Gayla's Magazine

The Cloak of Twelve Monkeys

I dreamed I saw a cloak and it had 12 monkey heads sticking out of it.  These monkeys were alive and their bodies were hidden underneath the cloak.  Only their heads were showing. 

They were acting as a pathway. As an open channel.

If something occurred that these monkeys could affect, they took charge and caused trouble.

The pathways were well established and a different monkey was connected to each pathway.

The 12 human attributes that the monkeys were working through were named,

1 Pain

2 Impatience

3 Instability

4 Insecurity

5 Self justification

6 Impudence

7 Loose talk

8 Frustration over lack of control

9 Reliving past hurts

10 Tolerance of inadequacy

11 Ignorance

12 Immorality

These avenues once accessed caused major spiritual upheavals to the human and loss of spiritual ground.  Causing the soul to once again have to start over and rebuild their personal spiritual development, relationships with others and their reputation before others many times.

Take off the robe of fleshly behaviors and put on the mind of Christ.  Keep it firmly intact and refuse the admittance of carnal reactions to these 12 human attributes

MorningStar Ministries

Rick Joyner and the Morningstar Ministries are located at Heritage International Ministries in Fort Mill, South Carolina.  In 2004 Morningstar purchased the Heritage USA Grand Hotel and Conference Center. 

20 years ago Heritage USA also called PTL, was one of the most celebrated and well known locations in the world.  Through scandal PTL fell, and the property became a symbol across the world of the failures of the modern church.  But the story was not over.  There is a famous statement that I love, it says..... 'it's not over till it's over'!  And today I am proud to tell you that this property is being restored and filled again with stronger, wiser prophetic ministries that are reaching young and old once again from this location.

It was not over by any means!! Today Rick Joyner is busy filling this place with Conferences that minister to the different parts of the Body of Christ.  From men's issues to youth functions, women's seminars and children's camps - the prophetic voice is ringing out across these buildings raising up powerful leadership week by week.  Leaders and saints are coming again to Heritage - now reborn into a fuller and more meaningful role in the Body of Christ.

The Morningstar Strategic Team is in full gear, working to make this place beautiful and full of the Presence of the Lord again.  From services to prayer meetings, to the unmistakable prophetic voices this land will become and fulfill God's purpose for it in the very beginning.                                                                                                                             We as Christians lost a battle - and sometimes do as we are all humans and make lifechanging mistakes as times. This is warfare - never forget that. But it was only a battle - not the war.  Never underestimate the power and plans of God -

Matt 16:18 Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. How encouraging for this Pastor's wife to see all of this!!!!              

South Carolina.....

We have arrived late today in Fort Mill South Carolina at Morningstar Ministries, home of the ministry of Rick Joyner.  He is the author of many life changing books of visions and prophetic directives for the Church at large across the world.

Many of his books are life changing and require personal change once read. We are honored to be here for a couple of days.  I will take pictures tomorrow and show you where Morningstar is located. It's really interesting and their efforts here are wonderful what is being done with this property.  They are located at the property previously named Heritage USA, and a special restoration is happening.  Curious?  Read more tomorrow!!

I Think We'll Have Chicken for Supper!

Traveling in our RV coach, mealtime is always a special time for us.  I have already made out a menu for each meal for the time we are gone on the road. And in my day-timer lives the preplanned food arrangements - along with the grocery lists that I prepared for this trip. A couple of food groups get cooked before we leave.  Chicken and a big pot of rice. Now chicken is one of the easy things to eat on the road,  and it starts with baking the chickens at home before we leave. 

This is Rosemary Chicken, baked slowly for hours in my clay dutch oven in my kitchen at home.  I plan several quick meals for the road trip using these chickens. They go into the oven before I leave for my days work, and when I return - voila! chickens with their little bags packed and ready to travel!

Once we are on the road and the day draws to a close and we find a suitable place to stop for the night.  It's time for me to make us something good for supper. Here is a short list of several meals that are quick to make on the road.   

Chicken Fajitas takes about 20 minutes to put a hot meal on our little table with all the fixings.  Gracias!!

Coconut Curry Chicken takes about 25 minutes from the fridge to the table.  Also using the rice I have already prepared and brought with us.

Peanut Thai Chicken takes about 30 minutes as I make the crispy noodle bird nests to put this delicious meal in.

Chicken and Rice Soup is almost no time - just add fresh carrot and cook a little to soften them.

Chicken Salad is always a easy lunch using these baked chickens.

And regular Baked Rosemary Chicken is at hand for a down home good healthy meal.

Chicken pieces on a fresh spring salad bed with avocados is always enjoyed in our RV.

As you can see - these chickens will be throughly enjoyed leaving nothing behind!

Cooking RV style is easy and fun for three reasons.

1. I don't spend hours slaving over a hot stove - it's fast. 

2. We get to enjoy our own home cooked meals even on the road.

3. We eat healthy without all the junk type food that is usually all one gets while traveling.

   

On the Road again.....

It's cold outside and the wind is blowing.  Everywhere the skies are filled with clouds and the rain swept freeways rumble under our RV wheels.  The semi trucks sweep past with their own gusts of wind and water, carrying the goods of America across this great land. 

Rolling along we are warm in the RV, and enjoying each other's company for several days alone.  Yes we have been married for 32 years, but we still prefer to be with each other rather than with anyone else. 

Watching GodTv as we travel is always a blessing.  Have you heard of it?  It's the Christian television channel coming to America from Europe.  Truly refreshing and uplifting to see what is happening around the world. Rory and Wendy are shaking the world. Go check it out at  www.god.tv/

Traveling RV style means there is no need to stop when you want something to snack on.  So I simply get up and make us some piping hot popcorn.  When I get back to the front seat , 30 miles have slid past us and we have a nice warm snack to munch on with fresh apple cider to drink.

There is no traveling like traveling RV style!  Supper tonight will be some grilled Salmon with fresh butternut squash and sauteed fresh spinach.  And our great meal will be eaten on a Walmart parking lot! So let it rain - we will be toasty warm and enjoy our trip.  Oh by the way .... the duck tape has held perfectly all day.       

Duck Tape.... a Man's Best Friend.

Our first adventure of this trip!  It's getting dark and the wind is howling around our RV.  Driving against the strong wind, suddenly we feel cold air pouring in the front windshield somewhere. It's 58 degrees outside, but the wind chill feels like it's around 40 so it's pretty cold.  What's up with this?

Stopping when we can get off the long Louisiana bridge, my husband finds that the front windshield seal that connects the top cap to the RV Coach is coming loose.  Now what?  He immediately slows down to try to stop the wind from taking the cap off! 

Stopping as soon as we find a Lowe's Hardware Store, we buy some outdoor duck tape.You know the strong grey tape that can fix just about anything temporarily.

So he climbs to the top rung of our traveling ladder and proceeds to tape and tape.  While I hold his ladder.  Then he gets down and we move the ladder over a little, he climbs back up and tapes some more.  He taped and taped!  Hey what else can be done?  We are not even close to big RV service center and there is no way this RV top cap or windshield is coming off!!!

Over and over - he wrapped it tight. The cap, the windshield, the glass - everywhere.

Now we see if it will hold.  We only have 20 miles to go before we get to the Atchafalya River Rest area for the night.  Put our trusty ladder back - it's one of those things that one should never travel without on a big RV.  And now we have found another thing to never be without again - duck tape! In the morning we can check it in the light.    

    I know this might look a little funny - but it works!

Having our Church Appraised

This past week was soooo busy around here.  From a variety of church functions and preparations for the year, to our personal travel plans for the next few days.  My finger is finally starting to feel better and today I actually went to church without my metal splint. So I hope to be able to get back on my blog regularly this next week. 

The past week included a very important appraisal for our church - it's been in the works for several months now.  So the day finally arrives and the Appraiser arrives and tells us a church appraisal usually takes 1 and a half hours - 'so this won't take long'.  Well...... his visit lasted from 9:30 to 3pm!  There is so much to see here - we are not just a 'regular church'.  The word overwhelming was used several times in the tour.  (We have heard that many times from visiting ministries that come here for tours to New Life)

The Community Center was first.  My husband's vision of creating a useful building for our church that includes 3 businesses to support it financially, is a marketplace ministry filled with cutting edge ideas for any church to implement.  The Appraiser is very interested in this most unusual type of ministry.  We walk through the Coffee Cafe, PawPaw's Party Place, and the Business Rentals wing, the Palace Theater and the Chapel, our LIT youth center, the Kidtricity center and the double Gym.  And when we finished here - let's go to the Church.   Time is running........                                                                  Don't forget the creative retention pond that is usable as a parking lot too!  Now to the church......  There are how many chandeliers in the sanctuary??  Each important detail is counted and written down to later be assessed and reviewed.  There are so many precious items in the church that I will have to take you on a tour later just to explain just why the things here are so special.                                                                                                                                   Now let's go to the Role Models of America Store. 

                         It's too much to show you everything!  Let it suffice to say that it was so much that the Appraiser was a bit taken aback!  He ask to please go back and look around again it was so much.  I am so used to this place that it seems like nothing to me - but I guess it could be abit much for someone not used to it!   Back to the Coffee Cafe and a nice hot vanilla creme. 

A full day for him, he left with sheaf's of papers, notebooks, and blueprints to study over.

All this has occurred in the last 12 years - alot to take in. Truly God has done a very special work here, I am privileged to stand beside my husband in our ministry.                                                                                                

So how is your finger doing?

A special thank you for checking on me and my recent injury.  I appreciate the emails, calls and thoughtful actions to help me during this time.  I have had to relearn trying to use my left hand more, and change the way I use my right hand temporarily.  I don't think I appreciated all the work my right hand does effortlessly until now when I can't use it as I wish to.

The first week was pretty rough.  No cooking, no cleaning, no putting Christmas away! No washing my hair or anything else.  It was challenging but passed slowly.  The day after my 'surgery' was a marathon day in the ministry from 7:30am to 10pm - and then had to take the bandages off - another 2 hours of trauma trying to get the bandages loose.  Never mind that incident - I would rather forget that experience! So it ended up being 48 hours before I could rest from the shock of having my fingernail jerked out by the roots!

My husband went into high gear finding the right type of bandage that would not touch my bare nail-less finger.  It could NOT be touched in any manner.  He was the star and my hero, when he came home with a metal splint that helped me to become mobile the minute it went on. Finally I could at least get around with it covered and not fear it getting touched or bumped.

There is nothing like my Grandchildren to help cheer me up as they come up with all kinds of uses for these metal splints. Their antics add a sense of silly joy to the whole experience now.

Anyway I am much better now. And the 3 - 6 months they say will take for my fingernail to grow back will be OK.  I will manage thanks to my family, my friends and church family. And most of all thanks for your prayers!  

 

An afternoon across the Border

  

I love authentic Mexican food - it's not Tex Mex, but just as good. Their tacos, nachos, chips and salsa are the real thing. Every time I go to Mexico, I enjoy a plateful of fresh avocado guacamole!   

There are always the shoe shine guys that are on every street corner in Mexico.  And they put their heart into shining shoes.  Energetically they swish and swipe, brush and clean each portion of their customer's shoes.

Now who could resist a really good shoe shine for $4.00? Not my husband! Now this particular industrious small business owner had acquired a shade for his customers. I am sure in the hot Mexican sun, this is a welcome relief. Your shoes will shine bright as new pennies when they are finished- guaranteed! 

And in the afternoon ..... how about a quick bite while waiting on the next appointment.  There are some good cafes right down the block. Coffee and a Mexican pastry is a treat!

Shopping anyone? I usually don't haggle with the owners - the cost is so small to start with.  Better to be a blessing to them, because the next guy may try to force their price down to nothing.

Who told you Mexico is not a great place to visit??

Affordable Eye Care in Mexico

Meet Dr Frank Sierra the Ophthalmologist, in Progreso Mexico.  His Opti-Lab is above the Dentist -on the second floor.  He speaks perfect English! This is who helped us to meet the Dr who took care of my finger.  And he graciously allowed the Dr to use his personal manicure set to do the surgery on my finger!

Chuck needed to get his eyes checked - so a free checkup was in order here.  The Dr does this for everyone! Then based on what the need is, the decisions are made for cost. 

His practice includes eye glasses, cataract surgery, contact lenses Lasik surgery, and glaucoma. 

Chuck's free eye exam determines he needs glasses for work.  I am curious as to how long this will take to get them,  No problem they will be ready tomorrow morning - the next day.  Cost?  The Dr tells us for single vision glasses it will cost 40.00.  $40.00?  Are you kidding?  These nice glasses would cost at least 200.00 - 400.00 in the States.  USA Dr's would charge for the exam, then the frames, then the lenses, then special coating on the lenses, and special spring loaded ear pieces, oh and don't forget if they have a special name on the side that will be a higher price too.  And on and on as much as can be taken from the patient. 

I am impressed. 

  This couple allowed me to take their picture with the Eye Dr.  They are Americans who have been coming across the border to see this Dr for several years.  And they were happy to tell me about their experiences with him as their Dr.

Yes it's true one can cut their health care costs by crossing the border.  And many many people are doing so day by day. This particular business is worth remembering and taking note of for the future. 

It's two blocks from the International Bridge (see my earlier posts about directions)

Another happy customer goes back to the States with his new glasses, and his hard earned money still in his pocket!