Celebrate Recovery + 2015 Edit

I joined 3/28/13

I haven’t posted in some time mostly because I have been doing some of my own “journaling” and soul searching. It has been accelerated since I started going to Celebrate Recovery. This is basically a Christian 12-step group that was founded by Rick Warren of Saddleback Church. I have been a food addict my entire life and, for the umpteenth time, I was just sick of it. I shared this with my brother and he shared Celebrate Recovery with me. He takes me weekly. 

What a marvelous discovery this was and as with all others, I joined CR with one thing in mind and in just a few short months I’ve found a whole lot more baggage to let go of that I'd been carrying around.  The major reason why my writing had been a bit more self-centered, but just for a time! Not that I will quit going but I see the light in the horizon. I don’t believe it will continue to be such intense study! 

I wrote this recently in my “I See God” Smashbook:

“I met them, those “birds of a feather” and I became one of them. Now 5/18/13, wow, soon to be 60 days and adding 6 months for the commitment on 1/1/13 to letting God reorganize my life! It’s about commitment! It’s about moving forward with God at the helm! It’s about knowing this is the ONLY way to live! 

As I sit here watching the movie “Twister” (Twister @ IMDB)it’s brought

to my mind that we in CR are facing life, facing all the storms we've been through and are to come. BUT, we aren't doing it alone. We are with God and each other! This group is a group of “birds of a feather” grabbing a hold of God with all the gusto of these passionate tornado chasers! WHERE FAITH and FEAR COLLIDE! Even though there is fear in facing these storms, with God we have the faith to push on!

*II Peter 1:5-6 “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”"

 http://www.celebraterecovery.com/

IN ADDITION - 2015 Edit

i just shared this for the umpteenth time and was thinking that I needed an update.  More than 2 years later I am still at Celebrate Recovery.  Although I have missed several times along the way with a couple of pretty long vacations (during times necessary due to life, moving & etc...).  I am now in a different location and the first meeting place actually closed down yet there are several and more opening up in this area.  This new to me place is amazing.  When we worship, the Holy Spirit falls and you know we are all seeking Him!  So, I decided today that I must share a worship song that seems to have become our theme song:

May God bless you through my writing. If He has especially touched you in any way, please leave a comment below. Your comments are so very encouraging to me to help me to keep writing. Also, click on the “Uptweet” button on the above right and share! I pray you will keep coming back. I fully believe that my writing is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so if I am writing, there is someone that needs to read it! Maybe it’s you? Also, please be sure to share any questions you might have with me and if you would like to keep them personal (just between you and me) please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at juliana.pace@gmail.com. If I don’t know how to answer you, I will may every attempt to refer you to someone for more information. Thanks and may God bless all your days!

Journaling and Then Some - 2010

I guess today’s writing is really more of a journal to me than a writing for someone else to read. I actually read the definition of a journal last night (““a record of experiences, ideas, or reflections kept regularly for private use.” Excerpt from “A Heart Ablaze”” by John Bevere) and saw that most of my writings, although I’ve felt like they were journalling, were prayers to God (mostly just talking to God). Then I write about things for my blog that many other people merely journal. I’m just certain that there would be so much better reading out there if many of those people that journalled daily would share those ideas, experiences, and reflections with others. I believe the only reason why I actually started to share mine is out of obedience. I believe God showed me that there were others out there that needed to read them. When I got my first real comment (when my blog was at Christianblogspots.com) from a stranger, I bawled like a baby. And, I realized that just that one made all the writing worthwhile.

I fully realized this with writing my book, too. I’ve made a total of $3.85 in royalties, although I purchased almost 2 dozen and sold most of them myself. I made very little but the comments I’ve gotten from those who purchased them were worth much more to me than any monetary value! So, I’m working on writing a second book that is a culmination of short non-fiction writings by me and will be called “A Mosaic of Me”. I’m also working on the cover design. I don’t know how it’ll do, but that’s not actually my reason for writing it. Coming back once again to the scriptures that I believe wholeheartedly encompass the Christian life, Proverbs 3:5, 6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

With that I want to share more of how God spoke to me recently. I attended a class at my church last night based on a book and workbook “A Heart Ablaze” by John Bevere. First of all, every time I prayed or even mentioned this class in my head to God, I’d hear this still small voice say “you prayed for fire.” over and over and over again, this last month or so that the pastor has been advertising this class in church. As if He was saying ‘was there ever any doubt?’ or ‘why ask?”. So, I knew this class was for me. It’s twelve weeks of Wednesday night classes with extra reading and homework that I am overjoyed to commit to.

Part of our homework assignment for next week is “Take the time to write your own personal mission statement for A Heart Ablaze.” (From “A Heart Ablaze” by John Bevere). As I drove home, I thought and thought about this mission statement while listening to a CD in my car. The song came on “You Won’t Relent” by Misty Edwards. I heard the words:

“Come be a the fire inside of me
Come be the flame upon my heart
Come be a the fire inside of me
Until You and I are one [x4]”

Then, I went to bed last night and that song played in my head all night long while I dreamed over and over again how I was uniquely made for what He was having me do in my life. I believe He is calling me to not only being a writer but also a speaker. Right now with my still nominal disabilities it can be hard for me to see at times, but no matter what He keeps bringing that back to my heart and in last night’s dream He once again showed me how I was uniquely made for this position.

This song “You Won’t Relent” touches me deeply into my soul. And, I had my mission statement.

If you like this song, you might look back in my archives or comment to me if you can’t find at least one other writing about how God used it to speak to me.