The Washing Machine

When I was in my second year of Bible College, my two roomates and I had our first faith victory together. We believed God for a washing machine. Here's how it happened.

We had just learned Hebrews 11:1 Which says: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." We were told that one translation of that verse reads, "Now faith is giving substance to things hoped for..."

We latched right on to that idea. At our house, we had a nice dryer for our clothes but no washing machine, so we were hauling our clothes to the laundry mat, and bringing them home all wet, to throw into the dryer. It was obvious to us, that our faith could "give substance" to a washing machine. So we started saying it all the time. We would go to the laundry mat and say, "I"m so glad our faith is giving substance to a washing machine!"

The boys that we hung out with, found this quite amusing. They would usually come over and say something like, "Hey, nice dryer. Where's the washing machine again?"

Without flinching, we were quick to reply, "Our faith is giving substance to one!"

One day I was at the home of one of these boys, who happened to live with his older sister. His sister happened to be one of the instructors at the school. Somehow the topic of our "faith project" came up and this boy chuckled at me again. "I love how you girls are giving substance to a washing machine!" he said.

"What?" His sister had overheard us. "Gina, do you need a washing machine?"

"Why, yes." I replied, "We are believing for one."

She looked right at her little brother. "Scott!" She ordered. "Go get Steven right this minute, get the washing machine that Mom and Dad gave me out of the garage, and take it to the girls."

I was surprised. "You've had an extra one this whole time?"

"I never thought about it! " Scott answered.

Within minutes, the brothers were delivering it to our house. My Texan roomate was so excited to see where it came from that she jumped up and down and screamed, "It's an anointed washing machine!" (That's Christianese for "Really Cool.")

The three of us enjoyed this washing machine for the whole year, and it served as a constant reminder of Hebrews 11:1.

Since then, my faith has given substance to nearly every good thing in my life. I know that every good and perfect gift comes from my Heavenly father, and all I have to do is receive it by faith.

Your beliefs are giving substance to some thing all the time - either good or bad!

Believe for the best!

Gina

Mark 11:24
24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

The Pink Color

Back in the summer of '94, my son Jordan was just 2 years old, and we were living in hot, dry, New Mexico.

Suddenly he was hysterically in need of something. "Mama, the Pink Color! I need the Pink Color!"

I thought this was odd, since he was not coloring at the time, but I grabbed a pink crayon and asked, "Here's the pink color, do you need this?"

"NO! The PINK Color!"

This went on for some time while I tried to comfort him with every pink thing I could find.

Finally, he tore off his t-shirt and ran outside to the SPRINKLER-where he was aching for some relief from the heat. He waved it in front of me, jumped up and down and with a big smile, said it again, "The Pink Color, the Pink Color!"

Well, that was easy enough! He just wanted to run through the sprinkler! (Those were the days!!) so on came the water, and all was good!

So often we hear people through our own perceptions, instead of really trying to understand what it is they are feeling and saying. How much better could our relationships be if we took the time to really listen to people, look them in the eyes as they speak, and hear from their perspective?

Remember, effective communication requires two things - acute observation and personal flexibility. You can make someone's day by giving your undivided attention long enough to really understand.

What does he need? The pink color, or the sprinkler? The difference is in understanding how he speaks!

James 1:19
dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

Listen with your heart today, and your ears, and your eyes...

Bless you!

Gina

There is a Healer

A few years ago I came home from a dinner where I was singing and playing the keyboards with our band, and I realized that Paul was not happy. In fact, I was pretty sure that somehow, I was in trouble! Something must have made for a tough night at home with the kids.

"I can't believe we have no children's tylenol in the house!" he finally blurted.

"Oh dear." I thought. Surely that is the kind of thing a more organized mother would keep on hand. " I hardly ever think to use tylenol," I replied. "What happened?"

"Well Nathan has a raging ear infection!" (The twins were four then.) "He screamed in pain for over an hour, just like the last time it was infected."

I winced again. "Ooh. Where is he now?"

"Well," Paul quietly smiled. "He went to Jordan, and as soon as Jordan prayed for him, Nate stopped crying and fell asleep, so he's sleeping next to him right now."

Way to go, Jordan! Big brother was just 10.

This was NOT the time to ask, "Goodness! Why didn't you pray first?" So I mentioned, "When we were little, Mom used to put iced cold water in our ears with a dropper to stop the pain."

Paul just looked at me like Mom was going to lose her nursing licence. "I have never heard of anything like that."

I grinned, "Well, if he's still hurting tomorrow I"ll take him to the doctor."

We were still in bed the next morning when we heard the triumphant yelling from Jordan's bedroom. It was Nathan. "Hey everybody!!! I'm healed!!!"

He tore into our bedroom and said, "Guess what! Last night Jesus came into the bedroom and he poured something in my ear, and he healed me!!"

I looked at Paul, "You went and put something in his ear?"

He was just as surprised, (and we are faith people!) "I didn't do it - it must have been Jesus."

Nathan turned into an evangelist - he had seen the Lord!

After telling all of the family members about his supernatural encounter, he got on the preschool bus with Matt, and joyfully told the whole bus crew, "I was sick with a bad ear ache, and Jesus came to me last night and healed me!"

After school was out, he saw all the school kids descending from their bus stop, and he ran out the door to holler out to them, "Hey guys, there is a Healer, and his name is Jesus! I know 'cause he healed me!"

For two whole days, Nathan had no other song but "I was in pain, and Jesus healed me."

It was a wonderful lesson for all of us. Why do we so often pray last? Would we possibly pray without believing for a miracle? Why bother?

Lord! Thank you for the faith of a child.

Matthew 18:3-4
And [Jesus] said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

The Benevolent Universe

Man has made some remarkable discoveries about the world around us. We know that all things are composed of matter - smaller and smaller and smaller particles of matter. But what makes up the matter? Energy!

Everything you see with your eyes, as well as everything you can't see, is really just energy. Even solid things that you can hold in your hands, are made up of energy, held together in a certain order.

This begs the question to me, "What is holding everything together?"

"The Benevolent Universe," some will reply.

Yes. That is the Eastern mindset - that all is energy and all is one, and all is ultimately the Universe - the Benevolent Universe, the Divine. It's like The Force on Star Wars.

Oh! That is so beautiful, but the Bible elevates it even more. The Great Force is not the Universe, but the Creator of the Universe, who wants to fill you with his fullness and call you his friend, make you his child.

Colossians 1:16-17
For by him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together.

Who exactly is this Creator? Well, it is Jesus, who is also called the Living Word of God.

Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful Word.

Yes, He is "benevolent," because God is love. He does not posses love. He is love. He is light. He is life. He is Holy.

When you live in the presence of this Living God, and when His Word lives in you, you finally understand the meaning of Life. You operate on a supernatural level. You see miracles. You are more than a mere man or woman- you are a loved child of God, who has access to everything good in the universe!

It is all just energy! So fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen - you can see farther that way.

Bless you.

Gina

Sowing "Good Seed."

I was very pregnant with twins, exhausted from shopping, freezing cold, and ready to get my other tired children home. Paul was driving.

Suddenly, we noticed a woman was blocking traffic with her broken down car. Paul, true to form, jumped out to offer assistance.

"Honey!" I protested. "She already has a cop there to help her."

He leaned back in towards me, "Gina, one day it will be my sweet wife whose car gives her trouble, and I will want to know that someone is there to help you -so I'm sowing good seed!" and off he went with a smile.

As Paul and the officer moved the car out of the street, I marveled at how quickly the job was done. It took less than 3 minutes.

Only a few weeks later, I was coming home from a youth event, when I ran over something in the dark and felt my tire go completely flat. I pulled into a driveway where a woman was in front of her house talking on her cordless phone. I asked if I could use her phone to call my husband.

She smiled and nodded, and signaled that it would only be a minute. In that moment, her husband popped out of the house and changed my tire. He was so fast, I thought he worked for nascar!

He laughed and said, "I own the body shop down the street. I do this a hundred times a day."

When I got home and told Paul about it, he threw his jubilant hand in the air.

"Oh yes!" he exclaimed, "It's because I sowed good seed for that!"

I had to smile. Good seed indeed.

Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.