In my lasyt blog I referenced the fact that the snow and the whiteness of the page reminded of Christs gift to us>>>ETERNAL LIFE! Since my last blog my head has and still is filled with so many varied thoughts and contemplations that I feel like my head is going to spin into orbit much like Emily Rose's in themovie "The Excorcism ." The only thing I am sure of is that God loves me despite all my faults and human imperfections. That statemet alone is so INCREDIBLE . Knowing that no matter what I have done (or may do) God loves me unconditionally !! As Iwas sitting home watching tv dealing with another night of insomnia(late night tv highly overrated) I was forced to see at least 25 commercials /infomercials. Almost all of them involved quick miracle fix its : everything from teeth whitneing,to get rich schemes,to instant body shapers (guaranteed to give you that new body you have been dying for ).
As im watching them im thinking two thoughts first of all the world is in far worse shape than I realized. WE all are in a hurry for a quick fix without any work ,other submitting our 16 digit credit card number to some telephone operator ,wait for pkg to arrive then Shazaam instantly our lives willbe better>I THINK NOT my friend. Anything in life that is worth having takes time and our effort . This is especially true in our Christian walk. We must not just acknowledge HIm, but follow his word through our readings,our fellowship in church as well as in our daily interactions with others:believers and nonbelievers alike.Secondly, Im so greatful to know that regardless of the ploys set in place by marketing gurus to entice viewers ,I can simply say I dont need any of those materialistic possessions for I have Christ and HE loves me for who I am,just the way I am. He doesnt care if im rich,thin,or drive a Ferrari and have white pearly teeth and flowing blonde hair that blows in the wind. No,Christ loves me for me!
The past week has been as I said full of much soul searching. As I mentioned in my previous blog, in 2010 I found a wonderful chruch where I am accepted and loved for who I am. I made the decision just prior to Christmas to join the church so this coming Sunday I will be baptised and formally become a memebr of Renovatus. I knew all along I desired to be a member of this church, the baptism well that was a little harder. It was not my faith but rather my nerves that had me questioning this decision. I am TERRIFIED to get up in front of large audiences. But as I was praying the past few weeks to the Lord for guidance the Holy Spirit moved me and beckoned me to cast my fears aside and to show my love of Christ through my actions. At first I was not sure how He was going to move me...?I just KNEW HE would in HIS time .My Heart is filled with such love and yearning to serve Him that I cant contain it. God has been moving mountains in my life.
I have been praying for one of my friends that has yet to come to accept Christ and Im seeing the change . It isnt happening overnight but its definitely happening. They asked for the church website info to watch services when they cant physically attend. For anyone who knows someone who isnt a believer and follwer of Christ you know what Im talking about,the beginning stepsin their walk with Christ. I have no doubt that God will embrace them and help open their eyes and heart to hear Him more clearly.
Im currently reading "Hurt Healer" by Tony Nolan. In this book Tony shares what it looks like for us as Christians to reach out to others>>>INCREDIBLY MOVING!!! Tony s one phrase that sticks with me is " not help is to hurt". In this book he shares the story of the man beaten in the streets and left for dead by thieves. Three people walk by a Levite, a priest and a samaritan,but only one helps, he of course we know was the Samaritan(Luke 10). Samaritans were believed to be lesser people because of their genetic components(they were produced from tthe act of rape by the romans against the jewish women). These people suffered insurmountable ridicule ,pain and suffering . Despite that or perhaps because of their pain is why the Samaritan helped this man.(they knew what it was like because they had been there). Tony does a wonderful job explaining how to reach out to others much like the Samaritan in the Bible. As I heard from someone this week :"it is those who can less afford to help that do offer to help more so than their more "privileged"counterparts."
I have always tried to be kind to others but through this book I have gained new insight . Tony talks in the book about "practical heresy" .Pracitcal hersey is described as "...when we refer to practical heresy., we are referring not to beliefs but to behavior,not to doctrine but to deeds"(Nolan,p.43). Our lives here on Earth may not be perfect ,but when Im experiencing my low moments ,I remember that Im not alone and one day we will meet Him face to face and how incredible that day will be.On that day when I meet my creator face to face all I pray to hear is "well done my child". My love of Christ means that I do not NEED to get applauded for acts of kindness towards others. In fact if we are doing acts of kindness for mere adoration ,then we are not living according to His will.
My hearts desire is that this new begiinning is not only an outward acknowledgement and proclomation of my love but an inward change within my heart and soul as well.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
A New Beginning
As I sit here staring at the utterly white computer screen before me I am amazed at how blank it is. That statement might sound clearly evident,and you may be thinking "Duh". This for me however is as the title says a new beginning.I have never created a blog before.In fact setting this up occurred merely out of the desire to follow my friend's blog(sn: you need to follow her shes awesome her URL is: http://www.steffiefresh.blogspot.com/ ).Anyway it took me an endless amount of time to create a profile so that I was able to leave her a well earned kudos on today's blog. As I was sitting here doing it I felt compelled to take the next step and begin my own chronicling. Back to why the the contrast of the white screen is so crucial to this blog.
This year has been a new beginning for me in so many ways. I have always been a religious person and lived what I thought was a good life. A few years ago however I walked away from my church for personal reasons and in essence lost sight of what was most important >>my relationship with Christ. I still prayed and all but forgot about the component of fellowship and the integral role of it in your walk with Jesus . In the summer of 2010 I endured a medical injury that forced me to rexamine and prioritize my life and what really mattered. I was amazed to discover that at the end of the day the things that I had "thought" mattered were just "distractions" placed in my life to keep me from walking in His light. I need to acknowledge that I am taking responsibility for those distractions because I ALLOWED them in my life by my shutting out Christ!!
Much like the whiteness of this screen as I began to blog tonight ,the weather here in South Carolina has been uncharacteristically "northern" to say the least.In the past 2 days we've received 6" of snow and if that were not enough add sleet and freezing rain for fun. I grew up in Upstate NY where the average snowfall is 121" a year so snow is not anything new to me. However as I stood on my balcony staring out at the blanket of white I was filled with such peace and love & how the snow is somewhat symbolic of the purity of Christ and the gift of His life that He so lovingly gave for us on Calvary .
This past Sunday our Pastor talked about Taboo + Wounds (check out his blog @ http://pastorjonathanmartin.com/ )(or if you would like to listen to the series check out sermon archives on the church's website http://www.renovatuscommunity.com/ )in the sermon he discussed how Christ can heal all wounds as found in Isaiah 53. As I reread this chapter of Isaiah the verse 6 jumped off the page at me "All of us ,like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's path to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all". WOW!! That one verse is so defining in my life and if we're to be honest ,I'd say ALL of us can shake our heads and say "yes that is me".
The past six months have been filled with many ups and downs medically, finacially,emotionally and spiritually.However I have been blessed to have found fellowship in church again(thank Heavens for Renovatus Church in Charlotte NC & soon in Fort Mill SC) and know that no matter what happens I am not alone for He is with me. Through my fellowship in church I have regained my focus and found unity with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.One of my sisters doesnt attend my church but we are there for each other ,lifting one another up when the other finds themselves struggling(I love ya steph).
We are on the eleventh day of the new year and I'm so awestruck by what I've witnessed this year already.Winter Jam 2011 at TWC Arena in Charlotte was simply magnificient. 18000+ people gathered together in freezing weather,(waiting hours for a ticket,but oh so worth it )to worship in song and praise. There was a defining moment before the show in which a protester began shouting at the people waiting to get in (many young children there w/their parents) calling us all ugly names that I will not repeat. Rather than acknowledge this man's ignorance and feed into his negativity the crowd began singing ""Jesus Loves Me". It started with like 10 of us soon there were hundreds singing at the top of our lungs .But we werent singing to shut him up (well maybe in the beginning that was the desire) but soon we were all arm in arm just singing of our love to our Heavenly Father. It was such a moving experience.
Im sorry that someone felt the need to try to disrupt a Christian event, yet I know in my heart that the Holy Spirit called on all of us there to demonstrate our faith in a way that is edifying to His Holy name. As Steven Furtick Pastor of Elevation church (http://www.elevationchurch.org/) says, "When we give God the Greatest Glory He gives us the Deepest Peace". This example is living ,testifiable proof of that !! I left the arena that night feeling more at peace then I have felt in so long.I know God was working the Time Warner Arena on Sunday January 9,2011.
Inside the concert as I previously mentioned, we discovered the venue was packed to the rafters literally!! On that night many came to accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour.It is such a blessing to witness such a raw outpouring of love and moving of the Holy Spirit in people of all ages ,converged together for a brief moment in time.We entered as strangers and left as brothers and sisters . It is incredible to "Discover" how actively Christ is working in your life if you just choose to listen.Once you turn your life over to Christ 110% no questions asked ,no holds barred...brace yourself sit back opens your eyes,ears and your heart and be prepared to be AMAZED !!
This year has been a new beginning for me in so many ways. I have always been a religious person and lived what I thought was a good life. A few years ago however I walked away from my church for personal reasons and in essence lost sight of what was most important >>my relationship with Christ. I still prayed and all but forgot about the component of fellowship and the integral role of it in your walk with Jesus . In the summer of 2010 I endured a medical injury that forced me to rexamine and prioritize my life and what really mattered. I was amazed to discover that at the end of the day the things that I had "thought" mattered were just "distractions" placed in my life to keep me from walking in His light. I need to acknowledge that I am taking responsibility for those distractions because I ALLOWED them in my life by my shutting out Christ!!
Much like the whiteness of this screen as I began to blog tonight ,the weather here in South Carolina has been uncharacteristically "northern" to say the least.In the past 2 days we've received 6" of snow and if that were not enough add sleet and freezing rain for fun. I grew up in Upstate NY where the average snowfall is 121" a year so snow is not anything new to me. However as I stood on my balcony staring out at the blanket of white I was filled with such peace and love & how the snow is somewhat symbolic of the purity of Christ and the gift of His life that He so lovingly gave for us on Calvary .
This past Sunday our Pastor talked about Taboo + Wounds (check out his blog @ http://pastorjonathanmartin.com/ )(or if you would like to listen to the series check out sermon archives on the church's website http://www.renovatuscommunity.com/ )in the sermon he discussed how Christ can heal all wounds as found in Isaiah 53. As I reread this chapter of Isaiah the verse 6 jumped off the page at me "All of us ,like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's path to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all". WOW!! That one verse is so defining in my life and if we're to be honest ,I'd say ALL of us can shake our heads and say "yes that is me".
The past six months have been filled with many ups and downs medically, finacially,emotionally and spiritually.However I have been blessed to have found fellowship in church again(thank Heavens for Renovatus Church in Charlotte NC & soon in Fort Mill SC) and know that no matter what happens I am not alone for He is with me. Through my fellowship in church I have regained my focus and found unity with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.One of my sisters doesnt attend my church but we are there for each other ,lifting one another up when the other finds themselves struggling(I love ya steph).
We are on the eleventh day of the new year and I'm so awestruck by what I've witnessed this year already.Winter Jam 2011 at TWC Arena in Charlotte was simply magnificient. 18000+ people gathered together in freezing weather,(waiting hours for a ticket,but oh so worth it )to worship in song and praise. There was a defining moment before the show in which a protester began shouting at the people waiting to get in (many young children there w/their parents) calling us all ugly names that I will not repeat. Rather than acknowledge this man's ignorance and feed into his negativity the crowd began singing ""Jesus Loves Me". It started with like 10 of us soon there were hundreds singing at the top of our lungs .But we werent singing to shut him up (well maybe in the beginning that was the desire) but soon we were all arm in arm just singing of our love to our Heavenly Father. It was such a moving experience.
Im sorry that someone felt the need to try to disrupt a Christian event, yet I know in my heart that the Holy Spirit called on all of us there to demonstrate our faith in a way that is edifying to His Holy name. As Steven Furtick Pastor of Elevation church (http://www.elevationchurch.org/) says, "When we give God the Greatest Glory He gives us the Deepest Peace". This example is living ,testifiable proof of that !! I left the arena that night feeling more at peace then I have felt in so long.I know God was working the Time Warner Arena on Sunday January 9,2011.
Inside the concert as I previously mentioned, we discovered the venue was packed to the rafters literally!! On that night many came to accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour.It is such a blessing to witness such a raw outpouring of love and moving of the Holy Spirit in people of all ages ,converged together for a brief moment in time.We entered as strangers and left as brothers and sisters . It is incredible to "Discover" how actively Christ is working in your life if you just choose to listen.Once you turn your life over to Christ 110% no questions asked ,no holds barred...brace yourself sit back opens your eyes,ears and your heart and be prepared to be AMAZED !!
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