A few testimonials from those who were willing to break free from the bondage of sin, and find the true transforming love of a God that desires to heal the soul.
My wife Mary and I joined Higher Ground when we realized that our marriage was falling apart, and answers to our questions were not cutting it. The love was all but gone. My wife met with Roger several months before I allowed myself to even think that outside help was needed. But pointing fingers at each other was not fixing anything; it sure did a great job to destory us.
I grew up in a very religious family where we believed we held the only truth about God. My journey began by digging deep into my roots, (something I believed a "Christian" need not do). This process and gentle love from Roger and the other men in the group allowed the Holy Spirit to work in my life to help me become aware of the damage I was causing to my wife and children.
During this time, my wife and I separated to give each other room to heal. This was not as easy as that last sentience states, this brought with it insanity and great pain for both of us. As the months past, the Spirit began to reveal the deep pure love and safety found in God alone, even within the shadow of death.
Week after week I went to the Eagles Nest to share the truth about my broken life, getting real about my past, confessing my sin, and what I was doing to change these unhealthy patterns in my life.
The transformation that took place in my life was unmistakable! Things like standing in front of these men with child-like joy, looking down at my clothes and telling them about the vision I had in my heart of standing in front of Jesus in white clothes. I have been washed clean, and seen by a loving God as white as snow, pure and without shame!
Bible studies, sermons or any other form of gathering of believers did very little for me except to reinforce my belief that all "good" Christians should hide the pain and appear happy on the outside. Higher Ground breaks that destructive mold by helping people like myself find the truth about themselves, but also find the real peace and joy about a God of great love, power and grace.
My wife and I are back together again! We have found intimacy in out marriage that has never before existed. We now work through things in our lives from a different point of view, and the love of God shines in and over us now every day!
Thank you Roger for your deep love and understanding that somehow seen past the junk in my life as you sat and listened to me spew all my justification for months before I was finally spent. It was then that I was able to see a different side of God I didn't before believed existed.
Steve Nyhof
RespondingToJesus.com
There's not enough good stuff I can say about Higher Ground... it's changed my life. I thought I had dealt with my "dad issues" in the past but found I really hadn't. Higher Ground helped me connect back again with Jesus Christ through reading his word. I was once again hearing what changes he was calling me to make vs feeling so distant from him as I had in the past.
It had been a very long time since I let God lead my life and path. I was searching for a Church or a small group to fill the "void" that had been apparent in my life for many years. Through Roger's help I found that the intimate connection I once had with Jesus Christ was missing and filled the void I felt in my heart.
After several group meetings I shared things about my childhood and found I was still harboring some anger towards my dad. It was only after I had admitted to myself those feelings were there that real healing could begin. Slowly I started to see things change. I was sharing some things about my dad with a missionary client of mine that lives in China. She expressed a similar experience with her dad. She challenged me to pray blessings over my dad even though it may not be easy to do. I tried that for a few days and prayed for great blessings in his life and for him to find his "next calling" (my dad had found Christ several years ago and was super passionate about missions).
At this point in his life doors weren't opening up for that next mission project for him to dive into. He asked me to lunch and I asked him what he was thinking about what mission project he thought God was calling him into. To my amazement he said that he thinks his next thing - is to help his family. He said he was so busy trying to save the world that he had realized he forgot about his own family. He also proceeded to tell me the regrets he had in raising me and that "he did the best he knew how with what he had". Forgiveness poured through my veins and it was like a million pounds were lifted from my shoulders. Understanding why things happened and that I was now a priority melted my heart.
My wife has also been attending an Eagles Nest as well. She had learned from her mom to just "shove things down and make everything ok" vs dealing with the issues we faced. We were able to see that trend of not dealing with things and change it. We are now dealing with the issues we face and tackle the problems together vs shove them down.
Higher Ground has also helped me uncover some destructive sin's I've been holding onto in my life. I probably drank more than I should have at a point in my life and found that I used alcohol as a tool to not deal with the problems in my life effectively. I was convicted of that sin a while ago and have decided that no more alcohol is a good thing for me and my family. I have an alcoholic relative and have seen how it's destroyed his life and family. I was convicted of the change I knew on my heart I needed to change and found some tools to fix it.
Roger is one of the most brilliant and Godly men I know. He and his organization has helped me connect back again with God, confess and repent from many of my sins to realize a oneness with God I hadn't felt in a long time. This isn't just another bible study or a group of men gathering once a week. It's a change of life to orient you better to the life God has in mind for all of us while here on Earth.
Jeff Kammeraad
Kammeraadfinancial.com
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