A LEAP OF FAITH

BY: DONNA SELMA LIND

SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO JUMP!

Most of my life I've tended to live in the safe zone- unless- God tells me to Jump! 

I have journals filled with miraculous stories of the things that God has done in my life.They all have one in thing common. They required A LEAP OF FAITH!

We have spent the last seven years working at a Church and faithfully serving the LORD and his people. 

I worked as the Church Counselor, Taught Sunday School, led the Prayer Ministry and Outreach events.

My Husband was unofficially the official Greeter, sharing God's love by welcoming and shaking more hands than a politician or the Pope! 

This is what we do. This is what God created us for. These are the gifts He gave us. This is how we serve the LORD.

More than a year ago I felt God was showing me our season and work at our Church was finished. He was preparing us for a new season of work in a new place. I had no idea at that time what or where that was.


I'll be honest, I was excited, sad and scared all at the same time!

I waited on God. 

I waited for a sign. I got one, and another and another.

I waited for confirmation. I had many.

I waited for a burning bush or a rainbow. I kept testing God. 

I dragged my heels, I cried and travailed at the Altars and in my War room.

Why did I cry and travail and wait so long to obey the voice of God?

Because of my love for all of you! 

Because I love each and every one of you so much! 

Because I never wanted to hurt any of you or disappoint anyone by leaving.

Because I love God and I love you!

In between my tears the Lord showed me I had been disobedient to Him!

I COULD NOT HAVE THE NEW THING UNTIL I LET GO OF THE OLD THING! 

"Behold, I am doing a new thing" Isaiah 43:19

When I finally made the decision to LET GO, I spoke with my Pastor and shared my heart of what God was speaking to me and I stepped down from my ministry positions. Pastor Gary was kind and compassionate and gave us his Blessing.
I am very thankful for his blessing! 

As painful as it was for me to LET GO, as soon as I did the Peace of God flooded my Heart and I knew it was the right decision.

One of my prayers during the past year was for God to close doors that needed to be closed and only open doors that He wanted us to walk thru. 

God is faithful! As soon as He closed the one door He opened another and has begun a NEW THING and a NEW SEASON in our lives so fast my head was swimming.

"Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim." Amos 9:13

For me this has required a tremendous LEAP OF FAITH!

I was comfortable in my Safe Zone and then God said JUMP! 

We are being obedient to the LORD so we JUMPED!

We are very excited for this new season of Ministry and opportunity to serve the Lord! IT IS NOT ABOUT US, IT IS ALL ABOUT JESUS!

HELLO TO THE HILL CHURCH! LET'S MAKE JESUS FAMOUS!


So here's the thing.. 
Change is hard sometimes and not everyone understands.

I WANTED YOU TO KNOW MY HEART AND KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU.
WE ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE LORD! 
WE ARE CALLED TO ENCOURAGE AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER. 

SOMETIMES GOD SENDS SOMEONE OUT TO MINISTER AT ANOTHER PLACE. SOMETIMES IT'S ANOTHER COUNTRY OR THE SAME TOWN. 

NO MATTER WHERE HE CALLS US, WE ARE STILL BROTHERS AND SISTERS WORKING ON THE SAME TEAM, TEAM JESUS! 


IT IS AN HONOR AND A BLESSING TO SERVE OUR SAVIOR.  

I PRAY THAT NO MATTER WHAT CHURCH WE ATTEND; WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST AND BRING A HARVEST OF SOULS INTO THE KINGDOM, ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!

I PRAY MY STORY CAN HELP SOMEONES HEART TODAY!

IS THERE SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE THAT GOD HAS BEEN CALLING YOU TO DO? 

IS THERE SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES YOU TO LET GO OF THE OLD SO GOD CAN BEGIN A NEW WORK IN YOU?

 TRUST GOD. TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH. 

THE MIRACLE BEGINS WHEN YOU JUMP FOR JESUS!!

HALLELUJAH! PRAISE THE LORD AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

~ DONNA LIND ~

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

by: Donna Selma Lind

It was the Christmas season of 1972 when JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR came to my old hometown CHICAGO.  We were still in the middle of the great "JESUS MOVEMENT" that had swept across the United States, Canada, Europe and South America.  

I had just turned 13 and a bunch of us girls from my Youth Group decided it would be cool to go see the JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Musical. 

Mrs. B. my friends Mom, volunteered to be our Chaperone. 
She picked us up that evening and ten of us gawky teenage girls piled, stuffed and squeezed ourselves into her 1969 Chrysler Plymouth Station Wagon. 

I sat all the way in the back by the big window where I had a perfect view of the snow flurries and colorful twinkling Christmas lights on our adventure to the city.

DONNA (ROBERTS) LIND 13 #skinnyhippiechick <3  

The theater was packed and scent of patchouli incense was wafting throughout the Lobby. 

We found our seats just before the lights blinked for the show to start.

The enormous Red Velvet curtains opened up and the show began. 

I sat spellbound as the biggest Orchestra I had every seen played the JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR OVERTURE! It was ELECTRIFYING! 
Scene after scene, Song after song I was hooked! 

I fell in Love with JESUS that day.

 A different kind of Love than when I was seven years old and I gave my heart to JESUS at an Old Church Tent Revival.

This was BIG LOVE!
This was JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR!!! 

I had just witnessed the life, death and resurrection of JESUS right before my eyes! 

Yes, I know it was actors portraying it all on stage, but to me, a thirteen year old girl with a tender loving heart, it was real! 
I was there when they nailed Him to the Cross! 
I cried and I shook and I closed my eyes. How could they do this to Him? How could I do this to Him?
I felt everything as if it really happened right then and there! 

No longer would I look at the pictures in my Bible the same.
No longer would I read a scripture and not remember the 39 lashes, the pounding of the nails, the stone that was rolled away or remember JESUS ascending to Heaven in the clouds and promising someday to come back for me!

No longer would JESUS be just a guy in a story. He was REAL! 
What He endured on the Cross at Calvary for me was REAL! 
What He endured on the Cross for you at Calvary was REAL!

Did I ever mess up after that day? 
Yes I sure did, over and over again!

Did JESUS still Love me after I messed up?
Yes He sure did over and over again! 

The Good News is that JESUS Loves you too! 

JESUS CHRIST WAS A SUPERSTAR TO ME IN 1972 AND FORTY FIVE YEARS LATER IN 2017, JESUS CHRIST IS STILL MY SUPERSTAR AND ALWAYS WILL BE!!!

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 

-JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR-

SHARE THE GOOD NEWS - MAKE JESUS FAMOUS

PRAYERS TO HEAVEN

By:Donna Selma Lind

"PRAYERS TO HEAVEN"

Something caught my eye in the big oak tree down by the stock pond. The sun was shining overhead and the old oak was lit up like Christmas tree with something shiny bright red and blue.
A quick survey with my binoculars revealed a clump of balloons caught on the branches.
My imagination drifted wildly wondering where those balloons had come from and how far they had traveled?

They sat perched in that old oak tree for a couple of days and then a strong wind picked them up and carried them across the field where they found themselves stuck between thickets and the fence line.

Like a little kid on a treasure hunt I scampered through the field of crunchy fall leaves and unraveled the ribbon tails that were holding the balloons hostage.
I walked a quarter mile back home holding tight to my new found treasure.

I set everything on the kitchen table and began my autopsy. Though the balloons were  filled with rips and tears, the little scrolls of paper that were rolled up tightly and tied to the ribbon tails had survived their journey! 

Was I being intrusive by wanting to see what was written on the scrolls?
Yes, but I felt there was some kind of a message for me in all of this!

I carefully cut the messages from the ribbons, they were all a bit damp so I set them on a towel to dry.

After a few hours I read each hand written message one by one.

They were Prayers to Heaven! They were messages of love and admiration for a Grandfather who had gone to Glory. They spoke of an undying love for a man who shared his life stories and love and laughter with his family.

"I WILL NEVER FORGET OUR TIMES TOGETHER."

"YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR ME."

"YOU HELPED SHAPE ME AS A MAN."

"I WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WISDOM AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SHARE YOUR STORIES."

"I MISS YOU SO MUCH."

"YOU ALWAYS SHOWED ME LOVE."

"PLEASE WATCH OVER ME."

"I AM PRAYING FOR YOU, PLEASE PRAY FOR ME."

"I LOVE YOU SO MUCH."


  WOW! What an amazing Love story! This Grandfather loved his family so much, and his family clearly loved him!  
What a beautiful legacy. As I read through the notes I could see this man had passed down love, but also he had passed down his faith. He left a spiritual inheritance as an everlasting gift for his children and grandchildren. 

How far these Balloons with prayers traveled only God knows. In several of the notes they talked about CUBA and spoke in Spanish. Did they travel this far from CUBA?  I wish I knew that answer! Wherever they came from isn't important, it's where they were going that matters. They were Heaven bound! 

So since they got a bit delayed on a stop over at my place, I said my own prayers and I asked God to send Angels to deliver these Prayers to Heaven!
This Heavenly Heritage is God's purpose and will for us .
"I pray that your hearts may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope he has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in his holy people." Ephesians 1:18

What kind of Spiritual Legacy will you leave?
 
What Prayers to Heaven will they send you?

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord and Share the Good News!

Donna Selma Lind