True Freedom and Peace of Mind...

I patiently await as I listen to the sound of the click, click, clicking of the computer.
Please God let it read the CD!!!
Then all at once the room is filled with the sound of Brian Doerksen's "TODAY". An all too familiar feeling floods through my entire body. From the tips of my toes right up to my eyes, that begin to pour out the joy I am feeling in forms of little puddles that one by one fall from my eye's and pour down my cheeks.
Those who know me, know that I am a tearfully expresive individual to begin with. But there is something about my worship music that moves me to a completely different level of worshiping our Lord.
It stirs the Holy Spirit within me, and no matter how hard I try, I can't stop the overwhelming feelings of Love, Joy, Thankfulness, Sadness and even Shame.
The shame comes from deep within myself, I feel ashamed when I ask myself "Why don't I spend more time with you Lord? You love me, you cherish me, you long for me to draw closer to you, you enjoy me for who I am, you cheer me on, you want me to succeed in everything I do, there is no such thing as small when it comes to you. While I work through these feelings of Shame, once again there you are...guiding me through gently to the other side. Wading with me through the junk! There is nothing you won't do for me. I am so unworthy and yet you never give up on me. "You are my God, you are my fortress, my loving God, my refuge and shield. Delivering me from the father of lies." Fortress 144, Brian Doerksen.
While reading a book titled "Loving God with All Your Mind" by Elizabeth George I came accross this ..."As we walk closely with Him, we will also experience His power in our life, power that can lift us out of the depths of defeat, discouragement, despair, doubt, dread, and depression and enable us to better deal with the challenges that come our way. With our thoughts based on the Word and Person of God and, therefore, our heart drawn closer to Him, we will find strength, hope, joy, faith, and peace of heart, soul, and mind."
The answers are simple really and God knows it, mostly because he is the answer to all things great and small.
To those of you who are reading this, who have not yet discovered the freedom of knowing Jesus Christ. Believe me when I say this, although I may write about struggles that life throws my way (i am human after all) you may have noticed a pattern in the way that I work through things. At the end of the day it always comes down to the same thing...I just hand it all over to God. Because I know that is what he wants me to do. I remember someone telling me once "that's an awful lot for one guy to deal with isn't it? I mean everyone dumping their problems onto him it seems kind of selfish on our part." The truth is, its selfish for us not to hand things like worry, stress, fear, confussion, doubt sadness and even shame over to God. We call ourselves believers because we believe that God will and does take care of us. We believe that He wants the very best for us, He will never abandon us... He will never forsake us. He understands our struggles, and our pain.
I know, I know its a lot to wrap your head around, but think of it this way. When your feeling alone and like there is no one who could ever understand you, believe me when I tell you this... there is one who understands you... there is one who has been there the entire way... patiently waiting for you to just ask him into your life. Give him a chance, what's the worst thing that could happen... oh right you could discover happiness, joy, and a love like you have never known before! Ya I understand how scary that is... weeding your way through the lies that have infected your life up until now. Trust me you will be entering into unfamiliar territory. And NO it wont always be a walk in the park there will be days when you feel useless, confussed, unworthy and alone. The remedy however is easy... call on God!!! He is waiting for you to hand these things over to him, allowing him to carry the burden for you, help you through to the other side. There will also be times when you are shown that although times seem terrible and unbearable. Maybe just maybe there was a lesson in all of it. But you will never see it until you turn it over to God. Only then will you be rewarded with feelings of True Freedom and Peace of Mind.
My prayer requests are this:
For those of you who know the Lord already I pray that you will continue to trust in our Lord Jesus Christ for comfort, peace and guidence.
I pray for those who have not yet had the opportunity to hand thier lives over to our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bring into your lives someone who can show you the first steps to the freedom, joy and peace of mind you deserve, and deliver you from the Lies that you have given into for one reason or another. YES YOU TOO ARE WORTHY OF HAPPINESS!
I pray for my brothers and sisters in the field fighting the good fight. I am so proud to be in this war with you. Fighting along side of you. Be safe and remeber to armor up! And never forget the war has already been won! Our victory is in Christ Jesus.
To my friends and loved ones back in Canada I pray for you each and everyday, and will continue to do so until He calls me home. So when you are tired, weak and struggling. Know that I have been called upon to pray for each of you, and take this call serriously. I am able to love you because He first loved me.
Pray that the Lord will continue to reveal to me how I can be helpful to those in need here in Ireland.
Please pray that I will continue to recieve financial support while over here in Ireland.
I love you all and God bless.
Love Andrea xoxoxoxo