What He Promised, He Delivered....

I don't know if it's because of the way I was raised (yeah, right, of course it was) or if it's God's guidance (yeah, right, of course it is) but as much as I love contemporary Christian music, God still speaks to me in the most awesome ways through old gospel music.

If you've heard me talk much, you've heard me talk about one of my favorite memories of my Dad. He would lay on the couch in our living room and listen to a three-inch thick stack of 33 albums. These albums included the Imperials, the Blackwood Brothers, the Gaithers, Jake Hess, etc. It never failed, when I would go in to talk to him, his eyes would be closed and I would have to check to see if he was even breathing. I didn't know it then, but those moments were a huge witness to me. To see my father in silent worship is a picture I will never get out of my head.

This morning, I put on one of those 33 alums (now called an Ipod). These words speak to me now like they did him then.

I love my Dad so much, but more than that, I love the Savior that we share. I am blessed to be going into this Christmas season with the promise of that unconditional love and hope.

In this war, I've been a captive
Just a sinner seeking life and liberty
But, these hands that hold me tightly
are the hands that set my shackled spirit free.

Blessed Jesus, meek and lowly
You have come into my life and made it new
Out of bondage into ever lasting light
I owe everything to you.

There's an end to all the waiting
There's an answer to the who and where and why
All the years anticipating
are surrendered to a tiny baby's cry.

There's a dawn to follow darkness
There's a face to fill the title - Prince of Peace
What he promised he delivered
I am saved, by the hands of sweet release.

Thank you, Jesus!

Decision Day

Sunday was a decision day. I thought my life was going to change forever and the funny thing is, that is did.....just not in the way I thought.

Since the BIGGEST emotional breakdown of my life happened that day, I jumped to ALL KINDS of conclusions about what that would mean (along with freaking out some really important people in my life - but thank you)!

When I finally settled down enough, hmmmm, some 36 hours later and was open to hearing God's voice, I realized that Sunday WAS a decision day, but the decision was going to look REALLY different than I had anticipated.

And I heard God clearly this morning.

ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE FOR ME OR FOR YOU?

Then all of these lovely hymns and scriptures came flooding into my mind. I could list them for hours, but the most important one is

ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER.....

For the first time EVER, I saw that statement in a new way, and the ALL was pretty significant. He doesn't want some of me, he wants ALL of me. And the truth is that if I don't surrender ALL, then I'm not surrendering at all.

Dear Jesus, I surrender all. Amen.

Miracles

I have a job where I get to see miracles first hand EVERY DAY! However, I also have a job where confidentiality is a MUST, so I'm not able to share these glorious miracles that I get to experience.

However, there are some things that I can share. One of those this week was an email that I received with many nuggets of truth. In that email were some of the following 12-step slogans.....

I can't...He can...I think I'll let Him

Fear is the absence of faith.

Change is a process, not an event.

My life is none of my business. I just show up every morning and report for duty.

Boy! If I could just embrace these four alone, how much different would my life be.

Here's to letting Him!!!

I LOVE Friends!

I've been reflecting about some things that have been said to me over the past week by good friends - the kind of friends who tell me what I need to hear verses what I want to hear; the kind of friends who say things that make my spirit jump and days later I figure out why; the kind of friends who REALLY want to hear me and allow me to process through things with them to get to those "spirit jump" places.

Today, I've been thinking about those things and here is what I know:

- God told me to get licensed in Florida. That has looked really s.h.a.k.y the last year, but I think I got a piece of the puzzle. Because of that piece of the puzzle, I remember that God is NOT shaky. I am.

- God has told me to release someone from something that I have, inadvertently, been holding them too. The word "release" was said to me by one of those friends last week, and NOW it makes so much sense.

- It's God's money (said to me by a friend). No need to say more on that one!

- God has a purpose and plan for my life and my ministry. Because I was able to process with a friend, I can see that a little more clearly than I could.

So, I'm grateful for each of the people that speak into my life and help me grow.

Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend's counsel that comes from the heart. Proverbs 27:9

When God Gets Peanut Butter in My Chocolate

I've known for many years now, that God was leading me to write a book. It was one of those things that I heard VERY clearly. However, since that time, I haven't felt like I've gotten any more details or a "go ahead".....well, until now, that is.

I digress for a moment....

I've struggled for the last few weeks; really questioning if I am "doing therapy right", did I somehow "minimize God in all of this", is it too "secular", etc. I've questioned myself to the point that I actually had a little breakdown. The kind of breakdown where you have to call friends to make sure you haven't done it wrong for all of these years.

After my conversation with friends, I was able to let it go let it sit there, not resolved, but not keeping me up at night....once again, until now.

Now back to my story.....

I was sitting in a session where I was referencing the book, Getting the Love you Want. I had just finished a phone session where I was referencing the book, The Bondage Breaker: Steps to Freedom in Christ. One is a secular book and one, obviously, is a Christian book.

Well! I accidentally picked up the wrong book, realized it, picked up the right book, and there was my "peanut butter in my chocolate moment."

I'm sitting in session with a couple, holding one book in each hand: one very secular, one very Christian.....it was a frozen moment in time.

Then I remembered why God told me to do this job in the first place. He sends me the people who don't find him the "traditional" way. They haven't been in church all their lives, or if they have, that deep relationship with Him hasn't clicked.

There's no judgement in this...

Maybe it's because of woundedness....

Maybe it's because of legalism....

Whatever the reason, the people I get on my couch seem to be the people searching for a deeper relationship with Jesus (even though they may not know it) who aren't going to get there the traditional way.

So there's my book.

The middle book.

Not secular.

Not solely Christian.

BUT Christian with a sound therapeutic basis or therapeutic with a sound Christian basis.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate....Chocolate and Peanut Butter.

Who would have thought that the two would go so well together. But, it's yummy! and it's exciting! and it's MOST DEFINITELY needed!

"For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth." (Romans 9:17).

From Yesterday...James 1

James 1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Revelation Whispers!

I love it when God shows me things in the middle of the night....even when it's "a thing" that's hard to hear.

Tonight wasn't a "bad" thing. It was just one of those things where I go "duh"......that's so obvious! And OBVIOUSLY it was something I needed to have brought to my consciousness.

Here goes.....

I LOVE revelations from God - those moments when He speaks to me so clearly that I know exactly what I'm supposed to get, supposed to do, etc. AND, what God "revealed" to me in this night was this....not all guidance from Him is going to be through these glorious revelations.

Many "revelations" will be much less dramatic - they will simply be from the Word.

It was so clear.

"You don't feel connected to Me because you are only open to seeing Me in one way. I am ALWAYS guiding you through Scripture. Don't wait for the dramatic revelation. All of my Word is revelation. I have not forsaken you. Go there for answers."

I've had this urge for the past month to buy a new Bible. I even went and looked at them at Lifeway and my favorite store, Amazon. I was waiting until my birthday to get it with money from my Mom. Now it seems so clear that thought was actually a God whisper, a guidance. It was so quiet I didn't even hear it.

O.K.....God is desiring for me to know Him in the small things, the quiet things, the whispers, the Word.

LOVE IT! It will change my life!

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19