I have fallen into a new study of God's Word, focusing on His calendar as He intended for His people.  Here is an interesting video regarding Yahweh's Sabbath...



I hope you will be blessed, and that you will learn and be challenged, as I was...

Blessings in Christ

Day 5 of Fast2013.  

The food part seems easier this time around, for some reason...I am struggling with my daily reading though.  My husband, Paul wound up in hospital on day 3, and that was quite a bit of a distraction, but I think I am back on track now... =]

I enjoy eating food I make myself...especially when it tastes good!  

One amazing thing is that I have not had coffee in over a week!  Anyone who knows me knows that I am a coffee snob!  I LOVE coffee...especially espresso!  And although I never have more than two cups per day, I have definitely developed an addiction!  NOT GOOD!  

Even more amazing is that I have had no sugar...of ANY kind...since the day before I started my fast (January 6th)!  I am SUPER addicted to sugar, so not having any has been a really good thing.  I have sweetened some things with orange juice...like my green bean stir-fry and my ginger tea.  It was great!

The other thing is making homemade peanut butter (pictured below)!  YUMMY!!  

God is really talking to me about holiness.  I have been reading The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges.  I am only on chapter two, and already I have had "ah-ha" moments!  Of course, God calls me to be holy as HE is holy.  He does not desire me to conform to the "holiness" of the Christians around me, but to His holiness alone.  He expects me to compare myself to Himself only.

I also realized that God does not want me to focus on being victorious over sin (which is me relying on my own strength).  God expects my obedience!  When I sin, do I feel bad because I did not succeed...I was not "victorious"?  Or is it because I know my sin has grieved the heart of my heavenly Father?  God does not want my goal to be victory, but obedience!  And when I am obedient, I realize that victory over sin is a byproduct of my obedience! 

Discipline

     I have a tendency to allow so much in the world to distract me from my time with God, from allowing Him to be at the center of all I do and of the choices I make every day. 

     I am relieved when I read 2 Tim. 1:7. It reads, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." Why am I relieved, you ask? Because I realize I do not have to rely on my own self-discipline! Especially since I don't seem to have any!! (No really...it's true!!) We who belong to Christ are blessed to have been given the Spirit of God to live in us, allowing us to tap into His strength, His love, and His discipline, and that is a relief! 

     “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.” 1 Cor. 9:24-25 NLT 

     “God is clear: we must exercise self-discipline in all matters. Self-discipline is not simply a proven way to get ahead; it’s also an integral part of God’s plan for our lives. If we genuinely seek to be faithful stewards of our time, our talents, and our resources, we must adopt a disciplined approach to life. Otherwise, our talents are wasted and our resources are squandered.”[1]

      Self-discipline is the thing I struggle with the very most! Whether it is food, housework, devotional time, personal practice time, exercise…you name it! I am great at starting a project, but horrible at finishing! A testament to that is the number of unfinished crochet and knit projects I have sitting in my house! 

     And so today I choose to live a life of self-discipline. I know that sounds so simple…and it is. It is a matter of choice. I was not born lazy! I’ve chosen it! But I cannot allow myself to wonder how I will succeed tomorrow, or the next day…these days are not promised to me. So, for today, I choose the self-discipline provided to me by the Holy Spirit. 

“Personal humility is a spiritual discipline and the hallmark of the service of Jesus.” (Franklin Graham)

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[1] 5 Minutes A Day: 365 Daily Devotions for Women, Day 3

About Me...Basically

For anyone who finds this blog...should anyone stumble upon it by some circumstance...I guess I should give a few basics about myself, and what I believe - that is, why God is such an important part of my life.  So, here goes...

Other than the fact that Christ dwells in me, I don’t see myself as a particularly special individual.  Like every other person on the planet, I have had many struggles over the course of my life.  In fact, I continue to struggle with life, and myself, far more often than I'd care to admit!  That's the number one reason I need a Savior- THE Savior!  Without Christ, I know I am no good!

I was a product of a broken home and childhood sexual abuse. 

I say “was” because The Bible, in 2 Cor. 5:17, states, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”  I believe that!!  It took many years for me realize the truth of this verse for myself, owning the freedom it brings.  I have a new and sure foundation for my life – a new mindset with which to view life and make choices.  The same childhood experiences that the enemy used to try to derail my life are now being used to minister to others.

I now am a product of God’s compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and grace!

I look back over my life – seeing where I started and where I am now – and I am amazed at the changes God has worked in me.  For all the while and in all the ways I was looking for fulfillment, it took me so long to realize that true fulfillment is found only through trusting in Christ, allowing Him to be the center of my every day, regardless of what it may bring.  I know that, without Christ, I would not have been able to gain victory over the circumstances of my youth, or forgive myself for the the choices I made as a young adult.  Without God's presence, I would be a slave to depression and lost in a cycle of choices that would have lead to my ultimate destruction.

So here I will share my continued journey with you…whoever you may be…in hopes that my journey will encourage you, challenge you, and/or, more importantly, help you to realize your own need for salvation and cause you to desire and strive for a more intimate walk with Christ.