That was the question I had to answer recently.
Here's what I came up with:
As far as your questions are concerned: I grew up in Pasadena, CA. I went to all Christian schools K-12 (San Gabriel Christian and Maranatha High School). Initially, I was "sold out" on psychotherapy as practiced by licensed clinicians such as Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend (authors of the book Boundaries, et al). I have been extensively trained in psychodynamics - object relations theory, developmental stages of personality functioning, Biblical models of spiritual and emotional growth - these are my "core paradigms" if you will.
However, that was still not enough to really restore all 3 primary relationships - my relationship with God, with self and with others (Vertical/Horizontal/and Internal). So my search continued and I have sought training in and now regularly practice inner-healing prayer (Vineyard style) - that is how I got my heart back. John Eldredge has been most influential in directing me towards this line of work that I am doing now. I am self-employed by word-of-mouth referrals and I am either meeting with someone, coaching couples, on the phone, answering e-mails, reading, doing on-line research, writing, or leading my Sunday or Tuesday night groups. I gave up a good-paying job to do this - but it is what I want to do and when Spirit-led, it can be very fulfilling.
I regularly attend Mariners Church in Irvine and Monday Night Solutions. I have also been to all sorts of local and national seminars, trainings and conferences, with a lot of Vineyard (John Wimber style) folks. Jesus Christ is a very real person in my life, and I have first-hand experience with His power to heal anyone who asks (which is what He did for me).
I love praying for people, especially in small groups- gathering around a person seeking to receive healing prayer. Even after 10 years of doing this, I am still delighted when God shows up and marvel at how faithful He is to answer our petitions made in the name of His Son. I have witnessed again and again that if prayers are spoken with the laying on of hands, agreed with by all who are present, and sealed in His name, they are either answered immediately or can readily be observed as coming true to all who were present. You really do get what you ask for, as Jesus said in John 15:16, "...so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you." And I pray for all sorts of imaginable and unimaginable things! Release from eating, gambling, relational addictions (including sexual addictions), idolatry, envy, self-abasement, curses, vows, shame, unworthiness, tearing down strongholds, dissociation - its amazing! If you can identify and confess it, God will heal it! People have a tendency to find their tears when they hang out with me for any length of time. I think heart restoration doesn't sell real well because the ad on the church bulletin would read something like, "Come Get Your Heart Back! Our Grieving Ministry time will begin at 7:00pm and end at 9:00pm. BYOT! (Bring your own tissues)" But that's our God! He longs to comfort us in our sorrow and pain as we give Him permission to finally pull out the splinters infecting our souls.
I am sure you've heard people say, "I want God to show up right now and prove to me that He exists. Is a special supernatural revelation asking too much? I won't believe unless I can experience Him in some tangible way." Well, I do believe it is legitimate to ask for a tangible relationship with God that you can actually experience day to day. We should ask for nothing less, and God is not willing to settle for anything less than a genuine, emotional, intimate connection with us. But how many people do you know that can actually say, "I walk intimately with Him everyday"? When I hear a person struggling like this, I know they have not walked down the "dark valley of the shadow of death" or faced their own "dark night of the soul." It is in that place, and, right now, you may even know the names of the streets leading down to that place, where you will discover God is real. He has a tendency to prefer to show up when the cumulative effects of our sin and other's sins against us have sufficiently stripped us of all pride, self-absorption, willfulness and defensiveness.
I have begun writing a book - with a working title of
When Trying Harder Fails- a Complete Guide to Heart Restoration (for Dummies). The goal of the book is describe the powerful Biblical model for Heart Restoration in simple, readily accessible concepts that can be put into practice immediately -- sort of a "how to" approach for dummies. I am often amazed at how the simple truths of Scripture get so lost in today's "Christian culture." Unless the remedy for our detached, isolated, hurting society is preached clearly by those who have first-hand experience with Christ's healing power, there really is no hope for us. "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold (Matt 24:12)." Let's keep the main thing, the main thing, and dare to ask ourselves, "Why is there so little love in our hearts and what does the Bible say needs to happen to us before this will ever change?" The answer you will hear in many churches is that we need to receive forgiveness for our sins through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and believe in His resurrection from the dead so that we can be saved. Which is true! But let's go one step further and answer me this, "Did you become more loving as a result? Can we ask those who know you? Will they testify that they experience you as a loving person?" If the answer is "Yes they will," then blessings on you for you "may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are (you) in this world (1 John 4:17)."
Stay with me know, please don't go
all bad on me - for the rest of us, there's hope! Did you ever notice
when Jesus gave His disciples the new commandment to love one another? The first time Jesus gave this instruction to His disciples was in John 13:34, and He made a point of saying, "This is a new commandment I give you." What had to happen first before they were expected (enabled) to obey this commandment? Jesus had to love them for 3 years! That's why He said, "even as I have loved you." How often do our preachers and pastors have the time to back up their exhortations for us to be more loving people with the acts of kindness and truth it would take to turn us into loving people? Do you see the problem? This is also why so many people find that church just feels burdensome- because we all know that we should have more love in our hearts, but we are so beaten up by life (and sometimes by the sermons) that there is barely enough love inside us to subsist on, let alone an abundance to give away cheerfully to others.
Am I religious? Not at all. In fact, we are in a constant struggle with the religious spirit that afflicts our Western churches and is killing our congregations from the inside out. Am I spiritual? Through abiding with Jesus Christ, God does talk to me all the time and I with Him. My first 10 Bible studies when starting a new spiritual growth group are geared towards "getting the church out of the people" enough so that they can actually begin to hear their Shepherd's voice - sometimes for the very first time. For some, the process produces remarkable change in no time at all. For others, the process may take several years before they begin to experience the love, joy, peace and self-control the Spirit brings. But all are guaranteed (2 Peter 1:4) great fruit by partnering with Jesus for the restoration of their hearts.
Well, thank you for reading this far. I am giving my life to be a teacher of these spiritual truths, and, if the Lord permits, authoring them - testifying to my own and other's experiences with Heart Restoration. I love those who want to walk in the light and are seeking His kingdom and His righteousness on the earth now, with the final fulfillment in Heaven. If anything on this page was of interest to you, then please drop me a line, I'd love to say "Hi."
As the Lord leads! Blessings on you, --Garret
