Tag Archives: Cyndy Lavoie

A Turning

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All that is required, at its most basic, is a turning to the Lord. Whether I am a mass murderer or am disconnected from God because I’ve been so busy, all that is required is a turning to the Lord. This turning is a heart shift towards God. It includes a vulnerability, a need of help, a contrite heart, a humility and a trust that God can do for us, that Jesus has already done for us, what we cannot do for ourselves.

It assumes a letting go of our own effort, with an intention of dependancy on the Lord, a reckoning of our humanity and our own best efforts as loss. Namely, we turn to God to save us and to lift the burden of our sin, dismay, fear, and to restore us, heal us, and enter us into himself. We long for righteousness and holiness, knowing that only in God are these things found. We are sick of sin and loss, sick of worry and dread, sick of doubling-down on effort, sick of religion, sick of evil, sick of our own goodness (that is no goodness at all).

It is God that is our answer. The oil of the Lord is flowing from the throne-room of God. Enter in. Dare to come, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Chapter 4 of Hebrews speaks of entering into the rest of the Lord. Of ceasing from our labours (some of which is our self-effort to save ourselves, to manage our lives, to make things right) and trusting in the work of God that was accomplished at the creation of the world. vs.3.

I recall being a young mom with many littles, and this injunction to partake of a sabbath day, a physical day of rest from the concerns and needs, the unending demands of life, took some intention and courage. Taking a sabbath day was an act of trust for me. It was possible only as I entrusted my next week to God. The challenge required me to understand that the work would never end, but that I could set the demands aside for a day and rest.

This rest of God comes as a physical, in-time, practical, ceasing from the hustle. In my heart it is the same but more. My soul can find it’s peace and joy and rest in the presence and companionship of God. While the world has its trouble I can be quiet, without rushing, in the Lord. As we practice this week by week we find that the world or our own circumstances have no hold on us. God has the last say regarding our lives and in God we trust.

And so, we turn to God. We set down fretting and we settle our gaze on the Lord. We bring our illness and look to the one who heals. We bring our family along with us into the throne-room of God. We put our sin at the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. We take pause to give thanks, to allow gratitude to flood our being, to say a simple Amen to all that is beautiful around us. We welcome Holy Spirit.

Are you afraid, turn to God. Are you convicted of sin, turn to God. Are you ashamed and embarrassed, turn to God. Are you unsure of your future, turn to God. Are you worried, turn to God. Are you unclear of what to do next, turn to God.

Pause, and turn to the one who created you, sustains you, loves you.

A turning is all it takes. Turn to God and find life.

God Remains With Us

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Sometimes we act as though God has gone somewhere. Often we treat others as though God is not acting on their behalf. We may find ourselves in a demise of thinking that assumes God is fickle, picky, reactive, and dismissive of us. The truth is, God is with us.

God has not abandoned this world, our earth, or you or I.

God is actively working on your and my behalf more than we will ever know. God is present in our lives whether we know it or not. And God is present whether we acknowledge him or not.

The people you want to see change. God is for them. And God is with them.

In your own life, in the spaces of difficulty and trouble, God is there with you.

The awareness of God for all of us changes our attitudes and our actions towards ourselves and each other.

Once we know God deeply within our own experience, we won’t preach so much doom and gloom onto others. We won’t preach a fearful God. We won’t teach a ‘suck it up’ mentality. Rather, the Spirit of God brings us to pleasant places.

“Lord, I have chosen you alone as my inheritance.
You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion.
I leave my destiny and its timing in your hands.
6 Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places.
I’m overwhelmed by the privileges
that come with following you,
for you have given me the best!” Psalm 16:5-6 TPT

At Capturing Courage we have been reminded to remain turned to the Lord. Not because we have to. Not because God is a tyrant that demands our attention or our obedience. But because in God there is life.

In God there is life!

God is life.

Yes God, we come into your life today. Yes God, we participate in your love and in your instruction and wisdom. Yes God, we glory in your presence. Yes God, be mighty in our midst this day and forevermore.

Be our life this day. Amen

BIRTHDAY TIME!

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Hello Today! You may not know but Thursday, October 25th is our Director’s Birthday. We don’t really need to tell how old Cyndy will be. Suffice to say, another year older!

In celebration of this we are sharing one of our current projects and inviting you to financially partner with us in this way.

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Click Here to Head Over to GoFund-ME

In collaboration with another, we are working on a book, a manual of sorts, about RESTORING THE WEAVE, of our lives.

All of us have experienced rips and tears in the fabric of our own lives, certainly in the fabric of our communities.

Over the years as I’ve been teaching wholeheartedness it is as though we’ve been opening great gifts of wisdom and insight about healing and wholeness, for ourselves, for each other, and for our communities and even nations.

This is what this book will teach and convey, via both words and pictures. Restoring the weave, till there are no more tears, is possible as we engage wholeheartedness for ourselves and others.

I am so excited to be working on this at this time. Furthermore, as Capturing Courage International Ministries , we are compelled to trust a vision of giving this book away around the world in the years to come!

So, all this to say, would you join us in this endeavour. It is a big work!

Our costs in the end, will be much beyond $10,000.00, but we are glad to begin with this goal in mind.

Bless you for your partnership with us in this creative offering to a world caught in chaos; RESTORING THE WEAVE, one unto another, for you, for me, for everyone.

There will be much artwork to convey the principles and life-giving ah-ha’s in this work. This image below, as well as the primary image on this page are just two of the images so far.

As we go along we will be sharing more about the process and the journey together in the midst and alongside.

To those who partner with us we will give even more inside scoops on the artwork, the writing, and the stories and insights as it all comes together.

Again, thank you for partnering with us! You Bless us to bits.

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Spiritual Authority Course Progress Report

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023Good news at Capturing Courage – we have completed Workbook Four of our Walking in Spiritual Authority Course and are set to complete part two of the international version for our indigenous colleagues.

This will take a good month or more to complete so please keep us in your prayers as we embark on this next task.

So far the Capturing God’s Heart material is going out to over 4400 christian leaders, which is in turn being passed on to an estimated 150,000 people.

The Spiritual Authority course is currently in the hands of a dozen christian leaders as we test run the material. We simply commit this course to the glory of God and the equipping of his people.

“Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.” Proverbs 4:5-6

To donate to the work of Capturing Courage CLICK HERE

Capturing God’s Heart – Agreement – Volume 29

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The basis for all of our spiritual work and authority is the principle of agreement.

The foundation of all our spiritual work and authority is the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

In his death, burial, and resurrection, we have been given the keys to life in Christ, relationship with Father God, and the Kingdom of God on earth.

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Forefront Leaders

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P1320276 compressedIndigenous pastors are at the forefront of community care and development.

Taking orphans under their care,  building schools, arranging for water developments, and more, they are serving and caring 24/7 in ways that outpace many (I should say most) of us in the west.

With limited resources much is being done and the level of faith and trust in the Lord’s provision in the mix is something we can all learn from.

One of our colleagues in Kenya was part of a Pastors Conference a few weeks back, and during the time there an elderly woman died. Turns out she had under her care three orphans with now, nowhere to go.

This man took the children to his mother’s, with the last of his money, and managed to get home to Nairobi, albeit tired and hungry (he had spent his travel money on a funeral for the woman).

Talking with him this morning we found that he had just been back to the interior of Kenya, to his Mom’s home to ensure that the children were beginning their term of school with everything they needed.

This is but one example of the ongoing and unexpected, but privileged work, that indigenous pastors are accomplishing in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In fact, when this gentleman first told me of the elderly woman’s death and of these children his exact words were, “I am excited for these children, they are under my care now, and the Lord has good things in store for them.”

With an attitude like that, anything is possible, and much will be accomplished in and for the lives of these children.

This and more stories like this is what makes it such a privilege to be serving indigenous pastors, they are after all forefront leaders in their communities and it is simply an honor to bless on them.

Please keep these children and their benefactor in your prayers.

Capturing God’s Heart – Repentance – Volume 28

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There is a time for celebration and rejoicing and for worshiping God, and then there is a time for mourning and grieving and laying bare our deeds before the Lord.

Consider what James says,

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” James 4:8-10

Admitting that we have done wrong is one of the most freeing experiences. Repentance is deep intimacy with The Father.

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Ministry in Mozambique

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The summer is flying by, and with it we are thick into preparations for our fall ministry trip to Mozambique.

Pastor Daniel and nine churches have been waiting for over a year and a half for us to be there, and we are deeply glad that the time has come for fellowship in company of each other.

The plan is that I (Cyndy) will head there on October 16th for 15 days on the ground. We have received donations enough to cover about two-thirds of the ticket price, and half of the total cost of the trip.

Thank-you to all those who have donated so far – The work of Capturing Courage is dependent on the donations and prayers of ordinary folks like yourselves.

A few specific things to keep in prayer about:

– Clarity in our final communications as we near our travel time.

– Full funding so that we stay on budget for this trip.

– Heart preparation for a work of the Lord, for both Cyndy and the people in Mozambique.

– All details coming together.

art auctionThere are also five evangelists and pastors from Kenya and Uganda who would like to travel and join us in Mozambique – please pray for clarity, direction, and funding to work for them as the Lord leads.

The work of Capturing Courage continues to solidify and expand. As we are faithful with the depth the Lord continues to increase the breadth.

Please be in prayer for us beyond this trip to Mozambique. The question of ‘which country next?’ is playing in the back of our minds and we wait on the Lord’s specific direction.

The choices forefront in our minds at this time are India, Kenya, Myanmar, & Uganda.

Your prayers for clarity and wisdom and guidance on our behalf are very appreciated.

If you live in the Vancouver area mark your calendars for our Open House & Art Auction Fundraiser coming in late September.

If you are new to the work of Capturing Courage Click HERE.

“Make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous portion of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.”  2 Peter 1:5-7 NLT

To support this work around the world Donate HERE

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Capturing God’s Heart

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cover ebook gods heart 1 -10I began writing and sending the Capturing God’s Heart studies in December of 2011. They began as a simply way to continue teaching and encouraging our indigenous colleagues we had met and ministered with in Uganda.

Since that time, they have been received in a number of other countries and are proving extremely useful in the discipleship of pastors, church leaders and congregations.

Today, at the time of this writing, Capturing God’s Heart material is equipping over 4000 Bishops, Pastors, Evangelists, Apostles and Prophets across denominations, and impacting over an estimated 150,000 people (if each leader then passes it on to another 40 people each).

We have Twenty-Seven Volumes so far, and aim to publish a new one every 2-3 weeks.

You can access them singly or we have them packaged 10 Volumes together as an easily downloadable PDF, and are simply encouraging each recipient to use them as they can.

(We also have full PDF of all Volumes available by request.)

We have Bishops printing them out and sending them to village cover ebook gods heart 11-20Pastors, we have one woman doing social justice work in Uganda who is using them with the women that she ministers to – about 12 groups of 15 women each, we have a youth Pastor using them in the training of youth in the 405 churches that he oversees, and we have Evangelists in India passing them on to thousands of Christian Leaders.

“Dear sister till now, I and church members distributed Capturing God’s Heart studies,1456 to church Reverends and Presidents, c.s.i.Deans, Chairmen, Evangelists, Roman Catholic Catechist’s Pastor’s and many people.

They are reading and understanding the love of God and many local and non-local persons and non-local church Director’s are asking me to distribute the God’s Heart studies.

We are using and understanding, very gracious and very comforted with holy ghost. Thank you dear lord Jesus.”  from Pastor Ravi in India

And they are asking for more.

Each volume:

  • helps indigenous pastors weave   together various parts of the Bible
  • helps organize verses and thought together
  • brings practical wisdom about life in Christ
  • brings growth and confidence in the love of the Lord

READ THIS ONE

If you want to know more about the Capturing God’s Heart material, if you would like to receive these direct to your email as they are published, please Contact Us and we will gladly add you to our email list that goes out regularly.

Every week we hear from those receiving these materials:

“Let me tell you that i appreciate everything your doing for the work of God, i saw your message about evangelism it is really teaching me a lot of things and i have shared it with my friends and in my youth groups where i go to meet them and i see that they are really helped.we really say thank you for that heart of God.” from a young school director in Uganda

“Thank you so much Cindy. Your articles are a blessing to me and our Churches. I am downloading the teachings and send to our local Pastors in the remote villages and they give a lot of praise of  the contents. I am encourage since God has connected me to a right person with a right vision and teachings we needed. God bless you.” from a bishop in Kenya

“I’ve received God’s heart and I read it. Surely they will be useful in our church as we are young beginners in raising a church.” from a pastoral couple in India

“Dear sister i saw your greetings,i studied also sent some friends.they saw with good interest.we are praying for you.” from a pastor in India

“It is a very interesting sermon and touching,what remains is the the way to live by it.I am very grateful.” from a reporter in Uganda

“Cyndy,thank you you so much for the word COMPASSION. Am blessed,I have understood what it means,my heart has not remained the same.May the good Lord continue to use you.” from a nurse in Uganda

“Greetings, Today we have shared Volume 3, FORGIVENESS. Really God has touched people’s hearts!” from a lead pastor in Uganda

“May God’s grace give you all the wisdom you need as you take us through the living word. I am happy that the word of God gives me strength. True freedom is essential and profound. Your teaching is indeed reawakening.” from a reporter in Africa

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Your support directly helps to equip indigenous pastors and others around the world.

More Favor in India

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093More favor in India. This comes from Pastor Ravi,

“Dear sister till now, I and church members distributed Capturing God’s Heart studies,1456 to church Reverends and Presidents, c.s.i.Deans, Chairmen, Evangelists, Roman Catholic Catechist’s Pastor’s and many people.

They are reading and understanding the love of God and many local and non-local persons and non-local churches Director’s are asking me to distribute the God’s Heart studies.

We are using and understanding, very gracious and very comforted with holy ghost. Thank you dear lord Jesus.”

We simply give God the glory for the impact of the Holy Spirit via these simple Capturing God’s Heart studies.

Capturing God’s Heart – Holy Spirit – Volume 27

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In the Amplified Bible we find Jesus telling his disciples,

“But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.” John 14:26

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