Keys to Emotional Freedom IN CHRIST! Key # 5- Fellowship!

"Here's the story of a lovely lady
Who was bringing up three very lovely girls.
All of them had hair of gold, like their mother,
The youngest one in curls.
Here's the story, of a man named Brady,
Who was busy with three boys of his own,
They were four men, living all together,
Yet they were all alone.
Till the one day when the lady met this fellow

And they knew it was much more than a hunch,
That this group must somehow form a family.
That's the way we all became the Brady Bunch.
The Brady Bunch,
The Brady Bunch, That's the way we became the Brady Bunch!"

The lovely lady and her girls, whatever their situation with not having a Dad, were a family... wounded. The Brady men could also been seen in the same way. The man and woman fall in love, marry and blend their family. They had to work at it and they had ups and downs but when all was said and done, healing came into this family because they allowed themselves to BECOME a family. Whether they were stuck in jail in a fake western town on vacation, or a Hawaiian vacation constantly went wrong; whether Jan was jealous of Marsha, Marsha got hit in the face with a ball, or Peter was crying wolf, the Brady's worked out their issues and resolved their differences. They grew to love one another, care for each other, stick up for their siblings and keep on trying even when they failed. Fact was, they needed each other.

Now I realize it is a silly show but this is just how it is in the family of God. We NEED each other. We need fellowship with other of God's kids. We can draw strength from one another and when one hurts, we all hurt. When one rejoices and has a victory, we ALL celebrate! Fellowship is a KEY element in finding healing and freedom from the mess.


I mentioned in one of these previous blogs how I nearly became a recluse during a very bad time in our lives. I was depressed and discouraged by how things were turning out. Some people had caused some issues and so I no longer wanted to be around people....and yet I was so lonely. There was only two or three people I even trusted. As I said before, the enemy really began to talk to me to convince me nobody gave a care about me, my family, or what was happening to us. I learned during that time that drawing myself AWAY from people was exactly what the devil wanted.


That is what he wants for you too...to become a recluse....draw yourself away from other people. He does this so he can whisper his nasty little plan into your heart. But you have to make a choice to kick him to the curb! Drawing yourself away from God's people is the worst thing you can do when you are going thru hell! We really do need each other! Someone has strength to offer you and YOU have strength to offer someone else!


This is why God's Word tells us this:

Going to church isn't only about faithful attendance or obeying His Word although that is VERY important. It is so much more about the courage and strength we receive AND give when we come together in His name! Fellowship is key to getting free and staying free!

Yes, yes, I totally realize that there can be some wackadoos, even at church. BUT I guarantee you that even in the smallest of churches, there is someone there to whom you can connect. There is someone whom you need and who needs you! Don't neglect getting together with believers! 

Whether you or others are falling flat, making mistakes, crying, laughing or celebrating, work out the issues and resolve the differences. AND ALWAYS CAPITALIZE ON THE VICTORIES!! That is a moment of momentum when you can really pursue the things of God! Grow to love one another, care for each other, stick up for your church family siblings and keep on trying even when you fail. Fact is, we need each other and we can do amazing things for the kingdom of God when we are FREE and work together! Cheesy sounding, I know. But oh so true! So, DON'T GO THIS ALONE!!! Get out there, be free, build something great, celebrate and FELLOWSHIP!

Keys to Emotional Freedom -IN CHRIST- Key # 4- Use It

DC Talk had a song back in the day. It went this way; "Ya got a gift then ya best start usin' it, cause if ya don't ya gonna wind up losin' it. Just like the brotha who buried it deep...the task was simple but the price was steep. We got a mission while we're on this earth. We need to tell others bout our second birth. Get busy like a schoolboy makin' an A cause time, my brotha, is tickin' away!

Let me explain...wait that'll take too long. Let me sum up. (Princess Bride fans will get this!)

If you don't use your gifts then you will lose them!




But Shara! You crazy woman! This is emotional TRAUMA I have experienced! TRAUMA!!! BAD! ROUGH! STORM! NOT A GIFT!

But hang on, we have already talked about changing the way we SEE our baggage. We can see it as a curse...or a blessing. A gift. So, if you have not allowed God to transform your way of thinking, you won't get this blog and you need to go seek God until change takes place.

BUT, if you really are sick of the mess and you are sick of being haunted by the mess that happened to you, and you are ready to go to the next level...the next season, then come on and go with me!

For too long, this emotional trauma has really been a TRAP laid to not only take YOU out but to also effect others around you to the point they never get free either...because they never hear YOUR testimony!

Might I submit to you that God ENTRUSTED this to you!? Trusted you to come out of the fire singing His praise? Trusted you to rise from where you fell and testify of His delivering power!?!?
So much freedom is found in seeing it all differently and once you do you can use it to bless someone else's life!

For too long you have been USED AND ABUSED by a PAST EVENT. Yes. It happened. But you lived. It is time to take it from just surviving to actually living and thriving! It did happen but it isn't currently happening!

(If it is, then I am praying for you and I believe God is able to deliver you from your current storm! Don't stay in abuse. Just don't. Get help. Talk to your pastor/pastor's wife. Find a reliable REAL Christian and GET HELP! You are absolutely worth it!! I love you and Jesus loves you. If you want out...He will MAKE A WAY!)

Back on topic...it DID happen but it is done. But your past is still running over you...still haunting you...still USING you. It has the power. ALL of these blogs are about taking the power BACK...away from the enemy of your soul...your accuser. Take a stand and don't let it run over you anymore. The way to do that is to START a new thing. Start using your testimony to minister to someone else. Don't think for a minute that you have no one who needs your testimony. You do. Start a blog. Testify on facebook. Ask to testify in small group or Sunday School. Talk to your neighbor. When you are at Wal-Mart be on the lookout for hurting people and just stop and speak life to them! If you really WANT to use your gift, God will open a door for you. Knock and the door will be opened to you.

Just like if we don't use gifts and talents the Lord has given, they can be taken away, so must we use what God has given us in life's trials and tribulations, celebrations and excitements, good times and bad. There is always, always purpose. Find your purpose and use it. You will lose ground and people around you will suffer if you never USE the things that have happened to help set somebody FREE!

TIME IS TICKING AWAY.

SO much freedom will come as you begin to use what you have been given! It is time. Declare that it is a NEW season for you. Declare that you are completely free from the old pain...and the current pain. Declare that it no longer holds the power over you but that you have been made MORE than a conqueror through Jesus Christ....He loves you so much!

Keys to Emotional Freedom In Christ---Key # 3- Be transformed!

I remember the old Transformer cartoons from the early 80's. The little opening tune went something like this: "Transformers...robots in disguise. Transformers....more than meets the eye."

I know, I know...I probably didn't get it exactly right but you know what I am talking about! And THAT IS YOU!!! YOU ARE MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE! There is so much in you that people never see. Some of it is pretty serious and you never ever want to rehearse it to anyone. You never want anyone to know what you did...or what was done to you. So you suppress it deeeeeep down where no one could ever find it. But you know it is there. It lurks like salmonella on a kitchen counter. It haunts you and no matter what you try, it keeps coming up.

Well I personally believe you can be totally and completely FREE from the pain those memories cause and that is why I am sharing some keys with you that have helped me through the emotional trauma I have encountered. I hope these few blogs help you and encourage you to press on into freedom!

In my first blog, I talked about having a made up mind. That key is a MUST if you are going to be able to use any of these other keys. You have to daily and adamantly make your mind up that you are DONE being hurt by old wounds. Secondly, I talked about opening your mouth and telling your enemy to get lost! He cannot hear what is in your mind so if you want him to leave you alone, you have to tell him to! Tell him off, shut him down and put him on notice! Then open your mouth and give God every ounce of praise you can muster! It might be weak at first but as you praise, God will give you strength. Again, this has to be a daily choice! Speak life to what needs life...and death to what needs to die off!

Now today, I want to talk about a 3rd key....being transformed. I love His Word!

I know all too well that when the devil brings up past hurts, he brings them up with the intention of making me lose my mind, my sanctification and the victory. If he can ever keep you in a depressed, discouraged, victimized state of mind, he has won. He doesn't really care if you are saved as long as you keep your mouth shut....as long as you stay defeated and never help someone else go free! So when he brings up the hurt, not only do you need to shut him down, but you need to allow God to transform how you see the hurt.

And it starts with you....

Change the way you think about it.

Change the way you talk about it.

Change the way you REACT to it!

Ask the Lord to daily and continually renew your mind. As long as you see the old hurt as current pain, you will stay defeated and you will keep a victim mindset. You have to shake that mess off! That is not God's will for you. His will is that you be free...totally...completely...for the rest of your life! 

Want to know how to begin to change the way you think, feel, talk and react about it? 

You have to finally thank God for it. 

Don't turn me off now....

I am not negating the anguish it caused and I am in no way saying it was right or a thing that God wanted to happen to you. But when you can finally find that place where you can thank the Lord for that moment....you will find great freedom. That kind of thankfulness usually only comes when your pain finds it's purpose and if you always internalize it, yo will never be able to help anyone with your testimony. You won't find purpose until you see it as a way to rescue someone else.

BUT HOW CAN I BE THANKFUL FOR BEING (fill in the blank) ?!?!

You find it in that moment you speak peace into someone's life who has also been______________. You find it in that moment when you no longer let it use you....but you use it! 

But that's another blog.....

Remember: You can do ALL things thru Christ who gives you strength. And as you begin to step out in faith away from the pain...you will find greater strength than you have ever know because when we are weak...He is strong for us!  There is definitely more than meets the eye with you. But maybe it is time to stop seeing the pain and start seeing the purpose and promise. There is alot in you God is wanting to draw out to touch other's lives. Let Him!

Keys to Emotional Freedom---IN CHRIST- key # 2/ Open Your Mouth!

Key # 1...A MADE UP MIND. As I said in my previous blog, you must have a made up mind if your are ever going to move beyond your hurt. I assure you, there IS purpose in what you have been through but you cannot help someone out of a pit you are still in. Freedom through His blood and through His Spirit is freely yours but baby, sometimes you have to FIGHT FOR IT. I can promise you this, the enemy of your soul isn't going to play pretty and he isn't going to back down easily but you just keep remembering that Christ has the keys and wants to hand them to you so you can not only walk out of your own dungeon but unlock all of the other dungeon doors while you're at it!

You see, what you have been through isn't just about you and you getting the total victory. There are so many more people that need to be free. And they need to hear your testimony that you absolutely can come out of hell and walk away from it. You can be free from the torment of it for the rest of your life. God's Word says that we are made overcomers by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Well, you are His child, so the blood is applied. Now what you need to do is OPEN YOUR MOUTH!!

I see way too many people sit silently and allow the enemy to whisper all kinds of mess into their spirits day after day. And they always wait until Sunday to take authority because they will be with people who can help them in that altar. But guess what!? Sometimes you cannot get to church and sometimes there will be nobody around to help. So what do you do AFTER you attain the victory on Sunday morning but by Tuesday hell is once again at your doorstep and you are right by yourself!?

I remember a very rough time in my life where I had to make a choice right by myself as to whether or not I was going to continue to entertain the lies satan's little imps would bring to me. For years on end, especially since having kids, shower time was me and Jesus time. I could get in there and worship and pray and get lost with God and the door was locked so nobody could bother me! And wow what some times we would have!

 But then suddenly hell was in my face like it had never been before. Everything I had known for years was snatched away in one moment. No home, no church family, no paycheck, a marriage in pain and two kids to feed. HELL I tell ya. And the blood of Jesus. OH thank you Jesus for Your blood! Back to my story....all of a sudden hell was in my face and I was left speechless and crying. And my shower time went silent. I didn't know what to pray or what to sing. Bible verses that I knew by heart and could quote...seemed to do nothing for me. I could barely even say them. I knew the Word. But I couldn't even get it to come out of my mouth. And then the whispering words of the enemy began. "Look at the mess you are in. God could care less about ya'll. Why did God let this happen to you? You were working so well for His kingdom....making headway against the enemy. etc etc etc"  (See, the enemy of your souls will use just enough truth to make you think it ain't him talking to you. And that's why fasting and prayer ahead of turmoil is so important.) The enemy was playing his cards and I began to get very very angry. Things that I knew good and well were under the blood, my enemy began to bring back up to me. He would play my emotions and I would begin to get mad all over again. One day I was standing quietly in the shower, bathing just as quickly as possible because now I hated my shower time. And here he came again...that little imp from hell...playing his cards. I had already been thinking how badly I wanted my Jesus time back in the shower, completely afraid that I'd never have that time back. So this time, when he came whispering, I MADE MYSELF (made up mind) open my mouth and speak to him.

YOU NEED TO TALK TO THE DEVIL!!!!! He cannot hear what is in your mind....only God Almighty knows that so if you want the devil to leave you alone you MUST OPEN YOUR MOUTH!

I did that right then in the shower. I opened my mouth and for about 10 or 15 minutes I absolutely told him off. I told him to shut up, get behind me, get under my feet and leave me alone. I told him he had no authority over my mind and emotions. I told him that NO spirit would rule over me but the Spirit of the Living God! I SHUT HIM DOWN!!! I quoted every verse I could think of to remind him that he was subject to me, that my name was in the book of life and his wasn't, that his weapons would not prosper, that I was covered by the blood and he could never cross that line, that I am the bride of Christ-His daughter-the apple of His eye!

And I didn't stop there. I shut the devil down and then I took my Jesus time in the shower back! I OPENED MY MOUTH and began to praise my Savior! I made sure my enemy HEARD my praise to God. I sounded horrible but I sang to the top of my lungs....JESUS LOVES ME THIS I KNOW FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO..... And then I began to really feel things break for me. The bitterness I was feeling began to die. My hurt began to be made so small in the presence of My SAVIOR! My REDEEMER! He was making all things new! Jesus had never left me and I knew it again. His Spirit came down in that shower in such a real way and I ended up on my face lying in the tub, shower still running, caught up in heavenly places with Him!

So key # 2 is YOU HAVE GOT TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH. Shut your enemy down and give God praise. I promise, I didn't feel it at first but I had gotten to a point where I couldn't stand being somewhere by myself and yet I nearly became a recluse. I was depressed and was coming close to being completely oppressed. But I saw what was happening. When hell came to our doorstep, I stood in front of my bathroom mirror and crying my head off, pointed my finger at myself and shouted...YOU CAN DO THIS!!! It is not by might or power but by the Spirit of God...YOU CAN DO THIS!

So once, you have a made up mind, open your mouth and like Jesus did, rebuke your enemy, then fill the room with praise. It may be weak at first but since He inhabits the praise of His people, as you praise, He will be enthroned and FREEDOM WILL COME!


WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS, THERE IS FREEDOM!

Run the devil off and invite Jesus into the room! IN JESUS' NAME!

Romans 16:20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Keys to Emotional Freedom---IN CHRIST- key #1- A Made Up Mind

So... you have had hell happen to you. The scars and pain from the emotional trauma that you have born upon your shoulders haunt you to this day. Oh, no doubt, you have asked Jesus to be your Savior. His precious blood has been applied to your life, your scars and your pain but for some reason you still cannot shake the damage it caused. Or can you? If you truly believe His Word, then you WILL BELIEVE that you can walk totally free from your emotional upheaval. YOU HAVE THE POWER! That power comes from His blood. If you are His then you really do have the power to unlock the door to the dark dungeon of pain and tribulation you so desperately want to be free of. You don't lack the power but maybe you lack to "know how". Maybe you just need some keys.
You have probably heard it a MILLION times. Just walk free! It's a gift....take it. Etc...etc...etc... But unless you have wrestled with emotional trauma, you may not truly understand what someone is going through who HAS been molested, raped, physically abused, cheated on, beat down, beat up, put down, verbally abused, abandoned....the list goes on.

Now there are some people who are never going to be free but that is not because freedom isn't available to them. Freedom in Christ is available to anyone who asks. But some people, quite frankly, will not be free because they don't really WANT that freedom. Some folks crave the attention their pain and woe gets them. Some people are so comfortable in their pain that they are too fearful to live without it. Some people simply refuse to completely trust Christ with their baggage, feeling that they can better deal with it than the Savior of the world. We have to understand there are people in those categories. We have to love them, pray for them and keep speaking words of life to them. But ultimately it is THEIR decision as to whether they will be totally free. And no matter how bad we might WANT to shove it down their throats, we cannot. Jesus don't roll like that. Don't play judge and try to figure out who is who....let Jesus do that. You be compassionate!

Maybe you have seen this a thousand times as well.....people with "issues" coming to the altar ALL THE TIME. One Sunday, they pour it all out and get "delivered" and the next Sunday, there they are again...praying for that same old issue. If we are not very careful, we can get frustrated and even angry with these people. But we have to guard against that and love as Christ loved. Believe me, the altar is the RIGHT PLACE for them to be...continuing to work through that mess and continuing to give it back to Jesus. Their trauma didn't happen in one day, so we need to be compassionate and understanding as they work through things that some of us could not even imagine! Just praise God they are in the altar! And if you feel a "plan" needs to be put in place to help these people move into greater freedom, then BE the change you want to see! Disciple these people. Let them KNOW you are praying....and then here is a novel idea....ACTUALLY PRAY!

Now to the person that is longing to be free from the turmoil. You want OUT of the dungeon! You are desperate and sick of the pain. Sick of how angry and hurt you get when the memories arise. And they WILL arise won't they?! That's the whole "haunting" thing. But there are some keys that will cause those memories to no longer have power over you and you will end up with the one holding the power!

 REMEMBER THIS:  Jesus said to John on the Isle of Patmos in Revelation 1:18, "I Am he that lives and was dead: I am alive forevermore amen; and I have the keys of hell and of death."

JESUS HAS YOUR KEYS!

Now listen, I don't claim to be some educated, high-minded, master of divine studies but I do have a degree in the school of hard knocks! Some of the trauma has been because of decisions I made and had to deal with and some have been things that have happened to me and my family that was completely out of my control. But in ALL cases, I have come to know my sweet Savior on a level...and with a level of trust I have never known before. It is BECAUSE of the mess I have been through that I have come to know Him better. Some trials have been easier to overcome than others and some trials I thought would completely take me out! I am proof positive that if you make up your mind to come away from hurt, you CAN come away from it and walk free from it.
And that is key # 1. A MADE UP MIND.

You have to be stubborn. Just as stubbornly as you have held on to hurt, you gotta rid yourself of the hurt. Actually, you need to be even MORE stubborn in pushing it way. Grit your teeth and keep telling the pain it belongs in hell and NOT on your mind and heart! Make up your mind once and for all that this pain and torture is NOT going to be a part of your life...that you are fed up....you are done. Rebuke Satan, then worship Christ! IT WORKS.

I am not saying what has happened to you does not hurt. I KNOW all too well that it does. I know you think of it as the most unfair thing ever and that you never deserved what happened to you. And you are RIGHT. You did not deserve what was out of your hands. BUT, your past hurt does NOT have to be your future pain. Believe me, there is someone that has it way worse than you! God can use YOUR experience to help you lead someone out of the same hell but you MUST HAVE  A MADE UP MIND that come hell or high water....that nobody what the enemy throws your way....you won't go down. You won't quit. Your refuse to wallow in grief. Clench your teeth...get up on the front of your little boat...stare the storm in the eyeball and tell it, "IT IS NOT BY MY MIGHT OR MY POWER THAT YOU WILL BE DEFEATED BUT IT IS BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD ALMIGHTY WHO HAS INSCRIBED ME IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND AND NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME WILL CONTINUE TO PROSPER AND THE DEVIL IS DEFEATED!"

Take the power BACK out of the devil's hands. I cannot promise you he won't bug the life out of you and try his best to crawl back in there and set up camp. He will. He hates you. He hates what you can do for God's Kingdom. So you HAVE to have a made up mind. Just keep reminding yourself that...greater is He that lives in me than he that lives in this world. You ARE an overcomer. Jesus is FOR YOU! Don't forget it!

I have OH so much more to say. I have so much more I feel the Lord leading me to give but I am going to try and break this down into a few days worth of blogging. I am praying for you! If you want to join this discussion on facebook you can find me at Evangelist Shara Horne or Shara Long Horne or Grace Unleashed Ministries. GOD BLESS!

Back to Bloggin'!

WOW! The last time I blogged was in February of 2014. It is now March 2017. I have been away from this for a looooooong time! SO much water has run under the bridge since then. My family and I are walking in the weirdest, most unbelievably amazing time of our lives! I have felt the Lord dealing with me for some time on using this platform as a way to minister. It is with that in mind and in heart that I commence to writing! And boy do I have some things to say. I won't say it all right this second, however, as you would be sitting here for a long, long time IF I was actually able to grab your attention. HAHAHA I have been thinking for a while about actually writing a book which would basically be the story of my life. I might actually name it, "That's the Story of My Life". For some time, it has been said of me that Murphy's Law applies. You know that old cliche...if it will happen to anyone, it'll happen to..... Shara. Oh, I could tell you stories! Some to make you cry and some to make you laugh so hard you end up crying! Some of those things, only those closest to my heart will ever know, and some things I imagine I will put right there in that book just so you know you are not alone in your crazy life!

There are so many valuable lessons I have learned in these 40 plus years, but if I could hope to convey anything to you... it is that Jesus loves us in spite of ourselves and to never take yourself too seriously! Now obviously Jesus loves us in spite of ourselves but He also expects us to press after Him and follow His Word to the very best of our ability. We will fail and we will not get it right every doggone day but NOTHING can separate us from His love. We will have to do alot of repenting and starting over. We have to keep our sinful nature under the blood. And He loves us...He loves me and He loves you. We are the apple of our Father's eye. NEVER forget that.

And also never forget to cut up and have a good time. The Christian life does not have to be Dullsville. Sometimes, we get so caught up in "being religious" and we end up being so serious about EVERYTHING that we never take moments to laugh...breathe....joke....enjoy God's creation....ride roller coasters and scream our heads off...eat a super messy quad-scoop chocolate ice cream cone and LAUGH as it runs down our hand! I try to teach my boys not to take themselves so seriously. For instance, when your last name is HORNE, the jokes coming flying at you! I have tried to teach these boys not to let it get to them...that if they'll joke about it and laugh about it, then everyone laughs WITH them and not at them. Yeah, it may be a defense mechanism but it eventually WORKS! You cannot let every little thing "get to ya" or else you will live a very sullen, miserable, lonely life.

SO, as I write and you hopefully join me, maybe together we can help make a difference one day at a time....loving  and serving Jesus, being lighthearted and genuinely enjoying this Christian life!

Until next time.....which I hope is soon....EAT THE ICE CREAM!