Unshackled Life Ministries: July 2017

Monday, July 31, 2017

Unshackled Moments ~ July 31, 2017 ~ Stop Praying

Well, it's not often I write the title of a Moment first, but today the title came first. And before you beat me over the head with the verse that says pray without ceasing let me qualify the above title. I am not going to nor do I recommend that anyone else stop talking to and listening to Daddy. In fact, I believe it is essential to go through the day with an awareness of God's presence with us and in us, and part of having an awareness that He is there is acknowledging Him with dialogue.

But that kind of prayer is relational communication. And yes, we should take our needs and our wants to Daddy. Some of us get stuck in the only praying the will of God idea so much that we won't pray for what we need and would like. But that's not scriptural. It is the will of God that you take your needs to Daddy. Now, when we do, or when they're wants more than needs, we need to understand that we are asking not demanding. So, it's not God fix this, fix it such and such a way and do it now. It's Daddy will You help me? Daddy will You give me this? And if the answer is no, then it becomes Daddy help me not to act like a brat when I don't get my way and help me to see that Your no is actually what is best and for my benefit and Your glory and bring me in to a deeper relationship with You and a greater understanding of Your love and care for me. But no, I'm not saying stop asking God to help us.

We need to remember always that we are powerless without God and without Him we can do nothing to free ourselves or keep ourselves free, nor can we love God and others as we should. We can not be rid of self by the power of our self. That doesn't mean however that we have no part to play. This is where we need to stop praying and start acting. Grace is God's power for us to use, even though we don't deserve it. It is God doing for us what we can not do for ourselves. One thing it is not is God doing for us what we can do for ourselves.

There are two ways, at least, that we seriously need to stop praying. The first is acting like surrender and admitting powerlessness makes us invalids. I have said that God is a stretcher and not a crutch because we can't even limp our way into freedom and heaven without Him. I stand by that. But I also said He loves us enough not to leave us the mess we are. We start on the stretcher, but we walk with Jesus because He makes the lame to walk. He doesn't carry us like we stay invalids. He empowers us to walk with Him. You can get on your knees and pray for God to feed you until you starve to death or you can get up, walk into the kitchen and fix yourself a sandwich.

Please understand what I am saying. I am not saying God doesn't care for our needs. If we can't, He can. But God isn't going to miraculously part waters to help us cross when there is already a bridge. I have a electric weed eater. Without power it is worthless. It can't accomplish anything. But when it is plugged in to a power source, it cuts grass like it was intended to. The power doesn't cut the grass. We can not do or be what we were created without being plugged in to, connected to our Creator, without the power of the Spirit. But once we are plugged in we we have the power to do what we are called to do. So let's stop praying for God to feed us when our fridge is full because of His grace. Let's stop praying for God to carry us when He has enabled us to walk.

And the other prayer we need to eliminate from our life is the selfish prayer. No, I am not contradicting myself. I'm not talking about asking God for what we need and desire when I say selfish prayer. I'm talking about hiding behind spirituality and religion to cover up that we are selfish and unwilling to love and serve others. I pass someone on the street who is obviously hungry and begging for food, and I pray, God help them while I have enough money in my pocket to buy them groceries, that's trying to alleviate my conscious by pretending I did something while acting selfishly. I have three hours of free time that I plan to spend reading and someone asks me to pray that they are able to finish removing a fallen tree so their roof can be repaired before the rains fall and I respond by telling them I'll pray that they are able to get it all done instead of by saying I have three hours free; I can come over and help you. Instead of going and loving and serving we ask God to send someone else or miraculously provide what we could give. That's selfish prayer that we need to stop.

Love God and love others. Those are the rules. Those are the only rules we have to live by. We can't do that without grace,without His power. But by His power we can and should do it. It's not loving to selfishly ask Daddy to do for us what He has given us the power and resources to do for ourselves, and it is not loving to selfishly ask Daddy to do for others but to help them by using someone else or miraculously doing what He has given us the power and resources to do for them. If we don't have the power or resources to help, we don't have it. But when we do, I'm pretty sure Daddy would love to see us just respond to the situation with love and service rather than praying about if we should help, love, serve or if someone else should.

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Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. 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 and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend 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.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Closer Relationships

Wally Flynt shares on having peace and harmony with one another being determined by our nearness to or distance from God. Hell hates us and wants to destroy our relationships with God and each other, but there is a solution. The message, "Closer Relationships" is about 4 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, July 30, 2017. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

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.

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Unshackled Audio Echo ~ Jul 29, 2017 ~ Rising Above Discouragement

Today's Unshackled Audio Echo was previously published on

February 27, 2014 as Rising Above Discouragement.

Wednesday evening, February 26, 2014, Dalyn Woodard delivered a message at NCF on how to handle hard times and what to do when we get discouraged. The sermon, "Rising Above Discouragement" is about 42 minutes in length. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen.. May God bless and keep you.

Photo "Old Time Religion" taken by Dalyn Woodard copyright Eclectic Imagery.

Friday, July 28, 2017

Unshackled Moments ~ July 28, 2017 ~ Theory Of Spiritual Relativity

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days; I fled Him, down the arches of the years;

I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears

I hid from Him, and under running laughter. Up vistaed hopes I sped; And shot, precipitated,

Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears, From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.

But with unhurrying chase,

And unperturbed pace, Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,

They beat — and a Voice beat

More instant than the Feet

- from the Hound Of Heaven by Francis Thompson

These are the opening lines of an awesome poem describing the pursuit of God and His love for us. I came across it this morning, and it helped me see something I never really noticed before. The presence of God is relative. I mean that as in a E=MC², time is relative sort of way. Don't worry, I am not going to get all mathematical this morning, nor will I be getting all hard to follow and understand like Einstein. I'm not a genius, and I don't have nearly enough coffee in my system to try pretend to be one.

The theory of relativity explains time dilation, which is basically the idea that gravity and speed effect time. That's scientific truth and has nothing to do with how we feel, but when we say time is relative, we are really more often speaking of perception. Time feels like it moves at different speeds at different times. A wonderful day we wish to last forever is over in a flash, while a miserable moment we long to escape lasts far too long. An hour at work is so much longer than an hour on a motorcycle. When there are a hundred things to do five minutes feels like one. There's just not enough time, and what time there is is flying. But when there's nothing to do and we're bored, one minute feels like five.

OK, so time is relative, and with that in mind, I propose The Theory Of Spiritual Relativity. The poem I quoted from made me think about the presence of God. For a while now I have stopped praying for the presence of God in my life, or anyone else's for that matter. Instead I pray for the awareness of the presence of God. We would say that perception is not reality, and 60 seconds at work is actually the same as 60 seconds on the motorcycle, and we know that regardless of how it feels God is always present. But sometimes it just doesn't feel like it, and it's so easy to let what we feel define our reality. Time is crawling and God is far from me.

When I was running from God, which is what the poem made me think of, I felt very aware of the presence of God. In fact, I think I felt His presence more frequently and stronger when I was dodging Him than I do at times now. I felt His presence as a weight and a threat. I didn't want to surrender to Him. I wanted to run my own life, and so it seemed like I couldn't escape the awareness of the truth and His presence as I tried to live for myself.

It's like something that is often said in recovery. The 12 Steps may not get you sober if you don't work the program, but they'll surely mess up your drinking. Why? Because a mind full of recovery combined with a belly full of beer makes for a miserable time. Instead of an escape, relapse becomes a magnifier of the insufficiency of the chemicals to meet the need.

So, when I wanted to get away from God, I couldn't. Because it felt like He was everywhere, chasing me or waiting for me. But now sometimes it feels like He's nowhere to be found. Because to lack awareness of His presence is heartbreaking now that I want it. The more I love Jesus, the more I want to be wrapped in the awareness of Him and His presence. So, any and all perceived distance feels overwhelming. It's tied to the idea of the closer I get to God the more I see I'm a stranger to His holiness. The less my life is dominated by sin, the more aware I am of the sin in my life.

Some may look at my life and see a closeness with Daddy. There is no logical doubt that I am closer to Him now than I used to be. Yet, the closer I get to Him, the more I see and understand, the more aware I am of, the great gap between us. An inch feels like a mile where before a mile wasn't nearly far enough. We use clocks to measure time because we can't trust our feelings about and perceptions of the passing of time. People leave the office at the same time when a shift ends because a clock says the shift is over. If we went only be feelings and perceptions, we would leave way early and at different times.

We need the truth like we need a clock. Just as we can't trust our feelings about or our perception of the passing of time, we can not go by our feelings about or our perception of the presence of God in our lives, especially in times of difficulty. Our feelings may say that He is not near, just as our feelings say this day will never end because time has nearly stopped. But the truth is time is ticking away one second at a time in good times and bad, and He is near and with us.

Let us wield the truth against the feelings that can cause us to despair and distress. He hears us when we pray. He is an ever present help. He will never leave us or forsake us. He loves us with an everlasting love. His mercies are new every morning. He is quick to forgive and longs to heal and restore. It doesn't matter how we feel. God is here. God is listening when we pray. God loves us.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Unshackled Moments ~ July 27, 2017 ~ There's No Grace In Baseball

Last night, shortly after telling the folks who'd just listened to me preach to go in the freedom that is found in Christ and may your joy be full, I cranked the van and headed to the gas station to fill up before Leah and I grabbed something to eat. The first thing I did after turning the key was to change the radio station to catch the Texas Rangers game. The Marlins already led the Rangers 3-1 in the fourth inning.

Now that surprised me. The Rangers are fighting for a wild card playoff spot and were favored better than 2-1. They were expected to win. The radio reception wasn't great, and I heard only snippets of the game on the way to the gas station, but at the station it came in nice and clear. I got out of the van, paid for and pumped the gas and returned. As I pulled away I heard the announcer informing those of us who were listening that the runs that had just been driven in gave the Marlins a total of 9.

What?! 9-1 and the game wasn't even half way over yet? I couldn't believe it. I grumbled. Well, this is not much of a game. Who is pitching? Why are they leaving him on the mound long enough for the Marlins to score like that? Whoever it is, he's not performing. They need to bench him.

That's when I heard Leah say with a questioning tone, so instead of there's no crying in baseball it's there's no grace is baseball? I wonder if I blushed? I had literally just finished preaching a message on grace and asking in the closing prayer to be able to live and walk in the grace of God, and now I wanted the pitcher benched and the manager to answer for leaving him in too long in the first place. Nope, there's no grace in baseball. And it wasn't just me. About that time a pitch hit the dirt and the announcers began joking that they were playing cricket now. They continued with cutting remarks about the wild pitching during the inning. By the time we made it through the drive thru and got our food, the Marlins scored two more runs, the Rangers were down 10 and Darvish, the pitcher, was done for the night.

But once it went bad, it didn't stop. The game took a long time, and the Marlins stomped the Rangers, my favorite baseball team for those who haven't figured that out yet, 22-10. Nope, that's not a little league score, but it sounds like it. This morning I felt much more sympathetic toward Darvish. It's over, and I feel sure that was a hard inning to endure, blowing it that bad in front of thousands of people. Now there's questions about if his mind was on the game or if the upcoming trade deadline had upset him. There's speculation about how the worst performance of his career will effect his trade status.

And if that craziness isn't enough, Beltre, the Rangers third baseman got ejected from the game. He stood, waiting to bat, several feet away from the on-deck circle. The umpire told him he had to be on the circle mat, but Beltre has been hit by foul balls on the on deck circle and is now scared to stand there. So, he grabbed the mat, pulled it over further from the batter where he'd been standing and stood on it. Now he was standing in the circle. The umpire didn't even tell him to move it back. He simply ejected him. Done. Game over for Beltre. Fans who had stayed despite the horrific score in hopes of seeing Beltre hit his 3000th base hit during his last at bat left disappointed. I can't help but wonder if the umpire has Friday's game in a pool speculating when Beltre will get #3000.

Oh my goodness. What's the point already? I know. I just ranted and spent way too much time writing about a baseball game. Anybody who cares probably already knows, and the rest of you Dear Readers are most likely in the boat with my wife wishing I wouldn't talk about sports so much. But this morning I can't help but think about how often we may feel like we're in situations like the above, because we live in a world without a lot of grace.

There are times when things start to go wrong, like Darvish's pitching, and we can't keep the train from going off the track. The more we try, the worst the wreck gets, until we're just praying it ends soon. But the moment, no matter how quickly it's over, seems to go on and on as time feels like it's slowing down and our mind tells us that everyone is watching us fall apart and fail. It can feel like things are hopeless and even though everyone expects us to win we're going to lose. How often is it that fear causes us to do something that makes sense at the time, like moving the on deck mat, but leads to judgment and condemnation and failure, or at least delaying success? And as we walk to the showers trying to figure out how and why that just happened, others are joking and laughing about our misfortune? Speaking of Beltre's ejection, Drew Steckenrider, the Marlins pitcher at the time, said he didn't complain to the umpires and called it one of the funniest things he's ever seen on a baseball field.

It seems sometimes that we can never redeem or outlive the past. There seems like a permanent stain showing all the world our worst moments and most embarrassing losses. And I know I am not the only one who struggles at times with the feeling that my worth and value fluctuates from day to day with my performance. There's no grace in baseball, and there's not much in regular life either. But God. There is grace with Daddy through the love of Jesus for me and for you. It doesn't matter how many times we've blown it, relapsed into old behavior or run away from the calling like a prodigal. It doesn't matter how many times that we've tried our best and still had the opposition make us look like little leaguers. It doesn't matter if fear triggered poor choices and we were condemned and judged and ejected from the field of dreams. It doesn't matter if the whole world saw us or just the man in the mirror, who, let's face it, can be our most cruel critic by far.

We don't have to worry about our trade status or value. Daddy already paid a high price for us, and He's not looking for a trade.. He's not evaluating our performance to decide if we should stay His or not. He's not waiting to see if we mess up again or benching us for poor performance. He is calling us to come to Him when we struggle and fall short so that He can wrap us in His arms of love, give us comfort and healing, and empower us to recover, get back up and walk successfully with Him. There may be little to no grace in baseball, but there is grace available in life through Jesus. Because the greatest blessing we have today is the truth that it's not about how well we play in the game of life but it's about Him, His love and what He has done. God loves me, and He loves you, as we are, not as we should be, but He loves us so much that He won't leave us the mess we are.

But God's Amazing Grace

Dalyn Woodard returns to the book of Ephesians and the topic of our identity with part 2 of a look at the before and after of who we are. What is grace and how do we know if we are living and walking in grace? Grace is the reason we are no longer dead, dominated or doomed The message, "But God's Amazing Grace" is about 50 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, July 27, 2017. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

If you missed Part 1 of the Identity Crisis series, Who Are You, it can be found here. Part 2, Living Free, can be found here. Part 3, The Blessing Of Belonging, can be found here. Part 4, The Fullness Of Jesus, can be found here, and Part 5, Good News, Bad News, can be found here.

The Amazing Grace video is below.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Unshackled Moments ~ July 26, 2017 ~ The Blessing Of Discouragement

Discouragement happens. All the Pollyanna pretending in the world doesn't protect us when we take the fall and can't move. We're broken and hopeless, and so tired of trying to go on. I can't do this anymore. I'm going to fail anyway, so why not give up, quit trying and get it over with? Or I already fell, and there's no point struggle to get back up, because I'll just fall or get knocked back down again. Sometimes life is hard and rest is rare and hope gets harder to find as our strength and resources dwindle.

But that doesn't have to be the end of the story. These feelings may seem overwhelming, especially since we tend to talk to ourselves in exaggerated generalities when discouragement sets in, and, worse, we tend to believe ourselves because our emotions feel the lie as truth. I'll never be able to do this leads to seeing ourselves fail. The fight will never end becomes a vision of the worst and most tiring spiritual struggle going on constantly in the future, and of course, none of us could endure that. No one cares about what I'm going through turns into despair and God doesn't really care about me. We could go on and on with examples.

But the truth is that sometimes discouraged is exactly where we need to be. It can be a good thing, because it can cause us to discard our illusions and false beliefs and to stop trying to do things we were never able to or meant to do. The hopelessness of Step 1 is necessary and must be accepted before the hope that comes with Step 2 can be grasped with the desperation of the drowning leading to an honest Step 3. I am powerless. I can't control or even manage my bondage and my life. God can. I surrender to Him. And this state is nothing new. Asaph understood these feelings and wrote of them in Psalm 73. Perhaps you, Dear Reader, are familiar with the following:

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

- Psalm 73:26

Almost half of the English translations of this verse state it like above, with that one word may messing things up and perpetuating the problem. My heart and my flesh may fail. No my friends. Most of the rest of the translations are more accurate by stating that they do fail. My heart and flesh fail. And a few literally translate the Hebrew into my heart and flesh are consumed or annihilated. I'm done. I have nothing left. I can't because I do not have anything with which to do it. It's not a question of if we are going to fall short of having the power to continue the fight or if we can be victorious. We can't. There is no hope of it. It is not may. It is when.

But God. No two words can combine to create hope more quickly. God is our strength and our provision of resources to continue and to win the war. As long as we hold on to the idea that we should fight against our bondage ourselves or that we should be able to we are setting ourselves up for failure and making ourselves vulnerable to being beaten down by discouragement. We need to even get it out of our heads that we need some help from someone more powerful than us. We don't need some help. God is not a crutch. He is a stretcher. We need help. We can't even limp our way to victory without Him. We are not somewhat dependent on Him, but we are completely and totally dependent.

Instead of giving up when we feel discouraged and overwhelmed or fighting even harder, let us be quick to surrender the fight completely to the One who fights on our behalf. Sometimes discouragement is a beautiful reminder that we have returned to trying to walk and live the spiritual life on our own strength. But though we give it everything we have until we are exhausted and consumed, we can't overcome on our own. But God. Hallelujah. But God. God is our strength and our portion, meaning He is our provision of all we need to do by His power what we can not do on our own. Do not bewail discouragement, but be grateful for it. Nothing else so quickly teaches us that we must fully surrender to and rely on Daddy for everything we need.

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Unshackled Moments ~ July 25, 2017 ~ Putting Out The Fire

I rehashed a confrontation that never was and rehearsed ones that never would be, and the conversations consumed me and made me sick. Full of fear and hurt and self, someone had stepped on my toes, and I had not retaliated. Someone said something, or did something, or didn't do something or say something, and I, also full of fear and hurt and self, had been caught unable to respond well. I had run, or stood still and done nothing, frozen like a deer in the headlights, or I had politely mumbled my lie that it was OK or put on my you didn't hurt or upset me mask. Until later.

Later everything changed. I replayed the scene in my mind. Perhaps I should say scenes, because it's not like this only happened once or even a hundred different times. I replayed the scenes repeatedly as a self-directing actor who just knew he could do it better, get it powerfully perfect. But no, replayed isn't quite the right word either. I rewrote the scene. The imaginary confrontation went differently than the painful reality. I show no mercy and no hesitation as I turn my words into razor-edged swords, sharper and sharper, and the space between what they did and my response is timed perfectly. Everyone who sees gasps or cheers or is stunned to silence as I boldly, with power and brilliance, shred those that dared to damage me and treat me as though I have no value and no significance.

It may not seem like such a big deal, these imaginary but epic battles within. Sure, they are a waste of time, but no one is really getting hurt. It's not like the swords, I mean words, are ever wielded aloud. Except I am wrong. The damage is extensive and crippling. What? How? Rewrites of the painful past are more damaging than the original draft. I discovered in examining the bitterness and resentment poisoning my heart that I had cultivated and created the very toxins that caused my peace and my joy and my ability to love and forgive to shrivel and die. A sword is not sharpened on something soft, but on a stone, and so it is with words. In order to make those words sharp enough to defend and avenge I hardened my heart. As my retorts sharpened, my anger grew. I won a battle I had lost or hadn't even fought, and as I put words in the mouths of my foes and imagined their side of the fight like a master puppeteer, it is my own strings I pull, manipulating myself into surety that I am justified in my red hot rage heating the steel and forming and sharpening the weapons I wield.

But what is the fuel for the fire within me? I do not have anything to burn but myself, my own life, and as the coals heat up and the flames flicker, I am consumed from within. I am like the town where everyone has fled because of the coal fires burning in the mines below. On the surface things look pretty, almost idyllic, but don't get too close or you'll feel the heat rising and choke on the fumes seeping from fires underground that no one can extinguish. My life became like that as my wounders transformed pieces of my heart into coal which I gladly sacrificed to the flames. I could not escape the pit that I had dug for myself. Daydreaming of power I made myself weaker and weaker and sick with bitterness, resentment and hate, and the scenes stuck on repeat kept my focus and my life tuned to what they did to me. I wrapped myself in a cocoon and emerged a victim of my own making.

I have learned that I am much better served turning away from false and imaginary conversations in my mind to talking to Daddy about the wounds and fears that cause my distress. But learning that lesson doesn't make it easy. I find an embarrassing truth, that I am not a very good writer. While I can create a never ending litany of angry comebacks that grow wittier with each rendition until I am assured of my own genius, when it comes time to pray, so often I am stumped and at a loss. So like any hack writer I plagiarize. When my own words won't come or fall woefully short I look to the laments of the Psalms. The beautiful and brutally honest expression of David and others as they turned to God and expressed fear, bitterness, rage against enemies and feelings of abandonment from God Himself serve as a great starting place, a writing prompt for my own conversations with Daddy.

And I have experienced a difference,whether I write my own words, prompt myself with Psalms or never alter anything, quoting songs of sorrow from scripture as a prayer of suffering. My imaginary confrontations kept my focus on my wounds and my wounders and turned my heart to stone, but although my words may continue to be expressions of my pain and fear, when I pray my eyes are turned away from my soul bleeding out and the ones who did the cutting to the One who does the healing. As I replay and rewrite battles of old my anger grows and the fires burn, but as I hold nothing back and expose my wounds to Daddy, the conversation turns as I see who He is, His love for me and the sweet comfort of the Spirit soothes my soul and smothers the coals.

Perhaps you think me foolish, with my imaginary conversations and fantasies of fighting my wounders and rehearsing revenge I will never take. Maybe you don't talk to yourself like that. Maybe you cast friends and fellow victims as supporting cast in your personal drama. Your words are real. You don't play around with imagination but speak them, often. Only to others and not your wounders. You tell the story again and again, rewriting and tweaking the scene until the villain is a caricature, wholly wrong and unrealistically motivated by pure evil toward you, and you are shown as the innocent lamb that was slain by their sin. You invite the world to your pity party and pin the tail of revenge on the donkeys that kicked and bit you. And the fires may burn differently, but the toxic fumes of bitterness and resentment are still rising and shriveling peace and joy and the ability to love and receive love. Whether the conversations remain within or you invite all who will come to your vicious displays of unforgiveness, brewing bitterness is drinking poison and expecting someone else to die. We turn our hearts to stone with our magic potions, creating and enlarging, intensifying and deepening the craters in the stone caused by exposing our wounds repeatedly to ourselves and or everyone but the One who can heal and restore the damage that has been done.

Today, let us stop feeding the flames consuming our hearts, minds and souls and making our emotions seethe. Let us turn to Daddy, telling Him the truth of the pain and fear seeping from our wounds rather than rewriting or reenacting the scene of our wounding for ourselves or others. Let us allow the Spirit access to the shafts of our hearts where the buried coals still burn and let Him smother them and kill the sparks that reignite our rage whenever a reminder comes of the pain of the past. Flames die down as we turn our attention from them to Him, and in the fertile soil of ash, the fruits of the Spirit grow large and tasty and before long a beautiful landscape stretches out over a life that had previously been a desolate, burnt up wasteland.

Monday, July 24, 2017

Unshackled Moments ~ July 24, 2017 ~ Dark Days

I received the news yesterday that someone I knew in recovery died. I don't know what happened, but from the comments that a couple of mutual friends have made it seems the person relapsed and didn't make it back to recovery. I don't know if a relapse caused the death or if the comments just referred to our friend not dying sober. I just don't know yet and hope to learn more today. But I do know, that regardless of how and why (and I would love to be wrong about our friend and learn that there was no relapse), sometimes it happens. And sometimes we don't make it back.

I have been to more funerals than I care to think about of friends in recovery who had one more relapse in them but not another recovery. We don't all die free. I wish that weren't true, but it is. Recovery is tough. Without God, true and lasting recovery is impossible for most. I have never met an alcoholic or addict in recovery who hasn't had difficult dark days where they wrestled with the thought of giving in and going back out, of just trying for one more taste or a day without the struggle and the fight against the old way of life and serving the old master.

Sometimes it feels like the entire universe is against us making it, that recovery, not just restraining from giving in but freedom from the obsession to drink and drug, is a pipe dream, a fairy tale fantasy. It doesn't feel like anything is every really going to change for the better and that sooner or later it will all fall apart. But not everything we feel is real, and freedom from the obsession is possible. It is possible to recover from a hopeless state of mind and body and soul. Because all things are possible with God, and I have experienced this freedom.

It's been a long time since I have had to fight and struggle against the temptation to go back out. Dark days, difficult days, days surrounded by people who are doing those things I no longer do, I have had these and more that would have made my staying clean and sober impossible, or at least an exhausting battle, at one time, and they don't even raise an alert any more. I'm not saying it never crosses my mind. That would be fun. This movie would be cool tripping. A cold beer would be the perfect way to top off this moment. Other such insane thoughts. But insane flashes are not a fight these days. They are usually in my mind and gone before I even realize them. It's like wow, that was nuts, I'm glad I don't really believe that anymore, and they're gone.

The obsession is gone. When those thoughts come, they don't stay. I don't have to force them down and keep them at bay and pray that I don't give in. Because the impossible for me has already been made possible with God. I'm not talking about religion and spiritual disciplines. Those never worked for me. But relationship with my Creator who made a home within me, and, even though I don't and never will deserve it, has given me the power to change, to live differently today than I did yesterday, and to be free, has given me a life worth living, a life where recovery is no longer a battle against relapse.

Even dark days and difficult times don't have to defeat us, don't have to drive us back to the bondage of our past. Even the darkest day can be lit with the love of Daddy for us and used to take us deeper into relationship with Him instead of driving us into the wilderness of isolation and hopelessness. Maybe the snippets of conversation that triggered these thoughts weren't accurate and my friend didn't go back out. But today, this day, some will, and some of those who do will die before finding freedom again. It won't be me, and it doesn't have to be you. There really is freedom in Christ. He died so that we can live, not survive but live, live a life full of love, peace and joy that can be given to others and demonstrates the truth that there is hope, there is a God whose love and power can set the captive truly free and restore the broken. May you find Him now.

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Unshackled Echo ~ July 22, 2017 ~ Running Out Of Gas

Today's Unshackled Audio Echo was previously published on

February 27, 2014 as Running Out Of Gas.

Wednesday evening, February 19, 2014, Dalyn Woodard delivered a message at NCF on how to refuel when we run dry. The sermon, "Running Out Of Gas" is about 27 minutes in length. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

Photo "Old Time Religion" taken by Dalyn Woodard copyright Eclectic Imagery.

Friday, July 21, 2017

Unshackled Moments ~ July 21, 2017 ~ When Deliverance Doesn't Come

There is no doubt among followers of Christ that the Apostle Paul lived a life of grace by the Spirit within the will of God. That he walked with God, served God and did much to further the kingdom of God and demonstrate the love, power, and glory of God. We look at his legacy as a demonstration of the way of life for a Christian who loved God and knew he was loved by God. And yet, Paul's life was far from easy and full of hardships, many of which were never eased or removed on this side of eternity.

We don't look at the suffering of Paul as evidence of rejection or neglect from God, and yet it is so easy to fall into self pity and believing that God does not care for us when we do not find immediate relief and deliverance from such things ourselves. The life of Paul is a great example to us, a reminder, that hardship and suffering is not always a sign or being outside the will of God, that its never proof of His lack of power to help us or care, and even when the enemies of God and life seem to be victorious in our circumstances that life is no longer good. Life is still worth living and much good can come, even when circumstances are hard and do not immediately, or possibly ever, get better. Paul learned that God's grace is sufficient when difficulties remain, and thankfully, he shared that experience, strength and hope with us.

Paul was attacked, beaten and jailed multiple times, and we have the accounts of some of these. The first time Paul was jailed it's easy to think that he found immediate deliverance, because the account is told in a quick four verses in Acts 16. But we would most likely not thought it such quick relief had we been in his shoes. The people grabbed him and turned him over to the authorities. He was not set free or spared this or the severe beating (many stripes) that followed. Then thrown in the jail, it was hours before deliverance came. At midnight the miracle came suddenly. That's why it seems quick to us. When the miracle came, it was suddenly. But he had already been beaten and imprisoned for up to most of a day.

Later he is jailed again. By this time he has written more letters that will become part of our New Testament scripture, made multiple missionary journeys, founded many churches and led many to the truth of relationship with Jesus. You would think that he would be more quickly helped, if help from God is earned and deserved anyway or if it is always situational rather than spiritual. Yet this time he spent years in prison before finally being released. Good came of it. He actually was protected from such things as angry mobs and stonings, and he wrote more letters that allowed him to be of spiritual help and service to many more than he could have if he had been freed. You and I are still benefiting from his service today. But still, his circumstances sucked and were hard. He lived in prison for years, even though he had not done anything to deserve such treatment. God didn't quickly free him or spare him the hardship, yet it was not lack of love, care or concern on the part of Daddy.

The last time Paul is imprisoned he remained so until he is beheaded. That's right. He is killed, and God allowed it. Paul opened his eyes in the presence of Jesus, and his suffering and distress had finally come to an end. He had been delivered from the suffering, but it would be easy to look at it and say he had not been helped, his body had been killed after all. But Paul lived and died secure in the confidence that he was loved by God and that God gave him the love, power and desire to endure the hardships as much as to be spared them and that what he went through served a purpose of bringing him closer to God, bringing others into relationship and closer to God and to demonstrate God's purpose, way of life, power, love and glory. And he was right. We see those things in his life, despite what he went through and perhaps even because of it.

Today as we go through what may feel like difficulty, hardship and or suffering, let us be quick to hold fast to the truth that God loves us and cares for us and will meet our needs, regardless of what our senses and emotions may tell us, regardless of whether or not our circumstances change or how quickly or slowly. Let us not demand the quick fix and the instant relief. Let us instead turn to the Spirit for our comfort and rest in His love for us, so that our hardship and suffering may serve a good purpose in our life and the lives of others. Let us share in Paul's legacy of suffering well when it comes, knowing that this realm is not the end or the purpose of our life and that our life, joy and peace are found in relationship with Jesus and not in comfort and ease in our circumstances.

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Unshackled Moments ~ July 20, 2017 ~ Justice Is Served

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.

- Luke 12:32

This is the amazing verse that comes in the middle of a section of scripture where Jesus speaks of being aware of the righteous judgment of God coming and not being afraid because God will care for our needs if we seek Him and allow Him to take care of us rather than stressing over trying to control our own life and figure out how to take care of ourselves. And I am so glad this verse was included in the midst of all that. Because we have no problems believing in a God of judgment sometimes, but a good God, a good, good Daddy is hard to swallow and trust in.

Perhaps believing in a good God doesn't exactly remove the problem of us being leery of Him and fearing His wrath and retribution. Because here's the truth of the matter when we stop to really think of it. We may say things like a good God would give mercy to everyone and there would be no judgment. He would give everyone a place in paradise and an eternity of pleasure and not hold anyone responsible for the actions on earth. After all, we're just struggling through life the best we can, we don't really know how to be different or better, and there are so many choices and temptations and hardships, and even bad people usually had something bad happen to them, blah, blah, bogus blah. Bogus. Big bunch of bogusness.

Our heart knows better. It demands better. Leah and I were discussing tip sharing last night on our way home from dinner. What a great example. Some poor server works hard, does a good job with a good attitude and gets a good tip while another server does a lousy job, treats the customers like they don't matter and doesn't get hardly any tips. Then at the end of the night the two servers have to split their tips evenly? Tell me your heart doesn't rise up and cry that's not fair! That's not right! If it doesn't you haven't been in or had someone you care about be in that or a similar situation. If it happened to me I would be filled with anger. Why should some lousy server with a bad attitude get an equal portion of my tips when I'm the only one getting decent tips?

Two young men get arrested on the same day for different crimes. We'll leave out any identifiers and say simply that they are similar in background. One committed misdemeanor, while the other had seen someone wearing some shoes he liked and had beaten his victim to death with a baseball bat and taken the shoes. They are both in court on the same day awaiting arraignment. The judge walks in and says I want to be good today. I give everyone mercy. All defendants are free to go, cases are dismissed, and a man who murdered someone for his shoes runs out of the courtroom rejoicing. Do we call that a good judge? Even a good man? Of course not.

We would probably try to have him thrown in jail and accuse him of being corrupt and on the take. At the very least he wouldn't be a judge much longer. Our sense of right and wrong and fair play demand justice, except for us of course. We'll take the mercy platter to go, please and thank you.. But we know justice is right, and we know that if God is good, then He must also be just, because to be unjust is not good. And therefore we are afraid of Him, because whether right out front easy to see or buried deep down we all know that we deserve judgment. We may believe we're the man with the misdemeanor and not the murderer. We may not feel we deserve the same judgment as some or most, but we know that we aren't innocent.

So simply saying that God is good doesn't mean that He will be good to me. I have every reason to fear a good and just God. I am not a good person. I am selfish and self indulgent. So we doubt the idea of a loving Daddy who is kind and merciful and compassionate towards us and yet somehow is still good and just and right. We either don't believe God will show us mercy and acceptance without us somehow, at least in part, deserving it and earning it, or we feel He must be kind to us begrudgingly, like we found a loop hole in the law and are getting away with something and He wishes He could make us pay, but nope, the Jesus clause means we must be forgiven.

But that is not it at all. He has chosen gladly to give us the kingdom! Literally it says we don't have to be afraid because Daddy delights in giving you the kingdom, in making you His and being kind, compassionate and generous toward you. And you aren't getting away with anything. The Jesus clause is not a loop hole in the law, in the rules. Jesus isn't a flaw in the system. Jesus came because the Father is good and justice demands payment. Every person you ever wronged will get their justice, as will you for all you have endured and in every way you have been wronged and harmed. Someone should pay for what was done to you, and Someone did. You should pay for what you've done, and you know it, but Someone already did so that you don't have to.

Daddy forgiving you is not unfair or unjust because Someone still paid. And He let Jesus pay the debt because both Daddy and Son love you. Our situation is not that of facing an unfair and unrighteous judge who lets evil win and victims go unheard. The judge also happens to be our father, and when we come before Him it breaks His heart. He knows we're guilty. He knows what we deserve, but He still loves us, just as you would love your child even if they were guilty of a crime. He said justice demands payment, and I know what's right, but I don't want you to have to pay the debt you owe. My innocent of everything and anything Son has volunteered to do your time, to pay your debt and fulfill the demands of justice on your behalf, and just to make sure it is completely fair and just, He will do the same for all, whatever is owed, big or small, justice is served and I can be good to you.

Don't be afraid of Daddy. He loves you. He will be good to you, not just good in general. He isn't merciful begrudgingly, He delights in making a way for you to have relationship with Him. You are His heart's desire, just as you are and not as you should be. You don't deserve it, nor do you have to, and He won't leave you the way you are. He can and will make you like the One who loved enough to pay your debt.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Unshackled Moments ~ July 19, 2017~ Time To Cut Down The Tree

Yesterday afternoon I helped my father take some measurements on the site for my parent's new home, coming soon to an area near me. We double checked the markers for where the dirt work to level the land will be done and made sure the selected area is square, as in 90°, not four equal sides. We've done a lot of work, mostly clearing the land, and a lot of brush and quite a few trees have been cut down. Most of the trees that had to be removed where scrub trees, but there were a few hardwoods here and there that just had to go. These pained my father to cut down.

Now, my father is not in any way what you would call a tree hugger, but he does believe in good stewardship and loves the woods. There is just something awesome about a big old oak tree, and my father really loves having them on his property and the idea that they will be there for his grandchildren's grandchildren to see should the Lord tarry that long. We saved every oak and pecan tree possible. But there is one little oak sapling, a little taller than I am, that unfortunately is growing pretty much where the living room will be. It has to go, and we've known this for a while now.

We thought about trying to dig it up and transplant it, but that's not really going to be possible. It's the wrong time of year, the process to help move an oak and have the greatest success of continued living is three to six months long, and the tree is already too large to dig up without some serious work. Sadly, it has to go. But Dad doesn't want to cut it down. So we haven't. He's putting it off as long as possible, because it really goes against his nature and the way he was raised to waste an oak tree.

Back to yesterday. As I mentioned, we were taking measurements of the area where the house will sit, and the little oak is sitting in Mom's future living room. So, three different times we were hindered as we had to maneuver about 70 feet of measuring tape around the tree.

Now, this is really no big deal. It didn't get in the way too much, and probably cost us less than a minute and very little effort. But the fact that we had to work around something that in all truth I should have cut down a couple of weeks ago just so Dad wouldn't have to and it would be done, started me thinking. I do things like this in my life and spiritually far too often, and it usually is much more of a hindrance than this sapling. And I don't think that I'm unique in this.

I'm not talking about anything sinful or wrong in and of itself, but there are things in all our lives that take up too much of our time or our energy or get too much of our attention and detract from our relationship with God. Our relationship with Him has been likened to a marriage, and it is no secret that for a marriage to work well and be as full as possible, it must receive our priority and attention. This is a relationship that serves as a great example of how selfishness makes us miserable and works against us while loving and putting the other person first actually makes us happier. Being selfless actually makes self more satisfied than self indulgence.

I love sports. My wife does not. I am not selfless enough to completely cut sports out of my life, but I limit how much I watch. More often than not, when I watch a game I stream it on the computer with the sound off and listen to an audio book or watch a movie or something like that at the same time. Sometimes I let Leah take a nap using my chest as a pillow while I watch the game. The point is that I make her endure sports about a fraction of what she would have to put up with if I did not take her into account and just watched all the sports I wanted, I have found ways to enjoy what sports I do watch without it taking away from her, my time with her or our relationship. And the thing is, I don't miss it. I have no regrets. I can't think of a single time when I thought man, I wish I had watched that game instead of spending time with Leah.

There are things like that with my relationship with God, which I have learned to make sure they don't get in the way, don't ever come first, and that my awareness is on Him and us when I do indulge in them. So God is brought into my recreation and hobbies and free time as well as my service. But there are other things, that I must admit I sometimes blow off God and our relationship for. I don't have time to spend with You right now Daddy, I'm busy over here doing what I want to. These things are like that sapling. They aren't bad, but they are growing where they don't belong, in the way of the relationship being built with my Creator. I either need to move them, where they aren't in the way any longer, or I need to cut them down and burn them, sacrifice them in honor of what matters more, my love for Daddy and His for me.

When I do the removal or the minimizing and moving of these things in my life, I have found that I have never missed or regretted doing so. Yet, I still delay and struggle with the idea sometimes. I still have trouble denying self and putting Him and our relationship first in all ways and at all times. And inevitably when I delay, what normally wouldn't be anything bad, might even be something good, becomes a problem, a hindrance. It gets in the way. It creates an obstacle that has to be worked around. The service that gives me purpose is more difficult and takes more effort and energy because of this thing which has become an obstacle rather than the blessing it could have been if it had been kept in its proper place and size. Wisdom would dictate it would be better to move it before it gets too big or just cut it down as soon I as realize it needs to go.

Today, let us be quick to examine our lives and hearts and see if there is anything getting in the way of what we are building with Daddy. If so, let's not delay in dealing with it by grace so that there is nothing hindering the love and service that makes life worth while.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Unshackled Moments ~ July 18, 2017 ~ Staying Content And Free Come What May

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

- Philippians 4:11-13

In the above passage of scripture the Apostle Paul proclaims to have learned to be content in whatever circumstances and situation he is in. It is what it is, I'm right where I'm supposed to be at the moment, and I'm OK with that, even when that it difficult or lacking in some way. Verses 11-12 should really always be considered when we grab onto the hope of the famous verse 13, which literally means in all situations I am strong in the anointed One living in me.

Now, the context and Greek of Philippians 4:13 may be a bit disappointing for those who like to use I can do all things in Christ as a ritual victory mantra. I'm worried about this or that difficulty, well that's OK I'll overcome and come out on top and win because I can do all things. If by come out on top you mean get the job, the car will crank every day, the pantry will always be full, etc. then that is not what the verse means at all. Remember that Paul wrote the letter to Philippians from a Roman prison cell. But if by overcome you mean stay spiritually free, be content and satisfied in relationship with Daddy, be able to endure it without trying to meet your own needs in an old way but letting the situation bring you closer to Jesus and become more like Him, then yes, that's what it means. I can endure anything and be satisfied by my relationship with and service to God, without falling apart because I don't have what I want or what I think I need.

And that's awesome news for those in recovery who are anything like me. And here, when I use the word recovery, I am talking about that spiritual malady which produces a hopeless state of mind and body. That's pretty much all of us, right? For a lot of us, we tried to treat and fix that malady with something that took over our life, placed us in bondage, an addiction of some sort. We had a God shaped hole, and tried to fill it with things that promised to make us happy, comfortable or secure, or at least make us not care if we weren't. And some of it worked, at least for a while. But we were never content. We were never comfortable in our skin, in our life. Things were never OK as they were. The bad, uncomfortable and unpleasant had to be changed, escaped and doctored, while even the good had to be enhanced.

Even when our selfish solutions quit working, we found ourselves still trying to apply them in times of need and stress and fear. When things got hard or scary, we reached for the chemicals or the risk or the pleasure or the whatever that had long since ceased to provide comfort or escape and left us feeling miserable and even more hopeless. Life wasn't worth living, and we had no understanding of what it meant to be OK with life regardless of the situations. In good situations and bad, we were filled with restlessness, irritation and discontent.

It doesn't have to be that way. That's the awesome good news that we get in Philippians 4:11-13. We can be content in all situations. We can be content even when we don't get what we need, want, or what will make us comfortable. We don't have to be afraid of the difficulties we face breaking us or placing us back in bondage to the things which used to control us, the things we were powerless over and were our instinctual go-to answer before we found relationship with Daddy. Why? Because we are no longer powerless. We are strong, have power, in Jesus, in the Anointed Spirit that has actually made His home within us.

Perhaps you like that way that sounds but have a hard time trusting it for yourself. After all, this is the Apostle Paul who wrote this. This man was a religious zealot who was by all appearances blameless according to the rules of the beliefs he was raised in, well-respected in life even before He had a vision of Jesus so bright it knocked him down and blinded him. He's a saint for goodness sake! I'm no Apostle Paul, and I'm no saint. So, I'm not sure that I can really hope this will be true for me like it was with him. Well, if by saint you mean strong in faith, able to obey and stay in the will of God and faithful all the time, spiritually powerful and nearly perfect, then no, no you're not a saint. Neither was Paul or any of the other so-called saints, at least not on their own. All have sinned and fallen short. On our own, we are all powerless to walk with God, to conquer sin and self. But with the power of the Spirit within us, because of who Jesus is and what He has done, we are saints, as in those chosen by and belonging to Daddy who have the power to become His children, and can walk rightly and with obedience and love because we no longer live in our own strength but by His.

It's not for some special spiritual people only. It's for all of us who surrender will and life to the One who has the power to save us and transform us. The first 12-Step book, Alcoholics Anonymous, sometimes referred as The Big Book, said it like this:

He clamors for this or that, claiming he cannot master alcohol until his material needs are cared for. Nonsense. Some of us have taken very hard knocks to learn this truth: Job or no job - wife or no wife - we simply do not stop drinking so long as we place dependence upon other people ahead of dependence on God. Burn the idea into the consciousness of every man that he can get well regardless of anyone. The only condition is that he trust in God and clean house.

And in the days of the Old Testament an adulterer and murderer also found hope and satisfaction in repentance and relationship with the Creator. King David said the truth of Philippians 4:13 long before Paul, and even took it a bit further.

The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

- Psalm 16:5-6

Huh? Yeah, this is written in some of that metaphorical language that makes it not so blunt as Paul's writing. David was a poet after all. The Lord is what we have and receive that makes life worth living, relationship with Him is the answer to the need and the promise we long for. That's the part from the Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup. It's not blind fortune or luck that makes things happen in my favor or gives me what I need, God brings it about. That's the You support my lot part. In the times of Moses, the people received their inheritance by casting lots, by drawing out of the hat, after the property lines were drawn, and they believed that God oversaw each drawing, supported the lot, so that each person and group got what God wanted for them.

But it's verse 6 that really is the same wonderful idea as what Paul wrote, perhaps better. The lines have fallen to me...the boundaries of my part in life, what and where and God has placed me and chosen for me and led me to, where I am in whatever situation and circumstances that come when I am in the will of God, even if that is in prison like Paul or hungry and in need because there isn't enough materially or physically, I am in a pleasant place. The life God has given me is beautiful. It's worth living. Even though there were many battles fought in and for the Land of Promise, even though there were hard times and famine, it's worth it, it's pleasant and beautiful, because it it in relationship with God that we take pleasure and find purpose. Later in that same Psalm, David says that in the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy.

Our joy is not in having every physical and material need met and every desire satisfied. It's not in mental, emotional or physical comfort and security. Our joy is not found in the rain stopping and having the sun shine and a cool breeze blow. It's not in everything going our way. It is found in the presence of God in our life. That's why, to stay free and strong in every situation and circumstance, to stay in recovery come what may, even when our circumstances go to hell in a hand basket, we seek to improve our conscious contact with our Creator. It is in relationship and presence with Him that we can be content...that's not the spiritual heroes of old, that's me, and that's you and all who surrender to Him.

Monday, July 17, 2017

Unshackled Moments ~ July 17, 2017 ~ Showroom Treasures

Junkyard wrecks and showroom models share equal space in God's garage.

- Max Lucado

I came across the above quote this morning, and I love it. The idea Lucado wanted to convey about the great and unrepentant love of God for us is awesome, and I needed it this morning. I need it every morning...and every afternoon, and every night and any time that might somehow slip through the cracks of those. It's been one of those mornings for me. I am nearly two hours behind where I normally am when I get into the first paragraph of the day's Moment, and I don't even know if I'll have it done before noon.

That's frustrating to me, and frustration doesn't help me let go, get out of self and connect with Daddy's Spirit to see what is on His heart for me and you, Dear Reader. Frustration is hard for me to deal with at times. It makes sense to just breathe slowly, think it through, figure out what's bothering me and let it go, I guess, but sometimes I can't do that because it forms a conflict. I had a chore that had to be done this morning before anything else. I should have just done it last night right before bed when I realized it, or I should have gotten up a couple of hours early so that i could do my reading, chilling with my Creator, writing, meditations, etc. and still have time to do the chore before the deadline. But coulda, woulda, shouldas only make things worse as well.

The conflict is that I am already behind and can't get it done, because rushing and ministry do not work together. I can't tell the Spirit to inspire me or tell me what to say or write right now and be quick about it. And stopping to analyze my emotions slows me down even more, and, for that matter, looking at myself is not always the most efficient way of getting out of self. So I try not to do that when I feel this way. I try to just turn it off, and step out in faith that God's grace is sufficient for me to ignore my emotions and do what needs to be done.

Sometimes it works better than others. And sometimes, more often than I even realize most likely I am completely wrong. Sometimes the only way to get out of self is to put our eyes on Jesus, true, but also let the Spirit minister, comfort and correct our self that is getting out of hand. It's not focusing on self as much as turning self into The Teacher for instruction and correction. I read that quote about the cars, and I realized I felt like that junkyard wreck. I needed that reminder that God will not let me go, and the pure unearned love Daddy has for us.

It is as amazing as it is true that God loves us as we are, not as we should be, a saying I took from Brennan Manning. Lucado is right that God loves us as we are and has called us His. He will not turn us away or cast us out because we're messed up. In fact, it is because we are messed up that Jesus came to make it possible for us to become Daddy's. So, if like me, you feel at times a lot more like the junkyard wreck than the showroom model, than it's good to know, and I hope that you do know, that you are not going to lose your place in God's garage. In fact, it's more than simply sharing the garage with all the other junkyard wrecks and the showroom models that belong to God.

Maybe this is more for me than anyone else. The Holy Spirit knew how to get through my frustration and my on edge anxiety about getting the Moment done with this quote. You see, it's a dream of mine, more of a fantasy really, to do the restoration thing. I imagine having the ability, money and time...in that order, to find those old rust buckets and junkyard wrecks, like my old 1969 Datsun 280ZX, and rebuilding them, restoring them and then selling some and keeping some, but driving them all, at least once...really fast. It's a nice fantasy, but it is just that. I can barely change the oil myself. I can't diagnosis engine issues, I don't understand mechanics, and I simply can't do an engine rebuild myself. That's skill. That's aptitude. That's all before you factor in the money and time involved in restoring and rebuilding cars. There's a reason they are so extremely costly and valuable.

And that's just it, that's the point of today's Moment. I'm not trying to restate what Lucado said. I agree He's right and provided a link for those of you who want to read it for yourselves. I want to go further. God's garage isn't filled with junk, and it doesn't look like a junkyard. I imagine it more like the above picture, only much, much larger. Pristine and gorgeous, and each car is set up in such a way as to emphasize and show off its wonder and uniqueness and the care and love that has gone into it. Not for the car, but for the glory and pleasure of the owner. You may have been a junkyard wreck when God found you, or when you found Him. I know I was. And you may have gone off the road and had a few wrecks more than once since then. I have. And God loves us as we are, not as we should be, so Jesus purchased us.

But we are not worthless, junkyard wrecks. The reason we're in His garage is so that the work can be done. While He loves us as we are, He also loves us enough not to leave us the wrecks He found us. He has the understanding and knowledge of what we can be, and He has the power, resources and time to make it happen. In fact, He has promised not to quit until He does. You, me, all of us in the garage, are going to be beyond pristine. We're going to perfect when He's done. We are not heaps thrown in the back corners out of the light while the showroom models are displayed. We are put where we can best display His glory and show off the cost, love, care and ability that went into making us His treasures.

Sunday, July 16, 2017

No Instant Tan

Wally Flynt shares on remembering that there is a purpose to our suffering and how faith is not a quick fix but a strength to endure. The message, "No Instant Tan" is about 5 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, July 16, 2017. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

ULM