Join the Spiritual Navy Seals Cool Blessings Five Years ... - TFI Online

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THINK AGAIN!blade3

‘Toon Feature:DOORMATrix ............. all throughout this magLinkup:Look Deep....................................................................... 6CVC Interview:Five Years Into It!......................................................8Blade:Just a Chunk of Desert? ........................................2Like Passions................................................................. 5The Encounter............................................................. 11Join the Spiritual Navy Seals.............................12Cool Blessings .......................................................... 20Comic Feature:Imperfect Yet Beautiful ..................................... 22MO Letter:Through the Eyes of a Psychic......................... 32Xn is for ages 12 and up. Parents or teachers, you may read age-appropriate portions of this mag with younger audiences, at yourdiscretion. If you have submissions for Xn, please send them to pubs@wsfamily.com. Xn is a nonprot publication, published freefor members. Not to be sold. Copyright © 2002 by the Family. DFO. Cover art by Evye.4doormatrix/table of contents

(Jesus:) Some of youwho have seen yourpersonal propheciespublished in the Blademight wonder, If I’m sounique and special to Jesus, andHe gives words specically formy situation, then how comethose words are able to be ablessing to others too?This is part of a deep mystery,for the Bible says you are allmen and women of like passions,yet I have assured you over andover—and I reassure you again—that you are special and unique inMy eyes. There is only one of youand I do have words to tell youthat I have never said in quite thesame way to anyone else.But think of it this way: Eventhough you are unique and youare special, what is it that linksyou to the other human beings onthe planet?It’s the planet!You’re all on the same orb.You’re all breathing air. You’re allgoing through life as I planned.That’s your link. That’s why, eventhough I can give you specialwords for your situation, thosesame words can still be a blessingto others. It’s because they’reon the same planet, and theyhave hearts that beat like yours.Your soul is original and unique,but the fact that you’re destinedto inhabit this planet for a certainamount of time, links you to yourfellow human beings.Do you get it? It’s a wonderfulmystery of My love, that I canlove you and speak to you individually,and yet those words canbe shared with others, multiplyingthe effects of My counsel manytimes over. It’s multitasking at itsnest, because you can be surethat My messages for you are asspecial and as personal as ever,even though they might later beshared to encourage and inspireothers too.Thank you for being willingto share with others the jewelsthat I’ve given to you.Like Passions PassionsLikeYetEVYEblade5

LinkupdeeperLooklookDeep6linkup

look deepHi! My name? Ethan. I’ve been given the gift ofbeing able to look deep into the heart.My rank? Spirit helper, departed earthling.My mission? To be a strength and blessing toyou Family young people in your witnessing.My age? I’m in my late teens. My age is sealed;I don’t grow older. Why? I’ve chosen to remain thisage, as I want to not just remain young at heart, butalso young in body in order to help you the best,because in this form Jesus helps me to continue tofeel and experience what you feel and experience.How do I look? I’m Latino. I was born in thelate seventies, the eldest of a poor family. I’vechosen to continue to dress as a normal kid myage, because it kind of goes along with my gifts.You can pray for this gift too!—The gift of anunderstanding heart, to be able to see pastthe outward appearance to a person’s heart.A little about myself? I spent most of my lifeon the street, saw a lot, experienced a lot, did a lotof dumb things, but tried the best I could to keepan eye out for my brothers and sisters and thosearound me. But I ended up getting shot in thecrossfire of some street gangs at war. Funny thingis, even while on Earth, I noticed I had somethinginside of me that helped me see past the outsideof a person and into what was going on inside ofhim.Then when I got Here to Heaven, Jesus toldme that He’d given me a special gift for a reason.And that reason is you! This is my mission, touse this gift to help you young people in yourwitnessing, so that if you simply call on me, I cangive you the gift of understanding,and help you see past theoutward appearance, through toa person’s heart. There are lotsof other spirit helpers like me,and you can ask for any one ofus if you need help.All it takes is stopping for amoment and checking in with theBoss, then asking for our helpin giving you true understandingand the skills of being a good listener.This will help that personto feel love—the Lord’s unconditionallove. We can help you seepast all the cover-ups and stuffthat gets in the way of seeing theinside of a person. We can helpyou see his motives and his truefeelings, so that you’ll know howto best relate to that person inorder to win him with His love.And not only that, but youcan pray for this gift too!—Thegift of an understanding heart, tobe able to see past the outwardappearance to a person’s heart.As you seek Him and continuallyask Him and us for our leadingand help, then as a team we canhelp you develop your own gift!So the more you listen to Himand to us, the more you’ll beable to help and reach others!linkup7

CVCInterviewName: KristenAge: 23Birthday: March 28, 1978Birthplace: Melbourne,AustraliaLocation: WSHeight: 5’9”Eye Color: blue/greenIf you ask me what the key to becoming an artistor illustrator is, without a doubt, my answer willbe: “Practice! Practice! Practice!” Okay, so maybeI was born blessed with an artistic nature. I couldentertain myself for hours just drawing … but thenthere’s the side of me that has vowed countless timesto never put pencil to paper again because, “I justcan’t get this picture right! Argh!”On second thought, I have to give credit wherecredit is due. Ooops! The Lord has given me—andmany of you too—a special gift for art. Most artists tryto squirm out of admitting that, but drawing is a talentthat the Lord gives people in different degrees, justlike all other talents. The point is this: While God giftssome people more in the art department than others,YOU—and yes, I mean YOU—can draw too.8cvc interview

Family: I come from a smallfamily. I have one brother (16)and one sister (19). And ofcourse, a mom and dad, whoare just wonderful!Boyfriend brief: Lawrence,Virgo; web designerMy career: IllustratorMy hobbies: Reading,going out, chit-chatting,exercise and fresh airMy favorite publisheddrawing: This is a toughone! Um, I guess my favoritewould still be the illustrationsfor Hearts of Steel.Working on the Heaven’sLibrary book covers is one ofmy favorite jobs.My favorite unpublisheddrawing: I don’t usually domuch extra artwork, butthere’s one sketch of Delilahthat I started for a project,and then ended up not finishingit. So I guess it’s myfavorite incomplete drawing.(Don’t hold your breath, butit’s posted on the MO site ifyou’re interested—ART section.)My greatest art inspiration:I’m not a very goodidea person at all. It’s hardto find a new way to illustratethe same basic themeover and over. So being ableto hear from the Lord hasbeen a life (and job) saverfor me! About four monthsinto working on art here inWS, I made a commitmentto hear from the Lord beforeeach and every picture that Idraw. I’ve found that as myfaith in prophecy grows, sodoes the ability to draw moreand get better ideas. It’s allthe Lord.For example, today I didn’thave a clue where to starton my current assignment forthe Christmas Activated magazine—drawingan inside pictureand doing some covertouch-ups. It’s a totally newproject that I’ve never donebefore, and in myself, I oftenget confused and worriedabout starting a new project.I told the Lord that I wasat such a loss that I didn’teven know what questionsto ask Him. But thank theLord, He took my mess andhelped me, and gave me aclear list of what to do andhow. It’s a miracle. So mygreatest inspiration is theLORD!—And the only guidanceI have is His words inprophecy.As a practical source ofart inspiration or input, I’vefound movies helpful (butthey can’t hold a candle toprophecy!). For example: IfI’m really stuck and can’tremember what types ofhats men wore in the 1750sthere’s usually a movie setin that era. So I find moviesto be useful and they giveme plenty of ideas.Learning to draw takes time, but it’s worth it.No matter what you’re doing, where you are or whatyour ministry is, having some skill and know-how inartwork helps. Kids love to have Bible stories toldto them via stick gures. There’s always a birthdayor thank you card to make for friends or family. Thepossibilities with artwork are limitless. And don’t saythat you can’t draw because you have never learned.I will say it again, even though you may not believeme: Artwork is practice! (Case in point: I went througha few of the old HLs and found a good example.Check out HL #5, page 8! Aack!).Whether you’re a “natural” artist or not, practicingWILL improve your art capabilities. But realisticallyspeaking, just because you practice your heart outdoesn’t guarantee that you’ll turn into Michelangelo,or be able to draw like one of your favorite artists.That depends on the amount of talent and natural giftcvc interviewthe Lord has given you, which you then hone andpractice. But you may have that gift and just not knowit, and practice will bring it out. Or you may just havefun drawing, and practice will improve your skills,even if your art only debuts for the kids in your Home.Still, practice is worth it.It’s incredible how much more you notice aboutthe world around you when you start drawing. It’sso fun! It’s great to have something to do in theevenings; it’s a personal project that is not only funbut also rewarding. It’s an investment.I went through the Activity Book Art Course (nowpart of the CVC art course) at least three times. As Ispeak, I’m going through it again as I give art classesto two JETTs in my Home. It’s a wonder what havinga few “ground rules” can do to help you on yourway. This art course is the only serious art trainingI’ve had, and going back for some review is helping9

me now—a good ve years into being a full-timeillustrator. I won’t lie to you and say that drawing aclock, a duck and a rabbit is a real rush, but gettingyour art foundation down is very important.—And youget a diploma. What more can you ask for?PS: A personal motivator of mine is cartoons.One drill I give in my art classes is to put on aDisney cartoon video (animated Bible videos workgreat, too), nd a fun scene to draw and pause themachine. Allow yourself three minutes to sketch yourpicture. It teaches you speed, and helps you to learnhow to break a picture down by starting with the basicshapes. Using this method, in time you’ll be amazedhow you’ll be able to get more of the paused framedrawn in each three-minute slot.As with everything, remember: Have fun with it!Special Xn Ad Corner :Play out your dreams andfantasies at the HeavenlyVR Game Center!Coming soon to an Xn near you!Log on to the MO site today anddownload your favorite picture.10xn ad corner/doormatrix

REST YOUR EYES HERE:doormatrix11

SPIRITUALnavyjointheSEALS12Kristenblade

(Jesus:) You’re living forMe, and I’m so, so proud ofyou. But wait, what’s thatdisappointment I see?Did you think that just because youyielded your all to Me that life was goingto be all meadows and flowers from hereon out?Let Me remind you of thehistoric time you’re living in.You’re living on the brinkof the greatest battlebetween good and evil,blade13

and to prep you for entering thattime, I’ve given you a new course togo through. You can call it …THE SPIRITUAL NAVY SEALS.WHOA!you’resaying,“I never wantedto go through an elitefighting course—physical orspiritual. It soundsway too strenuousto me!”Don’tworry.Do you think Iwould ask this ofyou if I thought youwere going to failthe course?You won’tfail if you keepfighting.14blade

16When you havecompleted thisparticularcourse, you willencourage othersthrough yourexample—notyour example ofbeing unscratched,or your example ofstrength, or yourexample of findingthe tests a cinch,

ut your exampleof living simplybecause of yourwill to live, oftrusting Mesimply because Iam your Lord andyour Husband,and of winningsimply becauseyou held on toMe and never,ever let go.Xn poster #2, Issue 217

I know that you wonder if you can make it. You wonder if you will be able tobear it, or whether you will crack under the strain of what I’m asking of you.But I also see the anticipation, the curiosity, the feeling of pride at beingcounted worthy to endure what I have in store, and I love you for it.18blade

Do you think Ican borrow yourcamera?Are you crazy?Of coursenot!!!Tiago“Yes, sure, that shouldn’t beany problem. Just come on by andpick it up. You can use it wheneveryou want.”So a true Family member shareswhat he has without hesitation, was theconclusion of that encounter that you walkedaway with, and have remembered ever since.What if Uncle Eman had said something different?He could have said, “I’m not so sure. The last personwho borrowed it accidentally banged it up a bit, so I’mnot going to lend it out any more—and I’m thinking ofcharging the person for the repairs.” What sort of impressiondo you think that could have had on your life?The lesson is, you never know who could be listening,and what sort of impact your words or actions couldhave on his life, or even the future of his service forMe. And the things that person does on account of thesample he has seen in you will in turn inuence others …who will inuence others … who will inuence others.What sort of ripples are you sending out? Are youchecking your words and actions with Me carefully, or doyou just spout off your mind and follow your impulsesheedlessly? I’m here to help you, and to help you helpothers. Let Me make it easy for you to be good.bladeThe Encounter(Jesus:) It happened so long ago, butyou never forgot it, did you? Standing in thehallway, you were a curious ten-year-old, listeningin on a conversation happening rightin front of you.Uncle Arnie was asking Uncle Eman if he couldborrow the video camera to lm a show they weregoing to do.You don’t know why you were standing there,or why the thoughts you were thinking were even runningthrough your head—but you distinctly rememberthinking, “Now what does a Family member do in thatsituation?”Uncle Eman could have said anything heHuh?wanted. He didn’t know you were listening.He didn’t know the thoughts goingthrough your head at the time. Hedidn’t know that what he said at thatexact moment would be rememberedfor a long time to come.Do you think Ican borrow yourcamera?Of course bro!Any time!19

Jesus:Now that you’re gettingolder, I’m going toexpect more of you. I’m goingto expect you to start looking atthings in a more mature light. I’m goingto expect that instead of you wonderingwhy things are or aren’t happening in a certainway, and maybe complaining or murmuringin your heart about it, or even out loud, or sortof leing it get you on a bummer or in a bad mood,that you figure out why things could possibly be thatway. Find a solution for it personally.Finding a personal solution doesn’t mean that youfigure out how to change things so that they go yourway. It means finding a way to be cheerful and in the victorynonetheless, finding a way to be a blessing, to notlet your disappointment show through. Doing that meansthat you have to have faith in Me, because that’s the onlyway your disappointments can be turned around into reallycool blessings later on.Cool´´´˜˜m20blade

mm´´´Blessings˜Did you know that it makes Me especially happy whenyou have a good reaction to something that didn’t turn outquite as you would like? Of course, I want you to be happyand I try to give you things and make the circumstances sothat you’re happy with them. But that’s not always possible.So when something is tough for you, but you’re ableto trust Me and smile through your tears or disappointmentanyway, it shows Me what a strong young man youare. It shows me that you have potential. And it showsMe that you’re ready for one of My blessings—somethingthat I probably wouldn’t have sent your way[otherwise], because some blessings have to beearned, and they’re usually the ones that youwant the most.So don’t forget that! I’m not telling youthis because I want you to try to improve inthis area just so you can get cool blessings,but it does help to have someincentive, so I’m leing you knowthat you will be geing somethingout of it as well.bladeZeb21

IMPERFECT-YET-BEAUTIFUL(jesus:) a long, long time ago, in arealm not as far away as you think, iset this vast universe in motion.you can’t see howbeautifully you fit in withthe overall fabric of lifeand the balance of theuniverse, but i can.You and yourlife havebeen a longtime in themaking.Jeremysomeday you’ll be able to fully drink inthe beauty of it and marvel togetherwith me at how wonderfully it all cametogether.22(From: “Jewels on Comparing.” Maria #557 CM/FM 3326 12/00)comic feature

I lovevariety!There’s nobodyin the world just likeyou, and that’s oneof the things I likemost about you.I went out of My way to make life different for everybody, in every way—their looks,Opa!their feelings,theirrelationships.theirtalents,Oh, I’llnever amountto anything.Don’t listen to the Enemy, whoseeks an inroad in your life,making you focus on whatyou think is your less-thanperfectbody, abilities, strongpoints, or personality.comic featureWhat is perfect?23

I have formed you asan imperfect being, yet abeautiful one. I love allwith a perfect love andpassion.I know what’s best foreveryone. I create balance.I will be able to use you moreif you don’t have your mindon what you don’t have thatothers do, or dwell on how youare different from them.Think not ofwhat youlack, butthink of Me.Be thankful for how I’ve made you.If you were perfect, youwould have no need forMe or others.24comic feature

Uptight?Sylvia, that dresslooks great on you!(Jesus:) Whenyou’re alwayscomparing yourselfto others,belittling yourselfor measuringyourself andother peopleagainst eachother, it makesyou a veryuptight person.People cansense the tension,and itmakes it difficultfor them to bearound you. It’sdifficult forothers to seeyou as attractiveif you’re tearingyourself down.Lighten up! Focuson other peopleand stop worryingabout howpeople perceiveyou, and you’llprobably findthat they’ll perceivethat you’rea great person.They’ll love youfor being you.But not half asgreat as it wouldlook on you, Ange.But hey,thanks for thecompliment.Thanks!Lord help menot to comparenegatively.And let me takeCarmen. You haven’tdanced yet.Go havesome fun!comic feature25

ContentmentLook at Gabriel! Eventhough we’re on ourengagement period,the other girls flirtwith him like crazy …(Dad:) Happiness doesn’tcome because ofsituations—it comes frominside, and from the Lord.When you’restuck in asituation that’snot to yourliking, you’ll beamazed sometimesat whata little positivenesscan do. Youwill be happy ifyou decide thatyou’re going tobe happy andthankful forwhat you haverather thandwelling onwhat you don’thave. It’s a lawof the spirit.Although itmay not seemlogical, itworks.Whereas the guysact like I have a big“go away” sign on myforehead ...… Maybe it’sbecause I’m usuallyhelping Diane withCarmen.26comic feature

Hey C a rmen!Then again,Gabe’s got sucha way with kids.Look for what you can appreciateabout a situation and extol thevirtues of it, and the things thatyou don’t like about it will fade intothe background. It’s not that thingsget perfect overnight if you focuson the good instead of the bad. Thecircumstances may not change a bit.Carmen justadores him! He’dmake an excellentdaddy.I know he lovesme, and he has beensuch a blessing tothe Home.But if youchange, it willbe as if thecircumstanceshave too,because theway you perceivethem willbe different.Want to dance?Sure Tod,thanks!comic feature27

What Do You Do Best In?I’ve giveneach of My childrengifts. Each of thesegifts gives you a speciallink to Me. Youshouldn’t look atothers’ gifts or envythem. Insteadlook atthegifts that I havegiven you that make youspecial to Me.28comic feature

Be happy with the beauty, personality, and thetalents I’ve given you. As you enjoy them, theybecome all the more splendid.When you worry or compare, thebeauty begins to fade and your giftsand abilities don’t have the chanceto perform as creatively.Your personalityloses color.To find outwhat you dobest, ask yourMaker—Me!Find out whatyou’re giftedin and whattalents andstrengthsI’ve givenyou, and thenexercisethose.comic feature29

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(Jesus:) If you keep busy filling yourself with My love, My Water of the Word, My Wine of the Spirit,I will fill you to the brim, and there will be no room for the Enemy’s compromises.—(“Applying the “Conviction vs. Compromise” series” ML #3381:38)doormatrix31

Through the Eyes of aPsychicMO LetterIn early 1973, Dad happenedupon a Gypsy tent, onehe had often passed before. Itbore the sign: “Madame M.—Clairvoyant. Psychic Reading.”How could so many Gypsieshave that gift? he mused.I wonder what she’d get onme!With a strong curiositywelling within him, Dad askedfor an appointment. On prioroccasions Madam M. hadalways been busy or bookedup. And once more uponasking for an appointment shetold Dad that she had noopenings.Quietly Dad prayed:“Lord, she says she’s allbooked up, but you can makeher take me anyway. And letme get the last appointmentof the day, please, so we won’tbe rushed. Please, Lord?”Suddenly Madam M.changed her mind. “I guess Icould take you last, at 7 p.m.,”she offered.Inside of the booth stooda small table, separating thetwo of them; Maria sat onthe floor beside the table. Acrystal ball was placed on thetable. Madam M. turned Dad’spalms upward on the table,and looking at their physicalappearance, she began, speakingslowly, deliberately, andpausing thoughtfully betweenstatements.“Your hands aren’t verystrong at all! That’s surprising,because I expected you tohave much stronger hands,more businesslike hands, notthe hands of an artist orpsychic. Are you psychic?--You have such vibration. It’squite fantastic! Your handsare overwhelming. I couldn’tdo the reading if I touchedthem—it would knock me out!I wouldn’t be able to hold myown. You have such power.—Like Merlin the magician!“You’re going to be quitea famous man. You can’tavoid it! It’s just one of thosethings that you must acceptalong with everything else.But ordinary could never bethe word!”The words flowed fromher mouth, as they told ofthe history and of the eventsto come in the life of a manshe knew nothing about. Thewords she spoke were notonly revitalizing for Dad, butthey provided equal encouragementto her—a reimbursementof the spiritual energyshe spent on each palm reading.“I long for someone spiritualto come in and give meback my energy,” she said.“People like you don’t drainme.”That evening Dad hadbecome the spiritual rechargethat this psychic so desperatelyneeded.Read the full account in“Madam M.—Or, From OnePsychic to Another” (ML#285, Vol. 2).