Amazed

I do stand amazed at the blessings that God gives me every time that I go to volunteer at prison. Last week, I started two new groups. On Wednesday, the guys are reading Billy's book. Some of them were crying about the stirring God was placing on their hearts about their own stories and how much God pursued them while they were running away from Him. They really love Jesus. It is convicting to me. I want to never let Jesus out of my mind or heart. The second group meets on Tuesdays. These men have started writing their own stories. About 6 men read their stories. Each story was to follow a guideline of 1. a personal story and 2. the story must be read in less than 5 minutes. After the story is read, the others made positive comments about how the story affected them. They were very vulnerable in sharing these events in their lives. They commented that writing and reading the story brought more awareness of how God really was there in these events. Our prayer is that some of these stories will help others who can't get out of the negative cycles and/or blame God for their problems. Maybe, God is putting together another book. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Several keep telling me to write a book about my marriage. I think I have heard that before. If you get a chance, please read some of my stories from September 2009. God bless you all to be amazed at HIS HAND IN YOUR LIFE

Yes, He Loves Me

Today I started another group at prison using Billy's book. The class of 10 men were amazing from the start. The questions that they asked about the book were very insiteful. But, a surprize came in the middle of the class when several of the men gave me words that I felt were from Heaven. One man said that he felt that God was so in love with Billy and felt such intimacy with him that He couldn't have the separation anymore. I can't tell you how surprized I was to hear the same thing that I felt about why God took Billy when He did. Another quoted from Enoch and Elijah's stories of going home to God without dying. They expressed the need to have that same intimacy with God that Billy, Elijah and Enoch had. Several said that the desire of their hearts was to walk with God all day, in every situation and relationship. I left there feeling blessed by Daddy in a new way. He showed me how closely He watches me and sent me connections and words that expressed His love for me while I thought I was there to help others. I guess these lessons of love and faithful are always a two way street. Remember, when you give, you receive.

Daddy Loves Me

The class that I volunteer on Tuesday nights at prison started again this week. There are 54 men in this group and 8 volunteers. We use the material that Jack Frost of Shiloh Ministries published called "Embracing the Father's Heart". The purpose of these lessons is to open the men to the challenge that because they have wounding in their lives from fathers and mothers, they have difficulty really experiencing the love of God the Father. When you can't experience love then you can't give it to others and you stay sick. God created us for Love. As usual, I see something in my own life when I watch the Jack Frost video. This time, I felt the pain that I felt as a child from my father's absence due to his alcoholism and my parents divorce. I have dealt with this issue before; forgiven my father and mother and felt peace about them.But tonight, I realized how much this absence from Billy in my life, felt similar to that old wound. Maybe that is why I struggle so with feeling that God loves me from a distance now, while he used to feel close to me.I have experienced God's hand in my life in many ways in the last two years, but I cry and pray often to have that deep experience of being enveloped in His Presence. I will pray some more about forgiving my earthly dad for his absence. I will write some more about this later. This is a process not a paragraph. I love you all.Jennifer. Mom