Yesterday I spent 4 hours on a 2 hour online course. It was the first session for learning to use these counseling techniques. I had to keep pausing the video so I could stay caught up with important notes. It is only the 2nd time I’ve taken an online course. The first was a year and a half ago when I took the biblical counseling course. I’m so glad these are available for us. It just goes to show that us old folks can “learn new tricks”!

I was given a communication card last Tuesday by our church secretary. It had a note written on it asking for counseling for a 15 year old young man. Mom was filling out the card. She gave her number so I called it that afternoon and left her a message to call back so we could set an appointment. I didn’t hear back, but on Wednesday evening I walked into an area of our church where the youth meet. Three teen boys were sitting on the floor talking. As I walked by them one got up and came to me asking if I’d be able to talk to one of the other two. When I went back to their location the other two were gone. It turns out one of the two was the 15 year old mentioned on the communication card. His mom contacted me yesterday and so I’m meeting with this teen in a little over an hour. I know nothing about the concerns, but I know God is working here and I want to be a good servant. God is GOOD–ALL THE TIME!

The saga continues that I’ve been writing about in this blog. I needed to have my car serviced yesterday morning and I took one of the books to read while I waited. The book gives the clinical side as well as the research behind the techniques I’m starting to learn for counseling. One of the case histories which was written about in the book triggered a memory I’ve stuffed for over 50 years. When it surfaced yesterday I knew it was to be no longer stuffed. Wednesday is one day when all three of us who started the counseling ministry meet with clients. So, I text the one who has been working with me on learning these new techniques to see if we had any common down time in the afternoon or early evening? We were able to align 30 minutes in the late afternoon. Not only was it a helpful time for me personally, it was a great time for me to find out what I should be doing when I use these techniques with a client. Even though I had more than 2 years of this done with me over 10 years ago, I wasn’t in the sessions to learn how to use them. I was experiencing the very purpose God gave man these tools so we could help one another to overcome.

I know I wrote that sometimes one reaches a point when we just want to relax with life. I’ll coast from here on out. Well, that just isn’t going to happen. I’m so glad God is so patient and kindly persistent. Next week I hope to begin the use of these tools with one of my clients. I sure never thought this would be what I’d do, but God had a different plan and now I am fortunate enough to get to live in this plan. It is so humbling and rewarding!

The faithfulness of Jesus Christ is utterly amazing. There is an old hymn I haven’t heard since I was a boy growing up in the church. It is titled:
“Let Him Have His Way with Thee”. As I was journaling yesterday about what’s written in yesterday’s blog entry, this hymn came to my mind. It’s lyrics in part are:

Would you live for Jesus and be always pure and good? Would you walk with HIm within the narrow road? Would you have Him bear your burden, carry all your load? Let Him have His way with thee. Refrain: His power can make you what you ought to be; His blood can cleanse your heart and make you free; His love can fill your soul, and you will see ’twas best for Him to have His way with thee.

There are moments when I want to sit down and say to Jesus, “Can this be enough? At this age it is hard to keep making changes in my life and belief system.” Well, that doesn’t last long! Jesus has a way of tenderly showing me that the next changes will be SO BENEFICIAL.

I was learning about some new techniques to use in counseling yesterday afternoon from one of our retired counselors. Without any foreknowledge, the techniques were just what I wanted for a couple of the ones I see, but unexpectedly, they were just what I needed for some stumbling blocks I still struggle with.

God is never done with His Work for us until we enter into His Kingdom upon death. Will I let Him have His way with me? YES!

Yesterday I wrote about the sermon series Breakthrough which our pastor began last Sunday. I then added my own dilemma I was addressing personally. This morning I have had some Light shine through for me. Before I had begun my recovery process 16 years ago I was wanting to have a relationship with the Trinity–Three in One. I thought if I were to journal to each one of them for a year I would then have the intimate relationship with them. So, I did this. I journaled for a year to Jesus, then God, and then The Holy Spirit. I felt very defeated when this time was done. I felt even more empty than I had before I had done this. My real dilemma–I didn’t know INTIMACY. In truth, that word scared me to death! Someone would have to know me, touch me, be close to me and I just couldn’t let that happen. I was too flawed. This is the fear I was addressing yesterday in my blog message.

In the book of John, chapters 15-17, Jesus is preparing the disciples for His work on the Cross. In so doing He promises them The Holy Spirit and a relationship with God the Father like they’d not know before. They were to go to the Father in Christ’s Name and ask of Him. These disciples had spent 3 years living with Jesus and now Jesus was offering them the rest of the Trinity. Jesus had been intimate with them and as best they could, they had been intimate with Him. They needed now to be intimate with themselves knowing their deficits as well as their gifts, surrendering it all so Jesus could fulfill His purpose in them. This He would do as they better understood the fulfillment of the Trinity in themselves.

God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit–THE TRINITY wants to do this for you and me today. Intimacy knows what we know and then TRUSTS what we don’t know. We then can believe and put into action what we are nudged to do. Satan wants us to fear all that we don’t know and run from it. I want the rest of my life to be known as trusting in the TRINITY, believing in all the Bible says, and then acting on all that I’m nudged to do.

There is a lot on my mind this morning and none of which I want to put in a blog. I’m unsure what I should be writing today. Our pastor’s sermon yesterday was the start of a new series called Breakthrough. The emphasis is calling upon our Lord Jesus for the breakthrough need/s we are currently facing in our lives. It is a powerful and igniting series.

There are things in my life I don’t like to talk about. This has been the case for me every since I was a youth and began to realize how dysfunctional my life was. I didn’t want others to think I grew up in this type of environment so I kept it a secret. Yes, I’ve written my autobiography and I tell my story as needed when I’m counseling someone who seems stuck. Anyone has access to my life story. Yet, anytime something comes up for me which troubles me I don’t want to talk about it for fear it will label me. I’ve talked to a couple of my friends more recently about this. They’ve told me they are no different. They don’t have my past, but they do have the same fear of life labeling them if they share something that would be out of the ordinary (at least in their own mind).

As I was journaling about this with Jesus He reminded me of what Paul wrote in I Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man, and God is faithful….” All of this makes me realize that even though fear first surfaces as a consequence of flesh, I may experience this, but I want to respond to it in TRUST as the scripture states: GOD IS FAITHFUL!

No one has any clue how dependent we become to our phones until it dies on you. For whatever reason, last night I couldn’t get my phone to take a charge. I have three different cords and none would work. The phone was working all day, but??? I will check it out after church and see what the problem is.

My scripture reading for today is Judas betraying Christ. This is the ultimate betrayal. Knowing Christ knew He was being betrayed didn’t stop Judas. He did it anyway. Of course, only a few hours later, Peter joined in his own betrayal. All of a sudden, even after spending about three years under Christ’s mentoring and experiencing His miracles, they still didn’t know this Savior and Lord.

Today, we know so much more about Jesus Christ. We have freedom to worship Him, pray freely and openly, tell others about Him. Yet, how many times have I not followed through when I knew I was being nudged by The Holy Spirit to take a step for Jesus? There is no threat for us to obey Christ in our country. Why do I question when there is no doubt in my mind that Christ is Who He says He is?

The sinfulness/selfishness/pride of flesh is always with us while here on earth. I do long to be free of flesh and the battle it brings. Yet, I commit to live for Christ this very day. Tomorrow I will make the same commitment! For to me to live is CHRIST! My flesh may surface, but my commitment hold.

Today I was to have a couple of counseling appointments (one being a small group). Both got cancelled which leaves the day fully open. My youngest granddaughter, who is 6–in first grade, has a basketball game this morning so with the cancellations I can go to it. They are so cute! Last week she made a basket. When she did she stopped and turned to us and just smiled big.

Sometimes it is as though God knows we need a break from the routines of life. Even though we prepare for them, He knows when they need to happen and when we need a day of change. He is a GREAT FATHER!

I couldn’t sleep last night as I awoke in the middle of it. Different ones in much distress were on my mind. As I spent time giving them over to the Lord and asking God to prompt me in ways I should support them, I was then able to sleep. As I began my bible reading it was centered on Jesus’ words to the disciples regarding the last days. It seems quite obvious that we are entering the last days, but it also appears we are in the beginning of them. I am no prophet, but I don’t want to be negligent in obeying God’s leadership in my life. Staying awake and staying focused on what He nudges me to do is my goal. The fact that we are in the days we are doesn’t mean I should change my focus unless I’m out of focus. God is faithful and will alert me if that is so. This is true for each one of us.

One of those on my mind during the night is very concerned about these last days. He is having a good deal of hardship in his life at the present time. I sure know those times for when I was his age and going through similar circumstances I felt exactly as he does today. I can look back and name those I knew were praying for me and holding me up, giving me support spiritually, emotionally and physically. God nudged them I’m sure and He nudges me today for others. I want to be faithful to these nudges. Last days or not, obedience to God is my calling and our calling.

I wrote yesterday about the memorizing I needed to do. The most urgent were for a song tonight and the scripture memorization for Saturday. Before the day was over both of these changed. I found out that the band wasn’t able to learn the song in their short amount of time so we will sing it with a digital accompaniment with voices making my part much easier. Three of the four men in our Saturday group are called into their work that day and they wondered if we could wait a week? So, all that took place and my frustrations turned into a huge sigh of relief!

As I was journaling this morning and thanking God for His thoughtfulness, He reminded me that trusting is far more important than worry. I confessed this to my accountability person and he reminded me that when worry hits as it did yesterday it’s a good reminder to pray. Yesterday I vented my frustration in my post. Today I have been given a good reminder of a lesson that needs to grow deeper roots–Worry is a reminder to PRAY and TRUST. So, the journey continues and so does my need to learn!

When I was a boy growing up I enjoyed the challenge of memorizing. There were lots of scriptures, songs, books of the Bible, quotes along with Gettysburg Address, and so on. At that point in time I thought I was good at it too. I don’t know what changed or when it changed, but today I will do all I can to not have to memorize. It is a lot of work that I don’t enjoy!

I have written a few times about the men I meet with on Saturday mornings. We are presently in a curriculum which requires a new scripture being memorized for each session. Along with this I’m needing to memorize a solo for a choir number in a couple of weeks, that is added to a new song we are singing tomorrow night for Celebrate Recovery which needs to be learned. This is all along side the Christmas production our choir is doing and it has a multitude of memorizing both songs and lines for the part I play. If it sounds like I’m gripping, well, I guess I am! All of these ministries are good and I love being part of them until these things come about.

This morning I have time to commit to learning what I need to so I’ll quit my complaining and start. Sometimes the journey isn’t as “fun” as other times, but it is all worthwhile when it is put into the Hands of God. I’m doing that right now!