He is doing a new thing!

There are times in your life where God is moving in big ways but you don't always recognize it at the time. Then there are times where He gives you an inkling. I feel as if I am in one of those times right now. I can see the LORD moving in me and my life... stirring up things, good things, God things, change. As if a fresh wind is blowing through and pushing out the old stale air and new life is breathed in. Revival, refreshment, challenge, change and in it all His plan and purpose is for me to thrive, to glorify Him.

I am not saying all this is easy. There have been hard moments in this season, in fact I am still walking through something, but I KNOW, I TRUST - GOD has got this! He has me and He does work all things together for good... He does! Believe it, not just for me but for you. There is a purpose for your life and it is completely tied up in Him. You are part of something bigger, you are part of His grand, awesome story!!! Exciting, isn't it! And in it all I desire to be fully His, to be faithful, trusting and loving Him with all I got! I don't want to complacently walk through this life, I want to really live it. And that is what I feel He is doing... bringing me lovingly to the end of myself. The end of my selfishness, my pride and showing me a better way. Helping me to hunger more for Him, for kingdom things, helping me to love others, and to seize the day He has given me. To not just exist in it but to thrive! To seek out and seize every opportunity He has for me in each new day and to trust Him that He is enough! He is enough, for me, for you - for all we need, for every circumstance, for every pain. He will see us through, even more He is our strength! He fights for us and He is victorious, and so are we in Christ Jesus! Praise Him!

Have you read through Romans 8 lately? If not, and even if you have go back to it and meditate on it! Man is it loaded with some good stuff! Promises, truth, life! My prayer for you is that whatever you are encountering right now that you will believe God and trust Him. Trust Him to be enough for you. Wait on Him and cling to His promises and above all keep your eyes, your heart laser focused on Him! If you do that - wow! Our God is incredible and there is NOTING He can not do!!!

I am not who I was - praise Him! And I am not who I am going to be, but He is in me, He is working and I am more! And He is more than enough! Blessings!

His love, His glorious and amazing love

Upon awakening this morning the Spirit guided me to read Psalm 65. Specifically starting in verse 7 - confirmation and an interesting follow-up to yesterdays post.  Read it all if you have a chance and praise Him, He is so worthy!

Just a little while ago while I sat to spend time with Him and hear from Him, He showed me something.  Yes, maybe something you know or have heard before but it so resonated with my heart today.  I was thanking Him for my children and telling Him that though they each have their "issues" I wouldn't trade them for anything, I love them so! They are my beloved, little ones, precious in my sight and no matter what they may do or say, I will always love them. 

And here it comes - He loves me & you like that!  Steeped in sin, failing, falling, lazy, anxious, sick, you name it - whatever, we come with - He takes us as we are and He loves us.  No, because He loves us so much He will not leave us that way... He will in every way possible seek to teach us; guide us to live righteously; to make right choices; to be and live healthily; to love - Him & others; to care for others and their needs; to be healthy in every way.  That is His desire and heart for us and for any good parent - right!?!

He loves us. He loves YOU, let that sink in. He loves us so much that He planned from before time a way to have me and you with Him forever.  He came to the cross knowing my sin and your sin.  Having that sin laid upon Him, He took it and then carried it away - away, as in as far as the east is to the west.  As my Pastor once pointed out... You can travel north and at some point you start going south or the other way around BUT if you travel east you will always be heading east, it does not become the west.  You can not do it! Our sins are so far away we will not even have a chance of running into it again!  Amazing is it not!!!  Back to what I was saying - He loved me and you there in our sin, He didn't love us only after He removed our sin and carried it away - the bible says that while we were STILL in our sin He died for us.  Think about it... while in our sin we are separated from God, enemies - and yet, He chose to come and die for us that we might be with Him forever, that He might save and redeem us, ransom us from the captivity we were in... THAT IS LOVE! 

He did all of that to call us beloved, the apple of His eye, His child, precious, wanted, accepted, embraced, forgiven, cared for ... He will NEVER leave me (or you), nor forsake me.  His Word tells us that as a nursing mother cannot forget the child at her breast nor can He forget us.  When I think of the amazing love and bond between a mother and child - wow! YET it PAILS in comparison to the love He has for us!!!

How can you not sing His praises, love Him, worship Him - our Redeemer, Creator, Provider, our ABBA!?!  How can you not want to please Him?  Young children seek and long for their parents praise and approval, should we and do we not also want to hear that from Him?!  Affirmation, well done... What great, amazing, unfailing, faithful, never ending, hard to fully fathom love He has for us, His children!

Run to Him today - cry out to Him, Abba! Fall into His open arms and love Him.  Sit with Him and listen to Him, lean on Him and obey Him.  Bask in the glow of His love and affection for you, His grace, mercy, peace and joy!  He shines so much brighter than the sun... true warmth that fills and transforms and saves!

May He be your first love and may you love Him with the child like faith and love that children have... How wonderful and precious that is. 

Riding out the storms

Earlier, there came a sudden storm.  The wind was blowing & some rain was splattering about and I felt God was speaking to me through it.  There is no storm now.  It is as if God whipped up one to teach me something and then once I got the gist of it the storm stopped.  However, He kept right on showing me things... and I just kept writing it all down. And at the end the tug came on my heart to write it out for you here. 

First off let me ask - when the storms of life hit you, where do you seek shelter?  Are you already sheltered under His wings or are you running in the opposite direction hoping you can ride this one out on your own?

I love storms... that was my first thought strange as it may seem but I do.  There is something about sitting safe and sheltered inside and watching a storm (rain, snow, wind, whatever it may be) raging outside.  Storms can be beautiful and tragic.  But what came to my heart was the beauty of watching a storm while safe & secure, with peace & calm surrounding and filling me.  It is a poetic example of our spiritual life in and apart from God.  With God we are sheltered under His wings, safe, secure, at peace, calm in the midst of a storm raging around us.  Whatever those storms may be (uncertainty, loss, confusion, etc.).  Whatever comes against us we are sheltered, shielded, safe and surrounded by Him who loves us, who is faithful, sure, true, strong - Mighty is my God to save!

Now without Him, you are out in the storm... needless to say let your imagination run with what all that means.  It brings to mind the story of Jonah who instead of obeying God ran in the opposite direction and well a big storm came a brewing!  (Just read through Jonah ch. 1-2).  It is amazing to me that even when we have deliberately disobeyed Him, He still will look after us.  Yes, there may be consequences - being thrown over board into a raging storm, that suddenly stops and being caught safe in the belly of a fish.  Um consequence - your in a fishes belly surrounded by stomach acid, stink and ... ugh!  But you are still alive and once repentant and willing to obey you are spit up safely on land back where you need to be to get going in the right direction!  How awesome is our God! 

It also brings to mind other stories of storms raging & Jesus calming them.  Check out Matt. 8:23-27, 14:23-33. It even reminded me of Elijah when all the "storms" came by but God was not in them... He was in the gentle blowing. (1 Kings 19)  God made sure Elijah was cared for, He came and spoke to Him and told Him what to do... He provided.  God is near, are you listening expectantly?  Do you believe He cares about you and will take care of you? In Christ we are His beloved, cherished, the apple of His eye... How amazing is His love!  How great is His faithfulness!  How tenderly He deals with us... we who are not deserving are chosen, blessed, redeemed, forgiven, adopted, accepted and continually being transformed to be more like Christ Jesus! Amazing! Inspiring!

But will this do more? Will it... Not only amaze and inspire you but also provoke you to action?! To love? To faithfulness? To obedience? To not stand still in complacency? Will it get you moving, going forward to walk with Him, follow Him, obey Him?!  There is so much more - are you ready?!  Can YOU wait EXPECTANTLY on Him?  Will YOU CHOOSE TO OBEY?  When all is said and done and you leave this earth what will be said of you? What will be remembered? What is your legacy?  Where did you invest your heart, time and giving...?  Was it in the eternal, the lasting? Was it in doing Kingdom living? Was it for Him? Loving and serving others? I am not by any means where I would like to be or think I have attained it... oh no, but God is working on me!  And what I cannot do, what you cannot do on your own - we have a God who can!  He can do anything! And we can do anything through Christ who strengthens us!

Jesus - God made flesh, came to earth - amazing in itself is that fact, but even more He came for us! To serve us. He lived for us. He came to teach us, to save us, to heal us, to help us, to redeem/ransom us.  He literally gave His life while living and in death and in rising again to life for us.  What is my response to that?  How will I live? Love? Serve?  Where is my treasure?  Is my greatest treasure Him or in earthly things?  I know and you should know that He is our greatest treasure!  Will I, will you - choose Him? My portion and inheritance - all I ever want and need... all you could ever want and need too!

He who paid so great a price to ransom us all - to call us His children, His beloved, to take away our sin and make us pure, holy and right before God.  In Christ we are a royal priesthood, given power and authority to bind up the enemy, to tear down strongholds, to fight the good fight (that is not against flesh and blood), to stand firm and be equipped with every offensive and defensive weapon and shield we need - we are victorious!!!  We can be strong and courageous because God is for us, so therefore who can stand against us!  Certainly not the defeated enemy... Think about it!  Believe it and live it out!  Through Him we can do the impossible because we are not doing it, He is!  We are partnered with Him and a vessel used to do the miraculous!  What is more, He does the miraculous in us... making us a new creation in Christ Jesus... free from sins hold and alive, victorious - free! Wow!  How much better can it get!

In this world let me not cling to old ways, thoughts or be held back from full out victorious, abundant living!  Not because I can do it but because He who is in me is greater & HE CAN!  Let's do it - no holding back, but holding on to Him as we take the most exciting and wildest, most wonderful ride of our lives!  And the thing we cannot even imagine or fathom is there is soooo much more ahead.  When we see Him face to face, when we are with Him in His kingdom - everything we now know or see pales in comparison!  Are you ready - grab on and hold on tight to Him, cling to the Rock and follow Him for the greatest adventure and more to come!  To His glory and for His name and His purpose and plan and Kingdom...  Come Lord Jesus, come!

Waiting and Believing

Wow, it has been a while huh!?!  To say the least, though I have been silent on this blog God has not been silent in my life... He has kept me busy & growing.  He has been challenging me and showing me things about myself, sin, love, faith, trust, forgiveness, patience, humbleness, persistence, perseverance, helping, abiding, knowledge & understanding and so many other things in between. 

Does God sometimes seem to be silent to you, especially when you want to hear from Him?  The prophet Habakkuk felt the same way.  Sometimes He is speaking and we are not listening, sometimes He is active all around us but we overlook His hand, sometimes we have to wait because He is waiting on us to have ears to receive what He wants us to know... It may be a hard lesson, it may be difficult for us to understand.  But His word reminds us that His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa. 55:8).  We are told to wait on Him, to believe Him, to rest in Him, to trust Him, to be strong and courageous... Yet are we? Are we doing those things or are we impatient, unbelieving, and set on things going the way we want them to? 

The waiting can be hard, but that might be why we should be strong and courageous, patient and keeping the faith.  Waiting, because in the waiting God can mature our faith and walk, He can change our hearts and our minds, He can do any number of things that seem impossible or unfathomable at the time... The main thing is HE CAN!  Do you believe that?  Do you believe that He hears you; that He cares; that He answers; that He desires what is above all best and right?  Do you believe Him, His Word, His promises?  Because without faith we are told we will not receive.  And even more if we don't believe He will answer us then how will we listen to hear Him?  I just started (as in finished the 1 chapter of) Discerning the Voice of God by P. Shirer.  If you open this book up it will speak to many of these things...  Several months back I read her book, One in a Million - fabulous and God so used it to speak to me over and over again! 

One thing I know is I do not want to stay where I am, I want God to continue to grow and mature me in Christ and His Word assures me that He will. He's not done with me yet.  I want to hear from Him. I want to obey Him. I want to be strong and courageous... and so I chose to be.  I chose Him, to believe Him and to let Him be my strength and the one who enables me to be more than I can be on my own.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me, and so can you...

I have learned that waiting is a great opportunity to see God grow me, change me; to see God do things I couldn't have imagined and to even know He is right there with me and He is working on things, on me and He is faithful.  I have no idea where all this is going except to say, He prompted me to write today and I am being obedient to do so.  Maybe in some of this rambling is encouragement to you or for someone you know... I am not sure but what I do know is that God can use anything or anyone to serve His purposes.  May you be blessed today - seek Him, believe Him, trust Him, listen and obey... wait at His feet.

I am waiting on Him, I am believing Him and I am being changed... Praise Him!

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Hebrews 11:1,6 - NASB

There are so many thoughts swirling through my head…Thoughts of scripture urging me to live the life Christ set me free to live upon this earth – to live for eternity. Thoughts of where I fail and yet reminders that His grace is sufficient and it is He who strengthens, lifts me up and leads me on.

I haven’t written in a while, I haven’t felt too up to writing as I have struggled with morning sickness that seems to be now passing. And today I felt the urge to write… First to be honest and transparent with you because I struggle and struggle with perfectionism… and in its own way it is pride asserting itself because I want to be in control, I want to do it! Just like a two year old tells you at times – no, I can do it by myself! But I can’t… I can’t do (as Paul describes) what I want to do, instead I do what I don’t want to do… You know why – because I am trying to do it in my own strength! And I am weak! It is Christ in me that makes me strong. It is through Christ that I can do all things, nothing is impossible with Him. On my own I can do nothing… I cannot change my heart – positive think all you like but that isn’t what changes you from the inside out, it is the Spirit at work in you – It is Jesus! All this striving to do right, to love others on my own – I can’t do it! Not in a perfect love, not in truth… it is futility at work in my strivings.

When I let go and let God step in things happen; amazing, wonderful things happen! Not out of my own strength or ability but knowing as I do that it is all Him who enables me to walk rightly, to love, to serve… in truth and love. Sure I will mess up but He is faithful to be there to redirect me and lead me in the right direction, at times He has to carry me in the right direction but I know this, He is faithful and He will not leave me where I sit, He will not fail me, He will get me going in the direction I need to go. My future is secure in Him.

Do you have that assurance, that hope, the absolute conviction – faith – believing Him and His promises are true… not just in general but for you?! All His promises are true – ALL of them. Do not let the enemy or yourself convince you otherwise… do not let fear hold you back. Be strong and courageous and walk by faith not by sight! He is right there with you every step of the way! He is there!

I have been reading Hebrews 11 and it is perhaps such a read or known chapter that you can over look the significance, the promise, the hope, the truth that it teaches… God has again used it to speak to me in a new and fresh way… yeah, some of it I have gotten before… but maybe just in my head and not in my heart (?). Take a look at it for yourself with fresh eyes, pray for the Spirit to speak to you through it… to show you, teach you, rebuke you and mature you in your walk, in faith, to go deeper with Him… Because to these men and women listed in Ch. 11 God was much more than a religion or a standard of living – He was LIFE! They were surer of Him than of anything they could see, feel or have upon this earth. They knew Him, His Word – His promises and they believed God. They chose Him, they chose faith, they chose even in the face of pain and death to cling to what is true and lasting than the pleasures and sin of this world. They believed in our promised future that is with Him, our great reward that is everlasting. A far greater treasure than the fleeting and often harmful (to ourselves) pleasures of this world, that do not last but are here today and gone tomorrow. The world and what it offers cannot fill that void in you, it cannot transform you into the perfect you… it is surface and shallow and you will find it to be empty. For only God can and does complete us, make us whole, healthy, transformed… Only He can bring about true and lasting peace and joy. He is the real deal and yet often we choose what we see (this world) over Him, we lack faith, we lack focus, and it is heartbreaking.

Maybe that is enough of my wandering thoughts for today… I will ended it saying this – I don’t want it to be for earthly praise or reward that I live but for LOVE – for GOD… in the end it is not the praise of men I want to hear but the praise of God – well done My good and faithful servant. For those of you out there living it – press on… for those of you who struggle – seek to draw closer to Him and holdfast to what is true… for those of you who do not know Jesus – seek Him in truth and you will find Him – and there is no greater reward than to know Jesus! He is life changing!

Thank you Jesus for loving us so!

Opportunities to be Present

Hi!  I know it has been a while... lots going on lately and not too much spare time for postings.  I just wanted to drop in and share a few things that have been on my mind of late.

My Pastor recently challenged us to be very PRESENT in this New Year... I won't give you the whole sermon, but the jest is to be present - involved, available, open, serving, loving, etc with your family, friends, church, and beyond.  We are the Church and as such we are to be the hands and feet of Christ... He is our example and who we should imitate ourselves after. 

Maybe that seems overwhelming to you?!  But in truth it should be like breathing... it should become our nature... For we are not, nor can we be all that this encompasses on our own, in our own strength it is not possible.  However, we are not to rely on our own strenght but on the strength, the power, the nature of the Holy Spirit who indwells in us.  Through Him all things are possible, not through our own efforts...

I am not striving here for perfectionism... I am striving to be pleasing to God and to glorify Him.  I admit now that on my own I can't do it!  It is by His grace, love, and Spirit that if anything I write (or do) resounds with you on a deeper level, it is all Him. 

So basically it comes down to keeping your eyes on Him, loving and growing in your relationship with Him and allowing His love to be poured out through you onto others... Be open, available; & take the opportunities He gives you.

Which brings me to another thing I have been thinking about... Opportunities.  Sometimes opportunities come to us in joyous occasions, in new friendships, births, ministries, jobs... However, sometimes opportunities, maybe more than sometimes they come in the times of loss, trails, temptations, broken relationships, sickness, and such.  In these times if we can look beyond our present pain and grasp and cling to the hand of God, He will not only carry us through these times He will grow us, He will show us more of Him, of His glory.  Maybe at the time we can't see that He is there but He is... He is present... maybe we are standing in the cave and His hand covers us so we cannot see His face, but when the time is right He will reveal to us that He has been with us all along.  He is present.  He does not forsake... When we grieve He grieves, when we are rejoicing He is too! 

Opportunities... We don't often think of them as such.  We want to quickly get through these times ... we want that mountain top experience... we want to have a pain free, easy life.  A life like that does not produce within us the character of God because we then come to rely on ourselves and we can become prideful... stop seeking.  In the hardships of our lives we are given opportunities to grow... Closer to God, to grow our character to be more like Christ.  Opportunities to deepen our faith and to bring Him glory. 

Don't get me wrong... I am not perfect and I do not always grab at these opportunities as I should... I don't always acknowledge what they really are and I bemoan them.  But there are times that I recognize them even when I can't see the fruit... I choose to trust and to believe and cling to my Rock.

So it comes down to this... we have rung in a new year... many are making goals and promises that they will not keep... but let us do the one thing we can do - choose to be fully PRESENT in this year, choose to keep our eyes on Him and to believe Him, in all the opportunities we are presented with - the hopes, the challenges, the ups and downs.... Lay it all down at His feet and choose to walk with Him this year. 

It will be a journey you will never forget.  Right now pause, close your eyes and envision a road ... You can't see where all it will take or how smooth or bumpy it will be but you can see who you will travel the road with - Jesus.  Do you see Him standing there with His hand stretched out, inviting you to come and walk with Him... take that hand and never let go.  It will be a walk to remember, to cherish, to celebrate and to give much praise for.

Remember you are His.

Reign in Me

My Savior, My God – desperately do I need you… always. You are my Strength and all that is good within me … Desperately, continually I need you.


When I think I am doing good; I have things under control… I am so wrong. That is my pride talking because I am not in control… I cannot work all things out for good… only God can. It is God at work in me that brings forth the good. When I abide it is the fountain over flowing and when I try in my own strength I am drained and dry. Maybe I am speaking to you right now or maybe you have no idea what I am talking about…?

Recently, I have been diving back into the Book of Romans … and today really what I want share with you is from Rom. 7 and 5. If you can take a few minutes to read them for yourself before continuing on… I will include some excerpts below for you.

4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. Romans 7:4-6 (NASB)

Have you died to the Law? Things to think about … Am I living for the Law or for God? Am I under the Law or under Grace? Where is my heart here… Am I striving for perfectionism, being legalistic, seeking my own glory? OR is my life, my passion about love – about God, for His glory?

Verse 6 says serve in the newness of the Spirit not in oldness of the letter…. What does that mean to you?! The law does not deliver you, it does not save you…It shows you your need for God, your sin. It is in Christ we are saved, redeemed… it is the Spirit who gives us a new and divine nature… the Spirit that enables us to overcome, to persevere. The Spirit that frees us from sins hold and from death. Freedom from the law does not mean we are free to sin; freedom from the law instead frees us to truly serve. Freedom to experience grace and to show it to others… To know love and to give love… Serve in newness of the Spirit is what will happen; it is fruit that will be born from a redeemed life. A redeemed life is Spirit filled and led and thus it will say “Yes” and be in agreement with the Law. You will see a life that is the spirit of the Law, one that seeks the best – the utmost. Not out of legalism and condemnation but of love, truth and righteousness … desiring that others know and experience that which can only be found in Christ.

Have you read Romans 7:15 18-19, 21-25 … If you have that is me! That is my struggle… especially when I am trying to live rightly for God in my own strength… I can’t do it. I need God! When I abide and live according to the Spirit the LORD is my Strength and my guide and places my foot upon the right path. I am free and at peace, I do not fear… For I know who I am (Rom. 8:15-17).

So that brings me to my choice – today when I wake and tomorrow and the day after that… will I awake and say LORD reign in me today, have Your way?! That is my hope and my prayer and my choice that Christ will reign in me. May my life show that Christ reigns and I am living victoriously. Am I living as if I am defeated? If so arise, that is a lie of the Enemy for we are victorious through Christ Jesus who has given us the Holy Spirit. We have been set free… We are now conquerors… We are a Royal Priesthood… We are heirs… Stand up, Stand in the gap and remember we are called to pray! Remember that you are a warrior of the Most High and put on your full armor (Eph. 6:10-18) and take up your offensive weapons which is the Sword (The Word of God) and prayer! It is power!!! It is like dynamite to the enemy when you pray and pray speaking the Word, promises of God… The Enemy trembles and the heavens rejoice! I encourage you and myself today to reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ!

17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 (NASB)

Changed Life or Just Words

Just some thoughts that have been running through my mind of late... I was thinking about how often we read the word of God and we in our minds believe it... but do we believe it in all truth? Do we believe it in our hearts?

For example read the following verse in the NIV & NASB:

Psalm 138:8, NIV -The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever — do not abandon the works of your hands.

Psalm 138:8, NASB - The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Thy lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Thy hands.

Do you believe in your heart, your subconscious: that God will fulfill His purpose for you, that He will accomplish all that concerns you in this life? That no matter how many time you stumble and fall you are secure in His love? That He will not forsake you? I ask this because as you may certainly realize what we really believe, deep down - that is what we live out. Our beliefs affect our thoughts, words, actions... So when it comes to crunch time and things are out of control... does your life reflect that you are rooted in your faith, secure in His love and your salvation? I ask this because sometimes I get so frustrated with myself... I believe it, I believe it and yet I say Lord help me with my unbelief!!! I am like Paul when he says he does what he doesn't want to do but what he wants to do he doesn't do... in other words I am not perfect. I have my moments where I am standing/walking in the light and reflecting Christ... and I have my moments where I am not reflecting my beliefs... I have come to realize, at times it is perfectly clear that my faith is so small... and my God is so big! However He is faithful to remind me and encourage me in this ...(See Luke 17:6 & Matt. 17:20) that He can take what is small and do wonders... that His power is made perfect in weakness... For if I will realize it, confess it and let Him ... what I can't do on my own is possible to overcome, to do in His strength! Praise Him!

Believe me I am not saying that we will not have our moments, our failures... I will say that when we do we can confess and have the assurance that we are forgiven. I am not saying that we can use this as an excuse to sin either because we know that is not right (See Romans 6:1-14) ... I am just trying to provoke some thought here, some soul searching... because there are many who may profess to know God but by their deeds they deny Him (Titus 1:16) ... and might I add make nonbelievers think what is the big deal about Christianity - they are no different than me. Well in our flesh we are all sinners but in Christ we are redeemed, saved and empowered to overcome sin... to live righteously! In a nutshell remember it is always about Him not us! And in saying that when we have the Holy Spirit in us we should be different... we should have a changed heart, life... if there is absolutely no change then we might want to question ourselves as to if we are in the faith - or if what we have is a head knowledge but not one that penetrates our heart - faith? As it says in James even the demons believe there is a God and they shudder... while mentioning James I should add to check out James chapter 2 on faith without works... Our changed condition (salvation) should not only propel us, it should absolutely bring about fruit! There should be action ... not just words but deeds born of this love and faith we have. Not because the actions save us but because what saves us propels us to act!

As I said earlier, I am not perfect but praise the Lord I am a changed person! I give no credit to myself for this for it is entirly by the power of the Lord that I live differently. This dying to my fleshly self is hard but it is not impossible - because with Him anything is possible!!! Step by step He is leading me, teaching me, showing me, changing me... I am saved but I am in the process of being sanctified moment by moment, day by day... all to the glory of God. I can never get over how amazing is His love for us... We have an awesome, mighty, loving God! Thank you Jesus ... you are my Savior and the lover of my soul, I rejoice in You!

Let me know your thoughts ...

Lastly a few verses to encourage you in all wisdom - Proverbs 3:5-6; 4:23-26.

Greater Love

I have been trying to figure out how to put in to words all that has been going on ... I am going to try to say it as simply and concisely as I can but knowing me it may not come out that way. I know I have told you before that I have felt the LORD refining me... it has been a journey of walking through the valley and seeing my own sinfulness... not fun but necessary.

For the last few days I have felt as if I am truly being emptied out, hollowed out if you will... and I am in a numb state at the moment... caught between the grief of my sin and the joy of my salvation. I wish I had better words to explain it in than in these terms... even to my own ears they sound pitiful at best in capturing what I wish to express.

I am the LORD's... I was bought with a price, not one I paid but one that was paid for me on the cross. And who am I but dust, flesh, sin... yet I am called, chosen and loved! The Maker of all that exist called my name, loves me and desires for me to know & love Him intimately. I have chills just thinking about it.

I have a few things I want to say here - one being I am sinful - I am prideful & I hate pride, even more God hates it! Too often I cling more to my own comfort, life if you will in this world instead of living for what counts - instead of living for the eternal purpose for which God created me. It grieves me... & I do not want to live this way. I want so badly to love God with all my heart and to live fully for Him... to walk in His ways & bring glory to His name... after all, all of "this" is all about HIM! It is all about God - if there is anything you take away from this post let it be that this life we are living is all about God, it is about a love greater than we can comprehend ... A God who loves us beyond measure and wants a relationship with us. I mean grasp this - the God who created us and doesn't need us wants us... and we the created thing who need God, most of the time think we can live and love without Him. I have been reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan... and in it he made a point about this... along with some other really great points... mostly about self examination and our love relationship with God. If you haven't read it yet you should... I have been convicted and again back to where this post started ... letting God empty me out... cleaning house so to speak.

I want to be rid of my fleshly/sinfulness and to be filled to over flowing with the Spirit - with love. I want less of me and more of God. I want God to come in and reign in my heart & mind - in every area of my life ... I want Him to take all of me, break me, make me and help me to live free... To love Him as He desires - absolutely, completely in awe, love and submission to Him... desiring Him above all else. And by doing so enabling me to love others. As Chan pointed out if I have trouble loving a perfect God, how can I possibly love sinful man... I need God's love in me to love others as I should.

I don't need more "positive" thinking, I don't need more "help" books, I don't need more head knowledge, I don't need all the things the world tells me I need... when all I need is God. I need to just sit at His feet and listen, I need to dwell upon His truth, I need to pray & pray & pray (and when I say this I do not mean a litany of prayer request but intimate prayer with God - loving Him, listening to Him..... again it is all about Him & not me). I need God's love, I need His mercy & grace... I need God. Not the blessings of God but God - the One & Only... He is life to me. He is God and there is no other. He is love. He is my Savior.

I am not sure what else to say - Except that I hope you come away from this with a desire & intent to get alone with God. To open up your heart and life fully to Him - to His love.

Do so and be blessed.

Set to Seek the LORD

Hello! - sorry it has been a little while. I wanted to share my musings from reading in 2 Chronicles today... I was reading and meditating on Chapters 11 & 12.

I will highlight a few things and then get down to what has been replaying through my mind...
When Solomon's son, Rehoboam came into power he did a foolish thing - he rejected the wisdom/advice from the Elders and instead decided to take the advice of his guy friends/peers so to speak... (See ch. 10 - v.8...). This is where the division comes into play between Judah (& Benjamin) from the rest of Israel.

In Ch. 11 we learn that the priests & Levites from all of Israel stood with him from all their districts. In part because Jeroboam (leader of Israel) decides to setup his own idols and priests (v. 14-15). Verse 16 tells us that those who's hearts were set on seeking the LORD God of Israel followed the priests & Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers!

There appears to be this little side note in v.17 - and they strenghtened the kingdom... remember this for later. It also says for 3 years... I kept thinking why just 3yrs... well we are getting there.

In Chapter 12 the very first verse tells us something important - a life lesson. It says that when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established & strong that he and all of Israel with him forsook the law of the LORD! Don't pass that by... remember verse 17... these people came with hearts to seek and sacrifice to the LORD God... and sometime after things got good they forsook the LORD! What happened from the time of their coming to the forsaking??? Where did their heart focus/seeking go? Did they get too comfortable? Pride maybe?

It brought to mind how at times when things start going good, we can stop focusing on the LORD like we do in times of distress... How we can start to think everything is fine, I am good, look at what I have accomplished, I am in control - whatever, you get the point! However, we should know that is most certainly not the case. God is always in control & He is the one who helps us, blesses us and provides for us. (It reminds me once again of the path our nation is heading down...).

Ok, so back to my earlier mention about the 3 years... enters verse 2 - It says in the 5th year of King Rehoboam's reign... So from the earlier verses we know they followed and sought the LORD for 3 years... and then they started straying away... so here we are two years later- They had been unfaithful to the LORD, and because of this enters the enemy. It made me think of our spiritual battle between the flesh & spirit and the enemy we face. When we take our eye off of God, when we go our own way, when we sin and seek other things to place before God in our lives.... our guard is down, our heart is wrong... and we are an easy target for the enemy, when we have left the shelter and protection of God's wings...no longer under his covering. They forsook God! It didn't really take all that long...to go from being on top to the bottom as you will see.

So faced with the enemy - the King and people humble themselves and proclaim "The LORD is righteous.". And because of their humbling themselves God does not destroy them but gives them some measure of deliverance. They had brought disaster upon themselves but the LORD still helped them. They were not destroyed but they had to learn a lesson... (oh if we would only learn from history, from our mistakes and seek the LORD with all of our heart for all of our days!!!).

Verse 8 tells us that God allowed them to become slaves that they might learn the difference between His service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries (the world). Boy, is there a big difference between being in the service of the LORD - true freedom, life, blessings, love, forgiveness... and being in the service- enslaved, in bondage to sin, to the world!

This brought to mind (here and in other cases) as there is a moral decline/move away from God/righteousness, things going really well to seeing a decline not just morally but culturally... Things get good, we move away from God - we become prideful, things then start going bad..... v. 9 tells us that the enemy took all the gold (all, everything of value) ... it made me think of what that represents. Gold being of high value, a pure and precious metal... is stolen, taken away. We have within us something far more precious and valuable than gold - for those in Christ Jesus- that can NEVER be taken away! Praise the LORD!!! However maybe it is represenative of those perishable things we treasure above our God... They are a gift from him to be enjoyed and for His purposes, but never to be worshiped or sought after/desired above Him. These perishable things can not give us security - only God is our security.

God is so good, even when we are not... He loves a repentant, humble heart... in Him we find salvation and mercy. Check out 12:12... the king humbled himself & was not destroyed and then conditions in Judah were good.

To sum it all up... I have been thinking of how people can seem to start out going the right way & then along the way they forsake the LORD... ex. Solomon with all his wisdom and knowledge of God, in his last days worshiped other gods... and here his son (v.14)- did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD. There are so many other examples... but just focusing on this lesson for today - I see people who left their tribes (Israelites) to go to Jerusalem with the priest & Levites to worship the LORD... they had set it in their hearts! Of course these are OT believers... and they did not have the advantage we have in Christ - the gift of the Holy Spirit within us.... Yet, we are warned and encouraged in the NT to not live by the ways of the flesh but of the spirit, to run the good race, to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul & strength... and so on. I do not in any way believe that if you are saved and have received the Holy Spirit that you can loose your salvation... So don't misunderstand what I am saying in this regard. I just think about the parable of the seeds... and other such things. About people being led astray from their sincere and pure devotion to Christ.... and I don't want that!

It seems to me that we have to choose, to seek - with all our heart to stay the course - to be obedient; to live & walk in obedience; to know, understand, believe & love with all our hearts, minds, soul & strength. Daily we must choose... in our flesh we wander, we have no strength... however, as we abide in the Spirit we have incredible power at work in us! We can live transformed lives all our days... The other big thing I keep thinking about is how we have to have the RELATIONSHIP with G0d - to know & love Him... Having a real, on going relationship gives us the heart/love, focus and ability to do these things - because we are not doing it for ourselves but out of love for God. We need a healthy balance of the Word/Truth... some don't like correction and only want to hear pleasant things... have warm fuzzy feelings. But I tell you those warm fuzzy feelings will fade at times as crisis arise, sort of like the seed that grew up on the rock but had no roots and withered. These chapters also make me think of those who were chocked by the weeds -they let the cares, worries and pleasures of this world keep them from maturing! We have to be rooted in Christ... in the Word - in Truth, because our heart is deceitful above all else. The Word grounds us and shines a light into our hearts, lives and shows us the way... Hand & hand... How blessed we are in Christ - we have been given so much!!! Love, forgiveness, salvation, the Word, the Holy Spirit - we can pray/talk to God directly (us sinners, who have been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb!), we are set free & empowered to live beyond ourselves - to live for God!

I say all this to encourage you (& myself) to keep our eyes, hearts and minds on the things that are eternal & lasting - to keep our focus on Christ!

A Patient & Forgiving God

As I was praying & praising God, praising Him specifically that He is a Forgiving God. There is a reference to Neh. 9:17, that I looked up. It says:

"And they refused to listen, And did not remember Thy wondrous deeds which Thou hadst performed among them; So they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But Thou art a God of forgiveness, Gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness; And Thou didst not forsake them. ~Nehemiah 9:17 NASB

God's love and forgiveness is so amazing! I think sometimes it is taken for granted... we understand but give it fleeting thought... when if we really meditate on it, we are stunned, astounded, in awe, humbled and moved beyond words.

There is so much that came to me as I read this verse... Starting with And they REFUSED to LISTEN! These are God's chosen people, who saw amazing wonders... All the signs and plights God sent to the Egyptians to free them... The passover... The Red Sea being parted... A pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night... the bread of heaven, water from a rock... on & on...

Yet they refused to listen AND they became stubborn (original word meaning - bitterness, rebellion - a masculine noun meaning obstinacy, stubbornness, rebelliousness). They decided to rebell against God!!! God who had done all these things for them! They decided to appoint their own leader & RETURN TO THEIR SLAVERY!

Wow, just let that sink in... Do we not at times do the same thing? God shows Himself to us (to me) in big and small ways... He is faithful, loving, forgiving... if we were truly to meditate on all He has done for us the list would be too long. And maybe that is part of the problem we stop focusing on what God has done and instead focus on what we think He should be doing, what our problems or circumstances are... We forget that we are not promised that this earthly life will be easy... we forget we have to be refined and sanctified... to continually put off the old self (the sin & flesh) and to put on the new - to be made more and more like Christ. Not that we will attain perfection on earth but on the day that we go Home we will be all that we were created to be. We forget in Christ we are a new creation... we sometimes still see ourselves and our life through human/temporary eyes instead of eternal ones.

There will be times when things get rough and we don't understand why God allows somethings to happen, we may become weary in doing good but let us not!!!! God knows what is best... God knows where He is taking us & what He is preparing us for... and it is of far greater value than our temporary pains. Let us not forget - and fall back to our old fleshly/sinful ways. To desire to be slaves again to what Christ has set us free from!!! We can choose to be free & in Christ we have the power to live free! It is like a child who wants to only eat junk food... when the parent knows it is not healthy for them... and they have for them the finest foods, healthy, tasty, filling... Our lives are like that we can try to fill ourselves up with "junk" which never satisfies us or we can let God grow us and fill us with what sustains, what strengthens, what enables, what gives us all we will ever need.

Our perception...what impact! Our faith... what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Do I live my life with & in my heart is that the kind of faith I have? It is a eternal, God perspective. That is my desire.

If you get a chance take a look at Philippians 2:5-11. It is one of my memory scriptures... and is something to really meditate upon.

LORD, I praise You - You are a forgiving God, Gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness. You do not forsake me - You do not forsake those called by Your Name. How sweet is Your love and mercy towards me... it fails me not. You are the Giver of every good gift - The One who saves and redeems me... Who prepares a place for me to dwell with You forever. You know my name, You know everything about me & you love me, bless me, chose me and forgive me. Your Word is a lamp unto my feet Lord - You light my path & give me the hope, strength and peace to do so. Praise be to You forever - You are the Everlasting God, the King of kings, my Prince of Peace! Praise You! To You be the glory forever & ever - Amen.

Beloved Children of God

I want to share something so sweet that has touched my heart ... If you are in Christ you are God's Beloved!!! You are a child of The Living God!!!

“I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’” “AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, ‘YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,’THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.” - Romans 9:25-26

Oh please let that sink in to your heart!

Now take a look at these verses (emphasis mine) from Eph. 1:3-14:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will–to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment–to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession–to the praise of his glory.

Oh sweet one you are God's Beloved, He loves you! He chose you, you are God's special possession - His treasure! He has redeemed you, you are forgiven, adopted, and richly blessed in Christ Jesus!!! You have a inheritance, an eternal home, you are cleansed from all sin and have been made holy, set apart... you are part of a royal priesthood to the praise of the Father!

Oh sweet ones rest in Him who loves you... Seek Him and draw near to the One who knows your name and who desires an intimate relationship with you. It is not by our works and busyness that cause Him to look upon us with favor (remember Martha and Mary)... it is by grace, it is by faith...

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written,“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE,AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." Romans 9:30-33. Please also see 1 Peter 2:4-8!

Sweet ones He has done it all! His grace embraces us and we are set free from works... the works we produce are not to attain but out of love and thankfulness. May His love and kindness touch your heart in a special way today and always.

GIVE ME YOUR EYES, YOUR HEART & YOUR FOCUS LORD

Rush, rush, rush... it is that time of year again, when things get busy. When we as people get busy... parties, travel, events, gatherings... They can all be wonderful things but sometimes we can become so carried away by it all that we miss the really important stuff.

We can forget what it is that we are celebrating and why... we can forget to reach out, serve, love and help others... we can forget or maybe I should say not be focused on what is really important. It is not that our focus should be any different during this time of year than any other but that we have marked occasions to give thanks and to celebrate Christ.... However, it should be all year long that we give thanks to the Father for all He has done, for Christ's sacrifice, for love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, redemption, acceptance, hope... It is all year long that we should have a God focus... it is all year long that we should love & serve others... that we should be giving, caring, helpful... Yet sometimes we lose sight of these things even at the moments we are meant to celebrate and remember them... and sadly we can loose sight of these things in our hurried daily lives.

I was listening to the Brandon Heath song "Give Me Your Eyes" earlier ... & why haven't I cared... why? Lord I do pray you would give me your heart, your eyes, help me to reach out with your hands not just during this time of year but daily Lord... May I slow down and be purposeful... May I think about me less, and more about You and what you care about... more about others...

I just have this vision of me standing still while life is so busy it is blurring around me but God gives me the ability to stop and focus on the things or the people I need to at the right time... otherwise life is just chaos... That is not of God... no God has a purpose, He has a plan - for you & for me - Throughout our day there are a multitude of opportunities He gives us if we would just open our eyes and look for them, if we would just open up our hearts and ourselves to be used of Him for His purpose, for His Kingdom, for His glory.

The truth is we are in Christ - One Body... we all need each other and we are all to serve each other...no part is needed more than another... and that being said we as the Body are to be a light to the world... to be witnesses... to reflect Christ... It happens, it truly does...but there are times when we not only let each other down but we don't shine our light... times when we can be confusing to the world because we look too much like the world and less like Christ.

I grieve for the opportunities I have missed but I am grateful that each day the Lord's mercies are new, there are new opportunities and blessings He has in store for us... He loves us so... He longs to be gracious to us, He longs to gather us to himself... if we would but let Him!

Forgive me Lord for all the times I stand in the way (with my pride, self-focus, unbelief...) of what you desire for me and for my life... and more importantly for the Kingdom... I know Lord that you don't have to use me to accomplish what you desire but Lord I am honored & humbled that you want to! I thank you most gracious and loving Father for your mercy and grace that cover me... I thank you for never letting me go and for pursuing and loving me ... even when I am a wayward child. Thank you for all the times you have carried me, strengthened me and given me a deeper faith and hope... There is so much to be thankful for Lord... It is all about you and anything good in my life is a gift from you, not to be treasured above you but to draw me closer to you. Thank you Jesus, thank you! I am forever yours...

Healing... and the Word

First let me start off by asking you to pray for me... I am not feeling very well today and so this will be a brief post. Also I would love to encourage you to scroll down on the right side of my page to Things you should check out and take a listen to Walk in the Word (James MacDonald's message) from yesterday and today. Also interestingly enough John MacArthur has a message that ties into it - see the link Grace to You and go to today's message. Or click on the titles I listed and that should take you there too.

Feeling as I do ... how appropriate for God to take this opportunity to point a few things out to me in Scripture... I was reading Matt. 9:1-8 earlier, when it came to me in regards to this passage... What do I desire more of God... to be healed (physically) or spiritually? When I am seeking after God what am I seeking after Him for? Is my prayer time and time in the Word constantly for myself (my current condition, circumstances) or is it for eternal purposes? I know that the Lord cares about me and about my day and the things I am going through... but what do I care more about? Myself or Him? I guess what I am trying to say is that the heart of the issue that is bugging me is am I seeking God out of wrong motives? Am I seeking God for what He can do for me, through me, or in me; more than I am just seeking to know Him and love Him more?

LORD forgive me for those times when I am so self-focused and my motives are wrong as I come to you... I can be so selfish and fleshly at times and it grieves me because I know it grieves you. Lord I stand back and question myself ... what is it that I do for you? Do I love you wholeheartedly? Honor you? Obey you? Serve you? Live for you? LORD I want too do all those things and I pray and ask for you to empower me to do so! Help me to daily die to self and to live for Christ. Gal. 2:20. LORD let it all be for the glory of YOU!!! Amen.

Matthew 5:13-16

Take a look at Matthew 5:13-16. Ponder it for a bit...
http://www.ebible.com/bible?source=NIV&query=matthew+5%3A13-16

What does salt do? Preserve & enhance... We as Christians are the salt of the earth... We should create a thirst - a deep desire for others to want to know our God & what sets us apart. These verses ask us to stop and examine ourselves... what good is "salt" if it doesn't enhance? What good is "salt" if it doesn't preserve? Maybe you ask...enhance what, preserve what?

The "world" is watching let them see that you are different. Make your light shine bright for all the world to see - do NOT hide it! Encourage your brothers & sisters in the Faith; be an active & useful part of The Body of Christ (The Church); seek to bring the light that we hold and cherish to the lost... that they may be saved by the power of the Spirit and the grace of God... we should desire to tell the Good News! But do we? Do we deeply desire to see others saved (to see them come to know God)? Do we care about loving and serving our fellow brothers & sisters in Christ (The Church)? Or do we care more about ourselves and the things of this world?

I ask this because I desire to be God-focused; to live for Him; to obey & follow His Word... And yet, like Paul stated in Romans 7 - many times I find myself doing what I do not want to do instead of what I desire to do. I fall into the trap of self/worldly focus... and oh how miserable that is! However, when I am abiding and living according to the Spirit... what joy, what peace, love, thanksgiving - fruit is born in my life & walk! I am given strength to do and be who I could not in my own fleshly self & fleshly desires be... For the Holy Spirit comes and enables me to be all that God created me to be for His glory! Praise be to God!

It is my prayer for you & for me to be filled & strengthened, to be changed by the Holy Spirit that we may be salt & light to this dark world we live in... all for the LORD's glory, His honor & Name! Amen.

Isaiah 54:10

Ok so I have this really great scripture painted on canvas that a friend gave me (Jenny)... And this morning it just really hit me... and I started meditating on it and digging a little deeper... "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. Isa. 54:10
I started thinking about how in our lives we have times when our "mountains" are shaken and our "hills" are removed... and what?! I thought about this last year with all the changes (a baby, many moves, leaving friends and the familiar behind to go to the new & unknown)... We all have times like that- they may look different but we still experience times when our world gets shaken up and there are those common comforts (people, places, etc) that are removed from our lives... the big question is - then what? God is so true to His part for those of us who have a relationship with Him... He is faithful and His love does not fail and for those of us who place our trust in Him we experience His peace in the mist of turmoil and/or change... BUT are we experiencing that peace??? Do we just have a head knowledge of God that has not penetrated and permeated our heart? Or do we have such close fellowship that we are experiencing everything He has promised us? As I looked up some of the words in this verse in my concordance I found a few things that stood out to me... the word love in this verse is hesed and it went on to describe that love as unfailing love, loyal love, devotion, kindness (& then it said and this is the part that struck me) often based on a prior relationship, esp. a covenant relationship!!!!! Clue one... if you do not have that prior, grounded relationship with Him how can you then experience all He offers...? You must have Jesus, not in your head but in your heart... a daily on going relationship where you listen to Him, talk to Him... you spend time with Him. The second part was in the word peace which is translated in Hebrew as Salom... peace, safety, prosperity, well-being, intactness, wholeness, (and here is the part that struck me) peace can have a focus of security, safety which can bring feelings of satisfaction, well-being and contentment!!! Ok so what is our FOCUS? Is our focus Christ? Is He our security, our safety that brings us feelings of satisfaction, well-being and contentment in the mist of this life we are living on earth? Just things to ponder, to search our hearts and test... to press on as Paul says... to run the race for the crown that last! Are we living the abundant life? Are we living for the Kingdom of God? Are we living for the Person of Christ or for our own ideals and desires? He did not come to leave us as we are but to change and transform us into who He created us to be... my earnest prayer is "LORD change me"... create in me a new heart, one that is circumcised to you, fully devoted - that when the "mountains" are shaken and the "hills" removed... I stand firm, steadfast because I have placed my all (trust, faith, hope, love) not in myself but in Christ, my Rock! May I experience all that He has promised and longs to give me.... He offers us sooo much - and He does the work, but we must yield to Him, we must come to Him... seek Him with all our heart. Can we do that? It is a choice... To live a life fully lived to the glory of God or to live a fleeting, self purposed life with no eternal crown... What is your choice? The victory is in Christ alone.