nak so I cannot get as in-depth as I would like...

Also, how many of you believe you have had God speak directly to you? In reading Teathymes post in Maureen's thread (thanks for sharing that, T!) I started wondering how many of you have also heard God's voice speak to you. I have a few times and....Wow. Intense. Along with the message, the feeling that came with those instances was amazing. I'll elaborate later when I have two hands.

So many times in my life I had head things like:

God will meet you where you are.
Knock and the door will be opened for you.
Seek and you will find.

I never thought in a million years it would be so simple, but in my case all it really took was putting down my defenses and opening up myself to just the idea that God exists and He undoubtedly made his presence known to me.

I grew up in a Christian home, and always believed, but I still had to come to a point of making it my own choice.

Gah, I'm still sick, and I just don't have the energy to get it out. I'll try to come back.

I grew up in a Christian home, and always believed, but I still had to come to a point of making it my own choice.

Gah, I'm still sick, and I just don't have the energy to get it out. I'll try to come back.

Yeah, that! Even growing up in a Christian home where I believed the Bible I still had to make the decision to trust in what I believed. We all have to take a step of faith as Christians.

I am sick too so I am not doing a good job of this but I just wanted to say yeah.

There are times when I feel/hear God speaking directly to me or actually see/experience something that I KNOW came from the Holy Spirit.

God came to me when I asked Him to.
When I actually said out loud "hey, I need you. I need your help, I can't do this myself. Please be part of my life and show me what to do" . God met me there. Lots of long , involved stories of my communications with God, things I heard and saw and felt and where they happened. Too much to type.

Oh, and then I heard this song last year and just was in awe because this is basically what I thought to myself 15 or so years ago and someone wrote it down! lol

RUSH OF FOOLS LYRICS - Undo (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/rushoffools/undo.html)

"Undo"

I've been here before
Now, here I am again
Standing at the door
Praying You'll let me back in

To label me
A prodigal would be
Only scratching the surface
Of who I've been known to be

Turn me around, pick me up
Undo what I've become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, I need Your help
I can't do this myself
You're the only one
Who can undo what I've become

I focused on the score
But I could never win
Trying to ignore
A life of hiding my sin

To label me
A hypocrite would be
Only scratching the surface
Of who I've been known to be

Turn me around, pick me up
Undo what I've become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, I need Your help
I can't do this myself
You're the only one
Who can undo what I've become

Make every step lead me back to
The sovereign way that You

Turn me around, pick me up
Undo what I've become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, I need Your help
I can't do this myself
You're the only one who can undo
You are the only one who can undo
You're the only one who can undo
What I've become

I was born into a Christian home. Believed completely until about 1.5 yrs ago. I had the faith knocked right out of me.

But this last week and gave up my defenses and surrendered to God. I heard his voice. I felt his presense. I know his love.

I just need to get my trust back. I need trust in God. I need to learn to trust other people and not cut and run when they say they are Christians. I've been deeply scarred by "christians" and I'm afraid.

Growing up in my quasi-christian family, my perception of religion was that it was full of "shoulds" and "ought -to"s

It wasn't until about 15yrs ago that I first got an understanding of the difference between religion and spirituality and began learning about the father-heart of God.
Learning how He meets me where I am,and how there's no condemnation is Christ. I'm learning to be OK with my "3 steps forward, two steps back" rate of spiritual growth!

I try to focus on how I experience him throughout the week - in nature, in people, in joy, in relationship, in my alone time.

I grew up in a Unitarian family. God spoke to me many times but I would refuse to listen or believe that it was God.

I'm a believer now, but am so new. I was just unhappy and thought..."Is this all there is"? My search began when a Reiki master told me that the angels were telling me I needed to "know Jesus". It's been a long time coming. I too, like Suzie, am scared by some Christians.

I have spent a lot of the past 10 years wondering why I never hear from God as a lot of my firends have. Maybe I never shut up long enough!:lol:
Today I went to church with Stephanie (Ava stayed home with Daddy.) I just felt like I *had* to go. I really wanted to be there. I'm glad that I went. It felt right and comfortable. Growing up attending Catholic mass religiously (pun intended) I was so bored and disconnected. I'm glad I keep going back even after a dry spell- it gives me faith (ugh- no more puns!) that God is probably telling me to go and that is my mesaage to hear for now.

While I haven't had a "life-long" faith, it's close because I came to know the Lord at 7 years old. But through my life, there have been times of rediscovery, a newness of the relationship and a closeness that wasn't there before. God has definitely spoken to me - to reassure me, to guide me and to comfort me. I remember clearly hearing from Him that Bob would be a pastor, that I WOULD have another child but it would be for His glory (this was after my second miscarriage - and I went on to have 2 children with no fertility drugs after years of fertility treatments). I know He's given me wisdom so often and that He's right here.

nak

Sorry, I hope I did not seem to be discounting those who have had lifelong faith, either... I have one girlie that's teetering on the egde of the pukies, so I will come back to this later.

But this last week and gave up my defenses and surrendered to God. I heard his voice. I felt his presense. I know his love.



i am happy to read this, suzie.

nak

Sorry, I hope I did not seem to be discounting those who have had lifelong faith, either... I have one girlie that's teetering on the egde of the pukies, so I will come back to this later.

((HUGS)) Meeshi. You've had quite the deal with these pukies, huh??

nak

i thought kaya was going to be spared but she *just* started complaining of feeling like she is going to puke. argh....

Also, how many of you believe you have had God speak directly to you? In reading Teathymes post in Maureen's thread (thanks for sharing that, T!) I started wondering how many of you have also heard God's voice speak to you. I have a few times and....Wow. Intense. Along with the message, the feeling that came with those instances was amazing. I'll elaborate later when I have two hands.

So many times in my life I had head things like:

God will meet you where you are.
Knock and the door will be opened for you.
Seek and you will find.

I never thought in a million years it would be so simple, but in my case all it really took was putting down my defenses and opening up myself to just the idea that God exists and He undoubtedly made his presence known to me.

Yes, I have had God reveal Himself to me in many ways, especially over the past 2.5 years. I had been seeking for a very long time and it was not until I read God's Word (Bible) and prayed a great deal that I was able to be still enough to hear from Him in a very real way. Now that I know His voice (not literal voice...but I think you all know that) I am quicker to listen and obey.

Just like the Bible says, "Draw Close to God and He will draw close to you".......Faith is simple but yet difficult at the same time.

Just like any relationship, we must reach out, seek, love, and share ourselves with God in total faith. Believing in His promises.

Michelle

I grew up without any mention of God in my family. I met a girl in choir when I was a junior in high school who had faith in Jesus. We became friends and I saw that she had a peace and joy and kindness that I had not encountered before. Well, when I look back I can clearly see that God was pursuing me through many circumstances and people. Anyway, I came to know the Lord that year in high school. He has been there through all these years, and I am so thankful for His presence in my life. I need Him, and can't live without Him.

I had a euphoric moment in 1983 where I was walking in a crowd and was amazed that everyone was perfect and beautiful and transendent of their physical beings for a few moments.

That is God to me.

I still am not a particular religion but believe in a creator of that knowledge I had the blessing to experience. It was a brief moment but I will never forget it.

I'm really happy to hear this from you!

I don't think God finds us so much as we find Him. He's always been there, always loving us, always will. I've always known He was there, but sometimes His presence is easier to know than others. Even Mother Theresa felt abandoned by God for much of her life. That's an amazing faith, to have no sense of God but still know that God is there. That is the faith we all are called to.