Unshackled Life Ministries

Friday, May 13, 2016

Unshackled Moments ~ May 13 ~ Live Beyond Your Means

Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.

- Oscar Wilde

This is funny and sad at the same time, when taken as intended. The great drive we all have to live beyond our means, to have more than we can afford, including in non-financial areas, the concept of laugh now - cry later, is something that has created a hole that many of us struggle to get out of and not to return to. I have thought before that America's motto shouldn't be Land of the free;home of the brave any longer as much as Buy now; pay later. But I don't want to rant against the something for nothing, debt based, leave the mess for someone else to clean up structure our society has become.

The thought that crossed my mind when I most recently read this quote was how, tongue and cheek or not, it really is a call to responsibility and not living beyond our means. Then I thought, but we're supposed to. We are supposed to live extravagantly beyond our means. Not in a selfish, self centered, have everything I want but can't afford, give me what they have, kind of way, but in a child of a rich and loving Father kind of way. He paid the debt due on the damages of our lives so that we can have a relationship with Him and be free of judgment and condemnation. No matter what kind of special interest rate we might find, that is a bill we would never be able to afford.

Being made clean and giving us forgiveness we never deserve is just the beginning. Then Daddy generously pours out His Spirit to give us power that we could never harness or develop that makes us free and gives us the ability to walk with Him. To walk with God is due to extravagant grace and means that we are living well beyond our means, far outside the confines of what we can do and provide on our own. And wait; there's more! The returns and benefits of surrender to the Spirit include suddenly finding one's self living a life worth living with love from and for God and for others, with joy that doesn't get destroyed by a flat tire, an unexpected bill or even a life threatening illness, and peace that doesn't make sense considering the circumstances that can't shake it, in the very midst of the wind and rain of hurricane the spirit can stay calm. What would a life like that be worth?

Well, like they say, if you have to ask, you can't afford it. And you can't. I can't either. No one can, because you can not do well enough, make enough, steal enough or fake enough to earn it. Earning it takes perfection, perfect righteousness and perfect holiness. Once again, none of us qualify. The best don't even come close. There are no good people in heaven. There are forgiven people in heaven. There are no low, low payments or even high, high payments or amount of work that can make this awesome life package ours. It is beyond our means.

But the answer isn't found in imagination, manipulation or working any system but rather in the very core of truth that created all that has ever been created. God has made this available to everyone who wants it. There is freedom. There is a life worth living. It is possible to be happy, joyous and free beyond not only our means but our wildest dreams and imagination. It's free. It costs everything that we have. Giving our all could never come close to affording all this and heaven too, but when we give everything, all our heart, mind and soul to Him who made the way, He makes it enough. We become His children, inheritors who live well beyond our means because Daddy made sure the bills have all been paid and everything we need is provided for.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Unshackled Moments ~ May 12 ~ The Good Side Of Bad

I have something wrong with my eyes that has caused my vision to worsen greatly from better than 20*20 to barely able to function in about ten years. And it's getting worse, dramatically so in the last few months. In addition to that, as if that weren't bad enough, from time to time there is, in one eye or the other, inflammation that causes pressure build up that causes blood vessels to burst, pain and extreme light sensitivity. Evidently each episode also causes scar tissue that in turn worsens my vision. None of the doctors I have seen have been able to tell what is going on or why. A few months ago during my last eye exam, the optometrist told me he wouldn't give me a stronger prescription for glasses because it wouldn't help. He said the problem is surgical, although he didn't know what it was, and told me to see an ophthalmologist.

It took a while, but I finally got the referral and an appointment set. It was supposed to be this afternoon, actually. Two days ago I had the start of one of the worst flair ups I've had in probably seven years or more. So much pain that it made me nauseous and made it difficult to think. I couldn't see enough to read and spent most of yesterday with all the lights in the house off. I wasn't able to preach last night. I was incapacitated by eye lack of vision and pain.

I had a lot of people praying for me, especially my wonderful wife, but things seemed to increasingly get worse. It felt like and looked like God was ignoring our cries, indifferent to my suffering, leaving me hurting and unable to do anything. But sometimes what it looks like isn't what is. Sometimes we need bad to get to the good. There is sometimes a good side of bad. Leah called the doctor's office. and, because of the pain and situation, my appointment was moved to yesterday afternoon. I saw the doctor a day early. Then because I was in the middle of one of the worst flair ups in years, I didn't have to try to explain the symptoms. They were obvious. He could see exactly what has been happening. Finally, I have a diagnosis and have begun treatment. I will most likely have to have surgery, but there is a plan that should save my vision. This pain will soon be a memory, and, at the very least, my vision should stop getting worse without new scar tissue. That, in and of itself. would be enough tor celebration. But there is hope for so much more.

I didn't get the relief I wanted. I am still in pain, and it's taken about an hour to write this little bit because I can't see well and have to keep looking away from the screen until my eye stops hurting before I can continue for a few seconds. I could easily feel a little like George Bailey and think I got more pain in answer to prayer. But what I got was what was needed for someone to finally understand what disease has caused a decade long problem. If given the choice I would much prefer one last bad flair up and a diagnosis over who knows how much longer for the doctor to figure out the issue with less pain but things continuing to worsen in the meantime. But I didn't have the choice. God didn't say, Dalyn, I'm going to let this happen so that something good can come out of it. I could have gotten upset. I could have felt deserted by God in the time of need and therefore justified in taking care of my pain and discomfort with drugs or alcohol. One more flair up of the if God won't stop my suffering, I will syndrome that has been the story of my past. Or I could put my trust in the truth that God is good, even when it doesn't feel like it and pray for the grace to endure, have peace and continue to trust and obey.

I have often failed under such conditions, but this time I trusted. The fear didn't overwhelm me. In fact I felt assured that treatment would come. I endured the pain with nothing stronger than Tylenol, which in all truth didn't do much. I didn't run from God or get angry. The situation is not much better. The drops haven't done much yet. I am still hurting and having more trouble than usual seeing. But I have an understanding I didn't have before. I have hope that I didn't have before. This time I was able to see the good side of bad and be thankful for the very flair up that is causing so much pain and inconvenience.

Sometimes God works wonders in the midst of unanswered prayers. Let us pray to learn to trust when we are going through the Valley of Shadows, to allow the suffering to take us closer to God and cultivate something wonderful and special that we might not ever be able to see come to be without the seeds of suffering, and let us pray for the grace to see the good side of the bad.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Unshackled Moments ~ May 11 ~ Criminal Minds

Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.

- Dr. Reid on Criminal Minds quoting Stephen King

I happen to think it's really cool when a character in a book or show I enjoy quotes an author or musician that I like. This is one of those instances. Reid is one of my two favorite, kill them off and I quit watching the show forever, characters on Criminal Minds (Penelope is the other, by the way), and I think that Stephen King has an amazing insight into the minds and motives of average people with an unique ability to express what would happen when Average Joe finds himself in a not so average situation. I think King has also learned that it's much easier to write believable characters and ideas that are scary, sad and screwed up, because it's easier for most of us to identify and associate with that trio than the happy, joyous and free one.

We may not like to admit it, but it's true. Heartbreaking poetry is real and deep, while happy poetry is gift card cheese. Why? Because we don't believe it through and through. Because it is easier to believe in fear and sadness and everything being and going wrong. When I first began to feel good and happy after getting clean and sober I didn't know what to do with myself. I didn't know how to handle good feelings, and I surely didn't know how to express it without sounding silly and sappy. And even when we do feel happy, joyous and free, there is all too often that underlying expectation for the rug to be pulled out, for the other shoe to drop, for a million other cliches we have to express the idea of life returning to its normal state of misery and chaos.

Why is it that when things are rough we don't wait for the other shoe to drop something good into our life? Because evil is easier to believe in, even when it reaches unbelievable and unthinkable expressions, than goodness, hope and love that never ends. It's easier to see. I think it's at least partly because we all have criminal minds.

We all have monsters that live in our minds who sometimes team up with the ghosts that dwell there as well. Monsters made up of fear, scars and hurt. Monsters that tell us to grab what we can while we can because everyone else will. Monsters that say hurt them before they hurt us or at least hurt them back. Monsters that say that person's monster is worse and different than mine so they deserve pain and death while I should get mercy and understanding. Monsters that don't bother hiding under the bed or in closets anymore and that try so hard to drown out the still small voice telling us that the monster in our heads is a lying, puffed-up, broken mess of self.

The answer, the small voice tells us, is another, a better way. A way that is not ours and is not natural to us. The way of love will light up and defeat the darkness, within and without. Our minds can be renewed and transformed incapacitating the monsters and making the ghosts insubstantial. There is freedom from addictions and behavior patterns available, joy that doesn't depend on circumstances and happiness that doesn't live in fear of raining sneakers available to all of us. Criminal minds can become new minds of love, kindness and mercy when we surrender and kill the monster of self on the altar and freely receive the mind off Christ in its place.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Unshackled Moments ~ May 10 ~ Willing To Go To Any Lengths

I remember when I first began getting clean and sober, my second mentor often insisted that I comply to a certain way of thinking and agree to things that at the time I didn't feel had much of anything to do with my sobriety. Whenever I would balk and stiffen my neck in rebellion the response would in some way incorporate the idea of any lengths. The any lengths concept comes from the main text of Alcoholics Anonymous, chapter 5 How It Works, but the first part of this chapter is now used in a wide variety of step based programs dealing with many different issues and addictions. It is the introduction to the 12 steps and is found in a sentence that reads,

if you want what we have and are willing to go to any lengths to get it, then you are ready to take certain steps.

But exactly what that means is open to some interpretation, or at least is disputed. To me, it always meant that in order to work the steps successfully and get clean I had to be willing to do whatever it would take to do that. I have heard people say that if that meant they needed to stand on their head in a corner for an hour they would do so, but I never felt that way. For me it meant if you could convince me that standing on my head in the corner for an hour would help me work the steps I would do it, otherwise you could take the suggestion to stand on my head and shove it. I wasn't going to do it. I took this approach with more than one of the suggestions people gave me of things I needed to do in order to get sober. If it were step related, I did it. If it lined up with or could be read to me from the book, I did it. If it seemed the personal opinion of Mr. or Ms. So-And-So, I did it or didn't as I felt, wanted or saw fit.

I listened after a couple of relapses at work when I was told that until I found myself set free from the obsession to drink and drug I needed to quit that job. I couldn't stay sober surrounded by people drinking and using on the clock and at breaks. I didn't find another job for over a year, but I don't regret going to that length because it was necessary. Today I could work there and stay free, but it's a different situation when freedom has not yet been found, only searched for. I didn't listen when told not to make any major changes to my life for the first year. I had just gotten out of prison after over 7 years. Everything I did, down to the toothpaste I bought at a store with choices and doors that opened and closed for me, was a major change. Some lengths I went to and some, if I didn't see a connection to the steps, I refused. Some suggestions were necessary, both ones I took and ones I refused at first. Some suggestions were not necessary and were extraneous tradition that came later, like many of the traditions in Christianity that are not found in the book but are sometimes treated as though they are, or were simply the opinions of the people trying to help.

And that leads me to where I stand on the idea of any lengths today. How I understand one day at a time has changed as my recovery has progressed, and so has the concept of any lengths. Today I do not attach the willingness to go to any lengths to any one part of my life, such as recovery. It is tied to any and every thing that has to do with practicing the spiritual principles through which I found life and freedom, which in turn means that it is interwoven into every aspect of life. But it's still not about the thoughts of people, even people trying to help, because I have turned my will and life over to the care of God, not people. Where He leads I will follow, and where He sends me I will go. Whatever He wills I will step out to obey, by grace, whatever, wherever, however lengths He asks of me.

This is the any length that we need be prepared to take, that we must continue to go to if we want to deepen our relationship with God and secure our freedom, the length of total surrender, or complete commitment to His will over ours. Whatever lengths that entails for us, we must be ready and willing to, by grace, die to self. Nevertheless Father, not my will but Yours be done. When this is the axis point around which our life and choices revolve, we will never fall short of going the distance we need to in order to find and keep freedom. But if a person gives instruction or advice check it, test it. If it is in the book or lines up in agreement with the book, then by all means, do it, but if not, that is a length we dare not got to.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Unshackled Moment ~ May 9 ~ Setting Ourselves

You have to go into it with the mindset, I'm going to leave in a body bag or with the money.

-Jon Woodard

With the above words my brother shot the tiny chance of competing in the extreme survival show Alone to death. He didn't have much, if any, chance to go and still honor and bless his wife to begin with, but seeing her face when he spoke the above sealed it. Because she knew, he wasn't talking, he was exposing the truth of who he is.

That's my brother. Once he sets his mind to do something he'd make a mule look wish washy. He's going to do it, or go to the point where he is beaten and has no option or God is going to have to clearly direct him into surrender and giving up, moving on or that he needs to do something else. Life has always been do or die with him much more than do till uncomfortable or not fun.

I would like to be more like that. I have a history of being easily attracted by the next thing, the other thing. If this isn't fun or doesn't feel good, maybe that will. Although the attitude I described my brother having and the one I have historically had both effect our will power, it's not really a matter of will power. What I mean by that, is the idea of will power is kind of like asking who can hold their breath longest. One person may be able to outlast another by quite a bit, but it doesn't matter really if I can hold my breath 30 seconds or longer more than you because what we both have in common is that before we die both of us will take a breath.

Without an external force preventing air flow, there is no one who can hold their breath to the point of death, no matter how determined, no matter how much will power they have. The same is true of walking with God. No matter how much we set ourselves to do it, no matter how determined or set our will is, we will fail eventually. My little brother may be able to go into a project or goal or even into faith with a mindset of I'm not turning back, I have decided that may carry him a few miles further down the road than us fickle folk, but he still can't finish the race without grace. His determination may take him twice the distance of others, but it is still an infinity away from finishing the race on his own.

So what's the point? Who cares and why bother? The difference in setting our mind to the place that no matter what happens we are not going to turn away, not going to return to slavery,, not going to stop following Jesus is not in the amount of grace we need. The one who sets their mind to obey needs as much grace as the one who is blown about by whim. The difference comes in the access to the needed grace. Not from God's point of view. He has made His grace equally available to the strong-willed and weak alike, to the determined and the undecided.

Setting our minds to do something won't give us the strength to do it, but it can put us in a place of recognizing our need for grace. When I have eliminated all options but to move forward with God, when forward is blocked or feels impossible or too hard, I know I need to cry out for help. I can't move forward and that's the only option so I need God to make a way where there seems to be no way in order to keep moving. But when I have not set my mind, the road gets a little hard or the journey becomes boring or unenjoyable and suddenly I find myself distracted by other options. I have slipped back into what I want over what He wants and usually get myself in a bind down a wrong path before I realize I need grace to get back to the King's Road and more grace to return to forward progress.

Today, let us set ourselves to walk with God come hell or high water. We will do what He wills rather than what we will or die trying. Then with that mindset and all other choices and options removed from the equation may we more quickly realize that we have no chance or ability to do what we have determined to do on our own and ask for grace and help from Him who is able. By grace we can move forward to do His will and carry out His purpose, but we can't do it if we keep looking for an easier, softer way than His way.

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Unshackled Moments ~ May 8 ~ Better Is Good, But Good Is Best

Today is Mother's Day. I walked into the building before church and my mom saw the Wizard Of Oz tie I chose today, thinking of her. She loves that film. Over the past several years my mom has a smile that reaches her eyes when she she sees me, and that is awesome to me. It wasn't always that way, not due to any lack of love or care on her end, but simply because it's hard to smile a real smile at the arrival of someone dying, especially someone you love and someone who is causing the death themselves. Yes, it's better. A lot better. And it's a miracle I'm very grateful for.

I'm not as good as I want to be, but I'm so much better than I was. I am a huge believer in and a fan of the concept of progress not perfection. My relationship with God is so much better than it was, but it's not all it can be. My relationship with my wife is wonderful, but I know by how much better that it continues to get that it can always be better. My family bonds are stronger, and I don't think any of them worry anymore about waking up to the call that I've finally drank or drugged myself to death. Every aspect of my life is better, and it could all be better still.

Progress not perfection reminds us that transformation is a process. That God is changing us from glory to glory and not yet in the twinkling of an eye, which won't occur on this side of eternity. It helps us to remain grateful for the change that has happened and protects us from condemnation when we fall short. There is mercy and forgiveness and grace available to all of us. We are moving in the right direction. And that's great.

But let us not grow complacent. Let us strive to always keep moving. Better is good, but good is best. Better than it was yesterday is all we need for today, but even better than that is the goal to set ourselves up for by striving to do good today. Progress means better that I was, further along than I was, closer to God than I was yesterday, an hour ago, a minute ago, not six years ago. The difference between now and my days before recovery are night and day, But I can't just look at that if I want to keep moving toward fulfilling the good and perfect will of God. Am I closer than my best day last week? If not, why not?

The key is to keep pursuing contact and relationship with Daddy. Be satisfied with better, but aim for good. Don't aim for better and then have to be satisfied with better than the hell it used to be. With the relationship with Daddy always getting better, with us always growing closer to Him, every aspect of our lives improves as well. Better is good, but good is best.

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Unshackled Moments ~ May 7 ~ Keep The Mic Charged

Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship graciously opened a door for me to preach some time back. When Unshackled Life Ministries first began, it literally was an open door. I went in to an empty building during the week, preached to an empty sanctuary while recording and then posted the sermons online. In attempt to be obedient to God and heedful of the counsel I had been given, which was if you believe you're called to preach, start preaching, I learned to preach without ever seeing who I was speaking to. Over time I stepped into the pulpit there on Wednesday nights and have been recording the weekly sermon before a live audience for a couple of years.

Part of the church's equipment that I use is a wireless microphone, The church has two sets of rechargeable batteries for it. One set charges as the other is used . I used to run and install professional sound systems for a company that served a lot of Texas and West Louisiana, and one of the things I learned on that job, and apply to the system at NCF, is that it didn't matter how fresh you knew or thought you knew the batteries in a microphone were they were replaced with new ones before each day of concerts, preaching or whatever live event we were running sound for. Every Wednesday night before service starts, I take the batteries out of the mic, put the charged ones in and put the others back on the charger.

They are likely fine. They haven't been used much. They shouldn't have lost much charge sitting for such a short period of time without anything drawing on their power. But there's no reason to take the chance of having the mic cut off in the middle of a message and losing the recording. It wouldn't be the end of the world to leave the same batteries in for however many weeks it takes to run the batteries down, stop preaching when the mic begins to lose power, switch the batteries out and continue preaching. It would work. It would also disrupt the flow of the message, interfere with my ability to preach without losing my train of thought, and take those there out of listening mode. I would have to get their attention again. It's easier to maintain someone's attention than to get it back. It would also mean having to edit the recording or else suffer the probability of losing the online audience as well. No, it's much better to take a few easy steps to make sure there's always enough power than to wait until the charge has run low.

We are a lot like that wireless mic, but we don't have batteries to switch out. We have to take a little time and plug in to our Power Source in order to charge our spiritual battery. We can do this regularly, taking a short amount of time every day, in which case our battery stays charged and we can go into every situation confident the power is available. We can neglect a regular charge and take the chance of running out of power before we get around to charging up. This option has the potential of having devastating consequences. We may realize the power is getting low before it's gone, but this can still cause problems as the more power has been drained the more time it takes to recharge. But we just might find ourselves in a spot where we find ourselves out of power before we realize it.

If the sound cuts out in the middle of a sermon or a concert, it may be embarrassing or someone may not be able to hear what they came to hear. But when we're talking about the power needed to walk with God, to walk free of the bondage that has destroyed our life, it is downright dangerous. For the alcoholic and addict in can mean the difference between staying free and picking up again. For all of us it means the difference between access to the grace we need to stay in the will of God and falling into self and slipping into anger, fear, selfishness and or many other attitudes that can hurt us, our families, and our living demonstration of God's love, power and way of life.

Today and every day, let us not neglect to charge up before we begin. A little daily charge is the easiest and best way to make sure we don't malfunction in a critical moment. Lord, I thank You have made Your power available to all of us. We do not have the power on our own to overcome self and walk with You. Help us to develop and continue on the practice of regularly spending time with You so that we never have to fear running out of power when we need it most. Amen.

ULM