Hello everyone! It has been a long time since I posted anything! I am really sorry to have neglected writing, yet I feel it was for the better. I have not felt so inspired as of late. Well, I have been inspired, but I have not felt God prompting me to write, and so I did not. I feel exceptionally joyful this lovely morning and so, I feel God telling me to proclaim to you His Awesome glory, majesty, and might!
The sun came up in a gorgeous burst of light, through the mist and morning gray it shone. I took a walk with my dogs and marveled at the beauty of God's lovely creation. The spider webs, the dew, everything so unique and perfect. Here, I even wrote a poem about it...
~The Weavers weave on misty morn
Across the fields and trees, their lacy webs are born
When dawn breaks through to shine her light
They vanish yet, until the night ~
I wish I could say more! But so many times He leaves me baffled and breathless, in wonder, and praise. Glorify Him! Hope to write again soon :)
Yours Truly,
~Rachel S.
"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hand." Psalm 19:1
Friday, September 27, 2013
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Total Abandon
What is worship? How can we honor God by praising him? What would it look like for someone to completely lay down their desires and abandon all that they hold dear?
The greatest act of worship we can give is the act of surrender. If we kneel at the foot of the cross and say, "Lord you can have all of me. My hopes, my fears, my strengths, my sorrows, my heart, mind, souls, dreams, and abilities. You can take it all God. I want you to empty me so that all I have left in me is You."
So many times I find myself saying, "Oh, God. Take my sorrows, my fears Lord. Maybe you can have my heart too...well, only this part of it. Someday I'll be able to give up my dreams, but not now Jesus, I just can't."
Yes Rachel, you can. Christ only died for you! What kind of a message was Jesus sending when He lay down his life? Was he saying, "I give you half of me."? No. He gave us everything. He was stripped of any possible earthly glory. He was beaten beyond recognition. His head, that could have been wearing a heavenly Prince's crown, was adorned with thorns; pressed deep into His scalp. His hands, the hands that healed the sick and fed the hungry, where pierced through. His feet, the feet that carried him to the hill where he died, were also pierced for out transgressions. Like a thief, a sinner condemned to die, so He died. Blameless and innocent, He looked out over the people who had come to watch Him suffer. Was He cursing them? No. He was praying for them, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Even on the cross, He was interceding for us. His Father turned away from Him, because the sin that was upon His shoulders was great.
Can you imagine the emptiness Jesus must have felt? Can you imagine truly being emptied of your glory, your lifeblood, your loved ones?
If Christ had come and said, "You know what, I'm only going to do this half way. I'm not going through with this..." Maybe we would have a fraction of an excuse not to die as Christ died, to abandon all and lay at the foot of the cross.
So...why is it that we have such a hard time letting go? Why do you want your sin, shame, and sorrows anyways? He came that you might throw all of it upon Him. But, He doesn't ask for only the dirt in your life. He wants all of your life. He wants you to be emptied of this world so that He can begin to fill you with things that are eternal and worthy.
Picture two armies. One infinitely greater than the other.
The blood soaks into the grass and mud, dead soldiers lie in the wet. Wounded cry out for help. The smaller army shrinks at the feet of the greater force. A murmur goes up among the ranks as a soldier slowly emerges. Agonizing pain shoots through his side, the place where a sharp blade had met its mark. He looks haggard and worn. His armor is beaten and dented, his former robes of glory and headship, torn and tattered. No longer able to proceed, he drops to his knees, his arm pressed to his wound. Blood stains his tunic, telling the tale of lost bravery and courage.
The leader of the larger army watches carefully. His thoughtful eyes welling with tears as compassion and love overflow.
The wounded man looks up from the earth into the face of his opponent. The expression of kindness on the other man's face melts all of his former fears.
"Lord, here I am. Only me...[looks at bloody side] and this bitter reminder of my transgressions kneel before you now. I am wasted and spent, worthless and dying. I have watched fellow men die on this field for three days. I no longer hold the power to fight. I give this [motions about] to you. Here, my sword. Take my pain, sorrows, fears, longings, lusts, failings, angers, hopes, dreams, loves, and desires. Take it, all of me, and make me new again, for if you don't, I fear I will die before morn comes again."
He bowed to the earth and pressed his body in the mud and dirt.
"I abandon all to you, Lord."
As Christ looked on, the small battered army began to fall to its knees. The only thing left standing; a rusted crucifix on a bloody pole in the midst of the army.
Christ reaches out his hand, lifting the wounded to his feet again.
"You are forgiven and you will become new."
Just that picture gives me chills.
When you surrender your heart to your Creator, you are performing the most beautiful act of worship. With the Spirit at work within you, you can get to the breaking point. The point where you can drop to your knees and say, "God, I surrender all. I am completely and totally in your power. Bend me and break me, take me and remake me."
Easier said than done right?
Complete Abandon,
~Rachel
The greatest act of worship we can give is the act of surrender. If we kneel at the foot of the cross and say, "Lord you can have all of me. My hopes, my fears, my strengths, my sorrows, my heart, mind, souls, dreams, and abilities. You can take it all God. I want you to empty me so that all I have left in me is You."
So many times I find myself saying, "Oh, God. Take my sorrows, my fears Lord. Maybe you can have my heart too...well, only this part of it. Someday I'll be able to give up my dreams, but not now Jesus, I just can't."
Yes Rachel, you can. Christ only died for you! What kind of a message was Jesus sending when He lay down his life? Was he saying, "I give you half of me."? No. He gave us everything. He was stripped of any possible earthly glory. He was beaten beyond recognition. His head, that could have been wearing a heavenly Prince's crown, was adorned with thorns; pressed deep into His scalp. His hands, the hands that healed the sick and fed the hungry, where pierced through. His feet, the feet that carried him to the hill where he died, were also pierced for out transgressions. Like a thief, a sinner condemned to die, so He died. Blameless and innocent, He looked out over the people who had come to watch Him suffer. Was He cursing them? No. He was praying for them, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Even on the cross, He was interceding for us. His Father turned away from Him, because the sin that was upon His shoulders was great.
Can you imagine the emptiness Jesus must have felt? Can you imagine truly being emptied of your glory, your lifeblood, your loved ones?
If Christ had come and said, "You know what, I'm only going to do this half way. I'm not going through with this..." Maybe we would have a fraction of an excuse not to die as Christ died, to abandon all and lay at the foot of the cross.
So...why is it that we have such a hard time letting go? Why do you want your sin, shame, and sorrows anyways? He came that you might throw all of it upon Him. But, He doesn't ask for only the dirt in your life. He wants all of your life. He wants you to be emptied of this world so that He can begin to fill you with things that are eternal and worthy.
Picture two armies. One infinitely greater than the other.
The blood soaks into the grass and mud, dead soldiers lie in the wet. Wounded cry out for help. The smaller army shrinks at the feet of the greater force. A murmur goes up among the ranks as a soldier slowly emerges. Agonizing pain shoots through his side, the place where a sharp blade had met its mark. He looks haggard and worn. His armor is beaten and dented, his former robes of glory and headship, torn and tattered. No longer able to proceed, he drops to his knees, his arm pressed to his wound. Blood stains his tunic, telling the tale of lost bravery and courage.
The leader of the larger army watches carefully. His thoughtful eyes welling with tears as compassion and love overflow.
The wounded man looks up from the earth into the face of his opponent. The expression of kindness on the other man's face melts all of his former fears.
"Lord, here I am. Only me...[looks at bloody side] and this bitter reminder of my transgressions kneel before you now. I am wasted and spent, worthless and dying. I have watched fellow men die on this field for three days. I no longer hold the power to fight. I give this [motions about] to you. Here, my sword. Take my pain, sorrows, fears, longings, lusts, failings, angers, hopes, dreams, loves, and desires. Take it, all of me, and make me new again, for if you don't, I fear I will die before morn comes again."
He bowed to the earth and pressed his body in the mud and dirt.
"I abandon all to you, Lord."
As Christ looked on, the small battered army began to fall to its knees. The only thing left standing; a rusted crucifix on a bloody pole in the midst of the army.
Christ reaches out his hand, lifting the wounded to his feet again.
"You are forgiven and you will become new."
Just that picture gives me chills.
When you surrender your heart to your Creator, you are performing the most beautiful act of worship. With the Spirit at work within you, you can get to the breaking point. The point where you can drop to your knees and say, "God, I surrender all. I am completely and totally in your power. Bend me and break me, take me and remake me."
Easier said than done right?
Complete Abandon,
~Rachel
Monday, August 5, 2013
Step Back, Let Go
I've got to stop taking myself so seriously. I mean, what does it really matter what people think of me? If I smile like me, talk like me, laugh like me, joke like me, and act like me, why should I care what other people think? I make funny faces when I talk, I can't express myself without hand motions, I tend to fidget when I am trying to explain something of great importance, I make grammatical and spelling errors in letters, emails, and posts (not for lack of trying! Trust me, I read over things a hundred times and still miss stuff!), I wear glasses whenever I watch a movie, I love reading aloud to myself, I eat cranberries with my mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving, I climb trees better than any girl would like to admit, I talk too much (?), I am more country than most expect, I am a sinner, and I like to belt out worship songs when no one else is around (sadly, most of the time there are people near by that I am not aware of). Wow, this is me. A bad thing? No. I'm not proud of the sinner in me. I'm not exactly excited about the funny faces when I talk, but to be honest, it isn't hurting anything!
Please don't try to be someone else. Yes, you can be the new you. The new creation in Christ. But don't fret about the quirks that God created you with. They are all part of you. Your abilities and gifts are unique to God's plan. Hey, you never know, maybe someday someone will fall in love with that crooked smile of yours, or those silly expressions you make. Know that someone already has fallen in love with you and your "problems". Know that the one who created them has had his eye on you ever since he had the blueprint of you drawn up in his magnificently sovereign mind. God is watching you, praying over you, and planning for you. He has written your story, all you have to do is watch as the pages unfold before you. Praise God that he has a plan for that strong voice, those funny jokes, or that beautiful laugh of yours!
Pray that Christ would show you ways you can turn your "quirks" into his glory. You will find that the less you try to squash your true personality, that it starts to become more and more beautiful. Please don't be dismayed about the little things! Worry more about your sinful nature, try to fight against it. Don't expend your energy battling something that God wants you to have and keep. Can you think of anything more futile than that? Stop taking yourself so seriously. Step back, and let go. Guess who is right beneath you? Christ is there to catch you when you stumble.
I promise to stop taking myself so seriously...(did I really just say that?) Now you have to as well :) There is nothing more freeing than letting go and saying, "God, I am all yours. Take me and remake me." I'm not saying that you should ask Him to make you taller, shorter, thinner, or smaller, but ask him to change you from the inside out. Once your heart has been washed with the blood of the Lamb, you will be forever changed. Forever new.
I believe that God wanted me to write this post as much or more for myself than for any of you. I am so thankful that God has been able to use y'all (my dearest readers) to work in my life! Thank you so much for your support, prayers, and comments!
Not so seriously (in a good way), but always truly yours,
~Rachel
(If she only knew!)
Pray that Christ would show you ways you can turn your "quirks" into his glory. You will find that the less you try to squash your true personality, that it starts to become more and more beautiful. Please don't be dismayed about the little things! Worry more about your sinful nature, try to fight against it. Don't expend your energy battling something that God wants you to have and keep. Can you think of anything more futile than that? Stop taking yourself so seriously. Step back, and let go. Guess who is right beneath you? Christ is there to catch you when you stumble.
I promise to stop taking myself so seriously...(did I really just say that?) Now you have to as well :) There is nothing more freeing than letting go and saying, "God, I am all yours. Take me and remake me." I'm not saying that you should ask Him to make you taller, shorter, thinner, or smaller, but ask him to change you from the inside out. Once your heart has been washed with the blood of the Lamb, you will be forever changed. Forever new.
I believe that God wanted me to write this post as much or more for myself than for any of you. I am so thankful that God has been able to use y'all (my dearest readers) to work in my life! Thank you so much for your support, prayers, and comments!
Not so seriously (in a good way), but always truly yours,
~Rachel
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Embracing the Wind
Change sometimes makes my stomach twist and turn. How about you? Change can be our greatest enemy as creatures of habit. Sadly we don't often break out of the same-old same-old to smile and praise God for what He has done. When a hint of change, a shifting of direction, or the slightest possibility of the unknown arises, we shrink back. Back into our shells, back into the place we feel safe. Truly, it is dark and ugly where we take our refuge. A place of lies, whispers and uncertainty. The fortress that you imagine to be safely hidden away in is no longer standing. The walls long ago torn down. If all you have to raise you up when you have fallen is your own weakness, how will you ever triumph?
The winds of change, my fellow believer, are His holy tools. They are the surgical implements used to revive your long- dead heart. When everything beneath you falls away, all you can do is pray. When all you hold dear is suddenly ripped away, fall to your knees. Like the wounded soldier in the midst of the battle, he cannot help his fellow man, or himself. All he can do is cry out to God.
Change isn't a bad thing, friend, it is part of what is shaping you right now. It is making you stronger and (by Gods grace and holy plan) drawing you closer to Him. No longer should you pull away from the unknown, no longer should you raise your walls of false protection, for you know that everything that lies before you is for good and God's glory. God loves you enough to want to watch you become beautiful. He has a beautiful and blessed plan for you, embrace the winds of change.
Sincerely,
Rachel
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Prayer for Daniel
We need y'all's prayers for an old friend. He got in a bad accident on a dirt bike and is in critical condition. The other boy who was in the accident was killed.
Pray for the family. Pray that God would help Daniel pull through.
Hope,
Rachel
Saturday, July 6, 2013
So much like the World
Recently I was talking with a group of friends about church and the media culture that surrounds us. One of my friends made a point about how the church often uses media to draw people in. Many times when churches do this, they are compromising. Much of the media now-a-days is full of worldly and (quite often) inappropriate material.
What do y'all think about this subject? What are your views on how the church uses modern technology and culture?
I can see where the human mentality would be to follow the pack and do what everybody else is doing. Why is this? Why is it that we think we will attract any more attention to Christ by using distractions? Personally, I don't see where Christ would be proud of a tactic that uses worldly attractions and lusts to draw people into (what should be) His house.
As Christians we are not trying to distance ourselves from the world, but draw as close to Christ as humanly possible while we are in the world. When one draws near to Christ they will find that it is easier to live in and not of the world. If you can't tell the difference between the "Saved" and "Unsaved" what is the point? People ask me why they would want to be a Christian if they look so much like the world. It's a hard question to answer. Why do God's people look so much like the world they are trying to change?
I look about me and find it hard to pick out my kin, fellow worshipers in Christ. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore we should all be striving towards the glorification of Christ. How does playing a funny (or possibly crude) video in church glorify God?
What are we, as Christians, striving for? To be as much like the world as possible without quite crossing the line? To draw people in by the hundreds and preach to them? What is our goal? Tell me, please. Someone tell me why the church was created. SOMEONE TELL ME WHY WE LOOK SO MUCH LIKE THE WORLD. Legalism is not my goal. I hate to think we all should be the same. We were all created by God with a PURPOSE. He wants us to follow his word, his steps, and his leading to the same goal.
Much Love,
~Rachel
What do y'all think about this subject? What are your views on how the church uses modern technology and culture?
I can see where the human mentality would be to follow the pack and do what everybody else is doing. Why is this? Why is it that we think we will attract any more attention to Christ by using distractions? Personally, I don't see where Christ would be proud of a tactic that uses worldly attractions and lusts to draw people into (what should be) His house.
As Christians we are not trying to distance ourselves from the world, but draw as close to Christ as humanly possible while we are in the world. When one draws near to Christ they will find that it is easier to live in and not of the world. If you can't tell the difference between the "Saved" and "Unsaved" what is the point? People ask me why they would want to be a Christian if they look so much like the world. It's a hard question to answer. Why do God's people look so much like the world they are trying to change?
I look about me and find it hard to pick out my kin, fellow worshipers in Christ. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore we should all be striving towards the glorification of Christ. How does playing a funny (or possibly crude) video in church glorify God?
What are we, as Christians, striving for? To be as much like the world as possible without quite crossing the line? To draw people in by the hundreds and preach to them? What is our goal? Tell me, please. Someone tell me why the church was created. SOMEONE TELL ME WHY WE LOOK SO MUCH LIKE THE WORLD. Legalism is not my goal. I hate to think we all should be the same. We were all created by God with a PURPOSE. He wants us to follow his word, his steps, and his leading to the same goal.
Much Love,
~Rachel
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Bridge to Hell
"If Sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for." ~ Charles Spurgeon
This quote struck something deep inside me. I thought about how so many Christians sit back and watch people run into the gates of Hell. In many ways we (Christians) are building a bridge for them. When a lost person walks into church and there is no friendly face to invite them in, love on them, and care about them, theyrun walk away more empty that before. They think, "Why on earth would I want Christianity if it looks like this?" When the lost are drawn into the doors of a church and are never fed true love and true friendship, they never learn what knowing Christ is really like. They may think that they have the real thing because it is what you have and everyone else in the church has, but it isn't what Christ intended all to have. When we have "Religion", we don't have Christ. When we have "Church", we don't have Christ. When we have a large congregation, we don't have Christ.
Then when do we have Christ? You might ask.
We have Christ when we have nothing. We have Christ when we have His love in our hearts. We have Christ once we truly realize what it means to die to self. We have Christ when we have His word, not religion. Religion never did anything of worth for anybody. It only paved a path to the gates of Hell.
So many people think that if they have religion, they have a free ticket to Paradise.
Wrong.
If you have Christ, you are alive. If you have religion, you are dead.
When a Christian truly has Christ, he or she will desire to love. They will throw themselves into the arms of the poor, helpless, and lost. They will begin to tear down the bridge that others have built before them.
So unintentionally did the Bridge to Hell get built, few realize that it exists. Few see the dangers of the Bridge. You don't realize how much Satan desires to protect it. He was thrilled when the blueprints were conceived in the depths of his dark mind, now he rejoices that he hardly had to lift a finger to lay a single stone within the foundation of this Bridge. We did all the work for him.
Friends and family, please hear the cry of a heart that so desperately longs to throw a rope of caution across the entrance to that bridge. Hear the voice of one who is breaking every day for those who walk across the Bridge to Hell. Cast off false religion and pride. Help me not only to destroy the Bridge to Hell, but help me to lay a Path to Heaven.
When my days are done on this earth, I don't want the Path to Heaven to be shiny and new. I want it to be old and tattered, worn and beaten down by the millions that have danced their way into the Golden Gates...
Many tears cried for you,
~Rachel
This quote struck something deep inside me. I thought about how so many Christians sit back and watch people run into the gates of Hell. In many ways we (Christians) are building a bridge for them. When a lost person walks into church and there is no friendly face to invite them in, love on them, and care about them, they
Then when do we have Christ? You might ask.
We have Christ when we have nothing. We have Christ when we have His love in our hearts. We have Christ once we truly realize what it means to die to self. We have Christ when we have His word, not religion. Religion never did anything of worth for anybody. It only paved a path to the gates of Hell.
So many people think that if they have religion, they have a free ticket to Paradise.
Wrong.
If you have Christ, you are alive. If you have religion, you are dead.
When a Christian truly has Christ, he or she will desire to love. They will throw themselves into the arms of the poor, helpless, and lost. They will begin to tear down the bridge that others have built before them.
So unintentionally did the Bridge to Hell get built, few realize that it exists. Few see the dangers of the Bridge. You don't realize how much Satan desires to protect it. He was thrilled when the blueprints were conceived in the depths of his dark mind, now he rejoices that he hardly had to lift a finger to lay a single stone within the foundation of this Bridge. We did all the work for him.
Friends and family, please hear the cry of a heart that so desperately longs to throw a rope of caution across the entrance to that bridge. Hear the voice of one who is breaking every day for those who walk across the Bridge to Hell. Cast off false religion and pride. Help me not only to destroy the Bridge to Hell, but help me to lay a Path to Heaven.
When my days are done on this earth, I don't want the Path to Heaven to be shiny and new. I want it to be old and tattered, worn and beaten down by the millions that have danced their way into the Golden Gates...
Many tears cried for you,
~Rachel
Monday, July 1, 2013
Breaking Me
Nothing is greater than the will of the Lord, for He sees all things and knows all hearts. What good will my worries bring but sorrow and disappointment?
What is my love to any man if not first given to God?
What is my joy to any peoples if not displayed before my Lord?
What is my life to the lost if not open to the will of Jesus?
What is my heart to this world if not broken and remade by the hands of the Creator?
What is my body to anyone if not first sacrificed to the Son of God?
What is my death before my enemies if not an act of obedience to Christ?
These questions came to me the other morning while I was sitting on the porch swing enjoying a quiet moment with God. I was surprised at how powerfully they struck my heart. Whipping out my journal and pen I wrote each of them down as they flowed through my thoughts.
My prayer as of late has been; God, show me my faults. Work through my mistakes. Lead me and break me if you have to. Lead me...
It may seem that this is an odd prayer. Break me? Why did I say that? What drove me to ask God to break me?
My sin. My pride.
Often times I cannot see through my pride. I get caught up with how "Right" I am and how "Wrong" you are. In the heat of the moment it seems like there is no way that I could possibly be in the wrong. To the bitter end (Sadly) I hold onto the feeble argument of correctness and moral. While trying to justify my "Right", I do what is so grievingly wrong in the sight of my Lord.
It is pride that has driven me to the foot of the cross. Gasping, I cry out to Jesus, praying that He would show me my wrongs and my failures. Praying that He might make a better woman out of the poor soul that kneel at His feet.
Sometimes one must be broken in order to be made new. Pride must be broken. How will it be broken? Christ will start to point out every detail of your life where pride shows up. He will slowly allow you to see the spoiled spots in your heart. He will firmly but lovingly extract the blot of shame from your weary soul. He will stamp out the flams of judgment and replace them with rivers of redeeming love.
Christ has begun to break me down. He is teaching me that I alone am not enough. He is showing me that there is allot about me that can be changed through prayer and supplication. He is asking me to be patient, kind, and gentle when my temper threatens to flare up. He is causing my thoughts to dwell upon wrongs that I would never have noticed a year ago. He doesn't ask me to linger on my failures, but to notice them so that I can correct my heart and thinking when it comes time for the right thing to be done.
Should I have ever asked Him to break me and make me new? A RESOUNDING YES! I am thankful that He placed it in my heart to cry out to Him in such manor. I know that rough times are ahead, that my nature will come out, that people will see me for who I really am, but I think it is beautiful. Not my sin of course, but the change that I know He will perform in me.
In all honesty, I want to be transparent with you. All of you. I don't know who you are (well...maybe some of you), where your from, or what you are really like, but I want you to know that I am a sinner. I am human (duh). I fail. I also want you to know that I get angry (surprise, surprise!), and self-righteous (pray...I'm not the only one...?). I love being me. I don't want to cover up my quirks, failures, and weaknesses, because I know that we all have them and we all need help to fix them. So many people are determined to hide who they truly are. I understand not blowing up in front of friends or not bragging about your awesomeness to classmates, but I don't understand this total mask that everyone wears. This mask bandages and hides the festering wound beneath. It causes us to create a person of our own design. God designed us perfectly the way he wished us to be. He placed in us free will. We chose death. Why are we not fessing up to it? Why do we hide the fact that we are sinners when everyone else on the face of the planet it a sinner too?
I'm not telling you to drop all decorum and to be "Real" (rude, mean, prideful...etc.) with the people you know. I'm saying, drop the walls that are keeping you from experiencing True Life. Tear away the Perfect's and the Pride's, and look forward, dig deep, realize that you are a sinner. Reach out and say, "Hey, this is me. A sinner. A loser...one saved by grace."
Don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about Cheap Grace (a term used most frequently by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book The Cost Of Discipleship.) guys. I'm talking about Costly Grace. We were saved by a Grace that died on a cross for us. Jesus didn't say, "Go now brethren, sit in a church pew, there you will find grace." He said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me."(Luke 9:23) Daily you must take up your cross. Daily you must strive after Him. Christ died a death deserving of Costly Grace. Why do you sit back and take in this form of comfort that is only Cheap Grace? Take up that cross. It lay on the dirt beckoning you to touch it. Feel the grains of wood that have soaked up innocent blood. Heft the weight of it on your shoulder. Feel that it is a beautiful burden. A burden that grows lighter every step of the way.
You perform an act of taking up your cross by asking God to lead you. To show you where He wants you to be.
Don't shy away from the human nature that so often struggles within you. Face it head on. Say, "This is who I am now, but I know that through Him who created me, I will be made new." Our human nature can only get away with more and more the longer we try to ignore, hide, or deny it.
Re-evaluate these questions now that I have sufficiently talked your ear off about all kinds of things!
What is my love to any man if not first given to God?
What is my joy to any peoples if not displayed before my Lord?
What is my life to the lost if not open to the will of Jesus?
What is my heart to this world if not broken and remade by the hands of the Creator?
What is my body to anyone if not first sacrificed to the Son of God?
What is my death before my enemies if not an act of obedience to Christ?
Have you taken up your cross? Are you who you really say you are? Are you who God wants you to be? Do you pray that God would change you?
Now, somehow, I have to wined down after that...speech?...might you call it that? I dearly pray that I have not scared you away or caused you too much grief! I only wish to provoke you to deep thought. I couldn't sit with the wheels turning in my brain for a day without causing the wheels to turn in yours! I'm sorry if you had trouble with any of the concepts or my sporadic way of expression! I try to bring things across as clearly as possible, but sometimes it ends up in a jumble!
If you have any questions or thoughts, please email me or comment!!!
With many laughs, tears, and thoughts,
Yours Truly,
~Rachel
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