Keep The Weeds Out!!!

By Susanne Drawe
Cultivating a Heart After God Day 1
Gardening is a beautiful thing. I love how God made creation to be cultivated, His Life is never ending and it reminds me that I have that continual abundance of His Life in me! It is a beautiful reminder of His Love and Provision for us! But He also reminds us that Life still needs to be cultivated, grown and maintained. God created seed to be reproduced so we in the world can receive God’s best for us. As I work in our garden, He gently reminds me of Proverbs 4:23: Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. He reminds me of how vulnerable my heart is, and how precious it is to Him. As I am physically maintaining my garden on the outside, I am constantly searching for weeds in my own heart. Making sure there are no weeds of unforgiveness, out bursts of anger, bitterness, bad attitudes, bad thoughts that I have allowed to take or try to take root in my heart to keep me away from The Giver of Life. And as I go along my garden my Precious Lord reminds me of His Love, Grace, Mercy, His Blood, and His Word that can wash me clean. As I pick out the weeds of my heart, I am filled with gratefulness that He has His Word to take root in my heart. Ephesians 3:17: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love. My heart overflows with joy knowing that when I set my thoughts on Him, His Word and Love for me that the washing of His Word is filling those weed holes of pain, sadness, unforgiveness, out bursts of anger, bitterness, thoughts of the enemy which produces wrong words and actions. He gently reminds me of Colossians 3:3: For you died (to this world), and your (new Life, who I am in Christ) life is hidden with Christ in God. Galatians 2:20 AMP: I have been crucified with Christ (that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion); it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith (by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting) in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not ignore or nullify The (Gracious Gift of the) Grace of God ( His amazing, unmerited favor), for if righteousness comes through (observing) the Law, then Christ died needlessly. (His suffering and death would have had no purpose whatsoever)!!!! He has made everything available for us to keep up with repentance and to continually have a beautiful relationship with The Father, Who gave His own Son for us. Glory to God ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

Eye Salve To SEE

When you want to see something in the natural, you turn your eyes to it, look at it and you see it. You understand what you saw when your brain processes it. Seeing is an understanding! Now in the spiritual, you see something not necessarily by looking at it but by turning your spirit toward it, by thinking about it, and by giving it your awareness.

Faith is the processor of what you look at in the spirit as the brain is the processor for your earthly eyes.

“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen did not come from anything visible. Hebrews 11:3”

So in the spirit, you see something by turning your thoughts and awareness to it by faith but it’s the Holy Spirit who breathes life and SHOWS things to come. For example, right now you can do this activation, do you want to see into your future? By faith, turn your thoughts and awareness to this direction and look, wait to get understanding and revelation from Holy Spirit.

You can look by faith at anything, just anything!

What area do you need to look at in the spirit? YOU CAN SEE. And at the end, the greatest thing to look at is Jesus, the glory of God himself. You can see him, you can know him and you can interact with him. You can see your children in the spirit, it’s not spying, don’t be afraid because God will only show you what is allowed for you to see and know. Happy Seeing!

I will end by asking you how did prophet Elisha saw his servant Gehazi from a distance when he met Naaman the Assyrian to take stuff from him in private? Elisha told him “my heart was with you”! 2 Kings 5

Tony Francis

The seasons have changed!

By Cheryl Shepherd

This past season has been a whirlwind of ups and downs, wrongs and rights, perhaps a search for a deeper meaning or just prayers for the strength to hold on and navigate the stormy waters! 

Through all of the confusion of this past season, I won’t pretend to understand the purpose or meaning of it all,  but what has become clear is the many things that seem to have overshadowed the former peace and security we once enjoyed as a nation. 

As we grasp for understanding of the meaning behind it all,  I can’t help but feel the heavy weight of the shadow of darkness that has permeated our society.  A darkness that no one has escaped and has touched everyone on some level. 

I woke up this morning with a strong message to SAY GOODBYE!

Say goodbye to the past in preparation of a new and better tomorrow! Better, not in that it will be perfect or the same as the past but in preparation for what lies ahead! 

To everything there is a season and any attempt to hold onto summer in an effort to prevent the fall from coming is futile. I know because I’ve tried! 

Fall has come and there is no way to turn back time and go back to the fun and frivolousness of summer. But with the changing of the new season brings new experiences, new growth and a strength that can only come from completely letting go. Moving into and embracing the change instead of trying to hold onto the previous season is key to the fulfillment of our new journey. 

My husband and I were driving around a curvy narrow lake road when we came upon a baby doe wobbly on his feet, he must have been new born with his beautiful white spots reminding me of the stories of Bambi I loved as a child.  

It became disturbingly apparent that this little guy had no where to go as our car moved quickly toward him. There was only a tall fence between him and the car, and we knew he could never jump that high with his wobbly new legs. 

As we braced for the inevitable impact, my husband and I were in utter shock when we saw him go under the fence through a very small opening, no doubt I thought, called by his wise mother on the other side. 

We each have our own individual path. You may feel like during this season yours has come to an abrupt stop or you have hit a proverbial wall,  however I encourage you to look a bit further beyond this barrier…Is it impenetrable? 

I promise you, whatever barrier has been put before you, your Heavenly father has made a way through, around, below or above and He is calling you to follow His voice! Are you listening? 

Sometimes his voice is hard to hear through all of the chaos and confusion surrounding us, but he promises to guide you through his Holy Spirit if you just take time to listen. 

Quiet yourself and prepare for your new season! … Be still and know that I am God! Ps 143:8

It is with this that I say my final goodbye to this season. 

I embrace the inevitable change that the new season brings with it! 

I release and reject the soul wounds, strongholds and generational curses used by the enemy to keep me from moving forward in the assignment that has been given to me. 

I decree and declare God’s promise over everyone who reads this! 

My prayer for you is that you will join me in this “Goodbye Proclamation” and stand in unity together against the enemy’s plan to have ANY dominion in this new season!

Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters, Who brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power. They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick.

Do not remember the former things,

Nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. NLT

[Isa 43:15-19]

Let’s move into this new season without fear, sadness, regret or remorse but with an acceptance of what was, a complete faith in the deliverance and release of any barriers keeping us from moving forward, and an excited anticipation of a new hope for what is to come!

May God richly bless you and your loved ones in this NEW Season! 

Dreams of Comfort for the Brokenhearted

By Cheryl Shepherd

Have you ever received a dream that you knew was from God for the purpose of providing comfort during a particularly desperate time? If you’re a skeptic, based on my studies in Psychology and Sociology,  I certainly would have agreed before my mind was changed by a very incredible dream.

I was recently reminded, while listening to a story told by evangelist Perry Stone, of how drastically my mind was changed.

Perry spoke of a dream he had about a child that he and his wife had lost lost due to a miscarriage and that reminded me of my own similar experience. In his dream he had a very vivid picture of this precious little girl waiting to meet him in heaven.

What was especially touching about this story was the fact that years later, he came across someone who had painted a picture of this beautiful little girl, matching the little girl in his dream in complete detail down to the ragged stuffed animal she clung to! There were many more facets of the story that were certainly miraculous and reminded me of a time that brought to life a scripture that has become very dear to me. Psalms 34:18 says, the Lord is near to the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.

Twenty-one years ago I lost my son Billy’s identical twin brother Brandon, due to a rare condition called twin to twin transfusion syndrome.

While I can’t begin to imagine the grief experienced by a mother who has to say goodbye to a child at any age, the impact of this loss for me was a profound one in a different way, yet devastating just as any mother knows who has experienced never being able to meet or hold her unborn child.

At that time there was very little known about twin to twin transfusion syndrome or TTTS. It was explained to me that this was a rare condition that occurs only in identical twins that share the same placenta and transfuse blood through shared blood vessels.

While the prognosis was ironically slightly better for Brandon than Billy, they explained that there was no cure. While I could try to remove amniotic fluid to “buy some time”, (having done this immediately caused me to go into a premature labor), ultimately there was a 10 to 15% chance at best of either of the twins surviving.

At the time of my diagnosis of this rare condition I was about 5 months along and the prognosis for both twins was clearly very bleak. So much so in fact, it was strongly recommended that I abort both babies and “try again later for a healthy pregnancy”. This was not an option for me, so my husband and I returned home from the hospital feeling completely devastated and totally lost!

After crying out to God, I was contacted by a friend who told me about an experimental surgery that was being performed by only one surgeon in the world at that time. He was a surgeon from Venezuela who had developed a surgery that he was performing in Tampa, Florida. We were on the next plane to Tampa for this experimental laser fetal surgery.

The surgery itself went well however Brandon ultimately did not make it.


While this loss was was devastating, what was even more difficult was looking in the closet and seeing all of the twin outfits hanging side-by-side; wondering how I could ever possibly find the strength to take one of each of these outfits out of the closet to discard.

Even more difficult proved to be the required weekly ultrasounds. It was torture Putting on a happy face each week while we watched Billy growing and developing while seeing the lifeless little form of Brandon become smaller and smaller, slowing shrinking away along with all of the dreams of what life should have held for these precious twin boys.

The remainder of the pregnancy became a blur of anger, resentment, pleading, and bargaining with God for a miracle, followed by utter devastation as I reminded myself it was too late for a miracle! 

As Brandon became smaller in the weekly ultrasounds the void in my heart became larger and more encompassing. One day I couldn’t seem to keep from crying all day, I remember my husband sternly saying to me you have to stop this!! You have to be strong for Billy!! You can’t just keep mourning the loss of Brandon you have a healthy baby to think about!

I knew he was right and the guilt I felt was overwhelming! I didn’t know how to stop grieving! I knew I should be celebrating the precious healthy miracle I was carrying inside of me but how could I betray Brandon like that?

At that moment I cried out to God from a place of complete brokenness and asked Him to take away my grief and allow me to experience the joy of this precious miracle He had given me.

This is the moment I knew without a doubt that God was with me and His heart was broken along with mine! I could feel his arms of love around me; comforting me. 

I fell into a deep sleep and I had a dream that I know now, was a glimpse into heaven and the heavenly nursery of unborn babies that Perry Stone talked about in his video.

In my dream I looked through a window like you would see in a hospital infant nursery. What I saw brought about a healing that is hard to even put into words. I saw my sister-in-law Betty, who had tragically died years before, in a rocking chair holding Brandon and gently rocking him. When she noticed me there she looked up at me and had the most precious look on her face, I remember it like it was yesterday. 

Betty had been the only person I would trust with babysitting my older children. She had such a love for children beyond anyone I have ever known. I woke up with a clear image of the pure joy and pride Betty had in cuddling my little Brandon – a look that said he will be alright, I will take good care of him until you get here.

While it would be easy to argue that there was something subconscious or psychological that caused this dream, I know better! God came to me in my brokenness and my despair and He gave me a glimpse into heaven that I believe was very real and beyond just a simple dream.

On July 5, 1999 I gave birth to my twin boys. Celebrating my five pound healthy baby boy Billy, while saying my final goodbye to Brandon.

It was amazing to me that I had ever wondered if I would be able to look at my precious new little miracle without feeling this deep sorrow over the loss of the brother who looks exactly like him.  The truth of the matter is, I don’t believe I could have ever done this on my own.

Is God really there for the brokenhearted? You Bet He Is!!! I am living proof of this promise that he has given us all in His Holy word. 

I want you to know that if you are suffering from a loss today, and you feel there is no escape and no way out of your pain, loneliness, and grief, He wants to bring you comfort- all you have to do is cry out to Him. He promises to be there! 

Cheryl Shepherd

2020FullCircle vision@gmail.com

Perry Stones’s story title “The unborn in Heaven” can be found at:

https://youtu.be/95f_sUTEJKs

Experiencing Grief

By Cheryl Shepherd

Grief is such a strange thing. It seems to know just how much we can handle of it before we will crumble beneath it’s weight.

It shows up suddenly and ever so quietly leaving a wake of shocking raw emotion, then…dissipates into a million pieces, attached to the memories it came with and returning us once again to our previous state… 

-numbness

-denial

-anger

-fear

-regret

…but little by little, doing the job it came to accomplish – forcing us to heal – forcing us to take one more step forward, toward becoming a shadow of who we were before the loss or perhaps who we are meant to be in spite of it.  

We need strength for embracing these times of complete weakness. 

We must be strong and resilient under these unbearable circumstances. One devastating wave after another; one hopeless day after another – Some days ending in an all encompassing fear that we could have never imagined – yet somehow we are not broken. 

It takes great strength to allow grief to take its time in doing what it came to do. 

It takes courage to take care of yourself while being the rock for those who rely on you, in the midst of the brokenness and sorrow. 

Still, we must hold on to hope and allow healing, no matter how painful and at times seemingly pointless. 

 

We must forge ahead for ourselves and for those we love. 

If you are reading this and you have suffered a loss, I know you don’t feel strong in this moment but you ARE strong – you ARE resilient and you WILL survive this…even if only to provide a small ray of hope for someone traveling this desolate path; just to say “you are not alone”. 

You must live life as normal as you can in the wake of such turmoil and sadness.  You must get up each day…wash your face – feel the sunshine on your skin – talk to God – yell at God (He understands), cry and though it may be the most empty words you will ever speak…say “thank you Lord for this day and for the the strength you have given me to make it to tomorrow.”

Then, when tomorrow comes …start the process again. It will get easier. 

And when it would appear that all hope is lost – keep fighting and persevere! Remember you are a conquerer in the greatest battle anyone can face! 

You have suffered a great loss and while it’s true, you may no longer be whole and perhaps you feel that you will never be whole again; you are now an unwilling member of a group of warriors;

-wounded from battle but mending;

-hurting but healing; 

-broken yet finding strength; 

-defeated but continuing to fight this battle to its completion…wherever that may lead.

Above all, please remember to ask God for strength when you feel gripped by the reality of how frightening this road ahead may seem. Allow those who create the interwoven fabric of your life, to support you and continue to push you forward through the blinding pain in the midst of these darkest of moments. 

And when grief has finally done it’s job… you will find the ability to 

-grasp a moment to reflect on a memory 

-a moment to appreciate

-and yes; even a moment to laugh. This will bring healing to your soul.                           

May you be fearless in stepping out and living a life worthy of the memory of your dear loved one.