Freedom

Get Your Boots On…

/ Jana / 1 Comment

I can’t tell you too much yet. The revelation is too new. Too raw. But in a season of intense prayer with Jeremy, one of our pastors, he said, “This is so random but I see you in a pair of sandals.”

“Yes I wear them all the time.” I said.

“But  you can’t go very far in sandals. You know how the Bible says our feet are shod with the good news of the gospel?” I nodded yes. “Well you can’t go very far or very long in sandals. It’s like you are casually walking.”

“Do you mean it’s too casual? Am I being too casual with what I am doing?”

“Yes in a way but it’s more than that.  Sandals are too open. You are too likely to have…” he paused here and searched for the right word.

“Backlash,” he said firmly.

“Do you mean like my feet will get hurt?”

“Yes but more than that. You get caught in the thorns in sandals. Sandals open you to backlash, not being protected or prepared for the journey.”

Then the Lord spoke the bomb and the balm all at once. “I see you getting new pair of shoes. They are combat boots.”

I know my face must have looked bewildered.  Combat boots? Not silhettos? Not bright, sparkly, flashy shoes? I think to myself. He continued.

“God is giving you a pair of combat boots. People in combat boots walk anywhere with no thought of thorns, or terrain. People in combat boots walk with a purpose. They are in a war and they are ready.”

Wow.  Obviously by this point I am in a puddle of my own tears. And many more prayerful words followed. I am still dissecting and digesting it all. But as I was going to my car the Lord continued the conversation about the thorns.

“What do thorns represent?” the Lord pressed in my heart.

“The curse, the devil’s attempts to slow you down?”

“In your boots, you will walk over those.”

What do you say to this? And if my head had not already been blown off my shoulders, look at the photo I get today…. A  bride in combat boots. Ezer Warrior.

You better get your boots on. We’re going somewhere.

Oh the power and majesty of this God we love. Oh the strength He gives to us all.
Lord, thank you for speaking to us, and please continue to equip us all for the journey with you.  May you give us an increase of faith to hear and believe and act on what You say. Amen.

The Very Thought of You

/ Jana / 1 Comment

Her eyes were so red from crying that it made the blue of her irises all the more vivid. “Why am I believing in God if it is still so hard and nothing is changing?” she asked. “You talk about all this supernatural stuff but I don’t see it in my life. What am I supposed to do?”

My heart broke in response but I was also really, really excited.  I had been in this moment of desperation before. And now, I knew what was on the other side –  more of Him, more surrender, more freedom. She couldn’t see what I saw. She was what was changing. A year ago she was a different person. And today, the circumstances were hard, but she was stronger, she was different. She was waking up to a much bigger God.

What wall are you screaming at today? What bill, person, job, sickness, need is the focus of your energy and attention?  My friend was trying to assess who God is based on her circumstances. But after a good scream and cry, and after a good long look at His face, her circumstances were the same, but they looked different. She now saw them through His eyes. He has a way of doing that. He will do that for you too.

God is never overwhelmed by anything. Any thing. And if He isn’t, we don’t have to be either. Even as I write this, I understand that the “wall” seems larger than life. You have an enemy who is working hard to it make your wall appear so. But it is a lie. The Truth is God Himself is larger than life.

All through scripture is the instruction to “call upon the name of the Lord.” Why would God instruct us to do this unless He has an intention to answer?
Call upon Him today, expecting Him to give you more of Himself.

Here is a fun exercise. Just for your spirit’s refreshment today really listen to the song “The Very Thought of You.” I heard this song performed by Emily and Andrew McCoy. And it stuck with me for days… He and I kept singing back and forth to each other.  It was altogether — crazy. And yet, it was this very focus that took my eyes off of  my “wall.”  Try it. You might like it. I know He sure does.

The Very Thought of You
The very thought of you and I forget to do
The little ordinary things that everyone ought to do
I’m living in a kind of daydream
I’m happy as a king (queen)
And foolish though it may seem
To me that’s everything

The mere idea of you, the longing here for you
You’ll never know how slow the moments go till I’m near to you
I see your face in every flower
Your eyes in stars above
It’s just the thought of you
The very thought of you, my love

The Power of Praise

/ Jana / 2 Comments

Supernatural.  This is the word of the year for me. Hopefully it will be the reality of the rest of my life, and your life because it is one of the many ways to describe the beautiful, awesome, mighty God who lives in us and with us. As I explore the “how” of the supernatural way of living, it always comes back to worship.

This is not  something you get, or work for. It is an overflow of being with the Supernatural One.

God is not a magic genie, or a slot machine, or a formula to ensure success. He is a person who is moved to love and compassion. Just as any lover reacts to being loved, He responds to us when we love on Him. Enter worship and praise.  I guess you could loosely say that worship is God’s “love language.”  Smile.

On our last beach date, the Lord put into place a vision so big, so crazy God-like, that I know only He could pull off. It is truly supernatural. And He also revealed that the journey will have to be saturated in our worship. Not duty, not human smarts or effort, not rabbit’s foot suspicion, but true hearts that are abandoned in worship of the One who brings all dreams to life.

I am asking you to join us November 1st for WGR’s first official celebration as a non-profit ministry. We’re calling it, “An Offering of Praise.” When the Lord brought the word “offerings” to mind, I spent time in the Bible looking at God’s people, old and new testament. Before and after great endeavors, people would bring praise and offerings as a visible way of acknowledging all the Lord has done and would do. It was a beautiful picture of how we bring something of ourselves, our thanks and our money, and present it to the Lord. Both are outward signs of our hearts being connected to Him. They don’t call it a “love offering” for nothing. Our shared loved of God, changes the world.

I can’t tell you how I am busting to share this vision of hope and radical impact in our world. I can’t tell you how much I want us to enter into this season of rejoicing over all He has done. I am so grateful that we can bring our riches, some spiritual, some material, to build the Kingdom together.

“Fund raising then is a very rich and beautiful activity.  It is an integral part of our ministry.  In fund raising we discover that we are all poor and that we are all rich, and in ministering to each other – each from the riches that he or she possesses – we work together to build the Kingdom.  The Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of the poor.

“How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. Henri Nouwen

Save the Date!
An Offering of Praise
November 1st, 6:30 to 8:15 p.m.
Abiding Glory Church
Midpark Drive, Knoxville, TN

Okay, Enough Already!

/ laurajones / 2 Comments

Do you ever just get knocked down by the world and its ridiculous attacks? Are you ever just shocked at how big  and how deep the Lie goes about the Value of a Woman?

I don’t know whether to cry, scream or throw up. When the first offer and photo came through my email, I tried to stuff the outrage down.  And now the email offer has resurfaced. But instead of it being a onesy thing now it is a GROUP thing. Classes of women groping and balancing. What am I so pissed about?

Pole dancing classes. Are you kidding me???  Do we not have enough porn shoved down our throats without trying to mimic the deception even more? Are you not already tired enough of trying to keep up with the world’s faulty concept of beauty?  The dieting, the surgery, the self-loathing? The comparison, the envy, the jealousy that leads to even more harmful acting out?

Really women? Really? Is this our sum total?

Does this woman’s posture do anything but reduce us to body parts for consumption? Ask most men to look at this photo, or better have him recall a time on film or DVD when he watched pole dancing,  and see if women grinding to poles makes him rise to anything remotely holy….
I am all about a woman being and feeling healthy and assured of her own worth. I am all about the “wow” factor of the female race. I am all about blow-the-house-down great sex. But I am also 100% convinced that women who try to imitate porn stars (women and men who are in need themselves of rescuing) look to the wrong source for inspiration and definition.  The women I talk to don’t need help being “sexed”. We need help being loved and cherished and adored for who we are, not just for the way we contort our frames around steel.
Is anybody hearing me? Did anyone even flinch when this offer came through?
We were watching a harmless movie with Salem and they snuck in a 30-second clip of pole dancing and men gawking. Her natural disgust and shock was immediate. “What is that?” she asked incredulous.  “Men and women wasting their strength and beauty on empty sex.” I said.   “Gross.” said the 13-yr-old.

Yep. It’s gross.

Women, what we need is how to tap into the real beauty, the passion, the fire that God has for us. In this place of true intimacy, we don’t feel like objects. We feel valued and enjoyed by our Maker. Then we can move to share that with our husbands. But we don’t create intimacy by imitating prostitutes.
“The man and woman were both naked and they felt no shame.”

Reading the Road Signs Well

/ Jana / 3 Comments

I love the whole process of going on a trip. It forces me to examine what I really do and do not need. It also exposes props that I use to make myself comfortable, or worse, presentable. However, when you try to get four people in a small car, your props sometimes have to go. I have to admit, though, deep down I like the freedom that comes without the extra baggage. I remember when Chuck and I went to Paris for 10 days and each of us only took one carry on bag. It was wonderful to roll through customs without lugging more “necessities.”   Beach trips are even better. Swimsuit, sunscreen, sundresses, towels, books, lotion, toothbrush, done.

Which brings me to the question rolling around in my head. What is it we really need?  We spend our lives on the supposed “necessities” and wear ourselves out lugging around the extra bags, but could we really, really streamline and focus?

Apply this metaphor to your thought life. How many pieces of luggage are you dragging around there?  Did you really mean to pack fear, anxiety, inaction, doubt? Do you really “need” those?

Scripture says we have the “mind of Christ”  so how does that impact  our ability to think clearly, without all the baggage? And what does He think about anyway? 

Just for fun let me share how He directed my thoughts on the way home from Florida.  We have this long standing exercise of conversing via billboards. All the way down there, it didn’t even enter my mind to look. But on the way home I began to feel the familiar tug and opened my heart to whatever He said. I realized He was answering questions that I had asked while we walked on the beach.

I had asked for direction for my life, my family and my work. I also surrendered the need to have life go “my way.”  In His loving way, He revealed how my “plans” to do His work were still about me. He said, “Jana, you just make it all about Me. I will take care of the rest.”

So my response to Him was honest but confused.  “I love that idea, but how do you do that? Do I do nothing and wait on you?” And this is the ah-ha.

“Of course not,” was His reply. Because He is always working. He explained that really making my life revolve around Him, about being for Him, through Him, to Him, was to be my main objective. The other stuff, my supposed props and necessities, were just baggage that was wearing me out. All that luggage was full of stuff trying to make me comfortable and be presentable. Those bags were full of stuff about me, for me, to me.

Here is what He had to say just to remind me that He is present, working, able and inspiring:

Let’s Make a Big Impression.

Making a Difference for Hurting People.

Spread Your Wings and Fly

Tested. Trusted. True.

Total Support is a Beautiful Thing.

Think Big.

An Alluring Business.

Winning Happens.

Be Blessed.

Going Strong.

Adventure above the Rest.

Lighten Up.

Pride. Tradition. Excellence.

Preparation with a Purpose.

Try today to travel light. You might find that you and Jesus really is enough.  His thoughts really are higher than ours and He wants us to be where He is… I love traveling with Him.

Yes and Amen Retreat

/ Lyschel / Leave a comment

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.“
2 Corinthians 1:20

Friday, April 13 through Sunday, April 15, 2012

We are going to use this “get away from the world time” to talk about:

What are God’s dreams for us?

What does He see for our lives, and our futures?

What has He already said, “Yes and Amen” to that we just don’t know about yet?

How do women get Un-stuck?

False expectations and demands around food, sex, beauty, and love (and the Lord only knows what else…) What lifts women up?

Rest and release in the love of God.

Freedom to use our voice and heart.

Letting go of the need to control.


Join us for this unique retreat held at Smoky Mountain Christian Village.  A beautiful complex out of the traffic zone of Pigeon Forge, TN

Weekend Package Includes:  Cost is only $80!

  • Five sessions of Teaching and Materials with Jana Spicka
  • 2 Night’s Lodging in a large and spacious chalet.  Heated pool and nature trails on site.
  • Four Meals and Snacks. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday morning. (Friday night dinner is on your own before first session.)

This is an intimate gathering limited to 18 women. So don’t wait to register.

Reserve Your Spot Today

 

Click here to hear a testimony from one of last years attendees.

Women Getting Real Weekly Class

/ Lyschel / Leave a comment

This  is a great place to go deeper into relationship with Jesus and  other  women. Both seem scary we know. But this is a place where we talk  about  real life topics and look for God to show up in the middle of  our lives.

The class is for all ages and does not require perfect attendance. Or homework.

Join us in person at Fellowship Church on Middlebrook Pike,  Knoxville,TN every Tuesday night from 7:00pm – 9:00pm (childcare is  provided for those who register).

For specific details around the class please feel free to email us at info@womengettingreal.com.

We meet three weeks on and one week off. Dates of class are listed below. We are planning to Livestream at least once month. So stay tuned for those details. Be sure to sign up for RSS or Facebook alerts so you don’t miss out on “Monday Snack Time with Jana”, its a weekly vlog.

Class Dates for Spring Semester 2011: April 5, 19, 26; May 3, 17, 24, 31
(new class location coming soon, stay tuned for details)

To hear audio from classes up until now check out our archived classes

Our Heart for Unhindered

/ Jana / 1 Comment

This is the Lord’s mission statement. It’s what He’s always doing. And this is our desire for the women who are part of Unhindered 2.0.  Don’t miss an amazing day with the Lord as we press into His freedom, His favor, His comfort, and His beauty for us. You can still register here.

Isaiah 61:1-3

 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
   because the LORD has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives
   and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
   and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
   instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
   instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
   instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   a planting of the LORD
   for the display of his splendor.