Happy Easter Cohort - Claim your "Holy Week Miracle"!

Happy Easter 3-26-13

A Blessed and Happy Easter, cohort! I hope you are all doing well… I know some of you are in warm places this week, and that is wonderful. We are here with mountains of snow, but the temperatures are moderating and looking more like spring. It can’t come soon enough, I know you agree with me!

God continues to pour out here on Norwegian Ridge. I am amazed at the power of the FLOOD that I sense sweeping over us – and you all are in that flood, dear people.

I listened to a DVD message by Dutch Sheets from February – it was a prophetic conference at Chuck Pierce’s headquarters (Glory of Zion). Dutch spoke from Ezekiel 47 about the spring torrent = the river that gives life wherever it goes… That is us, people! Wherever you are, God is releasing the spring snowmelt to us!

I am turning my focus on the preparation for our April 18-20 retreat. I encourage you to start gearing up for it as well. Homework, prayer work, Spirit work – it won’t be long just a few weeks and we will be together.

Here is what I am praying for:
• that the snow would be melted by then (No joke here. What a year!) Weather in general for the retreat – it would be great to get out in the springtime woods… it is my favorite time of the year for wildflowers... I would love to have you in on this
• That we would all be able to be present
• That the classes and topics and discussion periods would be just what God wants for us
• That we all could bring our ideas for future NRSD students, how the classes might look, schedules, etc.

 I really ask your input on what the future NRSD should look like. We have been mulling over different scenarios and have some good ideas, and we would really love to have you contribute your ideas as well.

I am extending a sincere and hearty invitation for you to invite friends, fiancés, family – whomever! to this retreat again. The more the merrier. Shirley will not be cooking again this time, so if you are willing to contribute at all, let me know. We will be sort of “potlucking” again… We did fine last time, so we will do the same again.

Have a wonderful Holy Week. Glennis and I decreed in prayer yesterday that we are under a “Holy Week Miracle Anointing”. If ever there was a week to claim the FULL VICTORY that Jesus won at the Cross, it is this week. What are you asking God for? Put yourself under our decree, and we will agree together for the Holy Spirit blessing! Let me know what you pray for so we can stand with you.

Love and hugs,
Joan Tyvoll along with Steve and all of the R&BT clan

January 2013 Update

January 2013 Update

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to send a note out to all of you to check in… Hope you are all well, and doing well in these first days and weeks of 2013. Sickness has been making the rounds in a powerful way; hopefully you have endured through it. The sun is moving back to its bright place – we have gained almost an hour of sunlight since the solstice in December, and that is always a wonderful sign that God is still in control, and that he is still committed to the earth and its seasons!

As promised, I have been sending out some selected news articles from trusted sources to those of you who have signed up for the “Rest & Be Thankful News Group”. If you are NOT on that email list, and would like to be, just send me a note and I will include you. As I said, these news items are just a few that come across my desk and seem to me to be significant enough for you to have them. The news group is just a way to get God’s perspective on news and events. I hope it is a help.

It does seem to me that the word I have been hearing in the past few months and that together we heard as we prayed on that Sunday afternoon with Glennis is happening: ACCELERATION. The world and the events around the globe seem to be on a crazy warp speed path…

What I also am hearing - and I truly believe this – is that God is graciously putting his people on an accelerated path of growth and Holy Spirit anointing as well. We are shifting into high gear at amazing speed – those who want to be part of this wonderful Kingdom life, harvest crews sent out into God’s harvest, those hungry for MORE OF GOD and his SPIRIT, those willing to spend it all on HIM…

I feel more sure all the time that the decisions we make in this season will be crucial for our lives, our families and futures… our involvement in Kingdom work as our choices and decisions now will have us strategically placed for God to use to the best advantage for the Kingdom.

YOU MATTER. Your lives matter, friends and brothers and sisters in the Lord.

One of the sources for news and teaching and worship for many of right now is Kim Clement, a gifted prophet that God is using in a great way. Kim Clement has said that the first 80-100 days in 2013 are really keys for the whole year and coming season. Because of that God is calling him to a fast for 100 days.  (He often does partial extended fasts and while he is in those seasons he spends extra time in prayer.) He is inviting his “church” (a cyberspace church from around the world) to join him.

God had asked me to do a regular (partial) fast anyway, so I am joining Kim and company with this fast. I encourage you to consider it as well. 80 days takes us to March 21, 2013. 100 days takes us to April 10, 2013, just about a week before our spring NRSD retreat on April 19-21, 2013. 

Steve and I skyped with Zack and Chana on Sunday. It was so good to touch base with them. They are hoping to attend the Spring Retreat, April 19-21! NRSD UR 2-3 will be here before we know it. Marilyn and Jenny and Steve and I are already talking about it, planning and praying about it. I hope you have gotten the books and are starting to read the material we will be focusing on. It will be challenging again – as usual I guess!

We are also asking God about a new cohort to start after you dear people are through with your NRSD training. We need to start seeing that take shape in the next 6 months or so, so if you know anyone who might be interested, please let us know.

It seems that we will have another cohort – I don’t have a reason to NOT go ahead with a new group. I do believe God is going to be doing a lot more training here on Norwegian Ridge. Seer school, school for prophets, healing school… one day seminars, one weekend training schools… Prayer School is in its second semester, and these are 6 week sessions, every other week, week nights for 2 hours… these are just a few of things he has already birthed or will birth in this new year. Pray with us, will you?

I hope you are thinking about what you still want to learn and study before you graduate from NRSD. To get the MOST out of this school, what do you still have to do? Have you been working on your student portfolio? How is your senior project going? Remember, these things are not for me, they are for YOU.

They are intended to help you make the most of your time with NRSD. Let us know how we can help.

The next question: What do I want to do after graduation from NRSD? July will be here before we know it!

Some of you have been throwing out the idea to continue a connection to NRSD somehow after graduation… to keep meeting, studying, and praying with the body God has gathered here on Norwegian Ridge. That might also be something to consider and pray about in the next months. What plan does God have for you and Rest & Be Thankful for the future?

So, God is certainly at work here. It is breathtaking to see how he is moving and shifting things around us. This is a good time to be alive!

Please stay in touch with Steve-O and I. We love to hear from you and to have you come and visit. You are prayed for!

Hope to hear from you soon,
Joan & Steve Tyvoll

Gear Up for UR 2-2, January 11-13, 2013!

Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Hi Everyone,

Well here we are only 10 days away from the January 11-13 retreat, UR 2-2! I am going to be scrambling, I have to tell you! But it was a lovely Christmas here, and the conference in KC was a huge blessing, so having a shorter time to prepare for the retreat is okay.

I am still processing the IHOP conference, maybe you are too. I hope we can talk about it at the retreat. I have been praying for, and longing for a chance to visit Dayn in KC - to meet his friends there and go to his church, so that was a big answer to prayer for me. A gift of the worship at the Boiler Room on Sunday morning was healing for my sinuses!

I hate to have to report that Dr. Lawrence will not be able to be with us because he is candidating at a church (for senior pastor position – pray for him!) that weekend. One of the ideas I have is to use some of his space to give you all an extended “Time Alone With God” on Saturday. That will be for your processing of 2012, and planning and prayer for your 2013. I think that will be a blessing for all of us. Marilyn, Steve and I will be available to meet with you if you desire.

I also have another idea cooking in my heart… it will be good, friends. It will be what God wants – after all, God knew Joel would have to bow out, so I am not worried about our retreat – God will fill it with his best. I really appreciate your prayers as we put together plans, food, teaching, and all those important details!

I will say, however, that this retreat will be the perfect time to invite your friends to join us. They can use the time for prayer and TAWG, as well as getting to hang out with us and get a feel for NRSD.

We have been snowshoeing, and over Christmas our family did some extreme Coulee Sledding! Bring your snowshoes to the retreat - and we have 3 pair to share. We also have sleds to share…

The KC IHOP conference, visiting the Boiler Room… in so many big and little ways God affirmed his purpose and plan for us, for NRSD, for Rest & Be Thankful… wow. I am more sure than I have ever been that this God of ours is TRUSTWORTHY, FAITHFUL, and WORTHY of every ounce of love and devotion we can give him. His way, his Kingdom is the only life that is truly life…

Gear up for January 11-13, 2013, Cohort! It will be a significant retreat as we talk about prophecy and how God wants to “open the eyes of our hearts” and give us ears that can hear his voice… and what the church is to look like in these perilous, end-times days… and how we fit in his end times plan…

See you soon,
 Steve-O and Joanie
Norwegian Ridge Retreat

Merry Christmas Dear Friends!

Christmas Greetings to NRSD Cohort
December 17, 2012

Hi Dear Friends,
I haven’t posted in some time, but I certainly have not been forgetting about you. Actually I have been working on the January 11-13, 2013 retreat. I have also been in a season of special prayer for all of you, our Rest & Be Thankful Clan.

At the head of 2012, God gave me the theme of “Breakthrough Year” for all of us in the clan. Glennis gave us the word “Gather!”… and Micah 2:12-13 is where the Lord directed me.

“I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob, I will gather the survivors of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture; it will resound with people. The one who breaks out will go up before them; they will break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king will pass on before them, the Lord at their head.”

I have been fasting and praying for the full blessing of that word for this year, and also looking forward into the coming year, 2013.

I feel that the KC IHOP conference will be blessing for 2012, and for 2013. I believe it will be a milestone in our lives, those of us who are able to go. There is still time, by the way, to come along. R&BT can still give the sweet “Glennis scholarship” of $100 out to you if it looks like you could still come. Just let me know!

The retreat will be rich, as it always is. I feel the Lord wants us to have an extended TAWG somewhere in the weekend to give all of you a chance to review the old 2012 and welcome the new challenges of 2013, so come prepared to do that. Of course the weather outside might be “frightful”, but we are hoping the conditions might be right for snowshoeing and/or hiking. And of course we have 2 fireplaces and plenty of places to snuggle inside…

Pray for our absent members – Mark D… Trent and Kristen in Juarez until the 19th… Zach and Chana in OK…

So, Steve and I wish you a happy and BLESSED Christmas. We will see some of you in KC, we will see all of you we hope on January 11-13. If you are around Spring Valley during the Christmas season, be sure to drop in to say hello.

Love and Hugs,
Steve and Joanie Tyvoll

Reflections & Looking Ahead to UR 2-2; January 11-13, 2013

NRSD Blog Post 10-9-12

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Dear Cohort Friends O’Mine,

               I hope you are all rested up and getting back into your routines. Several of you had colds, now Steve has a cold but of course he can’t decide which of you gave it to him. J  I hope you are all doing better.

               I didn’t have your homework assignments ready to give you this weekend, so I am posting them today (I hope it works, otherwise I will have to get Chana to put them up for me!) You will see I am assigning 2 books to read for our prayer journeys, we will be looking over the gospels and Acts in our Bible survey class, and there is quite a bit of Boice to read as well. Lots of reading! I thought that would be okay given the substantial stretch of time before our January 11-13, 2013 retreat. The reading will help you stay grounded over the busy holiday season!

               It seemed to be a particularly lovely time together this past weekend. I am still processing and praying about what God did for us, and what gifts he brought to me personally during the weekend. I hope you have time to do that as well. I always feel “tingley” after the retreats – one of those Holy Spirit things that speaks to me of anticipation… I feel like we are all on the edge of big things, and that Holy Spirit has more, more more in store for us… very exciting.

                              I found a fb message from Dayn later Sunday afternoon, and I want to share it with all of you because they are always meaningful and full of grace from God. See how Dayn’s prophetic prayer fits with what you experienced this past weekend.

… My "NRDS alarm" went off yesterday and I said a little prayer and am praying for you all this weekend. Romans 16:20! I sense that this has happened and now like a phoenix from the ashes, the mighty "bird" of God (Holy Spirit, you, our community, NRSD folk) will rise. http://www.facebook.com/l/4AQEG2mKCAQHQ8OIc4dUyczR-mxwocmPfPwsXTqXNPTFAcA/m.youtube.com/watch?v=CKRF8UihM5s

I sense much breakthrough, much color (Spirit) and much victory, joy, strength for you all this weekend. I think there will be a big breakthrough. I am seeing lots of color (Holy Spirit) in worship. Breakthrough, victory, power, joy, freedom, celebration, peace, yes, joy in the Spirit--this break in, this rise above, this breakthrough in the Spirit. God is going to be exchanging "ashes for beauty" this weekend. Out of the ashes will arise a great awakening.

Isaiah 61:1-3

Much love to you all. Much love, so much love. And God bless you. Wish I could be there with you all, but I trust I will receive as you receive and you will receive as I receive in the Spirit.

Much love and God bless,

dayn

Please come visit the Steve-O and me in the next few months. We will get mighty lonesome for you if we don’t see you until January 2-13.

Love and Hugs,

Steve-O and J

September 21, 2012

Hi Dear School Friends,
Here we are even closer to the fall retreat on October 5-7. I don’t know about you, but this retreat sure seemed to come fast. Steve and I are working away to get things ready for you when you come, and we are trusting God will help us do that!
I am feeling an assurance from the Lord that the extra class spot that we have open this time is just right for an important topic to bring up: End Times Prophecy. It is just crazy that we are living out ancient prophecy every day of our lives! We are!
It is exciting, but also a little unnerving. As I am putting together the second installment of the Old Testament Survey – the Prophets – I am seeing that this is a natural and lovely place to talk about God’s plan for his church, Israel and the whole world in the End Times.
Here is a tip I wanted to pass on to you as you scramble to get the reading etc. done for this retreat: BE SURE TO USE YOUR BIBLE HANDBOOK AS YOU LOOK AT THE BOOKS OF MAJOR AND MINOR PROPHETS! I think most of you got Henrietta Mears’ handbook “What the Bible is All About”. This is a wonderful tool to help you place the prophets in the right time periods, and she summarizes themes and topics they dealt with that really helps make sense of these guys.
I suggest that you start with reading her handbook instead of trying to plow through the actual books of prophecy. Our understanding of the books of prophecy and an appreciation of their message for then and now has to come from scholars who have a ton more study into language, history and Bible than the average person (you and me) will ever have. So take advantage of their help!!!
So that is the main message I have for you today. Use Mears! It will help! And it will help us when we talk about End Times Prophecy as well!
See you soon!

Love and God Bless,
Joanie T, and for Steve-O too…

3 Weeks Countdown to UR 2-1 October 5-7, 2012

September 13, 2012

Hola, Cohort!

As the UR 2-1 draws ever nearer, you are all on my mind. The Holy Spirit is making the content and schedule more clear as I press in, pray and ponder.

It seems that this will be the retreat to finally talk about small groups… Remember the book I had you all read for the very first retreat by Cloud & Townsend? “Making Small Groups Work”…

The topic is actually one we want to spend some time with, so I am glad we finally have found room for it. Steve and I were talking about it this morning, and between him and I, between his expertise and mine we will have an interesting discussion about small groups. So you can pull out the book from the bottom of your school books pile, dust it off and review it before October 5-7.

I am once again extending an invitation to you to feel free to invite anyone you want to hang out with us during the retreat in October.

               I would ask you to pray for the school as always. We depend on the Lord to make a way for each of us to come to retreats (without any hindrances the enemy likes to throw in our paths). I depend on the Lord for wisdom as I prepare for each class presentation. We need his favor and blessing on each detail of the retreat – food, weather, classes, fellowship…

               We will be missing Mark Ducklow of course. Zach and Chana are not sure whether their circumstances will allow them to make it. Let’s be praying for each other, and trust God to do amazing feats of power to get us together, okay? (Mark said, for him it would take one of those “translating deals” that the Lord did for Philip…)

               I know I say this all the time, but truly – the Lord keeps pouring out new wisdom and understanding to me as I read and study. There is so much to learn! If I am still learning and growing, I figure probably all of you are too, or at least can be, so he still has a purpose for us meeting together in the NRSD.  

               Be thinking of what you want to share concerning your senior projects… update and organize your portfolio as we head into year 2… pray, and come expecting God to do more cool stuff with us.

Love and hugs,

Joan (& Steve!) Tyvoll