“When you have been connected with a church for almost 25 years, there needs to be something God has done that is worth sharing. Vineyard is not a cold lifeless building or organization. Vineyard is an active, alive tool in God’s hand moving through my life in many ways. Healing, confronting, challenging, releasing.
A few years ago, a combination of release and forgiveness in my soul came through the Writer’s Small Group. How can a writing group be part of a church? Is that “spiritual”? God is Creative. He created the world. He created everything existing in, through and around it. All fantastic wonderful forms of creativity are therefore open to be used and explored to give worship and honor to the Creator. Tammy Morton heard this cry and went with it. She started the Writer’s Studio.

After participating for a year or so, God brought up a topic for me to deal with in a “free write” time. I experienced deep pain toward my parents because of choices they made and choices I had made. Even though I had walked through various classes dealing with this pain and forgiveness toward them, God and I knew something was lurking in the depth of my inward being. It is strange how a person can hide certain things and function very well.

God’s work was incredible that night. As words came to the screen in the poem or prose, true forgiveness and release exploded. I cried and cried. It was a physical creation expressing the pain. I was also at a point in my life where a spiritual exchange took place clearing out what I had been holding unto after the death of both of my parents. Now I am free of that pain. Sadness can exist but the pain is gone. God knew the timing was right. He used the Writer’s Small Group as the vessel. He used the spiritual exchange from the Gospel of Wholeness through the poem to describe what took place in my heart. His grace brought me to the place that said, “It is time”. It is all to His worship and glory.”

-Sandi