Previously:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1253847/a-love-that-restores-part-1-the-shallow-end

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1264230/a-love-that-restores-part-2-going-deeper-

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1273711/a-love-that-restores-part-3-the-truth-hurts-

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1275588/a-love-that-restores-part-4-when-heaven-and-earth-collide

The date eternity began for me was November 6th, 2005. My new birthday and a day I will always celebrate as my real birthday. For I truly was born again on this date. Just as a baby comes out of the womb and instinctively starts breathing, I knew I had to tell everyone about what just happened. I don't remember saying any prayer outloud, just inwardly opening my heart for Jesus to come in and start working. Basically all I did after all this happened was to say... OK, I'm yours, I surrender.

Bonnie later described it this way: "When he came back from his smoke tour, and we continued on with our "intense fellowship" there was something different about him. I could see it in his eyes as he told me what just happened to him. There was a peace, a love in his eyes that I had never seen before." This was the scariest thing she could ever hear. Why? Because she believed in God, but didn't want anything to do with Him. She grew up having God and the church crammed down her throat and the first thought she had was... oh no, he's just turned into my father! So, the long road to restoration began. And the tears started coming...

I would walk into a room and I knew she had just been crying... that would continue for a couple of months. God was breaking her down and all I could do was pray for her and watch her unravel. It was a very hard time in our house.

This is why I cringe when I hear a preacher or anyone witnessing, testifying that accepting Jesus will make their life all better. (Hells' Best Kept Secret) This is the best message I've ever heard concerning this and is about 25 minutes long. I've heard Lance Wallnau describe it as transition. Transition: Going through hell but you hope God is in it somewhere.

My decision was making life much tougher at first. We fought more than we had lately, but God was doing a work in her as well as bringing me along. I mistated in Part 4 that I was shown things in my 1st vision. That was a bit inaccurate as I remembered after writing it that I was given a second vision the next day that included the witnessing to my dad, and leading worship in the future and such. So the next day, I told Bonnie I had this second vision and what I saw. She was still in a tailspin over all the ramifications of what was happening to me. I asked her, how do I witness to my Dad, he's half out of it in the nursing home, still a bit scary and as far as I knew a total athiest and not to mention, I didn't know how to witness to anyone, I barely knew what really was happening within me! She helped me to see that all I was to do was just tell him exactly what I've told her... what happened to me and what I just discovered. That would suffice to obey what God told me to do. The worship leading thing... that wasn't going over so big with her. Bonnie and my relationship was severely hurt by my many years of being away playing music and I promised her 5 years before that it was over and I was definitely retired. So I told her I had no idea how that would happen but I wouldn't go and play with the worship team until she was OK with it, if she would ever be OK with it. If not, that would be fine too. Who I was would not be defined by my guitar.

So within 3 days, there I was meeting with my father and mother to tell them what just happened to me. Dad was recently put in a nursing home after falling and breaking a hip. My mother was pretty much gone with Alzheimers and didn't understand anything anymore. We had been through so much with them and getting them out of harm's way in their own home. Dad was suffering from a disease similar to Alzheimers but in a different region of his brain that controlled speech. They told me it was basically Parkinsons without the shaking symptoms. He hadn't been having many good days anymore, so I went in not expecting much. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to prepare him for this. (I still was having a little trouble believing my prayers held much power) I was still only a few days into the Lord, but I prayed anyway. When I walked into the place and turned the corner to my parent's wing. There he stood, dressed, shaved and had a smile on his face upon seeing me. I just looked at Bonnie and she at me as if... God, you're making this easy aren't you??? We had a nice visit with him, as he was more alert and communicative than we've seen him in some time. He listened to my story and instead of rebutting or refuting or giving his side of what he felt, he just said thank you for sharing that with me. I'm very happy to hear you found this. And it was the most he had said at one time in months. That was it, but it was huge to me and I was so relieved afterwards.

Sidestory Fast forward: Within a year after that day, my mother was really ill and when visiting her, they told me she had a fever that they couldn't seem to get control of... she was 88 years old. She looked very tired sitting at a table in the dayroom with her head on her arms. She briefly looked up at me and said, "I just want to go home." Growing up, my mother was a strong believer in Jesus, loved him and did her best to show that love to all. But here she was in need and I felt so bad for her. At this time she couldn't remember anyone, any memory of the past, she didn't really know how to swallow her food anymore... she was getting close to the end. So I asked her, "Do you want to go home Mom?" "Yes" is all she mustered exhaustedly. So I said "Let's pray that Jesus will bring you home real soon." That's when she looked at me and I saw a connection in her eyes, she took my hand and bowed her head. That just about floored me... not remembering anything or anybody she still knew how to pray to her Father in Heaven. That was the 1st and last time I ever prayed with my mother... as an adult. I'll never forget that. She went home just a couple weeks later... very peacefully and quietly.

After a few months of tears and breaking down, Bonnie came back to the Lord in a huge way... I had a partner again. So we headed into this journey not knowing where it was leading us... but assured that God would not let us down. It just so happened that our church was to start a class called In Christ Image by Francis Frangipane in the fall of 2005. But for some reason it was delayed until Jan. of 2006. We know it was because it was for us. It was an incredible jumping off point and we knew, that we were called for something more than going to church on Sundays and being good. We were such newbies and asked some of the most basic questions. The one that comes to mind was on the questionaire we filled out to enroll, that asked us if we wanted to be intercessors. What's an intercessor? I asked at our 1st class. Someone who stands in the gap we were told. What gap? I asked. The gap between man and God... it was kind of comical at the time... but the teaching was very thorough and in depth and we graduated with such a knowledge of God's ways that many seasoned Christians still don't have. We were on a fast track for sure.

About 4 months into the Lord, Bonnie gave her blessings on joining the worship team.... what's really ironic about it is, before 11/06/09 on one of those Sunday's I decided to work instead of going with the family to church, she secretly signed me up to be contacted to join the chorus. The call came but not for that. So with her Blessing I contacted our worship leader Rick. He was very happy to hear from me and put me in the schedule. I think I had about 5 Sundays in with them and was connecting with Rick as a mentor and great brother/leader and we got an email alert about a special meeting he was calling for all the worship team members. Rick announced that God was moving him on elsewhere, to another church and his time was finished there. I was floored, bummed and very upset. I left the meeting in a huff. I was only 6 months into the Lord and still a little green. I couldn't understand why this was happening, things were going so well. I thought our team was really improving and the quality was real high, not to mention Rick was a great influence in my life and I was just getting to know him. Why God? That's when I remembered my 2nd day vision telling me to get prepared to lead worship!!! AGHHGGHHH! I'm not ready God... Are we ever really ready? At least I wasn't asked to build a 10 ton, 3 football field sized ark in my backyard.

Within another month I found myself ... leading worship for our church.  Not as a full time leader but on an interim basis and sharing it with a few others until a permanent leader was found. Our church had certain criteria to meet for full time staff and I was not meeting most of them. It was nice to hear that Rick gave them my name as the best qualified replacement for him though... that was very uplifting hearing he said that and I'm sure he knew that they wouldn't entertain putting such a new Christian in such a role.

I'll finish this segment with this... I remember my first miracle. A few days after meeting with Dad and upon telling my sister , who was praying for my salvation for years, I confessed to having a hard time reconciling my smoking knowing it was a sin. But I had tried everything to quit up to that point. She said something I'll never forget:"Well it's not going to keep you out of heaven. You just might smell like you went through hell when you get there though." She said leave it in God's hands and pray about it, He'll let you know when it's time. When I say I tried everything to quit... I mean every known method. I never tried the God method though. It was only about 3 weeks later, about one month in the Lord. A pack I bought tasted a little funny, like they were stale or something. And since I throw nickels around like manhole covers, I kept smoking them. Each one kept tasting worst than the last... after 1/2 the pack it hit me. OH, this is the sign that it's time. I still finished the pack though. Diehard... The next day I smoked the last one, threw it out and said goodbye to a an "old friend" of 35 years that I knew I'd never see again. Now I know you're thinking, that's no miracle. People quit everyday. The miracle was this: I felt just a little shaky the 1st day but stood on the promise He would help. He did. The second day went by quickly and the third I noticed by the end of the day I wasn't thinking about them anymore. About a week went by before I even thought of cigarettes again. I had absolutely no desire to light one up. None, zip, nada! I've quit smoking lots of times in the past, even made it over 6 months once... but I never lost the desire. After 6 months I was still thinking about them after every meal, driving in the car, waking up in the morning.... but now, nothing. He not only helped me quit, he just took all the desire away. To this day almost 4 years later, still absolutely no desire. I call that a miracle.

One more segment and I'll wrap this all up and tie it all together. May His peace rest on you forever.

1 Thessalonians 1:4-6

 4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.