#3 CJD & GOD - 3rd Step Live

            This morning began with a sense of feeling "behind" as I was late getting up . . . had to get to church by 9 a.m. for BBQ fundraiser I was part of, so I was tempted (since it was 7:30 am when I woke up which is late for me) to shower and get breakfast and then go to church . . . momentarily pondering putting off my "prayer time/connecting time" with God . . . in essence "doing the morning" in my own strength and foregoing "Daily Spiritual Bread" from God.  But, having done this "connecting thing" with God now for 27 years, I knew better.  I chose to skip breakfast, and just "stop".  
            After "stopping", I went over to my bed, and said "good morning" to God and began to thank Him for what He had been doing in my life as well as giving Him permission to "order my thoughts" and "order my actions" for the day.  Days always worked out better if you let HIM have control at the beginning of the day.  After only about 10 minutes of praising God and praying to Him, I then hopped in the shower.  I was still thinking about going to have breakfast before going to the "BBQ fundraiser" as I was famished.  I thought if I got breakfast, I would probably be 10 or 15 minutes late.  But suddenly, that "still small voice" of the Holy Spirit spoke to me about the importance of keeping my word, which meant I should go to the BBQ and skip breakfast.  
            I quickly jumped in the shower, got dressed, went by the store to picked up some bottled water for those of us who would be cooking the chicken and dishing out the food.  I got to the church a little ahead of schedule and melded with the group that was already present.  After about 30 minutes and all was in order, I "sensed" I needed to go up to the prayer room at church and pray for the service that was to happen at 10:30 am.  The prayer team was already in prayer when I entered the room.  
            After about 5 minutes of prayer, the Holy Spirit gave me some directions to pray some things over the service; which I did.  After about another 15 minutes of prayer, the service started.  The praise and worship during the service was awesome as it always is - Faith Whitfield (check out her website) was leading the worship.  The presence of the Holy Spirit came down and a very real and tangible "presence" of God filled the sanctuary.  
            After praise and worship, I felt led to "check on" my BBQ group.  As I did, one of the members was suffering excruciating back pains.  The Holy Spirit prodded me to pray for her and the healing of her back which I did.  The Holy Spirit's peace fell upon this person, and after a few minutes of prayer, she felt physically better and became re-energized over the course of the next 30 minutes.  
  

            After service and the BBQ fundraiser, I took a friend of mine from W. Texas to lunch with two other friends.  We had a great time of fellowship and sharing what God was doing in all of our  lives.  One of the ladies in our group started asking me about my book - "The Little Book - Alcoholism, Drug Addiction & Recovery Made Simple!"   This conversation led to everyone at the table wanting copies of "THE LITTLE BOOK".  After lunch, I felt like there was still more for us to talk and pray about, so I suggested they go to Starbucks where I would meet them, but first would go home and get copies of my book and bring them to Starbucks.  
               On the way to Starbucks from my house, the Holy Spirit said for me to "GIVE" these books to the ladies.  When I met up with them, I did give them the books and prayed a blessing over them and the books - that they would produce freedom for the people who receive the books.  This then led to the Holy Spirit talking to them and giving me different ideas and names to whom I should make my book known to.  Two of the ladies ended up giving me money for the books anyway - and more than they are priced at! 
            After coffee, we then went to the parking lot of Starbucks and sat in their truck for 15 minutes or so.  We prayed for each other as well as prayed for different issues that the U.S.A. is facing in these "tough times."  When we all felt a "release" that we had prayed what we were suppose to pray, we then said goodbye.  
            I went home, and decided to take advantage of the overcast weather and went for a nice 3 mile jog.  After that I showered and was looking to relax.  The next thing I know I am watching a documentary of Jessie Owens and the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany.  While watching this, I was reminded of many parallels of pre-WW II Germany to the USA now and how chaos of a bad economy and high un-employment led to a "change in government" that promised changes - no one could have predicted what an unknown Hitler would do in terms of the removal of freedoms and liberties as well as atrocities his "term" of leadership would do . . . 
            Oh well, enough political stuff . . . but "know" that obedience to God's ways as a nation leads to freeom; disobedience leads to "bondage" = loss of freedom.
            I am now finishing this post - and hopefully it is demonstrating something that is useful for you as it relates to what a "life connected to God/Higher Power" looks like.  Take care!  Feel free to give me some feedback on this "posting journey" of mine!  

CJD