Month: December 2019

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Dream-Maker

Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it. -Proverbs 22:6

~What if God appeared to you and asked you, “what is it that you want? Whatever it is I will give it to you.”

It seems too good to be true doesn’t it?

Well it’s not because nothing is too good when it comes to God as Father.

These are the very words God spoke to me. These are the words He dearly longs for all of His children to hear and believe.

Years ago, I was in worship at Bible college. I was up in the front (my usual, comfy spot) with my arms outstretched worshipping God. After services were over the Dean of Women (whom I’ll call Mattie for privacy purposes) came up to me. She had a bright smile that radiated in her light blue eyes. She gave the best “grandma-like hugs” and she embraced me. She giggled warmly as she spoke, “I heard the Father say, ‘ask what you will and He will do it for you.'”

My face was not as enthusiastic as her’s, but I did smile, “thank you.”

I tried to act friendly and excited but the truth was, I wasn’t.

Mattie was one of the kindest and most loving women that I had ever met. Because she was sooo sweet, I didn’t know if she was just trying to encourage me in the “flesh” rather than in the Spirit.

I walked to work afterwards…which was at the college’s ministry phone center. I walked past a Floor Leader desk and suddenly my husband turned around in his swivel chair. He looked at me, “The Lord say’s ‘ask what you will and He will give it to you.'”

I half-smiled and went to my desk, prepping myself to pray for the myriad of precious callers who would be buzzing the phone lines soon.

As I sat there in my chair, God’s request of me began to nudge on my heart.

Ask.

Questioning God’s goodness isn’t foreign to most believers that I’ve met. And I’ve met quite a few..both in person and over the phones or net. It’s an unbiblical, religious mindset that questions the goodness of God because everything about God is good. He is the most cheerful Giver you will ever meet. His very nature is Love and love always gives the best (with no selfish strings attached).

For years I grew up in church and heard the above scripture about training up a child in the way they should go. I was always taught that it meant training them up to fear and follow the Lord. As a result I threw away my goals and dreams in pursuit of serving Jesus through work that I was not passionate about. I was taught that, “whatever you really don’t want to do, will probably be the thing that God asks you to do. And you just need to suck it up buttercup because this life is all about death to self in order to please God.” (I confess there is some truth in dying to self but it wasn’t explained accurately to me for many years). It’s absolutely detrimental on so many levels how religion paints God.

Scripture gives so many examples of God blessing people above and beyond what they asked for. When God gives, it’s like a lavish party that never ends. Solomon asked for wisdom and God said, “I will give you what you asked for! …And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!” -1 Kings 3:12-13 NLT.

God’s answer to Jabez’s prayer is one of my personal favorites (you can find it in 1 Chronicles 4:10). I have personally prayed a similar prayer to this.

God made all the patriots of our faith (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) smashingly wealthy. I mean, over the top rich! They were so rich and famous that the nations around them were jealous but couldn’t do a thing because God’s favor surrounded them like a shield (just ask the Pharaoh who wanted to have Abraham’s wife whom he thought was his sister).

Years ago, I began to notice that Jesus never asked people what they needed from Him. He only asked them what they “wanted Him to do for them” (example: Mark 10:51). The Lord opened my eyes to this. Most people just asked for healing (and who can blame them?). But Jesus said, “your heavenly Father knows what you need already” (Mark 6:32). It was like He was inviting them to a feast they didn’t know existed. “Taste and see that I am good,” -Psalm 34:8.

C.S Lewis put this so eloquetly in his sermon “The Weight of Glory.” Here he writes the truth regarding most peoples poverty mindset when it comes to God’s infinite love and resources:

“If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (26)

Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. -John 16:24 BSB.

I feel like I should give some personal examples now of how God has said “yes” to me:

  1. I asked Him to go to college but not ever have debt. So far I’ve been through roughly 9 years of college, vocational schools, certification programs, etc without debt and without government assistance.
  2. I asked Him that my first boyfriend would be my husband and that he would be a man who heard from God often…Stephen is just that and so much more! God knew what I wanted and needed.
  3. I asked to move to CO as a teenager because my two favorite Christian authors lived out there and because it just looked beautiful (not all my requests have been “spiritual.”), Years later I moved to CO for Bible college and didn’t even remember my earlier request as a teen until God reminded me. “You see Ashley? I give you good and perfect gifts.”
  4. I asked God for a baby and He enlarged my womb with life after personally speaking with my husband (who didn’t want a child at the time) that everything would be okay.
  5. I asked God to be able to start up my own preschool. I now have a home-based Christian school.
  6. I asked God to self-publish Visions of Celestial before Eden-Rain was born and start up Nourishment Through Words Press. He granted those requests.
  7. I asked God to move back home to California because I missed my family and the beach. A year or so later He again spoke to my husband, this time about moving, and now here we are.
  8. I asked God for money to be able to become a certified Christian Life Coach so that I could speak life and encouragement over others to follow their God-dreams. Father told me He would give me the money I needed and not to worry about it. He came through over and above the amount that I needed (which was a hefty amount).
  9. I asked God to not be a self-published author anymore but that i wanted to be a traditional-royalty based author. I began to pray to Him that He would connect me to a Christian publishing company that would be able to distribute my books to the masses. Just last week…He supernaturally gave me favor and my book has been picked up by a prestigious literary agency who want to present it to big publishers. I know this dream will come true also.
  10. I asked to see my brother this Christmas. He’s in the Navy and my heart has longed to see him personally. Later on today, my family and I will be going to AZ to meet him! Yay God.
  11. This list is exhaustless and could go on forever. So, I’ll stop here. I can’t help but smile and thank my Father.

You see, God as your Father has put certain passions, gifts, talents and desires in your heart. He’s not a tight-wad. You can ask Him and expect good things. They don’t even have to be spiritual things (I know I asked Him for chocolate cake on my 21st birthday and when I walked out my front door my neighbor who never spoke to me before had a table full of chocolate cake and said she wanted to share). God just delights in being good to you because He loves you. He has always loved you. He will always love you.

Please understand, asking God for things and expecting them, has got nothing to do with your goodness or holiness (at least not in your flesh)! Spiritually you were made the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). When you accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, God made you a co-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17). He gave you a heavenly inheritance that manifest here and now on earth. “…The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” -Daniel 11:32.

God wants you to ask Him. Come to Him like a well-loved child (because you are) and make your requests known to Him. Then, trust Him by letting Him guide you through the process of stepping into the reality of your dreams. Submitting to His Lordship is not painful. Submitting to His Lordship is allowing Him to lead you into abundant life. Into a life that is far better than you can imagine. Trust His heart. He only wants good things for you.

I find it interesting that the next scripture that follows training up a child is this: the rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. -Proverbs 22:7.

I believe that when parents submit to God’s way of truly training their children up, that their children will flourish in life. And their children will live in great joy because this training will be tailored to their individual bent or talent. Meaning parents won’t squish their children’s dreams but help them discover their God-sized dream and encourage them in it. Their children will never be a servant to the lender. God as your Father never wants you to live in an impoverished state. In the Old Testament poverty was considered a curse. It’s not holy or good to be poor. If God doesn’t think it is, then I am confident in His opinion.

He wants you as His child to trust Him with the dreams in your heart, beleive Him through the process and experience His great goodness and ability in your life!

I pray that this blog post encouraged you to dream big and to run to the ever-open arms of your Father. I pray that you grow to trust God more for your life and that you walk in sensitivity with His Holy Spirit. He has glorious promises for you.

~If you need any prayer, encouragement and clarification on your God-dreams, I would love to help you on your journey! You can contact me for Life Coaching services! It’s absolute my pleasure to see you soar in the destiny that God has for you!

“I love you (Ashley) and I thank you because you’re the only one who stirs me up with my dream. God has ministered to me so many times! I think that those who truly pursue God’s dreams are few and far between. He gave me insight while I was singing with him that every single one of his children are supposed to be drenched in success and aiming high. God’s plans are no where near the standard that the average Christian has been walking in. It’s a beautiful thing and an awakening because he literally has an outstanding plan for everyone. If all of us would only tap into our skill sets and design, then we would all be hitting the nail on the head. Everyone’s glory was originally supposed to be huge! There is no mediocre lifestyle or money or love or blessing or talent or skill set or job in the body of Christ! We’re all the cream of the crop. Every single one of us but few of us believe and receive and tap into his mind. Few of us understand how huge God’s kingdom on earth is! I’m not waiting anymore. I’m running and I’m going to be diligent in what he asks me to do today! I’m going to believe it when he gives me insight about tomorrow! I will not waste my life away waiting.” -Chloe Lange, worshipper, wife, mother, Lioness Lips entrepreneur.

Love,

Your sister in Christ, Ashley xoxo

I chose this picture of my Father and i because I think it’s befitting to the message. This man (as seen on the right) has done more for me than I could have ever asked for…just like God. <3

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A Date with Jesus in the Swiss Alps

~A sequel to Romantic Rendezvous for the Soul’s story: A Date with Jesus. To read it for free, visit my Free Inspiration page <3

Your presence releases a fragrance so pleasing—
over and over poured out.
For your lovely name is “Flowing Oil.”
No wonder the brides-to-be adore you.
Draw me into your heart.
We will run away together into the king’s cloud-filled chamber. -Song of Songs 1:3-4 TPT

My heart yearned for him like a swallow for the wind. I longed to spread my wings and ride the current of his vaporous love until I was perfumed with the scents of his soul.

I wanted the oil of his skin to become like an eternal anointing on the terrain of my flesh. Jesus, my heart had cried…

The Swiss alps were quite a sight. Majestic mountains powdered with glinting white gold bounced reflective shafts of light from the sun’s aureate waves. Blades of emerald green grass made pockets like quilt along the rugged terrain— lustrous gemstones. Clouds formed puffy castles that spilt like rain in slow motion down the cliffs. Their fluid motions seemed celestial. The cloud cover glowed like pearls and appeared as rich as whole milk. A double translucent rainbow made an iridescent crest in the sky before touching down on a distant mountain that was hazed purple.

Image by Mario Léveillé from Pixabay

Richly clad people, sitting on crimson plush benches, leaned over each other to peek out the windows in the luxury tour train that seated us all. I noticed a woman with a remarkably large ruby ring set on a rose gold band. Her fine fingers were speckled with gold dust and she wore a long sleeved nude dress sequined with light bronze beads that formed star patters. The patterns were clustered around her lean torso and then thinned into a V shape around her tapered waist. Indeed, the jewels, so keenly fashioned into her gown they seemed a part of her flesh. Her caramel skin glowed like honey in the sun and she had amber eyes flecked with a darker cinnamon brown color. Her charcoal shiny black hair was tied back with a silver burette with tiny gems. A gold chain with a captivating moonstone hung from her petite neck. She arched a curvy eyebrow and her full lips painted red wine curved upward in a small, pleased smile. She lifted a perfectly manicured finger to the clear glass window and tapped. Rosy pearls hung in her ears.

Her lover, a man of lighter complexion rubbed her shoulders and kissed the nape of her neck. As beautiful as it was outside, his eyes were steadfastly set on her. His blue eyes were as clear and piercing as the sky over the ocean after a hurricane washed clear through. It was like morning light. His lustrous hair resembled the dark burgundy color of wet henna. He had a strong chin, Jude Law nose and his box beard shaped his chiseled jaw and lined his lower face.  He wore a collared white dress shirt underneath a dashing, long black trench coat. A Rolex Trench watch donned his left wrist. A thick golden band with curious inscription was on his middle finger. He looked like he could be a duke, and she a countess.

Suddenly aware of the enamor and wealth of everyone else’s attire, I became embarrassed for wearing my sky-blue pajamas under a cream wool robe. My hair was pinned up in fat dark chocolate brown twists and lip balm was my only facial dress.

Jesus sat across from me and because of my own self-awareness, I failed to notice the smoothness of his bronze skin. It was like a brown terrain of amber butterscotch as placid as silk. The corner of his lips lifted into a smile. A joy foreign to the world shone in His swirling chestnut eyes like sparkling fire embers against a velvety night sky. Deep peace came off of Him like a swell of sauna waves from an invisible ocean…

To read my first romantic novella about the Bridegroom love of Jesus, click here.

“The stories in this book will invite you into a marriage relationship with Jesus showing you what it looks like to be loved without condemnation. Ashley brings you into personal conversations with the one who’s very name is Love. Sometimes life just gets so busy and I grow distant from the Lord that I don’t hear His gentle voice wooing me, calling me to His side. As I read this book, Jesus was reminding me of His great love for me, reminding me that He actually longed to spend time with me. If you are longing to know what it means to be loved and romanced by your creator, read this book and allow Jesus to romance you like only He can!” – Rachel Sklenicka, Licensed minister and former missionary to Russia.

Top image by David Mark from Pixabay

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Comfort in a Rose

I wrote this story as a teenager, during the years of my new birth, when Abba first began to call me away with images of beauty that held spiritual concepts, and endeared His heart to mine. This story was taken from my book, Visions of Celestial Love.

Why Lord? With every step I take my feet embrace the soft, wood-brown earth beneath. Please answer me. This place is beautiful Lord, this forest is…enchanting.

The tall slender trees are spaced out so that they all stand comfortably apart from one another. The soil that feeds this forest is dark brown and beaded with white balls. It is soft, dry, and oily at the same time. I move the earth around in my hands and bring a pleasant handful to my nose. Sniffing it, I smell pine leaves with spring rain. I breathe it in and let out a long leisurely, “Ahhh.”

The tall trees canopy this forest, dappling my face with sunlight and shadows as I walk. Everything is quiet and still here. Nothing but the faint, low whisper of the wind through the trees and my own quiet breath and footsteps stir this forest. It’s wonderful, Lord. I smile with my heart, enjoying the slow-paced peace that surrounds me. I feel as if the world I am visiting is alive—but I do not fully believe it yet. I feel a divine Personality here.

I see up ahead a long bowl of water darkening the soil that outlines it. The water is clear, with a marine color, like the aqua band on my wrist. I walk, without thinking, toward the center of the pool. I see large, silver-color rocks; some have moss on their sides.

My right foot touches the water first, entering it, causing a dance of ripples. Nothing has ever felt so gentle to my skin, to my soul before. Water of life. The wooden bracelet on my left ankle gets a taste of this sweet water as I continue on. The wet earth that my feet embrace is a texture indescribable. It feels as if I were walking on wet silk. My toes wiggle and dig, covering themselves in sheer glee.

As the cool, enjoyable water reaches my elbow, I smile, and continue enjoying the fluid music it makes as I move through it.

Now I am completely covered, soaking in life. A bright yellow fish swims by me and stops for a moment to look into my maple, tea-colored eyes. I smile in the water, and the yellow fish with wide, blue eyes passes by. He swam so gracefully and freely, like drifting kelp.

The sand underneath the water is white like pearls, and the sunlight plays at the bottom of the water like silk in the sky. A large shark swims past me and I lift my hands to feel the bottom of his belly. Then a slender hammerhead swims past me.

A rose-pink jelly fish moves to the top of the water. As I near the center of the pool and look up, I too begin to rise. I drift up like a feather in the wind. My body moves in light and soft waves. My hair is dry as soon as it leaves the graceful waters. All of me is dry, except the bottom of my feet, which still stand on the water.

Only by faith can these things be achieved. I walk on, causing more streaming ripples that reflect the yellow sun to bowl out until they reach the end. My feet and body feel the warmth when I touch the familiar dry soil again, and I feel as if I have greeted a longtime friend. Bending down by the pool I cup my hands and bring the water to my face. After splashing my face with the water, I noticed the skin on my face was softer.

Why am I here? I whisper to the Lord. I enjoyed the land, but my heart knew not the purpose of my being here. My quiet spirit knew, but never spoke. Up ahead was a patch of eye-catching, yellow flowers grouped together. They were as bright as lemons, and as rich as sunflower petals.

I walked near, but stood back in awe as the flowers began to drift to the sky, dancing around in fanciful circles. They danced with one another, playing in the sky. Oh, how can my words describe to you such beauty? The appearance of them was like yellow glazed glass with fire inside. Moving along they floated, some in the sun and some in the shade.

Do you hear that? my soul whispers. I turn to see glowing butterflies equally as dazzling fly towards the petals. They blended in with them, so that I couldn’t discern what was petal and what was butterfly.

Spring grass scattered over the ground like the flowers, but most of the forest floor was earth and trees. I began to near a silver-colored rock and I slid down it before trotting again. Fluidly moving mist rested in this area of the forest and it sounded like celtic music to the ears. As the light mist thickened, I saw before me a rose, stretching up to the branches of the trees. The setting sun’s light colored the mist a warm, milk-orange and I started to climb up the rose using the thorns. They were like a ladder to me, and each one dulled itself, as if I were meant to climb this rose.

When my hand first touched the petals, peace fell over my body like a waterfall over rocks, soothing, and warming me more than any hot spring ever could. The extravagant patterns of the cream-peach texture amazed me. The petals at the center were smaller but all the more soft. I crawled to the center, feeling as if I were touching mist, touching oil, laying in silk, and moving in milk. My arms stretched out and my legs moved—feeling, moving, enjoying, and cherishing such a bed that wafted aromas from Heaven’s springs, from Heaven’s kitchen. Nothing has ever felt this good before.

The petals conformed to the shape of my body and enveloped me inside. I hugged a big petal and it felt like I was hugging a fluffy, white cloud. Not even water was as gentle as this. Each petal formed a hill, all of them together created a waving pattern. I soaked in the petals, becoming one with them and they with me, until my eyes grew heavy and I fell asleep, entering a world undefined.

After an ample night’s rest, I leisurely awoke to find the flower glowing as if the sun was inside. My cheek pressed against a petal as my eyes fluttered.

I had lost myself in the night. I had lost my fleshly nature—I lost every degrading lie I’d believed about myself. My spirit spoke to me as the flower lowered itself slightly and tilted so that I slid off. I watched the flower straighten again, but as I gazed at the soft petals I had just lain on, I realized there was a petal in my heart—a petal of peace, a petal of comfort.

Thank You, Lord, I told Him, smiling with closed eyes, I know why You sent me here.

My human eyes opened but my spiritual eyes saw now.

“When I read Visions of Celestial Love, it is as if I am brought down to my knees to worship. What the Holy Spirit has done in and through Ashley, He is doing also in me. What a wonderful experience. It is very rich. Thank you for sharing the treasure.”—Riko Suci Alam, CEO of Ligar Jaya and owner of Clove Garden hotel in Bandung Indonesia. 

Top photo by Jill Wellington from Pexels