Most people when they "think" about God tend to project their relationships with their parents onto a blank slate called "god".  For example, if I grow up with a father who is absent from my life, then I may at a deep level "view" "god" as distant, and not personable or even easier believe that "god" doesn't exist as my father "did not exist" for me in terms of his presence in m y life.  If I have a father or mother who tends to be very harsh and extreme and/or judgemental, it is easy for me to believe that "god" is also judgemental and ready to fry my backside with thunderbolts when I mess up.  For others, who have had parents that were more their buddies than their parents, I may "view" "god" as a warm fuzzie "up there in Heaven" who just accepts me for who I am and does not care what I do.  Life is just up to me to figure out.  
            In addition to parental experiences affecting our view of "god", there is also our relgious experiences and our experiences with religious people who influence us as to what and who "god" is.  Sometimes this influence is positive and sometimes it is negative in terms of shaping my "view" of "god".  
           To do a 3rd Step requires me "to turn my will and my life over to the care of God as I understand Him."  Depending on my "view" of "god", this will be rather difficult to do especially if I am not sure if he is really there and/or I believe he is harsh and judgemental . . . So what is a person to do?  
            Well, a possibility is what occurs at Step 2 . . . "came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."  During this step, a person should "go" where they are hearing about "God" revealing Himself and allow themselves to have "an experience" of the real living God.  Why?  Because a real touch from the real God will forever change your life and your "view of God" . . . with an accurate view of God from your own experience of Him, this will make it quite easy to do a step 3 and turn your will and your life over to Him.  
            You may be asking, "well, does God really reveal Himself in a tangible manner to humans on planet earth in certain places?  The answer is "yes".  The following is a short history of the tangible "touch down" of God's presence on planet earth as has occurred in modern history.  Feel free to google all the information that I have provided for you and check it out for yourself.

            A massive invasion of God’s presence occurred in 1906 in Los Angeles at a small building on Azusa Street, in the black ghetto part of town.  Known as the Azusa Street Revival, it lasted until 1915.  Hundreds and sometimes thousands of people went there every day; many were healed instantly of various ailments, including the blind regaining their sight.  Others were transformed emotional/mentally/spiritually as they were empowered with supernatural gifts that they did not have previous to their visit there.  
            More recent, the Creator of the universe came “calling” to a church in Toronto, Canada in 1994.  This started a revival there known as the “Toronto Blessing” which attracted over 1 million pilgrims in its first few years, with many different supernatural events occurring.  Thousands of persons were healed physically, mentally, emotional of all kinds of diseases and ailments.  
            God came a calling to Pensacola, Florida on Father’s Day in 1995.  More than four million visitors came to the Brownsville Church there and participated in what came to be known as the “Brownsville Revival” which ended in the year 2000.  Many thousands of people were healed of different afflictions and maladies while attending services there.  Several of my personal friends went there and were visibly “different” when they came back – filled with a “spiritual fire” that permanently changed their lives; some of the changes included quitting their jobs and going into full time ministries of their own which are still thriving some 12 years later.
            So, where is God showing up in a tangible manner these days?  Well, there are quite a few places worldwide at the moment.   But guess what?  Right here in the Hill Country of Texas at  "The Coming King Foundation" prayer garden where the large 77' 7" steel empty cross is located, the Holy Spirit of God is showing up big time . . . the presence of the Holy Spirit is increasing on a daily basis.   There is not enough room to talk about all the miracles and touches of God that have occurred at the Cross on the hill in Kerrville.  Go check out the website www.thecomingkingfoundation.org/sculpture.htm and come to Kerrville and get your own "touch from God" that will take your recovery to another level!

God bless you!  CJD . . .

            Some folks have asked me to clarify what exactly do I with God" thinking that I am against the church, temple, etc. "truth" of who God is. The following diagram I think will


                                        "RELIGION"
                               (Christian perspective)

                    Man has a relationship w/ organizational 
                    church which tells man who God is and how 
                    God wants man to live.   Man has no interactive
                    communication with God other than study
                    of God's Word as interpreted by church
                    leadership.


Man <--------------------> Church <-------------------- God 



                    The organizational church has an
                    exclusive understanding and relationship
                    with God for the benefit of the man!  Man 
                    lives by the guidance of rules/laws as
                    interpreted by church leadership.

mean by the difference between "religion" vs. "relationship  
which I am not so long as it is teaching/preaching the 
explain the difference between the two in a simple way!


                          "RELATIONSHIP with GOD"
                              (Christian perspective)

        Man has a personal relationship w/ God 
        thru Jesus Christ which includes dialogue 
        communication both ways.  This occurs thru 
        the Holy Spirit and by the Word of God.



Man <----------> Jesus Christ <-------------> Father God
   |                                 |
    \    <----------> The Holy Spirit & the Church


       The Holy Spirit and the organizational church 
        support and enhance man's own private
        relationship with God thru Jesus Christ.  Man lives
        by following the voice of the Holy Spirit as well
        as thru revelation received thru the study 
        of God's Word by the Holy Spirit as well as other
        human teachers. 
.