I do believe that we are only as strong as our last temptation. Every person is as holy as they really want to be. There is always a way of escape from any temptation = no excuses.

So, we strive and strive in our strength to “be” holy, only to end with one final definition… fail. After my years of many experienced failures, I see that so often I let these actions become my starting point & goal in my relationship with God. But that’s like saying that my goal in my relationship with my dad is to be the perfect daughter.

Trying to do holiness doesn’t work. I don’t think that this word should result in an action, but more so, it should be our reaction to the greatest word of all – Love.  The more you choose to know Him, the more you’ll love Him.

And so, my purpose in this life is not to be Holy. It is to live in love, reacting in obedience = Holiness.

In short: Reacting to Love

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.” ~1 John 4:16~

The sad thing is that these friends (yes, myself included) have gone around these same mountains so many times before - had victory for a time, but then they get caught up in the same stuff again. If we don’t chop the head off of Goliath he will return. We turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to the reality that the devil IS out to steal, to kill & to destroy: our purpose, our dreams, destiny, fruit, peace, our eternal life…

So what did Jesus Christ die for!?! Our convenience? Our comfort? Did He die so we could just enjoy life and have fun? Live the way we want to live? No! He died for our victory OVER the devil! The same power that cast Satan out of heaven dwells in every person who is born of God. If we could only realize this, we would reign in this life! (Rom 5:17) 

Instead the wimps seem to outnumber the champs. We can no longer see our weakness as our excuse. Obedience may be the hardest weight to lift. Some temptations may seem stronger than others, but when we are obedient, God will always “make a way of escape”! (1 Cor. 10:13) Isn’t our God more valuable to us? “God I wish You could just make us love You more. Our compromise is the result of our lack of love for You.” It’s not about a mental decision to change – that would be easier. It’s a heart change that we need so desperately – - Revival!

Praise God that He’s the potter and I’m not! His Word does not return void – it accomplishes ALL that it is sent to do!

 FYI: Devil it’s time for your final knock-out!

(Love this game)

“If you are not worth tempting,

You are not worth much.”

“When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” ~Job 23:10~

You are a child of Freedom.

A child of Promise.

A child of God.

 “Prayin For You” ~LeCrea

“Father God, I’m prayin’ to you for somebody, who knows you Lord but just hasn’t, hasn’t been seein’ you in the right view lately, Hear me out…

Father, I’m prayin’ for a friend he and I are pretty close, and out of all my friends for this one I’m concerned the most. He say he readin’ daily but he ain’t really learnin’. He been in church but say that he ain’t moved by any sermon. His face weak, he ain’t prayed in a week, he wake up and just weep with his face in the sink Lord, you gotta help my man, I’m prayin’ for him daily, he ain’t sinned but it just seem as if he goin’ crazy. He say he feelin’ trapped, can’t even head up the mall coz every lady’s half-dressed temptin’ him to lust and fall. He keep the TV off, videos just make him feel that he ain’t really nothin’ without money, girls and shiny wheels. The other day he told me that he felt less a man coz he ain’t have a five-year plan or a piece of land and man it’s crazy coz his family think so much of him, plus he got a godly wife who always showin’ love for him but he’s strugglin’, even though he talk to me, I tell him what to do but he don’t listen when he oughta’ be. I’m scared for him coz there’s people that look up to him, he got some younger siblings who been changed by what he’s done for them but is it done for him, Lord don’t let it be, if he don’t wanna talk to you then Father hear from me, is it done for him, Lord don’t let it be, if he don’t wanna talk to you then Father hear from me…the person that I’ve been prayin’ about is really me…”

Yeah, I’m prayin’ for you, yeah, I’m prayin’ for you…

God, his condition is worsen since we were last conversed and I’m with him now and he ain’t doin’ well and this I’m certain. He say he tryna’ trust you, doesn’t wanna disgust you but he was in the mist of sinners and did not discuss you and just today his anxiety’s got the best of him, he knows Christ but for hours refuse to rest in Him, he’s not the best of men but Lord I know he really loves you and I can’t understand why lately he’s not thinkin’ of you. People trust this dude, you could crush this dude, Father he needs more of you I pray you touch this dude, what can I say to him? I’m determined to pray for him Father empty and break him I pray you’ll just have your way with him, coz there’s a change in him and the effects are strong, I pray you open up his heart before the next song and when he gets home, I pray he’ll open up the sixty-six book love letter you wrote and soak it up coz he ain’t hearin’ You and he ain’t feelin’ me and God I know it’s killin’ You because it’s killin’ me and matter of fact there’s somethin’ else he’s concealin’ see…

the person that I’ve been prayin’ about is really me…

“IN HOPE AGAINST HOPE HE BELIEVED… Without becoming weak in faith… with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,and being fully assured that  what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

“…We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and CHARACTER PRODUCES HOPE, and hope does not put us to shame (disappoint)…” ~Romans 4:18-22; 5:3-5~

Yeah, Paul is too cool.

Now to hope-fully find my big fury spider enemy that got away from me before he eats me alive tonight. Sorry buddy, it’s kill or be killed…

 ”Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  ~Romans 15:13~

No worries, this won’t be all that deep (well, not that I know of yet at least).

I was thinking about all the great memories my friends and I have made. Some fun, some sad, and some may even seem unbelievable.

As I was reminiscing, I realized that a lot of those stories have something in common – something that may actually seem boring, or uneventful…. can you guess?….

Driving? – Nope. Although there are many of those as well! Ha – especially getting lost! (I REALLY need a GPS!) not what I’m thinking of though.

Trips? – yeah, lots! but no.

Police! – yikes, uh – yes, but we won’t go there.

Animals? – For some reason I have a bit of those too, lately more about dead ones – still not it though.

And the answer is…… (drum roll please)…… WALKING!

Yep. That’s it. So did you guess it right?

Personally, my first image when I hear, “Let’s go for a walk”, is typically a couple of elderly ladies that are trying to enjoy their energy while they still have it. That will be me – one day, (please keep your “old” jokes to yourself – I realize this is approaching me quickly), but I’m referring to the second image that comes to mind. One very cool word – - “Explore”!

When you explore something, you’re expecting to find something. And so, when you expect to find something, you look for something to find.

And all of this together equals – Fun! Doesn’t it??

Of course the company you have with you plays a lot into this. It’s not wise to go alone, late at night, in unsafe or secluded areas…. Not that I’m saying I haven’t done all of that – which, I guess means I am saying I’ve been very foolish. I’ve been in situations that ONLY God could have protected me from. I would like to expound on the testimonies of His evident grace in my evident stupidity, but I suppose it may not be appropriate.

Adam, Sarah & Mike… “Exploring”

I’ll never forget the 8 hour walk in LA with Julie. 1 day off, no car, beautiful weather, grand idea! – “Let’s see how far we can walk in 4 hours and then turn around and come back!” Met a lot of people, saw a lot of things,told people about Jesus, enjoyed a lot of life – and got lost…. ended up on a bus back.

Another time I had to take the trash out to the dumpster – those raccoons will freak the heck out of you when it’s late at night! (actually at anytime). So I talked Stacey into going with me, knowing I had another plan… we walked for a couple hours I think, praying over our city, loving God and – and yep, getting lost.

I had never been to a Christmas Eve midnight mass before, so Liz & I decide to go. We both agree it would be even better if we take candy to pass out to random people on the way… walking of course. Yeah, the weather was not the friendliest. Sleet, cold, wet – who cares? Coolest thing – we see a security guard inside his tiny “house” so we give him some candy (hmm, sounds like we’re the creepy ones, eh?)…. and then continue on to mass…. on the way back we stop at his “house”, and end up watching ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ on a tiny black & white tv. Prayed with him – awesome Christmas! ! !

Everybody needs a Liz in their life!

A simple walk to the Igloo for ice cream with Sarah & Abby turns into a neighborhood clean up. So cool.

So many other memories that I won’t get into seeing that this is already way long – if you’re still here, thanks for reading.

Despite the actual activity of walking, the greatest memories behind all of those stories was the purpose behind the walking – to glorify God. Like I said, when you expect to find something, you look for something to find. All of those walks equaled somebody getting a better glimpse, or even a full introduction to Jesus.

I want to live everyday exploring in Christ – expecting to find – seeking and saving the lost, making history…. and loving it! (without getting lost)

And now, I would love to read your histories! ….

Check out Vanessa’s post about our trip to Chicago last week.

Great times. Great friends. Great God!

Some of todays highlights:

• Met & visited some great people in Hamtown with my friend/roomie,  Sarah. I love this 2.2 square mile city!
• Got  my car running after messing with it for 20 minutes @ 12:30am – well, I should  say God got it running. And no it couldn’t wait until tomorrow because Hamtramck is cleaning our streets! I’d get a ticket if I left it parked where it was. Perfect timing for it to act up on me. 
• Hung out with my big brother, Dave, in Colorado (unlimited minutes are great!). 

Now, I’m really enjoying my neapolitan ice cream and thinking about this guy…

25 year old Hezekiah. His passion, influence, faith, success, pride, death… I could blog all my thoughts but it’s waaay too much.

Regurgitated food may keep you alive but it never tastes as good as that fresh beef. So, eat up!  2 Chronicles 29-32 ; 2 Kings 20:12-21    Cool verses 

Pride kills because in our pride we think we can overcome our pride.

hmm. So how bout you let me know what your thoughts are…

Thank you for visiting my randomness, really.

And I’m tired.

“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.  Yet I hold this against you:

You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.

If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. … He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation2:2-7)

Whoa. Sounds like the perfect church. Working and Doing everything right.

“Do the things you did at first.” I remember when I really fell in love with God for the first time. Virginia, 7th grade, youth camp. I had never felt anything like it – so real! From there my love for Him continued to grow more and more. I remember days where all I wanted to do was pray and read my Bible every chance I could. I was in love! That love birthed in me the desire to share Christ with anyone who didn’t know Him. Without realizing it, I had  ”joined the ministry”.

Works and seeking approval get tangled up in our desires  and choke out the true heart and purpose for everything that is done. Many years have flown by since that camp meeting and I still love God. But I’ve recognized times in my life where serving in ministry begins to give a false definition of loving God. Times where I’ve been more of a faithful employee rather than a daughter.

When the truth of this verse was first revealed to me, my first reaction was fear. My response was, “If this church was so perfect yet still so off,  what hope is there for me?!”.  Then I was reminded of this: 

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:7-21)

After reading this chapter, I was even more thankful for Revelation 2 because it proves again that God wants my love, not my service. This draws me to love Him even more!

(p.s. thank you TJ for reminding me of this verse )

“You can only take with you what you have given away.”

“A reckless faith is more concerned with the balance of what you’ve given than what you have left.”

“Reckless faith always has one foot in eternity. It measures people by their actions and not their belongings. A reckless faith believes when there is no evidence and hurls itself at what is unseen but promised. A reckless faith isn’t ‘refined’ in the least. It does not make sense to the world, and yet, the world often seems fascinated by it.”

“In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is, destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.” (John 12:25 Msg)

Lol – Some of you may know that one of my greatest fears is bird poop on my head! So fitting

Continued: 6/16/09

I thought it would be fitting for me to update this entry being that approximately 2 weeks ago this great fear of mine finally came to pass. There was tons of mercy though – the poop missed my head, only getting my shoulder and hand. That’s enough details for now… thanks.

Now I’m discouraged, again. Failure becomes my silent expectation, doubt – my loudest cheerleader. And all that I have to depend on is that cool quote that pushed me out this far.

Lesson learned . . .

Man’s wisdom and passion can never be the backbone to our vision.

Only His Word is strong enough for that responsibility.

The other night I was faced with the same “small” temptation to read an inspiring book over the most important book. It’s always easier to memorize a quote over a verse or read a book over the bible. Why?

Unless you’re trying to convince or persuade your enemy out of destroying you – man’s words, no matter how profound,  can never be used as your weapon.

They’re all just shiny swords. Looking so attractive and powerful. But be alert… any weapon that is easily obtained, may actually be handed to you by your adversary himself. The outward is so appealing, but once this sword is taken into battle, we then discover how dull and ineffective this weapon is in comparison to our enemy’s devices. (Heb 4:12; 2 Cor 10:3-6 ; Eph 6:10-20)

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your advesary, the devil, prowls around like a raoring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him firm in your faith…” (1 Pet 5:8-9)

“So then faith comes through hearing and hearing through the Word of  Christ.” (Rom 10:17)

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Now don’t take this in extreme – I’m NOT saying to burn these things. I am saying, don’t let these teachers take place of  your Creator. Their iron is meant to sharpen your weapon, not replace it.