There is more to you than meets the eye, he explained. "Whenever you look in the mirror, I know you only expect to see your image, but your image reflects only how you look on the outside. There is so much more to you than your physical appearance. There is more to you than the mirror can show you. If you are like most people, you have bought into the notion that mirrors don't lie. But I am here to tell you that mirrors do lie. They tell you half-truths, which are nothing more than lies. They never reveal who you are on the inside. I am here to take you beyond the ordinary limits of the mirror . . .

Image to Likeness

Living From The Inside OutBy Terry E. Warr

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Terry E. Warr
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4520-2662-6

Contents

FORWARD..............................................................................ixChapter 1 In a State of Shock.......................................................1Chapter 2 Our Identity Crisis.......................................................11Chapter 3 An Inside Look............................................................20Chapter 4 Dad's Magnificent Plan....................................................33Chapter 5 Backward Living...........................................................43Chapter 6 A Family reunion and a Surprised Guest....................................52Chapter 7 Dad Is Uncommon Love!.....................................................63Chapter 8 Unconditional Love in Motion..............................................69Chapter 9 Taking The Limits Off Love................................................72Chapter 10 This Love Is Unbelievable!...............................................77Chapter 11 Unusual Is What Unusual Does.............................................82Chapter 12 Living In His Likeness...................................................88Afterword............................................................................97Appendix Making a Life-Affirming Choice.............................................99Message for Facebook Family and Friends Help Us Change The World.....................101The i2L Challenge....................................................................102Acknowledgments......................................................................103About the Author.....................................................................107

Chapter One

In A State of Shock

Shocked! I guess that is the best way to describe it. Shocked and scared to death. Yes, the shock and fear eventually subsided, but initially I was terrified.

Your first reaction may be that I am crazy. I'm not. I don't even like spooky stuff, but what I am about to share with you really happened, and it has changed my life forever.

I was told to share with each of you what I learned and to offer you this promise: if you apply the principles in this book, you too will experience miraculous things in your journey-things that you have never imagined. I hope you are ready for this, because to tell the truth, I wasn't when it all happened to me.

Darkness greeted me as I frantically awakened from a deep sleep. The beeping of a menacing alarm was the culprit. I could see the green light surrounding the numbers 5:00 on the clock as I reached to silence it and grab my glasses. My pants and shirt finally made their way onto my slow-moving, groggy body. I pushed my feet into my Jordan sneakers, grabbed my bag, and walked to my cold SUV, reminding myself why I was doing these unnatural early-morning workouts.

The trip to the gym takes about ten minutes, and it's during this time that I reflect on the direction of my life. This recurring contemplative act can be paralyzing at times. It's not like I'm unhappy, but something seemed to be missing in my life. Most of the questions floating around in my head on this particular morning were provoked by a passage of scripture I had been studying. I have read it hundreds of times, but for some reason, this time it snatched my consciousness and bent it into submission. It just would not let go.

Genesis 1:26-27 says that God created us in His image and in His likeness. Wow! What does that really mean? Question after question kept rolling out of my mind like an assembly line.

How does God define likeness, and how does it apply to my life?

Is my resemblance to God physical? Is it spiritual? Is it emotional?

What does God really expect of me?

Is my life an accident or an incident?

Why am I even here on earth, and what difference am I making?

I could not stop myself. I wondered if I was the man God wanted me to be. Was there something missing in me or in the experiences that shaped me? I rationalized that I was a good person. I was a good father. I was a committed husband. I worked hard every day. I got along with the people in my life. But I still felt something was missing in my life. I didn't have a real sense of who I was. I knew deep within my heart that I was experiencing an identity crisis.

During my workout, I was oblivious to my sets and routine. I kept pondering all those questions and others. On my way home from the gym, I missed my normal turns and almost stomped a hole through my car from last-second braking. In fact all morning long, as I helped my family prepare for the day, I was completely distracted. I was going through the motions, but I was deep in thought the whole time. I couldn't stop thinking about all of the things that weren't quite right in my life. The more I thought, the more frustrated I became. I saw my family off with a blank stare.

Right after my wife and children left the house, I began to get ready for a day at the office. Nothing out of the ordinary. I squeezed the last of the toothpaste and brushed my teeth, showered in piping hot water, and was about to shave when the craziest thing I have ever experienced happened. The image in the mirror-my spitting image-began to talk to me. Yes, you read it right! No, you don't have to read it again. I know it sounds crazy, but that is what happened. You cannot imagine how terrified I was.

My mouth dropped to the floor as I slowly wiped off the steam from the other half of the mirror with my elbow. Every muscle in my body tensed up as the razor fell from my hand into the water. I almost rubbed my eyes out of the sockets hoping the talking image would disappear. Several thoughts ran through my mind as fast as a speeding bullet. At first I thought I was dreaming. Then I thought I was losing my mind. Then I didn't know what to think. Meanwhile, as if "he" expected my puzzled response, my image calmly waited until it appeared that I had gained my composure.

Then he said, "I know my visit has come as a surprise to you."

"That's the understatement of the year," I thought.

Still in a state of shock, I mumbled, "This can't be real. I am looking in the mirror at myself talking to me."

"That's right," he said. "And before you lose your mind, let me explain a few things. I have been sent to you by Dad-the one you call God. He has sent me here to help you understand who you are and what you can accomplish in your life. I am here to help you learn to live from the inside out."

"What do you mean 'live from the inside out'? What are you talking about?" I asked.

"There is more to you than meets the eye," he explained. "Whenever you look in the mirror, I know you only expect to see your image, but your image reflects only how you look on the outside. There is so much more to you than your physical appearance. There is more to you than the mirror can show you. If you are like most people, there is a good chance that you have bought into the notion that mirrors don't lie. But I am here to tell you that mirrors do lie. They tell you half-truths, which are nothing more than lies. They never reveal who you are on the inside. I am here to take you beyond the ordinary limits of the mirror. I am here to expose you to an internal mirror that fully reveals the essence of who you really are. I am here to introduce...