becoming a slave...

Phillipians 2: 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

as Christ came and gave His life for the kingdom of God... we also are to be willing to die to Christ... ours doesn't have to be a physical death most times.. ours is a death to the flesh... a death to our own desires... a death to things being the way we want them to be... instead we are to give up our own will for the will of God...

we don't know many (if any) people who would give up their freedom to become a slave to save someone else... yet this is exactly what Christ did... and what we are to do also...

Jesus was divine... He did not HAVE to give up His glory/divinity to become a human like the rest of us... and in so doing... He gave up most of His "rights" as royalty... and He lived like the rest of us... even unto death...

what rights are we willing to give up? are we willing to submit to the uncomfortable parts of God's will? Jesus told us that the greatest commandment that we had to follow was to Love as God Loves... yet how often are we willing to do this? we will show some love... as long as it doesn't cost us too much...

the life of our sanctification is to be changing us from a creature of flesh to a creature of Spirit... our walk is to be maturing us in Faith and making us more like Christ every day... yet how often is our focus on our own comfort? we are to be a slave for Christ... we are to give up our "freedom" of choice to Love the UnLoveable... are you willing to become a slave so that the kingdom of God can be advanced? do you really Love God... enough to lay down your will and your desires... and become His slave?

senna is my friend...

okay... this is NOT for MEN... this is a very sensitive post only for the women of the world...

I don't know about you... but all my life I have had problems with irregularity... now some people think this is a problem... for those of us who deal with it... I think we are all thankful that we don't go every time we eat like you really are supposed to...

so.. about once a week I either drink by tea or swallow as a pill this wonder drug called senna... it is an herb (I think) that is used as a laxative... and so one day a week.. .I clear out all that is held captive in my body... I try to do it on friday nights so saturday I can handle this in the privacy of my own home...

occasionally this does not work out... and I have to deal with this issue at work... and the thing is... why do we as women try to pretend that we have no bodily functions and why do men seem so at ease to tell anyone at all about theirs? I think all of the women of the world need to stop pretending... we need to all admit that we go to the bathroom... and it stinks... and we slip some gas sometimes too... I am thinking that if we all do it at the same time... none of us will need to feel embarrassed... what do you say? are you all with me??

kelly ripa apparently agrees...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2aRqoi-njU

what do you see behind you?

I think where we are going is very closely linked to where we think we have come from. while we are often told to leave the past in the past... that is really not very realistic or very easy to do... besides... the past experiences... whether positive or negative.. are what made you who you are today...

my thought is... we need to change the way we VIEW the past... surely we have all had bad experiences in our lives... but whatever the past holds for you... instead of being bitter and angry... instead of saying that I will never let that happen again... I will never let anyone close to me... how about we see how far we have come since that experience and decide that instead of remembering the negativity... we will try to determine what we can learn from the situation and use it to help someone else in the future... that way.. the pain was not in vain... you are able to have compassion for someone else's trials... because you have lived it too...

I have someone very close to me who's husband had an affair and a child in the affair.. and she determined to forgive him and accept the child in their life... this also includes accepting the other woman and forgiving her too... now while my natural mind thinks she is an idiot... my spirit mind knows that she is right... and she is sacrificing her own feelings and comfort for the union that she is committed to and the institution of marriage and the raising of a child... it would be easy to say that the bible says you can leave someone who is unfaithful... (I know it... I have done it...)but how much stronger must your relationship with God be to stay in the marriage? you would have to have put God first... and through her situation... she has been able to have compassion for other women who's husbands have been unfaithful... or for a woman who has been unfaithful.. she is able to help her to see the hurt and betrayal that she has been putting her spouse through...

with me.. mine was violence... I would never wish what I lived through on anyone... but I can understand the feelings of the person and why she feels like she can't leave... someone who has not lived it cannot see why she can't leave... it is not physical, it is mental... or why these women keep choosing the same man in a different body... you have to have lived a situation to understand someone else's struggle...

so the next time that you want to shut yourself off and tell no one what you have lived through... allow God to use you to be someone with compassion for someone else.. through this process you will find your own healing and you will help another to heal also...

when I look back... instead of seeing all the trauma and pain and betrayal that I lived through... I now see the love of God carrying me through it... and out of it... and I am able to rejoice in my past sorrow because without God carrying me... I would still be in it... God is good ALL THE TIME...

in God we trust?

it is so easy to say that we trust in God and we want His will in our lives... then things don't look like we want them to and we get nervous and want to make something happen to make us feel in control or to feel confident again...

when you grow up... you have the imagination that you will be the perfect family with the perfect kids and the perfect life.... and in my own case... I married a man God told me not to... and he beat the mess out of me... all the time... I didn't even have to speak... he would walk in while I was asleep and just snatch me out the bed throwing me off walls and stuff... and he made relationship something hideous and terrifying...

and every day I wondered will this be the day I die.... and somehow... I never did... and God took me out of the situation... and I knew this was no one's fault but mine for marrying a man God told me not to... but if a man was saved, he would do you right, right? NOT!!! it is about being created FOR A PARTICULAR man... and that wasn't the one I was created for... and it was easy for a while to blame him or God but in reality... I did this to me...

so now... trying to do the right thing... stay on the right path... walking toward the right man... somedays I wonder... will I ever trust this man? will I ever trust God enough to not take off running in fear... but I am still standing... and that is because of God... not because of me... and how can I NOT trust Him? what else do I have but trust in God? my way didn't work... and while God's way is scary looking... I don't have any choice but to trust Him...

in God I trust? YES I DO... and in His grace... He will teach me to trust the man too... Thank you Lord... I love you...

Yet will I trust Him...

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.

I don't understand God's way... I will not even pretend that I do... so I don't understand what is going on with me right now...

I have been faithful... I have spoken life... I have believed... I have worked... I have walked... all toward the promises of God...

but what does one do... when you can't hold on any longer...

I don't have any truly spiritual answers for you... all I have is all I know... and that is this...

I would rather spend my time walking toward God and being wrong... than walking toward satan and being right...

so I will continue on in the dark Lord... asking you to turn the lights on... regardless of what I see when the lights come on... the truth is better than dark... and being deceived but enlightened is better than false hope... I don't know what will happen in the light... I don't know if you will show that I have heard your voice or if I have allowed the enemy to deceive me... I do know that you will be here with me... that you will never leave me nor forsake me and I have lived through worse than this and still you lead me...

I love you Lord... no matter what is shown when the lights come on... I trust you... in the dark and in the light... in fear and in faith... you are all I have ever had... all I have ever known...

yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me... you will lead me beside still waters...