From Carole:

I was just thinking about my spiritual journey since coming to Bethel.
When asked how am I doing? I often relate my thoughts to practical stuff. Going well but missing everyone of my family especially the grandchildren.
We are enjoying the home God has provided for us here and its comfort. Having Bree Sam and boys makes it so much easier than if we had no family here. Etc etc.

This is a big sacrifice for us and it is not just something for us to do!

But, The real question is how am I doing spiritually? This is what comes to my thoughts:

First without a shadow of a doubt we are meant to be at Bethel in this season of our lives.
The deep cry for 'more' in us is being met and increasing. so that we have an even deeper cry for more of our amazing Jesus, Lord of all. Just wanting to live in His presence, value and steward His presence well.
Apart from Him we are nothing. John 15
John 15 has become more alive than ever for me. This is one of my life scriptures which I have learnt and pursued deeper revelation of for a long time.
Him in me. I in Him. This has been knowledge to me for the same time as I have pursued Him but I am beginning to know what it means not just in word (knowledge) but in experience of who He is that lives in me. It has gone from my head to my heart. It is where the King of glory comes in through Holy Spirit. In other words I am learning a deeper intimacy with Jesus as my friend. In John 15 vs 15 which I also love, He says "I no longer call you servants but friends"
God is my friend, I am His friend. God and I are friends in the deepest sense of friendship. I believe He is giving me fresh revelation of His friendship of hearing His voice; of seeing Him through the Word, pictures visions, dreams and all my senses are being trained to recognise when He is around me. Sometimes I smell His lovely fragrance. Other times my hands tingle or become hot. There are times when He simply makes me laugh with joy and yet other times when well up with compassion and cry for those who are broken.
I am beginning at long last to move in the MORE of JESUS and His Kingdom. Please do not get me wrong I am on a journey and God is so vast I will pursue more of him until I meet Him in heaven. He is eternal so is the MORE of knowing Jesus.
My heart is to co-labor with Jesus on earth in everything I do. I want to be like the disciple whom Jesus loved and was able to lay on his chest and hear His heart beat. I desire with all my being to be a friend that He can trust. One that He can share secrets with.
So spiritually I feel that I am in green grasses of Psalm 23 laying down In the richness of His grace and He is leading me beside still waters preparing me for the rest of my journey in life with Him.
I have also discovered more of precious Holy Spirit. Oh He is so kind and He loves to laugh and have fun with His kids. The Father too laughs over us and I think for the first time in 52years (I gave my life to Jesus when I was age 5.) I have discovered how much fun Holy Spirit, Jesus and Father are. They make me laugh. They cover me in kisses. This sight of a loving Father playing with His kids is one I never knew up until a few years ago. Oh how He is full of joy and laughter. It is so good for your soul to laugh. Job 2 vs 28
He fills your mouth with laughter and joy. In His presence is fullness of joy.
To enjoy Jesus and laugh with him when He shows me something funny brings out the faith of a little child In me. We have to be like little children to enter the kingdom. Little children who are loved, laugh a lot. How much delight do you get when you watch your children laugh and play. So good. I just want more of Him. He is so much more in love with us than we realize. He delights in us.
When I ask Him what He thinks of me, He never tells me how bad I have been but dwells on the good in me and draws it out. He refreshes my soul. When I look at myself and go inward, oh I don't like what I see sometimes. It pulls me into self condemnation and then that old devil accuses me and before I know it I am not a saint but a dirty rotten sinner struggling. I am so thankful Jesus died for my sin and it's no longer I who live the old me but I AM a new creation a brand new woman. It is Him who lives in me; which, when I dwell on this truth, raises me up into joy and walking in righteousness with amazing victory over sin because sin has no power over me!! Now this is such good news!! It is written in my heart not just in my head and the kingdom of God is in me and I am starting to grow deeper in Jesus because I have a revelation of this truth from Him.
The Holy Spirit showed me that one little drink of water from Him turns into rivers of living water running through me. So this leads me to cry MORE LORD!
I have so many testimonies of how amazing He has been to me and what He is showing me that I could keep writing. Just writing about Him fills me with wonder of who He is.
Oh how He loves me! All I can do is worship Him and thank Him.
Yes, I forgot to mention His kingdom is supernatural and we are learning how to move in the amazing gifts that He gives in 'words of knowledge,' healing and prophecy etc; but when I really think about the power of the gospel, it is knowing Him and signs will follow. We are here to go tell the good news of the Kingdom; salvation,healing and deliverance happens as we do what He says.
So I realise of course that I want to move In the power of the gospel but, even if I don't, just being in His presence is enough.
That's where I am at at the moment.
Just simply wanting more. Feeling His absolute delight in me as His child. This joy is my strength.
I have attempted to record this with openness and humility and if it comes across in anyway contrary to this, please forgive me.
May you be blessed today.
Love Carole.