"When the days grow shorter and the north wind blows, we plant bulbs under trees
along the house, out by the road. We have a vision for spring.
No one knows what the future brings looking for tulips in the spring.
We dig our holes not too deep, not too close and lay the earth carefully aside.
With chilled fingers and dirt on our knees we plant the bulbs and go inside.
When winter comes with its sleet and its snow, we look out on the yard
through the frosted windowpane. We try to keep it warm inside.
No one knows what the future brings looking for tulips in the spring."

The Lord gave me a simple reminder this week in preparation for the year ahead. He directed me to Jeremiah 31 where God promised to restore Israel after He had disciplined them through their exile. One of the verses really stood out: "'Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,' declares the LORD." Jer 31:28

Did you catch that first part? God watched over Israel "to uproot and tear down, overthrow, destroy, bring disaster... not something we'd generally attribute to our loving Father. But that's what He said. The emphasis is that there was a purpose behind their trials that was rooted in His goodness, and that He was always with them in the process and would bring them to a good place. It would be a long and difficult time, so He reassured them with His promises.

Sometimes we're quick to blame the devil for a long wilderness of trials. But the same Father who allowed Satan to "sift Peter like wheat" intercedes for us and walks with us to carry us to a deeper place in Him through that process. While God made it clear that His people would endure discipline and disaster, He promised redemption and restoration even beforehand so they would have a proper perspective on what they were about to face. I'm reminded of Hebrews "No discipline seems good at the time..." and trials certainly do not seem good when you're in the middle of them. When we face temptation, loss, and hurt and every plea and question seems to be met with a dreadful silence, it's easy to think we've been abandoned. But just like planting tulips in the fall in the midst of an unlikely growth environment, they inevitably pop their heads through the ground in the spring.

There is a time to break up fallow ground, and a time to sow seeds, a time to water and a time to wait. When God breaks up the fallow ground of a hardened heart, is not fun but it needs to happen before any planting can occur. Then the Lord plants seeds of hope, promise and assurance, and a quiet voice that we MUST learn to stay sensitive to, says "I will walk with you." Trusting, waiting, there may be a long wait before we see the fruit of what He has planted in our hearts. But He's ever-present during the wait. There is a lot of tending and waiting before we see the fruit. But He planted the seeds, and as we pay attention to Him through the process, they will produce the fruit He planted them for, and we will be stronger and more blessed because of it.

"My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them." Jer 24:6

"If there's one thing I could tell my child, if there's one thing I could learn myself;
Little in life seems to mean much more than watching for tulips in the spring.
No one knows what the future brings looking for tulips in the spring."

The verses are from the song "Tulips in Spring" by Brooks Williams.

Tyler and Rita went to a Global Awakening School of Healing this past month. Here is a brief testimony from each of the fruit they've seen since then!

Tyler: In reading scripture through the years about the healings and miracles Jesus performed, I would read the bible and believed that those things happened, believed they were possible. But I would not necessarily expect them. Now after the conference when I read them, it seems they have taken on life, there is more power and reality for me. It's kinda like seeing pictures of the grand canyon, but then actually visiting there. There is now a clarity that I didn't have before. I can't wait to go again!

Rita: Something has gotten ahold of my heart, and now I'm seeing everything as an opportunity to pray for someone. Not just to pray, but to pray with faith, believing God will do something! My heart leaps to pray immediately. There was an opportunity to pray for a woman recently. Normally I would have chickened out, but I had the boldness and faith to take the risk to pray! Now I'm just living out what I learned there!

See below for details on a new Global School of Healing coming up in February!

The following opportunities are available in our area.

Nightwatch (prayer, praise, ministry) - Friday, January 6, 6:30pm soaking & personal time, 7:00 startup. Fellowship Community Church, Marlborough.
Contact Kevin: 860-267-1950

Rest Home Staff study group - Led by Carol Eisenberg and Susan Drum. Colchester. Contact Carol: 860-537-4708

Dance/worship/exercise class - Krista Billard instructing. Fellowship Community Church, Marlborough.
Thursday mornings 8:30- 10:00. Contact: Krista Billard 860-416-5711

Baking Class - Taught by Judith Bauer. Held monthly at New Life Assembly Church, 898 Voluntown Rd, Griswold. Contact: Judith Bauer 860-376-0108. Usually starts at noon. Next meeting date TBD. Topic: "Yeast Part 1". For those who are interested in bread making, this will be a good class to attend.

ETC Women's Group (equipping, training and connecting)
Natalie Messerschmidt and other teachers. Meets the 1st Tues of the month 9-11am. January's meeting is Tuesday, Jan 3 at FCC.
The speaker will be Judy Gasparino, the Topic is "Jesus Fulfilled Israel's Holy Days!" Fellowship Community Church, Marlborough.
Contact: Natalie Messerschmidt 860-267-1950.

Fearless Bride Prayer Encounter - Tuesdays 7pm. 17 Namonee Trail, East Hampton. Contact: Pam Rau 860-267-0771.

The following opportunities are available nearby.

Regional Gathering with Raymond Mooi & Li Ming.
Jan 13, 6:30pm. $35. Valley Shore Assembly of God, Old Saybrook, CT. Contact Valley Shore: (860)388-0662

Father's Heart with Paul Young author of "the Shack".
Jan 21, 9am, 2pm, 6pm. $35. Gateway Fellowship, West Haven, CT. Contact Kevin: 860-267-1950

Regional Gathering with David Wagner.
January 27 & 28, (Fri. 7-10pm, Sat. 1-5pm & 7-10pm). Valley Shore Assembly of God, Old Saybrook, CT. Contact Valley Shore: (860)388-0662

School of Healing - Foundations of Faith Global Awakening.
Joe McIntyre, Paul King, Tom Jones, and Randy Clark. February 15-18. $89/person before Feb 1. New Holland, PA. Contact Kevin: (860)267-1950

2012 Fearless Bride Women's Retreat with Brenda Jones, Natalie Messerschmidt, and Susan White.
March 16-18, 2012. Camp Wightman, Griswold, CT. Early bird registration: $155 by Jan 20. Visit LIFEGIVERS or contact Natalie Messerschmidt (860) 267-1950. .

Bill Johnson released his newsletter this week. Here is a link to an audio teaching from the newsletter. Every month he sends a free audio teaching as well as some amazing testimonies. You view and sign up for his newsletter here.

	Some of you have been asking how they can hear more of Larry Randolph. I found this on youtube, it's the Prophetic.tv October 2011 video teaching of the month. It's about an hour and a half. Click on the image to the left to view it!