February 27 2014

February 27 2014

Greetings My Friend,

I have a few Christian sites on FB and often Scripture passages appear. Some times the passage is very familiar and as I read it I find hope residing in me again – even though I wasn't feeling down. It is being renewed in my spirit. I love to pass along those passages.

At times I see them posted on other friends sites. Sometimes it is a picture of a cuddly animal and I share those as well. As I go to twitter I find quotes and such that speak to my faith so I pass those along as well. Many days I am passing along these things more than I am putting out my own comments.

I find comfort in them. Others find comfort in them and pass along the Good News. I think in a way as fellow believers we are trying to do two things. First I think these pictures and passages speak to a need within me/us. Second I always hold out hope that a nominal or unbeliever will connect with something and then begin their own journey in the faith.

Some people don't get moved by these FB posts. I am not trying to be offensive. I keep finding the more I go to Twitter the more I feel a connection to other believers. I find that my community of friends and believers are diverse and large and again I don't feel alone in this huge world. At first I was concerned that I could be overbearing and I truly don't want to be overbearing. As I gain comfort and confidence in the Lord and His Good News I begin to see that I need these passages and pictures and others enjoy them and I guess my friend lists will end with the true friends I need. If I am un friended well that is OK. I also realize that the people who want to come to the Lord will regardless how hard I try. I just need to be willing and God will gain the glory.

As Christian movies tend to come out in theaters Junior and I attempt to watch them so that more movies will be what we enjoy. We want to encourage our Christian values and live them even in what we read and watch. We truly don't like the movies that show too much sex and violence anymore. To me the action adventure movies are not unlike the western movies of years ago. There is a good guy and a bad guy and in the end the good guy wins.

As I share my faith I often find other writers and such that help me to grow in my faith journey. I don't want to be legalistic so I try to let God do the work of changing me and others. I do like to have the format in which to learn and grow in God's love.

As I pray and read God's Word I begin to strive to live God's way. It is a process and process' take time to work through. In the start of this journey I felt God told me to quit worshiping my children. That was a hard thing to hear. My kids gave me the reason to live, to try when I'd rather not have. They grew up with a crazy household. My anger would stay inside of me for a long time and then I would blow up. I did not want to hit my kids like I was hit. I had never seen a good example of a home not filled with anger. At some point I started going in and out of counseling. That started to bring changes in the way I responded to anger. As I began my faith journey I slowly learned that anger was not needed for all things I found to be angry about all of my life. I learned how to walk away from anger one day at a time and one step at a time.

I think many people don't get the process part of a faith journey. I think that they are like I was for the longest time and thought that the minute you commit yourself to the Lord that you were healed of every bad part of your being. That is not so. It is a journey a life long journey.

To that end I also believe that we don't stay the same ever. I can tell you for certain that I am not what I was at the start of this journey. I also know that down the road I will grow even more so and I won't recognize “me” at that point. My goal in being a Christian is not a list of should of could of and would of ways. I have to admit that I do like lists though. God keeps showing me He doesn't want to see the things crossed off of my list but He does want to see that my heart is changing and aligning more with His desires. God is not a black and white God. He wants that inner part of me to change.

None of us knows the depth of changes another person makes fully. So I learn to Agape love again and again. So if someone is mired in drugs or such then I don't know their journey to where they are when I meet up with them. They may not seem to be of God. At the same time I do look for progress in their journey. If there is no progress then I question their intentions.

As I Agape love another person I am seeking their highest good. That means I won't give money to buy a fix or such. It means that I won't give money to someone for the sake of it but I will try to see if the need for money is real. Sometimes I go to prayer and ask God directly about helping someone I see. God will guide me.

God is not impressed with my good deeds or gifts of money for the sake of being nice. He is interested in my “heart” and the reason I give. This “heart” lesson is a hard one to grasp. I do find though that I tend to check my “heart” out as I enter into situations. Am I being honest? Am I doing this because I want to or is it an act so that God will love me?

The more I love God the more my heart begins to align with God. I start to want and desire the things that are important to God. “ I desire mercy, to walk humbly more than sacrifice.” this is paraphrased but I believe the message is there.

At this point in my journey I find that I need to be open and honest with myself. I need to be upfront with God about my struggles or sin in my life. The more I am honest the more I sense God's guidance in walking away from things. I have little or no anger anymore. Do I get a bit angry at times I do but the total red anger of yesteryear is gone. I tend to be able to deal with things way before I explode. I don't need to resort to that type of anger to be heard these days.

I continue to find people to surround me that aren't angry over every little thing. The more I am around them the more I learn ways to deal with life. I no longer cave into the thought life of a lifetime ago. As a thought tries to pop into my head I find myself in prayer asking for help to walk away from that thought and I am amazed at how quick that thought leaves me.

I learn that prayer takes different shapes throughout the day. As I pray at night and as I wake up I find myself to be in conversations with God. As a thought enters my brain I find that a popcorn prayer works as well. As I see an accident I begin praying for those involved in the accident, the people caring for the wounded and such. The more I walk with God the more I see that I talk to Him like I do with Junior. We may have a period each day involved in our work. Then we come together and chat. At times I need to interrupt his work for a problem that needs to be resolved. God is near and the more I learn to start talking as if He is right there I begin to be in relationship with God.

I also don't feel alone in the world anymore. God is always right there beside me. He will guide me, He will hold me as I need. In all of this I find I can face anything life shoves at me.

Where do you get your strength from?

May God bless you and keep you make His face to shine on you.

Love

Janet