My PASSION Magazine issue #2

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| My Passion - Issue 2 - July 2015 My Passion - Issue 2 - July 2015 | 9
The Book Nook
Feature your book here today!
dream talk
COULD GOD BE TALKING TO YOU THROUGH YOUR DREAMS?
Katrina J. Wilson
In the book Dream Talk, Katrina offers a balanced biblical and scientific approach
to the frequently misunderstood subject of dreams. People laughingly
say, “I had the craziest dream last night.” But what if that dream really has
meaning? In this book Katrina gives in-depth guidelines on how to remember,
understand, and interpret your dreams.
Through Katrina’s years of study, she discovered that both the Bible and science agree on the importance of dreams.
She found that approximately one-third of the Bible is dream related, and that if we sleep eight hours a night, onethird
of our lives are spent in sleep. Could it be that the dreaming process, which occurs during sleep, is not just
a good idea, but a God idea? Get ready for an exciting journey as you will discover the true purpose of sleep and
dreams as Katrina examines what happens to us while we sleep and answers the question “Is God speaking to us
through our dreams?”
Dream Talk is a popular college course that has been translated into various languages. Katrina has traveled nationally
and internationally teaching on the subject of understanding your dreams. In her travels, Katrina has received
hundreds of testimonies of lives being changed through the revelation of the importance and impact of dreams.
Order Dream Talk at www.wilsonministries.com. For further information, contact kwilson@christlifenow.com.
The Consecrated COCOON
EMERGING FROM INTIMATE ISOLATION WITH POWER AND PURPOSE!
Ever paid attention to a picture of a caterpillar in a cocoon? Ever wondered
what’s going on inside as she’s changing from a crawling, not so attractive creature
to one that’s beautiful and soars? I’ll tell you what is happening. The same
thing that occurs when God draws us into a lonely place of intimate isolation
to prepare us for radical and life-transforming changes.
The caterpillar’s internal and external features are undergoing drastic changes. She loses everything that’s no longer
needed when she becomes a butterfly. Among many changes is the loss of her mouth and feet, while she gains more
eyes. Hanging upside down in total surrender to the process; the old things are dying off to make room for the new.
And so it is with you and me when God’s about to transform us into the women we desire and were created to be.
We must lose our mouth (not speak against what God is doing); our feet (remain in the process), and gain eyes to
see things from God’s perspective.
Order The Consecrated COCOON at www.annthomasministry.com.
For further information, contact annmariathomas@gmail.com
On March 9, 2014, three and a half
months after we found out that our
sweet Jackson was not well, we saw
his sweet face for the first and last
time. We'd found out in January
that his heart had not formed correctly,
and that he could not live
without his pulmonary artery. The
doctor guessed that he might be able
to survive for a few minutes after he
was born, but without that artery,
there would be no way for oxygen to
make it's way into the blood stream.
Our prayer was that God would heal
him, and that if He didn't, that He
would give us a little time with our
baby boy after He was born.
We went into labor anticipating only
minutes with Jackson, but God gave
us over two hours. He was calm and
peaceful the whole time, and we'd
hoped that meant he wasn't in any
pain. I held him, held his tiny little
hand, caressed his soft little cheeks
and watched as his tiny chest went
up and down with every breath. Our
family also got to dote over him, and
we took more pictures of a two hour
old baby than ever, I'm sure.
Then the time came. His chest started
to rise a little more slowly. His
heart rate was slowing down. The
nurse listened to his chest and told
us that our time with him was almost
up. Everyone left the room and
gave us those last minutes with him
alone. We didn't know what to do
except stare at him and hope that he
knew just how much he was loved.
That we weren't ready for him to
leave, but we knew he had to go. I
think I rubbed a layer of skin off of
his poor little hand as I held him,
dreading what was about to happen.
After a little bit we hadn't seen his
chest rise anymore so we called the
nurse to check him again. His heart
was still beating, but just barely. At
11:25am, we called her back in and
he was gone. We sat with him in
tears.
Fast forward to 10:00pm. The day
was over. I couldn't believe it. It was
time for us to say goodbye. Even
though he hadn't been with us for
hours, it wasn't real until we had
to give him away. We'd never see
him again. Never hold his tiny hand
again. We wouldn't watch him take
his first steps, say his first words,
graduate college or get married. We
weren't taking him home because
he'd already gone home without us.
I gave him one last hug and a kiss on
the cheek, then handed him to Chris
to carry out with the man from the
funeral home. Instead of putting our
newborn baby in a sweet little car
seat to take home, Chris put him in
the back of a hearse, never to see
him again this side of heaven.
The heartbreak...the sadness...the
gut-wrenching pain...It's all love. We
love him so much. And that same
love that we feel for Jackson is only
a fraction of the feelings of love that
God has for us. How can I be so sure
of that? Because over 2,000 years ago
God watched his own son die a horrific
and gruesome death for us. He
had all the power in the universe to
stop it. But He allowed his son to die
Baby Jack's
Story Part II
By Brittany Liberatore
because he loves us. How great that
love must be to watch your son die! I
would have given ANYTHING to see
my son live. I watched my son die a
peaceful death - I can't tell you how
awful it was. I simply cannot imagine
choosing that for him for the sake of
others.
I grew up in church. I've known the
words to "Jesus Loves Me" all my
life. But never have I appreciated
what was done for me on the Cross
as much as I do now. Jesus died so
that I could spend eternity in heaven.
But before that happens, I get to
spend my life knowing Him and living
the days He planned out for me.
Not because I deserve it, but because
my Heavenly Father loves me unconditionally
and would do anything for
me. Even watch his own son die. How
I wish that didn't have to happen.
No parent should ever have to watch
their child die - human or heavenly.
God loves us more than I can fathom
and there is a scar on my heart that
will forever remind me of it. Might I
never forget how He loves us!