Third Time's a Charm

I have attempted to blog twice in the past 24 hours, but neither draft I wrote seemed right for this blog. They were both really honest about what I am working on these days and I'm not too sure just how open I should be in this blog.  I am struggling with writing about my weaknesses in detail only because it may come across as if I am whining about it. I want this blog to be a place of encouragement and uplifting dialogue....not a dumping ground for my negative thoughts. I hope that makes sense to you all.

I have never had my own blog before. And since that's the case, I also have never had gals from all over the country and somedays even from overseas reading my blog on a daily and/or weekly basis.  Because of that I am cautious to put out into this blog some things that I am wrestling with currently.  How transparent do I become in this blog? I truly believe that being vulnerable is a good thing only if it is the right timing for it. ha!

So, here's what I'm going to say today.  I am needing a deeper trusting heart, mind and soul in my God these days.  I find myself feeling stuck and immovable in certain areas of my life all because of anxieties and insecurities.  I know that there are self help books out there on helping a person gain self confidence and on helping a person learn to have more faith in God's plan, His mighty hand and His ability to restore our broken lives.  I get that.  I even have some of those books and read a few of them.  However, nothing is going to help me gain self confidence more than me finding the desire to "die to myself"; die to my hopes and dreams and to live for a higher calling.......live for God's glory and renown. 

Now, for all you friends of mine that don't yet believe what I believe about God and His son Jesus Christ, it's okay.  You can still see that if we live just for ourselves and not for a greater cause it becomes consuming, and kills our spirit.  We become robotic in our approach to life.  To live for Christ's glory; to bring praise to His name each day is so rewarding and refreshing because to honor Christ is to love one another just as we love ourselves. Thus living for Jesus causes us to bless those around us basically because it is our response to the great love that Christ has given freely to us all.  However, I must say, that I live in such a state of anxiety sometimes that I can't even live out that which I just wrote. I become stuck.....worried and for who knows what reason.

So, I have been aware of my struggle for months now. I realize the craziness and I desire to break free.  Lately I've been reading the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. It is a crazy tale of Joseph's enduring trust in God even when he's been sold into slavery by his brothers, put into prison without any reason, brought into a household where the master's wife wants to get with him every waking hour and so many other difficult situations beyond those.  Through that whole story, the Bible says several times that the Lord was with Joseph.  It speaks about God's steadfast love being with him always.  Another thing I read was in Philippians chapter 4.  It speaks about thinking only about things that are noble, right, pure, of good repute, lovely, excellent and praiseworthy.  The only thing....well, the only person I can think of that....I mean, Who is all of those things is my amazing Savior Jesus Christ.

In my times of recoiling into my anxious thoughts, I should be thinking about Him, my Savior Christ. I should take time to acknowledge His greatness, His power and my amazing need for His grace. I should rise up, reach out my hands and allow my Savior to carry me out of those anxious thoughts and set me in a wide open space.  It says in Philippians 4:5 (second part) & 6
"The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." 

Even now, after writing all this, my heart is pounding.  I am apprehensive to publish this, but here it goes.....

Women of Truth Rise Up and Shine!

Another week has begun. Women of truth rise up and shine!  I just wanted to blog tonight to cheer you on as this work week has begun.  I need a cheerleader too. haha!  From the moment we open our eyes and crawl out of bed to the second we close them again to sleep the night away tomorrow, let us all go forth into our day looking to the One who made us to be our strength.  I'm gonna proclaim this thought to my soul today: God is all-powerful and able to carry our burdens, stresses, problems, trials and everything we could ever give Him.  God is the mighty fortress in whom we can hide and find safety as we go through this week.  God's Word says the joy of the Lord is our strength.

I want to cheer you on (and me too) to be women of joy. Let us be women who are genuinely happy to exist this day simply because God made it for us to honor Him with our lives, our giftings and talents. Let us pursue to be women of truth who seek to delight in God this week. wahoo!

Now, I would LOVE to hear from you.  There are many followers of this blog.  I see the stats each day on the blog's administration site.  You are a large group of women who hopefully are seeking, like me, to be women of truth.....of God's truth.
How are you showing your world that you are a woman of truth?  Do you have any stories to share with us all?  Maybe you have a story about your pursuit of wanting to be a woman of truth.  I'll have you know I'm definitely not the poster child for it.  I am pursuing this lifestyle too....thus this blog you are reading. ha!

So, what's your story (my friends who I call women of truth regardless of if you think you are one yet or not)? 

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the LORD has said to her will be accomplished."  -Luke 1:45

Honesty with Grace

Remember the movie Liar, Liar?  When the main character gets trapped in some crazy time period when he can only tell the truth everywhere he goes?  It gets him into alot of trouble, but sometimes it helps him. 

I think we need to pursue being women of truth with grace....God's grace. In my mind, being a woman of truth doesn't mean we need to wander this earth spouting out everything we know to be true without tact, direction, purpose or understanding. I think you'd agree with me on that. We need to be women of Truth.  The Truth.  God's Word is the Truth. Jesus Christ said "I am the way, the truth and the life."  He wants us to KNOW His Word and live it out in our lives with understanding and wisdom.  He wants us to be full of truth in everything.  Yes, sometimes, even with grace, being women of truth is gonna rub people the wrong way, but I pray the Lord will be with us in those moments and help us by His Holy Spirit to still bring peace and comfort to the situation in some way.

Remember that song for a Kodak commercial YEARS ago that said, "I see your true colors, shining through. I see your true colors, shining through.  Don't be afraid to let them show."  Let us allow the true colors of the love of God shine forth in our lives.

Women of truth with grace will love genuinely, cling to what is good, seek peace and pursue it.
Psalm 34:14  "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."

What do you have to add to these thoughts I have written today?

Concluding thoughts of Romans 12:9

Okay, obviously I haven't been able to blog as often as I'd like.  It's almost once a week now that I get to sit down and right what I've been thinking about.  Not cool.  I want to blog my thoughts more frequently. Hopefully I can get some more self discipline in this area of my life. ha!  Here are the thoughts I have about the first part of Romans 12:9 "abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." Hating (or to abhor) what is evil is a statement that can be taken in several ways, however, I'm just going to say this about it.

I am sure most of us Christians have spent ample time looking at other peoples' "evil" and making judgement calls on it.  But I think this verse in Romans is telling me to look daily into my own life....to pursue the good in things and hate the evil in me (whether that be thoughts and/or actions). I know I am totally capable of being evil (ungodly) each and every day just as much as the next person.  I mean, without Jesus as our Savior, each one of us will only do what we think is best for us.....and sometimes what we think is best for us hurts other people or dishonors our Creator....thus the whole evil thing comes into play. Sooo, I think this verse is talking to me (at least this is what I'm getting out of this verse in this stage of my life) about being aware of what I allow into my heart and head each day. 

What do I allow into my life that is not honoring to God should be a question I ask myself every once in awhile.  Here, I'll say it this way, what do I allow to take root in my mind and heart that is dishonoring to God and His Son Jesus Christ?  I think we need to hate evil in that way.  Seeing what is in our lives that provokes us to dishonor God our beautiful Maker and King is necessary in knowing the difference between what is good and what is evil.  We NEED to know the difference between them. We can't just assume as Christians that we will always choose what is good in each situation (DUH!), but we need to test things, continue to put Christ first in our decisions each day (another DUH statement). These thoughts are for me from me, but if you're resonating with it too, awesome! haha!
 
All this sounds exhausting. It's late at night as I write this, so that explains the craziness of my writing skills. However, getting back to it, I think if we are "clinging to what is good" and since the main thing....rather Someone who is always good is Jesus Christ this will help us in knowing the difference.
I want to cling to Christ and his ways; learn what He says about how to live and follow those ways.  Those ways lead to peace, hope, light, truth.  Anything outside of God's ways is most obviously the opposite of good.

Okay, I'm done rambling.  I just know I need to start with looking at my own life first when it comes to the statement of "hating what is evil".  Start with cleaning house in my own mind and heart with God's strength and guidance.  Then living each day having a regular routine of cleaning up my mind and heart so that evil stuff.....thoughts or whatever... won't end up taking root in my life. 

I was reading Psalm 119 this week.  It is such a LONG chapter in the Bible and kind of repetitive. However, it is so amazingly chalked full of requests that King David made to God for his heart to want the ways of God instead of the ways of the wicked.  One verse stuck out to me that I will leave you with:
"Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways."  Psalm 119:36-37

Peace.

Clingin' to What's Good

So, this next part of Romans 12:9 is packed full with meaning and application that there is no way I'm gonna try to dig into all of it.  The part of 12:9 I'm pondering today is:  "Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." Another translation (the old New International Version....not the new one that has just been published, of which I am NOT a fan) puts it this way:  "...hate what is evil; cling to what is good."

I am not going to talk about the first part of this statement tonight.  I'm going to let that "hate what is evil" part marinate in us for a few more days.  Tonight I just want to put out my thoughts about "cling to what is good".

Cling is one of those words that paints a picture for me.  When I think of someone clinging to someone or something, I think of these ideas:
 1. clinging is usually used in a moment of desperation.  It's not a casual action....not passive.
2. clinging is something that makes muscles start to cramp and knuckles to turn white because letting go is not an option if one desires to survive the situation in which one finds him or herself.
3. clinging is a choice to hold to something that is going to keep them living, instead of dying.

Both versions of translation for this verse that I have read tonight state "hold fast to" or "cling".  I don't think either of those statements work in our lives as a passive action or one that just naturally occurs in the heart of a person.  Those phrases are intense, urgent, without any other option unless we are to choose defeat.

WOW!  So, this is huge to me!  Cling to what is good.  Obviously to do such a thing, the Apostle Paul thought that is not an easy task.  The Apostle Paul thought we are to have the mentality of hanging on to what is good with all our might.  Apparently he found it very difficult to keep good in his life by just living daily in the knowledge of Christ and His sacrifice.  Apparently, even the Apostle Paul had to consciously seek to hold fast to what was good in his daily life. 

THUS, the whole idea behind abhoring what is evil or hating what is evil becomes very necessary when pursuing a lifestyle of clinging to what is good. 

Ugh, this is so deep, but so very eye opening and honest. 
I am challenged to look into God's Word these next few days and look into my life and see what God is meaning by the phrase "hate what is evil".  I want to get the right idea about what God is saying through the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 12.

If you are following my blog and are interested in this topic as well. I encourage you dig into God's Word.  Ask God to show you His heart for what He is saying to us in Romans 12:9.  As a tool, I have used Biblegateway.com to help me with the questions I have.  It is a great resource.  You should check it out.

Here's an old hymn that has inspiring words to me. It may not necessarily relate to today's topic, but it's still a neat song: Be encouraged!

Love Lifted Me
written by:James Rowe, 1865-1933
I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more;
But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help, Love lifted me! (repeat this line)

All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I'll cling,
In His blessed presence live, ever His praises sing;
Love so mighty and so true merits my soul's best songs;
Faithful loving service, too, to Him belongs.

Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help, Love lifted me! (repeat this line)

Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves;
He will lift you by His love out of the angry waves;
He's the Master of the sea, billows His will obey;
He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.

Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help, LOVE LIFTED ME!

I love the smell of gen-u-ine Love!

Gotta love the smell of genuine leather. It's not like anything else....distinct.  To me, most of the time it's very refreshing for some reason.  Regardless how great it is and refreshing it smells, I usually don't like to buy genuine leather things. Mostly I don't buy it because leather items are typically pricey and usually need to be treated with care and special products to keep their luster. haha! Luster?? I don't know what to call that finish they all have. And I usually don't want to take the time to maintain that luster or however you want to describe finished leather.  Anyway, the genuine leather things I have owned seem special to me. When I bought them I knew that they would hold out through all the wear and tear of life.  I knew I could depend on them to hold together. 

Remember the loafer frenzy of the late '80s and early '90s?  Man, I always had to have the leather loafers with the little bit of fringe on the top and some type of tassel.  Looking back they were UGLY, but those days, leather loafers were the coolest casual dress shoes youth could wear.  Well, what I'm trying to say is that the good loafers, the sturdy ones, were genuine leather shoes.  They lasted the longest and seemed to take rainy days, muddy walks home from school and Oklahoma red dirt quite well.  No problems. Might not stay luster-y, but they sure would hold together. haha!

When I read the verse in Romans 12:9 "love must be genuine", I thought of the "genuine leather" phrase stamped on 100% leather things.  There's alot to that description and so should the description of us showing genuine love to our fellow man.  The way I look at it, genuine love shows itself to be trustworthy, strong, hopeful, honest, dependable, bold, peaceful, self confident/not self righteous, desperately needed, praiseworthy and very rare. Really, genuine love, is so desperately needed in our world.  People rarely see it because most of the time we don't let our love for one another be genuine.

The way I see it, this genuine love the Apostle Paul talks about is unattainable without the One who IS love.  I believe that Jesus Christ is the One who gives us the capacity to love like that.....genuinely....without the hopes of a return for the act of charity. I mean, Christ gave us genuine love by dying on a cross for us....taking the wages of our sin (which is death according to God's Word) and giving us new life instead when we believe in Him. No strings attached kind of love is so rare, so needed, so amazingly life altering when it comes into our lives. To think we are capable to giving that kind of love to others is awesome. If only we could daily surrender our selfish ways to Christ and let Him love through us.

So, I need to ask myself tonight, what does that look like in my life....loving genuinely?  Another translation of this verse says it like this, "Love must be sincere."  My attempt at breaking sincerity down further without Webster's help: sincere= from the heart, thought about before acted upon, no strings attached, the recipient being top priority in the giving of the gift of charity/love.  
So much of the love I give to others has strings even though I don't realize it most of the time, but that's not what I hope to be like.  As a Christian, there is an inner drive in me to be like the One who rescued me from darkness,.....from my lost self.  And to be like Him is to love genuinely. So, I know I want that way of living. I just need to surrender to Christ and let him love through me. That way others might someday say (subconsciously, of course), "Man, I just love the sweet smell of gen-u-ine love."

Women of Truth Rise Up

If you are just now joining me in reading my blog, I encourage you to read the first couple of blogs I have written to give you an idea of why I'm blogging in the first place.  Then, the rest of these ramblings of mine will most likely make more sense. ha!

As you probably know by now, I'm a Christian.  I desire to be honoring to God my Heavenly Father because of the great love He has shown all of us by sending us His Son.  Because of His love, I desire to strive to be a blessing to others and honor them too. I have been challenged by the thoughts that the Apostle Paul wrote to a group of Christians in Rome a couple thousand years ago.  In chapter 12 of Romans there is a small group of verses that packs a punch.  Even if you are not one who believes what I believe, I think you'll find the Apostle Paul's thoughts/encouragement to be very insightful.

Throughout the next several posts, I am going to be writing about several things mentioned in that group of verses (which I have typed out below). It will be a study of sorts....a look into my own heart and head about what I think of these things that Paul raised in his letter to the Romans.  This is a GREAT time for you to chime in after I have blogged on these points.  I would love to hear your thoughts too.
Here now, is the group of verses I will be blogging about:

Romans 12:9-21
"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.  Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.  Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."  To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Have a blessed day, everyone.  Let us seek to be women of truth inside and out!