The Reality Of The Dream Of The Evil Gators

As I explained in the previous post, we've been under attack for some time now. Ever since February, things have just gone totally haywire. I had the thought the other day that perhaps its to be expected. After all, we are in a 13th year, right.  At the same time, I had to dismiss that as superstitious nonsense, but for a brief moment, it flew in the face of my reality right now.

I had begun to connect the dots. You knnow, scripture warns us to always be on our guard, and I guess being caught off guard is what happens when things are going too good for too long. And the worst part is, I knew it had been too good for too long. It seems that the minute I begin to ponder this fact, and then try to dismiss it, doors start opening and attacks begin to come. It seems like that is always the case.

So naturally, when I realized we were under attack, and connected the dream my son had, things began to make sense. First of all, I realized that all the gators in the dream had not begun to attack in the dream. That didn't mean they weren't going to attack. They were just watching and waiting...waiting, I'm sure, for the most opportune moment.

Now, about a week or so ago, I ran into my neighbor; the youngest of the two gay guys next door, and the same one that was fishing in the murky water in my son's dream. After greeting him, I told him that he had almost lost us as neighbors, and began to explain the situation with the landlord and the leak.

The thing is, you always think you've got it so bad, until you talk with your neighbor. That was certainly the case on this particular day. After telling him my story, he told me that the older guy had passed away. I knew he had been fighting cancer, and the last time I saw him, he had been progressing well, and said he was feeling fine. I expressed my condolences to the younger fellow.

He also told me that the older guy had handled all the bills, and unbeknownst to him, they were 3 months behind when he died. So the younger guy had to get a roommate, and was in the battle of his life to save the house, which was in foreclosure. This totally lined up with the fishing in murky water. He is trying to find an answer to the situation he's now facing.

This only reemphasised to me that we were living the dream. Additionally, what I hadn't figured out until the last week or so, was the issue of the man in red & black picking my son up by the foot and throwing him down into the water, knocking him out. I should have realized what it was about, because we've been fighting this particular battle for over a year now, but it just got to a really serious situation.

We have been battling with an ingrown toe nail in my son's foot. The problem in the beginning, was that my son was being a bit stubborn in his refusal to follow instructions concerning taking his antibiotics, and in allowing me to clean the wound. So naturally, the situation escalated as time went by. We had several trips to the  podiatrist to get the nail cut out, and were supposed to come back for him to repeat the procedure, but seal the nail at the same time.

This could only be accomplished if the infection had cleared up, but it didn't because of the on again off again inconsistency of my son, and in part because we lost our medical coverage for a short time as well. So long story short, when we got it back in February, I immediately took him back to the podiatrist in an attempt to get the nail cut out again, clear up the infection, and return to get the nail cut out and sealed.

However, another factor emerged to complicate the situation. My son developed trypanophobia, which was part of the process used to numb his foot previously. Suddenly we had a serious problem, because the procedure could not be done in the doctor's office, but had to be moved to a medical center.

So the podiatrist sent me to get blood work, EKG, and chest xrays just to do the same job he had done once before in his office without all of that mess. In all of this, I have come to recognize that people are so dense sometimes. They just don't think. I go to Quest to get the blood work done, and I tell the girl at the desk about the phobia, which she says she understands. My son is in the room waiting, and I step out to go to the restroom a second. When I open the restroom door, 3 minutes later, my son is running past me, out of the building, saying that she came at him with a needle. And she is saying, "I brought the smallest one I have."

Needless to say, we had to leave there, because they won't sedate him to do it. Now, I have to be between the podiatrist and the main pediatrician numerous times to get approval for sedation for the procedure, the and the blood work, and finally, I get to Broward General hospital to get this done. After 2 days of delays, we finally get into pediatrics and after waiting two hours, and being told they will give him a liquid to make him go to sleep; the chief anesthesiologist comes in. He begins to try to explain to my son who he is, what he's going to do to draw the blood, and that he's not going to hurt him.

Someone help me understand why this doctor thought that he, a complete stranger, could talk my son into something that I, as his mother, could not talk him into? So because he wasn't able to influence my son, he tells me that it makes more sense to do the blood work on the same day as the procedure, so that he can be sedated one time. Makes sense to me, so once again, I'm on the getting approval merry-go-round. The catch is, his podiatrist does not have priviledges at this hospital, so he has to refer us to another one.

So one visit, and a scheduled procedure later, we are in the outpatient section for the procedure. I come in the door telling everyone, just like I have with every doctor previous to this; about his special needs, and the phobia, and requesting that they give him either the liquid to make him sleep, or the gas mask.

I'm told this will be done, and I'm finally hopeful until the brusque, bossy Middle Eastern anesthesiologist comes in, and tells me that she's not doing the gas mask as I had been told in pediatrics, because she doesn't think it's safe without an IV. I tell her that they can't get the IV in without knocking him out, so now it's a big problem, and they are outside our room holding pow-wows, discussing this. I can just see it in their eyes...that thought: "He's a big boy; he can handle it."

Natually, they aren't taking his disability into consideration, along with the phobia. So they bring the liquid to give him, but, this liquid is the maximum amount they give in pediatrics to little kids. My son is 17. After giving this liquid, the nurse comes in 10-20 minutes later. She's asking if she can try the IV. My son is not knocked down...even slightly yet. He agrees to try.

Now here, I have to mention that a woman had come earlier, prior to the liquid, trying to get the blood, and I told her that she could not take it because they had not put him to sleep yet. So now this same woman sneaks in with another woman on the other side of the bed, while he's distracted and his nurse is on one side trying to prep him for the IV. I'm thinking she's there to help the nurse, but instead, she jabs him with a needle.

He jumps and pulls back his arm demanding to know what the hell is going on. Now he's, angry, upset, and more frightened. At that point, the efforts to get an IV were pointless. We tried to talk him into it 2 more times after he calmed down from Nurse Ratchet's attack on his arm, to no avail. By this time, it had been about 1.5 hours, and the liquid had not taken effect. The doctor decided to cancel the procedure. So the doctor writes the cancellation order. 

Not 5 minutes after the doctor walks out, my son says, "Why does my body feel so heavy?" Five minutes later, he was out...for 3 hours! I call the doctor, but he doesn't want to return. I say to the nurses, "At least get his blood now!" Nope. No one will do a thing. "The procedure's been cancelled," they say. I'm just crying, because I'm so frustrated.

Meanwhile, let me tell you that the ingrown has grown in on both sides of the toe. It is necrotic on the top half, so I'm getting desperate to get this addressed, because I'm concerned about the possibility of him losing the toe. What got me in this whole fiasco at the general hospital, was the fact that exponentially, they did not take my son's age and size into account, in considering how long it would take for that liquid medicine to work.

I call the podiatrist back, but now, he's washed his hands of the situation, and refers me back to the original podiatrist, who I'm now thinking is an idiot because he can't seem to come up with a solution for the situation. I mean, I'm sure my son is not the first teen with a phobia like this. In fact, I'm sure he's not the first special needs kid with this issue either. However, I'm now stuck calling back and forth between the same two boneheaded doctors that couldn't figure this out in the first place: his original podiatrist, and his primary.

I'm even beginning to think that there is a communication issue between the Haitian podiatrist, and the Middle Eastern primary. No one was returning my calls, so I called the health insurance myself, begging them to tell me where I could take my child, where they would listen and consider his situation. Once they found out the toe was necrotic, they said, "Take him to an emergency room. They can sedate him without authorization if necessary."

So again, I take him to Plantation Medical Center in the west side of the county. It's another repeat of the situation at the general hospital, except these people prove to be a bit lower on the level of intelligence. First, the doctor, a Cuban, is very belligerent, and tells my son that, "You are just going to have to cooperate!" Then, one of the nurses comes in and says to him, "Whatever your fear is, you're just going to have to get over it!"

I'm like, "What?!?!? This is what you tell a child??? You just have to get over it??? You just have to cooperate???" I'm completely astounded. Now they backpeddle a bit. "Well, we're going to give him something, but he still has to cooperate," says the beligerent, bullying doctor.

So the girl comes in to take his info, and I keep saying, "Give him the medicine. It needs time to work! It took two hours before. Hurry up, and give it to him." But they aren't listening. The girl is like, "Yeah, yeah, I'll give it to him when I'm done here." They already told me they had called their podiatrist.

Finally, she gives him some valium. Two minutes later, in walks the nasty doctor, the podiatrist, and an orderly, ready to do the procedure. You know I'm frustrated like crazy, right? And naturally, they can't do the procedure. The nasty doctor again tells my son that he has to cooperate, and attempts to hold him down. Wrong move. My son is 5'10, 260lbs. It's not going to be easy to hold him down. So the podiatrist told them that he would have to be admitted. It was a wash yet again for that day.

So I'm home again, crying. My son is apologizing for something he can't help. I tell him its not his fault. Even the referral we got for counseling for the phobia, hasn't returned my calls. This was two weeks ago on Monday. I was frustrated and at my wit's end, but I was determined that this was going to be taken care of. I was done with the primary and the doofy podiatrist. I called the health insurance back.

I found out that the sedation order only stood for a preapproved procedure, but had nothing at all to do with emergency treatment, which did not require the order. I took him in again; this time to Coral Springs Medical Center at the north side of the county. Funny how this hospital seems to have a bad rep. At least, that was the input from a few people I spoke to after he had already been admitted, but I wasn't displeased. You see, I had prayed prior to taking him there. I simply asked God to give us favor with these people.

This hospital did everything I asked. They completely considered all the variables I presented, (and I presented quite the challenge, as I was pretty desperate by that time) and they followed through, not only admitting him through the emergency dept., but bringing in an excellent podiatrist who performed the procedure the following day. My son was put to sleep, even prior to the IV, and he came through the procedure just fine. He was hospitalized for two days, and released. He's fine - still recuperating, but what a nightmare that whole thing was.

So yes, he was grabbed by his foot, thrown down, and even knocked out. I was near him the entire time, in the dream & reality. He's fine, but the battle is not over...a new challenge has raised its head, but I'm not as depressed as I first was when I found out about this. I'm simply going to stop battling everything by myself, and go back to "Daddy." I'm just going to pray for God's unmeritted favor and assistance in managing this situation as well. It should turn out just fine.

The Dream: The Evil Gators

So my son has this dream last year around September, and as usual, when he has an unusual dream; he always comes to me for the interpretation.

My son opens our front door to find our house surrounded by water. There is a flood, for reasons not revealed at the time. The water comes right up our drive up to our porch. It's not real deep in our yard, but it is quite deep in the rest of the neighborhood. The water in our yard is clear. My neighbors to the left or north of us happens to be gay. The younger one is standing in his flooded drive, up to his knees in murky water. He is trying to see in the water, but can't get a clear view because the water is so muddy. He's attempting to fish with a fishing pole in this murky water he's standing in, but he can't catch anything and he doens't know what he's looking for.

My son & I both come outside on the porch. There is an attractive woman in red and black, with long hair, floating in the sky a few feet away. She attempts to coax my son away. He moves towards her a little ways. Then a man in red and black appears next to her. He gives her a full kiss and the two of them laugh at my son. I have also entered the water as well, but again, the water around us and my house, up to the street corner ( we live on a corner lot ), is clear.

So both of us are floating or treading water and there are red and black gators in the water all around us. The ones that surround my son are fairly close to him, but they aren't touching him...just watching. The gators around me have a much wider berth, ( according to my son ), because my spirit & connection to God is much stronger than his, so they are keeping a good distance away from me, and again, they are watching us. The man in red and black grabs my son by his foot and picks him up into the air several feet, then slams him down into the water, knocking him out. They laugh and disappear, and my son wakes up.

Now in the past, when I had a dream involving a flood, I knew immediately upon waking, that this flood meant judgment. In this case however, I was not struck with that impression when my son told this dream; particularly because the water around us in particular, and my house was clear. Now, concerning my neighbor and the murky water in his yard, that may have been the case. It may have been a judgment issue; however, I did not know this for sure at the time.

What I saw when my son asked me the meaning, was that my neighbor was in confusion. He was seeking something, but couldn't see clearly because spiritually, he wasn't in the right place. So his water was murky and muddy, and he is fishing...seeking...trying to find something; an answer perhaps, but he is like a car spinning its wheels in the mud.

The water around our house was clear, which I had no real impression on, other than, we weren't in judgment, but perhaps facing a lot...too much on our plates...that sort of thing. I classify that better later, but this was my impressions at the time he told me the dream. However, I did understand that there were enemies all around us waiting to attack. The whole thing with the man and the woman who tried to seduce my son, was understandable, because that was just another attack against my son concerning the idea of having a significant other.

The whole thing with the man in red & black picking him up by his foot and throwing him down...well, I wasn't sure about that at the time, but the answer should have been obvious.

Months later, I realized the gators had started their attack. I wrote about a few of the attacks once I realized we were under attack. I continued that article here because there was too much to tell in that first post; and imagine...it didn't end there.

So once I figured out that we were definitely under attack, it increased. I was battling all of the above, including now having to start researching new schools for my son, and the finances that I could be facing with a McKay grant. Not only that, but I also have had three ongoing legal battles going on, and was facing the possibility of having to move suddenly. So just as suddenly as I realized at the end of February, that we were under attack; it suddenly dawned on me that we were living in my son's dream.

Up until this point, I hadn't connected the part about the man in red and black picking my son up by his foot into the air, and slamming him down. (That'll be another post) My son claimed that he almost died in that attack in the dream; and most certainly, he was knocked out. I connected this part in March as I began to battle for my son concerning a medical procedure he needed.

At this point, I'm not sure that the battles are over yet. I know we were surrounded by water...like being overwelmed, and I have been; but the worst of it is over. I can breath again. My son is now fine, having come through his procedure and is in recovery. (Note: I wrote this line 2 days prior to this posting...I thought the worst was over, but I was wrong yet again...)

Living A Dream

Hi all,

Just a quick note to let you know that I've been living a dream recently. This is part of the reason why you have not seen me with the same regularity that you may be used to.
This dream has been to some degree, a nightmare, and I will be back soon to fill you in on the developments, as well as continue my study. Until then, peace and blessings to all.

Dream Journal – Day 1 The Spirit World and Your Destiny Part 14

This entire definition is coming from Nelson's illustrated Bible dictionary.  I was searching for the answers as to why Pharoah Neco changed Eliakim's  name to Jehoiakim when they have similarities in the meaning. This is the explanation that I found concerning names.

A name is a label or designation that sets 1 person apart from another. But in the Bible, a name is much more than identifier, as it tends to be in our culture.

Personal names and even place names were formed from words that had their own meaning. The people of the Bible were very conscious of the meaning of names.

They believed there was a vital connection between the name and the person it identified. A name somehow represented the nature of the person.

This means that the naming of a baby was very important in the Bible. In choosing a name, the parents could reflect the circumstances of the child's birth, their own feelings, their gratitude to God, their hopes and prayers for the child, and their commitment of the child to God.

The name Isaac reflected the "laughter" of his mother at his birth (Genesis 21:6). Esau was named "hairy" because of his appearance. Jacob was named "supplanter" because he grasped his brother's Esau's heel (Genesis 25:25-26). Moses receive his name because he was 'drawn out" of the water (Ex. 2:10).

A popular custom of biblical times was to compose names by using the shortened forms of the divine name El or Ya (Je) as the beginning or ending syllable. Examples of this practice are Elisha which means "God is salvation"; Daniel, "God is my judge"; Jehoiakim, "the Lord has established"; and Isaiah, "the Lord is salvation".

Sometimes very specialized names, directly related to circumstances of the parents, were given to children. The prophet Isaiah was directed to name one of his children Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, meaning "speed the spoil, hasten the prey". This name was an allusion to the certain Assyrian invasion of the Nation of Judah (Isa. 8:3-4). Hosea was instructed to name a daughter, Lo-Ruhamah, "no mercy", and a son, Lo-Ammi, "not my people". Both of these names referred to God displeasure with his people (Hos. 1:6-9).

The change of the name can also be of great importance in the Bible. Abram's name was changed to Abraham in connection with his new calling to be "a father of many nations" (Gen. 17-5).

God gave Jacob the new name Israel, "God strives" because he "struggled with God and with men and prevailed" (Genesis 32:28; 35:10).

In the giving or taking of new names, often a crucial turning point in the person's life has been reached. Simon was given a name Peter because, as the first confessing apostle, he was the "rock" upon which the new community of the church would be built (Matt. 16:18).

Saul was renamed Paul, a Greek name that was appropriate for one who was destined to become the great apostle to the Gentiles.

The connection between a name and the reality it signified is nowhere more important than in the names referring to God. The personal name of God was revealed to Moses in the burning bush - I am Who I am - conveyed something of His character (Exodus 3:14).

According to Exodus 34:5-6, when the Lord proclaimed "the name of the Lord" He added words that describe His character. The name of the Lord was virtually synonymous with his presence: "For your wondrous works declare that your name is near," (Ps. 75:1). To know the name of God is to know God Himself (Psalms 91:14).

For this reason, to "take the name of the Lord your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7) is to act in any way that is inconsistent with the profession that He is the Lord God.

The New Testament writers also emphasized the importance of names and the close relationship between names and what they mean.

A striking illustration of this is Acts 4:12, "For there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved". In this instance, the name is again practically interchangeable with the reality which it represents.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Hallowed be your name" (Matt 6:9). Christians were described by the Apostle Paul as those who "name the name of the Lord" (2 Tim 2:19).

A true understanding of the exalted Jesus is often connected with a statement about his name. Thus Jesus "has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then the angels" (Heb. 1:4). According to Paul, "God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name" (Phil 2:9).

Happy Holidays!

Hello All,

I just wanted to let you know that despite the fact that it's been a little while since I last posted; I am still around. I wanted to wish you all the blessings of the season, and I pray that all is well with you and yours.

This hiatus I am taking at the moment is because I'm about to change directions very soon. I am approaching my writing from a little bit of a different direction, and I hope to be able to unveil this for you very soon. Hopefully, it will be a change that you all like and appreciate; as it is very exciting for me and a large part of my plan to move forward and achieve my goals.

Until then, I wish you all the best, and will look forward to seeing you in the next year. Be sure to check my website to access all of my articles! Look under the archives. God Bless.

Dream Journal – Day 1 The Spirit World and Your Destiny Part 13

Dan 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

It's interesting to note, as I review this, the meaning of the word Babylon.

Babel or Babylon = "confusion (by mixing)"

I'm aware that originally the story of the Tower of Babel had to do with the confusion or the mixing of languages.

However the other day I was in Walmart shopping; and I was in the toy department, and met this cute little boy. I was looking at a particular type of toy, which I will not mention because I don't know who's reading this in my family. This company had put an Asian theme on this particular item, and it so happens that the little boy I was speaking to was also Asian.

This kid was so cute, and he told me a lot about the different types and versions of this particuliar item that I was looking at. He seemed quite knowledgeable about them, and apparently had several of these items himself.

A few minutes later, his father walked up and made a comment to him along the lines that he hoped his son was not getting in the way, or causing any problems; something I typically say to my own son. I assured him that his son was not at all a problem, and that he was explain to me about these toys. I mention that I was attempting to choose between several different ones and that the individual that I was considering this for happens to like Asian culture.

"I'm Asian," the little boy said; and his father, who happened to be Caucasian, made a comment to me about how all the races were mixing. Even a good friend of mine, who is a brother in the Lord, mentioned that to me the other day as well. He agreed with CNN which said that now the Hispanics are the largest minority. My friend said that the people of color or African Americans are the majority, and the Caucasian people are the minority in this country, and are quickly disappearing due to the cross mixing of the races. He, himself is Italian.

So for me is interesting to note the fact that the word Babel or Babylon means confusion by mixing; because the Book of Revelations talks about how Babylon will be rebuilt, and it seems like that is happening already.

Is also interesting to note that in the book of 2 Chronicles 36:4-9, it indicates that the king of Egypt, Pharoah Neco, had made Eliakim, brother of Jehoahaz, king over the Judah, and changed his name to Jehoiakim.

Eliakim = "God raises" or "God sets up"

Jehoiakim = "Jehovah raises up"

This is interesting. I'm trying to figure out why the change and what's the difference here. Was it simply an exercise to demonstrate his authority? Or, is there real difference in the meaning here? Since Jehovah and God are one and the same, I'm not seeing any difference there. The only other changes I see is adding the word "up" to "raises."

Regaining My Grounding

Hello to friends & readers. I just wanted to update you on the reason for the delay in my followup on this dream journal. I recently lost my brother. He passed on 9/6/12, and despite knowing that he has gone on to be with the Lord; despite my confidence of this, I have not been able to fully concentrate since this happened. I've had to post notice of this sad news in quite a few forums/blogs/sites where I am usually writing or a presence. So hopefully, you can bear with me, and not give up on me totally. I will be back, I just need a bit more time to accept the new responsibilities I now have inherited, and deal with the changes this situation has created. Thanks for your patience. Peace and blessings.

Dream Journal – Day 1 The Spirit World and Your Destiny Part 12

Dan 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

I think I know who Jehoiakim king of Judah is. However I'm going to look up some history on him, and I want to know why Nebuchadnezzar was allowed to beseige and overtake the city.

Jehoiakim = "Jehovah raises up"

1) son of Josiah and the third from the last king of Judah; subject vassel of Nebuchadnezzar who reigned for 11 years before he died a violent death either in combat or by the hands of his own subjects

Judah = praised

Jerusalem = "teaching of peace"

   1) the chief city of Palestine and capital ofthe united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split

Nebuchadnezzar or Nebuchadrezzar = "may Nebo protect the crown" Or, in some translations, "oh god nabu, protect my son"

   1) The great king of the neo babylonian empire, who captured Jerusalem and destroyed the temple, and carried Judah captive. He appears in the book of Daniel, Jeremiah, 2 Kings, Ezra, and Ezekiel. Nebuchadnezzar was the oldest son of Nabopolassar, the founder of the neo Babylonian or Chaldean, dynasty of Babylon. Nabopolassar Was appointed as general by the Assyrian king; but in later years he rebelled, and established himself as king of Babylon.

Babel or Babylon = "confusion (by mixing)"

   1) Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital ofBabylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.

Jehoiakim was an evil king of Judah who's downfall was predicted by the prophet Jeremiah. He was 25 years old when he succeeded to the throne, as the son of a good king Josiah. He reigned for 11 years in Jerusalem; and during his reign, he was forced to pay a heavy tribute to Pharoah Necho of Egypt. He was forced to levy a burdensome tax upon his people to pay this tribute.

His a arrogance was described by the prophet Jeremiah in great detail. He ignored justice and righteousness, exploiting the people to build his own splendid house with expensive furnishings. He had no intention of obey the Lord, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. Jeremiah told of his execution of Urijah, a prophet of the Lord.

Jehoiakim's most cynical act was his burning of Jeremiah's prophecies; the scroll of judgement against the king. He could burn the word of God but he could not destroy His power. Additionally, he could not avoid Jeremiah's prophecy of his approaching destruction. Because of the evil, Jeremiah predicted that no one would lament the death of Jehoiakim.

He made an agreement with Nebuchadnezzar to serve as a vassal king on the throne of Judah, because he recognized the power of the Babylonians. Yet, after 3 years of subjugation, he led a foolish rebellion against the Babylonians; who then destroyed Jerusalem and bound Jehoiakim, carrying him away into captivity.

Apparently, however, Nebuchadnezzar's intentions of carrying him away was abandoned. According to Jeremiah, Jehoiakim was dragged out beyond the gates of Jerusalem, and buried with the burial of a donkey.

Nebuchadnezzar's policy of resettling conquered peoples, and transporting them to other provinces of his empire; provided him with slave labor for conducting his expensive building projects. The famous "hanging gardens" cannot be identified in the impressive ruins of babylon, however, it was "one of the seven wonders of the ancient world". He also built a huge reservoir near Sippar, providing interconnecting canals in an elaborate irrigation system.

Nebuchadnezzar made an arrogant boast about all that he had achieved; but he was stricken at the height of his power and pride by God's judgement. He was eventually driven out of office, living with the beasts of the field and eating grass like an ox.

Dream Journal – Day 1 The Spirit World and Your Destiny Part 11

The next section on the dream journal is a reference to Daniel 4. However I am going to go back to the beginning of the book. I think that we need to go to the beginning, because we need to establish the character of Daniel.

The 7 C's of character

Daniel is one of a few men in the bible, that God says absolutely nothing negative about. This is due to his devotion to the Lord, and, to the exemplary character and leadership qualities he had as a servant of God.

1. Character
He displays character by refusing to do wrong before foreign kings.
2. Competence
Kings offer to pay him for his ability to interpret dreams.
3. Convictions
He refused to eat their rich food or drink wine.
4. Courage
He faces the lions den without flinching.
5. Charisma
He is so exemplary, that royalty wants him to play key roles in government.
6. Commitment
He maintains committed to his God despite pressure to compromise.
7. Compassion
He never loses his love for others, even in an enemy culture.

Daniel and his friends were faithfully led by God from the time they were young boys. They continued this lifestyle as adults, so that by the time of the Babylonian captivity; they were able to stand firmly in the midst of pressure from an enemy culture. Daniel serves as an example of what can happen God is intimately involved, and connected to us in a relationship.

The book of Daniel is an illustration of what happens when a leader stands strong in a relationship with God. That strong connection results in cooperation between God and that leader that affect the world.

Some of the lessons Daniel teaches us about leadership are:

Leaders must first possess Godly qualities before they develop skills.

Commitment precedes everything - resource is will follow a leader's resolve.

Leaders must often stand alone as they begin their journey.

To identify the leader in a group, look for the one to whom everyone listens.

A gift may take a leader to the top, but humility enable him to endure.

Spiritual leaders talk to God about people before talking to people about God.

Godly leaders do not pursue their own fame, but are out to make God famous.

Before Daniel's life and purpose is through, he has left a legacy that influences the reign 3 kings. He showed himself to be a man who loved God, and embraced his faith; moving from an interpreter of dreams to a dreamer himself; and providing prophetic insight to the end times.

Dream Journal – Day 1 The Spirit World and Your Destiny Part 10

Jdg 6:20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay [them] upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

Jdg 6:21  Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that [was] in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.

This is the first time that I've noticed a reference to the angel of the lord carrying a staff. In fact, I've never noticed a reference to anything about any angel carrying a staff. However, this is part of the instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples before he left them.

Mar 6:8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for [their] journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in [their] purse:

Additionally, the fire that that came from the rock was not your typical fire.

Lev 9:24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: [which] when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

Jdg 6:22 And when Gideon perceived that he [was] an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.

Jdg 6:23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace [be] unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

Jdg 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovah shalom: unto this day it [is] yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Jehovah shalom: The Lord is Peace.

At this point God has established Gideon's faithfulness, because in the act of preparing the offering for the Lord, he demonstrated it. Now that his faithfulness has been proven, it's time to get to work.

Jdg 6:25  And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that [is] by it:

Jdg 6:26 And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.

Despite Gideons original doubts in himself, God used him. The people rallied around him, and he led the people of Israel into the most lopsided victory in the nation's history.

How could someone who thought so little of himself, end up with such a victory? Many believe it is because a cause that's good enough will cause people to automatically buy into it and follow. However, that's not a leadership works.

People don't simply follow worthwhile causes. They follow worthwhile leaders who lead worthy causes. It's called the law of the buy-in. People filter every message through the messenger who delivers it. Therefore, people buy into the leader first, and then into the leader's vision. You cannot separate the leader from the cause. They always go together.

So then the question becomes, how did a guy with so little self worth, progress from being an obscure member of a minor clan, to a leader of the northern tribes?

There were 4 things that built him into a leader. It started at home with his character.

Jdg 6:27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and [so] it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do [it] by day, that he did [it] by night.

Gideon started with 10 household servants; and with their help, he destroyed the altar of baal; and built a new altar to God as instructed. A good leader proves himself first to those who are closest to him.


To see more of what I write, visit me at http://www.sandramurquhart.com/.

Dream Journal – Day 1 The Spirit World and Your Destiny Part 9

Jdg 6:17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

Gideon is very clear about the fact that he's receiving a word from the Lord. However, he still doesn't understand that he is speaking to God, Himself, because he's asking for sign, when God, Himself is standing right in front of him.

However, because of the reverence he has for the "emmissary" of God that he is speaking to; he asked him to wait while he prepares an offering.

Jdg 6:18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set [it] before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
Jdg 6:19  And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought [it] out unto him under the oak, and presented [it].

This whole process took several hours, maybe even half the day. He had to go get the goat, kill it, clean it, and then cook it.

If you've ever had goat, you would know that in order to properly prepare it, you've got to cook it a minimum of 2 to 3 hours so that the meat gets tender enough. So Gideon makes this tasty stew for the Lord. Additionally he takes an ephah of flour to make the Lord bread.

1) ephah

  a) a dry measure of quantity, equal to 3 seahs,10 omers; the same as the liquid measurebath; (about 9 imperial gallons (40 l), rabbinical writings give sizes of one-half this amount).
   b) the receptacle for measuring or holding that amount

Now, I didn't understand all that any better than you probably did; so I got the english translation.

1. a Hebrew unit of dry measure, equal to about a bushel (35 liters).

A liter
1. a unit of capacity redefined in 1964 by a reduction of 28 parts in a million to be exactly equal to one cubic decimeter. It is equivalent to 1.0567 U.S. liquid quarts and is equal to the volume of one kilogram of distilled water at 4°C.

1/10th of 35 quarts would be about 3 quarts of flour; so he made quite a bit of bread. I guess he wanted to make sure he fed Him well. It seems that he cooked the entire goat; and made, at a minimum, about 3 loaves of bread, or perhaps 1-2 dozen cakes. As they always say about having guests over to eat; it's better to have too much then not enough.


To see more of what I write, visit me at http://www.sandramurquhart.com/.

Dream Journal – Day 1 The Spirit World and Your Destiny Part 8

Jdg 6:8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

I had to come back to this spot, because as I was doing this study with my son, and I noticed something. It said that God sent them a prophet, but it never identifies who that prophet is. So I started digging around, cross referencing; and I discovered that that particular prophet was Elisha.

Jdg 6:9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;

Jdg 6:10 And I said unto you, I [am] the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

Jdg 6:11  And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which [was] in Ophrah, that [pertained] unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide [it] from the Midianites.

One translation of this says that He sat under an oak tree. Another translation says a terebinth tree. If it was indeed a terebinth tree, it would be interesting because these particular trees were used to make the asherah poles for baal altars. It sounds like a statement of God meeting him where he was, and where he was wasn’t all that great. The signifigance of this will be seen later.

Gideon = "hewer"

1)      youngest son of Joash of the Abiezrites, fifth judge of Israel who led the Israelites against the Midianites

So this guy is a hewer; a seemingly simple job that does not necessarily indicate leadership qualities, yet the angel of the Lord tells him that he is a warrior; and not just any warrior, but a mighty warrior.

Jdg 6:12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD [is] with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

The reference to the angel of the LORD in the Old Testament, is of Jesus Christ, Himself. The LORD appears to him and tells him, I AM is with you.

Take note of the fact, that here, when God addresses Gideon, He calls him what He sees him as; a mighty man of valour. We never see ourselves as God sees us. And here, Gideon begins to express his self doubt, more so, because he still doesn't realize who he is speaking to.

Jdg 6:13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where [be] all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

Here, it is obvious that Gideon recognizes the spiritual authority of the individual he speaking with; however, he has not yet realized that he is actually speaking to God, himself. He speaks of this person (the Angel of the Lord), recognizing his authority by referring to him as Lord. And he speaks of God by referring to Him as LORD.

Jdg 6:14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

Another version, the NIV, states this verse in this way: " Go in the strength you have, and save Israel out of Midian's hand." In other words, go in faith; because, aren't I sending you? But, look at Gideon's response. He is still not clear on who he is speaking to.

Jdg 6:15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family [is] poor in Manasseh, and I [am] the least in my father's house.

Gideon has a self-esteem problem. He thinks he is nothing and no one. He starts to declare his worthlessness, by telling the Lord that he comes from the weakest clan of all the families in Mannaseh.

He elaborates further, by stating that not only is he from the weakess clan; but additionally, he is the least in his family. Basically, he says that he is so worthless, that even his family has no use for him.

His response is again, typical of most people. We tend to think so little of ourselves, or we allow our circumstance to dictate what we think of ourselves. Like most of us, Gideon had trouble with his self-image, and didn’t realize that God sees us in the light of His love, and in accordance to what He is recreating us to be through faith. Thus, Gideon needed assurance, and He found it in the Lord.

Jdg 6:16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I  will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

So the lord reassures him. He tells him, "Be sure of the fact that I'm going to be with you." Not only that, but the attack against the midianites is going to be so well orchestrated; that it will look like they were struck down by one man.


To see more of what I write, visit me at http://www.sandramurquhart.com/.