Phenomenal Emerging

Phenomenal: Astounding, Rare, Unusual

Emerge: Come on the scene

Ok, Ok, so maybe writing a blog isn’t so astounding, rare, or unusual but this is my coming on to the scene. Yep, first blog. I know, the profile says “On blogger since Nov. 2008” but actually I just took over a long, lost blog that was begun by who knows who, who knows when. Well in reality I guess we do know when, don’t we? Ha-Ha! The original blog was associated with Tammy Lane Productions long before I began working here and since I didn’t want to re-create the whole Google profile, I just chose to pick this one up and start fresh with it! But why blog now? What led to that decision?

In the mornings, (though I admit I’ve been a slacker lately), I try to get up before the household & spend some time praying, reading the Bible, & doing my Bible study, (Don’t let me forget to tell you about that on another blog, whoa it’s good!). Well one morning after being in deep prayer on an emotional subject I went to open my Bible to Acts and begin where I’d left off the day before; only my ribbon marker wasn’t in Acts. “That’s weird” I thought, and as I was reaching to flip back to Acts my thumb touched down where the marker was, on Philippians 4:4. I’ve read it tons of times before & was very familiar with the passage, only this time it resonated with me! As I read verses 4-7 my eyes began to tear up with joy! Not thirty seconds earlier had I been pouring my heart out to God and in His sweet graciousness, He answered me. He revealed to me to be a gentle spirit during the circumstance in which I’d prayed and that I was not alone in this, He was at my side. Yet a word in the scripture baffled me: “supplication”. Although I had read and even used the word, this time I was intrigued to know more. I had always thought of the word as meaning “request” yet in the New American Standard Bible (NASB) the verse said, “…by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” “Hmm”, I thought, “why would it basically say, ‘by prayer & requests… let your requests be made known’?” So I began to dig deeper. I pulled up Webster’s to find the definition then became curious to other definitions of basically common words in Philippians 4:4-7. After looking up and writing down the definitions, I wrote out the verses again only this time substituting the words I’d looked up with the definitions & meanings I’d found. Reading this “re-vision” transformed the verses into a profound statement that seemed as though they were spoken directly from God Himself personally to me. It was as though the Holy Spirit was telling to daily “live out” what God had exposed to me. [The revision is posted below] Due to the effect it had on me, I shared it with several of my prayer partners. Having felt nudged by the Holy Spirit to write out my story, this was confirmed repeatedly when, individually, each of my prayer partners suggested I start a blog and tell my story.

In a nut shell, well, on the keyboard, I began this blog because God to spoke me. He always speaks and when we keep ourselves tuned into His channel we pick up on the signals He sends. When we choose to tune in we can collect the wavelengths and uncover how He speaks to us; in times of trouble, in times of joy, in times of excitement, in times of monotony; He speaks to us. The more we obey what He says to us, the more we can discern when God Speaks!

Blessings, Treva Hamm

LIVING PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7

Realizing God is the source of my delight; for the rest of my life I am to repeatedly, with happiness, pleasure, and glad joy, accept and enjoy His presence!

Making a conscious decision, I am to allow my gentle, kind, calm and resilient spirit to become recognizable and familiar to all people everywhere; not forgetting that the Lord stays by my side constantly!

Knowing that worrying strangles and torments, that getting caught up in wanting control and have things my way causes anxiety; I am to have none of it!

Instead, with a limber, compliant, humble attitude, an attitude that is able to put my selfishness aside and allow God to mold me, I am to eagerly make my requests to God through prayer while expressing gratitude and acknowledging and celebrating His divine goodness.

Then, from God, a state of quiet tranquility; a harmonious freedom from oppressive, disturbing thoughts; a sense of security so strong and powerful that it is incomprehensible to my brain, will engulf my very being; creating a barrier of protection preventing harm from entering my heart or mind which are both devoted fully to and filled to capacity with the power of Christ Jesus!

Defined words: Rejoice, Anxious, Supplication, Thanksgiving, Peace, Gaurd