Galatians 5:16-17

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. Galatians 5:16-17

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Dannah chastised...I mean reminded...me about blogging;)

Hawaii has gotten better:) The Lord has his hand so much on New Hope - it's such a blessing to be around!
Something so cool that He has been doing in my time out here has been allowing me to understand things about myself, Him, and life in a more organized and prioritized way. 

I feel like in some ways, my mind/heart have been moving from this:

To this:

I used to drown in is confusion, because of an inability to stand on truth as Truth, and it would cause me to get so discouraged.
I feel more organized and put together, more grounded in God's truth and stronger in the sense that I am finding victory in things that used to easily drag me off course from pursuing Him. 

I've begun to enjoy the excitement of learning that scripture and Truth straight-up allow me to realign my wavering flesh back onto the Truth about my place in God's story and my identity as His child...like seriously we can tell ourselves "No, Billy, wherever that thought came from, it's not true and THIS is how you should be thinking," and it listens!!! :)  

But at the same time, I have also seen how weak and unable I am to even enter into that process. It's hard:/ Sometimes it feels like I just can't do it. I don't have the energy or might to drag myself before the Lord and call on His strength.

A friend of mine just shared with me some wisdom she received from an older woman in our church recently...This woman told her that some mornings she has a really really really hard time getting out of bed (she's like 70). She says that seriously, sometimes she really just can't get out of bed. And what she does is sing hymns until she has enough strength to get up and start her day. "The joy of the Lord is my strength...the joy of the Lord is my strength...the joy of the Lord is my strength..." for sometimes more than 30 minutes before she can actually get up. I 'know' that He is faithful to come and rescue us, but I give up so fast, and choose a crappy temporal fill. 

Could you guys please be praying for that. I miss you. see you on the 30th - *hopefully (i'm flying standby)

i love you guys

4 comments:

  1. GOd is not a God of confusion so i'm thrilled to hear you are having clarity in knowing who you are in view of who God is. allowing the truth of scripture to have authority in the day to day, moment by moment musings of life will change everything. the bigger decisions require more obvious intention in how they reflect a heart that honors God but, training our mind to be captivated by truth in the context of paying the bills and traffic between point a and point b is a whole different level of intimacy with God. praying for you, b! :)

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  2. Seriously. It's so stupid, but sometimes I just forget the truth, and when it's faded away, I'm so lost like a sheep. It's ridiculous.

    +1 for the DIY cable management! Love that pic.

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  3. So love this! I loved the little story about the little old lady. It reminded me of a story I read in a book preparing myself for Haiti. This American woman visited a sick house. She saw a woman wrapped up in a sheet who she thought was dead because this woman didn't move at all. She visited 3 times and never saw even her chest move to breath until the American woman was there for a morning service. Amazingly, the Haitian woman started belting out hymns louder than anyone in the room. The American woman later found out the woman had a skin disease that was killing her from the outside. She was in so much pain she never moved but for God, she gave him everything. So cool.

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  4. mm, yes billy, i wish i had my bible on me because i just read some verse in corinthians about how God does not take part in creating confusion, but rather moves in power. something along those lines. thank you for sharing. i kind of relate to your post. it's like for the first time in my life i can at least BEGIN to not be completely subject to my emotions and feelings, but rather curb them or soothe them with God's unchanging truths about who i am and who i am becoming.

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