Monday, September 30, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 297


Needs. There are many. And needs are unique to each of us. Some need lots of people and social relationships, some need to have other control them and vice versa, some need love and affection in heaping amounts. Still others, will be able to communicate their needs and others not so much. I watched a show in which a beloved character was hurt very badly and was fast approaching the end of life but one of the doctors was able to perform a life-saving technique that was beyond risky. She did it and the other doctor started thanking Jesus and was overjoyed by the fact that she did it. She went over to her and said “I know you’re not a hugger, but I need you to hug me back right now.” This other doctor is not an outwardly loving person but in that beautiful moment she went out of her comfort-zone and responded to someone else’s need for demonstrated love.

How can we meet the needs of others?

Romans 12:13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Friday, September 27, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 296


Wisdom is not an age thing. It is a gift from God. This is a quote from a seven-year-old boy on what love is: 'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.' Stop and listen are two of the best commands given to us to help us know that our amazing God is with us all the time.

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 295


On Survivor last night, one of the women made a comment about another returning player who was very scheming and lots of other not so good things. On the first day, he told everyone he had changed but by day 4 all of them were well aware that he really hadn’t changed at all. This women made the comment about can a zebra change it’s stripes. Our temperaments are something we cannot change. We are who God made us to be but with the Holy Spirit we can be God-honoring, God-glorifying people. The “weaknesses” within our temperament can be changed to all God wants them to be by his spirit. Can this man change? He will always be what God made him to be but God can make more out of him if he lets Him in.  

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 294


I have decided to do my first 5K towards the end of October. I like to have a goal to push towards rather than just trying to exercise for the sake of exercising. We have to think of our time reading God’s word with the end goal in mind. That ultimate goal is a growing intimate relationship with God. I think a lot of people get caught in the trap of the bible is boring. Even I have fallen into that trap lately. I have to stop and re-start with a heart open to hearing God and dig more. Don’t let that boringness attitude block your heart. Pray for a right open attitude of heart and for guidance in discovering more about God than you knew before.

Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 293


This is a good article about abiding in Christ and touches on the metaphor of vines and branches. Here is a little snippet regarding what real spiritual fruit is:  

Real fruit is, first of all, Christlike character. A believer who is like Christ bears fruit. That is what Paul meant in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Those were all characteristics of Christ.

Christlike character is not produced by self-effort. It grows naturally out of a relationship with Christ. We don't first try to be loving, and when we have become loving, try to be joyful, and so on. Instead, those qualities become part of our lives as we abide in Christ by staying close to Him.

http://www.gty.org/resources/positions/P18/abiding-in-christ

John 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

Monday, September 23, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 292


Are there more to the fruits of the Spirit than what Galatians 5:22 tells us? Yes, there are other fruits that should be growing within us via the Holy Spirit. I came across the fruit of righteousness in Philippians 1:9-11. Righteousness is it’s basically being right with God but how do you be right with God? The only way is through your belief in Jesus as his son and your savior. Jesus washes away our sins, covers the sins up so that we can be holy just as he is. In this way, we can come before God and his holiness. Our sins don’t just go away. It is lifetime journey of working on making the righteous choice of not sinning. The journey needs to be filled with learning through devotions, bible studies and communion with other believers so that we can gain more knowledge and depth of insight to help us make those righteous choices. We will always have Jesus to cover our sins but in response, like any good relationship, there is a give and take from both sides. God gives and gives and gives and all he wants from us is our love and obedience to follow his will. 

Philippians 1:9-11 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Days 290-91


My bible opened up this morning to Matthew 5 and I started reading the Beatitudes (learn meaning of Beatitudes here: http://askville.amazon.com/coined-word-beatitude-Biblical-teaching-commandments-blessedness-Matthew-chapter/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=7973818 ) I got to the third one “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” That word meek had me pause as I just couldn’t think of an appropriate way to put that into my own words so I pulled out The Message and began to read the Beatitudes from there. The Message has a way of making what is written connectable. Here is that third Beatitude in The Message: “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less.  That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.  I found this “content” last year when I finally was able to see the fears I had regarding what other people thought of me. I became content in knowing that God made me just as I am and there was nothing to be down about it. It was time to celebrate who God made me to be, no more, no less. Check out the full Beatitudes in The Message for yourselves and discover something new from this golden nugget of scripture. 

Friday, September 20, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 289

I recently watched this movie on Netflix called In the Blink of an Eye. It was basically about a man who lives through the same morning until he gets it and accepts Jesus. In these mornings, his wife who has accepted Christ just the day before and has yet to tell her husband along with his friend and his wife disappear. They are on a yacht out in the middle of nowhere and these three are the only ones who disappear and they cannot get a hold of anyone on the radio but some cryptic sounding background of fearful people crying out. The rapture has happened but for this man God makes him live the morning over and over again until he finally realizes what is happening and accepts Christ. This movie is a message about God's persistence and patience. He has in other ways tried to guide us to him and he keeps on trying. Even though God already knows the outcome for each of us, I am betting he still is thrilled by every moment when it happens, when someone accepts Jesus into his heart. This movie and reminder of how God is persistent and patient was much needed as I am struggling with my stomach having issues. I don't know if it is because of the new way of eating or if I am fighting something off but I knew that Satan was trying to make my thinking go downhill to the point of giving up but I prayed and knew that God was telling me to be persistent and patient and all would be well.

Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 288

My job is such that I come across cases of customers or alarm companies that are simply not educated in what the law requires. However, I am very sympathetic to this because I realize how little do I know about the actual laws where I live. If we haven't been taught that we must do our own research to find out what the law says than we end up in a mess of fines, etc. My job is to teach alarm companies what is required of them so they can be in compliance with the law. Have you ever read an ordinance? Why oh why can't they just put it in honest straight to the point language? No wonder people are confused and don't know what the law is telling them. Now God's laws are the honest straight to the point kind. You know what they mean and you understand what you have to not do. Do not murder, lie, cheat, steal to name a few. Jesus gives us a "law" to live by in saying to love God and love one another as you love yourself. This is a positive motivating "law" in that it is telling you what to do instead of what not to do. Focus on loving, loving, loving. It can't get any more straight to the point then that.
Matthew 22: 37-40 Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 287

On the back of a Reader's Digest, I see an advertisement for an insurance company. In the picture, is a 6 year old boy dressed like a super hero with a quote from him, "Life insurance makes you indestructible". I am pretty sure he didn't come up with those words himself. In any case, my first thought upon seeing that is no there is only one thing that makes us "indestructible" and that is our faith in Jesus. If this were an ad about heaven and God, it could be a picture of any believer without any super hero outfit but just ourselves and the quote could be "Life with Jesus makes you eternal".
Nothing and nobody can keep us from our eternal home with Jesus in heaven. This life is only a stepping stone to the life that was really meant for us so no have no fear and just live like there is no tomorrow.
Psalm 68:19-20 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 286

There is something about cats that always make me think of God. I think the way they stare at you,y you just know they have to be thinking something. I was given the advise to grow some indoor pet grass for the cats as they will likely stay away from other herbs and plants you are growing. In thinking upon this, I thought about catnip and how it just gives a boost of energy to any cat. I am thinking the Holy Spirit is our catnip. Like catnip, the Holy Spirit can energize us and make us into a whole new person. And much like cats, when we are not connecting with the Holy Spirit everyday, we are going to become tired and lazy, letting life push us down. Have your daily dose of catnip and be energized to do and be all God wants you to be.
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Monday, September 16, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 285

After cooking all morning, I took a break and pulled up Netflix. I watched a movie called Unconditional which I highly recommend. The basic outline of the story is about a young woman whose husband was murdered and how she comes from the brink of suicide to a new life and faith found again. There is a beautiful visual that is told in the movie which is really about God. God is the sun who is always shinning, never gone, always there but storms come in and cover the sun up. We often at these times feel God has abandoned us, that he is not there, you don't feel his presence. But we have to rise above the clouds and we will see he never leaves us and is always there. I think we ride up over the clouds on the wings of an eagle that is the Holy Spirit. So next time you feel a storm covering your life, ask the Holy Spirit to take you up above the clouds.
1 Corinthians 13:7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 284

Praying for the people in Estes Park and surrounding area. Lord, we appreciate the rain and don't understand why we have to get it like this by the dam-full but you are God and we are not. We just ask you to watch over the people in harms way. Put your protect wing around them and let them know they are never alone.

Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Saturday, September 14, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 283


Praising God for all the glorious foods he provides us with and my learning how to make fabulously delicious and healthy recipes. Here is what is planned for this week: Baby Back Ribs with butternut squash, Root Vegetable Hash with eggs, Spaghetti squash with turkey tomato sauce, Kale salad, Paleo Pot Roast to name a few. I may be currently broke due to the excess in food spending getting my kitchen stocked with the good stuff but it is worth it. I woke up today without a sugar withdrawal headache. Thank you Lord!

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Friday, September 13, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 282


People can read a lot into the current events with the crisis in Syria and Egypt, the weather wreaking historic havoc on parts of our country. Is the end near? Our ancestors probably wondered the same thing and yet they have moved on to heaven without any sign of the end times. The bible is clear we will not be able to predict when Jesus will come again. We need only focus on Jesus within our hearts and not worry that we are approaching the end times. Our concern is not our future for that is secure, eternal life in heaven. But we should practice focusing on our present and how we can best love one another. Loving our enemies is by far the hardest but the bible doesn’t say we have to like what people do just that we love them as a creation of God. Our focus needs to be on perfecting our love.

Matthew 5:43-48 You have heard it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 271


My imperfectness is not alone. We are all imperfect. We are not capable of loving without failing, not without the Holy Spirit. And yet, it still must be a daily commitment to work with the Holy Spirit on perfecting your love. It starts by knowing what your family needs in terms of love. We are not all alike and like different plants need differing amounts of water and sunshine so it is for us and our needs. So, our focus on loving others has to be on learning what they need so that we can work on fulfilling that need. Today I am going to focus on my husband and work on understanding and meeting his needs for love. Who will be your focus today?

1Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 280


As my family and I were driving to Chipolte for lunch the other day,  we ended up on the topic of dad’s pager and how it has improved in that it doesn’t just go off once but three times so in case you miss the first alarm you catch the next one. Then me, in my non-filtered talk with my family said “What if you were going to the bathroom and taking the biggest dump of your life.” I got immediate laughs from our kids in the backseat and my husband’s exclamation of “we are going to lunch”. It became a few more laughs as we discussed my non-filtered approach with potty humor.

“Taking the biggest dump of your life.” Our bodies were designed to naturally purge what we don’t need but how about our souls. There is a void in us before we accept Christ that will draw us to find a way to fill it. Some will fill it with ungodly things like alcohol, porn and the like and some will find there way to Jesus and fill the void with the puzzle piece that fits named God. But even though our void is filled, the dirt of our sinful nature will get on us each day. We have to learn that we must daily go to God with confession, prayer and worship. In this way, we are daily getting rid of the stuff we don’t need and focusing on the One who fulfills all our needs. If you haven’t taken the biggest dump in your life and accepted Jesus, perhaps it is time to at least get to the bathroom and sit on the pot.

Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 279


In the midst of life and its inevitable sufferings, God is always with us. Despite waking up with a headache this morning, I am going to sing praises to God for guiding me and comforting me on this path to a healthy body, mind and spirit. Without the balance in all three areas, we will suffer. More time is taken right now in my food planning and preparation but I am certain that within time, it will all become easier and everything will balance out again. Praising God is a demonstration of our love for him and shines his love for us. I am singing to God today for all his goodness.

Isaiah 12: 4-5 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.

Monday, September 9, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 278


Today is the first day of my Whole30 challenge with the Paleo eating lifestyle. I am really amazed thus far on this journey of how good everything tastes. I don’t miss any of the bad stuff. Of course, this week may change my thinking on that as now I go into strict mode. Only meats, vegetables, good fats and some fruit for 30 days. I made my new favorite breakfast this morning: sweet potato hash, fried egg and bacon all cooked with coconut oil and ghee and a side of blackberries. I think sweet potatoes have a bad reputation. I know that I always associate them with Thanksgiving with the pecans and marshmallows which is probably the case for most of us. If you take a risk and get past that, you will discover a wonderful vegetable. Getting the rest of my family on board with it, is going to be a struggle so I decided I will just patiently eat my foods this month and they can see me transform through my weight loss, energy, mood and all. If I am crabby this next week or so it is because of sugar-carb withdrawal and I promise it will go away.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 277


The words ‘delight’ and ‘fear’ in the same sentence can be confusing if you do not understand the nature of God’s word and the fact that it has been translated from another language. When you are confused by a word or words in scripture, it is always good to do a little research. I just google ‘definition of (word) in the bible’ and will start searching and reading what I can find and ask God to lead me to understanding. Delight has two different meanings in the Old Testament and another different meaning in the New Testament. Since I am studying from Isaiah, I am looking at the Old Testament meanings. Here is what I found:

The Old Testament. Two of the most common Hebrew terms for delight are hepes [,pej], "to bend towards, to be inclined towards [an object or person], " and rasa [h'x'r], "to delight or take pleasure in."

The next word I looked at was actually the phrase “fear of the Lord”. I already understand that it is not the kind of shaking in your boots, going to pee my pants kind of fear of something frightening but a healthy respect for the power, wisdom, will and awesomeness of God. It was interesting to read a 2 minute article on this topic and confirm my understanding is on point. Read that article here: http://www.ligonier.org/learn/qas/throughout-bible-we-are-told-fear-god-what-does-me/

The Bible is a complex compilation of God’s word and took hundreds of years to get to the point where we have it today. So always take into consideration that a word or phrase that isn’t familiar or you just don’t get, is probably because of this and God wants you to just dig a little deeper and ask for help in understanding.

Isaiah 11:3 …and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

 

Saturday, September 7, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 276


This verse from Isaiah has been repeated several times. It is a literary devise intended to make a point. The first time I read it I was intrigued by it, the second time it made me pause to consider why it might be said again but the third time was the deciding factor to really stop and look at this verse. What does this verse tell us about God? He gets angry. We are made in his image so God has all the emotions that we have including anger. He deals with his anger with his perfect wisdom and patience rather than stuffing his anger inside or worse, turning away from us completely. God has a choice too. He could leave us to Satan but he fights for us because he loves us more than all the sins we have done and will do all put together and more. He uses his anger wisely and with patience he disciplines us with some tough love, not because he is mad at us but because he loves us and his heart’s desire is to have a one-on-one relationship with him, relying on and loving him. Satan is fighting every day to pull us away from God. God is fighting every day to keep us close, under his wing. Our part is to cherish that place under his wing and look up to him for all things and not let what Satan does in our world shift our focus away from God.

Holy Father, thank you for the shelter of your wing. Help us to cherish this so much that we can withstand the ploys of Satan to pull our gaze away from you. With you all things are possible. Amen.

Isaiah 10: 4.5 Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

Friday, September 6, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 276


I think most parents would agree with this, that peer pressure is a top concern. Your children are with you almost 24/7 in those first few years so when they go off to school suddenly they are around their peers a majority of their days. It becomes even more worrisome as they go into those pre-teen and teenage years. I am sure that some kids are just built by their temperament to be able to withstand peer pressure but other kids may need some help. My daughter is getting some blackheads and zits on her face and one in particular got all pussy and was centered right in the middle of her chin. We have instituted the washing the face at morning and night to clean up the skin and hope to keep these from becoming rampant. My dear son has had the acne problem and been on medication for it for a couple years now. Thankfully, he has been very resilient to peer pressure and has chosen his friends wisely. It is tough to not worry about  your kids but in the end they are in the hands of God and are his so we have to accept his will for our kids and just love them and keep on praying and guiding them towards God and his Word.

Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 274


The owner of the company I work for was in town yesterday so I knew that there would be some kind of change/s foretold but this is not one I expected. I sit next to a wall that is the dividing wall between the data entry office and the customer service office. It use to be an open doorway but they walled it off a little over a year ago. Now, they want to put a door back in the wall and have one of the co-managers sit near the door so she can keep an eye on us and make sure we don’t have a bad attitude. Yes, really! I just laughed and shook my head at this news not really happy about a door going in right behind me. I was awake at 4am this morning and my brain started thinking about work stuff. Ugh. Don’t like to think about work when I am not at work. But God gave me a nice reminder of wisdom I have learned when it comes to bad attitudes. Turn your attitude around by focusing on gratefulness. Be thankful for the blessings you do have and those negative thoughts will float away leaving you with a much more positive attitude. So, I will take this wisdom with me to work today and see if I can figure out a good way to pass this along so we can all become more positive.

1 Thessalonians 5:15  Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 273


I have been steadily preparing to take the Whole30 Challenge with the Paleo diet. Preparing is definitely key to being successful. First, I have been preparing my body by week by week taking something out of my diet. The first week I took out creamer in my coffee. I have never had my coffee black but what they say on their website made me think yes it can be done. Here is the section on it not being hard:

It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You won’t get any coddling, and you won’t get any sympathy for your “struggles”. YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE not to complete the program as written. It’s only thirty days, and it’s for the most important health cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime.


Actually, it was only a day or so and I was used to black coffee. The next week I cut out dairy. It has been an almost ritual at dinner time to have a class of milk. I miss it but I will survive. This week I am cutting out desserts. No more ice cream, cake, pie, brownies, candy, sugar of any kind. This is challenging but thank God for strawberries which make for a good alternative. The other part of preparing has been in having on hand the right kinds of foods and ingredients to make some Paleo recipes and of course, researching those recipes I would like to try. I have a notebook all set-up with my recipes and Whole30 guidelines. I have tried 4 different kinds of vegetables that I never tried: beets, swiss chard, bok choy and kale and am happy to say I like them all especially in a chopped salad. I am learning to cook with all fresh foods which is really awesome. So, I officially begin my 30 day challenge on Sept 9th and I am feeling ready. I just need to plan out my menu to make day to day eating go smoothly. My hubbie is being super supportive and even saying he will eat anything I make for dinner. We have a cruise coming up in April 2014 that we want to both be ready for physically. I am so thankful to my sister-in-law and brother for sharing with me about this lifestyle of eating called Paleo and the Whole30 challenge. It really is all about helping each other. You may not be ready for this eating lifestyle change but maybe someone you know is. Please share the link with them.

Isaiah 6:3 And they were calling to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challege-Day 272


We watched a movie called “Killing Season” last evening with Robert DeNiro and John Travolta.  At first, I thought it was going to be another vengeance-themed movie but it ended up having some depth and a good message about forgiveness. The basis of the story is about an American soldier who during the Bosnian War shot execution-style, along with his squad, prisoners they had captured who had done horrible things to women, men and children. 20 years later, this soldier is now in the mountains living the life of a recluse, avoiding his family. The man he shot survived and came back to seek vengeance but what he really wanted was a confession from the soldier that shot him. In the end, the confession comes and a beautiful thing happens, there is forgiveness. The vengeful man returns to his life with a smile on his face and the soldier goes to meet the grandson he has not yet met. Bitterness and shame will put up a wall that will keep you from living the life God intended with love and peace. But with forgiveness, our bitterness or shame will be washed clean and we can go out with peace in our hearts and be able to love as God love’s us.

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Monday, September 2, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 271


I grew up as a Catholic and now attend a Presbyterian church. Without a doubt, I have been immersed in a conservative atmosphere. I have found myself at times in worship at church wanting to shout, raise my hands, dance and be abandoned in my worship of God but those thoughts of what others might think keep me from doing it or keep it toned down where I won’t be noticed. I follow along with the crowd. But truly letting go and letting yourself worship God in any way you want to express is amazing. I have tasted this here and there and got another great taste of this at the Taste of Colorado festival yesterday and being at the Colton Dixon concert. I have been looking forward to this concert for weeks. Initially, I felt the same way as in church, not able to raise my hands to God but as each song went by I became more and more ready to let go. By the time the song “You Are” was sung, I was totally open to loving God the way I wanted to with my hands raised, my voice singing along and my body moving in joyful abandon without any fear of what anyone else thought including my family. It was amazing! In those precious moments, I felt such joy and love for God just pouring out of me. Perhaps, it is time to start attending the more contemporary service at church… hmmmm?

1Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 270

Off to enjoy the day with family...

We are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us. Romans 5:5