Arise- from my perspective

Arise 2012 with John Bevere on our opening night of Thursday March 15. We were so blessed to have the Bevere’s here with us on our 3^rd year of Arise. John started our first night with this question: WHAT IS THE FEAR OF THE LORD? Now, I don’t know about you but this to me meant that we don’t want to do anything wrong to have the wrath of God down upon us. Oh, my dear friend it goes a lot deeper than that! John went on to explain what the fear of the Lord really is and if you are a person who truly fears the Lord.

The fear of the Lord is to be terrified(not of God)of being out of the presence of the Lord. You hate what God hates and Love what God loves. All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Here is some evidence of someone who fears the Lord:

*They will obey God instantly. You know, sometimes you hear God and He wants you to do something, but we, in our human state, usually will put off what God is telling us to do until we are sure, it was Him speaking, that my friend is disobedience and therefore you do not fear the Lord. Almost obedience is not complete obedience.

*They will obey God even if it doesn’t make sense. You’re in service, worshiping God, and suddenly He whispers to you to tell the person in front of you that He loves them and He sees what they are going through, you think to yourself is this just me or is this really God? Don’t think about it just do it!

*They will obey God even if it hurts. Even if you can’t see the benefit of it. Obey God to completion.

God’s victorious secret: Psalm 25:14

The secret of the Lord is with those who FEAR HIM, and He will show them His covenant.

Arise day 2, March 16, 2012 Morning Session Heidi Reisner

DREAMING BEYOND YOUR DISAPOINTMENT

As a young person we all have had our dreams. Some dream of going into a field of medicine or being a great athlete. Sometimes those dreams never come true. A disappointment is to fail to fulfill expectations.

Lazarus was the hopes and dreams of Mary and Martha, when he suddenly became ill and it took Jesus 4 days to get to them, they were devastated. Read the story of Lazarus, Mary and Martha John 11:17-44. Jesus knew exactly what He was doing even though Mary and Martha did not. They both reacted differently to His delay, Martha, when she saw Him coming ran to meet Him, while Mary stayed in the house.

How to reclaim your God given dream:

*You must acknowledge your disappointment. Martha and Mary were both disappointed that Jesus took so long to get to Lazarus and in the meantime he had died. Now, that is a disappointment. Both knowing that IF Jesus had come sooner, He could have save Lazarus. Vs 21.

*You have to believe again. Vs. 23, here Jesus is telling Martha and Mary that Lazarus will rise again. They thought He was talking about in the resurrection, but He was talking about then and there, but they didn’t realize that then. Your hopes and dreams can and will rise again, you must believe that.

*Allow Gods dreams for you to become your dreams for yourself. Healing>Resurrection. Gods dreams for us is far better than any dream for ourselves.

Martha and Mary wanted a healing for Lazarus, they called but Jesus delayed because He wanted a resurrection for Lazarus Vs 18. The place where Lazarus was is only a 2 mile journey. Sometimes God will wait, in order for our dreams to die Vs 34.

Jesus wanted Martha and Mary to take Him to their greatest disappointment Vs 35. Jesus wept, not because Lazarus had died but because Martha and Mary had lost faith in Him.

Arise, next session with Dr. Barry Henry, speaks on Health and Wellness

Habitsofhealth.com has a test you can take to find out just how unhealthy we all really are. I highly discourage this test but OK, go ahead, don’t listen to me, take it BUT I WARNED YOU!

He started out by saying stress can take 30 years off your life where smoking takes off 20 so you see stress is worse than smoking. Ok, but YOU still need to quit smoking!! Romans 12:1

Management of stress:

*Breathe deeply, learn to meditate, slow your mind(no, not the new age stuff)put on some good worship music, close your eyes and think of God and how good He is to us.

*Relax your muscles

*Exercise 4 times a week

*Think positive thoughts about things you enjoy

*Make changes in your schedule

*Surround yourself with people who provide positive and healthy feedback, suggestions and laughter.

*LAUGH A LOT even at yourself.(my insert)

*Get your sleeping patterns in order

*Find 60 minutes a day for YOURSELF

*When you can, spend 60 minutes or more helping others

I Cor. 6:20 We were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit which is God’s.

Arise, Saturday Night 3/15/12 Lisa Bevere

A FORCE UNSEEN

If there ever comes a time when the women of the world come together purely and simply for the benefit of mankind, it will be a force such as the world has never known.

Matthew Arnold, Ninteenth-Century British Poet and Author From the book Lioness Arising, by Lisa Bevere.

Jesus, our Lion of Judah. Ever seen the movie Narnia? Ladies, we are His Lionesses. But do we act like it? Awake, Awake, daughters of Zion! Wake up to who we are!! Awake from the dreamless slumber. Isaiah 52:1-3 It is later than we think!!

We are most alive when we are on the edge of danger.

Clothe yourself like a garment(strength) You have a strength find out what it is and put it on.

Proverbs 6:6-8, Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you, be strong and of good courage,,,,,

Excerpt from the book Lioness Arising:

To all my lioness sisters who feel something wild, fierce and beautiful stirring within them.

You are stunning. You were born for this moment. Don’t be afraid of your strength, questions or insights. Awaken, rise up, and dare to realize all you were created to be.

A Blast from the past and a jump to the future

Hello my faithful Bedouinwoman and Facebook note readers!!!

It has been several weeks since I have written anything and I thought it was about time because on Sunday of last week something profoundly sweet happened to me while walking around in New Orleans.

I had spent about 7 days in Florida visiting family members and had a great time. My daughter and family was kind enough to drive to NO to pick me up at the airport. My equally kind son-in-law Tim decided to give me a short tour of NO, I’m so glad he did. Even though I was tired from my visit to FL and the early hour in which I had to arise to catch a plane, I felt very blessed to have this time with them.

Having said all the above I must take a step back in time and tell you about my brother “Knobby”. You heard right, I have no idea where or how that nickname came about. Ever since I can remember that was the name his friends called him. He was 9 years older than me and I loved him with all my heart. I was the youngest of 7 children, a very unexpected arrival. My brother’s full name was Robert Emmett Walsh, I called him Bobby.

Bobby was a very talented man, he played the banjo and guitar. Ever since I can remember he practiced these musical instruments, our house was always full of this music, no matter how dysfunctional my family was I could always depend on my brother calming the house down with his music.

Fast forward many years later, my sweet brother developed Hodgkin’s Disease. This disease should not have been a death sentence for my brother. In fact, I have a niece that also developed this disease and she is still living a highly functional life. There is a medical regime you must follow in order to stay healthy to put this disease into remission, unfortunately he did not do this and passed away at the tender age of 41 years old, a very, very sad day for me and my family.

I want to tell you about how this brother of mine loved and cared for me though the years. When he went into the Army I was devastated and missed him so much, but the 2 years he was away, he wrote me short letters and many small gifts from Korea and Japan, some of which I still have safely tucked away. Every once in awhile when cleaning out stuff I come across them and sit and remember my sweet brother. When my mom told me he was coming home I went to the store and bought him handkerchiefs with his initials on them. I was so happy to see him walk through that door! He hugged me and I knew he was happy to see me, but something was different, he had changed. I guess the military has that effect on people. I was sad, disappointed and mad, so very mad. So mad that I took that handkerchief that I had spent my hard earned allowance on and blew my nose on it after having cried my heart out.

He never knew that but it made me feel better, for some unknown reason. Things settled down and he became a regular part of my day. Once again the music started and my life was back on track with my brother home at last.

Several more years had passed, I had married and began my family, my brother was an integral part of me and my kids lives. Unfortunately, only my 3 oldest kids got to know this great man.

Several more years passed and I was now divorced and my kids and I were living with my father(a whole nother story, for another time). My father was an asthmatic and an asthma attack and a clot to the brain and he was gone! My brother was there for me, he literally moved in with me and the kids to get me through this very hard time of my life.

I don’t know about you, my readers, but I absolutely love Jazz and blues music, I think it’s because this is the music I grew up with. Bobby, in the living room practicing his Banjo. Going to a certain local club where he and his band “The Old Wazoo Good Time Band”played every Friday and Saturday night. They were all friends, he and his band, and they were good! One time they decided to have a “flapper” night, all music from the 20’s and 30’s and he asked me to help him out with opening night by dressing as a “flapper” and serving food. This was one of those times that go into your memory bank as one of the best times of your life.

Then Hodgkin’s Disease hit and it hit hard. Hospital stays, medications, weight lose, depression and virtually helplessness set in. I remember his appetite was so poor that when he did eat it was a great accomplishment. At this point in time we lived quite a ways away from each other but when a call came from him I was on the road to be with him. I remember one night in particular when a call came asking me to fix him some bacon and eggs, so I was on the road and 20 minutes later I was standing at his stove cooking the requested bacon and eggs. He couldn’t eat them, just made him so sick. I sat with him this night and rubbed lotion on his very dry, pealing and cracked skin on his legs and feet. I cherish the nights I spent with him helping him and supporting him.

Another hospital stay, during which time my brother was visited by my pastor. He, my brother, accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. This was also a special time for me as I was in nursing school, something Bobby was so proud of, he bragged to the doctors and nurses about his sister, the nursing student, I think he knows that I did graduate and spent the next 30+ years working in that field.

Isn’t it strange that you never really see extended family members unless someone dies or gets married, a sad fact. It was a closed casket, something he requested and we adhered to. My brother Gordie was with him at the end. It was the middle of the night when the call came to me. Babies come into the world and people leave the world in the middle of the night.

I needed to give you, my readers, just a small peek into my world with my brother to give you an idea how profound the rest of this story is. Fast forward, once again, back to Sunday and my tour of NO. The day was cool and windy but comfortable as we walked the quaint streets, looking at the buildings and people of this city. We heard the music and followed it to this side street where a very unique group of people were playing, a tuba, horn, washboard and banjo like instrument. The tune was jazzy and bluesy and it was mesmerizing to say the least, along with the people playing them.

If it wasn’t for my daughter I would have been clueless. As we began walking away, she asked me, “did you see the washboard player”? I said “no, why”? She said “you need to”, as I turned around, I was blown away. You see this guy was hidden by one of the other players and had I not turned around to see once again, I would have missed this man that was an exact replica of my brother Bobby. My brother had red hair, a full red beard and always wore a cap, a typical Irishman he was. The washboard player, had red hair, a full red beard and had a cap on his head, very much like my brother, he was also the height and body build of my brother.

Tears filled my eyes as I watched this man, who could have been Bobby, playing his instrument, making sweet, bluesy music. I wanted to run up to him, put my arms around him and tell him how much I miss him. In my mind that is exactly what I did.

I believe God had given me this vision to let me know that someday, we will be reunited in a place called heaven. I look forward to the day I can put my arms around Bobby and tell him how much I missed him.

Return from Brasil, 5th and last installment

Well, it has been almost 2 months since returning from Brasil. It has been fun getting back into the swing of living American once again. No, I didn’t experience “reverse Culture shock”. I really had no idea there was such a thing, until I was reading up on “Culture Shock”(after the fact)that someone told me about(Pastor Richard). I was amazed that such a thing actually existed. But, really, you need to be out of the country for a year or two to experience such a thing.

The things I did have to get used to once again was, the coffee, how very weak it is compared to the Brasilian type coffee. The warm, fresh bread we ate every single morning, and no I never did get sick of it, in fact I’m wishing right now that tomorrow morning I wake up to the fresh smell of homemade, hot from the oven bread and butter for breakfast! Rice and beans like those we had in Brasil cannot be made here in America( even if one does purchase a pressure cooker J)it just isn’t the same. Once again I never did tire of rice and beans even though we did eat them most every afternoon and evening.

Someone once told me before I left for Brasil, to enjoy the Worship services here at your own church because you will not get the same Worship overseas and they were right! The Worship at the churches in Brasil were beautiful but they were never in English and this is something we missed very much. There were many services that we attended, ones for the kids, ones for the moms and dads and ones at regular church services.

When we ministered in other churches as a team effort the churches were always very gracious to us and fed us very well and also always picked us up and brought us home. I will tell you about one time we were waiting to be picked up the service began at 7:30 PM and we finally got picked up at 8:45 PM, the van they picked us up in was a 1999 Volkswagen Bus. It looked to be about a 1969. There were 10 of us and they came with 4 other people in this van. The seats apparently were not the ones that came with this van as they were not bolted down and each time they made a sharp turn the seats and the people, well you can imagine what happened.

My dear friend Pauline is very claustrophobic and this ride in the van was a test from God(or so she thought)be that as it may, this proved to her that she can do all things through Christ! The poor girl was green and had to sit right next to the window with it open a crack so she could breath. We got to the church and the congregation was still worshipping and praising the Lord even though we were so late, we still did our dramas and our testimonies.

The next part of this story was so very unexpected. We went out to get in the van after a very nice meal and drinks and sweet fellowship with these great people. I stepped foot into the van and oh yes the floorboards were, ahh, how can I say this delicately, well lets just say, in parts we could see the road. L Ok, so as I stepped into the van I was told not to get in yet as the van had to be “push started”, fortunately the van was on a hill and it didn’t take much to “jump start” it and after it was started we all, once again, piled into this ornate piece of metal with wheels on. J

Almost home, or so we thought. It was about 11:30 PM when someone said “flat tire”, I sorely hoped I was hearing things! Nope, I was hearing right, we did have a flat tire. Thank God it was a decent night, not too cold, not to hot. However we were right at the head of the favela or slums. People get robed here, people get killed here. God had our backs as He always did. However, we had to wait for several hours before one of the pastors that our friend had called to come with a new tire to rescue us. After one more “push start” J We finally made it home at 1:30 AM safe and sound.

What did I learn while I was doing missions work in Brasil? Several things and here are a few:

*I learned never to judge a book by it’s cover, you need to read the pages and come to a logical conclusion.

*As old as we are, we can still learn new things, case in point, me doing a drama and enjoying it! J

*God works patience into us as long as He thinks we still need patience!

*How very fortunate and blessed to be able to live in the USA!

*As poor as you might think you are, you are rich compared to third world countries standards.

*Never think you can’t learn from the younger generation, they have a great deal to offer, just listen with an open heart and open mind.

*Don’t try to put God in a box, if He has a plan for you, accept it and go with it because one way or another you will do it His way J

*Stepping out in faith is a great way to learn to trust God, when you think it’s God, do what He is telling you to do, you won’t be sorry.

*Speaking to a crowd isn’t as scary anymore.

There is so much more that I experienced that I could write and write and write some more but I feel God is calling me to other things and this book must be closed for now.

Return from Brasil, Installment #4

On our way to the airport in Houston to begin this incredible journey, I lifted a very heavy suitcase and heard something snap or tear in my right shoulder but at the time didn’t think much of it and went on with loading and unloading.

After getting settled on the plane and beginning the trip I began to have some pain especially when lifting or carrying anything on that right shoulder(backpack or purse). Thank God for Ibuprofen and ex-strength Tylenol!! They both became my best friends.

After about 6 weeks Anderson and I took to the streets of Campinas to find a doctor that would see me. After about 2 hours of roaming the streets we stopped at an office of an orthopedic doctor. Now we all know that in the USA one would not get anywhere by just stopping in one of these highly sought after physicians. We would have had to call for an appointment and wait for about 6 weeks or more maybe we would be lucky to obtain an appointment.

God is a good God and He had my best interests at heart this day,(well, really every day) not only did we get an appointment that same day but when he saw my shoulder he immediately said I need an Ultra Sound of that area. This was news to me as normally they order an x-ray but I now hear that they use ultra sounds for this type of injury. The secretary made a call and I was scheduled for an appointment, again, that same day, for the test.

The test revealed a torn rotator cuff, not a bad tear but a tear nonetheless. He said it would take a long time to heal because, lets face it, we just cannot not use the right arm, especially where I was and what I was doing! He gave me a prescription for an anti-inflammatory. Now, I don’t know about you but I’m not real excited about taking a medication that I can’t read and understand the side effects. But, I took it knowing I had the protection of the almighty on my side, no problem!

Doc also said there was a possibility, very small, that I might need surgery. Ummm NO! That is not happening in Brasil. I would suffer through pain until I get home and then see what my doctors say. After taking this medication for several days, I began to have stomach issues and found out that was one of the side effects of this medication, so doc gives me another medication a medication that had to be injected. The medication was Mobic, go ahead and look it up and tell me that my life is not valuable to my God!

Taking an injectable medication crated a whole new set of problems. Who is going to inject me? None of my teammates were comfortable doing it but Pauline and I would have had her do it but we did find a clinic in the area that would do it. The nurses were students and they were very happy to have a willing “pin cushion” in which to practice, ME! They did a great job and were very friendly. Andre was my translator and the nurses we happy to see him each and every time we walked through the door (he is a good looking young man)Andre was also happy to accompany me as well because the nurses were all very cute!

I must say, the medication helped but it was only a 5 day prescription and soon the pain returned. So then the doc ordered me physical therapy. So, 2 times a week we hopped the bus and trucked downtown for PT.

So all the above doctor visits, ultra sound, medication and PT were not free. So here is a break down on the costs for my torn rotator cuff:

Orthopedic doctor visit= 250. Reias for unlimited visits for 30 days. US $175.

Ultra sound= 125. Reias US $50.

First medication= 25. Reias US $15

Second medication(injectible)=75. Reias US $25

Prilosec( for stomach issues)= 25. Reias US $15

Physical Therapy=25 Reias US $15 per visit.

Actually when I had my initial appointment with the PT department her charge was going to be 50. Reias per visit. Anderson stepped in and began to tell her that we were missionaries and couldn’t afford that much per treatment so she bumped it down to 25 per visit. Now I could never see something like that happening in USA. Pay or hit the road,,,

The above is all estimated amounts but I’m sure they are pretty close to the correct amounts.

I want to thank my contributors to my trip it was because of your generous donations that I was actually able to take care of this situation.

At this point in time, I have had an MRI, and that is a whole other story I may tell sometime. And I’m getting PT by LaBorde Physical Therapists and on my way to complete recovery and NO surgery required!!!