JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE...

So many wanting to know how I quit SMOKING 

so here it is.!

 I feel certain that most of you know the Bible story of the 
WALK TO EMMAUS.

 Two men are walking from Jerusalem to the nearby village of Emmaus.

 As they were walking, another person began to walk with them to Emmaus, about a seven mile journey. 

This person was Jesus but the two men were prevented from recognizing him.

We don’t know why they were prevented from recognizing Jesus.

Perhaps Jesus wanted to gain some inside information.

Perhaps Jesus wanted to see if these two followers would understand the events that had transpired over the last three days

 Would they believe what was told to them?

Would they believe that Jesus had been raised? 

Perhaps Jesus wanted to find out what his followers were saying about him. 

We don’t know the reason specifically because Luke does not tell us. 

We do know that it was the work of the Holy Spirit because Luke says that

“their eyes were kept from recognizing him.”

♥

They didn't realize they were having

A CLOSER WALK WITH HIM.

The Walk to Emmaus is a spiritual renewal program intended to strengthen the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders.

The program's approach seriously considers the model of Christ's servant hood and encourages Christ's disciples to act in ways appropriate to being "a servant of all."

The Walk to Emmaus experience begins with a 72-hour short course in Christianity, comprised of fifteen talks by lay and clergy on the themes of God's grace, disciplines of Christian discipleship, and what it means to be the church.

The course is wrapped in prayer and meditation, special times of worship and daily celebration of Holy Communion.

The "Emmaus community," made up of those who have attended an Emmaus weekend", support the 72-hour experience

with a prayer vigil, 

by preparing and serving meals,

and other acts of love and self-giving.

The Emmaus Walk typically begins Thursday evening and concludes Sunday evening.

Men and women attend separate weekends.

It was the single most memorable and learning and loving experience I have ever had or ever HOPE to have, in my entire long lifetime.

There are no words to describe my feelings and emotions during those 3 days..

and in the months that followed.

♥

IN MY DESIRE  to concentrate wholly on my Lord and Savior, I prayed constantly for over a week before going on my walk, that HE take away my desire to smoke DURING THESE 3 DAYS...

so that HE would have my full attention.

I wanted nothing...NOTHING..to crowd into my mind during my THREE DAYS WITH HIM.

♥

Smoking is such a strong addition..I had smoked since I was 18 years old. 

This was in the 50's and before I or anyone around me, knew the dangers of smoking. 

All I knew at that time was that it looked sooo cool..so SMART..so sexy. 

At first, the cigarettes didn't taste one bit good.

Made me sick at my stomach and dizzy.

BUT...all my friends did it..(heard that before?)

Then, before I had a clue...
I WAS ADDICTED.

and STAYED addicted for over 47 years...

ALMOST FIFTY YEARS, FOLKS...

THAT'S a lifetime.

Over the years, I tried several times to quit...

never REALLY wanting to give it up.
I KNEW what it was doing to me.

My children worried about it..

Mr. Sweet worried about it...he had quite smoking 25 years earlier.

So, I prayed for a solid week that I could just go those

THREE DAYS without a cigarette.

Not only did GOD take my desire away for the 3 glorious days of my 

WALK WITH JESUS CHRIST,

HE took it away to this very day.

OVER  9 YEARS...

and I have never looked back.
I didn't use GUM
HARD CANDY
NOTHING !

I can HONESTLY say that I have never, not one time, wanted another cigarette.

I never think of them...

I never want one when someone else is smoking around me...

in fact, I find myself praying for THEM to stop.

It is truly the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me...

and, believe me when I say,

I THANK HIM EACH AND EVERY SINGLE DAY.

HE answered the prayers of

my daughter

my son

my husband

several friends

AND MY OWN. 
I didn't escape without harm to my health.
I was very blessed not to have lung problems..
or heart problems due to the long addiction.
BUT...
I do have artery disease that I have to take meds for.
I MAY have had this health problem without smoking..
but I seriously doubt it.

Of course....
it is nothing new that 
GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS.
I have no idea why I was even ASTOUND that HE answered my prayer
to be UN-ADDICTED for those 3 days.

I believe, with all my heart, that MY testimony here
PROVES
that HE knows what is best for us...
that HE took my addiction TOTALLY away without me even asking
because 
HE  CARES !

LOVE, bj 

Because I want my friends to read this,
I join
SEASONAL SUNDAY 
BLUE MONDAY
AMAZE ME MONDAY
MASTERPIECE MONDAY
RUBY TUESDAY 
REDNESDAY WED.
GOOD LIFE WED.
WOW ME WED.
OPEN HOUSE THURSDAY
TIME TRAVEL THURSDAY
TICKLED PINK FRIDAY
FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY
HOME SWEET HOME FIRDAY
INSPIRATION FRIDAY