DEAR FRIENDS: 

 GREETINGS IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, LORD OF LIGHT, SAVIOR OF THE WORLD AND MASTER OF OUR HEARTS. 

 WE PRAY THAT YOU AND ALL IN YOUR HOUSE ARE WELL IN 
BODY AND SPIRIT, THAT YOU ARE BLESSED IN THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND A BLESSING TO ALL , ROUND ABOUT YOU, IN NOMINE PETRIS, ET FILLI, ET SPIRITUS SANCTI. AMEN. 

 THE LORD HAS INSTRUCTED US TO ALWAYS GO FORWARD, BUT, WITH CAUTION, ALWAYS PRAYING , SEEKING GOD'S WISDOM IN HIS WORD, FELLOWSHIP PING WITH HOLY, SANCTIFIED, STEADFAST BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND LISTENING TO THE LORD'S GENTLE VOICE. 

 IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS MADE SOME POOR DECISIONS, THATHAVE LED TO SOME VERY BAD SITUATIONS, CREATING VARIOUS PROBLEMS,  IF YOU HAVE MADE THE CHOICE TO LIVE A LIFE  THAT IS FREE OF CONSTRAINTS , DOING IT YOUR WAY, OR NO WAY, MAYBE YOUR NOT AS FREE AS YOU THINK. 

 OH, YOU SAY,  I LIVE MY LIFE MY WAY, FREE TO MAKE MY OWN MISTAKES, MY OWN DECISIONS, NO ONE TELLING ME WHAT TO DO, HOW MUCH FREER CAN I GET. 

 PERHAPS LIVING WITHIN THE  BOUNDARIES OF A CHRISTIAN 
LIFE SEEMS TO  BE  TOO CONFINING  FOR YOU. 
 WE HAVE HEARD SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT BEING A CHRISTIAN 
IS LIKE BEING IN PRISON, ALWAYS BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO, 
GETTING BOSSED AROUND, LIKE BEING A SLAVE OR SOMETHING. 

 NOW LET ME SAY SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO SOUND KIND 
OF FUNNY, AT ONE TIME I LIVED MY LIFE FREE, OR WHAT THE WORLD WANTED ME TO BELIEVE WAS FREE, THE WAY I ALWAYS HEARD THE TERM FREE DESCRIBED TO ME, BUT BEING FREE IN THIS WAY MEANS CARRYING THE BURDEN OF MAKING ALL THE DECISIONS OUR SELF, AND BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OUTCOME, BEING FREE TO HAVE 
ANGER RULE US, TRAMPING THROUGH LIFE AND EXPECTING EVERY ONE TO FEEL SORRY FOR OUR PAIN AND OUR PAINFUL SITUATIONS, OUR ADDICTIONS, OUR FEARS, OUR FAILINGS, OUR PITIFUL WAY'S, AND ALWAYS EXPECTING PEOPLE TO HELP, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SO DEFEATED BY THE WEIGHT OF OUR BURDENS," DEPRESSION, HATRED, MISTRUST, JEALOUSY, ETC," THAT WE HAVE NO REAL DESIRE OR STRENGTH TO HELP OUR SELF OR IMPROVE OUR SITUATION, AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, UNGRATEFUL AND EVEN SOMEWHAT DEMANDING OF ANY HELP THAT IS OFFERED BY OTHERS. 

 IF SOMEONE TRIES TO TELL US THAT THERE IS A BETTER WAY, 
WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT, WE SAY I'M DOING FINE, THAT WE WOULD RATHER LIVE WITH THE PAIN AND SORROW THAN FACE THE TRUTH AND TRULY BE SET FREE, THAT THERE'S NO HOPE FOR US ANY WAY, SO LAY OFF. 

 SOME OF US SIMPLY LIVE OUR LIFE IN A PERPETUAL STATE OF 
DENIAL, REFUSING TO LISTEN TO ANYTHING THAT MIGHT DESTROY THE FALSE IMAGE , THE IMAGINARY, SELF PORTRAIT OF THE WORLD THAT WE HAVE PAINTED, A PLACE, A LIFE, THAT WE HAVE EITHER BEEN TRAINED BY SOMEONE OR TRAINED OURSELVES TO LIVE ACCUSTOMLY IN . 

 THERE ARE THOSE OF US THAT LIVE THIS WAY BECAUSE OF 
SOMETHING IN OUR PAST, AN ATROCITY OR INJUSTICE COMMITTED AGAINST US,  SOMETHING THAT WE SIMPLY CAN'T FIND THE COURAGE TO FORGIVE, SO WE CONTINUE TO LET IT BEAT US DOWN, OR IT MAY BE SOMETHING WE DID, THAT WE SEEM TO KNOW FOR SURE THAT MAKES US UNWORTHY FOR FORGIVENESS. 

 LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING; THERE ARE MILLIONS OF 
EXCUSES NOT TO FACE GOD, OUR FATHER, AND ASK TO BE SET FREE FROM ALL THIS GARBAGE, A MILLION REASONS THAT  SATAN CAN FILL OUR HEADS WITH IF WE CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO HIS LIES. 

 IF WE SIMPLY START TO OPEN OUR CONSCIOUSNESS AND 
ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE KIND AND GENTLE VOICE OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER TO BEGIN HEALING OUR HEARTS, TO ALLOW OUR SELVES TO BECOME RECEPTIVE TO OUR LORD'S  TOUCH, JUST TO ACCEPT THE GIFT THAT'S BEEN AWAITING US, THE INCREDIBLE MOUNTAIN OF BLESSINGS THAT'S BEEN SET ASIDE JUST FOR US, THAT IS WHEN OUR BURDEN'S WILL SLIP OFF AND THE GREAT PEACE AND JOY OF ONE THAT IS FORGIVEN WILL FILL OUR BEING TO OVER FLOWING, WHEN WE FORSAKE ALL THAT IMPRISONED US AND COME HOME AGAIN, ONCE AND FOR ALL, ALLOWING THE LORD TO EMBRACE US AND ACCEPTING OUR INHERITANCE FROM OUR FATHER 
INSTEAD OF THE ONE WE SETTLED FOR FROM THE WORLD, 
ACCEPTING OUR ADOPTION AND BECOMING A SERVANT, JUST AS JESUS CHRIST WHO IS OUR EXAMPLE, OUR SAVIOR, THE ONE THAT HAS SHOWN US THE PATH TO TRUE FREEDOM, PEACE, JOY, LOVE, ACCEPTANCE, SANCTIFICATION, HOLINESS, HEALING, PURPOSEFULNESS, BECOMING WHOLE AGAIN, AND NO LONGER MAKING THE DECISIONS THAT MAKES US SUBJECT TO SUCH DEFEAT, PAIN AND DEATH OF SPIRIT, BUT FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE OF OUR LORD, SUBMITTING, SURRENDERING OUR WILL AND DESIRES TO DO GOD'S WILL, TO BECOME HIS INSTRUMENT , DOING ALL FOR OUR LORD , MAKING  WAY FOR THE LORD, BEING HIS SERVANTS, FREE AT LAST, YES, TRULY FREE AT LAST. 

  IN CONCLUSION; PLEASE , DEAR FRIENDS, PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE YOU THINK MAY BENEFIT THE READING OF THESE PASSAGES, OR PRINT IT OUT AND GIVE IT TO ANYONE THAT MAY NEED PRAYER OR GUIDANCE. 
 WE, "JESUS CHRIST AND ALL OF US", APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN THE TIME AND ENERGY TO CONSIDER THESE WORDS. 
 BLESSINGS ON YOU, OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ON YOUR 
HOUSE AND ALL THAT ENTER INTO IT, AMEN 

DECISIONS? / DECISIONS!!! 
                09-15-2000           JC&we