I am writing this newsletter as I fly home from visiting family for Thanksgiving. There is no place that gives me greater joy in this life than to be in the will of God. I have never been away from home for a holiday. I have cooked a turkey for as long as I can remember; yet this past year has tested my fluidity, flexibility, and comfort level. I found myself in situations that stretched my ability to hear, discern, and trust what God was doing.
I began 2023 on a sabbatical. In January, the Lord told me to remain hidden for eight months. Immobility is foreign to me because I am a planner, goal setter, and scheduler. God was thrusting me to learn new skills, pathways, and adventures. Each day was different. My Type A personality was threatened!! I was chastened and it felt uncomfortable saying “no” to preaching and ministering in a pulpit. My new pal was my Ipad. God allowed me to teach, mentor and pray from my home office, nothing more. In retrospect, I had become familiar with the ways of Holy Spirit, or so I thought. He was changing my perspective. Now the real adventure was beginning. I could identify with Abraham. He went out not knowing where he was going (Genesis 12:1-4). Last December I planned to see Phil Wickham in concert, and within hours of the concert I was having emergency eye surgery. I wondered why God did not prepare me when I purchased that ticket?!?! I made plans to see friends in Northern California, and the day before the flight I had to re-route to Florida for an extended stay due to a family emergency. I asked God the same question. “Did I miss hearing from You?” I had always trusted in my discernment, so what was this all about? The October mission trip to Brazil helped me realize that life can change in a moment and suddenly things can turn upside down with unexpected moments, surprises, and emergencies! I literally fell down an escalator that was going up! I was upside down headed up feet first! All is well, thankfully! As a prophetic voice, it can be unnerving to lose all sense of knowing, discerning, or understanding the season you find yourself in. I have learned the most beautiful lessons this past year, and I have been changed. Holy Spirit is likened unto the wind; you don’t know where it comes from, and you don’t know where it’s going (John 3). There is an ebb and flow to this life and the birds of the air understand this. They ascend to a higher plane and at times, they dovetail to the earth. They are wind driven. When you lose all sense of when your whirlwind comes, keep trusting. His Word is your anchor always. And revisit the memorial stones of your life. If you have not established God’s goodness as your paradigm, you may lose heart. Another wonderful lesson I have learned is how special my friends and family are. I am ever grateful for the people in my life. Loyal relationships are a gift. We can walk through any season when someone is holding our hand. The Body of Christ is being challenged to make the necessary adjustments to meet the challenges of the hour. We have been placed here on the earth IN this hour and FOR it. We are learning that our old navigation system is not working in this new era. I remember when I got lost several years ago and I could not use my GPS to get home because my grandson changed the settings. I called my husband, and he told me to simply follow the sun which was setting in the west. I made it home. Simply follow the Son and trust. I remember laughing often this year. The day after my fall I saw the humor in the escalator incident; it must have looked quite comical!! Joy is a gift! I had not lost my peace despite misinterpreting what He was doing. Peace is a gift! “You shall go forth with joy and be led by peace. The fields shall clip their hands.” (Is 55:12) Jesus will always have a glorious bride. The preparations may seem unnerving at times, but we were born for such a time as this! I can’t close this newsletter without thanking my family for showering me with such loving support year after year! I also want to thank my pastors, Mike and Debbie Sirianni, for always being there with words of wisdom, direction, love, and support! I also want to thank my intercessors who are always there when I have special prayer needs and concerns. I continue to work on my second book, “Prophetic Dimensions,” and hope to complete it next year. I also have a trip to Cambodia and Thailand next year, as well as a possible return to Brazil. Thank you for your prayers for these goals and opportunities. Next year I will continue the Mentoring Leadership Live each month via Zoom. Anyone is eligible to take part in this who is a recurrent giving partner of at least $10 per month. You may go to my website and the “Donate” button for ways to set up giving. I also have a monthly daytime Zoom I call “Coffee Chat with Ruth,” just for my partners. We anticipate having another prayer day at St. Francis Retreat Center in Stoneville, NC and all partners will be invited. We just had a special prophetic night for all our partners as a special Christmas gift for them. Everyone who joined the Zoom received a prophetic word from me and a member of my team. I thoroughly enjoyed making that gift available to my precious partners. And finally, please mark your calendars for February 29 – March 2 for the East Coast Seer Conference at New Day Church High Point. Special guests will be Stacey Campbell and Matt Sorger. Registration is now open, and you’ll find that information on the New Day website (www. https://newdaychurchhp.org), my website (www.impactministrytriad.com) and Impact Facebook pages. Make plans to attend this powerful conference next year! Thank you so much for your support during 2023. I cherish your friendships and prayers more than you know! I wish you and your families a Very Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year! Love always, Ruth
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AuthorRuth Mangiacapre Archives
October 2024
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