Greetings from Florida! - January 13, 2008

GREETINGS FROM FLORIDA!!


Dearest Friends across America!

Blessings and Greetings to all of you from the beautiful sunny state of Florida! Please, don't throw any snowballs or other objects at me!

I arrived safely in St Petersburg one week ago and adjusted quickly to the warm and sunny temperatures. I'm staying with an amazing couple, George and Barbara Ragland, who have ministered in over 30 countries. They have a powerful ministry in deliverance and healing and have graciously hosted me in their home this last week.

When I felt the Lord speak to me about Florida on 12-12, I had a feeling I might be headed to another far extremity of America. Tomorrow, I will be driving toward Miami and the Florida Keys. I'm planning to pray at Key West on Wednesday, Jan 16. Through a couple of Divine connections, I've made contact with the mother of the mayor of Key West, a Christian man elected against all odds. I'm hoping to meet the mayor and tell him the water story. Today, I was able to share a portion of the water story with a monthy group that meets at the Presbyterian Church in St Petersburg. George and Barbara sponsor monthly healing meetings and I've enjoyed hearing many wonderful stories and testimonies of their meetings and miracles.

I left Liberty Lake, WA on Dec 21, a beautiful sunny day. I had clear skies and roads as I stopped for the night in Butte, MT before heading south to Idaho Falls and Blackfoot the next morning. I still had sunny skies, but some scattered icy spots on I-15. It is always risky to travel in the winter and I was nervous about it. To the Glory of HIS Grace, He gave me beautiful sunny skies and good roads nearly all the way. I left Blackfoot on Dec 24, having spent Sunday, Dec 23 with a true brother in the Lord, Pastor Brian Harrison and his family. A BIG snowstorm was predicted for that night and I scooted out as early as I could. Had some snow and ice until I got to the Utah border, then the roads and skies were clear. I drove thru Salt Lake City and arrived in Henderson, NV, south of Las Vegas on Christmas eve and spent Christmas and 2 days with Brett and Michelle Rademacher and their family. I first met Brett and Michelle in Moravian Falls, NC almost 3 years ago. Brett has become the marketing director for Uri International and is another true brother in the Lord. They moved to the area to be close to an airport and the corporation that is located in Cedar City, UT. Since then, Brett and Michelle have moved to Cedar City.

I couldn't help but feel wonderment and bewildered as I crested the hill and looked into the dazzling city lights of Las Vegas. It is so unlike me to go there anyway, much less on Christmas eve. I wondered at all the people looking for the night life and truly needed the LIGHT OF LIFE. I drove I-15 thru the downtown area and was quite surprised at the huge motels and casinos. How in the world did I get there'?? I had never been to Las Vegas at night, only driving thru the summer of 2000.

I had a marvelous time with Brett and Michelle, both wonderful cooks who use all organic products. My taste buds came alive again. I left there and drove south through Hoover Dam, a site where Joshua and I first prayed in the summer of 2000. Marveling at all the rocky hillside and the gigantic structure, I managed to find a place to pull off and pour out some waters. It was getting warmer and I finally shed my coat. I had initially planned to drop to I-20 and drive across the country, but while in Blackfoot, ID, I suddenly knew I was meant to drive I-40. SO much came up about 40 this past year and it seemed that was my route. Both I-15 south of Salt Lake City to Las Vegas and parts of I-40 were new highways for me. Again the roads and skies were clear as I made my way across the country. I spent the night in Gallap, NM, where I had a miserable night in a hotel room with a blowing heat fan. It was that or no heat and it was cold that night. I crossed New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and spent the next night in Elk City, OK. It was there that the Lord spoke to me in Oct 1996 about going to Israel on a tour. To make a long story short, I did go in Dec 1996 with 90 Hawaiians, 5 from Kentucky and Florida, and me from SD. 96 of us in '96. On that trip, I came in contact with the Glory book by Ruth Heflin and it has changed my life. It seemed right to spend the night and remember what the Lord had done. That is part of "My Story" written to commorate my 10 full years of ministry this past year. It is still available and many have commented on how it has blessed them.

While crossing the panhandle of Texas, I came across the largest cross erected in North America, 190 feet high. That was remarkable, and even more so, it was at approximately mile marker 111 off I-40. I had to use exit 112 and double back on a road to see this huge cross and read the story. I poured out some of your waters at the foot of that cross. You could see it for miles. The next morning I found myself driving into Oklahoma City. On the way, the Lord reminded me that I started college in Bethany, OK, a suburb of Okla City in 1967, exactly 40 years ago this past fall. As I neared the city, I found the exit to my old school. It was a holy moment as I realized the Lord was having me retrace my own steps 40 years ago. As I drove around the campus of what is now Southern Nazarene College, I felt the rush of my first dreams and desire to become a singer and major in music. That dream was cut short by my marriage in 1969 when I stopped school. Later the Lord allowed me to finish my education with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Mitchell, SD.

As I drove around the campus, it seemed the Lord dropped a phrase in my heart... It's time to redeem the dream. I realized I still have some unfulfilled dreams in my heart that stirred in those early years and HE had put them there and had not forgotten them. I had buried them under years of family life and just making a living. I feel the Lord will be jump starting some of our dreams from the past. They got interruped and disrupted, but HE will finish what HE started and imparted to our hearts. Time to redeem the dream. YEA!!

As I left and hurried eastward, I made plans to get to Little Rock, AR. I had felt that I was to stay the night there and pray concerning Mike Huckabee's winning the caucus in Iowa that week. We now know, he won it easily and it has given him and the Christian voice a momentum that has to be recognized and acknowledged.

After leaving Little Rock, I had a full day of travel trying to get to Gainesville, GA. I wanted to spend New Years Eve with longtime friends from my Mitchell, SD days, Charles and Sandra Williamson. Our sons, James and Joshua were friends in 2nd grade in Mitchell Christian School way back in 1994. Charles and Sandra had moved there from Georgia and then moved back. They have been wonderful friends for many years and our sons still stay in touch. I love their southern charm, accents, and marvelous hospitality. They tempted me with lots of Christmas goodies, just when New Year's resolutions should be taking effect. Charles and Sandra are those rare people with true servant hearts.

While watching TV and trying to stay up until midnight to see the year 2008 come in, I kept looking at their old clock with Roman Numerals. It was stuck on 10:10. That has been a major number for me the past few weeks as I think of John 10:10. "the thief comes but to steal, but I have come that you may have ABUNDANT LIFE!!. I've been focusing on Abundance for several weeks and here is was stuck on 10:10 and I'm in the city of GAINESville, GA. Sounded good already!!! Later when I left there, I drove thru GAINESville, Florida. What are the odds of going thru two Gainesville's in one day???? Double witness??? I'm 'Gain'n ground!!

I had hoped for sunny warm weather as I had caught a terrible cold being in and out of so many places, cold winds, gas stops, rest stops, and enduring hotel heating fans. Instead, Georgia had a cold spell and I wondered if I'd brought it with me. While there I had called my Florida hosts hoping it was going to be warmer there, but to my surprise, they'd had temps of 35 degrees that morning in St Petersburg. All the room changes and climate changes made me vulnerable to a cold and it was a miserable week or longer before all the remedies and prayers kicked it. I even resorted to the old fashioned Vicks vaporub.

I have now been in St Petersburg a full week and the weather has made up for all the cold and miles and miles of driving. This past week, I attended our annual Ministers Convocation in Bradenton, Florida. In addition to my ministeral association to Ashland, Va, I have maintained credentials with Gospel Crusade Ministerial Fellowship, founded by Dr Gerald Derstine over 50 year ago. There are over 1100 ministers around the world that come together once a year. I had not been able to attend since 2002 and it was a joy to see the beautiful grounds of Christian Retreat and to reconnect with some pastors and leaders I met several years ago. I drove the 80 mile roundtrip journey every day to avoid hotel expenses and enjoyed the beautiful I-275 drive over the bay area.

You have probably heard about the terrible accidents, explosions, deaths, and nealy 70 car pile up that happened early in the morning on I-4 between Tampa and Orlando. I was planning to drive that same stretch later in the day. It was my desire to see longtime friends of mine and Ruth Heflin's, John and Patti Chappell who live in Bartow. He had given me directions taking I-4. When I got up, my hostess told me about the terrible accident and that I-4 was closed. I was able to take an alternate route, but was once again reminded how carefully the Lord guides and protects our way. The accidents are under investigation involving thick walls of fog and brush fire smoke early in the morning. I would not have wanted to be out that early, but it was still eerie to think about.

As I prepare to drive about 400 miles to Key West this week, keep me before the Lord for protection. I have chosen to drive the Glory Van believing my tires "treading" the land will release HIS Glory and Desire for our great nation. I'm sure many of you are already caught up in the political reports and polls. Let us remember the great sacrifices of those who have prayed and died for this land and also the 100,000 who braved the heat and those who fasted for 40 days before meeting on 7-7-07 in Nashville for THE CALL. I believe in the power of prayer and know you do too. Let us not cave in to the media reports, but believe the report of the Lord.

I will be in Florida about 2 more weeks before heading into North Carolina and Virginia. I am planning to stop and see Joshua at Ft Bragg sometime in February. When I feel homesick, I remember the cold weather and snow. I just heard that Spokane has broken snow records since 1908. While I do love the warmer weather, I really miss my apartment, my piano and my bed. But I'd probably be buried in right now.

Thank you for standing with me during these days of prayer and intercession. I will be carrying your waters with me as I stand on the shores of Key West. I was told today that the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico meet there. How appropriate! Agree with me for the decrees and declarations of the Lord to go forth and that I will be strong in the journey. As you can imagine, it takes a great flexibility and stamina to travel extensively and also stay fresh in the Lord. Also agree with me for connections and meetings to be scheduled. This trip happened so fast, there is still lots of unscheduled time. It seems like the Lord wanted me to "hang loose" on this one and it opens as I go.

I have been blessed by several who have given into the expenses of travel. Some have offered to buy a tank of gas. Here is Florida, gas is about $3.10 or more. It seemed to hover around $3.00 all across the country. It would be a great blessing if you'd like to sponsor or pay for at least one or more tanks of gas, usually around $50 to fill it full. Your generosity and love and support are so needed and appreciated. You can send it to my address at the top of the email, or send it through http://www.paypal.com/. If you go to 'send money' and type in my email address: selahministries@hotmail.com, you can send it and it will be put in my bank account directly. OR, you can call me or email me your credit card number. Thanks so much. I need all of you. Remember, any amount is appreciated. Mail is being forwarded about every 2 weeks.

Keep me in your heart and prayers. I love hearing from you. I trust you are all well and I'm trusting with you for a glorious and victorious NEW YEAR!! If you have any insights, concerns, connections, or questions, call me. 509-599-0433.

My love and gratitude to all of you,

Carla