Forgiveness

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
col. 3:12-14

as i grow older (and hopefully more mature) the importance of taking on these qualities becomes a need, and not just something i can 'work on'. (i don't want to count how many times i've used that phrase - i need to 'work on' this or that.) love can't happen with out compassion or kindness or humility or gentleness or patience. it just can't. and that is such a hard lesson for me.

i can work on all these qualities all i want, but until i allow Christ to move thru me with His love - all this 'working on' is meaningless - a chasing after the wind. and lack of these qualities comes down to my unwillingness to allow Christ to move mountains. so my struggle to see beyond the here and now, and to take on Christ's eternal perspective of people will only come to an end when i turn over my criticial and unyielding spirit. i yearn for love...but sometimes my discipline doesn't like the procress of surrendering to Jesus.

Holy Jesus,
i yearn to be more like You. i want to have Your qualities of love, humility, gentleness, compassion, kindness and patience, but i confess that i've failed to yield my critical spirit to You. so i surrender this negative outlook to You. this is a battle which You've already conquered, and so i'm a champion in a fight which continues to rage. You've paid the price and the deal is sealed. now i ask for You to fill me, Holy Spirit, with Your qualities. open my eyes that i may see people thru the same lens as You see them. and may You receive the praise for this transformation in me. thanks for guiding me closer to You thru this journey. i am homesick today, not to see my earthly parents, but to see my home in paradise where we can commune like never before. i desire You.

i know You've heard my prayers and requests for my brother, and i know in my heart that You've been with him thru this struggle. so i praise You for responding in Your time. You are excellent and great. and You are worthy to praise, forever and a day. You are so great. thanks for caring for derrick in Your perfect way. thanks for rescuing him from the depths of sin and death. thanks for releasing him from the sin which has entangled him. Your power is great and armored with strength.

Rescued

So I greet you with the great words, grace and peace! We know the meaning of those words because Jesus Christ rescued us from this evil world we're in by offering himself as a sacrifice for our sins. God's plan is that we all experience that rescue. Glory to God forever! Oh, yes!
Gal. 1:3-5

last night before falling off to sleep i had some interesting thoughts. it's an analogy, i suppose. 'better to have 2 singed souls than only one unharmed and one lost.' let me attempt to explain.

in an effort to save lost souls from the raging fires of hell, we, Christians, need to be willing to get singed. we need to reach down into the pits of hell and latch a strong hold onto our unsaved friends. and in doing so we'll be singe along with them, but we'll both be rescued. if we never try, they may never be saved.

now i'm not saying that we are the ones who rescue them. God is the One, and only One, who saves. we can be the 'medium' for which God's saving grace flows. and i believe we are called to be singe.

so i ask myself, 'for whom have i been singed?' and 'whom am i being singed for?' and honestly, i'm not feeling much heat right now for anyone besides my brother and his girlfriend. i've heard that he is struggling to be made whole, and i pray that he finds the only One who can make that happen.

Jesus,
i praise You for Your saving grace. i rejoice in the way You've opened my heart to know You. and because i know this wonderful love, i beg You to let my brother know Your love, healing and forgiveness. may You rescue him from the pits; please don't let him get burned any longer. he needs You so bad, Jesus. as tears fill my eyes, i fall on knees, begging for Your mercy.

You are able to save, and You are willing to save. You are God of this universe, and Lord over all mandkind. Your kingdom is forever and You reign from the highest heavens. You've heard my prayers and intercession, and i know You've prayed with me. thanks for caring and loving us, even though You know all our shortcomings. You are amazing. i love You, and praise You for moving in Derrick's life. i know that You've protected him from so much evil, and i know that You are present in his life, just as You are in mine. Your blood is sufficient for all our sin; nothing more needs to be done.

as i go, i'm filled with comfort, knowing You are at work. You long for Derrick's heart to be captured by Your love even more than i do. and that gives me great comfort. thanks.
in Jesus' Name ~ Amen.
*Derrick *Deb *Wendell

well, this morning i had typed this long post about the one foreigner who returned to give Jesus the praise for healing him from leprosy. but when i clicked the publish button, it took me to a page to sign in. it was all very strange.

so in my previous invisible post, my thoughts focused around me returning to Jesus to say 'thanks' for giving me life. this man who suffered from leprosy was shunned by the multitudes, but this Jesus took the time not only to speak with him, but to heal him of his disease. that Jesus is the same Jesus who healed me from the disease of sinfulness which i could not find a cure. He accomplished what i could never do. and for that i want to be the one to return to Him with a heart filled with thankfulness and praise.

Jesus - Healer of my soul,
You're so good, and Your love endures thru my stupidities. You've taken upon Yourself all the disease and brokenness and restored us unto Yourself. thanks for giving to me what i could never gain on my own. You've healed me.

in Your powerful Name ~ Amen

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*kevin *dalit ministries *Kris

Be Peaceable

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
titus 3:1-2

i just had something happen at work which just got under my skin. working in an environment where i am the only female can be challenging.

this passage gets my mind off the reality of self, and see into the unseen which is eternal. (So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 4 Cor. 4:18) --learned that verse last night during our last crown bible study.)

this passages starts off w/ 'remind the people'. well, in order to not be hypocritical, then certainly we need to be the example of what we preach... this is where the trouble comes in. i need to be in the Word, finding what is says and carrying it out. no compromising. i need to be the one who submits to the government, to be obedient to the laws (includin the speed limit and allow the person on my right turn first), be ready to step up when i see something which needs to be accomplished, to hold my tongue and be in control of my thoughts at all times, put others interests before my own and peaceable, and to show true humility to all men. (for me the emphasis is on "men".)

i tend to be defensive around others who are demanding and controlling. i do not play with other who demand my attention...but i need to learn to. my spirit knows who i am, and my Spirit knows i need to change. so i'm stuck in this 'in-body battle'. it feels like the scene on the Looney Tunes when there is an angel on one shoulder telling me to do good, and the demon on the other shoulder is screaming to do the opposite. so i'm battling in my mind to be at peace, to submit and be obedient with a willing spirit.

Jesus,
You've been where i am. surely You were tempted to lash out against those who rose up against You. yet, You refrained. i pray for strenght and wisdom to refrain. to love those who persecute me and treat me unfairly. may You receive the glory for this change of heart. i can't change on my own, nor am i capable of loving those who are rude. Spirit, i know You desire me to be Christ-like...so i cry out to Your for help.

thanks for hearing my heart, for knowing my battle, for sustaining me thru this trial. You are surrounding me with Your love and understanding. Your grace covers me like waves of the ocean. thanks for divine grace. i love You.
in Jesus Name = Amen.

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*Shottie *David *Sarah

i've had some trouble updating the last 2 days...so i'm glad to see this is up and running again.

my tattoo 

Closeness of God

"Am I only a God nearby," declares the LORD , "and not a God far away?"
jer.23:23

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
psalm 139:7-10

rob bell. have any of you ever heard rob bell give a message? click here to listen. i enjoy his preaching style. i've seen him give 2 messages, and both times i left pondering what he had said.

so i was listening to the message about Teenage Liberation. and my thots drifted to thinking, 'where is God?', 'if God is present, why is all this misery happening?', 'how powerful is He?', etc. good questions... and He will answer all my questions (and He is the only One who gets me).

Jesus,
You are above all things - You are involved in history. You desire to be active in our lives - communicating Your heart to us. You are blessed above all.
tho i have many questions, You calm my cares and allow me to rest in You. You take me by the hand and sing Your love over me. then i'm changed - my fears are calmed and my heart is at peace. that comes only from You. You fill the hungry with good things. I am hungry for more of You.
in Your name - Amen

Unified Effort

I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
John 17:23

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Eph. 4:11-13

For the last two weekends i've been volunteering my time and effort with hundreds of middle and high schoolers at a camp in the north GA mountains. the purpose for the camp is to offer a place to experience God, and to develop and mature our faith. (as i typed the statement 'and to develop and mature our faith', i thot... 'this camp is not about us - it's about God and extolling His glory.' it's really not about us and our growth, but completely about He and His worthiness!)

and about unity...the staff volunteers rock! God has done an incredible thing thru these people. it's wonderful to work with others for a common goal - and do it without complaining and arguing. our hearts are unified and are spirits are melded together. we are all of one Head, one Spirit, one Purpose. and we are all at the camp to know that Christ loves us and that He desires to be in a thriving relationship with us. (my favorite word right now is 'thriving'.)

Jesus,
You amazing me. there is nothing boring about You. from the way You meld together minds to the way You warm hearts with Your love - nothing is boring or dull. thanks for allowing me to be part of Your purpose. it is amazing to me how You move thru Your people - those You've called by name.

i praise You for what you've begun anew with this generation. You've not forgotten us or abandon us. You're alive and active in our lives - more so than i've seen before. You've captured my heart with Your love, and now i see clearly. Your people still are able to display Your glory. You've shone Your light thru us, and now we see You more clearly. i could love You so many times!

may You continue to reveal Yourself thru Your people. Holy Spirit, may You equip us to continue to tell others of Your love. may You continue to let Your light shine thru those You've touched. ~ Amen.