Eleven Days at the Ziggurat

Back on February 1st, 2010 I received a response to one of my many job applications sent out through Monster.com.  It was for a temporary assignment with the Department of Homeland Security as a file clerk.  Since there were no bites on anything else I'd pursued, I accepted the assignment.  This involved filling out paperwork and having my fingerprints taken to get a security check from the US government.  

Fifty days later (4/24/10) I walked through the South doors of the Ziggurat building in Laguna Niguel, CA to meet the contractor I'd be working for and get my badge.  That afternoon I went to the beach to journal: "The screen in Heaven shows me on the top of the Ziggurat worshipping in my purple blazer.  I'm ablaze for You - carrying kingdom into the heart of my homeland.  Favor is dripping in all the halls - SPLAT - gold on my head. Insane favor for our homeland, in the secret place... Supernatural stragety.  Keyed in.  No compromise for what's been compromised.  Restore the wall.  Restore the trust.  Restore the hope from within."

The next day I started training for the processing of the H1B Visa - the application companies send in to bring a nonimmigrant into the country on a temporary work visa. The 5 business day window was April 1-7, when we would receive thousands of packages to process. 

One of the first things I noticed about the place was that people liked to complain about the government - alot.  My heart was grieved, knowing people did not realize what they were doing.  I saw a big ball of string in knots - lots of knots.  That weekend during my time with God, I wrote a letter.

3/27/10
Dear Government Official,

I am writing to relay to you my joy and delight in living in the United States of America.  Often people are quick to criticize and cut down our country.  They do not realize the power of their words in a realm beyond what we see.

I would like to stand in the gap on behalf of all of us who have released negative forces with our words, rather than being thankful and blessing our leaders.  Please forgive us:  forgive us for criticizing in stead of encouraging; forgive us for complaining in stead of complimenting;  forgive us for gossipping in stead of doing something proactive.

You who serve us in the capacity of government offical are bombarded with entitlement and anger rather than gratefulness and encouragement.  For this I am so sorry.  Please accept my apology on behalf of the citizens of this country.  I am deeply grateful to live in this country and thankful for what you do to keep such a gigantic entity running and moving forward. 

I bless you with wisdom and joy and hope.  You are deeply appreciated and valued.
Respectfully yours,
A thankful citizen

For the next 8 days I carried Jesus into that federal building joyfull and thankfully, enjoying the chance to get to know new people and learn how the Immigration Department works.  God covered my work and I had performed well - noted by my supervisor in the words "You're a professional, you've made no mistakes." The incoming mail quantities were dramatically low (due to the economy) and two thirds of the folks were sent home on Friday, after day three of the deadline.  I made the cut to stay the extra two days, and was fully expecting to be asked to stay on for a longer assignement.

But on Wednesday, April 7 we got the news that only 5 or so folks had been invited to stay on.  John, the director, told us that the decision had been made from above and had nothing to do with our performance.  I realized that it had to do with which temp agency the people were with, which was NOT the one I was with.

I was disappointed that politics beat out performance.  It wasn't fair, and I was frustrated.  It has taken me a week to process this whole thing.  Today (on tax day, I might note) I did a prophetic act.  I drew the vision of me on the top of the building worshipping Jesus! 

I used eleven crayons. 
(note, my worker number was T11)

CRAYON COLORS: white, silver, metallic cyber grape, sky blue, robin's egg blue, inchworm, goldenrod, atomic tangerine, hot magenta, metallic big dip o' ruby, fuchsia.

I hung butcher paper up on the wall in my bathroom and colored vertically.

I drew glory coming out of my upraised arms, and swirlies in the sky.

One of the blues I chose for the sky was "robin's egg blue" - I realized I had been there through the Easter season.  I was employed by the government on RESURECTION DAY!   YIPEE.  Now that feels good.

And as to what else all this means, I just don't know.  Maybe I'll take my work to my "Artist's Way" class tonight and throw paint all over it.  Or maybe I won't.

But I do choose to bless my government and trust my God, who is ever so much bigger than the Department of Homeland security.    Eleven is the number of the prophet.  In a vision I saw Jesus standing in the Ziggurat, then grow really huge - so huge that the Ziggurat building fit on his big toe.Eleven is also the number of transition. Maybe there is still more to come...

Power

On Thursday before the Angels and Miracles conference started at Heartland Fellowship in Ankeny, IA, Angela, Helen, Garrett, Matthew, Nick, Emma, Aeva, Elina and I went to play at a playground near a lake. We had fun watching the geese walk across the ice, and being out in the beautiful weather.

Before heading home Garrett really wanted to go see Saylorville Dam because it was at an all time high.  As we drove up to it we felt the POWER of God in a mighty way.  It felt incredibly prophetic to be there at the dam, feeling the force of melted snow in river form flowing out of the dam.  I videoed it.

Soul Soup

While walking through the Denver International Airport on my way to Iowa, I meandered into a mosaic shop and discovered the art of Kristen Jongen. The piece below so inspired me I had to photograph it. So now I will share it with you.

North Beach comes to Iowa

My amazing noble comrades Adriaan and Angela Meijer arranged for me to visit Ankeny, Iowa for an "Angels and Miracles" conference at their church.  I am sitting in their dining room right now with their three princess releasing Crayola art all around me.

In thinking through my visit I knew I needed to bring them part of Southern California.  Angela had once commented about how significant my encounters with God are at the beach, and I had a brilliant idea (I love it when I'm brilliant.)  I would bring them part of North Beach, my favorite place in San Clemente.

On March 9, 2010 I went down to soak my 12"x12" canvas in the sea.  There was a bull dozer moving sand into piles, so I had to head south to get access to the ocean.






It was a cold day, and I wasn't so keen on imersing my hands and feet in te cold salt water to soak the cloth.  Then I saw it.  One lone rock waiting to anchor my piece to the shore so the waves could baptise it.  I approached it as the tide was receding and anchored my art.

The waves were not in a hurry to reach to rock, so I stood and waited  (and recorded it.)

Then I took a picture.

On my way back up the beach the bull dozer was leveling out the mounds it had made.  That made me happy.

The next day, on March 10, I went back to put the sand on .  I went right, up the beach and sat at a bench near the southmost fire pit. 

Several years ago, while I was in Vacaville at The Mission church, someone had handed me "Matte Artist Medium" which is basically like glue.  As I smeared it with my fingers all over the canvas, I was struck by how timeless God is.  When He had that person hand me the big tub in 2007 he was seeing this piece in 2010!  Woah.

God pointed out the perfect place for the piece, and I layed the gooey side down and stepped on the canvas.  Then picked it up and layed it flat to dry.  Then I smeared medium over the top so the sand would be contained.  As I picked it up, I was struck with how heavy it is! 

The 12'x12" packed easily in my carry on, and I had no trouble trasporting North Beach to Iowa on Monday, March 15.  I couldn't wait to give it to them, and pulled it out upon arrival Monday night!!  Angela loved it, and found a place for it imediately.  The next day she showed it to our friend Helen (below.)

So now, the Meijer clan has a little bit of North Beach hanging by their front door!  YIPEE.