SOWW Week 2

The first week of my SOWW
[School of Worshipping Warriors]
was orientation and a short outreach up to the north coast of NSW
to a surf town called Yamba, about 2 hrs south of Byron Bay.
We went to an Indigenous mission there
to help with worship for an Indigenous Easter Conference.

The spiritual atmosphere was very heavy
God moved incredibly through us being there and the people that
attended the conference.
We worshipped over the land, did open airs, hung out with the kids
and loved people.

I saw a huge angel one night, in the hall where we stayed
when God woke us up to pray at 2:30am for the community.
We felt such a shift in the spiritual atmosphere that night.
It was beautiful! God's presence was so manifest there
and we are excited to send a team there again soon.

We have just finished the first week of lectures for the SOWW
we had Kevin Norris from YWAM Kona [Hawai'i]
speaking on the Character and Development of a Worshipper

basically, it was all about Knowing God
- in the LoveSick way!
Needless to say.. I was totally stoked - this is my favourite topic
EVER

the week was really heavy [in a good way]
with God doing a lot in all of us and setting us free from a lot of things
there is still so much to process and I know that
God is only going to multiply all this stuff
and keep turning my word upside down.

It's awesome!

There are 9 students on this school with me
All but 2 are base staff here at Island Breeze Sydney
and are made up of the Protocol team, Indigenous ministry
and Worship team on our base.

Here is a little taste of the last day of lectures this week
talking about expressing yourself to God and the power of words
and being whole-hearted -
_____________________________________

Be Real

Is there a better way?

• Tell it like it is – real, genuine, authentic – lament
• Remember what God has done – thanks
  [enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise]
• Speak out what He is like – praise
  [You are my refuge, You are my provider, You are my comfort..]
• Express your confidence in what God will do in the future – confessing your hope
• Surrender to Him, receive His love – worship
  

Hebrews 10:23 – 'Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful'

Remember what God has done – I remember when You...
Remember Who He is/What He is like – You are our ...
Remember His promises – Speak hope into the future – wars against the lies of the enemies
______________________________________

to contact me - cassandra@islandbreezesydney.org

the first day of my life

Now it is time for an Update.

since I left in Nov 2009 to go up to Brisbane,

much has Occurred.

So let's break it down..

________________________________

Back to Island Breeze Sydney

I came back to Sydney in January and

joined as staff at YWAM Island Breeze Sydney
We had the YWAM 50th Jubilee Celebration in Canberra
and I settled into Indigenous Ministry and Communications on base.

Our base

________________________________

Kitchen Injury

About 4 weeks ago, I burnt my left hand around the area of my
thumb (on the back and a little of the palm)
whilst trying to move a slow-cooker full of bubbling stew.
The burns were 2nd degree, and made life hard for a few weeks
but it is healing well and I didn't have to go to the burn clinic
or see a specialist.
I do have to keep it covered in the sun for 6 mths
to prevent permanent discolouration.

my hand during the healing process

________________________________

Warriors Join Together

At the end of February, God brought a man alongside me.
A warrior after His heart.
He was already a friend over last year and is also staff on base with me.

So, I am now in a relationship with a wonderful man of God
and learning more of God's heart through it.
It's beautiful.

God is already doing so much restoration and healing through him.
He is overseas at the moment, doing a leadership school.

Me & my Warrior

________________________________

Created to Worship

I was meant to staff the June - Nov
Discipleship Training School [DTS]
but after prayer and taking various things into account,
I have decided to do the School of Worshipping Warriors [SOWW]
which starts today.
This is the first worship school of this kind to be run on our base.

Opening of the SOWW

Bollywood Hen's Night for a girl on base

I know I am called to worship and so this is a good
training ground for me.
I am very excited for what God is going to do
over the next 6 months of this school.
I want to go deep deep deeper into the river of His Intimate
Amazing Beautiful Love Glory Fire Heart

________________________________

If you would like any more information or would like to
support me either financially or in prayer,
please email me at
cassandra@islandbreezesydney.org

from the land of the barren we will cry out for rain

keep looking at the bigger picture.

joy in the midst

felt that heaviness this morning
like a burdensome winter coat.
i stumbled into the shower
[my favourite place to talk to God &
incidentally, one of the places I hear Him clearest]
and was just .. asking.. begging Him..
is this a wilderness time really?
or.. is it me who moved?

i decided i was too tired to contemplate it
through the day so i tried to force it
to the back of my mind
and lose myself in photoshop and worship music.
how can I ignore Him for long?
preposterous!

at the end of the day i decided...
..perhaps it doesn't matter if this is a wilderness
[though I think it is] or not
because the answer is the same...

Dig. Hunger. Thirst. Be Desperate.
Forget about yourself.
Pour out everything you have and are for God.
Worship Him in Spirit & in Truth.
Because He is worth it.
Always.

admittedly, my desperation has cooled somewhat of late
and my hunger, diminshed, my thirst,
somewhat quenched...
.. and that terrifies me more than a lot of things.

I guess it's true that what you feed yourself on
is what you will crave.
I used to crave God so much
but I let life get in the way and I slowly
stopped spending most of my day in His presence.
I slowly started to ignore His presence
and fill my mind with other things.

this became piercingly clear over the weekend...
I was at a Suzette Hattingh rally and I was so down
and so upset and anxious about finances for the coming year
as well as paying off things before I go back to YWAM...
..I have never really worried about money
and so it was weird even to me.. but I was so caught in it.
My best friend prayed for me
and near the end of the night I started to realise
that I really had taken my eyes off the Almighty
and hence..
my problems became gigantic!!!
ridiculous!!!

so.. I am just learning to keep my eyes on the LORD
and be joyful.
Truly Joyful.

JOY!!

these warriors were born to fight fiercely and worship intimately

My voice is the sound of a thousand bells
Hear me nations, Hear Israel

My song is the water of the purest well
Hear me heaven, Fear me hell

My dance carries thunder from the throne of Yah
Look at me and know He is God


Let our praises rise like a weapon in Your hand
Let our praises rise Oh God
Let our praises rise like a weapon in Your hand
Let our praises rise Oh God


My hands hold the cure for every disease
They're covered in blood and oil and leaves

My laughter and tears create things unseen
Atmosphere changes, God released

My worship is armed with spirit and truth
Sacred, accepted, pleasing to You


God of eternity, wonders and majesty
God of all nations, uncharted galaxies
God who is Spirit, alive in me

my leaves are dancing

.. so God's been reminding me
that it's He who is the one fighting for me
I just have to keep worshipping Him.
in spirit and in truth.

no matter how I feel
or what disgusting past filth
the enemy is trying to drag out of my heart
and throw back in my face,
God is still God
Jesus' Blood covered it all completelte
and He is still
Worth Everything.

He's so patient.
and He still loves.
I am continually amazed by His grace.
"I am dark yet beautiful"
-- in my ugliness and weakness
and broken state, covered in filth,
because of Jesus' blood,
I am beautiful and lovely in His sight.

He is the High Priest of Bliss
Worthy Holy Wonderful
Ever-Loving

and He wants to dance with me.

today I just felt so broken
trying to figure out what God wanted me to do
how would I get through this?
so many times life just seems
to be too hard,
the things the devil throws at me,
far too strong.
I felt so beaten down
so ready to give in.

just then, my best friend leaned down to me,
as I lay on the bed
she kissed me tenderly on the cheek
and whispered,
'Jesus wants to be so close to you.
That close.
Closer.'

it was so beautiful and
my heart just wept.
.. and my eyes leaked..
every tear a desperate cry for God
for Grace.
caught somewhere between reality and unbelief..

really..
The King of all the heavens,
Who breathed the universe into existence
wants to be that close to me.
To Me.

how can I not but
fall at His feet
and give Him everything?

consumed

I feel like I am sinking.

suffocating.

I can barely breathe.

God has been really turning up the heat and

demanding more of my heart.

it's what I wanted, what I asked for

but the things of the past won't let me go so easily.

so much ugliness pain darkness evil filth

sin

is being thrown in my face

things I once did

things I want to do

sin really is a seduction.

sometimes I feel as though I were formed in the very pit of hell.

but God keeps speaking His amazing grace

that I was made in His image

and Jesus' blood really is enough.

to stop the devil from robbing me

over and over.

so I am learning to stand and to fight

and not accept these things as

the the dictating tune of my life anymore

I feel like I am dying..

almost physically.

but perhaps that is the right way

for me to die so that I can live in truth.

God is establishing truth and it's hard

because I've believed lies for so very long!

The amazing thing about Grace... is Grace.

I feel so heavy, but God is still God

and He still deserves everything I am

and everything I have

to be worshipped in spirit and truth,

no matter how I feel or what I see

He is truth and He never changes.

as Cynthia says,

feed yourself on the Word of God

or you'll feed off the lies of the devil

but I won't let go.

and He won't let me go.

'..what can I do with my obsession
with the things I cannot see
there's a madness in my being
it's the wind that blows the trees

sometimes You're further than the moon
sometimes You're closer than my skin
You surround me like a winter fog
You come and burn me with a kiss

..and my heart burns for You..

and oh forever
keep me burning
with the fire of Your Love..'