Help me and get free stuff (really)

As some of you know, I'm in the process of writing another book and designing an accompanying website. I need your help. The website will be a place for people to unload the shame they've been carrying around with them. They will do this through sharing their stories and reading the stories of others. In order to help people feel safe enough to share their shame, other stories need to be already posted for them to read. This is where you come in.
I am asking you to considering sharing your story (or at least a part of it) with future readers of the website. Your story can be a past victory, a current concern or anything else that speaks to the issue of shame. Whether your story involves sexual sin, addictions, abortion, neglect or anything else; I need your input.
I believe that God wants this book written and this website up. I, personally, would rather not deal with any of it (as shame seldom brings out the best in people)...but, more than my comfort, I want to obey God. You can email me your story (send it to templebuilder2000@yahoo.com) or send it to this website as a comment. If you wish to remain anonymous, I suggest sending it as a comment because that doesn't require an email address. Comments that come to this blog are sent to me before they are published online. I will ensure that materials sent to me are only published on my upcoming website.
As an incentive, I'm going to try something that I've seen on Anne Jackson's blog (if you don't already follow her, I would suggest that you start...she's a great writer and she's hysterical!!!) I am going to give away 5 copies of my first book (Straight from Hell) to people who send me their stories. In order to be eligible for the drawing you must provide a way for me to contact you (so anonymity may not be the way to go).
Send me your story (via email or as a comment on this site), your contact info, and I will enter you in the drawing. Winners will be notified privately via email.
Thank you in advance for being willing to share your stories. I believe that we can make a difference in somebody's life...but sometimes we first have to be willing to show them our scars. Thank you for your willingness.
Send your stories, pray for me and we'll watch God move. All gory to Him!!!

Lift up your face

if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent,
then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear.
You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.
Job 11:14-16 (NIV)

One of the toughest battles I’ve had to fight since my salvation has been the struggle to overcome shame. This is an excerpt from my journal just before I got breakthrough in this area:
Shame is like platelets, its just part of my blood. It runs through my body and mind on a continual basis. I am ashamed of who I am, what I am, where I came from and where I’m going. I am ashamed of how I look, how I talk, what I say and how I think. I am ashamed of my body, my weight, my intelligence, my creativity, my talents and my humor. I am ashamed of everything about me. I am ashamed that I am me. I am ashamed that I am.

Although I believe that everything in the Bible is true, I wondered if I would live long enough to see my face lifted up without shame. I simply couldn’t imagine it. I couldn’t imagine not wishing I was someone else, somewhere else or something else. I couldn’t imagine being okay with being me.

The place I had to start was to recognize that, whether I’m okay with me or not, God still loves me. I am accepted in the Beloved, and He is pleased with me. Somehow it’s easier to accept myself if I think somebody else thinks I’m okay too. If you read the scripture at the top of the page again you’ll see some of the benefits of getting free from shame: standing firm, no fear, forgetting your troubles. It’s not an easy battle, but it’s well worth the fight. You are worth fighting for.

Question of the day:
What do I need to ‘put away from my hand’ so that my face can be lifted up?

baseball bats and God

The other night I was asleep in my bed when I heard my roommate holler, "Donna, someone is trying to get in through my window!" I was on my feet and standing in the hallway about a half-second later. "What?!?" She said it again. I went back into my room, put on a sweatshirt and grabbed a baseball bat from my closet. "Grab your cell phone", I told my roommate as I headed to the door. I flicked on the light, walked down my driveway and turned the corner of the house. I wasn't really thinking; I just went into combat mode. I prayed as I walked out of the house but I wasn't sure what I was walking into. Nonetheless, I walk into the night.

On Emily's windowsill was a little black and white cat, just sitting there. I laughed.

I told Emily to come and see; and we both laughed. As we went back into the house she said, "So that's it? You just grab a baseball bat and walk straight into it?" I told her that I would rather be taken out in my driveway facing my fear than to be cowering in my house, afraid of what might be there.

I went back to my room and as I was laying in bed God whispered to my heart. He told me that is the way He wants me to write my books...to just grab a bat and go. I was convicted. I've been supposed to write this book on shame for the past 2 years. I'm a little afraid of it and, well, kind of ashamed. But, I've made a decision that I'm going to do what God says. I'm going to grab a bat (pen) and go.

I should be launching a new website, hopefully in the next few weeks. I will let you know when it happens and then I'm going to need help from all of you (and your friends, relatives, co-workers and the guy you just met on the elevator). The website will be gathering stories about shame and those stories will help shape my new book.

Please be praying that I will grab a bat and go. Be blessed, in Jesus' name.

All glory to God!