Today is 1-31-13....very interesting!

Sons and Daughters of Encouragement!

I have many heroes in the Bible, but one that has always impressed me is Barnabas. During his ministry he sure seemed to do a great job of modeling “faithfulness through difficulties” and how to “love others well". You might remember Barnabas as the one who accompanied Paul on some of the early mission trips.  He was know by his peers as the “son of encouragement!” (or the son of Paraclete). Wow, that’s pretty awesome especially when you know what that Paraclete means! It's a powerful word that means, “one who come along side another, to be an advocate for, the comforter, a helper, an encourager!” In the book of John, Jesus describe His gift to us (the Holy Spirit) as the Paraclete (John 16:7-8)

All of us, at some point in time, find ourselves in physical, emotional, financial and spiritually challenging situations. It is in those time that the Holy Spirit eagerly "comes along side" us and faithfully provides our needs. He is our advocate, our comforter and encourager! As followers of Jesus, we are called to do the same for others!

There are still three days left for me to prepare for this trip, and I sure could use A LOT MORE of  God's love in my life! Let’s pray together that God will FILL US UP TO OVER-FLOWING with His love and joy..... that we might be allowed to share the privilege of “coming along side” those who are pastors and missionaries as “comforters, helpers and encouragers”.  We can practice being more like Barnabas- sons and daughters of encouragement! Thank you so much for your support!

It's already WEDNESDAY- auuugh! I'm leaving for Thailand THIS SUNDAY.  If all goes well, I should be back in the states by April. This is an important trip in which I'll be connecting with a dear missionary friend/sister in the north. Can't wait to see her!  Besides a travel Visa and Passport,  I plan to  pack an extra large supply of non-presishable FRUIT! Yep, never can have enough joy, peace, patience, love and kindness.....more fruit of the Spirit please!!!  I think they'll make through customs?  

Apparently...

I've always had a thing for cars!

My youngest is getting married 

August 2013.

So excited for them!

Adorable!!!

Look up!

More than a year ago, it was a pair of  well-worn black "flip-flops", some rainwater on a hard marble floor and a pressing need to be up at SUN RAISE to prayer walk the territory (a congested neighborhood in the red light district of Bangkok) that began my journey towards SAN DIEGO? Hummm.... not what I expected.

Today, I'm in San Diego, wondering if I'll ever be back to the congested streets of Bangkok? I still find myself  prayer walking, but the territory is very different!  My well-worn black "flip-flops", the water, and pressing need to get out of my comfort zone, are familiar to me, but these days I find myself more often on quiet beaches at sunset!  Huummm....definitely not what I expected.  What is in store for my future?  With that in mind, these verses in Colossians 3 were especially encouraging (The choice of wording used in the MESSAGE Bible caught my attention) "Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. LOOK UP, and be alert to what is going on around Christ...that's where the action is!  See things from HIS perspective...let the peace of Christ keep you in tune... in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. Cultivate thankfulness! ... and sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives...words, actions, whatever it is be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. AMEN

HEALING conference in with Bill Johnson, Heidi and Roland Baker, Randy Clark and Che Ahn at his church in Pasadena.  A great opportunity to get out of town and saturate ourselves in God's presence, powerful and spiritually refreshing! 

Ever feel like your life looks more 

like this picture...

...rather than this picture?

Moved with Compassion?

It's Valentines Day. I remember what it was like being a single mom with three little ones on Valentines day :( It was NOT a very happy time in my life, and all the attention to flowers and romance only made it painfully worse! So today I paid a visit to a young single mom whom I met through my church. Single mom's are notorious for not lavishing themselves with luxuries, they 're too busy struggling to afford basics, like gasoline, toilet paper and diapers! So a surprise delivery of decadent treats seemed in order!

She has two little ones and a third one on the way! Her life is uncertain and she is fearful for their future because her husband left her during this latest pregnancy. It would be easy to say-WHAT A HORRIBLE THING, leaving a wife and three darling children! How can any man do such a terrible thing? But there is more to the story. This strong young man has been serving his country in a war zone. If that wasn't stressful enough, recently he suffered a horrible tragedy- his leg was blown off. Suddenly we see WHY his whole world may be crumbling. The trauma, the shock and unbelievable pain, his future, his ability to provide for his family, and his identity as a man, were all blown to pieces at that moment. Of course he's confused and not thinking clearly.... and then suddenly, we are filled with compassion for him.

I must always be on guard NOT to make quick judgements about people, not even quietly, in the private recesses of my own thinking! We really have no idea what people have been through. God please help me remember this lesson. I long to be "moved by compassion" as JESUS was..... instead of being moved to cynicism and criticism.

The LORD appeared to him from afar saying I loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you to myself with lovingkindness. Jeremiah 31:3

Victoria Secret Model- Kylie Bissutti following her heart!

It's almost Valentines Day and I'm sure our local Victoria Secret boutiques are "well endowed" with plenty of tantalizing merchandise! With so much negative attention given to the use of sensual and seductive imaging to sell products these days, I found Kylie's story refreshing. This stunning young woman courageously stepped away from a high profile, high paying job as a Victoria Secret "super model". Watch the video to see why Kylie made a decision to follow her heart!

Water still flooding Thailand

We in the USA are hearing very little about the terrible flooding in Thailand. This is the most serious crisis in more than 50 years. Much more damage than when Tsunami hit! The aftermath of these floods I fear will be even worse than the flood itself! Sanitation and contamination problems, airborne diseases, infections plus economic and emotional trauma. Please pray for the people in the Kingdom of Thailand. They truly need divine intervention!

Pray for Thailand

URGENT PRAYER- Flood waters from northern Thailand, combined with ocean tides are expected to bring heavy flooding to Bangkok with in days. Potential flood waters could be the worse the country has experienced in 50 years.

Thai government leaders are at their “wits end” and are seeking help from the “goddess of water” as they consider ways to avoid this impending disaster! The Kingdom of Thailand is a Buddhist nation, less than 2% evangelized and also a "non-crisis" oriented culture. Spend a lot of time or energy focusing strategies, excessive planning or PREVENTATIVE MEASURES when faced with potential crisis situations, IS NOT part of their culture/worldview.

The Thai people usually deal with problems when they arrive...one day at a time. This might seem very odd to us as westerners, but REMEMBER most of the 2/3 world functions in this same non-crisis mode. Their political, economical and religious systems have tempered these cultural views, making them much more tolerant of ambiguity, especially as it concerns their future.

• PLEASE PRAY- Local community of Christians will be mobilized to extend physical, emotional and spiritual help to their neighbor

• PLEASE PRAY- God’s mercy on this Kingdom. May the kindness of God, His supernatural intervention and assistance in times of crisis, cause their hearts to humbly turn towards Him.

• PLEASE PRAY- Kingdom of Thailand, government officials will seek help and wisdom for their people from the One True God!

Human Trafficking Happens HERE!

Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery. Victims of human trafficking are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. Victims are young children, teenagers, men and women.

After drug dealing, human trafficking is tied with the illegal arms industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today.

If you suspect someone has been trafficked, call the:
Department of Health and Human Services

Toll-free, 24 hour
NATIONAL HOTLINE:
+1-888-3737-888
+1-888-428-7581

Stabbed at the Food Court!

San Diego is stunning, especially at night! Ocean views, perfect weather and a relaxed resort atmosphere, brings tourists to this area from all around the world. However, like many beautiful cities, sometimes LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING. Recently, God reminded me of this in a very interesting way. Let's just say it was an EYE OPENING experience!

Have you ever prayed for God to BREAK YOUR HEART for the things that break His, or asked Him to OPEN YOUR EYES to what He is doing? Those are great prayers, but such requests usually require a willingness to readjust our perspective! Seeing our comfortable, familiar surroundings through new eyes (His eyes) takes some effort and can be disturbing.

The first clue, that my evening was NOT going to be "business as usual", happened as I tried to exit our neighborhood. First, I came upon a man and woman standing RIGHT in the middle of road, ARGUING LOUDLY with each other! Wasn’t sure if they were husband-wife or boyfriend-girlfriend? Whoever they were, they seemed completely oblivious to me, to traffic, or to the fact that their car was blocking the road! In frustration, I maneuvered around them just in time to meet a sedan fully of teenagers who were hanging out the windows yelling #&*@! obscenities while making an illegal left turn, just missing me!

Effectually I made my way to the local market. By this time I was thinking, THIS IS SUCH A WEIRD NIGHT. I found out quickly it was going to get stranger as the evening progressed! After parking my car, I walked to the store entrance. Couldn't help but notice the two high school GIRLS kissing and hanging all over each other in the parking lot area. Again my thoughts were, MAYBE IT'S A FULL MOON OR SOMETHING?? Once inside the store, I observed a very drunk man in tattered clothes, trying (without much luck) to dig some change out of his pocket to buy a lottery ticket. (Does it seem odd to anybody else, that people with very little are willing to gamble away what little they do have?) By now it was about 8:30pm, I'd finished purchasing a few items and was headed home.

On the way to my car, I passed through some people who were sitting in an outdoor food court enjoying their pizza slices and ice cream cones. SUDDENLY...A GANG OF 8-9 LATINO GUYS JUMPED OUT FROM THE DARK. They violently attacked, kicked and stabbed another guy who was standing about about 30 feet from me!

WHAT'S GOING ON?? I felt like I was back in Bangkok's Red Light District, but I wasn't. This was beautiful San Diego! I was in a local strip mall with little twinkle lights hanging from palm trees. Exhausted parents with strollers full of toddlers relaxed near the fountain, a few retired men were enjoying their coffees and discussing sports!

Then it dawned on me- GOD HAD HEARD MY PRAYER. He was allowing me to SEE my familiar neighborhood through new eyes, through HIS perspective!

It was as if I could hear God saying- “You want to know what causes my heart to grieve? OPEN your eyes! Take time to really SEE those around you. Broken people, crumbling relationships, immorality, poverty and violence are all around you. Don’t be deceived by the facade of beauty and affluence.

After the initial shock and police reports, I had more time to process the “events” of that evening. It was then I realized....not one, but TWO people had been stabbed at the food court that night; an unsuspecting latino youth.... and the other person was ME. God’s “TRUTH” had sliced right through my clouded perspective!

HELP JESUS, HELP. Without You, we are lost and desperate people! Thank you for eyes to see what grieves your heart. Forgive me for the many times I’ve witnessed similar scenes (like tonight’s events) and simply ignored them, LOOKED the other way, or WORSE...I saw them, and did nothing! Forgive me for the times I’ve complained about the moral and spiritual decline that surrounds me, but did nothing more. Forgive me for the times I became aggravated, shocked or disgusted, but did nothing more.

Oh God, compel me to action, to intercession, to LOVE. Push me beyond my own complacency and apathy. Help me to be a BOLD defender of the weak. When it comes to caring for broken people, help to be a RADICAL LOVER, COMPASSIONATE, A DANGEROUS THREAT TO THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS AND INJUSTICE. PLEASE HELP ME TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS

Soaking in Truth

Everyday we have opportunity to learn valuable lessons from the simplest situations. Today I was reminded of an important "life lesson" from a sponge!

We use sponges instead of paint brushes in our Art4Healing classes. Although all our sponges had been thoroughly used and ready for the trash, I noticed they had taken on a unique beauty of their own! While my classmates were gathering their paintings to take home, I decided to gather up our classroom "trash" for a photo shoot.

Everyday I am given a choice to "soak-in" colors. Will I choose from a palette of bitterness, greed and criticism, or will my life be painted with forgiveness, hope and joy? Everyday we are given opportunities to absorb the colors of truth or the colors of a lie? Every experience (every color) is designed to mark us, making us unique in the hands of a loving Master Artist, the Creator of the universe! What some consider, ugly, worthless trash... God lovingly renames as "beautiful and valuable."

OH NO....don't look!

Believe it or not....not all "artist types" are crazy, broken or immoral."As a culture we tend to define creativity too narrowly and to think of it in elitist terms, as something belonging to a small chosen tribe of "real artists." But in reality, everything we do requires making creative choices, although we seldom recognize that fact. The way in which we dress, set up our homes, do our jobs.....even the people we involve ourselves with- these all are expressions of our creativity. It is our erroneous beliefs about creativity, our cultural mythology about artists (all artists are broken, crazy, promiscuous, self centered or have trust funds) that encourage us to leave our dreams unfulfilled." Julia Cameron, The Complete Artist's Way

While in "recovery-healing" mode,

I launched a secondary website (new blog) focusing on

Art and Healing. People have been asking many great

questions about the training I completed recently

with Laurie Zagon. I plan to hold some demonstration

workshops in the near future.

I'll keep you posted on possible locations, dates and times.

Have fun browsing the new site! Here is the link:

http://art-healing-kathy.blogspot.com

Staying Focused!

It's not complicated....

If indeed the mighty God (Creator of the Universe) abides in me, and I in Him through Christ.....then I am absolutely obligated to better resource, steward and freely share this dynamic with others!

As a follower of Jesus and His teachings, I owe my neighbors an encounter with the Living God and His radical love. Should I not be more bold, joyful and willing to go into this world as an “Ambassador” of God’s Kingdom, of His grace, forgiveness and healing power? Yes, Yes, Yes... God help me!

Kathy LeBarron

Kathy and her Websites have been under construction!

My temporary leave of absence, unfortunately turned to be more of an extended leave! I do apologize and have appreciated your amazing patience with me while I've been trying to "re-group".