SweetSurrender

"Okay, when I am growing in righteousness (meaning Right and Godly living!) what is changing is my ATTITUDE TO LIFE. I still live in the world, right, but I no longer THINK the same as the world. Let's face it, guys, we do NOT belong here!"

I went to my Acappella practice last night and realized that I felt so strangly detached from the group. All of them are good, upstanding citizens in our community and very respectable and we even sing some old gospel tunes, but I had been in the Word just before I went. I was still on "cloud 9" and it was interesting how the little gibbering and joking around did not get through or something. I had to force myself to join in on conversations and "come down to earth."

Now, I don't want to be "so heavenly minded I am of no earthly good" or anything because we live here and must communicate here. But it was a strange feeling. I noticed everyone was occasionally staring at me and I felt uncomfortable and struggled to be me again.

It was surreal. Has anyone ever experienced this? I guess I just did not want to leave His presence.

Oh, yes. Thank you for posting that site again that Mark posted on a thread. I hope everyone hears that message. I know I will be listening to it off and on, and forwarding it to my friends.

Carry on!

Faithwoman

Thank you Thank you Thank you!

Thanks Bondman for a powerful message! and thanks for the link to the video.. it was a 45 minute life changing event for me! Wow! I realized some things.. even about my past behaviors.. powerful powerful message.

As the Lord led me to a young gal last nite struggling with some addictions of her own, I prayed today for the Lord to show me some answers and where I could guide her.

I attended a Life Recovery program at a local church tonite to see if this might be a possible good fit for her. I found myself sharing some throughout the evening of my own recovery of life. I even shared about the video I had watched right before going to the meeting.

After the meeting, I was walking to my car and saw this woman with a backpack getting ready to walk home. I offered her a ride. We got in the car and she said I want to thank you, you were an inspiration to me tonite. You helped me see that I really do need to be living the way God wants me to. I told her you are welcome, but it was not me sharing those words, it was God giving inspiration through me.

I share my helping stories here, not to get any credit, any applause or such, for God gets all the Glory in all I do! It is him working through me!
Praise the Lord! I share them here in hopes that it will encourage others to live the Godly life, take the focus off yourself and love and uplift others.

Ok.. I got to scoot and get some college studying done.. May 2nd is my deadline and I am way behind on that!

Have a super night all
and thanks for all of your encouraging words as well!

Hugs
Faithwoman

Faithwoman

Written tonite:

Journey

Oh Lord what a Journey
It has been and is you are taking me on
I am so blessed and thankful for
You leading me to sexual purity

All the events leading up to it
Have made me see
It truly was me that you wanted
It truly was you showing me
That you are my Mr Right

It is you
I can trust in
It is you I can love
It is you who will show me
How to live on that narrow path
That leads to the gate of eternity

It is you
That will protect me
It is you
That will give me the strength
When the temptations of the world
Try to fight through
To overcome me
To steal me away
From your mercy and grace

But I have learned
There is hope
You have made your promises so clear
The Truth is all there
In that book of yours called the Word

Pick it up and read it they say
Your journey will be shown
The journey the good Lord has waiting
For you and for all

Heavenly Father
I give praises and thanks tonight
For helping me to see
The bright shining light!

Faithwoman March 26, 2008

Faithwoman

I am on a roll tonight!

By Maya Angelou'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christthat a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean livin''I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain..I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!Pretty is as Pretty does... but beautiful is just plain beautiful!
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Faithwoman

SweetSurrender

FaithWoman, isn't it fun to be "on a roll?!" It's a God Thing!

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"Do not imagine that you must comprehend or understand it all before you seek and find it. For those who wait on Him, God will do more than they can conceive." Andrew Murray

Bondman

This is a common experience for new Christians I would think. We are very understandably so rapt in our new-found life in Christ that all else seems to pretty poor in comparison!

This is 'mountain top' and 'valley' again, isn't it? And we've summarised what Jesus prayed in John 17 to: "we must be IN the world but not OF the world." The church is largely OF the world, worldly in it's life and values. We must come out of that - but not go so far as to become "so heavenly minded as to be of no earthly use"! Like, why doesn't God take us to heaven the moment we're saved? MANY REASONS! An important one is He needs us here to tell others the very same Great News that got US saved! And in order to do this we need to be able to effectively relate to unbelievers JUST WHERE THEY ARE!

Here's the relevant part of His prayer:

John 17
14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

As in the whole of our Christian life we must constantly strive for that essential BALANCE.

Bless you for your wonderful earnestness in the Lord, dear one. As you would say, "Carry on!" *grin*

- BM

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Mark_18

Agabagalaga!

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Luke 15:31 - And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
Joel 2:28 - I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Matthew 7:7 - Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Psalms 126:5 - Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

JOKE POLICE

Mark_18

I don't know I just got so happy before I could get through the first few paragraphs on this page, I'll have to come back to it. It seems as if I'm so happy, and so out of this world right now that reading seems stupid or something I dunno. I'll be back, I gotta go drink something. I want to appreciate water again. BRB.

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Luke 15:31 - And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
Joel 2:28 - I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Matthew 7:7 - Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Psalms 126:5 - Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

JOKE POLICE

Bondman

Yup, Robin's Really on a Righteous Roll! lol

Love your poem, hon! Love that you gave that girl a ride home and encouragement. And the words of Maya Angelou are really quite superb!

No, I'm sure we don't think you're sharing the way God is using you to 'uplift' yourself - rather it is a blessing to me anyway, to read about God at work!!

(Gotta say but that the temporal ALWAYS has it's place alongside the Spiritual, and so maybe that college stuff needs to get moved up higher in the priority list...)


I love Maya's words so much - because these so SERIOUSLY Christian! (where not all of her words are) - that I'm herewith writing them again for us all to read, mark, and inwardly digest, as my dear Mum would've said:



By Maya Angelou

'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.' [Wow!]

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean livin.' I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'

'When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain... I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou. I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

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Mark_18

FaithWoman and Bondman those are great!

I have to read this page now. I just need to catch my breath.

__________________
Luke 15:31 - And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
Joel 2:28 - I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Matthew 7:7 - Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Psalms 126:5 - Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

JOKE POLICE