Joyska's Journal: May 2006











Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Lots to learn

the last few EGS (encounter God Services) have been really great. Last friday, Misty Edwards spoke on Hosea "God's strategy to Win a Rebellious Bride", reminding us all that God will do anything for love from His people. She talked about turning our glory into shame when we sell ourselves to lesser loves, and that God will take us to nothing to show us that he is everything... and then we still have a choice... amazing. The encouragement was to "stay steady in the wilderness"... that he is acquianted with our grief, and HIS encouragement is to stay steady... it is all temperal, and that the eternal reward in overcoming is more than we will ever know!

Then last Saturday, Stuart Greaves spoke out of Revelation 1. His exhortation was that revelation reveals Jesus and His beauty. It's about His return, and is a call to righteousness. He reminded us that the pharisees "did" it right... they knew the scriptures but missed the visitation. It is so easy to get caught in the "fog" of circumstances, and we need to be reminded that He is returning and our daily struggles are TEMPERAL. Stay strong... (hmmm... sounds familiar)

Then on Sunday Hal Linhardt spoke on righteousness and following the truth of "working out our salvation" with fear and trembling... that yes God's grace is there, but that we are called to live a life bigger than a wimper... i like that.

Then this past Friday... Mike spoke on the beauty of God, but the statement that struck my heart was "do not receive God's grace in vain". He gave two examples of how we can do that... one way is to live in condemnation when we have been called to life. The other way was to continually live in sin, in full knowledge of that sin and refuse to walk in his grace... The condemnation one was a big one for me...

The teaching here continues to inspire and move me forward in God. I am awed at all that I have learned in the last 15 months... I am privileged to be here. God is good.
Joyska at 7:37 PM
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Saturday, May 27, 2006

i like Canadians

Christina and her bros, Roman, Drew and Stefan are here. What fun. I love having Canadian visitors! We've been hanging out... going to the prayer room... going to Walmart... going to the Plaza... going to EGS (Encounter God Services)... running out to the airport picking up one of the bros, drinking coffee at Higher Grounds... sleeping and eating occasionally... oh yah... the bookstore... i think that's it.

AND they have only been here two days! haha

I like Canadians.
Joyska at 3:29 PM
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Wednesday, May 24, 2006

a story in song

I came into the prayer room the other night just as Misty Edwards was starting her set. I sat down and journaled for a bit as Misty was alone on the stage singing her heart. Slowly the rest of her team joined her (must have been still playing at EGS or something!) Anyway, they began to sing through the story of the adulteress brought before Jesus (John 8).

I won't walk you through every amazing moment of it... but I will say this: there were two phrases that demonstrated the transformation in this woman's life.

Misty sang "Open up Oh ground... how long will it take to stone a harlot down... I'm broken, wounded, ashamed, like a noose around my neck, I wear the shame" They proceeded through the story and then Misty sang "He placed his hand under my chin and lifted my countenance" What an amazing transformation!

Then Monday night, I went downtown. I saw that transformation in the face of two of our friends there. One woman, Marsha, back in November was on her way to buy alcohol when one of our other friends invited her in for food. She came in, had some food, and wept. She came the following day to the prayer meeting, and after some time she said she wanted Jesus. She looked so scared that day. On Monday we sat chatting and laughing, and she suddenly says "I haven't had a drink since the day you invited me in... people ask me to come drink with them and I just tell them that I have Jesus now and don't need it!" WOO HOO! This is one who felt wounded and broken whose countenance has been lifted by Jesus! She's helping serve the food now, and is working towards getting her food handlers liscense so that she can run a cafe (we are ALL going to be working for her someday soon! I love it!)

Then there is Zeke. When Hope City first went to that area, Zeke lived in the building we were using. He was mean, grouchy and not impressed that we were there. He was hard to get along with, but we loved on him anyway, always inviting him to join us, leaving food for him, christmas presents etc. Well we lost him when we moved to a new venue and we heard he was in the hospital, but we didn't even know his real first name, let alone his last name. Well he found us. He came on Monday all smiles saying he missed us and even came on Tuesday to the prayer meeting. And you guessed it... a new lifted countenance!

These are fun stories of the fruit that we are seeing at Hope City! There are many more that we are praying for and longing to see come to Jesus. Marsha said "I can't wait til you guys are down here all the time... I want to be with others who love Jesus more!" Us too Marsha, we can't wait either!
Joyska at 12:31 AM
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Thursday, May 18, 2006

reflection of christ

I was reading through some of the many blogs that i am connected to. I came across an entry that really got me thinking. In the entry, she (since I don't have her permission to post her blog, "she" will remain nameless) was talking about beauty and why water was so beautiful. She pointed out that one of the things that makes water beautiful is the reflection of the light and nature that shines on the surface.

So, (she continues) what makes us beautiful? The obvious answer if you believe in Jesus... is Jesus. Jesus, being the perfect and holy light reflected in our lives is where our beauty comes from.

That got me thinking. What is reflecting in my life? Does my reflection dim as I let other things cover His light? I started thinking about how easy it is to get caught up in all the season finales on TV, and how many of them are questionable in nature, in moral, and in conscience, yet I am glued to them. How does that affect my reflection?

I am thankful that I am in a place where my heart is constantly quickened back to a place of falling at Jesus' feet. I am thankful that my life is in such a season where my JOB requires 24 hours a week soaking up Jesus, and 24 hours a week reflecting him on the streets! It isn't about beauty for me, it's about reflecting His grace and forgiveness simply because that is what He gives me every day!
Joyska at 11:47 PM
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Tuesday, May 16, 2006

all we want

"Brokenness is realizing He is all we have.
Hope is realizing He is all we need.
Joy is realizing He is all we want."

This is a qoute from "The Safest Place on Earth" by Larry Crabb. I found it interesting.

Brokenness-- He is all we have. There is no other help truer or greater. I love that realization because it takes away blame, takes away anger, takes away all the steps of "doing" to be healed, but puts us (me) in the place where it is falling on my face before Him and saying (again and again) I can't do it... You are the only one who can walk me through (whatever it is I'm walking through at that moment) In fact... I am not even able to walk... carry me through it!!

Hope-- He is all we need. What a great realization. when I find myself there... I find myself at peace, and ready to move ahead.

Joy-- He is all we want. Doesn't that sound amazing? Even in this place of 24/7 prayer and seeking the Lord, there are definitely times that I find that I DON'T want to be in His presence... I want what I want. Joy is when he changes my wants to be in line with His... HIM. I hear that here all the time... "I want you alone, I want to know you more..."I'm sometimes still at a place where I cry out

"I want to want you! I am willing to be willing." :)

With all that... read Hebrews 4:16... it's a good verse!
Joyska at 10:41 PM
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Sunday, May 14, 2006

community life

Hae you ever noticed that with the dawn of the cell phone, talking to new people is an almost extinct skill?

As one who does not have a cell phone, i must raise a complaint!

I was on a shuttle the other evening and there were 9 of us on the bus. 6 had cell phones that they were in "deep""important" conversations with... (who knows if there was someone on the other end or not!) and 2 were "jammin" to their snazzy business card size ipods. I sat in the back and watched.

I'm reading a book called "the safest place on earth" by Larry Crabb; in which he describes a situation where he saw a group of retirees in Florida sitting on straight back chairs staring out on the beach. They were all there, in their older years, staring straight ahead and not talking to a soul around them. It was the opposite of community... it was confomity.

I couldn't help thinking that my ride on the bus was a high tech version of that for the "young".
Joyska at 10:45 AM
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Wednesday, May 10, 2006

I realized that I never wrote about my "exciting meeting" of last Wednesday.

I met with Hal Linhardt who is the director of evangelism here at IHOP and the man behind the new Evangelism Institute that will be starting this fall. It was an exciting meeting because it confirmed what I was hoping. I will be involved both with the evangelism team here, and will be a Teacher Assistant in the fall at the new Institute. It's exciting because it is yet another fit that feels right!

There are still many things that need to fall into place, but there is movement and that in and of itself is exciting!

Please pray for continued favor with the EI (Evangelism Institute) and for a great connection with Hope City and the school!

(THERE YOU GO SHANE... THIS POST WAS FOR YOUR BENEFIT!)
Joyska at 2:59 PM
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Saturday, May 06, 2006

The healing Hand of GOD

I have spent the last two days in a deliverance and healing seminar taught by Graeme and Sabrina Walsh. It has been awesome and amazing. Yesterday we watched a woman who has had severe back pain for almost 30 years, be healed. Another woman whose leg was significantly shorter than the other whose whole body leaned to one side, literally straighten before our eyes.

I have the privilege of being on the ministry team today and can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do. I know he does things like this all the time and it will only increase as the darkness of the world gets darker, His light will shine brighter!

Graeme taught about Freemasonary curses and how they affect everything from health to ability to concieve, to issues with money. There is a man here at IHOP who walked through this seminar a year ago, confined to a wheel chair with years of excruciating pain and helplessness. He now, is completely healed. It is truly amazing what the LORD can do!

Graeme and Sabrina are excellent teachers and continue to give ALL glory to Jesus for every miracle and healing that we see. It is truly an honour to sit under their teaching and to walk with them in the ministry times... I am learning SOOOO much!

pray for us today. There are over 100 people in the seminar, and today is the day most of them recieve ministry. I'm excited! :)
Joyska at 6:54 AM
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Wednesday, May 03, 2006

fun day

Yesterday, I was downtown again hanging with the Hope City crowd. During our prayer time, I felt such compassion for the ones we were praying for and a longing for God to break into thier lives.

Lisa used my story regarding God's provision to speak to our friends about relying on God. I found myself a little embarrassed, but knew that without the Lord, i would not still be here.

Case in point: as Lisa was sharing how God kept paying my bills somewhat miraculously, i kept thinking... yes, God, just remember my rent is due by Friday... don't have a lot of options food wise (have food... just boring food)... and I don't know where it will come from.

That was yesterday. Today, I opened my door to 4 BAGS of groceries at my door! Then... I met some friends for coffee over at Higher Grounds (IHOP's own coffee shop) and someone handed me enough money to pay my rent. Then someone else handed me a $5.00 bill and said "go get a burger!" What fun!!

Mike talks about building a history in God... I have learned to trust him for ALL things... right down to the milk in my fridge. Again... i write this a lot... but I know I am to be here... and God keeps confirming it!
Joyska at 2:51 PM
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Monday, May 01, 2006

a little IHOP humour

How do you know that IHOP (prayer) has been invaded by IHOP (pancakes)?

When the prophetic singers are flat!


And I made that one up myself! :)
Joyska at 1:36 PM
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