Admitting you have a problem is half the battle. Well, YOU ARE HERE, seeking a solution for your problem, so I have to congratulate you . . . You’re halfway home!

Now, here’s another TRUTH to ponder on. Anything that’s worthwhile, takes time. Some problems may suddenly appear and some are created over long periods of time. Some problems come and go in a day or so but many problems don’t just go away overnight. Some of these problems are deep seated and need to be addressed by bringing the problem to light.

Your anticipation of the problem disappearing is exciting and admirable and that’s exactly how you should be feeling. You’re anxious to get started and plow through this Spiritual program as to be healed . . . You may even feel compelled to dive in head first with passion, being so very devoted to the cause and you can feel your desire to be healed of the problem so strongly that you almost can’t keep it inside of you. Hold on to that feeling!

IF you do not have this feeling, do not imagine yourself strange.
Just remember the Promise of Jesus that we discussed in Step One ...

 Each day when you move on to the next STEPPING STONE you will need this passion and expectation of success that you feel right now, and your path to healing will be solid as a rock, but here’s a little secret … Don’t tell anybody about this!

Because of a thing called stimulative urge. Here’s how it works. Think of it like a helium balloon. You have great expectations building up inside of you, and as long as you keep it inside, like the helium in the balloon, it keeps you afloat. But what happens to a balloon when the air is let out? Well, you get the picture.

This stimulative urge works the same way with this program. You have wonderful plans, and as long as you keep them inside, the life and SPIRIT of the idea will achieve unimaginable heights! It will motivate you … urge you … and strengthen your earnest desire to act on it.

BUT ... If you go and tell everyone about your plans, you lose the passion as you are now doing it for them ... Not for you and God. Keep this program as your own little secret just between you and God, and see if your determination doesn’t remain strong all the way to the end of THE PATH, and beyond!

If you've chosen to write a Blog, as I mentioned, others will be reading it ... quite possibly others who are also on THE PATH.  This will not deflate your stimulative urge, but rather it will encourage others who are also seeking help with their problems. By doing this, you're not surrendering your determination, you're extending it to a fellow Christian.

Here’s a little analogy to keep in mind. Problems (symptoms) may go away, but the root of a problem many times does not. Look at this clinically for a moment. Let’s take diabetes for an example. If you’re a diabetic, you can live a perfectly normal life, if you manage your condition with insulin, regularly.

BUT ... The problem still exists.

Now, let’s go back to looking at this Spiritually. The root of most problems that require counseling, are not just going to disappear. Outside influences are often what keep people from being healed from their problems. Strange as it may sound, people become accustomed to their problems and in some cases, hold on to them, whether it be for attention, addiction, selfishness, weakness or many other reasons that they may not be conscious of, or haven't admitted to themselves. Now this does not mean that one or all of these apply to your situation but let's face it ... It's just you and God that really know the TRUTH.
 
Sooooooo, If the shoe fits ... Slap that rascal on Cinderella so we can deal with it. Cuz if you have found that you enjoy the attention that you receive when you complain to others of your problems or if you have become accustomed to things going wrong ... THAT too is an issue that needs to be addressed cuz that's no way to live.

 Our goal, my friend, is to identify any and all problems, and to change your lifestyle, your thoughts, your attitude, and most importantly, your BELIEFS in order to defeat those influences in your life. It’s the way that you manage the condition that enables you to live a happier life, the life that God intended for you.

What did you just learn? My friend, the TRUTH is ... The problem is not YOU! The problem is that a seed was planted within you by … The enemy. He plants these bad seeds inside of you so that they will grow and affect your choices and as time passes ... Your life.  It is called SPIRITUAL WARFARE and like it or not ... You are right in the middle of it. It is a battle between God and SATAN. It is a battle for your soul.

Most of us are like the person Jesus just described in His parable as the ones that received seed among the weeds. Our world is full of them. And one of the biggest reasons that we have weeds in our garden is because the enemy has CON-vinced us that dandelions are … flowers!

We’ve become so accepting of the ways of man’s world, that it chokes out the Word, and that’s where our problems arise. Soon our garden fills up with weeds, insects, snakes, disease, birds … whew … there’s hardly any room for the Word in there, and when you keep watering the weeds, by way of thought and worrying about these problems ... They grow.

Let’s pull these weeds (lies) within your garden. Let’s give 'em a good dose of TRUTH and bid them good riddance. Let’s clear the land, so you can plant new seeds as to bring forth fruit for the Lord. 

What we must remember is ... Weeding isn’t a one time task. As with a physical garden, your spiritual garden needs regular maintenance. You can pull every weed and come back a few days later, and you’ll find that a few more weeds have sprung up!

Some seeds are hidden deeper under the dirt than others but they still rise up. Some of them, you may have thought that you already pulled, but a tiny bit of one little root broke off and remained, which, of course grew another sprout. Or perhaps more birds (EVIL SPIRITS) brought in more weeds (thoughts) by way of getting you to possess anger, jealousy, lust, greed, fear and doubt during the few days. The wind carried some in by way of friends whispers, television, radio, etc.

The point is ... You must keep after it. It’s a new lifestyle and it takes a lil time and effort to keep the weeds under control, but you will find that it takes no more time than the problems that the weeds in your life have caused.

Fertilizer works best when you apply it a little at a time, regularly. If you dump a whole bag or a whole bottle in all at once it can kill the garden. If you only do it once and then never apply it again, you’re not going to achieve the results that you would if you follow the directions on the label by performing this application as directed. It will work the same way with the Spiritual garden of your mind. You MUST pull weeds and fertilize the garden of your mind ... With TRUTH often.

Be patient. One step at a time. Remember the insulin? And the helium balloon? Don’t take in so much helium all at once that you pop! Don’t fill your cup so much that it runs over. Do not expect immediate results. As with a garden, it takes time before you will see the actual fruits of your labors.

You’re changing your whole lifestyle, so maintain your earnest desire to be healed, and think of the tortoise and the hare … Slow and steady wins the race! I purposely repeat the importance of following THE PATH one step at a time for 14 days, because it’s important for you to get the maximum benefit of each and every step. I urge you, don’t miss a day and then do two steps in one day. 

Just as with prescription medication ...
If you take this Spiritual medicine for a day here and there when it says take EVERY day for 14 days ...
 You will not be healed.
 

In our minds, we tend to think that miracles are things that happen suddenly . . . All at once.
After all, when Jesus healed people, it happened instantly! 

There may be many reasons why you have not been able to overcome your problem up until now, but here are a couple of possibilities. Because of the limits that the world today, and we ourselves, have put on FAITH, we (without knowing sometimes, or willingness to admit it) reserve a little doubt deep inside. Doubt is the opposite of FAITH. That’s enough to keep a miracle from happening immediately, or for that matter, from happening at all. So we must establish FAITH. The BELIEF in what you want ... NOT what you do NOT want.

Another possible reason, is that God oft times has a plan, which is different from ours. He may think that you need to learn some lesson along the way so that you will not repeat a sin. Or perhaps, He may know of another person that it may affect in one way or another if you are allowed to experience this and He’s moving things into place for the best recovery for you, and the affects it may have on another down the road.

If the problem that you have is one that you’ve brought on yourself, or one that you can’t seem to let go of ... How long has it taken you to turn to God for help? He is so very patient with us, shouldn’t we be a lil patient too? If it takes longer than we prefer for a miracle to happen, do we give up on God and doubt that He will help us? Nehhhhhhh ... He is worthy of our patience as patience establishes our FAITH.

If you think about it, it may be that miracles are happening all around us, instantaneously, all the time, but our impatience lets doubt creep back into our minds so quickly, and reverse the miracles that our Lord may have bestowed on us. It could happen so fast, that we never even recognize that a miracle took place.

When we think of miracles, the ones that happen suddenly are the ones that we seem to remember most, but how many more miracles have happened that are just as extraordinary, that have happened over time? This is how it will be with this procedure. It requires the entire 14 days.
 

While we’re on THE PATH, we’re going on some FIELD TRIPS. It’s very important that we go together on each one. Some of the Field Trips provide information that will help you to increase your knowledge, ability, and FAITH to overcome your problem.

Most Field Trips are references to Bible scripture as the Lord is the real Physician here. His treatment is imperative. He IS the healer. The miracle comes from Him. Without His Word, the prescription can’t be filled.

They say that music soothes the soul. How do you know that’s true? When God sent an evil spirit upon king Saul, David played Godly Music for him and the evil spirit went away.

The more you put into something, the more you get out of it. These FIELD TRIPS are designed to help you achieve the greatest success at conquering the problem. You may be on one of our FIELD TRIPS and say to yourself, “This doesn’t apply to me, or my problem,” but it’s all part of the big picture. Check this out ... You wouldn’t sit down to dinner and dig into a big spoonful of yeast, but the bread you eat wouldn’t be the same without yeast. You may not recognize the necessity, but at some point in your life, when outside influences try and sneak in to pose a problem, these things that seem unnecessary now, will all be stored in your garden shed and on hand to prevent new weeds from growing.

Many attempts repeated, complete any undertaking!