Ever growing

Well....I watched the whole teaching DVD by Ed Young called "The Real "F" Word - Forgiveness". I've heard a lot of teachings about forgiveness, and this one has to be at the top of my list. It ministered to me in a way I don't think I ever have been. The DVD contained 3 separate teachings from 3 separate Sundays at Fellowship Church. More on this later! Have to go!!

A Great Day

It's been a few days since I've blogged, and it's a great day to catch up! I listened to Pastor Ed Young on TV while Larry and I were fishing in Colorado. He was teaching from a series called "The Real "F" Word - Forgiveness". I think it was absolutely the best teaching on forgiveness that I've ever heard. (And I've heard a lot) I think this is one of the most challenging areas for me to walk out my Christianity. I've asked God to help, and I know that He does, but unfortunately, my will sometimes gets in the way, and so I enter into the realm of "MY FEELINGS". To be honest, some days I walk it out really well, and then there are other days when I don't do well! Pastor Young's teaching that day set me free in a greater measure than I ever have experienced. He gave an example of how he, as a leader, embarrassed 3 women leaving a service early. He said they disrupted the service, so he made a rude comment from the pulpit, and he felt there was nothing wrong with that. After the service, he met with the leaders in the church and began justifying his way of handling the disruption. He explained how his leaders, including his wife, said that though there was a disruption, he had no right to treat anyone the way he did. The following Sunday, he apologized to the whole congregation, and to his SURPRISE, those 3 women had come back!! He didn't know until later that week that those women were in attendance. Ed Young received a big pan of lasagna with a letter that said, "We accept your apology, and hope that you accept our apology for interrupting the service".
When the Bible talks about us being witnesses in the earth today, I believe this is exactly what the Bible means. People MUST see us walking the walk. Otherwise, there cannot be a testimony from a witness. We are witnesses. We aren't perfect, but we can be genuine and we can be real. I don't expect the five-fold ministry to be perfect, but I do expect them to be real! I am fortunate to have pastors that are real, and they are helping and encouraging me to become all God wants me to be. It IS a great day to be a Christian, even if I fail, I CAN get back up again! I thank God for His mercy and unfailing love. I should be so bold as to offer the same to others. By the way, I ordered the whole "Forgiveness" series from Pastor Ed Young, and I am SOOOOOOOOOO Excited to hear it all!!

Be conformed to Christ

I'm bloggin again! My next blog is to encourage all of us not to be conformed to this world. When God gave us this instruction, I believe it was both spiritual and natural. Of course we can see with our eyes when we conform to natural things. For example, I believe God wants us to take care of our natural bodies, but obsession with dieting, or overindulgence in eating, will only result in damaging our bodies. If you feel pressure that you don't quite measure up, or if you find yourself comparing yourself to someone else, remember....... our standard of measure is "what does God think"?
Don't measure yourself by what you see advertised on TV or in magazines......the skinny beautiful model, the $50,000 car, the $1,000,000 home. When I read my Bible, I never see Jesus or Paul preach about how we look on the outside, but how we look on the "inside". If Jesus and Paul never talked about driving the best chariot, wearing the best robe, or looking the best, I believe that is the example I should follow. I'm guessing the reason they didn't is because we do not compete in the body of Christ. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with nice things, I believe good things will come as we lead a WELL-BALANCED LIFE. His direction will cause blessing, good health, good success and a GOOD self-image. His scales should be our scales.

A Higher Call

Well....I'm bloggin! I have always wanted a place to express my thoughts, convictions, and most of all, my joy. I hope that my words bring everyone hope for the present, and hope for the future. I love to comment on the ordinary, extraordinary, and even the everyday experiences of life. I figured that all the thoughts I have are better written than said!! We shall see!!