After our conversation I remembered the prayer I had started praying at the beginning of December, “Father if it is your will send me the woman you took from my rib in your time and in your way. You will know when I am ready. I don’t want to play hide and seek to find her. Make her obvious to me in a way only you can.” I asked Him to please go before me to prepare Sherry for our meeting.

The following week I received a card in the mail from a great Saint of a lady who is a member of my home church Second Baptist of Madisonville Kentucky. I hadn’t worshipped there since I fell out of life in September. I couldn’t bear to go back there. Too many painful memories, even though my ex-wife had stopped attending there.  I looked at my address that had been written on the envelope.  It wasn’t remotely accurate but yet it had made it to me safe and sound.  No reroutes.  No returns.  I recalled I hadn’t filled out any change of address forms anywhere.  Goosebumps welled up on my flesh.  I sat down with the envelope in my hand and thanked the Father for touching this dear Sister to reach out to me. Opening the envelope I found a card touching on the storms of life and anchoring oneself in the Rock to keep from being blown away with the verse, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliver; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge…”Psalm 18:2 NIV. In the card was a folded piece of yellow paper with her words, “The LORD has put you in my mind these last few days. I’ve missed you and our little fellowship. It is time for you to come home Mr. Cecil to your home church. Don’t let what happened in life stop you.” I had what I had been praying and hoping for. Orders from God that were personally signed by one of His lieutenants. My jaw dropped. I was going home. Not as a victim of my trial but as a victor over it.

The fifth Friday sing at Judy’s church was a week away and the back story of her burden for me began to unfold. It seems a few weeks before she called me the thought of introducing her friend and I popped into her head randomly and from nowhere but she dismissed it. It came back. Again and again. It started keeping her awake at night. She prayed. Talked with her husband Dirk and prayed more. Talked to her Pastor and prayed more. Finally she talked to her friends and mine Steve and Deb to get their blessing. Many of you who have been reading this blog from the beginning know Steve and Deb very well. They both told Judy by all means make the introduction. Who were they to stand in the way of God. They think it is a wonderful idea. She had their blessing.

In the meantime I was fishing for any and all information on Sherry from Judy and Steve as well because he had met her. Their descriptions of her came back very similar. “She loves the LORD.” “She loves to talk about the Bible.” “Her Joy is infectious.” “Great girl.” I thought it was great they were focusing on her Spiritual side but in the flesh I found it strange there were no comments on her appearance so I pushed the issue. Judy said she was “tall and slender, very attractive.” Judy nor Steve were in agreement on her age, but they thought she was a little older than me. Finally I manned up and asked Steve, “Is she a hottie?” He snickered. “She is beautiful Cec.” Far out. Since I had her last name and her cell and home phone numbers I Goggled her hoping to find a picture of her. Nothing. No Facebook. No Myspace. No Linkedin. Not even a single Tweet. For some reason I knew the LORD was keeping information from me.

I was counting the days down to the sing. I was very excited to meet this Godly woman named Sherry. But there was a hitch. A major snow was forecast starting the day of the sing and the event would more than likely be cancelled. I sent Judy a text to let her know if the sing was cancelled I planned to call Sherry that evening to talk and maybe plan a meeting in the future. Judy texted me back, “She is very anxious to hear from you.” I thought, “way to go LORD.”

The snow came as forecast and the sing was cancelled early in the day. I sent Judy another text asking if Sherry texted. She replied back she didn’t think so but she highly encouraged me to call Sherry. In fact she knew she was home at that very moment and would love to hear from me. I was reluctant to call her out of the blue. Well, gun shy is a better way of describing it considering what I had been through. So I decided to flip her a text on the outside chance she could receive it.  Flying on my iPhone I wrote, “Hi Sherry. I’m Cecil Chaney. Judy is our mutual friend. I plan on calling you this evening at six. Judy said you didn’t text but I sent this as an icebreaker in case you do.” I hit the send button. About an hour later my iPhone lit up with an incoming call. It was Sherry. How did I know this? I saved her as a contact. But when? There were people in my office so I didn’t take her call. My voicemail chimed. Sweet. I didn’t listen to it then but decided to wait until I was at my apartment since it was close to my quitting time.

Back at the apartment I fed Dolly as fast as I could then sat down to listen to Sherry’s voicemail. I turned on my phone’s speaker and hit play on her message. I was going to hear her voice for the first time. “Hi Cecil. This is Sherry. (Giggle) I received your text message. It took me about a half an hour to figure out how to open it, (Giggle) but I did. Judy was correct in saying I do not text. (Giggle) Consider the ice broken. (Giggle) Talk to you soon.” Her voice was angelic. I played the message six times.

I watched time tick by until six o’clock then knelt in the floor and prayed, “Father, I don’t know what you are up to but my eyes and ears are open. Please send your Spirit to dwell between Sherry and I during this conversation. I want us to know each other through Your eyes. May she see who I am in You and may I see who she is in You.”

I called Sherry and what followed was the most wonderful conversation I have ever had with another human being in my life. It lasted three and a half hours. Ninety percent of our conversation was all about our walks with God. I had never, ever, ever shared so deeply of things of the Spirit. In fact, I didn’t know I was capable of it. But I did and it was glorious. We discovered we were on the same exact page Spiritually. Chapter and verse. Step by step. No gray areas. We were both seekers. Hungry for God. A perfect fit. I didn’t know it was possible but I was talking to my Spiritual match. She studies the Old Testament prophesies of Jesus and I hang out in the Gospels and with Paul. I told her about my experiences with God the wild man. My mission trip to Alaska. The ministry of this blog. I also shared the card and letter from the lady at my home church. Sherry completely understood the significance and joined me in Praise. I want to say again for emphasis, she joined me in Praise.  What a beautiful thing. I felt like we had known each other for years.

We shared very little personal information. I really felt we both thought it just wasn’t necessary considering how we had met in the Spirit and were in agreement. Before we ended our conversation I asked if I could call her the next day. She said yes.

That night I only slept about three hours. I felt the Holy Spirit had plugged me into a 220 volt electrical line. It was thrilling. It was peaceful. It was unimaginable. Was I scared? Not in the least. Should I have been? By the standards of the world, YES!!! By God’s standards? No. My God doesn’t do business that way. I prayed, “Father, I feel like have known this woman for years. What are you doing?” He replied loud and clear, “Restoring you.”

The next day I called her. “I really want to meet you Sherry.” I told her. She replied, “I want to meet you too.”  I continued, “Where would you like to meet? I want to do whatever you are most comfortable with. If you want to meet somewhere for coffee that is fine. Or I could come to your house and maybe after we have visited for a while go out to dinner. What are you most comfortable with?” Without hesitation she told me she was at complete ease with my coming to her house and then going to dinner. The restaurant I suggested turned out to be both our favorite. I decided it was time to divulge some personal information in case there were any deal breakers lurking. Babbling I said, “I’m 44 years old. I shave my head. I have brown eyes. I am six feet tall. 170 pounds. Thirty-two inch waist. Thirty-four inch inseam. I have no diseases. In general good health. No criminal record. I don’t do drugs. I don’t drink. No bankruptcies. Great credit score. I have my own job and my own stuff. I have a car too.” Sherry giggled. “I’m a few years older than you but we aren’t going there now. I’m about five feet, eight inches tall and weigh about one hundred and forty pounds. The rest you will just have to find out when you get here.” We agreed on a time and she gave me directions to her home and we hung up. A few minutes later Sherry called me back. She said, “I just want to clarify something. Muscle weighs more than fat. (Giggle)” I had a grin so large my face hurt.

On my way to Sherry’s home I called her to confirm the driving directions. In passing I asked her, “You live on Lake Wood drive. Is that on a lake?” She said, “Yes. I live on Lake Beshear. My property borders Pennyrile State Forest. It is very peaceful.” I felt like I had been zapped with a cattle prod. For the past year I have had a fantasy prayer of one day if He found me worthy I could write for Him from a house on  a lake. “Father, what are you up to???” I think I heard Him chuckle.

During the forty minute drive I reconciled myself to the fact that I knew with everything in me the meeting I was about to have would change my life. It was so peaceful. We hadn’t discussed our occupations or economic status. I didn’t care if she was rich or poor. If she lived in a shoe, a camper, a box or a mansion.  It didn’t matter what she looked like. Short or tall. Four feet tall, four feet wide and four feet thick. God had worked it out.

Pulling off of the main road and onto the road to her home I felt like I had been there before, but knew I hadn’t. I pulled into her drive. Her home was beautiful and backed up to Lake Beshear. Looking at the lake I felt as if I had seen it before but knew I hadn’t. It was chilling. “Father, if this is a joke it isn’t funny.” But I knew better. I turned off the car and said, “Ok Father. Show me what is behind door number one.”

I walked on the porch and standing in the door was a woman. Not a girl. But a woman who was confident, sure of herself and knew exactly who she was in Christ. My exact Spiritual counterpart.

And she was smoking hot.

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There were days so dark and painful they defy words, but I kept walking. Through the wind, the rain, the hail and the darkness. As I have written before, we have a walk with God. We aren’t carpooling, sharing a taxi or passing one another in the cereal aisle at a big box retailer. We walk. It is a slow process. There are rocks, valleys, mountains and slippery slopes to explore but we have a Shepherd who knows the way. Every step whether painful or joyful.

From day one, I knew with everything inside of me as deep as my sorrow was I would be restored into joy just as high.  Without a shadow of a doubt I knew I was going to walk into a blessing that would blow my mind. That is how God works with His children.

For the past few months I have anchored myself in these two prayers: If the Father wants me to stay in Madisonville Kentucky He needs to show me why without a shadow of a doubt. I didn’t want to play hide and seek to find out. He had to hit me over the head with it. And, if in His plan I am not to be single send me the woman He took from my rib.

The reason for staying in Madisonville and my blessing have come upon me.

My mind is officially blown.

God is a wild man.

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He sent people to shelter me. He sent people to feed me. He sent people to clothe me. He sent people to minister to me. He sent people to help heal me. He sent people to pray for me. He sent people to help me financially. He sent people to help rebuild my life from nothing. He sent people to share their own very personal and painful experiences with divorce. He reconnected me with long lost friends. He brought family members closer to me.

He is great and worthy of praise.

I feel God has me in the express lane getting me through this.

While in church the Sunday before Thanksgiving while listening to a sermon on, of course, being thankful I had a heart to heart with God. “Father, I’m sorry but I don’t feel very thankful right now. I am dreading Thanksgiving and Christmas.” Very quickly He replied loud and clear, “Would you rather have a little over a month to dread these or would you rather this happened at the first of the year so you would have many months to dread it?” Great point LORD. I’m on board. Thank you.

His single and very strong message to me through this has been, “I have a plan for you. A great plan. Wait. It is beyond your wildest imagination. You will see.”

So, I wait. I watch. I listen.

I have flat worn the book of Psalms out in this mess. How some of the passages speak to me. Here are some of my favorites…

In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search and be silent. Offer right sacrifices to the LORD. PS 4:4

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone O LORD make me dwell in safety. PS 4:8

Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk accordingly to the law of the LORD. PS 119:1

It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. PS 119:71

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth. PS 119:103

May my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word. PS 119:169

Here is the huge one, “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me from the deep waters. PS 18:16

This, He has done.

The greatest revelation I have had in my healing is I didn’t lose everything. She did. Based upon how I was treated it makes me seriously wonder if I was ever loved in seventeen years of marriage. Which is painful, but in a way comforting. I won’t have any guilt when the LORD, if it is His will and in His time, brings to me the one He took from my rib.

Cecil version 2.0 is walking and talking. In His name.

This is the final post in the Falling Out Of Life series.

I’m done with falling.

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God has sent so many people to comfort me and help me through this. I am receiving financial help for my rent by a family member because there are still lots of expenses to cover on the house until it sells. People have given me groceries and clothing. A very dear Facebook friend sent me  many things to furnish my apartment with.

I look around and God is pointing out to me that I will get through this. He has shown me a Facebook friend who went through a bad divorce then lost a twenty-year old son in a car accident. The stress and concern on my best friend’s face who’s young son had to undergo an emergency appendectomy. The man who yesterday had a tumor on his spine and to save his life part of his spine was removed. Now he is a paraplegic.

I know I will get through this and God has something great and wonderful waiting for me.

Thank you dear friends for your prayers, phone calls, emails, texts, Twitter and Facebook messages. They mean more than you will ever know.

Happy Thanksgiving.

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She wants no delays in the divorce. Full steam ahead.

I will be divorced maybe before Thanksgiving and for sure before Christmas.

Now she only communicates with me through cold business like emails with no feeling because I make her feel uncomfortable on the phone or face to face. In the emails she addresses me as “Cecil” not as “Cec” since she had from day one of our relationship. She has a new cell phone number. Everyone else has it. I don’t.

I am past the torment. I am past the grief. I am past the denial.

I am just the past now.

I have been deleted.

Each day by God’s grace alone I am stronger. My appetite is coming back. I am sleeping well and I have peace. Peace. Real peace that only comes from God.

I’ve started to wrap my head around the tempest I am in and God’s plan is revealing itself through my prayers and through other people. Last week I put an application in on an apartment and should know something in a day or so. If I get it, the squeeze financially will be really tight. Some family members have offered to help me financially.

Looking back on the past month and a half and seeing how fast, how far and how hard I have fallen I see God’s unseen hand everywhere. It is amazing.

So, I have to start my life over at forty-four years old.

In addition to the things I have in my possession I listed in Part 1 of this saga to start housekeeping with I have my fishing pole and tackle, coffee maker, three more shirts, two pairs of jeans, a few pairs of shoes, a small microwave, crock pot, frying pan, a pot, eating utensils, two light weight jackets, a bed that my boss gave me because I couldn’t bear to sleep in any bed she and I shared, a radio, iron, assorted socks and underwear and a tower fan. That’s it.

There are very few things I want from my old life.

I am going to rebuild from ground zero.

Everyone is telling me, “Cec, half the stuff in that house is yours. Go get it.” Easier said than done. Let me explain.

I was hurt beyond all description at the finality, absoluteness, speed and coldness of the ending of my marriage. I was unplugged and my lights went out. That fast. Why would I want half of the things from a relationship with an ending like that? I am moving on and don’t need the emotional baggage of daily reminders of relationship train wreck.

There are three major things I want from my old life: a 42″ plasma TV and stand, my grill and one of the chocolate labs Dolly Lou. That’s it.

I don’t want the rest of my clothes, personal effects, mementos, photos or keepsakes.

I’m flying light.

I’d rather accept help and receive things from people who I know truly love me and have my best interests at heart than to take things from a house because it is simply owed to me. Not gonna do it. I’ve got my big boy britches on.

My wife’s sister gave me a couple of blankets and a set of sheets. Her brother who lives in town has offered me dishes and pillows. The LORD is providing.

Despite the way I’ve been treated I harbor no bitterness, anger or hate towards her. I just don’t understand.  She is doing what she feels she needs to do and has moved on.

I am moving on also.

To the new life God has for me with my head held high and not looking back.

You either make dust, or you eat it.

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In frustration and almost anger I cried out, “Father tell me what to pray!” Very fast He answered. “My will.” I realized for the past month I have been forcing what I want on God, never bothering once to let Him in on the outcome. My prayers were one hundred and eighty degrees from where they should be. I prayed, “Father I want your will to be done in this. Not mine.” Peace began to come upon and I knew I was on target. The first real peace I have had since this nightmare began. So over and over I prayed, “Father I want your will to be done in this. Not mine.” Once again, the teacher gets taught from the Master.

While chatting in Facebook with a very Spirit filled high school friend about my situation she advised me “you need to ask God what you should refocus on. You need to take your focus from her and ask God what he wants you to focus on.” Very logical. I never thought of that. She asked if she could have my phone number so she could give me a call later that night.

After our chat session I asked God what I should refocus on. Once again, very fast He said, “Me.” All throughout this ordeal He has been silent, but now that my perspective has changed He is quite the chatterbox. I get it now Father. It is your show. I am so sorry I was pushing my will upon you.

My friend called me and I asked her for wisdom. She said, “You need to drop it Cecil. If you don’t drop it God can’t pick it up. Drop it now. You have to stop controlling the situation. That includes worrying about it.” My jaw went slack. God’s wisdom is so very simple.

I need to start focusing on what God has and wants for me.

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I called my pastor JD yesterday and told him I desperately needed a wing man. I need a Godly man to help me through this. Who will stand with me. Pray with me. Let me cry. Let me grieve. I told him I understood if he couldn’t help because he has six kids. Trust me, the man is busy. But I insisted I need help. I need to get plugged into someone. He said he would be my wingman and invited me on a hike in the woods later today. I am really looking forward to spending time with a dear Brother. My ears and heart will be open to what the LORD says to me through him.

Since I have been penned up in this barn, the LORD has given me over a hundred revelations about what a marriage means to Him.

Help me LORD to find peace in this journey.

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Today is Saturday. Oh how I dread the weekends.

A crazy thing is happening in this painful season of my life. With all of the pruning, I feel new buds forming to bring forth the new Cec.

I am changing right before my eyes. I’ve started to change my wardrobe to reflect the new inner me. I went to Goodwill today and got four really nice shirts and a sweater for sixteen dollars. What a total score.  The style of the clothing I bought I was never interested in wearing before. And sweaters? I never wore sweaters. I also went to the mall and walked around and found a new pair of racy tennis shoes. Then I had my first public meal by myself in seventeen years. How strange it was. I bowed my head and asked the LORD’s blessing on my meal and thanked him for His goodness. As I ate my meal alone, I realized I wasn’t by myself. He was there with me.

My wife’s family has been wonderful to me. So supportive and prayerful. The problem I am having is limited basic compassionate human contact. I feel like I am in an isolation tank. I need to be around people that will spiritually mentor me, let me grieve and just listen. I have to stabilize spiritually and emotionally. I need to get out of this barn. I am so thankful to my employer for sheltering me, but I need people. If this goes forward and the house goes on the market there is no telling how long it will take to sell. We may even be upside down on the mortgage.  With my wife and I splitting the expenses of the house until it sells I do not have enough income to rent a place and live. I am searching for a part-time job to help me get over the financial hump.

Just got back from running to the ATM so I can tithe at church tomorrow and a trip through Taco Bell. While in the drive thru I felt overwhelmed. How my life has changed. What was next for me? Back at the barn, mid way through a taco I felt what felt like at total meltdown coming on. I want out of the barn. I feel abandoned. Most of the people I need seem to be bailing on me. I can’t blame them. They have lives to live. I don’t have an earthy wing man to help me through this.

Then I realized a spirit of fear does not come from the LORD.

His strong, confident presence came down on me like a curtain. He said, “I’ve got you. I am in control. Look around you. You have everything you need.” I have no fear now. I am completely in the LORD’s strength now. WOW. What a feeling. I can’t describe it. I am shaken at how He has come upon me. How amazing.

I am so much looking forward to being in the LORD’s house tomorrow. I will be all ears.

He has quieted His child. The storm is still raging.

I don’t know how or when this is going to end, but when it is over one thing I am certain of. I am going to walk into a blessing that will flat blow my mind.

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The stress, grief and thoughts of the unknown combined with a diet of cigarettes, coffee, antacids and dining from fast food value menus is taking a toll on my body. I am tired and have no energy. I hurt all over. I feel like crap.

LORD, I need to see you. I know you are there, but I really need to see you. Please.

I cannot accept the fact I may be a forty four year old divorced man by Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Doing what I know to do: Seeking God. Looking for God. Listening to what God is telling me through other Godly people whose counsel I trust. Reading my bible. Praying. Praying. Praying. Listening.

Silence from above.

I don’t know what else to do. I’m being still. Waiting. Just like the Book says. I’m penned up. I have nowhere to go.

Passing of time is very difficult for me.

One of the things I grabbed when I exited my life was the August issue of Stand Firm magazine published by LifeWay. On the cover is a picture of the hands of a man and wife clasped together. Wedding rings shining. The title of the issue is “One+One+One=1.” The little book has given me so much revelation I cannot put it into words. I’ve read it through twice.

One of the things I do to pass the time is kill flies. Lots of flies. Hey, I’m living in a barn, okay? Usually when I get to the apartment in the evenings, the door has been left open all day due to the fact it houses the only bathroom in the barn and the farm hands, well, they need the facilities.  To combat the flies the first thing I picked up to swat them with was the little LifeWay book. Every time I kill a fly I see the cover “One+One+One=1″. I must have killed over a hundred flies with it so far. I see the LORD teaching me a lesson. I get it LORD. I get it.

I am getting so many comments from friends via Twitter, Facebook, email and text like, “You are doing great Cec”, “What a great witness for Christ you are Cec”, and “What a great man of God you are Cec.” I am none of these things. I am not great. He who is in me is great. By the grace and mercy of God he stands me up every morning and leads me through each day.

I had a good dinner this evening. I actually cooked a rib eye steak on the stove and with it had leftover salad and a baked potato from Wendy’s.  I sat down in the camping chair I brought with me from my old life and with the meal in my lap I thanked the Father for my daily provision. I thanked Him for sustaining me. I thanked him for meeting my needs and giving me just enough. I asked Him to show me the way through this. I inhaled the steak which is the first real food I have had in over a month. It was so good. But during the meal I got sad. I was the chef in my old life. A darn good one too. I love to cook for others. There will be no more Cec’s baby back ribs. No more low country seafood boils at Christmas. No more melt in your mouth grilled rib eyes. No more spaghetti and meatballs. It all seems like a disappearing mist now.

Father lead me to the path of peace. Point the way and I will follow.

The Potter’s wheel is still spinning.

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I have had a good couple of days riding a huge wave of anger like a pro surfer. Very therapeutic. If I could just stay angry all of the time this would be so much easier.

My wife was served her portion of the divorce petition at my attorney’s office yesterday. She has twenty days to respond. If she is set on divorce it will be on my timeline not hers. I can’t let this linger through the holidays and the first of the year just so we make out better with Uncle Sam.  I don’t care.

My friends tell me they are seeing me go through the classic stages of grief like a textbook. I don’t know where I am at in the stages or how many more I must go through. The LORD has been faithful in my distress. He gives me shelter, comfort, food and Godly friends to minister to me. Out of my shattered life, the LORD is going to rebuild me like the Bionic Man. A better man to serve Him. A man to respond faster to need. A stronger man with his feet anchored in the Rock.

Every day He gives me the exact portion of Him I need to sustain me. Just like manna. Every day He ministers to me. He gives me just enough to make it through the day without falling apart. How He manages me I don’t have a clue. I am in entirely His hands.

Since this began, I feel God has had me by the ankles upside down shaking everything out of me so I can be refilled with what He wants. I truly understand “you are the potter, I am the clay.” At present I am a lump with no form, but I feel His hands on me creating me anew while my world, the Potter’s wheel spins and spins.

My emotions seem to be stabilizing. There were times when I was so stricken with grief and unbelief I could not function. I found myself one day wandering through a local farm store saying to myself, “I used to have a life. Where did it go?” Then I went to a store my wife shops at frequently. I went there just to walk in the aisles where she walked. See the things she saw. Maybe touch the things she has touched. It was such a horrible, grievous day I never want to relive. That night, I was such a bad state; while lying on the floor with grief, crying until my face was raw I thanked the Father for this trial because it was making me a better man for her. Very quick the LORD corrected me. He said, “You are not understanding what I am teaching you. I am not making you a better man for her; I am making you a better man for me.” At that moment I stopped crying and the fog in my mind left and I saw sunshine. I realized the LORD was making me a better man for the plan He has for me. For His good purpose. He is so wise and I am so stupid. That’s why He is God and I am His child. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Today I am stronger, though not knowing what the cliffhanger ending to this is going to be. Either way, I will have a new beginning. For this I am thankful to the LORD.

While on Facebook earlier I was chatting with a high school friend in West Virginia who I reconnected with a couple of months ago. I was telling Him about my plight and the LORD gave him the exact words I needed to see to get me through the rest of the day. He was so encouraging. He had been through a really bad divorce too. Then at one point in the chat session I saw these words from him, “one thing I would appreciate of you…when I die I want you to preach my funeral Cec.” I was shocked beyond belief. The LORD shows up when you least expect Him. I told him I was honored and I would. I let him know I wasn’t a Pastor. Just a lay person. He didn’t seem to care. We ended our chat session with my telling him since I was preaching his funeral one day, when this storm around me blows out I will make a trip to West Virginia so we could get caught up on life. So, at some point in the future, I have a funeral to preach. I’m in the middle of the deepest crisis of my life and He books a funeral for me. God is a wild man.

Dear friends, I am so sorry these words seem to ramble. I am writing as it comes to me. Please forgive me. I’m not losing my mind. I’m finding it. The old Cec is dead. The new one, God is rising up.

The Potter’s wheel spins and spins.

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I see my reflection in the laptop screen. I am not the same man I arrived here as. My face is thinner. My eyes are different. My entire makeup as a person is different. Before I was a man that had a huge comfort zone insulating and isolating me. The new man has no comfort zone. He is out in the wild with God.  A man who is more alive than he has ever been for better or worse.

I initiated the divorce proceedings because my wife didn’t want to file until after the first of the year for tax purposes. I could not have this hanging over my head during the holidays like an executioner’s ax.  I have a new life to begin. She has already begun hers.

I will never paint her as a villain.  She tells me she doesn’t love me anymore and I can’t make her love me.

God is good. He is my strength and my fortress.

I went to the Post Office and rented a PO Box so I have an address. Strange, after seventeen years of marriage all I am now known only as “Box Holder, PO Box 836 Madisonville Kentucky 42431.”

A couple of weeks ago I lost my mind for a spell and got a tattoo on my right bicep. I completely understand why people get tattoos to mark significant events in their life. I wanted to mark an emotional earthquake in mine.  Not to signify her or what she means to me but an event that brought me to my knees and closer to God. I never want to forget. My tattoo is a cross made of three roman spikes.  And I must say, it’s pretty bada##. I told the artist what I wanted and he came up with a great design. When I got in the chair he asked me why I was getting it and I told him the whole story start to finish. He said, “I’m so sorry. That’s really, really sad. At least you aren’t doing something stupid like getting her name tattooed on you.” If I can talk to someone about Jesus using my tattoo, glory be to God.

One thing I have learned and take heed…if you don’t go to the mountain to really spill your guts you may get dragged there over the rocks. It ain’t a pleasant experience.

I have stopped worshiping at my home church. Too painful. I have been attending my friend Eric’s church. An interdenominational group of believers. The first Sunday I attended I cried the entire time. When the altar team assembled for people needing prayer I almost ran there and found myself in front of a Messianic Jew. I told him I needed prayer for a healed marriage. He grabbed my head and said the most beautiful, powerful prayer I had ever heard. Then I felt Eric’s hand on my back. He was there with me. What a wonderful friend. In fact, recalling it now is making me cry. At the end of the prayer the Messianic Jew uttered in ancient tongues. It caused no fear or confusion in this deep fried Southern Baptist child. It brought only peace. Bring it on God.

A few days ago my pastor JD called to check on me. He asked what I was doing and I said, “To be honest JD, I’m pacing the floor wondering what the hell happened.” He chuckled and replied, “You are exactly right. Hell happened.” Can we have an Amen?

But something great and miraculous is happening to me. God is in the process of making me into a brand new man. I don’t even know who the guy was who left his home in the woods. I am so far out of my comfort zone and so far from ok I don’t know what they look or smell like anymore.

I am in a fire. I can’t jump out of it. I can’t go around it. I have to go through it. And that I am, by the grace of God, to the other side and out to the lushest, greenest pasture I could ever imagine.

God and I have begun work on Cecil version 2.0.

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As I write this I am no longer where I normally write.

I’m not at my three thousand square foot dream home in the office or upstairs in the prayer room with a cinnamon bun scented candle burning.

No. I’m in a place and time I never thought I would be.

My new home is a small apartment in the barn of my employer who is a local physician. Imagine yourself in a hotel room and in the adjacent room there is a pony named Monica who likes to kick her stall in the middle of the night, eight goats, four dogs, five cats, a rooster named Flower that gets up really early in the morning and a steer with an attitude named Lucky.

As I look around my new and alien domicile, I see the things I hastily brought with me: eleven shirts, seven pairs of pants, a jumbled bag of toiletries, my bible, laptop, cell phone, iPod and a box of Q-tips.

Twenty-one days ago my existence exploded.

I fell out of life.

My wife of seventeen years told me she wanted a divorce. There was no chance of working it out. She told me she wanted space and everything to remain as is. We could live in the house together until the divorce was final and our home sold. Just as friends.

God knew a storm was coming. In August the Holy Spirit led me to hang up teaching the youth at my church and stop writing for this blog.

I didn’t see the clouds swirling or batten down the hatches of my boat. I was caught on deck and hit full force with a category five hurricane.

Crap happens.

My house was no longer my home. I couldn’t stand it. It was too overwhelming. I had to get out and didn’t care where I landed. The next day my wife was going out of town shopping with friends. I made up my mind I wouldn’t be there when she got back. When she left for her shopping trip I called the only person who could help me. My boss. I told him I had about eight to ten hours to find somewhere to go. I didn’t care where, even if I had to sleep on a dirt floor. I desperately needed a sanctuary. He held up his hand and said, “No problem Cec. I’ve got you covered.” Then he whipped out his cell phone and called his main farm hand. “I have an employee with a personal emergency who will be staying in the barn apartment for a while. Would you get it ready for him?” He looked at me and with a smile said, “Cec, give him a couple of hours then head that way.” It pays to work for a Godly man who loves his employees. Crying with gratitude I hugged him and went back to the house my wife and I had shared. I walked through every room and cried. In anger I went outside and ripped up the five hundred feet of underground fence for our chocolate labs Dolly and Lexi that was almost finished. And then, like a great husband should, I mowed the yard.

After mowing I sat down at the table where we had shared countless meals, holidays, celebrations and prayers and wrote her a  letter explaining why I was leaving.  She wanted space. I was giving it to her. All she had to do was call me. Then I called my pastor JD.  What a great man of God he is. He talked to me for several minutes then prayed for me. It was very comforting.

I went through the house and started grabbing things. Just the basics. When I got to the barn the farm hand was so kind and gracious. He helped take my tattered and torn life into my new home. I was in a stunned stupor. When I got squared away in the barn, I started to pray like I’d never prayed before.

Laying flat on my face on the carpet I was crying out to God for a restoration of my marriage. I was groaning and sobbing. Words cannot describe how wrenched I was. God was so silent, it deafened me. My face into the carpet in between sobs I took a deep breath and discovered the carpet smelled like pee. Very, very fitting. Later that night my boss came down to the barn to check on me. Standing outside I told him, “Doc, I’m smoking to help me deal with this” then pulled out a menthol and lit up right in front of him. “In fact Doc, I’m gonna smoke my brains out. I’m going to smoke at work too. I’m gonna wear the back door off its hinges going outside to smoke. So get use to it.” I puffed like a freight train. I thought he would fall over.

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Being a Christian does not save us from the storms of life. Repeat after me, “Being a Christian does not save us from the storms of life.”

In fact Jesus directly addresses this in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Peace in this life can be a rare commodity. Chasing after this, trying to find that. We often wear ourselves out seeking what the world tells us should be important in our lives. Stress and anxiety push away rest and contentment in Christ.

The world wants us to see wealth and possessions as an indicator of success in our life.

If we are not careful we fall into “possession obsession.” I fell face first into this snare. If you are new this blog, take some time to read the ten part Out Of Egypt series. It is a looking glass to what I was, and who I am now.

Jesus takes the conventional wisdom of the world and stuffs it on it’s head with this passage:

^{Mt 6:19} “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

^{Mt 6:20} But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

^{Mt 6:21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

^{Mt 6:22} “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.

^{Mt 6:23} But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

^{Mt 6:24} “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.“

What I have learned in my walk with God is he only going to give me what I can handle and keep in proper perspective. He gives and He takes away.

There are times when I do fret somewhat, but when I read what Jesus has to say about worry; He helps me bring things back into His way of thinking. Once again, and always, Christ’s ways are opposite of the world.

^{Mt 6:25} “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

^{Mt 6:26} Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

^{Mt 6:27} Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?

^{Mt 6:28} “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

^{Mt 6:29} Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

^{Mt 6:30} If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

^{Mt 6:31} So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

^{Mt 6:32} For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

^{Mt 6:33} But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

^{Mt 6:34} Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Get out of your rocking chair and walk, with Christ.

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Diane is set apart on Twitter my her friendliness and compassion for others. She  “encourages those who forgot to duck when life threw them a curve ball.”

Diane has a great website full of inspiring articles and videos as well as books she has written. She also has a great blog that I hope you visit often!

Thank you so much Diane for your encouragement and compassion in Christ and being a helper to those who forgot to duck.

Cec

Compassion! Who needs it?

by Diane Broos

Do you remember the day that you allowed Christ to rule and reign in your life? I do! For me it was an experience I shall never forget. Like most people I was facing challenges that seemed insurmountable. I felt and rightly so that I wasn’t able to face them alone. I had just plain run out of steam and answers. Yes, it had to come to that! After I turned my heart over to Him I remember driving in my car the very next morning. Looking out my window the sky seemed so much bluer and the grass so much greener. As a matter of fact, it was like I was seeing all of it for the very first time.

My relationship with Christ began when I was thirty-three years of age. So many Christians, including leaders, seemed to be crowing about the fact that they came from a long and strong Christian heritage. At first I felt deprived, then I noticed something peculiar. It seemed as though some were relying on that heritage to procure a special place or privileges in the body of Christ. My conclusion was simple; while a family’s heritage in Christ is admirable, I learned that nothing could take the place of developing a vibrant personal relationship with Him. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel as though you are less spiritual because you had to start from scratch. Remember, God doesn’t have any grandchildren, only children!

A disturbing recent trend in the church is counting the possession of material comfort or wealth as a demonstration of an individual’s spirituality. This is a slippery slope, one that is dangerous on a number of levels. God wants us to prosper, I get that, but He is careful to warn us in, Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” The emphasis is on seeking God first, not material possessions. Let’s check our hearts and see what we really believe. We may fool people but we will never fool God. He sees, hears and knows all. I attempt to remember this each day!

Have you ever noticed that when little children want to hide they cover their eyes? Their belief is that if they can’t see you, you can’t see them. Funny, as adults we do the same thing with God! We spend so much time working on our outward appearance, our standing in society, our bank accounts and our special seats in church. All the while who is looking at our hearts? God is looking to see what is written there. Are we more concerned about what others think, or more importantly what our heavenly Father thinks? Selah

Following God, really following him, not just in word but also in action will always cost us something. Doesn’t any real relationship? For many years I heard that God had already done, accomplished or provided all that He was going to. If you found yourself in a trial, it was because you had brought it on yourself. Perhaps this is true. Just maybe, you have brought it on so to speak, simply because you refuse to quit in the battle for your destiny. Paddling upstream again the current towards destiny is always a much more difficult task than floating downstream going with the flow.

“Mercy saves us from what we deserve; Grace gives us what we did not deserve.”

What does criticizing others in the midst of their battle accomplish? Internal renovations are not always readily apparent on the outside. Let’s not be counted as someone who jumps on the bandwagon of criticism singing the songs of judgment. I’ve gone through a number of trials in my life. What I’ve noticed is, some people only offer to help as a pretext to finding out the gory details in order to judge and then just walk away feeling superior.

Have we been created to be judge and jury of another’s life? How can we possibly judge another person? We can’t possibly know what has been arrayed against them, nor all the details. Could we honestly say that we would have made better choices if we were in their shoes? When we judge others, we find ourselves on the wrong side of God. God is full of mercy, grace and forgiveness. If we fail as the church to walk in compassion, how will we ever be able to reach the world? The world is searching for demonstrated genuine love and can smell a hypocrite a mile away.

The Message translation of Matthew 7:1-5 says it best. “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults- unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.”
C.H. Spurgeon said, “Those who dive in the sea of affliction bring up rare pearls.”

When we sit on the sidelines of life, we add nothing to the game. We will never break a sweat. We will never be weary or at odds with the majority. We will never be criticized, ostracized or demoralized. We are neither a threat to the enemy nor an asset to the kingdom. We will simply just exist!

“Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That’s why it’s a comfort to go hand in hand.” Emily Kimbrough

My grandfather introduced me to boxing when I was four years old and it has always served as an analogy of life for me. I learned that life was not a popularity contest. Perhaps that is why I have always fought for the underdog. I was raised this way and have raised my children to defend the weak and less fortunate. As a mother what I am the most proud of in my children is not who they know, where they live, where they went to school or even how beautiful they are. I am most proud of the fact that they have compassion resonating on the inside of them and it freely flows out to others. What a wonderful and priceless gift!

Abraham Lincoln said, “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.”

Let us dare to walk in compassion with others. Some take advantage of those that do, others, see this as a sign of weakness. Isn’t life more than “Me, myself and I?” Try living a compassionate, caring and loving life. Lets imitate our heavenly Father.

Warning: This lifestyle is not for the faint of heart.

My Prayer:
“Dear Lord: As in this world I toil and through this world I flit, I pray make me a drop of oil and not a piece of grit.”-Anonymous

© 2009 Diane Broos All Rights Reserved

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His Tweets are always on target and on mission for Christ. What a gift he has. He never wavers while on Twitter while myself on the other hand tend to blather sometimes about food or yard work. Thomas stays focused like a laser beam pointing people to Christ.

Thomas’ blog is a great read. Full of wisdom and compassion. I visit it often and encourage you to do the same.

Thank you so much Thomas for your efforts in reaping a harvest for Christ.

Cec

Christian Witnessing On Twitter

by Thomas Tan

A dear sister in Christ, Juanita, whom I came to know on Twitter, wrote an article entitled “Are Christians wimp?”. In it, she asked if Christians are actively witnessing to atheists and if they do support one another in online witness, such as that which often takes place on Twitter. I encourage you to read her full post to better appreciate the context of this article. My response to her was as follows:
Hi Juanita,

This is your fellow Twitterer, Thomas (twhtan).

The Bible says in 2 Tim 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Many Christians are sadly, Christians in name only. They are saved but have yet to bear fruit or experience the power of GOD beyond salvation. They are the spiritual babies the Apostle Paul spoke about in Heb 5:11-14. They are not ready to even testify of the hope they have in Christ Jesus. The growth of a Christian comes about by giving & making ourselves available to GOD, which many Christians struggle with, citing family, personal commitments, etc as reasons. As the rest of us who serve give through our service to GOD, our faith in Him grows, and we receive even more from Him in response to the challenges we face in ministry. We learned to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to drink of the Holy Spirit daily, and to go forth “by His Spirit”. We also appreciate the importance of & need to seek GOD daily, spend time in His Word so as to understand His will for us, and to equip us with the right words for the occasion.

In the process, we grow to rely on Him & to share His heart for the lost. We are gradually conforming to His image. We now know His voice as the sheep recognizes the Good Shepherd, and we trust in His rod & everything about Him as David described in Psalm 23. These are the ones who will go into the crowds as Jesus & His disciples did. They are not afraid to stir up controversies by their proclamations or actions arising from their faith in Christ. They are ready, in season and out of season, to share the eternal hope they have in the LORD. These are the ones who will rise up to the challenge, but herein lies the question. Where are they when you need them?

Not all are on Twitter. Some are witnessing offline as I am sure. Some are on Twitter as you can discern. Yet again, not all are online when we are ministering. I have personally had a sister on Twitter pray for me as I ministered, and I believe you did too. Another responded directly to the atheist I was witnessing to, while I slept due to timezone differences. Some prayed and told me so. In a way, these have supported me as far as they could, and I know that even beyond that, they are praying for the lost & those among us who are witnessing to the lost.

I have been sending out calls to brothers & sisters on Twitter to support each other in all ways possible. For those who are not ready to engage the lost verbally, they can always pray and in the process build up their faith as they witness how we witness to the lost. I see this as mentoring via Twitter. Others will come forward with prayer support. For the pastors & Bible scholars out there on Twitter, I would encourage them to play an active role in reaching the lost for Christ. Ministering to the congregants is one thing, reaching out to the lost is another thing which pastors need to keep abreast with, and for which Bible scholars come in handy, since we don’t have all facts to respond to the myths that atheists put forward.

Above all, the love of Christ in us must propel us forward to reach these lost ones. We must weep as He wept when He surveyed Jerusalem in Luke 19, and see the lost as He sees them. We are but many members of the same Body, each with his/her own gifts in Christ. Let us exhort one another to grow in Christ first, so that they may join the rest who are serving on the front line.

In His Love,
Thomas
I want to focus on the paragraph in bold above on how Twitter can be effectively used for Christian witnessing today.

I am a new but fairly regular user of Twitter, having started in Mar this year. In the beginning, I used it along the lines of Ephesians 5:19 which exhorts believers to “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs”. It was the perfect platform to encourage & lift up the Body of Christ with GOD’s Word, and I know I have been encouraged many a times from scriptures tweeted by fellow believers.

Soon, I discovered another use for Twitter - its “soapbox” potential to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Since Twitter has a large and growing user base & I linked it to my Facebook account, it provided just the right opportunity for me to share nuggets from the Bible & personal thoughts, aimed at provoking a response from unsaved souls to GOD’s salvation plan for them. In fact, it was my tweets on atheism, hell, GOD’s judgment and homosexuality that elicited strong responses from unsaved souls, and which first revealed this potential.

As I witness on Twitter, I came across other believers doing the same, like sister Juanita mentioned above. Once, when Juanita was witnessing “live” to an atheist, I prayed and sent her verses in support of her sharing with the atheist, whom I subsequently also witnessed to. On another occasion, I was witnessing to a couple of atheists when I tweeted for prayer support, and received more than that - a brother in Christ actually helped me respond to an atheist while I rested for the night due to timezone differences. Yet on another occasion, a fellow believer helped follow up with an atheist I had ministered to earlier.

These are but examples of how Twitter offers Christian witnessing a whole new dimension. It allows Spirit-filled Christians from around the world to come together as informal teams sharing GOD’s Word with non-believers, as the Holy Spirit directs them. Team witnessing also strengthens the bond between members of the Body of Christ as we support one another in prayer and in love. As mentioned above, it also allows Christians to learn from one another as we witness online.

Having said that, we should keep in mind the whole objective of witnessing, that is, to share the love of Christ with the aim of leading the lost to Him. This should never be used to run down unbelievers, especially atheists and gays who often claim to be victims of hate campaigns, or be perceived as bullying. Always pray in the Spirit to ask for directions & wisdom in team witnessing. Also consult & clarify with one another privately, either via Direct Messages (DM) or email when working together. Team witnessing doesn’t mean 2 or more believers concurrently tweeting the person being ministered to. Although more than 1 atheist and gay person have ganged up on me & other fellow believers on Twitter, this isn’t the behaviour we want to encourage here as it will put the person being ministered to on a defensive mode.

From my experience, it’s better to have one person witness at any one time, while the rest pray or offer scripture/domain knowledge support, eg. facts surrounding evolution, flood, interpretation of scriptures, as they can follow the tweets being exchanged. We can, however, take turns to witness to the same person.

It is my sincere desire that mature & Spirit-filled Christians will tap on this opportunity to evangelize on Twitter, and by extension, Facebook and other social networks which accept status updates from Twitter.

In His Love,

Thomas

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Marci’s testimony is very powerful. From deep personal tragedy came Spiritual triumph in Christ.

Her great blog “Life Reframed” is touching and powerful.

Thank you Marci for the witness you project for Christ.

Cec

The Reality Of God’s Amazing Love

by Marci Woodruff

In August 2005, I began the hardest chapter of my life. My family and I were involved in a SUV rollover accident leaving me paralyzed from the shoulders down. Though told I’d never walk or be able to care for myself, through much work and miraculous intervention, I am now walking and taking care of myself.

Because of the disability that has followed, I have had massive amounts of time alone with God, his Word and my questions about life. It has been beyond precious and has forever changed me. I often tell people that of course I would love to be healed fully but if it meant going back to the “old” me, I would choose to stay the “new” me, fully in love with Jesus Christ and keenly aware of His grace each day.

If I had one thing I believe is just absolutely essential to understand if you are to have an effective joy-filled walk with Christ it would be that God REALLY loves you with an amazing incredible, undefineable and everlasting love. A love we can only begin to possess as we spend time seeking Him. I love Romans 5:6-8.

Romans 5: 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

In my prison ministry letters, I always point these 2 things out to the inmates: 1-You are deeply loved 2- No matter what you have done, you are forgiven. Why? Because I find that these are the two things that we as Christ followers find hardest to believe. We can’t understand why God loves us or why, knowing us, He would forgive us. WE wouldn’t be that kind and often we aren’t!

Love is most overused word in our culture. We say we love the smell of fresh ground coffee in the morning, cool rain in the midst of a hot summer, and a good book! We love our favorite restaurant with friends we love getting and giving gifts and who hasn’t seen a t-shirt with “I ? NY”? Thankfully, God’s love is deeper than any emotion we can imagine and something we only begin to model once we drink it in and believe it about ourselves. In a nutshell, We “like”, God LOVES!

Jeremiah 31:3-”I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”

He has drawn you to Him! Let that fall on you!! You are his chosen! Our love for Him grows as we spend time with him- in prayer, in his word, and with his people. We have to cultivate our love for him.
If we truly believe that God loves us as the bible says He does, that is when each area of our daily walk will be transformed. Obedience to God comes out of a supernatural change he causes in our hearts. If we are just trying harder, we will give out!

Go to God, the lover of your soul. Tell him that you don’t understand this love but you want to love Him and follow Him. When the gospel of Jesus Christ changes your heart, you will begin to love like He loves, forgive like he forgives and then you will impact those around you for Christ. You will never be the same!

If we truly believe that God loves us as the bible says He does, that is when each area of our daily walk will be transformed. Obedience to God comes out of a supernatural change he causes in our hearts. If we are just trying harder, we will give out!

He already knows you are struggling with being his beloved. Start reading about his love and asking him to help your unbelief.

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Kurt’s Tweets are always very sincere, kind and most of all Christ centered. When I am Tweeting I always look see if he is online so I can say hello to him.

Kurt also has a great blog called Broken Yokes. I visit it a lot and I hope you will too.

Thank you Kurt for your sincerity for the Kingdom and being a strong Brother in Christ.

Cec

The Soothing Voice Of Encouragement

by Kurt

As Christians we are called to build one another up in faith, to consider others as better than ourselves, to love one another as Christ loved us.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” Philippians 2:3 (NIV)

How many times do you see in the secular world, people tearing each other down, hurling insults at one another, criticizing each other, or taking delight in seeing someone else fail. Sadly, many times, we are also witness to this same type of behavior within the church.

Don’t you think the revival of the church and the Christian community at large starts in the hearts of men and women? Don’t we suffer through enough strife in the secular world already? Isn’t the example of God’s grace and mercy in our own personal lives good enough? As followers of Christ, shouldn’t we be the voice of encouragement?

In one form or another, the word “encourage” appears in the bible roughly 70 times. It goes against everything we stood for when we lived in darkness, but God has shone His graceful light upon us and now we have been called to shine that light upon others. We, as the body of Christ, must encourage one another in love. We must be the selfless givers of encouragement to those who have stumbled, to those who are in need, to those who just need to hear the caressing voice of someone who loves them.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” Eph. 4:29(NIV)

The body of Christ has many different parts and when one of those parts breaks down, who among us will come to help put that part back together. After all, aren’t we all part of the same body?

“There is one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all in all” Eph. 4:4-6 (NIV)

There are times when many of us are weakened in our faith; when we feel somewhat separated from God; when we can’t seem to feel His presence, or hear His voice. It is in those times that the oneness of love that we all share in Christ Jesus, must be given graciously to the brethren in need.

My hope and prayer is that we, as the body of Christ, would build one another up; would sacrifice our own needs for the needs of others; would be the soothing voice of encouragement to those who have stumbled. Father give us the heart of a humble servant. Help us to be more compassionate; to be the soldiers that stand as an example of the new revival within the church. May God strengthen us in our commitment to the well being of His body so that we can boldly bring His message of Truth to the world. Amen.

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She does most of her Tweeting via her Blackberry and some days she just flat burns her phone up with Tweets. I once remarked to her the battery for her phone must be as big as a Volvo.

Nita’s witness on Twitter is so strong in Jesus. I always look forward to what she has to say.

If you use Twitter I highly recommend Nita to follow. Her profile is here .

Thank you Nita for your inspiration and friendship in Christ.

Cec

The Best Things In Life Are Free

by Nita

I spend a considerable amount of time with some really great people who happen to believe very differently from me.

Somehow we tend to get along very well and we are able to agree to disagree on many differences regarding faith. At times I find myself learning some great life lessons from this group, and I am able to (relax at times) and be myself without being judged or ridiculed for my way of life and belief. I have learned a great deal of open minded rationales and actions that call for great commitment and devotion toward all humanity.

This group of well educated Quakers consider themselves the “Hands of God”. They are some of the most devoted individuals that I have ever known. They work for the downtrodden and the homeless diligently all the while holding firm to their belief that God is a light in all man. They value the love of morals and nature. They take time with all men, and try to understand everyone’s way without judgment. They appear to aspire to the righteousness of God.

My question to one of my dear friends recently was one that I, as a bible believing child of Jesus, felt the strong desire to ask without judgment. Very gently, I inquired.. of all the great things you have done for the poor, with two advanced graduate college degrees, and all the kindness that you have shown to humanity….”When you die, where will you spend eternity”? The friend laughed and politely said:”the body and soul ceases to exist upon death”.

We began to go back and forth with a discussion that seemed to go nowhere. I became frustrated. That night I prayed that God would send another messenger from him to water the seeds of salvation discussion that had been sowed.(1 Corinthians 3:6) Considering that there are some wonderful people on this planet, they do great things in the name of saving humanity.

There is only one Saviour by which we are saved, and his name is Jesus Christ! Scripture tells us in John 14:6 that Jesus is the way. Society finds that answer too easy and close minded. They have been blinded by the cares and the snares of the enemy. Salvation is free and simple, but society wants to make it harder than it is. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that it is by grace that we are saved, not by works.

We as believers must continue to remember the “good people” in our neighborhoods, the smiling people that we meet in the supermarket and our co-workers.

We must remember them in prayer and by sharing Jesus Christ with everyone we meet. One never knows when they will come face to face with eternity, and what a great insurance policy to have by knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour!

ROMANS 10:9 the best thing in this life is free!

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Five days of guest posts from fellow Christians I have met through Twitter who really inspire me with their Tweets.
I have read and re-read all of the pending posts several times. I am already blessed by what the Holy Spirit is teaching through these writings.

Please don’t miss it and let your friends know about “Tweet Week” on God’s Green Fields!

Blessings!
Cec

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