Response Letters 8

—–Original Message—–
From: Laura

Subject: NeedEncouragement.com “Counseling”

Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 F r our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

—–Original Message—–

—–Original Message—–

Hi Sarah,

It is good to hear from you, and just like a cat jumping out of a second-floor window, it sounds like you have pretty much landed on your feet! Prai e God!

I am so happy for you that you are counseling again. Keep in mind a lesson that I have learned: we can not overreact to a negative situation (like you were in) because we need to look at life as an aerial view since things change like the seasons. Kind of like the seasons, they change, and so do our situations. I am glad you kept focused and took some of what I shared with you to heart and applied it. Now you have made it a partway around the Monopoly board of life, and I think you can admit that things are looking good for you. Make sure you thank God for His blessing, (I believe that God works in a similar way that people work when someone does us a favor, and if we do not acknowledge the favor or gift, then next time the person might not hesitate to do us another favor or gift. It is not in the bible per se, but I have a hunch that there might be some truth to what I said.

I hear what you are saying about having a like-minded partner. I have a nice Christian lady friend with whom I am finding many common things between us that are similar, and the biggest is her love for the Lord! My concern is that even though it has been 14 years since my wife divorced me, I hesitate to get too emotionally involved with someone. “Once bit, twice shy,” but the season I am in right now with the few good friends that I have, I am in no rush to get hooked up just for the same of getting hooked up. I am referring to this woman I go to the mall and witness to people. I felt comfortable with her but not comfortable with the possibility of marriage with her or anyone. I have been praying to follow the Lord’s prompting, which I am doing. I suggest that you do the same thing. Be wise and keep making the next correct decision. You have landed on your feet, and it sounds like you are making some significant progress. Praise God!

Here is something I want you to read and realize how far the Lord has taken you…Sarah, I point this out to you below not to make you sad or live in the past, but on the contrary, to encourage you and remind you that God still is not done with you or any of us, there are more hills to climb and victories to experience, enjoy life and never forget what the Lord has done for you! Look at the big picture, it has been almost 2 months, and God has worked so much in your life with your cooperation. Think now how much better off you may be in another 2 more months. God sure is good, isn’t He?

Remember that Christmas is the celebration of our Lord and Savior entering the world as God/man. Christmas Eve is in 2 days, so I encourage you to look at this Christmas as a special reminder of how much you are loved!

Subject: Counseling and coaching

Message Body:

Hi there,

I just really have fallen and am trying so hard to stand, but just could use something Godly help. I am a Christian counselor myself and the shame I am carrying and all of the weight of what I’ve done is a lot. Thank you so much.

Sarah

Bill Greguska

NeedEncouragement.com

—–Original Message—–
Subject: Re: NeedEncouragement.com “Counseling and coaching”

Hi Bill,

I am so so sorry it has taken me this long to get to you. Boy, what an update. The day you emailed me it was moving day and I was coordinating not just my things, but my sister drove a Uhaul down with her things as well, to go to Florida, and I completely forgot about your email, as It has been a crazy two weeks. My c  got shipped, but we drove my sisters all across the country. We BOTH decided to move out of California, and through my mom and her kind husband, God opened the doors to do so and fast. He just made it apparent that He did not want me planting roots down there. The celebrate recovery woman I spoke with ended up never getting back to me after emailing with her back and forth which was very disheartening, my job was at part-time hours (but God sure redeemed me in it and my boss was so sad I was leaving — they got to see my true self, and I was so thankful for that!) and I just had lost all desire to stay in Los Angeles and in the darkness around me that was getting worse.

I was and am still counseling and it truly has been a Godsend, and I am still so thankful for God bringing you into my life. I had planned to stay in CA until my lease was up, but I just knew in my spirit God didn’t want me to get another full-time job there, and so I was so grateful I got to get out early. However, 2 days into our trip, my good mentor, like a second father, and someone who was a huge part of me following the Lord, took his own life, after falling back into addiction a few years back, coming out, and just not being able to let go of the shame (and in my opinion, come clean about what was done in the dark to his wife). It has been very very very hard this week, struggling with just things I wish I could have done or said in the last days when he was struggling. He meant so much and brought so many people to the Lord, had such a gift, and served at a recovery center, but once he stopped doing that, the enemy sure got it and took him out hard. We are flying back to CA on Monday for his celebration of life service.

It really has lit something so powerful in my sister’s and my heart to go forward and serve Him with all our hearts, to make up for the enemy taking out one of our soldiers. I am grateful we are back together because it is so much easier to run the race when someone like-minded and with the same desires, is right there with you, doing the same. I can see why it is so important to have that in a marriage because it is life-changing, and what I need. I see here I had gone before and I refuse to let the enemy back in to try to take me out…. your words echo in my mind so often, and I am so thankful God knew what I needed to hear through you! I already have had interviews and a couple looks pretty promising, so once I land one, I will be moving out of my mom’s, and my sister wants to come to move to the area I do too. I will keep you posted on it all!

I have 3 counselees I am counseling, and again, just so thankful to see God work before me. I also found a great Celebrate Recovery, a huge meeting, where my mom lives, and already scoped out a Calvary Chapel in my new area where I will be living to get plugged in. I won’t do the things I did before and set myself up to fall — I am NOT going back to that life or vomit, and will not allow anyone into my life who isn’t fully running after God (unless I need to minister to them :)).

So there is an update!

Thank you again for checking in, Bob — it sure blessed me to see your email, and I am so glad you did.

Talk to you soon!

Sarah

---

Subject: Re: NeedEncouragement.com “Counseling and coaching”

Hi Sarah,

I wanted to check in on you, with anticipation to hear that things are going well for you overall. (I am not saying perfect, but well overall).

Sometimes, we need to factor in the time element in the laboratory of life when we are working on things. It has been about a month now, since the last time we talked.

It seemed as though things were heading in the right direction for you. Praise God!

Keep in mind that the holidays can be a source of anxiety and stress if you let them be.

Please drop me a quick note letting me know how you are doing. No matter how you are doing.

God bless you,

Bill Greguska

P.S. I am reading a book called “Don’t Sweat the small stuff…and it is all small stuff.” (it is a very simple read, and full of many valuable insights on life!).

P..S.S. One more thing, I started a new web page that I think you could use in your counseling. https: needencouragement.com/solutions/

NeedEncouragement.com

—–Original Message—–
Subject: Re: NeedEncouragement.com “Counseling and coaching”

Hi Sarah,

All I ask for you to do is keep focused on the Lord, and when you start counseling again soon, please let others know about my website. Thanks!

Keep smiling and laughing Sarah, you’re going to be just fine! I am praying for you, and our God is good!

Proverbs 17:22

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

https://needencouragement.com/humor/

God bless you richly and feel free to email back if you need to chat again.

Bill ?

NeedEncouragement.com

 

Bill,

I can’t tell you how much I needed your words and this. And you helped me check off one that was to make me laugh! Telling me to stop feeling sorry for myself made me so burst into a smile through my tears. I’m buried in the Psalms as we speak, went on a walk today, and God used what you had to say to help and so encourage me. Crazy h w one decision is all it takes, and I think that is so incredible you have had a sobriety date for so long… I’ll start again. That all need encourages me so much. And I a  not drinking now. I had to get a week’s worth of anxiety medication to help me sleep and get through the withdrawals,  but I am never going back to that vomit again and getting back to all I did before. Before responding to you just now, I texted an old counselee who asked to meet last week and to get her on the books. I’m going forward!! 

Thank you, Bill. So very very much for being God’s mighty instrument in my life today. I can’t tell you how much He did in my heart through you.

God bless all you do and your website — I’ll be on it a lot! 

A foresee so thankful sister in Christ, 

Sarah

 Bill Greguska wrote:

Hi Sarah,

Believe it or not, what you have just shared has encouraged me. I’ve been n clean and sober since June 25th, 1986 and what you’re going through could happen as easily to me as it did to you. (Thank you!)

Here are a couple of things for you I would like you to think about…

1. Cut your ties with anyone who is not helping you. That means using friends and acquaintances you need to cut ties with immediately.

2. Whatever the struggles you are experiencing, face them with God not on your own because on your own you are not strong enough.

3. Do you think you need to check into a hospital? I’m just asking… Are you still drinking and using?

4. There’s an expression that says, wherever you go there you are. In translation, that means you can’t run from your problems. You have to either face them or turn your back to them.

5. I strongly encourage you to start counseling others again because that’s what my pastor and his wife suggested for me when my wife left me and I was very depressed. They said that when we encourage others we are self will be encouraged. Read 2n  Corinthians 1:3-4.

6. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back into living! Start praying again each day! And read your Bible again!

7. Start getting some exercise.

8. Start eating more healthy.

9. Start drinking more water.

10. Be sure to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night.

11. Practice living out 1st Peter 5:7 cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

12. This last one you might think is a little strange but make sure you laugh a little bit each day. 

Try these things, and if you need to get back to me, feel free to email me.

 

Bill

NeedEncouragement.com

 

Bill,

Thank you for your email and already your words — they helped touch my heart and get me to think and try to speak life to myself. I think the biggest things I am struggling with, is the things I did and the evil person I became when I allowed the enemy back into my life these past 5 months (I haven’t been counseling anyone this whole time, which was probably something that didn’t help). I moved to LA 5 months ago, from all my community and everything, and slowly the world started to become enchanting again. I lived a party lifestyle up until 26 when I was radically saved.

I am 36 now, and I have never desired any of my old life. I was sold out for Jesus in every single way possible. Well, I opened the door to who I once was, and I guess now that I am coming up for air and completely broken, and wanting nothing but Jesus on the throne on my heart once again, I am struggling with the shame of all I did, still coming off the binge of alcohol I went on, losing the years of the pure life I lived for my Jesus, and how it would blow the minds off of some of the people closest too, how far off I went, and how many substances I started going to, the lies I told…just all of it. It was torture in my heart this time around yet I kept doing it to numb what I had already done….just not fun at all.

I could not believe the things that could have happened in it but knew God was protecting me. I know  Jesus is the only good in me, and without living for Him these past months, there was so not good in me. Nothing of what I was going to could satisfy me like Jesus could and yet I kept trying, realizing I was not headed in a good direction. Once you are His, there is nothing fun about sin. It just tore my heart up and I just wanted to numb myself. I didn’t fully surrender again until a couple of days ago, and I knew it was what I needed to do. 

I now feel like I lost my sparkle, and just am so sad and ashamed of who I have become, so far from what people know me as and who I have been the past years. I am trying to fight my way back. Trying to sit at His feet. But I feel like a wake of irresponsibility behind me, also impacting my new job. I wasn’t the person they hired and now I honestly don’t know if it’s one I can stay at because of it because of how poorly I was performing. It’s just all embarrassing, and I just keep thinking, if anyone knew the things I did…. it was just so bad, Bill. I became so, so evil, and maybe it’s what I needed to be reminded of the only thing I need or want in this life anymore is Jesus. I took my eyes off of that and forgot how awful my life is without Him at the center. I know doesn’t surprise Him, but it does break my heart that I did that to Him and that I have to live with what I did to myself. I am just so sad and ashamed.

So that is where I am at. Kind of j st a ball of emotions and a mess, and knowing as soon as my lease is up, I need to move out of this city, but in the meantime, just trying to allow God to mend my heart and rid me of all the past struggles I have invited in, and just get back to seeking Him more than anything. 

I appreciate any words, Truth, or advice. I from the bottom of my heart, appreciate you for being an ear I can confess some of these things to. It means more than you know.

Sarah

---

 

Hi Bill,

—–Original Message—–
Subject: NeedEncouragement.com “I need help”

—–Original Message—–
Subject: NeedEncouragement.com “Christian counseling”

—–Original Message—–

—–Original Message—–
Subject: NeedEncouragement.com “Choosing if a relationship is right for me”