Christianity Oasis Forum

[Dora]

I'm back.
I wanted to share with you a song I woke up with this morning.
It's not a Christian song but sometimes God uses nonChristian things to minister to us.
Eagles - Take It Easy

This man has so much on his mind.
He reminds himself to not let his own mind drive him crazy.

Take it easy
Take it easy
Dont let the sound of your own wheels
Drive you crazy
Lighten up while you still can

Sometimes our own minds can turn and turn like wheels on a vehicle.
Driving us crazy.
Focus on the Lord and the good things he has done and will do for you.

Well, Im running down the road
Tryin to loosen my load
Ive got seven women on
My mind,
Four that wanna own me,
Two that wanna stone me,
One says shes a friend of mine
Take it easy

, take it easy


Dont let the sound of your own wheels
Drive you crazy
Lighten up while you still can
Dont even try to understand
Just find a place to make your stand
And take it easy
Well, Im a standing on a corner
In winslow, arizona
And such a fine sight to see
Its a girl, my lord, in a flatbed
Ford slowin down to take a look at me
Come on, baby, dont say maybe
I gotta know if your sweet love is
Gonna save me
We may lose and we may win though
We will never be here again
So open up, Im climbin in,
So take it easy
Well Im running down the road trying to loosen
My load, got a world of trouble on my mind
Lookin for a lover who wont blow my
Cover, shes so hard to find
Take it easy, take it easy
Dont let the sound of your own
Wheels make you crazy
Come on baby, dont say maybe
I gotta know if your sweet love is
Gonna save me, oh oh oh
Oh we got it easy
We oughta take it easy

[Mackenaw]

Take it easy.

God bless you, Pine.
Love,
Mack

[josinella]

Sorry I was being selfish, I understand. I was going through a valley and didn't want to be there, this time, alone. I know God is there, He has always been there. I am a carnal, flesh being and I know what I need to satisfy it. In my healing, God has taken away the sinful things I relied on and has replaced it with His presence. But I have never known to trust and seek comfort from others. God wants us to love one another, unfortunately, as worldly people, we don't always do that.

I am a very affectionate person in a very loveless environment. It hurts sometimes when I can't reach out. I know God is here but I don't always feel His presence. I am not trying to feel sorry for myself. It is hard trying to explain who I am in this forum.

I have kids that live with me. I have joint custody but dad is self serving and has also turned his back on God to serve this world. So the kids really depend on me for all. In the last 22 yrs. I have worked at least two jobs at a time the entire time except for last year. We struggled last year, and I am paying for it this year. I did learn the importance of getting lots of sleep, I feel a lot better. If I could get a career job, I won't need the extra work. I am getting older and I feel that all I do is beat the street. It takes a lot of prayer and energy to be a good parent and fight the demons of the past. I just hunger for love, intimacy and support at times. IF I wasn't a loving heart, it would be easier.

My prayer in surviving my childhood was that when I became an adult I would find that special someone and have a loving family. It has never happened and I got worse. But we made the best of it. My kids know God and are well adjusted. I'm just here to be a foot soldier for God. I just need someone who would appreciate real spiritual intimacy. I can't believe God put me here to suffer alone, to just toil, to just be invisible and loveless. I don't believe this! I don't have a helpmeat?

[mlg]

sis, I want to share with you something. I have been a single mom now for 6 years. I have had to work many long days to provide support for my child. There were many times I wondered why God has made me do this alone. I have found now that God was using this time to draw me nearer to Him. To teach me to have a love for Him that is unmatchable. When I found myself seeking so desperately to fulfill the wants of my fleshly desires, I was absolutely miserable. I never was happy, and my expectations were set for me and not for God. Now that I spend my days trying to fulfill what God wants me to be, I am much more content and at peace. God has not provided me a fleshly helpmate sis in these 6 years. I've had to rely on God to be my helpmate. God wants to give you, the desires of your heart, but sis, He honestly can't until you have walked the path He has you on now first. God may provide you someone later sis, and then again it may be His will for you to stay single...but no matter His will sis, be happy in what He is doing for you. Be happy that your children know Jesus. Look for what God has already blessed you with. Be content, and then He can do more for you.

luv ya sis

[josinella]

Thanks all. I hit a valley the last couple of days. Pine & mlg1279 are right for telling me to stay the path that God has paved for me. I also need to call on Him when I get like this. He's always been there and I've called on Him before, I just didn't listen to what He told me to do or accept what He was trying to do for me in the past.

Maybe if I tell you what is going on then you will understand. And I am also sorry for the chaos I'm causing but when I have gotten like this before, I have gotten off track. I can't tell you all that it going on because it involves someone else. But, I know that God's hand is in this. I'm trippin' because God's use of me defies my belief system. But I have to believe my worthiness because God picked me for this. I can identify with feeling overwhelmed, mlg1279.

God has called on me to help someone else, in an abundant way. As I read the Bible, God doesn't seem to pick who "we" feel are the most qualified to do His 'jobs'. He picks the least of these. That would be me. God sent me to the church I go to to do His will, but I'm not at my best. I'm broke and out of my career, and I'm struggling. I'm a 3X divorcee. Me and the kids are very deep feelers and believers. We say what needs to be said for Christ. We talk a lot at home about God and read the gospel. I feel that we grow stronger in Him and people see that. We talk about life out of our experiences. The church members see that as a powerful witness/ministry.

The Bible is a power metaphor for living today. The gospel has opened my mind, soul and spirit. His word is confirmed in what I hear in sermon, those He sends my way and life events. God has always been with me, I just never listened until now. And I have never acted upon His wishes until now. He is transforming me. This is where the problem comes because as a carnal person, He sometimes takes me out of my comfort zone. It is very scary to me. I am willing to go (as long as I see the path) but, from a worldly sense, I'm treading on dangerous ground. This entire situation has made me see who my real friends are.

My life experiences, counseling training/background and state of heart is why God picked me to help another presently. I know how Moses felt when God asked Him to speak to His people. I know what Paul meant when he said, "he is the least of these". I am willing to go the path to help this person who has fallen off the path because I know that God is trying to strengthen X and is using me for His purpose. I let satan hit me hard this weekend with my greatest weaknesses.

I keep posting to this site because I trying to stay on this side of the dirt, not the path that satan wants me to go in. When I get low like this, i guess I need to call on God and ask Him for His presence and quidance. I'm used to doing it all myself. I have 6 kids (2 grown married with kids, 2 at home, 2 in college). It's hard being a matriach with some many developmental ages. But, all but one (oldest step) is saved. I just need to learn how to reach Him. My kids have noticed the change in me and they are getting closer to Him too! It's about the comfort zone and I guess I feel if someone was here for me to hold onto, it would make me feel physically supported. I am a very affectionate person. My kids say I love them too much!

When I posted my prayer online, that was a first, out of my comfort zone. I felt naked and exposed. I need to get stronger in Him. When God called upon me to talk to X, I squirmed and wrestled with it but I got His purpose done. I silently prayed and asked God if I had said all that He wanted me to, no response! But the next day I received a blessing. Now I am waiting, on X. X confirmed all that Christ revealed to me (again frightening, He was right) and it is X's option to heed the Word of God or not.

God has been talking to me a lot in the last year. I thought that I was having obsessions but everything He has revealed to me He has confirmed in His own way: through others, through sermons, through the Bible. It scares me, like everything is happening so fast & deeply. But they say He never puts on us more than we can handle.

Sorry, I just fell apart and needed to release it. I don't have a spiritual outlet i.e. I don't shout or speak in tongues. Thanks for being there for me.

[mlg]

Hey sis, I want to say it is so exciting to hear that God is leading you out of your comfort zone. Scary at times huh? Well it's scary when we look at it from the fleshly side. But when we look at what God is doing through our Spiritual eyes...it's exciting and new. I know how you feel sis, because everytime God leads me into something new, I get nervous and sometimes I listen to the enemy whispering...and I begin to have doubts. Keep your focus on God, keep your ears to His voice, follow His will and He will not lead you astray. God knows the plans He has for you. Allow Him to show them to you, and follow His footsteps.

luv ya sis

[josinella]

Again, thanks!

Be blessed.

[Dora]

Josi you are so much stronger than you realize.

Loving watching you work through things through Christ.
God is good.

[Mackenaw]

Hello Josinella,

God bless you this day.

Yea, those lonely days stink sometimes don't they? I have moments and sometimes days that loneliness pokes and prods at me too, and I'm happily married. But isn't it wonderful how The Lord comes and restores us, gives us clarity of thought -- when hope returns -- giving the fire of faith an awesome wind gust to flame it up a bit.

Josinella, are you doing the 14 Day Path Study -- the COOL Confidential Christian Counseling (CCCC) Study? http://www.christianityoasis.com/CCCC/Forum.htm

If you aren't, I encourage you to do so. It is Awesome. If you are, how are you finding the Steps?

Well, I just wanted to stop by and say Hello and to let you know that I, and many others, are praying for you.

God bless you, Josinella.
In His love,
Sister Mack

[josinella]

Thanks Mack, I really appreciate everyone who is praying and working with me. And yeah, I am doing the stepping stone program. It is very confirming.

I started down this path last summer. Like God stepped in and said enough is enough! I have had a tough life, I can't express that enough. I know that others have had it far worse than me, but just to say that I have been pushed beyond... But it was for a purpose, according to His will. He let me know that He has heard my prayers and is ready to deliver if I'm willing to go.

In the process of turning me around, I knew that Satan would soon tire of me ignoring the lures back into my old sinful ways and come up with new pitfalls. I had been doing pretty good calling on the Lord and praying when I felt besieged with new afronts. I started a parttime job working 3rd shift at a convenience store this weekend and I think I got too tired and out of my routine. When I was at my weakest moment, Satan hit me with my greatest weakness: loneliness.

I'm in a waiting period, a testing time, a faith strengthening time. What really brought me out of it was going back to what God promised He would do for me. I have felt really depressed most of my life because I felt like God wasn't using me, like He skipped over me. But He has come into my life in a big way this past year. I feel His presence and He has revealed things to me about people and circumstances before they happen and why it is so. It has been real scary because it is just like how God spoke to people in the Bible.

God has prepared me, all my life, for what He intends for me to do. I could have been an abuser but God made me loving and understanding. I could have hated others but God made me the kind of person that doesn't want anyone to feel this kind of pain. I allowed Satan in and I gave in to self hatred, which to other people looked like humility. It's easy to die to yourself when you don't like yourself.

Well, I survived the weekend with the help of friends. God has already raised the bar. He let me know that my wait won't be long. It is time for me to step up to the plate for Christ. I do it not for the many blessings He has promised that I don't deserve but because He is. He promised that my life won't be as hard as it has been and that there is someone there. I just need to wait, and lean on Him. His hand has been in this from the beginning. I have to quit letting Satan steal my joy and make me believe that God is a liar. He isn't, He is the Truth, the Way and the Light!

[Mackenaw]

Hello Josinella

God bless you this day.

I'm so glad that you are feeling better. I loved this last post.

You said:

And yeah, I am doing the stepping stone program. It is very confirming.

Don't you love those Holy Spirit confirmations. Woooooohooooooo!!!

Talk about being a witness. Yeah!!!

I know you get tired and weary, Josinella, but I have to tell you -- you have lots of God to share with people, as an instrument of His. I'm am very glad you are here with us.

God bless you, Josinella.
Love,
Mack

[mlg]

AMEN sis!!! I had to remind myself of that very thing this weekend...not to allow Satan to steal my joy. Yes he sure tried, but I didn't allow him to. Yes he sent some trials my direction, but I immediately turned to God to guide me through them. I've found that the more I turn to God the more trials the enemy sends my direction...but you know what sis? Even with the added trials, the burden is lighter. It's because I know that I don't ever have to carry my trials alone. That God is going to take care of me. That God isn't going to leave my side. If others could come to realize and accept this same love from the Lord, they too would see the weight of burden shift from their own shoulders. It's all about letting go and letting God. It's wonderful to see you doing this.

Yes the enemy will continue to try new "scare" tactics sis, but just remember he can't win...God is always, and I mean always in control.

luv ya sis