JH Ranch...I have no Idea what JH stands for.

This last week we went on Retreat to JH Ranch in the mountains about two hours north of Redding. Camping and mountains and friends are among my favourite things, so it was a blast. Not to mention God rocked my world more than I had really believed possible. Fun.

Cabins...and pines...mmhhmm. Friends. All Canadians I just realised, except Kawika (ka-vi-kah) he's from Maui, extreme surfer dude. Laura and Jaimee to my right are two rad sisters from Canmore that I knew before the school. Alisha is on my left and from Nova Scotia...we were covenant friends the moment we met...more on her later.
We had outdoor worship. Glorious.

Jaimee and I laugh a lot. This girl is all spunk and heart. And she's moving to Africa again after this school to work with kids, that's her desire.

Alisha and I met on a friday night with a small group of friends, three guitars, and spaghetti. She sat beside me and we talked about Canada...our home and native land. She's from the east coast, and as I talked about home she began to pray for my area of the country. It was so powerful. We joined hands and began to proclaim unity between the East and West and repent on behalf of attitudes and actions of our regions. It was Huge, much bigger than the two of us and we really didn't know what we were doing, except we could feel God's Spirit so strongly as we prayed that we were physically shaken and moved...I mean very literally. Everyone else in the room was worshipping with singing and guitars on the floor and couches, and the place was thick with glory. These are my favourite moments in life. I turned to Alisha again because I had felt an inner nudging to ask her about her heritage. "First Nations," she said. "I'm french Canadian," I said. Blasted. A simple phrase like that and woah. So, we grabbed hands again and I asked forgiveness for my people from acts and attitudes against hers. A deep nobility rested on her and she said, "I forgive you, and welcome you, you have access to all my inheritance." Heavy.

The Famous Geordie and Stef Mumby from Edmonton (sometimes). Quaintly knitting and rocking while enjoying the outdoors.

Bill Johnson (senior pastor/leader of Bethel) speaking. He is so humble and powerful.
After he spoke the first night of retreat, I decided to go meet him. I waited as he spoke to others and then stepped forward to introduce myself. He asked me where I was from. I answered then said, "I really don't have much to say (really didn't know what to say to this man I deeply respect), but I just want to honour your hunger." He put his hand on my shoulder as I said this and his wife Beni came and stood beside him. At this moment it was very obvious to me that people can carry the presence of God in deep measures, and always more; I was crying without knowing it and what I felt all around me and within me and saw covering and exuding from Bill was overwhelming and indescribable at best. "It's the same thing that's in you," he said. And we just stood. "We'll burn together,"he said. And we waited. "Thank you," I whispered. "Thank you," Bill said. And we stood a moment longer our affections turned to deeper Presence.

This is what we call a "fire tunnel." Strange name, here's the interpretation: People (in this case our leaders), stand opposite each other with space in between them for people to walk through...very like a famous square dancing set-up. The idea is as you walk through the "tunnel" all the leaders pray for you.

Panoramic view of the fire tunnel, and it's after affects. The people laying in the grass have just been through. Bill had suggested beforehand that when we were prayed for we find a spot to rest and process a bit before running off to lunch. So people are resting on the grass...processing. Although in light of my own experiences, i'm not sure that many of those people could get up and stop 'processing' if they wanted to.

Good times. Note: Sheryne Wilson is the blonde with the ponnytail standing in the background...she's a friend from Calgary...just crazy fun connections here, it's unbelievable who you meet. Like Jaimee and Kawika here, and some other friends were all snowboarding together in New Zealand with people from Switzerland and Norway that are here too, who are friends with other friends of mine from home, and from Toronto...nuts, and it goes on. And I love it because I really don't believe in coincidence.

That's a bit of a summary...I know for a lot of people reading this it may not make much sense, but I hope that it stirs a deep hunger in you. Hunger for truth. Hunger for undeniable Presence.

Bobbi Meets Bethel

"What you know, can keep you from what you need to know, if you don't remain a novice."

-Bill Johnson

Mystery is consuming me and it's why I'm so in love with God. When I encounter more it only shows me how much less I see. It's a shovel called hunger and I labor with it to dig, dig truth.

School started today and I don't have it categorized, sorted, or grasped, but I encountered my day there and I'll splurt excerpts.

The room. Four hundred people. Buzz. Sorting. Buzz. Movement. Anticipation. Self-conciousness. Buzz. Everything that can be expected for a first day of school, plus undercurrents. Clearly everyone travailed over their outfit that morning. Who am I?

The second years are with us in the beginning as we are welcomed. The alumni is absolutely combustible with passion, and the first years are clearly ignited but unpoised. There is a culture of honour cultivated in this place that astonishes me. I find it purely attractive. Honour.

There is the nuance of flavor in the motions but it is truly a derivitive of the heart.

We honour people because we are honourable. Honour aligns with inheritance. Family.

Leaders stood and introduced themselves and the year. Kris Valloton called us to engage, especially our minds, to challenge and chew. And Bill Johnson, he doesn't warn you, your brain just instantly begins to boil to explosion. It's great though.

The most precious and bizarre moment of my day was this: Bill just finishes speaking, and then begins to pray to conclude. I open my hands on my knees in a gesture of receiving. They're covered in gold dust. And oil. And there's no other way to say it except that it began to grow and increase as I looked at it. Oil was leaking from my hands, and gold sparkles kept multiplying and then spreading up to my elbows.

Jaimee and Laura, two friends of mine from Canmore, Alberta, also attending the school were seated on each side of me. Jaimee began to notice my hands and was ecstatic but trying to keep quiet because Bill was still praying. Laura then started checking out her hands and they were naked, she looked at them about twenty seconds later, and they were glittering. As we watched the glitter intensified. And it stayed for hours, until I wore it off.

It's happened to me at least twice before while I was praying at my Red Deer home with Jim and Danielle, just not this extremely.

I have no explanation or formula.

Miracle. A sign that makes you wonder.

Wanton Rambling...

I put stickers on my laptop. Somehow it's a lot less threatening and the computer and I are getting along nicely now that it has a bit more personality. I also built my new room over the last few days. (To the Uninformed Reader: I've moved to Redding, California as of last Saturday; I'm going to a Jesus School for a year). Creating my room required a lot of shopping. Those closest to me know that I am not an avid shopper, so this was a tedious task. The first day was actually great but after three days of shopping for closet organizers and pillows, I want to puke a little bit when I drive by a mall.

My roommates are stellar. Three girls: Sarah, Jessica, And Nikki. We live in a comfy apartment...with a SWIMMING POOL! But it's California, so that's really normal, and I'm probably the only person in the apartment complex that uses it. Everybody dresses in long pants and T's, even sweaters and coats, and I just think that's insane because it's like at least 36-40 degrees most of the day. Bring on the pool!

Sundial is a bridge close to my house that crosses the Sacramento River. It's funky engineering amongst beautiful landscape, it's one of my favourite spots in Redding so far. I run down there every morning (so far), but yesterday was special because I came accross a rattle snake. I was oblivious until I'd barely passed it and this dude behind me on a bike start's yelling at me, "Woah check out that rattler!" Crazy. Another is Bethel Church's prayer house...I can't properly furnish its description, but it's beautiful and absolutely shrouded with peace and Spirit, and it feels as though you can breathe more deeply.

My "accent" gets a lot of attention. I'm only now becoming awkwardly aware and try to especially avoid the following words: out, boat, pillow, bag, about, pasta, and eh? Truth be told I like having an Alberta plate on my car, and I'm not working too hard to assimilate my accent, I love being Canadian and enjoy the distinction. I just have to adjust to being the crux to many a smirk and jarred expression, and also to being randomly overruled in a sentence...

"So, if I follow Hilltop drive out to-"
"Woah, woah, woah, did you just say out?"
"Well, how do you say it?"
"OWt."

I'm Canadian. It's out.

Pure Flame

Sex Can't Be Had With Clothes On

Intimacy = Trust + Stripping

Divine Romance requires vulnerability and passion congruent to our human relationships. We grow together as we drop the guards and the pretentious masks shatter. It's terrifying. It's extravagantly beautiful when you are bare before Your Creator. But it takes fire. Dance in the flames.

Here; Redding, CA

Here I am Here
little by little
Stripped and shrouded
Every drop of blood thirsty for intimacy,
for reality;
Truth.

What is my name
What seal is mine
Stripped to fullness
bled by fire
even whisper my name.

Sink into my bones,
Melt through the sands of my desert's Soul,
Rest. in my Oasis Gardens
Taste from the trees love's sweet fruit My Darling.

Breathe over the waters.
breath over the Waters.
Breathe until they're dry-
Find me on that bare floor,
Darling kiss me alive.