We’ve been with Threshold Church for almost exactly five years.

Since we’ve moved to CA we can no longer be a part of their physical gatherings but Threshold will always hold a special place in our hearts and I thought I’d share about our time spent there.

For us Threshold has been a place of healing, of renewed hope and it’s deepened our understanding of the spiritual realm.

A bit of my story…

At 19 years old I knew that my life held childhood pain that needed to be dealt with.

I went for counseling as this was the only form of ‘sorting out my issues’ that I knew of.

I lasted all of 2 sessions… I wanted answers, solutions and ideas on how to move past it all. I did not want someone looking at me with pity in their eyes while I shared the mucky pain of my past.

(I’m not completely anti-counseling but I think it’s important to recognize that not all counselors are equal)

Plan B involved self help books. I was randomly introduced to the book called ‘D.I.S.C.  Positive Personality Profile.’ I realized for the first time that my personality wasn’t wrong. There is simply different personalities and we aren’t all expected to be the same.

My research led me down the path of learning about psychology which was and still is an interesting study to me since mental illness runs in my family line tracing back many generations.

Yet, it didn’t matter how much I learned, there was still a missing piece that I just couldn’t find.

Then we started attending Threshold Church. We weren’t  going there long before I realized that Jake Kail seemed to have all the answers I couldn’t find.

Deliverance from demons was the missing link.

(Side note: The medical world can diagnose mental illness somewhat accurately but they are not equipped with the right tools to set people completely free.)

My testimony…

During a deliverance service one Sunday I was set free from the spirit of rejection. After the service Jake asked for a show of hands from anyone that felt something physically leave them.

I wasn’t going to raise my hand because I hadn’t actually felt something leave I just knew that it was gone. However I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to raise my hand.

You see, when God does something he does it completely. I was raised to cover my emotions and to ‘look good’ no matter what. Covering up pain, problems and short comings was preferable over admitting to being less then perfect.

I was fine with being set free secretly but raising my hand and admitting that I had a need to be set free was almost impossible. However, I wanted that freedom more then I wanted to look good and as I raised my hand God broke off the ‘fear of man’ that I carried.

I was also set free from anxiety. This was a postpartum thing for me and not something I dealt with on a regular basis. It did however last from my babies’ birth to around their first birthday usually.

I prayed endlessly for freedom from this thing that overwhelmed my mind at times.

On a Saturday night before Threshold’s annual baptism service I felt God say that baptism was my key to freedom in this area.

Again God tends to get to the root of a problem. I avoid the spotlight at all costs. Being front and center is not something I enjoy. To be honest it’s terrifying to me.

I would have preferred a less dramatic approach here but I was pretty desperate to be free as well.

Yet as I stood on the bank of that pond, fear reared it’s ugly head, I felt it’s claws wrap around me, my mind was consumed by chaotic white noise (not sure how else to explain it.) I knew that physically, there was no way, I was going to move myself into that water.

One thought filtered through the noise in my head. “God the only way I can do this is if you silence my fear long enough for me to move from this spot.”

He did. I got baptized and fear/anxiety lost it’s grip on me that day.

Moving forward My life was changed dramatically.

I found it easier to connect with people. I used to leave church or any crowded place with a headache, I found this to no longer be the case. I also no longer dreaded big events with lots of people. Overall I found people less intimidating and for the first time in my life I actually enjoyed being with people that I wasn’t close too.

Steve’s testimony…. (I’m sharing this with his permission. He even got to read it and approve it before I published this.)🙂

Passivity was his biggest struggle.

Would you believe me if I said that we never argued the first couple years of our marriage?

We didn’t. We both tend to avoid conflict but the main problem was he always just kinda nodded and agreed with anything I said.

You might be thinking that not arguing is a good thing but the truth is, if there is no passion there is also no emotional intimacy,

This frustrated me to no end and I know I told him more then once in an irritated tone.😬 “Don’t just agree with me, I want to know what you think!”

Long story short… he went up for prayer at church one Sunday (also a deliverance service) and got set free from some things.

Imagine my surprise soon after that when he actually told me that he disagrees with my opinion.

My face:😳

It’s been a journey but these days we can actually passionately discuss things and he tells me when he doesn’t agree with something I say or do or even the way I navigate situations with the kids sometimes.

I no longer feel like I’m trying to navigate our marriage, parenting and our life decisions by myself.

To be honest it took some getting used to on my part.🙃 But it is absolutely amazing and I have no desire to go back in time.

P.S we still don’t argue but we do disagree at times.😜

The conclusion: I’ve seen and heard Threshold Church and it’s leadership be attacked on many occasions. Sadly it comes from professing Christians every single time.

Threshold isn’t perfect but they have taken a stand against lukewarm Christianity. They are Holy Spirit led. They do not tolerate or sugar coat sin, they call it what it is.

At Threshold, people find spiritual freedom and answers to life problems that you can’t find just anywhere.

Threshold church does not cater to those who desire to be placated or to live out only parts of the Christian life.

Again Threshold isn’t perfect. But they have set a high standard of laying down your life for the gospel, and this is the reason that they have been slandered relentlessly by those who want comfortable instead of growth.

I also want to mention a couple people from Threshold who have either knowingly or unknowingly influenced our lives.

• Jake & Anna Kail… You both speak truth despite the backlash. Your ministry brings freedom to probably more people then you will ever know. Blessings to you guys!

• Dale and Barbara Works… You spend so much time praying for so many people. You are truly a gift to many of us as you listen to our stories, direct us to be led by the Holy Spirit while also inserting words of wisdom. We are honored to have the privilege of knowing you guys.

•Peter & Laura Andrews… You live a life that is so obviously surrendered to the Lord. The way you parent, the way you serve and simply the way you navigate life has been an inspiration to us.

• Helen Doolittle and Steph King… Because of the time and energy you two put in, Threshold is blessed with a kid’s ministry that is intentional about connecting our kids to the heart of the father. We appreciate you both.

• There is many more people worth mentioning but for the sake of space here, please know that we valued the friendships we formed and we love each one of you that touched our lives while we were there.

I’m excited to see where God takes Threshold in the future!

And if you want to walk in greater freedom, Threshold leadership has the resources to help you.

I will leave you with this quote from Kris Valloton:

”In this day and age, you can do just about anything and still be called a christian but you can’t do a lot of those things if you want to be called a follower of Jesus.”

 

 

Personalities have fascinated me for a long time.

No two people are exactly alike and I’ve often wondered how God doesn’t run out of new designs. 🤓

Myles’ personality is a lot like Kenzie’s but he adds his own spice too it.

We laugh at his antics probably more then we should but how not to?🤦‍♀️

Here’s some Myles stories for you…

1. We got back from dropping Kenzie off at school.

Kyna promptly jumped out of the car and ran off to better things.

I was collecting all our junk from the car before unbuckling Myles.

I guess it was taking too long because he starts mumbling from the back seat, “Uh, a little help here.”

2. I was in the kitchen, making a smoothie when Myles came along.
He eyed the banana in my hand and said, “I want some!”

Me: “No, Myles, we’re going to eat supper soon.”

He put on his fiercest face, raised his fisted hands in the air and declared, “I’m gonna use my superpowers!”

“Sorry buddy, I do not feel threatened… yet.”🤨

3.  Myles is often the odd one out, as his two older siblings are more on the same level with their play and Myles is the more destructive one when it comes to their shaky creations that have no solid foundations.

So, they aren’t always kind with their words and actions when he knocks down yet another ‘building.’

My goal is for them to understand how their words and actions affect the person they’re directed at.

So, I have been known to say things like,”Look at Myles eyes, it hurts his heart when you talk to him like that.”

This is probably why, when Checkers used his ‘you need to listen voice’ one night, that Myles replied, “Daddy! You hurt my heart!” 🤦‍♀️🙃

I can’t wait to see what he comes up with as he gets older.

I think.😅