Redding/BSSM update

These weeks in Redding, attending Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, are intense, overwhelming and extremely good! I don't have a lot of time to e-mail, blog or give another way of updating, but I try to post an update at least once a week. I'll share some parts of my journal, but because it's called the -world wide web- for a reason (everybody can read it) I won't share the real deep stuff. If you want to know how I'm really doing, please e-mail or comment so we can Skype!

Judie and I also wrote a post on our Dutch blog:
 http://judieeline.blogspot.com/2012/10/onze-eerste-maand-in-redding.html

Summary of week 15-21 September: 

Let me share something I wrote on a Friday after week tree in the USA. I was trying to summarize the things I've learned in the first two weeks of school: 

 The things I learned this week: (quotes, highlights and revelations:) 

• ·       Importance of being aware of Gods presence.
  “You can’t be aware of My presence, when you’re too aware of other people.” 
• ·         Accountability and community.
   ‘Learn to trust someone more than you trust yourself.”
   I am not an island, I have to grow horizontally too if  I want to grow vertically.
• ·         Royal identity versus poverty mentality. I can imitate God the best when I’m myself.
  “To know me is to love me, if you don’t love me, that’s just because you don’t know me.”
  “We teach people how to treat us by the way we treat ourselves.”
• ·         “When you put a pauper in a palace, he will make the palace a prision. But if you put a princess in a prison, she will transform the prison into a palace. You always reproduce the Kingdom around you that you have within you.”
• ·         “There are a lot of people who do so they can be, instead of do out of their being”
• ·         “There is a difference between normal and common. A lot of common things are not normal.
• ·         The will of God:
  “Make sure you’re full of the will of God, otherwise you get hungry for people’s applause.”
• ·         Creativity/gifts: A lot of my gifts are received but unused, because they are still wrapped up in fear. 

Retreat: waterfall of grace

This retreat was all about receiving. God wants me to be humble enough to receive from others and be surrendered enough to receive from God. It felt as a huge relief when I finally got it: I don't have to be strong all the time, I can admit that I also need help. Even if the problems of others might be bigger, that doesn't make my problems smaller. God showed me that I first need to learn how to receive before He can do anything else this year.

The poem of the waterfall tells the best what I experienced spiritually this retreat. I felt like God pulled me in His waterfall of grace. He gave me 29 prophetic words, 2 major breakthroughs, an amazing encounter with Him and so many encouraging and inspiring conversations that I can’t even count them. People have been pouring into my identity, have encouraged me to do what God said me to do and helped me.

This retreat was also about discovering the amazing people of my Revival Group. He showed me the beautiful heart of the people around me. I am abundantly blessed!

Prophetic art: freedom instead of fear
One of the things that I really want to focus on this year is prophetic art. Prophetic art is creating art which shows Gods love or what He wants to say. I always loved art and creativity, but I was afraid to be an artist because of the fear of not being good enough. God is breaking off that fear and helping me to stand in freedom. Because of a lot of things my perspective changed from my inability to paint/create, to His ability to work through my creations/paintings. I'm still struggling with that fear sometimes, but I'm choosing to step out in faith in this area. I did a drama audition for my activation (outreach) and I was accepted. Every week I have a art class (AMT) too, where I learn how to bring Gods presence to paintings and some painting skills.  I also applied for the 'worship through art'-ministry and that will be extra curriculum for school this year. I'll be a part of a creative community of first year students, I'll have a mentor (experienced artist) who will help me as an aspiring artist and...  October 31 I'll be on stage painting during worship! I'm so scared and so excited, and I think that's a good combination to live life! I'll post some prophetic art pieces on my blog later.

Culture and community: gold diggers
I love the community I live in! It's a amazing community of gold diggers, people who are searching and showing the gold in people. My roommates, my neighbors and my Revival Group are all absolutely amazing people, full of fire, passion, purity and inspiration. They're so beautiful, inside and outside!
After school and in the weekends we're having worship nights, prophetic circles, spontaneous Holy Spirit nights, fun things and just quality time (besides the tons of homework/reading!). My Revival Group has an amazing encouraging atmosphere, and because of that I'm starting to loosen up and being myself and the RG begins to feel like family.

If I need to summarize how I'm doing I could say that I'm learning how to receive, live in community and I'm overwhelmingly blessed.  Sometimes I wonder how is it possible that every day is better than the day before! Amazing how very evening when I go to sleep I feel like a different person than I was when I woke up that day. I'm where I need to be, that's one of the best feelings in the world!