July 22, 2006

• MyThumb asked about my testimony based on one of the answers below about my at one time being a witch. Here is the link if you are interested in the testimony:

  
  

  http://www.xanga.com/item.aspx?tab=weblogs&user=wondering04&uid=362906464

  
  

  A while ago I offered to let people ask three questions and I would answer them. I have been answering questions in between Bible studies and notes from great teachers like Pastor Danquah. Tonight, although I have cool notes from today’s Bible study, I think I am going to answer another set of three questions, and then later on post the Bible study – Pastor Don taught it. It is a lot of notes and I want to take time to write them well.

  
  

  My offer still stands about answering questions, personal or whatever, as long as they are not offensive questions.

  
  

  Oscar asked the following four questions.

  
  

  
  

  When was the last time you witnessed to someone?

  
  

  I am not sure what you mean by witnessing to somebody. I am not a street evangalist, but tonight during a phone call with a friend who is not saved, I offered prayer for her as her husband lost a job. I reach out to people about Jesus, but mine is more of a friendship evangalism. There are times when I will speak to someone about God’s love that is a causual encounter, but mostly right now I am working with several groups of people who need God.

  
  

  First, as many of you know, I go into the High School twice a year and help out with kids and sewing. I have had many God encounters with kids there, and at times have mentioned God to some of the kids, to others I show them a love they have never seen. I really believe that love gets through. Most of the kids know that I am Christian, as they sometimes wonder what I do in my free time and I talk with them about Bible study.

  
  

  I am a Girl Scout Leader and involved with Boy Scouts – many of the kids and  parents do not go to church, and so there is ample opportunity to show God – the idea that your life illustrates God far more than your words. But at the same time I make no bones about going to Church, talking to them about God, sharing a bit here and a bit there.

  
  

  I belong to a local woman’s book club – this is my most fertile area for dealing with people. Many of the people are into the new age. They know my testimony, they know I am Christian, and they ask over the course of books (some of them I wish they did not select), being a Christian what is my point of view. Because they know that I have also been a witch and pagan, some of the books like Marion Zimmer Bradley’s book about the Arthurian legend, witches, etc, was of particular interest to them. I was able to share what I would have felt about the book before and after I became a Christian. One of the women walked out on God, from a legalistic church, and her father a pastor was caught in adultery. She once said to me, “Heather, what I like about you is that you seem to have a relationship with God, it isn’t about a particular denomination.” It is slow going with people in the new age, but hellfire and brimstone lectures would not reach them as much as curiosity would. Given my past, I know that people who preached at me made little impact, but those who loved me, reached through the barriers. I love these people.

  
  

  I talk with tellers in stores and offer prayer if they share problems. I try to be open to people and listen, and be there in love.

  
  

  What did you say?

  
  

  I think that I answered this above. But if given any moment to talk, I share what seems appropriate from my testimony. If I am talking with someone who is a spiritual healer in the new age, I might share that once I walked into Pastor Don’s office and told him “But, I am a good witch.” and explain that there is a big difference between God healing and healing in new age. It just depends. But most of the time it is friendship evangalism, where you drop a few words here and there. I do not hide Christianity, the people in my Girl Scout troop see me reading my Bible on trips that we take. I sometimes share a Bible story with them if it impacts what is happening. The kids who ride in my car are often listening to funny tapes that are Bible stories told in a way that kids enjoy. It just depends.

  
  

  How much do you pray each day?

  
  

  That varies, although to be honest never enough. When I wake up I pray, when I take a shower I am talking to God, when I am folding clothes I am talking to God, driving a car, seeing a sunset or sunrise or God shows me great cloud configurations and I congratulate him on his artistry. I pray before going to bed, and sometimes I pray over a news story, or something that touches my heart. I don’t think I spend hours at a time in prayer, but I am constantly talking with God. Lately He has been making me aware that I also have to spend more time sitting and listening. But God is often on my mind and mouth. And if I am not praying, I am singing songs to God. For a period of time God was giving me worship lyrics to common songs like Swanee River. It just varies.

  
  

  How much time  do you personally study the Bible?

  
  

  Time is such a hard concept to block out. I can’t say “X” number of hours a day, but the Bible studies of my own that I share on Xanga take about three hours to write and study. I read the Bible a lot, listen to teachings, and I can honestly say that I spend some time in the Bible each day – some days it is a half an hour, on wonderful days it could be up to 8 hours when all kids are gone fishing and I have alone time. It is my favorite thing to do. My fantasy is to try and figure out every place that Jesus is in the Old Testament – wondering what Jesus shared on the Road to Emmaus.

  
  

  Thank you for these questions,

  
  

  Heather

  • 12:00 am
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