Maria
January 7, 2006
By Maria 3569 11/05
GN 1155 FD/MM/FM
Note: This Letter should be read unitedly two weeks before your Home's scheduled Feast dates, to give everyone ample time to prepare.
Dear Family,
Since Homes can choose their own Feast date over the course of a month, some Homes will choose to hold their Feast earlier than others. If you're in a Home which is about to hold the Feast‚ or you're in the midst of it, we'd like to ask that you not discuss it with those who haven't had their Feast yet. For the sake of others, so that the Feast material will be new‚ fresh and inspiring for them, please don't give "sneak previews" of what's to come. We really appreciate your cooperation in this, and we're sure your brethren will too. Thanks so much!
Dearest Family,
1. Peter and I love you so much‚ and I'm so happy to present our Husband's plan for this Feast. I think you will all be very happy with it too. It promises to be a wonderful time of renewal for each of us.
2. The theme of this year's Feast is spiritual retreat. The Lord said that He wanted to make it a time when we step back from the business of the Kingdom, from the front lines of the war, and enter into His temple for some renewing, refreshing, encouraging time in His arms and with our mates and loved ones. You've all been working so hard, and He wants to reward you for that, and give you the strength and encouragement you need to keep going, keep progressing, and keep fighting valiantly.
3. (Jesus: ) The Feast this year is a time to step into My temple and breathe deeply of My heavenly air. The battle is raging all around you, and the strengthening of My Family is well under way, although not completed yet. But for these Feast days I want to give you rest in your spirits, a time to step back from the battle and see all that has been accomplished so far, a time to hear My "well done" in each of your hearts and be encouraged to know that I see and understand, and will reward each of you abundantly.
4. I want to give you My encouragement and commendation. I want you to spend time appreciating your mates of your greater marriage, and encouraging them that you see their sacrifices, that you love them and are thankful for them and admire them. I want you to spend time loving Me as My bride, receiving My seeds—seeds of life and power and happiness and fruitfulness, which will give you what you need to keep going.
5. This is My plan for this Feast, My loves—to give you what you need to sustain you. To encourage you that your sacrifices are seen by Me, and very appreciated. To give you a chance to rest in spirit from the battles. To help you to see the overall picture. To give you My personal encouragement, approval, and commendation. To love you long and deeply‚ and fill you with My seeds.
6. So enter this time with joy and anticipation. Be willing to leave all your day-to-day business behind. Leave behind your titles, your jobs, your responsibilities, your battle garb, and change into the garments of humility and love and rest of spirit. Enter into our bedroom ready to rest on our big soft bed of love, and let Me care for you and tend to you and feed you. (End of message.)
7. (Mama:) Doesn't that sound wonderful? Are you ready for a little retreat with Jesus? I sure am! Thank the Lord for working out this time for us.
8. Please join Peter and me in praying that the Lord will help every Home to be able to have a wonderful and restful Feast, taking in the Spirit in great quantities‚ and enjoying the fellowship and companionship of those He has placed us together with. Please pray against any emergencies or disruptions. Pray for a spirit of peace and rest and protection to cover each of our Homes, and that each of us will enter in fully in spirit to our Husband's bedchamber, where He can renew us and refresh our spirits as only He can.
9. That's a key point, my loves. We can work hard to prepare the materials and messages the Lord wants to give you. We can provide suggestions about the schedule. Your Home can even work things out perfectly as far as scheduling and balancing the load. But it's up to each one of you to then "labor to enter into rest" (Heb.4:11), and to refuse to let the Enemy while away your time with worries, concerns, or distractions. He will try, because he doesn't want you to come out of the Feast time stronger than ever. But you don't have to let him.
10. There will still be things to do—children to care for, meals to cook, etc. But my prayer is that you will organize those things well in advance, and that everyone will do their part to help things run smoothly, so that there is plenty of time to enjoy this "spiritual retreat" the Lord has organized for us.
11. The schedule for this Feast will be considerably different from past Feasts. There is only one mandated activity or meeting for each day, and most are relaxing or restful activities which you can hold in the late afternoon or evening. The remainder of the time‚ aside from the time each member will spend with the children or cooking for the Home, is meant to be spent in "spiritual retreat."
12. We asked the Lord to give a list of ideas of what He means by "spiritual retreat." It doesn't have to be constant Word and prayer time. He has lots of ideas which will give you good variety and hopefully meet whatever your needs might be. Here are the ideas He gave, which you can consider, and I know He has others He could give you as well.
13. (Jesus:) Spiritual retreat can mean different things for different people. You each have special needs, and I want to meet those needs for you and help you to find activities that will be restful and renewing for you. Here are some ideas, but please do seek Me as to what you personally need. Praying about this in advance of the Feast is one way to make the most of this time.
14. 1) To start with something obvious, reading My Word is one tremendous way to be fed in spirit and renewed, and it's always a treat when you can spend more than the usual one and a half hours in My Word, and just keep reading till you feel satisfied, rested, and like you could keep reading for hours. It often takes a while to reach that point, especially when you've just come out of the wings, and that's probably why many of you feel a nagging urge during your regular Word time to get back to work. Besides the Enemy trying to distract you‚ it's human nature to feel pressured by all you have to do, and you're not in a relaxed state in the spirit. So part of "laboring" to enter into rest is persevering past the restless stage until you're really and truly resting in My arms.
15. It doesn't happen often that you have this extra time slotted to be with Me, and I encourage you to use some of it to keep reading, calming your spirit, resting, and reading some more, until every pore in your spirit is soaking up My Words, and you feel no rush to get up and go anywhere, but are content just lying in My arms. That's when you can know that you're deeply absorbing My Words, as they penetrate the depths of your spirit and strengthen you‚ not just reading enough to get by or make it through the day.
16. Besides working on any reading projects that you've already prayed about and feel led to do, during this time of the Feast you could consider reading some things that are faith-building, inspiring, interesting, and that you haven't read for some time. You could plan a Word study on something you're interested in, either individually or as a group. You could choose to read through some of the Word studies or comps on the MO site.
17. You don't have to just read, either. You could team up with someone and read to each other, or you could listen to the Word on your computer or an mp3 player. You could gather in a group and take turns reading while others close their eyes and listen and rest. There are all kinds of things you can do. The important thing is to absorb My Word and get as much of it as possible in this time, in a restful‚ enjoyable way.
18. (Mama: We have prepared a few inspiring and interesting reading lists and Letter Links files for you to choose from, or that might give you ideas of other things you want to read. These are not mandatory reading, nor are they strong suggestions. We simply made them available if you want something nice and easy and are feeling a bit stuck as to what you might read for so many hours. They are included in the zip file that your Home should have downloaded for this Feast. Please make sure these files—or printouts of them—are available to whoever wants them.)
19. 2) Going out into My creation is a wonderful way to calm your spirit and change gears. Whether you have a place that you can lie outside and relax (weather permitting, of course), or whether you go for a nice walk in nature‚ being in My creation is renewing to your spirit. You can also combine it with listening to music, praising Me, reading My Word, or fellowshipping with one or more of your mates and loved ones. If you have the opportunity and the place to do so and the weather is conducive to it, I highly recommend being out in My creation as part of your spiritual retreat.
20. 3) Listening to music, especially songs of love and praise to Me, is another wonderful way to let your spirit relax and be strengthened and uplifted.
21. 4) Taking a nap, especially if you're reading or listening to music and you just sort of drift off, or if you are praising Me in your heart while relaxing, is a wonderful way to spend part of your time of retreat. I want this time to be restful for not just your spirit, but also your body. You have all been working so hard, and this time is needful for you. Sleep is a wonderful healer, and I want you to have the opportunity to have more sleep than normal during these days, if you need it. It is part of your refreshing.
22. 5) Having a special time of loving Me intimately, whether alone or with a partner, is another good idea‚ and brings with it a special infilling of My Spirit and renewal.
23. 6) Even just having a date with someone is a good way to rest and relax and be renewed—for I've made sex to be satisfying and relaxing for both body and spirit. At the same time, you're making a vacuum for Me to fill you with My love, as you share My love with others.
24. 7) Spending time with your mates and loved ones in positive fellowship is one more refreshing activity for your spirit that I would highly recommend.
25. 8) Pouring out your heart to Me in prayer—for whatever is on your heart—is yet another wonderfully renewing and refreshing activity, because you're actively putting everything in My hands to take care of. You can either do that alone, or with a partner who you're close to or feel comfortable sharing your heart with—because you'll want to be able to really get deep with Me in prayer‚ be totally honest, and commit everything to Me. In order for it to be a renewing and "spiritual retreat" type of activity, it's most effective if you don't have to measure or guard your words, but can speak freely. So whether you do it alone or with a partner, give Me everything that's in your heart, and see how much better you feel afterwards.
26. 9) Pulling out a guitar and singing to Me, either with others or alone, is a beautiful form of praise and relaxation which will benefit you and bring sweet rest to your spirit.
27. 10) Hearing from Me in prophecy, especially about topics that are not real "heavy" or problematic‚ is a good thing to do during times of spiritual retreat. Ask Me things like:
"Jesus, what are some of the things You love about me?"
"Please give me a praise prayer to You, expressing all the thankfulness of my heart that is sometimes hard to put into words."
"Tell me something about my reward in Heaven that will encourage me."
"What is something I decided in Heaven that I wanted to learn on Earth that You've already brought me through?"
"Tell me more about my spirit helper ______." Or ask one of your spirit helpers to share more about themselves, their background, or some interesting things you'd like to know.
28. 11) Taking quiet time to meditate on Me and My love for you, My Words to you, and freeing your mind and opening yourself up to Me and to anything I want to impart to you, is another worthwhile exercise that will feed and encourage your spirit. (See GN 1153, "Training Winning Teams, Part 4," for more on meditation.)
29. 12) The activities that I've prepared for your Home to do together during this Feast will also contribute to your spiritual retreat, if you will enter into them fully. Don't be afraid to laugh with Me, cry with Me, sing with Me, and praise Me with all your heart and soul in total abandon. The more you give your whole heart and all your thoughts to these times of fellowship and feeding when you're in them, the more they will benefit you and contribute to the overall experience of spiritual renewal.
30. Whatever you do during these three days, even if you're with the children or cooking a meal or tending to something necessary for the Home's continued functioning, add praise to the mix. Keep lifting up your heart to Me, asking Me to pour My balm of love and renewal on it, so that you never really have to leave the temple in spirit, but can keep the spirit of rest and refreshing, even through your necessary duties. (End of message.)
31. (Mama:) Following are some points about the Feast to keep in mind as you plan yours.
32. 1) The pubs team has been working hard to provide you with some fun activities and new ideas for the children, so that they can enjoy an inspiring Feast as well. These activities and pubs have been designed to be as simple and easy as possible, and yet fun and spiritually uplifting. In other words, it was our hope that with the help of these plans and ideas and pubs, it would cut down on the manpower needed to take care of the children, thus freeing more adults and teens to partake of the spiritual retreat, and also giving the children some quality input, and fun and new things to do at the same time.
33. Please try to schedule things so that everyone—even busy parents and those who are normally with the children—gets a sleep-in on one of the Feast days, and some solid blocks of time to rest and be renewed. It would probably be better for people to have one slot of "Home duties time" that is longer, rather than many shorter slots which would tend to interrupt their times of rest and pull them back "into the wings" more often. Because it takes time to fully unwind and relax, try to put people's times when they'll need to fulfill duties grouped together as much as possible, so that their blocks of time when they're not expected to do anything except partake of the Feast are also longer and more uninterrupted. Of course, if the makeup of your Home doesn't allow that for some reason, please go with what the Lord shows you is best and most workable and practical for your situation.
34. 2) We have also prepared some additional activities that you can choose to do or not do, as the Lord leads you. We prepared these because we figured that some young teens in particular might not appreciate having hours to themselves‚ and would probably get bored and wouldn't be able to make the best use of so much time.
35. So one idea is to include them in the scheduling so that they can pour into the kids during part of the time, give them one of the meetings to plan and execute (if they have the burden for it), give them a certain amount of time for regular spiritual retreat (like a couple of hours a day, for example), and then arrange some time for someone to do one or two of these extra activities with them.
36. Or, if your whole Home wants to join in one or two of these extra activities, that's fine too. But please remember that the main goal of the Feast is spiritual rest and renewal‚ spiritual retreat. You may or may not feel like you need this time, and it's even possible that as you go into it, you'll feel a little bored or antsy. You're not used to having so much time to rest.
37. But as you persevere in focusing on the Lord, asking Him to help you unwind, as you refuse to let yourself get distracted or waste the time with a little here and there, I believe you'll start relaxing and appreciating the rest and spiritual infilling more and more, realizing how much you desperately need it. And by the end of the three days, you'll probably figure you could take a week more of that at least! Ha!
38. So please don't try to pack your days too full with too many extra activities. Provide plenty of time for people to rest, to sleep, to read and absorb. Put time and thought and prayer into the scheduling so that everyone has time to join in the Feast, and so that people's Home duties are taken care of in one or two blocks of time, if possible, and don't distract them throughout the Feast. Peter and I will be praying for you as you organize this.
39. 3) As you all know, your Home chose the dates for your particular Feast. As always, please keep those dates free of any other engagements or business, unless it truly is an emergency.
40. 4) Please try to have the house as quiet as possible so that those who are resting and sleeping and meditating can do so without distraction, as much as possible.
41. 5) Please pray about the Feast and ask the Lord how you can personally benefit from the time the best, and what He would like you to focus on. And then don't allow yourself to get distracted with other personal projects that you might like to do, but which are not the priority for your spirit.
42. 6) The Lord is encouraging us to enjoy spiritually feeding recreational activities—such as walks in nature, Loving Jesus dates, etc. These things are fun and relaxing and are perfectly acceptable‚ as they are feeding for your spirit at the same time. But please refrain from System input during the Feast. While it could be relaxing and fun to watch a movie‚ it would be a waste of time compared to the other activities you could fill that time with. It would also break the spirit for you and for others. So please refrain from any and all recreational System input during the days of the Feast.
43. (Jesus:) My dear loves, I'm really looking forward to having this time with you. I'm looking forward to special times with each of you alone, and I'm looking forward to times with you and others together as you bond with the mates of our greater marriage.
44. I want to encourage you to ask Me about this aspect when you pray personally about how you can get the most out of this Feast time. It would be the natural default for couples to have a lot of time together and singles to have a lot of time alone, but instead, I want you to pray and ask Me to help you find a good balance. If you're together with someone, instead of assuming that you should do everything together, ask Me to guide you as to what things you should do by yourself, just you and Me; what things you should do with your mate; and what things you should maybe ask someone else to join you in doing.
45. The idea for this Feast is that you're all one big marriage with Me, My bride together‚ and we're all going to climb into My big bed of love and relax together. And yet I want to love and encourage and feed each of your spirits individually. I want to nourish you, fill your love cups to overflowing, caress you with My soft touches and gentle kisses‚ until every part of you is soaking up My love and relaxed in My arms.
46. In order for this Feast to be all those things, I'm going to need time alone with you, and I'm also going to need you to be Me for each other. So whether you're together with someone or you're single, don't just default to what is easiest—either being primarily alone or being primarily with your mate or significant other. But rather look around you, see who might need My love and encouragement, and do things with them. And also reserve special times just for Me and you to be together.
47. In this perfect balance you will find the greatest satisfaction‚ fulfillment, and renewal. And in addition, everyone in your Home will find full renewal as well, as you are all My arms around each other, you're all My lips speaking sweet words to each other, you're all My presence bringing company and heavenly encouragement for each other.
48. You'd be surprised how rewarding it can be to go for a walk in creation with someone and praise and love Me together as you walk, or read an old Letter with someone and hear how it speaks to the other person, or invite whoever wants to, to come and sing to Me together with you.
49. I'm pouring out a special blessing of love and unity and oneness during this time of the Feast, and actually it's a blessing that you can claim whenever you are putting Me first and drawing closer to Me—you can ask Me to help you also draw closer to your mates and loved ones, and it will be so.
50. As you grow closer to Me during this Feast time, you'll find that the love in your hearts for your mates and loved ones is also expanding and growing and becoming more real. For the more of My Spirit you take on, the more of My love you have inside of you, and the more you will see your co-workers and mates through My eyes. It's a special blessing that is an automatic result of spending more time with Me. I love you! (End of message.)
51. (Mama:) How much your JETTs and junior teens participate as regular Home members, or have a slightly different schedule tailored to their needs, is up to you to counsel and pray about.
52. Because your JETTs and junior teens probably carry a lighter workload on average than the adults in the Home‚ they probably won't be as eager to have hours of undisturbed rest and retreat time, nor would it benefit them as much. As I mentioned earlier, you might want to consider scheduling them to help with the children for part of the time, and then having someone scheduled to pour into them and do an activity or Word class or hike or something with them during other times.
53. Their needs are different from the needs of the adults, and many of them would appreciate being needed to help with the children and Home duties for part of the time, knowing that it's going such a long way toward everyone having a good Feast, and then having something specially tailored and planned for them and their needs as well. Some of the meetings and activities would be very inspiring and beneficial for them to participate in, others less so. The Loving Jesus night is for 16 and up.
54. A lot depends on your particular teens and JETTs and what they need and enjoy. I know the Lord will show you how to best work it out as you pray and counsel together. You could either discuss this as a Home or you might want to delegate it to the Steering Council and the JT counselor to figure out.
55. As usual, please ask the Lord about how much/who to include in this Feast. If your Active members are far along, you might want to consider inviting them to join you for your Feast. They could not only participate, but also help share the load of the children and Home duties, and it could be very inspiring and encouraging for them to be included and participate. Or, they might be younger in the Lord and would require more shepherding and specialized input in order to benefit from it, in which case it probably wouldn't be best to invite them.
56. Please remember that this is a time for you—full-time Family members—to be strengthened above all. So when you ask the Lord what would be best in regards to your Active members, please include in your question what would be best for your Home members. You don't want to be inviting sheep over who need to be fed and poured into‚ if it will take away from the time your Home members would be spending with the Lord and relaxing during these three days.
57. This special Feast time only comes once a year, and the purpose is to strengthen and refresh you so that you can then pour out better during the rest of the year. So please, do take a break during this time as much as you can. It might be very worthwhile to invite your Active members, or it might add too much strain. Please consider these factors and let the Lord show you what's best for your situation.
58. For this activity‚ the room setup should be comfortable, cozy‚ even with pillows on the floor for people to relax and lie down if they would like. A glass of wine or drink would be a nice accompaniment to this evening. The plan for this Loving Jesus evening‚ which you're welcome to adapt as the Lord shows you, is scheduled to take approximately an hour to complete. (Those planning this activity, please see "A Celebration of Love," ML #3570, for the program and material to read.)
59. Please set up the meeting room in such a way that everyone is comfortable, and sitting fairly close to each other, as opposed to "theater style" seating or something more formal. Start with a couple of songs and a prayer, and then play the first audio file of Mama's talk for Feast 2006. This could be scheduled for either the afternoon or the evening, depending on what would work best for your Home. This audio file is about an hour and a quarter in length, so if you schedule it for the evening you'll want to start early enough that it doesn't go too late.
60. This is a continuation from the meeting you enjoyed yesterday, and again can be held in either the afternoon or the evening. You'll want to have the meeting room set up comfortably, and again start with some songs and praise and a prayer. Play the second audio file of Mama's talk, which again lasts about an hour and a quarter. (After you listen to this, there's a short "Supplement to Mama's Talk for Feast 2006," an audio file that is less than 2 minutes in length, which you'll want to listen to.)
61. This is something you'll want to plan before the Feast starts. The Lord suggested that you set aside a bit of money to have a nice dinner together and some wine or drinks. He has given a plan for the evening, and if you're able to prepare as much as possible and plan for it before the Feast begins, hopefully it shouldn't be too much work or too distracting to pull it together on the last day of the Feast. (See page 14 of this GN, which lists the activities to do together and provides a message to read during this dinner.)
62. The Lord has provided some wonderful Word treasures for you to dig into during this Feast, if you so desire. Following are a few new GNs and Letter Links files that will be made available to you for optional/personal reading during the three days of the Feast—or you can read them after the Feast too, if you don't get to enjoy them all during the Feast.
Not One to Spare!—Specific encouragement and promises for each age group in the Family (ML #3572). Even though this GN is designated as one to be read privately, you're welcome to read the sections directed to your junior teens‚ JETTs, and children together with those age groups (and any others who wish to come) if you wish and the Lord leads you that way. However the Lord leads you to do it, please make sure to share the messages for the children and junior teens and JETTs with them at some point. When you do, you'll notice that in the message to the children there are some words or concepts that they might not be familiar with or understand without explanation. The Lord said He gave those words and concepts on purpose to make it more interesting and challenging for them, and also because He's speaking to many ages of children—from the young to the 11–year-olds.
(Jesus:) There are some words or concepts that some kids might not grasp without explanation, and that's a perfect time to learn new words and discuss examples of what they mean. For example, when I call them "healers of the brokenhearted‚" you can give examples of some things that your children do that help to heal broken hearts, such as visiting lonely people, singing for people‚ smiling at people, or specific examples of some of your sheep or friends who were going through difficult times and were encouraged by your children's samples. Put "skin" on My encouragement to them, My loves, and they will be encouraged and you will be encouraged as you see them glow and shine and do better than ever as they strive to please Me and live My Words to them.
Promises of the Future!—Excerpts from Mama's birthday messages from last year, with promises about what we can expect and claim as a Family in this coming year (ML #3573).
The audio file of Mama reading "Key Power in Persecution" (ML #3574)—Faith-building excerpts of messages compiled and read by Mama to both prepare us for persecution and to help us through the persecution battles themselves. This is about an hour long.
(Note: For the full files of these Letter excerpts compiled, please download them from the MO site.)
Taking Time with the Lord:
[ ] "Sunrise, Sunset," ML #2341, Vol.18.
[ ] "Jewels on Going Slow and Resting in the Lord," ML #2939, Vol.21.
[ ] "Quiet Time—Your Lifesaver‚" ML #3183, GN 788.
[ ] "Cast Your Cares on Him," ML #3242, GN 844.
[ ] "Issues, Part 11," ML #3413:150-215, GN 997.
[ ] "Gems and Jewels, Part 1‚" ML #3416:153-157, GN 1003.
[ ] "What to Do When Overwhelmed," ML #3481, GN 1066.
[ ] "The Art of Dependence," ML #3537, GN 1128.
[ ] "Quotes on Quiet Time, Meditating, Resting in the Lord," available on the MO site.
Inspirational:
[ ] "Explosions I," ML #69, Vol.1.
[ ] "They Can't Stop Our Rain," ML #128, Vol.1.
[ ] "Our Declaration of Love," ML #607, Vol.5.
[ ] "To the Media—From a Guru—About the Sects," ML #800, Vol.6.
[ ] "God's Guarantees," ML #1027, Vol.9.
[ ] "Our Declaration of Revolution," ML #1336, Vol.14.
[ ] "Our Anchor Holds‚" ML #2587, Vol.19.
[ ] "Blessings from Battles," ML #2632, Vol.19.
[ ] "Explorers, Pioneers, and the Family," ML #2958, Vol.22.
[ ] "The Benefits of the Family," ML #3172, GN 777.
[ ] "Wham, Bam! Junk the Punk!" ML #3179, GN 785.
[ ] "Nothing Is Impossible," ML #3316, GN 920.
[ ] "Through It All—Testimonies of Faith in Hardship," ML #3394, GN 1001.
[ ] "Heavenly Key Craft," ML #3435, GN 1018.
[ ] "Crowns on the Ice!" ML #3465, GN 1053.
[ ] "Faith for the Future," ML #3487, GN 1081.
For Variety:
[ ] "War-Boom-Bust Economy," ML #H, Vol.1.
[ ] "My Love is the Wild Wind," ML #154B, Vol.2
[ ] "Don Quixote," ML #198, Vol.2.
[ ] "Golden Seeds," ML #254, Vol.2.
[ ] "Fighters," ML #551, DB 13/MO site.
[ ] "Get Out‚" ML #805‚ Vol.7.
[ ] "Millions of Miles of Miracles," ML #897, Vol.7.
[ ] "Enjoy Yourself," ML #1035‚ Vol.9.
[ ] "Trees‚" ML #1124‚ Vol.11.
[ ] "Whole Chinese Cemetery Set Free," ML #1264, Vol.13.
[ ] "Grandmother Read Palms‚" ML #1319, Vol.14.
[ ] "Dad's Show Biz," ML #1359, BOR 1.
[ ] "From Here to Eternity," ML #1658, BOF.
[ ] "The Princess and the Pea," ML #1754, GN Book 20.
[ ] "The Ragman," ML #1833, Vol.15.
[ ] "The Kingdom Prayer," ML #1903, Vol.15.
[ ] "And They Knew Not Until the Flood Came," ML #2080, Vol.16.
[ ] "Perspectives—and a Good Sense of Values," ML #2096, Vol.16.
[ ] "Life's Railroad‚" ML #2414, Vol.18.
[ ] "Keep It Simple," ML #2774, Vol.20.
[ ] "The Prayer Closet Dream," ML #2974‚ Vol.22.
[ ] "Where Are We Now?—Endtime Update," ML #3027‚ Vol.22.
[ ] "Why Witness?" ML #3132, Vol.24.
[ ] "Thought Power," ML #3155, Vol.24.
[ ] "Loving Kindness," ML #3237, GN 840.
[ ] "A Plea from the Cathars," ML #3259, GN 860.
[ ] "Issues, Part 1" (On Aliens), ML #3294:22-42‚ GN 889.
[ ] "Issues, Part 2" ("A millennial language?"), ML #3297:1–17, GN 894.
[ ] "Issues, Part 4" ("Mama's dreams and visions"), ML #3306:56–63‚ GN 909.
[ ] "Issues, Part 9" (On sleeping, dreaming, and more), ML #3380:1-45‚ GN 987.
[ ] "Issues, Part 9" ("Sexuality and spirituality"), ML #3380:74-94, GN 987.
Heaven and the Spirit World:
[ ] "Flatlanders," ML #57, Vol.1.
[ ] "He Stands in the Gap," ML #73A, Vol.1.
[ ] "Space City," ML #75A‚ Vol.1.
[ ] "Snowman," ML #195, Vol.2
[ ] "Holy Ghosts," ML #620, Vol.5.
[ ] "Another Holy Ghost Story," ML #679‚ Vol.5.
[ ] "Life After Death," ML #850, Vol.7.
[ ] "Heavenly Bodies‚" ML #1530, GN Book 12.
[ ] "Heavenly Mansions," ML #1531, GN Book 12.
[ ] "Songs of Heaven‚" ML #1532‚ GN Book 12.
[ ] "Born in Heaven," ML #1560, GN Book 12.
[ ] "Grandpa Goes to Heaven," ML #2106, Heaven's Children.
[ ] "The Apartment House—Heavenly Communities," ML #2107, Heaven's Children.
[ ] "Prayer for Edgar Allan Poe," ML #2609, Vol.19.
[ ] "Heavenly Birthdays," ML #3193:6-39,68-132, GN 798.
[ ] "Issues, Part 1" ("Soul mates in Heaven"), ML #3294:110-121, GN 889.
[ ] "Issues, Part 5" (On reincarnation and life before life), ML #3322:1-20, GN 925.
[ ] "Within the Gates‚" Christian Digest #14 and 24.
[ ] "Dancing With Jesus‚" FSM 305.
63. Following are a few optional activities which are prepared for you and included in the Feast package. As I explained earlier, please don't feel obligated to do these. Remember not to pack your schedule too full! They are for your use—either in groups, or unitedly as a Home, or for something you can organize for your JETTs and juniors or children, depending on the activity. Please do as the Lord shows you.
64. Whoever is responsible for planning these meetings—if you decide to do them as a Home—should take the time to read through the material in advance and prepare accordingly, so that you're able to benefit fully from them.
65. This is an activity that is designed for children on up to enjoy‚ and will take about an hour. So you could do this for your children and invite any other Home members who want to come; or you could save it for a future activity; or you could let people do it in small groups—whatever the Lord shows you.
66. Those planning this meeting will want to read the GN in full before the Feast so that they are prepared with the appropriate props, snacks, songs, etc. That's one downside to doing it in small groups—more people have to do the work to prepare it. But please go with whatever the Lord shows you is best.
67. This is geared to older audiences—probably JETTs and junior teens on up would find it inspiring and feeding. This will require less than an hour, and could be read unitedly, or in small groups, or privately. There isn't any special prep to be done. Or, if you aren't able to get to it during the Feast, you can enjoy it later.
(Note: This is available in the Feast section of the MO site.)
68. This consists of a few prepared questions (and answers) from the Word that you could use as a basis for a quiz or trivia game. This could be something fun to host for the JETTs and juniors and whoever else from the Home wants to join in.
By the Pubs department
The plan for the children's Feast for this year is to focus on some of the new weapons, and for each Feast day there will be a focus on specific weapons. A schedule (FCP #84) will be included in the Feast package for the children, with a detailed plan of Word and activities prepared for these three days. Those who will be caring for the children during the Feast should read this schedule in advance, as well as look over the children's Feast material that pertains to the slot they'll take with the children, so that they are familiar with the plan before the Feast begins and have time to prepare any items needed before the Feast. The goal is to have as much time during the Feast for spiritual retreat as possible‚ so if those who are going to be with the children can prepare the materials for their slot ahead of time, that will hopefully give everyone more time to rest in the Lord and take part in the Feast personally.
There will be morning and afternoon scheduled Word and activities, both of which will be basically structured, in order to provide you with an easy-to-follow plan, which we pray will be an inspiration to your children. However, please feel free to adapt these plans as the Lord shows you‚ according to the age and specific needs of your children. The plans are meant to be a help and make things simpler and easier for you, as well as provide the children with solid feeding and fun. But if something won't work for you, don't hesitate to ask the Lord how to best adapt it for your situation and children. Following is a brief rundown of what you can expect:
Day 1: The focus will be on prayer, praise, and the keys. There will be a new MLK (MLK #221) to read with the children, as well as suggested activities, memory work, inspiration songs, activity pages, and follow-up reading.
Day 2: The spirit world and spirit helpers will be the focus for this day. There will be an MLK (MLK #222) to read and a variety of activities to help review the spirit helpers the children have learned about. There will also be a fun new prayer game for the children to play, using these exciting new weapons!—A game that even the teens and adults could use in the future for some of their united prayer times.
Day 3: The children's Word and activities will major on the weapons of the Word, prophecy‚ and brotherhood. There will be a new MLK (MLK #223) to read with the children, as well as follow-up Word and various supporting activities. Please reserve a portion of the children's afternoon for a special "closing celebration." All Home members would not need to participate in this celebration, as it's geared toward the children. However, those caring for the children in the afternoon should set aside a block of time free from other activities and plans, when the children can enjoy a "closing celebration" to the Feast. The children's closing celebration would take about 1–1½ hours.
There is a new Heaven's Library (HL #198) to be read during this celebration, and it may be nice to read this together over a yummy snack and in a fun setting. It would be good for the person/people reading the story to have read over it in advance, in order to make it as exciting as possible for the children. Please ask the Lord to show you how to make this occasion fun and memorable for your kids, as well as simple and easy enough to do. As there will be a united activity for the adults on this evening, you may also want to have an early dinner for the children so that they can be in bed by the time the adult get-together starts. This way most everyone can attend the evening dinner activity.
We love you very much, and pray that this Feast will be a feeding and inspiring experience for your children.
69. (Mama:) I love you so much, dear Family, and I'm really looking forward to sharing this time of spiritual retreat with you. Please be aware that the Enemy will try to fight and take away this time—he too knows how important it is to our spirits to be renewed—but Peter and I will be fighting in prayer for you, and the Lord will help you as you seek Him for a plan and then persevere in your commission of resting with Him for the three days of the Feast.
70. There's undoubtedly a lot going on in your Home and your life, and it's not going to stop. But that doesn't mean you can't stop in the spirit and enter into the temple, asking the Lord to take care of everything else. If there's a lot going on, just take it as a test to see how much you can focus on Jesus regardless. Put Him on the spot and He will do it!
With much love in our Comfort, our Strength, our Eternal Refuge,
Mama
1. (Before the Feast begins:) During one of your personal times of devotions and hearing from the Lord in the days before the Feast, ask Him how you can best benefit from the Feast, what your biggest spiritual needs are, how you can make the best use of the time, and what the "perfect balance" is for you in regards to spending time alone and with others.
2. (For the Loving Jesus night, which will be held on the night before day 1:) Bring a short expression of love to Jesus and what He means to you. Picture yourself arriving in Jesus' presence and imagine what you would say to Him. This can either be written out in your own words, received in prophecy, or taken from published material. It shouldn't be long—just two or three sentences. The person in charge of this meeting should remind Home members about this well in advance of the meeting.
3. (For the appreciation dinner on day 3 of the Feast:) This evening includes a short toast to each person in the Home, prepared by others in the Home. Draw names and prepare a toast in appreciation of the person whose name you drew, and come prepared to give it. You can write it out if you feel more comfortable doing so, or you can simply make notes of what you'd like to say. This shouldn't be too long—just three or four sentences in length.
1. Pray about the scheduling of the childcare and Home duties during the Feast‚ and work out the schedule in advance of the Feast so that everyone knows when they will be "on duty" and when they can "check out" of work mode and just focus on resting and being refilled‚ so that they can plan their time‚ etc. Decide which "extra" activities (if any) your Home will hold, and work those into the schedule. Let people know which meetings or activities they are responsible for well in advance of the Feast, so that they can plan and prepare for them as much as possible ahead of time, and so that it doesn't take their time during the Feast.
2. Pray/discuss/decide on the schedule for the JETTs and teens, and how they can best have their needs met‚ as well as share a load with the children, etc.
3. Pray/discuss/decide whether or not to invite/include Active members in any portions of your Home's Feast.
4. Check to make sure you have all the Feast material listed in this introduction on hand. The audio files will arrive with your Feast mailing on CD; the Letter links will need to be downloaded from the Feast section of the MO site‚ as will any Letters or material in the list below that you're missing:
Letters/material for individual reading or optional activities:
[ ] "Not One to Spare" (ML #3572)
[ ] "Promises of the Future" (ML #3573)
[ ] "The Castle of Meditation" (ML #3575)
[ ] "A Faithful Servant's Reward" (ML #3576)
[ ] Letter links files
[ ] Word Quiz
Letters for united meetings:
[ ] "A Celebration of Love" (ML #3570)
[ ] 3 Feast devotionals (Post-it Letters, ML #3571A–C)
Audio files for united meetings:
[ ] Mama's Talk for Feast 2006, Part 1
[ ] Mama's Talk for Feast 2006, Part 2
[ ] Supplement to Mama's Talk for Feast 2006
(Note: Although all the audio files should reach you on CD, if for some reason they don't arrive in time‚ or your CD is bad, or for any other reason doesn't work for you, they will also be on the MO site and you can download them.)
Audio file for individual listening or as an optional activity:
[ ] Mama reading "Key Power in Persecution"
5. Make all the personal reading GNs, Letter links files, and audio files (except the ones designated for a united meeting) available to all Home members by the night before the Feast, and ensure that everyone has easy access to them.
6. Mama recorded three short devotionals, which are included with the other audio files on the CD in your Feast mailing. These are intended to be listened to after the Feast, during some of your next united devotions. Please save those audio files for that purpose, and you can download the corresponding Letters (transcripts of those audio files) from the MO site.
(To be held on the last night of the Feast. This section of the Letter should not be read ahead of time by anyone except those planning the dinner.)
71. (Note to those planning this event:) As mentioned earlier‚ part of the plan for this year's Feast is to set aside the last evening for a special adult dinner and fellowship (after the children are in bed, if necessary). The dinner doesn't have to be elaborate or time-consuming, but we hope you can have something special—something yummy that most everyone will enjoy and appreciate.
72. Please try to have the dining area set up nicely with comfortable seating, nice lighting (either low lights or candles), and tablecloths if possible—whatever is convenient and appropriate in your situation to make the ambiance special. It would be nice to have some wine or beer or some other drink that is affordable and that people in your Home enjoy. People can dress nicely if they wish, or at least come clean and freshened up for this time of fellowship and appreciation together.
73. The basic plan can be adjusted as the Lord leads you and as you feel things would flow best. Here are the main elements to include:
• Everyone gathers together and begins with prayer. (You could serve a glass of wine or other drink at this point, if you wish, before dinner.)
• Enjoy dinner together.
• Read the message from Jesus.
• Do the toasts—the individual ones to each Home member, and the others included below.
74. That is the end of the "official" dinner plan, and after that you can continue the fellowship, or switch to something different, whatever your Home would enjoy, as the Lord leads you. Some ideas are:
• Have a time of dancing where you can continue your fellowship and appreciation of each other. (Some people prefer slow dancing and some prefer fast dancing. In this case the goal is quality fellowship and appreciation of each other, so feel free to prepare the music in a way that will provide a fun, enjoyable, conducive-to-fellowship atmosphere for your Home, whatever that might be.)
• Have some games—either board games, discussion games, dancing games, or whatever would be fun for your Home.
• Watch a meaningful movie together in a cozy setting, where everyone feels included and can sit together and enjoy each other's company.
• Continue fellowshipping around the table (you could include some discussion games or "talk time" type questions, if you like).
• Have a dessert and continue informal fellowshipping and bonding and relaxation.
—Or whatever other ideas the Lord shows you to do.
75. A note about the toasts: There are a few prepared toasts to read‚ and the Lord also asks that, as a body, you make a special individual toast to each person in your Home. Since most people like to prepare ahead of time rather than being put on the spot, one way to do this is to have everyone draw names before the Feast to decide who they will "toast." Then everyone has plenty of time to think about what they want to say in their toast, they know who they're appreciating‚ and can even write down what they want to say or make notes to jog their memory. (Preparing ahead of time doesn't mean the toasts have to be long. They're toasts, not speeches. At the same time, some people tend too much toward brevity, and that could result in some people not getting as much appreciation or attention as others, if some toasts are very short. So one suggestion is to make all the toasts about three or four sentences in length so that everyone is equally appreciated.) However you decide to organize the individual toasts, please pray about it ahead of time and let people know in advance so that they have a chance to prepare.
76. We pray that this activity and meal can be planned as much as possible before the Feast begins, so that no one has to take too much time on the last day of the Feast to pull it off. It will take some time to cook and set up the dining room, etc., but hopefully the responsibilities can be shared, or this dinner and activity can be one or two people's "Home duty slot" for the Feast. That way the rest of the time they are able to participate in the Feast, and this doesn't take any more of their time than the time put in by those who were working with the children, for example. Please try to schedule it so that it doesn't become too much of a burden for anyone, or take away from the time they should be participating in the Feast.
77. We love you! Happy celebrating with our wonderful Lover and the mates and co–workers He has blessed us with! Truly, we are of all men (and women!) most richly blessed!
78. (Jesus:) Dear Family, I'm so thankful to have had these special days of rest and retreat with you after the long year you've endured. Some of you were hoping things would slow down a bit and level off in the spirit after the renewal, and you were surprised to find out that this last year was filled with some of the toughest challenges you've faced in a long time.
79. The primary thought in My mind when I think about this is how far you've come. When we look back together‚ it's easy to see that you've come a long way, your Home has come a long way, and many, many victories have been won. And as I'm thinking about this, I can't help but smile at the way you've come along and grown. Each one of you has made significant progress this year—progress that you can be proud of.
80. You've each put in the effort and the hard work needed to figure out what were your Home's weak areas. You've taken a good, hard look at your lives and seen where you were falling short. You've read My Words to you and you've done them. That's perhaps the biggest victory that this year has brought about—you've obeyed in so many areas. You've taken My admonitions over the last year seriously and made major progress in your spiritual lives. I think we both know that's worth celebrating, isn't it?
81. I'm so happy that you've been able to take this little breather away from the battle lines with your brothers, sisters, friends‚ and mates. As you relax together and enjoy each other's fellowship, remember how much I have done for you. Look at each of your loved ones and marvel at the progress they've made. Think back to how things were, and remember the fighting spirit each one beside you has manifested. Recall the hurdles they've overcome and the sacrifices they've made in order to be here today. Think about how blessed you are to have such wonderful companions and mates in battle.
82. Embrace the one next to you and whisper a heartfelt praise to Me for them in their ear. Thank Me that they've made it and are still here. Thank Me that they've been able to join you for this time of relaxation. Praise Me for the wonderful miracles I have done for them.
83. Take a couple of minutes to do that now, and to encourage the ones who sit beside you by praising Me for them.
(Pause for hugs and appreciation and praise here.)
84. I think we all agree that you live with some pretty amazing people, wouldn't you say? All right, let's do something about that, shall we? Make a toast to each of your mates and co-workers now. It doesn't have to be long, eloquent, or fancy, just heartfelt. Lift your glasses to the heavens and sing your brethren's praises for a moment. I will be right here with you, singing each of your praises as well. There's no one more pleased or proud or ready to lavish you with commendation than I am—I am truly a proud Husband of My wonderful brides!
85. After each person gives their toast‚ here is a phrase for everyone to repeat together and all cheer to‚ for each person:
(To be said by all after each individual toast:) [Person's name], you have endured, you have overcome, you are a winner! Hallelujah!
86. (Jesus continues:) I love you! You're My final brides of the End, every last man and woman among you a conqueror! Satan cannot overcome you; he is defeated on every front! To the victors!
(Pause here for the individual toasts‚ with each person giving a toast to the person whose name they pulled before the Feast. After each individual gives their toast, together say the above words to the person they were toasting‚ and cheer. Then go on to the next individual toast, until each Home member has been "toasted.")
[Toast 2, after all the individual toasts are finished:]
87. (Dad:) What a wonderful Family of winners! I praise the Lord every day for you. I love you and I am immensely proud of each one of you. My heart is bursting with thanksgiving to Jesus for giving each one of you the strength and determination to make it.
88. Did you hear that? You're making it! Each of you is making it! You're winners! There are no losers in this bunch. Hallelujah! What a wonderful team of conquerors here tonight.
89. You know, a picture comes to mind. I'm looking at all of you gathered together and I'm picturing a band of warriors. You're all around a campfire, goblets in hand, singing and shouting victorious tales of battles won, enemies defeated, and glorious victories!
90. You're all winners in my eyes and certainly in the Lord's eyes. So let's praise Him together, shall we? Lift your glasses to Jesus, the One Who sees us through, the Author and Finisher of our faith, our Husband, and our God. Hallelujah! To Jesus! (Everyone repeats, "To Jesus!")
[Toast 3:]
91. (Abrahim: ) I come to sing and dance for joy! I am so happy! This Family that Jesus started is, how do you say, still alive and kicking! Hallelujah? Praise and honor to Jesus! I am so happy, I speak in tongues in praise to Jesus—to Jesus Who makes the life of a humble gypsy worth living!
92. So you think you cannot make it? So you think it is too tough? I say, what is tough? What is difficult? What is too hard for you and Jesus? Huh? What can you not do? You are winners to me, too! I lift my wine to you, I praise you because you praise Jesus!
93. You live the Word and I am proud of you, my children—my gypsy children of David! I am so happy, I have to dance. Come on, why you sit on your bottom? Stand up and shout to Jesus with me! Hallelujah to Jesus! Praise to Jesus! This Revolution—for Jesus!
94. Heaven, here we come! All together now: "Heaven, here we come!" (Everyone repeats, "Heaven, here we come!") Shout this with me: "Heaven in our hearts, heaven in our Homes, heaven on Earth!" (Everyone repeats, "Heaven in our hearts, heaven in our Homes, heaven on Earth!") Thank You, Jesus! I love you. "Heaven, here we come!" (Everyone repeats again, "Heaven‚ here we come!")
95. (Jesus:) Rejoice and relax together now‚ My loves. Enjoy the company of those around you. You're something special. The world hasn't seen such an outpouring of My Spirit since the foundation of the Earth!
96. Soak it up, bathe in the sunlight in your brothers' and sisters' eyes. Shine with My love for each other this evening. Enjoy the company of your fellow overcomers. Bask in the glory of the hall of warriors. You are My warriors, and you're already in My hall of fame here. To the victory! (Everyone repeats, "To the victory!")
(End with praise, with hands raised to Jesus, our wonderful Husband and Lover!)