Ancient Paths

Ancient Paths is not for wimps.

Ancient Paths was Awesome. Intense. Exhausting. Convicting. Healing. Powerful. Life-changing. There were tears...and forgiveness...and incredible peace. To say that we experienced a "gloriously intense encounter with God" would be putting it mildly. (Did I really just pray about that four days ago?)

I really believe EVERY Christian should go to an Ancient Paths (www.familyfoundations.com) seminar. It is unlike anything I've ever experienced. I thought I was the one encouraging Scott to go (because of wounds from his childhood), but I think God was using that as a decoy to get me there. I thought I was in a pretty healthy place emotionally and spiritually, but apparently He needed to work on me first. (Although, God later did an incredible work in Scott's heart, too.) One of the things I love about Ancient Paths is that it is like the "anti-band aid." (My newly created word.) There is no time or need for a surface cover-up. They didn't give us their own opinions or 3-step programs, but helped us pray and ask God to reveal to us the root of deep issues and then to come in and heal those places. Places we didn't even realize needed healing. Then afterwards I wondered..."Why didn't I see that all along? It's so simple." After all, the gospel is so simple. Why do we make things so complicated?

Another thing I discovered through watching God work in other peoples' lives and mine is how much power there is in forgiveness. Realizing that I need forgiveness. God's forgiveness. Other people's forgiveness. Then forgiving. That may sound obvious, but it really is not a small thing. I saw it before my own eyes. (I've heard that the counselor at our church said that if Christians could get a grip on forgiveness, he'd be out of a job.) I think many of us don't even realize we're carrying it around or the havoc it is creating in our lives.

It was very sobering to get calls and emails from so many of you to tell me that you prayed for us and to ask how the weekend went. (Keek even said that she woke up in the middle of the night Friday night and felt prompted to pray for us!) Thank you for loving us and for taking my prayer request seriously. I had no idea when I sent that out just how much we were going to need prayer the following 36 hours. Once again Heaven heard. Once again God loved us so lavishly. Once again God set us free. Once again I am amazed. Once again He's captured my heart. I'll never be the same.

Our worship team played this song at church this morning and I thought it was very appropriate:

Salvation Is Here -- Hillsong

God above all the world in motion
God above all my hopes and fears
And I don't care what the world throws at me now
I'm gonna be alright

Hear the sound of the generations
Making loud our freedom song
All in all that the world would know Your name
It's gonna be alright

Cause I know my God saved the day
And I know His word never fails
And I know my God made a way for me
Salvation is here...