2006-12-30 - 6:58 p.m. - Christmas Letter

Friends & Family,

What a year this has been for me! January did not go well for me, personally. Work, while I enjoyed sales & found it to match my personality well, was not as productive as I had hoped. I became increasingly frustrated with the lack of PROGRESS in many areas of my life and I fell into an emotional depression. BUT GOD, (How many times in the Bible do you read about some serious trial or some dire prediction and then come those two grace-filled words, BUT GOD?) had something planned for me.

I¡¦d been attending High Point Church since Christmas of 2004, but at the end of 2005, I had finally gotten plugged into a small group & had begun the membership classes. They offered the classes on CD, so as I was out driving from sales call to sales call, I would listen to teaching on faith, tithing, walking in victory, salvation, evangelism, prayer, fasting, etc. It didn¡¦t take long for me to realize that growth was occurring in my spiritual life¡Kprobably for the first time in years. On 2/5/06, Pastor preached a stirring message that if you¡¦re in the midst of trials and problems, READ THE WORD. He asserted that if you just step out in faith and read faithfully, God would reward you. I prayed that God would give me a hunger & thirst for His Word and that it wouldn¡¦t be so dry. You see, I¡¦ve read the Bible all my life. I figured I knew it all and that there couldn¡¦t possibly be anything in it that would still speak to me. HA! Still, I¡¦m nothing if not determined, and if Pastor insisted so vehemently that it would help, then I might as well give it a whirl. I set my alarm and got up 30 minutes earlier each morning to faithfully read my Bible & pray. That first week was HARD. I didn¡¦t feel like I was getting anything out of it, but kept plugging away out of obedience to what I knew to be truth. On 2/12/06, Pastor gave an alter call for all those people who needed to be delivered from addictions. He started off talking about drugs & liquor, but then he went to meddling. Said those who are addicted to a relationship, come down! :o My mouth dropped & I knew instantly, that I had been placing MAN above God in my life. I needed to be set-free of the hold of that relationship on my heart & life. I went down to receive prayer & as I was standing there praying for the deliverance of those around me, out of my stomach came these words¡K..I can¡¦t explain it, but I KNEW instantly, that I had been set free and God was confirming the indwelling of His Spirit in me by giving me a personal monument, the ability to speak in other tongues. !!!

All my life, I¡¦ve been exposed to tongues. My parents were Pentecostal preachers during the 70¡¦s and we have always attended Spirit-Filled churches. I remember being envious of my siblings because they came back from youth camp talking about their ability to speak in tongues. Me? Never got it. Felt left-out, jealous, and not a little less-than because of it. I had bought into the lie that that it just wasn¡¦t for everyone. Even justified it by saying that God knew my faith strong enough to not need the extra power that came from being filled with the Holy Spirit! HA! What rationalizations we humans come up with to try to put God in a box to conform to our experiences, rather than pressing on towards God¡¦s best.

God has continued to work in my life. Growing me up, showing me a new way of thinking and giving me POWER to my convictions. My convictions are less about what I ¡§should¡¨ do or feel, and more about what I ¡§want¡¨ or who I am. Not claiming perfection. Oh, no! God keeps me humble by testing out the goods consistently. But all year long, He has been strengthening me, leading me, opening my eyes to thoughts, ideas, actions, people that need to be re-examined or removed. He¡¦s changed my job, my family, ME this year. If anyone had told me the changes that would occur and the growth that I would experience, I would not have been able to comprehend it! I thank Him that He loves me too much to let me be! HA!

The girls are really good! Since I¡¦m reading the Bible to them at nights and really being the spiritual head of our house, Natalie¡¦s behavior has improved 100% and, though we still have trying days, she is doing so much better this school year. Bekah asks all the hard theological questions that make me study and think through what I¡¦m reading to them¡K.though some nights, I confess I just tell her to ¡§ask Pa¡¨. HA! Bekah is in a select choir, Southwest Children¡¦s Chorus, and has been doing a lot of concerts. They sang at the Majestic during the Moscow Ballet¡¦s performances of the Nutcracker! What an honor for them, and what a voice she¡¦s growing into! Next summer, she¡¦s going on tour with the choir to all over the western United States! ƒº

We¡¦re still living with Mom & Dad, but things are shifting in that. I almost think God wants me to step out in faith and let Him provide¡Kafter all, that¡¦s what a Husband does¡Khe provides for and takes care of his Bride. I believe that the power of God¡¦s Spirit is moving things around, tearing down high places and leveling the low ones. I believe that He is calling my generation of Christians to GROW UP spiritually. The day is coming when the seasoned old saints that have kept the American Church going for the last 30 years are going to all have passed away. The Baby Boomers are still living the anti-authority of the 60s and don¡¦t know how to submit to God or to accept the authority He places over them. I believe that God is moving in the Gen-Xers to raise up mighty preachers, prayer warriors and leaders who will do war against the ¡§powers & principalities of the unseen world¡¨. In order for us to be ready when the war comes, He is leading us through a period of training, a spiritual boot-camp. As our faith is grown & strengthened, we will be moved into the gaps to take over the leadership.

Merry Christmas All!
~~Hannah, Rebekah & Natalie