even more love with the teens in his absence, and to see her after this crisis was resolved. Adora obliged with all 3. They met up after campmeeting and they became an item right away. Joseph said he felt led to move in with her since there were things in her new home that needed remodeling and he believed he was sent to bless her with this for free. He should move in to make sure it was completed as fast as humanly possible to allow her to concentrate on her teaching and her ministry. When Adora was initially uncomfortable, Joseph assured her that it would contain nothing sexual, simply him fulfilling his duty as man and leader. Adora reluctantly agreed. That would become the pattern of their relationship. When Joseph began to demand use of her car and her money, he had a way to utilize some of her most revered scriptures to convince her it was God’s will. When he pushed for her to marry him when she wasn’t sure this was correct timing, he had the scripture from Paul about it better to be married than to burn. When he demanded to have access to work-sanctioned assets, such as her computer or other items, he had several scriptural passages that seemed to suggest he was her master and she should obey him as she would God.5 As Adora evaluated their relationship on this day, she felt foggy and unsure of its favor from God. She felt like she had been baited and switched. And on top of it all, today she had the courage to look up the meanings of his name and found the one that seemed to sum him up at this point: ILLUSION.6 In a moment of deep discouragement and despair, she called her church mentor, Shelondra. Shelondra was a therapist by trade and as a person, she was just great to talk with. She hadn’t spent much time in conversation with Shelondra since Joseph entered her life and was ashamed of that since they were practically inseparable prior to him. “Anyway, I can’t let that stop me now,” she thought. “Maybe she can provide some clarity.” Adora picked up the phone called Shelondra. “How divinely ordered that you called me today, Shug” her mentor cooed. “I just finished talking with this amazing lady I think you should meet. Her very name is Courageous. She shared a program with me and her work, and I think some of the things I’ve noticed about your life lately are aligned with it. Give her a call, 515-428-0077, or at the very least, go check out her website’s Tools for Us section and look at the type called “Spiritual/Religious”.7 I think some lights will come on for you.” SION 19
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