This is a statement that was made several times by many speakers over two days and sixteen hours of learning, praying, worshiping, confessing, and releasing. Robert and I have been back since Saturday but it took a while to recover from a rather heavy healing seminar that we attended at Gateway Church in Dallas. We were invited by our daughter, Angie. She is a pastor there and more specifically she is a staff member and a leader of "Freedom Ministies". They do an incredible job facilitating God's ability to "free" both lay persons and those in professional ministry. It was a lot to take-in but I believe one more necessary element in helping us heal from our past so that we may continue to grow into more mature and whole (free) persons.
You can read in Isaiah 43:16-21 that Judah is called upon to forget when she struggled to become a nation among nations. Through the process of their former captivity and return, a new thing was happening.
It is necessary to heal from our past by acknowledging it (not denying it was) but don't dwell on it or live in it!
Regret is the past crippling the future.
If a person constantly reviews the "what ifs" in their lives, they will never move forward into the future and receive what God has for them. Regret means to be disappointed, unhappy; look back upon; be disturbed over; kick oneself; or to experience dissatisfaction. We must press into the future and that means moving beyond regrets that are in our lives. The apostle Paul tell us in Phillipians 3:13-15 "Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you."
God wants you to be FREE!
He is blessing you! Donna
Donna, do not worry when you do not post for a while. I know you still have to do other things also. - Your seminar sounds good! Your statements about acknowledge the past and not denying it, I think the same. We have to move forward in our lifes and not dwell in the past. Otherwise we get a sick body. The future can have ready something better for us. We always should keep up the good spirit. - God is blessing you and Robert. Rosemarie
ReplyDeleteDonna: Thank-you for sharing with us what you and Robert have learned. It will help all of us. You are right it will set you free. I learned some of that when my son was born and was told he was going to be a special needs person all his life. After I got over the why me and what will I do and how will people treat him. One day when I was praying by his hospital bed I felt the Lord there with me. And my son and I have never look back he has gone on to show why he was put on this earth and how he can help people and I knew it was my job to keep him safe so he could spread his love to people who did not know the Lord. And just because you do and see things different you can spread the word of the Lord. We have had lots of ups and downs but our faith has always got us through. And I learned God always has his reasons for what happens and why he has choosen us.
ReplyDeleteBless You and Your Family
Cysrall
It seems to me that you and Robert, each and together, have taken brave steps to allow God to use your gifts. I know you have given me a greater sense of who I am and what I feel and how to not lose sleep over past events, Donna.
ReplyDeleteRobert's new venture with Chris Wyatt, Angie's husband will bring a wholesome 24hour network that I know God would approve! ALT was good from what I researched but with Robert and Chris it certainly will be even better!
I now am hoping to get Robert's new messages in whatever format he puts out on TV and on-line.
Last year I had just CCM/HoP. Now I have your Blog, St Patrick Project/The Gathering, Angie's Blog, Tangle.com and I feel more a part of a Church and "know" more friends than ever!
If ever I am to feel "Free" and "Freedom" from past times, it is now!
You started something like a domino effect here, Donna. Except, instead of dominoes falling over and knocking eachother down, we are all standing up, lifting eachother up and supporting eachother!
Wow, it has been a long year. But I feel very positive for you and Robert and know you will be here for me and others whenever we may falter or need help.
God is blessing you and yours. (I have been blessed abundently by Him through you and Robert and your family)
Jan-Michael (Toronto, Canada)
Thank you Donna for sharing with
ReplyDeleteus what you have done. I find that it is extremely interesting
It gives me a lot of food for
thought. I also really love that
picture
God bless you both and your immedate family
God bless Barbie M
I know my dear Donna, it's okay when only a few people post online to your subjects. - But so many people are here and read your posts. I'm curious and like to know from others, never posted until now, their opinions. I ask them kindly to come here online too. Do not be affraid nobody is biting you, the oposite is the case. To Barbie from Australia, blease tell us your opinons too. You manly write that you like the new entry that's all. God bless you all. - Rosemarie
ReplyDeleteGlad you mentioned that picture, Barbie! I forgot to put a comment in my earlier post.
ReplyDeleteI too was captivated by the moonlit water and the distant shore across from the table and chairs in the shadowy foreground. The breaking cloud cover is certainly also symbolic for me!
I guess the photographer just saw a wonderful photo opportunity and like many times, when we are feeling refreshed after turmoil is abating, we see what we need or what is before us and that is God's incredile world and positive opportunities that were always there!
Glad you gave me a reason to add my comments on that picture, Barbie.
Blessings and a prayer for you and yours,
Jan-Michael
Jan-Michael Thank you so much
ReplyDeletefor your thoughts about the
picture at the beginning of this
post. God bless Barbie
Thank you! I took the photo myself when we were in the Cabo San Lucas area a few months ago. Donna
ReplyDeleteDonna I know where quite a few
ReplyDeletecountries in the world are but
Cabo San Lucas has got me stumped
In other words where is it?
Thanks. God bless Barbie
Life has not been easy for me and I too had the "what ifs" and the "why me" for a long time and indeed life stood still for quite a while. I needed that time too. Fortunately God layed His eye on me I guess. I am more positive and I feel blessed. Blessed by you Donna, through this blog, it is so uplifting and encouraging.
ReplyDeleteThe picture you took is so beautiful I love sunsets. I took several pretty sunsets in Curacao but you've beaten me here.
Blessings
Ria
Ria, we never should ask why me and the ifs we should avoid too. I tell myself , somebody do not like me and is searching and then having other people as friends. I do not care. Because I know I have values. Or I have a desease, I tray to make the best out of it. That all not means that I never can be sad, but less sad and not as long as I otherwise would be. - Blessings Rosemarie
ReplyDeleteCabo San Lucas is at the very tip of Baha California in Mexico. It is also referred to as "land's end" Look at the map of California and follow it South until the map comes to a fine point and ends!!
ReplyDeleteP.S. This is the sunrise not sunset!! We were up early to go fishing!!
ReplyDeleteDonna: The picture is very peacefull. And I was pleased to hear Robert is still able to go fishing. I loved hearing about his fishing trips. You are very brave to also go as it sound like he would go very far out. We have done alot of fishing mostly on lakes. I always found it a very calming and peacefull day, No matter the amount of fish. It was a good family outing.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless Everyone: Cysradill
Cysradill, your open testimony of your journey was so inspiring, especially as you posted :
ReplyDelete"We have had lots of ups and downs but our faith has always got us through. And I learned God always has his reasons for what happens and why he has choosen us".
I am sure your words "touch" and resound with not only me but many others, so thank you Cysradill!
Blessings and His peace will certainly always be with you and yours,
Jan-Michael
Ria, I applaud your open acceptance that, like many of us, at least for me too, "what ifs" and the "why me" times plagued at one time in life! BUT
ReplyDeleteLike you said,
"Fortunately God layed His eye on me I guess. I am more positive and I feel blessed". You moved forward and so have I, Ria.
Good to know, having both been there, we made it through with His blessing and positive inspirations like Donna's blog and our friends.
God is blessing you, Ria and I again thank you for your wise open dialogue.
Jan-Michael
Hey mom! I Just started my own blog! So if you want to let people know... there's only one minor post on in for now, but I plan on posting regularly and I should be posting another big post within the next day! I love you! oh and my page is anthonyschuller.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteHi Anthony!
ReplyDeleteWe are missing you but know that you are doing great things for God in Townsville, Australia!
I am so happy that you started your blog! I will put a link on mine and also people who see the note hear will go to it! Please, everyone.....go check out anthonyschuller.blogspot.com Support our youngest with your prayers and your comments as he is so far away from home for another three months.
Yes, it is so difficult to lay the "what ifs" and "why mes" to rest. They do try to come up now and then and when they do we all just need to continue to put them back where they belong...in the past!
ReplyDeleteIf we continue to be haunted by certain thoughts it could mean that we have not worked through the pain and/or anger it caused. It could mean we need to do the soul work necessary to move forward so that we can be the whole persons that God has called us to be. Processing some of our past regrets does take some work but with Christ's help it can be done. We can be free people!! Donna
Donna, I posted already on Anthony's blog. - To your ifs and why me. I was in so many situations to ask me this questions. Parents who let me grow up as a no-good in the name of love. Job's I had to quite because the salary and my social charges haven't been payed like they should. Or I was emloyed and so much presure was putted on the employees that I couldn't achieve anymore what they wanted and my job was quited. Or people who manly looked, if I wore the right outfit or the right hairstyle. What I have in my brain, not important for them. Or people took advantage of me. It gives as well people they have their imaginagin in their brain and thinks others have to funtion like this, are they not doing like this they are rejected. Should we then think the why me and ifs?! - I stand straight with a smile on my face, walk away, if I can't approche them with kindness and compasion. I do not let drag me down. Better is to go ahead and looking for something else. In the meantime we must find an occupation which satisfys us, get in conversation with God and being happy for what we have left. We have self-esteem. That all can heal us or prevent us from loosing our helth and from never getting healed. Blessings- Rosemarie
ReplyDeleteHi Rosemarie,
ReplyDeleteI recognize that your journey has been a tough one at times. You have been a faithful follower of Jesus and He has helped you overcome much.
God is blessing you! Donna
Donna, I can tell you my parents are not faithful, they are more or less cultural christians. Even they sent me to Sunday-school and with 16 I was confirmed. As I saw the first time (2000) CC I got little by little closer to Jesus Christ and finally the last step came through your Robert. So I decided as the call in CC came for baptizing I like to be rebaptized. Now i like to do good things for others in the sense Christ has done. - Blessings, Rosemarie
ReplyDeleteHi Rosemarie,
ReplyDeleteYes, it is important that we find our own faith. We cannot inherit it from our parents. I know that you have a very real and alive faith in Jesus and I know that you walk closely with him. Your parents were faithful in that they took you to Sunday school. How fortunate for you. I know that you understand that all you can do for your parents is to pray for them. God will do the rest in His time.