Unshackled Moments ~ October 31, 2017 ~ Don't Feed The Ghosts

The ghosts of the past can be some of our worst harassers. That is one reason that I love the promise that we will no longer regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. That is not 100 % true for me, yet, but it is a lot better. I have reached that point where I have received and am grateful for knowing that no matter how far down the scale I have gone, I can see where my experience can benefit others. That goes a long way to silencing the tormenting spirits of the past. Scripture says it this way, that the old things have past away and all the have become new while at the same time we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

That means that our past, our story, no matter how horrible, no matter how good, can benefit others, can be used for service to God and our fellows and is a part of what makes it possible for us to overcome and have victory. And it is a wonderful thing when the major regrets begin to fall away and we are no longer hiding in the dark from our secrets. We do not have to duck people. We can walk with our head held high, looking others in the eye. But it's important to remember that we don't defeat the ghosts of the past by embracing them and allowing them a place to dwell. The word of our testimony is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, using just enough of what happened and what it was like to make our life a demonstration of Daddy's love and power, giving Him the glory. We silence the screaming shame and condemnation of the past through understanding we are loved and forgiven of God and by doing what we can to restore those we have harmed and clean up our mess. We don't make amends to earn God's forgiveness, but in order to be of service to Him and others. We received the added bonus of not having to hide from anyone or anything.

I guess the founders of 12 step recovery felt it clear by the must be rid of self and pride must be leveled statements in the original literature that using our stories was simply to enable those we would help to see our similarities. As someone is drowning in hopelessness and self pity while drinking or drugging themselves to death in a slow motion suicide, I, or someone else who has been where I've been, can say there is hope, there is a solution, there is a way out. I know. I've been in the pit you're in, I've used the way you use, and I have been set free, If your bondage was in another arena, it can be used to help someone in that area perhaps better than mine can, Still I wish that there were more warning about watching for pride once the shame of the past starts to subside.

Recovery and religion are two places where pride is the monster that eats us and others. Pride in the past is one of the few parasites that kills the host and hurts those near him, I remember when I was young my father being wary of testimony services, because he said they were too often full of pride. The same phenomena, as people try to oust Paul from his seat as chief of sinners, happens in recovery. As the war stories begin to flow, one tries to outdo another and show that they were the worst. How foolish it is that having been arrested multiple times, and passing out in our own sick and worse are things that are worn like a badge of honor that someone else will try to outdo by claiming more arrests, or worse cases of disgusting despair. But embracing the ghosts to such an extent breeds that parasitic pride. When we feed the past, we empower self to rise up.

The best advice I have received regarding telling my story is that I should share more on what happened (solution) and what it is like now (result) than on what it was like. I try to focus on the feelings and thinking rather than the details and events. My story should be just enough to let you know that there is a way from the darkness. As weird as it sounds, my story is not about me. In the words of Big Daddy Weave, to tell you my story, is to tell of Him. It's not a dramatic presentation of pride, a one-man show about me, or the foundation for a Lifetime movie. It's not supposed to be about look at how bad I was and how good I am now. It's not about look what I've done (either as a before image or, especially, as an after image). What I did in the past is nothing to be proud of, and what I do now is only possible because of what He did in me and for me. We share only to show that we too were slaves, to give those in bondage hope that they too can be free, to say I've been in your chains and I know the way of escape. But the spotlight should not remain on us, We are reflections of Him, and our story is a story of the miraculous, not of self.

Don't feed the ghosts. No one needs to hear an hour about fumbling in the dark, when I was blind will do. Spend more time telling us why it is that now you can see. Beware that reverse and perverse pride that takes pleasure in trying to shock and awe others with what once shamed us. Let out lives, even our past, only show others Daddy. I will close this with the lyrics and the video for the song I mentioned earlier by Big Daddy Weave. Perhaps the best standard for giving testimony and sharing our story that I have heard.

My Story

If I told you my story

You would hear Hope that wouldn't let go

And if I told you my story

You would hear Love that never gave up

And if I told you my story

You would hear Life, but it wasn't mine

If I should speak then let it be

Of the grace that is greater than all my sin

Of when justice was served and where mercy wins

Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in

Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him

If I told you my story

You would hear victory over the enemy

And if I told you my story

You would hear freedom that was won for me

And if I told you my story

You would hear Life overcome the grave

If I should speak then let it be

Of the grace that is greater than all my sin

Of when justice was served and where mercy wins

Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in

Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my savior all the day long

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my savior all the day long

For the grace that is greater than all my sin

Of when justice was served and where mercy wins

Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in

Oh to tell you my story is to tell

Of the grace that is greater than all my sin

Of when justice was served and where mercy wins

Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in

Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him

Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ October 30, 2017 ~ Putting People In Their Place

I am very grateful for the people in my life who help keep me spiritually fit and sober, even if they don't realize it. We don't get free in isolation, and we don't stay free there either. Jesus called us to deny self and follow Him, freely giving what we have freely received, and Jesus walked through the crowds to the cross. Recovery programs say you have to give it away to keep it and that we have to carry the message of recovery and spiritual awakening to those who still suffer.

Working with others is a way to give it away and key to staying sober. I am convinced that those I have worked with, mentored and taken through the steps have done more to help me than I did for them. But, from my experience, for the best results for them, you and others, don't work with them to stay sober. Helping them as a means to help yourself is much better than not helping them at all, but it's a selfish motivation, and since we're trying to be rid of selfishness and self centeredness.... Lord, today and every day I want to come to the place where I am reaching out with a hand of compassion, helping others in need, and giving what I have been giving, in other words, passing it on and serving, because I care for those I would help and serve, because my greatest desire is to see them free, in relationship with You and living a life worth living. Let me enjoy the benefits and blessings that come to my life through service to You and others, but let them be bonuses, not motivation. And let me remember also that if I am not doing it for me, then if they do not respond as I would want or show gratitude for my service, that I don't have to be hurt or upset, because it's not about me. Amen

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

- Proverbs 12:15

Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.

- Proverbs 11:14

Some translations have victory in that second verse as safety. I like both options. The actual word is rescue (literal or figurative, personal, national or spiritual.): translated in scripture as deliverance, help, safety, salvation, victory. Personally I like the literal translation best. The purpose in working the spiritual program of recovery is to put myself in submission to and in contact with God. My best thinking is what proved to me, through failure after failure and mess after mess and one broken relationship stacked on top of another until I feared I would lose all family and every friend, that I couldn't control or manage my life and was in total and complete need of God's help and to be rid of self. Now I have a relationship with the Spirit, and as long as He is doing the leading and guiding I need not fear where I am going or what I will go through. But I am not yet perfect, and my old self still rises up within me, the poltergeist of my past nature, desires and motives, causing confusion and interfering with reception. I don't believe we get to the point where we never need wise counsel. Wise counsel rescues me from avoidable pitfalls, from fear of walking outside of God's will (because it helps me to stay in it), and from the way that seems right to my mind but in the end leads to destruction. You're never going to be sober enough, clean enough, free enough or a mature enough Christian to be able to do it on your own. Wise and Godly counsel is a must for spiritual safety.

And there are others, family and close friends, who can see me better than I can see myself. In my case, there is no one more sensitive to my shifts in mood, thinking, behavior, and feelings than my wife. She sees subtle course adjustments in me long before I see that the ship has changed course. She helps me to know where I am at, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and if I need to check myself and get back on track. Sometimes she is better at expressing that in a way I can receive it instantly, and I can snap a quick and grateful course correction. Other times it takes me a while to be able to let go of whatever is bothering me and realize that she was right. I suspect (strongly) that the difference in those times has much more to do with me than with how she is letting me know. But whether I realize that I have gotten back in self quickly or it takes a little while, I am always grateful for her input and help. And that is also true of my parents and anyone else who is close enough and honest enough with me to call me on my crap. But what my wife, parents, or anyone else, can't do, is change me. No one else can make it better. No one else can change the way I feel or am acting or reacting. No one can take away the confusion, frustration and fear. No one, that is, except God. And that is true for you as well, Dear Reader. Our personal relationships can be wonderful blessings, and great indicators of how we are doing. Other people can help us get back where we need to be. But no one in our life, not spouse, parent, child, counselor, friend, or any other, is God. They can not do for us what only God can do. We must not look to them as our answer or solution to our problems, to supply us with our spiritual needs, or as the refuge to protect us from ourselves and keep us free. Only God can do those things, and to look for a person in our life to do God's part is unfair and cruel and a weight they can not bear and will only lead to misery, disappointment and heartache, most likely for everyone, when they inevitably fail and fall short of the perfect love and wisdom of Daddy.

Be grateful for the people that are a blessing and a help. Be of service, today and every day. Seek wise and Godly counsel. But don't ever forget that there is a God and that you're not it, and neither is anyone else in your life besides Him. Seek Him and let Him be your solution, safety and course setter and you will never be ashamed or disappointed that you did. People will fail, but the love of God never fails.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Unshackled Audio Echo ~ October 28, 2017 ~ Making It Right

Today's Unshackled Audio Echo was previously published on

November 6, 2014 as Making It Right.

Dalyn Woodard continued the series on spiritual freedom and recovery from bondage of all kinds. The sermon, “Making It Right,” focuses on Step Nine of the Twelve Steps and the Biblical principles behind it and is about 37 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.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ October 27, 2017 ~ Refusal Skills

This morning I am perhaps writing a Moment for reflection, growth and, hopefully, freedom, for myself, and you, Dear Reader, will simply be allowed to sit in on what the Spirit is saying in answer to a situation that I have been agonizing and stumbling over for quite a while now. Still, I hope that what helps me will help you. I read somewhere that the spiritual program of recovery teaches balance between selfishness and selflessness. If we get off balance we will fall over, and we can't be everything, everywhere or help everyone. We need to learn refusal skills. We have a right and a need to say no, and we need to take the time to take care of ourselves.

I must admit that I am not very good at taking care of myself sometimes. As I write this , it's about 5:30 in the morning, and I've been up for about an hour and a half. I need to sleep, but I am sick and hurting, and I know that if I stay in bed I will only cough and toss and turn and disturb my wonderful wife. So I got up, but in doing so I had a longer quiet-time with Daddy. What started out as an action I took for the benefit of someone else turned into a blessing for me, even though I physically feel pretty lousy. I wasn't trying to take care of myself, but the Spirit ministered to me, and it served as a reminder that taking care of my self is not my job.

Now, I am not talking about it not being my job to try and get enough rest, to eat at least healthy enough to stay somewhat fit, to not cause more damage to my back etc. I have a responsibility to care for myself in those ways, and I will most likely take it easy physically today and encourage recovery from whatever this illness is that is producing the sickness. But there is a reason that I don't consider that really taking care of self and why, while I agree that I need to learn refusal skills, I disagree with the idea of what I referred to in the opening paragraph.

First, the spiritual program of recovery, as it is laid out in the book, does not teach nor advocate a balance between selfishness and selflessness.

Selfishness - self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt.

So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us! God makes that possible. And there often seems no way of entirely getting rid of self without His aid. Many of us had moral and philosophical convictions galore, but we could not live up to them even though we would have liked to. Neither could we reduce our self-centeredness much by wishing or trying on our own power. We had to have God's help.

- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 62

I'm not seeing anything about balance here. It says the alcoholic (and this approach has been transferred over to other 12 Step programs, so it could read the junkie, the degenerate gambler, the credit card abuser, the over eater, the pron addict, the whoever is being controlled by something that is destroying life and relationships and either can't stop or can't stay stopped) must be rid of this selfishness. It doesn't say control it or balance it out with a good dose of selflessness. Must be rid of this selfishness.

And this is one of the many places where the 12 Step literature agrees with scripture. There are a few places where I would say that is not the case, and in those cases, scripture supersedes. Just like if a minister I respect happens to say or write something that doesn't line up with scripture, I throw that out. It doesn't mean I never listen to them again or that all that they teach is wrong. It just means that if there is a contradiction between what Daddy says and what a person is teaching, we should always go with Daddy. I encourage you, Dear Reader, to follow Paul's instruction and test teaching, even mine, against the Spirit of truth and scripture. But here, there is total agreement, because Jesus said if you want to follow Him, you simply deny self, embrace the death of self, and follow Him.

And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me."

- Luke 9:23

Deny self, not control it, not be a tad less selfish, and not balance out selfishness with service. Die self, die. In the Third Step Prayer and in the process of salvation, we surrender ourselves to God, totally and unconditionally. We offer ourselves to Him. We place our lives on the altar. Our lives are no longer our own, but rather we belong to Him for Him to use and do with as He sees fit. If this, what both scripture and spiritual programs of recovery agree on, that we are His to do with as He desires, is true, then taking care of my physical body is less about taking care of my self and more like upkeep and maintenance on the company car. I get to drive this body around, but it's not mine, and, out of respect for the Owner, I need to maintain it. I also don't need to balance anything with taking care of the self I need to be rid of, but I do need to keep the proper position between general service and specific service and obedience.

What I mean by that is that there are things that I would like to do, people I would like to be of service to, compassion, love, and kindness to give that Daddy has not directed specifically.  Of course there is a general directive to serve, to show the love and compassion of Christ, to do what Jesus did, so those moments of simply being a light in the darkness and being an expression of the love and compassion of Jesus to someone who needs Him is service, obedience and a very good thins to do. But even a good thing to do is not a good thing if it comes at the expense of the direct and specific instruction, calling or will of Daddy.

It would be a kind and caring act of love for Jesus to have repaired someone's roof, or raised another person from the dead, of fed some homeless folks, or just healed another few hundred or few thousand, but not if any of those good things had caused Him to miss His appointment at the Garden. The Garden of Gethsemane is where the real battle was won, where the flesh and desires of self were submitted, after much agony and struggle, to the plan and will of Daddy, and the garden was where the finale began with the betrayal and arrest of Christ. Even if He had saved more people in Galilee, we would be eternally lost had He not been at that appointed place and that appointed time. That said, there were many examples of Jesus being moved with compassion for someone in need and delaying or detouring His journey to do the will of Daddy in order to be meet that need. And stopping en route to help just happened to also be the will of Daddy. There were times where Jesus fled the crowds and the needs and requests of people to get alone with Daddy, to rest, recharge spiritually and commune with Daddy. And this also was Daddy's will for Him.

My point is that while the mind, emotions and body of Jesus may have been cared for and refreshed during these excursions into the wilderness alone, and while getting to the person or place Daddy instructed Him to go see may have been delayed by stopping to help someone else first, neither of these two instances were a case of Jesus doing anything Daddy didn't want or of Jesus taking care of or putting His self above others. Even the time in the wilderness was the will of Daddy and taking care of Daddy's instrument.

Sometimes Daddy would have us flee the multitude to spend time with Him. The crowd, or the individual, can wait or can find someone else to help them. We may need to be better prepared by the Spirit before we can do more good than harm. Or perhaps there is someone else who would be of greater help to the person in need than we would be or needs to be of service at that moment more than we do. We would be selfish to insist on being the one to help under those circumstances. Or maybe the person asking for help is really asking for us to help because they keep looking to people and in this case, Daddy doesn't want us to help because He wants the person to reach out to Him. Sometimes stopping to help someone on our way is exactly what we need to do, but sometimes it would only make us miss the appointed place and time where Daddy most needs us.

It isn't about balancing selfishness. It's about staying in the will of Daddy, even when that means saying no to a person or a crowd, even when it means saying no or later to doing something that would be a nice, kind, or good thing to do. It's about staying in the will and making a stop or a detour when we should, even if that alters the plans that we had made or that Daddy had made. If He says stop, we need to stop. And it means we go directly to the Garden, not stopping for anything or anyone or without turning to the right or left, no detours, no delays, when that is Daddy's will. We don't have to worry about balance, of any kind, if we simply stay guided, directed and controlled by Daddy. But know that there are times when we will have to say no to people, ministries and causes, or will have to say not right now. Sometimes we can get in bondage even to the idea of good, to the idea that when someone needs help, I am responsible to help them, so now I am afraid to ever say no because it might mean that they don't get help and die. But we are only responsible if Daddy tells us to help them. If He doesn't, we may do more harm than good. Daddy may have another hand ready to reach out that would be better, if we don't interfere and get in the way.Sometimes no is obedience.

Today, let us be quick to serve, love, and show kindness whenever and wherever we can. But if Daddy says come off alone with Me, or don't delay or detour with what I am calling you to, then let us not use service and kindness as an excuse to neglect the will of Daddy. Lord, we know that we can only stay in Your will through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He is the only way we know when to detour and when not to,  who to say I will do whatever you need to and who to say no to, when to face our fellows and be the light and when to get alone and recharge, and when saying yes to You means saying no to people and using our refusal skills. We ask that You keep us so filled with Your Spirit that we may know when, where and how to do each of these. Let us not forget the how. Even when we need to refuse, let us do so, with all the wisdom and compassion of the Spirit, in such a way as to not hurt or to treat someone as though they do not matter. Let even our refusal give glory to You and shine the light of the love of Jesus in the darkness. Amen.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Giving Thanks For All Things

Dalyn Woodard returns to the book of Ephesians, verse 20 of chapter 5, for a more in depth look at why being filled with the Spirit includes being grateful to the Father always for all things. How is that possible and what does it really mean? The message,  "Giving Thanks For All Things" is about 31 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, October 25, 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. Part 5, Good News, Bad News, can be found here. Part 6, But God's Amazing Grace, can be found here. Part 7, Welcome To The Family, can be found here. Part 8, Count It All Joy, can be found here. Part 9. Power Prayer, can be found here. Part 10, Walking In Unity, can be found here. Part 11, Grow Up, can be found here. Part 12, Trading Up, can be found here. Part 13, Daddy Knows Best, can be found here. Part 14, Turn On The Light, can be found here, and Part 15, Living Under The Influence, can be found here.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ October 25, 2017 ~ Daddy Does The Heavy Lifting

You know the Serenity prayer?

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. I really love the full version printed on the image. I heard it for the first time from my friend Paul. As soon as he prayed it, I thought wow! What a great reminder that God loves and accepts me as I am, not as I should be, but that Jesus did all that was needed so that Daddy doesn't have to leave me a broken mess. The Holy Spirit within me is changing me into the likeness of Christ as I surrender to God. It's also a reminder that even when I accept the things that I can not change, what is wrong will one day be made right, and I can trust God to work it so that even the most painful hurts can bring forth a good result. Most people, I think, are more familiar with the first part that I quoted at the beginning, and I wonder if others sometimes change it?

I do. And I don't mean trying to make it funny, although there are some amusing versions floating around the internet that have some merit. But sometimes the format of the Serenity prayer comes to mind with a twist. The latest for me is God, grant me the determination to do the things I can and need to do, the humility to let you have the rest, and the wisdom to know the difference.

I do have a part to play. God gives us acts of love, obedience and service. The great thing is that He also supplies us with all we need to do them. The truth of the matter is that there is nothing that I can do all on my own, nothing right and loving anyway. Even believing is not all me. Faith is a gift. No one comes without the Holy Spirit calling them. God chose us and gave us the ability to say yes to the call. But we do have a part. We still have to choose to say yes. We still have to kneel in the garden of our hearts and say not my will but Yours be done. Daddy gives us what we need to do what we need to do, understanding, ability, power, everything, but we still have to do it. We have to say yes to His will and surrender our own.

It's like we have a spiritual recipe with all the ingredients, step-by-step directions, even right-by-our-side help, and anything else we may need to take the fruit and the Bread and make something awesome with which we and others can taste and see that the Lord is good. But what Daddy doesn't do is tell us to go relax and have a seat while He does all the work in the kitchen. He wants to work with us, as well as in and through us. It's something that brings us closer together. It bonds us and unites us and draws us deeper into relationship At the same time it teaches us to rely on Him, that we can trust Him, His love and His provision. We become a piece of the recipe. Look what God can do! He makes us a part of His work, instruments of His love, reflections of His light in the darkness.

So we do always have a part to play in what God is doing in and through us, even if that part if only to say yes to what He wants to do. Sometimes our part really is that small. Lord, I surrender to Your desire to mold me and shape me. Sometimes it is a matter of obedience and staying the course. No, I will not surrender to this desire of the old me and to this temptation. I choose to say not my will but His be done, and since I know that this is not His will, I will not do it. It may feel that saying no and fleeing temptation by looking for the always provided way of escape takes all we are and have, every inner resource. Sometimes it does take all of us. That's why Paul would write things like and having done all, everything that you can until there is nothing left, to stand, keep standing. Because while it may feel like we are bearing a load beyond what we can take or carry, the truth is that Daddy is really doing all the heavy lifting.

I remember one time I was moving something with my little brother. I knew I couldn't tell him to just get out of the way because it would be easier to simply do it myself without hurting his feelings, so I let him help. But while it became obvious quickly that he wouldn't be much help, I enjoyed having him with me and doing it together. I managed to grab a hold of the piece of furniture in such a way that I could carry it myself, at the same time he grabbed a hold of one end. The way he was grunting and groaning, I knew he felt like he was doing a big part, and it became a team effort...until he slipped. When he slipped, he let go of his end of what we were moving. When it didn't drop, he realized that I had it all along. Doing our part with God is a lot like that. He wants us involved. He wants us working with Him. He wants it to be a team effort, but no matter how heavy your end feels, He's the one with the weight, and if you slip, He's got it and you.

But while we have a part, our part doesn't earn His part. What I mean by that is Daddy is not sitting back going you better do your best, all you can, and when I think you're trying hard enough or stepping out in enough faith, then I will step in and do the part that you can't do. It's not do all you can do and then God will help you. That's religion. Do this, be this, try hard enough, perform to a certain level and then God will respond. No. No. NO. Grace came first. Daddy knows what we need before we even ask, and He provided the answer before we even thought to cry out for help. He carried our burden, our guilt our shame, and every weight of fear, doubt, loneliness and emptiness. He did all that we could never do, first, and then, while He already had the load, He allowed us to help, to enter into relationship, to add what we could do to what He already did. What we do, can do, want to do, however our part is manifest, does not force or inspire God to help us. We don't have to do our 1% before He will do the other 99.

God is our refuge, where we can take shelter from what is happening, our strength, the power to do what needs to be done, and an ever-present help in times of trouble. Ever-present help means just that. He is always there, and when trouble comes, when struggle comes, when suffering, sorrow and difficulty arise, and they will, help is there and available. Always. At every moment. Not when you do a certain amount or put in enough effort. Our part is our response to Him carrying the load and asking us to join Him. It's not the condition that causes Him to do His part.

Today, let us do all we can to love, to serve, and to obey, and let us trust Him to do all that needs to be done that we can't do. Let us ask for the wisdom of the Spirit to know the difference. But let us not fall into the lie that what we do controls Daddy's actions or love or that we must earn His favor, help or love.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ October 24, 2017 ~ 10 Things To Do To Build A Better Day

No matter what your schedule looks like today, here are 10 things to do to make the day better:

1. Spend time with Daddy. Talk. Listen. Go through the day with an awareness that He is with you. Make a point to surrender the day and your will to Him, and if at some point you realize you've tried to wrestle the day back under your will and control, give it back. This is the first priority, because the power to do any of the other things on the list, to love God and love others, to stay free and be of service, all stem from this. We look beyond ourselves to Daddy's love for us, seeking to know Him more and more, to get closer and go deeper into relationship with Him. That makes both the best and the worst days better. It gives us what we need to have peace and endurance and hope and love in every situation and circumstance. It gives us what the thing or things that used to control us promised and either failed to deliver or charged far too much for. The life worth living with the ability to say no to the sirens call of destruction is found first and foremost in surrender of our lives, will and day to the care of Daddy.

2. Be grateful. Going through the day with care to be grateful and with a thankful heart helps us to keep our eyes on Daddy. It keeps us attentive to the Spirit.  Gratitude teaches us to be content and to trust the provision and care of Daddy. We may not get everything that we want. We may not even get everything we think we need at the moment we think we need it. But all we get and go through will take us to better relationship with Daddy, make us more like Jesus, enable us to help someone else and transform us into a reflection of the Spirit of love and grace for His glory. Therefore, there is always something to be grateful for. Because no matter what is going on in and around us, we never have a moment where we are not loved by God. Being grateful keeps us from falling back into self, and there is no better shield against bitterness, resentment and misery than a heart that is thankful for relationship with Daddy and for who He is and what He's done.

3. Practice love, compassion, kindness and forgiveness. Be a faithful friend, encouraging, comforting and building up your brothers and sisters. Love your enemies and pray for those who hurt and try to take advantage. Care for the outcast, the rejected and the dejected. Embrace the despised, and care for the stranger. In other words, love everyone you come in contact with today, the friend and foe, the family and stranger, the deserving and undeserving. Love the people Daddy loves, the way Jesus loves them, by the power and love of the Spirit within.

4. Be helpful. Do something to make someone else's day better, to lighten their load without expecting anything in return. Do it joyfully, without fanfare or hoping for praise. Practice random acts of anonymous service whenever possible. Make it your goal to be of such service today that everyone who encounters you has a better day because of you, even if they don't acknowledge, realize or know that you had anything to do with it.

5. Let go of the things you can't control. Remember that Daddy is in charge and not you. Stop trying to control and force life into submission to your will.

6. Invest wisely. No, I'm not talking about money. There is one resource we all have that can never be replenished. Nothing is more precious than time. We all have the same 24 hours each day. Make the most of them. Be productive when it's time to work. Enjoy the down time when it's time to relax. Laugh when you can, cry when you need to, and love with all you are.

7. Put down the stick. The one that you use to beat yourself up with. Treat yourself as though you are precious and valuable, because that is how Daddy sees you and what He has declared you to be. Don't treat yourself as worthless. You are beautifully and wonderfully made and loved. Treat yourself as such.

8. Be in the now. Stay out of the past, except to use it as a tool to show what God has done in your life and can do for others. Stop trying to manipulate and anticipate the future. Be responsible but don't live in dread of what may come. Do what God has placed before you this day and let tomorrow come at its own pace. This moment is the life we've been given and there is more to do in it than we can do without His grace as it is, even in moments of rest. Especially in moments of rest. Don't ruin the rest Daddy wants to give you worrying about tomorrow.

9. Stay eternally minded. Don't freak out over things that won't matter a year from now, especially those that don't matter in the eternal grand scheme of things. On the flip side, don't ignore the eternal. With that in mind, don't ever treat anyone as less important than your job, than your money, your possessions or anything else that will rust, burn, decay or pass away.

10. Remember who you are. You are a child of God, loved by Him, with all the rights of the heir of the King to live free, Live like it.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ October 23, 2017 ~ Finding True Friendship

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. 

– Walter Winchell

I saw the above this morning and thought, that's awesome and true. I don't know about you, Dear Reader, but I think that's a great quote. What makes it even more so to me is who said it. In case you are unfamiliar with Walter Winchell, he was a so-called journalist in the early to mid 1900s. I say so-called, because the gossip column he wrote doesn't really qualify as journalism. Successful, yes. Journalism, no. In fact, he was successful to the point that he became the first syndicated gossip columnist and gained a reputation for coercion, blackmail and destroying the reputations of people he disliked. When he died 11 months after I was born, only his daughter attended his funeral.

Here is a man who made his living and gained fame destroying lives. Even though he was famous, no one showed up at his funeral, not even just to gawk. Only his daughter came. What a lonely life he must have lived. And it makes me wonder who his friend was. There must have been someone who walked into his life and stuck around, perhaps preceding him in death. Or maybe his daughter was the friend. But this was a man who had the world walk out him, and something in his experience led him to understand the great value of a friend who embraces you when the whole world forsakes you.

No one fits that description of friendship better than Jesus. He will receive us and embrace us, even if father and mother forsake us. If we have alienated every acquaintance and burned the bridges of every relationship. Or if we are twisting ourselves into knots, living in constant dread that the mask is going to fall and break, and then everyone will know who we really are and what we're really like, and they will hate and reject us. Even if we ourselves are consumed by self hatred and would walk out on ourselves if we could, Jesus will never leave us. In fact, no matter how horrible and messed up and broken we may be before coming to know Him, Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts asking to be allowed to walk in when others would walk out.

And the amazing thing is, He knows what it looks like inside us. He knows our true motives, all the dirt and shallow buried skeletons in our closets. He knows the real us that we even hide from ourselves to the best of our ability. And still the Spirit says come. Daddy knows you exactly as you are, even better than you know yourself, and He loves you as you are, not as you should be. That's the truth before you enter into relationship with Him, and that's still the truth after the journey has begun. He knows the truth about how little our hearts have changed, how selfish and self centered we still are and how far we still have to go to be righteous and loving like Jesus. He knows every thought, motive, action and reaction that would have others and us saying and you call yourself a Christian? if it were known, that make us look like hypocrites. His response is to assure us that His mercies are new every morning, promising never to abandon us to our own efforts, giving sufficient grace and forgiveness, and calling us to return. Jesus is not waiting to beat us up or zap us with lightning for falling short of even our own standards. He is eagerly awaiting the chance to show us His love for us, to give us healing and comfort and freedom from our own natures and sin, to transform us into the best us that we can be, and to apply the laying down of His life to us.

That's how Jesus described the kind of friend He was. The man who would lay down His life for His friends. Then He said even My enemies are My friends, and I lay down my life for the worst of you. If you've lived in the bondage of addiction, you have secrets and things you absolutely hate about yourself. I know I sure did, and I never met a fellow slave who didn't. The idea of exposing the darkness of our past, mind and motives to light is a terrifying thing. But the truth is that the Light of the world already knows them, and still He is walking in as far into your life as you will allow. Things I whispered to one or two and prayed they wouldn't reveal in the early days of recovery I now boldly proclaim without fear. It slowly stopped scaring me, once I came to that place where I saw how my experience could benefit others and that Daddy loved truly loved me.

Even if you truly deserve to die friendless and not to have anyone show up at your funeral (hey, some of us do...., like me without what God has done in and for me), There is One who will gladly walk in to your life if you'll let Him. And the great thing is, He loves you as you are but also enough not to leave you that way. He will make you new and set you free, and will cause you to be someone who learns to love and be a friend worth having, a friend to the faithful and the friendless. A life with Jesus as your friend, not as your religion but as your real and closest friend, is a life worth living, no matter what's going on around you.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Unshackled Audio Echo ~ October 21, 2017 ~ Look What You Did

Today's Unshackled Audio Echo was previously published on

August 1, 2014 as Look What You Did.

Dalyn Woodard continued the series on spiritual freedom and recovery from bondage of all kinds. The sermon, “Look What You Did,” focuses on Step Eight of the Twelve Steps and the Biblical principles behind it and is about 37 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.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ October 20, 2017 ~ The Cup Of Generic Spirituality

I drink specialty sodas. Things like Kickapoo Joy Juice and Rocket Fizz Jalapeno Green Apple. Sodas that cost around $2 for 12 oz. I used to refuse to pay anything like that, even for 20 oz, and even now, I won't pay more for a 12 or 20 oz drink than I can get a 2 Liter for. The problem with the specialty sodas is that they only come in 12 oz sizes, occasionally you can find a 16 oz, which makes them a treat, an expensive treat, to enjoy from time to time rather than an all the time thing.

I drink generic sodas. Not all generic sodas. Some of them suck. But some of them aren't bad. The Orangette soda is as good as Sunkist in my opinion, except it doesn't have caffeine. And if I will pay close to $2 to see what a Sweet Corn soda tastes like (one of the nastiest sodas I've tried), why not spend less than $1 on a 2 Liter of generic soda to see if it's drinkable, or even good? Some of the Atwood's sodas aren't bad for the money, and neither are some of the Walmart sodas. The Greater Value Root Beer is actually good, if it's cold. And for 88 cents a 2 Liter quality doesn't have to be as high to make it worth it.

My wife bought me a generic 2 Liter I hadn't tried yet, another of the ones from Wally World, Mountain Lightning. Obviously from the name it is their substitute for Mt. Dew, my favorite regular soda. I tired it this morning. It's not a bad citrus soda. I will probably drink it from time to time, especially when Mt. Dew is not on sale, like it is now. Mt. Dew is definitely worth the 12 extra cents it costs when on sale. Like I said, the Mountain Lightning isn't bad, not at all, especially if you're not expecting it to taste like Mr. Dew. It doesn't.

It's in the same general category, citrus soda, but it's not Mt. Dew. It's cheaper, with a pretty good flavor, but it's not a great substitute for the Dew. Why not? Because it doesn't have the power of the Dew. Mountain Lightening has about the same amount of caffeine as Dr. Pepper, which isn't bad, but it is a lot less than the caffeine kick of the soda it's trying to market itself as a substitute for. And that is finally where I begin to get to the point of all of this.

I will continue to drink Mountain Lightning. But I will do so knowing it is a secondary, not a substitute. If I am drinking for taste and want to save a few cents, I'll grab it. But if I need power, if I need caffeine, I'll grab a Mt. Dew, if I'm going to drink soda. And this whole situation turns my mind to spiritual thoughts. I practice general spirituality like I drink generic sodas. Some of it sucks, and I don't go there again, but some of it's not bad. Some of it is pretty good.

There's nothing wrong with drinking from the cup of generic spirituality. Truth is truth. It's cheap and tastes good, some of it does, anyway. Now, when it completely contrasts or contradicts the spiritual truth of Daddy, then it should taste nasty. It's like Maple Bacon Soda, that sounds interesting and good (c'mon, bacon is always good, right?) but when you taste it, you can't even choke it down. That's what happens when you surrender your spiritual taste buds to the Holy Spirit. Something that sounds good but doesn't line up with the truth tastes bad. There is nothing wrong with some vague general spiritual truth, as long as it is indeed truth. Drink it up as an extra, as spirit candy or something. But don't lose sight of what you're drinking. It's the generic, and it doesn't have the same power.

God loves you. That's a true statement. There's absolutely nothing wrong with saying that, listening to it or agreeing with it. It's true. And it's also generic. When I say God loves you, I am thinking about God, the creator of the universe and all that is in it. But for all I know, you may be thinking about Zeus. I was about to type Thor, but I hear he's a jerk. The point is that I can picture one thing and you a totally different thing and us both be in agreement with the statement. That's what makes it generic. Any god will fit, as long as it's a god that can be seen as loving.

God loves you, so He won't hold your mistakes against you and it doesn't matter what you do. Still general, but I hope it doesn't taste as good to you. That's close enough to things we like to hear that it sounds good, but....It's not quite true. It does matter what we do. Grace is not the freedom to sin and live for self. And God's love will not make Him unjust. Just because we tried to be good or had good reasons for being unloving isn't good enough. God doesn't grade on the curve. And if we ignore what's right or try to gain God's favor through merit, we will fail. A lot of little g gods in generic spirituality will fit the first sentence of this paragraph, but not God. And that should make it taste a lot worse than we first thought it would.

But here is some truth with power. God loves you, as you are, not as you should be, but He loves you enough not to leave you the mess you are. Daddy knows that we can't be good enough on our own, that we do not have the ability to break free from selfishness and sin on our own, and that we need the help of His power. So He did for us what we can not do for ourselves. Daddy sent His Son Jesus to earth, wrapped Him in humanity to take our place. He poured out our shortcomings and imperfections and the justice due us on Jesus. And He poured the perfect love and service of Christ on us. Luther called that the Great Exchange. The ability to have relationship with Daddy, the enabling power to love and live as we should and the freedom to say no to what used to have us held captive is called grace, and it's freely given to those who accept the work that Jesus did on the cross. When we believe that the love that Daddy has for everyone and the death that Jesus died for everyone is actually specifically for us, Daddy loves me. Jesus died for me, the grace is given to us and the Spirit of God actually comes and makes His home in us. He comforts and guides and teaches. He gives is the power to please Daddy and get close to Him. He makes us like Jesus.

Now that's specific. That's a specialty spirituality, and it costs a lot more. There's also no truth with more power. God loves you is true, but not as true and powerful as Jesus is the expression of Daddy's love for us. There's nothing wrong with drinking from the cup of the generic, but don't be deceived into thinking it is the real thing and just as good. When you need real power, full power, it's found in Jesus, the Word made flesh who loves you and died in your place. He is the one who came to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free, and if you want your heart whole and you want to get and stay free, He is the only way with the power to make it happen.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Living Under The Influence

Dalyn Woodard returns to the book of Ephesians, verses 15-21 of chapter 5, and the topic of our identity. We are called to walk in wisdom, the wisdom of the indwelling Spirit of God, but we must take steps to properly utilize that wisdom and to be controlled and powered by the Holy Spirit. The message,  "Living Under The Influence" is about 48 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, October 18, 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. Part 5, Good News, Bad News, can be found here. Part 6, But God's Amazing Grace, can be found here. Part 7, Welcome To The Family, can be found here. Part 8, Count It All Joy, can be found here. Part 9. Power Prayer, can be found here. Part 10, Walking In Unity, can be found here. Part 11, Grow Up, can be found here. Part 12, Trading Up, can be found here. Part 13, Daddy Knows Best, can be found here, and Part 14, Turn On The Light, can be found here.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ October 18, 2017 ~ Beyond The Breaking Dawn

I recently listened to a speaker from Tennessee sharing his experience, strength and hope of nearly two decades of recovery. I enjoyed his talk a lot, but what hit me the most happened in the first few minutes of the hour he spoke. He told of sitting at the dinner table with his wife and daughter and having a moment of grateful reflection. He expressed this feeling by saying, "You know, God and AA changed my life." He continued his story by saying that both his wife and daughter at the same time said, "I hope they're not done."

Now that is funny, and I don't know if it really happened that way or if he is just expressing a truth through exaggeration. Speakers do that. The thoughts and feelings are true and the tale is a mash up up true events, but that exact sequence never quite happened. Maybe this is one of them, or maybe his wife and daughter actually popped off the quip quickly and together. It doesn't matter though, because what makes it funny and provides the impact is understanding the truth behind the story. That truth resonated with me, because I feel the same way, and I suspect that my wife and parents and all the others who are grateful that my life has changed so much for the better and that I am not the man I used to be are also hopeful that the progress does not stop where I am currently at.

I hope that God isn't finished with me yet. When I say hope, I mean it in the spiritual way. Not as in I am grasping at wishes. I don't wish that God will continue. I have a sure expectation, a hope, that progress will continue to be made. I have a come a long way. The difference between who I used to be and how I used to live and who I am today and how I live today seem like the difference between noon and night. But the truth is more like the difference between night and dawn. Dawn seems bright because  the night is so dark. It is a huge difference. That moment when you come to the realization that you no longer need the headlights while driving down the road because no there is enough light to travel by is awesome and huge. But at the same time, I can't remember ever being up at that moment and needing sun glasses as dawn broke. Now, shortly after, if I were driving east into the rising sun, I might need them. But the light changes before the sun is visible.

Dawn is much brighter than night, but it's not nearly as bright as high noon. And though I am far from who I used to be, I am also far from the man I know God has called me to be and is molding me into. I can get caught up in pride at the progress that has been made and become comfortable and complacent, slowing that same progress. I can also become discouraged that it's not noon yet and weaken the joy of the dawn. Or I can rejoice the joy has come with the morning, ending the weeping of the night, and yet fix my eyes on the Son, embracing the journey before me that is still far from over, and continue on, knowing the Son will continue to rise higher and brighter, will have His way, and will complete the work that has begun. By responding in the latter manner, nothing in me will create clouds that hinder the light shining in the day of my life. By staying grateful but moving, I know that life will continue to change for the better and that I will become even more of a light of Daddy's love, grace and power to those who are still trapped in darkness. And those who love me will have hope, true hope that doesn't fail rather than wishful thinking, that the spiritual progress and recovery will continue.

The breaking dawn and growing brightness of the Son rising higher in the sky of life is not remotely unique with me. Your miserable, fearful, weeping night can end as well. Joy and a life worth living, free from the terror and the bondage of the dark is as freely available as the dawn. Daddy loves you and wants to light up your world. It's more than the miraculous gift of no longer being a slave to drink or drug or whatever has you chained. It's more than just fumbling in the dark trying find direction and purpose. It is a bright life worth living unhindered by the night that preceded it, that gets better and better, more filled with contentment, peace, joy and love as the Son is lifted higher and higher in our sky. It keeps getting better, long after the breaking dawn.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ October 17, 2017 ~ Stretch On Out

Spiritual life is a series of changes and transformation designed to draw us deeper into relationship with Daddy and make us more like Him. Resistance is both futile and painful. When we accept the reality that Daddy's will is loving and best, our natural response of obedience produces peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and a life worth living.

Change can be frightening and inconvenient. Whether it is simply adjusting our plans for the moment or day, or if it's being led in a totally new direction in life, change can cause difficulty and uncertainty that isn't fun. This is especially true if we can't see enough of God's plan to know the destination is somewhere we want to be or how we'll be able to do what we need to do with the alterations to our schedule. We don't like change that we don't initiate because it emphasizes the truth that we are not in control. It can make us feel insecure in our abilities and to question our ability to be led by God. It can, and often does, lead to more work, and a change in one area of life or one part of the day ripples into other areas, making life feel less stable and secure.

As if changes to our direction, dreams and plans aren't bad enough, Daddy loves to stretch us. He stretches us beyond our ease and comfort. All those reasons we don't like change simply get intensified with being stretched. Stretching is always a change, and it always takes us into a position of having to exercise our faith and trust in Daddy's love, guidance and provision. About the last thing in the world I wanted or felt comfortable with had to do with hearing cell doors slam and hearing, seeing and smelling the aspects of incarceration, so it felt like God was turning me into taffy when He had me go to prisons and jails to minister. My wife Leah being called to teach a group discipleship stretched her, because she is not comfortable with public speaking. It takes effort to bend our knee and surrender to Daddy's will when He's asking us to do something we don't enjoy or feel gifted or qualified to do. When I feel God stretching me I can begin to understand why the stress of Gethsemane caused Jesus to burst blood vessels. In my experience there is little more satisfying and rewarding and little that brings more contentment than moving on out into those areas. Still my first instinct is often resistance, even though I have things in my life that I love and look forward to today that I hated and dreaded when called to them. As with physical stretching, what hurts today is done with ease down the road; just ask a trainer.

But with all the pain and fear that can come with the stretching and changes that Daddy uses and guides us to in order to shake our self reliance, break us and mold us into the image of Jesus, it's no surprise that even after such circumstances lead to good things and purpose in the past we still have a natural instinct to resist. Jesus had never done anything other than the will of Daddy, and yet He still had to wrestle with a natural desire to avoid Daddy's plans and method when facing the cross. The pressure and discomfort of being pushed and pulled off our course and picked for service we would never choose for ourselves (whether it's a one time thing of showing love to someone we would avoid or if it's a calling to an area outside our aptitude) can cause us to rebel. Especially since it isn't only the Holy Spirit that can cause change and pressure in our lives. People, places and things (including devils) can put pressure on us and be obstacles that cause change in our approach, schedule and plans as well.

And because we may not eagerly anticipate or enjoy what God is doing, because we have to adjust to Him instead of getting what we want, when we want it, the way we want it, we can put our self in a place of resisting God while claiming to be resisting the enemy, simply because we feel that if it makes us uncomfortable it must come from the pits of hell. If it gets in the way of our schedule and plans and interferes with our goals it should be rebuked and overcome. Don't do that! Stay in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to show you what is of Him and what is not. Yield to Daddy. Resist the devil. Don't resist Daddy. That detour that makes you 10 minutes late for work may be what puts you in a place to show the light and love of Jesus to someone in desperate need. What feels like it will ruin your day could save someone's eternity.

One thing I have learned is that having to work and push myself to stay surrendered and submitted and stretching to access the empowerment of the Spirit to act and react in love and obedience has always resulted in drawing me closer to Daddy and produced those fruits of the Spirit I mentioned at the start of this (I added a life worth living to the list from Galatians), regardless of the source of the obstacle or pressure. Whether God led me to the sea He would then have to part or the enemy threw up a wall only a shout of faith and the hand of God could knock down, continuing to walk by faith in grace under the direction of the Spirit always led to good and growth in me and glory for God. Resistance and wrestling for my own way and will always led to misery and defeat.

Today let us be quick to yield to the changes and stretching of the Spirit. He is taking us to a place of growth in capacity and flexibility so that we can hold more of the fruits of the Spirit within, so that we can walk even more in His power, utilize more of His wisdom, and have a heart more like Him and more full of Him. And not only will this make our lives even more satisfying and worth living, but it will make our light shine even brighter in the darkness. Remember that in order for Daddy to free us from the bondage of self and take away our difficulties that victory over them may be a display to those we would help of His power, love and way of life (a paraphrase of the Third Step Prayer), essential ingredients will be difficulties and obstacles to be victorious over and the comfort of self to be broken.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ October 16, 2017 ~ The Blessing Of Dissatisfaction

I want what I want, and I want it now. Can you relate to that feeling? I wish I could say that's how I used to feel, but the truth is that it is still often the case. Even in recovery. Even with following Jesus. In fact, it is sometimes exactly my prayer and my approach to spirituality.

But God, I want it now! I want to be like Jesus now! I want to be able to handle that messed up situation in a Godly manner with love and patience and compassion without struggling against my old nature now!

Sometimes I don't like the idea of progression rather than current perfection. I don't want to have to strive for the goal of perfection while accepting that I am being made more like Jesus from moment to moment. That's because of the feeling that progress is still failure. I had one of those moments last Tuesday. I had a seriously messed up situation, and praise be to God, I didn't handle it like I would have in the past. My old nature and natural reflex were kept in check enough to so that I didn't get rude or loud or go off on the folks who were themselves out of line and inconvenienced me. But I did get frustrated and angry and left in a huff because any attempt to try to get reparations would have let the beast of the old man out. Better to let it go than slip into raising the issue that I had been done wrong and someone needed to make it right, and now!

It was a mid-level finish in my mind. I didn't act like a complete heathen, but I don't think I showed a lot of Jesus either. And that made it feel like a total fail. You did better than you used to in such situations, something in my spirit said. Yeah, but I still didn't get it right, said my frustration over my performance. It reminds me of the days of early sobriety, when I felt frustrated over still struggling with my first instinct when things got hard. That first instinct was to drink or drug or both. I complained about it to the gentleman taking me through the steps, whose response that it might be my first instinct, but I hadn't followed through on the thought and was still sober didn't satisfy me. But I don't want to have to fight that desire every time something doesn't go my way!

He said something that didn't seem to help, but really did. First, he kind of chuckled, which frustrated me even more, and then he said, Dalyn, you're wanting 10 years of sobriety in 10 weeks. It doesn't work like that. It takes time. You'll get there if you just stick with it.

He was right. It took a while, although not nearly 10 years, but things changed. I can't remember when the last time a situation caused me to think, I need a drink. He was also right that I wanted the results of practicing the spiritual principles of recovery for years at the beginning of the journey. And that hasn't really changed. I want the ability of prayer warriors who have been fighting on their knees for decades, and I want it now, if not yesterday. I want to be able to radiate peace in the midst of chaos like my father does, without having to struggle against my lifetime of embracing the chaos and feeding the fires. I want the Christ-like nature of a saint whose been walking with Jesus for 80 years now.

But it doesn't work that way. Some things only come as you travel the road. You don't get everything at the start of the journey. But it will come. As you continue to walk in God's will, He will do the transformation work. We will be more like Jesus, and the struggle against the flesh will lessen as we walk faithfully by the power of the Spirit of God within us. The truth is that there are more and more instances where my first instinct is to respond like Jesus than there used to be. It's not always a fight not to do the old default actions. But that old default is still there. It always will be, to some extent, as long as I remain on this side of eternity. And I am not satisfied with the progress. I almost never am. I want to reach the goal and do it right, all the time, every time, and without an inner war!

Today I am grateful for that dissatisfaction. That may sound strange, but it's true. If I were satisfied with the progress, there would be no reason to press on when the fight gets tough or when I feel totally drained. I don't want to be happy or comfortable with almost right. I want to always be aware that even when I do better, which is great, I still want and need to be more like Jesus. Until I see Him and am made wholly like Him, I will never be enough like Him to be satisfied. That's a good thing. I want what I want, and I want it now. And although I can't have that, it makes me work towards it. Sometimes the best thing we can be is dissatisfied.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.

Getting Back To Right

Ted Maness shares from his experience how important it can be to spend time in fellowship with other believers and the value of cooperate worship. Worship does more than just effect us. When we are in a bad or bent place, we can draw on others, and when we are right, they can draw on us. The message,  "Getting Back To Right" is about 11 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, October 15, 2017. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.