God Encounters: It's Not Too Dark, It's Not Too Broken, It's NEVER Too Late

By Laila Cuoco Miller and Elisa Cuoco Miller

Is it still possible to experience a real encounter with God? Can God really make a difference in what seems to be a difficult situation in my life?

The heart of this book is to open the eyes of the believer to the TRUTH that God En- counters are still taking place. God has been and always will be the God that heals, set

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: May 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9798893331349

Laila Cuoco Miller

SorellaLIVE: The Cuoco Sisters are both ministers of the gospel, speakers, and authors. This dynamic duo has teamed up to unite and connect women from all ethnicities. They are passionate about bringing a message of hope and dedicated to teaching women how to move mountains by using the word of God and the power of prayer! Laila and Elisa make appearances on radio, television, and magazine articles. They preach at women's conferences and churches and are authoring books to reach women all over the world.

Book preview

Dedication

From Laila’s heart

I dedicate this book to my four greatest gifts:

To my husband Jeff ~ You are my rock. My compass. You are my greatest love story.

To my son Pauly ~ You are my constant. My joy. You are my heart.

To my daughter-in-love Molly ~ You are the daughter I never had. You complete our family. You are cherished.

To my granddaughter Maisie Star ~ You have filled Nonna’s heart to capacity. You are my treasure. God created you for such a time as this. Shine bright and strong!

From Elisa’s heart

To the love of my life, my husband Paul ~ You are more than I could have hoped for, dreamt of or imagined. You are and always will be my best yes. Thank you for constantly encouraging me to go after the dreams in my heart and making windows of time for me to work on them.

A amori miei, Rocco, Lorenzo, and Valentina ~ Your laughter is my favorite melody. It is like a song of praise to our Father—a constant reminder of His faithfulness. You’re going to do mighty things for Jesus! Mamma loves you.

Foreword

By Rev. Jim Hockaday

Is it still possible to experience a real God Encounter? Does God really make a difference in the world we live in? What happens when there is no other way around or through a difficulty: can God change what seems inevitable? I really want to know, is faith in God is just a religious concept, or is there proof that trusting Him from your heart is the ingredient that will receive a miracle?

These are all good questions in a day where more people are questioning their faith than ever before. It’s my pleasure to recommend the book God Encounters. This book will enlighten and inspire you to believe again.

Sharing life with heartfelt friends is a special experience. Laila and Elisa are two wonderful godly women who share the desire to experience God and love people like I do. Writing a book that highlights entering again into the arena of faith to believe God is not an easy task. There are many examples of truth in this book for you to embrace the opportunity to have the encounter with God that you need.

The church is in great need of walking in the power of Jesus Christ, especially when the world is pushing Christians into conformity. There is great fear in voicing our faith with the necessary strength to experience a miracle. We must all die to ourselves and realize how important it is to put Jesus Christ first in everything we do.

The Apostle Paul stated in Galatians 2:20 that he died when Jesus died on the cross, and he considers that he is no longer alive—yet the life he lives is Jesus living within him. The distilled translation says, I’ve died, and now I’m enjoying my second existence, which is simply Jesus using my body. If we can learn to get ourselves out of the way, Jesus can and will make the difference that we so desperately desire. However, the world will drain you of your spiritual sight by pushing you to focus on yourself and the humanism around you. When the greatest majority of the world lives for and through their flesh, as a Christian, you will be challenged to stand your ground in faith. There is nothing of this world that will help you walk with God from a secular point of view.

God Encounters will help you to turn your attention inward to find not only your real self, but God. David the Psalmist encouraged us to be still and know God. To know God is to experience God. Knowledge here is not to enlighten one’s intellect only, but to become quiet enough so that you can make a connection with God from your heart. Once a connection is made, the presence and ability of God is available for you to experience. The power of God, the Holy Spirit, is still on the earth like He was in earlier days. God has never changed His mind concerning your well-being. The work that Jesus accomplished is a once-and-for-all finished work. The victory of redemption is available for you to enforce today. It takes each individual rising up and believing God for the work of Christ to be experienced.

I encourage you to open your heart and mind to the exciting truth concerning your ability to experience God today. You were made in the image and likeness of God Himself. God created you with a believing spirit capable of creating realities that you can choose to believe. Do you see positive possibilities in life, or are you always preparing for the worst, just in case? God is very absolute. He does not change! When He established the salvation of Jesus Christ for mankind, it was for everyone to enjoy always. Salvation is everything that you will ever need. Only those who will reach out beyond this world and believe in what they can’t see will find the presence and power of God. Yes, God Encounters are still available today. God will make a difference in your life, now and forever. This is more than intellectual information. We are inviting you to learn from your heart and experience from your faith that Jesus Christ is healing the sick, delivering those who are bound, and setting free all who come to Him today. Get ready! God Encounters is next!

Rev. Jim Hockaday is an ordained minister with more than thirty years of experience traveling throughout the United States and abroad. He graduated from Wheaton College in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in business, then graduated from Rhema Bible Training Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. While he is the author of several books, the mainstay of his ministry continues to be the book entitled Until I Come. Jim emphasizes building an expectancy for any believer to do the works of Jesus. His experience ranges from eight years of travel with various musical groups, the most recent being the Rhema Singers and Band, to ten years of ministry in a Prayer and Healing School. He and his wife, Erin, live in Castle Rock, Colorado, and have started a healing center called Healing by Design. A favorite quote of the ministry is, The miraculous is normal, expect it always.

Preface

God Encounters was birthed from a realization that life is a journey, and in this journey we all walk through different seasons of our lives. In some seasons we experience change and questions that lead us to a greater need to hear a word from God.

This book is divided into three categories:

It’s not too dark

It’s not too broken

It’s never too late

The heart of this book is to open the eyes of the believer who is lost in darkness—whether by choice or by chance—to the TRUTH that God is still in the business to heal, set free, and deliver regardless of what it looks like.

Endorsements

What people are saying about SorellaLIVE …

Heaven has always been in the business of restoration. Within the pages of this book are testimonies of God Encounters of divine restoration that will breathe new life into faint hearts. You will be amazed at the hope and renewal you will experience from this right-on-time book from Laila and Elisa.

–Rev. Jen Tringale, international author and speaker 

SorellaLIVE is a dynamic, life-giving format where sisters Laila and Elisa bring their wisdom and depth with a huge dose of sparkle and FUN. I’ve loved being their guest AND fan, because their heart for helping women grow and thrive is unique and powerful, filled with God stories for writing life stories. They teach and train like few I know!

–Lynette Lewis, TEDx speaker, author, and CEO of MyWhyLife.com

You only have to meet Laila and Elisa once to encounter the passion they have for Jesus and their heart to see others know the love, joy, and peace that only He can give. It is no wonder that they felt led to put this book together. It is more than a book: it is a treasure where many can find the eternal gems of power, courage, and hope to overcome any obstacles in their lives.

–Kathy Troccoli, singer, speaker, and author

Woman of God, you are not alone! In this book, you will find much-needed encouragement and the strength with courage to stand in faith during your worst season. God is near, and with certainty he hears your cry. Laila and Elisa share valuable encouragement and teaching for any heart needing a God Encounter within the pages of this book. This powerful sister team continues to bring the heart of God to the soul of his daughters. If you need a word to carry you into tomorrow, this is it: It’s not too dark, it’s not too broken, it’s never too late.

–Bishop Ron