Unshackled Echo ~ April 30, 2019 ~ Automatic Updates

My laptop attempted to update this morning. I postponed it for four hours and then went on a settings search. I hate computer updates, especially automatic ones. For too long to remember, I had the computer set up where I had to go in manually, tell it to search for updates and install them, Something happened within the past couple of months that reset the settings somehow and suddenly the computer began updating automatically. I would get a 15 minute warning before shutdown. I caught the first one by the grace of God as I recorded my father preaching one Sunday morning. Had I not gotten up and checked the recording levels in that 30 second window the warning shows up, the programs I was using would have been force stopped and the computer would have restarted in the middle of the recording. I saw it, postponed the action and continued recording. This happened every week for a while, then the attempts became almost daily, even though I did allow it to update.

This morning, I went back in and changed the settings. Now once a month  or three I will have to go in, tell it to check for and download updates and install the ones that I decide I want, but I won't have to worry about interference and shut down in the middle of something I'm doing. I don't have to worry about Microsoft sticking something on the computer I don't want (and no, I do not want to update to Windows 10. I love Windows 7 as is, thank you very much). I don't want to give up that control. I don't entirely trust Microsoft not to mess up something I like. I know that when set to do things automatically it seems to always happen at the worst, most inconvenient time. I like to pick when I check for updates, when I defrag, etc. I like to choose if, when and which updates I install.

Sometimes we treat God like I treat Microsoft. The Spirit pops up in the middle of our routine, during some activity we don't wish to postpone or stop and says it's time to communicate, we need to replace some things, we need to update, we need to change some things in our operating system. We respond with delays, not a good time, reschedule, we want to control the times table. Wait, we think, I'm not too sure about this particular operating system update. I'm pretty comfortable with the current one. Let's just leave things as are for now. I don't mind that particular flaw, drawback or problem too much. If I change it, I won't be able to enjoy this self function I really like.

No, God is not Microsoft. He doesn't have to debug anything. His updates are always better, always an improvement, and the things He wants to remove and change, need to be removed and changed. His timing is always best, no matter how intrusive or inconvenient to our plans and wishes. To follow Jesus means to allow Him to control, manage and transform our operating system. That means we need to set everything to automatic. Automatically check for instructions, updates and recommended changes. Automatically make changes and updates the Spirit calls for, without picking and choosing or postponing. Force stop all activity and applications to concentrate on updates and restart whenever the Spirit says to do so, because there is nothing going on in our lives, ever, that is more crucial than a system update. Ever? No, because if it truly were the Holy Spirit wouldn't pick that time to do it. God's will is always the best option and timing for us.

No, we are not the system administrator of our lives any longer. Give up control, even the control of when to run system checks and updates and communication must be surrendered. At least spiritually, feel free to tell Microsoft to wait.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

April 30, 2016.

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 Echo ~ April 26, 2019 ~ I Suck, Nerdblock Rocks

I recently made a comment on social media and to multiple friends and family members that put Nerdblock in a bad light. What I said was true, in the strictest sense, but since I had not examined myself and my part of things first, was not rigorously honest. How so? All that I said was that I was not happy with Nerdblock, or with Nerdblock customer service, which was true at the time.  But had I paused before reacting to ensure that I had the whole picture, to check my side of the street and the true reasons for my anger and frustration I would have found much earlier than I did that, while at the time I truly was unhappy with, frustrated with, and angry at Nerdblock on the surface, my anger in reality had little to do with them.

I received an email from the aforementioned company asking for feedback on the scifiblock box I received from them. I haven't filled it out yet, but the email reminded me that after the communication with customer service they sent an email to evaluate that experience, and I gave a bad review. I didn't do so publicly, but in reality this could be more damaging than my public action, as this could affect the poor customer service person's employment. I will be writing to the company to try to undo any damage my review might have done, but since I expressed my dissatisfaction publicly, I want to set the record straight publicly as well.

My dissatisfaction and anger were not the fault of Nerdblock nor warranted. Alex, the unfortunate soul who drew the short straw and handled my customer service, did nothing out of line or wrong and didn't deserve my reaction or my poor review of his performance.  As I took personal inventory over the past few weeks in order to deal with some things spiritually that have been bothering me, I finally began to see that none of my temper tantrum had anything to do with Nerdblock or its policies or employees. It, like most things that make me angry, was all about me. This self examination led to yesterday's UM Anger Issues Tick Me Off and also caused me to see that just sitting back and going oops, I was wrong, when my words and actions might have adversely affected someone's standing in their job and the company's sales, when even if only one person failed to do business with them because of my actions it would be too many and wrong. Hence the public admission of my part.

This all started with the purchase of a scifiblock and a comicblock box subscription, one month each, for my birthday. And it started with fear, that corrosive thread. That should have been a bright neon warning sign, because I can't stay afraid long without getting angry. I used my entire chunk of cash that my mother and father gave me for my birthday to get the boxes. What if I didn't like them? What if it turned out to be a waste of money? What if I should have bought the new Star Wars movie on Blu-ray instead? What if? The magic magnifying problem projector in my mind was working all too well. And part of my fear had to do with the auto renew aspect of the subscription policy. I still don't care for that, hate it really. But that said, most companies do it that way, so it is not a policy out of step with the market place, and if I had the disposable income to get the boxes regularly, I would likely love that I didn't have to do anything to renew. I only hate auto renew when I know that I can not afford the product and the responsibility falls on me. If I fail it will cost me something, and I don't like that. And that, if it's not obvious, is my foolishness and in no way a fault of Nerdblock or any other subscription company.

The information that I received did not have some important things to know, such as when the subscription would  renew, and I became frustrated with that. The times I tried to use the email link to manage my subscription didn't work at first, and when it did, I was unable to log in to the account. I assumed I had some time since it had not been a month since the first subscription, so when Leah told me that we'd been charged for another month, I became angry.

But if I am honest with myself, this was a failure on my part, not theirs, and my anger was really because of and at me. Had I not just waited, and contacted customer service when I first couldn't get in, the problem could have been handled a couple of weeks before I was charged. I didn't pursue taking care of my responsibility and risked being charged. I'm sure had I contacted them earlier they could have helped me before there was a problem. Especially, since, as I learned later, they actually had given me the information.

Through nothing they could control, my email, for reasons that I still don't understand, put my receipt email through to my inbox, but sent everything else that they sent me to my spam folder. This included the instructions that I couldn't find, a list of dates in which subscriptions are renewed each month and the assigned password that would have enabled me to log into my account. I didn't find these until after I had dealt with customer service and gotten upset. I knew that it was past time, but I had received no notice of shipment as promised. This should have been a clue to check my spam folder, but I didn't because of receiving the first email. I assumed I would have gotten anything else that they sent.  Had I contacted them when I first had problems and doubts or even checked my spam folder everything would have been fine.

I got angry because I felt I had failed, because I felt stupid for not being able to figure out how to do what I needed to do (a difficult task indeed with the information I needed in the spam folder), and because I felt like I had cost us money we didn't really have to spend. I was angry at myself but directed my anger at them for making me feel helpless, foolish and a failure. None of which they were guilty of. I complained that they charged me before the first package was shipped, which it turns out they didn't. I just didn't know it had shipped. Stupid Spam filter. I need to turn it off, if that's even possible. I can throw away my own trash. I complained about being charged early, when I wasn't and would have known it wasn't had I seen the email they did send which had the dates for renewal.

The customer service rep had no way of knowing I hadn't seen any of the several emails they had sent, which if read would have taken me through the steps needed to avoid everything I was upset about. He responded with what I am sure is the scripted response that they can not refund or cancel a subscription after it has been charged, which is clearly and boldly stated in one of the "spam" emails. If I were him I would have been thinking, idiot, you knew there were no cancellations or refunds after the (insert date here), why didn't you address this before then and not two weeks late? I can't do anything now!  Whether he thought any such thing though I don't know because he answered everything courteously and promptly with what the policy called for. I had tone as I responded that I found it hard to believe that it was impossible to cancel a subscription before it had shipped, as though he lied or was trying to con me out of money. But they did state the policy clearly. Not their fault I didn't see it.

About the time all of this was happening, I got my scifiblock box, which I absolutely loved. There was only one thing in the box I didn't care much for, and I am sure that many would like it very much. It was more than worth the money it cost, and I am happy with what became my birthday present. I expressed my joy and posted a photo of my haul, though I had to throw in a barb about being dissatisfied with the customer service, that, as pointed out, they didn't really deserve. Along with all of my great stuff, the box included notification that the next box was a tribute to Leonard Nimoy. I became thrilled. I love Star Trek and was a fan of Mr. Nimoy. At least if I bought an extra box it would be something I would love to have.

I still had not found the spam filed emails and had not cancelled the comicblock renewal and was in a near panic that it would be charged to me before I could get it stopped. I sent yet another customer service email stating that they better explain to me how to cancel it or do so on their end or I would be even more upset and public about it. I also stated that I wasn't as upset about the other now that I saw it was a Nimoy Tribute but didn't want to miss the time to cancel the comicblock since I had made it clear that I didn't want to renew, even if not through the proper steps.

They sent me an email stating that they had canceled the subscription that I had been charged for after all, an attempt to bend over backwards and break their own policy to keep a customer happy. They never had a chance. I was so messed up in myself that I got angry at that! It's embarrassing to admit, but I did. Seriously? I just told you that I was no longer upset because I wanted the Nimoy box and now you refund me and cancel it? Well, I had also said I couldn't afford it. I had ranted about my frustration. I had insisted they were making it difficult to cancel in order to get more money out of people, none of which was accurate. So they responded to paragraphs of such stupidity and ignored the little, well I guess it's not too bad at least it'll be good to get it sentence? Of course they did. They were not trying to make anything difficult, they weren't trying to trick me or anyone into spending more than they wanted and they were trying satisfy a customer that would not be satisfied because of his own issues and mistakes and things beyond their control. Thankfully none of the customer service correspondence went to spam.

Alex did nothing to be dissatisfied about. He did his job, above and beyond from the looks of things. I do regret not getting the Nimoy box, but had I seen the email with the renewal dates and instructions, passwords, etc. to cancel the box, I would have unsubscribed before I knew about it anyway. I am grateful that they did so much to try to satisfy my complaints, when I was in the wrong about their intentions and policies. I have nothing against Nerdblock. I am dissatisfied with my failure to check my spam box, with my foolish reactions and procrastination. I am dissatisfied with how I tainted what could have been a wonderful gift and experience. But I am not dissatisfied with them in any way. Should I have the money in the future to get another subscription I will not hesitate to do so, and I pray that the thought of having  to have me as a customer again does not make them cringe.

This has become more than a moment and is not a lesson or thought or meditation on freedom that normally constitutes these writings, So is there a point that could be helpful to you, Dear Reader? I hope so. Step 10 states that when we are wrong we promptly admit it. I admit that I didn't do so as promptly as I perhaps should have. I was definitely in the wrong. Also on the subject of cleaning up our side of the street, when the wrong is committed for all the world to see, so should admitting the wrong be. If we want to be free, we can not correct in private the wrong done in public, unless to do so would be better for the injured party. Regardless of how long we have been walking the spiritual path of freedom and relationship with out Creator, we all still make mistakes. False pride that it might hinder our message of hope to people if they knew we failed to walk in the principles we preach, such as don't react, practice restraint of tongue and pen, don't be controlled by fear, don't react with anger, when angry look within to find out why we are really upset before expressing that anger and more. I failed to walk in these. No excuses. No one else's fault. Not even the spam filter's fault, because I could have checked it at any time. No matter how much time one has in recovery, no matter what status we might imagine having as being an example or teacher, no matter how long or "strong" a Christian, no matter what position one might hold as mentor or minister, we all make mistakes. Do not be ashamed to admit it. Don't let feeling foolish and shame and pride prevent us from getting back to the basics. Don't compound failing to practice the principles that brought us to life and gave us a life worth living by failing to quickly do what we should after falling down.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

April 29, 2016.

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.

Balance

Dalyn Woodard shares why we don't have to be afraid to run to Daddy. While it is true that the light of God can not accept or mix with darkness, His love has made a way to transform our darkness into light. The message, "Balance," is about 12 minutes long, and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on April 28, 2019. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen.

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 Echo ~ April 27, 2019 ~ Beautiful Scars

On the girl's brown legs there were many small white scars. I was thinking, Do those scars cover the whole of you, like the stars and the moons on your dress? I thought that would be pretty too, and I ask you right here please to agree with me that a scar is never ugly. That is what the scar makers want us to think. But you and I, we must make an agreement to defy them. We must see all scars as beauty. Okay? This will be our secret. Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, I survived.

- Chris Cleave, Little Bee

I love this quote, and I do think that scars are beautiful. I also think that they represent so much more than mere survival. We, as humans, have a tendency to hide our scars, as though they are ugly or shameful. Scars mean something went wrong. My fault, somebody else's fault or nobody's fault, something has to go wrong for a scar to form. Something has to break, to cut, to wound, and the worse the wound the longer lasting and more visible the scar.

I have a scar on my face, a couple of them actually, barely visible at this point, but I know where they are and what they are and can point them out if need be. I have some 30+ year old scars on my wrists that aren't visible anymore because I didn't do a very good job making them. One of the few times it really was more about crying out for help than going home. But they were there for years. I have a scar on my chest that happens to be set in bold ink, yes, we call those scars tattoos. I actually have five of them, but one is a scar, the evidence of a wounding that occurred during my incarceration. I have little scars from childhood, some of them are tied to memories, some I can't remember how I got them for anything.

I remember trying to cut the head off a doll as a boy and the knife folding closed on my finger, nearly cutting it off. I remember the blood dripping all over the floor and in the sink and my mother's concern and near panic (within a few more years the result of raising three Woodard boys would kill that panic and make her an expert at quick triage. God bless my poor mother and every gray hair my brothers and I have given her.). That one is there. Some of these scars actually have fond memories associated with them, some have no memory associations, and some I would just as soon forget, or at least not have a constant reminder.

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But scars are as important as they are beautiful As Papa Roach says, the scars remind us that the past is real. We are far more than our skin, and we are more than the scars in our skin as well, but our scars identify us, they become a part of who we are. When Jesus appeared in the room with the disciples after His resurrection, His first words were to bring peace. His first action was to show them His scars to prove His identity and credentials and something else as well.

The scars Jesus showed proved who He was, proved that He had the right to tell them, "Peace be unto you," since He was the One who spoke peace to the stormy sea in their presence. Yes, identity and credentials were in that gesture of showing His scars, but so was proof of restoration, evidence of healing power. Scars are not wounds. We sometimes act like they are infected, oozing wounds, but they aren't. They are what is left when healing occurs. Sometimes there is some overlap. I have a friend who had a car wreck when younger and went through the windshield face first. The wounds seemed to heal and scars formed, but for several years afterward her body would slowly heal more and push pieces of broken glass to the surface from deep inside and out. But she wasn't a bleeding, infected mess waiting on the deep healing to finish, and the scars were evidence of that.

And, as I am sure you know, not all scars are in our skin. Mental and emotional scars are as real as physical ones, even if they are not always easy for others to see. And these scars can also be beautiful. That beauty is similar to the beauty of the feet of those who bring good news. You see my wrist, I know your pain. - Creed. When I try to help drug addicts and alcoholics there are things I can say, scars I can show, that let them know that I too have been there, I know that particular wound from experience. I can do the same with sexual scars, rejection, self-hatred, suicidal tendencies, mental health issues, and more. Burn scars are different than road rash, and both are different from a blade's remnant. We all have scars of different sizes and kinds. A road rash scar can still be a beautiful sign of hope to a burn victim, because similarities matter. Because no matter how it came, all scars are evidence of wounds.

We, like Jesus, can come to the frightened and broken and speak peace, but we have to show our scars. Our scars prove our identity as human and broken too. They prove our credentials when we say that there can be peace during and after wounding, when we have peace and proof we have been wounded. Most importantly we show our scars to show the power and glory of a God who doesn't leave us bleeding, infected and dying of gangrene. There is healing available. Restoration is part of it. The scar shows others that we've been bloodied too, that they can indeed survive it, and even better, that they can recover.

Take your wounds to the Great Physician. And don't hide your scars. They are not ugly. They are not shameful, like the scar makers want us to feel and believe (even when the scar maker is us). They are beautiful examples of God's design and power to bring us through the trauma. Scars are the marks of hope on the art of our lives.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

April 27, 2016.

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 Echo ~ April 26, 2019 ~ Jesus Doesn't Play That Way

Leah introduced me to a new game. It's called Slither.io, and in my opinion it works best on tablets but can be played on a laptop or desktop. It's fun. It's frustrating. It's highly addictive. It's a little like a twisted version of Pac Man, but a  multiplayer game where there are no ghosts. It's every man for himself, eating as many dots of light as possible to make you grow without being killed by the other players. If you run into someone, you die and become balls of light, which make others bigger as they eat them. If you cause someone to run into you, or even if they run into you by accident, they die and you get to join the feeding frenzy.

As a free multiplayer game there are as many different approaches to the game as there are different kinds of people. There are the leave me alone to scavenge, I won't hurt you, don't hurt me types. The I won't go after you if you don't go after me, but if you try to kill me I will kill you types. There are the psychopaths out to kill everyone. There are bullies, always picking on those littler than themselves. And that's about it. I have seen my wonderful wife play protector. She  actively tried to protect some little guys from the bullies and went after those players that were playing mean, but I haven't witnessed much of that in the actions of others.

The thought occurred to me that Leah's Punisher vigilantism, you're a crazy mean killer so I'm going to kill you before you can kill that innocent guy who isn't so innocent, is as close to a Christian play style as I've seen. Not that being a vigilante is a good way to be a Christian or shows the light and love of Christ in any stretch of the imagination, but God is a protector of the weak. Contrary to popular opinion, God does not help those who help themselves. He helps those who realize that they can't help themselves. So this I will protect the weak from the bully is honorable, and I haven't seen much of it. I definitely don't play that way. After all, it's a game, right?

Yes, it's a game, and there's no reason to play this, or any game, not to win.. It doesn't mean you're not a good Christian if you are a psycho killer in Slither, or even a bully (but if you're a bully Leah may try to kill you).

But you know what I haven't seen? I haven't seen anyone stay small so that others can eat all the light. I haven't seen anyone sacrifice themselves for the benefit of everyone else. I haven't seen anyone play that game like Jesus did this thing called life. And that's because you can't win that way. It's not because it's just a game and nobody's really getting hurt and you don't have to feel bad for being a jerk and killing me. It's because it's just not in our nature, not in a game any more than in life. We simply can't live sacrificial lives, laying down our lives for our family and friends, much less our enemies. C'mon, even as a Christian, most of us balk at the idea, even at the idea, of wanting to.

Disagree? Ask yourself this. A man calls you up and informs you that he has a team, and this team has an extremist terrorist captured who is responsible for the deaths of innocent children and Christians and who, if freed, will most likely be responsible for more of the same. They have a politician diametrically opposed to everything that you believe in who may actually be able to pull off remaking the country you claim to love in their image. And there is a nice old lady, who as far as you know has never hurt anyone seriously and may never do so. He tells you he'll free one or more of these three if you tell him to. You have the power to save one, two or three lives right then, but if you save anyone, a sniper is going to shoot you in the head, and you'll die Who do you save? Yourself?

I would. Honestly it would take a miracle and some crystal clear communication from God for me to do any differently. Die for the terrorist or the sleezeball politician? No thank you. And the old lady may deserve it more in my opinion, but she's lived her life. Why sacrifice my growing old with my wife to give someone I don't know an extra year or three? No, I don't think that way when I'm playing games, and I surely don't when it comes to living life. None of us do. We may lay down our life for our brothers-in-arms or family or even a close friend or innocent child, but even then there is an implied Tom Hanks laying there bleeding out and gasping out, "Earn this."

I don't want to die for you any more than you desire to die for me. But Jesus did. He died for that terrorist, for the politician, for the young, the old, the good, the bad, the rich, the poor, the gay, straight and not a clue. He died for me. He died for you. When we were enemies, bullies and failures, when we had no hope, no chance and no ability to ever earn or deserve His sacrifice or His mercy, He died for us all. And without demanding that we pay it back, that it change us, that we stop one single thing. Bullies can keep being bullies. Terrorists can still terrorize. Thieves can keep stealing. No one is forced into compliance or conforming with God's will or ways. But for those who want to be free, for those who are sick of life the way it is when they try to manage it, for those who want a life worth living, then that sacrifice Christ freely made, before we even realized we needed it, is our ticket to something better.

He made the way for us to not be who and what we were before. He set the captives free. He cleaned up the junkie and the drunk, and made pure the prostitute, the killer and bully. There is nothing about your past that could possibly disqualify you or bring a higher cost than He paid. There is nothing in you, about you, or how you are that you are ashamed of that He doesn't know about even more than you. And He still loves you. He still loves me. Isn't that amazing?!

Understanding that you are loved by God, as you are, unearned, undeserved, with no chance of being good enough, that He loves you as you are and not as you should be, but that He also loves you enough not to leave you as you are, will change your life, make you new, make you clean...that my friend, will put a whole new outlook on life That will make a difference the world can see like a lighthouse shining in the night That's how Jesus did it when it mattered. That's what he did for you and for me. He died so we could live. And never does He ask us to earn it. And He never said, like I say to Slither.io players, even thought they can't hear me, before I turn on them, that if you didn't try to hurt me I wouldn't try to kill you.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

April 26, 2016.

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.

Don't Get Burned

Hebrews 6:4-8 is one of the most controversial passages of Scripture. Dalyn Woodard continues the series, "Jesus Is Most Excellent: A Study Of Hebrews," with a look at what it means to and for us that there is a falling away that can take one to a place where it is impossible to return them to repentance. This passage is both a warning and an encouragement to believers. The message, "Don't Get Burned," is about an hour and 5 minutes long, and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on April 24, 2019. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen.

You can hear the first message in the Jesus Is Most Excellent: A Study Of Hebrews series, "It's All About Jesus," here, the second message, "A Most Excellent Word," here. The third message, "Jesus Is Enough," here. The fourth message, "More Excellent Than Angels," here. The fifth message, "Defeating The Dangerous Drift," here. The sixth message, "The Most Excellent Man," here. The seventh message, "The Most Excellent Help," here. The eighth message, "Consider Jesus," here. The ninth message, "Don't Lose Your Rest," here. The tenth message, "There Remains A Rest," here. The eleventh message, "Living And Active," here. The twelfth message, "Hang On And Come Close,"  here. The thirteenth message, "We Need A Mediator," here. The fourteenth message, "Wax Build Up," here, and the fifteenth message, "Growing Up Is Not Optional," 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 Echo ~ April 24, 2019 ~ Let Us Listen

There are times when I am in a group setting discussing recovery and I try to contribute something solution based and truthful to the talk. From time to time however, the best thing I can do for myself and the group is not to speak unless addressed and then to thankfully decline the opportunity to speak and confess to be listening only on that particular day.

When I first started down my journey down recovery road I heard and saw others decline to share and proclaim to be listening instead, and somehow I formed the mistaken thought that this is something that people new to recovery or struggling for some reason need to do from time to time. That part may be true, but it is not the whole truth.

Every preacher, every prophet, every lay person in a relationship with their Creator has something they have been given in order to give it away. We are all called to be a light on this spiritual journey. We will all have something to share from time to time, even if only one on one. We are not all called to preach, but we are all called to carry the message to the captives and to those still suffering. We are called to share our experience, strength and hope to help others. But not always.

Even the preacher and the prophet has times when they are not told to preach but to listen. Do not fall into a trap of worrying about what other people think, what you feel you are supposed to be giving rather than receiving or that you are in any way obligated to give when God has not instructed or given something for you to give, when you are in need of help, service and conscious contact with God yourself.

Today let us shine for Him and be quick to speak when given something to speak, but let us also be just as quick to listen and let our needs be ministered to as well. Let us not pretend not to be needy when we are. Let us not push it away and use service to cover the fact that we need to hear from God. Let us listen.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

April 24, 2016.

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 Echo ~ April 23, 2019 ~ Comfort Zone

If Facebook had been around in Israel at the time of Christ can you imagine the kinds of memes that would have been posted about Matthew and his co-workers and friends? They would probably say things like if you're getting rich stealing from Jews while collecting taxes for the occupying Romans than you're a traitor and shouldn't be able to call yourself a Hebrew. Things like Tax collectors hate Abraham. Seriously, these guys were the lowest of the low in the eyes of the people. The only people worse were lepers, and they had a contagious disease. I guess a tax collector who developed leprosy would have just needed to totally give up. No one loved him.

Except Jesus did. This man Matthew, who was basically what we would have today if someone who sympathized with ISIS went to work for the IRS, overcharged everyone he could and funneled funds to those who wish to destroy us, was loved by the only man in the area who actually wasn't a sinner. Jesus hung out with him. Jesus not only ate with him, but He ate with all of Matthews friends too. They had to be as big of losers as Matthew was, or they themselves wouldn't have been friends with him. I can tell you from experience, we losers stick together. And Jesus was comfortable with them.

Yes, you read that right. Jesus was comfortable hanging out with sinners and traitors, the worst society had to offer, the ones all the religious people slammed in the social network, shunned and refused to touch....literally. How do we know Jesus was comfortable and not just spiritually creepy crawling His way through His duty to preach to the broken? Well, mainly because Matthew was comfortable with Him. If Jesus had gone in there with an attitude like He was holding His spiritual noise form the stench and these losers should repent and get right before they get left, Matthew wouldn't have become a disciple. If that were the case, the self righteous attitudes and condemnation of the Pharisees would have brought him to repentance long before Jesus showed up.

Jesus didn't participate in sin. Jesus never said sin was OK. But Jesus didn't try to shame the sinner into repentance either. Jesus never acted condescending toward anyone, even though He and He alone had actually lowered Himself from heavenly heights to walk around with lowly sinners. His love for them, for us, made Him feel perfectly relaxed and at home by our side, at our tables and on our Facebook pages with our offensive sin in plain sight. And being comfortable with sinners drew the sinners to Him.

And how many sinners, once drawn to Him, left their tables and followed Him? I did. Matthew did. Do you want to be like Jesus? It's not found in acting better than anyone else or rejecting those who are just too stupid to understand how their sin is ruining everything. It's found in being comfortable enough in who we are in Him to forgive the affront and love the loser, the traitor and the enemy. It doesn't mean being comfortable with the sin, but it does mean we don't act with condescension, like we're doing them a favor or being righteous for allowing ourselves to be seen with them, It does mean understanding that without the deodorant of grace that we would stink just as bad, even if it is a different stench. Remember that, unlike Jesus, we are not perfect and didn't come from heaven. The difference between the glass houses of the self righteous Pharisee and the lowly sinner wasn't much to be descended from in the eyes of God.

Oh and since I know many of us in the recovery world who have been in the gutter and been the lowest of the low have no problems climbing back in the sewer to reach out to others like we once were, remember that on the Sabbath Jesus went and taught in the temple. He was as comfortable there, surrounded by the self righteous religious hypocrites as He was in Matthew's house. There is a reverse snobbery among those of us who have always been labeled the freak and the loser. We must be as quick to love and be comfortable with the self righteous as we are the self condemned if we want to be like Jesus. Because they need grace and love and God as much as we did, and may even have a more difficult time seeing it.

Lord, let us learn to be comfortable with the sinners and the saints without losing sight of the grace that set us free and who we are in you. Let us be beacons of a better way, of love. Let us remember that you love us, all of us, as we are and not as we should be.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

April 23, 2016.

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.

He's Alive - What A Precious Gift

Dalyn Woodard performs the Spoken Word piece, "He's Alive," before Wally Flynt shares how amazing it is that Jesus would give Himself for all of us and how our God is a personal God. The message, "What A Precious Gift," is about 9 minutes long, and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on April 21, 2019. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen.

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 Echo ~ April 20, 2019 ~ Everybody Wants Heaven, But Nobody Wants To Die

Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die. That of course is not some deep original thought of mine, and it is mostly true. I say mostly, because there are people who want to die, or at least don't want to live the life they have any longer or just want the pain to stop. Still if you could offer every suicidal person on earth the chance to live without the health problems, mental problems, relationship problems or whatever bondage has them so miserable that they want to die, I dare say that they would choose an idyllic life over death.

The statement is also true from the standpoint that everyone wants to go to Heaven, but so many don't want to pay the ticket price. We want to make it harder than it is, or cost more than it does, or we want it to have no cost at all. It ranges from do the impossible, keep the law and be perfect to just be able to be considered a relatively good person. And the truth is that it's both easier and harder than that because it is completely free and costs everything. It has nothing to do with our being good or bad but in Christ's goodness being given to us through the cross. By grace we become new, able to have relationship with our Creator and live life as we should. But while it's free and already paid for, it does have a price, and that price is everything. In order to follow Christ we must be willing to die to ourselves, to sacrifice our will for God's, to crucify our nature in order to have His nature reign in us. To get to Heaven, all you have to do is die...die spiritually in Christ and to Christ so that through Christ you can live again.

And that brings me to the wildest part of today's musings. Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die. Yet, there is one who left glory in Heaven because He wanted to come to Earth and die. He wanted to die? Yest, for the joy of the results of that death, He gladly endured the shame and pain of death by crucifixion. He died so that you and I could live, with Him, forever. He did what none of us really want to do in order to give us an escape from death. But He didn't stay dead. There may be times when it seems like He's gone or not doing anything. We may even think He's gone for good. But no matter how dark and hopeless things might seem on Saturday, Sunday's resurrection victory is on the way and because He lives, we can live and face today and tomorrow.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

March 26, 2016.

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 Echo ~ April 19, 2019 ~ Giving Up

Ever have those moments when you're just ready to quit, to give up, to curl into a ball and cry or even die? Do you beat yourself up about it? After all we're supposed to stand our ground and having done all to stand, keep standing, right? We're supposed to hold fast and press on toward the goal, aren't we? We're not supposed to be unable to keep going. We're not supposed to just not be able to take another minute of this "moment" that is starting to feel like an awfully long time.

But feeling like this doesn't mean you're failing God spiritually or loosing faith or anything horrible and negative about you. It happens to the best. It's called exhaustion. Exhaustion can kill us. Exhaustion can make everything harder and make it impossible to go on, regardless of faith and belief. There is a reason God in His Word stresses the concept of rest.

You may be familiar with the story of Elijah the prophet. If not, his tale can be found in the two books of Kings in the Old Testament. This was a man so revered for his faith and the way that God used him that when Jesus walked the earth many believed he was the reincarnation of Elijah. Elijah is one of the spiritual heroes of the Bible. He stood before hundreds of false prophets, mocking them and showed them up by calling down fire from heaven to burn up a water soaked offering. He stood before a king and queen of Israel and called them out on their sin. He refused to take the safe route or back down. It seemed like no matter what he faced he approached it with a let's see what God can do attitude. Until....

One day the queen reacted to his trouble making and calling her out by going after him in return. And what did this mighty man of God and faith do? He ran, hid and cried out to God to just let him die. Then he fell asleep. He'd been fighting the good fight for too long without a break to keep fighting. Exhaustion took his faith, left him scared and hopeless. And how did God react to this man losing his faith and giving up?

He sent an angel who woke him up and fed him. Then He let him sleep some more. He cared for Elijah, He let Elijah rest, and. even more, He provided rest for the prophet. Elijah recovered and went on to continue the amazing story of faith.

Rest doesn't mean sleep. We can become exhausted physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually or a mixture of any and all of these. We can sleep 14 hours or more in a day and still be exhausted or we can rise after not sleeping at all in some situations feeling rested. Lack of rest ruins hope, razes peace and sucks the life out of joy. Sleep matters, because lack of sleep eventually effects every area from the body to the spirit, but sleep is not the answer. The Bible mentions rest over 500 times. That's how important it is, and those are not instructions on how we can manage to rest. The tricks of self help that aid relaxation do not do the trick, at least not for long. The Bible tells us that rest is a gift from God. He provides it, and we must find it in Him.

If you feel like it's time to give up the fight, like you just can't go on, like everything in the world is falling apart and it would be better if the weight just finished crushing you and be done with it, maybe what you need instead of determination, or more faith or strength or anything else is to cry out to God and just stop trying to make it through on your own. Let Him give you rest. Stop believing that you are supposed to be able to carry it, fight it, keep going. Remember that He is our strength and our portion.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

March 16, 2016.

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.

Growing Up Is Not Optional

What are the elementary doctrines of Christ and why is important that we leave them? Dalyn Woodard continues the series, "Jesus Is Most Excellent: A Study Of Hebrews," with the answers to those questions and how we are called to mature as Christians. The message, "Growing Up Is Not Optional," is about 54 minutes long, and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on April 17, 2019. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen.

You can hear the first message in the Jesus Is Most Excellent: A Study Of Hebrews series, "It's All About Jesus," here, the second message, "A Most Excellent Word," here. The third message, "Jesus Is Enough," here. The fourth message, "More Excellent Than Angels," here. The fifth message, "Defeating The Dangerous Drift," here. The sixth message, "The Most Excellent Man," here. The seventh message, "The Most Excellent Help," here. The eighth message, "Consider Jesus," here. The ninth message, "Don't Lose Your Rest," here. The tenth message, "There Remains A Rest," here. The eleventh message, "Living And Active," here. The twelfth message, "Hang On And Come Close,"  here. The thirteenth message, "We Need A Mediator," here, and the fourteenth message, "Wax Build Up," 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 Echo ~ April 17, 2019 ~ I'm Not The Boss Of Me

You’re the boss of your life, not your feelings. Don’t let your emotions run your life.

~ Joel Osteen.

This morning I was toying with an idea of what to write for today's Unshackled Moment and not really liking it. I saw a notification that someone had retweeted yesterday's UM, and I clicked over to their Twitter page to thank them. I saw another of their recovery oriented retweets, and gave that a click as well. Then I stopped myself. I had to. Youtube, Facebook and Twitter can be quite dangerous if you're trying to do something quickly and not wanting to chase rabbits here and there for who knows how long.

The person I had followed to another page is a recovery writer, and yes, I actually hit the follow button. Looks like he's got some good stuff on his page. I didn't want to read too much though, as I didn't want to influence my morning's writing. I was just about to leave the page and go to my daily readings while letting my mind subconsciously chew on the theme for the day when I saw the quote I opened up with today from Joel Osteen. The quote was tweeted with the comment that while this person was not a big fan of Osteen's the quote  does make sense. At first glance I felt the same way.

I have a friend in the rooms who loves to remind us that not everything you think and feel is real. Feelings can fool you. A great man no longer with us used to say that you can't go by your feelings, but it is nice sometimes to feel what you're going on. Both of these ideas are about holding onto truth that has made us free and going on, faithful to the spiritual principles in every area of our life, no matter what our emotions tell us. Our emotions, our feelings, do not change truth and do not really matter when it comes down to the nitty gritty of staying free from bondage. What matters is not how we feel but what we do. We can't let our emotions blow us about like a ship that has no rudder.

Knowing that taking our cues from our emotions is not always a wise thing to do, I started to click the heart/like button. Then it hit me, what made me hesitate when I first read the quote. From a purely recovery standpoint, dealing only with addiction, I actually can not agree with Osteen's quote. It makes sense on the surface, just enough sense to be dangerous. Step one: I can't. Step two: He can. Step three: I'll let Him. More accurately, step three: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. Basically, from a recovery standpoint only, this is 180 degrees in the wrong direction from the the twelve steps to freedom. Sorry, but no. If you want to get clean and sober and stay that way, you better not be the boss of your life. You can not manage your own life. Give it up, surrender or die. The rest is the part that makes sense. You can't let emotions rule, but not because you are the boss, rather because you have surrendered to someone higher and your emotions no longer have the right to reign.

I say the quote is dangerous in that context because when addicts and alcoholics forget that they are not the boss of their own lives anymore they tend to relapse, and relapse far too often results in death. But Dalyn, you and the other writer were both taking Osteen our of context! He's not a addiction counselor. He's a minister speaking to a more general audience. Actually, if you thought anything in that neighborhood, I agree so much that I had to write this and put off my earlier idea for another day. I don't have any issue with the other writer. I followed him on Twitter. I believe I understand the retweet of Osteen and why it made sense. I almost clicked like myself, because the second half of the quote is something we need to remember and be reminded of. But Osteen has a huge following, and he just told them something as dangerous as it's okay for children to play in the street. If only one person gets the warning I heard my spirit cry out, I had to shout it. Get out of the road!

I'm not confining Osteen's quote to recovery. I am a recovery minister, but a minister. I am coming at this not from a secular 12 Step place but rather from using the steps only as a tool to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. There is one God, creator of all, who is higher and above all, and it is He of whom I write and preach. Yes, I preach freedom from the bondage of addiction, but when I say recovery, I'm talking about recovery from the bondage of self to freedom in Christ. I don't care what the chains are. There are people who have never ingested chemicals or alcohol, or gambled or let their spending get out of control or fed their pain or any other thing the steps have been used for on a large scale who are in bondage and need to recover. We all have sinned and fallen short. We are all captives and broken without Jesus.

So I had to look at this quote as it was intended originally, not as a statement to addicts and alcoholics alone, but as a statement sent out to Christians and potential Christians from a minister of God. Like the other writer, I am also not a big fan of Osteen's, and haven't read or listened to him. I am not saying anything about him or his ministry as a whole. I am addressing only this quote, but when a person sends out a quote, and it's actually something they themselves said, they are choosing not to add or delete anything else contextual. Therefore the quote must be interpreted as it is read. And I'm sorry, but as a stand alone statement, which is how this was put out by Osteen (or his people), from a Christian standpoint, never mind recovery only, this quote is not just wrong, but the very opposite of everything Christianity is about.

You are not your own. You were bought with a price. You belong to God. In order to belong to Christ, you must daily die to self. You are no longer the person you used to be, but a new creation in Christ Jesus, protected and guided by the Holy Spirit in complete submission and surrender to Daddy. No, you are not your own boss, and while there are decisions and choices that we as servants are allowed the freedom to make for ourselves, and we shouldn't let our emotions control us, we are not the ones in control. God is. The very second we step into the driver's seat of our life we have stepped outside of the will of God for us.

It may seem like I'm making a big deal out of something that that isn't that big of a deal. Only it is. We have to remember the truth that made us free and gave us life, life worth living and abundant. The idea of you are or can be your own boss is the lie from the garden that began the race to the grave from the start. That's a pretty big deal. It is the opposite of everything Jesus said, of everything that the Scriptures tell us from Genesis to Revelations. There is nowhere were we are ever allowed to believe or act like we are in control instead of Daddy without it leading to destruction and death in our life, and that is a huge deal. Today, let us remember that we are not the boss of us and stay surrendered to the One who is the boss in order to be free from being misled by our emotions, our fears our situations or even our own will.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

March 15, 2016.

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 Echo ~ April 16, 2019 ~ Step Away From The Scales

From the outside looking it always seems unfair, in one direction or the other. The scales never quite seem to balance between our life and others. We look at someone and think or feel, well, at least I'm not that poor soul or at least I'm better off than they are. Then we look at another and have to brace ourselves against waves of envy and self pity as everything we've always wanted falls into their lap. Wow, he has the career I dreamed of, look at her wonderful family, etc. But the truth is that for all we know, that first poor soul is so much better off than we are that we would be ashamed if we only knew the depths of their relationship with God, despite not being able to walk, or being broke or whatever external thing made us think we're better off. That second person may have the idyllic life on the outside and be more hurting and miserable within than we have ever experienced.

Maybe not. Maybe the first person really is far worse off than we are, and maybe that second person has been blessed beyond belief. The thing is that either way, we can never really know. We need to be willing to extend a hand in love to the broken and wounded and to rejoice in love with those who have been blessed. And we need to be willing to let the Holy Spirit help us determine which is which.

Leah is waiting on a definitive diagnosis that will come after a spinal tap, but from the scans and tests done so far it appears that she has MS. Either way, she definitely has many symptoms of this disease. She, like, many who suffer with MS and other diseases like it, often look fine on the outside. They hear things like you look good today, or you look like you're feeling better, and they do look that way. But under that appearance is pain and weakness that is nearly unbearable. Some people look like they have the perfect job, the perfect home, the perfect life, but if you only knew their heart you would see pain, fear, and desperation. We need to be able to take our cue from the Spirit to be able to reach out in compassion to those our instincts and senses would tell us to rejoice over.

At the same time, there are those we would pity and reach out in compassion towards who could teach us much about joy, peace and love and are far better off than we. We simply can not compare our insides to someone else's outsides and get any kind of accuracy, for better or worse. You can't always tell the poor souls from the blessed based on appearance or circumstances. Today let us allow the Holy Spirit to guide our reactions to others and let us let go of envy and pride. If we look at someone else, let it never be in judgement but merely to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Otherwise let us look within only and see where we need to go and what we need to do to get closer to Him and not worry about how our life measure's up against another's.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

March 14, 2016.

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 Echo ~ April 15, 2019 ~ Life And The Voice

Thanks to two friends of mine, I have discovered The Voice, now that it's in the tenth season. A while back I told Leah that we were going to have to watch this season, because a friend of mine was trying out for the Blind Auditions. Simon, your mother was the only person I ever knew who had the pipes to cover a Mariah Carey song and not fall short of the original,, and you, my friend, have got it too. Now, I don't think you could sing Mariah worth a flip, but you have a great voice. Keep trying. I saw someone make it to the Blind Auditions this season that had tried and failed seven times before. Also I think Blake would love you, but I would go with Adam anyway.

Now that the personal message portion of my writing is done, you see what first sparked my interest. Simon Snyder, who is more than good enough to be on the show, was trying out, and didn't make it....this time. I don't know if it was song choice, nerves or if whoever was doing the auditions just simply messed up, but when I heard he wouldn't be there this season, I changed my mind about watching the show. There was no reason to watch after all. Then one day when we were hanging out, my buddy Christian wanted to watch the first two episodes he had recorded. I was pretty much hooked.

I decided to go back and stream from the start of the first season and work my way through all the ones I've missed. There have been several preacher's kids on the show, which I think is pretty cool. But the way that the show is designed made me think about some things that I am very grateful that about. For those whom, like me, have made the mistake of not watching this show and are unfamiliar with it, The Voice is not just an American Idol copy cat. And it works differently. Professional singers, or coaches, campaign to recruit talented singers onto their teams based on voice alone. They can not see the person until after they make a choice. But then it gets a little messed up. The teams are cut down to finalists from within. Until the very end, your only competition is your own team members, which means these are not actually teams. It also means that if the majority of the best singers end up on the same team, they will be eliminated by one another, and weaker voices can survive longer by being the strongest voice on a weak team. It also means that coaches must pit their performers against one another and choose one to keep based on who rose to the occasion and did well or who they like more or whatever criteria they have. They have to sacrifice one to raise up another.

I am so grateful that this is a game and not how life has to be. Jesus came by and called out come to Me. He offers His love and help and a better life worth living. And if we respond to His call, we get to join Him, have relationship with our Creator and be personally trained and coached by the Holy Spirit to bring out the best of the gifts that we have been given. But here's what I am grateful for. You never get kicked off the team for choking under pressure or failing to measure up to somebody else. In fact, God never compares us to anyone but Himself, and since we all fail miserably when compared to perfection, He pours out His grace on us all and makes a way where there was no way before. He knows just how to coax out the best of what is within us and that we were created with so that we can shine, but He doesn't illuminate any of us by dimming anyone else on the team. He never raises one up by putting another down, and while we compete against each other far too often, that simply breaks His heart. He wants us to be family in unity who help one another reflect His glory to the best possible degree.

But His ways are not our ways. Too often, we act more like we're competing on The Voice. We try to outshine the person next to us by overshadowing them. We try to earn God's attention and favor. We put down our brothers and sisters to try to make ourselves look better. Today, let us remember that being on God's team means having the best talent coach possible within us, it means never having to worry about being eliminated....ever, and it means that we are suppose to love and help one another, not fight and compete amongst ourselves.

One last thing, Simon, I still can't wait to hear your original song "Jesus And Cigarettes" hit the charts.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

March 12, 2016.

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.

Tough Times

No matter how thankful we are, we can become complacent with our gratitude. Wally Flynt shares that when something difficult happens it can either destroy our faith or awaken it. We need to guard against complacency and ungratefulness and draw near to God. The message, "Tough Times," is about 56 minutes long, and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on April 14, 2019. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen.

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 Echo ~ April 13, 2019 ~ Don't Fear The Dark

Does it ever feel like God has given you  a direction and once you step out on the path He's given you things go awry? It just feels like, what happened? This isn't what I thought was going to happen. It can make you question everything. Did I really do what God wanted me to do? Did I confuse what I wanted with what God waned and somehow miss His will for me?

Let's revisit the life and story of Joseph before we allow our fears to drag us down into the pits of despair. God gave Joseph a dream, but as soon as he began to share that dream the attacks began. His jealous brothers began to hate him and even plotted to kill him. They settled on selling him into slavery. God, you told me I would rule and here I am a slave! It had to feel like a giant leap in the wrong direction, but he held on to his faith. He began to prosper despite his status, and when things began looking up, a false accusation of attempted rape sent him to prison. Seriously? This is not what is supposed to be happening! The moment things look up, everything goes to hell. Maybe it would be better if they didn't get better because the snap back is worse than where I was before. How easy it would have been for Joseph to doubt and to sink into self pity. But he kept holding on to the truth that God is faithful, despite what his circumstances and feelings might have been telling him.

After years in prison a window of opportunity opened. Here is a glimmer of hope. God put him in a position to help someone who had the ear of Pharaoh. Here's my chance. He asked the man to tell Pharaoh his plight and received a promise for just that thing. And then he was forgotten. God, didn't you give me this chance to get out of this hole? But God knew what He was doing. If Joseph had been brought to Pharaoh then, he might have been set free from prison only to be returned to slavery. The situation in the land was not right for Joseph to move into what God planned for him. It had to be disheartening and frustrating to sit in prison feeling forgotten, but it was exactly what it took to prepare everything, the situations and Joseph and Pharaoh, for what God needed. And when the time was right, everything fell into place. But the process took years.

Don't let impatience and fear fool you into thinking that you are not where God wants you to be. He can protect you and prepare you for more, even when it feels like all that is happening is that He's leaving you or throwing you into a pit. If it feels like the rope He held out to you snapped, don't let the feeling of falling make you give up on God. Where you land will be better than the vision of the top you saw yourself climbing to. Sometimes, like Joseph, we are taken through darkness and treacherous places before we see the fulfillment of promises we received from God. Sometimes, like David, we get our anointing and then spend years fleeing and barely surviving before we step into the kingship that we were called to. But those dark times can be when we get closest to God. Don't be afraid of the dark.

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

March 11, 2016.

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.