AWAKENING SPIRITUAL GIFTS

                    We have all come from the same infinite source of God. Because our origin is from such divine light and creativity, exceptional spiritual gifts lie within each of us. The problem for most is they have never awakened to the limitless source of beauty they originated from, so they see those gifts from finite limitation. My hope is the story I am about to share with you, will open you to the realm of infinite possibility in your life!

                    The story is about a young girl named Akiane. At four years old she made a profound announcement to her parents, "Today I met God." The name "God" had never been mentioned in her family because they weren't believers and thought the name sounded primitive and absurd. Upon hearing this statement, her parents were astounded and didn't know what to think. Her mother asked Akiane, "What is God like?" She replied, "God is light - warm and good. It knows everything and talks with me. It is my parent." She went on to tell her mother she could not share more with her because "The light told me not to."

                    Can you imagine hearing a story like this from a four year old child? Without further evidence you would think the child was just dreaming, or someone had told her an incredible story. It took her mother six weeks of begging Akiane for more information before she began to open up. At that point she explained about her other life with God and the future of the earth. She began spending more time in her other world than with her family, and her parents became concerned. They had no idea where all this was leading their precious daughter. What they could plainly see, was that Akiane was wise beyond her years, and many times spoke like an old woman.

                    At the same time she began to have these spiritual encounters, she showed an intense interest in drawing. She informed her mother, God was teaching her to draw. She started to sketch on walls, furniture, books, or whatever she found. Many times she would sketch with her eyes closed. Her sketches were of things she saw in her other world with God, like her beautiful angel. Other times she became frustrated because she could not describe the things she saw in this other world. One of those things was what she referred to as, "The house of light." The colors there she could not describe or find in this realm. She said, "Trees and grass are not green there. The plants move and sing when I move and talk. It seems they can think."

                    Akiane was visiting a higher dimensional world which opened her to the great creativity of God. It reminds me of the statement Paul made after he had been caught up into the third heaven. Paul said he heard unspeakable words. He heard spiritual things which could not be understood or interpreted by mere physical language. The deep things of God can only be seen and heard through our spirit. This has been the problem with how most interpret the Bible. It is a spiritual book and even if you can understand the language its written in, it doesn't mean you will be able to understand what God is saying!

                    When Akiane was in second grade she began writing poetry which she said was received by praying and all of a sudden she started seeing the words and images right inside her head. "It's weird, but it happened. Honestly, I don't even know the meaning." That was the beginning of the deep and provocative poetry Akiane would be compelled to write.

                    Akiane is twelve years old today and has been on the Oprah Winfrey Show in a segment called, The Most Talented Kids in the World. She was invited to the Crystal Cathedral, the Museum of Religious Art in Iowa. She has been interviewed for Time Magazine, ABC World News Tonight, and many other publications and television programs. She was inducted into The Kids Hall of Fame, has published her first book, entitled "Akiane, her life, her art, her poetry" which I have taken quotes from for this article. Akiane is regarded as the youngest binary prodigy in both realistic art and poetry in recorded history. The question people ask Akiane most often is, "What denomination do you belong to?" Her answer is always, "I belong to God."

                    A closing quote from her book says best what Akiane has learned from her inspired life. "Akiane is convinced that the greatest gift we could give to God, who has everything and does not need anything except our love, is for us to love one another and walk in faith, day by day, hour by hour. Now her parents believe that too. For by trusting Akiane and by listening to her messages, which were divinely inspired yet masked with childish laughter, we were rewarded with one of the greatest gifts of all: faith."

                    The scriptures say we must enter the Kingdom of Heaven as a child. Akiane's story gives a visual picture of a little girl entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Upon entering she saw through her spirit from a much higher dimension, and it awakened her gifts of painting and poetry so she could express herself. Those gifts brought attention to her life and enabled her to relay the message of love to people worldwide!

                    Her life is a message for our time. We too can tap into the Kingdom of Heaven by becoming as trusting, surrendered, and loving as a little child. We too can have our spiritual gifts awakened and through them be able to a relay God's message of unconditional love to all humanity.

                    It is possible and the only thing which can stop us is........ Unbelief in the reality of the dimension of the Kingdom within ourselves at this moment. The wonder of Akiane's life is that it demonstrates living proof the Kingdom can be accessed HERE and NOW! It shows how entering that dimension can awaken dormant spiritual gifts just waiting to be shared with the world!

                    I hope you'll consider getting the book "Akiane" and read her inspirational story yourself! It will forever change your picture of reality as seen from natural eyes!

                    May Your Heart Be Opened To The Limitless Potential of Your Spiritual Gifts!

                    Much Love,

Mary Lou Houllis
Pastor