The Result of Dwelling......
Let me start off with saying that this is my first Thursday afternoon in almost a month that I have not been running MAD trying to get ready for company or going out of town. I love doing both.....but oh how nice it is to come home and have nothing planned and just plenty of time to write. I have been daydreaming about it all day. God has given me another theme for this past week and I am thrilled to share it with you. I wouldn't say it is a word....just more about my personal time with Him. After tomorrow....I am a free woman for one whole week......count it out, oh yes two weekends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hallelujah!
Last Sunday I began writing on the subject of quality time. I began writing in the car on the way home mainly due to my lack of time ALONE with Father. It was such a fun weekend with the family, but I was totally zapped spiritually by Sunday.
My poor parents got caught in the middle of my "talk it out loud" moments that usually come as God is teaching me something.......but USUALLY i am at home and alone. HA! Anyway, what became very real to me last Sunday was the fact that one day not in the Word or sitting with Father is ok, but by day two I have NO BUSINESS not being with Him. I love that, you know. I love that He and I are at a place right now that He is missed in my inner being by the lack of open communication by day 2. PRAISE GOD! That is something that I want as a constant.
On the way home I began to realize the BEAUTIFUL TRUTH that HE MAKES ME BEAUTIFUL! Does that make sense? Over the weekend I began to pick up my old self and old attitudes/feelings the more I was away from Father. Now we talked about Him and shared about Him but I was not WITH HIM! You know what I mean. Those moments in the car began to play this film reel in my mind of how I had let old Caroline come out. I was disgusted with what I saw because people I am flawed O-U-T! Just like you but for some reason I feel like my flaws are magnified to me. Call me "too hard on yourself" or whatever, but I believe it is a part of walking with the Holy Spirit alive and active in our souls. I believe God makes us overly aware of our ugly sides sometimes, if not all the time, to keep us from running back to them like they are home.
I do not like my earthly personality. I do not like who I natural am. I do not like my thoughts not being under the complete control of Christ. I do not like my actions and reactions when I am living in the flesh. I do not like my critical nature when I am living out life my way. What I like is when I am consumed by God. I love who My God makes me into. I love how He makes me beautiful. How He begins to make us different and new and more like Him. It can be as drastic as night and day...but it is always in a good and loving way.....that brings Him great GLORY.
As a child I can remember being in the bathroom in our Mineola house....i must have been 3 or 4 and watching my mom put on her make-up. I remember it like yesterday, she turned to me and said "Caroline, pretty is as pretty does! Do you want to be pretty?" and of course I did! She would then go on to explain that I could be pretty on the outside but ugly on the inside and people would see the inside more. How I acted changed how people would see me. That has always stuck with me and as I walk with God more and more I realize that part of the wonderful package that we receive with salvation, is that we receive NEW LIFE. I see it as a second chance...if we take it. Many of us become believers and never grow........never change........and we never get to experience just how beautiful God can make us on the inside, which will then shine on us on the outside.
I have spent the last week being with God. Just being with Him. This morning on the way to work I became overwhelmed as I felt like He was speaking to me to really grasp that HE MAKES ME BEAUTIFUL. He makes me smarter, more fun, more loving, gives me incredible insight on things that seem crazy, He makes me care about things that I would naturally not care about, He makes me sweeter and friendlier, He makes me laugh easier and rest better than I ever have.............................................and then I became amazed from head to toe that I GET TO BE WHO GOD WANTS ME TO BE AND IT IS 56 MILLION TRILLION TIMES BETTER THAN WHO I AM!
Do you get that? The daily walking out of faith makes us BETTER. I don't have to walk around caring guilt of critical thoughts or words when I am filled with the spirit. I WALK IN FREEDOM. I don't have to spend my days mad about something or chewing on the past.......I get to walk free of the yoke of slavery. My daily time, just simply talking to God, benefits me in every area of my life. I can hardly breath right now because it is so overwhelming to me. Sometimes walking out our faith doesn't have to be so complicated......sometimes it's just laying in bed talking to Him. Just listening to what He wants to share. He brings you in to the fold...."knits us in" to the point that when we are trying to walk away....He is right there with His hand blocking the path saying "not gonna happen Missy.....your staying right here with me!"........ all the while I get to be somebody different. I get to be who He wants me to be! I don't have to worry about wearing something, or having this hair color or this size pants or perfect skin............My God just covers all that with His Beauty.........and I get to be beautiful. The kind of beautiful that is on the inside and out. The kind that is the result of knowing WHO I AM IN CHRIST.........knowing and understand that this ride of "Life" is so amazing when He is the one driving!
Lord, you make me addicted to you. One day out and I am a MESS! THANK YOU! That speaks volumes to me because it means that you have your eyes on me. Oh how that increases my FAITH! Walking with you is like air and water. I am so much nicer when you are in control. I am so much more loving when you are doing all the work through me. Thank you for providing me eyes this week to see what an honor it is to let you change us. Many have this free gift of change but never take you up on it. Many of us are to afraid that we will have to stop something in our lives but God you provide for us much better characteristics....hobbies......attitudes/actions......adventures when you are dwelling: in, around, under, over, beside, before, within us. Continue to increase my hunger to be with you......I long to see what all you want me to be. I am yours.....change everything about me Lord!!!
Last Sunday I began writing on the subject of quality time. I began writing in the car on the way home mainly due to my lack of time ALONE with Father. It was such a fun weekend with the family, but I was totally zapped spiritually by Sunday.
My poor parents got caught in the middle of my "talk it out loud" moments that usually come as God is teaching me something.......but USUALLY i am at home and alone. HA! Anyway, what became very real to me last Sunday was the fact that one day not in the Word or sitting with Father is ok, but by day two I have NO BUSINESS not being with Him. I love that, you know. I love that He and I are at a place right now that He is missed in my inner being by the lack of open communication by day 2. PRAISE GOD! That is something that I want as a constant.
On the way home I began to realize the BEAUTIFUL TRUTH that HE MAKES ME BEAUTIFUL! Does that make sense? Over the weekend I began to pick up my old self and old attitudes/feelings the more I was away from Father. Now we talked about Him and shared about Him but I was not WITH HIM! You know what I mean. Those moments in the car began to play this film reel in my mind of how I had let old Caroline come out. I was disgusted with what I saw because people I am flawed O-U-T! Just like you but for some reason I feel like my flaws are magnified to me. Call me "too hard on yourself" or whatever, but I believe it is a part of walking with the Holy Spirit alive and active in our souls. I believe God makes us overly aware of our ugly sides sometimes, if not all the time, to keep us from running back to them like they are home.
I do not like my earthly personality. I do not like who I natural am. I do not like my thoughts not being under the complete control of Christ. I do not like my actions and reactions when I am living in the flesh. I do not like my critical nature when I am living out life my way. What I like is when I am consumed by God. I love who My God makes me into. I love how He makes me beautiful. How He begins to make us different and new and more like Him. It can be as drastic as night and day...but it is always in a good and loving way.....that brings Him great GLORY.
As a child I can remember being in the bathroom in our Mineola house....i must have been 3 or 4 and watching my mom put on her make-up. I remember it like yesterday, she turned to me and said "Caroline, pretty is as pretty does! Do you want to be pretty?" and of course I did! She would then go on to explain that I could be pretty on the outside but ugly on the inside and people would see the inside more. How I acted changed how people would see me. That has always stuck with me and as I walk with God more and more I realize that part of the wonderful package that we receive with salvation, is that we receive NEW LIFE. I see it as a second chance...if we take it. Many of us become believers and never grow........never change........and we never get to experience just how beautiful God can make us on the inside, which will then shine on us on the outside.
I have spent the last week being with God. Just being with Him. This morning on the way to work I became overwhelmed as I felt like He was speaking to me to really grasp that HE MAKES ME BEAUTIFUL. He makes me smarter, more fun, more loving, gives me incredible insight on things that seem crazy, He makes me care about things that I would naturally not care about, He makes me sweeter and friendlier, He makes me laugh easier and rest better than I ever have.............................................and then I became amazed from head to toe that I GET TO BE WHO GOD WANTS ME TO BE AND IT IS 56 MILLION TRILLION TIMES BETTER THAN WHO I AM!
Do you get that? The daily walking out of faith makes us BETTER. I don't have to walk around caring guilt of critical thoughts or words when I am filled with the spirit. I WALK IN FREEDOM. I don't have to spend my days mad about something or chewing on the past.......I get to walk free of the yoke of slavery. My daily time, just simply talking to God, benefits me in every area of my life. I can hardly breath right now because it is so overwhelming to me. Sometimes walking out our faith doesn't have to be so complicated......sometimes it's just laying in bed talking to Him. Just listening to what He wants to share. He brings you in to the fold...."knits us in" to the point that when we are trying to walk away....He is right there with His hand blocking the path saying "not gonna happen Missy.....your staying right here with me!"........ all the while I get to be somebody different. I get to be who He wants me to be! I don't have to worry about wearing something, or having this hair color or this size pants or perfect skin............My God just covers all that with His Beauty.........and I get to be beautiful. The kind of beautiful that is on the inside and out. The kind that is the result of knowing WHO I AM IN CHRIST.........knowing and understand that this ride of "Life" is so amazing when He is the one driving!
Lord, you make me addicted to you. One day out and I am a MESS! THANK YOU! That speaks volumes to me because it means that you have your eyes on me. Oh how that increases my FAITH! Walking with you is like air and water. I am so much nicer when you are in control. I am so much more loving when you are doing all the work through me. Thank you for providing me eyes this week to see what an honor it is to let you change us. Many have this free gift of change but never take you up on it. Many of us are to afraid that we will have to stop something in our lives but God you provide for us much better characteristics....hobbies......attitudes/actions......adventures when you are dwelling: in, around, under, over, beside, before, within us. Continue to increase my hunger to be with you......I long to see what all you want me to be. I am yours.....change everything about me Lord!!!
I GIVE YOU ALL GLORY
AND
HONOR FOR YOU ARE
MY KING!!!!!!!!
MINE!!!!!