But even though she wasn't with us this year they've done it again. Which is good. Great in fact. Some people have some good ones...Like...
Mark 6:31 "And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."
John 15 9-11 "As Christ's love is unconditional...obey Christ's Word, abide in His love. To come to experience and understand His love for me. (11)Experience Christ's love = Complete Joy!"
Romans 12:14-17 ''Bless those who persecute you.Rejoice with those who rejoice,weep with those who weep,Be of the same mind toward one another, do not be haughty in mind but associate with the lowly.Do not be wise in your own estimation.Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.''
All really good ones if you ask me. This year though, I had mine before I ever knew we were going to be doing this, In fact I had it before the new year started.
It's this:
ROMANS 8:6-8 (read a few ahead and then below for full meaning)
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Most of you who have been reading this know that last year was a hard year for me. Everything that happened with the Ex it was a rough year. A year I never imagined having. A year I hope to never repeat. I know that for me this means certain specific things, but the more I think on it, it makes me think of all sin.
That our sinful nature is our carnal nature, not just when it comes to men/women and all that but greed, pride, gluttony and all those things.
And if we are in the flesh we can't please God.
I don't know about you, and nor is it my place to judge where you are, but I do know this; Wrong is wrong. No matter how pretty we paint it up to be, or how nice it is made out to look. No matter how we may want to justify that what we are doing isn't hurting anyone, that's not the case...even if we don't hurt other people I truly believe that our sin hurts God, that it saddens him. That he hates to see it.
And while we may not hurt others we certainly hurt ourselves.
I know my personal sins from last year hurt me. It may be that those hurts were more emotional wounds then anything else but they are there, they are still there, they may be scars and scabs more now than they are open wounds but they are wounds that are of my own making.
Don't deceive yourselves people, God's word is clear. It is black and white. While we may want to justify to ourselves that things are a big gray area in a lot of places I really don't think that's the case.
I think that if we are to REALLY SEEK out God's word we should have an answer to weather something is right or wrong. Even more so if we pray about things, that will help clarify it.
Maybe though one thing to do is to focus on the positive.
Let's take 2011 and make it a year were we focus on doing the GOOD THINGS God has commanded us to do. Versus just focusing on what he tells us not to. (Not that we shouldn't be watchful of those things).
But by reaching out, taking our focus off us, by ACTIVELY SEEKING to love God more than anything, and LOVE OTHERS as we love ourselves (and yes sometimes for some of us, LOVE OURSELVES as we love others) what a different year 2011 could be.
**Tiny side note. I want to be honest. I didn't share my scripture with the group this year. While I love the ladies in my church most (or all) don't know about the things I went though last year. And while I believe in God using a bad situation for good I didn't think this was one that He was leading me to disclose.
If He leads me to it one day that will be fine, even if it will be very hard.
All really good ones if you ask me. This year though, I had mine before I ever knew we were going to be doing this, In fact I had it before the new year started.
It's this:
ROMANS 8:6-8 (read a few ahead and then below for full meaning)
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Most of you who have been reading this know that last year was a hard year for me. Everything that happened with the Ex it was a rough year. A year I never imagined having. A year I hope to never repeat. I know that for me this means certain specific things, but the more I think on it, it makes me think of all sin.
That our sinful nature is our carnal nature, not just when it comes to men/women and all that but greed, pride, gluttony and all those things.
And if we are in the flesh we can't please God.
I don't know about you, and nor is it my place to judge where you are, but I do know this; Wrong is wrong. No matter how pretty we paint it up to be, or how nice it is made out to look. No matter how we may want to justify that what we are doing isn't hurting anyone, that's not the case...even if we don't hurt other people I truly believe that our sin hurts God, that it saddens him. That he hates to see it.
And while we may not hurt others we certainly hurt ourselves.
I know my personal sins from last year hurt me. It may be that those hurts were more emotional wounds then anything else but they are there, they are still there, they may be scars and scabs more now than they are open wounds but they are wounds that are of my own making.
Don't deceive yourselves people, God's word is clear. It is black and white. While we may want to justify to ourselves that things are a big gray area in a lot of places I really don't think that's the case.
I think that if we are to REALLY SEEK out God's word we should have an answer to weather something is right or wrong. Even more so if we pray about things, that will help clarify it.
Maybe though one thing to do is to focus on the positive.
Let's take 2011 and make it a year were we focus on doing the GOOD THINGS God has commanded us to do. Versus just focusing on what he tells us not to. (Not that we shouldn't be watchful of those things).
But by reaching out, taking our focus off us, by ACTIVELY SEEKING to love God more than anything, and LOVE OTHERS as we love ourselves (and yes sometimes for some of us, LOVE OURSELVES as we love others) what a different year 2011 could be.
**Tiny side note. I want to be honest. I didn't share my scripture with the group this year. While I love the ladies in my church most (or all) don't know about the things I went though last year. And while I believe in God using a bad situation for good I didn't think this was one that He was leading me to disclose.
If He leads me to it one day that will be fine, even if it will be very hard.
3 comments:
Amen! Spot on. Thanks for brutal honesty. God bless :)
So awesome to see where you were and where you are now. It's even more awesome that God's journey for us has such wonderful adventures and people in it. God Bless and thanks for sharing this.
Thank you Jeri!
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