The Comfort of Assurance

The other day God gave me the opportunity to talk about his son Jesus. The conversation didn't just help the person I was talking too (I pray), but also opened my mind to new thoughts and burdens. It all started when a women mentioned that the hard and wicked times we are facing is assurance that God is coming soon. While we were talking about the day of the Lord Jesus Christ my co-worker mentioned that she hopes she makes it to heaven. She said something to the effect that even if someone is on their death bed as a Christian, the devil can tempt them to sin and if they yield to that sin then they may die and miss heaven. I suppose her reasoning in this matter was that you can loose your salvation anytime you sin. My first reaction was, how sad it must be to live that way.
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I went on to tell her what the Bible says about knowing you are saved; just enough to plant a seed so that if she is interested she will dig into the Word of God and find out for herself what God says about salvation. But even tonight I keep thinking about that theology that must leave people so uncertain about themselves. I would hate to think that one day I might be a Child of God and the next I am in danger of dieing in an unexpected accident and going to hell because of a sin that I may not have repented of. What an awful way to live!
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Since this is a discussion that comes up for depate quite often, I thought now would be a good time to dig deep into the Word of God and find out why I believe that once I am saved I cannot lose my salvation.

The Bible teaches that we can not earn our salvation. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9  "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD."
Salvation is clearly a gift, not a payment for our righteousness. If I cant recieve salvation by my own righteousness, how then can I lose my salvation for lack of righteousness? By saying I can loose my salvation I am saying that God's grace isn't sufficient to keep me. Like Mr. Smith said, instead of asking "can a Christian loose his salvation?" we should ask, "Can Jesus loose a Christian?" Everything looks different in God's eyes and if we try to look at the Bible and each other through His eyes then we will see things in a completely different light.

Then I came upon  Romans 5:8. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." If God loves us this much, I can't understand why he would take away his salvation when he knew we were sinners and that we would continue to sin.

I am so thankful that I know I am a Christian and nothing can seperate me from the love of God. I know that if I confess my sins he is faithful and just to forgive me of my sins and to cleans me from all unrighteousness. I know that he holds me in his hands and no man shall pluck me out.
::Scriptures: 1 John 1:9, John 10:28-29::

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

Amusement from Mistakes (my mistakes)

Okay, today I was a little stressed. It wasn't because I had to stay late at work, nor was it because of the extensive report that had my mind in overdrive for over 2 hours. For some reason I wasn't stressed because I had to go to a baby shower even though I haven't been home very much lately, and I wasn't stressing out over not eating supper with my family. . . something I hate to miss. I was fine with all those things.

I just wasn't lining up.

Lining up with what? With others standard of a good person? With my mom's standard of a good young lady? With my own standard of a good Christian? I think it was a combination of all three! ☺ (Not that my mom puts me under pressure, but you know how it is. Everyone wants to be like their mom!)

So as I frantically looked through my nightstand for my daily Bible reading record (you know, the whole guilt thing making me think I wasn't reading enough) I stumbled across a sheet of paper with some words jotted down. For some reason I thought it was a good idea to write down some of the mistakes I made when I was giving piano lessons. That is, when I was giving piano lessons at age 15 to four children, two of which were very energetic. Boy did I think I knew it all! Now I don't think I would be so brave to tackle such an undertaking! But back to the notes. I wrote down some of the things I told my students. Things like, "Play your thumb with your 1st finger." Hugh? I told one student to "count to 4" not just one time, but four times in a row! Lastly, I (the teacher) counted to 4 when I was only suppose to count to 2. My, my. What a good teacher I was!

Now I don't feel quite so bad. I found some mistakes that I can laugh about, because everyone makes mistakes!

Your Habits Say More Then You Think

Over the past few days I've started to realize that the way people act every day doing the mundain things of life, also reflects how they act in their spiritual life. Just like those who procrastinate when completing a project for work they also procrastinate in areas like repenting or giving up a bad and sinful habit. If a person tends to hit the snooze button too many times trying to get a few more minutes of much enjoyed sleep, they most likely hit the snooze button when it comes to speaking up for Christ.

In contrast, those who rise early everymorning eager to get everything done on their "to do" list, also makes it a priority to seek Him early as the Bible commands (Pro. 8:17). People like my mother who deny themselves of things they enjoy because they know it is good for them, also deny themselves of the pleasure of giving into the flesh.

For a long time now I've known that I need to drink more water. It's not that I don't like water, but that I'm just not thirsty. From the time I was a little girl I've never taken in much liquid. I just couldn't make myself see the purpose of drinking if I wasn't thirsty  . . .  unless, of course, there was Kool-Aid in the refrigerator. But this week I finally decided that I was going to start drinking a healthy amount of water. There are so many bennefits that comes with it like, sinus relief, energy boost, detoxination, and I've read it even lessens muscle cramps and sprains. So I've started out by drinking at least 64 ounces a day. It may not be as much as I need, but it is way more then I use to drink! Now I am drinking water from the time I get up in the morning till about two hours before I go to bed. At first it comes as a habit, but after a while I began to crave the water.

But wait, did you think I was changing the subject? Let's look at how we can compare this to our spiritual life. I'm drinking water because I know it will improve my health. I know that if I spend more time with God my spiritual life will be healthier, but do I do it? Saddly, not like I should. Just like I've been drinking water by the hour, I should be seeking God by the hour. A chapter of the Bible here, a verse to think about there, a prayer to God in the morning, a meditation on his goodness in the after noon . . . and before I know it I will be thirsty for more of God. Just like my body will become healthier, so will my spiritual life.

I believe my health is worth the effort I'm putting into it, but isn't my walk with God even more important? Most definately!

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:

for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

Lessons From Ecclesiastes

Lately as I've been walking through life I've felt like there is so much I'm trying to figure out. There are a lot of things about the work field, politics, current events, and life in general that I want to know about. I guess I can accredit that to my young age and youthful curiosity.

However, I'm constantly being reminded to "love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." So I thought thes would be a great time to read Ecclesiastes, the book full of reasonings about life. What better time then this to learn how to balance my life so that it is pleasing to God? (Pro. 11.1)

When I read Ec 1.18 I was very puzzled. "For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knwledge increaseth sorrow." What?! Doesn't the Bible tell us to seek after wisdom as choice silver and to get knowledge  so that we will have understandin? Tese verses seemed to contradict each other, something I know the Bible is not capable of doing.

After I recived no answer I forgot about the verse and went on wit hmy life. On the way to work I listened to the radio, eager to learn more about this new health bill, but I also heard about abortion rights and a man facing murder charges. At work the topic of the week ahs been nothing other than the infamous health bill. Later on in my day I was informed more deeply about electronic medical records. Over and over I saw how communication between co-workers, doctor to doctor, and even patient to doctor is slipping away. Basically, what you can't do for yourself, the computer will do for you. No direct human contact needed, in some cases.

By this point I'm starting to feel a little down. But I still tuned in to the local radio station only to hear about trouble in the schools and a down sliding economy. When I got home I realized that too much news is really bad for me. All of a sudden I couldn't stand the sound of the world news playing in the next room. All negative, no possative. Every minute of it was a reminder of how quickly our nation is deteriating into a weak group of people void of the fear of God.

It was then that God gently brought my mind back to that verse. "For in much wisdom is much greif: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow." Could it be that Solomon was writing about worldly wisdom and worldly knowledge?

When we become "world smart" and aware of what is going on in this wicked world, it can cause greif and sorrow. If we put too much emphasis on learning more about this world (even though it may seem inocent) our vision is turned from God to something corruptable. I can see why Paul tells us to think on good things. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

I've decided that I'm not going to stay up to date on the news, I'm not going to stress over the health care indistry, and I'm not going to frett over being unknowledgeable about a lot of things. It's not worth it. Those things are going to vanish. I'm going to set my mind on things eternal, things that really matter. I'm going to set my mind on God!

My Favorite Place

Yesterday I had a very interesting conversation with the ladies at work. We were talking about how spoiled we are in America these days and how easy we have it. Nice homes, constant communication, fast food, instant this, instant that, and practically everything you would ever need can be bought at a store already complete. So many people in America pay others to do all the hard work for them. From building houses, cleaning up the yard, to even peeling their potatoes!

However, we haven't had it as easy as some. Part of the reason was out of necessity, and some was by choice.

When we bought our five acres of land 10 years ago it was nothing but woods full of bushes, trees, and lots of briars. We hired a friend for one day to help us clear some of it out, but we did the rest. We picked up sticks and clipped the brush down for years it seems! We built pens for our animals, put up fence for our pastures, built a shed for Daddy to work in, and built a club house for the younger ones to play in.

We didn't build our trailer, but we did add on a carport along with a front and back porch. For the past several months we reddid a lot of ourrooms. Our kitchen has received a complete make-over and our living room, our hobby room, the girls room, my room, and Phillip's room has been painted.   After we finished painting the living room one of the younger ones said, "Why didn't we just buy a house?" The answer I gave to that is one that I hope they will learn to appreciate as much as I do.

If we were to buy a house, pay someone to paint in when we want it remodeled, or hire someone to clear our land, we wouldn't be able to take as much pride in it. We couldn't say, I did that! We couldn't look at it knowing that we put a lot of work into it.

My favorite place in the whole world is our home. Yes, our five little, yet full, acres where we sit our mobile home is a wonderful place to me. I can look all around me and remember where we started and see all the hard work that we did together as a family. Sure, there are lots of mistakes. But who wants a perfect home anyways?

I don't say this to boast; so many people take it that way when we talk about the things we do. But the truth is, years and years ago this is the way everyone lived. To us it is not something we do to get attention; we just like to do things the old way. This is our way of living . . . and I like it!

Pictures:: Top left: Daddy standing in our drive way. Bottom Right: Our driveway 8 years later. (The brick house is not ours.)

To see the renovations we've been making to our house visit these links:
My New Kitchen 
My Red Room 
My Fresh Painted Living Room 
My Room is DONE!!!
My New Bedroom
Phillip's Bedroom

To Talk About God

You know God is first in a person's life when the first thing they talk about, when asked how they're doing, is how good God's been to them. I want to be like that one day. So close to God that I want to talk about him all the time no matter who I'm talking to. But even more than that, I want people to know that I mean it when I open my mouth. I'm thankful for Christians like that in my life, I hope to be a blessing to others in the same way.

A Truth to Remember

About a year ago while I was in a ladies Sunday school class the teacher asked a question that we should all want to know the answer to. "What is wisdom?" Since I've heard this question many times I offered my answer. "Wisdom is not just knowing what to say, but when to say it."

Having all the knowledge in the world will do little good if you don't know how to use it correctly. Giving untimely knowledge is like someone telling me to bundle up before I go for a walk in the summer. Why would I want to do that when it's 98 degrees outside? Maybe in a few months I'll need to pile on the coats to face the cold, but in the summer that advice is going to do me no good.

Wisdom is the same way. When knowledge is given too often or at the wrong time it is not going to sink into one's mind. We have to look closely at peoples lives and be sensitive enough to see those "go ahead" triggers.

Imagine you are a young mother raising your first child. You haven't figured everything out yet but you think your child is perfect despite all the things she does wrong. When she pitches a fit you think she is just going through a stage and as soon as the temper tantrum is over you are back to talking about how sweet your child is. If ever an angel did live, it was her.

Susie, on the other hand, has raised many children and knows that if these bad habits aren't taken care of at a young age you will lose control of your daughter. So Susie goes to you and tells you quite bluntly that you need to discipline your daughter better and she knows the best way to do it if you'll only listen. You would most likely be taken back because you didn't realize there was a problem! You thought you were doing just fine. You might even think, who is she to tell me how to raise my child? She needs to stay out of my business! The knowledge she gave is true, but it was given at the wrong time. If Susie felt the need to talk to her she should do it in a very calm way as if to suggest, but without going into a lot of detail. If you really wanted to know more, you would ask questions.

Now lets look at it in a different light. You realize that your daughter is getting out of hand more and more each day and you worry about how she acts when she doesn't get her way. You may have even voiced once or twice that you just don't know what you are going to do with her. When Susie hears your frustration she is able to reply with a way to discipline her. Since you are looking for a different method of training your child you listen to every word she says not wanting to miss a thing! This is knowledge given at a the right time and is very effectual.

This is just one of many examples. We all need to be reminded how important it is to wait for the right moment to speak. Knowledge given at the right time can make a world of difference.

"Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will

despise the wisdom of thy words."

~ Proverbs 23:9 ~

Me? A Writer?

Last week I had a rather interesting conversation with a friend. A conversation that brought new thoughts to mind and questions that needed to be answered. Here's a tid bit of our talk:

Friend: So what do you guys do around here when you're not playing games.

Me: Well I work everyday and lately I've been studying to get my coding certification. Other than that I like to take walks, play the piano, and write."

Friend: You write?

Me: Yeah, I use to have a Christian magazine for teens. Now I have a blog that I write articles for.

Friend: So you're a writer?

Me: I guess, though not a very good one.

Just for the record, that was the first time anyone had called me a writer. The fact that I've been writing since I was 12 years old didn't seen sufficient enough for me to own such a title of that carried by people like L. M. Montgomery or Elizabeth George.

Oddly enough, it was kind of scary being called that. Being a writer requires a great deal of responsibility and diligence that I'm not sure I want to dedicate to the art of literature. Being a writer means that you not only know how to write words on a piece of paper, but that you are also good with words, and big words too! (I can barely spell the small ones!) Writers have to know how to weave words together to make a simple thing sound beautiful. In my opinion, a writer is someone who has talent in the area of putting words to paper.

Those things don't seem to describe me as well as I wish. I generally write my thoughts down quite frankly without all the frill. Like my hand writing, it can probably be more accurately called "scirbbling".

But then again, I suppose the real definition of a writer (no matter how boring it may sound) is simply: a person who writes. And in the light of that definition I suppose I am a writer. . . but I'd much rather be called a scribbler! :)

But putting all nonsense aside I will admit, this conversation also got me thinking about why I write. I've always used my writing ability to express my thoughts regarding the Christian life, but it goes farther than that. Am I writing to be a good Christian writer remembered by many? Am I writing to become famous in the Christian realm? Am I writing simply for the pleasure of it? Or am I writing for the glory of God?

The answer I should give is obvious - "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31 - but saying that truthfully is another matter. It is easy to get my focus off track and forget the root of it all. Thankfully, God sends along little things like this conversation right when I need them to remind me to evaluate not just what I am doing but why I'm doing it.

Experiencing the Goodness of God

When God blesses . . . nothing seems impossible!

Happy to be Me?

"The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself." — Anna Quindlen

"Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess, and to gain applause which he cannot keep." ~Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, 1750

A few months ago I met a man my parents have known for a long time. I knew him when I was young, but it was so long ago that I cant' remember him. This man really sticks out from the rest of the crowd because he is different. Some might think he is different in a bad way, but others love him for who he is and over look some of the odd things about his personality. I am one of those people who like him even though he isn't like most people. He is very nice, easy to talk to, fun to be around, stays active in his church, and loves God. But what I love most about him is the way he has accepted who he is. It really encouraged me to be myself.

I don't think I can say I want to change myself so that I am accepted by others or so I can gain man's applause, rather I wish I were different so that I could have more fun. I am so quiet and so unsociable that I usually don't enjoy big gatherings unless I know the people very well and I have been around them for a long time. Unfortunately there aren't many people like that in my life who I am comfortable around. So I usually stay to myself and watch everyone else have a good time. (Sometimes I wonder if this will hender me from finding a man I can talk to!)

But you know what? That is who I am! God did not create me to be a social butterfly and I am exhausted from trying to be one. I still wish I could talk to anyone with ease and jump in a crowd of people and have fun, but the awkwardness is still there and I don't know if I will ever overcome it. My timid spirit simply will not go away. So instead of getting discouraged about myself I am going to try to accept who I am . . . even if it mean dying an old maid! : )

God is in Control!

Once again God has shown me that only HE knows what is going to happen in my life. As soon as I think I know what is going on and have everything "figured out" (even when it seems to line up with the Bible and past experiences) God proves me wrong. I could get mad and tell God "I dont' want it to be this way!" or "Now I will look foolish because I acted like I had everything under control!" But I know there is no use in doing so. God is in control in my life and the easiest way to be happy is to let God have His way.

So I sit back and say, "Yep, I was wrong again," and enjoy the journey. I wonder what miraculous thing God will do next?

An Old Scribble

Tonight while I was going through the notebook I used during college I came across some thoughts I had scribbled down in the moment of inspiration. I was probably planning on making a poem out of it but I don't know if it's worth the time. I'm not the best at writing poems. But the thoughts were pretty good! So here they are as they were written two years ago:

• If you think your life is hard - think of Job.
• If you think God can never forgive your sins -think of David.
• If you think you have nothing to give - think of the widow who have her only mite.
• If you think you are not able to do God's commandments - think of Moses.
• If you think you are being treated unjustly - think of Paul.

Another Update

For the past . . . maybe 15 minutes . . . I have sat at my desk racking my brain trying to come up with something half way interesting to write about. (I have diagnosed myself with WRITERS BLOCK!) I never wanted my blog to be a place where everyone could hear about what is going on in my home, work, etc., and go away with nothing to gain from it. I try to post articles and posts that may be encouraging to my readers and beneficial to their spiritual life. However, I am learning more every day that not much (let me reword that) pretty much nothing goes the way I want or expect it! God has his own plan for me and I might as well let go and let Him lead. "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." (Pro. 16:9) The LORD could not have directed me to read this chapter in a better time then lately!

This week has been crazy at work which makes me see just how much I need God in my life every day. Today wasn't quite so bad, but I am still eager for the weekend to get here! Last night mama, Bethany, and I heard a really good message on honor. Interestingly, some of the points he spoke on were things that God has been pressing on my heart. I felt like God was reminding me of what I need to be doing or confirming that the way he has been leading me is the best way for me. I hope I will keep this mind and try to go forward in the right way.

For now, I'm going to straiten up my room and maybe get some crocheting done. By the way, does anyone have a cure for writer's block? I may be able to diagnose myself but I'm not so sure how to treat the illness that I carry :) Hopefully I will have something to write about in my next posts!

Going Through the Storm with Jesus

I don't know what it's like to come out of an awful life changing storm victoriously singing praising to God, but it must be the most wonderful feeling on earth.

December in Pictures

Hello, my dear readers! I hope everyone had a great Christmas as mine was! I enjoyed the Christmas season but I believe now I am ready to go forward and prepare for what ever God has in store for me in the next steps I will take. I hope that now I'll have more time to focus on other things I need to get done (articles to write, college work to finish, organizing that is desperately over due, . . .) but I suppose that isn't too much for my schedule. I have been busier!

During the Christmas season I was awarded the Lemonade Award by my sister Bethany, and the Uber Amazing Blog Award by Under Southern Skies. Thank you both!

I turned 18 this month.

Amy's Birthday was this month.

. . . and mama's

. . . as well as Ryan's!

Ryan and Daddy bought two more cows for our farm. The middle two black ones are Roxanne and Rocket.

Christmas morning @ 6 A. M.

Right now I am going to work on some more posts and articles. : ) I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Attention All Christians!

Have you noticed what everyone in America is talking about? Every where I go I hear people talking about the dwindling economy and the upcoming election. It's on the news, in the news papers, on websites, on the front of magazines, talked about on the radio, discussed at the supper table, and is the center of the conversations at work. Even Christians are starting to worry about these issues. Of course I realize that the way the economy is going is not good, the gas prices don't always make us happy, and this years' election may not go like we want it to. But do you know what? God is still in control! He will take care of us no matter what so what do we have to fear? Now I know it is probably easy for me to have no worries because I don't have a family to buy groceries for and my two bills amount to $76 together, but doesn't God tell us to have the faith of a little child?

I received an e-mail just the other day called, "10 Predictions About the Election". They are:

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.

So this is my message to you today: Take this opportunity to put God's name out there among all the discouraging conversations. When you hear some one say in a dismal voice, "I just don't know what we're going to do. Everything seems to be going so bad" reply by telling them about our God who will take care of everything and who is always there for us to turn to when everything in this world seems to be falling apart. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of hearing the news of gloom and doom. I would much rather talk about my Savior who feeds the ravens and knows when every sparrow falls to the ground. (Luke 12:24 & Luke 12:6) Surely God can take care of us too!

New and Exciting

Wow! I have had quite a few visitors to my blog lately! It's good to know that my post are being read and enjoyed.

So what have I been up to lately? Most of my time has been spent at work, but that is fine because it is all still new and exciting to me. It reminds me of how I felt when I got saved or felt a new fire for serving God. I was so excited that I wanted to tell everyone! I even told my brother and best friend that they needed to get saved! : ) But now I find myself more interested in telling everyone about my new job instead of our wonderful Savior. What a shame. Sometimes keeping our focus on God doesn't come naturally like it does when we are first saved. Everyday we have to deliberately set our mind on the main goal: to serve God and bring souls to Him. Like we have been discussing in Sunday School, witnessing isn't always easy, so we have make our self put our own desires down and live out God's desire for our lives. But there is a reward for obeying God! Just knowing that I did what God told me to do makes me feel so much better about myself. I have never seen my work bring anyone to salvation, but I know I have planted seeds and in time God will bring the increase if it is His will.

I hope you all have a great weekend! Remember to keep Jesus first!

The Story of My Life

For the past two weeks I have been reading Hosea. What a great book of the Bible! I don't understand everything and I know it was not written to apply to every aspect of my life since it was written in times when the Israelites were still living under the law, but I still think it is an amazing book! I don't see how anyone cannot see God's love for his Children through this prophesy.

When I read of how Israel has played the harlot, I see myself. To commit adultery with God is to leave Him and find pleasure in or dedicate yourself to other things or people. I've done that. There are times when I ignore God so that I can have "fun" my way. In the end it is no fun at all, and I realize I have not been faithful to my first love. I feel like a wretch.

In the book of Hosea God shows his anger towards His people who have left Him to worship other Gods. "My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills . . ."

Israel has done great wickedness in the sight of their God and he will not leave them unpunished. "Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother." What awful displeasure God had with them! A displeasure I hate to think that God ever had with me.

Yet this harsh punishment, as awful as it may seem, is done in love. "Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up." When God takes everything from us, all we have left is our Lord. The only place we can go is to God. The only one who can help us is Jesus. When we are in our lowest state we see who we really need. When God punishes us, He sees the end. He knows that we will not like the chastisement, but He also knows that we will be better for it when it is over!

I am so thankful that just when it seems it can get no worse, God says, "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him." Praise the Lord He will always love me! No matter what I do to Him or how unfaithful I am to Him, He will always be faithful to me!

Sometimes I feel like this is the story of my life. I backslide on God. God punishes me. But in the morning . . . His mercies are renewed! It is a cycle that I have yet to find a way out of. My flesh is ever present and always causing me to err. "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein."

**All scripture taken from the book of Hosea, King James Bible**

To Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness

I just read Sara's latest post, a very thought provoking message by Charles Spurgeon. Even though the devotion was about breaking forth into singing during hard times, my attention was drawn to another message. ". . .we must hunger and thirst after righteousness, and pant for the day of full redemption. Dear reader, this day open your heart wide, and God will fill it. Groan within yourself for higher degrees of consecration, and your Lord will grant them to you, for He is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we ask, or even think." I believe I would have to say I felt convicted. Do I really hunger and thirst after righteousness? Do I want to be filled by God more than anything else?

Spurgeon's words do not sound selfish in the very least. If I don't strongly desire to be closer and closer to God then I am selfish. Selfish because I want to do things my way, have the kind of fun I want to have, and because I don't want to take the time to stay at Jesus' feet and learn more of Him.

If only we could all truthfully pray the words that David prayed, "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." Psalms 63:1

Thoughts on Fear

I have low self esteem. My constant mistakes and thoughtless actions remind me of how low I am. In my flesh is no good thing.

Some times I am fearful. I become afraid that I wont be able to accomplish certain tasks, though actually . . . this is reality. On my own I can't do anything good. Yet sometimes in those times of dread I forget that with Christs' strength I can do all things. As a follower of an Almighty God who has the power to do all things, I have no need to fear.

I am so glad that all I have to do is trust and acknowledge Him and he will direct my paths!

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." ~ 1 Peter 5:7