s i m p l y s e a r c h i n g

“Live Loved”

Ukraine teams shares testimonies about trip!

Ukraine [monies] at Harbour Church

To fall in love with a nation. What does that mean? It means that the peel around your heart begins to unfold as if pedal by pedal. It’s a place where Love comes in and saturates every part exposed. And you begin to love without language. Through eyes, smells, sounds. The taste of foods. Trust begins to transcend like a blanket or canopy sheltering and covering a divine appointment. Why does this seem like such a mystery? Presence is a key to unlock value, intimacy, destiny in very human heart. To be near. To be near. Isn’t this the beauty of Psalm 139? “There is no where you can go from My Spirit”. “He sets the lonely in families”. People from every tribe, tongue, and nation will worship the King of Glory. It’s was if there are planks of trust that bridge the gap between English and Russian? How is this possible? Holy Spirit, our teacher, our comforter makes a way. There is a love and fellowship so pure. With no words to offer. No displays of intelligence or talent. The gift is God’s nearness. What is to gain from a child who speaks only Russian? Nothing. And what can I give that breaks the barrier. I have nothing but a flask of oil -my life in God. I break it open as I lay broken of any efforts of human appeal and the sweet smell of Jesus Christ fills the air. His fragrance - all can smell. His presence - all can feel. By His Spirit - all can be healed. Even the satisfaction of a job well done comes to a silence as the roaring praise resounds to our Father of glory who takes care of each detail. It is radiant and clear, it is only by the hand of Father sowing heart to heart to establish His kingdom on earth. Yes, to fall in love with a people, a nation is simply fall into the rushing torrent of God’s love churning for His inheritance and get swept away. And the honor that He calls you to know the deep longings of His heart - intimacy with His family and to call the lost to His pasture. Wow, there is a pure river of life flowing from heaven and washing the hearts of men, women and children. As God reveals His family is very very very big!

Going on a mission trip, just messes you up big time. As does falling more in love with Jesus Christ and discovering His love for you. It’s completely beautiful and worth it all.

Heart: To learn to love the unloved who are completely loved by God.

Mission: As a team we provide open arms to love and the gospel to teach. Personally, I will photograph the beauty of these orphaned children and share a collection of intimate portraits and stories.  

Team: Light International has arranged for the Harbour Church in South Florida to partner with The Ark ministry-orphanage in Kiev, Ukraine.

Send me to photograph! The goal is $2,500 for travel and housing. Update: The LORD has brought forth $1,250. That’s half of the goal. Praise the LORD! Just two more weeks. I am excited to see how He will provide to meet the goal. Wow, I thank the LORD, family and friends!  

Please send all donations to: 

LIGHT International
P.O. Box 39267
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33339

Address check to Light International and in Memo write Ballis. All donations are tax deductible. And to all who sponsor with a donation, they will receive an original photograph from the trip! 

With all this shared, most of all your prayers covering my life during this time is so valuable and will strengthen me to receive and give all the LORD wants to reveal and release. He is a good Father!

Thanks! 

Love in Christ

How could I forget his eyes looking upward to the sky. A studder. A smile broadening. Over 80 years old, he was fully blind in one eye while missing the other. Yet with the joy and amazement of a child, he gasped as he began to see light! Before my eyes I saw his blind eye go from white to color, from blindness to sight. As Tod Bentley prayed for him, he waved his hand in front of him asking, “What can you see?” The man replied, “I see a hand waving in front of me”.

Beautiful!

More LORD! 

http://ignitedchurch.com/

http://www.god.tv/

i’d name her bella bean

some inside info from someone who enjoys cereal for almost any occasion: frosted mini wheats if left alone in the bowl will drink up all the milk like a sponge. oh those little big[ies]. 

When it rains in South Florida, it’s like going through a carwash with no car. It pours washing every speck of dust. The clouds are about to break open and hurricane season is around the corner. When I lived in Kansas City there was a sense of tornado urgency and here I can sense a hurricane urgency. Even during ‘off season’. Because the winds and rain could break in and wipe it all away. In truth and the kindness of God’s heart, this daily prompts the question, where do I live, abide, dwell, find my true rest, peace and home. Then it only leads to wonder of the days to come when the earth pains for Jesus Christ to come again. Revelation says there will be a day when the whole earth will quake… not just California but the whole earth…. a day when the sky will open and every eye will see the throne of the living God! Wow! Do I even know what is reality?  

If you happen to attend a Saint Patrick’s Day party at an elementary school… when the kindergarden teacher offers you cupcakes frosted a neon green so bright that it could potentially glow in the dark and stands in height 2 inches from the cake itself, though tempting, caution it leads to green teeth and a belly ache. This has been tested and proved… unfortunently… the lesson, just because someone offers you free food, especially free dessert doesn’t mean you have to eat it.

“See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” Malachi 4:5-6

This is real!

“Forgiveness means that I continually am willing to forgive the other person for not being God - for not fulfilling all my needs. I, too, must ask forgiveness for not being able to fulfill other people’s needs…The interesting thing is that when you can forgive people for not being God, then you can celebrate that they are a reflection of God.”-Henri Nouwen

The forgiveness I called to release with open hands - with an open heart I too accept this gift from God. You, him, her, me, we are beautiful-ever-maturing-growing-learning through the interwoven reality of our weakness and His strength, our brokeness and His wholeness, our longings and His pursuit of everlasting love to fill all in all. We have been washed by the blood of the Lamb and daily He is dressing us inside-out as a pure and spotless Bride…fashioned in His image!

Here is an update:

Scottsdale was my first trip this Christmas. With the desert’s beautiful subtlies and intercraticies of family. With the Word ministered and healing flowing, it was labor with fruits. It was searching and finding joy in Father’s plans that are bigger than me, yet He invites me to call them in with Him. “A voice cries out in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the LORD.” “Salvation spring up from the ground!”

Kansas City was the next stop for 7 days of being hidden away in a refuge of the LORD. Thru Onething the LORD drew me with cords of loving kindness into His fiery heart. He is God of restoration.

This is a video promotion for Onething. Enjoy! Come next year!

an afternoon stroll through Fern Forest

taking pictures with Emily

today marks 3 months since arriving to florida. it’s winter and foridians know how to string christmas lights. instead of snow: lights and huge snow globes in front yards. it reminds me of arizona childhood. the bright glow around palm trees and adobe homes. though the decorations a little overwhelming. it is refreshing and beautiful these days to enjoy the weather. my goal in the new year, is to make it to the beach by night under starlight.

time is a funny thing. 3 months is a short time in moving from kansas city, yet the heartland feels far away. i miss the autumn air and all the sweet familiars of my home away from home. friends and ihop. yet, i can confidently say how good my Father is. within the week of God re-potting my life here, I joined Harbour staff and we began the Father’s Embrace dvd series by Jack Frost. and within these tiny months, my heart has exploded inside out. breaking the old and exposing all that lay inside with an emerging of trust and love springing up. its been good and there’s more… it’s time to dive in again…

some highlights:
- Father’s Embrace dvds
- Eleven Conference
- Hez and Silas cuteness
- Harbour community
- Entering into dance in worship
- 24hr. Burn
- The Furnace beginnings
- Taylor’s Closet Fashion show
- Speaking on God’s creative heart
- Learning about God’s delight while cleaning floors and folding laundry
- Shannon and Matt’s wedding shower
- Florida skies that reveal God’s glory
- First Chanukah [celebrating heritage and Jesus' fulfillment of prophecies]

Jesus’ Birthday is around the corner. along with a new year 200[8]. prophetically, a year of new beginnings.