You too?

I know it's wrong, but ...

... I couldn't help myself. I've been so saddened by the number of hopeful people that have flocked to "have an encounter with God" under this guy's leadership. Now that it's been discovered that he's had more than one "inappropriate relationships", he's stepped down from his 'ministry'. There is a previous post about his revival and my issues with it a few posts back.

Although I'm sad that it had to come to this kind of incident to expose him, I'm glad that he's been exposed.

Here's just one out of hundreds of articles about this latest news here.

By the way, I'm still resting and healing, but I couldn't help but respond to this news considering the strong stand I took regarding this in an earlier post.

Resting

I've had a heck of a week. It's been terrifying, beautiful, and absolutely crazy.

God is so good. His love is amazing. I have so much to write and tell!

But for a little while, I'm going to take a rest. I'm going to learn what it feels like to let the Good Shepherd tend to me and I'm going to rest in the shadow of His presence.

But when I post again ... oh, I'll have so much to share!

See you in a while. Stay tuned.

No More Shame: A Story of Healed Wounds

I was a heroin addict in my 20s. I shot up as many times as I could a day. They left terrible track marks up and down my arms and hands. When I finally got clean, I was left with a lot of scars.

These scars all but faded over the years. But I have one very ugly, very obvious scar that remains on my right wrist. One day I was talking to God about it. I asked Him, "Lord, you have removed all of the other scars from me. This one stares me in the face every day. Others can see it clearly. I know you can remove it. Would you please remove it for me? I'm ashamed of it."

Very clearly and very gently, I heard God say to me, "Look at that scar. Do you remember the conditions that caused it? Do you remember the pain?"

"Yes,I do", I replied.

Then He said to me, "Touch it. Does it hurt? Do you feel pain now?"

"No", I said.

"That scar is there to remind you of how I healed you. Scars are a sign of healing, evidence of where I took your wounds and stitched them up. Everyone that you encounter has scars, Joyce. Many of those scars are on the inside but everyone has them. But scars don't hurt. Open wounds do. I stitched your open wounds up, inside and out."

As I continued to look at it and receive that as truth from God, He spoke again. "Don't you ever be ashamed to show and tell people of how I healed you. That scar isn't about you. It is about what I did for you and is to be used to share my hope and glory".

I've never been ashamed of that scar again.