Divine Appointments
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kdnxdr
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When you say, "discuss", are you looking for personal experiences? Or, where we stand theologically? Or, what we believe a divine appointment is suppose to be?
When leaving the Blue Mosque in Istanbul you are asked to make a donation.
I donated an Injil which resulted in my being surrounded by 4-5 policeman and taken off to a station they had setup beside the mosque. Interestingly enough a guy latched onto me just before this that spoke English/Turkish who I had never seen before. He came with me to the police station and translated for the hour or so I was there. After they had confiscated all the tapes/videos/injils that I had I asked for them back so I could hand them out and several of the policemen took them. I went over scripture with several of them. The Imam of the Blue Mosque then showed up and I did the same with him. I loaded him up with stuff including a Jesus video in the Turkish language which he said he was going to watch right after the call to prayer. I was let go right after he left and heard voices for the next 2 months (a freebie thrown in for the spiritual warfare folks).
I thought it was a divine appointment at the time. I'm not sure now.
Just for fun here's a picture somebody took right after or before all this mess. I can't remember which.
I donated an Injil which resulted in my being surrounded by 4-5 policeman and taken off to a station they had setup beside the mosque. Interestingly enough a guy latched onto me just before this that spoke English/Turkish who I had never seen before. He came with me to the police station and translated for the hour or so I was there. After they had confiscated all the tapes/videos/injils that I had I asked for them back so I could hand them out and several of the policemen took them. I went over scripture with several of them. The Imam of the Blue Mosque then showed up and I did the same with him. I loaded him up with stuff including a Jesus video in the Turkish language which he said he was going to watch right after the call to prayer. I was let go right after he left and heard voices for the next 2 months (a freebie thrown in for the spiritual warfare folks).
I thought it was a divine appointment at the time. I'm not sure now.
Just for fun here's a picture somebody took right after or before all this mess. I can't remember which.
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kdnxdr
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For what it's worth, you do seem to have chilled out quite a bit over the past few weeks, RT. Sorry if that sounds like a backhanded compliment, but it's true. You have so much to add to this forum and it's really great to see you doing it without exploding.
As cliche as it sounds, I think everyone we interact with is a divine appointment. But I do have a good story I'll share if I get time later today.
I don't know what 'divine appointment' means really.
But this I can identify with:
Spiritual warfare is no joke. Prayer warriors are your best defense.
Would you PM me about the voices?
>''<
But this I can identify with:
Spiritual warfare is no joke. Prayer warriors are your best defense.
Would you PM me about the voices?
>''<
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Sure. I don't mind talking about it publicly either. Let me know what it is you want to know.
well - is this the right thread for it? that's all.
I guess I wanted to know what they said.
Was it more than one voice?
Voice for good or bad?
Did they fade away or become less frequent slowly?
Or did they just stop one day?
Did it sound different than when you 'talk to yourself' in your head?
Can you describe in what way?
Just doing some comparison study. yeah. that's it. I promised son he could use the computer so feel free to take your time. I am very interested in hearing what you have to say.
I guess I wanted to know what they said.
Was it more than one voice?
Voice for good or bad?
Did they fade away or become less frequent slowly?
Or did they just stop one day?
Did it sound different than when you 'talk to yourself' in your head?
Can you describe in what way?
Just doing some comparison study. yeah. that's it. I promised son he could use the computer so feel free to take your time. I am very interested in hearing what you have to say.
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From Apologeticsindex.org:
Divine Appointment: A seemingly chance-meeting said to have been orchestrated by God, usually with the purpose of sharing the Gospel.
Divine Appointment: A seemingly chance-meeting said to have been orchestrated by God, usually with the purpose of sharing the Gospel.
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I think the Holy spirit can use our testimony as witness in many ways, often not what we'd expect.
I've always worried that I fail at spreading the Gospel. I'm not the one to go knocking on doors or even approach strangers. But there have been times through the years when my simple testimony has worked in the lives of other Christians..kind of unexpectedly.
I had a very good friend that survived a deep personal struggle report back to me that something I always said during my own trials came back to her during hers-and that was that God never gives us more than we can handle. A rugged paraphrase, and without the clarifier of the original passage-but non the less, it was the glimmer of hope that pushed her to persevere. And this was something she witnessed me living, not something that I pulled out as an intentional witness.
There's been many other examples.
It's the Spirit that takes a humble every day gal like myself and spreads God's Word and Hope.
I've always worried that I fail at spreading the Gospel. I'm not the one to go knocking on doors or even approach strangers. But there have been times through the years when my simple testimony has worked in the lives of other Christians..kind of unexpectedly.
I had a very good friend that survived a deep personal struggle report back to me that something I always said during my own trials came back to her during hers-and that was that God never gives us more than we can handle. A rugged paraphrase, and without the clarifier of the original passage-but non the less, it was the glimmer of hope that pushed her to persevere. And this was something she witnessed me living, not something that I pulled out as an intentional witness.
There's been many other examples.
It's the Spirit that takes a humble every day gal like myself and spreads God's Word and Hope.
"Divine appointments," whatever... I hate how we try to pigeonhole God's hand in the world into these little categories. God works all the time, everywhere, and not always in the same way. Doesn't matter what we call it.
Anyway, I have a couple of obvious examples of this. I go into the office once a week (I work from home) in the afternoon, no specific schedule. A few weeks ago I was leaving the office and I had parked alongside a park where homeless people often hang out. On the corner of the park there was a woman just weeping and sobbing her heart out. I actually walked down the street on the other side and jaywalked to my car to avoid passing her directly, but suddenly I knew I couldn't just get into my car and drive away from that. So I turned around and went back. What followed was me talking this homeless woman down from her suicidal despair, making phone calls to various organizations in the area, buying her some clothes (hers had been stolen), etc. I didn't exactly "share the gospel" with her or whatever, but I told her my own experience of knowing that when I hit rock bottom, God was the only one I could look to and depend on. She actually agreed with me and at that moment another formerly-homeless friend of hers came by and stopped a while. He ended up revealing that before he got into drugs and screwed up his life, he was in seminary. He basically backed me up. So I definitely think God orchestrated both of us being there just when she needed someone most.
Anyway, I have a couple of obvious examples of this. I go into the office once a week (I work from home) in the afternoon, no specific schedule. A few weeks ago I was leaving the office and I had parked alongside a park where homeless people often hang out. On the corner of the park there was a woman just weeping and sobbing her heart out. I actually walked down the street on the other side and jaywalked to my car to avoid passing her directly, but suddenly I knew I couldn't just get into my car and drive away from that. So I turned around and went back. What followed was me talking this homeless woman down from her suicidal despair, making phone calls to various organizations in the area, buying her some clothes (hers had been stolen), etc. I didn't exactly "share the gospel" with her or whatever, but I told her my own experience of knowing that when I hit rock bottom, God was the only one I could look to and depend on. She actually agreed with me and at that moment another formerly-homeless friend of hers came by and stopped a while. He ended up revealing that before he got into drugs and screwed up his life, he was in seminary. He basically backed me up. So I definitely think God orchestrated both of us being there just when she needed someone most.
PS Apparently God likes to use me with potential suicides... one time in college I had to talk my roommate's little brother down from killing himself, over the phone... I had almost forgotten that. 
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I have had what I would term divine appointments, though I'd have to also agree with III that God pretty much orchestrates my life, even when I'm not aware of it. But it's pretty neat when He lets me in on the event.
One of the more recent ones that holds a lot of meaning for me concerns a mission trip I took to Uganda, Africa right after 9/11. It was a trip that I sensed strongly I was 'divinely appointed' to take. As it turns out, I was asked to give a talk (via translator) in the cathedral in Jinja as to what the Lord had been teaching me during a particularly rough time in my life the previous 2 years. A lot of it had to do with 'legalism' versus Christianity, and the negative effect legalism had on my life and my walk with God. According to the bishop, one of the biggest struggles in his diocese was with legalistic, rule-driven attitudes of those professing to be of the Christian faith...a bit like the self-righteousness of the Pharisees. Anyway, the talk was well-received, but it wasn't until 2006, when the bishop's wife visited me again here in the States, that I knew how much of a divine appointment that had been.
In Ugandan culture, women are pretty much the spiritual heads of their homes. The men, unfortunately, are often off drinking or whatever with their friends, leaving the women the responsibility for raising the children, working the fields, and bringing in some income to keep the household running. It's a polygamus society, so there is no security for the women in their role as wife/mother--many times they find themselves cast aside when a new wife comes on the scene. The bishop's wife, Florence, is head of something called The Women's Union there--it teaches women skills for business, as well as teaching and nurturing them spiritually with Bible study groups, etc. It provides support for the women in that country, esp. for those who are deserted by their husbands. Well, Florence told me this year that it is becoming too big a job for her to handle and that she is handing over the reins. She told me that in the audience that day I gave my testimony was another woman by the name of Florence, who mulled over what I'd said for a YEAR--and then finally came to her asking her about 'that American woman' and wanting to know how to become a Christian. Since then, she has grown strong in the faith--so very strong, in fact, that Florence is putting her in charge of the Women's Union overseeing the spiritual growth of the women in Uganda. I'm so in awe of how God worked to orchestrate my going there with this young woman's life mission. I think there are probably many times when we have divine appointments that we're not even aware of (I wasn't aware of this one for several years), but it sure is neat when God lets us in on how He's been working.
One of the more recent ones that holds a lot of meaning for me concerns a mission trip I took to Uganda, Africa right after 9/11. It was a trip that I sensed strongly I was 'divinely appointed' to take. As it turns out, I was asked to give a talk (via translator) in the cathedral in Jinja as to what the Lord had been teaching me during a particularly rough time in my life the previous 2 years. A lot of it had to do with 'legalism' versus Christianity, and the negative effect legalism had on my life and my walk with God. According to the bishop, one of the biggest struggles in his diocese was with legalistic, rule-driven attitudes of those professing to be of the Christian faith...a bit like the self-righteousness of the Pharisees. Anyway, the talk was well-received, but it wasn't until 2006, when the bishop's wife visited me again here in the States, that I knew how much of a divine appointment that had been.
In Ugandan culture, women are pretty much the spiritual heads of their homes. The men, unfortunately, are often off drinking or whatever with their friends, leaving the women the responsibility for raising the children, working the fields, and bringing in some income to keep the household running. It's a polygamus society, so there is no security for the women in their role as wife/mother--many times they find themselves cast aside when a new wife comes on the scene. The bishop's wife, Florence, is head of something called The Women's Union there--it teaches women skills for business, as well as teaching and nurturing them spiritually with Bible study groups, etc. It provides support for the women in that country, esp. for those who are deserted by their husbands. Well, Florence told me this year that it is becoming too big a job for her to handle and that she is handing over the reins. She told me that in the audience that day I gave my testimony was another woman by the name of Florence, who mulled over what I'd said for a YEAR--and then finally came to her asking her about 'that American woman' and wanting to know how to become a Christian. Since then, she has grown strong in the faith--so very strong, in fact, that Florence is putting her in charge of the Women's Union overseeing the spiritual growth of the women in Uganda. I'm so in awe of how God worked to orchestrate my going there with this young woman's life mission. I think there are probably many times when we have divine appointments that we're not even aware of (I wasn't aware of this one for several years), but it sure is neat when God lets us in on how He's been working.
RT -
Roger can split it off to its own thread if Plot doesn't come back any time soon.
Okay now that I know what divine appointment is ...
Yes. Of course. I just called 'em 'miracles' or divine intervention, or entertaining angels unaware.
I believe I have been the angel and also I KNOW there have been angels there for me. Real ones? Maybe. Sometimes just humans wearing angels' wings.
I can't think of a specific right off; if it comes to me I'll share it later.
I know there exists in everyone power which is more than we can even imagine. It's a gift to us from Jehovah God and the Great Holy Spirit. What we do with it - that is the question.
For many years I've run away from that power, too aware of all the bad things that can be done with it. [And the Bible warns us about it, too] Some people cultivate that power (see the other threads in the Spiritual forum) I won't say they're wrong - it's not my place to say that.
But I'm very aware that it is easy to misuse that power and one way that it can be misused - it is misused - is by thinking and doing as if it came from ourselves. It does not.
Right now I'm in a place where I am trying to integrate all the things I've learned about this power (and learn more about it) and use it for good and for His Glory.
It still scares me a little (okay. a lot)(some) but ... I feel it's time. It's time to take the bushel basket off the lampstand so to speak. Maybe I've grown into it now having gotten older (and hopefully wiser) Or - maybe it's just that I'm needed somewhere, somehow, or by someone.
My prayer is that I will stay humble and open to His intent for me. I'd be obliged for your prayers in this matter if any feel so led.
>''<
Roger can split it off to its own thread if Plot doesn't come back any time soon.
Okay now that I know what divine appointment is ...
Yes. Of course. I just called 'em 'miracles' or divine intervention, or entertaining angels unaware.
I believe I have been the angel and also I KNOW there have been angels there for me. Real ones? Maybe. Sometimes just humans wearing angels' wings.
I can't think of a specific right off; if it comes to me I'll share it later.
I know there exists in everyone power which is more than we can even imagine. It's a gift to us from Jehovah God and the Great Holy Spirit. What we do with it - that is the question.
For many years I've run away from that power, too aware of all the bad things that can be done with it. [And the Bible warns us about it, too] Some people cultivate that power (see the other threads in the Spiritual forum) I won't say they're wrong - it's not my place to say that.
But I'm very aware that it is easy to misuse that power and one way that it can be misused - it is misused - is by thinking and doing as if it came from ourselves. It does not.
Right now I'm in a place where I am trying to integrate all the things I've learned about this power (and learn more about it) and use it for good and for His Glory.
It still scares me a little (okay. a lot)(some) but ... I feel it's time. It's time to take the bushel basket off the lampstand so to speak. Maybe I've grown into it now having gotten older (and hopefully wiser) Or - maybe it's just that I'm needed somewhere, somehow, or by someone.
My prayer is that I will stay humble and open to His intent for me. I'd be obliged for your prayers in this matter if any feel so led.
>''<
I agree. God works all the time. Those things we identify as Divine Appointments are just those few times when we actually get to see God work.
I'm always in awe at a God who can weave every single action we take into his divine Plan. Because that's what I think he does. I don't believe he "orchestrates" our lives like we're robots. But he uses the actions we take of our own free will and dynamically works them into his Plan. Some action I take or some word that I give might affect several people I know. But then the effects of that ripple out among all the people that they know, further and further out. Something like the Butterfly Effect of Chaos Theory except it isn't chaotic, it's in God's control.
Who was more important to the Kingdom, Billy Graham or the person who led Billy Graham to Christ? Or perhaps the person who led that person?
The thing is, we may NEVER know what actions of ours will affect dozens, hundreds, or even millions of people. Perhaps Jo's story about helping a homeless person encourages someone else here to do the same. And perhaps that homeless person becomes the next Billy Graham. Jo would never know, but the effect would be there.
That's why I'm so concerned that this forum in particular shows Christ's love above all else. Because we just never know...
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Because it fits in this thread and it has come up for me personally lately, I'm sharing this email I got while I was away doing this morning (and waiting for RT's answer)
God's 26 Guards
Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and then just put it on a list and said, "I'll pray for them later?" Or has anyone ever called you and said, "I need you to pray for me, I have this need?"
Read the following story that was sent to me and may it change the way that you may think about prayer and also The way you pray.
A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan.
You may have seen this in your email before because at the end it asks that you share the story with others. That doesn't make it SPAM. It means the story is being shared.
We are called to encourage one another and to love one another so ...
I hope it is an encouragement to you as it was for me. I'm on the right path again. (Finally!) Thanks, fellow writers. I appreciate each and every one of you.
God's 26 Guards
Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and then just put it on a list and said, "I'll pray for them later?" Or has anyone ever called you and said, "I need you to pray for me, I have this need?"
Read the following story that was sent to me and may it change the way that you may think about prayer and also The way you pray.
A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan.
This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in behalf of those who love Him. If you ever hear such prodding, go along with it. Who says God does not move on the earth today?
You may have seen this in your email before because at the end it asks that you share the story with others. That doesn't make it SPAM. It means the story is being shared.
We are called to encourage one another and to love one another so ...
I hope it is an encouragement to you as it was for me. I'm on the right path again. (Finally!) Thanks, fellow writers. I appreciate each and every one of you.
To Everyone:
I left the entire OP as open-ended as possible. I say let 'er roll. And if Roger wants to do any housekeeping later, he can.
I left the entire OP as open-ended as possible. I say let 'er roll. And if Roger wants to do any housekeeping later, he can.
The majority of it was sexual in nature using both words and the ever popular heavy breathing type stuff. Occasionally the odd request. At times there was also a physical element, touching, the sitting down of "something" on the side of the bed, just like a person but nothing there, other detectable movement on a bed or other surface.
Yes I realize these are symptoms of schizophrenia but I don't have it. I did get myself checked out to be sure by 3 different doctors during this time after I matched the symptoms up.
Yes, there were three. One did most the the talking and appeared to be in charge if that makes any sense.
I don't understand the question but I'd say bad if you mean good or evil.
I don't recall it being slowly...although there did seem to be an intelligence about it. I believe the objective was to nix my then wife and I from going back for 2 years which we had decided to do while there. When that objective was achieved it stopped altogether but it had tapered off dramatically in the days prior to that.
No it wasn't like that. It sounded like someone speaking but you could tell that no one else could hear it. It wasn't as loud as someone speaking in the room. At times it was almost difficult to hear. Odd I know. That was one of the things I ragged it about the most is its being unable to speak louder than a whisper. Dialogue was possible as well both without speaking aloud and with speaking aloud. There were a few other odd events associated with all this as well but you get the drift.
If you have any more questions please ask. I'm not a private person.
You know, it's funny but schizophrenia is never my first thought when I hear about people hearing voices. It may occur to me later .. but it's never the first thing I think of. Hmmm...
Were things of a sexual nature a weak point for you at that time? Was that an area of vulnerability?
It is my understanding that demons will probe/attack at our weak points but also they do make mistakes.
At the risk of pissing some off - if they had been smarter they would have chosen to stay on the other team. Ahem.
So did the attack influence you in deciding not to return? Did you eventually return? (sorry if that's already been addressed)
What did your wife think of it? Did she believe you or did she think you were losing it?
Yes it was. I was never unfaithful with my wife but I wasn't loved by her either so I had lots of unfulfilled needs both emotional and physical. The physical because I wanted nothing to do with her sexually because of the way that she treated me.
You lost me there.
It caused a separation between my wife and I. I kept it to myself as she was a major "freak out" kind of person, however, doing that turned out to be a mistake. It's funny...we went to counseling and the counselor knew what happened before I told him. The priority became keeping the family together then and not field work. Yes, I went back again for a few weeks a year or so later and that time was beaten outside a mosque. It's pretty apparent I'm not wanted there.
Yeah she believed me. She just thought it odd/freaky.
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RE: Divine Appointments
This thread reminds me of conversations I've had with a few of the college students at church. Simply put, I think God gives us great autonomy with our lives, like a loving father. He’s given us gifts and skills and a big world to explore as we will. But I also think there are a handful of times when He specifically calls us to do something extraordinary, and it’s when we respond to that call in faith that he does the truly extraordinary things (such as clear divine appointments). I can look back over my life and see a few stone altars marking times when God did something truly extraordinary that changed me and those around me forever.
I like the example of Daniel in the OT. A majority of his life was just being faithful to God in prayer and purity, but there were a handful of times when God called him to do something truly extraordinary.
The only time I’ve ever felt like I heard “The Voice of God” was when I was 24. It was a time when I was on the biggest spiritual upswing and really immersed myself in studying Scripture. I was walking down a hallway at work and a fully-formed thought popped into my head. I don’t know how to describe it, because I definitely know how my own thoughts “feel” and this did not come from within. The thought was “I have people who love the Word as you do. Go read it to them.” Immediately I knew God was talking about people in a Nursing Home who loved the Bible, but couldn’t read it.
The next day I called nursing homes and found one where I could volunteer. I’m sure they thought I was a kook. I stopped working overtime at work and started visiting the nursing home three times a week and found some residents who wanted me to sit and read to them and just talk to them. Through one of them, I came into contact with an 80-year-old minister who became my mentor and my hero and dramatically changed my life. Of course many things about those nursing home visits and relationships changed my life over the next few years.
There have been a few other times when I’ve felt strongly called to do something, but I’ve never felt that “fully formed thought” before or since.
RE: Spiritual Warfare Stuff
Since RT brought it up, I’ve had similar experiences, although not as clear. When I was in my mid-20’s I would frequently have vivid nightmares, almost on a nightly basis, where I’d be having a normal dream, then the dream would shift and I’d be sleeping my bed and a demon would be in the room. In my dream, I’d always confront the demon with the name of Jesus and invariably the next thing I knew, my wife would be shaking me awake because I was moaning and trying to yell. Believe me when I say, these were distinctly different than any other nightmares I’ve ever had, and even after I woke up I could still feel an evil presence in the room. I’d turn on the TV and just pray until I eventually fell back asleep.
Interestingly enough, when we moved out of that house a few years later, those “night visits” stopped almost entirely. I still have a few of these a year, but they’re far less frequent, although no less real.
What I’ve come to believe is that Hollywood has really built up demons in our minds. We think of them as these powerful, tangible, ugly things that throw furniture and talk like in The Exorcist. In real life, I think they’re mostly just bullies. They try to frighten us. They play on our temptations. They do anything they can to just distract us from God. But compared to Jesus, they’re little more than pesky mosquitoes. They just live to oppress us when we’re weak.
I will add that this is an American perspective. There are places where the demons have a VERY strong presence and are much more open about it. But in America, there’s no need.
In the end, I think God is more interested in a genuine relationship based on faith than on sensationalism; in us giving up our own little self-centered interests for the far-greater things He has to offer us.
Boy, I bet the lurkers are just loving this thread.
This thread reminds me of conversations I've had with a few of the college students at church. Simply put, I think God gives us great autonomy with our lives, like a loving father. He’s given us gifts and skills and a big world to explore as we will. But I also think there are a handful of times when He specifically calls us to do something extraordinary, and it’s when we respond to that call in faith that he does the truly extraordinary things (such as clear divine appointments). I can look back over my life and see a few stone altars marking times when God did something truly extraordinary that changed me and those around me forever.
I like the example of Daniel in the OT. A majority of his life was just being faithful to God in prayer and purity, but there were a handful of times when God called him to do something truly extraordinary.
The only time I’ve ever felt like I heard “The Voice of God” was when I was 24. It was a time when I was on the biggest spiritual upswing and really immersed myself in studying Scripture. I was walking down a hallway at work and a fully-formed thought popped into my head. I don’t know how to describe it, because I definitely know how my own thoughts “feel” and this did not come from within. The thought was “I have people who love the Word as you do. Go read it to them.” Immediately I knew God was talking about people in a Nursing Home who loved the Bible, but couldn’t read it.
The next day I called nursing homes and found one where I could volunteer. I’m sure they thought I was a kook. I stopped working overtime at work and started visiting the nursing home three times a week and found some residents who wanted me to sit and read to them and just talk to them. Through one of them, I came into contact with an 80-year-old minister who became my mentor and my hero and dramatically changed my life. Of course many things about those nursing home visits and relationships changed my life over the next few years.
There have been a few other times when I’ve felt strongly called to do something, but I’ve never felt that “fully formed thought” before or since.
RE: Spiritual Warfare Stuff
Since RT brought it up, I’ve had similar experiences, although not as clear. When I was in my mid-20’s I would frequently have vivid nightmares, almost on a nightly basis, where I’d be having a normal dream, then the dream would shift and I’d be sleeping my bed and a demon would be in the room. In my dream, I’d always confront the demon with the name of Jesus and invariably the next thing I knew, my wife would be shaking me awake because I was moaning and trying to yell. Believe me when I say, these were distinctly different than any other nightmares I’ve ever had, and even after I woke up I could still feel an evil presence in the room. I’d turn on the TV and just pray until I eventually fell back asleep.
Interestingly enough, when we moved out of that house a few years later, those “night visits” stopped almost entirely. I still have a few of these a year, but they’re far less frequent, although no less real.
What I’ve come to believe is that Hollywood has really built up demons in our minds. We think of them as these powerful, tangible, ugly things that throw furniture and talk like in The Exorcist. In real life, I think they’re mostly just bullies. They try to frighten us. They play on our temptations. They do anything they can to just distract us from God. But compared to Jesus, they’re little more than pesky mosquitoes. They just live to oppress us when we’re weak.
I will add that this is an American perspective. There are places where the demons have a VERY strong presence and are much more open about it. But in America, there’s no need.
In the end, I think God is more interested in a genuine relationship based on faith than on sensationalism; in us giving up our own little self-centered interests for the far-greater things He has to offer us.
Boy, I bet the lurkers are just loving this thread.
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Boy, I bet the lurkers are just loving this thread.
I usually lurk on threads like this because I don't think I have the knowledge or authority to give advice. (Reason #117 why the convent was such a bad career choice for me, LOL.)
I've had some mildly freaky spiritual warfare mements, but more than offset--so much more, so incredibly more--by moments with Jesus. Like just at the edge of my peripheral vision, and a Voice. Like, wow.
I"ve had one or two opportunities to share that. I just let it happen and let God take care of it.
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