Acts of the Apostles in April

Reading back through old newsletters, I realize that I have never mentioned that April has been a real spiritual mile marker for me over the years. God had me on his calendar again this year, and here’s a little history to prove it: (Good thing I took some notes – my memory isn’t that great!)

  • My parents married in April 50 years ago. (I arrived in March 2 years later, and spring has always been my favorite season.)
  • My first (prophetic) French contact and oldest friend was born in April, 2 weeks after my birth.
  • David proposed to me in April 1986.
  • We dedicated Noah to the Lord with a celebration on Easter 1994.
  • I took my first solitary spiritual retreat as a burnt-out mother of 3 young children in April, 3 years later. I cried all the way through a book called “Experiencing God with Your Children.” I just picked it up again in April, 14 yrs later, and started crying all over again as I process the emotions of letting go of Noah during this adolescent season of “breaking free.”
  • We received our “call to France” in April 1998.
  • We packed up for our 4 month YWAM school in Germany the following April.
  • In April 2000, we sent out our first support cards for our move to Scotland.
  • In April 2001, I got away to France for a women’s conference, birthday celebrations with my French friend, and then met David for a memorable romantic weekend in Paris (celebrating the 15th anniversary of our engagement.) We also started the marriage ministry at our church in Scotland when we got back!
  • The following April, we made the decision to attend language school in the fall.
  • I got my French driver’s license in April 2005 without a test, a fee, or an expiration date – one of my favorite miracles!
  • In April 2006, I gave my first teaching in French to the women at our church.
  • Last April, I got a long detailed prophecy from a French prophet who knows nothing about me, and have been watching it unfold before my very eyes since then!

Are you convinced yet? Has anyone else seen a pattern like this in their life or is it just me?

Last month, I gave out enormously in every domain: substitute teaching at school, strangers hosted every weekend, trying not to over-parent Noah home for spring break, and overtime babysitting for the pregnant mama living on the 4th floor during the days surrounding her delivery. (He was due on my birthday, but stayed put another 4 days!) It continued into April with a big Easter and David playing worship the following week at a nearby camp, while I spent my mornings with one of Olivia’s classmates. (He’s got a learning disability that the French won’t diagnose and book reports have been a nightmare for the family. So he and I digested an easier book together and regurgitated a book report while his mom was at work, saving her sanity.)

Let’s all sing together now, shall we? “Fill my cup, Lord, I lift it up, Lord…”

What kept me from total meltdown was knowing that it was APRIL and I knew God had me penciled in. David, Olivia and I were booked for a 3+ day conference with Bill Johnson (pastor of Bethel Church) at a church in Germany, 2.5 hrs away. We had been feeding on his books and Sunday morning teachings on the Internet all year, and we were eager for the anointing of a live experience. And we were so grateful that he was coming to us. Neither David nor I can fathom surviving air travel from the east side of France to the west side of America. Isn’t that almost half way around the globe?? But by the end of the conference, we felt like we had done just that!

I don’t know if you remember the details of my trip to England last fall, but it was so bad that I compared it to being a D-day soldier. I’d venture to say that this trip was just as tough. I know God would not call our family to Europe and then make travel an impossibility, so I must conclude that the enemy is trying to make us believe that this is the truth. What he doesn’t realize is that I will NOT stay trapped in my dark little house and miss what God has for me through the nations at my doorstep! I know that God uses me to bless my family and others with my home, but MY needs are not met until I lock up all the daily demands with my house key and walk away rolling a suitcase behind me.

Back to the trip. I justified plagiarizing St.Luke’s book title because though we didn’t have to endure shipwrecks and beatings, we did have to deal gracefully with volcanic fallout and constant combinations of weakness, colds, and migraines. We David also made the round trip twice. This was because the conference ran from Sat. night to Tues. night, and Olivia decided school would be more fun than hanging out at an adult conference with a sick, grouchy mother and a tired dad. We couldn’t blame her. The big name worship leader couldn’t fly in from Ireland and Bill was delayed, driving instead of flying from Norway! So we drove home Sunday night and drove back Monday morning, after a refreshing night’s sleep, glory to God. Though physical struggles continued, we hung on every word during the teachings, enjoyed a few meals in outdoor cafes with old and new friends, and I got a breakthrough I needed after Bill’s impartation by laying on of hands to every one in attendance. Another big blessing/healing for me was the German’s embrace of English. (I have issues about German because everyone in the family has studied it except me, so I feel like the village idiot whenever we visit!) They worship with just as much energy in English as they do in German and everyone speaks enough to get by. Have I mentioned that this is not the case in France? And because our hotel owner spoke so well, we were able to pray with her when we checked out. She was very receptive, as a fully booked week had just gotten canceled because of the volcanic activity. What a privilege to be able to take what you have received and give it back out to a hurting world…

As soon as we got back, the demands clamored for my attention: I got calls to do more substitute teaching, to host visiting students from Holland, and to help out my 4th floor family, who were all sick as well. And I said “NO” to all of them. (But I did attend a prophetic art seminar on Sat. and worked through those pesky mother/son issues with pastels and mixed media. Aaaaah…) Now I’m looking forward to a week to recover and reflect on all I’ve received before I hop on a train next Friday and escape for some “Paris in the Spring” tonic with girlfriends during the France en Feu conference. Will the devil give up and leave me alone this time? You’ll just have to stay tuned to find out!

Love, Angela

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