Many Will Walk Into New Ministry Assignments" Carol Kelley, Newberg, OR

"Many Will Walk Into New Ministry Assignments"

Carol Kelley, Newberg, OR

In late November 2014, the Lord showed me in a dream that during this coming year many will walk into new ministry assignments, both individually and together, with other Believers in the Body of Christ. For some, "old wells" of ministry will be unstopped and restored (see Genesis 26:18); others will discover new sources of "living water" (see verses 19-21). God will make room for you, give you fruitfulness, and lead you into a broad place (see verse 22).

Look to God to lead you in new directions. Seek His confirmation in your spirit, through His Word, and through the godly counsel and wisdom of others (see Proverbs 8:33;12:15; 13:10; 19:20-21). The Holy Spirit will empower you, giving grace, courage, and strength as you step into the Lord's call for you. (Photo via Freeimages)

Claim the promises He has already given you. Perhaps you have waited months, years, even decades without seeing these promises come to fruition. Take heart in God's faithfulness (see 1 Corinthians 1:9), and that He will do what He has spoken (see Joshua 21:45; Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 46:11; 1 Thessalonians5:24).

If you have become discouraged, ask the Lord to renew and multiply your hope: "This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I have hope in Him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him" (Lamentations 3:21-25).

Alignment and New Opportunities

"Alignment" is a word I have been hearing for several months now. God has been telling me He is setting things into alignment and preparing events to come together in His time. At the end of October I heard, "Yes, I have new opportunities for you, and will open doors and lead you into them at the right time. Look forward to and walk into your future with joy and confidence. I am providing all you need – physical strength, finances, and alignments."

A month later He told me,"Look ahead to the future, not back to the past. Your best days are still ahead! Learn from the past, but don't live there or dwell on it. The past is over and done, covered by My love and grace. (Photo via Pixabay)

"I am doing something new(see Isaiah 42:9, 43:19, 48:6; Revelation 21:5)! Live in the present and celebrate what I am doing now. Yet it is also good to plan for the future, to have hopes and dreams. Why would I promise to give you the desires of your heart (see Psalm 37:4) if it wasn't alright to have them?

"Forget what lies behind, and look forward to what is ahead. Press into the call I have for you (see Philippians 3:14-15).

"I know the plans I have for you, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope (see Jeremiah 29:11). Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off (see Proverbs23:18)."

May the God of all comfort (see 2 Corinthians 1:3) bless you during this coming year, renew your hope in Him, and lead you in new paths of ministry and service to Him.

In His grace,

Carol Kelley

Email: opendoors5000@gmail.com

Carol Kelley and her husband Dave are prophetic ministers, teaching prophecy classes and mentoring younger prophets. Their passion is to help others hear and recognize God's voice and walk in His grace. Carol, a prophet, musician, teacher. and composer, has music published with Hal Leonard Corporation and Alfred Music Publishing. A sixth-generation Oregonian, she has a heart to intercede for Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, as well as cities and nations. Dave moves in an apostolic and prophetic anointing to help God's people become empowered as conduits of financial blessing. He has 39 years of financial experience working in Christian organizations, currently as Chief Financial Officer at New Hope Christian College in Eugene, Oregon.

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Had fun at Dollywood this weekend

Had a blast with y'all at Dollywood this weekend. Then you both ended up going off on your own and exploring the park. We met up at certain times. It was a little different and it made me realize just how much you both have grown. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU BOTH!!! Here are some pictures!

You and Snowball asleep on the couch

How precious it was to look and see you and Snowball curled up on the couch this morning. You guys are so cute I had to take a picture

Family Christmas pictures taken tonight

P

We had fun taking family pictures tonight. I thought I would share this years family Christmas photos with you. As stressful as it is getting everybody together, it is worth what they end up like.

You have been doing well

I just wanted to say that I am proud of you for doing things without arguing and complaining lately. You are an amazing young man and I want to see you succeed in this life. I am so thankful you are my son and I get to see you grow into an amazing man of God! 

ODD (wired how God created You)

I just wanted to share that I see all these strengths in you. I might not always be the perfect parent in your eyes but I want you to know I HAVE ALWAYS SEEN YOU AS VALUABLE! I love you and I am thankful for your individuality and uniqueness. ;) 

Here is the article I read with you in mind.  Even though you are NOT officially an ODD child. ;)

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The Strengths of the Oppositional Defiant Child 
by Kim Abraham LMSW and Marney Studaker-Cordner LMSW

Do you have an ODD child or teen who constantly argues and fights your authority, refusing to follow the rules of your home? When the number for his school shows up on your caller identification, do you cringe in fear of what trouble he’s in now? When you have an oppositional, defiant child, it’s painful to read the seemingly endless Facebook statuses of proud parents beaming about how wonderful their child is. One mom recently shared with us, “I’m happy for my friends that they seem to have such great family lives. But it’s hard to see posts about their kids getting straight A’s, when my son swears at me every night about his homework.”

Whether it’s worrying about what others will think of your child (or you) or, fear for that child’s safety or well-being, fear drives you to try and change their personality.

We understand it’s hard to stay hopeful when you’re raising a child with ODD. Let’s be honest. Every time they challenge us, they push our emotional buttons,bringing to the surface our feelings of hurt, anger, frustration, embarrassment—and even insecurities and fears because their behavior scares us.

Related: More effective parenting tools for ODD kids.

But believe it or not, there are some definitestrengths that go hand-in-hand with that challenging, ODD personality. This week, we’re going to show you how to see your child through a different lens, including stories of ODD kids with whom we’ve worked. If you can stop for a moment and see the positive aspects of your ODD child’s personality, it can strengthen you. Your child can actually be a good teacher – if you are open and willing to learn.

Look at Your Child. Does He/She Have These Strengths?

1. Creativity. ODD kids can be extremely creative when it comes to getting what they want. The same adolescent girl who can’t solve the problem of how to deal with a sibling can design a plan to get out of a locked house when grounded that would impress Houdini.
   
   13-year-old Jack was mechanically gifted. He fought with his parents about everything from going to school to his choice of friends. But put him in front of a car, and he could fix even the toughest problem. Wanting to build on that strength, his parents finally gave in and purchased the old, rundown car he begged for. “He’ll never get it running,” said his father. Six months later, Jack was tooling around town in his “beater.” His law-abiding parents set the rule: no driving until you have a license! Jack, of course, drove it anyway. His parents came up with the idea of putting a “club” on the steering wheel, locking it in place. They were quite proud of their creativity until, a few months later, the car was parked just a little bit off center in the driveway. Jack had (very creatively) purchased a separate steering wheel, which he stashed in the woods. When mom and dad left, he simply removed the original steering wheel – club and all – replacing it with his spare and he was off and running. Was this a dangerous and defiant behavior? Absolutely. Were his parents frustrated at his level of defiance? Sure. But they learned to appreciate their son’s resourcefulness! Ten years later, Jack never has to pay a mechanic to fix his vehicles.
2. Determination and Strength. Kids with oppositional and defiant personalities are the most determined individuals you’ll ever meet. Some kids follow rather than lead, quickly complying with rules and traditions. Others “go with the flow,” rarely making waves for fear of disappointing others or possibly failing. ODD kids have none of these traits. Their motto: While you’re all paddling downstream, I prefer to swim upstream – it’s more challenging and interesting! And the more you oppose me on it, the more determined I’ll be to swim upstream.
   
   Related: 5 Things you need to know as the parent of an ODD child.
   
   15-year-old Lindsay argued daily with her parents, skipped school and often stayed out past curfew. She also had an unflinching love for animals. It became her mission to save as many lost, abandoned or abused animals that she possibly could. Her mother warned her constantly, “One of these days you’re going to get hurt. Stop picking up all these strays!” Friends and family were critical, saying her efforts were pointless. Since she couldn’t keep all the animals who needed her – it was against her mother’s rules and simply wasn’t possible as there were hundreds of them – she used her strengths of creativity and determination. She educated herself on how to safely rescue animals, minimizing the risks to herself as much as possible. She became connected to local animal rescues – some as far as a hundred miles away – that would care for the animals she found. When she couldn’t link with such resources immediately, she broke her mother’s rules and kept an animal in the garage for a day or two while she worked on a placement for it.
   
   Lindsay’s determination was an endless frustration for her mom. But it led to hundreds of vulnerable and voiceless animals finding safe haven over the years. Today, as an adult, she is a noted animal advocate and has earned the admiration of those around her, including her mother. Many of us are determined but not all of us have the strength – and courage--to pursue our goals in the face of opposition from others.
3. Trailblazers ODD kids seem to live by the slogan, “I took the path less traveled.” Without them, just think of what we’d be missing in the entertainment world alone; many actors and vocalists have expressed childhoods that include skipping or dropping out of school, arguing with authority figures, stubbornness and even jail time. We love the James Deans, Jim Morrisons and Robert Downey Juniors of the world for the cultural icons they’ve become. The road they took was rough, but they didn’t get to icon status by being afraid to challenge norms.
   
   In her autobiography, environmental rights activist Erin Brockovich describes her “inner strength” as often the only thing she had going for her. The same strengths that got her through an adolescence filled with school struggles and a love for “the wild life,” empowered her to fight for the rights of others when many would have kept her quiet. Just because your teen isn’t well-known or famous doesn’t mean he or she isn’t a trailblazer. In fact, all oppositional and defiant kids are trailblazers, taking the path less traveled with a willingness to go against societal norms.
4. Promoters of Personal Growth. 12-year-old Candace’s mom was a teacher in a prestigious school district. She was horrified when Candace began wearing clothes to school that she had literally picked up off her floor from the dirty laundry pile. One day Mom groaned in frustration, “The dog slept on her jeans the night before, and she wore themanyway!” If mom put a basket of neatly folded, clean clothes on the bed, Candace would simply wear the clothes she had on the day before, stains and all. Mom tried bribing Candace with expensive name-brand clothes. She begged her daughter, “Please wear clean clothes. You have no idea how embarrassing this is to me. People will think I’m a terrible mother. I teach in that school!” But Candace still rebelled.
   
   Related: Defiance—or ODD? How to parent your defiant child effectively.
   
   After months of daily arguing and shamefully avoiding the teacher’s lounge, mom finally gave up. “I just decided there was nothing I could do and that Candace’s choices were not a reflection of me. I can only dress myself in the morning.” Miraculously, the next week Candace began wearing clean clothes. Mom was astonished by her reply: “You always told me it doesn’t matter what people think of you and that your true friends will love you for who you are, not what you have or how you dress. You’re always saying that I shouldn’t judge others. I wanted to show you what a hypocrite you are.”
   
   Years later, Candace’s mom remembers how her daughter’s behavior really did lead her to personal growth. “She was right. I cared a lot—too much—about what others thought of us, and I did judge others. It’s a lesson I never forgot.”

Why are we telling you these stories and asking you to see the strengths in your child’s challenging personality? It’s because the bottom line in living with an ODD child is always fear and often insecurity. Whether it’s worrying about what others will think of him (or us), fear for that child’s safety or well-being, fear drives us to try and change the personality. In a meeting of multiple adults (teachers, social workers, parents and counselors), 15-year-old Billy shared, “I feel like you’re trying to change me. Not just my behavior – but me. Can’t you just accept me for who I am?” For parents of ODD kids, one of the hardest tasks we face can be accepting our child for who he is. It’s a constant lesson in learning to let go of trying to control someone we would give our lives to Protect. 

I love you

The Lord has blessed you such amazing creativity. I love to see you create and do just like your Father God does. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. I pray that you always find your identity that is firmly rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus. I have so many regrets many days. Things that I wish we could've done as a family and things I wish I could've done as a mother, But God says he will useall those   things For the good of those who love God and Are called according to His purposes, not mine. So thankful for that scripture. You keep seeking the Lord Jesus with all your heart mind soul and strength and you trust His promises towards you. There is one thing in this life that has ever been constant  and it has been the love of God towards us. He's faithful and his love never fails! (((((HUGS)))))