The real me!

So, I thought I would write a little about what has been stirring in me lately.
A good friend and I were discussing the term sinner...she had said she was a "sinner" because even though she was saved, she still sinned..as we all do. I get that....but I am so drawn to the the verse 2 Cor. 5:17....Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. It got me to meditating on this very point.
Did you know in the Word that the only time the word sinner is used is when God is referring to someone that has not accepted Christ,....hmmm...God does not call us a sinner.....but I sin.....is God blind? Actually, quite the contrary....God is seeing the REAL ME! I am a new creation...My spirit is the REAL ME...the real me is not a sinner. So what do I do with the part that is sinning.....my flesh and mind. Well God took care of that too!
When you look at Romans 12:2...And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. He gives us instruction to take care of our pesky mind...renew it~! Renew it with what? With the WORD! The more you read and think on the Word, the less you desire anything that is contrary to the Word. Phil 4:8...Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. Do you know when you think on good things, it is hard to think on bad things. We just have to train our minds to scream - "REJECT" when you think on bad reports or lies, or gossip...you know what I am talkin' about...bad stuff!
I love the verse 2 Cor. 2:14...Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. God makes a way for us to Triumph...Not sometimes,Always...if we allow Him too.
So, can we live without sin? Maybe not, but I would say we have to try. God our father gives us all the tools to accomplish it. Tells us that our Spirit is already taken care of when we put on Christ and accept Him as our Savior! All we have to do is put down our flesh and spend time renewing our mind! The more we do it the easier it gets! You will begin to see the REAL YOU emerge!!!

Don't let go!

Just got home from spending a few days in Buena Vista Colorado. We went to a couple days of meetings at a church, Cornerstone Church. (By the way, what sweet pastors they have!) Back to the subject.......

Have you ever listened too, or been around people that make you desire more of God...Well, this weekend was that way. I love it when people provoke me to desire more out of my relationship with God, to not settle with where I am at, and call it good. The only way that we can have confidence in the truth of God's word, and that God is who He says He is, and that he never dissappoints, and that he is ALWAYS good, is by having the tenacity to stick in there with Him. Picture a rat terrier dog after a prairie dog, there is no chance for that prairie dog, the Rat terrier goes after it, even digging him out of his home if that is what it takes to catch it. Well, that is how we have to be with our relationship with God...pulling on Him, As a wife, I would never stand by and let someone, or something get it the way of my marriage, I would fight for it, the same is with God, we cannot let a persons opinion(or lack thereof), or a thing, get in the way of our pursuit of God. God loves it when we remind him of His promises, and then do not let go of them until they are fulfilled.

If you read 1 Cor 13(the love chapter), it is really unattainable without the Holy Spirit. You have to have the Holy Spirit reveal to the you the love of God. We cannot really understand it with our mind. Nothing about God can be grasped by our mind, we have to grasp it by our spirit. Then we can begin to walk in the Spirit, (and in turn in Love.) This generation, and the next, and the next(until Christ returns) will not have a relationship with God because someone tells them to, they will have to experience the Love of God(and we are the ones responsible to show them the way). So as long are we act like ugly christians, we are not very influential. We have to get our eyes off of ourselves, and get our eyes on God's precious other children(you are not the only one).

Can I tell on myself.....I am by no means a shining example of Love....I am a very suspicious person ( I always wonder "what is their angle"), but I constantly remind myself that no one grows under suspicion. I cannot influence anyones life if I am suspicious of them, they will wilt, not grow. There is a word, rarely used anymore - guilelessness, it is the grace for suspicious people. We have to be honest with ourselves, and not get offended when the Holy Spirit reveals some yucky stuff in us, instead be happy, this is a step into more intimacy with God....what an even better place to be.

Well, if you can piece these ramblings together, I hope they inspire some to be like a rat terrier, and not be content with where you are. Be blessed, cause boy does Jesus love you!

Just one a month

No, I am not talking about that calcium supplement that "Gidget" offers on TV. I am talking about setting the goal of building a relationship with that one person a month that God gives you, that you can share Jesus with someone. Ask God to put one person on your heart and in your mind. Tend to that relationship, and build that relationship to a point that you can confidently share Jesus with them. Some may think, "will that really make an impact?" I realized that in my town, if just 35 people in my church turned one heart towards God a month, we would bring 10% of our community to Christ....that would change the climate of this town! 370 more christians than last year, YES is will make an impact.

I challenge you to set a goal, get your eyes on eternal things....like heaven and hell. Get a heart for people like Christ has. Get a vision for an enlarging of the kingdom of heaven. Start seeing people at eternal beings...where will they spend their eternity, their forever? Don't let God's kids go to hell for eternity! We are the first picture of "Jesus" many see....how do we look?

Are you hungry?

Have you ever noticed how when you are hungry all kinds of things look good! I was reading in Proverbs today and this verse stuck out, Prov. 27:7 In the message bible it says when you've stuffed yourself, you refuse dessert, when your starved you could eat a horse. I got to thinking about this, when we are full we can turn away even things that look appetizing, but when we are hungry, we will eat anything.

Now, believe it or not I am not talking about over eating....when we stay full on the Word of God, and spend alot of time with Him....we don't fall for the things that "look" good. But....when we hit the Word now and then, we have a tendency to get into the ditch on our beliefs.

Want to know why so many Christians get off in such goofy stuff.....they are not full, everything looks appetizing and filling. Get my drift?

We have to stay full so we don't get deceived into believing something is good for us, when it is not.

Something to chew on.....yes that was a pun intended.

The New Year, and what it brings

I love the New Year, and how it stirs in me to change things. This year Eric and I have been talking about "Give God all". Sounds good....but what does that mean? I picked up Andrew Murrays book within a book called Absolute Surrender, talk about getting you stirred up!
It got me to thinking....am I in absolute surrender to God, or only when what He wants, lines up with what I want? Many times I think we are afraid of surrender because we think we can never live up to it. We will at some point be selfish....but if we will just put ourselves out there and say "God, you have my all, every part, and I know that you will enable me to surrender to you" the Holy Spirit will help you (enable you) to fully surrender. Only with the Holy Spirit can we do it. Phil 2:13 says it is God who works in you to will and to do for His good pleasure, if you are willing, He will do the work in you! Everything God created is in Absolute surrender to Him...the sky, the stars, the grass, the animals.....we should be also! He wants it from us. We don't have to accomplish the surrender by ourselves....God will work it in us, we just have to surrender, and stay willing to let Him work.
That sounds like a lot better deal than feeling guilty, and a failure because you consecrate yourself in January, but by February you feel out of closeness with God, and then the devil lies to you that you are a failure and not worthy of the blessings of God because you were disobedient......and so on, blah, blah blah. But God accepted your surrender(have faith that God accepted it).....let Him work it out in you! His Holy Spirit is on the inside, I am confident He knows what He is doing! God can "keep" you, if you will trust Him that He can!
God is a giver...total giver, He gave His all! Not only did He give His son, then He gave us His spirit.....He poured out His fullness for (in) us! We can be just like Him now, we can be givers!

Hannah is 5...my little girl is growing up

We went to Denver to visit a friend in hospital, but also made it a day to celebrate Hannah! We went shopping for presents and the most important of all, we went to Chucky Cheese!(I am sure I would have loved it as a child too, just not so much as a parent, hmmmmm)

I will add something soon.....I promise