Steve the ability to have happiness and enjoy life is a virtue.
As time passed and I grew older, I became too serious. Everything I did, I did like a drill sergeant.
There's nothing wrong with being prepared for war but there's the other end of the spectrum.
We have to have that peace on the inside, a loose child running free and for me
the years from 29 to 39 had some very dramatic roles indeed.
You'd think with being a Preacher and all that id been the happiest and most content person alive.
I was in the sense that my soul was not in jeopardy and I had a personal relationship with my creator.
Really I cant think of a time when I wasn't more at peace to begin with-(the first three years)
I remember receiving the baptism of the holy spirit and the anointing was all over me, still is.
I had 50 healings my first month (laying on of hands )
Most churches I went to at this time didn't like who I was or what I was doing.
Free as a child with a weapon to defeat sickness and open the blind eyes and free those in oppression
I was on a new level Steve, something I only could dream of in the years leading up to this gift.
As the years went on and religious politics got involved I was told that healing wasn't for today in the sense that the gift was only for the apostles.
This was my first church after getting saved and I loved them with all my heart- I still love them, but I knew they were in the wrong.
I was very educated in the word and had the gift of faith - How could they tell me not to lay hands on the sick.
I had to leave with a broken heart cause so many people at the church were still in need of being healed.
You have to understand I was traveling to the two hospitals here in Rome GA on a daily basis going to the sick floors.
That's floors 4,5,6 here. I don't like calling the floors that but when someone's there , the chance that they will recover are long and hard
I remember it was usually the 6th floor that had the worst cases- in which the folks there weren't thought to be going home.
That was my main floors id visit- id ask them if it was ok if I prayed for them and the love and healing I saw in there eyes were powerful
I had my healing ministry and I would always call the next day to see how the folks were doing that I had prayed for.
They were already at home the nurse would say and the healing and joy it gave my heart was over whelming.
And now my own church was telling me this wasn't meant to be, the bible says my people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge (emphasis mine)
Now im not saying anything other than they - the clergy- needed to understand those verses on a greater level.
I left the church as said above with a broken heart- (depression, repression)
It didn't take long for me to find a small church with about 15 members and they all had gifts.
It was so sweet to be somewhere that I was understood and the child inside, was happy and joyful playing in the fields of hope again.
We had two meetings a week and the miracles I saw in that little church were remarkable.
Its the power of our own faith when we put all the religion aside and just believe.
The pastor was a good man and I was a member for close to a year before the doors had to be shut.
See I was 34 and all the other members were 85 and up. With love and hugs we departed and the young child began to hurt again.
After this I was well prepared to run a church of my own If they didn't mind that I prayed for the sick and set the captives free.
after preaching for quit some time my pastor at the new church started to say bad things toward me and like night from day
he changed into someone I didn't know anymore. I had loved ones in the church and I had to go house to house
and let them know I wouldn't be preaching there anymore. It broke my heart and at 36 I was back in depression with repression
I decided to start my own school of wisdom up since id started my own business.
It helped sooth me as much as I would allow.
It consisted of higher learning in all the arts of wisdom and healing that I could think of.
I take great admiration in saying 3 of those workers are in there on line of healing services today.
Still I was lost, like something had been taken and I didn't think I was supposed to be preaching if the way was not made.
I hurt in my heart for 4 years leading up to the tms relapse when I was 40.
I could help others heal and I knew there was a way to heal myself I just couldn't put a finger on it.
as time passed and I fell deeper and deeper into depression I hurt more till I couldn't get out of bed,
I couldn't even tie my own shoes.
Here I was a man god had called to heal the sick and open blind eyes and I couldn't even roll over in bed without being in pure agony
Now I know Steve- now I know. It was me holding the hurt in, it was the repressions cause I was to turn the other cheek
it wasn't god mad at me and it wasn't that I couldn't raise myself from the ashes.
It was straight out a loss of enjoyment and to much seriousness when I needed to be laughing id get more serious.
It was a loss of relationship with who I was and a loss of hope in what I was.
Then as if by an unseen hand I ran across Sarnos book and right there was the answer staring back at me.
I believe it was about 60 days and I met you in the forum- I wrote about my issues and you were the first to answer.
I knew if I could get your book that it would help me too. I just didn't know if it was going to be able to beat Sarno.
See I was already having big leaps of recovery from Sarnos books- small leaps actually but when your bedridden a small leap is huge.
Then I read how you would work out and keep at it, not to try and kill yourself but to show the tms who was the director.
You told your story of trial and tribulation. I wads in awe , another man had been in pain longer than me
and he had the answer in combination right along with Dr. Sarno.
You told how you heard the Nike commercial; just do it and then from that page
I put your book down and went outside struggling to bend and picked up a horse shoe.
I threw that horseshoe about ten feet and this was the beginning of my physical recovery.
Then I decided to move up to throwing two horse shoes.
I remember my first game was with my 8 yr. old nephew and he wondered why I had the poles so close together.
I said well little mickey its for you can throw them a lot easier. I never talked much about the pain.
I always knew in my heart there was an answer. Now after I began to get stronger at bending ever so
slightly I knew id have to do something more to get to moving this conditioning in the other direction.
That was the night I got my wife up and my dog to watch me lift weights for the first time in over a year.
it was important that they were there because I needed there support less I couldn't make it back in the house.
I succeeded that night and I had good days and bad days till the good days got better.
Now as you already know I have my strength back, I have my hope back and I have my relationships back.
Something I never thought was that bad, my inner chatter and also something I thought didn't exist- the inner child- were crying out for my help
Through your book friend I learned that I didn't need a man of faith to lay hands on me. ( although this is ok)
What I needed was to sooth myself and let me know that having joy was ok.
I had to stop thinking about the state I was In and start thinking about what I wanted.
I had to stop repressing all those thoughts of doubt ,strife and pain.
Stop being so serious all the time and actually enjoying life on purpose
I had to relearn all that id already learned cause the answers were there.
Id memorized them and took them in my heart and soothed others, healed others.
I just never knew how to soothe myself and heal myself till I got your book and Dr. sarnos books
and I believe as you know I've been on that cloud of glory since brother- this is for you Steveo
God bless you my friend