Thanks....getting back to life...

Thanks to my friend who chatted last night, who, while looking for accountability in her life was actually encouraging me to get it back into mine. I confess, this past winter I've slacked, and I feel it in my bones! It's not funny how when we allow our spiritual life to relax, the rest of our life follows....so I'm looking forward to getting solidly back in the Word, having accountability in MY life, and expecting it to spread into other areas of my life too (namely, eating and exercise!).

So, my friend and I are reading a Proverb a day (the old standby), a NT chapter a day (Ephesians first), and a chapter (or so) a month of a favorite HEAVY book, A Celebration of Discipline. Not much more serious than that! It is good motivation, but we both agreed that it takes time to soak it in....not a book to skim through and read lightly.

I'll be posting my thoughts on here (sorry for you light readers) to help with my accountability...for those of you intrigued, come along on the journey!! I promise you'll be refreshed!!

So...reading for today....(I read the NLT translation, and actually read from http://www.biblegateway.com/ since I prefer sitting at the computer to the couch), RIGHT OFF THE BAT, *BOOM*! "Proverbs 12:1 To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction." How much more plain can it be??

In the reading in Ephesians, I LOVE how he encourages the church at the end of the chapter: "15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere,16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself."

For ME, it encourages me to keep Jesus in the center of my life....and to remember that He is aware of all things going on in the world....even things I don't get to vote on (and things I do get to vote on!). I also want to continue to grow in my knowledge of God (this IS a journey, not a destination), and to have that passion for the Word that would be a sign of the "confident hope" that I should be understanding....I would hope. : } I also love that he recognizes that as a part of believing, they have a "LOVE for God's people everywhere".....we are ALL "God's people"...whether we believe in Him, or choose to follow Him, we that DO believe and follow need to still LOVE. Pretty amazing.

I haven't loved very much lately. I've lost passion for the people here, believers and non, after living for 17 years in a community of apathetic faith. Although I CHOOSE to not fellowship here, I still need to love them. It's hard to love people who see past you, through you, superficially, and could care less about the nuts and bolts of my life. But it's not about me....it's about God...so I'm praying (now) that He would give me a passion for those that He loves....even in my own backyard. sigh.

I AM excited about the lands beyond....whether they are down the road, or around the world...it's easy for me to love people who have not heard of His GREAT Love for them. I can be passionate about that. :)

Well, I suppose I will need to get into the COD book now....and some good prayer time...praying for passion for the Word, passion for His people, passion for the lost.

I'm so grateful for friends....near and far...who do not mind being "real" with me, and love me, warts and all (ok, no warts, but moles....). He is SO good.....

marina