The Basement

I have said on here before that I am a basement dweller, which is no surprise to my circle of people. They are in fact, the ones who were able to finally make me see that for myself after all. So what is it about basements that appeals so much to me? Why am I so set on staying in the underground place that I have come to love so much yet despise for its very existence?

Let's start from the beginning:
What is a basement?

• S: (n) basement, cellar (the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage). Well, there's a start. A below ground place of storage. How fitting for me. It is by design a place to keep things. A place for putting things away. I find it to be a place of hiding.

• It is also described above as a cellar. A place to hide out while a storm is just outside above you tearing at what you would normally live in. Storms make living above ground unsafe. I also find the basement as a place of security. A place to hide in, and after several storms, you wonder if it is ever going to be safe above ground again. The answer is no, it will not be safe, but who will rebuild the house that has been destroyed if you stay in the basement? No one else has the ability to do reconstruction on a house belonging to you while you stay hidden underneath the rubble. But as a basement dweller, you do not experience life above ground in the primary house, so it becomes none of your concern.

I have been contemplating this post for a while now and so just this morning, I was thinking about what great things I could think of having come from basements or underground hiding. I found nothing that would help my case for staying underground at all. In fact, I thought of 2 specific things: 1. The Basement Birmingham- a group of young people who started worship and study in their actual basement and quickly spread ti to the public and now have a large influence over the young people of the city and are no longer tied to a basement because of their obedience. 2. The Underground Railroad- a system designed to allow those in captivity to run to freedom.
Interestingly enough exactly what I am to do.
We all have been or still are a prisoner of what we feel we desire most, whether it is hiding, security, importance, elevation, etc. Whether we find ourselves in a basement, tower, dungeon, throne, or any place other than the position of warrior for the kingdom, we are working for self worth.
I entertain the idea of being out of my basement from time to time and go upstairs, answer the door, and lock my basement door behind me, careful to slip the key securely in my pocket. You see, I do not want others knowing I even have a basement, let alone snooping around in it to see my secrets, wounds, shame, or even my great need for security itself. As long as I have the "freedom" to come and go in and out of my basement, I will chose mostly to stay in it, therefore foregoing the freedom I declare I have in my ability to choose. True freedom comes from handing over the key to God Himself and declaring that it is ok with me if He chooses to let the door be unlocked and flung open in all its darkness. That is the only way light will ever be in that place. I have a hard time with that because I still fear those "storms" that come so often, and I have not dealt with some of the boxes of things I have stored there and hold so tightly, and I cannot even begin to imagine the pain that would come with relinquishing my dwelling place of deep hiding and darkness. Have you ever been in a really dark place and come out to see that even small amounts of light are in fact painful?
I know that I am being asked to give up my basement and face the world and all its painful reality right now. Instead of being in solitary denial, I am being asked to choose facing it head on with a mighty host of heavenly warriors and The King as my army because this is in fact after all a Kingdom War with a Kingdom purpose!
Still hard to agree to somehow...

Written in Stone

So, tonight I was in a Bible study that is led by an extreme, thought provoking, wall-breaching, Spirit filled prophetess. Also there was a great friend of mine who is a phenomonoly gifted teacher, proclaimer, purpose finding, lesson living truth seeker. That being said, you will understand how I reached this point tonight. I was asked what my name meant (how THOUGHT PROVOKING), and of course shouted out the blatant obvious of how I live in it..."DIRT" yes maam, my name means dirt.Since then the TRUTH has been SEARCHED out and more has come to light (one may even say the light of day or DAWN). (see why I explained the two at the begining? now you know where they each fit in without my having to dialogue lol). Turns out the following is true:

Tera- Dirt, Earth

h- exhale, the outbreathing, or as in the breath of life God breathed into Adam, or the way He changed the names of Abram and Sarai to include His breath of life into AbraHam and SaraH

Jane- Merciful

God has spoken over a name of ordinary uselessness and turmoil with His breath, His essence, to cause life to spring forth from this pile of dirt to proclaim mercy to the ends of the Earth. If that does not cause me to live in the promise, I do not know how else to be inspired to seek truth or live in His exhale.

Just to add another point, my name at birth was :
Jacqueline- protector

For any of you who really know me or have endeavored to breach my walls, you understand how hard I strive to not be KNOWN, I am a protector of myself and am at this point in my life being called to relinquish that hold I covet over my own pride and secrecy and illusion of security through hiding. I have recently come to realize that I have wanted a life of masquerade parties and basement living in every sence of the meaning they imply.
But, just as my earthly name was changed, so it will be again.
We are told in Revelation that we will be given a new name written on a stone, known only to us by the creater of life Himself. TRUE Father will give us our purposed name when it has been fulfilled.
Turns out you cannot be a protector of self AND an effective proclaimation of His mercy to all the earth at the same time. How appropriate that the name given to me by my earthly father meant protector and when he abandoned his post as my earthly protector it was changed to a name in which my purpose was exhaled over me by my Heavenly Father. A name that will cause me to break the chains of self preservation and proclaim His name and great mercy to the ends of the Earth!

Job Well Done???

I know many of you have passed this point in blog world, but as I have been saying I have been lost. So for the sake of my catching up with you, here it is. Pretty much the only people who read my blog know where I'm coming from on this, so, I feel free shouting out how I feel. For those of you who are not familiar, you can skip this post and not hurt my feelings :)

Let me start by saying I have been blessed with great friends and leaders over this last phase of life transition. Wednesday night during one of our coveted prayer sessions, one of those great friends and leaders compiled a much prayed over and edited playlist for our worship and prayer setting. In that playlist was the following song:

"When I Speak Your Name"
VERSE 1
Jesus, the most beautiful name of all names
Jesus, the only name that brings healing and strength
When I speak Your Name, mountains move, chains are loosed
When I speak Your Name, darkness flees, it has no hold on me

CHORUS
Jesus, the most beautiful name that I know
You’re the exalt- ed One
Jesus, You have the power alone
You lift the lone- ly one, Je- sus

VERSE 2
Jesus, the most wonderful name of all names
Jesus, the only name that brings freedom and hope
When I speak Your Name, mountains move, chains are loosed
When I speak Your Name, darkness flees, it has no hold on me

(1st ending)
You lift the lone- ly one
(Repeat Chorus)

(2nd ending)
You lift the lone- ly one, Je- sus

CHORUS 2
Be exalted, be exalted, be exalted higher and higher
Be exalted, be exalted, be exalted higher and higher
Be exalted, be exalted, be exalted higher and higher
Be exalted, be exalted, be exalted higher and higher

"What is my point?" you ask??? Well, I had a revelation during this song that I had not had ever before. I thought I'd had closure until this very moment when the words of this song brought healing and enlightenment to my inner self that has been resisting and holding on to visions mixed with personal feelings for too long now.

What if this group was sent here to learn how to pray, enabled to tear down strongholds through prayer, write His name on this mountain, loose the chains tied to this drowning community, to cause darkness to flee releasing it's hold of oppression on these people...what if?

Maybe part of the great calling was the willingness to be enabled for great impact on a place to be inhabited by others, walking away to open up a released mountain for the work God has enabled another for in this place! A work that is so important for the kingdom that this mountain needed preparation in advance by those willing to give it up and hand it over as sacred holy ground!

His name covers the walls and none can deny the change in the spiritual realm that took place by His name being engraved on a ground dedicated to His greater purpose. Melanie once shared an epiphany in the latter days before the changes started to take place, with regards to our being called to serve there because of the ministry we could have to the oppressed! What if it was to free the hill in His name?

What if our being called on to other ministry is God giving us the go ahead because the task is completed and another job is now prepared for us as well as another group prepared for this place, our job well done?

What if the visions we have seen and tasted of for this place are all to come to pass because of our willingness to roll up our sleeping bags, having stayed long enough on this mountain? I think we all can agree that the visions we have had are for this people and this community and this church. I doubt many of us ever contemplated not being there for that fruition, but it will happen just the same because of obedience!

As the song states, His name brings hope, healing, strength, and freedom...take Him with you and lift oppression in His name as you walk where you have been led.

I truly love each of you, and am confidently awaiting next orders from on High!

(Non-Tv Series) LOST

(Non-TV Series) LOST
Current mood: scared
Category: Life

Definition for lost
- unable to find way: unable to find the way to a place
- mislaid: unable to be found temporarily
- gone: no longer in existence or use

Never has this word been more applicable to my place in life than now.

I wish I were not at such a loss for words and specific emotion right now, but it is just not that easy. Instead, I find myself unable to speak and in a pool of mixed emotion that seems deep enough to drown in. If I had to narrow it down to the most overpowering, it would probably be sorrow.

Genesis 28:15I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

It is not possible to stay, yet I do not believe I am to follow the open path. I have no clear answers, just silence and occasionally the eerie echoes of my own crying out, as if alone in a cave. I do not handle some things well, especially things I cannot figure out.

My verse for the year:
Exodus 23:5 (Amplified Bible)
"If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying [helpless] under his load, you shall refrain from leaving the man to cope with it alone; you shall help him to release the animal."

Sounds about right for this donkey!
Later

Thoughts of a Troubled Mind

Thoughts of a troubled mind
Current mood: depressed
Category: Life

As the year has come full circle and we are heading full force into 2009, I find myself not looking to the future as much as contemplating the past. Decisions made, roads taken, friendships made, ties broken, etc... are some of the things that have brought me to the place I am now. The reason I look at 2009 with the perspective that I do, is partly due to my choices and partly due to things out of my control, as with everyone.

I know of several things in my past that I wish I had done differently, and yet since it is not possible to turn back time, I am stuck with how that will affect every aspect of the rest of my life. At a very young age we have the ability to screw up with no way of fixing it by the time we realize what we have done. The cosmic detrimental door that has been opened is now blown from the hinges never to be shut again.

Where does one go from here? If there is no reverse and no time travel, how do we live with the mess? It cannot be cleaned up the stain was quick and irreversible, so why are we given such power so young? Is it that we should have more wisdom at a younger age, or that life throws us off for the simple purpose of continual struggle which leads to growth, or is there a purpose I do not see that you could shed light on for me?

Wish I knew...

Wish I knew...
Current mood: enlightened
Category: Blogging

Isaiah 58:6-12
"6 I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."
Isn't it just like my God, that in the midsts of my seeking a basis for righteous indignation, I am confronted with my responsibility of how to act, where to go from here, and how to bring forth the blessing of God by following His very clear instruction?!?! (Yes, it is...)

Don't get me wrong, I am furious! And I believe I have a right to be! Not only has God pointed out how I should treatothers, but how I should be treated...If I do not turn away from my own flesh and blood (vs 7), then He will be my REAR GUARD (vs 8) protecting me from another attack or knife in the back if you will, and healing, strengthening, and rebuilding WILL occur (vs 8,11-12)...in the mean-time, however, we/I am to continue my calling and ministry unchanged (vs 7, 10) and for the hard part...let go of malice and finger-pointing (vs 9).

Am I ready for that last part? NO, NO, NOOOOO! But it is required for not only MY healing, but for the strengthening and rebuilding of His Church...My Area of ministry...my calling...my community!

Make no mistake in understanding that point as I try to drive it home to my own mind what God is actually telling me here... My letting go is required for the greater good of an entire community, ministry, calling, etc. Not just will the "streets" be repaired, but the streets will be RESTORED with DWELLINGS! That brings about FULL RESTORATION of a PEOPLE!!!!

He is asking me not to give up or give in, but to give it over to Him as He protects my "rear" :)...Who better to cover me?


I have shared enough of my personal lesson for now,
staying under His protection for a while...
Terah

PS Pray that I keep this at the front of my mind for a little while :)

The Responsibilities of a Friend

The responsibilities of a friend
Current mood: contemplative

After a recent experience, I felt the need to examine and research the responsibilities of friendship. I believe there may be one or two that as a whole are easy to ignore from both the giving and receiving sides. I know that I have. First, there are of course, the general assumed duties and privileges of a friend such as a shoulder to cry on, sounding board, game night partner, shopping consultant, etc... These are fairly simple for the most part, are enjoyable or at least rewarding and work toward creating a deeper bond. Second, a friend is defined as a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard, a person who gives assistance, a person who is on good terms with another, who is not hostile. third and most importantly, as always we gather more aspects that define a friend from scripture. A friend is always loving (Prov 17:17), shares trustworthy criticism (27:6), is faithful(27:10 ), helpful and a treasure (Ecc 4:10), selfless(Jn 15:13), patient and forgiving (Col 3:13).