Has your car ever been stuck in the mud? You give it gas again and again, putting it in forward and reverse. You get muddy as you try putting a rock under the tire. Nothing works. You feel powerless. Many people have an area of their lives like this. I know some people who have struggled with anxiety most of their lives, myself included. Others have never been able to rightly relate to a controlling mother-in-law. Some have battled anger and feel as if they never can get forward movement toward their dreams. Not giving up is a theme many movies have used to tug on deep heart strings; however, a key component to being able to not give up is to never stop learning.

Have you ever savored the work of a good carpenter? The intricate woodwork, the smooth fit and finish in a dark cherry; it’s exquisite. How does he do it? Skill and know how are clearly a big part, but also the knowledge of the right tool at the right time is huge. At our webinar this week we will discuss tools for removing blockages to being fully in the light so as to find growth in our issues. We will also explore techniques for more critically defining the fruit and root of our roadblocks which leads to more effectively overcoming them.

It is easy to feel discouraged over the things we’ve struggled with for years. There’s not only a sense of hopelessness but many times a feeling of loss. Nevertheless, these roadblocks actually can become our very stepping stones into our destinies as we are equipped with authority in the area of what we have overcome, and  have compassion for others who are stuck in a similar way.

In our upcoming webinar we will unpack some intricate tools for detailed carpenter work in finding freedom. These are tools Robert uses in the toughest cases of prayer ministry he encounters. We will also have some interactive exercises to increase our “know how” with these tools.

Come and join us this Thursday.

Foundations of Freedom Webinar, Thursday February 9,
7-8pm Eastern Time
Cost is $10. Registration required.
904-270-9472
info@fountainsoflife.org

When I begin working with a person in Prayer Ministry there are normally things that bother the person, ways they are triggered by others, ways life pushes their buttons. After awhile, when we get all those resolved, we come to an interesting place. The person is much more differentiated, and no longer easily triggered by the actions of other’s. However, passion for life is not necessarily restored.

Usually the last thing that comes up is grief and loss. Forgiveness has happened, lies have been displaced, yet, there is a loss. God made little boys and girls to need their fathers as available, engaged, safe, and fun. Releasing this loss is where deep connection is restored. The person is finally ready to move on to actively receive fathering from God and to live in community with others.

“Many have taken on our culture’s pain-denying view of grieving. Perhaps the most popular way in our culture of not paying attention to our losses and pain is by medicating ourselves through an addiction. People use work, TV, drugs, alcohol, shopping or food binges, busyness, sexual escapades, unhealthy relational attachments, even serving others at church incessantly – anything to medicate the pain of life.”

But grieving is part of our humanity, even as Jesus displayed it with the death of Lazarus. There are even many benefits from grieving. Here are a list of some from The Emotionally Healthy Church (p.168). Take some time to ponder these.

Benefits of Grieving:

• We become compassionate as our Father in heaven is compassionate. Henri Nouwen rightly says grief is the way to compassion. There is no compassion without many tears… To become like the Father whose only authority is compassion, I have to shed countless tears and so prepare my heart to receive anyone, whatever their journey has been, and forgive them from the heart. Absorbing our own pain, we learn to forgive.
• We have a greater concern for the poor, the widow, the orphan, the marginalized, and the wounded. We understand them.
• We are less covetous, less idolatrous. We rarely say, “I’ve got to have this or I’ll die.” Life is stripped of its pretense and nonessentials. We are more apt to rid ourselves of the unimportant things in life others so desperately want – power, control, money, or approval.
• We are liberated from having to impress others. We can follow God’s plan with a new freedom because we are not as motivated to please people.
• We are able to live more comfortably with mystery when it comes to God and His plans. We are not afraid to say, “I don’t know,” when people ask us questions about God. We become much more flexible regarding God’s intentions for our lives.
• We are characterized by a greater humility and vulnerability.
• We place God at the center of our lives and begin rejecting superficial, trivial pursuits.
• We experience an enhanced sense of living in the immediate present rather than postponing life until retirement. We easily now rearrange life’s priorities to be with our spouse (if  applicable) and friends.
• We enjoy a new vivid appreciation of the basic facts of life – the changing seasons, the wind, the falling of the leaves, the last Christmas, people made in God’s image.
• We have fewer fears and a greater willingness to take risks.
• We are kinder. A love flows out of us that is not based on people’s intelligence, success, money, appearance, or expressions of love for us. People no longer feel evaluated, judged, or analyzed by us. They do not feel controlled.
• We understand that what bonds us as followers of Jesus living in community is our brokenness.
• We sense the reality of heaven in a new way, understanding more fully that we are only aliens and sojourners on earth.
• We are finally at home with ourselves and with God.

Scazzero P. (2003). The Emotionally Healthy Church. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.

Today was the last day of the conference. The church here is a worshipping church which really seems to help people to be open. We had a tremendous ministry time today as most everyone in the conference was weeping as God touched them. There was a very successful business man who cried in my arms for at least 15 minutes.

We also saw some physical healings once again. Several women had pain in their chest and stomach and were completely healed. One kept poking herself in the stomach showing the pain was gone. Another lady has had a foot problem for seven months receiving weekly injections for the nerves and unable to move it, she was in tears as she showed all of us how she could now move it. This has not only been one of the more open places I’ve been recently but also one of the hungriest. On top of the meetings I have done 6 one on one ministry sessions with 6 more after the service in the morning.

One of the sessions was very interesting. It was a lady who has lived in Venezuela for about 20 years but is from Cali, Columbia. In her childhood her dad would always talk in favor of leftist guerilla groups and as a teenager she joined one! She was involved for a number of years. At 18 she became pregnant and her mother refused to help her with the child, thinking she would then just return to her activities with this group “19 de Abril”. She had fallen in love with a Venezuelan and so moved here. Four years ago (16 years after coming here) she became tired of never having any peace and always having nightmares from her time in the guerilla group and all the things she had done. She got saved in the church we are working at. One thing interesting that she said is that she has seen in the Bible that we are not supposed to take advantage of the poor, which is part of what these guerilla groups do. They get people stirred up and against the government on the basis of their poverty. As I ministered to her today she forgave her dad for influencing her in that way and received healing over the regret she had over how her life would have been had her dad influenced her toward an education.

Thanks to all who have been praying. We have also had a lot of warfare over this event. I have never seen more sound system problems in my life. Then after the service the pastor will check and find nothing wrong. My Spanish has also gone well which was a big concern of mine as it has been two years since teaching a conference in Spanish.

Check out photos http://fountainsoflife.org/photos.htm

Check out video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTWASxOMOfM