Meeting Him in the Clouds

A Dream

I was walking down the beach in Santa Barbara and suddenly I heard a voice. It sounded like a trumpet, it said, “It is time!” 

Instantly ~ I began to ascend into the sky. (This was the most incredible feeling!) 

Even though I was walking alone. When I began to go~up toward Heaven ~ I was no longer alone, everyone I ever knew was all of a sudden around me. 


Those that I knew believed on the Lord Yeshua....had asked him to be their Lord and Savior, they were there next to me. 


Everyone else, family members and loved ones that I had been praying for and believing for their salvation; they were on the beach. I was reaching out to them, calling out to them, desperately; but only for a brief moment, a very brief moment. As I ascended quickly. very quickly and in an instant I was in HIS presence! I had forgotten everything else but Him.... Jesus.



Wow…

Come.....

Come, walk by my side.

Come, there's no need to hide.

I've heard your cries for happiness.

I've seen you're search for peace of mind.

I've got something for you.

I can see you through.

Your road is rugged and treacherous.

Your heart needing to be renewed.

Come, walk by my side.

Come, there's no need to hide.

I see your heart. No you can't fool me.

I long to free you from your captivity.

I love you - with all of me.

Eternal love - unconditionaly.

With my life I paid the price.

In anguish I cried your cries.

How can I make you see?

It's MY love that holds the key - to freedom from your misery?

Call to me....won't you call to me......call to me.

Come, walk by my side.

Come, there's no need to hide.

I'm here to love you, to be your friend.

To walk by your side 'till the very end.

So, come......walk by my side.....I love you.....Jesus

By: Amy Colleen Copyright - all rights reserved

amycolleen@gmail.com

A Challenge to my Church Family! Yes you Can!! Do Not Be Afraid!!

There are so many churches every where. On every corner. All offering an incredible array of "churchy" delicacies to the unsuspecting wanderer  inner. Each having their very own "flavor" (if you will) proudly,(but not of course as that would be sinful in God's eyes) proclaiming theirs is theologically correct on all counts and by this measure should be the sole reason you should continue attendance. ARRRRGH!

I am quite certain my response to my fabricated first paragraph is pretty darn close to the Lord's response to many of the churches around these days. Sadly enough.

Why? Why do I say that? Learned it first hand. Just too much politics and not enough Jesus. Plane and simple.

Would someone please tell me why there seems to be such a great fear of getting close to God?
Such a fear of letting go and surrendering self to our creator?
Why we seemingly have to have so very much order in church services that there is no room left for the super-natural move of God's Holy Spirit?

Why are we so afraid? Why have we let fear take hold of us? Take hold of our minds, our hearts and yes even in some instances our walks with God?

Seriously.....this has gotten me so stirred up deep within my spirit.

When one can't find a body of believers within 50 mile radius that consistently meets the ACTS Church criteria (all areas evenly); while there are literally hundreds of churches within that perimeter...there is seriously something wrong!
Wouldn't you agree?

Oh, I am not saying we as a body of Christ aren't "trying"  or "striving"  to "become" the fellowship of believes outlined in the book of ACTS. However my point is...Why aren't we already? Why is it so hard for us to become one? What are we afraid of ?

Let's take a look at our nature lives for a minute. Our non-church lives. I'd like to use them to make a point or two.
It doesn't really matter what season it is, Summer, Winter, Autumn or Spring, it seems life affords us many opportunities to overcome fear. Daily challenges causing us to stretch our comfort zone.  This all in out daily living routine. Then there is the added recreational facet some of us enjoy such as sky diving, skiing, mountain climbling, high diving, motorcycling, racing, going on a safari. Perhaps you are someone who is just stepping out for the first time in an area of your life....a new job.... buying a home....it could be a plethora of different activities. ...It could even be taking the risk of loving someone. So many different things we do in life, frighting as they may be. We don't hesitate. In fact some of us feed off of the excitement and unknown facet of it all; and others need a little encouragement but still will take the risk to say they did something fun and exciting for the enjoyment of spending time with family and friends. After all, "What's living if you don't live? Right?"... I believe that is the way it goes.

So we "jump in" -  into the lake - or - out of the plane - "ski dive" (for the first time...end up breaking a leg) or jumping head long in love with a total stranger. Not a problem, well maybe, but it's okay because, "that's life." and "life isn't life unless you're living it!"


Well that's our life in the natural - let's get back to our Church life - or at least how we are looking at it anyway.

So I don't know about you, but I was lost and now I'm found. Was blind and now I see!٩(-̮̮̃-̃)۶♫♪♪♫•
T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved.

How precious did that Grace appear The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far and Grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me. His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil, A life of joy and peace.
When we've been here ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise Than when we've first begun.
٩(-̮̮̃-̃)۶♫♪♪♫•
Okay, I know that I have been saved, blood bought, redeemed and made whole by the precious blood of the Lamb of God! When I meet up with any.....and I do mean ANY body of believers, all I want to do is shout! ٩(-̮̮̃-̃)۶♫♪♪♫• And Praise ٩(-̮̮̃-̃)۶♫♪♪♫And Sing ٩(-̮̮̃-̃)۶♫♪♪♫And Dance ٩(-̮̮̃-̃)۶♫♪♪♫And Give Glory to my Messiah! ٩(-̮̮̃-̃)۶♫♪♪♫•

So, why are we still sitting in our pews, our benches, our soft comfy still not paid for auditorium chairs, with our arms folded tightly across our chest, noses in the air refusing to get wet, when by the all incredible Grace of God we are visited by Ruach Hako'desh (the third party of the God head - Holy Spirit himself) ?
٩(-̮̮̃-̃)۶♫♪♪♫•

What an all incredible gift! to have Holy Spirit among us! To be invited to worship the Lord our God in dance and Song! It seems though that we are forever so concerned only with getting through our "songs" and then the next 30- 45 minutes and out in time  that we will never know what we may have missed if would have taken time to "wait on the Lord". :(

But then.....that would mean.....venturing into the realm of the unknown. Taking a step of faith and for some a leap of faith. (that's okay. really. Jesus planned it all out)

THEN, there are those bodies of believers....fellowships, that have the worship dan pat! Yes sir diggidy! We are talking the worship will melt you blues away and have you ushered into the heavinlies in 5 minutes flat!  ٩(-̮̮̃-̃)۶♫♪♪♫•They will keep there for about an hour as well.

But then one leaves with no meat to last  and has to ask, "Where's the Teaching???? Exhortation? Preaching of the Word?"

So I suppose you are wondering about the title of the post at this point.....(if you are still here)...thus the question to follow.
 "Are you in the same place naturally, physically,or spiritually as you were last year?....the year before? If so...why?"

Although God does not change. He is a constant (thankfully) he is the same yesterday- today and forever. He is all about changing US. From lost - to found. From glory to glory. Into the perfected image of his Son Jesus.

This post is not about judging anyone.

I can hear it now...all the clamoring. I am just glad you are reading this. I have always been used as one to speak it forth. A "faith challenger", if you will. :)

The Lord left us a parting gift. Holy Spirit. When we first accept this most amazingly, beautiful gift and learn to embrace Holy Spirit and walk with and understand Holy Spirit - our life with God becomes something more than we even knew it could be. Our walk with Jesus stronger in ways we need  it (and others) need it to be. And healing births from the inside out and produces fruit in our lives that not only is evident to us but to the unseen future world of those that God has for us to minister to.

The seasons are changing. No matter what you believe in life I think you would probably agree with me on that one.

It's time.
Time to take your life to the next level. Time to take the next step. The next step will be different for everyone.
It may be your very first step....of faith...to Jesus.  It's okay, He's waiting for you.

Maybe it's a step IN faith ...for Jesus...it's okay Jesus believes in you.

Perhaps a step of faith is required WITH HIM....He is there waiting for you.

IN faith....TO Jesus IN Jesus....TO Holy Spirit IN Holy Spirit.

No matter what it is....you are not alone.....and you CAN. Yes you can.

What is impossible for you is possible with God (Matthew 19:26)

So go ahead ....take that step of faith....see where it leads...you won't be disappointed.

He's Never Late...

God’s Time

It’s hard sometimes to understand, God’s great, all knowing and mighty hand.

We see our world in limited view, knowing our need; at least we think we do.

We do our best to live obediently, without complaint, expediently.

Not comparing ourselves to one another, not being jealous of sister or brother.

Somehow, some way, hard as we try, we just can’t help but wonder why;

God seems to have overlooked our need, and still has neglected to water our seed.

As hard as it is to understand, God’s great, all knowing and mighty hand.

Let us remember his motive is pure love, he looks over us all, from his throne above.

His vision encompasses our entire life, from beginning to end, every joy; every strife.

He knows the plans he has for us, they are good not evil, in this we must trust.

Knowing down deep within our hearts, through all the tears and false starts;

God’s Word is ever and always true; HE will always see his promises through.

If we fully delight ourselves in Him, not just in part, he will give us the desires of our heart.

A Message

Psalm 18 From "The Message"

 I love you, God— you make me strong.
   God is bedrock under my feet,
      the castle in which I live,
      my rescuing knight.
   My God—the high crag
      where I run for dear life,
      hiding behind the boulders,
      safe in the granite hideout.


 I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty,
      and find myself safe and saved.


 The hangman's noose was tight at my throat;
      devil waters rushed over me.
   Hell's ropes cinched me tight;
      death traps barred every exit.


 A hostile world! I call to God,
      I cry to God to help me.
   From his palace he hears my call;
      my cry brings me right into his presence—
      a private audience!

 Earth wobbles and lurches;

      huge mountains shake like leaves,

   Quake like aspen leaves

      because of his rage.

   His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke;

      his mouth spits fire.

   Tongues of fire dart in and out;

      he lowers the sky.

   He steps down;

      under his feet an abyss opens up.

   He's riding a winged creature,

      swift on wind-wings.

   Now he's wrapped himself

      in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness.

   But his cloud-brightness bursts through,

      spraying hailstones and fireballs.

   Then God thundered out of heaven;

      the High God gave a great shout,

      spraying hailstones and fireballs.

   God shoots his arrows—pandemonium!

      He hurls his lightnings—a rout!

   The secret sources of ocean are exposed,

      the hidden depths of earth lie uncovered

   The moment you roar in protest,

      let loose your hurricane anger.

 But me he caught—reached all the way

      from sky to sea; he pulled me out

   Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,

      the void in which I was drowning.

   They hit me when I was down,

      but God stuck by me.

   He stood me up on a wide-open field;

      I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!

 God made my life complete

      when I placed all the pieces before him.

   When I got my act together,

      he gave me a fresh start.

   Now I'm alert to God's ways;

      I don't take God for granted.

   Every day I review the ways he works;

      I try not to miss a trick.

   I feel put back together,

      and I'm watching my step.

   God rewrote the text of my life

      when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

 The good people taste your goodness,

   The whole people taste your health,    

The true people taste your truth, 

The bad ones can't figure you out. 

 You take the side of the down-and-out,    

But the stuck-up you take down a peg. 

  Suddenly, God, you floodlight my life;

      I'm blazing with glory, God's glory!

   I smash the bands of marauders,

      I vault the highest fences.

  What a God! His road

      stretches straight and smooth.

   Every God-direction is road-tested.

      Everyone who runs toward him

   Makes it.

 Is there any god like God?

      Are we not at bedrock?

   Is not this the God who armed me,

      then aimed me in the right direction?

   Now I run like a deer;

      I'm king of the mountain.

   He shows me how to fight;

      I can bend a bronze bow!

   You protect me with salvation-armor;

      you hold me up with a firm hand,

      caress me with your gentle ways.

   You cleared the ground under me

      so my footing was firm.

   When I chased my enemies I caught them;

      I didn't let go till they were dead men.

   I nailed them; they were down for good;

      then I walked all over them.

   You armed me well for this fight,

      you smashed the upstarts.

   You made my enemies turn tail,

      and I wiped out the haters.

   They cried "uncle"

      but Uncle didn't come;

   They yelled for God

      and got no for an answer.

   I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind.

      I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter.

 You rescued me from a squabbling people;

      you made me a leader of nations.

   People I'd never heard of served me;

      the moment they got wind of me they listened.

   The foreign devils gave up; they came

      on their bellies, crawling from their hideouts.

 Live, God! Blessings from my Rock,

      my free and freeing God, towering!

   This God set things right for me

      and shut up the people who talked back.

   He rescued me from enemy anger,

      he pulled me from the grip of upstarts,

   He saved me from the bullies.

 That's why I'm thanking you, God,

      all over the world.

   That's why I'm singing songs

      that rhyme your name.

   God's king takes the trophy;

      God's chosen is beloved.

   I mean David and all his children—

      always.

In His Hand

In his hand

Forever

Since my beginning

Until my end

Created like him

Wonderfully

Designed to worship him

Fearfully

I am surely my beloveds

And

He is mine

Heavens King calls down

I answer with a sigh

[I must have more of him!

Or I will surely die!]

My LORD, who am I that you gaze upon me;

Opening the windows of Heaven like a curtain?

“You have called, my LORD…I am here.

Your own beloved Hand Maiden.”

Engulfed in heavens light

Stunned

Beholding heavens hosts

Awestruck

Swept away in spirit

Desiring

Taken to my LORD

Humbled

I am surely my beloveds

And

He is mine

Heavens King takes my hand

Brings me to my feet

Celestial music fills the air

We dance; our eyes they meet

My LORD, who am I that you gaze upon me;

Opening the windows of Heaven like a curtain?

“You have called, my LORD….I am here.

Your Own Amy Colleen.”

by: Amy Colleen Klapp

Hands up - I pick YOU!

Me me me! Pick me!

So, is there anyone out there who can identify with ever having raised your hand in response to a question something like this,

"So who would like to be on my team?"


Then never, ever get picked, ever.

Or perhaps you may remember shooting your hand up in response to a question similar in style to this,

"Who'd like to volunteer to help lead a project with me?"

And then gotten the old hand shot up right back at cha with a, "Slow down there - Just remembered someone already told me they were going to help out. So sorry 'bout that."   Speech added on to boot.

Then there's always the feeling like you are never number one in anyone's book. 

Ever struggled with that one?

Come on now. You're telling me you have never felt like you don't belong where you are? Ever?

(and not in a GOOD way)

You have never felt outta place before...always confident and secure....???

Well great then. If that is YOU - then this blog post is NOT FOR YOU - you can say T.T.F.N.

Tah Tah For Now !

For the rest of us let's continue on....

I know I have always struggled with feeling like the BLACK sheep. No matter what period of my life. Oh,  I understand why, now. I didn't then.

                                                      It's because I am.

For the L O N G E S T time, literally for years; well into adulthood, being so different was a stumbling block for me. Even though I was a believer. I knew the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior.

 I still did not have a grasp on how to embrace the uniqueness of who I was....who God had created me to be.

Every time I began to truly blossom and show characteristic traits of this beautiful creation that God himself created. 

I began to stand out and become more noticeable.
Why? Not because I was better or more beautiful - because I'm not. (reader please don't mis-understand my heart here. I have a reason for saying this)
I began to stand out because of my difference.
The vibrancy of my difference.

Unfortunately, I found that the majority of people, in and out of the church, do not like different! So the more I began to blossom into "AmyColleen" *God's Own Beloved Hand Maiden*(name meaning)

The fewer invites I began to get. The fewer responses to invites, phone calls and such I would receive back and yes when I raised my hand to be picked I was no longer a desirable candidate for anyone's team. No one wanted to be around me any longer.

I guess my difference made others uncomfortable.

I will be quite honest. There were many times I shrink back for a time into  an Amy that wasn't quite all of me, just so I could have some company. I would compare it to a night Lilly. One that goes to sleep during the day and blooms during the night. So beautiful - these Lily's have so much to offer the world. Yet we never get to see them because they wait until the deep dark wee morning hours to bloom.

That's what I did off and on for years. I was Amy during the day with my church family and AmyColleen at night with the Lord. It seemed the happy medium and the only way I could get any fellowship.
One problem. No one ever got a picture of the real me. AmyColleen. Kinda like this beautiful Lily that only blooms at night. Just to get this picture of a night Lily to put on my blog was difficult enough. For a photographer to catch a good shot of one of these is so rare that there are so few pictures on the web to choose from that aren't copy written.


Well here I am all grown up now. Still AmyColleen, Still surrounded by a multitude of people. I still have the choice to be Amy or AmyColleen. I have learned a thing or three. The most important and life changing lesson I have learned (and point of this blog) would have to be that  God does not create junk!

I mean that is the short of the long of it.
We. You and I. We are created in God's image.  We are fearfully and wonderfully created, right?
(hey...if you are reading this and you don't believe this then see me after. i.e. email me call me...see me....we will talk. this DOES apply to YOU as well! )

God, the creator of the universe...of all the things we can and can not see. All the GOOD things....HE does not create garbage. Plain and simple. He is not a man, that he should lie....(that would be Satan, for HE is the father of lies)
So, if me, YOU are created a little different, maybe ALLOT different than people around us than it was NOT A MISTAKE or FREAK OF NATURE.....OR CURSE OR ANYTHING ELSE! The devil, Satan our accuser would VERY much love for us to blame God, our creator, the one who loves......and would very much love for us to listen to the lies that he (Satan) is streaming into our minds through tons of different medians....telling us that we need to be different than we are - in order to receive God's love....but THIS IS A LIE FROM SATAN. The Word of GOD tells us in  Romans 5:6-8
"For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

All of this to say and encourage those I know and those I don't know but am aware may be encountering challenges in this same area.

It's okay to be yourself! SOMEONE has to be! 
No one sees things the same way you do. - that's okay.  That is why God created you after all. We are all unique.

Go ahead and don't be afraid to raise your hand!
Stand out and shine!

The Door & the Bridge - A Vivid Night Vision

The Door and The Bridge

I was in a house....or a building....it looked more sterile than I would have my house, but the sense I got was that it was a house.

There were very many doors along the inside of the walls of the house.
There were other people in this house with me. No one in particular, that I remember by name....just that I remember getting the feeling they were people I was close to.

Some of the doors were open and people were coming and going, in and out of them freely.
There were other doors that were open and no one was going through them; in fact no one was even close to where they were or seemed interested in going over to that side of the room where the doors were open.

Then there was this one door in the upper right side of the room. It wasn't closed all the way, nor was it open all the way. It was slightly cracked....just enough to get my attention.

I headed straight for that door....and when I got there I opened it right away ...all the way.
Several people in the room immediately turned around and saw me and spoke very clearly to me, "No! You don't want to go through that door!"

I just ignored them.

They kept on trying to stop me with their words, (no one would come near the door)  "It's too dangerous in there!! it's dark and...."

I had already stepped through the door and onto a bridge...
The bridge was a large sturdy bridge,(at first) like one you might see cars drive over.
I said out loud, "All I need to do is soak this bridge in oil!"

I then went back inside the house; got a huge bottle of anointing oil and headed back out onto the bridge. 

I began to walk across the bridge and anoint the side railings with oil. As I did the bridge became smaller. The farther I got across the narrower and the weaker less structured the bridge became.

So much so that it was no longer a large sturdy bridge capable of holding cars. It had transformed into a much smaller bridge
only big enough to hold one or two people at a time 
and it swayed back and forth as I walked along,
making it necessary for me to hold on tightly to the what once were the side bats of the bridge and now were the ropes that kept the bridge suspended. I continued on unto half way across the bridge where I ran into a curtain of utter and complete darkness.
Suddenly the bridge began to swing back and forth violently in the wind. A wind that seemed to come out of no where!!!
I knew I had to head back to the house but held on tight and took the last bit of oil that I had and saturated the railing/ropes with it.

As I turned around and began to make my way back the wind became so violent I couldn't hold on any longer and just before I reached the door  to the house I began to fall and that's when I felt some one's hand on my back.
In the midst of the raging storm this hand kept me from falling and lifted me to safety until I could step back into the room.

I have never felt anything like it, ever. Not in real life or in any vision or dream. Ever.
I wasn't afraid, at all. Not even when the I began to fall. However, when I felt the hand touch on my back, I was consumed with peace. So much so, that when I awakened from this dream. When I opened my eyes immediately following this dream, I was still overwhelmed with this peace.

It was amazing.

**** **** **** **** ***** ****

This was spiritual warfare, not a plan, not a prophecy, but the real thing as I was dreaming.  The doors are areas of ministry that were open to me, and had I gone through any other door, it would have been a different dream, but I chose this door. The one with the bridge....it was a passage being used by the enemy to bring evil into this world by the truckload.  As I minsitered holiness, (the oil) the bridge lost power and strength.  Because of the impact of my prayer and walk of faith, the enemy came against me. (the raging storm and wind)  because I walked in faith into the battle with nothing the but the Lord, He delivered me from the hand of the enemy, who was unable to harm me.

**** **** **** **** ***** ****  

Which door will you choose? Are you ready to take your stand against the enemy? 

Let's stand together as faithful followers and servants of the most high God!

Shalom ~ AmyColleen