Hearing from God.

Hello once again from beautiful California! Not to rub it in to all of you newly snowed upon iowans, but the weather here is beautiful. I think it was mid to high 60s today with warm sunshine. Redding is kind of in a bowl surrounded by mountains with the greatest being Mt. Shasta and Mt. Lassen. It's gorgeous and I promise that some day soon when i have time to go exploring (which is something I do best) there will be many pictures. 
Time here has been lovely so far. I wish that I could adequately describe the feeling of the level of freedom I've been feeling. I've felt free in the past, but there's just something that happens when you step into exactly what God has for you in the right season. It's been proven over and over again throughout this process, so why would it surprise me at all to enter a place where it is hard to get a job and within 36 hours, have a job?
Yep. I got a job! :) As of right now, I have a temporary job at Target helping with a remodel. It's so, so perfect as we are not planning on traveling for a little while and I will need some money to live, and hopefully see my ministry expanded in whatever way that God wants to expand it. I'm ready to be able to do things without having to check my account and check with this world. I am excited to finally break out, and break free. Thank you God for this job and for your continued extravagance. :)


So I started this blog by titling "Hearing from God." Right now I'm reading Reinhart Bonnke's autobiography. If you don't know who Reinhart Bonnke look up anything about African revival or evangelism and His name is sure to pop up. He is one of the most inspiring people that is walking the face of this earth with a ministry so large that He has literally led millions to the Lord. I HIGHLY recommend His book but only if you are ready to get your life messed up a bit. It's completely wrecking me and I find that it's taking me a long time to read as I have to stop and process, cry, laugh and reread almost every other page. (usually i read quite fast).


ANYWAYS. (focus Lara!) This quote is what I wanted to share:
"Above all, we are called to hear and obey the still small voice of our heavenly Father communicated to our hearts by the Holy Ghost. But if other voices are placed above that voice we may come to to doubt the very voice of God Himself, even after we have heard Him clearly."


As I've entered this new season I've begun to take a good long look on all of the times I've missed it. Not in a way that is degrading or judgmental on myself but as a preventative action so that I don't miss it again. I think about all of the times that I haven't done something that I feel the Lord is telling me to do for the sake of 'not wanting to do anything without knowing it's Him.' I wonder how many times people have done that and missed a huge blessing or even worse prevented someone else to receive a huge blessing through them! 


God's been talking to me a lot about being willing (I'm sure I'll write more later). About how it's not always about knowing and having the exact direction line by line but about having a willing, humble and pure heart. When you have those things, He's attracted to it and you will actually attract the blessing of the Lord. But it's just like Brother Bonnke says, what value are we putting on God's voice? If we first have to run what we think we heard God say through the 'voice of reason' then we do not have the right priorities. If we're not willing to drop everything and do what He says, why will He think we're able to handle more of anything, especially blessing? We have to stop using the excuse of wanting to make sure that we got it all 'right' before we do anything. 


Humility
Willingness
A Pure Heart


If these are the things that we long for, the things that we strive to live in and with, then we can trust that still, small voice as the 'right thing' automatically. I hope this encourages something. He so wants to give us the desires of our hearts, especially if our desires are His desires.