tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89305121156440447952024-03-05T21:33:37.541-06:00Lindylou - Walking Through WomanhoodWalking Through Womanhood,
Hand in Hand With My King
- Join Me because Being a Christian Can be Enjoyable and Fun!
Sure, I am life or death serious about somethings, but that doesn't make me a fuddie-duddie! PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS! It is so encouraging.healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.comBlogger332125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-92031701886882879732023-03-12T13:53:00.001-05:002023-03-12T13:53:17.085-05:00Mystery Reunions in the Age of Social Media<p>Pencil and paper. <br /><br />Telephone with a cord.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtKZsE4C5yGYtMz8RVEUIlV08KdnN_1d9jB1xoItnFTW_chFka-dbjmN2Q1So3R-0WIeEydljn3-ZpXPBt_XeXwI0_G88lXwoY56KjOC7JeqO05miSxoDMbYOwWoe59n4E0H3RKdH_qyXmAhPvv49XQ9KF0sSSi8VNVHdNlx0CuJ1qqy3owwbIlzZlQ/s498/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-12%20at%201.31.39%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="498" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtKZsE4C5yGYtMz8RVEUIlV08KdnN_1d9jB1xoItnFTW_chFka-dbjmN2Q1So3R-0WIeEydljn3-ZpXPBt_XeXwI0_G88lXwoY56KjOC7JeqO05miSxoDMbYOwWoe59n4E0H3RKdH_qyXmAhPvv49XQ9KF0sSSi8VNVHdNlx0CuJ1qqy3owwbIlzZlQ/w400-h381/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-12%20at%201.31.39%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Typewriter.<br /><br />Face to Face.<br /><br />We met. In simplier days when you only met, if a person stood before you.<br /><br />In the flesh, eye to eye. So much can be seen. Windows to the heart. <br /><br />Nothing obvious hidden. No image or mask to hide behind. No avatar. No miniture picture. <br /><br />You had eyes, a face, hair, skin, clothes. You stood or sat. <br /><br />When you spoke, I could hear you. When I spoke, you knew.<br /><br />Crisis abound. Chaos comsumed. Fragile, trust, hope was possible.<p></p><p>You once said you saw an aura. <br /><br />No auras can be felt in technology. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOAqb4q1QVYPf4yI-3XXmsqvR4goWeBtradZ7WfPlFrqkN746dZabhlGK2_BWisMVTX_740oCrbYpoVTRoSdl8mZpDD0kJmNBEBn_DD3YPPq-hmU076dKy51p_Rj_HawL6hWNFKEPmCr2FVe2tOaZLFQXrgb4Tl_s8BgqgnBoBdXj91-E7ddmPydPWQ/s490/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-12%20at%201.44.20%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="490" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOAqb4q1QVYPf4yI-3XXmsqvR4goWeBtradZ7WfPlFrqkN746dZabhlGK2_BWisMVTX_740oCrbYpoVTRoSdl8mZpDD0kJmNBEBn_DD3YPPq-hmU076dKy51p_Rj_HawL6hWNFKEPmCr2FVe2tOaZLFQXrgb4Tl_s8BgqgnBoBdXj91-E7ddmPydPWQ/w400-h329/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-12%20at%201.44.20%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /><br />We were real, in a place, in a time, in this spinning world in God's massive universe. <br /><br />I could be certain, of what I saw, heard and felt. <br /><br />Physical presence equalled basic reality. <br /><br />No one physically masked. No veil hung. <br /><br />No immitations. False Identies. Fake impressions.<br /><br />Our fears were overcome with faith and courage. <br /><br />We took the risk, equally. Bio, and materially present.<br /><br />How hard it can be to hang on waiting for another puzzle piece to be revealed. <br /><br />I tried, but nothing verified. No name. No event. No clue given was concrete. I couldn't be certain. <br /><br />I dare not risk what is my sure reality, for something so myseriously vague. <br /><br />Life moves on. Time is of the essense. <br /><br />Each day matters. Minutes tick forward. Hours and days. <br /><br />I am already His - it is an eternal certainty. <br /><br />Led toward a foggy unknown that showers admiration and exclaims joy.<br /><br />I need stability, sanity, vunerable honesty.<br /><br />A current picture. A video chat. Something to build upon. <br /><br />Nothing before its time. No one should be pushed to be. <br /><br />Freedom must exist out of mutual honor and respect. <br /><br />Yet, tooooooo many questions. Not enough answers to cross the bridge. <br /><br />Yes, I want to listen. Yes, I care about your human experience. <br /><br />My family believes in me. I always speak the truth. I hide nothing. <br /><br />Even if I don't recive .... <br /><br />Before God my conscience is always clear. <br /><br />To Him, I am an open book. He reads every single page. <br /><br />No private room that is mine alone in His temple. <br /><br />What can be done? Is that all? Ever again? <br /><br />If ever one is ready to meet, to be actually introduced.<br /><br />To be known, and not stay in the shadows. <br /><br />Time has not expired yet. And eternity is forever. <br /><br />So for today, I sail on silver girl</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHDh1k38RpNK1QhLythclew9rCze6tlcPh94DOB1Esh2pL9OYWvXORzmZb1v4QEtE9Ur29OZBI2-GOBO9igNsyFOD61x3IZWptTUSyIUJ6tG9aP8wpPt6lbMOGC6Efm0DmkLdczONNDcP14BbU8UBMf3rTBpRsP98suthaKK9XddBKG8YSL2pX-DQ0A/s459/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-12%20at%201.37.37%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHDh1k38RpNK1QhLythclew9rCze6tlcPh94DOB1Esh2pL9OYWvXORzmZb1v4QEtE9Ur29OZBI2-GOBO9igNsyFOD61x3IZWptTUSyIUJ6tG9aP8wpPt6lbMOGC6Efm0DmkLdczONNDcP14BbU8UBMf3rTBpRsP98suthaKK9XddBKG8YSL2pX-DQ0A/w390-h400/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-12%20at%201.37.37%20PM.png" width="390" /></a></div><br /><p>My time may come to shine and see my dreams comes true.<br /><br />So, when I need a friend, Jesus is always standing by. <br /><br />To see me through, and wipe any tear away. <br /><br /><br /><br /></p>healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-50590083479096541742021-07-17T22:41:00.000-05:002021-07-17T22:41:18.660-05:00Prayer - Spiritual Communication<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Most people struggle with prayer, myself included. Prayer takes many aspects working together at the same time: faith and surrender and humility. <br /><br />Humility considers the fact that we are sinners and need to check to see if we need to get anything right before we enter into God's presence. Do we need forgiveness? Do we need to forgive?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Childlike faith, in spirit and truth</td></tr>
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Through Spirit and Truth</h4>
A key Bible verse for prayer is John 4:24:<br />
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<span face="Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."</span></blockquote><p>Many times people become unable to worship God in prayer because they only possess a head knowledge of God and try to approach Him in their mind alone. Prayer is not something we do physically or mentally or even by ourselves. </p><b>The Basics: </b><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Humans are physical bodies that have their soul (mind, will and emotions) and their spirit. </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> Faith is believing God. It is birthed and developed by hearing God's Word, which is complete everlasting Truth. (Do you live out what you say you believe?)</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">If we want to know God in truth, we must read, study and learn His Word, the Bible. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Since God is spirit, we must pray in spirit and truth. We must approach God in spiritually. My spirit must reach out to connect to His. Simply prayer is a spiritual act of the believer.</p></blockquote><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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While we can pray in any physical position of our body, it helps us to find a way to bring ourselves into an entire unison with God. This is why many people kneel to pray. In bowing before God, our physical body expresses the actions of our soul and spirit. We can just as well sit and bow our heads or layout on the floor before God. Each person and situation will determine the best physical position to worship God in prayer. There is nothing mystical about a physical position. <i><b>However, we must position our being before God, both surrendering and trusting Him. </b></i><br />
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By Faith</h4>
In faith, mentally believing God is who He says He is and that He has done and will do what he says, we spiritually bow our being to Him. The gateway to God is praise. <b>Prayer is worship. </b>We come to God because we need, adore, and want Him in the center of our life. <br />
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Psalm 100:4 says,<br />
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<span face="Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.</span></blockquote>
As we turn our hearts toward God, we approach Him with thanksgiving and praise. Jesus said our first step in prayer is "Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." In recognizing where God is and who He is, we are spiritually beginning to worship Him. It is essential that we recognize that we are not just giving mental consent, but that by our spirit we approach Him. In coming to Him by spirit, we naturally must examine our spiritual condition before Him. He is holy and therefore we must confess any unholiness in our life if we expect to engage in communication with Him.<br />
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We can talk to God using our mind, choosing to spent time with Him, and emotionally wanting to be touched by Him but still never get beyond our humanness until we focus ourselves spiritually. Often this takes practice. Just as you have to practice piano or ballet or yoga; you have to practice prayer. <br /><br />Certainly, God takes us into prayer sometimes and we don't have to practice anything. But daily devoting ourselves to prayer is a disciplined life. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">God is Spirit. We must pray in Truth and Spirit.</td></tr>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
With Focus</h4>
Focusing can be our biggest hindrance, once the hurdles of faith are overcome: such as, "Is God real?", "Does prayer work?", "Can God hear me?", "Can I hear God?", etc.<br />
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Focusing requires us to find a place and time with limited distractions. <br /><br />We also must quiet our minds which can be bombarded with to-do's or ideas that take our thoughts off of God and carry us away. Some people find playing instrumental music can be helpful. Other people have a pencil and paper available to quickly jot down thoughts to remove them until later. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Part of the reason we have so much difficulty is spiritual warfare. God's enemy (who is also spiritual) does not want us to have a relationship with God, so we must be spiritually prepared to battle through the distractions and not so easily give up. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A prayer warrior is a winning warrior that does not give up or give in. <br />
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With childlike faith, eagerness to spend time with God, we must allow our spirit to freely connect intimately with Him. Imagery is a wonderful resource to use. I often visualize myself entering the throne room of the king of Kings and seeing his loving smile and open arms. I know He delights to see me as a good father does when he sees his child. I know I am welcome to come close to allow myself to be hugged or lifted up to him. <br />
<br /><b>Beyond Basics<br /></b><br />Once prayer is something we can frequently enter into, we can build upon how we spend our time with God. Having a prayer and praise list is a wonderful track record to increase your faith in seeing God's faithfulness. I have looked back in old prayer books and found that I prayed decades ago for neighbors and people who are all now Christians. If I didn't record this I would never remember. Knowing this gives me more confidence. I clearly see that God answers my prayers. <br /><br />But the best beyond the basic part of prayer is <b>LISTENING!<br /></b><br />God speaks. However, we must stop speaking and listen if we are to ever hear him. When I was a young mother or even a young Christian I would fall asleep praying. I would feel like a failure, but I now know God gave me that sweet rest in His presence. He knew what I needed and gave it to me. <br /><br />Some people are afraid to listen because then they are accountable for doing what God says or requests. <br />
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-79329195568561106692019-12-07T14:22:00.003-06:002019-12-07T14:22:48.747-06:00Answering “Yes” to God’s Request - Doing His Will<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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What is God’s will for my life? </h2>
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I want to be who HE wants me to be.<br />
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I want to DO what HE wants me to do.<br />
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We often say and think these things but do our actions measure up? Until we learn to live our life the way God wants, we will be frustrated.<br />
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Consider the three points in following God’s will for your life.<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Listening to God</h2>
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A person cannot do God’s personal will for her life if she is not asking God what it is and then listening for HIS answer. </div>
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Have you noticed that what we want and think we need is not the direction God has picked for us. Or His answer could be the deepest desire of our heart yet we still have doubts. </div>
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Rarely, if ever, have I experienced a time that God will not answer a question I ask. Even if the answer is wait or you decide. I still get an answer. </div>
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If I still my mind and focus on God, listening for his voice, I hear Him. It may even be one word but it is the answer. </div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Excuses </h2>
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Over the past few year, I have been trying to secure a job--no, a profession, a respectable career--now that my children are no longer my main focus. </div>
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I want to make a steady income that is enough for my family to buy a new mattresses, to go on </div>
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vacations and to not get into debt unexpected bills occur (like a $9,000 roof needing to be done). </div>
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But I also want to be a “professional” to be “someone” in life, to be “respected” among my peers for the work I do and the money I make. I went to college! I graduated with honors. <b>But, scholastic accolades do not compete with years of working in a profession. </b></div>
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I also don’t answer yes, and do what God says because it is not a practical answer. It does not always pay, instantly -- if at all. </div>
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So I spend years doing things my way, trying paths to financial and professional success, pushing God’s answer into the background of my thoughts. I attempt to do things the world’s way--- to find a way to put in years of work experience to advance in a career. </div>
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Saying “YES” to God</h2>
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Of course, the act of saying, “yes” is simple, but to commit yourself to that life of aligning daily actions and goals to obey God is complicated. I have to say, “no” to offers that take me off His track for my life, regardless of how good it sounds. I must also take steps to moving in the direction God answered. I must make concrete plans.</div>
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If I have not done what God asked, I must first confess. Confession really is part of repentance, which is not only confessing that I have not obeyed: <b>taking the steps to change and turn toward obeying God’s answer. </b></div>
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<i>Forgive me Father for pushing your answer away and repetitively proceeding in my way. I am sorry for doubting you, and for thinking I know what is best. Please help me to remove the mental, emotional, and physical barriers that have caused me to disobey your answer. Give me a single-minded, straight-as-an-arrow, aim to do what you clearly have asked of me. Remove my fears and enable me to suit up in spiritual armor to withstand all resistance both from within and outside of my being that can sidetrack me from obeying you. Clean me thoroughly that I may be your living sacrifice--a vessel able to be used by you for your purpose on earth. </i></blockquote>
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Everyone’s prayer will be different. We all speak to God in our own way and with our own language. Just be who you are and talk to God. He knows you and understands the needs and intentions of your soul.<br />
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Maybe in time I can share what God asked me to do, but for now I simply want to let this be a private act of obedience that God alone holds me accountable to do. I do this that I may grow in my dependence upon Him.<br />
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-18110549589310121852018-03-17T09:37:00.000-05:002018-03-17T09:37:14.246-05:00Reconciliation after Forgiveness in a Relationship<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We frequently hear about forgiveness, but never much about reconciliation. What does that look like? How do two people rebuild a relationship?<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="passage-display-bcv" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding-right: 6px;">2 Corinthians 5:17-19</span> <span class="passage-display-version" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;">New King James Version (NKJV) says: </span></span></blockquote>
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<i><span class="text 2Cor-5-17" id="en-NKJV-28895" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">17 </span>Therefore, if anyone <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">is</span> in Christ, <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">he is</span> a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. </span><span class="text 2Cor-5-18" id="en-NKJV-28896" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">18 </span>Now all things <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">are</span> of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, </span><span class="text 2Cor-5-19" id="en-NKJV-28897" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">19 </span>that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.</span></i></blockquote>
God shows us. He first reconciled himself to us. He poured out his love on us when we did not deserve it; we had not earned it, but he still forgave us. Then he desired to build a relationship, but he waited for us to turn to him. Note that God did not impute our trespasses; he released us from our sins against him and approached the relationship anew. Just as he commands us to forgive because he forgave us, he desires for us to be committed to reconciliation.<br />
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Almost a year ago, on a previous blog, last August 2017, I wrote from my broken heart about my crumbling relationship with my precious daughter, and the<a href="https://abuseandtrauma-hope.blogspot.com/2017/08/a-new-level-of-forgiveness.html" target="_blank"> new levels of forgiveness</a> I was experiencing.<br />
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To my joyful surprise, surrendering the relationship and walking in forgiveness has resurrected a strong love and delicately rebuilt connection. We are still in the processes of reconciliation. It doesn’t happen overnight; you must be committed to it. You must live out the word of reconciliation, the teachings of the Bible.<br />
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I can only speak for myself, what I have experienced and my perspective of what has taken place. By being willing to allow my daughter like a tender butterfly to rest upon my open palm--to be able to come and go as she willed--I have been blessed with a special restored relationship with her.<br />
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Out of the pain, I tried to be sensitive to hear what she was saying and to try to learn many times how to observe but not speak. Enduring a quiet, solemn season in letting go and fully trusting her to step out and make her own choices, we both have learned a lot.<br />
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At times I was concerned about allowing myself to be open again to loving my daughter and receiving any love she shared because I didn’t know if it was genuine or if it might be pulled away. It is hard to trust to love after you have experience the pain of rejection. My deep love for her made forgiveness easy and eventually she also found herself able to forgive. Yet, I still remained cautious and wanted to interact slowly -- not in the abandoned devotion I had lived in before.<br />
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Maybe that is one place I erred, only God is worthy of abandoned devotion.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Individual Boundaries</h4>
I have learned to build proper boundaries and to not confide in her as an adult friend, but to allow her to become a young adult, without being submerged in my older adult world. I knew better, and if you asked me I would have counseled you to not take a mother-daughter relationship to that level. Oddly, she seemed so wise, with such deep insight, that I began speaking to her about deeper things without realizing I had broken this boundary.<br />
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My daughter is twenty, not fifty. She needs to be involved in the concerns of a twenty year old not a middled age woman. So much is new for her and she deserves the right to discover milestones anew, and unbiased by someone double her age. I am and always will be her mother first, not a friend.<br />
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She needed to take her own steps into adulthood; however, small the steps may seem to an observer... making and taking ownership of your life decisions is monumental and can be messy. Doubt, frustration, motivation, and strategies are still being encountered. Experiences-- in their unique respective realm--are necessary to feel and work through.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Personal Diligence</h4>
No one’s life is presented in a pretty package for them to open the door, walk through, and begin to live out.<br />
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<i><b>Our life is our own making, as we decide how we shall live. </b></i></div>
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We are limited by raw abilities and frequently availabilities within our means and what is provided through connections. It does not take long for anyone to realize that life is hard work. Being an adult is not a wondrous wonderland of frivolity. Making dreams materialize requires commitment and diligence. You have to apply yourself in great effort to succeed.<br />
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No one can wake you up in the morning and plan your day for you and make you follow the schedule. It is of your own doing.<br />
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My daughter is experiencing the highs and lows of figuring out what works for her and what does not. Her first choice careers is to be a fictional middle grade/ teen writer. Not going to college can appear freeing in the beginning but following through in daily writing and wrestling through plots structures can be a daunting task. You have to be responsible and serious enough about your writing goals to push through the rough times when the words simply don’t flow or the plot seems disconnected.<br />
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Writing, also, can be a lonely existence, filled with doubt of whether you really do have the skill to be successful. My daughter must for the most part work through this on her own if she want to be a career writer of fiction.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Necessary Interaction</h4>
In time, my daughter will find places in her life that she may want and need me. And I have to be willing to try to meet her needs without resentment knowing how everything I did the first two decades had been misunderstood and many things had been perceived as toxic. In time I truly do think this perception will soften. I didn’t want to hurt her again but I wanted to be myself, not trying to simply be the person she needed when she had no one else to turn to. I cannot offer an on-again, then an off-again type of relationship. It is not emotional considerate of my own feelings.<br />
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At first, to wean her off of me always being there, I asked her father to step up and do with her most of the errands we had done together. It was very good for us to have time apart from each other. I enjoyed and needed time to figure out what type of employment would be best for me in this new season of my life. I also greatly thrived partaking in a Women’s Daily Fellowship--both receiving from and giving to others.<br />
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Through the months, we will build a healthy relationship for both of us. As I pause to reflect, this process is what reconciliation looks like. Many people go through hurt, and some try to forgive, but it takes great care to work through reconciliation.<br />
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-75594411215436983982017-09-07T14:30:00.002-05:002017-09-07T17:35:17.278-05:00The Miracle of Discovering Your Ministry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
God, What do you want me to do? How do I fit?<br />
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Are you like me?<br />
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Do you want to serve God but cannot figure out your ministry? Have you tried to do many things but it falls apart? Are do you offer to serve in areas and never get called? Do you feel overlooked and underused?<br />
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I have for most of my thirty years of my Christian walk. I know what I my talents are, and I even know my spiritual gifts. Still, I have a hard time discovering my specific ministry.<br />
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It has been frustrating and depressing. I know whose I am and I have studied His Word. God draws me in and points out so many truths. I feel bursting, overflowing.... yet, in many ways I feel rejected by people... and dare I say even the church.<br />
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I feel like serving in church is like being in a pinball machine. You step out to serve as the lever gets pulled back, the spring tightens and then in an instant you are launched into the activity. Only once you start moving you are constantly bumping into things and people. Some move you along quickly into another direction only to have you end up bumping into more things and people. However finally, you just become tired, exhausted, and fall away, leaving the building without even being noticed. Your turn is over. Your serving is done.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Is The Problem Me</h3>
"What’s wrong with me?” has been my mantra lately. I have even set up an appointment with my Pastor to ask that precise question! (It takes over a month to get in to see him.) I really have wanted to know if there is something about me that I need to change.<br />
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Am I too vocal? Is it that I get excited and interrupt? Is it that I ask a lot of questions? Is it that I think about things too seriously? Do people not trust me, or do they feel uncomfortable around me?<br />
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I am certain it is a glaring problem that everyone but me knows. It is like a have lighting bolts crashing around my head yet I am clueless that I am even in a thunderstorm.<br />
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However, I know it is God who qualifies a person and ordains them for ministry. Since God has accepted and approved me by His grace, I am worthy and able through the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in me. Even with my imperfections, God wants to minister through me for His glory.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #001320;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">"By God's grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.” Ephesians 3:7 NLT</span></span></span></i></span></blockquote>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Discover by Doing</h3>
<div>
As long as I can remember I have had pastors tell their congregation that you discover your gifts through serving. They suggest that people should simply jump in and volunteer to find out what they are good at and enjoy. I do think it is good for people to serve and volunteer; particularly if you can’t think of anything specifically that you feel God leading you to do, you should just sign up and get involved in some area of the church. </div>
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But if you have been praying and keep sensing a specific direction God wants you to go, look for opportunities. If you offer to work in those areas of ministry in the church, but never get called to do anything or don’t seem to fit in with the group or structure of the church ministry, don’t give up. </div>
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Think outside of the church and/or ministry box. </div>
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How can you still function in the way you sense God created you and is leading you? </div>
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It may be that God simply wants you to step out on your own. He may not want you to formally serve in the church program and the way the church does the ministry. He may have some little spot that does not have a title, and it might be a ministry that is personal and therefore not sanctioned through the church. Just because it is not a ministry offered by your church, don’t discount it!</div>
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I am not encouraging people to not get involved in their local church or to serve in designated areas. I am simply stating that not all work that God wants done is an official position or area of church service. If we stop limiting God and simply live obediently to Him, we may be utterly amazed at how much God actual wants to do in and through each one of us. </div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
My Simple Miracle</h3>
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I love prayer! I love writing! I love reading and teaching God’s Word! I love listening to the Holy Spirit and getting to immediately respond to Him! I love to be spontaneous!</div>
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I also have learned in my own life that it is very hard for me to make consistent, pre-planned obligations. Because of my health, I am not always able to be available at a set time. I can't really judge several weeks at a time how I will be doing. I have lived with how my mind and body functions long enough to know that it is best for me to be able to go when I can go and to slow down when I need to do this. Of course, this can hold me back from most normal ministry positions. </div>
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However, I have returned to one of my favorite things that I do with God.<br />
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I started to go back to pray at my church in the morning. The prayer room is open from 6:30 am to 9. Anyone can come and go during this time. A year ago before I took a full-time teaching job I went very consistently for almost 6 months. I loved it! Going to the prayer room incorporated everything that I love in life. I felt so alive and so used by God. Especially when on occasion someone would enter the prayer room with an urgent need pressing on their heart. </div>
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God would nudge me to ask the person if they needed to pray. And this is where the miracle would happen over and over again. I was able to be used by God to pray for people by relying on the Holy Spirit and to minister to them in their time of need. It blessed the other person but it also blessed me. </div>
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So, here I was, about a year later, feeling like I was spiritually handicap and shriveling up. I was getting pretty depressed because I felt unusable by my local church. It was hard for me to even attend on the weekend because I didn’t feel like I belonged. I was yearning to serve God but never was responded to whenever I offered to serve in various areas of the church. Worse than feeling invisible, I felt discarded....unwanted....defected...damaged....and the list could go on forever. </div>
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Yet, today was my second day in a week to go to morning prayer. After about an hour of praying and reading the Bible, I heard someone enter sniffling back tears. I waited a little bit and then got up and asked the person if he needed prayer. He did, and he was so grateful. The Holy Spirit gave me insight that could have only been known by God. I spoke the words as I heard them and described in prayer the pictures placed in my mind. As this young man, repeatedly confirmed that what I was saying in prayer was exactly what he needed, I sensed being used by God in a mighty way. </div>
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After the man left, I knelt back down to pray... and I was led by God to write these words in my journal in response to what happened: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I am alive. I have my place in God’s church and in ministry. It is perfect for me. Handpicked by God. Praise God who answers prayers!</blockquote>
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You see, I repeatedly felt that I was suppose to pray at my church. So I tried the Monday night ministry, but something was off. I explored praying Sunday morning with people after service, yet that never worked out. I occasionally participated in special times of prayer but that only last an hour maybe once a year. I thought God wanted me to spot like a therapist, and He wanted me to simply be available to offer prayer. This thought kept coming up in my mind but it never seemed to materialize.<br />
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But God showed me today... He had already proved for me a way to do what He laid on my heart. No one needed to know I was functioning in this ministry. It was enough for it to be between God and me. He knew. He ordained it. He qualified me. And He would bring the people that needed to be personally prayed for by someone who listened to the Holy Spirit.<br />
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I am so joyful! I have finally discovered my ministry! I will listen, and follow, and go, wherever He leads.<br />
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(photo credit: deviantart: my watch begins by cobra-roll, blue skies green pasture by Blackstar 707, vintage gift box by lialeslie-d9w, dare by gothic narcissus-d7slhxyg) </div>
healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-21227947208688596752017-09-03T15:45:00.004-05:002017-09-03T15:45:56.184-05:00What No One Ever Tells You About False Religions and False Teachers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We have so many different kinds of religions, faiths, beliefs, and even within each of the major faiths there are so many variations. In this post I am not talking about the major religions of the world; I am not talking about the ones that most would attend on a regular Sunday or Saturday. But, I am writing about false religions like Scientology and so many other smaller organizations like these are based off of very similar beliefs.<br />
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The major thing no one (especially the leader or organization itself) will never tell you is the leader often has a family background in the Christian faith. <i><b>Many times their parents or grandparents were pastors or missionaries. </b></i>Therefore, they frequently know the teachings of the Bible, and even use them, intermingling Biblical principles with their own but never quoting the Scripture or giving the source of the teaching. It is very crafty. Ask questions about leaders. Find out their spiritual background.<br />
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Biblical principles are truth. They work. Therefore if followed people can see blessings in their life. If you read through the Book of Proverbs and followed just the ones on finance you would greatly improve your wealth and business. The same holds true for relational principles.<br />
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Forgiveness</h3>
I listened to a teacher last week that was talking about how to deal with difficult people and those who have hurt you. He explained that you need to realize that the person is not functioning at the spiritual level you are and that he is doing the best they can based on their realization or knowledge. Therefore, you simply rise above and let the issues go, not holding it to them or the offense.<br />
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Immediately, I recognized the Biblical wisdom in forgiving the person and how important this is to not let bitterness grow in one’s heart. It is a very freeing teaching that without it can destroy a person from within. However, it played on the person’s pride. It made the person feel they were better than the other person, more evolved, or functioning at a higher spiritual level; therefore, he/she was to have in a sense pity on the person and to not be entangled in the lower level issues.<br />
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While the teaching did indeed help the person deal with the offense and to apply in many aspects apply the principle of forgiveness by not holding the person in debt to her for the hurt, it traded one sin for another. Pride is a much craftier sin to see. A person who has false modesty is actually prideful; if you think you are better than others you are prideful.<br />
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Reaping What You Sow</h3>
Another example of a teaching that is taught by many of these groups is Karma. So the person is so careful not to do wrong, treat people bad, or to say hurtful things because they don’t want to have bad things happen to them, and of course, they want to keep moving up to higher spiritual planes. The Bible teaches that a person reaps what they sow and also God often lets us experience things that we have done to others to give us insight to the other person’s perspective.<br />
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However, the major Christian difference is that we DON’T thankfully get what we deserve (the karma) if we confess, repent, and receive God’s grace. False religions will NEVER teach this concept; they would loose enormous amount of control over their followers. Guilt, condemnation, and karma are major ways they keep their followers in-line.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
One True God</h3>
I was reading Isaiah today that caused me to think about these people who lead these cults or false religions. They are lifted up on a pedestal to often be exalted as god or master -- one who is at the highest possible spiritual level of development.<br />
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However, our creator God, Elohim, that is only the one true God has abilities that these leaders can never claim. Read this:<br />
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<i>"Thus says God the LORD,<br />Who created the heavens and stretched them out,<br />Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,<br />Who breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it; "(Is 42:5)</i></blockquote>
No matter how “good” a person can be, a person can’t claim to have made the earth and to give all people breath and spirit.<br />
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This is why God can say,<br />
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<i>"I am the LORD, that is My name;<br />And My glory I will not give to another,” (Is 42:8)</i></blockquote>
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The Word </h3>
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Only a person who reads and knows Scripture could pick out the Biblical concepts from the ones that are not. A person who has only read the Bible casually or heard some passages will have no idea that he is being taught a Biblical teaching. And very sadly they will not know the lies that are being sprinkled in to benefit the leader or organizations. </div>
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One day I want to take a passage of one of these cults and show in detail how truths or mixed with lies; However, what I have currently written will have to do for today. </div>
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If you have a loved one involved in a cult, pray for them. I pray for those I know. I pray that the leader may show their sinfulness, that it will be obvious that he is a mere man, not God. I also pray that those I love will hear the ONE TRUE GOD in quiet times, and that He will have mercy on them and keep drawing each one near to Him.</div>
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photo credit: candlelight by svelimiovic96, </div>
healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-33481477106968150572017-06-26T12:35:00.000-05:002017-06-26T12:35:08.796-05:00Pausing in the Summer - Being Silent <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last year was my first year since homeschooling my children to teach full-time in public schools. Teaching is all consuming. But I want God to be all-consuming in my life.<br />
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It took about a two weeks after teaching for my neck and back muscles to stop cramping from being tense. Being “on” for students and administration can be exhausting -- that is what my last, long post was about -- the full-time exhaustion I felt. Now that I have had time to breathe, I am open to God to show me what he wants me to do next. I am placing my life in His hands and giving Him control.<br />
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When life (and responsibilities of work) start eating up my time, I struggle to find time for God. I wonder-- Do all people who work outside of the home full-time have this same problem?<br />
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And I am so behind with housework. I have so much to clean, so much to go through, and so much to through or give away. Yet, God tugs on my heart, so...<br />
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I opened the Bible this morning to Zephaniah 1:7 and read “Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; for the day of the Lord is at hand.” In Zephaniah, the prophet is giving a warning that troubled times are coming, he describes it as: "trouble and distress,” “devastation and desolation,” "darkness and gloominess,” and “clouds and thick darkness” (Z 1:15).<br />
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This reminds me of the paradox that while we can we need to be silent before God and seek Him, because we go through seasons of times that will be filled with greater stress.<br />
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This verse in Zephaniah reminds me of Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God...”.<br />
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When we think of prayer, we often think of talking. But God asks us to have times of drawing near and being silent, of being aware of His presence, that He is God. We are to bask in awe of Him. And if we are silent, we are in a position to listen.<br />
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When Samuel heard God’s voice, his response was “Speak, for Your servant hears” (1 Sam 3:10). It is through listening that we can know God’s heart for us. I often say I want to do God’s will, like I said in the beginning of writing this that “I am placing my life in His hands and giving Him control,” but this requires me to have a mind and heart that is ready, spending silent time in His presence. In doing so, I get to know God more, and by knowing God better, the desires of my heart will be more aligned with His.<br />
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Like a child, I need to approach God, not always with a heavy burdened heart, but with childlike dependence saying, “Here I am.” And then, allow myself the time to move into His presence, before I waste the whole day trying to <b>do</b>.<br />
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God wants me first to <b>be</b>, and receive from Him.<br />
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(photo credit: star childen III/9 by KVirtanen and a silent thought by sagavision -- both on deviantart)<br />
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-90701896187307545982017-05-13T04:41:00.003-05:002017-05-13T04:41:49.454-05:00Full-Time Exhaustion Teaching<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Twenty-four hours are in every day. We each get the same amount of time. Yet, a comparison is meaningless because we are all very different in our personalities, needs, abilities, supports and resources. Still I like everyone else will make decisions how I will allot my time. Sleep is essential. If I allow myself to get overextended, over-committed or exhausted, I make poor decisions and I act or speak in ways that are not characteristic of who I naturally am.<br />
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Working Full-time this past year at employment outside of the home is new for me. I have homeschooled my children for the past two decades. While undertaking the enormous responsibility of homeschool, I worked a few times as a tutor, substitute-teacher, writer or a retail position. Yet, I was mostly a full-time mom, wife and homeschool teacher. I had grown accustomed to waking to my natural body clock instead of a dreadful 4:45 am alarm. I also had the luxury--many luxuries--of sipping coffee slowly from a cup, eating when I got hungry and going to bed when I decided I was finished for the day. However, the most extravagant luxury I possessed was getting to plan my own time.<br />
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This year I returned to full-time teaching in the public school system and everything changed in my life. Teachers have their own unique set of oddities like not being able to easily go to the bathroom when the need arises, having to gobble down a lunch while basically never leaving work, and having a horrendous amount of work to do outside of the work day. Still, many things are common to most people who work for an employer.<br />
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Timing is everything: how we spend our time, when circumstances unfold, the commitment we make, and events that take place. Some things happen that we know are going to be on the calendar every year, like holidays, birthday and anniversaries. Other events are once in a lifetime like weddings, graduations and baby showers. Most of our responsibilities are regular and ongoing such as cooking, laundry, housework, yard work, and self-care. However, we are also continually bombarded with the unexpected occurrences of illness, deadlines, repairs, accidents, and requests (not only at work but from those we love).<br />
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I am still seeking the balance in life between having a fulfilled private life, a connected family life, remaining friendships, managed household responsibilities, and a strong work ethic. Keeping these 5 goals has brought on full-time exhaustion and I am not sure I am succeeding at a real balance. Is it even possible? I don’t have solidified answers or solutions. This balancing is all still a work in progress but a story theme in a first grade reader keeps echoing in my mind: quitters never win!<br />
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My students were reading this story when I had just struggled with wanting to quit my job. I was beyond exhausted. I had lost my joy to go to work. I was no longer functioning at home. And I was emotionally coming unglued. In this state, I was overly sensitive. Incidents that would have been easily brushed off, were taking hold of me like a fishhook. Little comments and circumstances were deeply hurting me. I knew something had to change.<br />
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Often a snowball effect takes place. Minor slights (even simply perceived ones) can take a toll when they add up without a person having the ability to voice his or her view. Without any validation, and worst of all, poor communication, resentment can build up. Everyone has their own tipping point. For me, I reached mine after two months of testing students. All teachers are stressed during this time of the year and the pressure builds to look for reasons outside of one’s self for poor testing performance. And I, being the new person, became an easy target to accuse, pushover, or blame.<br />
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For me, making an appointment to talk to my human resource manager was the turning point. I was able to speak to someone not in the school that fortunately was not personal friends with the employees. She was able to hear me out and then validate that I had reasonable thoughts and feelings about some of the incidents that had taken place. She encouraged me to make the decision I needed to make but one that would not negatively impact my personnel record. Simply having someone to speak to diffused the major offenses I had felt.<br />
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I decided if possible I would complete my school year and then not take another year at the same school. This way I was fulfilling my commitment but also having an end in sight. While things have not changed on my job, I was able to face it with a new attitude. I was no longer carrying around the baggage of every unkind word or unthoughtful action. I turned my focus on the students and my own responsibility to do my best for them. And at home, my family stepped up on doing some of the housework to help me crash into the bed and get the rest I so desperately needed.<br />
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I have seven and a half days left. While I am looking forward to celebrating the completion of the school year, it will be hard to look into the precious eyes of my 42 English As A Second Language students and tell them I am not coming back next year. However, I know I have loved them deeply this year, and my hope is I am leaving them with an impression of positive self-worth--the beautiful sense of knowing that they are lovable. Of course, we have learned a lot of academics but the life lessons are what remains. This is my heart and passion of being a teacher. I must now find a place I will be appreciated.<br />
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(Photo Credits: apples by marshmallow-child, walking a balanced life by drPankaj, broken by dove3456, all on deviantart)<br />
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-4284113464470143502017-04-16T18:56:00.001-05:002017-04-16T18:56:42.611-05:00Prayer Isn't Working<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When we are out of practice in prayer or just beginning, prayer just does not seem to work. Sure we can pray with others and send up short moment prayers but to be absorbed in the presence of God for extended periods of time takes come work on our part.<br />
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We have to be still and allow our mind to clear as we focus upon God.<br />
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But we also need to remember that if we have not entered His presence and truly anytime we are newly entering His presence we must follow the way Jesus taught His disciples.<br />
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Begin with Reverence, Awe, Praise, Honor, acknowledging that we are coming before the Throne of the King of Kings and The Lord of Lords. We enter God's presence with praise, fear (awe/respect) and covered by the blood and name of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is done in spirit and truth, not flesh and deception.<br />
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<b>Our Father Who Art In Heaven</b> = Recognize God, Who is in Heaven, Address our attention to Him.<br />
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<b>Hallowed Be They Name</b> = Reverence Him, He is Holy, We are only Holy when covered by Jesus.<br />
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<b>Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven</b> = God is Sovereign both in earth and heaven, we are not. We must pray with a humble spirit, a bowing spirit.<br />
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<b>Give us this day our daily bread</b> = we need prayer daily, just as we need food daily, but God does recognize our physical needs, though providing for us spiritually is essential.<br />
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<b>And forgive us our trespasses</b> = we must repent to enter God's presence, we must confess any known sin but also be totally open for God to point out sin in our life prepared to repent when it is brought to our attention. Also we must forgive ourselves, for if we do not we are being our own god. If God forgives us, who are we to not!<br />
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<b>As we forgive those who have trespasses against us </b>= To enter God's presence we must be willing to forgive every other person, we must deal with forgiveness and in obedience lay down before God any hurt, injury or debt we feel another person owes us. If we have been injured and feel another person must pay for what they have done, that they are going to get what is coming, we have not fully given that person over to God and released them by fully and continually forgiving them. Forgiveness is not a one time event; we must newly forgive each time it is needed.<br />
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<b>And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil</b> = Our biggest enemy in our prayer life is Satan and his demons. They HATE prayer. So don't be surprised when you are bombarded with interruptions, a mind that will not settle and thoughts that cause you to loose your focus on God, but push through as God opens the way delivering us from evil and temptations.<br />
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With praise, a humble posture, an asking of petition/need, a forgiving heart and seeking His protection, we can grow in quiet time with God.<br />
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Now what is your purpose for prayer? To be loved by God. Be still and let Him love you. Let Him fill you. Let Him be anchored to your inner core being. Be saturated in His love for you.<br />
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God is all we need. We need prayer time - time alone with God - being loved by Him.<br />
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-5322655568426831262017-01-08T09:30:00.002-06:002017-01-08T09:30:38.972-06:00Who Is Responsible for Adultery?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If a husband looks online or through apps for a relationship with another woman is this adultery, even if he has never had physical sex?<br />
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In Matthew 5:28 Jesus says,<br />
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“I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” </blockquote>
So how can a pastor counsel a woman, in this situation, that she is equally to be blamed for her husband’s actions and sin if she has not been having sex regularly with him. Where in the world would a pastor get this counsel.<br />
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The Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians 7:5,<br />
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“ Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourself to prayer. Then come again together, so that Satan will not tempt you through lack of self-control."</blockquote>
This is not a guilt free license for a man or a woman to have an affair. This verse in the Bible assumes that the couple is spiritually sound and making mutual decisions and mature enough to devote themselves to time of prayer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rc6jlwo8umpOL6PkxlF5O1rOhHM5FHnFoanfEcKvSyzuVr9e1wte1Ug7XxxyI11TA5Fi6qTb3aZBElatfwyQn9MqteRyEobYcPMrg5RpwIku5d04AU3RapRh6-zgrnuBlWfWqlrg9YjT/s1600/a_failed_valentine_by_woahhhitsamanda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rc6jlwo8umpOL6PkxlF5O1rOhHM5FHnFoanfEcKvSyzuVr9e1wte1Ug7XxxyI11TA5Fi6qTb3aZBElatfwyQn9MqteRyEobYcPMrg5RpwIku5d04AU3RapRh6-zgrnuBlWfWqlrg9YjT/s320/a_failed_valentine_by_woahhhitsamanda.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When the marriage is broken because of lack of love, respect and communication, also because of past adulterous sin and other sins, a woman cannot be expect to comfort her husband in a sexual way. She is not a sex slave-- that is abuse. It is not a drudgery or a duty to be sexually involved with your spouse but a fruit of a mutual love that includes great respect day in an day out in the marriage.<br />
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I watched a dear friend nearly in shock hearing that she was responsible for her husband’s adultery online because she had not had sex with him in 6 months. However their marriage is was in shatters already. The pastor was unaware of many of the problems occurring in the marriage. The husband had removed his wife’s name from their joint checking account, cursed and screamed at her regularly, and had a very angry temper that he had not dealt with. What wife is going to want a physical relationship with a husband who treats her unloving?<br />
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The spouse who has the affair is being selfish and not thinking about all the damage he is creating to have his pleasure. His wife and children will be heartbroken. They will feel unstable, insecure and doubt their value. It is only God that can heal their hearts and restore their self-worth.<br />
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Ultimately, it is the enemy of God that is forever seeking to kill, steal and destroy what God loves. John 10:10 says,<br />
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"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;"</blockquote>
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But Jesus continues and says, <br />
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“I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly."</blockquote>
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The one who chooses sin -- adultery -- chooses the way of Satan who comes to steal, kill and destroy, but the one who chooses Jesus and his will chooses life and will have life abundantly.<br />
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A person first needs to go to God directly in a one on one relationship and allow God to heal their agony. A friend can listen but only God can heal a broken heart. <br />
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(Photo Credits: the weeping rose by KoAn72, a failed valentine by mommaphant, touched by a rare rose by Nadavdov on Deviantart)</div>
healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-14331446327542741402017-01-04T20:54:00.000-06:002017-01-04T20:54:11.047-06:00What Is God’s Joy (Isaiah 66:5)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We have to be careful when reading Scripture that we don’t make one verse only answer to a question. Isaiah 66:5 speaks of joy--God’s joy that we may see. Let’s look to see what the Word is talking about:<br />
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Hear the word of the LORD, You who tremble at His word;</blockquote>
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“Your brethren who hated you, who cast you out for My name’s sake said, </blockquote>
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'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy,'</blockquote>
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But they shall be ashamed.” (Isaiah 66:5)</blockquote>
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These verses follow a listing that God makes of sacrifices that do not please him, because the people making the sacrifices did not have a relationship with Him. They went through the traditions of animal sacrifices, burnt offerings and incense, but in their daily life they were choosing their own way to live. God says in verse 3 that “their soul delights in their abominations”.<br />
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Then he follows to say, “Because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not hear; but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight.”<br />
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It is so important to read a verse and discern its meaning in context of the chapter and book in which it is written. It is also important to discern the meaning of a verse in light of the entire Scriptures.<br />
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So we are building up from what God has not delighted in to know that God is aware when those who truly believe in Him are cast out for His ‘name’s sake’. If you are ever treated poorly for being a Christian or for standing by God’s word, you don’t need to be concerned about the person who is hating you. God is aware and more importantly He knows that they hate you because they first hated Him. (Mark 13:13 says, “You will be hated by all because of my name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”)<br />
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Therefore, we are to continue onward with our love and relationship with God. We are to persevere to the end. In continuing in our faith our God, He is glorified. His value and worth is seen through our life, by our actions and words and choices.<br />
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The Scripture specifically says, ‘Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy’. Titus 2:11-14 can help to clarify this verse:<br />
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For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,</blockquote>
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teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and gold in the present age,</blockquote>
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looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.</blockquote>
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We have salvation. We are shown how to live. We look forward to Jesus return.<br />
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In these three, God is brought glory and joy may be seen.<br />
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We are saved from eternal death, separation from God, that should always be seen as a source and reason for joy.<br />
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Regardless of our circumstances or what sorrows we endure living life, God will supply our needs and heal our hurts. He will carry us even when we can go no further. Joy is not bubbly happiness but a steady sense of knowing God and being known by Him.<br />
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And whether before our death or after, we can be sure that Jesus will re-appear and make all that is wrong right.<br />
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So what is God’s joy?<br />
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God is assuring the believer that Jesus will appear - this is the joy of the believer. In Isaiah Jesus had yet to come, but for us we have Christ. We can experience living with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And moreover, we have the hope of His second coming and eternal heaven.<br />
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This does not mean you or I will live perfect, but it does mean we can always be forgiven, receive God’s grace and be right with Him. It also means that we have access to Him and can moment by moment know Him. We can and should hear Him, and obey. By doing this, we can glorify God and make His joy visible. We can also know Him, and thereby we can know joy.<br />
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By abiding with God, our joy can be full.<br />
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(Photo Credits: It’s A Kind Of Magic part 2 by idaniphotography and excidium III by sorny on DeviantArt)<br />
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-27088538893961495972016-12-31T12:27:00.002-06:002016-12-31T12:28:39.787-06:00Isaiah 66 - What Does God Look For?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Last Chapter of Isaiah, the 66th, begins this way:<br />
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Thus says the LORD:</blockquote>
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“Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” says the LORD.</blockquote>
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But on this on will I look: </blockquote>
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“On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word."</blockquote>
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This quote that I typed here ends with only the 2nd verse. There are 24 verses in Chapter 66. However, I pause here because I am struck with many thoughts, and need to ponder upon these verses.<br />
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Movements will always be underway within the church on earth. God originates some, others begin by man.<br />
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Being a student of the Bible since I was in my twenties (some three decades now), I have learned to try, or shall I say test, words and claims out by the entire Word of God, not by an isolated verse.<br />
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The “Words in Red” movement (there is even a hashtag used by believers in it #wordsinred) state that the Words Jesus spoke in the Bible and that are published in red in some versions trump all other verses in the Bible. Of course, a lot of Biblical problems abound in this theory. But, the red-letter-Jesus-lovers are attracted to his gospel messages of love and compassion for the poor and now the alien/foreigners, what some would call the social justice parts of the Bible.<br />
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For many reason, too many for me to list, I can’t fall into this philosophy. I tremble at the thought that I --a mere human-- would think I was able to decide what parts of the Bible are more valid than others. And I understand that simply because one is financially poor does not make him/her spiritually poor, much less contrite.<br />
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The Lord looks on “him who is poor” and “of a contrite spirt” and “who trembles at My (his) word”. These are not comprehensive in themselves but a listing of characteristics that God seeks as the “place of My (his) rest.”<br />
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Can God find his rest in me? Can he find it in you?<br />
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Jesus said, “Blessed is the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Here in the Word, blessed means happy. A person who is “poor in spirit” will be happy; a person is aware that his condition in life is low, who has reckoned himself to be a sinner that is in need of God. Usually, if not always, this person will have asked and received the grace of God to continue in life, and to have eternal life hereafter.<br />
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Interesting to me is that often it takes a person who is poor and contrite in spirit to also tremble at God’s Word.<br />
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I tremble at the thought that I might dare to pick and choose verses of high value. Who am I to do this? And certainly if I did I would error. This does not mean I can’t have favorite verses or even a life verse, but I know of no verses that cancels out others. I know of verses only that clarify others. And as I age, I discover verses that did not mean as much to me at one time in life, becomes more meaningful and needed during others times in life.<br />
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I smile writing this because this is the sweetness of the Bible to me -- that it never changes but as we change it can become more to us. As it is with our own personal relationship to God. While we all go through seasons of shallow walking, He is so faithful to meet us when we return with hunger.<br />
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And for this reason, among so many more, I feel so blessed, yes--happy, that God knows me.<br />
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(Photo Credits: Bible by delbarital and Little sunny friend by Mariaforhisglory on DeviantArt)<br />
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-58512219400495468862016-07-03T20:00:00.000-05:002016-07-03T20:06:02.780-05:00The War of 1812 and the 4th of July Common Theme<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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What does the War of 1812 have to do with the 4th of July? How do they have a common theme? And why is the American Flag important to the history of America? Why should we celebrate independence in America?<br />
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This past week I have listened to several sermons that would be appropriately called a "Look at America from a Biblical Worldview” and they were polar opposite. One was a glowing praise our America - the Great USA - that has tragically lost is way but that as Christians we were exhorted to stand firm to Biblical truth of one woman/one man marriages and to end the blight of abortion and other such points. The other was a respectful “I am glad that I was born in America” but let us look at our own personal sin and corporate sin. We are a consumer nation that has the ability to eradicate poverty, illiteracy, starvation and other social ills if we would only sacrificially give and serve as compelled by our love for God. While neither was untruth, neither was fully balanced. Today I may even err toward the 2nd sermon for I am sensitive to the great needs surrounding me and I don’t want to lift up a Nation but to lift up the WAY of GOD.<br />
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However, what is often forgotten is the solid truth of our authentic Christian heritage. Not so much as a Nation but as individual Christian people and communities that were willing to die for liberty. The War of 1812 is hardly taught about in our public schools. I dare say that less than 5% of American citizens today even know what the War of 1812 was about. America was a British Colony. That fact needs to be taught to many (even leading politicians in our government today that hate Colonialism and lump America into the colony maker). The citizens of America had won independence in the American Revolutionary War (the War of Independence) from 1775-1783!<br />
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Yet, America battled for its independence again in the War of 1812! America would have become a British Colony again in 1814 if men would not have willingly gave their life to hold up the American flag on the rampart of Fort McHenry. Yes, the American flag represents the colonies and the states, but it also represents the blood, sweat and tears of American citizens who have sacrificed their life that we may still have a Nation. And even today men and women are willingly sacrificing their life for a Nation that most don’t remember its history, nor feels as though they can hold their head up high and say, “I am an American.” We have been beat down so much as being the global rich powerful Nation.<br />
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Hear me clearly. I am not saying we are sinless as a Nation or individuals--we are NOT! But I am saying we have hope because of our Christian Heritage and because once again today we can CHOOSE God and walk again in the way of God, being Jesus like.<br />
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Please listen to this. I beg of you (and I rarely ever do that!), but I do BEG you to listen to this. We do not know our American History. Our Christian American Heritage is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, of excellence and worthy of praise!</div>
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Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on t<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">hese things. Philippians 4:8 </span></div>
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Rightly so we are told that America is no longer a Christian Nation and I agree we are not! But we can be again. I don’t think we were ever a Christian Nation but a Nation of true believing Christians. For certain we are not that anymore! Still we must KNOW are true history. </div>
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On this day in 1814, Francis Scott Key pens a poem which is later set to music and in 1931 becomes America's national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The poem, originally titled “The Defence of Fort McHenry,” was written after Key witnessed the Maryland fort being bombarded by the British during the War of 1812.</div>
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-44441746472767069982016-02-03T09:37:00.003-06:002016-02-03T09:37:31.570-06:00Devoted to God and Hearing God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We all go through times in life that we are aligned with God and then life’s circumstances push us around and fill our minds so that we are muddled. And in a very true sense we grow apart from God.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: blanklives/deviantart</td></tr>
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We may still do the same actions of a follower of God out of routine or we may even not, but in our core we know without a doubt that we are disconnected, and pretending the part of being a follower of Jesus.<br />
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But by God’s grace and mercy, if we keep pressing in to Him, and ridding ourselves of the distractions of this world we joyously become meshed with Him. Our inner fibers, the roots of our heart grow into Him, and as we allow, He grows larger in us, filling our mind, soul and being. I am united with Him.<br />
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I find myself in a wonderfully, peculiar place of being devoted to God.<br />
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Today I read:<br />
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“A lily, or a tree, or a servant of God, may convey God’s message to me” (Oswald Chambers, 2/13).<br />
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God knows everything about me. All of my thoughts, desires, actions that I have done in my past and that I will do --- I do not have to be concerned about these.<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
My one focus is God:</h2>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>spending time with Him</li>
<li>hearing Him</li>
<li>obeying Him</li>
<li>worshipping Him</li>
<li>learning about Him</li>
<li>pleasing Him</li>
<li>knowing Him.</li>
</ul>
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It is as though I am trying to frantically remove every distraction to Him, to choose the best: HIM. </h2>
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I reflect upon how within this past year God has revealed the darker side of my soul, and cleaned out what he has revealed, and, therefore, I am walking lighter, more able to be His.</div>
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My purpose of doing things has altered. I wanted to do something, be something, etc. I wanted to be “used" and given a definite place of service. But this was my desire to be useful to man and not God, to be accepted and appreciated by man, not God. I was continually in search of fulfilling my destiny</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
and then it became startling clear to me that HE is it.</h2>
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The destiny of my spiritual life is my identification with Jesus, in a way that I can always hear God and I know that HE always hears me. </div>
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To have a life, a heart, a mind, a body that is devoted to God-- that is the pinnacle of living. And nothing but my own will can stop me from having all of Him as possible.</div>
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Does this mean I will be perfect or some supernatural woman? Of course, not! But it does mean for as long as I can keep my devotion of life on Him I will be in the best place of life that I ever can be or even hope to be.</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
So I am endlessly offering myself to Him, and listening to Him, and enjoying Him.</h2>
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And as I do this so much of what I wanted or thought I needed has become meaningless, rubbish that can so easily be tossed out. I am cultivating my devotion to Him. My aim is that I can be able to “intuitively detect what HE wants” (O.C., 2/13).</div>
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I have no plans, I am trusting God to have them all. I am simply going to do what God asks, and enjoy my relationship with Him to the fullest, wherever it takes me.<br />
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I do not ever want to become deaf to Him so I will have to continually ask myself, “Am I hearing God’s voice?” </div>
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-51516194756848339412016-01-30T12:55:00.001-06:002016-01-30T13:55:57.599-06:00You Are Already<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I awoke this morning, as many mornings, with thoughts of the day and week before funneling through my conscious mind. After several of them cleared, I turned my inner heart to God and said to Him, “I want to be acceptable in your sight."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: fuzzbucket/deviantart</td></tr>
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And He quickly replied, inaudibly, but I ever so clearly heard, “You are already." You are acceptable and approved. Jesus is all of this for you. Jesus did all of it for you. In Jesus, and you are in Jesus, you already are.<br />
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Oh, how we wander away from the simple facts of faith.<br />
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We get concerned that we are not included by humans. We are not asked. We are not invited. We are not offered ______________. You and I can both fill in that blank of everything we ponder that we think we want or need, but that has not yet been.<br />
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And then we forget the fact that it is:<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<b>God, not people, determines our acceptance and approval.</b></h2>
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<b>God</b> meets all of our needs.<br />
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<b>God</b> opens doors and closes them.<br />
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<b>God</b> ordains the details of our life.<br />
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When we get our eyes and heart off of Him, we look to people to do this.<br />
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We (can I boldly say this, as I hesitate in fear).... do care about what people think about us, but we should not. People are so hard to please and are fickle; you are in one day and out the next. They often don’t understand us. Few will rarely ever <b>KNOW US</b>.<br />
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We want people to accept us, to approve us, to want us and include us.<br />
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HOWEVER,<br />
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This is WHY it is so important for us to get our <b>eyes on GOD:</b> Our heart tuned into God’s voice.<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<b>WHAT GOD THINKS ABOUT US IS ALL THAT MATTERS!!!</b></h2>
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-8678457254241697472016-01-26T06:58:00.004-06:002016-01-26T06:58:55.136-06:00Never Stop Growing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Life rattles me from time to time. This is common to people who are trying to grow. Doesn’t life rattle you?<br />
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"Less of me and more of God" is the mantra I want to embody, but oh, how self-centered and self-seeking I can be.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: sublimeone/deviantart</td></tr>
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Just yesterday I saw someone that I had not seen in years. I greeted her cheerfully and was encouragingly responding to what she was sharing about her life. Then bam! out of nowhere I got clubbed over the head by her comments toward me. She shared her observations and reflections of one of my children as she knew him/her when he/she was younger and was telling me what problems she clearly observed in this child in particular but how she didn’t share it because she figured I was in denial and would not listen anyway. It was a learning disability. She said from her experience parents didn’t want to know.<br />
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I was dumbfounded. What? How? Why?<br />
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Then she added, "Well, you are a teacher, aren’t you? I figured you obviously KNEW because of your experience with children and simply was either choosing not to do something or you were in denial."<br />
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I went to my car and wept. I called a dear friend and we prayed for the comments to not attach to me and for the person who made them.<br />
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<b>But God</b> in His ever teaching way had me remember a few times that I have opened my mouth and probably clobbered others over the head with my words. I knew I was guilty too of hurting others.<br />
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As far as the situation with my child, he/she is doing the best in his/her life right now and I am so proud of the step he/she is making. We have prayed a lot for this chid and God is working in many ways answering prayers.<br />
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I recognize that I could have been permanently devastated, resentful and unforgiving... but that would only hurt me and because of my own words I often need to ask forgiveness of others. I simply need to release it to God and let it help me to grow.<br />
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Today I have on my schedule a meeting with someone who has been in my life for over 15 years on a professional basis but who has recently spoken to one of my children and hurt them deeply. I set this appointment up last week and, as God would have it, he gave me a powerful lesson on the ability of words to speak life or death. In my meeting today, I am praying for God to guide me to speak words of life, and to be gentle and compassionate as I explain our perspective of the previous hurtful conversation.<br />
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God has always wanted to get my attention and to help me get my words under the control of His Holy Spirit. I am grateful that he is a patient, long-suffering teacher.<br />
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So, here i am Lord. I am crawling back onto your potter’s wheel and asking you to mold me, continually, to be your vessel.<br />
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Thankfully today that my devotion is “Find Your Purpose”!<br />
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“For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10</div>
healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-68669191153437736112016-01-22T10:56:00.000-06:002016-01-22T14:35:57.061-06:00Lose Your Ego and Your Christian Ego<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“<b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">For me to live is Christ and to die is gain</span></i></b>.” has been my life verse for many years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It meant more --it was more real-- during the years that I was going through trauma counseling and had to cling to God moment by moment in order to survive and at least have some semblance of sanity to function in the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But it is so easier to “fake” it -- that is, to pretend a walk with Christ -- when you are not needing to desperately cling to Him in order to wake, walk, sleep and talk.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To live is Christ... is that so?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If someone followed me around all day long and recorded not only my outward actions and words but my inward thoughts would this recording say “to live is Christ" about me? No, because not even I would admit it at my present state. But then, I am pretty hard on myself, especially lately.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh, how do I get back to the rawness of “to live is Christ and to die is gain” kind of life?</span><br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;">It takes truly practicing the presence of God.</span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: seorangprempaun/deviantart</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Can I do that? Can I even try?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For five minutes...ten...twenty... when I am not praying, or trying to pray...when I am driving a car, washing dishes, making a bed, reading a book?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Can I die to myself and put God first in my thoughts? Can I let Him have control?</span><br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;">RADICAL Thought</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Why am I holding onto myself and "my life" for anyway?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is frankly a mess.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It can only get better if I put HIM in his rightful place of total ownership of me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All I can do is repent of not doing this, and ask God to enable me to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here I am God, fill me, be my presence, and let me be fully in yours and when I wander, because you know I am prone to wander, draw me back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is why I love the song “Come Thou Fount” -- This is sung by <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Sarah Noëlle and it is a cover of Robert Robinson and John Wyeth's hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (1757)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For some reason many who record this old hymn take out this, my favorite part: </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525;">O to grace how great a debtor</span><br style="color: #252525;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525;">Daily I’m constrained to be!</span><br style="color: #252525;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525;">Let Thy goodness, like a </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetter" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Fetter">fetter</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525;">,</span><br style="color: #252525;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525;">Bind my wandering heart to Thee.</span><br style="color: #252525;" /><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Prone to leave the God I love;</span></i></span><br style="color: #252525;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525;">Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,</span><br style="color: #252525;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525;">Seal it for Thy courts above.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Day 12 verse for Lose Your Ego, in our church’s devotional is “<b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom</span></i></b>” Proverbs 11:2.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So as Christians we need to be as careful about losing our ego, as well as our Christian Ego. So many Christians walk about with a “holy” facade and should have a “life is good” logo tattooed on their forehead. Is that mean? (My dd told me I was not sensitive enough and self-aware enough.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In a quest to not be a “holy” fake I let it all lay bare. I lean more to “it is what it is” “I am what I am” personality. And that scares the heck out of many people, especially church people, because they have taken decades of practice to know how and when to speak and act. (Who has time for that?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So I can pray for God alone to temper me, not be be like others and to fit in, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">but to be like JESUS.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There should be no pride in becoming like Jesus and being acceptable to Him, because this is not a high road to take. Becoming like Jesus is learning to die to self, and if you are really doing that, no bragging or boasting or acting in ways that make people look at you will happen. I am far from that ideal: Jesus.</span><br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">We need to PRACTICE the PRESENCE of GOD!</span></h2>
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-89638982244047392472016-01-21T12:31:00.002-06:002016-01-21T12:31:58.079-06:00Lose Your Former Days and Need for Other’s Praise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: perhydrol/Deviantart</td></tr>
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Ok, these two “lose” topics do not fit together, but “days” and “praise” rhyme so I thought what the “hey” maybe God will bring unity to them in the end.<br />
<br />
I confess. I have been doing that a lot lately: confessing, that is. But, I confess that the devotional topics over these 40 days are quite heavy and really hard to deal with in a single day, so combining them does not help, but I don’t want to skip one. (Who am I a slave to? Who set that goal?)<br />
<br />
Today I will start with the Bible verses, since yesterday I ended with them and concluded that it might have helped me to focus more on God if I started with them.<br />
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“<i><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Don’t say, “Why were the former day better than these?” since it is not wise of you to ask this</b></span></i>” (Ecclesiastes 7:10).<br />
<br />
I will need to examine this above verse in context. I am left with so many questions, aren’t you? And the next Bible verse is:<br />
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“<b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">The fear of man is a snare, but the one who trust in the Lord is protected</span></i></b>” (Proverbs 29:25).<br />
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I love this Proverb. I just read a devotional from a pastor from a Nashville Church and his main focus was <i><b>what we do</b></i> does not matter as much as <b>WHY </b>we do it. He asked are we doing things to “be loved” or to “be loving”?<br />
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The Bible says that in 1 John 4:19: “We love because He first loved us.” And is this not the main point? We love because we are loved by GOD and since we are so loved and so undeserving of HIS love that we should want to love others. If we are needing to be loved, we need to run to God, not others. I don’t know how many times I have to tell people (and myself) to stop worrying about what people think and ONLY care about what GOD thinks!!!! I want to get this on a big neon sign and put in up in people’s houses and churches.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">“</span><span style="color: red;">Stop</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: lime;">worrying</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> about </span><span style="color: orange;">what</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #666666;">people</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: lime;">think</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> and </span><span style="color: purple;">ONLY</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: lime;">care</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> about </span><span style="color: cyan;">what</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: magenta;">GOD</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: lime;">thinks</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">!” </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></b></span>
We should be continually renewing our mind with God’s thoughts; one essential way to do this is to read the Bible and to listen to God. He needs to be our number one source of what flows into us: our gatekeeper, our feeder, and our go-to person for everything and every need.<br />
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We all have a past.<br />
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We all have former days.<br />
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We have all blown opportunities and made mistakes.<br />
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We have all done things we should not have done.<br />
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We have all craved approval of others and love of others.<br />
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One thing is common to us all: <b>WE ARE ALL HUMAN</b>.<br />
<br />
But,<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin</b></span><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "trebuchet" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">” Hebrews 4:15.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "trebuchet" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "trebuchet" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "trebuchet" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people”</span></i></b><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "trebuchet" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Hebrews 2:17. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "trebuchet" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jesus was human in every way we are, but he was without sin. Jesus kept his thoughts on God, not on what man thought about him. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">See:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="color: #0b5394; font-weight: bold;">Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. </i>John 5:19</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Jesus did nothing of Himself. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">He did what He saw the God the Father doing. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Jesus was continually in touch with Father God and spoke and did what He wanted Him to say and do. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">This is total surrender, total reliance.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">And this IS the way we should be living. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Jesus is our model. We are to conform ourselves to Jesus. We are in God's process of being transformed into the image of Christ. This is God’s work in our life, to continually make us more like Christ Jesus. The more we surrender to God and allow Him to do this work, the more we grow.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Part of the process of sanctifying us is helping us to work through our past not to simply ignore it like it did not ever happen. God wants us to learn from it and to gain blessings from it being transformed in our life. So losing your former days doesn’t mean you drop them off at some recycling center or dump. We give them up to God and allow Him to walk us through the ones He wants to teach us about. It is all about trusting our past, our present and our future in the hands of God and obeying Him. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">But this takes a personal relationship with Him. It can’t be done in a group session or a step-by-step book. If you are serious about God and growing and being a Christian, you have to have a daily talking, walking relationship with God. You have to be tuned into Him. You have to get the chatter out of your head and the distractions out of your life so that you can really have a relationship with Him, and not just pretend like you do.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Jesus is our standard, no one else. Jesus is who we are to aim to please, no one else. If we could get this settled in our hearts and minds and never struggle with it again, we--Christians--would be on the fast track of </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">sanctification. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I am talking to myself and to anyone who cares to read this: </span></span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">If God is pleased with me, I am good!</span></h2>
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-23707096992140601812016-01-20T19:31:00.000-06:002016-01-20T19:31:20.779-06:00Lose Your Hurts and Your Offenses<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
I feel stuck. If you look at the past week of my blog writings you will see that I seem to be going in a downward spiral. I guess that is not really that I am stuck but moving downward. On the positive side I am moving. I am making my point clear? I am running in circles. And heading down.<br />
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<h2>
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">I am Stuck - My Junk</span></i></h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtpMaWWOqkew9ANHwVDxpeAJlaVAigFced_TWQF8i76no8KU312oBDqBJbwLDUhKvZh8qlljbl1CpMtl6nDO_YbP6a3anpslcSoRLhY3JmDUpdbJsYII87Hpnel5Dak71hzWRlMYYKjFh/s1600/my_downward_spiral_by_tenma_mouko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtpMaWWOqkew9ANHwVDxpeAJlaVAigFced_TWQF8i76no8KU312oBDqBJbwLDUhKvZh8qlljbl1CpMtl6nDO_YbP6a3anpslcSoRLhY3JmDUpdbJsYII87Hpnel5Dak71hzWRlMYYKjFh/s400/my_downward_spiral_by_tenma_mouko.jpg" width="301" /></a><br />
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And the whole point could be that I am focuses on me.<br />
<br />
I thought this 40 days was supposed to have me focus on God. I keep wanting to say, “Ugh!” but that does not sound like something an educated writer would say. But “UGH” expresses what I can currently verbalize.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Another positive note is the more I move down, I can only improve as the days eventually go on.</span></b><br />
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So I dread looking at the next two topics in our church’s 40 day devotional: hurt and offenses.<br />
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Some things have happen in the past few days that is causing me to be “off.” The top shelf in our bedroom closest came crashing down. The Closetmaid braces pulled out of the walls and most of them simply snapped. The plastic was old, brittle and could not withstand the weight. So the clothes and boxes of stuff on the top shelf fell to the ground. As soon as I heard the sound I went in my room and began saving first my husband’s dress shirts and suits. I made piles of nicely stacked clothes all over our king size bed. And today, several days later these piles are still on our bed and the closet is still torn apart. “UGH!”<br />
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Positively, I do have a bunch of clothes and stuff. (I am trying to make the best of this, badly, but trying.)<br />
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One of the boxes I took from the very corner of the top shelf was heavy so I wondered what could possibly be in it. Opening the lid I discovered it filled with everything that had to do with abuse... child abuse...my child abuse, and copies I had made from library books on parenting and abuse, and copies of letters I had written my parents (I am not sure if I mailed them or not) and a huge manuscript that I had written in the 1980s about my childhood and so many other things that had been buried in the top shelf corner of the closest for a decade or more. “UGH!!”<br />
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As people do that have PTSD and other mental conditions related to shattering trauma I have been off kilter.<br />
<br />
There I said it.<br />
I am struggling.<br />
My mind is rattled and so are my thoughts.<br />
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I am running in this direction and that but I am running, running, running... anything to keep me from focusing. I am agitated, easily made irritable and mentally beating up on myself. I have slept so much, eleven hours last night and that was after five hours during the day. Yes, I have been so NEGATIVE the past few days. Negative, irritable, avoiding, disassociating ... wanting to do anything but focus.<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Breathe</span></i></h2>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0APHszEIyC85s7yJ0wHOKRGl26lVolx1iyPiHSjCXVdptganyjlTrSeos8yFpmYcOyHM3GMsSMMrvouZ4Zbp_MGOpmZIeeywwD_IGH2HUapc2_Riw_zX2KQJxmSry6XnSV-H4JJ-dshZ/s1600/breath____by_mechtaniya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0APHszEIyC85s7yJ0wHOKRGl26lVolx1iyPiHSjCXVdptganyjlTrSeos8yFpmYcOyHM3GMsSMMrvouZ4Zbp_MGOpmZIeeywwD_IGH2HUapc2_Riw_zX2KQJxmSry6XnSV-H4JJ-dshZ/s320/breath____by_mechtaniya.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">“Breath” by mechtaniya Deviantart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Wow! In typing that I was able to take a HUGE deep cleansing breath.<br />
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I don’t have a great godly or theological point I am writing about. I am just being real, raw, me... and this is helping so much to get me unstuck.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">God pours out his grace and love on me. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">He cuddles me,</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">And loves me, </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">regardless of the condition of my psyche at the precise moment. </span></b><br />
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And how much I wish as a church, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, that we could be like Christ in this way.<br />
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I wish people would just wrap their arms around me, pour grace all over me and love me through times like this. I do have friends and my own husband and children that do this, but I wish this was something we as a church were continually ready to do. We all have our histories, our quirks, our issues that stir up the yuck inside that God is still perfecting. We all need grace and love that is supremely bigger than our mess.<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Bible</i></span></h2>
<div>
“<i>He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds</i>” (Psalm 147:3).</div>
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“<i>Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him</i>” (Luke 17:3-4).</div>
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Should I have started with these verses? It might have helped me to focus on God and not me. Sometimes we have to dig out of our stuff, tossing it here and there, work through it so that the light of God’s Word can pierce into our negativity. </div>
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I need to let these verses help me turn my attention to God’s ability to help me when I hurt. One of the biggest mountains that anyone has to overcome is forgiving a person who has hurt him or her. And forgiveness is not something that is a one time act but a way of living. It is the balm, the salve, the medication we need to heal deep wounds. </div>
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Hurts are real, therefore we NEED a God that is REAL and ABLE to heal us. And Jehovah God is! He is who has says he is. He is Jehovah-Rapha, the LORD that Heals! But healing is not magical, it is most always a process that we walk in day by day. </div>
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I wish I could go deeper today but that is all I have. </div>
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-74300148575273961142016-01-19T05:14:00.000-06:002016-01-19T05:15:25.825-06:00Lose Your Guilt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There are several keys to understanding guilt.<br />
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>The first one is that guilt is a normal human reaction when we do something wrong, especially when we get caught. Another is that it is common among men, we all have felt it. </li>
<li>For Christians, guilt is not to be a lifestyle but an emotional we feel and then process through when we admit we have done wrong to God and man, and repent.</li>
<li>Jesus is the standard of right and wrong. Also Jesus is the reason we as Christians do not have to live in a lifestyle of guilt.</li>
<li>For Christians we do not have to suffer through a waiting period, in a sense a purgatory of shame, before we accept God’s forgiveness and let him take our guilt away. </li>
</ol>
<div>
Once I learned this Bible verse I cherished it and quickly memorized it:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).</blockquote>
If you haven’t learned it yet. Memorize it. You will need it many times in life to keep from suffering false guilt and believe me the world and Satan wants you to stay miserable suffocated by false guilt, or to take upon a mantle of shame.<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Experience</i></span></h2>
<div>
I don’t have to go to far in time to come up with many experiences of sin. Realize there are some sins that are general to all, for example we should all not steal or commit adultery.<br />
<br />
But there are also many sins that are simply vows or promises between us personally and God. For example when we are going through a fast and we break it knowingly and intentionally, we sin.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEGw9mNiv61dnz9OtOxRKU1ZsX7IVnyNMAno2Nv2lKHsPyeEJTTGmwx1iD2i7yD42g1MVOy2SrUf2aIDA6vjyqcojqrGeWUwHeNxszUqlIWuiAhdJVEHE2B2OHYMup74ymzxh9rn5T2I2/s1600/guilty_pleasure_by_frozenxrose.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEGw9mNiv61dnz9OtOxRKU1ZsX7IVnyNMAno2Nv2lKHsPyeEJTTGmwx1iD2i7yD42g1MVOy2SrUf2aIDA6vjyqcojqrGeWUwHeNxszUqlIWuiAhdJVEHE2B2OHYMup74ymzxh9rn5T2I2/s320/guilty_pleasure_by_frozenxrose.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
Two nights ago I saw a specialty piece of chocolate left over from Christmas, it was a chocolate truffle. I was on day 6 of no meats and sweets in a fast, but I still placed that chocolate in my mouth and tried to savor the taste. </div>
<div>
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<div>
Of course I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did all the other times I have eaten a quality piece of chocolate because I knew I was sneaking it. I felt the guilt the minute I bit it. I thought of throwing the rest of it in the trash but, no, I finished it. </div>
<div>
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<div>
While I didn’t want anyone in my family to know I had just consumed it, that didn’t matter, because both God and I knew. </div>
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<div>
Nailed! I had succumb to temptation and messed up my fast.</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>My Choice</i></span></h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It is at this point that I had two choices. </div>
<div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>I could confess it to God and then give up fasting and just go back to eating meats and sweets.</li>
<li>I could confess it to God and accept His forgiveness and go back to fasting.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Regardless of my choice I would have taken, it did no good for me to beat myself up, because even if I gave up the fasting and went back to eating the meats and sweets I was still going to have to go to God and ask Him to forgive me. If I would have ignored this step, I would have had unconfessed sin between God and myself. And I have learned very long ago, that there is no need to delay in confessing and repenting. The key to repentance is that we TURN away from the sin, that we sin no more and do what we should be doing according to God. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What good would it be for me to hate on myself? Would that make me more sorry and a better person? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">So over the years I have learned to go quickly, to run to the cross, to confess the sin and to repent.</span></b><br />
<br />
It is at that moment that my relationship with God is restored. As far as God is concerned my sin is remembered no more because it is covered in the blood of Jesus. Yes, Jesus even died on the cross for this sin. And I can cling to: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1) and </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“For I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12) and </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I have swept away your offenses as a cloud, your sins like a morning mist. Return to me for I have redeemed you. (Isaiah 44:22). </blockquote>
These are just a few of the times God so graciously and beautiful tells us when he forgives our sins, we are no longer guilty! Praise God!<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>A Testimony</i></span></h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
Realize that people who are not Christians and become aware of your sin will<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>not understand how you can so quickly recover, </li>
<li>wonder how you can walk without condemnation as soon as you confess, </li>
<li>doubt how you can make a determination before God to change and sin no more in that specific area. </li>
</ul>
They will think you are flippant, not sorrowful enough, maybe even getting away with sin too easy; They will want you to suffer under guilt and condemnation like they do. But know that this can be a great testimony to them of God’s sufficient grace and love. This is one of the areas we have been set free. Jesus died on the cross and conquered death and rose again to set us free from the penalty, power and condemnation of sin. He says, “Go and sin no more” not “Go and suffer guilt” (John 8:11).<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So obey Jesus. Accept His forgiveness. Take upon your life His grace. And go and sin no more. Allow the Holy Spirit to empower you to sin no more. Place your dependence on Him, not yourself.<br />
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<br /></div>
</div>
healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-33659629372822944562016-01-16T17:51:00.001-06:002016-01-16T20:27:10.980-06:00Lose Your Complacency<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Six days in a row. I am not sure I will make it 40 but I have not given up yet. Maybe I will soon combine two days to give myself a day of rest.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNh8Qcl1GAuWkcVBS0rdaRT8H4PWMWlIj-2QAw0L7DPpxAB1Q140LCLiVBgylc3U10nnz4ZicfdvAVdUgh0WWWspnbghp3AHor4GucazAlGkovs2CnmA4W5B6-bm0qIpq7WJx_F8WT16BK/s1600/lackadaisical_feline_by_ykraina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNh8Qcl1GAuWkcVBS0rdaRT8H4PWMWlIj-2QAw0L7DPpxAB1Q140LCLiVBgylc3U10nnz4ZicfdvAVdUgh0WWWspnbghp3AHor4GucazAlGkovs2CnmA4W5B6-bm0qIpq7WJx_F8WT16BK/s400/lackadaisical_feline_by_ykraina.jpg" width="280" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Who am I doing this for anyway?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Life check?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Is God requiring it of me? no</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Is it something I want to do? partially</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Is it something I am afraid to stop? partially</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What gives?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have not written on my blog basically since my mother died in Oct of 2015. So I started writing on it again five days ago to expand on the devotional verse given by my church to help us focus on God during a 40 day prayer time. And now I feel compelled --like if I miss one day I will have an incompletion in a college course. But since this is not so, what compels me?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am writing again and making it public. I have been writing but I have kept it private. I almost came to the point that it does not matter if I write...because frankly, no one really cares. It does not effect anyone or anything expect for my mind and time and family.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have come to believe that people really don’t even read blog posts anymore. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Who has time? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There is such a slush of writing; it does not matter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So why do I keep pecking at the keys? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Why do I get up and go do something in my house and they come right back to this seat and keyboard? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Have I found my replacement to what I am giving up otherwise? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Have I found an idol, a small god? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Does my voice rattling in my head wedge out God’s voice?</span><br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Complacency Defined</span></i></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And today I am suppose to “Lose my complacency” however I find I am cynical and complacent but wait...(what does it mean, anyway)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">complacency: a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif-light, sans-serif;">
<table class="vk_tbl vk_gy" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(135, 135, 135) !important;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="lr_dct_nyms_ttl" style="padding: 0px 3px 0px 0px; vertical-align: top;"><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-style: italic; white-space: nowrap;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;">synonyms: smugness, self-satisfaction, self-congratulation</span><span style="font-size: large;">.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">Good thing I looked it this definition. I really thought </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">complacency meant apathy, </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; white-space: nowrap;">who didn’t </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; white-space: nowrap;">give a care. Well, it does to a degree mean this but it is </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; white-space: nowrap;">coupled with a lack of </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; white-space: nowrap;">awareness that </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; white-space: nowrap;">something bad or </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; white-space: nowrap;">dangerous is going to happen. A person who is happy with </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">himself and</span> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; white-space: nowrap;">unaware or not worrying about pending trouble.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">A person who continually eats junk food is complacent about</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">his health. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; white-space: nowrap;">Now it makes more sense. A person who is lazy </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; white-space: nowrap;">is complacent about her housework. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">I guess I never connect being complacent with being satisfied </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">or smug.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space: nowrap;"><i>Consider</i></span></span></h2>
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<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Am I complacent? Or you?</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What does God’s Word say? </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you either one or the other! So,</span></i></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).</span></i></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: large;">I like this quote that unfortunately had not reference source: </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>"</i><span style="background-color: white;">"Complacency is a blight that saps energy, dulls attitudes, and causes a drain on the brain. The first symptom is satisfaction with things as they are. The second is rejection of things as they might be. `Good enough' becomes today's watchword and tomorrow's standard."</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif-light, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Zephaniah 1:12 says: </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><span class="text Zeph-1-12" id="en-NIV-22800" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; position: relative;">At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Zeph-1-12" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and punish those who are <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>complacent</b></span>,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-22800AB" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-22800AB" title="See cross-reference AB">AB</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Zeph-1-12" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">who are like wine left on its dregs,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-22800AC" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-22800AC" title="See cross-reference AC">AC</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="text Zeph-1-12" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; position: relative;">who think, ‘The <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> will do nothing,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-22800AD" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-22800AD" title="See cross-reference AD">AD</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Zeph-1-12" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">either good or bad.’</span></span></i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I KNOW that the LORD will act. He always does and He will fulfill his promise both of blessings and of curses.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And if this is so, then when am I so lackadaisical?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh, God, examine my heart and weed out the root of complacency. Help me to pinpoint the root and to need just nip at the fresh weedy shoots that are obvious. Expose the core of my desperate need.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br /></div>
healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-86865121602536432852016-01-16T10:48:00.002-06:002016-01-16T15:32:42.047-06:00Lose Your Self-Reliance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My husband’s life verses are:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>“<i>Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.</i>” (Proverbs 3:3-5)</b></span></blockquote>
These verses were in his grandmother’s home so upon visits to her house-- and there were many in the summer when he was young and she lived in town-- that he pondered these words.<br />
<br />
In later years they became dear to him not only because of their familiarity and the blessed association he had of wonderful times visiting his grandmother and likewise spending a great deal of time with his cousin, but because his relationship with God deepened, and the fullness of the words spoken in the Bible became something he could <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">hold onto in all seasons to bring him to the right direction of how he should respond and walk in a manner pleasing of God</span>.</b><br />
<br />
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<br />
Oh, how we need a fresh wind of faith and action in the church of Christians--in general--of deep reliance upon God alone! It is quite an easy thing in America to <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>claim to be a Christian</b></span> and quite a remarkably different thing to <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>actually be a Christian</b></span>. And I am sure many wonder what could be the difference.<br />
<br />
Isn’t it enough to simply claim to want and know Christ?!?!? (Keep pondering this and read on.)<br />
<br />
It is far easier to NOT be a Christian than to be one regardless of what we claim to be. Everyone knows a person’s actions really tell what they believe. We humans do what we believe--our actions are our testimony of faith.<br />
<br />
In life we have too many crutches, conveniences and, frankly, distractions. We make ourselves busy about things that amount to nothing, and yet it is these very things that will build us into the person we will be and are. We are what what do, as much as we are what we eat. What we allow to be fed into us will become us.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">So we must chose carefully</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">each day</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">what we will do</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">and how we will occupy</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">the moments of the day</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">that build into the minutes and hours. </span><br />
<br />
For some days--I know--half the day is gone before I have even considered what I am doing.<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">This is self-reliance!</span></b><br />
<br />
And we are building a bad habit in our 21st century life. We are awaking and while still lying on our backs in bed we have reached for our phone and begun filling our mind with the feed of the day. Yes, even before we have had time to greet the LORD of the day. <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">This is self-reliance!</span></b><br />
<br />
I confess, being over fifty that it is much harder to chop off the distractions and to not be tempted to reach out for our means of distraction than it was ten or twenty years ago.<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>In Context</i></span></h2>
<div>
Chapter 3 in Proverbs gives us the benefits of wisdom. It is addressed to “<i>My son” and he is instructed “do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commandments</i>;” (Proverbs 3:1).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After this instruction a blessing is promised for those who keep God’s commandments: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“<i>For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.</i>” (Proverbs 3:2)</blockquote>
We are also told in verse 7: “<i>Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil” and then given another promise of blessing in verse 8: “It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.</i>”<br />
<br />
God warns that we should “<i>let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man</i>” (Proverbs 3:3-4).<br />
<br />
Three times in Chapter 3 God admonishes us to be reliant on Him and His instruction. The first was in Proverbs 3:1 which is quoted above. The other two are:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>“<i>My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; For whom the LORD loves He corrects, jus as a father the son in he delights</i>” (Proverbs 3:11-12) and</li>
<li>“<i>My son, let them not depart from your eyes--keep sound wisdom and dissertation; so they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck</i>” (Proverbs 3:21-22).</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And He continues with another very reassuring promise for those who rely on Him. It is a conditional phrase, and if-then proposition. If you do these things then God will do this:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>“<b>Then</b> you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught</i>”</span> (Proverbs 3:23-26).</blockquote>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><br /></i></span></h3>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Application</i></span></h2>
<div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
So, now that we know what we should do and how God will bless us if we live a life that is not self-reliant to the point that we are not God-reliant first, what is your response? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How will you and I adjust our life?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And this is why my church sets aside forty days beginning in the middle of January to help us to refocus on God and His ways and His desires for our life. I have 35 days to go and already I have quite enough adjustments that need to be made to my life, but will they be temporary or permanent. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How much do I want to change? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How much do I want God<b><span style="color: #0b5394;"> to be my life</span></b>?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When it gets down to the stark reality of how my relationship is going with God the only person responsible for its condition is me. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How steadfast am I? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How surrendered am I? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How strong am I to cut out the things in life that distract me from God, His precious voice, and His enabling to live every moment as nearly as possible for Him?<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Am I seeking to be and live in HIS presence? To be sensitive to HIM and Him alone?</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As a mother and wife, what I do daily for my family and others is a living sacrifice unto HIM. But more important than what I do, is who I am, which to a deep degree is reflected by my devotion to HIM, and surrender of my wants and wills to His.<br />
<br />
For this I need to hear His voice, and feed the Holy Spirit in me so that His voice is louder than my own and the world. Am I living based on conviction of God and what He tells me or confidence (or approval) of others? Am I walking with the herd (the majority), the approval of people around me or am I living based on my deep conviction God has given me?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I need to live by this mantra:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #0b5394;">“</span><i style="color: #0b5394;">Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths</i><span style="color: #0b5394;">” (Proverbs 3:3-5).</span></blockquote>
<div>
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<br /></div>
healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-23516892237144977432016-01-14T21:07:00.002-06:002016-01-16T13:51:57.714-06:00Lose Your Idols<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My church’s devotional text today is Isaiah 44:9-<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. </i></blockquote>
This is the same verse in the New King James -<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Those who make a graven image, all of them are useless, and their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know that they may be ashamed.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i></i></span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>In C</i></span><i style="color: #0b5394;">ontext</i></h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Chapter 44 in Isaiah begins with God speaking to His servant Israel, His chosen people in a very loving, reassuring tone. Listen to some of His words:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Fear not, ... I will pour water on him who is thirsty...I will pour My Spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your offspring”</i> (from Is 44: 2-5). </blockquote>
Then God “LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts” reminds them who he is:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God”</i> (Is 44:7).</blockquote>
and He continues:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“You are My witness. <span style="color: #0b5394;">Is there a God besides Me?</span> Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one” </i>(Is 44:8)</blockquote>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>It is clear: there is only ONE God. Jesus is God.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Anyone else is an idol, a false god, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">just as anything else is.</span><br />
<br />
Now, that we know the context, we are ready for the verse of the day chosen to remind us to let go of our idols in our life. We like Israel, we God’s Chosen people, His church are His witness to the world.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">We are His representatives, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">His ambassadors; </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">We may be the only Bible a person ever sees. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNHBcAvyVBmc7_g-iSfMcKx-t7Hcq1C9lFO1ijy-rHaAK4A0F44l0anc_FkFhqegT8ltBAjFB4JoHft6WjU9erSrvVBsCBMMED_c9QJrK5_EvOCKmNIuU88JICB6e_fVXbPYZb4j3FjMF/s1600/holy_bible_by_wickedsnowmen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNHBcAvyVBmc7_g-iSfMcKx-t7Hcq1C9lFO1ijy-rHaAK4A0F44l0anc_FkFhqegT8ltBAjFB4JoHft6WjU9erSrvVBsCBMMED_c9QJrK5_EvOCKmNIuU88JICB6e_fVXbPYZb4j3FjMF/s400/holy_bible_by_wickedsnowmen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What kind of Bible are you?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Therefore we must take this seriously. What we say, what we do, what we wear... all this will be viewed by non-believers and even immature, new believers. We are a living testimony.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
What is our life saying about God? We need a God-view, a Biblical perspective to take a strong look at our heart and outward life to see if there is anything unpleasing and idolatrous to God. Is there anything or anyone that usurps God’s rightful place in our life? Is there anything that gives the wrong picture or image that could cause someone to stumble or even be repelled from God?<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Reflection</i></span></h3>
<br />
Being a free-spirit, I don’t like this. Honestly it is very hard to be a free spirit. So many people think it must be nice but it takes a careful walk with God, and it causes me to endure many times of being molded, shaped and refined by God. In my free-spiritedness take on life, I expose my weaknesses frequently. Yet, it is the personality God created me to have, and for it I am grateful.<br />
<br />
I know Jesus died to set me free. I am free to live for God. I am not to be encumbered by man’s rules but <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">to be only restrained by my love and respect for God</span>.</b> It takes a lot of study in God’s Word to separate man’s tradition and worldly ideals of godliness from actual Biblical guidelines given to me for my good by God Himself. I only want to be pleasing to God and to enjoy Him endlessly. But, I am His witness; I want people to desire to know Him and to be loved by Him.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Going Deeper</span></i></h3>
<div>
<br />
So let us look back at the original verse:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Those who make a graven image, all of them are useless, and their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know that they may be ashamed” (Is 44:9).</i></blockquote>
God is contrasting His chosen people, His own witnesses with those who make for themselves graven images and who have false gods. He says these false gods are useless. Yet those who have them consider their idols to be precious. But, idols have no profit. People who chose idols over God are both their own witness as are their idols. And these people are blinded. They do not see or know that they are bowing to idols and do not know that they should even be ashamed.<br />
<br />
What a horrible state we were all once in!<br />
<br />
Is it not true?<br />
<br />
We were all at one time blinded to our idols and many of us still are. If we are far away from God and aren’t studying His word we don’t even know what the idols are and that we should be ashamed of them.<br />
<br />
Oh, how we all need to cling to God and go deeper, continually seeking for His to reveal idols in our heart and life so that we may be rid of them.<br />
<br />
And how I pray in my own life that when God reveals an idol that I would not resist Him or want to cling to it, but that I would drop it like a red, hot coal taken from a simmering fire. Still, I know myself. And too often I will simply want to pour a little cold water on it so that I can keep it for later, maybe when no one is looking or when I am not drawing near to God and I can peek at it or even hold it again.<br />
<br />
Let me bring it to the cross and recon it crucified with Christ. Let me see the precious blood of Jesus pour all over it, so that I dare not desire it. And let me remain in the presence of God until once again I hear Jesus say, “It is finished.” Jesus died once for all sins.<br />
<br />
It is our duty to recognize idols in our own heart and to repent so that we may be clean and pure before Him. This is the joy of having a prayer life and of drawing nearer to God through fasting. May we all continue on this way.<br />
<br /></div>
healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-4408017259423135172016-01-13T07:47:00.000-06:002016-01-13T07:47:58.571-06:00Lose Your Insecurity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We all struggle with insecurity. We never feel like we measure up, that we are good enough. But what are we trying to measure up to and who are we trying to be good enough for? We live in a world where we are continually judged and criticized, not always in a negative way but simply as part of life. People all around us are looking at the way we look, act, and speak and making decisions about us. They are thinking about if they like us, if they would like to know us, if they would want to work with us or include us. We want to be accepted, invited, wanted and ultimately loved.<br />
<br />
But whose opinion matters? People are so fickle and frankly it is so hard to please people. You can be “in” with them one day and “out” the next. So many people treat others as trash that can be discarded whenever they feel like it. Instead of cherishing the velveteen rabbit that has been with them throughout the ups and downs in life, they one day look at the raggedy stuffed thing and want to toss it away for something new or different. Relationships can be so painful, but in life they are so necessary. We were created to be in relationship, so how can we ever lose insecurity?<br />
<br />
It all depends on who we value as the one to tell us our worth. Are you love able? Are you accepted? Are you precious just the way you are today?<br />
<br />
Solomon speaks to his beloved,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“You are absolutely beautiful, my darling, with no imperfection in you.” (Song of Solomon 4:7)</blockquote>
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<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Background</i></span></h3>
<br />
Christians learn that the book the Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) is a love story between a man (Solomon, King of Israel) and his love, <span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">Shulamith (daughter of Peace),</span> but also an allegory of Christ’s love for his church. Solomon asked God to grant him wisdom and God did this.<br />
<br />
While we have Holy Spirit inspired writings (God-breathed words) from Solomon we also know from accounts in the Bible that Solomon as a King and man did not always please God, especially in his later years of life; Solomon is not the ideal we should be following. However, Jesus is! And these beautiful words written by Solomon are words of adoration spoken from one who loves his bride. God loves His people, His chosen, His beloved.<br />
<br />
Biblically, we know that as children of God, we are his bride. We are to enjoy the fullness of love in knowing God, through our relationship initiated by Jesus and enabled by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Continually, the Bible speaks of this mystery -- Christ in us and we in Christ. However, it is a fact by faith that we must embrace, confess and meditate upon, allowing God through the Holy Spirit to not only help us to understand it but to experience it: God dwells in us and loves us.<br />
<br />
Frankly, if we really believed that the very person who created the universe--every plant, animal, star and human--loved us so much that he called us “absolutely beautiful, my darling, with no imperfection” we would not believe the lies of insecurity that beat us down and make us doubt ourselves.<br />
<br />
This is an ever-growing problem within the hearts of people. I am sometimes surprised to hear people who seem to be so confident, so accomplished, so successful utter sincere words of insecurity. People question everything about how they look, what they say, do and don’t say and do. We live in continual doubt. And isn’t doubting the very way the sneaky, serpent Satan drew Eve to sin in the very first place? He asked her, “Did God really say that?” leaving a lingering question within her mind and heart, turning her away from God.<br />
<br />
When we turn our focus from God onto others and listen to the half-truths or insinuations of others, we can be so easily fooled and led astray.<br />
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Insecurities rob us of peace.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBcmSqgUCTqJRdHZxTL6tuYaRfD2r5yZyqvnt2yGzN_GOxMjM7lLiP_Qnvdddfsg7sm7ftdobouvGDbMFxP4UeyZLz2Tf0dkMSeWlbw_qTZHTs3HrRo-FQvYL_e5PUZ79iXW1ikETXb62/s1600/approved.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBcmSqgUCTqJRdHZxTL6tuYaRfD2r5yZyqvnt2yGzN_GOxMjM7lLiP_Qnvdddfsg7sm7ftdobouvGDbMFxP4UeyZLz2Tf0dkMSeWlbw_qTZHTs3HrRo-FQvYL_e5PUZ79iXW1ikETXb62/s320/approved.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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King Solomon spoke these words of complete love to Shulamith to illustrate how love brings peace to us. How if we believe with all of our mind and heart that God truly loves us and sees us complete in Christ, completely righteous as Jesus was righteous, with no imperfection, we could be set free from the bondage of insecurity.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Application</i></span></h3>
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We need to continually renew our mind remembering that God approves of us, loves us, is in the process of completing us and when he looks upon us he sees the completed work of Christ, not our sins, failures, and shortcomings. The Bible teaches us that “He who began a good work is faithful to complete us.” (Phil 1:6) So while we are not yet, perfect/complete, God can sees us completed/perfected because he is the one who is going to be faithful to complete us.<br />
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Therefore, when we are tempted to doubt ourselves or when someone else criticizes us, we need to only look to God and sees what his response is. He says, “You are absolutely beautiful, my darling, with no imperfection.” If God is pleased then should we not also be pleased?<br />
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Of course this does not mean you and I currently have no areas in our life to learn to become obedient to God and christlike, just the opposite. It means that we are continually in God’s process of completion and the we are trusting HIM to be faithful to complete us to be totally Christlike. Are we finished? no. Are we in the process and being finished by God? yes<br />
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And it is in this fact that we can, no, we must rest, having peace and being secure in what God thinks about us!<br />
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We must rest in being fully confident that God is pleased with us and the progress we are making.<br />
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Of course, we can only feel this way if we are indeed having our own personal time with God throughout the day, living in His presence, and being obedient to Him. I can tell you all day this is what God says and thinks about you but until you hear it firsthand from Him you will not have the same peaceful security. You need to be able to hear God’s voice inside when other’s question you and reject you. You need to know firmly that you are precious to God and pleasing Him, and that is everything!<br />
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8930512115644044795.post-52078029434107734442016-01-12T13:23:00.002-06:002016-01-12T21:32:20.214-06:00Lose Your Labels<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My church devotional today is “Lose Your Labels” using Galatians 3:28 -<br />
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“There are no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” </blockquote>
This verse does not say poor or rich, but it does say slave or free. And Jesus speaks in the gospels about not treating people differently regardless of their condition in life.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Chelsea-martin on DeviantArt</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>An Experience </i></span></h3>
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I unconsciously labeled someone last night.<br />
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I was eating out with my daughter and a dear friend. As we were leaving and putting up our dishes, I noticed a socially awkward man refilling his drink in a plastic, soft drink container. At first I thought he was toting along oxygen and had a nurse aid with him, but upon further examination I realized the young lady in the nurse attire was not attending to him and indeed what he was rolling around with him was a slender, upright, black, material-covered cart with his belongings. He was cheerful and talkative to the people gathering between the trash and the drink dispensers.<br />
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When I passed by he said something about liking the way my perfume smelled. Startled I mumbled a comment about not wearing perfume as I returned to my seat to wait for my accompanying guest to return from the restrooms.<br />
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I kept looking at the man move oddly about, chatting cordially, and for the most part being treated quite respectfully by others. My heart tugged.<br />
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I wanted to reach out but didn’t quite know what to say or do. The weather was bitter cold outside. But quickly my company had returned and I made my way out to the car.<br />
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I made a comment to them about thinking the man I saw was homeless and I kept looking into the restaurant window from a distance as we got into the car. But as we all began chattering, he was quickly out of sight and out of mind.<br />
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Upon awakening this morning I was, in a way, haunted by my lack of response. Where did this man sleep last night? What was his story? Of course, I don’t have a clue because I didn’t take time to ask. I hurried off to a prayer meeting at church. Ugh! What would Jesus have done?<br />
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And I open my devotion this morning and read that I am to lose labels.<br />
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Did I label that man last night? Yes, I did. I thought he was a little off; maybe mentally unstable. I thought he might have been homeless but I did not know for sure. I thought if I approached him to talk he would have talked all night and I would not have been able to break away. I would have been late for my meeting. I was not the good samaritan. I was the religious person hurrying on to get to prayer. How hypocritical!<br />
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Even worse, I am not sure how I would have helped this man if he didn’t have a place to stay. I know people at our church help the homeless. I know of local organizations that I support that make sure the homeless are sheltered on very cold nights. But I did not get involved last night, and I don’t have the numbers to help a person I meet in need.<br />
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I can only truly repent if I have a plan as to what I will do the next time to not repeat my inaction, because repentance means I will turn from my sinful ways and change. It is easy to say, “I am sorry God,” but quite a different thing to be sorrowful to the point of making the steps to be different so that you will sin no more in the same way. This will take stepping out into inconvenience and awkwardness. This will also take becoming informed so I can knowledgeably assist a person in need.<br />
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<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">In Context</span></i></h3>
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Our verse, Galatians 3:28, is surrounded by teaching on living by faith and being justified by faith and not by works. Immediately prior to this verse, Paul teaches that the Old Testament law was given to us to drive us to faith knowing that we could not possibly keep the law without the Holy Spirit, and that the law is a tutor.</div>
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Galatians 3:25 says “But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” </div>
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And this is the great equalizer - Christ Jesus! For you are <b>all </b>(as many of you as were baptized into Christ)--you are <b>all, sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus</b>. </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“There are no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:28)</blockquote>
Jesus Christ brings unity. When a person regardless of their identity, background, and status comes to faith in Christ Jesus and becomes a son of God, this person is God’s child. We are all God’s children! We are all heirs in Christ Jesus. We are brothers and sisters. We are sons of God.<br />
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Jesus came to redeem us, "those who were under the law", so that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Gal 4:5) And because “you are sons, God has sent for the the Spirt of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba Father!” (Gal 4:6) We "are no longer a slave (in bondage to sin and under the law) but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ Jesus.” (Gal 4:7)<br />
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This makes me want to shout, "Amen! Alleluia!”<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Application</i></span></h3>
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Look around yourself. When you go to school, to work, to church, or to a restaurant, do you feel different? Do you see people who are different from you? How do you rate yourself among those you are with? What does God say about you? What does God say about others? Do you label people or yourself? Does God?</div>
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Know yourself. Know your identity and then extend this to others. </div>
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If you have faith that Jesus lived a sinless life and died for <b>your</b> sins, that he paid <b>your</b> penalty and set <b>you</b> free from the bondage of sin, you believe that Jesus is your savior. You then must confess that Jesus rose, is seated at the right hand of God the Father, and is <b>your</b> Lord/Master. Then, you are saved and become a son of God, are sealed with the Holy Spirit and are permanently an heir of God through Christ Jesus!</div>
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If you believe this for yourself, then accept this and believe it for anyone else who confesses as you do. Know that each who does this regardless of their past sins, heritage, social status, citizenship and life experiences are likewise siblings of God, your brothers and sisters, equal heirs of God. </div>
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And knowing this, love one another and serve one another. Be gracious, kind and forgiving to all. </div>
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Going back to the gentleman that I saw at the restaurant last night, I should have had a God-centered heart for him. Now I must pray to God and keep reading the Bible learning to see what that means for me in word and actions. I must be ready to walk by faith. </div>
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healingsoulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199588032041866826noreply@blogger.com0