The Lockes

New Blog

2010-02-27T14:42:00.001-08:00

Check out Emie's Blog

http://emiekay.blogspot.com/

New Blog

2010-02-27T14:42:00.000-08:00

Check out Emie's Blog

http://emiekay.blogspot.com/

2009-11-23T13:31:00.001-08:00

Josh prays for a guys eye to be healed and it is! Come on Jesus!

2009-11-23T12:29:00.001-08:00

"Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - Will Rogers

2009-11-22T14:14:00.001-08:00

Build a model helicopter with the boys out of scraps around the house. Then painted it silver

2009-11-22T07:45:00.001-08:00

Did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the law? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you believed the message you heard about Christ.

2009-11-21T22:27:00.001-08:00

"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things" Leonardo da Vinci

2009-11-21T12:08:00.001-08:00

Stop chasing illusions.
http://ping.fm/cbp9O

2009-11-21T12:07:00.001-08:00

http://ping.fm/3hpyo

2009-11-21T11:26:00.001-08:00

Would Jesus use social networking?

2009-11-21T11:22:00.001-08:00

Going crazy with marketing.

2009-11-21T10:13:00.001-08:00

Sitting at Starbucks speaking business with my bro Clark the Shark

2009-11-20T12:32:00.001-08:00

Who you are is who you're meant to be.

More Locke Blogging

2009-09-07T16:43:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends,
If you want to know more about what is happening with the Locke family, check out my blog at emiekay.blogspot.com. I decided to start blogging because I usually have more to say than anyone ever wants to listen to! This way, I can get it out and you can listen if you want and shut me off if you want!! Love and blessings,
emie

You can do this also (part 1)

2009-07-18T11:18:00.002-07:00

I wrestled with how to title this blog. I thought maybe "How to start a Youth Ministry in less than 30 minutes" or "How to reach High School students without pizza" or "The similarities of PB&J and Signs and Wonders."

Instead I left it at, "You can do this too."

God is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever. Which means what we read about in the New Testament is exactly what he desires to pour out today. In addition the testimonies we hear or see is insight into what Jesus still wants to do today (Rev 19:10).
Enjoy.

Part 2

2009-07-18T11:18:00.001-07:00

Part 3

2009-07-18T11:17:00.001-07:00

Part 4

2009-07-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

Healing over the phone!

2009-07-11T19:53:00.001-07:00

As I walked into our office on Friday morning a co-worker who quickly mentioned she was in pain created me. “Hmmm” was my first thought.

She had opened her garage door that morning and the cat ran out under her feet. With a girly scream and a quick hop she avoided stepping on the cat. What she did not avoid was landing on one of her daughter’s roller blades. Her feet went straight out from under her, which flung her up and then down onto the other roller blade. Thus came the pain and tears and a house filled with commotion.

“I should pray for her,” was my second thought and third thought and fourth thought. But for some reason I never said anything.

I eventually went back to my office and pondered why I hadn’t prayed for her. I was actually really nervous to pray for her. It was an odd feeling. I wasn’t nervous that God wouldn’t heal her but more on the setting (at work). I wasn’t sure what to do or how to go about it.

A few hours went by of nervousness and I finally was fed up with it. I instant messaged her and asked her how the pain was. She said it was bad. I asked if I could pray for her (I prayed for her about 8 months ago and her sinus’ instantly cleared up). She said yes.

I told her I would be there in a few minutes, mainly because I was really nervous. I had to get my mind focused. Once I determined it was nothing I walked over to her office.
By the time I arrived she had someone in there. More nervousness.

I walked into the sales office and mentioned to a friend that I was going to pray for so & so. He asked if I was doing that now because we were to go pick up a company vehicle out at the nursery. I said well let’s go and I will pray for her when I get back.

I was still nervous.

Driving back to the office I begin to renew my mind to the truth so that by the time I arrived at the office I was ready.
I walked into the main office rounded the corner to her office and she wasn’t there. She had left for the day to go to the doctor.

What? I had missed the opportunity to see the Kingdom of God invade her world. My nervousness had won.

I put my tail between my legs and walked back to the sales office defeated.

I will call her on the phone. I grabbed my phone and rang her. She answered and we clarified what had happened and how we missed each other.
She was sitting in the doctor’s office waiting to be seen. I asked if I could pray for her now, she said, sure.

I asked her what her pain level was and she mentioned it was at least an 8 or 8.5 (10 being unbearable). I told her to place her hand on the area of pain. I prayed this, “Jesus thank you for (her name). In Jesus name I command this pain to leave right now! Thank you God.”

Do feel anything?

Well, I don’t know. Let me see if I can do something I couldn’t before. Oh my gosh Heath it’s gone. I can touch my toes, oh my gosh! Whoa, wow, oh my gosh. No, there is no pain. I guess I don’t need to see the doctor. Oh gosh!

The easy part is know God’s will concerning healing, “My will on earth as it is in heaven.” There is NO pain in heaven.
The hard part is calming my nerves.

Heath Locke

As a little Child

2009-06-28T10:00:00.001-07:00

Never mind the promotion at the end, this is a cool presentation.

Emie's Update

2009-06-28T09:58:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! Thought I'd come out of hiding again and give you a quick update on all that has been happening around here for the Locke family. We are continuing to LOVE and ENJOY our season of rest.

With the help of our friends, the Coulombes who came to visit for 3 weeks, we made and planted a beautiful little garden. Judah is in heaven as he has been longing for a garden for a couple years now! He is thrilled with the peppers, tomatoes, flowers on the melon plants, and the corn that is taller than he is! He's also thrilled that the world of words is FUN now and not the effort it has been almost all year! It's fun to hear him read every sign he passes!

Asher is growing and enjoying catching every bug, lizard, bird egg that falls from a tree, tadpole, frog, slug, snail, caterpillar, roly poly bug, you name it, he'll catch it, bring it in a jar and beg to keep it in the house!!! NO! He is learning how to be just as aggravating as his big brother and I'm no longer sure who's to blame in the sibling rivalry!! He can hold his own really well. Watch out Judah. Pray for Asher's immune system. He is the one who seems to get every germ that comes around and it hits him hard. We just had a round of sickness and he is still trying to fight off a fever (we're on day 5), sore throat, throwing up, headache, stuffy nose and all the rest of it! He's been better natured through this sickness than ever before, so that helps.

Elianna is full of life and personality! She is finally becoming more independant and not needing mommy to hold her as much as before (which was pretty much all day every day!!). She's talking like crazy and repeating everything we say! One day she had a snotty nose and I said, "Can you say booger?" "JUDAH" instantly came out of her mouth!!! I had a good laugh with that one! Judah is her favorite word to say! It may be because it's the word she most frequently hears me say!!! :-) She loves the chickens, weeding the garden with me (though I loose a few plants every time!), playing in the dirt and splashing in water. Every morning she climbs out of her crib, comes into my room and brings me my flip flops and glasses, smacks her lips, and stands there until I get her breakfast!! See Heath, who needs a dog?! :-)

Abiel is a beautiful young lady almost ready to turn 10! She is loving swim lessons, and dreaming about her summer that is full of fun! She is able to go to a summer camp that I went to as a kid and also a small camp in Oregon. She's looking forward to possibly taking ballet classes this fall and getting involved in 4-H. She continues to be my most social child and can make friends in the span of 3 seconds flat! It's pretty fun to watch. I don't know what I'd do without her. She is precious and extremely helpful.

So that's the kiddos. Heath is keeping busy by learning some new skills in videography and photography. He had the opportunity to be hired to do a promotional video for a local company and it turned out incredible. It seems God is opening some avenues for Heath to incorporate more of his artistic abilities into some of his dreams for the future. I'm really excited for him. He continues to be a blessing and light in his work place and pretty much where ever he goes. Though this isn't his ideal place in life, he is very much alive and moving forward with what God puts before him. He is a faithful man of God who works hard and brings Jesus whether he is in formal ministry or the business world. By the way, his birthday is June 28th. He loves encouragement as we all do, so if you think of it, send him an email and let him know how much you appreciate him!

I am in resting heaven!! I never thought I'd be able to say that raising four kids is resting!! But I guess after the chaotic life of our previous years, I'm able to say this is a piece of cake, comparatively! Heath does a great job of giving me breaks. About once a month, I spend the night at our friends house for some peace, quiet, and soaking time with Jesus. It has been so healing for me. This weekend, I am going away for 2 nights to just BE! I don't even know what I'll do with all that time and space, but I plan on enjoying every moment with Jesus all to myself!

As I feel like I'm coming to life, I'm being able to "see" the world around me again. As everywhere, there is a fairly large homeless population in the area. Several weeks ago, Serenity and I (when the coulombes were still visiting) met a lady named Laurie. She needed help with food. So we were able to take her to the grocery store and bless her. She also very humbly shared that she was sleeping in her car and at the moment it was stranded in the Walmart parking lot, needing a new water pump. I told her I'd be back in a couple days to help her with it and gave her my number. The next day the kids and I decided to meet Heath for dinner at In -n- Out Burger. As I walked in, there was Laurie. I grabbed her and gave her a big hug and said, "Hey Jesus really wants us to be friends! Do you want to have dinner with us?" And that was the beginning of my friendship with Laurie.

Over the last several weeks, I have met with Laurie for a few meals. I'm learning who she is. I'm hearing her needs. I'm enjoying just getting to know her and sharing who I am and who Jesus is with her. The other day when we were at lunch together I asked, "Who is Laurie?" She got the most innocent, childlike smile on her face and thought for a long time before responding. It was a precious moment of her just reveling in the fact that someone wanted to know her. Don't we all just want someone to know us?

Today I had the opportunity to help her get to Georgia to see her son graduate from National Guard Basic Training. She called me earlier this week wondering if I could help her get down there. Honestly, I wrestled. It's one thing to buy someone groceries. It's another thing to be someone's friend who has continual need. Just ask anyone who has been the friend of the Locke family.

I wrestled with whether or not I should help. So on the way to meet her, I heard the Lord ask me, "Could you give the money to Me?" "Of course. No problem." And then He answered me with this, "Then just find Me in Laurie's eyes tonight." Wow.

And as I drove I remembered all the times we were in need of getting somewhere and friends listened to Jesus and came through. Why is that any different? Is it more noble to give to a "missionary" than to give to a homeless friend? And again, I was reminded of all the times we've literally been homeless and if not for the generosity of friends and the family of God, we would've slept in our van too. Is it different? Maybe you could argue that the circumstances of homelessness were different. . . or maybe not. I wish you could've seen the joy, light and excitement in her eyes tonight as I sat across from her at In -n- Out, listening to her quiet but excited voice share about how amazed her son will be to see her there! And I had no problem finding Jesus in her eyes right there in that noisy, crowded restaurant.

Thank you Jesus for being among us. Thank you for showing us Your face. Thank you for giving us the privlege of being ministers of reconciliation. Thank you for giving us the job of reflecting Your glory with increasing measure. It is an honor to represent you to the world. Pour out your love into the hearts of Your people so in turn, Your people can pour your love out on the world around them.

We love you all,
emie for the locke fam

Quick thoughts

2009-06-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long . . . blah blah . . .

Of course all of you Facebookers will keep up to date with my wife and thus hear a quick on the fam.

Life is going great. We love our home and fields of Ag all around us.
Finally feeling like we are settling in.

I have been busy (late nights) creating a video of a local company. Finished last night or about 1am this morning.

Ministry is going awesome and I feel bad we have not shared any stories.
I got to pray for a co-worker a few weeks back who was laying his head on the desk in intense migraine, sinus, and neck pain. He was only at work because he was head on vacation towards the end of the week and had to get his stuff done.
I asked to pray for him, he said sure (quick version). I prayed and he said it had gone down from a 7 pain level to a 5. So I prayed again, then he jumped up and yelled get away from me Heath you're a weirdo (half serious/half joking).
He was stunned because all the pain (and everything else attached to it) instantly left.
He sat there in silence and disbelief. I briefly shared the gospel of the Kingdom and smiled because once again Heaven had invaded earth.

Bless you all and until I write more stay socially connected with Emie on Facebook.

Now you know!

2009-05-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

Creating the Garden

2009-04-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

Fast Food Folk Song

2009-04-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Land Rover Defenders

2009-04-02T09:25:00.001-07:00

Update on Tuesday nights

2009-03-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

Here is another list someone from our group on Tuesday night put together for the last month or two.
It truly is amazing how the Lord continues to move and it takes an hour to share all the testimonies.
This list doesn't even take into account what has happened in the last two weeks and how individuals are experiencing God in fresh new ways.

If you are ever in town on a Tuesday night stop on in.

A families “awful bill”-$ arrived to pay
Sarah’s “dry bones” dream and her “let(ing) go”
Kristal bringing the presence of God in to client’s homes
Scott prays for Paul S’s knee and it is healed
Carrie S suitor “moves on” in answer to prayer
A ladies deliverance from the spirit of approval (intense)
Beth’s healing miraculously started
Lorie’s salvation, but still waiting on healing
Sarah’s dream about Debbie and Stephanie, the next day Debbie calls! Haven’t talked for a couple years.
Kelly’s dream about Diane J, sister, acupuncture
Susan’s Mom’s liver cancer healed (“the doctor can’t find the tumor”)
Shawna’s brother Anthony miraculously healed (2 knife wounds, one cut artery, “death” sentence, “certain brain injury” sentence, nurses confession of “miracle”, complete healing started, BSSM students “show up” to pray with Shawna as she prays for help)
Prophetic word about Anthony being a light and testimony to all his family
Shawna’s mother (pre-saved) thanks group for praying for Anthony!
Financial release for family that also blessed someone else
Resurrection of Christina and Adam’s baby (in womb) after Emie prays
Scott prays for a stabbed hand at The River (Church) and it is healed
Beginning of Casey/Christina’s reconciliation after night of warfare prayer
Kyle /Lesley’s “peace” answer to prayer regarding their future
Baby Benjamin’s miraculous continual healing & prophesies over his life.

How to make $6k in a month!

2009-03-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

Enthusiasm

2009-03-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

Enthusiasm is Greek for en theos, God in Us!

How can Atheist appreciate music?

2009-03-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

Got fired? Good!

2009-03-09T13:05:00.000-07:00

Nathaniel Hawthorne went home to tell his wife that he had just been fired from his job. "Good," she said. "Now you can write your book." "What do we live on meanwhile?" Hawthorne asked. His wife opened a drawer filled with money. "I have always known that you are a man of genius," she said. "So I have saved a little each week, and now I have enough to last for a year." Hawthorne used the time to write The Scarlet Letter, one of the greatest masterpieces of American literature.

2009-03-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

Hello Dear Team Africa!!

I think I'm ready to come out of hiding . . . for a few minutes anyway!
I can't believe it has been an entire year since we landed back on the soil of good ol' US of A. And it has taken that entire year to recover! As I have been reflecting on our time in Africa and the few months following our return to the States, I am in complete awe and unexplainable thankfulness for how the Lord used you, our incredible team, to support, love, pray for, and bring us to a place of rest and refreshing again. YOU ARE INCREDIBLE!! And I'm not just saying that!

We have met many, many missionaries in our journeys over the years. Many of their stories of their support systems are very sad. Often missionaries get sent out with a big fan fare, rarely to hear from their supporters or "team" during their difficult days on the field and ESPECIALLY upon their return FROM the field. Many feel they cannot be real with their supporters for fear of losing necessary funding. Because of our anonymous giving, we felt total freedom to give you our yuck! And we did! And you responded in such love and grace, we just can't imagine it being any other way! Thank you for helping to make our experiences very different from those who feel so isolated in their service in foreign lands.

As we left for Africa two years ago, we were sent out miraculously as God used you to provide the necessary finances to get on the plane with our 17 bags and 3 kids! Once in Africa, we never once felt abandoned. You were faithful to email just at the right time (Praise God for technology. . . 25 years ago, that would've been impossible!!). You would email things God was asking you to pray for and it was SPOT ON! Many of you, I was able to build wonderful relationships with as email prayer pals! We were truly surrounded in prayer. And we always had what we needed monetarily. There were weeks it would look slim, but then God would prompt someone to give and we'd have exactly what we needed . . . over and over again. And as Heath has updated once before, we "made" more money as missionaries than he is making at a "real" job! That is miraculous and such a testimony to your faithfulness to care for us and respond to God in giving when He prompted. THANK YOU!

Mozambique was an incredibly rich experience for all of us, while South Africa proved to be much more trying. The uncertainly of what we were doing there, how long we were to be there and what was next, ON TOP OF having our 4th baby, made the stress of missionary life very difficult. Yet once again, we never felt abandoned by God or by you, HIS Body! Over and over your prayer confirmation was direction for us as the Holy Spirit would tell you things only He and we knew!

The love and care that we were given from Kent and Shay at the Ehmke house (the one we lived at in South Africa) and the friendship and fellowship from Richard and Sheila and others in Nelspruit was invaluable. Thanks so much for loving us and enduring with us through our difficult days! I was a basket case to be sure!

God's provision through YOU to get us back to the US was another amazing miracle. And everything preceding our landing in Portland, Oregon was the love of God manifested tangibly through you! Two weeks prior to leaving South Africa, we had no where to live upon returning home. Then God shows up through Mike Thaler and offers us a beautiful place to stay for 3 months! We got "home" and the house was set up and livable, complete with towels, sheets, beds, crib, soap, shampoo, dishes, warm clothes and a month and a half supply of food! For all of you who were part of that, we will never forget it. You blessed us beyond what we could've thought or asked for at that point. You provided a place for us to come home to and we felt anything BUT abandoned by our friends and team!

Those three months were so difficult in the reverse culture shock and wondering what the heck we were supposed to do next! Yet again, we had you to cry with, sob our guts out with, tell our jaded, processing thoughts to and to pray with! You know who you are! Thank you for letting us be so real. It made our restoration process so much quicker than it could've been. From toilet paper and diapers to friends GIVING US their mini-van, we couldn't recount all the ways that YOU, our friends and teammates have given to and been there for us.

Thank you to all of you who housed us, loved us, supported us financially through those awkward months. The Truaxs, Stagers, Bocseris, Kinds, and then the Georges whom we told we'd be there for 2 weeks and left 3 months later!!!!! I'm telling you, our friends are full of hospitality. We have so many crazy, unbelievable stories of true hospitality and the family of God working and providing for other parts of the body, it's bizarre!!

We truly have not taken any of your love, gifts, prayers, hospitality, financial support, and most of all friendship for granted. And I know in my attempt to give honor to you, our friends and supporters, I will miss mentioning some really big things, moments, or gifts. But they are not forgotten in our hearts and minds. My journals tell it all!

And as we could never repay you for such acts of love and kindness and sometimes sheer obedience, we continually pray that the Lord will bless you beyond what you could imagine for the sacrifices of friendship and love and gifts given to us for the Kingdom of Heaven.

It has been a wonderful 5 months of living in our own little house, with our own little space and our own little family. The Lord told me this would be a greenhouse time for our family where he was tenderly caring for and growing us in order to send us out again. It has truly been this. I am coming alive again and loving life again! YEAH GOD! Hiding has been the best thing in the world for me and the kids . . . a little rough on Heath but he's enduring for our sake!! Ministry, though on a much smaller scale, continues to be amazing as we meet on Tuesday nights to pray. The Presence of God and power of the Holy Spirit is just amazing.

And the biggest miracle of all is that I am LOVING and fully embracing the role of motherhood like never before in my 10 years of marriage. God had to take me through the last 3 years to bring me to a place of fully surrendering my heart and this time in my life to Him by giving it to my family wholeheartedly.

So thank you. Thank you, thank you, and thank you. Forgive my hiding! I will return (it may be 17 years from now but I will return!!). Jesus is ministering to us and continuing to minister through us. Someone asked me if I'm enjoying living in California. I said, "I would've enjoyed living on the moon at that point! I just needed somewhere to LAND for a longish period of time!" So yes, I'm enjoying Cali, but most of all, I'm enjoying routine, stability and hiding! This is the first time in 10 years of marriage where all I have to think about is my family! I think I'm considering this my sabbatical!

Ok, that's enough for one "outing!" Love and blessings and abundant LIFE to you all! We LOVE YOU!

Emie for the Locke Family

Abraham Lincoln on Finances

2009-03-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Johnston:--

Your request for eighty dollars, I do not think it best to comply with now. At the various times when I have helped you a little, you have said to me, "We can get along very well now," but in a very short time I find you in the same difficulty again. Now this can only happen by some defect in your conduct. What that defect is, I think I know. You are not _lazy_, and still you _are_ an _idler_. I doubt whether since I saw you, you have done a good whole day's work, in any one day. You do not very much dislike to work, and still you do not work much, merely because it does not seem to you that you could get much for it. This habit of uselessly wasting time, is the whole difficulty; and it is vastly important to you, and still more so to your children, that you should break this habit. It is more important to them, because they have longer to live, and can keep out of an idle habit before they are in it easier than they can get out after they are in.

You are now in need of some ready money; and what I propose is, that you shall go to work, "tooth and nail," for somebody who will give you money for it. Let father and your boys take charge of things at home--prepare for a crop, and make the crop; and you go to work for the best money wages, or in discharge of any debt you owe, that you can get. And to secure you a fair reward for your labor, I now promise you that for every dollar you will, between this and the first of next May, get for your own labor either in money or in your own indebtedness, I will then give you one other dollar. By this, if you hire yourself at ten dollars a month, from me you will get ten more, making twenty dollars a month for your work. In this, I do not mean you shall go off to St. Louis, or the lead mines, or the gold mines, in California, but I mean for you to go at it for the best wages you can get close to home, in Coles County. Now if you will do this, you will soon be out of debt, and what is better, you will have a habit that will keep you from getting in debt again. But if I should now clear you out, next year you will be just as deep in as ever.
You say you would almost give your place in Heaven for $70 or $80. Then you value your place in Heaven very cheaply, for I am sure you can with the offer I make you get the seventy or ighty dollars for four or five months' work. You say if I furnish you the money you will deed me the land, and if you don't pay the money back, you will deliver possession-- Nonsense! If you can't now live _with_ the land, how will you then live without it? You have always been kind to me, and I do not now mean to be unkind to you. On the contrary, if you will but follow my advice, you will find it worth more than eight times eighty dollars to you.

Affectionately your brother,

A. LINCOLN.

F5

2009-02-19T21:52:00.000-08:00

I have been pondering lately what Jesus meant when he said, "abundant life". Does it merely speak of "spiritual" things? Or does it encompass all aspects of life?

This season of "rest" has allowed me (and Emie) to grasp aspects of life in abundance! I will share what I am learning in 5 areas and they all happen to start with an "F".

Nothing profound, but then again all that is found in Jesus is more than nothing.

F5-coming soon!

Heath

My Art

2009-02-13T23:14:00.001-08:00

My art now comes in Greeting Cards and any size you desire (framed or unframed) Click Here!

Maybe a kindergartner could be a CEO

2009-02-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

Click on image to enlarge.

Death stinks so pour on the perfume!

2009-01-21T09:17:00.000-08:00

I was reminded a couple weeks ago how Jesus doesn't answer Mary and Martha's prayer to come before Lazarus dies. He waits until he's dead (which twists our theology). He finally shows up, Martha comes out and says, "Lord, had you been here my brother would not have died." Jesus explains he will rise again, Martha says she knows he will rise on the resurrection day. Jesus explains that He is the resurrection. Then Martha leaves to get Mary.

The scripture says Jesus waited. He did not move from that place!

Martha comes to the house where Mary and friends are mourning Lazarus' death. Martha tells Mary that the Master wants to see her (which we don't know if Jesus actually said this, maybe Martha wasn't getting the results she wanted).

Mary runs out to meet Jesus (the house follows); she falls at His feet and says, "Lord, had you been here my brother would not have died." Martha and Mary say the exact same thing, word for word! Yet Martha moved Jesus to an intellectual conversation about the resurrection (who happened to be standing in front of her) and Mary moves Jesus to say, "Let's go raise the dead!"

Both women had a relationship with Jesus but one met Jesus and wanted to talk about the resurrection and the other wanted The Resurrection. One didn't fully grasp there was more Jesus was attempting to reveal in his conversing and the other grasped fully the revealed Jesus. One came to Jesus alone; the other brought a house full to His feet. One was concerned Lazarus would stink and the other wanted him alive. One still served lunch at Lazarus' "dead raising party" while the other poured $40,000 worth of perfume over Jesus' feet.

We all come to Jesus at the same place just not the same way! If our "coming" only brings conversations and not The Resurrection then let's get out the perfume and not worry if it stinks!

Heath

Pictures

2009-01-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

Riding uncle Darrell's dirt bike!

A Little Rhyme

2009-01-15T13:13:00.000-08:00

While driving to work this morning a rhyme came to my mind.

Gas is going up
We're all going broke
We don't know what's coming
But the Anti-christ is stoked.

Ok, ok don't quit my day job, I know.

Heath

What about Medicine?

2009-01-14T10:54:00.000-08:00

A buddy asked me a great question that I thought many others are pondering.

"If you have time, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. If a closed ear or back pain (etc, etc) is a spiritual issue (sin / enemy, etc), how is it that medicine sometimes heals those things (w/o prayer, etc)? Does this imply that sometimes it’s not a spiritual issue/problem but a physiological problem?"

Great question. My quick thoughts on that are this.
There are supernatural laws and natural laws. The natural law works and can be effective until a greater law comes. For example, the law of gravity is very real unless the law of flight collides with it. So medicine (which I think is great) works until a greater law (supernatural) supersedes it. So people can be cured by natural medicine but a more REAL truth is that supernatural healing supersedes. It also makes me wonder if medicine is more spiritual then we think. It is in places like Africa. Maybe we have been deceived here in the Western world and divided the two when in reality they co-exist.

The reason we have sickness and pain is the result of sin (you know that). What I am not saying is that someone’s pain/sickness is from their sin (though it could be at times). Rather we live in a spiritually dead world and the results only, always bring death/sickness/sin. When we pray for healing there are physical things happening (ears opening) but it is helpful for me to remember that was not the original intent from God (and we can change it b/c he has given his Bride the authority).
We were created Spirit beings that would never die. Spiritual death brought sin and sickness. And Jesus destroyed that on the Cross, we believe and receive. We now through Christ will never die, because we are spirit beings. We have bought into the idea that we are first physical and then spiritual, scripture is clear on that though. This body is only a container of who we are, spirit. That is why the spirit is dead (who we were truly meant to be) and we attempt to "live" from our soul, until the truth is revealed and our Spirit is born again (it was first born into death and now born again unto LIFE).

Physiological problem? Yes, the mind. Don't be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. That is why it is so important to meditate on the Word. IT is truth not what we are feeling or believing.
For example this is why I don’t believe counseling works. The truth is that Jesus says we are dead and everything has been made NEW! Old is gone, the flesh is dead. We are free, we must believe and walk in it even when the enemy comes and communicates something else. We don’t really believe Jesus has recreated us, because we don’t understand the reality of the enemy who is continually attacking our identity. Which he did to Jesus! But God confirms who Jesus is, “this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” Then he is led into the desert to be tempted.

We are new creations that live from the spiritual realm out so let's not allow the enemy to give us what the Lord has destroyed. The Gospel is power unto salvation, deliverance and healing.

Remember it is our faith that PLEASES Him!

Hope that answers some of your question. Please keep asking. Sorry I may have gone down a few rabbit trails.

Heath

Some responses from friends:

“Consider exploring the counseling thing a bit further. I believe you are right that it doesn't work to completely heal someone. But for some, I think it can help. It doesn't exactly heal; it's more like an emotional tourniquet until they are healed by God. In some ways, perhaps the counseling is more 'practice' on how to speak and listen. When someone is completely shut down and turned off, they can't (or won't) hear anyone. Sometimes including God. Sometimes the presence of a counselor gives the person 'permission' to begin to admit to the nasty things living inside them. But frequently counseling becomes an all-about-me-fest. It's up to the individual not to go there (or at least live there). I look at counseling like taking pain medicine. It may help lessen the symptoms to help you think more clearly about how to treat the cause - but it isn't a cure unto itself. ...and be careful you don't become an addict.”

“Some thoughts about Meds.

Meds only cover the symptom, not the issue. The issue is Evil, and no med can remove it. That is the part of any sickness or disease or Ungodly thing.

Some times it helps because it gets our mind off of the pain or ill feeling or fear, but only by deadening our senses. Hence when we focus on our “pain” (or sin for that matter of fact) we allow it to win the affection of our heart and we “trust in it”.

“You (Lord) will keep in perfect peace (Shalom) the mind that is fixed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Mind is fixed on what I am trusting in! So the deadening of our senses will allow a respite of the symptom and allow sleep or work or rest or even a chance to focus on the praise of our Lord!

The deadening of our senses is not a good thing over all as I believe God uses our senses to communicate with us. Thus “Pharmacia”, or witchcraft style potions and concoctions are to do just that, deaden our communication with the Father. I have turned to prayer after taking certain drugs, but have also found they get in the way of my communion with God, so I try not to take them.

I still use meds, but I have learned to trust God more by seeing what they do to me spiritually.

Theses are just my opinions, non scriptural, but experiential.”

My perspective on Healing

2009-01-13T13:09:00.000-08:00

After sending out the last update I received an email asking me to pray for an individual. Which I will of course, but it is more fun if you get to. So I have put together a quick reference card :) on my view of healing. I will better it later but some of you don't have time, people are sick.
If we all believe what Christ has for his Bride then we don't need specialist.

A simple straight forward version, I typed out over lunch.

First, I believe it is the Lords will to always heal. Not everyone is healed, but I do believe it is his will. Just like it is his will that "none should perish but all come to repentance", though not all do, but that is his will.

Second, God has allowed Satan to control this world (1 John 5:19). Adam and Eve gave over the control. That doesn't mean God's hands are tied behind his back b/c he defeated the enemy on the Cross (which is where we receive Salvation and Healing from, the second Adam "fixed" what the first Adam destroyed) it is now our role (the Bride who co-labor with Christ) to make on earth what is a reality in the Heavens. "My will on earth as it is in Heaven"

Third, God has given us all power and authority to push back the darkness and bring his Kingdom.

Fourth, the thief kills, steals and destroys. So when I pray for someone, I am not asking what is God's will (I believe Scripture is clear on what he desires, this is different then asking God for wisdom or insight into the situation) I am commanding (in Christ) the enemy (and his effects, back pain, sickness, etc.) to move/be gone/let go (how ever you want to say it).

Fifth, If I see things as spiritual and not physical the battle becomes much easier. We can open deaf ears because it is the result of sin and the enemy, not God. I see it as telling the demon to leave/move, get off their ear!

Six, It is believing what the Lord has said, despite our circumstances. It is so easy that non-Christians can perform miracles, prophecy and cast out demons (Matt 7) it takes faith. But we can do it and have relationship so we don't end up in hell. Praise the Lord.

Hope that gives some perspective. Pray with confidence b/c you know Jesus (he knows you) and he has disarmed the enemy.

Heath

God is moving or are we finally moving with God?

2009-01-12T16:21:00.000-08:00

I know it has been to long since the last update but here is a little something.
Someone made a list of all that has happened at our Tuesday night meetings within the last 6 months or so. I thought you would like to know about them.

I have omitted names where it would be to personal (except for healings).

"Worship God. For the essence of prophecy is to give clear witness for Jesus." Rev. 19:10

1) Rose’s shoulder healed (China) after Scott’s vision (USA)
2) Scott’s knee healed after 17 years of pain
3) Cathy’s shoulder healed
4) Beginning of a healed marriage
5) Father/Son reconciliation started
6) Mike’s elbows healed (“spirit of stupid” broken off!)
7) A fathers conversion to Christ (or reaffirmation) before death
8) Mike’s knees healed after months of continual ache
9) Kelly’s elbow healed
10) Robert’s skin cancer healed (down payment for his Dad’s healing!)
11) A daughter reconciled with her parents (vision of red tractor & palm trees)
12) Grandma Irene’s back pain healed & she sleeps through the night for 1st time in months
13) A ladies relief from depression
14) Kelly’s migraine headache healed (spiritual battle)
15) A couples financial miracle in the “nick of time”
16) Confirmation of a young ladies call to the ministry
17) Spirit of rejection broken off
18) Spirit of foreboding broken off
19) Spirit of condemnation broken off
20) Glenn healed of Leukemia/kidney failure (“completely reversed” w/ “help”)
21) “Bonking ball” (glory of God) heals Kelly’s back in the night (she thought it was a dream)
22) A lady steps over the chain (prophetic word)
23) A young ladies “encounter” with God
24) Scott’s vision of young lady (above) w/ suitcase @ Bethel
25) Young lady (above) deliverance from worry
26) Young lady (above) series of miraculous provision (new life, housing, Bethel, etc.)
27) Prophesies over young couple (amazing)
28) Crystal’s grandma’s living situation including house selling in 1 day
29) A woman’s daughter’s engagement broken
30) A woman’s (above) son’s surgery successful
31) Prophesies over a couple (also amazing)
32) Couple (above) financial/legal court case resolved in their favor (as prophesied)
33) Emie’s back pain relieved
34) A husbands interest in spiritual things revived
35) Spiritual battle over a fathers funeral resolved by the Lord
36) Emie’s vision (call) to live with Georges while in Africa (God’s provision)
37) God provides the Locke’s with special deal on rental house!
38) Knee injury reversed after lady falls in Wal-Mart
39) A fathers relationship with his kids improving as prayed for
40) Mike’s brush pile healing w/ Ben, start of reconciliation w/ friend
41) A families “awful bill”-$ arrived to pay

Blessings
Heath

View from Home.

2008-12-16T08:24:00.000-08:00

You can't see the snow on the mountains or smell the pristine air, but wow it is beautiful. In just a moment the sun will slice open the sky as it rises above the mountains.
What a wonderful creator to give us such blessings.

Resting

2008-12-11T13:14:00.000-08:00

The enemy’s urgency makes our resting and waiting a weapon of warfare.

Resting has brought an amazing tool of warfare for me and the family. My kids prophesied over me when we first moved into our home. Judah said: "as you rest you will grow". Abiel saw a tree planted and the roots spread farther and wider than the tree above ground, through resting. Ashers was a little weird (he's only 3), He saw Jesus standing over a volcano and as the lava came out Jesus picked it up and threw it and it became land. (Interpretation please).

This week we have seen a man who had a flu healed. "100% better than I felt yesterday."

A man who was scheduled for surgery to remove skin cancer on Wednesday healed on Tuesday night. What is even better than that (I believe) is the Holy Spirit washed over him in a refreshing way and he left renewed and full of Life. The doctor examined him and said, "what are you here for again?" "To remove the skin cancer." "There is nothing here." The doc checked his computer to verify and it showed there was cancer. "Well, there is nothing there now."

What is also amazing about this, I told one of the guys who was a part of the Tuesday night meeting and prayed in faith believing for healing, that 4 months ago he didn't even realize he had the gift of healing.
Emie and I are seeing clearer our role here (not just Tuesday nights): Cultivate. Disc up the ground, throw some fertilizer down (we all know what that is, where there is no oxen the stall is clean) and let the Bride use her gifts.

I believe things are opening up and we will see more "meetings/individuals" that we can help. Maybe once we are all rested up the Lord will allow us to go at it full time again (please, please). Until then we rest and wage warfare through wisdom and not busy-ness. It's the difference between being a sniper and a GI with a machine gun.

Please continue to pray as the Lord is opening opportunities up I need wisdom. Tomorrow I am going to a Bible study to connect with a pastor (whom I don't know, never been to the church, etc) to "bless" them. The Lord set it/me up through a dream I had last week. Long crazy story. I drive past the church building daily and one day I prayed the Lord would bless my bros and sisters that meet there. He said, "No, you bless them."
I said, "how?"
He said, "I will tell you later."
Hoping he would forget I drove to work. That night he gave me a dream about meeting a pastor (who was my age) and blessing him. A week later a friend walks into the office and tells me about a bible study that meets on Friday mornings. It happens to the same church I had prayed for and the pastor is my age. Coincident?
So I am heading there this Friday to see how I can bless them. And to think that all of this came as I rested and slept.

Isn't this so much fun? Why did I ever try to "do" ministry differently?

Maybe resting and waiting really is warfare.

-- Heath

2008-12-11T11:55:00.000-08:00

The enemy’s urgency makes our resting and waiting a weapon of warfare.

She is having her first birthday.

2008-11-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

Our little girl is 1 year today. It is amazing what can happen in a year. We were all sitting on a bed in South Africa waiting for this angel to come. She slid out and has not stopped.

Tomorrow we celebrate with cake.

The other three are keeping up their end of the deal and growing into young children. There is never a dull moment for mommy.

I told Emie the other night, "that's because it's hard to raise a Locke, we're world changers."

When we sterilize life, ministry, etc. so no one can mess up, then no one does anything. I heard someone say, "God put two trees in the Garden." GOD DID! He set it up so there could be a potential mess up. He choose Judas to be over the finances, His disciples argued who was the best b/c Jesus believed in them."

So much more, but I am glad my kids are wild (there is a difference between wild and disrespectful and/or disobedient) and struggle with each other. We are raising martyrs not manikins. Ones who can think and will face opposition. What a great place to work it out at home. I don't want religious em ty vessels but Peters who will swing the sword (after all Jesus did tell them to bring the swords) but are willing to be corrected.

OK so back to Elianna's birthday, she turns one today. God has truly "answered us with grace." Now if she could just sleep through the night.

Heath

The world is ending but this guy rocks!

2008-10-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

HS Sweet Hearts!?!

2008-09-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

If I were born in the fifties I would not have taken my eyes off this hottie.

Of course sportin' a bow tie like this it was destiny we would go steady. After 10 years of marriage I feel as if Emie and I are shifting into second gear now. With four beautiful children, amazing friends (who we miss), crazy God adventures, seeing the Holy Spirit poured out on us and others, witnessing healings, provision beyond calculation, traveling the world and connecting fewer times than Emie would like, here we are entering another decade of marital bliss. How could God be so faithful to us?

Emie and I had a strange beginning to our relationship (as many of you know). God spoke clearly to us on the same night that we would be married. The only hitch was we were not dating, nor were we close friends. So what were we to do with this revelation? Well, Emie freaked out and told me to drop off the face of the earth.

I was excited, I had found "the one." Life was going to be great. I had been given the most attractive, intelligent, driven women I could have ever asked for. I was told I needed to marry a housewife, but what I wanted was a teammate who would change the world with me. All the years I had been praying for my wife, Emie was the answer. She embodied God's reply to my heart. How could I have been so lucky?

Of course I do wonder why she has put up with me (maybe she didn't pray hard enough).

Over the last ten years I have taken her up and down, over and around the world. She has learned to be content with plenty and with little. She has had to re-establish a home 11 times, 4 of which while living with other families. She has put her desires (which mean "of the Father") aside countless times to fulfill what I believe God was asking of us. She has mothered our children amazingly and poured herself into discipling them for the Kingdom.

Emie has never once complained about what her Father has asked of us. She only wishes she could devote more time and energy to him. She is an ocean yet to be discovered and a treasure yet to be spent. The world is in for a shocker when God fully releases her into her destiny.

Coming from dysfunction junction myself I am in awe how God has blessed me so much with a woman who selflessly gives and can still laugh with me. Emie is my earth angel sent from heaven. I never thought I would ever admire someone as much as I do her (now if I could only tell the way she needs to hear it).

We have had our struggles (like all) but have learned to get up and fly again. We have seen the best of times and the worse of times. I guess that is what being married is all about, loving when our spouses are jerks. And wow have I been a jerk (that happens to be Emie's favorite word to describe me when I am in my element).

When we mutually submit to each other (as if we are one) then anything is possible. I am the luckiest man on earth to have such a woman as I do. And my children are equally blessed to be raised not only with a mother who adores them but who loves Jesus more than herself.

My prayer is that the world will see the Master in this masterpiece he has created between Emie and I. And though we weren't around in the fifties maybe we'll make it fifty more years. If we do I know this lady of mine will be just as hot then as she is now.

I love you babe!

Better than the Ark?

2008-09-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

Though King David and all Israel were singing before God with all their might, with all kinds of musical instruments God was still not in it. Neither did he tell David to move the Ark of the Covenant. It was “the right thing to do” they all agreed, but it was not God’s thing to do, at least not his way of moving.

As a result when they came across the threshing floor, the most level place, the oxen stumbled. Mr. “Strength-in-Self” aka Uzzah puts his hand out to steady the ark and finds himself dead. “David was now afraid of God” and named the place “outbreak against strength in self, aka Perez-uzzah.

As a result an obscure gentleman receives a box. Obed-edom wakes up one morning to realize the King is bringing God over, in a box. “There was only one time God ever put himself in a box and he said, ‘If you touch this thing I’ll kill you’ (Graham Cooke).”
The result is astonishing; the Lord blessed him and his entire household. He is so blessed that David hears about it and wants God back.

What happened to Obed-edom’s house for the king to become jealous and want the Ark back? Did his crops grow larger, goats produce more milk, and/or his pigs have a record litter? Was his marriage outstanding, kids get into the top universities? Was he voted mayor? Did his businesses make the Fortune 500 list? What could have happened in three short months that everyone knew that God in the box was tangibly impacting his “entire” household? Whatever it was his mother-in-law was reaping the benefits and it was not just spiritually. I can’t help but believe we are in a better position than Obed-edom was. “God no longer dwells in things made by human hands” (Acts17:24), he dwells in us, his Body, his Temple, his Bride.

If Christ dwells in us then shouldn’t all aspects of our life be abundant? We are the Light, shouldn’t the world be a little blinded? We are the salt, shouldn’t they be thirsty? Better yet, we are co-laborers with Christ. "We know that the world around us is under the power and control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19), shouldn’t we be getting it back? Maybe we have had a wrong perspective, one that can't wait to leave this earth, that we no longer occupy ourselves with bringing His Kingdom now. . . . “His will on earth as it is in Heaven.” We have settled for preaching the gospel and getting people saved, only to have forgotten about preaching the Kingdom so the saved have something to do.

As Christians, we bring the very presence of God into everything. We have access to wisdom the world has yet to discover. When you show up at work believe what is reality. “Don’t be content with sitting in the Heavens, rather operate from it (Lance Wallnau).” Bless your pagan boss, Joseph did! It was Joseph’s sinful boss that God used to catapult him into his destiny.

I have had some great times at my current job. I see it in two parts; one to slow me down so our family can enjoy some stability. Emie is still the love of my life. After ten years of marriage I am still awed by her. With the days coming closer to having our own place, she has become a new woman.

Secondly, this new journey has taken me deeper into my destiny. I am getting wonderful training and being challenged in a new environment. The last 5 weeks have been an adjustment from having a boss to little time to hang with the family. Through it all, I have seen God show up in the market place. There are no professional ministers, we all minister. Life is ministry and we advance the Kingdom of God wherever we find ourselves.

In the last week I have had the opportunity to pray for one co-worker who had a pinched nerve in his hip. This created a twitching down his leg and he could only sit for a few minutes before he would have to stand up. Being a Christian himself, it wasn’t difficult to convince him to let me pray. I did and he sat the rest of the day without pain and the following Monday was still in shock that he was healed. God had not only rocked him in the healing but also rocked him back into a revived life.
Another co-worker (who is not a Christian) had the flu. After a day of kicking myself for not praying for her immediately I got the boldness to ask. After I briefly prayed, she said she didn’t feel anything. As she was talking, the shock was kicking in because all her sinus pressure had disappeared, then her ears cleared up. She couldn’t believe it.

Yesterday I was able to communicate the gospel to another co-worker who was living the player life. He was very open about his selfishness in relationships, so I was very open in how he probably should reconsider his lifestyle. We had a fascinating conversation about not lying, trust, character and integrity. I shared the simple truth of being separated from God and in darkness to being alive in Christ. I communicated that whether he agreed with his pastor/priest the truth is, he was still accountable before God with his life. He could not blame his view on God because of a priest he didn’t like. I could see the fear of God come over him and the wheels spinning.

It has been an amazing week on the job and I can see things rising in the supernatural realm. The Lord has also given me amazing dreams in my sleep that are glimpses of what is to come. What exciting times we live in.

If an obscure man named Obed-edom aka worshiper can be blessed, then the ones who worship in Spirit and Truth and put “no strength in self” can be blessed and have some left over to generously give away. We are better than the Ark, because in Christ, everything prospers.

Who knows maybe a king will be jealous of your blessing and come offer you a better job than the “prison” you’re in now.

Blessings
He@th

MLK

2008-09-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

“I say to you, this morning, that if you have never found something so dear and precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to live.

You may be 38 years old, as I happen to be, and one day, some great opportunity stands before you and calls upon you to stand for some great principle, some great issue, some great cause. And you refuse to do it because you are afraid.

You refuse to do it because you want to live longer. You’re afraid that you will lose your job, or you are afraid that you will be criticized or that you will lose your popularity, or you’re afraid that somebody will stab or shoot or bomb your house. So you refuse to take a stand.

Well, you may go on and live until you are ninety, but you are just as dead at 38 as you would be at ninety.

And the cessation of breathing in your life is but the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit.

You died when you refused to stand up for right.

You died when you refused to stand up for truth.

You died when you refused to stand up for justice.”

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
From the sermon “But, If Not” delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church on November 5, 1967.

Cali at its finest

2008-08-31T19:56:00.001-07:00

Family Pic

2008-08-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Livin' it up in Cali.

Where are we?

2008-08-11T20:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm officially changing our updates from Locke Adventures to Locke Life BECAUSE HOPEFULLY we'll be keeping it on the low with adventures! Many of you will be glad to hear that we are landing in the Porterville, California area for awhile. Settling? I hope so, for a few years at least. Working? As always, but this time Heath has been hired at a citrus farm here as a project assistant (project manager). He starts tomorrow. Housing? We'll be staying with our friends Mike and Jonelle for a bit longer until we find a place for our family to settle. As amazing as God has been at providing hosts who are gracious and loving through the last 3 years, we are ready for some space of our own.
Heath and I felt that we may not be back in Portland for awhile as we drove off to the unknown in June. Once landing in Lindsay, CA and staying with our friends, Jonelle and Mike, we felt like we were home in many ways. Ministry has been a lot of fun here and we feel like they are family (as they truly are). Our family is very tired, physically, emotionally and spiritually as we have had to pick up and move every 3 to 6 months for the last year and a half. As you look at our life, there are many ways to interpret the last year and a half and each of you will come to your own conclusions. Some will believe that due to all the upheaval in our lives, it may be evidence that we should've never sold our house and embarked on the adventures of the last 3 years. Others will look at our life and think we had a good adventure. Others will just be frustrated by our constant wandering and gypsy lifestyle. And some of you have lived every step of the way with us, gleaning the good stuff that we were able to pick up through our travels and lessons the Lord put before us. I'm sure there are a variety of other interpretations of our life.
You may conclude what you want, it won't affect us much! What really matters is how we feel that the Lord is looking upon our last 3 years of adventure and what he is seeing for our future. And as much as we have seen plans change, difficulty upon difficulty, and not being able to see what's ahead, we are confident that we have been walking this journey in obedience to the Lord. We are by no means convinced that difficulty = out of the will of God. In fact, as you read Scripture, nowhere is it proposed that when you are obeying and walking in the will of God that life works out as you plan with no difficulty or change.
The future? We aren't sure. But as Paul, sometimes he worked as a tentmaker as he ministered and sometimes he lived by the support of others. All the while, he ministered. Right now, we are being led to a season of stability of circumstance for the sake of our kids and the sanity of their very tired mommy! All the while, we will be ministering. As we get into a routine and gain some structure to our chaotic life, I will be able to update a bit better.

We have no change of address yet and will keep you posted on that. Our cell phone is still 971-404-6128.

***IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE REMOVED FROM OUR UPDATES LIST, JUST ASK. NO FEELINGS WILL BE HURT.

Thank you all for your continued encouragement and support through this crazy journey. We couldn't have done it without you. If you have any questions, just ask. As always, our lives are an open book!

Love and peace to you all,
emie for the locke fam

Family Union

2008-07-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

Southern California has been a hot time. With temperatures in the 100’s it is noting short of Hades. I believe 111 was the high, but the reassuring aspect is by 11pm it is down to 95 degrees.

It has been years since my siblings have been in the same town together. We have all found our home away from home. So when our brother graduated from Police academy we migrated back to our old stomping grounds. It was great reconnecting having cousins meet for the first time, celebrating birthdays and realizing how old our parents really are.
White shirts for everyone pull out the cameras and let’s call it a family reunion.

I am so proud of my younger brother Darrell. He has spent every weekend the last 11 months putting himself through the Police Academy. Unlike Oregon (get hired first and then sent to academy) he has had to push through the months hoping that in the end he will get hired onto a law enforcement agency. It has been difficult and yet entirely rewarding.
The graduation ceremony was the typical pomp and circumstance, introductions and speeches. My brother kept me up-to-date with his progress and standings in the class so I knew he had a shot at one award. It was marksmanship/firearms he had the best chance of getting. The class shot over 1500 rounds over the last 11 months, using hands guns and shotguns in many different scenarios. The award description was read to the audience stating that the recipient had scored a perfect 100%. A gasp fell over the audience and shouts followed as Darrell Locke was mentioned as the receiver. What a stud.
Awards were given for Report writing, Weaponless Defense, Physical Training (which my brother should have gotten, politics!) Outstanding Practical Performance, Leadership and Overall Achievement. What I thought was the most prestigious award given was in honor of a SWAT member who was killed in the line of duty. The recipient of this award was chosen after an extensive interviewing process to see if they displayed that same attitude for duty, would go above and beyond what was expected and be “true blue” in all areas of life.
As the testimony of this fallen SWAT officer was being described there was not a dry eye in the room. It seemed that no one was worthy to been granted such a high honor as this young man had display in his service for community and career. The award went to Darrell O. Locke for his character, selflessness and attitude that Officer James Rapozo had displayed 10 years earlier as he took point on a warrant arrest of a criminal in his home. As Officer Rapozo entered through the front door he was met with gunfire that claimed his life, but not his legacy. My bro is a stud and we are so proud of him.

California is still hot but we plan on staying around for one more week. Then we head up north through Utah (see my sister again) and into Montana to finish the reunion of relatives. Thanks for the prayers, encouragement and love along this trip.

Blessings
Heath

Art Website Launch

2008-06-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

It has taken me a lifetime to recognize and months to develop but here it is! I have officially created a website to sell my watercolor art. I see it as another step in how the Lord is directing to fulfill his dreams for us and our destiny in Him.

The website goes into a little detail about how I view my art and why I paint the way I do, so I will spare the details here.

I finally feel I am connecting my art with my heart. I have set the price of each art print with the desire to use the profits for furthering the kingdom of God (and putting food on the table). Lord willing I believe this is how the Lord could use my art to impact lives worldwide. The price is high but the benefits are far reaching.
As Christians everything we do becomes supernatural and ministry.
This is one aspect of fulfilling my destiny.

heathlocke.com

Mountains

2008-06-26T20:26:00.001-07:00

I have seen the top of the world. It is a lonely frozen peak only a select few reach. Each year climber’s throw down $70K, acclimatize for 3 months, breathe supplemental oxygen, endure sub-zero conditions and if they are “lucky” celebrate for a brief 20 minutes upon the illustrious peak of Mt. Everest.

I have had this theme of mountains reoccur over the last year. I have always loved the mountains and prefer it to the ocean. We felt the Lord had us in a conditioning phase before our move to Africa to climb that “peak”. The Lord told Emie to “plant your flag in Africa before you go down”. I have been reading scriptures about mountains, watching moves about famous climbs. A friend gave me a book about climbing the 14 highest peaks in the world and said, “You need to read this.” The home we are staying at is located on the top of a mountain (we are the highest) and has a perfect view of one of Northwest’s largest peak.

The best part thus far is when my great friend Steve mentioned he was to climb Mt. Hood but his plans had fallen through due to his climbing partner being on his honeymoon. The weather was going to be perfect (at least on the forecast), the weekend available so I jumped on the opportunity and we went. Located in Oregon, Mt. Hood stands at 11,232ish feet it is not a technically difficult mountain to climb. Thousands of people climb Mt. Hood every year but 130 have lost their lives over the years.

We set off and arrived at Timberline Lodge around 8pm on Friday night. We climbed until 10pm and set up camp just above the last ski lift at 8800 ft. Sleep was limited as I dozed in and out of it. At 1am I thought we had missed our departure time of 3am and never really fell back to sleep. Finally we were out of the tent with crampons and axe in hand. About 40 minutes into the climb we ran into a group of 15 coming down the mountain. They were concerned the electrical storm in the distance was going to engulf the mountain leaving no visibility for a descent and some shock. Steve and I discussed that we would climb a little and assess the storm as we went. As it turned out the storm went right around the mountain leaving it clear and perfect for us. We later saw the same team coming back up the mountain.

We summited at 5:30am to a glorious sunrise and hollowing winds. After our celebration cookie and a few photos we still had to complete the second part of the climb, the descent. This is where most climbers fail and accidents happen. They get lazy, tired and make dumb decisions. We had an uneventful decent and made it back to the car at 8am. After 5.5 hours of climbing and a sleepless night I had conquered a dream and created an addiction. Goemans says, “Dreams are not made to put us to sleep, but to awaken us.”

(me on the last 100 feet to the summit)

I am still not sure what the Lord is attempting to communicate through the mountain theme but I do feel as if we are conditioning for another ascent. Until we summit and the wind blows anew we will keep putting one foot in front of the other and hold onto the promises of God.
On a mission trip to Nepal years ago we flew by Mt. Everest. I have seen the top of the world and one day I hope to stand there.
Blessings and . . . when is the next one Steve?
Heath

After a hard days work

2008-06-23T15:45:00.000-07:00

Red Bull

2008-06-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

Here we are fully loaded with all we need to survive and a bit of everything else
(Oh, and our new van from the Lord).

Glory Shadows

2008-05-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

I have been meditating these last few weeks on God's presence in us through the Holy Spirit. What do people see when they look at us? Is there an "aura" around us? When I walk pass someone do they feel a "presence"? Is the Holy Spirit that tangible, that present in my life? Can the glory of God be evident at the grocery store? Can our shadow, like Peters, heal people when we walk across them (Acts 5:15)?

What about when people look into my eyes? Do they see peace, depth, compassion, love? "The eyes are a window into the soul" Proverbs says.

In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul describes the New Covenant being so much more glorious than the Old Covenant. "The Old Covenant etched in stone led to death, yet it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses' face. . . shouldn't we EXPECT far greater glory when the Holy Spirit is giving life? In fact, the first glory was not glorious at all compared with the OVERWHELMING glory of the new covenant" (3:7-8).

Have we ever been overwhelmed with the glory of God? Can people spiritually "sensitive" see what is going on around us? Ezekiel says, God's glory is a weight, a sphere within sphere, with translucent colors (Ez.1). My friends son (5) walked up to me one day with his hands cupped, looking as if he was holding a ball. He went on to depict Ezekiel's description of God's glory without knowing it. I asked him if he had seen these "glory spheres" before. "Yes, all the time", was his humble reply.

If the old covenant started with glory but led to death, then it makes sense the new covenant would start with death and led to glory. When the glory of God is present sickness is healed, demons are cast out and we are changed. Ephesians explains, "the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with is presence" (Eph. 1:23).

"If the old covenant, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new covenant, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new covenant. . . the new covenant, which remains forever, has far greater glory. Since the new covenant gives us such confidence, we can be very bold" (2 Cor. 3:9-12).

The question is obvious, how do we allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in us so potently the world "senses" God in us? Paul gives us insight, "as the Spirit of the Lord works in us, we become more and more like him and REFLECT his GLORY even more" (3:18).

Should people look at us and be overwhelmed with the glory of God we display? Shouldn't it be evident "that God no longer dwells in things made my human hands" (Acts 17:24) rather he dwells within us?

Let us reflect the glory of God so much more people are overwhelmed with his presence when we cross paths.

As for why my shadow is not pulling people off the pavement? Simple, in Oregon, there is no sun!

Blessings
He@th

4 Lockes & 1 Truax

2008-05-23T19:47:00.001-07:00

Are you sent?

2008-05-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

During a prayer meeting last Friday night, a friend asked all who were present, “Are you sent?” Many of us responded with a “yes”. Towards the end of the meeting, he brought the question back up pointing to a scriptural truth. If the Lord sends us, then those who receive us are also receiving the Lord. Much like when we receive a prophet we receive a prophet’s reward. He was wrestling with what it looks like to receive the Lord by receiving one who is sent.

At that time I was so focused on speaking at a Church about the supernatural, I failed to see the bigger picture the Lord was revealing to me. (I tend to catch things a bit late.) It hit me. We are not simply moving out of our barn, staying with friends for a few weeks in Washington and heading down to California for my brothers graduation, because we have no place to live. The Lord is sending us out.

Before returning from Africa only 3 months ago, the Lord impressed upon us traveling in the near future. At that time, it was due to our living arrangements . . . we thought. Once we got to Oregon, we were so exhausted spiritually, emotionally, and physically, we couldn’t even imagine trying to travel for months on end. We clung to the idea of stability. Maybe we began to get a bit too settled! Now we need to leave in June instead of July like we originally anticipated!

It’s clearer now. The Lord has set up “appointments” for us to connect, share and pray with people. So this next step is quickly turning into a missionary journey. With different people asking about prayer meetings, we could end up making a loop from Oregon to California to Texas, Colorado, Montana, Washington and back round again. What started out as, “we have no place to live, let’s go stay with relatives” has quickly become another adventure (don’t take it personally mom).

The Lord JUST provided a minivan for us!!! We were just GIVEN a minivan!!!!! I do believe the Lord never tires of shocking our socks off and blessing us beyond our imagination! THANK YOU to the two couples making this happen! June 1st is still our departure date from Oregon up to Vancouver for two weeks. From there, potentially Seattle for 2 weeks to start a prayer meeting, visit relatives and friends. Then we head to California for my brother’s graduation. From there we plan on visiting the many prayer meetings taking place through the ministry of friends. We are not sure how long we will be in each location, we are praying for some significant time at every place or until our hosts kick us out.

“Yes, I am sent.” I can confidently say that. As for what it looks like to receive, I guess you can tell us when we show up at your door.

Blessings
He@th

cheap, efficient, or made out of wood?

2008-05-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

What seems like the best use of money (when it comes to needing a car)?

I can either purchase an old beast (mind you I have a family of six) for $2000.00 and spend $15,000 in gas. Or I can spend $15,000 on an "efficient" vehicle and pay $2000.00 in gas. Hmmmm.

Maybe a stagecoach and a few draft horses would be better on the environment. Yet, I'm not sure if the mall has pooper scooper's.

He@th

Natural with a whole lot of SUPER!

2008-05-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

I was asked to share my "experience"/"understanding" of supernatural gifts at a local church yesterday. It was a courageous step the pastor took in desiring to see the super come upon the natural. I was nervous for what questions he would ask and he was nervous how I would answer.

It was a powerful time and a great reminder concerning the role of Christians today.

If scripture is true about we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who RULE this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

If 1 John 5:19 is correct that the world is under the control of the evil one and "Satan is the god of this world", then poverty, corrupt governments, crime, drugs, depression, sickness, etc. can't be fought with natural tactics.

We are spiritual beings given supernatural gifts to push back the prince of darkness and bring the Kingdom of Light. Christ has given all authority to his body and we know the end of the story (thanks to the book of Revelation). We are therefore called to make what is completed in the supernatural realm a reality in the natural.

So poverty, corrupt governments, crime, drugs, depression, sickness can be won with supernatural authority.

He@th

What's up could be down!

2008-05-08T16:04:00.001-07:00

Hey Friends,
Last week I was mulling over the sweet, uneventful update that I was planning to write as soon as I found a few spare moments. I was going to add some cute stories of all the critters we live with in the barn (owls, CUTE, LITTLE mice but MANY of them, bats, birds and their babies under the eaves). But alas, I was too slow! Now I have some adventure to share with ya'll (no, we're not moving to TX, as far as I know!). Grab a coffee cup, this may take awhile. Or just delete if you're sick of our adventures! (Sometimes I wish I could just delete and end up back at normal and predictable! And for those of you just wishing we'd get a job already and BE NORMAL, believe me, we've wanted it, looked for it and begged God for it many times in the last month!)

So here we go. The last 2 months have been full of emotion. . . most of it difficult and complex. Reverse culture shock is real. My kids have adjusted well, all except little Asher. He has shown his insecurity in all the transitions the most. That's another story. But pray for him if you think of it. I was a basket case for 8 weeks (we've only been home 11). Took a good week to recover from jet lag. We were sick for 10 days at the beginning. We've had 2 weeks of family and friends visiting. And now Asher and Elianna are sick again (asher ended up in the ER on Sat. with croup). Add to that, all the catching up with friends and family, homeschool and LONGING for stability topped by Heath's crazy ideas! I'm not good at giving myself grace in all this but my closest friends keep admonishing me to!

It's one thing to have the grand goal of "missionary" before us as we did when we sold our house, moved in with the Truax's TEMPORARILY doing ministry in the day to day, and then finally on our way to Africa. It's noble. It's risky with a family of 5 and pregnant. It's truly adventurous with a few thinking we're ridiculous. But now we're back. The hype is gone. It's like this: when I was leaving Africa, I asked God to give me a picture of what the whole ordeal was for us! He showed me a beautiful picture of a very tall mountain and said, "Plant your flag."

WHAT?!! I didn't do ANYTHING to deserve planting a flag. But he continued to ask me to plant the flag. Then he shared with me how our last couple years was like a big mountain climbing expedition. The year at the Truax's was the training, the preparation. It was exhilarating. Then we started the climb. We were ready, but the higher you climb, the harder it gets. By the time you're near the top, breathing is difficult. Every step is great effort with resting in between. Oxygen is low and your brain is unable to think clearly. It's easy to wonder what the heck you're doing up there. Then if you make it to the top, you plant the flag and have only minutes to "enjoy" the victory before you have to turn around and get off the mountain!

But that's not all. Then you get home and wonder what the heck you're supposed to do with your life now. You just spent years, energy and money preparing for the expedition and now it's done. So that's where we're at. Wondering.

Some days a job sounds great and a pay check even better! Other days, we feel like we aren't released into anything yet so we can't just run to normal for security. Though it may not appear contrary to this, we are NOT being radical for radical's sake! We have felt so very loved by those of you who have continued to be our friends when all the hype is done. Thank you for all who continue to financially give because you believe in Jesus alive in us even if you wonder about us or our flailing position in life! Believe me, this is one of the most humbling, mind boggling places we've been in a long time (at least since we were trying to sell our house 2 1/2 years ago!!). But somewhere deep inside, we know we're not finished!! We know God has something for us to do. We are longing for more of Him, more of His love and direction. We long to fulfill the destiny he has for us, every place we are.

So that's the nutshell. The adventure? Initially we thought we were going to be here in the barn at Canby until the first of July. On Thursday night, we heard that we need to move by the first of June . . . 24 days from now. Thus, the next adventure. We are waiting to find out where we will be next. As of now, we literally have no idea. It's amazing but Heath and I have so much peace in this transition. I know it's because people are praying for us. Please pray that the peace will continue, that Jesus will show us the next step at the right time, that we will be able to help prepare our kids for the next move that most probably won't be our last. They have LOVED being back with their friends and in the familiar of the Portland area. It will be a difficult move for them if we end up traveling or moving away from here.

Before we got back to the States, we thought we may spend 4 months in Oregon, a couple in CA and a couple in MT. Now, we just aren't sure of anything. We are also praying for a vehicle that we can all fit in at the same time! Thanks Grandma and Dad for lending us the car for the past couple months. It's been a life saver!

Traveling? Probably, but not positively. We'll keep you posted as the story unfolds for us. There's a large part of me that would love to find a place to stay for a couple years and part of me that is ready to follow Jesus anywhere. Without the "big vision" of missionary before us anymore, we are finding once again God purifying our hearts and desires even when we aren't sure what side is up and people misunderstand us. So we ask for your grace as we press in to Jesus and hear our next assignment.

Thanks for your support and prayers. We are thankful for you. We'll keep you posted as things unfold!

Love and peace to you in your adventures,
emie for the locke family

Mustard Seeds and Ketchup

2008-04-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

Is the Bible to be read literally or figuratively? Well that is another "post", as for now let's go with the notion that Jesus meant literally.
So what is the answer to reading the Bible literally? I believe it would "look" something like this.
Two dear friends (and their kids, of course) have taken Jesus at His word from His Word and are "giving it up" in return to "finding it" (Matt. 10:39). Watch below.

Where does the ketchup come in? As you can tell they will be giving away a lot of hot dogs. Which leads me to try to manipulate you into supporting them (it is a lot more fun asking for money for friends & NO they don't know I am doing this).
If you are interested in knowing more and/or financially supporting them (which I think you should :) click here.

Expelled!

2008-04-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

To hot to trott.

2008-04-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

Could life get any better?

2008-04-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

Home, home on the range

2008-04-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

New look same business (click here)

2008-04-20T09:55:00.001-07:00

Hmmm!

2008-04-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

Some good stuff to discuss over coffee.

(caution: scenes from Lord of the Rings shown)

Jesus is gone!

2008-04-13T10:46:00.000-07:00

Asher wanted a band aid for his hurt hand (not a cut), but I told him no. So I prayed for his hand and when I was finished he looked at me.
A few moments later he said, "Jesus is gone papa!"
"He is?"
"Yes!"
"Where did he go?"
"He went to someones house, with mama?"

"So he's not here with us?"
"Nope, He is with mama!"

So if you happen to be looking for Jesus on this beautiful Sunday morning, He is with Emie.

20 sec. conversations w/ Jesus

2008-04-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

What I love most about my heavenly Father is the ability to talk with Him at any time, anywhere and for any length of time. A conversation could be 20 seconds; 20 minutes or all day. He is always available and never short on good solid advice. I had a 20 second conversation with Him today and wow it is amazing what He can cover in a small amount of time.
It went like this.

“I feel lost at sea, floating with nowhere to go.” I said.
“Hmmm” was his reply.
“Do I just need to trust you?”
“No”
“Hmmm” was my reply.
So I asked another question, “Do I need to hang on?" (for a good ride)
“Yes”, was his reply.
“but I feel like I don’t know you!”
“No, you just don’t know this part of me” thus the conversation ended but not the teaching lesson.

I knew what he was getting at, I walked out of the bathroom (yes, where the best conversations happen, #1) and recapped my conversation to Emie.
She said, “Read this.”

“Whenever we move into a new spiritual dimension of our calling and our ministry, we must take the time to upgrade our relationship with God. Our calling comes at different levels at different times; it is a progressive journey of discovery. When God takes us into the next phase of our calling, our relationship with Him must also change.
Throughout our lives, we will enter into many different phases and experiences. It might be a marriage or the birth of a child, a significant work promotion, a new responsibility, a new ministry, or any other type of change. In seasons like that, we must take the time to upgrade our peace and rest in the Lord. If we enter a new situation without fully immersing ourselves in the stillness of God, we will live on our adrenaline and not out of our spirit. This power boost may seem sufficient at the moment, but for every adrenaline high, there is also an adrenaline low. We cannot sustain that needed adrenaline rush over the long term. Eventually, our energy will wither away and the new season will overwhelm us. We must learn to live in a place of rest in the spirit.
Every experience of God, even resting in Him, should enable us to see Him in a different light. Therefore, we need to constantly re-evaluate our relationship with Him and take a deeper look at our walk with Him. We must critically examine our current picture of God and determine whether it is strong enough for the next stage of our life and call. If it’s not, the stress that we will experience will put pressure on us to quit or scale down our involvement in the new seasons of our lives. That same battle fatigue causes us to shrink back from the challenges facing us. Exhausted, we will talk ourselves out of taking the risks necessary to advance the Kingdom of God. God has given us the ability to live under His wing – we must recognize that we exist within the safety of His love and grace, and not on our own.
I cannot emphasize this enough – every time we are led into a new phase of our journey, we must take time to upgrade our image of God. We can travel confidently into any new experience, no matter how challenging or difficult, in our relationship with Him. God wants to build up your confidence right now, taking it to a whole new dimension.
When we enter a new season it is important to ask ourselves relevant questions regarding its likely impact on all of our relationships and current responsibilities. Present levels of stress will need to be adjusted in the light of deeper peace and rest that will be required on the next leg of the journey.
Change is much better if it is gradual rather than a large overwhelming transformation requiring immediate extensive attention. The two questions required of us in a consistent basis are found in Acts 2, verses 12 and 37:
What does this mean?
What must we do?
How will these adjustments affect our relationship with God and one another? How will this new season deepen my love, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit?
We need to gain a fresh and more powerful image of the nature of God. We need to practice our peace and our patience so that we can break through, in harmony with others, into a new dimension of the Spirit.”
(Graham Cooke The Nature Of God: Upgrading Your Image of God and Who He wants to be for You. Pages 11-13)

Jesus loves to move us into deeper realities of our destiny and himself just outside our spectrum of sight. When these two events happen let’s run off rest and peace and not adrenaline. If he truly is upgrading our relationship then we are not lost, we need to hang on. We hang on because he is taking us into uncharted territory and it will be a wild ride (for the good). The rest and peace comes because He knows the rapids, he has taken many others down them before, just not you or I, yet!

If you are feeling lost at sea, hang on and get ready to see a whole new perspective of Jesus. Also, never underestimate a 20 second conversation with a Word who became flesh.

Blessings
He@th

Cabela's w/ grandpa's

2008-04-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

Offspring 401

2008-04-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

Control your Debt!

2008-04-01T23:06:00.000-07:00

To be a Ninja!

2008-03-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

How to raise the dead! Click here.

2008-03-28T10:56:00.001-07:00

Release4Life Sample

2008-03-20T21:18:00.001-07:00

Here's a sample of what we are doing with release4life.com (just audio NO video).

Why Tents?

2008-03-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

I have been pondering this question the last few days.

Why did Paul make tents?

Was it because he thought God wouldn't provide for him?
Maybe it was to be among the people?
Maybe he was bored one day?
Or maybe it was because he needed some money?
Or maybe he knew God gave him an ability to make quality tents? I'm sure they were the first MSR tents in production.
Maybe it was because brothers and sisters he knew needed money to carry out their destiny?
I am sure it was because he needed a tent! Then once you get a tent you have time to ponder deeper questions in life.

What do you think?

Heath's Business (or is it Gods?)

2008-03-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family and everyone in between.
Please note that this email could never include all the details I would love to share, you would get far to bored anyways.

For months now I have been on a quest of sorts. It has NOT been one to find myself or the meaning of life or why grapes are purple. Rather, why has God given me such a desire to do business?

My whole life I have loved business but was NEVER willing to "give up ministry" to work behind a desk. Nor did I ever see the connection between ministry and jobs. (Side note: if you have the time or desire reread previous updates that unpack my thoughts on this).
Being that I no longer see ministry as a profession but gifted people given to the body of Christ to "edify" or more aptly put, mend/fit God's people together to do his work and build up the body of Christ I am free. This is why YOU are so crucial to the Body. Everyone is clergy and everyone is laity, there is no difference in scripture just tradition.
Sorry going on. . . Business seems to work now in my brain.

The problem the last few years has still been the idea of sitting behind a desk. I love the ability to go to Africa for a year, stay at home with the kids, meet with people when they need it, sleep in late (genetics, I'm telling you!), time and mobility freedom and staying away from the 9-5 curse (sorry for those who feel cursed).

I have lived these last few years contending for the provision of the Lord, I never want to give that up. Yet I feel as if He is asking me to contend for larger things now. I want to believe God for nations, houses for the poor, schools for the uneducated and so much more. I must believe for bigger things to grow.
Do I stop "living by faith" if I have a job? Well, do you? I feel as if I am moving from Kindergarten into 1st grade in the area of "living by faith". Are we still with Isaiah's Stump? Yes! Does this mean we are not doing ministry, no, because this compliments our "ministry".
I now feel the freedom from the Lord (after 10 years of waiting) to take the 20 business plans He has given me and put them into action. I am starting small and not despising small beginnings. I am also realizing that these plans are no guarantee for success. But here we go none-the-less.

Running away from the 9-5 trap the Lord has led me to develop an internet based business; little overhead, no employees and able to be ran from Uganda or Antarctica (which is another story of how the Lord is leading me to free up missionaries financially).

The average American spends 120% of their income. Does that make sense? 1.3 million will potentially foreclose on their house this year.
So here comes the first arm of Release4Life: Consumer Debt and Foreclosure Solutions. I am selling our personal story of how we went from $50,000 in debt (consumer, credit card, taxes, student loans and medical bills) and one day away from foreclosing on our house to being TOTALLY DEBT FREE today.

I give the practical (logical) steps we took, why it's so important to be out of debt, and share a vision to what debt freedom can bring. I am selling an audio downloadable file and worksheets to help lead people up the ladder and out of the despair of debt.

I will send you another email containing more information and a link to the website. This is no way a sales pitch or a way to get you as a customer, rather informational.
I will not send you any other emails concerning the business unless you specifically ask. Just want to keep you in the loop every step of the way.

Thanks for walking this journey with our family and believing God with us for all He offers.
We love you and are so thankful for everything.

www.release4life.com

Blessings
He@th

Sacred Covers

2008-02-08T03:14:00.000-08:00

It’s hard to believe but I have one flaw. I tell Emie she is lucky to be with a man who has but one small flaw. With all the issues I could wrestle with, I have refined it down to one. I love to sleep in.

For me lying in bed a few more hours after my kids wake pre-dawn is great. I enjoy it, I love it and though I can rise early, I really see no need in it (don’t ask Emie what she thinks please). I relish in meditating with my eyes sealed shut. Pondering the great mysteries of God and asking for more revelation sooths me. Emie doesn’t believe I actually pray during this time but I do. As I doze in and out of consciousness my spirit connects with my Lord.

The reality is I am not a morning person by nature (neither is Emie but someone has to get up with the kids) and would rather stay awake late into the evening in peace. I see sleeping in as my personal alone time (much like I view my bathroom time), my secret place, where no one can bother me. Just me, my pillow and Jesus snoozing away, talk about intimacy. When this secret place is intruded, be afraid be very afraid.

The conflict comes in around 6am (that late if I’m lucky) when the Locke Tribe awakes from their re-freshing, re-energizing, re-lets-wear-our-parents-out night of sleep. They come bounding into the bedroom to wake up papa.
“Wake up papa! Come on get out of bed.” What dreadful words.
“No, leave me alone, I’m praying!”

They never give up, those little rascals. They try harder for a few minutes and resort to making loud noises, which being a professional sleeper by trade doesn’t deter me at all. I stay my course. For hours they will do this, boldly bouncing on my bed proclaiming their intentions of the day. Wanting me to join them in simple games, coloring, watching a video (pagan I know) keeps them focused on their objective.
If none of these tactics work they resort to the ultimate blow for a professional sleeper, his covers. The Sacred Covers are that which separates him from exposure, from relationship, from intimacy, from being well, naked.

I must have a heavy blanket on me to sleep, call it security or insecurity I don’t mind, but if I am to get 8-10 hours of precious sleep, the covers must be in place. They start small to test my attitude. A pull with a giggle begins the descent of comfort. I notice as my shoulders are exposed to the elements and I fight back. I grab and tug with a little grunt to show my resolve to win.

The amazing beauty of kids is they learn fast. They adapt to their surroundings quickly. So they give it some time, waiting until I am asleep again. Watching every move to see me loosen my grip on the veil that separates me from their reality, their life and their games.

Then in one great swoosh the covers are ripped off the bed flung through the air and uselessly lying on the floor. Laughter breaks all silence and I have been exposed (no I don’t sleep naked)! There is nothing to hide and the kids pile on wrestling their papa to life again.

Remember though, once you have awakened the papa and violated that secret place his power is unleashed. Only his kids would ever dare to come so boldly into this space and only his kids would ever dare to experience his power!

“We can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred “COVER”, by means of his death for us. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s people, let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him. For our evil CONSCIENCES have been cleansed with Christ’s blood” (Heb. 10:22).

“I no longer count on my own goodness or ability to obey God’s law, But I TRUST Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with him DEPENDS ON FAITH! As a result, I can really KNOW Christ and EXPERIENCE the mighty POWER that raised him from the dead” (Phil. 3:9-10).

The sacred covers have been ripped off, happy wrestling!

Step one: Watch the video (Our year in Picture & Song).
Step two: Reread the update
Step Three: Play video again with eyes closed and hear how Jesus has ripped off the covers.

He@th Locke

Images create image (or something like that)

2008-02-05T03:05:00.000-08:00

Heroes come in all shapes, sizes and talents!

2008-02-05T00:11:00.000-08:00

CasterBridge: A place with no bridge.

2008-02-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

A day outside the house, praise the Lord.

downwardspiraling.blogspot.com

2008-02-03T00:40:00.000-08:00

Good Buddies are hard to come by.
My friend Andy is an amazing man of God. I'm sure he would say otherwise, but any man who loves Jesus more than "father or mother, son or daughter, house or job, reputation or 'responsibilities'" is a MAN of GOD in my book and Gods.

Read his Blog & see for yourself.

He@th

Aquaduct: Mobile Filtration Vehicle

2008-01-30T01:03:00.000-08:00

Check out this innovative idea.

My personal thoughts believe it's more impractical than practical, but I love that minds are being used to solve basic problems.

Here are my concerns on the Aquaduct (for those that care).
1. The majority of people in 3rd world countries live on hills, in crowded cities and/or down narrow foot paths. Leaving those who really need the bike unusable. Also I can't honestly see any African using it.
2. What are the costs and accessibility for repairs?
3. It seems heavy and difficult to ride. It supposedly carries 20 gallons of water which would be 166 pounds (this I figured from the video, they mentioned the average family of 4 needs 20gals of water per day and later mentioned that the Aquaduct could provide all a family needs in one trip).
4. It is the slums that have major sanitation problems, the source of the water is key. Wells provide cleaner water to start from than gutters or polluted rivers, obviously. So we need to educate and provide alternative water sources and cheaper ones. I am amazed how much it cost to dig a hole in the ground.
5. After watching the video a few times I have to be bold enough to ask if they have ever been to a 3rd world country. I am not accusing them for action rather the importance of seeing things with our own eyes first.
6. We love to develop large organizations that can make a significant difference but they end up being controlled by donors desires instead of the practical needs.
We see it and have seen over and over here in Africa.
7. God has already provided a solution for clean water, the sun. If you place a clear bottle of water in direct sun light for 6 hours it kills every bacteria harmful to man. There is a huge profit to be made on "bottle water" when simple education could be cheaper and instantly usable. Think of the cost to produce bottle water; plastic, molding plastic, fuel cost for delivering the bottled water, personnel, etc.

Those are my immediate thoughts. What tends to be more of a concern (in my thinking) is infrastructure issues. History proves that the problem lies NOT in available resources rather the many hands it must go through to reach the ones in need. Everyone gets a cut of the pie and the starved are left with crumbs.

The reason I hit this so hard is because I would love to see a practical solution to a practical need. If you have one or would like to start one, let's talk. The challenge is put forth.

Maybe the best option is to actually build an aqua duct that brings in clean water to villages and slums.

OK I am going on and liable to be disliked even more.

Blessings
Heath

Trust and Faith

2008-01-27T23:18:00.000-08:00

Here I am again, on the edge of the cliff I asked God and Heath to take me to 10 years ago! I have been begging God to give me more faith and ability to trust as we prepare to jump one more time. I don't want to worry my way through this next transition. I want to SOAR in FAITH with great expectation of what He will do, not flounder in fear of what MIGHT happen if he doesn't come through! So in the begging, I am looking at every turn for examples in the natural of what faith and trusting in God looks like in the supernatural.
My favorite picture is from Heath and Asher in the pool. The other day as Asher was on his tummy "superman style" being propelled through the water by the strength of his Papa, I was reminded that this was true trust. Asher doesn't know how to swim. But he wasn't doing ANYTHING in that deep water to keep himself afloat except trust that his Papa was going to hold him up. He wasn't even holding on! He was just enjoying the ride.
Then I remembered a moment from my childhood. My dad was trying to teach my younger brother how to swim (sorry little brother!!). I remember my brother holding on to my dad's neck for dear life and begging him to take him to the edge!! He was NOT enjoying himself and in fact, I think he left a few scratch marks on my dad's neck! That would be the picture of worry and fear.
I have had moments in the last few days where I am definitely leaving claw marks on Abba's neck and I'm screaming in his ear to find some edge for me to put my feet firmly on. But as I'm praying for more faith and trust, he is teaching me again how to take my thoughts captive. The more I think of what He has miraculously done for us in the last 10 years and the more I meditate on who HE IS as my God and my Abba, the more relaxed I get. That's when I can almost feel like I'm letting go and enjoying the ride!

So that's trust. But what about faith? Well, I felt like God said that faith would be the same picture only Papa is invisible in the pool. Asher could only hear Heath's voice and still be able to get on his tummy and trust the strong hands of his daddy to propel him through the water even though his eyes couldn't see him! Hmmmm. That would look like insanity to any onlooker. A two year old jumping into a pool because he says his daddy is in there!! Then it would look miraculous if he really was afloat "superman style" being propelled through the water with no effort of his own!
So that's where we are. We believe Abba is in the pool and we believe we hear him asking us to jump in once again. To you, it might look (once again) like insanity! I think faith generally does appear to be insanity to the onlooker. But I am determined to exercise faith AND trust this time. Faith is urging me to jump one more time and trust allows me to enjoy the water without having a death grip on Abba's neck! And once again, I am sure it will appear miraculous to all the onlookers!

But, I'm still learning . . . . soooooo, PLEASE pray for me! I love you all! Thanks for your love and support!

Emie

"This is a hold up!" (aka Locke and Load)

2008-01-26T07:06:00.000-08:00

It was bound to happen sooner or later. South Africa is known for its murders, thievery, petty crime, and just plain stupid robbers. The capital, Johannesburg, is supposedly the worse city in the world averaging 50 murders a night. In Nelspruit I get the low down from the security guards who patrol our house at 2am because some dog tripped the alarm, “people get knifed for cell phones and shot for cars.”

We needed cash to pay the clinic. I told Emie and the kids to wait and I would walk around the corner to the ATM. The bank machine is located right in front of a major grocery store and people are everywhere. I have used this ATM many times and never felt any threat. Today I felt the need to watch my back.

The ATM’s are actually little cubicles. You walk into a frosted glass box closing and locking a door behind you. There are security guards on patrol 24/7 standing less than 10 feet from the machines. They seem to be more secure than Fort Knox, except when they get blown up by the really smart thieves (happens almost weekly, in daylight mind you). All the precautionary features were in place today; the frosted box, the doors and the guards. I checked my back as I went in.

I had a split second thought I should close the door. Yet, I did nothing with it. I want to live in peace and not fear. Today I was taking on all those professional thieves with my stubbornness. I would succeed with my withdrawal and be out in less than 39 seconds, no worries.
I took out my wallet, pulled out my debit card and began to put it into the electronic money tree.

At that same moment I felt a firm hand grasp my shoulder. He had slipped past the guards, and into my frosted box. Adrenaline instantly rushed through every vein of my masculine physique. A deep male voice reached my ears and I heard, “this is a hold up!”
I spun around and thrust my forearm into the throat this 6ft 3 Goliath. I pushed with every ounce my buck 30 body could give. The struggle began and I was bound to win. At least I was determined to show it with my eyes. They were fierce! My knife was in my pocket ready for action.

As the struggle quickly unfolded my neurons where communicating, STOP! It wasn’t a “hold up” it was Michael. A friend who soon realized that I would rather fight than flight and he started laughing and walked away yelling, “close the door!”

Had the battle waged on I would’ve been a pile of meat loaf. But I was going to give everything I had learned from Bruce Lee, William Wallace and Maximus combined.

Michael was lucky because I was about to open up a can of whoop arse!

It ended as soon as it begun, so . . . The End.

He@th Locke

He could not rise above convenience!

2008-01-23T01:18:00.000-08:00

“He could not rise above convenience” is what Stephen Ambrose wrote about President Jefferson’s inability to act on his “words” concerning slavery. Jefferson left it to his successors to resolve.

I have ruminated on those 6 words this past week. Convenience kills me; it kills us and it destroys faith. I believe God set up life for those who are willing to rise above convenience. He says it like this, “to those who overcome.” To those who can get pass the unknown, the uncertainty, and the un-money (had to go with it), a whole new world opens up. A world without limits, endless possibilities and memorable adventures awaits any individual who can trust.

This past year has been a challenge for me (family included) in getting over conveniences. I, like many, enjoy stability, finances, reliable cars, routine, running water, options in the food groups, and the vast array of entertainment America has to offer. On the other hand I, maybe unlike some, can’t stand sitting behind a desk 8 hours (for any salary), driving on pavement everywhere, wasting time in front of a TV, shallow conversations, saving all my money for when I am to old to do anything with it and the mundane that America offers. This unwillingness to be “normal” catapults me to soar above conveniences. It’s either that or suicide (not literally mom). I must live abundant life, full throttle, go big or go home!

For some conveniences are daunting to scale. They have built that wall too high and thick: the kids, retirement, the job, grandma, debt, etc, etc. It’s time for a sledgehammer to make the Christmas wish list next year!

For others the fear of living in slavery brings resolve for immediate action. 2007 was our pay off for destroying our wall of convenience. Many have followed us every step of the way and asked the Lord to spare us from our insanity! Thanks!

This past year has taken us to paradise (yes, better than Hawaii) in Pemba, Mozambique. It was an answer to 10 years of praying . . . we were finally living overseas! It was there we worked with orphans, hosted the world for chocolate cake and the Holy Spirit. We saw people delivered from demons, healed, saved and set free. We grew in the prophetic and released others into it. We met amazing people who brought Jesus closer and the world smaller. We watched our kids struggle and come alive in a foreign country, witnessed amazing provision for airfare and other basic necessities. We drove Land Rovers, hunted hippo, killed snakes, rats, and caught lizards. We swam in the Indian Ocean, caught and released crabs as a game, BBQ-ed overlooking pristine beaches and had our first family dog (but not our last). We endured spirituals attacks, great arguments, sleepless nights, banditos, and intense humidity all to conquer in Jesus’ name.

We left for South Africa on vacation never to return to Mozambique. We got mixed up at the wrong guest house but the right one in the long run! We hosted more amazing missionaries from around the world, birthed our fourth child, cooked more than Emie ever wants to again, and realized Jesus is speaking the same message the world over. We swam until our bodies were prunes; kids got great tans, went on 3 safaris, visited a reptile park and gazed upon waterfalls that give the Columbia River Gorge a run for its money. We read dozens of books, colored, studied, wrote, painted 3 masterpieces and received revelation for 18 business plans. We would never have experienced this as a family if convenience won out and we said no to Africa. What could you be missing out on?

As I sit and wonder what returning to America in 4 weeks will bring for the Lockes, I find myself longing to stay in the conveniences of our current situation, Nelspruit, South Africa! Cheap living, sun, and a little routine sounds nice. It is weird to feel nervous returning “home,” but I do. No job, no income, no home, no car, no microwave, nothing known and uncertainty might have something to do with it. This is what I love right? Well, to be honest, not tonight. Tomorrow it may bring adrenaline, but right now it seems un-supernatural. It feels like convenience is winning in the first half, but he won’t in the second.

Many have asked and more are wondering what are we going to do when we return. This is where convenience begins to loose his hold. We are going to “do” the same thing we did before we left and the same thing we did while in Africa. Love, serve, bring the Kingdom, set people free, heal the sick, cast out demons, and never settle for slavery. We are going to fight so we experience what the Word of God says we can experience. We will walk in freedom and freedom will walk in us. We will not do things because they have always been done a certain way. We will teach as directed, preach when prompted and share when moved. Christianity is life, it doesn’t end or begin, it always continues. Our geographical location only brings new adventures and amazing stories but never a new Jesus. We live the same everywhere and anywhere He calls us to (this is why missionaries are not better than you).

These past 6 months God brought me more clarity to his plan for the Bride. I see it. I feel it and I can almost smell it. I understand it more now than if I had succumbed to my conveniences a year ago. 2008 will be a melding of the last two years with all that the Holy Spirit has been pouring in and letting out of me. Two roads are about to merge becoming a superhighway with a tornado ripping down the middle. Wait and see!

President Jefferson was not a hero. His greatest achievements were mere words (and great words they were), he wrote a lot and lived none of it. “He could not rise above convenience.” Another man did though, Abraham Lincoln! He chose the unknown and uncertainty. His ability to overcome opened up a whole new world, one free from slavery.

We have two options, live in convenience and be remembered only for our words or overcome and never be forgotten for our actions. What will people be ruminating about you in a few hundred years?

Blessings
He@th Locke

Offspring

2008-01-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

2008-01-04T12:43:00.000-08:00

Hey Team Africa,
Happy New Year! I won't send a list of names to reveal the people who joined us in fighting on Christmas!! Thanks for your vulnerability! Needless to say, we weren't alone. (I was fairly certain we weren't!) Conclusion . . . we're all real! We're all human. I recently heard a sermon about Jesus coming NOT to make bad people good but to make dead people alive! Think about it for a minute. When I give my life to Jesus, he doesn't take the bad in me and try and make me better/good. Nope, he takes me dead in my sin and spirit, and makes me ALIVE in HIM! I have gone from death to life. This truth has been extremely liberating for me in the last few weeks. It frees me from the works mentality that I wrestle with. I think Jesus doesn't care so much about how "good" I am as He does about how ALIVE I am in Him and let His Spirit be in me?! If I'm letting His Spirit be fully alive in me, then I will do the will of the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit and without the works mentality! When I'm worried about being bad or good, it causes me to have the mental checklist, the rules in the forefront of my mind, and then judgment of others increases if they don't follow my rules for goodness! Just plain bondage! I want FREEDOM and LIFE!

Anyway, I hope you are ALIVE and the people around you experience HIS LIFE in you in the midst of your realness. I don't ever want to pretend I'm good or have it all together. . . . because I'm not and I don't. We are on a journey together, friend. Just ask anyone who has to live with us! But I am alive. So I don't have to hide my wrestling and struggle from you. As Hebrews 10:14 says, "For by that one offering He perfected forever all those whom he is making holy." In the spiritual realm, I am perfect forever because of the blood of Jesus. And on earth I am being made holy by the blood of Jesus and His Spirit within me. So let's be made holy together and not be afraid to be real and vulnerable with those we are in community with. Vulnerability frees those around us to be real, to be honest with who they really are and what they really wrestle with. Then, in the safety of true community, we let the Holy Spirit work out those things in us. Often he will use those around us as iron sharpens iron. We love you and consider you our "safe community" to be real with!

My commitment to vulnerability and realness runs deep. I have seen too many very ordinary people labeled "extraordinary" because of their ministry or position. They are put on pedestals and become idols for those who feel a lesser call or lesser commitment or even lesser as people in the Kingdom of God. With Paul, I want to be able to say this: "I don't want anyone to think more highly of me than what they can actually see in my life and my message." (2 Cor. 12:6) Heath may call me pessimistic! I prefer to call it realistic. You could all write of the glories of your week or month and sound stunning (try it . . . you'll be amazed how great your life sounds!!). It may just give you a more realistic picture of how much of life has to be left out when a missionary or minister sends out an update or stands in a pulpit for a couple hours a week or a musician gives an interview, etc. Nope, grass is not greener, I'm not better, and we're in this together! So, be free this year to follow in obedience wherever and whenever the Lord leads! You have what it takes to be a radically obedient lover of Jesus! All you need is the Holy Spirit ALIVE in you! And if you have said YES to Jesus, YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES! Go live it (and take a few people with you)!

Enough of that: Here's a quick update on our kiddos.
ABIEL: Her favorite color is now green (no longer pink). She's a fish and would spend the whole day swimming. But since she can't, she spends the rest of the day reading, doing art, or learning new crafts (sewing, cross stitch, weaving, etc). She's become quite good at naming all the birds who come to our yard to sing, eat and bathe! She LOVES all the people who come through the house and is quite the little hostess! She misses her friends in Oregon very deeply and is excited that we are planning to go back soon. She is an INCREDIBLE little mommy with Eilanna! Makes life a lot easier for me! I can't believe she'll be 9 this year!

JUDAH: He looks like a California boy with his blond hair and dark skin! He too is a fish and has learned to swim here at the pool! He's quite brave and is keeping up with Abiel very well! He is learning to read and driving us all nuts asking us what everything says!! He is so inquisitive and LOVES to learn about anything to try and keep up with his sister!! He is very loving with Elianna and learning how to be friends with Asher. He is a movie man and will quote a whole movie for you if you let him! (Don't!) I can't believe he's almost 6 !

ASHER: He is coming into his own little personality! Watch out world! He's a little parrot and mimics anyone who's talking! He's also coming up with some really clever and cute sayings lately! The other day, Elianna was crying and I told him we needed to go get her before she cried her head off! He said, "Elianna's head comes off?"
Heath asked him to pick up his toys one night and Asher replied, "Jesus doesn't pick up!"
He was playing hard outside and came in to say, "I have a tummy ache in my knee!"
He is now concerned and caring toward Elianna and is very protective of her if he thinks someone holding her is going to walk away with her! He lets me know where she is all the time! He is keeping up with Judah and can wrestle him to the ground! Judah may be in trouble in a year or two! He's adorable.

ELIANNA: She is by far my most high maintenance baby! I think Heath's description of her being our little tornado of Grace was too prophetic! She LOVES to be held and HATES to be ignored (me too but I don't scream about it . . . well, most the time I don't!). She is a princess and wants to be treated that way! She is beautiful and has started responding to us with smiles. She is getting more and more fun as the weeks go by! I can't believe she's already 7 weeks old. She does sleep pretty well at night for which I am grateful. I'll try and get Heath to post some more pictures of her on our blog soon.

We love you all. Happy New Year! It has been said that 2008 is the Year of New Beginnings!
Love in Jesus,
emie for the locke fam

--

Generosity 101

2007-12-20T05:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere is a reprieve from up North. I’m not sure if it’s the weather (today happens to be a very humid 85 degrees) or the lack of flickering icicles hanging in rhythm to Jack Frost. Maybe it’s the lack of commercialism or the lack of finances. Whatever the case may be I get the sense that the 25th of December could come and go without me noticing. With so little to buy I have been forced to ruminate on generosity once more.

I love 2 Corinthians 9 insights into this mystery. I get to determine the level of return I want for my generosity. It may be a lot like the stock market. There is risk involved, but I don’t get anything if I don’t risk anything. Many of us have a hard time risking so much with such great uncertainty of return. I then take this attitude into being generous. Subsequently it hinders me. Yet there is no possibility that I could ever give and not receive, it’s a sure thing. It is a principle of the Kingdom of God.

God loves a cheerful giver. Yet I wonder why we don’t laugh when the offering plate passes us, maybe he means something more. The word cheerful connotes more than a
simple chuckle. The meaning carries the idea of hilarious. It’s to the point of being ridiculous, wild, and comical. I picture handing someone money yelling, “ I can’t believe I’m doing this!” or, “Why am I having so much fun giving?” I had one of those experiences awhile back.

I took some used books and tried to get some money for them at a used bookstore. I guess I was getting tired of moving them around. I was both surprised and $150 richer with a wad of cash in my pocket. I came bounding out of the store victorious and noticed a homeless man down the street digging through the garbage can. I knew I should have gone out the other door. I was stuck, the Lord had set me up and he was going to have a hilarious hoot of a time. He told me to give him my spoils. As I strolled over to him, the Lord said to give it all to him. ALL? Yes! ALL. How about $30?

That seemed like a good compromise, so I pulled out $30 and put it in my pocket. “I know you hear me Heath. I said all!” “OK!” Twenty more went into my pocket. By this time I had come up to him and he was in a pretty desperate state. He could not look me straight in the eyes and just seemed to be out of it. It was a few awkward moments before the Lord gave me questions to ask as he kept up his search for lunch. Finally we broke through and he wept on the side of the road as I prayed for him to be delivered of alcohol and other demons. Immediately we had eye contact and he was a different person. He stood up right, spoke clear sentences, and never went back to digging in the trash.

It had to be the most phenomenal conversation I have ever had. We were both crossing borders into each other’s lives. He was living a life of guilt and convinced the Lord would never forgive him and I was holding out with “my” money. As we talked we were breaking down lies and he was becoming clean. I have never seen such a transformation like the one I experienced on the sidewalk of Stark Street in NE Portland.

Our conversation went on for about 45 minutes as he shared life as a homeless man and how his choices landed him there. He spoke of his family that he longed to see again and his desire to make things right. It was heavy but freeing all in the same moment.

I asked Him how much money he would ask me for if I told him to ask for anything.
He sheepishly said $20. Twenty dollars? That’s all? I was beginning to catch onto God’s humor.
Why didn’t you ask me for $50?
“I am not worth that much,” he said.
“Yes you are!”
“Why not ask me for $100, or $150, or a million dollars?”
“No way,” was his reply.
I handed him $50. “Here this proves that God loves you.”

With tears rolling down his face and snot coming out both nostrils, he was slowly catching the love of God as his beard was catching his emotions. He took hold of the bills and took hold of about $50 worth of God’s love and forgiveness.

This was getting really fun now and I could not contain my excitement. “Actually, here is another $50 for you to prove you are worth it. You already have the most expensive gift you could ever receive. If I gave you a million dollars it still wouldn’t compare to the price of Jesus’ gift. This money stuff is cheap. Here. Jesus is so madly in love with you, have another $50. And you know what. I have a brand new pair of sneakers in my truck that I think will fit you.

He was a mess, snot everywhere and completely beside himself. He could barely stand as shock was setting in. Then he would seal the deal and prove my sincerity. He wiped his nose and offered me his snot-covered hand in a shake and said, “We’re friends.” Without thinking too long, I shoved my hand into his and we embraced. It was beautiful.
He strolled down the road with his cart, $150, and a new pair of sneakers. The most important gift he left with was $150 experience of God’s unconditional love. I climbed into my truck and screamed at the top of my lungs, “That was so much fun. I loved it God. Thank you!” My 4Runner became a hovercraft that day. My wallet remained empty, but my heart became full.

For the first time I understood hilarious giving. All I wanted to do was shower this man with the love of God through the tangible. I caught a glimpse of giving when it is so ludicrous, so bizarre, but so God. I could just see Jesus rolling on the ground in laughter, yelling, “I love this stuff! It’s so outside their box, it’s hilarious.” He probably laughed for hours.

I tried to attach a song but could not so here are the lyrics.
SONG LYRICS: Brave Saint Saturn "Heart Still Beats Inside"

"The girl in the alley kneels with exhaustion
She's guarded by the skinny guy who limps from some infection
Behind a veil of bleached thin hair her eyes tell a story
Like a photo of Berlin, December 1944
She's looking for a handout, she's been high for several weeks now
She's too far gone for whoring and the money just gave out

And her heart still beats inside
And the blood runs in her veins
A remnant of life remains
Her heart still beats inside

The man finally comes to the door, I've seen him several times
He always looks pissed off and his sunglasses stay on
I think he got his biceps and tattoos while in prison
And it doesnt seem to bother him when he says "go to hell"

And his heart still beats inside
The blood runs in his veins
A remnant of life remains
His heart still beats inside

The thought it comes to my mind, to somehow intervene
But it could bring me trouble, and what can I do anyway?
It's hard to be effective when it happens so often
To see a life unraveling, through drawn venetian blinds
I'm sickened by compassion, I'm stifled by my limitations
Anesthetic apathy, come take the pain away

And my heart still beats inside
The blood runs in my veins
A remnant of life remains
And my heart still beats inside

Oh God, we need you here
We're sinking fast and we dont care
The evidence is all around me, on both sides of my door
Our hearts beat"

The END

The word “generosity” comes from the Old French; the original word carries with it a meaning of, “characteristic of noble birth.” Umm, it sure seems to fit perfectly. People who are generous, characteristically reveal they are of Noble Birth.

So this Christmas, risk it. Your Father has more money to spare and you have something to prove . . . Your Noble Birth!

“Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten” (2 Cor. 9:9). “Thank God for his Son- a gift too wonderful for words (and worth more than all the money in the world)” (2 Cor. 9:15).

Merry Christmas from way down South!
Heath Locke

P.S. If you are unaware of the New Years Homeless Party (In Portland)contact Andy and Serenity Coulombe at serenity@sterling.net

Andy and Serenity, You go for it and take as many with you as possible, show them the kingdom and let the kingdom show up! Amazing what happens in a year. Bless you guys. We love and are proud of you!

Wonder Bread for monkeys

2007-12-13T13:14:00.000-08:00

Today I was sitting out at the pool watching the kids swim when I looked over to see a monkey eating a slice of bread. It finally dawned on me that he got it from our kitchen. It was if he was sitting there mocking us feasting on his snack.

I stood up and he made a direct shot for our side door. I took off running after him to save the house from being taken over by monkeys. Instead of going in he went up the windows onto the roof. I grabbed the water gun and loaded my ammunition. The kids were out of the pool and looking on the roof to see the little rascal when another monkey came out of the kitchen window holding his slice of wonder bread.

I redirected my attack towards this culprit as I did he changed his course and headed straight for the kids. Abiel went left, Judah went right and Asher (who was smaller the the monkey) went left/right only to be "dancing" with the monkey. He was stuck.

I was in hot pursuit (fully loaded mind you) and gave him the best shot from my "Stream Machine" only to speed his progress towards Asher.

Fortunately the monkey went more right and grazed by a stunned Asher and quickly climbed up the roof back into the trees behind the house.

SO this Christmas keep your windows shut and never let a monkey dance with your kid.
Heath

Elianna

2007-12-11T10:47:00.001-08:00

In her native element on the back of Emma our house cleaner.

Safari #2

2007-12-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

I love this place!
You should come for Christmas.

Heath

Locke SA '07

2007-11-30T06:52:00.000-08:00

Just another day in Nelspruit.

Kids

2007-11-30T04:46:00.000-08:00

She's here, she's here!

2007-11-14T10:40:00.000-08:00

I am now the proud papa of four beautiful kids.

Elianna came out FASSST, very Fast. SO fast we almost didn't get Emie
on the bed in time. After two hours of light contractions (after
inducing) Emie was standing leaning on the desk. Then there were three
hard contractions where she really had to press through with some
breathing.
The fourth contraction she starting saying it hurts and had some
groaning and wanted to push. The midwife and I had to almost carry
Emie to the bed, she was in pain (like the rest of them she had no pain medication). We laid her down and the head was
there.
The Doc couldn't get his gloves on fast enough. I opened the door,
Abiel was coming down the hall I said get in here she's coming.
I turned back around and with one push Elianna (our little Tornado of
Grace) made her appearance. It was so fast and I believe Emie would
have had her standing up if it wasn't for her underwear.
Emie was thinking she had about two more hours of pushing and we were
telling her she's out. She couldn't believe it. None of us could.

Elianna Charis Locke was born 6:25pm (South African Time) that would
be 9:25 am pacific standard time on Wednesday Nov. 14th.
Weighted in at 3.2k which is 7.05lbs.
The length, they must not care about it, but her uncle Danny would be
proud, I had to use a carpenters tape measure and she is 19 inches
long.

She is beautiful, looks like a Locke and a lot like your siblings did.
She is our true African American Baby.
The presence of God was in the room and we are still in shock she came
so quickly.

Blessings

Waiting

2007-11-05T12:25:00.001-08:00

Wait!

Waiting is torturous. It’s those times that cause me angst when nothing is happening and a day seems like a thousand years. Abraham experienced it with Ishmael, the Israelites trying to enter the promise land without God, David bringing back the Ark unprepared, and the disciples wanting to buy things on credit cards (it’s in there somewhere).
I wonder about the whole idea of God steering a parked car. Does he even like cars?

Maybe God likes moving twisters; energy is already present even when stationary.
The whole idea of waiting means something is about to happen though, like a good storm brewing. Life is easier when there is nothing to wait for. When my existence is to live, die and escape into Heaven, then I am content with comfort and smooth boat rides. It is a different situation when I allow His radical Spirit loose in me that life becomes a tornado: “a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud advancing beneath a large storm system”.

God loves to spin through small groups, rip apart brick and mortar and leave an unmistakable short and narrow path for few to follow. The key is enough self-control and a keen ability to hear his voice to move only by his guidance. (I kid you not, Asher just NOW brought in a neighbors racecar whose logo is The Moving Tornado after I wrote all that. Maybe God does like cars).

Emie tells me it is Elianna who decides when she wants to come out. She releases a chemical that begins the birthing process and presto here she is (almost). I was pondering the other day the reality that she will come out; we wont have a 16 year old in the womb. And though the days are getting more uncomfortable, the waiting . . . torturous, and pain inevitable, she will come. We will have our promise that “God has answered us with Grace” (the meaning of her name, Elianna Charis Locke).

I once heard someone share, “in the waiting, don’t abort the promises of God.”
For nine years now the “Wind” of the Spirit has been rotating me faster and faster. And though I have lived an extremely full life (and loved it) in most ways I believe His promises for my family and I have yet to be birthed. Things are about to change!

It’s always a longer story than most want to read, but share I must. This will give you much more context in the future when we reveal our next “assignment”. That will come when it is revealed to us. Storms are brewing.

As a High School student I knew things would not really happen until I was 30. At the time I thought I would have dentures and a cane by then! Little did I know just how fast I would meet 30. For years it has been hard for me to see ministry and the workplace as the same. My religious mindset has caused me to see ministry as a profession and church as a building. Most of this, I am sure, is due to some meeting in Constantinople years ago.

It all makes more sense now: the Body, the gifts, the Spirit, and my purpose. It’s congruent. I no longer need to stand in front of a group every Sunday to be a pastor. I will not lose my calling, gifting or significance if I pump gas or sell cars (neither of which I want to do).

While I worked at a church, it defined who I was. “Oh, you’re a Pastor.” It left little room or time to fulfill what was burning in my heart. I lived for a long time with the mindset that I needed to be committed to the church, my “job.” If I resigned then I was leaving “ministry.” Or if I left the brick and mortal building of church, I was leaving God. I no longer believe that lie. I have longed for years to change my world, disciple nations, and fulfill my destiny. I desire to see God’s will on earth as it is in Heaven. I long to move with the Spirit of the Lord and not be hindered by a job, even a ministry job.

I was trying to explain to Emie the other day how I am wired. Impossible I know. I see my life as many different parts but all connected. Emie thinks I live segmented, but I see it more as layers. There is the foundation, structure, roof, and the beautiful little pieces of decoration that make up my sweet personality. ☺ I go after all these aspects whole-heartedly. If I am going to succeed or fail, it will be because I gave it everything I had.

I want to have all that is mine in God that He says I can have. I want to have the healthiest family, do greater works than these, take back ground the enemy has stolen, live to the fullest extent that my body will allow, see as much of the world as possible, create businesses and opportunities that release people into their destiny, and step into eternity knowing there was nothing more I could do. I wonder if that’s why we have a cloud of witnesses to this life of faith. They would love to do it all over again. They see the bigger picture. I wonder if some Christians ever ask God to send them back for a bit more fun.

For years the Lord has been awaking my heart to the good works he has prepared for me in advance. I am seeing more clearly that who I am doesn’t contradict these good works, but instead, fulfills them. He desires to co-labor with me and has created my quirky self to be in harmony with those works. Ephesians says, “WE fill everything everywhere with his presence.”

I see my art no longer contradictory to my calling, but rather a part of my calling. I see my desire to create business opportunities as the means to which I will see nations discipled. I see this time with my family as strategic in releasing a legacy and birthing sons and daughters of religious freedom. I understand my desire for third world countries, eradicating poverty, raising educational standards as the heart of God. I know now that my visionary heart and mind that keeps my head spinning is actually God in me. It is his Spirit birthing a tornado.

I read scriptures about Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Paul, and Peter with excitement because I long to be a world changer. What these saints have done doesn’t make me feel inferior but confident that I can do it and so much more (because we have the Holy Spirit). I want to preach the simple gospel and see people immediately healed, delivered and saved. Biblically the word is Sozo, meaning “saved” but connotes healing, deliverance and salvation in the same instant; it is a great study, and even better, has no formula.

I long to stand before governments, school administrations, businesses, and nations offering answers like Joseph before Pharaoh. As Lance Wallnau says, “Joseph didn’t impact Egypt by trying to convert people to being Hebrew. We disciple nations by taking God’s people and his solutions into problems nations cannot resolve. Places like Uganda aren’t looking for a Christian solution; they’re looking for a solution. And if a Christian becomes the solution, then their belief system suddenly has a platform of credibility that can touch an entire nation. We have supernatural answers to natural problems of economics, social unrest, suffering, failing infrastructures, and family chaos. For so long Christians have sought to evangelize all and believed that would change everything, but when we have an irrelevant majority (30% of America is “Christian”) led by a minority (5%) who is strategically placed creating our culture, tactics must change. We must take ‘converts’ into key arenas to impact the world.”

I cannot give you anything concrete at this time because nothing in my life is ever concrete. Yet I can see things beginning to form. If my (our) life seems so “here one minute, there the next” it’s because it is. If this concerns you, please take it up with God. He knit me together and to be honest, I really like myself (finally). I actually think God did a pretty good job on me, but that is another update.
For some, this update will help because you can read between the lines. For the rest, I am sure it brought up more confusion. Be at peace. Emie has to explain most “God Signs” to me because I just don’t get the abstract language either.

One thing is certain. I can feel contractions coming on. They are getting more intense and more frequent. For years I have been worried about trying not to abort his promises and keep them ever present in my heart. Now I have heard the Lord say, “The promises will be birthed.” There has been a shift in the heavens and two births are about to take place. Life as we know it is about to change. One tornado is being released and if Elianna is anything like her gene pool she will be a vortex of violent rotating . . . Grace.

Heath Locke
11.4.07

P.S. As I was finishing this update that has taken three days to write a violent wind began to blow, lightning exposed the night air and thunder is pounding down. It’s on top of us without any warning. I’m watching out our window amazed after a day of clear skies.

HMMM, I wonder if the Lord is saying something? Maybe, the storm has come and tornados are being birthed?