God's Love

I hit on the fact recently that I have a personal journal. Well, there's a lot of raw material in there.   The me that I like to keep hidden in the pages that no one else will see.  In there I fight with myself and ask God lots of questions that as a Christian woman I feel I shouldn't have the, well, balls to ask.  And I've been asking God to open my heart and to show me trust.  Today he showed me a little bit.  I what may be a reverse prayer (and yes, I tend to write out my prayers in the pages of my journal, I feel that I have a stronger voice in written word... maybe that why I have continued to blog when so many other things come and go).

I have been struggling with the idea that God, who is so right and pure and true would ever want to have anything to do with me.  I believe God is who he says he is and that Jesus his son came to earth, lived, died and rose again.  I believe.  That's not where my struggle has been.  Mine has hit more on trust.  Why would God love me?  Who can love the mess that is me?

And in my private journal I found something, this reverse prayer, that I feel like I'm not the only one who needs to hear it.  So, if you read and it touches your heart, maybe you are the one that its been put it on the blog for.  If not, feel free to skip over it...

Yes, you are mine.  I created you and I love you not just the way you are or in spite of the way you are but bigger and deeper and wider and longer and so much more unconditional than you will ever comprehend.  Even if you were to never open the door I'd still continue to knock.   

There is no one more special, more important to me than you.  Even if you never change and the ways you hate so much about yourself stay the same for the rest of your life I don't care, Ill never leave you.  I see you as good, as pure, as lovely, as noble, and admirable.  You are so breathtaking to me.  I am ENTHRALLED by your beauty.  I am yours, my sweet child, and you are mine.  Remember the woman by the well?  Remember Mary and Martha? I didn't condemn them.  I love them. And I love you too.   

I am literally willing to go to the ends of the earth and to die to protect you.  In my death I set you free.  Free from guilt and agony and shame and pain.  I set you free from the constraints of sin and of this world and I placed a power in you to do such mighty things.  Because I know you are capable.  I know you are strong enough and you have me by your side to always encourage and honor you.  No matter how narrow the path, I'm with you.  I may even carry you.  No matter how heavy the backpack, I'll carry the load.  No matter where you run or where you hide I'll be with you.  With the most pure, faithful love.  You are my beloved.   

See all the beauty on the earth? Its there for you.  Bask in the colors of the sunrise, in the smell of the ocean breeze, in the ease of a lazy Saturday and the sound of the music you listen to, in the feel of the warm sheets in the winter and the sun on your face.  Enjoy the taste of food.  Enjoy the love of friends and family.  Enjoy everything I've made, because I made it for you.  Because you are worth it all and so much more.   

I have a plan for you.  And don't worry about it right now.  When I want you to know I'll tell you.  Right now work on experiencing my love.  Just be there and rest in that.  Just like you must just be when you are in yoga.  Just be in me.   

Remember the unconditional love in Cambodia?  That's real.  That's a reflection of my love.  Its not forced or manufactured.  And it's not mass-produced. It's personal, its relational and it's just yours.  You are so uniquely made.  And your life is unlike any others.  DO NOT COMPARE your life to others.  Don't measure successes and failures the same way others do.    

I've created you with a purpose in mind that only I know and it will be fulfilled.  And to do it and to prepare you for it and to ultimately show you my love and how strong it is I've allowed you freedom to experiment and to try and to run and to learn.  And slowly I've brought  you back to me.  Because I need you and you need me.    

Open your heart to me.  Understand it's a slow process.  When it's tough lean into me.  I'm unbending and can support you.  When it hurts know I cry with you.  Know when its scary I protect you.  Know no matter what the circumstance I'm with you, I'm in you, I'm surrounding you.  Just like the wind you may not always feel me or see my but know I'm there.  I'm touching and surrounding you because you mean so much to me.  And there will be a day when we stand face to face and we will embrace.  Where ever you are, you are home and you are with me.    

The love I have doesn't even understand or comprehend the words stop or quit or end.  It doesn't understand limits.  Even when you would be willing to quite or give up, know that in that moment my love just got stronger.  Because it in your weakness that I'm made strong.  I get to hold you and wrap my arms around you.   

If only you would view yourself in the way I  view you.  But my view would frighten you because I have you on such a pedestal.  You are my child and I see your potential.  I know your capabilities.  I know how strong you really are.  And right now, in days like today, you're learning a little bit about your strength too.  Most 'normal' people couldn't go thru what you do and have your attitude.   

You are finally learning to be honest with me in who you are; and be honest with yourself.  You aren't coming to me with perfection saying 'look what I did' but coming to me in humbleness saying I need you.  You have fears and doubt and trouble and sadness.  The walls you built up to try to keep all that out... how are they working for you? You've managed t trap yourself inside of them haven't you?  With my help they won't just be removed but we will tear them down and build and build a bridge out of those bricks.  These bricks will pave a way to a world  you can't even fathom on your own.  Because I know what your capable of and remember, I know your strength and I'l never ask you to do anything you can't bear.   

My love, my beloved, you are amazing, outstanding, and I'm simply overwhelmed by you.  If only you could see you in the way I see you, ahhh, what a change that would be.  What a paradigm shift.  Your focus would forever be changed.  What you deem important now you would look at like yesterday's garbage.  Because what I have for you is so much bigger. 

But don't be overwhelmed, we'll go at your pace.  Remember, I have all the time in the world.  And I'll use it all with you.  Use me to fill you up.  Use me to get what you need.  I'm always here.  Always.  You will never need an appointment to see me.  Don't worry about having the right answers, keep asking the questions.  Never give up and I promise I'll never give up on you.   

I love you.  Abba.  Your Father.

Sean Strickland

Here is an honesty post. I have been fighting with God. I know I will never win, but there are times that I just want to wrestle with him and right now is just one of those times. My head hurts, to the point of a headache. I feel like crying and have teared up more than once in the last hour and have cried hard a few times over the weekend. I don't want time to think so I have been doing as much as possible to keep myself and my mind occupied.

Why all of this? Well, my former manager and friend Sean died suddenly in a car accident last Wednesday. His funeral is tomorrow. He is leaving behind a wife and a 7 year old daughter who I have gotten to know and love. The family had an amazing outlook of what life would look like in the near future. All of that is gone. My heart broke. Why would God have had him go thru all he just went thru and then take his life away?? I know he is in a better place, but his family is not. They are hurting. I started to think of all the things I have been able to do with my Dad from the age of 7 to now and I break down. I can't imagine what that is like. There are times I feel numb, like this can't be real. Every time I start up my car I think, will I make it to my destination?? What was he doing when it happened? What had he been thinking about, he was so close to home. And what keeps going thru my head is why? What is the meaning of all of this?? Why does God even have us here on this planet? Why did He even make us, from the beginning? What is the point?

These are the thoughts that I have taken to bed every night. I have taken to prayer every day. On Wednesday night I was so mad I didn't want to pray, I didn't want to read my Bible, I wanted to rebel and be as far away from God as possible. I was overwhelmed. How can I be mad at God when he exactly where I want to run to for comfort? And after I calmed down (a few hours later) I did go to Him and talked, yelled, and cried.

The following nights my Bible study led me into Ecclesiastes where Solomon is asking the same questions. Solomon goes thru a lot of what he find as meaningless. But then he goes into what is meaningful. And since I have read this verse on Friday, I have been meditating on it. It has been giving me peace.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 - Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.

Devotional

I struggle. I'm sure I'm alone in this. And that tends to make the struggle harder.

In reality, I am so far from being alone. Everyone struggles but when I look at them, I don't see it. I don't see what is deep in their minds, like I do for myself.

As a single lady, I have been struggling lately with giving my relationship life over to God. I have been telling Him that it is His, however, I seem to want to take it back. Then I read my devotional for today and realized that giving my life over to God is not a one time deal... its something I do over every day. You may get something completely different out of it, but I get peace.

Which is exactly what I pray for every night.

The Practice of Surrender
by Rick Warren

“If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives to follow me.” Matthew 16:24 (NCV)

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Paul’s moment of surrender occurred on the Damascus road after he was knocked down by blinding light. For others, less drastic methods are needed to get our attention.Regardless, surrendering is never just a one-time event.Paul said, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31 NASB).

There is a moment of surrender and there is the practice of surrender, which is moment-by-moment and lifelong. The practice of surrender requires perseverance; you may have to re-surrender your life fifty times a day: “If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives [daily] to follow me” (Matthew 16:24 NCV).

Let me warn you: When you decide to live a totally surrendered life, that decision will be tested. Sometimes it will mean doing inconvenient, unpopular, costly, or seemingly impossible tasks.It will often mean doing the opposite of what you feel like doing. “Those who are living by their natural inclinations have their minds on the things human nature desires; those who live in the Spirit have their minds on spiritual things” (Romans 8:5 NJB).

We are, by nature, self-centered. When hurt by someone, your natural inclination is to hurt back.It is natural to hoard money instead of generously sharing it, to defend yourself when criticized, to hide your mistakes instead of confessing them, and to try to impress others. You can usually figure out what will please God by doing the opposite of your natural inclination.

Bill Bright founded Campus Crusade for Christ. Through the worldwide Crusade staff, his tract “The Four Spiritual Laws,” and the “JESUS” film (seen by over one billion people), it’s estimated that over 150 million people have come to Christ and will spend eternity in heaven.

I once asked Bill, “Why did God use and bless your life so much?” He said, “When I was a young man I made a contract with God.I literally wrote it out and signed my name at the bottom. It said ‘From this day forward, I am a slave of Jesus Christ.’”

Have you signed a contract like that with God? Or, are you still arguing and struggling with God over his right to do with your life as he pleases? It is time to surrender – to God’s grace, love, and wisdom.

Today's Devotional

This was sooooo absolutely encouraging for me today that I have to put it here. Hope you find it the same.

What Does God Know about You? (Part 2)
by Rick Warren

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13 (NIV)

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God knows everything about your faults and failures, and your feelings and frustrations, and he also knows what your tomorrow holds.

God knows your future. We’re all interested in the future. It’s interesting to me the things people will use to try to figure out what’s going to happen next: astrology, horoscopes, reading tea leaves, consulting with people, bio-rhythms.

But they’re going to the wrong source because the only one who knows what’s going to happen next is God.

The Bible says, even before you were born, God knew all of your future (Psalm 139:16, Jeremiah 29:11). This means God sees your tomorrow, today. He already sees the things you’ll face.

The fact is, God is not limited by time. He’s able to be in the past, the present, and the future all at the same time. Think of it like this: if you were in the Goodyear Blimp looking down on the Rose Parade, you could see the beginning of the parade and the end of the parade all at the same time.

God, from his perspective, can see past, present, and future all at once. That should give us great confidence in God. It’s comforting to me that he knows everything that is going to happen in my life. He not only knows about the future, he’s there in the future. He not only walks with us day-by-day, he can also walk in our future.

God is already prepared for everything you’re going to face – tomorrow, next week, or next month. What the future holds may surprise us, but it doesn’t surprise God. Nothing ever catches him by surprise, or makes him say, “Oh, really?!”

Next month or next year you may be faced with a crisis, and you may ask, “What’s happening? Where is God?” God’s been there all along, preparing. He’s already in your future and he’s prepared for everything.

If I know that God knows all my tomorrows, today, then I should ask him for advice. He knows what’s going to happen: “Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own” (Jeremiah 33:3 MSG).

The things you don’t know, God can tell you about. He’s not going to lay out your whole life all at once, telling you everything that will happen in your life. If he did, you’d likely get very discouraged or prideful or both. Instead, he gives it to you a little bit at a time.

It’s like this, when you’re driving up a mountain on a curving road and you’re caught behind a slow car, you may think, “If I could just see around the curve, I’d go ahead and pass this guy.” If there were a helicopter above, the pilot could let you know if there was another car around the curve. From his perspective, he could help you out.

The same is true with God: from his perspective, he knows everything that’s going to happen, so you can ask him for advice.

Here’s what I’d suggest, when you get up in the morning, go over your schedule with the Lord. Pray, “Father, you’ve already seen this day that I’m about to experience. You know ahead of time every interruption I’m going to face, every cranky person in the office, every flat tire, every traffic jam, every missed plane, when I’m going to spill the coffee on my suit. You’ve already seen it all. Would you, right now, give me the strength to cope through this day, the strength that I need for today.”

Ok, another one...

Maybe I just feel very inspired this AM, however, here is another devotional that I thought was soooooo good!

How to Be Thankful in Tough Times
by Rick Warren

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

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1. Don’t worry about anything. Worrying doesn’t change anything. It’s stewing without doing. There’s no such thing as born worriers; worry is a learned response. You learned it from your parents. You learned it from your peers. You learned it from experience. That’s good news. The fact that worry is learned means it can also be unlearned. Jesus says, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:34 NLT).

2. Pray about everything. Use the time you’ve spent worrying for praying. If you prayed as much as you worried, you’d have a whole lot less to worry about. Some people think God only cares about religious things, such as how many people I invite to church or my tithing. Is God interested in car payments? Yes. He’s interested in every detail of your life. That means you can take any problem you face to God.

3. Thank God in all things. Whenever you pray, you should always pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love, but gratitude. It actually increases your immunities; it makes you more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. They’re never satisfied; it’s never good enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life.

4. Think about the right things. If you want to reduce the level of stress in your life, you must change the way you think. The way you think determines how you feel, and the way you feel determines how you act. So if you want to change your life, you need to change what you’re thinking about.

This involves a deliberate, conscious choice where you change the channels. You choose to think about the right things: focus on the positive and on God’s Word. Why? Because the root cause of stress is the way you choose to think.

When we no longer worry, when we pray about everything, when we give thanks, when we focus on the right things, the apostle Paul tells us the result is, “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 NLT). What a guarantee! He is guaranteeing peace of mind.

The healthiest human emotion is not love, but gratitude.

New Year Devotional

I am a few days behind on my online devotionals (hey, hey... I am right on schedule for my nightly devotionals so I don't feel too bad). This morning I read the devotional from 1/1/2009 and absolutely loved it. Must share...

A Resolution Worth Keeping
by Jon Walker

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV)

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Today’s guest devotional is from Jon Walker.

How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? You remember that list you made with optimistic enthusiasm but unrealistic expectations.

One of my friends started making New Year’s resolutions like, “I won’t lose ten pounds this year,” and “I commit to watching the Super Bowl this year.”

I suspect Paul only had one resolution on his list: “This year I resolve to know nothing but Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Paul’s message is radically simple: Salvation is in Christ alone. What does this mean?

It’s not Christ plus your good behavior.

It’s not Christ plus the number of Bible verses you memorize.

It’s not Christ plus your tithe or the church you attend.

It’s not Christ plus wisdom from the latest Christian seminar.

It’s simply Christ plus nothing. Christ and Christ alone.

What happens When We Give Thanks...

At North Point on Monday we had our Not-So-Christmas Party. We sang Christmas songs praising our Savior, we ate some amazing cake (at 10am) and had hot chocolate. We gave thanks. The message at the meeting was giving thanks.

'Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.' 1 Chr. 16:34

'For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God NOR GAVE THANKS to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.' Rom 1:21-23

We learned that people who don't give thanks to God:

• They know God
• They do not glorify God
• They do not GIVE THANKS
• Their hearts become darkened
• They become fools
• They exchange the glory of God

People who GIVE THANKS to God:

• We know God
• We glorify God
• We GIVE THANKS
• Our thinking becomes worthy & weighty
• Our hearts become enlightened
• We become wise
• We worship the immortal God

What do I give thanks for? Well, a ton. I am so blessed. Some of what I wrote down are:

Temporal Blessings: Parents, Brother, Extended Family, Amazing Co-Workers, Small Group, Wonderful Friends, All My Possessions (home, stuff in it, car, food, iPhone, etc), Job I LOVE Going To, Health, Ability to Travel to See My Family and Friends...

Eternal Blessings: God's Grace, Love, Forgiveness, Word, Peace, Faithfulness, Wisdom; All-Knowing God; Holy Spirit in Me; Jesus Died for Me; My Salvation; Adopted as a Child of God...

After my family left on Thanksgiving this was the message I needed to hear. I was so sad and missing them so much that I needed to be reminded of all the blessings that are in my life.

One of the songs that was played during communion...

Rid me of myself, I belong to YOU!!

Daily Devotional

Another devotional that I thought was amazing! I have been really working on this but a lot of times I still get it wrong. I know now that I must continue trying and apologise when I get it wrong! :)



How to Deal with Conflict Quickly
by Rick Warren

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19 (NIV)

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How do you deal with conflict quickly? I’ll tell you, but you’re not going to like it. The solution to resolving conflict is confrontation.

That’s right; if you’re going to resolve conflict, you must confront.

You don’t have to confront in anger, though. In fact, you shouldn’t confront in anger. Lovingly go to the person and, speaking the truth in love, deal with the problem immediately.

In James (1:19), we’re taught three rules for confrontation: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

If you do the first two, the third one is automatic. If you’re quick to listen and you’re slow to speak, then you will be slow to anger.

What are you listening for?

You listen for the hurt in that person. Hurting people always hurt other people. When someone is being a jerk, more than likely, it’s because that person is hurting. When you understand their hurt, you have a better understanding of why they do what they do, and you’re a little more patient with them.

© 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.

The Entire Bible

Revelations 22:21 - The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

This is the end of the Bible. I actually read it all the way thru!!! And man what life change did it bring.

• I now work at my Church that preaches this book in the most relevant way.
• My relationship with my Lord has grown by leaps and bounds.
• I lead my small group.
• I am in counseling to heal my past and my wounds so that I can be closer to my God.
• I let go of a boyfriend who I was living inappropriately with and committed to dating God's way.
• This past year I have not dated to give myself time to learn how God wants me to date.
• I have served on a mission team to Slovakia and had one of the best times in my life.
• I start tithing regularly, from the first of my income, and with so much joy in my heart.
• I now have a child. Who I sponsor thru Compassion International.
• My relationship with my family has gotten stronger and closer.
• Friends now look to me and expect Godly wisdom.

God has worked miracles in my life and I am so thankful and grateful for HIM!! None of this would have happened with out him in my life.

Anger?

If you are angry, be sure that it is not out of wounded pride or bad temper. Never go to bed angry – don’t give the devil that sort of foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27

I just got this verse in my devotional for today and it's amazing!! How many times is my anger from wounded pride or a bad temper!!! It's a good thing for me to remember.

Daily Devotional

Another devotional from a Purpose Driven Life that I thought was really, really applicable to my life. Schedules always seem to be more full than I have time for and especially with me in the physical state that I am I really need to make sure I am setting my priorities straight. When I saw this it just hit home...

Surviving Your Schedule
by Rick Warren

An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions. Proverbs 17:24 (TEV)

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Do you ever get to the end of your day and think “Did I accomplish anything today?” Where does all the time go?

If you don’t master your schedule, it will master you. Here are three suggestions from the Bible for reducing the stress of your schedule:

Line up your priorities. Obviously, you don’t have time to do everything. You must make choices. You must decide what’s really important and what isn’t. Take some time to consider the direction of your life.

· “It is stupid to waste time on useless projects” (Proverbs 12:11 TEV).

· “You may make your plans, but God directs your actions” (Proverbs 16:9 TEV).

Lighten up your attitude. Do you really have to do everything on your to-do list? No one is holding a gun to your head. A lot of your stress is self-imposed. The Bible says that God gave us humor as a stress reliever.

• “Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up” (Proverbs 12:25 NLT).

• “A relaxed attitude lengthens life; jealousy rots it away” (Proverbs 14:30 NLT).

• “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength” (Proverbs 17:22 NLT).

Look up to God. Stress is always a warning light that you’ve taken your focus off God and are looking at your problems from your limited viewpoint. I believe the single greatest cause of stress is this: We take ourselves too seriously and we don’t take God seriously enough!

Need more time in your schedule?

• “Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short” (Proverbs 10:27 NLT).

• “Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a place of refuge for their children” (Proverbs 14:26 NLT).

JJ Heller

During my run on Friday a song popped into my iTunes that I had downloaded from here but hadn't listened to it. The song is called 'Not Mine Anyway' and it made me smile...

More and more away to you
It’s not mine anyway

I could not ever try so hard
I could buy a place in your heart
But here I am
My name written on your hands
Because you paid the debt I owe

Without you we all fall down
Without you we all fall


As most of you know, I have felt a strong pull from God that the way I was living my life needed to change. There has been many things that I have prayed over and changed in my life to live the way I feel God calling me to. And the last sermon series at Buckhead Church really fit into what God has been showing me in my life.

Namely, you are what you think. Where are your thoughts leading you. My notes from the sermons are as follows:

You think. You are.
Clay Scroggins

Week 1 - What Was I Thinking?

Philippians 4:8

- Your thoughts drive your actions.
- Thoughts that hold us most, mold us most.
- Use this passage as filter for your thoughts. Filter all your thoughts thru this grid.

Week 2 - Above the Influence

What was I thinking? Thoughts drive our actions.

Changing your mind is a very difficult thing to do. Any human system of self control is frustrating.

Colossians 3:1-4

Jesus died for the things that we can't change on our own. But then he rose and we have been raised with Christ and are in eternity with Christ. This should be the backdrop for your mindset, for everything you believe.

I am not a slave to my mind. You can not change your mind, Christ can. What will He change?
- Your general perspective
- There is ultimate hope in every circumstance.
- Recalibrate your heart to what's really meaningful.

Purpose Driven Life Devotional

So, as you know from my last post, I am in counseling basically do deal with past regrets. I was praying and studying last night and in my study I had to discuss 3 things that God has taught me this past week. One of the things I wrote down was that I need to face the issues that I have and not suppress them so they don't turn into regrets. And then in my inbox this morning here is what I found...

How to Get Past Regrets
by Rick Warren

Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Isaiah 43:18-19 (MSG)

*** *** *** ***

How often do you play the “If only” game?

· If only I could do it over again.

· If only I had listened sooner.

· If only I could erase the past.

· If only I could forgive myself.

The thing to remember is that no one is perfect. We all have regrets; we’ve all made bad choices, and said foolish things; we’ve all wasted time, and hurt ourselves and others.

How do you release your regrets? In my experience as a pastor, I’ve seen several strategies we tend to use that simply do not work:

· You try to bury your past. But burying the past will never help you get past your regrets. You can try to minimize (“It wasn’t a big deal”), rationalize (“Everyone does it”), and compromise (lowering standards), but your regrets are still there, and if unresolved, they’ll keep coming back to haunt you over and over again like a creature in a horror movie.

· We blame others. This tactic is as old as Adam and Eve. When Adam sinned, he took it like a man: he blamed his wife!We use blame to balance out our guilt.

· We beat up on ourselves. We try to pay for our guilt unconsciously through illness, depression, setting ourselves up for failure, and other forms of self-punishment. The problem with beating up on yourself is this: your conscience never knows when to stop!Some people spend their entire lives in self-condemnation.

What does God want you to do with your regrets?

· Admit your guilt. Own up to it.Don’t make excuses. “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful.But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance”(Proverbs 28:13 LB).

· Accept Christ’s forgiveness. He’s waiting to clean your slate.Ask him to clear your conscience. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NIV).

· Forgive yourself and focus on the future. “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands” (Isaiah 43:18-19 MSG).

Hmmm... does God work in some crazy ways or what! It seems that the day I need to hear something in particular, that is what is in the devotional.

It's amazing!!

Velvet Elvis

I just finished reading the book 'Velvet Elvis' by Rob Bell. It was an amazing book about how our faith is painted. Some of the highlights that I took away were...


114 - 'Your job I'd the relentless pursuit of who God has made you to be. And anything else you do is sin and you need to repent of it.'

116 - kill your superwhatever. The person I am convinced I am supposed to be. The image of how I am supposed to look, act, work, play, talk, etc. The negative voice shouting on my ear that I am not good enough.

166 - Why blame the dark for being dark? It's far more helpful to ask why the light isn't as bright as it could be.

Devotional

Rachael, one of my friends at work, introduced me to the devotionals from a Purpose Driven Life. They are free and they are amazing. Today was about service and servant-hood.

“You can tell what they are by what they do” (Matthew 7:16 CEV)

Amazing.