The Arts and a Dolphin's DNA Song

Lots of people have been asking me about my time at the School of Prophets in Redding... So here's a late nite recap of a few things to share. First of all, the worship times were amazing, such freedom and pursuit and presence of the Holy Spirit filled our times, was literally amazing and something I rarely experience to such a degree. So many of the things that were taught so resonated with my own heart.
Here's some of my notes and thoughts from the breakout session by Dano McCollum on the arts (quotes might not be 100% accurate):
He spoke about how "creativity is the highest manifestation of the divine nature" and that when we are being creative we are being prophetic." These are things that I fully believe, hence Silver to Gold written to inspire people to follow their hearts because I believe as they do so, they are more open to the Holy Spirit whether they are Christians or not. There is something freeing in the spirit as one creates. One of the most fascinating things that Dano shared with us though was in relation to the new DNA research that is going on. Scientists take DNA samples of animals and even people and instead of chart the findings in a graph, they match the graph with notes of music. We got to listen to the song coming from a dolphin's DNA. It was amazing, you could almost hear the dolphin jumping out of the water! We even heard one song of a human's DNA. If you want to hear the whole teaching including this and the songs go to the link and look under #13 Breakout 1A "Arts and Cultural Transformation by Dan McCollum". Can also learn more about DNA project and hear music at http://www.yourdnasong.com

Basically though, the DNA studies just helps demonstrate how we all have a song to sing. We are all specific and unique beautiful masterpieces that He has created to be beautifully ourselves. Birds were made to soar, fish were made to swim, we were made to be the unique and creative expression of our King. That will look different for each of us. What is important is that we not compare ourselves with others, that we follow our hearts and the dreams that God has given us, and express His love creatively through being fully the men and women He has created us to be.

So what is your song? What are your unique talents and gifts? What has God already given you and how can you use those talents and gifts to the fullest for Him? "Clearly you are an epistle of Christ...written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart"- 2 Corinthians 3:2

When God Leads Us to Giants

CAN WE MISS OUT ON OUR DESTINY?

I believe that we absolutely can, but it’s my heart that none of us ever does! Over a series of Live Destiny blog entries, I am going to demonstrate this as well as provide some helpful encouragements so that we do not miss out but rather engage in and thrive in our full destinies.

WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY TO WALK INTO OUR DESTINY

A generation of Israelites missed out on their destiny (Read Numbers 13-14)

Just as the Israelites who died in the desert missed out on their full destiny, so can we if we do not quickly respond to the leadings of the Holy Spirit. The generation of the Israelites who died in the desert stopped short of walking in their God-given inheritance. They had a window of time where they could have chosen God’s perspective and trusted in His leading but they allowed themselves to be crippled by fear, even seeking to stone the only two, Joshua and Caleb, who actually believed in God’s destiny for them. It wasn’t until after the Israelites got rebuked and schooled from God by their stoning behaviour towards His appointed leaders that they finally came to their senses. 

BUT IT WAS TOO LATE

By the time the Israelites finally realized that their destiny truly was beyond the giants and within the Promised Land, they set out to respond to God’s earlier call on their lives. Only by this time, the window of opportunity had already passed them by. Yes, they finally were ready to fight and overcome these giants but now it was too late. They missed God’s heartbeat because of a wrong perspective and not being ready to respond immediately to His leading. They had their sights set on the giants in front of them blocking their true destiny, rather than on God who could have moved them into their true destinies.

REAL GIANTS

The giants in the Promised Land were real and the giants we have to fight through to take hold of our destiny are real. The credit crunch is real, rejection is real, misunderstanding is real, but if God really is over all and if He is leading us somewhere, the surrounding circumstances are irrelevant, powerless in comparison with His greatness. Regardless of what giants we currently face, God is greater.

WHAT IF?

If the Israelites of that generation had trusted in and believed that God wanted the best for them and responded to God’s earlier call to fight and enter the Promised Land, would they have gained the victory? What if they all had rallied behind Joshua and Caleb in full support of overcoming the giants, would they have thrived in the Promised Land and had a different end to their story? What does this story say to us about the importance of not only saying Yes to God when He leads, but the importance of responding in the moment as well? A generation’s destiny hung on a thread, on a moment. What would have happened if Martin Luther King Jr. did not respond to where God was leading him at the time to fulfill his destiny? What if he would have hesitated, asked how, or lived in the fear of the giants surrounding him?

 

If we hesitate or struggle to respond immediately when God speaks to us, what will happen to those around us who need for us to live our destiny so that it brings a shift in their reality? May we be a people who are so close to the Father that we know His ways and can discern His voice. May we be like Joshua and Caleb, full of faith and ready to respond immediately to God as He leads into our destiny, keeping our eyes on Him who is the Author and Finisher of our true destiny.

See also "Walking by Faith in the Midst of the Credit Crunch"

Introducing LaChelle Rector, Global Director of Silver to Gold Destiny Groups

I am excited to introduce the newest member to the Silver to Gold team and leader of the Destiny Groups International, LaChelle Rector. LaChelle was one of the first to pilot Destiny groups while in Nashville earlier this year. I have enjoyed getting to know LaChelle and seeing her heart. I believe her passion to see people live their destinies and her inspiration in challenging people to follow God's purposes will greatly contribute to the S2G team. With no further ado, here's LaChelle in her own words...

                                                                                                    Intersecting Silver to Gold...

I've spent a lot of my life trying to fit into a man-made mold. I had never felt fulfilled and quite honestly I was dying inside. But there has always been a drum beat stirring in my spirit saying, "It's time. Step out." It was a year ago that I responded to God's heart beat where I dropped the uncomfortable mold and started following things that made me alive. I met Jen at the beginning of the year through a divine appointment where God connected us even though we were living on separate continents at the time. The essence of Silver to Gold is my heart's cry, for it calls everyone to be equipped to hear the voice of God; when this happens they are challenged to move beyond just living so that they can thrive abundantly. I am thankful for my opportunity to partner in this movement. Jen's creativity connects to the heart of God and helps to free people from religion so that they can step into a life of purpose and meaning. This adventure is like no other and I want nothing more then to tell everyone not to settle for anything less than the gold our Creator has destined. 

About Me
Adventure must be the main part of my DNA. I grew up in log cabin in Crossville, Tennessee.  Even though it was a small town its where my heart started exploring. I explored through hiking, snowboarding, skateboarding, climbing, caving, and just anything else that could challenge me. After high school I moved to Nashville, Tennessee where I got a B.S. degree in Psychology with a minor in art and mental health counseling. As soon as I graduated in 2010 I spent nine days in Managua, Nicaragua and then jumped ship to Sydney, Australia to do YWAM. I got to live in a community that loved Jesus more then anything plus skateboarding and surfing!!! After exploring all that I could in AUS I came back to America where I started planning my next adventure. This brings me here to Redding, California where I am a 1^st year student at Bethel’s School of Supernatural Ministry. If I could fly I would fly to the ends of the earth and then some…. Thank goodness I’ve become a part of Jen's team where creativity and adventure is part of the journey!

Speaking

Jen recently finished her PhD (on healing and revival), which means now she is free to play!
She is currently available to share with your group on any of the following messages below. Overall, Jen is passionate about inspiring people to take risks to move out of the comforts of an easy life and into the exciting and adventurous life in the kingdom of God. Two of her life verses are John 10:10 and Ephesians 3:20 which come through in almost all of her messages. All of her messages have been lived or experienced personally by her. See her BIO to learn more. Jen’s style is also to try and be open and sensitive to what the Holy Spirit might be saying to a specific community at a certain time. With that said, some of things on her heart at the moment are (click titles to learn more):

Water into Wine
Are you experiencing God’s abundance in your life? Do you believe that it’s His heart to bring you lasting joy? Jesus’ first miracle in the book of John was not multiplying bread or healing anyone, but making an even more exciting party. Sometimes God wants to do miracles in our lives not necessarily to make us more effective for His kingdom but simply to demonstrate His specific and overwhelming favor just because He loves us. This is based on her recent and personal experience of Jesus turning water into wine in her own life when she went to the Canary Islands in December of 2010 followed by her trip to Cana of Galilee in 2011.



Silver to Gold: Moving from the deserts of freedom and into the promised land of abundance
How many people do you know that are settling for less than God’s best in their lives? Just as Caleb and Joshua had to fight to enter into their inheritance (Numbers 13), so must we take risks to move out of our deserts of freedom and into our God given destinies. There is always a fight that must be won before entering into the Promised Land for our lives; this is not a fight for freedom but a fight for abundance. It's safe and comfortable in the silver, in the desert, but God has destined us for the GOLD, to dwell in the Promised Land. When we don't walk in God's destiny for our lives, it's easy to get drawn back into our old life. “You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey...See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess this land which has been promised” (Deut 1:6-8). Read Silver to Gold: A Journey of Young Revolutionaries or connect to above link to listen to a recent talk on this.


Spirit Flood: Hungering for floods of living waters
A hunger to be overwhelmed in the Spirit was part of initiating a worldwide revival at the Azusa Street Revival in 1906. What if something similar occurred today? What does it look like to be flooded by the Spirit and how many times can that happen in our lives? Looking also at the progression in Ezekiel 47, an invitation to completely let go and be flooded with the Spirit is presented. To learn more, you can read Spirit Flood: Rebirth of Spirit Baptism for the 21st Century or listen to a talk here.

Healing on the Streets:  Taking Risks and learning to respond to the Holy Spirit 
Do you believe that you can miss out on the fullness of God’s destiny for your life? Can you miss out on the fullness of the kingdom if choosing not to take risks in response to the Holy Spirit’s nudging? How do you even know if it’s the Holy Spirit leading or if it’s just your own thoughts leading you? This message will teach how to discern the voice of the Spirit, encourage people to take risks even if they are unsure, and demonstrate the impact of stepping out in faith regardless of if there are visible results or not. Every time we pray for people, God is at work whether we see it or not. Healing on the Streets stories or legs growing, etc. You can access recent talks on this here.

Faith in the Midst of the Credit Crunch
Are there any promises that God has spoken to you in the past but have yet to be fulfilled? Revolutionary Perspectives: Carrie Judd Montgomery was led by the Spirit, discerned what God had spoken to her in the midst of conflicting voices around her, and she acted in faith even when she didn’t have the money. Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 13) believed in the promise, wholly followed after God regardless of their surrounding circumstances, had a right perspective of God and chose to remember His faithfulness, and they were not afraid to fight for what they believed in (or they were, but they chose to trust God anyway!). What does it look like to live by faith and also responsibly at the same time? It is important to follow God's destiny for our lives regardless of our present circumstances.

Healing and Revival: A Forgotten Revivalist, Carrie Judd Montgomery,  inspires today
What can we learn from life of forgotten revivalist, Carrie Judd Montgomery, and others that can inspire our faith today? Montgomery was one of the most influential people in the Divine Healing movement and also played a significant role in the expansion of global Pentecostalism. She initiated the first healing home on the West Coast in 1893 and it was through her ministry that John G. Lake and many others were first introduced to divine healing. She played a significant role in the development of healing in the atonement and her life of faith and total surrender to the Spirit will inspire us to walk in a similar way.

Make You Feel My Love: There's Nothing That He Did Not Do
Bob Dylan's song sung so beautifully by Adele has re-emerged within this generation for a reason. The lyrics of this song are a prophetic call to this generation to receive His love afresh. Whether one is already a Christian or not yet, there is so much more love He is longing to pour out if we would just open our hearts and receive all that He has for us.





I am also available to do sessions and seminars on How to Write and Publish Your 1st Book.


Jen has preached internationally, mainly through Vineyard and also through Iris Ministries, in Africa, Europe, New Zealand, the UK, and in the USA and has also designed and implemented trainings, talks, and seminars on various topics such as discipleship, leadership, healing, team building, worship, ministry, prayer, living a life of faith, evangelism, the Holy Spirit, and revival history. For Revival history, her main areas are the Divine Healing Movement, the Azusa Street Revival, the Holiness Movement, and female revivalists. For Theology, her areas are the development of the doctrines of sanctification and of healing in the atonement, and Spirit baptism. You can learn more about what she is passionate about at JenMiskov.com or email her at JenMiskov@silvertogold.com for availability.

You are called to change the world!

Interview with Heidi Baker, in regards to Revival History and Hunger for the Spirit. I think you will be blessed. Enjoy!

Can we miss out on our God-given Destiny?

Could Daniel have missed out on his?

I just read Daniel chapters 1-3 this morning and began to see this story in a new light. Let me give you a little recap first. Earlier Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king’s portions of food and wine which went against his convictions. He was allowed to do this and shown favor. The important thing here is that he purposed in his heart to give God 100% regardless of the surrounding circumstances and he had to say something to the guards in order to be given permission to do this. 

Later on King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and had the crazy idea that a wise person needed to not only tell him the interpretation of his dream, but also the dream itself. No one was able to do this so he began to murder all the wise men. Daniel was one of these wise men who would eventually be targeted. He asked why the king was killing the wise men off so urgently and then he got the low down.

Daniel requested time from the king over this matter so that he could come back and interpret the dream. Daniel was confident and basically told the king that he would provide an interpretation but that he just needed some more time. He called on his buddies Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego to pray with him concerning the matter, that God would reveal to him the king’s dream. 

Daniel believed that God was more than capable of providing the answer, although up to that point Daniel had heard absolutely nothing. At that point the only thing Daniel had was faith that God would come through and friendship with others to pray for the same. He believed that if he put himself out on a line, took a huge risk for God, that God just had to come through.

After Daniel had asked the king for time, believed God would come through, mobilized his prayer warriors, and then called upon God for the answer, “the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision (2:19).” It was when Daniel was sleeping that God gave him the answer. He presented it to the king, making sure to clarify that it was God that revealed these things to him. The king very pleased with the answer and did 2 things: “The king answered Daniel, and said, ‘Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal the secret.’ Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. (2:47-48).

Through Daniel taking a risk to go before the king with an answer that He believed God would provide in time, he saved many wise men (himself and his friends included), brought a fresh revelation of God’s glory to the reigning king at that time, and was honored by God and the king with promotion.

I wonder how differently this story might have turned out if Daniel had never responded to the stirrings within his heart or if he hesitated. What if he never asked the king for time? What if he looked at the reality that he did not have the interpretation and let the king go on with his killing? What if Daniel showed up before the king and God had not yet spoken? What if he didn’t believe that God would come through? If he decided not respond immediately to the Lord’s leading or his own convictions, could Daniel have missed out engaging in this part of his destiny?

Let us be a people that take risks towards the things we believe God is putting in our hearts, even if those things are not yet tangible or fully revealed. Let us live and breathe and walk in our full inheritance within the heavenly kingdom He has already given us.

“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall crush in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” 2:44

Fireside

I was cleaning out my room and I came across a poem I wrote for the ladies in my small discipleship group back in 2007. At the time I wrote it, I was reflecting upon how they had grown up and remained connected to the Source which was such a beautiful thing. It was my prayer that even though some of them were just married or engaged, that even with those gifts from above, it is important to always remain in Him and make that time to be in His presence. These have continued to do this and they not only inspire me but inspire many others as well. Rediscovering this poem today has reminded me that no matter what season in life we enter next, it is essential that we always seek out God in the secret place, for it is there that He eagerly awaits spending timing with us...

This poem is rededicated today to the ladies from my small group who have indeed remained close to the Fire, even after all these years. Each of you are beautiful and special to me.

Fireside

As single love begins to grow

Multiply

And fill more than one room,

More than one world

Always remember to return

It awaits you always

That fireside place of meeting

Where He restores you again and again

Refreshes you with His peace

Speaks words of tenderness over you

He waits with longing

To seduce you into His loving presence

With gentle words that can only bring life

Hope, peace

He promises

Rest, comfort despite

Confusion, chaos

He awaits

His fireside room is being prepared

No matter how crowded the other rooms get

He makes this special place ready

You alone hold the key

This is your secret place

For you and Him alone

Will be together here

Here is life

Return here

Again and Again

For this is where your heart belongs
Where your spirit comes alive

Drunk in the Canary Islands

I grew up loving bodyboarding, surfing, and anything that had to do with being in the ocean. The adventure of traveling to some random secret beach and finding a secret spot to surf or being out there with the dolphins always has made my heart leap inside.

I am still struck and in awe about how amazing God is simply because I am His daughter and He loves me dearly. Even when I am not looking for it, He comes and blesses me exceedingly abundantly beyond what I could ever ask or imagine; He’s so cool like that! One recent example of how God led me into His destiny simply to bless me and for no other reason was in December of 2010. I had been working 6 days a week, sometimes ten hours straight of writing, editing, and refining my thesis and I was nearing the end. It was a crucial time for me bringing my last 3 years of research together in preparation to submit. 

One night while I was at the University and tirelessly working on my thesis, I snapped. I literally needed a break or my brain was going to completely fry. 

Around 10pm after working all day on it, I impulsively looked for a cheap flight from Birmingham to anywhere. I really didn’t care, I just needed to get out and take a much needed break so that I could come back refreshed and finish strong. I noticed that a flight to the Canary Islands was cheap. I didn’t know anything about it other than the fact that it was an island. This meant that it had to be surrounded by water which meant that there would also be a beach there which I so longed to be near because of how good it is for my soul.

Without going home first to look at my schedule, I booked a ticket to the Canary Islands; I was desperate for an escape from my thesis. Several days later I mentioned to my brother that I bought a ticket there and he was so excited for me and he told me that people bodyboard there because the waves are good. I had no idea, I just thought I would get to sit at the beach, be in the sun, and explore a new place. All things I love. Bonus, I might be able to bodyboard there as well! 

I researched all the spots and also found out there was a place there where I could rent a board. The first few days I arrived there were a bit hectic but it was nice to see the ocean. The third day in I traveled in search of a wave that I heard was well known (El Fronton). I just wanted to at least see it, if nothing else. 

When I arrived at the beach I noticed a few people were out and I thought that I have to paddle out because I was there. Then I noticed a guy with a bodyboard walk by me and around the rocks. My curiosity caused me to follow him. When I turned the corner, I saw another surf spot that was filled with bodyboarders busting sick airs and getting deep barrels. I quickly jumped in the car as I had discovered the real El Fronton just around the corner. When I arrived, in the parking lot I saw Mike Stewart drive past and chatted to him for a few minutes. What in the world was the legend of bodyboarding doing at El Fronton at this same time when I was just on a much needed break from my studies? I ended up paddling out into the line up only to notice people doing backflips, air reverses, getting barrelled, and many of these were pro bodyboarders that I receognized from when I was in the scene over 10 years ago. That was pretty cool. Even better, when I came in, I heard someone on the beach yell my name. I looked over and found out it was Manny, one of my friends from San Diego who I had done his bodyboarding contests back in the day. He was taking pictures of all the pros.
 

We were both tripping out that we were both randomly at the Canary Islands at the same time. Long story short, he encouraged me to stay and extend my ticket to see the bodyboarding contest that would be held there and since I didn’t have anything to rush back to the UK that was covered in snow, I decided to stay in the sunshine as long as I could. Good thing I did because a few days later, when me, Manny, and another bodyboarder were driving to check out a spot, we passed this beautiful right with no one out. We decided it was time to seize the day. Manny got geared up to take water photography and we had an absolute blast.

The sun was shining so perfectly, the water was warm, I was with a friend from my homeland who was now taking professional water shots of me bodyboarding in the Canary islands. All this came after I simply and impulsively booked a random plane ticket a few weeks before. Even more, during the contest I got to do another thing that I love, which is photography. Not only did I get to take pictures, but I got to take pictures of one of the things I love more than almost anything, bodyboarding! Throughout the trip, I got to bodyboard, hang out with some of the best bodyboarders in the world as well as take pictures. I was unexpectedly in paradise!

All’s I can say is that I love it when God loves us in ways that we can’t even imagine. God met needs I hadn’t even realized I had, and He did it in remarkable and overwhelming ways that I would have never expected. He literally did exceedingly abundantly above all I could have ever asked or imagined. He moved mountains to bring me there at the same exact time of all the others who were doing one thing I love the most. 

 
He did all this, not necessarily to do some crazy miracles or use me for His kingdom, although I did have a few opportunities to connect with others, but He did all of this simply because He loves me and knows what makes me happy. He simply wanted me to have a party and enjoy life and just receive His love and favor and fun.  

The very first miracle in the book of John is Jesus making an even greater party. He turned water into wine. It wasn’t a miraculous healing, casting out of a demon, or some other sign; it was Him bringing the miracle of fun and more life into the party. Sometimes Jesus wants to bless us not only that we become more effective to do the works of His kingdom, but simply because we’re His children and He loves us and wants us to have the best possible life because that’s how He rolls.

What strikes me as well is that I was in no way “being led by the Spirit” consciously when I booked my ticket. I was on the verge of burn out and just needed to get away. The fact that the Spirit led me there to where He blessed me beyond what I could imagine just blows my mind away in how He loves me. Even when I’m not fully engaged or paying attention, He still longs to meet me in ways that I could never even dream of because His love for me is that big.

All that to say, sometimes when we takes risks or do things that we know are important for us, when we seek to meet needs we have even if others around us might not understand, God goes beyond that. If I had never taken a risk to invest and do something I knew I needed, if I would have let doubt or lack of finances or worry that people wouldn’t understand why I needed this trip stop me, I could have missed out on the party Jesus wanted to throw just for me.

Jesus is inviting us to His party. He is asking us to do things that others might not understand but that we know we would enjoy and that we need for our own souls. He is waiting to bring miracles of fun and joy into our lives. I believe that these things come in more occurrences when we step out and take risks towards following our hearts. My thesis is one of these risks and God’s blessings never cease to amaze me. Yes, miracles of healing and other things are wonderful, but there is also the miracle of the party, of turning water into wine that Jesus wants to do in our lives simply for no other reason than because we are His chosen ones and He loves us and wants to bring us joy.

So my friends, I encourage you to follow your passions, since most of these have been put in your heart by Him anyway, and receive the party that Jesus has for you. He loves you dearly and wants to bring you joy immeasurable. I pray that the Lord would stir you to follow your heart and lead you into His wonderful destiny that He has for your life today.



            

If you want to learn more of my story, go HERE.