Whispers of The Shepherd

HISPERS
OF THE SHEPHERD
Destiny Image ® Publishers, Inc.

Shippensburg, PA
Y. M. TIKKUN
HISPERS
OF THE SHEPHERD
© Copyright 2006 – Y. M. Tikkun
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tikkun, Y. M.
Whispers of the Shepherd / by Y.M. Tikkun.
p. cm.
ISBN-10: 0-7864-2334-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-7684-2334-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Meditations. I. Title.
BV4811.T55 2006
242--dc22
2005031576
For Worldwide Distribution, Printed in the U.S.A.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 / 12 11 10 09 08 07 06
edication
This work is dedicated to the one true Shepherd, for truly the
credit for this book belongs solely to Him. As I have been privi-
leged to be a mere scribe of His inspirations in parable form, He
alone must be considered the Author. Thanks be to God for His
great love and for His breathed Word to His children. Truly God is
with us, as He has been since the beginning.
cknowledgments
With deep love and appreciation, I would like to acknowledge

those who have covered this book with their many prayers. These
same people have affirmed and encouraged me—a lowly scribe—
confirming the true Authorship of Whispers of the Shepherd. I am
greatly thankful to the God of Israel for His gift to me of a godly
husband, who enabled me to travel to Jerusalem to receive the
inspirations I’ve recorded in this book. Likewise, I am grateful for
and blessed by my four children, who have sacrificed individually,
so I might be able to take the time I needed to be away in order to
listen to the Shepherd’s whispers.
Special thanks must be given, likewise, to John and Aileen,
who sheltered me and kept me in their home in Jerusalem. Their
servanthood, love, and encouragement freed me to receive what the
Lord offered.
Finally, I lift up praise and thanksgiving to God for Lee, my
sister, who no longer dwells upon the earth. She prayed for this
book as it was being written, but she died before its completion.
In life she, too, heard quiet whispers from her Shepherd. Now,
fully in His presence, she not only hears Him, but speaks to Him
face to face.
Special thanks to Barbara Hogan for her typing and format-
ting of the manuscript in English. Her hours of love and care
brought the pages of these parables into the place where dreams
are realized. She became a selfless answer to prayer in God’s per-
fect timing.
A special word of thanks and praise must be offered up to the
Shepherd for Florence, as well. At a time when her life was filled
with challenges and uncertainty, she was able to hear the voice of
the Shepherd calling her to sow into the production of this book
with financial “seeds.” This was a profound act of faith and love, as
well as obedience on her part. I pray for her to receive a thousand
fold blessing for this precious sacrifice to Him. Florence, your
mother is now in personal dialogue with the Shepherd of Israel.
For the many people who served as advisors, proofreaders,
encouragers, and supporters in numerous ways, I am humbly
grateful. Without the prayer support of so many people and with-
out the encouragement of other sheep in the Shepherd’s flock, this
book may never have found its way into print.
ndorsements
Whispers of the Shepherd offers some incredible and thought-

provoking insight. In fact, some of the insight is so deep and pro-
found it could only come out of many hours of deep meditation
in the prayer closet. You will be blessed and inspired as you read
this book.
Jonathan Bernis
President of Jewish Voice Ministries International
and host of “Jewish Voice Today” weekly television program
Whispers of the Shepherd is a compelling journey into the pres-
ence of the Lord that will minister Life to the most seasoned
believer and non-believing seeker alike. Classic devotionals like My
Utmost for His Highest and Streams in the Desert provoke thought
based on deep revelation of truth. Whispers of the Shepherd goes
beyond the intellect with words that are Spirit to spirit. This
unique devotional carries an aura of timeless wisdom. Its rich
savor is worthy of multiple readings.
Morris Ruddick
President, Global Initiatives Foundation
Executive Director, Strategic Intercession Global Network
Author, God’s Economy, Israel and the Nations
a b l e of ontents
R EFLECTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
SHOES AND BARE FEET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
TENDER SEARCHING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
POOLS AND POPPIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
THE HEARTBEAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
G IFTED DUCKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
K ITTENS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
H OURS, MINUTES, SECONDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
SWALLOWS AND SWIFTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
BEACH TREASURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
LOCKED DOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

SILVER G OBLETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
THE MATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
TRAINING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
D IGGINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
POLLEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
BONFIRES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
SORTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
C HOOSING DISOBEDIENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
FEAR AND COBRAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
THORNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
R EGRET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
WEARING THE YOKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
C LIMBING MOUNTAINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
THUNDER AND STORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
O STRICHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
SHEARING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
H ARVESTING R ASPBERRIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137

SONGBIRDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
WITHIN THE FOLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
WHEAT AND TARES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
R EMOVING SPLINTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
D RUMBEATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
PERFECT LOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
BLEMISHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
“THE WORDS OF THE WISE
ARE LIKE GOADS , THEIR COLLECTED
SAYINGS LIKE FIRMLY EMBEDDED NAILS—
GIVEN BY ONE SHEPHERD.”
(ECCLES . 12:11, NIV).
”
Whispers of the Shepherd
R E F L E C T I O N S
Little one, look at the quiet mountain lake, serving as a mirror

for the mountain. The reflection is a perfect match of the reality,
but it is upside down. Are there really clouds in the water, and
spiry peaks descending into the lake? No! But in the reflection, it
appears that there are.
In the world of the spirit, the realities are quite different from
what you see in the natural. Things in the natural are the reflection
of spiritual things, even as the mountain lake reflects the clouds
and mountains. The things of My Kingdom, when reflected,
appear to be upside down to natural human understanding.
What appears as weakness to the world may well be true
Kingdom strength. What appears to be worldly gain is Kingdom
loss. Often, what appears as holy and acceptable to the world is
unholy and unacceptable to Me.
What, then, is the true reality? Is it the mountain or its reflec-
tion? Of course it is the mountain. My Kingdom and My ways are
the mountain. The ways of men are but a reflection. Which has
—1 7 —
substance and which will endure? As soon as a storm moves upon

the surface of the water, the reflection vanishes. The mountain,
however, will remain.
The evil in the world today would appear to be overcoming
the good. The weight and pain of that perception become a crush-
ing force to the human heart. But those who dwell in My heart
never lose. As the world depletes, My Spirit repletes. However, this
law applies only for those who dwell within My Kingdom. For
those who insist on clinging to the reflection—the world’s per-
spective—their losing will be real in both realms.
I have shown the way to the mountain, yet so many reject My
Kingdom way as foolishness. Some see it as optional. Some see it
as negotiable, picking and choosing which parts of the two realities
are to be blended together in order to make life palatable. Is truth
ever negotiable? No! Truth simply is! The way of the world is to
make truth an individual determination. What foolishness! Try to
climb the mountain that you see reflected in the lake! If one’s folly
in attempting this ascent is not soon discovered, the “mountain
climber” will most certainly drown. Surely, I have not left the
world without this truth and without this understanding. My
Word is clear. The example of the Messiah has been perfectly
placed before humankind.
So, why does the deception continue? Why do My children
live in opposition to My truth? They have believed the lies of My
enemy, the great deceiver. They act out their errant choices, and
thereby they bring pain and suffering upon each other. From a
human point of view, I should end it all now. Indeed, I should
crush the deceiver, or perhaps I should never have allowed him to
have such a position of power. These words speak out of the reflec-
tion, not out of the truth. I know truths about the nature of cre-
ation that you can not know. I know the deeper realities of the
spirit that humans have only guessed at and have groped for
unsuccessfully.
— 18—
REFLECTIONS
Truly, the lake will dry up when the fire falls upon it. The
mountain, however, will stand in eternity. Do not live by the reali-
ties of the world. Do not cling to the understanding of the human
mind, for these earthly pools will evaporate quickly. Do not judge
My love and My truth by what you see in history. Judge them only
by My Word and by My Spirit as you embrace the One who came
to show the way to the Kingdom; in this way you will embrace the
mountain.
Come, walk upon My mountain. Come up out of the lake of
the world and walk upon holy ground. If you do so, you will grow
in the knowledge of the truth. Your eyes will come to understand
the reality of the reflection. Your judgments will be holy, but they
will not be complete in truth, for no one in My human creation
can know all truth. It was never meant for you to be able to do so
in this life.
Where do you wish to dwell, little one? Do you wish to dwell
upon the mountain or in the lake? Know that to live in Kingdom
reality while living in flesh will be costly to you. You will be
thought of as a fool. You will be battered and slandered, but do not
lose sight of the reflection truth. What the world calls foolishness
is, in truth, wisdom. What the world dishes out as battering to My
Kingdom children is actually a building process for them. What
the world sees as slander is high praise on My holy mountain.
What the world sees as death is, in fact, life to My own. What
appears to be neglect may be the focus of My greatest attention.
Must you know all things in order to be at peace with Me? All
that you need has been made available to you. If you cannot see,
ask for new vision and you will receive. If you require proof of My
truth and of My reality, ask for faith, and I shall give it to you
freely. Ask Me to meet your expectation, and you will see only
reflections.
— 19 —
— 20 —
SHOES AND BARE FEET
Precious bare feet! How wonderful it is to walk in the early

morning grass and feel the cool dew upon your bare feet. I
designed the seashore—the water’s edge—to be a delight to your
toes as you wade in the surf.
And yet, some terrains are too harsh for the touch of bare feet.
For comfort or protection, shoes, sandals, and boots are often nec-
essary. But, as much comfort as shoes might provide, they also may
produce great discomfort if they are not properly fitted.
If shoes are far too small, they may simply not be useful at all.
If they are only slightly too small and are forced upon the feet,
cramping or crippling can result. In such a case, a wince of pain
may come with each step.
Problems can come from shoes that are too big, as well. While
oversized shoes may be chosen in expectation of new growth to
come, too much room inside the shoes can cause tripping, stum-
bling, and falling. Shoes, which fit too loosely can, additionally,
cause painful rubbing, which may cause sores and blisters to
— 21 —
emerge. Occasionally, during a sprint or a chase, a runner wearing

such shoes may actually run out of the shoes completely.
Leaving one’s protection behind and running in haste with no
protection is always a serious danger!
Consider the spiritual implications of shoes, little one. In
truth, I created My children to walk in purity with Me—with their
feet uncovered, barefooted. The sin of the world has destroyed the
freedom within My once safe world, replacing it with harshness
and hazards.
Never forget that I have provided spiritual footwear for you,
My child. I have provided this so that you may walk in this world
with protection and certainty. I have given you My Word and
have provided you with spiritual understanding. Those who do
not put on this protection, however, will wince and cry out as
they take each step upon the world’s harsh terrain. Others will
try to put on just a bit of protection, wishing to find out only
what they can perceive of the world’s truth. They choose their
own understanding of My Word. They walk upon stunted feet
with their toes curled under.
Still others see the need for protection. However, they want to
take their journey with the biggest possible steps. They want to
put shoes that are too big upon their “spiritual feet.” Rather than
allowing themselves to grow properly, step by step and size by size,
they seek to become spiritual giants and end up with shoes that
are too big for their feet to fill.
Such people cannot maneuver well on their spiritual journey.
They trip and fall as they tackle the hazards of life with concepts
that are too big for their understanding.
It is good to be a warrior in spiritual warfare, but one must
grow into that calling. To tackle the dark world with spiritually tiny
feet in shoes that are too big can be very dangerous, indeed. The
greatest danger would be walking out of the spiritual shoes—out
—2 2—
SH O E S AND BARE FEET
of the protection altogether. Even if the feet remain in the shoes

that are too large, there will be needless rubbing and friction.
Too much room in which to maneuver is dangerous for My
little ones.
My Word and My instruction perfectly cling to those who
journey upon this earth. My word and My instruction must sup-
port the developing structures and protect them from all dangers.
I know exactly what size you are, and, therefore, I know exactly
what you need. I know when you have filled out a place in your
spiritual journey—in your spiritual growth—and when you are
ready for the next size. Do not try to leap ahead in your growth
process, and don’t try to stay back either, clinging to the naive, safe
past of a smaller size.
You were created for growth, but you were not created to grow
without protection and guidance. I will supply all that you need.
Do not go into areas to which I have not called you, and don’t enter
areas beyond your growth and understanding. Do not try to go
barefooted on the journey, without My Word or instruction.
Do not run ahead in shoes that are too big and thereby lose
and leave behind that which I have provided for your safety. Truly,
I say to you that someday you will again walk with Me in bare feet.
When that time comes, there will be no hazards. Your growth, your
understanding, and your intimacy with Me will be complete. Until
then, wear the shoes I have provided for you and have fitted to
your feet. In them you will be safe, and you will be free to grow
toward the season of free feet in the dew and in the tender grass of
My new morning in My new Kingdom.
Until then I need for you to keep your course on the journey
I’ve assigned to you in the way I’ve ordained and in the supply I’ve
provided. Do not scorn what I have designed for you, and do not
argue against it. Simply walk. Walk in the joy of the journey. Walk
in the victory I have promised to you. Run as I direct. Wear your
footwear gratefully, for I crafted it especially and specifically for
—2 3—
you out of My love for you. Do not compare your steps to those of
any of My other children. What I have done for them is in accor-
dance to My wisdom and My will for them just as what I’ve done
for you is in accordance with My will for you.
Now, close your eyes. In this quiet moment of My love,
remove your shoes. With your feet bare before Me, begin to dance.
Dance with Me, little one. Before the time to return to your shoes,
dance in My love. Truly I shall be dancing with you.
— 24 —
—2 6—
TENDER SEARCHING
Little one, the mountains were carved by My fingers gener-

ations ago. In each curve of their slopes—in each rise and fall—I
have carved beauty and purpose. What is the purpose of these
things? I carved them for majesty. I carved them for love and for
strength. I carved them to speak of Me. I am mighty and yet I
am near. I am awesome and yet I am soft. I am formless and yet I
am formed.
Look upon Me, beloved, as you look upon these mountains.
Look at Me with love and with the unity you feel with Me and
with My strength in these moments. See the toil of the climb and
the victory of the completed ascent. Touch them with your heart
and soul, even as you “touch” them with your eyes.
See in them the shades and shadows of contrast. The darkness
is most visible when it is held against the light. What lies within
the folds of the mountains, deep within their hidden crevices? I
know the beauty and the treasure that may be found there. I see
the tiny waterfalls and the quiet streams. I see the spider’s web and
the monkey’s nest.
—2 7—
What lies hidden in the crevices of those precious children

who live without My light, little one? Seek My hidden treasure.
Tenderly search for it. Love this hidden treasure before you are
able to perceive it, even when it is unseen. Search for it, it will
always be there.
Make your journey lovingly into those crevices without
crushing the tender blades. I am there, My love. Will you venture
there to find Me?
—28—
POOLS AND POPPIES
Come and sit beside My pool, little one. Shall I stir the water
of life for you? Shall I change its color to entice you to dip into its
waters? The pool of living water awaits you. Why do you hesitate to
venture into its depths? Does your pain cause you to be afraid of
changing position? Do you fear going deeper? Does your crippling
condition make you doubt My promised healing? Rather than
being disappointed, feeling rejected, or accepting a sense of failure,
do you sit and wait?
What is the cost of entering My pool? The price is faith. Ask
Me and I shall give you the quantity of faith that is needed to buy
your entry into My pool. Are you too weak to step into this water?
Do not ask others to bring you to the water’s edge; instead, ask Me
to bring the water to you.
Still you hesitate. Why? Perhaps you resist because entering
into the water’s blessing will change your life for all eternity. Those
things that have been comfortable and familiar will be replaced by
things untested and unproven in your life.
— 3 1—
There is risk in change, you say. Yes, there is, but there is
greater risk in remaining dry and broken in hope.
Miracles are what you need! They come to give proof that I
still exist and that I do care. Do you not see miracles all around
you? In a single glance you can observe hundreds of them. Do you
not see them?
For example, look at the simple poppies. How is it that they
sprout where they do? From barren rocks they spring forth in riots
of color. Who was their planter and gardener? Notice how they
hide from one season to the next. Who plans their scheduled time
of fertility, rest, and blooming? I am the hand that put a vast ocean
of flowers within the case of a single seed.
For generations a seed can remain dormant. Then, in a time
of My choosing, nourished by that which I placed within it
unseen growth begins. That which had been sleeping awakens. All
the features of the flower—its color, its shape, its texture, and its
fragrance—have been wrapped up in a single seed, awaiting My
call to bring forth the miracle of life that exists within it.
Do I care for seeds? Do I plan for small details such as poppy
seeds? Yes, I care for all things, especially things of new growth.
How can the poppies viewed by Solomon’s eyes be seen now by
you? It is by the miracle of the seed and by the miracle of the pool
of water that I have provided for them.
If I weave such miracles into poppies, why would I not weave
many within you? You are the seed of My love, now blooming in
its chosen time. Would you deny this?
Look again into the pool. See your face reflected there. It is
unique to you and yet the substance of bone and flesh is the same
as that material divinely chosen to enwrap your Messiah. There-
fore, if this was a sufficient garment for Him, your physical body
made of similar chemistry must then be a robe of honor for you to
possess the same characteristics He has.
—3 2—
POOLS AND PO P P I E S
So, arise and enter My pool. Embrace the miracle of life that
has been placed within you. Even as the poppy seed must yield
itself up to change, for it must break through its shell and draw
strength from the water of life, so must you. Therefore, step in.
Believe. Risk.Change. Bloom. You are My miracle. So, bloom!
—3 3—
THE HEARTBEAT
Listen to the tick of the clock. Each tick is another moment of

life passing by that shall never be recaptured. Do photographs and
video images save the moment forever? No, they preserve only the
recollection of the moment.
Similarly, every heartbeat is the tick of an eternal clock—of a
moment lost—never to return. Why, then, do My children contin-
ually waste these precious seconds—these heartbeats—on vacant
and empty things? Why do they allow them to pass by with no
meaning and with no gain? They appear to be incidental, so they
are ignored. How many heartbeats bring fruit to the soul? How
many heartbeats bring life to the physical body only, while bring-
ing slow death to the spirit?
The heartbeat is an eternal clock. It not only measures life in
this world, but it also measures the life in the world to come. Each
beat is designed to add to eternity—to Kingdom gain. Each beat is
precious and significant.
—3 5—
I do not mean for this truth to be a bondage to you. Do not

allow it to become a source of anxiousness or drivenness within
your soul; I mean this revelation to be a gift for your gain, for joy,
and for lasting purpose.
If there was to be a fixed and limited supply of water upon
the earth, would you allow for one drop to be wasted? How pre-
cious each drop would be in your sight! Then, why waste a single
heartbeat? Each person has only a fixed and limited number and
no more.
Do not cling to each heartbeat as if seeking to possess it. Give
each one to Me, that I might possess them all. I can bring an
abundance from them that you have never dreamed possible. And
each one that is placed in My hand shall be an eternal reality that
will live forever.
Too many heartbeats have passed by without notice. Too
many have been possessed by empty leisure. Too many have been
given to My enemy for his accumulation and accounting. Begin
anew! Begin now to give each heartbeat to Me. I shall keep them
well, and I shall return to you their collection as a glorious, eternal
inheritance.
—3 6—
GIFTED DUCKS
Behold the ducks, little one. Behold these buoyant inhabitants

of the lake. See how they spend their day. What is their joy? What
is their priority? What is their purpose? To skim across the surface
of the water with little effort would seem to be a thrill through
human eyes. But, these gifted swimmers see such a gift as a matter
of natural course. They do not consciously celebrate it.
They use this gift with little attention given to it. Yet, it truly is
a gift. Every detail of their bodies has been carefully planned to
help them use this gift. Every stroke of their feet, every drop of oil
on their feathers, and every air pocket within their bodies was per-
fectly and intentionally engineered by Me.
What about you is a gifting from Me, little one? What do you
see as a matter of course, something that is taken for granted? Is it
your ability to speak? How freely I give this gift, yet so few see it as
a treasure. What is the treasure that is represented by this gift of
speaking so that others can hear and understand? With speech, one
can declare his or her state of need, joy, or desire. Through this gift
—3 9—
one can become part of the life and journey of another person in
an intimate and detailed way.
Understanding often comes through an exchange of spoken
words in the same way learning does. What if I created My chil-
dren to be silent? How different life would be! The exchange of
thought could then occur only by non-verbal means. The written
word could be used to speak, but how much more slowly? Does
emotion translate as well or as accurately through non-verbal
means? What harm often comes from emotions that are acted out,
rather than spoken! What pain is often caused by this!
I created the heart, the mouth, and the brain to be connected.
All three parts make a whole. All three form a gifting known as the
spoken word. Are those of My children who lack this gift less
gifted or less acceptable? No! I choose other gifts for them—gifts
of great value.
Each of My children is deeply gifted. However, each must see
that which has been bestowed as a true gift. These blessings must
never be considered as demanded, rightful, expected, or casual
things.
I have gifted all of My creation! Open your eyes to see the
precious gifts I’ve given to you and others. What do you do with
ease? What do you allow to be a matter of course in your life? Do
you consider it foolish to appreciate the blinking of an eye, a
sneeze, the ability to jump, or the capability to give a hug as a gift
from Me? See everything through more inspired eyes. You are sur -
rounded with a multitude of opportunities for rejoicing and yet
your heart remains dull.
If you could swim in the way a duck does, you would be seen
as truly gifted. If one of My little ducks were able to use words to
demand the morsel of bread that may be hidden in your pocket,
you would say that he was a truly an extraordinarily gifted little
duck. Why not look upon those things which I have given to each
of you as unique treasures? Apply these gifts wisely. Celebrate
—4 0 —
GI F T E D DU C K S
them! The joy and meaning of your life will thereby be expanded.
Awaken from your dullness and see!
With each gift I give, a responsibility comes to use it wisely
and faithfully. See to this! In doing so, you will taste deeper joy and
understanding by knowing who I have created you to be. I love
you, gifted little one!
— 41—
KITTENS
Out of the quietness of the morning comes the gentle, persist-

ent meowing of kittens. These little ones are so tiny that they are
hidden away by their mother-protector. Why do they give away
their presence by their tiny voices? Have they not been warned to
remain silent? What in them would cause this violation of safe
silence by revealing their sweet sounds? The mother has left them
briefly, to find food. They are cold, lonely, and frightened.
What if she would never return? Who would then fill the
deep emptiness caused by her absence? Who would fill the empti-
ness caused by hunger in their bellies and the void arising from
the lack of their mother’s touch or caress? These little ones know
of only one source of life and comfort. When they sense that it is
gone, they cry out even if it dangerous for them to do so. Soon sad-
ness and sleepiness overtake them, and they curl closely together
for warmth and companionship. Yet, they cannot give each other
the food they long for—the food that is needed to fill their bellies.
— 43 —
Now, however, the kittens begin to cry again. They cry

louder than before, but this time they cry in excitement. Why?
Their mother is coming! They know she is nearby. Safety has
returned to them. Again there are quiet kittens. Now they are
warm, bathed by a loving tongue and fed by sweet milk. They
sleep again in quiet rest.
How like a kitten you are, My child. You long for the presence
of the One who gave you life. You desperately need the food that
only I can give to you, and you desire My warm presence and
safety. Unlike the mother cat, who needs to leave her little ones
behind in order to sustain herself and them, I, Abba, will never
leave you.
For you to mature, I need for you to grow, to open your eyes,
and yet not be away from your perpetual dependence upon Me.
How I long for you to cry out because of the sense of distance
that exists between you and Me—space that you have created by
exploring life by your design and in your own way. Sometimes kit-
tens do stray. They meet with danger in their too-eager independ-
ence. If two should wander away together when they are too young
to return unaided, they will cling to each other, sustaining their
hearts with the illusion that their mother is near. In their own
touch and heartbeats they imagine that she is near.
Like curious kittens, My children wander away from Me, as
well. In their desperate need to feel safe and loved again, they cling
to each other. The illusion falls upon them that perhaps they,
themselves, are the God they long for. How soon they can become
weak, sick, and starved as a result of this illusion. It may even lead
to death. If lost kittens cry out, their mother will come and carry
them to their home nest again. If My little ones would cry out to
Me, I would do the same.
Sometimes kittens get so lost in their fascination with the
world and with the joy of play that they again lose sight of safety.
Similarly, My children become preoccupied with the things and
— 44—
KITTENS
pleasures of this life in the form of possessions and leisure time.

They wander out from their haven of My protection. Do I ever
cease watching them with a loving eye? Do I ever fall ignorant of
their location and activities? No!
Unlike the mother cat, I always know everything concerning
you. In fact, I am ever watching you. When you are helpless and
unknowing as if in infancy like a little kitten, I will move you away
from danger. As you grow, My voice cries out to you in order to call
you back from your wanderings.
Unlike kittens, I allow you time to grow up, but I never aban-
don you to your own destiny. I never withdraw My nourishment
and say, “Seek your own elsewhere.” I do give you freedom to
refuse My food and My counsel, however. I do give you freedom,
but even in your advanced years, you remain My little one whose
cry I will always answer. I come. I lift up. I protect. In My presence
you are fed and warmed. In My presence you will always have a
constant companion keeping you from loneliness. In My presence
you are empowered to be about the work I have given you to do.
You will always have My presence with you.
I love you, little one. Come and nuzzle close to Me. Come and
play with Me. Come and feed upon Me.
Know My love and My safety. I never suffocate My little ones
by holding them too close. I never abandon My children. I always
hear your tiniest cry whether it’s in the silence or in the clamor of
daily living. Come closer to Me.
— 45 —
HOURS, MINUTES, SECONDS
What makes up your day, little one? Is it one block of time

added to another, hour added to hour? Is your day made up of tiny
pieces called minutes, which seem to fly by at too great a rate? Or
is your day lived out, second by second? Never forget that your day
is a very precious commodity.
What price would a person pay to have one day added to his
life? And yet, people walk or run through their days, as if those
moments in time are inconsequential and disposable. They hardly
even notice that a day has passed. They seem to notice only the
events before them or their accomplished tasks. Only when they
look at a calendar do they realize that a single day, or perhaps many
have slipped away.
It is not My plan to have you see activities throughout a day
without seeing the day itself. The many activities make the day a
blur of activity. Some would like to see the day end early so that
the stress it has held for them will conclude. Others would have it
—4 7 —
lengthened so they would be able to stuff even more activities and

accomplishments into it.
My way would be for you to live your life and view your life
second by second. This is why I created an internal “clock of life”
within you—your heart. This precious organ of life pumps life-
sustaining blood to your body. However, it also serves as a timer
of life. Each heartbeat is one that will never be regained. Why do
you not walk in awareness of this truth? I do not wish for you to
cling to the seconds or to be anxious about their passage. I want
you to see them as a treasure—an investment—as a communion
with Me.
If I had wanted you to measure your days in hours, I would
have designed your heart to beat once each hour. If l had wanted
your life to be measured in minutes, I would have designed a
rhythm of beats that are 60 seconds apart. Instead, I ordained one
heartbeat to be, on the average, one second before another and one
second after the previous one. Gather up your days by the seconds
that I give to you, little one. Allow Me to reign over each of those
seconds. Then, watch Me change them into a blessed lifetime, and
into a glorious eternity.
— 48—
SWALLOWS AND SWIFTS
Swallows and swifts are birds that I’ve designed for graceful
flight. Like streamlined precision experts, they course through the
skies in unending dives and curves. How restless they seem to be
to the observer. Yet, they are at peace.
These precious creations are never content with stillness and
they are never concerned with barriers. Their patterns in the skies
joyously continue—darting swiftly in and out and up and down.
Creating the artwork of silent patterns in the sky, they fly in praise
of their being. Tiny crevices become a home in which they can find
rest, or nest their young.
Why do swifts and swallows do what they do? They do so
because it brings them joy to practice the perfection in which I
have created within them. Is it burdensome work and boredom to
fly in endless patterns? No! To do what one has been created to do
is the highest of all joys!
— 51 —
Take a lesson from the swifts and swallows, little one. Very lit-
tle variation fills their days, and yet, they remain joyful as they do
so well what I have enabled them to do.
What makes you joyful? Your behavior declares that variety
and striving for greater activity and accomplishment pleases you.
Without these things, boredom overtakes you. Look into yourself.
For what have you been created? You have been created for rela-
tionship, not for isolation. You have been created to reach high and
to grow toward Me. But these things are never to be endless, joy-
less patterns. If you are engaged in living and not merely in
observing life, you will want to busy yourself building things that
will last. That is what your spirit speaks into your soul.
Notice what happens when your joy leaves you. Why have
you stopped building and stretching? Why have you given your-
self to the darting and circling about that was designed for the
swallows and swifts? Your journey is to be ever upward, not hor-
izontally, circular, or downward. Look deeply into your feeling of
discontent, and you will see that you have ceased doing that for
which you have been created—building upward vision, and
adding glory to eternity.
So, come out of your endless patterns. Come out of your ways
of darting about with little rest or joy. Live out of your own indi-
vidual design and purpose rather than taking on the course of any
of My other created children.
Come and light upon the palm of My hand. Fold in your
wings and rest. Learn of Me. This is where your joy will be found.
Give yourself into My keeping, and I shall show you how to live
out your design. Then, both in the learning and in the practice of it
we two shall know great joy.
—5 2—
— 54 —
BEACH TREASURES
Absorb the beauty of My ocean. Do not stand back from it.

Don’t only turn your eyes and ears to the pounding surf, but turn
your heart to it, as well. Celebrate the love I have put into My seas
and oceans. Dig your toes into the soft sand. Soothe your feet in
the cool, salty water. Listen to the cry of the seabirds.
Come, walk along the beach with Me. Let us hunt for treas-
ures together. Look past the signs of waste and trash from humans
who have callous indifference to My beaches. Overlook the glass
shards, the tar from spilled oil, the paper and plastic and metal
pieces that serve no further function. Focus on the gifts—not on
the garbage! See the tiny shells scattered about—tiny pink and
beige treasures. But remember, if you look too quickly, you will
miss them. They are not present in great abundance, for if they
were, they would lose the certain quality of their preciousness.
That which is truly precious is rare.
Watch the water’s edge. Watch where the waves have
exhausted themselves in their climb to the shore and watch where
—5 5—
they now retreat. At the edge you will see the small shells as they
toss about and settle briefly. Be quick in capturing one of these
treasures. In the blink of an eye it may be gone. A new wave may
claim it and pull it back into the sea.
Do not ignore the plain, white shells either. Turn them over to
find the color I have painted on their sunward sides, which are
now inverted in the sand. Dig out those half-buried shells, and do
not discard the chipped or broken treasures. They still belong to
Me. And even in their brokenness, I cherish them.
There is a vast beach of treasure in My human creation, little
one. People are much like these tiny, fragile shells that are being
tossed onto the beaches of life by powerful tides of living.
Many land on high, safe ground, while others lie in precari-
ously unsure places. These latter ones lie ready to be dragged
backward into the depths, but My movement is always forward.
Reach down and pick them up. Move these little ones to higher
ground.
Some lie upside down. They are inverted causing their colors
to remain unseen. Such shells are often overlooked by people. They
are considered to be too plain and ordinary—not interesting or
valuable. Turn them over lovingly and rinse away the things that
hide their beauty. In the same way, lovingly and gently dig out My
partially buried children, those who are stuck and being overcome
and swallowed by the beachhead.
Get them up and out of that which “buries them alive.” The
“sand” that suffocates them is bitterness, imprisoned memories,
anger, and destructive patterns and habits in themselves or others.
These little ones cannot find their own way. They need the
touch of one who is willing to get grit and sand on his or her
hands and under their fingernails. Sometimes the “digging out”
requires an investment of time. So, invest your time where I tell
—5 6—
BEACH TREASURES
you to invest it. Do not spend your time where I have not told
you to work.
In all your treasure hunting, never, ever discard the imperfect
and broken children of life. Each one has a place and a purpose.
The jagged, sharp edge on a shell can become a cutting tool in
the hands of a craftsman. Give Me these little ones, which the
world would discard through abortion or by abandonment, and I,
the Master Craftsman, will make beautiful etchings on the world
with them.
— 57—
LOCKED DOORS
Doors, once locked, can provide a sense of joy and safety, or

they can be a source of frustration and deprivation. Why do you
lock doors, little one? Most would say they do so to keep all
threats outside.
Do you not also lock doors to keep things in? If you had a
precious treasure that you wanted to keep secure, a locked door
would be a wall of protection against a thief. But, in maintaining its
safety, you might not be able to celebrate or admire it beyond the
confines of the room in which it is kept.
If a swarm of flies were to try and invade your dwelling, it
would be good to close and lock the door. In so doing, you would
both keep them out, and protect your home and loved ones from
any diseases they might be carrying. If the flies, however, were
able to swarm through an open door, would you not leave the
door fully open until you were able to drive them out? It would
be a foolish thing to lock them in, only to chase them one by one
and kill them individually.
—5 9—
Consider the “doors” in My human creation. There are doors

to the mind, the spirit, and the body. Do you not see them?
Undeserved pain and suffering can open doors in many
areas of your life. The experience of rejection, for example, causes
an imprint of pain to be left upon one’s body, soul, and spirit. If
you were so wounded, would you not wish to close yourself off
from future injury? However, not expelling the pain and its com-
panions first would mean that the pain of rejection would stay
locked within you. The “flies” of it would buzz about, bringing
destruction and disease.
If you observed the pain of rejection in others and sought to
avoid it by locking the doors to your own soul, what would the
result be? In your effort to protect the treasure within you from
being taken, you would also lock away that which is precious from
the world.
Little ones, seek Me. I am the One who expels all manifes-
tations of personal pain from your life. I am your Deliverer and
the Healer.
Do not seek to slay the flies individually, by your own
efforts. Instead, allow Me to open wide the door by which they
came, and then I shall drive them away. Let Me breathe in the
freshness of My Spirit to clean and refurbish the rooms of your
innermost being.
If you fear the attacker and would seek protection, allow Me
to stand guard at the entryway. Allow Me to hold the keys and
the authority to use them at will. Often, I will lock doors against
the attacks of the enemy. Sometimes I open the door when there
is safety, so that the brilliance of the treasure within can be seen
and enjoyed by many. Then, on rare occasions, when I have
planted a precious seed to grow within you, I will seal off the
place for a while, so it will have the time and the protection to
grow into full treasure.
— 60 —
L O C K E D DO O R S
Give Me the keys to your doors. I am your Guardian, and I

am your Sustainer-Refiner. Let Me do the deep work of airing
out the “rooms of infestation” within you. Allow Me the honor of
exposing your gifts to the world which is so desperately in need
of them.
Put aside all fear, and give Me the keys. There is no better
watchman than Me.
—61—
SILVER GOBLETS
How excellent is the work of My hands! Did you not know

that I am a Craftsman of many precious things? Surely you have
seen My excellent work in the children I have created by My own
hands. Truly, they are all precious, for each one bears the stamp of
the authenticity of the Master Craftsman. Each one is as a pure sil-
ver goblet.
Why a goblet, not a plate? A goblet is a thing of great beauty,
and it requires more skill to create it than it does to create a plate.
A plate lays low, while a goblet stands up high above the plate. The
shapes of plates may vary somewhat, but the shapes of goblets vary
a great deal. As a goblet stands upon a table, it can easily admire
the etchings and carvings engraved around it. The lowly plate, on
the other hand, must be lifted up, empty, in one’s hands in order to
show forth its beauty.
A plate may be a “servant” that is met by a spoon or fork, but
seldom is it lifted up to the lips directly to distribute its gifts. It is
not so with the goblet, however. The goblet was created for a more
—6 3—
direct form of “servanthood,” to carry the treasure of its contents

directly to one’s lips. Unlike the plate, it needs no other utensil to
assist it. While the hand may reach into the plate to acquire its
treasures, the hand does not reach into the goblet potentially soil-
ing its contents to obtain its gift.
I created all My children, little one, to stand tall and bear My
gifts directly to those in need. They are to be containers and reser-
voirs of My love and glory, but not in a passive way. Instead, they
are to be direct carriers of My essence to others. They are not to be
tainted by the touch of unclean hands. They themselves are to be
lifted up to thirsty lips in order to bring forth holy contents.
The stem of a goblet is designed to invite one’s hand to grasp
it with ease. Looking somewhat delicate, it has both strength and
balance.
Which is more immediately vital to maintain life? Is it liquid
or solid food? Of course it is liquids. Without fluid, the body will
die within days. True, a plate may hold a bit of liquid, but it does so
to its disadvantage, for liquids are so easily spilled from a plate.
The form of a goblet, however, invites fullness. It is like an open
belly that is waiting to be filled with nectar.
An unused, empty goblet is frustrated by its emptiness, while
a full one, as it touches one’s lips, is fulfilled. Do you see this; do
you understand this comparison? How I want My children to be
filled with new wine and with living water. I delight to see them
spilling over. I delight to see them delivering their gifts to the spir-
itually parched and dying.
My hand lifts them up like goblets which I’ve designed for
My purposes for I own each goblet, and each is engraved with My
name and polished by My hand. But there are also goblets with
unseen stamps that are hidden behind a veil of tarnish.
There are goblets that are dull and dark; demonstrating no
brilliant shine. Yes, these are the ones who have been handled by
—64—
SI L V E R G O B L E T S
the unclean hands of the world and by My enemy. Tragically they

bear the evidence of this handling. They have refused to acknowl-
edge the Craftsman’s stamp under the tarnish, not allowing the
stamp to be made visible. They have refused My polishing hand.
They are both self-possessed and world-possessed.
Unlike an actual goblet that sits passively by, awaiting the
touch of any hand that would embrace it, many of My children
have used their freedom of choice to deface the mark I have given
to them in love, which claims them as My own.
Unlike an actual goblet of silver that passively awaits the pol-
ishing cloth, My children have the choice to refuse or seek such
cleaning. Each touch of the world upon My children leaves a
residue of destruction. This residue interacts with the putrid
breath of the prince of this world to form a killing tarnish. At first,
this only covers the shine, but eventually it pits and erodes the pre-
cious silver out of which the goblet was crafted.
Who would accept such a destructive touch? Sadly, many
seem to be eager to receive it. They have been told that to truly
exercise their freedom to choose, they must choose freedom from
My ownership and from My touch. This deception is loudly
heard. Often, it is heard even within the walls of those places that
are called sanctuaries of My Word and My Spirit.
These precious goblets are told about the way they were cre-
ated and crafted, but they are left believing that they are now free
to choose a life without My touch. They are given over to the
world’s handling—into the fingers of My enemy. They erroneously
see this as freedom.
Can a darkened, pitted goblet ever be reclaimed? Can it be
used as a vessel? For common and dishonored use it might be
quite sufficient, but who would lift up such a vessel at a banquet of
honor? Who would pour the finest of wines into it or celebrate a
great victory with a dented tarnished vessel? Who would toast the
bride and groom with such a goblet?
—6 5—
And yet, these damaged goblets can be reclaimed. Once

warmed in the fire of reclamation, the dents and the bruises will be
tapped out by the Master. That glow, formerly hidden by unholy
residue, can be recovered by the hand of the Polisher and by the
substance and the cloth used for the polishing. What has been bent
can be straightened, so it again may stand tall and majestic.
Do I reject the tarnished, damaged “goblets”? No, because I
see in each one the substance of his or her creation. I see the love
which formed them. Indeed, I ever remember it. Yet, I would lov-
ingly desire for each one to be subjected to the heat of fire again
and to submit to the pressure of the tongs and hammer. I would
remove the tarnish and the darkness with a polish of My own
making. My polish is made of the “oil of repentance,” mixed with
the abrasion of consequences and infused with the redeeming
lifeblood of My love. Whenever a darkened or damaged child cries
out for reclamation I take great delight in applying the formula of
My restoration.
It is my joy to take a polishing cloth in My hand in order to
restore them to glory and brilliance. I would delight to rinse each
one under My stream of living water. With droplets of new life
clinging to the surface, I would withdraw these “goblets” from the
living water. I would sing with joy and weep with tenderness at the
restored glory of My original labor and handiwork.
So, cry out, dark little goblets of silver! You have forgotten
your substance. You have forgotten your Craftsman. You have for-
gotten your true function.
Cry out to be restored, and I shall be quick to make it hap-
pen. You have been too long accustomed to the darkness and the
defacing touch. You have been too long jealous of those I have pol-
ished to the brightest levels of shining. You have cried out in envy
against My goblets of high and holy use.
Why do you despise those who serve as a sign to you of
your own holy origin and calling? You are deceived. It is this
—66—
SI L V E R G O B L E T S
holiness that you have decried to which you have been called.
So, see the shining ones with new eyes. See them with eyes of
longing, hope, and promise. Remember, it was for such a pur-
pose that you were created. For such honor and freedom you
were formed by My hand.
Call out for My hand now, little goblets! I have need of you
to be richly filled, to be brilliant in your luster. Reject the lies of
the enemy concerning My glory in you. Hear Me, for it is not too
late to be reclaimed and reformed, but do not wait! The time is
short. The thirsty are waiting. I need you to be filled, to stand, to
shine, and to carry My love to them. My loving hand is ready to
reclaim you!
—6 7 —
THE MATCH
So, you wish to ignite a fire within you, little one? You have
asked for a fire of passion for My Word and My presence to burn
within you. You have asked for an endowment of the fire of love
and compassion toward others to flame up in your heart. It is well
that you request these things. And yet, I wonder if you know what
you are asking for. Do you know the price of such a fire?
How does one begin a fire in a hearth? Besides the kindling,
one would require a match or perhaps a flint. In either case, that
which would offer itself up to ignite the spark offers itself up for
pain and loss. To yield oneself up to striking, to feel the pain of the
blow and the friction against a hard and unrelenting surface is a
sacrificial act.
Is a flame in the soul or spirit birthed in a different way? In
some ways no, but yet in many ways, yes. To begin a fire, the match
must be held tightly. To begin a flame within you, I must hold you
firmly in My grasp. If I did not hold you tightly, you would give
way to the rubbing and nothing would be accomplished except an
—6 9—
abrasion. If I would hold you too rigidly, or strike too hard, you
would break even as a wooden match would break.
Be careful regarding who you allow to take hold of you. I
alone must possess you. No other person of flesh or spirit is to
have control of your course. I alone will always hold you in firm
tenderness. I alone know the proper pressure to apply to the strik-
ing surface. I alone know the correct angle to contact the source of
friction, out of which the flame will arise.
Look now to the surface of the match. What quality of the
match makes the spark possible? Is it not the chemical mix that is
created and placed upon the match which provides the potential
for a flame? If you are to bring forth both light and heat, you must
be specifically created with the mix of soul and spirit that would
yield itself to the task. Throughout your life, I have always been
and always will be about the business of creating this wonderful
mix of experience, learning, understanding, emotion, and priority.
When all these things are in perfect placement and quantity, the
match will be nearly ready.
Now look to your surrounding conditions and environment.
These speak to you of external factors. The circumstances and
environment impacting the wooden match might take the form of
surrounding moisture or too strong a prevailing wind. For
instance, if the match were to encounter moisture, a strike would
yield only disintegration without a fire. If the match were struck in
an unrestrained wind, the flame would die at birth.
Allow Me to arrange not only your internal conditions, but
your external ones as well. I can order all things, so that which you
long to bring forth, will do so with effective and lasting results.
Finally, look to the striking surface and to the process of strik-
ing the match itself. If the striking surface on a matchbox is worn
down too smoothly, the match will never light, no matter how
often it is struck. Likewise, the surface of the match should not be
too coarse. If you would try to strike a match upon a brick wall,
— 70 —
THE M ATCH
you would see the match fall apart, because the resistance would
be too harsh—too great for successful lighting.
The “striking surfaces” within the lives of My children come
in many forms. It may be a trial concerning his or her reputation.
It could come in the form of a loss. Similarly, it may involve a great
decision or temptation.
Whatever the case, I know the exact thing that will be needed
to bring forth your fire. It shall not be so mild that there is no
impact, except to wear you down gradually. Nor shall it be so harsh
that you would be destroyed by it. In My wisdom, it shall be the
exact level of discomfort that is required to ignite the mix of your
soul and spirit into a joyous blaze.
—7 1 —
TRAINING
Little one, the life of joy and safety and effectiveness is the life
of discipline. It is a life of constant learning and practice. Little
things provide the subjects of learning and teaching at the begin-
ning. The basics of the journey must always come first, however.
Before a building can be constructed, its foundation must be
laid, and before a child learns to come at the call of his parents, he
must first learn the sound of his own name.
The life of faith is learned step by step and teaching by teach-
ing. The beginning exercises will seem so clumsy, because there is
much stumbling involved in learning to walk before a child can
learn to run. This learning is accomplished through the scraped
knees and from the bruised noses as a result of falls suffered by the
unsteady and inexperienced. In these ways the child in training
learns the skills of balance.
It is only through first listening to a loud voice calling out
instructions during training that the guide dog learns to respond
instantly to a whispered command or a tug on its harness.
—7 3—
Recognition of the voice of the trainer comes first. Then comes

the taking of the first steps, followed by responding to directions
with obedience. These are the essential elements of training.
Would you prefer not to take this course? What is the cost?
Without training, one is unprepared for the journey, its tasks, and
its challenges. How could a soldier learn to handle his weapons
without training? How could he achieve the full level of prepared-
ness without exercise? What general would call new, untrained
recruits onto the battlefield? He would not do so, because he
would know they would all be destroyed in such a case.
No one likes the rigors of hard training. At first, the muscles
ache and cry out. The lungs heave and the heart pounds with
fatigue. The mind seeks diversion and relaxation. The feet would
like to run away, but let the training continue and observe what
happens.
The body becomes strong and resilient. The mind becomes
focused and knowledgeable. The heart turns toward obedience.
The ears and the eyes discern.
Do not resist My training program. Come and learn your
name. Recognize My voice calling you. Learn to yield to My
instruction and to My timetable. Study both your weaponry and
the enemy’s. I want you to be strong. I want you to be prepared
and effective. I want you to be safe.
All these things come from knowing Me and from spending
time in My training camp. Do not worry. All your nourishment
and equipment are there, and each is marked with your name.
Simply come, step forward and commit yourself to the training.
My finger points at you. My word says, “I want you!” I want you
not as a puppet or a mercenary. I want you as a holy warrior who
wears the insignia of My Kingdom.
Come and let the training begin now.
—7 4 —
DIGGINGS
What mysteries lie buried underground, little one? Are you

curious to find out? Is there not enough to explore on the surface
of the earth that you should begin digging in the soil to find more?
My children have an innate desire for more knowledge, more
excitement, and more possession. Therefore, they dig. But do you
understand what you have found when you hold in your hand
what has been disclosed?
For some of My children the thrill is in the finding. They are
little concerned about understanding what they find. Others seek
the joy of ownership—of trophy and prize to possess. Still others
care only for what the treasure can bring to them on the market.
None of these truly understands the significance of the digging,
however.
To dig and to expose what has been hidden is to seek after
foundations. What came before is the foundation of what currently
is. This is so important to understand. If what is built on top seems
shaky or skewed, check to see what lies underneath.
— 77—
This applies not only to archeology, but also to present-day

life. To discover why the great governments and civilizations of the
past have fallen, dig out their ruins, for they will teach you. A cul-
ture that is too heavy in gold, a culture that is built upon idolatry,
a culture which embraces the shedding of innocent blood and the
cause of wickedness will show these weaknesses and failings in its
foundations. The remains left behind will reveal these things.
If a present-day family stands in ruins, dig under its broken
fragments to discover what its foundation consists of and was built
upon. In so doing, you will likely find shards of unforgiveness,
overindulgence, selfishness, bitterness, weakness, and unholiness.
You will discover that it was not just the existence of these
things in the present day that caused the ruin, buried deep under-
neath you will find things in and under the foundation that have
led to the present condition.
If this is not understood, one ruin will become the site of still
another ruin, because the foundation remains the same. The cir-
cumstances and the persons may vary, but the eventual ruin will be
assured.
So, dig down first before you attempt to build any structure.
Dig under your brokenness and your pain. See where the cisterns
of love have become cracked and were never filled. See where infe-
rior building materials were used. Such inferior materials may take
the form of self-sufficiency, deception, and closed minds. Once you
discover these things, don’t just study them, and then shake your
head and walk away from them. Begin the work of replacing that
which has become rotten with that which is strong and good.
Allow Me, by My Spirit, to guide, direct, and contract this
work. Permit Me to go into the ancient ruins with you to instruct
you in the examination. If you would go into the ruins and begin
madly tearing things up and pulling things apart, you would
destroy the potential for learning from the broken things. To
—7 8 —
DIGGINGS
uncover only partially that which lies buried, only to surmise what
else there might be, yields only deception and partial truth.
Some things that are buried in the ruins will be glued
together to restore their former function and beauty that had been
lost to time and pressure. Other things were never meant to be
repaired—only discarded. These are the reasons why I, alone, must
direct the dig. Only I know what each piece represents and where
each belongs. Only I know the past, the present, and the future. Do
not attempt to do this work alone, but do not neglect to do it.
Within you there is a buried treasure among the broken
shards of pain. I can build a treasure house for that which is good
and valuable. I alone can haul away the refuse.
That which stands upon a foundation of the past is only as
secure as the foundation itself. If I am not the support structure
underneath, there will be perpetual weakness and the danger of
ruin. Stop wasting your time and your energy, trying to shore up
that which needs to be brought down by My hand. Give Me the
shovel and the pickax. Give Me your insufficient blueprint. Allow
Me to show you the mysteries of the digging. Together we shall
uncover the truth, and together we shall evaluate, clean, and polish.
Together we shall build a new foundation that will stand through-
out eternity, a foundation that will support all which I direct you
to build upon it.
Come! Roll up your sleeves! Prepare to be exposed to the
darkness and the dirt underneath your collapsed dreams and
efforts. I shall provide the light, and we shall work side by side.
Together we shall find the pieces you need to bring understanding
to you. Unlike the puppy, who digs for the joy of uprooting, we
shall dig for the joy of rebuilding.
—7 9—
POLLEN
What are these invisible messengers of new life that are blow-
ing through the air? They are picked up by the bodies of bees and
carried from flower to flower. It is pollen, and how precious pollen
is to a blossom. As it is carried by the wind or by a bee, it brings
the promise of fruit. It also brings the hope of continued new life
for the plant.
The plant rejoices in the pollen, but other creatures in My
creation do not. However, to the bee it is an inconvenience that
must be accepted along with the harvest of nectar. The nectar of
the flower is the treasure for the bee not the pollen.
Similarly, the treasure for My human creation is the flower
itself, the honey that comes from the flower nectar, and the fruit
from the flower. To many people, the pollen is only a source of irri-
tation to their nose, eye, and throat. Some try to reject its presence
by a sneeze, a tear, or a blow. Some cry out against it by medicating
themselves against its effects.
— 81—
But what if life was free of pollen? There would be no flower,

no fruit, no honey. What seems to be an unnecessary annoyance is
truly vital. Many beautiful, sweet, and nourishing blessings come
from it.
What in your life is like pollen, little one? Is it daily work at
your job? Is it a person who constantly annoys you? Is it a respon-
sibility that weighs heavily upon you? What is it that you cry out
against in irritation? What is it that you would reject or want to
cast away? What is it that you “medicate” away by diversion or
entertainment?
What seems to be an annoyance in your life is very often vital
to your growth and maturation. What seems to be too great an irri-
tation may well be the beginning of new life. Do not be too quick
to decry any form of “pollen” in your life. With these things new
learning and new growth come, and they will bring forth new blos-
soms in your life. The blossoms will bring forth sweet fruit.
Therefore, learn to appreciate the pollen in your life. Learn
even to praise Me for it. It may not be pleasing. It may not be
comfortable or convenient either. However, as you look to Me for
wisdom and direction in these things, you shall learn to rejoice in
them. I understand that your flesh may reject My “pollen” in your
life. But learn to embrace it in your spirit.
Even as the flower draws the transported pollen into its
innermost parts, so, also, you need to take the message My pollen
provides into the innermost parts of your spirit. Here is where
the new seeds will form. Here is the place from which new life
will spring. Do not sneeze at My pollen in an effort to rid your-
self of it; simply, breathe deeply of its treasure. Bring forth new
life, and grow!
—82—
BONFIRES
The night air is filled with the smoke of many bonfires in cel-
ebration of a holiday. There is dancing and singing in the land. A
holy remembrance arises in the glow of the fires. It speaks of the
righteousness of Abba and of the love bestowed in forgiveness.
This is a holy bonfire, and its smoke is pleasing.
Yet, at the same time, some fires are burning that are not holy.
These are fires of flesh and entertainment—fires of vain frolic and
overindulgence. These are not pleasing to Me. There is no holy
meaning in these fires, for they are only a vain show.
Holy fires can be mingled with unholy ones. Their smoke
rises together, first in separate columns and then mingled together
in a single blanket that covers the land.
In times of evil, bonfires will burn. Some burn to destroy
holy writings and moral teachings. Others burn as an incinerator
for the bodies of the dead—those who are diseased, in want,
killed in battle, or sacrificed to unrighteousness. Some raise up
— 85 —
flames to destroy the holy witness by destroying those who bring

it to the people.
Be watchful, little one, for if the first fires—the holy ones—
fail to be lit or to be kept burning, or if those who have been
assigned to light them turn aside to celebrate and forget the reason
for their burning, they shall become the sites of unholy fires.
Remember the sweet scent of incense? A small ember can fill
the whole house with its essence. Likewise, a seared piece of healthy
steak that is left to char in the flame of a grill can also fill the house
with a welcome scent. But if the flesh is rotten or diseased, and if it
is allowed to smolder continually, the stench of it not only fills the
house, but all other surrounding dwellings, as well.
Keep your heart pure. Keep your vision clear and make sure
your memory of godly things is always present. Should you fail to
do so, very quickly a stench will arise.
Do not build or join in with the pagan fires of idolatry. These
bonfires in the dark of night invite unholy rituals and sacrifices
from the very pit of hell.
Always choose purity. Choose to offer up holy sacrifices and
celebrations. Let these holy bonfires burn brightly within you. Let
them draw others to their warmth and to their sweet fragrance. Let
them draw My children to Me. In holy fire, burn sweetly!
—86—
SORTING
Reach up, little one. The Kingdom of God is increasingly

near you. Your words are to proclaim it. Your activities are to give
witness to it. Even your very thoughts should always radiate its
truths.
Renew your mind. Subdue your emotions so that they come
under My authority. Choose to think about the truths of My
Word. In the same way that you sort dried beans before you cook
and eat them, sort your thoughts, because they will become food
for your spirit.
Some thoughts will be “sickened” in the natural, as they flow
through eroded flesh. Some will flow into your mind as planted
inspirations from My enemy. These thoughts are actually “peb-
bles” posing as “beans.”
Every thought that comes to you must be continually washed
in living water in order to remove the debris and to disclose their
true nature and character. The dust of the earth must be washed
—89—
away. As your thoughts are washed, the stones that are posing as
beans will be clearly evidenced.
It takes time to sort and inspect the dried beans. Sometimes
this sorting may be a bother to you and an encumbrance upon
your time. Just remember that it takes far greater time and focus to
sort human thoughts than it takes to sort beans. Scientists of the
mind say that this is impossible, because they say that the mind
receives passively—a victim of influence from exterior and interior
forces that are subject to the words that come to it. This is not so.
The renewed mind has the ability to differentiate between and to
discern thoughts as they form. It has the ability to then turn them
away before they are absorbed into the mind’s processing.
Seek this mental discipline. Seek the anointing of your mind,
which will enable you to function as one who has been renewed.
Your emotions rise out of your thoughts and perceptions. In
renewing your mind, you subject your emotions to My authority,
as well.
The unholy, undisciplined mind harbors and creates unholy,
undisciplined emotional responses. These neither serve Me nor
My Kingdom. Embrace this truth and walk in it. Teach it to oth-
ers. Pray My anointing upon others, so that they, too, can draw
near to Me and to My shalom. Do this so that shalom might come
to the Body of Messiah, where there is now disorder and strife.
Sort out the stones from the food, and then enjoy the great ban-
quet in which I have provided for you.
— 90 —
THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND
Can you feel the beginning wind upon your face, little one?
So many have turned their backs to it, hoping to ignore it as it
were in their imaginations. Listen! Do you hear the distant thun-
der? So many have been too busy with their loud music of merry-
making to notice it. What about the lightning and the dark clouds?
Have your eyes been turned toward them? So many of My
children are blind to their approach, because the world has placed
scales across their eyes, blinding scales that I would remove, if they
would only ask. Too many enjoy the distorted view through the
scales. How then shall they protect themselves and how can they
prepare for that which is coming in the wind? These are careless,
uncommitted children, who seek to be led blindly, by others who
are blind as well. They seek the wisdom of blind men. What folly
this is! How can one who is sightless know the correct path to fol-
low when there are so many from which to choose? Whether in a
place of total darkness or bright sunlight their perception is always
the same. Blind guides often feel confident in their application of
logic and their intellect. They say that they know the way, for they
—9 3—
have thought it through and used their reason to find it. Others
have blindly submitted their journey to the direction of unholy
spirit guides who are inspired by My enemy. They mistakenly
believe them to be benevolent bringers of divine truth.
Consider the cost of such deception. A blind man may reason
himself to be on safe ground because he can hear the pounding
surf of the distant ocean. “Surely, it is far from me!” he reasons.
And yet he may be quickly approaching the edge of a great cliff
high above the sea.
“Come and follow me!” he shouts to his blind companions. “I
know the way; we are safe on this course!” What folly it is to be so
close to death while still holding on to the arrogance of false
knowledge! How hideous it is to lead others to death, as well.
When the blind leader plummets from the cliff, will not the
others hear his cries of distress and panic? Will they then turn to
retreat? This is unlikely. Those who follow behind him will have
found the thought of hazard to be insulting to their own knowl-
edge and capabilities. They will have found it too frightening to
consider the possibilities.
These followers have heard the voice of their blind leader, and
they have believed his lies. They have believed the deception that
he truly has sight and that he will always warn them of danger.
They believe he surely will always lead them in truth! They have
closed off their ears to other voices, especially to My prompting.
They deny any reality other than the false reality through which
they have been led along in comfort.
Little one, to ever close off your ears and your heart to My
word would mean that error would surely come to you. With it col-
lective blindness, worldliness, and even death will come. My child,
your perceptions of mind and flesh that were created in your own
understanding without the wisdom of My Spirit are in error! You
cannot read My word without holy, spiritual eyes. You cannot hear
My words without holy, spiritual ears. You cannot walk in truth
— 94 —
T HE B L I N D LE A D I N G THE BLIND
when you are walking in flesh alone, because the flesh has been
corrupted by My enemy!
To be led in safety and in truth, I must lead you. In order for
Me to truly lead, you must surrender to My wisdom and authority.
Call out My name and I shall come to you. Just call it! Too many
use My name and know My name, but they do not honor My
name by living in submission to it. Many use My name to blame
me for the pain that they have caused themselves. Call to Me as
one who is willing to follow the authority of the One who pos-
sesses the name.
I am a purveyor of vision. I long for My children to see those
things to which the world is blind. In the darkness, I shall hold on
to your hand. In the bright light, I shall allow you the pleasure of
freedom to follow My call. Stop all further advances in any direc-
tion, if you are hearkening to any voice other than Mine. Put aside
the arrogance that comes from following your own course.
Too many are rapidly approaching the great cliff, because they
are being led blindly along in the company of others who are
blind. Choose to walk in the company of the sighted, in the com-
pany of those who honor Me and follow My lead. Then you shall
not only walk in safety, but also in joy, peace, and deep fulfillment.
—9 5—
CHOOSING DISOBEDIENCE
Little one, you are bothered by the question of the lost. What
should I tell you to put your heart at ease? Scripture is very clear
about these things. I mourn and grieve the eternal loss of My own
created children. And yet, what else can I do? Can I change the
eternal law of atonement? Should I violate My own Word? Am I
not just? Have I not extended My hand to save time and time
again? Either I am just, or I am not at all.
My children who choose to live in defiance and rebellion—
what should I do for them that I have not already done? I have
clearly given My Word and My grace. I have provided a lifetime of
opportunities and faithful witnesses who have spoken of My truth.
My Spirit constantly moves over the face of the earth, bringing
inspirations of My truth to those who would receive them.
When a choice to defy Me is made, whose fault is it? Is it a
generational curse that comes through the family line? Is it the
sins of one’s parents? Is it the painful circumstances of one’s life
—9 7—
that are to blame? Am I so hard and so blind that My grace does

not continually cover these things?
If someone is in bondage to spiritual darkness, is he left help-
less? NO! I have provided for them and I have waited with love for
the rebellious ones to return. I have provided pathways before
them on which to journey back to Me.
Such people deceive themselves and often others, however, by
the sweet rationale and explanations that flow from their lips. I
send to them trials to awaken them to truth, so they will under-
stand the spiritual dangers they face. In the final analysis, though,
the choice is always theirs, and I am always there to assist them in
making the choice to receive My wholeness.
They choose, but they choose disobedience. They choose to
believe they will be the great exception to My divine law. They
think, “Surely God’s arms are big enough to embrace me as I am.”
Yes, I am big enough to embrace them, but I am too righteous to
pull sin into My own bosom. My Word is clear about this. Why,
then, do they not listen? Do they think I am fiction, just some cre-
ation of human fantasy?
My mercy truly endures forever, but so, also, does My right-
eousness endure. My human creation no longer fears My right-
eousness. It no longer believes it to be reality. My holiness is the
measuring rod against which no man can stand. The Messiah will
stand in the place of anyone who would turn from sin and embrace
His righteousness. So, embrace it! Embrace it, and do not fill your
head with only knowledge of it! Yield your sinful nature to the
embrace of holiness. Cling to Me, and die to your bent toward sin-
ning. I will enable you to do this vital thing. You must only choose,
cry out, and embrace. I wait, and I cry out to you, weeping.
—98—
FEAR AND COBRAS
Little one, listen to the sound of fear in the hearts of men.

What is its tone? What is its timbre and its quality? Out of the
heart that fears comes the cacophony of lies, anger, self-protection,
and control. When you hear these sounds, be sure to examine their
origin. What is the source of the fear? Is it fear that arises from the
manipulation created by My enemy?
This tactic by the deceiver is meant to immobilize and cripple
My children. His words ring out, “Danger! Behold, this is not good
and true. You are unsafe. Things of God will harm and disappoint
you. They will confine you and will remove your freedom to enjoy
life.” These lies cause My children to seek false shelter in that
which is both familiar and unsafe, because they are ignorant of the
ploy. They are caused to flee from Me because of these lies, when
they should be bowing in prayer. Is My hand so short that I would
not protect those who would seek My guidance and My care?
Watch for the effect of all words of fear. Look to the fruit of
fear—its bitter offspring born out of deception. You will see
— 101 —
manipulation. You will see attacks of anxiety. You will see people
hiding behind past events and understandings. You will see the
spirit of the persecutor arising with his stinging whip of cruel
words directed toward others.
The way of My Kingdom is expansion. In the presence of
fear, you will see constriction. What was once easy and confident
becomes stressed and uncertain. What was surely known is ques-
tioned and doubted. In fear’s presence, My Word will be lost or
abandoned, and even bent at times. In all ways, the shalom is lost
to those who are given over to the deceiver’s grasp of fear.
But what of holy fear? What are its sounds? In holy fear,
which is true reverence of Me, you will find the sounds of weeping
and humility. Holy fear brings forth children of surrender and
obedience—children of repentance and the grace of forgiveness.
There will be no lies or slander there. Truth will stand untainted
by the charges of the Pharisees.
There will be an opening up of human hearts to godly
touches and encounters in order to purify My children. The
appetite for a deeper knowing of Me shall break forth, and people
shall be fed. There shall be sounds of holy laughter and rejoicing.
There shall be sounds of holy worship of the Most High, worship
in spirit and in truth and in freedom.
Which kind of fear runs rampant on the face of the earth?
Which is embraced and which is rebuked? When unholy fear
reigns, godly fear will be mocked and slandered. Those who walk in
holy fear will be scorned because he who stokes the fires of unholy
fear mocks and hates Me.
What should be My children’s response to unholy fear? It
should be met with a well-placed wall of faith. Fear, which arises in
the unholy claims that surrender and faith, are foolish, even dan-
gerous. It calls out to stay with those things in which are safe and
familiar, even if those very things would bring death to body, mind,
or spirit. As the spit venom of a cobra blinds, so does fear blind
—1 0 2—
FE A R AND COBRAS
My children. As the injected venom of the viper paralyzes and kills

the body, so does unholy fear in My Body of believers. Whether
spewed forth from the mouth in seemingly endless droplets of gos-
sip or by bitter lies injected directly into the members of the body,
death is equally assured.
Behold, the cobra can be charmed for a time, but is it any less
deadly as a result? You can manipulate unholy fear for a time, but
know that it can unloose its deadly venom at any moment. There
are those of My misguided children who manipulate fear by using
it to fascinate others or to bring personal or financial gain. Using
the power of fear, they gain attention through creating a mesmeriz-
ing “side show” or while deceiving others and themselves with the
lie that things are truly under control. Many times those who
would be confident of their “cobras in the basket” have fallen vic-
tim to their sudden, unexpected strike!
Put down unholy fear, My children. Seal its enticing, sweet
sounds from your hearts and your spirits. Remember to do this
when they call you to embrace them for any reason.
Always dress yourself in holy fear. In My perfect love, you
shall deflect the cobra’s strike and venom. Your words and your
actions will ring with truth and with peace. Division shall not
enter your heart, as unity with My Spirit will draw the fragments
of knowledge and understanding together. Faith shall be the filler
and the cement that will create the mosaic of holy wisdom.
Do not turn your back on the cobra. It can as easily destroy
your life from behind as it can from the front. Cover your eyes
with the lens of My Word and My truth. Pick up the sword of
faith, and lop off the head of this cobra of fear. Do not allow it to
slither away to strike again in another time and place.
Unholy fear has always risen up to destroy My faithful and to
destroy My Word in them. Holy fear has always ascended to the
heights above its range. Be about the business of learning holy fear.
Come to know Me, not just to know about Me. Come to Me in
—1 0 3—
holy fear and in trembling first. Then come in confidence and in

joy. Your fear and trembling will equip you to defeat My enemy. In
confidence and in joy, we two shall commune together.
Behold, the cobras are multiplying at an increasing rate. Come
to Me quickly, that your faith might be multiplied. Hesitate in
order to be fascinated by the cobras’ movements, or toy with them
or turn your back toward them and ignore their presence, and your
faith may perish in an unexpected attack. In that perilous moment,
you shall be in danger of being transformed. In the bite of fear,
with the venom circulating throughout your being, even you could
be transformed into a cobra! Take heed.
— 104 —
THORNS
How have you experienced thorns, little one? Have they been
the price you’ve had to pay for gathering roses? Have they been a
surprise of pain to your bare feet? Do they say to you, “Do not
touch”? Why are there thorns in the world? What was I thinking
of when I formed them? Were they the result of a fallen, broken
creation that came about after sin entered My perfect world?
Thorns present contrasts into My creation, do they not? How
can a beautiful rose be endowed with such a hazard? How can
ripe, juicy berries beg to be picked, and yet cost you dearly for
touching them?
Thorns have come forth to speak of challenged vulnerability.
While they convey the suggestion of self-protection for their
bearer, they become the declaration of cost to those who would be
vulnerable to their touch. In the beginning, My human children
were without hazard. They only needed to feel vulnerable to My
love—never to pain. The advent of sin changed that reality.
—1 0 7 —
Many of My wounded children bear in their bodies, minds,

and spirits the wounds of embedded thorns. They have come to
them by the actions and words of the careless and the self-pro-
tected—those with evil intent and those who have acted in igno-
rance. Some have come down through the generations, as those
who have borne thorns have thrust them into the hearts of others
so they would join them in their pain.
What happens if a thorn is left in place and not withdrawn?
The pain from it increases as infection sets in. It is the same with
the thorns that have been left in place within the hearts, minds,
and spirits of My precious children. Have you not seen their evi-
dence? As a tender child is ridiculed by someone, a thorn is
introduced; it is a thorn of self-doubt or, perhaps, self-hate. If
there has been an assault upon the innocence of a child by way of
violence or sexual perversion, a deep thorn invades this vulnera-
ble one. There are so many ways and so many points of entry for
these thorns of pain and bitterness, of dysfunction and hatred, of
sadness and doubt.
Have you felt thorns in your flesh, emotions, or spirit? What
action have you taken toward them? Have you shielded them?
Have you denied them and their crippling effects? Have you held
on to them so you would feel permission to act in kind to others?
Have you been too preoccupied with the pain and with coping to
even notice the sources from which they came?
What is to be done about thorns? To be in this life means you
will face the hazard of thorns being directed into your being.
When you have been stuck by a thorn, whether in your past or in
your present, you must respond. Do not respond by grabbing a
similar thorn, and then by thrusting it into the one who wounded
you. Respond with a cry to be heard by My ears, a cry to My name
to restore you.
Expose your woundedness to Me. Become vulnerable to My
love and touch again. I shall gently extract the thorn, and I shall
bring its wound to certain healing. Then, turn with forgiveness to
— 1 0 8—
THORNS
the one who inflicted the wound upon you, and perhaps you will
bring healing to the very one who caused you the pain.
There is a mystery that you must know about thorns that
have been thrust upon the innocent. When the wounded one turns
to Me, and asks both for forgiveness and healing for the perpetra-
tor of the pain, an act of redemption begins. Such love and com-
passion bring to bear many circumstances and conditions you
cannot know, but which all work toward restoration.
You have seen this before. Do you remember? It was no acci-
dent that an innocent victim was impaled with a crown of thorns.
Within that crown of thorns there was the painful payment—the
price for every thorn which would ever pierce My children. In the
midst of that great pain came the cry of which I have spoken to
you: “Forgive them.” At the same time, this heart of innocence
cried out, “Restore them to yourself.” And it was so.
You see, the price has been paid for the thorns you bear. Give
them to Me now, so I can remove them and bring you healing.
Allow Me to take them, so that he who has wounded you might
have a chance to be restored in your love. Will you do this thing of
faith, my love, for yourself and for the others who love Me? Truly I
say to you, in the New Kingdom of My love there will be no
thorns, no pain, and no hazards. Until then, know that the King-
dom of God is within you; it is there for the purpose of overcom-
ing the world’s pain and ugliness. Yield to My hand. Forgive, be set
free, and be restored.
—1 0 9—
REGRET
Little one, what is sad about a beautiful flower, which dies

after coming to full bloom? There is no sadness or regret in such a
thing. The flower did well what it was created to do. It opened
itself up to the world—hiding nothing of itself. It gave up its days
to declare the glory of the Creator and to give delight to My world.
This is joy! This is fulfillment!
The world is filled with people whose lives show forth sadness
and regret. Unlike the flowers, they have spent their days on things
that have left them unfulfilled. Rather than opening themselves
wide to the call given by the Creator, they have closed themselves
off to My divine plan.
They have not revealed the beauty that was placed deep
within them at their creation. Instead, they have refused to bloom
according to their created design. They designed their own pur -
pose and plan, which denied them the joy of fulfillment. Still in
bud, their lives remained closed. Their true beauty was left unborn
and unseen in the world. The days given to these unopened flowers
— 111 —
were driven by control and self-determination. They sought to

bloom for their own glory. They sported their colors to be admired
and approved. They never saw the depth of glory within them-
selves, because they took what was never theirs, and perverted it
into the ways of the world.
These who were created to be a delight in My world have
become identified by their thorns rather than by their beauty of
blossom, fragrance, or fruit.
Why do these, who are surrounded by sadness, believe that
they live in fullness? They have not even opened themselves suffi-
ciently to truly see the light of the “Sonshine.” They have not
known the loving caress of My gentle rain. They were afraid to risk
exposure. Some have even surmised that if they open up them-
selves to My presence, they would lose their allotted days, that I
would rob them. They believed that if they were to bloom they
would surely wither. Staying intact meant staying in the closed-
bud stage of life development.
Such a life reaches its end only to realize that the “blossom” of
their days is named “regret.” Things that might have been never
were. Things that were presumed to be glory faded into emptiness.
And what lasting impression remains behind as a witness to their
lives? Bitterness, unmet dreams, and futility are their legacy. The
wealth of material things has proven to be hollow and imperma-
nent. Like eating cotton candy, it has been of no substance, disap-
pearing quickly, tasting sweet for only a moment.
I have not created you to bring forth regret. I have created
you to bring forth joyful fruit and glory for My Kingdom. I cre-
ated you to open wide to the light of My love, to drink deeply of
My living water.
Will these unopened buds ever realize their error and then
bloom? Tragically, most do not. At their life’s end, they look back to
see the glory of their lives fade away. The book of their lives is filled
—1 1 2—
REFLECTIONS
with blank pages, and with the last stroke of the pen, they write,
“REGRET.” They weep and so do I.
Come, trust, yield, and open to My hand. Then, at the end of
your days, we shall dance together. It will be a dance of fulfilled
victory.
—1 1 3—
WEARING THE YOKE
To be in human flesh is to wear a yoke. It is only as one leaves

the abode of the earth that the yoke is removed. Since this is the
lot of all My children, they would do well to learn how to wear the
yoke. It need not be a crushing burden, but only a reminder that
My little ones still walk in the flesh.
At the beginning of creation, My children were free of any
yoke. All that is in My storehouse fell freely into their possession.
When the choice was made to disobey Me, however, My human
creation found themselves under the yoke of consequence con-
cerning their choice.
No longer would everything be easy. Now life on earth would
consist of both work and challenge. If My child would choose to
bear this yoke alone, without calling upon Me to join him or her in
the pulling of the load, then the burden would indeed be heavy.
However, if one would cry out and acknowledge the need for a
Deliverer and a Helper in the difficult journey of life, I would be
quick to respond with My help.
—1 1 5 —
Some of My children are born with a more difficult yoke

upon them due to the decisions and choices their parents and
ancestors made. Some carry a weight forced upon them from the
sinful world of the present. In either case, I am quick to lighten
their load by sharing it Myself, if they would only call out to Me.
Each child has the right to choose Me or not—to call out or
remain silent before Me.
It is written that My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Does that mean that I carry very little of the weight? No! It means
that anything that comes to Me can be carried easily upon My
shoulders. As one shares My yoke, I always carry the greater
weight of the burden, and I delight in doing so.
Who would choose to take the weight from My side, to make
it his own? Sadly, such a choice is often made. How foolish this is,
for no human creation alone can carry such a load. Too many
accuse Me of piling on the weight when all along it is by their own
doing that the burden comes to them.
Others have not learned how to wear the yoke. They do not
wear it on the strongest place, across their shoulders. Rather, they
lay it across a weak place. The neck cannot support it, no matter
how stiff it is. The forehead cannot support it, no matter how
strong the intellect and mind might be. The arms cannot bear it,
no matter how strong the will to embrace it might be.
The yoke must be situated, placed, and positioned by Me. It
must be placed upon the shoulders so that it is carried evenly on
the body. In this way strength is drawn from all parts. Balance,
sound footing, and even postures of rest are available to the person
who bears the load in this way.
The lesson of learning how to carry the load is then followed
by learning how to walk in partnership with Me. There must be no
striving to beyond my pace. There must be no lagging behind
either. There must be perfect agreement in our steps and in our
—1 1 6—
WEARING THE YO K E
stopping and going. When we move forward we must do so

together, and when I cease moving, you must wait.
No field can ever be plowed when the oxen are not matched
in their pace and movement. If the burden rests too heavily upon
the weaker one, so that exhaustion occurs, the forward progress
ceases. One cannot be allowed to drag the other along. If one
member of the pair stops while the other advances, a stationary
circle will be the result.
You were created for partnership and relationship with Me.
You are to be the weaker partner who depends upon My strength
and My wisdom. If you relegate to Me the secondary status, you
will soon tire and fall. If you will not allow Me to be yoked with
you in this life, you will advance little, and you will produce noth-
ing eternal.
Why would you choose lonely struggle and frustrated efforts
over strength and effectiveness? One reason comes rapidly for-
ward; it is arrogance. Arrogance comes in the form of self-suffi-
ciency, self-determination, and rebellion. Yes, to rebel is a statement
of arrogance. In such a form of rebellion, the creature presumes to
know the journey better than the Creator. Operating in this decep-
tion the created one declares that he or she needs nothing but the
self and its abilities to live a meaningful life.
Put aside these things, and be yoked with Me in love. I shall be
your strength. I shall make the adjustments to your load that are nec-
essary, in accordance with the appropriate season of your life. See the
fruit of being yoked with Me. As we walk together, working and car-
rying the load together, you shall see strength, joy in success, com-
panionship, comfort, security, and safety arising within you.
Therefore, let go of your need to direct and control. Let go,
My children, of your need to feel “all grown up” and independent.
You will outgrow your need for your earthly parents, but you will
never outgrow your need for Me. And I will never tire of being
yoked with you in My love.
—1 1 7 —
CLIMBING MOUNTAINS
So many times, little one, the day-to-day challenges of your

life seem to loom in front of you like a great mountain. In the
moments just prior to the ascent these questions come: Why is this
so great a thing now set before me? Must I climb it? Is there an
easier way to get to the road ahead?
The first step forward in any challenge is always making peace
with the reality that the challenge is real, that it is truly yours, and
that it is, in fact, necessary. Those who do not take this first crucial
step often sit down to wait for another way to appear or for some-
one to come along who might carry the traveler up the mountain.
In doing so, their journey stops. Soon the heat of the noonday sun
will beat down on the traveler’s head. His or her water supply will
be depleted. The one who was called to embark on the journey
soon dries up and withers away.
However, if the first steps up the mountain are accepted and
chosen, progress will soon be made. Along the way of the climb,
many choices will appear. Is it easier to climb by way of the carved
—1 1 9—
stone steps—the path built by great efforts of those who have

passed this way before? Or should the narrow, direct path be the
way? Only a few others have walked upon this trail. It is obviously
more narrow and uncertain. Is there a shortcut that can be made
through the virgin forest and underbrush? No one, it appears, has
ever chosen this way. The dangers involved with this choice seem
greater, but then, perhaps the climb would be significantly shorter
this way.
Sometimes it is best to tackle a great task through methods
that have been used by others who have faced similar situations.
The safety of proven strategies is far greater and the comfort they
provide is surer. The already-tested way has many resting places,
allowing the climb to be more comfortable and less tiresome, even
though it may actually be longer.
The less-clear path may be the best learning experience, how-
ever. The traveler who journeys along this way will have to discover
where it may be safe to walk and where the hazards are. The foot-
ing may be less sure, so that the stress of the climb may prove to be
greater. And yet, this may be of greater overall benefit to the
climber with regard to other journeys that may still lie ahead.
The greatest uncertainty lies in the climb where no others
have ventured before. For such routes there are no human maps
and no road signs to follow. In the dense forest there is less light
and greater, unseen dangers. Along this climb, the compass, the
rope, and the knife are vital tools for the climber. The compass
ensures that he or she will be able to travel in the right direction.
The rope makes it possible to cross over chasms that may appear.
The knife defends against poisonous serpents and may be used to
help provide food during the arduous journey.
On this route, the climber has the singular opportunity to
experience the blessings of overcoming in the face of great odds.
Similarly, in the journey of faith you will need to meet a variety
of challenges, according to My recommendations. Always
—1 2 0—
CL I M B I N G M O U N T A I N S
remember that I know what course to take. I always know what is

needful for you.
Though it takes greater strength and skill to forge a path, oth-
ers will benefit from your efforts. Sometimes you will need many
tools and weapons to conquer the mountain. At other times you
will need only strength and persistence.
Ask Me to show you how to climb the mountain. I will direct
and equip you. Always remember to keep climbing. You were
designed to be an overcomer in Me. If you choose to stay at the
foot of the mountain, then the mountain will defeat you. It may
even destroy your journey.
Your surrender to defeat ensures your failure and your loss.
Do not be overconfident in your own strength and in your own
ability. Listen to My way, and follow Me in obedience. When I call
for you to rest, simply stop and rest. I will never set before you too
great a task for you to accomplish. I will never allow so great an
obstacle to come before you that you will not be able to surmount
it. Trust Me. Do not trust your eyes. Trust and climb. Do not trust
your reason or understanding.
When you have defeated the mountain, you will have acquired
new learning and strength. Those things will become a part of you
and will remain with you. They will serve you greatly when the
next mountain appears before you.
You were created to achieve victory in Me. You were made to
be a dweller on the high ground. Truly, from the heights many new
and otherwise unseen things can be viewed and understood.
Come! Do not be afraid of the mountain. I could remove it
easily if it were My will to do so. Trust My hand and My purpose
with regard to the mountain you face. As it remains before you, I
shall transform it into a gift. In the process, I will transform you
into the gifted.
—1 2 1—
THUNDER AND STORM
Little one, what does the sound of thunder indicate? It signals

the onset of a disturbance. It signals an environmental conflict
producing an oncoming storm. A storm is caused when an atmos-
phere of high temperature conflicts with a mass of cooler air.
These two systems battle with each other in their attempt to
determine the prevailing weather condition.
Hot air is lighter than the cold air, so the hot air has the supe-
rior position. As the two temperature systems meet in the battle of
a storm, the system that survives the encounter declares that a
change has occurred. The hotter temperature has cooled down, and
the cooler temperature has become warmer. Both air masses have
been affected and modified by the encounter.
Whenever those who are “hot” in My Spirit meet with believ-
ers who are “cool” or “cold,” there will be a disturbance. There will
be clashing, noise, and a storm will result. Each will seek to hold
the predominant position. Those who are on higher ground will
have the advantage.
— 123 —
The presence of My Word and the presence of active, uncon-

ditional love put one upon higher ground. However, even he who
stands upon the higher ground will never be able to overcome the
coolness of the other by means of force. He or she must mingle the
fire of My Spirit with the heat of love in order to modify the cool
fear of the other person. The one containing a greater warmth
must present a climate of submission to My will and way instead
of yielding to the demand for control within the other. After the
encounter, there will be a modification in the lives of both individ-
uals. The “cold” ones will have become somewhat warmer by the
contact, and the “burning hot” one will have offered up some of his
or her heat to warm the other.
The sound of thunder is frightening to many, especially to
small children. Similarly, the sound of conflict within My Body
that occurs when the two varying temperatures collide is the insti-
gator of fear in My people. I do not see it as the major threat they
perceive, however. I see it as the herald of change. If the two never
were to meet, there would be no storm. There would be only a
quiet and dangerous separation. I need these two extremes to meet
each other. Indeed, I call for it to happen.
Do not hear the oncoming thunder and then say, “This is a
bad thing that is coming.” Say only, “There is change in the air. A
new climate of understanding is coming.” True, flesh can maneuver
My Spirit to a limited degree. But it can never eliminate My
power to bring change. Can a person hold back the thunder? Does
its sound cease to be by covering one’s ears? No! It will come, and
My direction will be in it and over it.
After the cooling of the storm, the temperatures will again
rise. However, this time, it will be the two, mingling temperatures
that will rise together.
Allow Me to direct the mix and the timing. It shall be done
well. Fear not! Do not try to control the prevailing climate of My
Spirit: Give Me the conditions of the meeting and all those who
are involved. I shall swirl them together at just the right moment
—1 2 4—
THUNDER AND ST O R M
and make something new and fresh from the confrontation. There
shall be a flash of great power and light. There shall be the great
roar of new creation. There shall be the sweet fragrance of unity.
Then the rain will come.
— 125 —
OSTRICHES
Consider My creation of the ostrich, little one. The ostrich is

magnificent in My eyes. Human eyes, on the other hand, may see
the ostrich as being ridiculous. Nonetheless, these birds are filled
with lessons for those who are open to them and seek them.
Everything I create brings a teaching—a revelation of deeper
truths and realities. Is it surprising to find that which the world sees
as foolish is, in fact, a rich, spiritual treasure? I choose that which
appears to be foolish in order to confound the wise and the arrogant.
Why would I create a bird that is so large and seemingly so
disproportionate? Why would I create such a big body with tiny
wings? Why would I give a bird a hissing and a squawking voice
instead of a song? Surely a human engineer would have been wiser
and done better, some may reason. What was I thinking when I
created the ostrich with these features? Did I leave the task to a
committee of angels?
Consider the lessons to be learned from the ostrich. A bird with-
out flight would seem helpless. Yet, this is not the case with the
— 1 2 7—
ostrich. Its long legs and its long neck lift its eyes above many things.
Such a vantage point is useful when it comes to seeing danger at a
distance. Once seen, the threat may be greeted in two ways. The bird
can run on the powerful legs I have provided for it. No bird is able to
run away faster. The second option is to attack the danger by using
those same capable legs. If the foe does not run off, it can be met
effectively in combat by way of the ostrich’s mighty kicks.
While the ostrich’s wings cannot lift it high above the threat,
they do provide balance, enabling easy maneuverability while
attacking and defending. As the feet advance, the beak is always
ready to bite. The voice both sends forth an alarm to the others
and at the same time evokes fear into the attacker’s heart.
Now, was I not wise in the way I designed the ostrich? Even
the weakness of the ostrich is a valuable object lesson. Have you
perceived it? Such a powerful and great creature would be fearless
of small things, would it not? And yet, the ostrich is easily sur -
prised and startled into terror by the smallest unexpected or
unknown sound or presence.
It is quick to seek a hiding place, as its heart pounds in panic.
In the soft folds of the sand, the startled ostrich buries its head.
That which startled it is now unseen and unheard. In the under-
standing of the ostrich, it is gone, and it is no longer a threat.
In many ways, My human creation resembles the ostrich. I
have made My children both powerful and capable. By My gifting,
they can defend against the enemy. They can see the advancing foe
by way of the high vision I’ve provided by my Spirit. They can
move quickly to safety or move against the enemy, causing him to
flee. In battle, they are well equipped with the weapons of My
Spirit, if they would only pick them up and use them. Using the
wings of My Spirit, they can balance and maneuver well in every
fray. Each one has a voice to shout the alarm to others, and each
one has a cry with which to confuse and frighten that which would
attempt to subdue them.
—1 2 8 —
OS T R I C H E S
With such equipping, why would any of My children fear?

And yet, fear continually immobilizes so many of My children.
Walking in preoccupation, or in self-occupation, they can be sur -
prised and startled by the slightest rustling about them. Forgetting
their available resources and gifting, they scurry to find safety.
They run to places where there is no safety, thinking that this will
give them security. Some “bury their heads” in the sands of the
past. Others “bury their heads” in institutions or in traditions.
Many retreat to their own understanding or to the understandings
of other people. There is no safety in these things. Human under-
standing is far too inadequate, as are all other human resources.
Has the threat gone away as a result of hiding? No!
And what about the threat? What is the true nature of the
perceived threat? What if the stirring—the rustle—the sound in
your ear is Me? What if I have drawn closer to you in order to seek
you and to touch you in love? Would I be a threat? Sadly, for some
I am a threat, particularly if I move too close to them. My drawing
close to them threatens their world and their understanding of
who I am and what I am expected to do. It threatens their very
spiritual understandings and the false premises they cling to.
Why? If I would love beyond all others, would I not also long to
be closer than all others?
So, now would you have Me touch you? Would it be in an awe-
some grandeur that is worthy of My status, or would it be in a sim-
ple, unpredictable style of yours? I make Myself known, and I touch
people in the ways I choose, not in the ways of human convention.
Does this offend you? Does it threaten your need for distance
and control? In these things, make note of the arrogance of your
heart. How would you demand your God to appear and touch
you? Be careful, little one. Throughout the generations, I have
come near to My children, but only to the humble of heart who
were willing to receive Me in the form I chose to reveal to them.
Those who were willing to receive Me were enabled to embrace
me. What if Moses had said, “I shall not speak to a bush, for surely
— 129 —
a great God would only speak out of the fire of a mountain?” The
bush was one choice I made to reveal Myself—the mountain was
another face of revelation yet to come.
I can choose to present Myself in great glory or in quiet sim-
plicity. I can choose to touch one’s mind in gentle revelation or
touch one’s body in humbling, vibrating convulsions.
Ask Me to come and touch you, and I will. Dictate how I must
appear or legislate when I should move upon you, and you will be
distanced from Me. The distance will be of your choosing, not
Mine. Consider these things carefully, My child. If you fear decep-
tion, be an open seeker of My truth. Your own preconceptions leave
you vulnerable to deception. Listen for My voice and watch for
My presence. If your fear causes you to hide in the sands of
human things or in the precepts of this world’s understandings,
surely, as I walk by, you will miss My touch.
—1 3 0—
SHEARING
The heat has come, and the cold of winter has passed. What
was necessary covering for the body during the chill can now be
put aside. There is no need for a coat or a hat now. They can be
easily removed and stored away. But what about those things which
are a part of you, those things that are attached to you? Can the
sheep remove his winter garment? When too long or too thick, can
the hair growing from your scalp be removed like a hat? No! So,
how does one remove that which is grown like fleece into gar-
ments? It is necessary to call in another person who has the proper
tools to remove them.
The sheep needs the shepherd with shears to carefully cut
away its heavy coat. Shearing must be done with great skill to
avoid injury to the sheep. But what about a man or a woman? Can
a person cut his own hair without a mirror? It is far easier, and
done more effectively, when a barber is given the work. He who has
the tools and the skills can do the work quickly, without injury to
the one being trimmed.
— 133 —
Consider now those things in a person’s history, attitudes,

understanding, or behaviors which have become unnecessary, sti-
fling garments. These things no longer bring comfort to the indi-
vidual. They now can bring suffocation and even a loss of
consciousness due to heat prostration.
How few of My children are willing to come to Me for the
shearing they so desperately need. Without a mirror and with
blade in hand, they begin to chop and to cut. They do not have the
necessary vision or tools to do this work. They have no training
and skill. Once they are aware that the garment clinging to them is
too great a weight upon them, they often seek to remove it imme-
diately. Foolishly, they often seek to remove that which has grown
to be a part of them, as if it were only a sweater.
If only they would seek Me rather than attempting to use
their own methods and understandings. I am the Master Shearer.
I know exactly how to cut away, what to cut away, and what to
retain. I know what skills are needed to keep My sheep from
injury. Let Me wield the shears. Do not allow another person to do
this job, unless I am guiding the hand of that person. Seek My
wisdom before entrusting your shearing to another.
Why does the shearing need to be done? It is for health of the
sheep and for its comfort, so that fresh air and light can reach the
body of the sheep and the load upon its back and feet might be
made much lighter. These are some of the reasons, but yet, there is
a more important reason. That which has become the “garment” of
one’s life experience and is no longer necessary or helpful, may
need to come off to assist another person. Again, the pain of one’s
life, once removed and washed, can become hope and warmth for
another little one who may now be shivering in the dark and cold
in hopelessness or shame.
You see, the stories of My healed and freed ones can comfort
others who suffer. A naked, shamed lamb can be covered in the
blanket of your victory over similar nakedness. The pain, sheared
away and woven into victory, can serve as support and direction for
—1 3 4—
SHEARING
others who are overburdened, for those who have lost sight of the
Shepherd and for those who have hidden from Him. Your story of
love and victory brings forth in these others the trust that is
needed to return them to the Shepherd’s care.
The woolly coat of the sheep in the springtime needs to come
off both for his comfort and for the use of another. That which has
become an encumbrance to one can be taken apart, washed, and
knitted into something new—something of great beauty. The new
blanket or sweater is, indeed, made of the same material. It still is
wool. But now it is in a different and more useful form for the
present season. That which was uncomfortable in the heat of
springtime can become warmth for those who will shiver when the
cold comes again. First, the heavy, wool fleece must be transformed
so that it can be used in the winter.
Do not try to cut away your own garments of burden and
history, little one. Do not despise nor discard the matted clumps
they form. Let Me carefully remove them, cleanse them, and
remake them upon My loom, so that the relief of one can
become a blessing to many.
— 1 3 5—
HARVESTING RASPBERRIES
How lovely are the bushes decked out in the beautiful red of
the raspberries. In the morning sun, they summon the appetites of
the birds circling above them. But these delicious treasures are for
the delight of My human children this morning. Who will venture
out early to gather them while they still remain on the bushes? It
must be one who will be unafraid of thorns and mosquitoes—one
who will put aside the leisure of the morning in order to labor for
the harvest.
Do you see how the unripe berries cling to their attachment,
little one? Their harvest is based upon timing. If they are plucked
too soon, they will lack the juice and sweetness that come from
being ripe in My timing. To pick them prematurely is both a strug-
gle and a disappointment. It is a struggle to detach them without
injury and that would seem to be frustration enough, but then to
have them in hand and to find out that they lack full flavor and
quality would be an even greater disappointment.
— 1 3 7—
It is the same with the harvesting of My human “fruit.” When

well-intentioned harvesters move too quickly upon one who is not
yet ripe and full in My timing, those who would gather are left
frustrated and disappointed with the fruit. Forced to be claimed
too soon, the one being harvested can actually be damaged and be
denied the full sweetness of his season. I will always instruct those
who will listen about the ways of the harvest. He who planted the
seeds, the One who knows both the vines and the seasons, must be
the One who will declare the time of harvest. Listen for My direc-
tions as you patiently watch for the sign of ripeness.
Harvest of the berries, when ripe, must occur swiftly to avoid
being lost to the circling birds who would prey upon them. So, too,
it is with the gathering of My children in the harvest of their souls.
The enemy of the Gardener comes and waits for the moment of
choice ripeness, which is his opportunity to prey upon them. See
how the birds neglect the unripe berries? Only those berries that
are ready and ripe for harvest are targeted by them.
In the same way, watch when you see My enemy circling
above, for it is then that he is ready to dive upon My ripening chil-
dren. Move quickly to snatch them up into My hands, as I call to
you. When the enemy appears boldly, prepare to move boldly to
save them.
Look carefully underneath the leaves in order to harvest the
fruit. Don’t look only on the surface, where you can easily see the
plump, ripe berries. There you will find many who have been neg-
lected and now wait, overfull with juice and splendor. Many will
ripen here, too far from notice, and they will fall to the ground to
rot or to be devoured by the slugs. They would have achieved
ripeness and harvest potential while remaining unseen and unno-
ticed. They would be excluded from the harvest because of the
lack of attentive harvesters.
Look for My hidden children, little one. Look for those who
wait in private silence, on the very edge of life itself. Stoop and look
for them lovingly. These have ripened by My grace, even without
—1 3 8 —
HARVESTING RASPBERRIES
the benefit of the present “Sonshine.” These, too, are sweet and
pleasing to Me. So, hunt carefully. Be ever watchful for these. Some
have come to a place of ripeness without the benefit of exposure to
the things of My Kingdom and without the truths of My King-
dom. My Spirit has far-reaching influence. Do not discount what I
can do to prepare My own, even when they are unseen by you.
What about the thorns? Those who would gather ripe berries
for the table need to be aware of the thorns and they need to be
unafraid of them. A timid harvester who is bent upon comfort and
ease would gather little. To reach in among the thorns, to capture
the precious treasures that are clinging to the branches—the fruit
awaiting touch—requires courage and self-surrender. The goal of
the harvest overshadows the threat of pain.
When gathering My children to Me, harvester, you must be
surrendered to both the labor and to the personal cost of the
labor. Woundedness frequently occurs when one gathers both ripe
berries and My human treasure, as well. Reach out! Surrender
yourself to the harvest, and do not pull back from the tearing of
the thorns. Do not retreat from the harvest in order to avoid its
pain. Stretch out into the threat, guided by My hand and by My
Word. I shall be the Healer of your wounds, and I shall be the
Restorer of the torn places. I carefully pull out the thorns that get
embedded in the flesh. Trust Me! The pain shall never over-
shadow the joy you will receive from the gathering of My little
ones. I promise!
Do the mosquitoes within the berry patch annoy you? They
come to hover where there is moisture. The water in the soil feeds
My ripening berries, and it also draws the attention of the mos-
quitoes. They are merely an annoyance, though, not a hazard.
Cover yourself with mosquito repellent before you go forth into
the berry patch.
Likewise, when you are about to harvest My human fruit for
the glory of My Kingdom, be careful to cover yourself. Cover
yourself with My Word, with prayer, with fasting, and with
— 139 —
praise. These things will drive away the annoyances. In fact, the
hovering swarms will not even be noticed as you take part in the
joy of harvesting.
A gatherer of raspberries may be thwarted in the plucking by
the mere sight of the swarm. Do not look at or consider the size of
the swarm. Do not be forestalled by its appearance. Cover yourself
and then look only upon the awaiting fruit. Never focus upon the
mosquitoes. Do not give heed to their deafening and threatening
buzz.
Upon occasion, I will call specially chosen harvesters to go
out into the deep woods, to gather from the wild bushes. These
will encounter the bear and the snake who freely inhabit these
areas. These predators of the wild berries claim their right to feed
upon them in their territory. Do not venture out into the deep
woods, however, believing yourself properly equipped for this har-
vest. Only those who have been taught the way of the bear and the
snake, those who listen with the greatest attentiveness to My voice
are selected to claim the wild ones. Only those who have been
taught the hidden path and the dark secrets of the forest may ven-
ture here. Stand ready to receive this precious harvest, as it is lov-
ingly carried from the darkened woods. Stand ready to bind up the
wounds of the harvesters, for these may suffer much for the sake of
this harvest. Stand ready to celebrate the victory of this claimed
treasure.
When the harvest of berries is complete, when the table is set,
displaying the fruit, and when the season of harvest is over, there is
always great rejoicing. Likewise, when My human harvest is com-
plete and when My table is set, displaying the bounty, when the
season of harvest has ended, all of heaven shall rejoice. The
wounds, the thorns, the slugs, and the mosquitoes of this life shall
then be forgotten. Together we shall rejoice and delight in the
bounty. Together we shall rejoice forever!
— 140 —
SONGBIRDS
There are many species of songbirds, little one. Some are

joyously bright with color, while others are nearly unnoticed in
their humble garb. Did I make the bright ones with more love?
Did I create the dull in appearance with less favor? No! I create
according to My purpose.
Some are needed to bring joy and celebration. Others are
needed to join My children in their pain, bringing simple comfort
in companionship. When one is downcast and suffering, a bright
bird is too sharp a contrast, and this only intensifies the pain. One
of simpler color can be embraced and received. Rejection is more
intense in the presence of the flamboyant. Comfort and acceptance
are absorbed more effectively in the presence of the humble.
When you find one of My children in a time of celebration,
adorn the full spectrum of color into your soul. Wear it openly.
When you find a brother or sister in deep pain, subdue your flam-
boyance. Put on a garment which is lacking in soulish, demonstra-
tive color. As a servant, put aside your need to be noticed and
—1 4 3—
unrestrained. Step down into a humble holding of the other. Wrap

your wings of peace around the suffering one. Be his or her
strength and shelter, rather than a celebration or a dance. Gently
pull out the thorn. Bring healing oil and nurse the one back to his
or her own strength and joy in Me. Then celebrate the restoration.
First, put upon him or her the garments of praise, then adorn
yourself with them. Enter into another’s pain, not to injure your -
self or to yield up your deep joy, only to place your joy in the
quietness of your inner being where it can move in power through
your quietness in Me.
Notice the songs of My birds. Do all birds make music? No.
Some who are flamboyant in color, can only squawk. Yet, the most
humbly adorned often have the sweetest song. Why would I do
such a thing? Sometimes a bright appearance would overshadow a
song’s message. The eyes are too easily overwhelmed and are too
tightly focused upon that which is brightest. The song would be
lost to the ears due to the obsession of the eyes. How best do you
hear that which you would stretch to hear? You close your eyes, so
that your focus is solely upon hearing.
Do not be overwhelmed or distracted by what you see in My
children. Do not be seduced into believing that greater favor goes
to the beautiful and richly adorned. Some of My most valuable
songs come from the lips of My poor and simple children, those
who draw no attention to the eye, except, perhaps, to pity. Listen to
the words of these precious ones. Listen to the songs I have placed
within their hearts and lips. My world needs to hear their music.
Let it be heard first in your ears of both flesh and spirit. Close
tightly your eyes of flesh, and listen to the song that arises in these
precious children by My Spirit.
— 144 —
WITHIN THE FOLD
Little one, satan seeks to sift each of My children as wheat. He

seeks to create doubt, division, blindness, and a spirit of redress.
Every dark and evil thing comes from him, and each is designed to
inflict My children.
I am the Shepherd. I call My sheep. They follow My voice,
and they dwell in safety. But the false voice comes and it often
mimicks My own voice. If My children follow that voice, they are
led astray.
In My sheepfold there is protection for My sheep. When the
sheep hear My voice, they will move together, as they confirm that
the voice is Mine. However, if there is a sheep that is standing
apart from the fold, away from Me, and he or she also hears a
voice, the sheep has no one to either confirm or deny its source.
Lone sheep are prone to guessing, and guessing can be deadly,
indeed.
On cold nights the sheep in the fold may huddle together,
sharing their inner warmth as protection against the harsh chill.
—1 4 7 —
Each one adds to the total warmth, creating a great, comfortable

heat. Alone, however, a solitary sheep can freeze.
Alone, a sheep can easily wander away from safety, because he
or she is occupied and distracted by grazing. In wandering, he or
she may fall into a crevice. In such a case, he who hears or sees the
predicament to sound an alarm with a chorus of bleating? Much
pain occurs in the lonely, injured, fright-filled sheep who is waiting
for help.
I have created the sheepfold for My sheep to provide them
with safety, comfort, and fellowship with Me and with the rest of
the flock. Yet, how many sheep would choose to remain outside the
fold, feeling it to be too restrictive and too confining? Oh, what
benefits they deny themselves. Within the fold there always is an
abundance of love, warmth, and protection.
Think upon the expressions of this love. In a time of sorrow,
one who loves may cry your tears with you, even to the point of
tasting the salt within them. In this way, strength is added to your
weakness, as the pain is divided and borne by more than one. The
strength of another is added to your own. Only love can dilute,
diminish, or delete pain. When there is no strength in one member,
the strength of another coming alongside enables the journey to
continue.
In a time of confusion, one within the flock can, in love, offer
up clarity and wisdom that has been given by Me. When the fires
of anger rage, words of compassion and love can diminish their
potential to burn. Open wounds can be cleansed and irrigated for
healing by the generous flow of tears from others who love.
I did not create My children for solitude. I create eternal ties.
Have you not felt the cords that bind hearts together, adding
strength, even when time and space bring physical distance? Have
you not felt your balance being maintained even in a state of dizzi-
ness, as two of sound footing stood by, holding you on each side?
— 148 —
WI T H I N THE FO L D
Are not lessons more easily and joyfully learned in the company of
those who love? Lessons learned in isolation have a singular sting.
To each of My children I give gifts. Each is complementary to
others. To make a cake requires many ingredients. If you lack any
of the ingredients, you must obtain them from another. Together
you will complete the task, and together you will enjoy the taste of
the completed work. However, if you would seek to complete the
recipe with some elements missing, the outcome would be incom-
plete at best, and disastrously inedible at worst.
Each person in My flock brings a part of the blessing to the
whole creation. Unity, sharing, and embracing are important
parts of My way. As I fellowship with My Father and the Spirit,
so you, too, have been created for fellowship—first with Us, and
then with others.
—1 4 9—
WHEAT AND TARES
Truly, the harvest time is drawing near, little one. Even now
the wheat and the tares are growing together toward maturity.
While the enemy has previously planted the tares to choke out all
the wheat, it shall not be so. I allow this deception to continue. I
allow the false doctrine and the false prophesy to be uttered.
They shall come forth, side by side, both true and false, so
that those who choose to discern will do so and those who choose
to use their own reason and intellect to understand will stumble.
Those who are deceived must learn to yield up their need to be
fascinated and dazzled by the world’s way. Those who see only
weeds, when there is also wheat standing with them, must also
learn to discern. These, too, are greatly deceived.
Which is the greater sin, to say that those who are ungodly are
godly, or to say that the godly are ungodly? Both have a high cost,
but the latter has the greater cost. Those who would pull up the
weeds, careless of the wheat, will greatly lessen the harvest. It is
—1 5 1 —
My wisdom to allow the two to grow side by side, together, until

the time of harvest.
Those who discern My Spirit will clearly see both the wheat
and the tares. They will tend the wheat, being careful not to dis-
turb the roots. Wait for the harvest! Do not pull at the weeds pre-
maturely, for if you do so, the wheat will die by being uprooted.
Truly, I say the tares will be sorted out first at the harvest, so that
the wheat can be gathered and celebrated.
Harvesters and watchers of the field do not focus upon the
size and density of the tares! Continue to plant good seed. Con-
tinue to tend it with prayer and nurturing. You are to be planters,
not pullers, in these days. In due time, I will commission the
pulling, but I alone must commission it. I do not need field work-
ers and watchers to do My job. In their zeal to help Me, they lack
wisdom and knowledge of My timing.
The planter of the tares would love to coax you into a fiery
zeal of pulling. This would serve his purpose of uprooting and
destroying the good seed that is now growing. It would cause the
destruction of the harvest’s bounty.
So, stay to your tasks, and do not expand your role beyond
My commissioning. I am the owner of the field. You are not. The
barns are mine, not yours. I do not need your unwise ambition. I
need your watchful discernment and your obedience.
Behold, the wheat continues to mature quickly in these days.
The harvest will soon be at hand. Watch. Plant. Moisten with living
water. And wait upon My call to signal harvest. I will order My
workers to gather the tares into bundles. Soon it will come. Mean-
while, do not defend the wheat in one field by uprooting the wheat
with the tares in another field in an attempt to keep the tares from
spreading. Instead, defend the wheat with prayer. Prayer is like poi-
son to the tares. In its presence, the tares wither and the wheat
thrives.
— 152 —
WHEAT AND TARES
Liberally cover the ripening fields with prayer while you con-
tinue to plant good seed. My eyes are upon these things—all these
things. Trust Me and obey. You, who are the substance of the
wheat, as well as the tender of the wheat, obey My call. In the final
accounting, it shall please Me to share the bounty of the harvest
with you, in the eternity of My Kingdom.
— 153 —
REMOVING SPLINTERS
Little one, so many of My children are inflicted with embed-

ded splinters in their flesh, soul, or spirit. They pull against them,
they strive to hide them, or they struggle to ignore them and the
pain they cause. The substance of these splinters is much like
wood; it is both soft and sharp. To grab the edge of the splinter will
free only a fragment of it. Splintering often occurs in the piece
itself. The larger part remains far beneath the surface. Removing a
fragment brings little relief, and it often intensifies one’s frustra-
tion and helplessness. The pain will increase with time, as infection
sets in. Anger and impatience are likely to fester along with the
infection.
How do you remove a fragmenting, embedded splinter from a
finger? Is it accomplished in the same way one would be removed
from a heart? Careful, surgical probing and digging by one who
possesses gentleness, vision, and skill is needed. While not being
insensitive to the cries of pain, the one lending the aid must not be
overwhelmed by it nor withdraw from the work because of it. Even
the cries of “STOP!” must not be heeded. For to stop would mean
— 155 —
to give the wound over to more serious infection. Hold and tend
the emotions overflowing from the one in pain, but do not change
course. Go after the “heart” of the splinter. Remove pieces blocking
the way, as you go after the main piece. Do this carefully until you
have fully grasped and withdrawn it. To stop short of full removal
of every piece is to leave a hazard in place.
How much more serious is a splinter of the heart—a wound
in the emotions made by embedded cruelty. A formidable splinter
within the heart often consists of an accumulation of words,
actions, assumptions, judgments, lies, and anger. If the offending
fragments are at a surface level, it is far easier to remove them and
to medicate the wound for healing. If the impaled flesh has been
so deeply assaulted that the edge of the splinter is barely visible,
however, a great work must take place. The surrounding flesh must
be disrupted and cut away, so that the grasping tool may have a
clear path to do its work or removal. In the cutting away, there may
be bleeding and fear mingled with the pain.
In such a case, the mind may be quick to say, “The pain of
removal is too great. I can live with the injury! Don’t touch the
area, for the splinter may be impacted by the touch, causing it to
go yet deeper. Leave it alone!”
All of these impulses speak of retreat in fear and in frustra-
tion. They speak of despair and of deep sadness. Only one Physi-
cian can direct this procedure. Even as a healer in training sits and
operates under the careful direction and supervision of an experi-
enced teacher, so do I have My own, who operate by My guidance.
Not a move can be made on assumption or by observation alone.
These servants must follow precise instructions and be obedient to
My every command. These procedures can be successfully done;
they must be carried out.
Seek Me first! I will choose the hands of healing to hold your
wound, to cut carefully, to remove the splinter, and to pour in the
healing oil once the extraction is complete.
— 156 —
REMOVING SP L I N T E R S
Trust Me! Trust the ones I train and send to you. Accept no
counterfeits! Much is at stake. Much is to be risked and gained.
Remember, in Me there is always gain. Come! Bring your wounds
and your embedded splinters of pain for Me to see. Do not hide
them away in terror of the procedure. I shall not belittle your pain.
I shall never be careless or rough. Nor shall I ever inflict unneces-
sary suffering, or condemn your fear. Ask for the gift of trust.
Come, raise up your hands in supplication and your heart in trust.
I shall bring forth both healing and comfort. Come!
— 157 —
DRUMBEATS
The galley ships of old moved across the face of the water by
the power of many oars. But what is the use of 100 oars that do not
row in unity? If each oarsman was to pull and lift according to his
own desire, little movement would be accomplished. It would mat-
ter very little if those who would row were well-equipped with
matching oars and with strong muscles. Unity would be the key.
Even if one oarsman were mighty in physical strength and the oth-
ers were unable to match his strength, the ship would still move
forward if true unity were empowering it.
To ensure the power of unity and to maximize the effective-
ness of their efforts, it was necessary to have a drummer on board.
This man would evenly and relentlessly pound out a steady beat to
which rhythm the oarsmen would pull. Each thrust of the oars
made in this unity would propel the ship forward. There was no
question as to when to pull, lift, or rest. The beats of the drum
would call out the proper action, leading to a steady flow of unity.
— 159 —
There is great strength in unity, little one. Whether it is unity

that is based in good or in evil, there is always more strength in
efforts that are united. Those whom I have called together to do
My work have been called to unity. Why, then, does their “ship of
faith” or their ministry flounder in the water? They have a drum-
beat to follow. Both My Spirit and My Word call out the beat. Can
they not hear it? What other sounds fill their ears? Are their hearts
unsubmitted to My authority? It is so, for each one is so stead-
fastly independent that none will obey the drumbeat.
Those who were meant to row often rise out of their seats to
seize the mallets and to release the oars. Who, then, will row? Some
rise from their position to peer out the windows of the galley in
order to see where the ship is taking them. Rather than trusting
the Captain, they want to be sure of the direction for themselves.
Perhaps they want to influence it by protesting the course to the
Captain.
Some ignore the drummer, as they look out the window in
their musings, enjoying the feeling of leisure in this position.
Those who remain at the oars struggle to move the ship. They were
never meant to do this task alone. However, in the desire to make
up for those who have abandoned their task, these faithful ones try
to move the ship alone. In their efforts, they succumb to exhaus -
tion and defeat.
I am the Captain of this ship that is known as “the Body of
Messiah.” I use the drum to pound out the necessary beat. I call
out the command to rest, to row, or to feed. Truly, I say to you, a
battle lies ahead. If you will not heed the gentle drumbeat of the
quiet waters, how will you ever move together in greater unity and
at a quickened beat when the battle begins? Where will your vic-
tory be then?
Practice heeding the drumbeat now. Grow to love its sounds.
Follow it with exact precision. Do not look to those around you to
direct your actions. Listen only to the beat of the drum. Do not
look around to see who is pulling his weight, and who is leaning
—1 6 0—
DRUMBEATS
upon the oars. This is the work of the Captain. Your obedience,
your focus is to be upon the Captain’s call, as it is transmitted
through the drumbeats. Do not leave your post to see where I am
directing you. Only row ahead. Do not attempt to seize the mallets,
to initiate your own rhythm for the ship to follow. Only listen and
be obedient.
Learn this now, for the time of battle approaches. Much is at
stake in the looming conflict. Dig your oars deeply into the water
and pull at My command. Then, when the enemy comes, you will be
well-disciplined and strong. Listen to My drumbeats now and obey.
—1 6 1 —
PERFECT LOVE
Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect. Is this too big

an imperative, little one? What does it mean to be perfect in this
way? Does it mean that you are to be like the Most High God,
absolutely without error in any form? No, for that would be
impossible for you.
To be in human flesh upon a fallen world means that you will
occasionally walk in error. The perfection of which I am speaking is
attainable for you. To “be perfect,” is to be set apart, to be separate,
to be unlike the world in the way in which you love.
Absolute holiness in all things is reserved only for deity. Even
Job, in his outstanding list of accomplishments, fell short, in so far
as he was unable to see his own subtle arrogance. No one is like
Adonai. And yet, by the indwelling presence of the Spirit of
Adonai, a form of perfection—true holiness—is possible for you.
What is the chief characteristic of Adonai? Love. As the Spirit
lays hold of My possession in you—your heart—you can be
changed to love in My holy way. The empowerment to do so comes
—1 6 3 —
from Me. I will enable you to make correct choices and to practice
loving as I love. Even as My love is unconditional, it is holy in
nature. As your love becomes unconditional, it will take upon itself
My quality of love and conform to My character.
Do I choose to love or is it My nature? You cannot fully
embrace such a mystery. Suffice it to say that I made love My all-
encompassing reality. Those who truly embrace Me, embrace My
love. Those who truly embrace My love are transformed by it, into
My very nature and My practice of loving. Does that speak clarity
to your understanding, or is it too great a concept for you to grasp?
The very thing that gives My true children their greatest dis-
tinction is not just that they know and declare who I Am. It is the
nature of My being living in and through them. It is their ability
to love unconditionally. These do not love to be loved in return.
They do not seek any gain from loving, only the joy of giving away
who they are in Me. In doing so, they give away portions of Me to
others, so that those portions may grow within another.
Do you now see how the process works? To love those who
love you is a comfortable thing. It is easily given to carnal man to
do this. This is so, because I created My human children at the
very beginning to be lovers. They were designed to speak of Me
within them. However, when the holiness of the human creation
was tainted by sin, so also did the love I imparted to them become
tainted. It could no longer flow freely. It could be withheld and
manipulated. Designed to be eternally warm with the heat of My
love beneath it, human love soon turned cold, due to the priority
that was given to sin.
Ah, but here is the turning point for My own true children.
Those who have chosen Me have made Me their priority instead of
sin. Here is their victory, as well. For against such loving, there is
no effective weapon. Every accusation raised up against it will be
false, even if, at the time, it is not proven so.
—1 6 4 —
PE R F E C T LO V E
Who can stand against such perfect love being raised up

from My imperfect children? As this loving without condition,
regardless of cost, is born in My reborn children, they know My
perfection in their lives. They walk not only in My image, but
also in My heart.
Even as the world cannot understand My love, so also it can-
not be anything but confounded by this perfection in My children.
Nevertheless, even misunderstood and often rejected, this love of
My perfection issues forth, declaring My glory, bringing down
strongholds, and adding to My Kingdom.
Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Together we shall celebrate this perfection, and we shall add to it a
great abundance to fill up all of eternity.
— 1 6 5—
BLEMISHES
How much imperfection do you tolerate, little one? How

much do you tolerate in yourself, in others, in outcomes? Does this
differ according to the specific people involved? Does it vary
according to the circumstances? Consider these questions seri-
ously. In their answers you will discover such things as arrogance,
compromise, and grace.
I intend for My children to have no tolerance of evil. Is all
imperfection to be considered evil—something to be eliminated—
something to war against?
How blessed you are that I am just, that I do not tolerate evil
in any form. And yet, how blessed are you, as well, that I have com-
passion for imperfection, for all My human creation is a reality of
functioning imperfection. Only One clothed in human flesh has
been perfect always and in every way. There have never been and
there will never be any others who are completely perfect while
this world remains.
— 167—
Who is to judge imperfection? By what measure is it deter-

mined? I once had two perfect children. They had no flaws and no
blemishes in body, mind, or spirit. War was declared against their
holy, perfect creation by My enemy. After he was able to spoil that
perfection in My children, he began insisting that without it they
would always be unworthy. His efforts try to bring destruction to
My children at every moment. How interesting that he rails
against My perfection, and yet he accuses My children for their
lack of perfection. You see, he cannot tolerate My grace. That I
would love those who decline My love goads him. That I would
reestablish a perfect human and a spotless sacrifice through the
Messiah enrages him.
It does so, because these truths neutralize his false claim that
reclamation is not possible. This enemy feeds upon brokenness,
and he dines upon condemnation. Where My children are blem-
ished in body, mind, or spirit, he raises up a tirade of attack in
order to intensify their pain, weakness, and sense of helplessness.
He is the opposite of the Restorer. He is the one who defaces and
desecrates, and he delights in doing so.
Where does this leave My little ones? It leaves them in fear of
their imperfections. Some even go into hiding in order to cover up
their nakedness. Still others take up the role of becoming an ally to
the accuser. They hasten to point out the imperfections in others
in order to avoid their own inspection. How sad that they would
live and believe in such defeat. How tragic that they would propa-
gate it in others, as well.
Through My eyes blemishes and imperfections are seen as
opportunities. For where there is imperfection, My perfection can
intervene and reclaim. Where there are blemishes caused by
unlearned things, I can teach. Where there has been bruising and
scarring, I can do the work of healing and recreating.
You see, My way is always in the direction of increase of all
that is holy. My way is to increase shalom which is true wholeness.
I am always the antidote to My enemy’s poisons. When My enemy
—1 6 8 —
BLEMISHES
takes away, I move to give back. Where My adversary brings ugli-

ness, I seek to bring forth beauty.
Have you not seen those of My children who are hideous in
body? Those who are willing to receive My love, have birthed great
beauty in spirit that overshadows any and all ugliness. Those who
function amidst brokenness, with Me as their Source can evidence
My wholeness within them. The ways of My Kingdom will always be
the opposite of satan’s kingdom. So, which kingdom will you support
by your attitudes and behavior toward human imperfection? Will
you be as I am—seeing with love and compassion? Or will you be as
My enemy, decrying it, and condemning it? Will you hide it in shame
and falsehood? Remember, My kingdom operates out of truth.
Will you speak as My enemy raising up a voice of judgment
against yourself or others by countering My Word? Or will you
move into My posture of bestowing grace out of compassion. Do
you see the opportunities for new creations amidst the blemished?
Open your eyes and see! Use My eyes, not yours.
It is given to Me alone to judge. As you issue forth judgments
out of your own flesh, so shall they be heaped upon you. Evaluate
between good and evil by using My Word and the direction of My
Spirit. Turn away from evil absolutely! Do not ally yourself with those
persons who are conducting evil. And yet, never stop loving them.
Never cease looking for opportunities to redeem and to heal by
My power. Speak My Word. Do not surrender anyone into the
enemy’s camp. I alone have the authority to do this. Do not set about
by your own flesh or understanding to try to remove blemishes from
others or even from yourself. When discovered, release them into My
keeping. Release them into My hand for My healing touch.
Often the scratches, dents, and blemishes on an antique piece
endear it all the more to people’s hearts. They say to your soul,
“This precious thing has suffered much, it has been much loved,
and it has endured in spite of frailty.”
—1 6 9 —
This is how I see My own. I see the journey. I see the lineage
and the legacy of pain and pattern. Never forget, while I am the
Creator, I am the Restorer, also. I do not demand perfection of My
children before I love them. Neither should you demand that of
yourself or of others in order for you or them to be worthy of love.
It is written that My grace is sufficient for you, and surely that
is so. Then why do My children claim to need more? Why do they
demand more when they are faced with that which is imperfect?
Receive My grace. Open yourself up to receive it from Me.
Then, behold the new thing that shall arise in you. Its name is grace.
It shall flow from My heart to your receptive heart. Then it shall
flow from your heart to others. All the world shall see which king-
dom you serve. As I love you, with all of your blemishes, so shall love
arise in you, to hold the blemishes of others in compassion.
—1 7 0 —
The
sheep hear
the voice
of their
Shepherd.
They
follow
Him,
finding
comfort in
His presence.
Seeing
truth in
His eyes,
they trust.
In Him
is
all truth.
riting this book
A Message from the Author
Many times I have been asked how it is that I can hear the
whispers of the Shepherd of Israel. Some doubt that it is possible
to hear Him clearly/purely, because of the clamor of our own
human thoughts. Others doubt that He continues to speak; hav -
ing chosen to discontinue engaging with us after the Bible was
formed. My answer is found in the truth that He is constantly
speaking…being “the same yesterday, today and forever.” He
spoke to the Jewish patriarchs, and to all who would listen since
ancient days. He deeply wants us to know Him. The Scriptures
clearly tell us that we only need to seek Him to discover Him.
The Torah (Deuteronomy 4:9), the prophets (Jeremiah 29:12-14),
and the New Covenant (Matthew 7:7-8) all tell us that if we seek
God, we will find Him. What we find is a God who is neither
mute, nor one who is watching us from a distance. He is still
shepherding and He is still teaching us, Spirit to spirit. We only
need to seek His presence, and linger there to hear His voice. If
we become silent before Him, the still small voice becomes audi-
ble. The Scriptures speak also of the heart of our God…of the
One who is always actively seeking us, so that His people might
come to know Him personally.
— 175 —
I know this as a reality in my own life. At three years of age

He began to seek me. It was then that I first began to love Him
and to hear Him. Before my little mind and heart knew of Him, He
sought me and revealed His great love for me at such a tender age.
I remember the moment when I placed a small ring on my finger
and pledged my love to Him. I still have that ring, locked away in a
safe place. Knowing Him laid a foundation of faith and identity
that has both established me and sustained me throughout a half
century of life.
During a 40-day-fast in 1995, the Shepherd whispered that
He would be sending me to Jerusalem—to the homeland of my
Jewish people—to write for Him. I heard in His commission the
cry of His heart; desiring to be known by His people. Within three
days, the doors opened without effort, placing into my hands an
airplane ticket, and living arrangements enabling me to venture
out for the first time to the land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Each day I would arise to walk through a specific area of
Jerusalem. I was not to write, but only to observe. Then each night,
between 11 P.M. and 2 A.M., I would sit and await His word con-
cerning what I had seen.
SWALLOWS AND SWIFTS were the outcome of a com-
manded visit to the Wailing Wall at dusk. POOLS AND POPPIES
emerged from resting at the Pool of Bethesda at exactly 4 P.M., as
the sun angled down upon the brilliant flowers. REFLECTIONS
came to my heart after it was broken by a visit to Yad Va’Shem, the
Holocaust museum. Each parable was the result of an appointed
visit to observe, to listen, and to rest. Only later would the unfold-
ing parable be whispered into my spirit, to be written down.
It is very important to me that my name be kept away from
this writing, so that real author might have His voice heard—so
that He might be made known to those who would choose to lis-
ten. It is also important for every reader to know that the Shep-
herd is speaking constantly with a heart of love for each and every
lamb. Too many of us have lost hope in knowing and being known
— 176—
WRITING THIS BOOK
by God. Too many have chosen to believe the lie that we are god,
and that all which is knowable comes through our own minds.
Such doubt and arrogance must be laid aside, so that we listen
with the ears of attentive children.
I pray this writing, which is the first book in a trilogy, will
deeply bless and encourage every reader. I pray that each reader
will be stirred to know Him intimately, far beyond the pages of
this book. I pray that every reader will be inspired to hear His
whispers personally…and come to love their Shepherd, as He
loves each lamb.
— 177 —
OTE ABOUT THE COVER ART
The cover of Whispers of the Shepherd was produced through

revelation given to a very gifted artist, Barbara A. Leone. Only one
who seeks the face of the Shepherd is ever able to sketch such
impressions from out of the Spirit.
Prayerfully seeking the inspiration for this book cover, Bar-
bara waited to receive what would be given to her. The image
appeared to her mind and she quickly reproduced it onto paper.
What she did not realize at the time was the fact that the image
was mysteriously embedded with hidden pictures. The profile of a
lion, a nail, a dove, an eagle’s claw-these are just a few of the hidden
images within the larger art. Turning the cover sideways and
upside down will reveal many surprising gifts, hidden within the
lines and angles of this artwork. Enjoy the beauty and enjoy the
treasure hunt.
— 179 —
thoughts & reflections
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book titles from DESTINY IMAGE are
available at your local bookstore.
Call toll-free: 1-800-722-6774.
Send a request for a catalog to:
Destiny Image® Publishers, Inc.

P.O. Box 310
Shippensburg, PA 17257-0310
“Speaking to the Purposes of God for This

Generation and for the Generations to Come”
For a complete list of our titles,

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HISPERS

Destiny Image ® Publishers, Inc.

DESTINY IMAGE® PUBLISHERS, INC.

“We Publish the Prophets”

For a U.S. bookstore nearest you, call 1-800-722-6774.

For more information on foreign distributors, call 717-532-3040.

Or reach us on the Internet: www.destinyimage.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

For Worldwide Distribution, Printed in the U.S.A.

With deep love and appreciation, I would like to acknowledge

Whispers of the Shepherd offers some incredible and thought-

SHOES AND BARE FEET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

TENDER SEARCHING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

POOLS AND POPPIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

THE HEARTBEAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

G IFTED DUCKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

H OURS, MINUTES, SECONDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

SWALLOWS AND SWIFTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

BEACH TREASURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

LOCKED DOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

THE MATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

C HOOSING DISOBEDIENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

FEAR AND COBRAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101

WEARING THE YOKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115

C LIMBING MOUNTAINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

THUNDER AND STORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123

H ARVESTING R ASPBERRIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137

WITHIN THE FOLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

WHEAT AND TARES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151

R EMOVING SPLINTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155

PERFECT LOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

Little one, look at the quiet mountain lake, serving as a mirror

substance and which will endure? As soon as a storm moves upon

Precious bare feet! How wonderful it is to walk in the early

emerge. Occasionally, during a sprint or a chase, a runner wearing

of the protection altogether. Even if the feet remain in the shoes

Little one, the mountains were carved by My fingers gener-

What lies hidden in the crevices of those precious children

Listen to the tick of the clock. Each tick is another moment of

I do not mean for this truth to be a bondage to you. Do not

Behold the ducks, little one. Behold these buoyant inhabitants

Out of the quietness of the morning comes the gentle, persist-

Now, however, the kittens begin to cry again. They cry

pleasures of this life in the form of possessions and leisure time.

What makes up your day, little one? Is it one block of time

lengthened so they would be able to stuff even more activities and

Absorb the beauty of My ocean. Do not stand back from it.

Doors, once locked, can provide a sense of joy and safety, or

Consider the “doors” in My human creation. There are doors

Give Me the keys to your doors. I am your Guardian, and I

How excellent is the work of My hands! Did you not know

direct form of “servanthood,” to carry the treasure of its contents

the unclean hands of the world and by My enemy. Tragically they

And yet, these damaged goblets can be reclaimed. Once

Recognition of the voice of the trainer comes first. Then comes

What mysteries lie buried underground, little one? Are you

This applies not only to archeology, but also to present-day

But what if life was free of pollen? There would be no flower,