heart for people with disabilities. I was at a church plant meeting at NCU tonight and walked into an amazing ministry opportunity with people with disabilities. Not only do I now get to work with them in their day treatment and homes but I also get to see people worship at church! I'm so excited to be a part of this! Coming back form retreat I want to make it my mission to live out my identity 100 percent of the time. I don't want to lose my identity. So what's my identity?
It really comes down to love and be loved. I was born to show love and I was born to feel loved. Many know my empathetic heart, you can't be around me to long and not see that my heart breaks for a lot of topics, circumstances and life situations. It especially breaks for any oppression and injustice. Last weekend I was able to love the youth of our church now I get to love anyone God places in my path and so do you!
At the meeting tonight God told me to pray over someone and I did. The man immediately felt and looked better. God is a great God! He connects people with the strangest and often times hardest backgrounds and he really does make it beautiful. When we think we've gone to far and there's just no hope for anyone to love us God will continually show me and so many others that He Has No Limit! He will never stop pursuing us! He will let us make the choice to love him and respect what we decide but in the end No one can love you more!
God has given each one of us an identity because he loves each and every single one of us! He sees beauty when we see a disaster. When we look at the temporary he looks at the Eternal. I hope and pray that we could all seek our Father and let him reveal our identities and let him teach us how to work within them!
Love you and I am praying that God reveals Himself to you and shows you who You are in Him!
From our Family to Yours
Tina Putney
Lessons learned
Wow! what a weekend!
First of all I want to start with Thank you to everyone that prayed, cooked dinner, drove us to Wisconsin to see our dad this weekend! Having so many people concerned about us and our family really touched my heart!
My father-in-law had a heart attack on Friday night! Man that was a shock to my system and also Zechariah's! We had a wonderful Friday picnic at Como Zoo. Then we were talking about going to a concert and at about 7pm our night changed.
Getting that phone call was tough. It forced me to realize that my father-in-law was sick and in the hospital. He's an amazing man and always seemed strong to me. But even the strong have moments of weakness. He drove himself to the ER with Mica. He was more concerned about her then himself. This is my father-in-law. He's an amazing man that has a big heart. Zechariah is so much like him and it makes me smile when I think about it!
I think the worst part about the weekend was not knowing what would happen. My father-in-law said he was ready to go if he need to but we weren't ready just yet! We were in contact with our family all weekend but that night I barely slept. My mind was racing all night. I'm sure many felt the same way. However through this I learned alot about trusting in God and seeing His love!
Immediately after we talked to Cheryl we were letting people know what happened. I had no idea so many people would respond so quickly and with such heartfelt compassion. As many of you know I see visions alot, mainly of Heaven. That night I saw numerous visions of what could've happened. This made it hard to trust God with the result because of how real the situation was. At any moment any one of them could've come to fruition. The most beautiful blessing is that not one did!
God showed me how to just trust in Him. He showed me that He has my family and He only will work for our good. He's a wonderful Daddy! I'm coming to love him so much more with each day. Last week God showed me a vision of laying at his feet.
I was just laying at his feet and someone was talking to Him. In that vision Jesus said "She's waiting for me to notice her what she doesn't realize is that I already have." I'm sure we've all felt as if God maybe doesn't notice us anymore or maybe he's just to busy to care for us, this vision taught me that HE Does notice us at EVERY moment. We don't have to wait for him to notice us He Already has!
In church yesterday as I was worshiping I saw a beautiful vision. The ministry team was in a cave when all of a sudden the wall from the cave was falling down. I heard God say "This is what I'm doing to this church. Taking the walls down." He wants us to come to a point where we lay ourselves down, lay down traditions, lay our troubles and burdens at his feet and worship with our whole hearts! That's what we are learning at Sleepwaker Ministries. God is not ok with complacent hearts he wants willing hearts. The Christian walk is not easy. There's alot of trials, tribulations and persecutions we have to face but in the end we win!
Yesterday we went to our home church for the first time since we got married. The message was wonderful and made an impact as it always has at Valleybrook. As the pastors were preaching all I could think about was how loved I am. This was the place where I found love! Jesus pierced my heart right here! In an old movie theater in Eau Claire, WI. I'll never forget this place and I am the woman I am today because of my time there. My husband says he was touched by how many people came to him asking about his dad and telling him they prayed for him. This is what church is supposed to look like! This is what it's supposed to do. When one suffers they body suffers.
I think God's calling us out of ourselves and out of buildings into the very hearts of those that congregate with us! He shows us with each day how we can show more love to our neighbor, family, friends, coworkers and even ourselves. When we lay everything down that's when we really pick up what life's about. We're here to love as many as we can back to the arms of Daddy! He wants to love us so we can love them. He wants to build our faith so we can build thiers! Something I think about alot is what if you have an angel sitting next to you and we miss it? What if we miss a golden opportunity to show love, spread love, ignite love. or even seek love?
To our dear friends and family I pray that I never miss an opportunity to show you how much I love you! You're in my thoughts and prayers every day! You are a blessing to me in ways I'll never be able to show or tell. I pray that with my actions you will get a hold of that. Meeting you has been truly life changing and you all hold a special place in my heart!
From our Family to Yours
I love you
Tina Martina Putney
First of all I want to start with Thank you to everyone that prayed, cooked dinner, drove us to Wisconsin to see our dad this weekend! Having so many people concerned about us and our family really touched my heart!
My father-in-law had a heart attack on Friday night! Man that was a shock to my system and also Zechariah's! We had a wonderful Friday picnic at Como Zoo. Then we were talking about going to a concert and at about 7pm our night changed.
Getting that phone call was tough. It forced me to realize that my father-in-law was sick and in the hospital. He's an amazing man and always seemed strong to me. But even the strong have moments of weakness. He drove himself to the ER with Mica. He was more concerned about her then himself. This is my father-in-law. He's an amazing man that has a big heart. Zechariah is so much like him and it makes me smile when I think about it!
I think the worst part about the weekend was not knowing what would happen. My father-in-law said he was ready to go if he need to but we weren't ready just yet! We were in contact with our family all weekend but that night I barely slept. My mind was racing all night. I'm sure many felt the same way. However through this I learned alot about trusting in God and seeing His love!
Immediately after we talked to Cheryl we were letting people know what happened. I had no idea so many people would respond so quickly and with such heartfelt compassion. As many of you know I see visions alot, mainly of Heaven. That night I saw numerous visions of what could've happened. This made it hard to trust God with the result because of how real the situation was. At any moment any one of them could've come to fruition. The most beautiful blessing is that not one did!
God showed me how to just trust in Him. He showed me that He has my family and He only will work for our good. He's a wonderful Daddy! I'm coming to love him so much more with each day. Last week God showed me a vision of laying at his feet.
I was just laying at his feet and someone was talking to Him. In that vision Jesus said "She's waiting for me to notice her what she doesn't realize is that I already have." I'm sure we've all felt as if God maybe doesn't notice us anymore or maybe he's just to busy to care for us, this vision taught me that HE Does notice us at EVERY moment. We don't have to wait for him to notice us He Already has!
In church yesterday as I was worshiping I saw a beautiful vision. The ministry team was in a cave when all of a sudden the wall from the cave was falling down. I heard God say "This is what I'm doing to this church. Taking the walls down." He wants us to come to a point where we lay ourselves down, lay down traditions, lay our troubles and burdens at his feet and worship with our whole hearts! That's what we are learning at Sleepwaker Ministries. God is not ok with complacent hearts he wants willing hearts. The Christian walk is not easy. There's alot of trials, tribulations and persecutions we have to face but in the end we win!
Yesterday we went to our home church for the first time since we got married. The message was wonderful and made an impact as it always has at Valleybrook. As the pastors were preaching all I could think about was how loved I am. This was the place where I found love! Jesus pierced my heart right here! In an old movie theater in Eau Claire, WI. I'll never forget this place and I am the woman I am today because of my time there. My husband says he was touched by how many people came to him asking about his dad and telling him they prayed for him. This is what church is supposed to look like! This is what it's supposed to do. When one suffers they body suffers.
I think God's calling us out of ourselves and out of buildings into the very hearts of those that congregate with us! He shows us with each day how we can show more love to our neighbor, family, friends, coworkers and even ourselves. When we lay everything down that's when we really pick up what life's about. We're here to love as many as we can back to the arms of Daddy! He wants to love us so we can love them. He wants to build our faith so we can build thiers! Something I think about alot is what if you have an angel sitting next to you and we miss it? What if we miss a golden opportunity to show love, spread love, ignite love. or even seek love?
To our dear friends and family I pray that I never miss an opportunity to show you how much I love you! You're in my thoughts and prayers every day! You are a blessing to me in ways I'll never be able to show or tell. I pray that with my actions you will get a hold of that. Meeting you has been truly life changing and you all hold a special place in my heart!
From our Family to Yours
I love you
Tina Martina Putney