NEW BOOK POST 1

INTRODUCTION
This book is for those who want to know, "How can I hear God speak to me personally?" This was a question that I had early in my walk with God. I can tell you that this is an area of constant change and (hopefully) growth; that there's no 3-step formula (sorry), and it is quite a ride!

Because this is not a "formula" book, much of what I share with you will be anecdotal. I'm no doctor or theologian. I can only tell you what I know, and share with you the things I've learned over the years. I do know this. The God of the universe, the Creator of all wants to talk with you. If that amazes you like it did me when I first found out, keep reading.

CHAPTER 1
I suppose that as far back as I can remember, I believed in God. When I was little, probably only 4 or 5 years old, I remember going to a litle Methodist church with my family. These are mostly vague memories. There are two times that stand out to me though, quite clearly. One was the day in Sunday School when we had empty jars filled with cream. We shook the jars until the cream turned to butter! I'm sure there was some sort of object lesson in there, but it was lost on me. All I cared about was we got to eat the fresh butter we had just made on crackers!

The second moment I remember was when our regular minister was gone one Easter, and in his place was a man who was a stranger to me. He may have been a lay-minister or a minister from another church--I don't know. But he talked about Jesus. And, little as I was, I understood. I didn't march to the front, or pray a special prayer, or get baptized or anything like that. But I know from that moment on, I was different. I had an understanding of God's great love for me as he read John 3:16--"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever should believe on Him should not perish but should have everlasting life." I couldn't have explained it to anyone for the world, but I had a sense of how helpless I was to save myself, how totally dependent on God I was, and in my little child's heart, I cried out to Him.

For some reason, we stopped going to church entirely. That part of our life was dropped like a hot potato, never to be picked up again. Now, I'm not so sure that was a bad thing. There are advantages to not being raised in a specific denomination or church organization. I realize now that before we left, I had a foundational belief in God, and in His Son Jesus, but no church doctrine to mold me into a particular pattern of thinking or believing.

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