What do you see when you look in the mirror?
Do you see wrinkles, veins that didn't use to show,
Blemishes, scars, thinning hair, patched teeth,
Dim eyes and shattered dreams?
But wait, can't you tell?
You're looking from the wrong side of the mirror.
You're standing on the outside looking in.
Of course that is going to be distorted,
Colored by the world and the flesh.
What did you expect?
But come here with me deep inside
Where the Holy Spirit resides
And Jesus comfortably calls it home.
Stand here with me looking out.
Ah, That's so much better, don't you think?
Looking at things, especially yourself
Through the Spirit and not the flesh.
When you look from this side of the mirror
You never feel old because there is no age.
You can't see wrinkles but you can see
People smiling when you walk into a room,
The way a small child hugs your leg,
The Father God's loving arms encircling you like a rose.
You can see the Lord smiling His acceptance and love,
The Word of God, the warmth of trust and loyal friends,
And people who understand without words.
Too long we've stood outside ourselves
Judging ourselves by the condition of the packaging.
But packaging was made to be torn open
To get to the treasure inside.
When you look at things through Jesus' eyes
You can see the treasure now,
And enjoy sweet fellowship with Him
That dribbles down your chin
Like ice cream on a warm summer's day.
What does it mean when a flower opens only to close again?
Is it confused? Did God cause it to forget how to be a flower?
Or does it hold its beauty and fragrance just for those moments
When they can be released to Him.
Makes you wonder what the flower knows that we have trouble learning.
Treasures are made to be shared,
Packages are made to hide things.
Don't let the packaging hide us
And keep us from sharing our treasure with the Lord.
Our treasure is for Him and Him alone.
Sometimes the treasures of our heart, of who He created us to be,
Will only show its beauty and precious fragrance
When we allow Him to draw near.
No wonder we can't see our own value
Or the treasure the Lord has skillfully wrought in us.
It can only be seen when He is near.
How close have you let Him come to you lately?
Has He been able to go past the packaging?
All winter long my package lay on frozen unyielding ground
But when spring came I thought I would change, surely I would change.
But the heat of summer cruelly lashed at me
While autumn saw my dreams fade and lose their colors.
What happened?
Had I been abandoned by God, forgotten? Hardly!
I could not see because I was looking
From the wrong side of the mirror.
Those things cannot contain me, but He can.
I slipped out of worldly things like a child changes her dress
And clothed myself with Him.
Who knew that my treasure fit in His heart like a missing puzzle piece?
Who knew that's where I started and where I must return?
For we hold these treasures in earthen vessels, you know.
When I look through the mirror with His eyes, it all seems so clear.
At the center of the wheel is love where it belongs,
Not bumping on the outer edge where it never could fit.
How frail and fragile I thought I was,
My packaging torn and wrinkled.
But inside I held an ageless treasure
That always knew the way home where it is safe and warm.
A treasure not possessed is a sad thing indeed.
It leaves you feeling empty, lonely and depressed.
But once the treasure finds its place and stays there,
There is joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Like a thread woven into a rope or a bobbin weaving lace,
The pattern of our love makes no sense without Him.
But once our treasure is in His hands to stay
His skillful hands weave our lives into His heart.
And there it will remain.
I wonder why I fought so hard and fussed so much over just the packaging
When the treasure is what means so very much.
I guess I was just foolish then
And needed His help to see
I was on the wrong side of the mirror
When all I could see was me.

II Corinthians 3:18 But we all (all of us), with unveiled faces (we must remove the veils of anger, fear, worry, doubt, unbelief, hurt, accusations, blame, lies, disappointments, losses, etc. that cover our eyes to be able to see), beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord (What do we see when we look in the mirror in the natural? We see only ourselves. But if we look through the other side of the mirror, the spirit side, we will see Jesus), are being (it is an on going continuous work), transformed (morphed, changed, like a butterfly or a frog), in to the same image (His image), from glory to glory (from our failure of fleshly glory to His perfect indestructible Holy glory), Just as by the Spirit of the Lord (Only when we look at ourselves and the Lord through His Spirit can we change into the image we see, His image).

If I tell someone to pretend to be an orangutan but they have never seen an orangutan and they don't even know what one is, they won't be able to act like one. If they see it then they can act like it a little. The more they interact with it and are around it seeing it and hearing it, the more they can act like it.

If I say act like me, but you don't really know me, you won't be able to do that. Those who know me best can imitate me most and even grow to become like me. The Lord is saying look at Me through the Spirit, listen to Me, get to know Me, act like Me until you become like Me. But often all we see is ourselves, our problems, our failures, and disappointments. We become like what we look at. I don't want to become more like my problems and failures and faults. We must behold the Lord by the Spirit instead of self.

When you pray, how do you pray? Do you ask for things? "I" want, "I" need? Certainly we can ask for things. But, we don't want to stay on that side of the mirror for long. Do we pray concerning our problems and situations? We can, but we must not stay on that side of the mirror. Do we pray and fret over our weaknesses, what we lack, what we aren't? Lord help "me" not be afraid. Help "me" trust? No, "me" is on the wrong side of the mirror.

Lord, "I" need more power, glory, strength, health, love, etc. No, "I" is on the wrong side of the mirror. When we ask we must not linger there. Forgive "me", my failings, "I" repent? Certainly we must be quick to repent but then we must move on and not linger on the "I" side of the mirror.

So how do we access the Spirit side of the mirror? Take the paintbrush of your heart and dip it into the colors and passions of your love for the Lord and begin to paint a picture, a picture you can't see with your physical eyes but with the eyes of your heart only. Be detailed:

1. His eyes were gentle and kind, full of love and acceptance for me.


2. His smile was a smile that lit the fire of my heart; I warmed in its glow.


3. The way He tilts His head as if to say, no worries allowed, everything is safe here, even you.


4. Paint yourself into the picture; picture yourself in His arms, loving Him, listening to Him.


5. The fears and problems will fall away like shackles unlocked. This is where you can step into the Spirit.
   Look at Him, so strong, so powerful and full of glory, unstoppable. The more you look at Him there the more you will become like that as well. But I warn you, it wears off. You need to do this at least daily.

I ask that people please keep this schedule and pray, pray, pray. This is all battle time.

I will be at the End Time Handmaidens and Servants World Convention June 27th through July 3rd. I will probably go a few days early to help with setup and stay a few days after to help with tear down.

I have something tentative for the last week of July. I am open for booking the other dates.

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