No One Said It Was The Easy Path

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

No question the path a believer is supposed to walk is a narrow one. The initial entry requires an honest decision of soul surrender to a Lord we cannot see with our physical eye. The subsequent walk on the narrow path is in absolute contrast to the wide path of destruction we were on only seconds before.That wide path offers every distraction (and destruction) imaginable.

Our faithful Lord said it this way while He walked the earth teaching us the words of our Father:
"For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it... the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it."

In looking back on the decision to bow my (very stubborn) heart before God and surrender my soul to Him I'd say now (in the scope of life) it was the easiest part of this 'walk'. If you are a believer and a follower of Jesus Christ you might agree.

Times of surrender that follow are delicious and sweet and pure and clear and glorious! Just like the first time. God ALWAYS honors sincere surrender with holy manifestations of Himself in our hearts.

It is walking and living in the every day of ordinary life that challenges my choices. Sometimes I faint. Sometimes I don't care. Sometimes I lose sight of the prize. Sometimes I allow the conterfeit. Sometimes I wander off and take a peek at that wide path I was on before I believed... with all of its distractions. Sometimes I feel as if something outside of me is pulling me back toward the wide path.

And with each step I walk off the narrow path of my life with God ... I know it because that's when I look for the thrills. That's when I'm unsatisfied in my soul. That's when I retreat inward. I want my way. I become selfish and self absorbed.

Unhealthy. Unstable. Unspiritual.

One step leads to the other. I make each decision to take another step toward destruction.

There's only ONE path that leads to life. It's a narrow one. Believers are admonished to take heed where our feet tread. To guard our hearts. To protect our eye-gate and our ear-gate.

I believe the narrow path was meant to protect us ... not to keep us from enjoying all the so-called fun things while we whisk through this earthly life as a vapor.

When I imagine Jesus holding my hand as we walk down the path together I have no problem staying on it. He is my biggest cheerleader! I'm gonna hang with Him.

Truth be told ... it is when I am more conscious of Him than myself that life is the easiest. He is my fullest satisfaction filling me up with His goodness.

Are you one of the few that has found the narrow path?

Surrender is NOT a one-time thing.

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This post entry originally written by me for a previous blog and reposted here.

Royal Priesthood

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

In the Old Testament it was ONLY the priests who were allowed access to the dwelling place of God. For an Israelite there was no higher privilege. It was the place where God's manifested presence dwelled. And the Priests were the only humans who were given access.

We know , as New Testament believers, we are to look at these types and shadows in the OT as examples. We realize Christians are called a Royal Priesthood, a people for God's own possession (1Peter 2:9). It is eye-opening to examine the life and habits of the Priests as God laid out strict orders for them. Right down to the clothing they were to wear.

The Priests' Clothing Illustrated by James Strong

What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What joys await us inside your holy Temple. Ps 65:4

The Priests experienced the presence of God daily. Remarkable when you think about it.

But they were required to draw near as servants of the Holy Place. To see to the arrangements of the house, according to God's law, which included many rituals. Too many to list but, in general, it was all about guarding and serving and providing for the dwelling place of the Most High! The key component? They could only enter with the sprinkling of the blood of sacrifice.

Is it possible God meant for us, His children, to live our lives in the same sacred honor of His presence?

It is the precious blood of Jesus that opened the way for EVERY believer to enter into God's presence. No longer the requirement of rituals 'performed'. Instead we have full access into the throne room to obtain mercy and help with the simple utterance of His name.

I submit that acknowledgement and an understanding of the blood sacrifice of Jesus will enlarge the capacity of our heart to experience more fully the manifest presence of God.

Believers are the dwelling place of God. We are the holy temples. And just like the priests had to keep the house in order ... as believers it is the way we live that makes a difference in our intimacy with God.  It is our place to guard, to serve, to provide for our temples (the place where God dwells now) in a way that is pleasing to God.

When once we experience the pure, undefiled, utterly pristine and holy presence of God and intimacy with Him becomes our habit the natural response is to long for Him more and more. We desire Him and we want nothing more than to please Him in every way.

The Flesh Is Weak

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Recently I was doing a job (involving my business) that I had no desire to do. It was a referral from one of my best clients so I felt obligated to accept the proposed project. I whined and complained to those closest people around me about NOT wanting to take it on but feeling like I HAD to (because of this great client). In my spirit I was reminded of these types of lessons God has used over the years to help me 'see' beyond the obvious circumstances. I knew there was more to this project than just the physical doing of it. In my spirit there were nudgings and confirmations of the good outcomes that would result in my participation. Not that I could put my finger on any of them. It was just that urging that comes from deep in my belly that I am so familiar with. (It is those very nudgings that can be heeded or ignored in our daily walk with The Master.)

Still, I dreaded each initial step necessary to get the project moving. I was exceedingly grumbly within, with a smile on my face, while attending the consult meetings and putting the preliminary proposal together. All the while knowing there was more to this than meets the eye.

Then on the way to the site the day I was to begin the final approved work I got honest with God. This was after 6 weeks of said whining and grumbling in various forms and worse... in my heart I was reluctant to let go of my own assessment of the situation. Ahhhh... honesty. Before God. Where I not only KNOW He sees and hears all things but I humbly acknowledge it before Him. And you know what? EVERY time He simply opens His loving arms and draws me into Himself as if I'd NEVER done it. Then... we talk.

I confess. He soothes.

I repent. He affirms.

I cry. He hugs.

I give thanks. He applies His balm of healing to my wounds.

When am I ever going to learn this lesson once and for all?

Among several of the eye-opening results of working with this particular group of people on this job, I'll share one of the most obvious.

There were three sessions scheduled to get the intial phase of the project accomplished and I was working with a group of women who were living in a halfway house. Without going into all the details it happened that on the third session of our outdoor project one of the women became ill and went back inside the house. The next thing I knew we were being alerted to the fact she was having a seizure of some sort inside. There was a lot of confusion at the time and ladies were coming back and forth announcing how bad it was. I had no authority to be inside with them. I simply stepped aside away from everyone and prayed a prayer with all the confidence/authority I've ever gained in the saving power of God. I rebuked the devil and prayed for peace and life in the situation. The ambulance came and took her away. The next day someone let me know she was fine and back to the halfway house safely with medication.

My heart was clear of the grumbling and I had free and open access to the throne of God for the need.

I'm not in any way saying I saved her or that I was the only one praying. I just KNOW that I was there for that moment.

Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Mark 14:38

Teach Me; Show Me

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, that I may honor You. Ps 86:11

Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow. Ps 25:14

Teach me, O Lord, to follow every one of your principles. Ps 119: 33
Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. Ps 17:7

Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom. Ps 90: 12

Show me where to walk, for I have come to you in prayer. Ps 143:8b


Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the path of honesty... Ps 27:11

The Holy Spirit breathed, Word of the Living God is the perfect resource for prayers uttered back to God in His own words.

When I was a new Christian it is how I learned to pray. As a growing Christian it is how I still learn to pray. So rich and so powerful is the Holy Writ when a believer's faith is added to the words!

Live the Life

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Have you ever seen those bumper stickers that say something to affect of "I'm not perfect, I'm just forgiven"! Or some such nonsense. I don't remember exactly how its worded but those types of quips out of the mouths of Christians are bothersome to me.

In a world where Christians are made out to be the stupid, ignorant sinners who only "talk" about Jesus and sin just as much as the heathen... I am of the opinion those types of "sayings" don't really do anything to help show the way to Jesus. Maybe I'm wrong. But that's what I think when I see that someone took the time to actually peel and stick those words on their car. Why?

That particular saying comes off as arrogant. Like it's okay that I'm not perfect because I'm forgiven ...so there ... I can do what I want and all is well with my soul because I'm forgiven. What's the point? Just LIVE the life and more lives will be directed to our Lord.

I'm not a fan of advertising with words. Oh that we would advertise Jesus with the way we live our lives!

Forget the bumper stickers... Live the life!

The Power of the Blood

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

If there ever was an author I LOVE it is Andrew Murray. His writings speak to my soul and touch the depths of my awareness and knowledge of God while urging me on to dive so much deeper and experience more of my Lord. Murray's connection with God had to be completely intertwined with his every step in life. No man can know the ways and dealings of God like he relates them without having spent a life in complete abandon to the Spirit of God.

It has been his writings that have spoken to and stirred places in my heart I didn't know could be described in words. His intimacy with the living Lord makes me hungry to know Him better and to give Him more of myself.

So I'm reading back through "The Power of the Blood of Jesus" for the umpteenth time. This little paperback book is so marked up, highlighted, and flagged it hardly resembles a book anymore. YET, I wrote in my prayer journal this week, "Have I ever read this book before now?"

How is it possible I am so dull of hearing! Every time I read it I am blown away and undone in my spirit all at once. His words about the blood of our Lord being the ultimate sacrifice that was poured out for our eternal redemption stirs so many thoughts in me about the missing elements in our modern culture.

Here are just a few thoughts that strike me to the core each time as if I've never heard them before.
"The blood must have the same place in our hearts which it has with God. Our heart will never rest, nor find salvation, till we too learn to walk and glory in the power of that blood." p. 21

"The precious blood of Christ has opened the way for the believer into God's presence;and intimacy with Him is a deep, spiritual reality. He who knows the full power of the blood is brought SO NIGH that he can always live in the immediate presence of God and in the enjoyment of the unspeakable blessings attached to it. THERE, the child of God has the ASSURANCE OF GOD'S LOVE; he experiences and enjoys it. God himself imparts it. He lives daily in the friendship and fellowship of God. In this intimacy with God, he possesses all that he needs; he wants no good thing. His soul is kept in perfect rest and peace, because God is with him. He receives all requisite direction and teaching. God's eye is ever upon him, guiding him. In INTIMACY WITH GOD, he is able to hear the SOFTEST WHISPERS of the Holy Spirit. He learns to understand the slightest sign of his Father's will and to follow it. His STRENGTH continually increases, for God is his strength; and God is ever with him." p95-96 (emphasis mine)

See what I mean? In the above quote Murray has to be speaking from his own experiences with God and God's dealings with himself. One cannot know these things without a living revelation ~ by experience of them.

How many Christians WISH/PRAY to hear softest whispers of the Holy Spirit! It isn't a hard thing but it is a thing reserved for those children of God who view it as a high privilege and are willing to draw near to God by His blood... the way has been opened. We must "give the blood the same prominent place in our hearts which it has with God."

I'm undone... again.

Painful

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Letting go of the control my flesh so desperately grapples to keep is definitely painful. It doesn't feel good.

I don't know about you but sometimes I get so caught up in my own thoughts, drawing my own conclusions, holding onto unforgiveness and anger, cherishing my own perceptions/assumptions and nursing hurts and negative thoughts that by the time I come to a place of admitting it all ... it is painful. My flesh really likes it when I get into a pattern that leaves God out just enough so I can go along in life fooling myself that I haven't left Him out at all.

I didn't realize I could be so good at it actually. I know just the places to go in the Bible where my current sins won't be addressed. If I'm holding unforgiveness in my heart or if I'm angry and just don't feel like giving it up right this minute or if I know the Lord has required a thing of me that I've ignored... I can still pray (on some level), I can still praise Him (on some level), I can still read my Bible (in certain places) without addressing my sin. It's true. You know it is.

But one thing I CANNOT do successfully (while in this fooling myself state) is worship my Lord. Not fully. Maybe it's just me. But I CANNOT.

Worship always requires my yieldedness. It requires honesty. Deep down revealing honesty and abandonment. Once my heart is willing and then yielded fully to the Spirit of God honesty is the result. Truthful honesty.

Wholly and completely in love with God and yielding to His love, His goodness, His mercy, His light... there are no words... It is Him ... as I worship Him He fills me up with His manifest presence. He floods my soul with all that is good and I feel I will burst from the brightness that washes over me. I've nothing left but to freely and without hesitation release all that nasty sinful ugliness I had just a moment prior thought was wrapped up so tidy in my heart for safe keeping.

Why? Why did I ever want to hoard it? Why did I ever let it get to the point of fooling myself that I wasn't doing just that? Sin is tricky. And believers are warned to strip it off/lay it aside as it can so easily hinder our progress* when we don't. Oh, that's right. My anger and my hurt is justified. There is good reason for me to nurse it. After all if I let it go I'll then have to forgive and release all parties involved. Nope. Not doing it. Not right now. It was too awful. I have to figure it out first. Then I'll decide what/if/when/how much I'll forgive. And the cycle of letting my flesh have its way begins. That's how it happens. That's how I get there.

The only solution is time with my Savior. Worship. Yielded to Him fully. Sweet surrender. Honest before Him.

Honesty is painful. Painful to my flesh.

*Scripture reference: Hebrews 12

Utter Dependence

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

I don't think I know what it means entirely. What I do know is that at times when my heart is the softest and most pliable before my Lord it is a phrase that comes up from the deepest parts of me. I boldly say the words to Him in that place of surrender. Those words when voiced aloud to Him seem to have life. Like stirring up all the most important/intimate/meaningful parts of my soul and pouring them out before Him so nothing is left. Nothing to hide. Nothing to keep for myself. Nothing but abandon. And it feels so good!

Isn't it odd? When I think of what abandon involves the very meaning of it intimates loss. Which seems to be the idea. Because what it turns out to be in the most remarkable spiritual encounters is the loss of all hurt, pain, anger, unforgiveness, selfish ambition, revenge, and pride. 

There is a PRIMARY thing God requires from his children. It's a thing He will not do FOR us.

Right after James* tells us that friendship with the world makes us an enemy of God and that if our aim is to enjoy this world we can't be a friend of God... He reminds us that God gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires.

So HUMBLE YOURSELF before God*.

Resist the devil*.

He will flee from you*.

When we bow down before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him, He will lift us up and give us honor*.

In my weakest human state of humility and utter dependence on God I am the strongest spiritually. When I'm strong spiritually I become strong in every other area... mentally, physically, socially. Ready to be of use to the kingdom.

More and more grace is available as I let go completely and truly give way to utter dependence on my Master.

It's just the way God does things. And I love Him with all my heart for it.

*Scripture reference: James 4:4-10

Ransomed by Love Himself

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Like Paul, I am less than the least of all the saints, I am chief among sinners, I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious. Once I was dead, doomed forever because of my many sins. I used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan,  following the passions and desires of my evil nature.

But GOD is so rich in His mercy! AND He loved me so very much, that even while I was dead because of my sins He gave me LIFE when he raised me from that death along with Jesus Christ. It was His kindness and the wealth of His favor that saved me when I believed! I take no credit for this. It is not a reward for the good things I've done so I have nothing to boast about.

This mercy, grace, and salvation is a GIFT from God. (adapted from Eph 2)

Sin is a lurking and ever present power always ready to pounce and capture. In my flesh dwells NO GOOD THING. It is necessary to be aware and on alert for the sin that so easily besets. For me, it is necessary to know the triggers that lure me into sin.

While I do not major on sin it is the knowledge and deep appreciation for God's grace and how He saved me from sin that compels me to lean into His grace and it kindles my desire to please Him alone. Staying ever mindful of God's grace is what causes me to crumple before Him in utter dependence on His love. It is the presence of His sweetness, His tenderness, His infilling, and impartation of His own nature that gives me the power to shun the life, the practices, and habits of the life I once lived in sin.

I cannot hold on to any part of it. I don't want to. If I am honest, I know what does and doesn't please my Lord. Sure, it is up to me to be that honest with myself and Him. But ~~when I am~~ I know that if I want the fullness of His presence and power in my life then I also want to walk this walk without those things of the flesh I once indulged in that drew me into the world.

He has not punished me for all my sins, nor does He deal with me as I deserve. He understands how weak I am. But His love remains forever for those who fear Him. (adapted from Ps 103)

He is merciful and gracious. He is slow to get angry. He is full of unfailing love.

I want my life to represent Him well.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Shutting Jesus Out

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

It is possible. To keep Jesus out.

Not even thinking about unbelievers here. As Christians we can keep Him out of what we want to keep Him out of. We can close places in our heart to Him. There are rooms, if you will,  in there... in our hearts... where we shut the door and do not allow Him to have His way. Certain areas of our life we just do not discuss or we try to ignore when we are talking to God. If we talk (pray) to God at all.

Have you ever done a lot of thinking about a thing and maybe even God and His thoughts on the subject came into your thinking. I submit that thinking is NOT praying. For example: If I am thinking about YOU, I am not talking with you... I am thinking. Once I include YOU in my conversation and I'm open to your side of the conversation I am then talking with you. Same goes for God.

It does me good to ask once in a while. What are some of the things that I hide away in my heart and try not to bring up to God?

SO... things that keep me from talking WITH God and often (later when I get it all sorted out) I discover I wasn't ever praying about these things... not fully anyway. But I was thinking about it ALL THE TIME. Hurt, betrayal, disappointment, worry, taking on the cares of the world and on it goes... the effects of them, the people involved, the ripple effect they have... sometimes I just don't really want to have to do what Jesus would do in these situations so it's easier NOT to talk to Him about them. At least not in the "not my will, but Yours" sort of way. Shutting Him out is easier on my flesh.

What's the age old root to the issue? PRIDE. At least that's what I'm discovering in myself. Again. No, it is not a new revelation. It is just that I let pride creep back in ever so slowly (in so many ways) until at times(as ugly a monster as it is) it can be staring me in the face and I don't recognize it.

What's the cure for pride? Humility.

Less of me. More of God. Not my will but His alone. In EVERY single area of life.

Total and utter dependence on His ability, grace, mercy, power in EVERY situation. Oh, what a sweet place to be. Melting in the arms of my Savior. His redeeming love washing over and through all my weaknesses. All my disappointments, hurts, betrayals, selfishness. Cleansing me and making me whole. His love is shed abroad in my heart and His strength empowers me to forbearance and long suffering.

Why would I EVER think I could do anything without Him? When I'm doing it I don't even recognize it much less admit that I'm doing it. PRIDE. That's how it works.

Pride keeps me from going to God and humbling myself before Him. I just move along in life without completely submitting my thought-life, my attitudes, my opinions, my decisions, my disappointments, hurts, and rejections. I try to handle things on my own. And I can even justify my un-Godly actions/reactions...with my knowledge of Him of course. Because I have a lot of that.

Not being prideful when I say that... just honest. It is one of the dangers/traps of mature (knowledgeable) Christians. Knowledge without power. Only God has the power. And yes, I can have it, too, (through Him) but only as I yield my will to His.

Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made Himself nothing; He took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form He obediently humbled Himslef even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross. Phil. 2: 5-8

I haven't even come close to understanding what being humble is!!!

Steadfast and Confident

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

There are times when I can only rely on my heart. My head might be screaming an entirely different message at me. But my heart knows the truth of God's word because I've hidden it deep inside my heart. So when life doesn't add up and/or my flesh is weak I hold onto the confidence I have in God and His keeping power. The 'soundness' of His Holy Scriptures anchor me and make me strong where/when I am weak. His love and His word are my hope and my confidence in the good times and the testing times.

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident! I will sing and make melody. Psalm 57:7

Safe

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.


For ME and anyone else who might need the reminder today...

The Voice That Matters

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Note from me: I wrote this entry on March 25. Life has been so wacky and busy that I never got around to publishing it or anything else since then. Even though the timing and dates are all wrong I'm going ahead and publishing this now. There has been so much under-handed dealings at the White House since this time it will make your head spin. I needed to read the prayer journal entry again ... because I easily lose heart these days over losing our freedoms in this wonderful country.
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It is sometimes stressful and overwhelming to realize our voice is not being heard.

Our children don't always listen to our voice. If we have little ones they can flat out ignore what we say and do what they want anyway. If we have teenagers the same is true. Husbands? Forget it. I'm convinced they are masters at "tuning us out".

When someone (whether it's me or a teenager or spouse or whomever) doesn't listen to our good advice it is almost always because they think they know what is better for them over whatever it is that we are trying to say/warn/predict/instruct/help. You get the idea.

As an American living in a Republic, usually defined as "a government of the people", it is hard to swallow when we see our government ignoring the majority of the people's desires on any given bill or vote.

Such was the case this past weekend when backroom deals, intimidations, and pay-offs were the ticket for a ram-down-our-throats bill the house of Representatives were being forced to vote on. Just like the first time they voted on it they were forced to stay through the weekend, for crying out loud, to take a vote.


Suffice to say everything about the way it was brought about and voted on was all wrong.

The administration that is in office right now thinks they know better what we need than we know for ourselves. Elected officials are supposed to represent the voice of the people. They are supposed to serve the people whom they represent.

Our elected officials are not listening to the overwhelming majority of voices in this country. Every poll consistently inidicates that the majority do not want a nationalized government take over of our healthcare system!

As one voice I have done everything I can do short of marching to Washington. I've tried to stay informed (which Lord knows is monumental considering the confusion that has gone on around this bill) written letters, e-mails, and made phone calls to my elected officials letting my dissent be clear.

Needless to say I am very disappointed in the outcome. I'm not in despair. I'm not thinking the world has come to an end. I haven't given up hope. But I am disgusted and mad about it.

No matter what any government decides, or elected official misconstrues, or authority of the land decides, or turn of events in this world it is my position/decision as a believer to let the peace of God rule in my heart. Not an easy thing when you feel 'out of control' due to authorities trying to take away your freedoms.

Regardless of the situation I turn to the Truth. The word of God. The words of God to me. The voice of the Lord.

It brings me back to the center of my soul. It levels my head. It soothes my wounds. It calms my fears. It reminds me of Who I belong to no matter what happens. It gives me confidence~~ not in man or any institutions~~ but in WHO God is and that everything about my life (and the lives of those that matter to me) matters to Him.

{Just for the record... I'm not one of those that just says "God is in control so not to worry." Briefly... no, I believe God has given His body~ His church ~ authority while on this earth to do His work and the work of His kingdom. It is our responsibility to know what that is and to get it done through the power and strength of Jesus Christ, our head. A subject way to deep to cover in this post but I've seen a lot of talk in Christian circles trying to explain away why this vote went through that somehow makes us feel better if we just say, "Oh well, God is in control."}

A Page From My Prayer Journal:

On Monday morning, March 22, after a restless night because of the tactics of the White House, God so faithfully helped me to center my soul with the most soothing words. This is how I wrote it in my journal...

Teach me how to live, O Lord. Ps. 27:11
13)Yet I am confident that I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living.
29:4-9 in part

... the voice of the Lord is powerful

... the voice of the Lord is full of majesty

... the voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars

... the voice of the Lord strikes with lightning bolts

... the voice of the Lord makes the desert quake

... the voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and strips forests bare
11) The Lord gives his people strength ...

The Lord blesses them with peace.

How Do We Live?

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

I've been a student of the Bible for a long time. I make that statement to establish a fact not at all in a proud way. Sometimes I don't even like to admit it. Surely I should be further along in my journey.

No matter how long you've been a Christian it is the words of God, from the Bible, that provides the bread of life we are to live by. So most Believers believe this. Right?

When I read the Bible I have always started with the text and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, draw out its meaning. In context. Using cross referencing and the principle of two or three witnesses as a way to establish the Truth and meaning of the text.

Does this mean I am always right? or that I live it out perfectly? I'm not saying that. I'm simply stating some facts and trust that my dear readers will understand my point.

There is another way to study the Bible. It is when you start with an idea or conviction THEN search for text or verses to prove your point.

I find the latter to be quite prevelant in Believer's lives in our modern day culture.

This is the way cults justify their beliefs. It is also the way so called "sincere Christians" use this style of interpretation in order to justify greed, lust, divorce, you name it... there are countless other sins that can be justified when the Bible is approached in this way.

It is actually easy to pursue just about any lifestyle we choose, then find Bible text to argue that it is quite all right to live that way.

My sincerest heart is to form my concepts and principles of life ... my entire belief system based on starting with the Holy Writ, reverencing each word, leaning my entire personality on the Holy Spirit to help me understand it, and then LIVE IT OUT.

I've failed so many times. And oftentimes it is in the nagging sins and character flaws that haunt me over and over again. Like anger for instance. When I realize I'm angry I've learned (finally) to stop and ask myself why. Almost always it is MY emotional response to feeling hurt or helpless. Hurt comes from situations involving those people who matter to me most... helpless comes from things going on in our world (whether personal or otherwise) that I feel I can't 'do' anything about.

In my anger I could go find scriptures to justify being angry at seemingly justifiable hurts and circumstances affecting me whether directly or indirectly. I mean Jesus got angry and overturned the tables in the temple.

But when I read the Bible in context... the Bible written to New Testament Christians... I find answers. Not excuses for my sin.


Your anger can never make things right in God's sight. Be quick to listen (really great advice), slow to speak (that's a challenge), and slooooooow to get angry... James tells me (James 1:19-20).

This year I'm asking the Holy Spirit (I really mean it ... again) to help me LIVE what I know. Not by mere fact of the law... please don't misunderstand.

I get it that the Holy Spirit resides in me and He is my helper, my counselor, the one who comes along side of me. I get it that we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God.

I want to LIVE it. I want to be more aware of pleasing Him because of His love and mercy for me than I am in what people think or don't think.

I want HIM to be the regulator of my life in every way ... big and small.

Handmade Gifts

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

My best shot this year at whimsical, handmade Christmas gifts.

What about you? Would you rather receive a gift with all its imperfections made with hands or do you prefer the store bought sure-fire type?

Man-Made Christmas

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

It's been an interesting Christmas season for me this year. My usual mode is to get intensely involved in the hustle and bustle this holiday seems to demand. It calls for so many activities out of the ordinary. It's not like all the other regular-life things stop and we can just 'do' Christmas.

No matter how I try I never can seem to get started with all the planning, decorating, shopping, baking, wrapping until after Thanksgiving. When I think about how long I've been at this routine one would think it would get easier and I would get better at it.

If I cut myself some slack I'd probably say I have gotten a little better at managing the Christmas to-do's without stressing myself out 24/7 for 3 weeks straight. Admittedly, I had a crying melt-down the first week of December from the pressure I put on myself. Mike listened and as usual nothing he reasoned could console my feelings of "I'm never going to get it all done."

After that meltdown (that I swore would not happen this year no.matter.what.) I came full circle~~ back around to "why" we celebrate. I don't know about you but my detailed and sort-of compulsive personality always tends to make more out of just about any situation than the average human being. So even though, of course I 'know' why we celebrate, I easily get caught off guard and caught up in the stress of it all rather than the joy of it all.

Man has created a "season" that actually can distract us from the very thing we are to be celebrating.

I love Christmastime and all that goes along with it. Family, friends, lights, sparkles, music, ribbons, bows, trees, cookies, shopping, entertainment, children's programs and on and on it goes... but not at the expense of peace in my soul.

I must have peace. That, for me, requires a good look in the face of Jesus and His love and mercy washing over me in generous doses as the reality of His kindness and redemption for not only me but the entire world puts everything back into perspective.

Oswald Chambers put it so well I won't bother to re-create words that describe what happens when I carry that kind of peace around with me.

Every time you get into personal contact with Jesus, His words are real. "My peace I give unto you," it is a peace all over from the crown of the head to the sole of the feet, an irrepressible confidence. "Your life is hid with Christ in God," and the imperturbable peace of Jesus Christ is imparted to you. Oswald Chambers

Don't you just love that word "imperturbable"? THAT is the kind of peace I wish for every reader. There is no amount of money that can purchase it. It is one thing you can't buy for Christmas. There is only one way to find it.

And have yourself ... a Merry Christmas!

Me and Bing

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Call me crazy. Call me weird.

I play my Christmas music practically non-stop from the moment we wrap up Thanksgiving. I look forward to setting my i-pod to shuffle mode and Christmas genre, plugging it in to speakers, cranking it up and ... oh, that's right I mistakenly erased my entire i-pod recently when attempting to restore it. That was because my computer crashed over a year ago and I lost my entire i-tunes library. But this is way off subject.

Well, not totally. Because of that little mishap I'm having to resort to the use of my get this... stereo with surround sound speakers. So passé. So yesterday. Really. But it does have a 5 CD changer so that's convenient. I set the listening mode to random and it automatically skips around from song to song and CD to CD. Thank goodness I still have lots of those old standbys called CD's. Because I also lost all my purchased music from i-tunes when my computer crashed and I didn't have it backed up. Oh, there I go again. WAAAA!

Anyway, speaking of old-fashioned I love Bing Crosby. My favorite Christmas movie is White Christmas. And I adore listening to his old-timey crooning voice sing Christmas carols. I love his talking voice, too. So soothing. So gay... in a good sort of gay-way. I know, we don't use that word anymore but thought I could get by with it while I'm showing my age.

Back to pin-pointing my weirdness. This year everytime I hear him singing or talking (yes, he talks on one of my Christmas albums ~ not much but you get the idea) it gives me a little pang of sadness. It makes me sad because hearing his voice represents all that is right and free and good about America to me. I don't why but it does. The America we know and love. The America built on hard work and perserverance. An America that loved God and our fellow man and individual liberties.

It seems our America~ the America we know and love ~ is slipping away daily under this current Administration and Bing would not believe it if he were here to sing for us today. Who knew hearing Bing's voice sing Christmas carols would remind me of that.

See what I mean... call me crazy. Go ahead. I can take it.

Speaking of Gifts

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

"We have to realize that we cannot earn or win anything from God; we must either receive it as a gift or do without it." Chambers

Just for fun this morning I opened My Utmost For His Highest on the appropriate date. Usually I'm all over the place with it.

It happens to be my birthday. What a blessed reminder gift it was to read those words this early morning.

So because I don't want to do without every provision my Lord sacrificed His life for me to have... today I'm remembering all day long ...

"being justified freely by His grace..." Rom 3: 24
(and that's not talking about calories, peeps!)

Homebody

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

At my very core that's me. A homebody. There is no place on earth I'd rather be than at home. There is no place on earth that gives me more contentment than being at home taking care of whatever the day calls for at the time. Whatever that happens to be I have always felt like making my house a home for my family and being there to manage it is my highest calling.

When I got married over 31 years ago my husband had custody of his two children from a previous marriage. We had our only child together that first year. Just like that! I was a (very) young mom of three children. Even though I was working a full time job until two weeks before our son was born, it was in my heart not to go back to work. I was as happy as a clam to be at home running children all over the kingdom to their schools and various activities, keeping up with the house and my husband.

My own schedule, my own timing, my own projects, my own agenda, my own volunteering, my own life basically. We homeschooled two of our children for many years and then when the youngest went to college I moved from volunteering at a local crisis pregnancy center that was near and dear to my heart for many years to actually "working" there on staff.

After ten years there I decided to give into my happy place again and left there to be home again. This past two years has given me time to re-group, to center my soul around the things I love most, to be available to my family if/when they need me, to develop my gardens, and best of all to come and go as I please. Spoiled some would say, but it is, to this moment, what I love best.

I would be happiest and perfectly satisfied with staying at home for the rest of my days. But ... along with launching my own business this past spring and forming a garden coaching limited liability corporation I've recently gone to work fpart-time for a local garden nursery. One that I have spent plenty of dollars and time in prior to asking if they hire part-time employees. So far it is proving beneficial in all the ways I thought it might.

It's helping me learn more and more about plants and trees that I am not necessarily familiar with. I'm gaining all kinds of information about what it takes to run a retail nursery. (You know, just in case I might think I want to have one of my own some day). And I'm building up physical strength with the type of work that is involved.

My hope is to build my garden coaching business more when the spring season rolls around. In the meantime I'm trusting God to give me what it takes to make this work and hopefully, along with helping out in the down economy, I will learn plenty and be a benefit to my employer.

Finding the Medium

...everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Sooooo, I haven't been too diligent here have I? And I'm so sure allllllllllll my thousands of readers are sitting around with baited breath wondering when will the next post show up. LOL

Truth is, when I got it in my heart to start this blog the motivation was largely so I would have a place where words could flow as easily as they do from my heart. The reality is that 'writing' what's in my heart requires much more thought and organization than all the jumbled up thoughts that run through my head. At the time, there were so many things I thought I wanted to say. You know, blurbs and blips and nitty-gritty things about what goes on in everyday life along with spiritual insights and thoughts I gain along the way. But when it comes down to it I don't think letting it all hang out is really me. Not in this type of forum anyway.

One on one, looking into eyes and faces, I like nothing better than a deep conversation about anything and everything. Spending time with friends, family and those in need who like to share and dig down for answers and truths is most enriching and rewarding. I would say I'm an open-book in those situations.

I'm pretty sure that has something to do with building trust, faithfulness, and loyalty. I don't do that with just anyone.

With the blog I wrote with my kids prior to "Priceless Gain" I felt I had to guard some of the personal things I probably would have said had it not been a shared blog. After all, so many of my personal thoughts and emotions involve my children. Even though they are each grown and independent from us, my heart and life still revolves very much around them, their children, their ups and downs, our times together and my emotions concerning them. If you're a mom you know how that is. I wouldn't ever want to throw any of them under the bus or exalt one over the other either. Therein lies the rub. How much do I say and how much not to say. And then how much will others "read into" what I DO share. Just trying to find the balance now.

Blogging is interesting to say the least. It's amazing how many blogs there are and how diverse the subjects contained therein. Just goes to show we all want to have a voice. For some reason blogging makes us think we are being heard. It is definitely an outlet for creativity and expression of all sorts.

Initially I thought I wanted to make this a private blog. That just means the reader would have to sign in each visit. People are in such a hurry these days, I decided against that at the last minute.

What about you? If you have a blog how do you decide what kinds of personal things to share? If you like to read blogs what is it you look for in a blog to keep you reading?