Into the glorious unknown...: 2011

So what about you? Do you think that you might be called to step out of your comfort zone? Do you think the Lord is calling you to minister to the orphan, widow, captive, etc., but you are unsure how to do that, or what that looks like? Maybe, just maybe you should be going on this trip too. Check out the following taken from their media kit (If you click on the images they will enlarge) and see if maybe the Lord is calling you to take this trip or one like it. Blessings!

BE HERE NOW from blaine hogan on Vimeo.

We pretend sex isn't something deeper than the physical. After all, TV tells us that we should be having sex with as many people as we can, love 'em and leave 'em. But the truth is God made sex so we could be intimate and intertwined with another person, one other person, our mate. It isn't just physical ties that happens during sex its soul ties as well. Sex was never meant to be purely physical, it is also a joining, or tieing together of souls whether you'd like to admit that or not. Our hyper-sexualized society has brought us nothing but sorrow, pain and baggage. It's about time we respected sex and treated it as something sacred and beautiful, but recognize that when it is taken out if the context it was meant for it can be destructive and dangerous.

Watch this. This is some good truth right here:

The Lord is raising up an army to go out and set the captives free and heal the broken hearted. Through the power of Jesus' name they will break every chain. It's not a hope, it's a promise, it's prophetic. Walk in this truth, break chains, heal broken hearts, set the captives free. Freedom Lord!

Oh I love God's sense of humor. Did you know that he the funniest practical joker, ever? Well he is and I know that I have been involved or at the center of some of those jokes and all I can do is laugh. Here is a story of one of those "practical jokes".

It all started about a year ago when I was training for my first 5K and had my Zune (for those unfamiliar, this is the Microsoft version of the iPod) working overtime. Every time I would go for a run I would put my player on shuffle to experience some music I hadn't heard for awhile in the far reaches of my library. One such day I was in my cool down walking back to my house when I heard a man's voice with a heavy Irish, or was it Scottish accent come through my ear buds. My first thought was "why is Shrek on my Zune", I immediately looked at my player to find out who this was and found I was listening to some guy named Graham Cooke. I was perplexed since I had no clue who he was and how he got on my Zune. I assumed that someone must have given me a bunch of his sermons/meditations and I unknowingly downloaded them onto my Zune. Regardless of how he got there I was blessed through his words that day and really enjoyed the truth he was speaking into me. Since that first day I have tried to figure out how he got on my Zune I tried tracking down free pod casts from Graham at my usual haunts but come up empty handed. I've asked people I suspect would have given me his sermons/Way of the Warrior, and they aren't even familiar with him. If you gave this to me do me a favor and don't tell me, I like the mystery, and the inside joke between me and the Father, well and you now too. The other funny thing is I cannot even find Graham Cooke on my Zune when I go to artist look up, and I've noticed that when he does come on, the artist and the song are obscure names, different every time. Hahaha! Crazy, and every time all I can do is laugh.

I had no idea then what the Lord would teach me through Graham Cooke and where he would bring me because of a man I've never met. This past year it seemed every time I put my player on shuffle Graham Cooke had something to say, and he had a word that was exactly what I needed to hear at the moment it was delivered. He has a series (that I apparently have) called Way of the Warrior. It's a collection of meditations, exhortations and prophetic words that he speaks out over the listener. This particular series has been affecting for me and I find myself repeating the tracks several times allowing the words to sink in and their meaning to go down deep. This dude is intense, spirit filled and gifted with prophetic words. Graham is big into identity, our identity in Christ, our unique identities. This is significant, because this past year God has been sealing my unique identity in Him. He has been refining my perception of how He has created me to become more like His perception of who I am to Him. Actually his sermon on identity is the only one I can find without fail on my player. I think God knew I would need to reference this sermon several times. Here are a couple points I really appreciated:

• When you know who you are then you know how you're supposed to live, both within yourself and towards the people around you.


• What you think about Jesus is the most important thing in the world.


• True identity is who we are on earth and how we are known in heaven. (personality (who we are on earth (shaped by upbringing, learned behavior), persona how we are known in heaven) Your persona known in heaven must be established on earth, it's who you are in the Kingdom. Your persona is an expression of God's image, it's the place of your acceptance, its the place where you are beloved and favored. It's how you are perceived perpetually in God and it becomes your adopted roll on earth.


• Your persona gives you legal authority over the enemy. Quit swanning around in the shallows and get into deep water because that's where your persona says you're supposed to be.


• When God shows up in our life and he calls us to a specific task he is introducing us to our persona as He defines it and that persona gives us and elevated status in the situation where we find ourselves.


• God loves your true identity, He loves to tell you who you are. When he introduces you to your true self he then relates to you in that way, always. From that time on he will only relate to your persona not your personality.


• Our personality is never equal to the task that you are called to. God hasn't called you to do something that is possible, reasonable or obtainable. The calling of God always makes you feel at odds with yourself (personality). You can carry on whining about your task, and you can make up all the lists of reasons why you can't do it and God needs to pick someone else, but all the things you think disqualify you do the opposite.


• Once God reveals to you your identity, your persona he will talk to you that way for the rest of your life. WE have some alignment to do. We have to embrace in full the persona of God, otherwise we will do nothing.

That's some good revelation right there. After almost a year of Graham Cooke's thoughts, words of revelation, and meditations, I decided that I wanted to hear him live. I thought to myself surely he will be coming through MN sometime, so I googled Graham Cooke+Minneapolis. Turns out he was here last spring for a conference and I'm not sure when he will be back, but there was a result for a book study, so I clicked on it. The book study was on Graham's book "Approaching the heart of prophecy" so I emailed and joined the group on a whim.

The first night of the study I went to this lady's apartment not really knowing what to expect. I didn't know these people, I had never met them, but I did know Graham Cooke (well sort of) and I was eager to read his thoughts and insight into prophecy and see what the Lord had for me. This was becoming a scavenger hunt and the key word seemed to be Graham Cooke. I was the second youngest woman there and as I sat there listening to the other women introduce themselves and share their hearts I felt right at home. I love that, the community that we have instantly with other believers. After that first night I was able to chat with the 2 leaders a mother and a daughter, and we found out that I actually went to high school with the daughter. Small world eh? I also got to share with them a little about my upcoming trip with the World Race, and they were very encouraging. In fact 2 weeks later (the next time we met) the mother of the duo wrote me a letter with some unknowing prophetic and strategic prayer. We each drew a name of someone else in the group before we left that night, to pray for and ask the Lord to reveal any words he might have for them. She had my name and her prayers for me we spot on. I love how God uses his church to edify one another and encourage one another and intercede for one another. It's incredible.

It's only been about a month now and we've only gotten a couple chapters into the book but God is already using this group and Graham Cooke once more to grow my faith and grow me in the prophetic.

Graham Cooke isn't the point of this past year, he was and is only the messenger and a strategic mouth piece for the Lord in my life. The Lord had his agenda with me and Graham Cooke was an unknowing player in His plan to teach me some pretty amazing things. So thanks Graham Cooke for allowing the Lord to speak through you, and God thanks for the laughs. Keep 'em coming. I can't wait to see what you have in store for me next!

Last year at onething Jon Thurlow sang this song and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. Recently I've been meditating on it and thought I would share the powerful words with you all. SOAK IT UP!

I know your love is written on my heart and there is not a flood that could quench this love. Jesus you are indeed BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL! FAITHFUL! FAITHFUL!

It's finally done!! Check out the trailer below:

Nefarious: Merchant of Souls Official Trailer from Exodus Cry on Vimeo.

Ok, so I had never even heard of this mysterious creature called a "chupacabra" until I lived in Mexico, but now it seems like every other day there is a headline on my AOL homepage about this mythical creature. This thing is probably the ugliest thing I have ever seen, but it never seems to look the same when I pull up the picture. Maybe the creature varies in appearance across the regions it's found? Strange. However, I recently came across a report and picture of one that was found here in Minnesota and I have to say its probably the ugliest of all the chupacabras I have seen. Well Minnesota I guess we drew the short end of the stick when it comes to chupacabra species.

Love on Me a little longer. This moment is too sweet. You don't have to do a thing. Simply be with me. Because I'm in love with you.

I have been working these past few months with 2 great organizations to put on a fantastic historic event: Demand Change Project. I respect MATTOO and Breaking Free for the way they are blazing new trails in abolishing human trafficking.

MATTOO which stands for Men Against The Trafficking Of Others, is an organization that is monumental and hitting this issue where it will damage it the most: the demand. I know that may sound harsh, but to be honest men comprise the majority of those who are driving the demand. MATTOO is educating, sounding the alarm and rallying men to come together and come against this issue. They are asking men to step out and promise not to agree with sex trafficking or human trafficking on any level. This means not participating on any level from pornography, which is a gateway activity, all the way to purchasing a woman for sex. I am blown away by their work and I am so grateful for them and for the men who are taking a stand. Bravo to you.

Breaking Free. I can't say enough about this organization, they are so committed to those who society turns their backs on. They love those who are the broken, the bitter, the numb, ...the prostituted. They know most of these women and children do not choose to do the activities they are doing. They know these women are slaves to those who "own" them, they know that these women and children don't have a voice to speak up about what is happening to them. They are their advocates and arms that hold them loveingly when no one else will.

Anyway, these two organizations have come together to put on a "never-been-done-before" event here in St.Paul Minnesota, May 13-14. The first annual Demand Change Project is a groundbreaking event for the purpose of educating and engaging men to decrease the demand for commercial sex and unite the women’s and men’s anti-human trafficking movements, to come together as a united front against the selling of human beings.

The weekend will include an Abolitionist Seminar (where Melissa Farley will be speaking), a VIP launch party with leading national and international abolitionists, panel discussions with survivors and public officials/law enforcement, a men’s march/walk at the Capital with MATTOO, a women’s marketplace and rally to greet the men on the march, and for the finale – the Breaking Free Benefit Victory Concert with Nicole C. Mullen.

Watch the video for more information.

Or visit the wesite: http://www.demandchangeproject.org/home.html

1. As a U of M alumni, I will always be a Golden Gopher. Ski-U-Mah!


2. I will always have a weakness for hockey players and men in plaid flannel wielding an ax


3. The smell of campfire and pine on a warm breeze off the lake, or on a cool wind in mid December will forever be one of my favorite scents.


4. The eerie call of the loon from across the lake as the sun sinks low in the sky.


5. The brilliant and surreal phenomenon of the Northern Lights (aurora borealis)


6. "The North Shore" will always be for me a unique oasis of memories, and delightful exploration of Lake Superior.


7. Camping in the north woods, huddled under blankets and hooded sweatshirts next to the campfire while listening to stories of summers past and plans for tomorrow to a soundtrack of owls, coyotes and crickets.


8. The Boundary Waters. A place of pure wilderness where your child's heart can once again be revived and your dream of adventure and discovery become realities as you step back in time and paddle and hike your way through a vast forest and chain of lakes.


9. The story of Paul Bunyan and his blue ox Babe will always bring a smile to my face.


10. Nordic skiing on a moon-lit trail


11. Sitting on the dock at a north woods cabin watching a summer storm roll in over the lake


12. Finding an isolated lake with waters as stills as glass, half expecting to see a moose wade in for a lazy soak.


13. Snow angels in my bathing suit, with a hot tub close at hand.


14. Uptown lakes. rollerblading, food discovery, and coffee sipping.


15. Hockey games


16. The Mississippi (I can't count how many times while crossing the famous river I've spelled that word forwards and backwards) :)


17. Potlucks


18. Paddling of any kind (canoe, kayak, etc.)


19. The endless system of bike trails through downtown Minneapolis, over the river, through the leafy neighborhoods, around the lakes and into the forest.


20. A summer afternoon next to the lake, shades on magazine open and a friend to chat with.


21. Hotdish


22. I can't say that snow and I have a love love relationship, but I cannot deny the beauty of a freshly fallen snow, or the peace of a snowfall especially at night. It seems the whole world is muffled as the white flakes drift daintily down. In the morning the whole world is transformed.


23. Boat rides on the lake, maybe a little tubing, and for those that are more coordinated than me: water skiing.


24. Fall in Minnesota is the best, hands down. If you are thinking of coming for a visit you definitely should stop over at the end of September beginning of October. The world is transformed into brilliant reds, golds, oranges and yellows.


25. The Minnesota State Fair. 12 days of bliss, eating anything you could desire on a stick, watching the Princess Kay of the Milky Way's likeness be carved into butter, the barns, the art, the shows, the preserves, the rickety rides, and the grease! My mouth is watering just typing this.


26. The Holidazle Parade. A night parade in the middle of November/December comprised of thousands of lights. Yes its cold, but totally worth it!


27. St. Paul Winter Carnival. Yep a carnival in the middle of winter, its great.


28. Aquatennial. Minneapolis' summer celebration.


29. Seeing a black bear with her cub in the wild and the hope that someday I will see my moose in the wild. Really, seeing any animal roaming free in the woods, is a real joy.


30. The miles and miles of hiking trails, next to rivers, waterfalls, lakes, and through the tall trees.


31. My family history.


32. My family, my friends, Faith Baptist Church.

Freedom Sunday 2011 Not For Sale from Not For Sale Campaign on Vimeo.

Recently, I've been busy preparing for Freedom Sunday with a team at my church, and I as I look over the research again, at the facts, and the stories of human trafficking I am hit anew with the anguish and disbelief of the reality these people face. Indignation once again rises up inside of me and I feel like screaming, I feel like yelling "INJUSTICE" at the top of my lungs. I want to grab every woman, man and teenager and tell them the horrific facts. I want every breath to proclaim justice for these oppressed. I feel anxious with every passing moment knowing it means another life taken. I want to pull every woman and girl I pass on the street who is selling herself into my car and into safety. I want to go to Cambodia and snatch every woman and child from the wicked brothels. I want to stick my finger in the devils face and say "Shame on YOU!".

Right now as I sit watching, and reading, I feel overwhelmed, and powerless. All I can do is cry, and all I can to is rage at the one who is causing this all to happen. I am not powerless though, I can pray. Prayer, a mighty weapon. For we are promised when we as children of the Most High approach His throne we can do so with freedom and confidence and have faith that when we ask the Father to break the chains of injustice he is willing and hears our pleas.

I thank the Holy Spirit that he is raising up people to fight injustice. I thank the Lord that His heart is for the oppressed, for the needy, and for the orphaned. I thank the Lord that there is hope in a hopeless situation because he is the God of restoration and his will is for restoration. I thank the Lord that because of events like Freedom Sunday the ugly dark truth is being told and light is being shed. I thank the Lord that because of events that speak the truth more people are appalled at the injustices of this world and are called to action. I thank the Lord that because of His great love we are not consumed by the wickedness of this world.

Praise God for His Truth that even though the devil rages around us, He has the victory, and because we are called His we have the victory too. Praise God for the truth that injustice has to SHUT HER MOUTH at the sound of His Great Name, Jesus!

Last night I said goodbye to two of the sweetest baby girls. For the past 7 months I watched them grow and change into 2 girls with distinct personalities and temperaments. I loved seeing them change from frankly 2 blobs of skin (mind you cute blobs) into 2 little people who are very different and sweet in their own ways. I went from not being able to tell them apart to being so familiar that it was hard for me to understand when others couldn't. I cheered for them as they reached new milestones in their young lives, and loved and cuddled them every chance I got.

For those of you that don't know the story, my sister and brother in law have been foster parents to twin girls. When they got them they were preemies and were probably the tiniest babies I've ever seen. You know those dolls that are in the toy stores that are called preemie dolls? The ones that look normal sized when a 3 year old holds them? That is exactly the way these two looked, they looked like dolls. It was unreal that a person could be that little. I remember holding them for the first time and feeling like I was holding the most fragile being in the world and that if I moved the child would break in my arms. Slowly my sister convinced me that I wasn't going to break them and they were just like any other newborn just a little smaller. I love my sister for that. I love her patience and guidance and her knowledge about babies. I love that God has given her an innate ability to sense and know a child's need. She truly amazes me. Those babies are lucky to have had her and her family these past 7 months, I only wish that they would remember her, but the reality is that they are very little and won't remember the love and care that was given to them at such a critical time in their lives.

Taking care of preemie twins is a tough, round-the-clock job. When they first arrived they needed to be fed every 2 hours around the clock. I'm not sure how my sister and brother-in-law accomplished this and functioned regularly but I'm pretty sure you won't argue when I say that it was an incredible feat. Luckily C&C (the babies) are really good babies and again very sweet temperaments, however that being so, babies are demanding creatures and rightly so. Who wants to sit in their own waste for any length of time? Who wants to lay on the ground staring at the same thing for minutes on end? Who wants an empty belly? I know I'm stating the obvious here, but I am amazed at any mother really. Babies are a LOT of work, and thank goodness they are such a joy and so cute, otherwise I'm pretty sure babies would be scarce. Times all that work by two, add in the foster care system, 2 school age children and a job and holy-time commitment batman! Seriously, my sister is super mom. My brother-in-law super dad. I'm not sure how they had time for anything else!

It's also been a joy to watch my niece and nephew with the girls. My niece especially has turned into quite the little mother. She seems so grown up when she is around the babies and spews out baby knowledge that I'm sure is half passed through her genes from her mother and half taught by her mother. She loves on those babies as if they are her own sisters and it breaks my heart a little when I think about C&C leaving their "older sister". I pray that God heals her little heart that will surely be broken to some degree when they leave, and that she will be able to continue to love them from afar. It's hard for a 5 year old to understand such grown up things and I can only pray that God will be her comforter and protector.

For me, I have guarded my heart on the subject until about 2 weeks ago. From the start I knew there was a chance that these girls would leave our lives soon and I think subconsciously I decided that I would guard my heart, letting them into the parts I decided. I loved the girls truly, but up until 2 weeks ago I only loved them as I love all the children at our church. I couldn't allow myself to love them as my nieces, it would be too painful when they left. Then for some reason 2 weeks ago I realized and had confidence in the fact that they were ours. I really believed that they would be with us, as a part of our family, forever and I let down my defenses slowly. Unfortunately this isn't how the story ends and tomorrow they will leave the C family, but I'm not regretful that I let them into my heart and I think to some extent I will always think of them as my nieces. I am grateful that God has been gracious and while I'm sad they are going, I'm ok with it and my heart will be ok. I will pray for them as they grow and think about them often and I will love them always.

I'm so very proud of my sister, and I'm so very lucky to have watched as she ministered to those babies, to their mother and other members of their family and to the case workers involved. She has been a light to all she has encountered and a testimony of God's love. Love you Shell.

We love you C&C. Always.

Happy New Year!

I trust this post is finding you well in the new year. Ready or not 2011 is upon us and tugging at us to get going. There is something refreshing about a new year, its a chance to start over, and to become a better version of ourselves. I appreciate this photo, I think it speaks volumes about not only what new years' are about but more than that what Christ Jesus does for each one of us when we start walking in his footsteps. Gone, erased, is the old and in its place is the new and clean.

Living in a place that seems to incessantly snow its hard to escape the illustration of Jesus washing us white as snow. As much as its a bother I can't help but see the beauty of a freshly fallen snow. Snow makes an ugly world shine and sparkle, it covers over a multitude of ugly things and makes them into something incredible, beautiful. Unfortunately, like us when the sludge that is underneath gets brought to the surface and the snow is surrounded by cars that kick up dirt the snow becomes brown and grey. Our hearts, minds and souls are just like this. As long as we guard them and work at hedging ourselves in, in His presence, we remain pure, and holy. Purity and holiness don't just happen, its something that we contend for, that we work at and are intentional about. It comes with remaining in His presence, drinking from the River of Life, grounding ourselves in Truth and not settling for anything less than what we know the Lord asks from us. Its when we let down our guard and take our eyes off Jesus that the purity and holiness are compromised. Praise God that even when we do take our eyes off Him he is willing and ready to forgive us as soon as we run back to Him. So then let us run hard after the One who ravishes our souls and Loves beyond what we deserve!

I feel very strongly that 2011 is a year of New Beginnings. He truly makes all things new!

I pray that this year is a year of New Beginnings in my relationship with the Lord. I want new heights and new depths with and in Him. I want a new place of brokenness for the world and for myself. I want New ears, New eyes, a New heart, New hands, and New feet. Not physical ones, but spiritual ones.

For this new year I have great expectations for what the Lord is going to do. But I won't be surprised when He does the unexpected, and I won't be surprised when His "great things" look different than mine. But I will REJOICE in it!

I pray that God blesses you immensely in the upcoming year and that you encounter his son Jesus in a powerful life-changing way. Happy New Year!

I invite you to read the story of child trafficking. Please click on the images to see and read them more clearly. (Resource: http://love146.org/slavery)
**Please be advised the following contains mature material that may not be appropriate for children.