Welcome
There used to be a day when I literally dreamed of having more than 100 followers. I even came up with Monday Monkey in order to encourage people to subscribe. Now, believe it or not, I get several new subscribers/followers every day. Some, however, look a little suspicious, if you know what I mean.
Nevertheless, welcome! If you have subscribed to this blog only to get me to look at your advertisements or crazy ideas, good luck. If, on the other hand, you are following this blog for legitimate reasons, then I hope you find encouragement, hope, humor, and something to think about.
Details
So, out of curiosity, could you tell me how you came to first view The Recovering Legalist? Could you tell me why you subscribed?
If possible, could you tell me a little about where you are located (what country, state, etc.). It always amazes me how one blog can reach the world.
God bless!
The Recovering Legalist 
Creative idea with the Monday Monkey (smile). I blog and write about my dishes that I find (and sometimes think of on the random). I also include my photos of travels around Europe. Blogging is harder than I thought, but it’s kinda nifty the responses I get sometimes. I find this post quite nice! It gives us fellow readers a chance to connect with each other! Take care!
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I’m glad Mr Monkey didn’t scare you away 😉
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I subscribed last fall when our family was contemplating, praying, and eventually leaving the independant fundamental Baptist church we had been attending for 15 years. It had become a very oppressive and unhappy place.
We started going to that brand of church when we were baby Christians and had come to believe through the years that IFB Christianity did things “righter”, and more God pleasing than any other brand of true Christianity.
In our area there was not another IFB church that was a possibility for us, so we, through much struggle and turmoil, moved on to a more mainstream Baptist church. While I was waiting for the fire and brimstone to consume me, while I was expecting our teenagers to suddenly go wild and break our hearts, I read this blog and others you kindly sent me to.
It has been a difficult journey to where we are now, but I am so glad we took the path we did. Everyday I bask in God’s love and grace in a way I never experienced before. Our family is happy and growing in grace and knowledge. Praise God for his wonderful mercy!
On that note, I always appreciate writing that has to do with being a “recovering legalist”!
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I love your story. I’m glad I could play a tiny part. BTW, I’m working on some more “legalism” stuff. Remember the “hissy fit” preacher?
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I have no idea how I found the Recovering Legalist. But I’m glad I did!
Oh, and I live in Michigan.
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Thank you, Jessie! I gave my copy of your book to our youth pastor’s wife who is expecting her third (first girl) next week.
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Oh, goodie. I hope it’s helpful for her. 🙂
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when I first created my own blog, friendwise.wordpress.com, I was shown a list of blogs I might be interested in, so I checked a few of them out. At first, because of the term legalist, I wavered but then reminded myself the title was recovering so I signed on. The first blog I received was after Monday Monkey had been through the washer and I was not sure I wanted to follow after all! But something prompted me to re-sign on and I am happy I did. I do not follow many blogs but really enjoy yours and one other one, storyshucker, on wordpress. Thanks, this is probably a good idea, finding out who your followers are. I live in North Carolina, my home state, but have also lived in TN, NJ, FL and NM. My family are all in Texas (son and brother). Way more information than you asked for!
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The washing machine thing was traumatic for me. Seriously, I nearly had a panic attack!
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I don’t remember how I found you– you must have had a really interesting post on “Churchism vs. Believer-ism” or something.
I am in NY.
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Ahh, a Yankee! Did you know we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the battle of Chickamauga next week? 10,000+ reenactors (sp?)! Woo hoo!
We (the South) actually won that battle, but then came Chattanooga – oh well.
It’s a southern thing 🙂
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You followed my blog about doing devotions, I looked you up and liked what you wrote, so I followed you.
Blessings from Washington State.
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I’ve always wanted to visit a Washington without politicians 😉
Thanks for following. You do some fine writing, yourself.
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I do know what you mean. I get those, too. I think I found my way to your blog through a Thomism blog or, perhaps, through my good friend at teilhard.com. Don’t recall. I subscribed because I am testing the complete theory to confirm or refute the Identity of God. And I’m right here.
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Erik, we obviously have some HUGE differences of opinion, but thanks for the sliver of your time spent here.
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Oh, no sweat. Not sure what you mean by differences, but I won’t argue with God. It’s pointless, as God wins and God loses at the same time. Peace, Ik
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I don’t exactly remember how I found your blog, but I do remember it was right after I started my blog, middle age ramblings. After reading your posts for awhile I realized we were somewhat kindred souls. I have struggled at times in the past with legalism. I have been learning for the last several years that walking in God’s grace is a moment by moment thing. No matter what happens in our lives, God was there first. his grace is awesome! We have also shared some conversations about our musical tastes and instruments we play. I thank God for the day I stumbled onto your blog! God Bless!
Mike Turner
Ripley, Mississippi
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Middle age: I never really thought I would live this long. Oh, and some day I’ve got to get me a Fender bass.
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No idea. It may have been that I saw you on my blog and came over this way to check out yours. Who knows?
I’m in Harriman, TN. Go Vols! (We’re gonna get whooped by Oregon this week.)
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I found your blog one day as I was looking on wordpress and soaking up some much needed encouragement from other blogs, seeing as I am new to this ministry. I liked the honesty and up-frontness of your blog. I am located in Louisiana. I have only been blogging since March, but God has already blessed so much. God bless you and thank you for being willing to speak the truth even if it is not always easy.
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I found you by accident one day when I was confined to the house, on my back with my foot in the air. It was a particularly bad time for me, because someone new had come to our church and started taking over MY ministry!! Of course, being flat on my back did nothing to help my battle and I was in a state of outrage with elders who weren’t helping and God who wasn’t paying attention.
While reading your blog I realised that it wasn’t God who wasn’t paying attention, but me – sometimes He has to put us flat on our backs to make us look up! He removed me from MY ministry for long enough to show me that it was HIS ministry – OWCH!! I prayed, long and hard, I invited friends to pray. We all prayed long and hard, and we realised that God was telling me to let go, but how much letting go did I have to do. It took a great deal of soul searching to discover that He really wanted me out of there completely, so I resigned. Quite a few people have learned hard lessons over that little episode, not least me! (I’m sure you would like to know which blog entry made such an impact on me, sorry but I can’t remember now – done, gone!)
For a while I did nothing. I mean, I went to Church, I felt so out of things it drove me mad. I began to attend one or two fellowship groups. People began to ask me when I was ‘coming back’. I could only reply that I could only ‘come back’ if the Lord told me to, some people looked very puzzled, others tried to be sympathetic (?). I began to ask Him what He was playing at and He told me that I needed healing (as if I didn’t know) and that He was leading me in green pastures and by cool waters and would heal me. Thank you Lord, that’s all I need to know! I resisted the tugs from church to become more active.
Then it happened, I was asked, out of the blue, to become part of the leadership of an inter-church healing team. My question, is it of God? Well, who else do you think put your name forward? They said, we did ask Him three times if He was sure, because we haven’t seen you do anything like this before. So I went to see them, we prayed, they asked about my past, and it turns out I am perfectly equipped for the job! And my pastor believed I was being reserved and prepared for it!
Now I happily serve the Lord in a role He has grown me into. It turns out to be rather evangelistic – so much for the cry of my Christian youth “Father, I will go into war zones, I will go into plague areas, earthquakes and other areas of devastation, I will risk my life anywhere you want to send me Lord, but please don’t ask me to evangelise, I just can’t do it! Well, with hindsight, apparently, I can!
Incidentally, on June 1st of this year, sitting in the main square of my home town, I was prayed for by two friends. I had such an amazing, nay, miraculous, encounter with God that people began to stop and stare, and ask what was happening! And yes, I was healed of a chronic condition which had frequently laid me flat for weeks on end. We then prayed for the people who had been watching – who says miracles don’t happen today!
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Thanks for sharing, my friend. I pray that God will continue to heal and bless you.
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