Ready, Set...

It feels like we skipped spring. Well, more like we had summer for a week, then froze all over, and now we are in summer again. I never got to have a good spring cleaning. In fact, as I sit here, looking around the house, I think I need to go rent a dumpster and start from scratch.
Never been one to easily perform "baby steps" I know the night is coming (probably sooner than I guess) when I stay up for a couple of days and completely overhaul the apartment one last time. Washing walls, shampooing carpet, throwing out tons of garbage and things that I have been holding onto for those projects I never have time for. I needed the sunshine today, shining in the windows, shedding light on what needs to be "ReBorn".  Inspirational.

two years is not really a blog, now is it? :-)

Going to take some time to learn how to be a better blogger. Likely start another blog for the "life" stuff and save this for the projects?

Looking back

Amazing, truly, how little I learned.

I am rediscovering for the 3rd time, that I keep repeating the same mis-steps.

It is nearing the end of 2010, and I have found that I was not at all who or what I thought I was.

I have found that I don't and didn't even know who or what I was, I just talked a lot.

I did change. And I became that which I didn't like.

Then, when I tried to change back, I found that, I didn't like the old me either.

So, I am here, at another turn. Finding that I have taken another path that just seemed like a good and smart one. And I am feeling hurt, heartbreak, and that lost feeling, all over again.

But also, freedom.

This time, I feel a frightening sense of being loosed. This time, I don't feel like I will die from the pain, because I know I will not. If I listen, and calm down, I will find that the pain is a device. The pain is a means to an end, for God.

When I go outside of what is good for me, God is like a good parent, no yelling, or smacking around, just lets me get hurt, just enough, to know that's not a good way to go. That's what free will is about. I have free will, to do as i please. But when my will takes me outside of the things that are healthy and positive, pain is part of it.

Impulse Updated

Well, I tried it, despite what I said, and it wasn't that great. I was impulsive, with some reserve, but at times almost reckless. I wanted the approval of a group of "friends" who in the long run, aren't worth seeking the approval of. 

I am seeking out old friends and new contacts now, people who want more out of life than a party. People who can hold a conversation about more than the latest movie, or their newest sexual conquest. People who have drive, ambition, and can hold me accountable. 

I am trying my hardest to wean myself from the company of the weak willed. 

Impulse

What if in being "true to myself" I am compromising what I believe is right and good?
When you do something that makes you feel good, like eat a big juicy hamburger and fries, or drink a yummy alcoholic beverage, or smoke pot, or have impulsive sex outside the context of marriage, or eat a whole package of Oreo cookies, or watch a porn, or lie to get out of going to work, all these things make you feel "good" for a moment or two, or even sometimes a long while.
They don't last. The yummy impulsive feelings get replaced by hangovers, regret, feelings of being overweight and lazy, addiction, even cancers, STD's, high blood pressure, loss of work, marriage break ups, and loneliness.
So, what is being true to yourself? It is NOT doing whatever feels good at the moment, but rather doing what you know will benefit you in the long run.
So, now that I know and understand this, will it change things? Yes, my goodness yes.
I was longing for the last week, to be more impulsive, more "courageous", less prude like (called prudish by someone I had a mild crush on didn't help).
But really, I do not mind being a goody two shoes. I don't mind being more sugar and less spice.
Whenever I meet the man of my dreams, he can have the spice. For now, as long as I am only a prude, or a goodytwoshoes, and not a snob, or a mean person, then I am fine with who and what I am, and don't want anyone to change me.

freedom?

freedom from what? a warm set of arms? passionate kisses? oh yeah, thats a lot of fun.
freedom to "do" whomever I choose? what if i don't choose, because I don't want to be a slut, and I certainly don't like to think about those kind words "guys only say those nice things to you because every one knows fat girls are easy". even if those words were not true and only meant to crush, they did their job and more.
Freedom to act stupid and get drunk and embarrass myself? oh yeah thats great.
is anyone really having all that much fun with their freedom from others?

I believed

I believed, that it was just a phase, that he was coming back to me, a better man in Christ.
I believed, that God wouldn't have brought us through the tough times to let us fall apart.
I believed.
I still believe that God is a good and gracious Father, who wants the best for His children. I guess I don't know what the best is, but as it says in Job "your latter will be greater than your past".

Is this the real life?

Wow, it has been months since I posted, and too much has happened for me to write about at the moment. Let me encapsulate:
I am divorced.
I spent a total of 3 weeks in a Acute Mental Health Facility for severe depression.
For every step forward I seem to get kicked or pulled back 3.
I am going to be victorious again.
I am about as broke as it gets. HAHA!!
I have been electronically stalked, and am going to be laughing all the way to the bank for the torture that my ex husband as put me through.
I have questioned my faith, and my beliefs and come out stronger than I imagined was possible, praise God.
I am free to do whatever I want, and it is a little overwhelming, but so very exciting!!!

seven promises of God (copied from an online article)

What can be said about God's promises to us?

1. He has promised to supply every need we have. The Bible says: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". That's Phillipians 4:19. Now notice, God has obligated Himself only to the extent of our needs. That would include food, clothing, shelter, companionship, love, and salvation thru Jesus Christ. It would not include the multiplicity of luxuries that we have come to think of as needs.
2. God has promised that His grace is sufficient for us. (II Corinthians 12:9). in fact, He has made provision for our salvation by His grace through faith. Read Ephesians 2:8. It is through an obedient faith that we have access into the grace of God according to Romans 5:2.
3. God has promised that His children will not be overtaken with temptation. Instead, He assures us that a way of escape will be provided. This promise is recorded in I Corinthians 10:13. Jude wrote: "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present your faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy" (Jude v 24). Darius, King of the Medes, said to Daniel, "Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee" (Daniel 6:16). He did deliver Daniel from the den of lions.
4. God has promised us victory over death. He first resurrected Jesus by way of assuring our resurrection. Peter said: "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses" (Acts 2:32). Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Corinthians 15:3,4). Later on he adds: "but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 15:57).
5. God has promised that all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him faithfully (Romans 8:28). It may be difficult for us to see and understand how this is accomplished at times, but God has promised it, and He will deliver.
6. God has promised that those who believe in Jesus and are baptized for the forgiveness of sins will be saved. (Read Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38).
7. God has promised His people eternal life (John 10:27,28).
   
8. In closing, let me appeal to you to live so that the promises of God will be yours.

07-07-07

So many people praying today, so many weddings, so much love in the air.
Some people say its "mass positive energy". Some people say it is because of the significance of the number seven (seven is a number most often given to things in the Bible, i.e. Revelation and Daniel to name two books where the number plays a part).
I have always like the number seven. It is pretty, and it sounds nice when spoken. Bryan, my husband, can say "seven" in his deep, soothing voice, and it just makes me melt.
I don't know what God has planned for each of us today. Most of my family will be at a wedding. Many people (tens of thousands) are gathering in Nashville to worship and pray, following a 40 day fast. Over 300 men will be blowing shofas at a specific time there today.
Myself, I am home, reading the Bible and praying. Praising God for all that He has done and all that He is releasing through the faithful on earth.
So, for each and every person reading this:
Most Holy and Awesome Father, I give you all the glory and praise for the many ways you have blessed us all. Thank You for Your peace and joy, Your Love and comfort, and for sending Your Son to save us from sin and death. In the Name of Jesus, I pray that Your Promises be released in the lives of those who love and serve you. You said that if we humble ourselves, and pray, and seek your face, and turn from our wicked ways, You will hear from heaven, forgive us, and heal our land. I believe that today, In the Name of Jesus, as we heed your call to lay down our lives as a living sacrifice, that You have opened the windows of heaven and are pouring out such a blessing that we cannot contain it all. Thank you for opening the eyes and ears of our hearts, that we may be guided by Your Holy Spirit in all that is good and peaceful and just.
For those who don't know you as their Father, I pray that they would see Your Love for them, and seek Your presence. I pray that I and others be the workers in Your Harvest Lord, not just telling the world of You, but showing them Your love and compassion, and the Hope that we have in You. May our lives be set up as a city on a hill, a bright light, and a sign that You are Love, and in You, no weapon formed against us shall prosper! I thank You and praise You again, In the Mighty and Precious Name of Jesus, Amen

Soon?

Dear Friend, He is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slow to be.
They that wait upon The Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall walk and not faint, they shall run and not be weary.
God is not a man, that He should lie.
If you are like me, you heard these words often as a young person. If you are not like me, you may have only recently heard them, or read them, or have seen them here for the first time.
Yes, they are from the Bible. But, do they have meaning for you? Do they have meaning for me?
It gets frustrating, when you know what God has promised, and you don't see it come to pass right away, or even the way you expect it to. You start to doubt what you read, and you start to fear that maybe it was all in your head, that thing you so audibly heard the Holy Spirit say to you.
Nothing is harder than to live by faith. To really live by faith means to lay aside all doubt, all fear, and all the things you see in the physical, and believe that God is in control, and that He has a destiny and purpose for each of us far beyond our wildest imaginations. It also means making a living sacrifice of ourselves and our plans, goals, and dreams. How hard is it for us to let go of being in control?
Soon, He says. Look in the Bible, what does soon mean? To God a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day. Some times, the prophets spoke of things that would not happen for hundreds of years, i.e. Isaiah speaking of Jesus' birth. Other times, Jesus said "be healed", or "come forth" and it was immediate!
But, we live in a modern world, where nearly everything is instant. Even when we "wait" on the Lord, we usually can't wait long enough, because we are so caffeinated, so high speed, so wired, that anything that takes longer than 3 minutes is JUST TOO STINKING LONG!!
What if He needs us to wait 11 years? What if He is waiting until just that perfect moment, the moment that HE KNOWS is perfect, not the moment we think is perfect for our busy schedules? Does it mean He is not going to keep His promises? Does it mean He doesn't care?
No, it means that He loves us so much, that He wants everything to be perfectly timed, perfectly planned, perfectly aligned, so that there can be no doubt in our minds that HE is Lord, that HE is in control, and that HE knows what we need.
Imagine, planning a wedding. The Bride and Groom want everything perfect because they love each other so much that this day will live in their minds for years and decades. Some people elope, when the pressure and stuff gets too much (when they aren't relying on God to relieve stress), but for the most part, not many get married as soon as the question is popped. There is planning, primping, and spending lots of time and money to make a day that will last a lifetime.
How much more does God love us?!? He has proven that in the most fantastic way, by sending His Son to die. So, if He loves us that much, then don't you think He wants to not only give us what we ask, which is His will, but give it at just the right time and place, with just the right witnesses and just the right atmosphere, where nothing can take away from the memory of the event/ blessing/ breakthrough?

Pressed Down...

In Luke's Gospel, it says "Give and it shall be given unto you, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall men give unto your bosom".
My whole life, I heard that, and forgive me, but I did not understand it, never actually read it, and in fact, like most people (it turns out) thought that it said "shall I" or "shall God" or something like that. When my pastor read that, and had it up in large print on the screen, you should have heard the people, including myself, gasp.
I also, did not know what in the world, "pressed down, shaken together, running over" meant. I heard it, and it sounded so foreign to me. When I heard "shaken" I always thought of 007, and his stinking martini that wasn't stirred. I was too embarrassed to ask, for I figured that everyone else probably knew what it meant. I asked God recently to help me understand.
I was repeating the verse to myself, pondering, when I got the picture. "pressed down"- like brown sugar in a cup, leaving no room for air; "shaken together"- like finely sifted flour that you tap tap tap, to again, get the air out and have a perfect measure; and "running over" filling the cup so much that it over flows, knowing again that there is no room left.
And the great thing about "running over" is that our measure spills over into the lives of those around us.
If one reads "Retire Young..." you would see that one of the biggest principles to becoming rich, both financially and otherwise, is to work for free, to give and give and give. The Bible says it over and over again, in many different ways. It talks about how a man who is generous reaps more and more blessings, but a man who keeps everything, loses it, or has to work harder and harder to get it, fretting about where his next penny will come from.
Its so great to be on the winning side, to have the Great Provider, and to know that seeking His kingdom first is all that I need.

He Knows

When we need something, anything, and we are walking in the Spirit, He knows before we ask, usually knows before we know ourselves, and here it comes! Flipping on the tv, answering the phone, answering the door, talking to the cashier, smiling at someone; the smallest acts bring about the most amazing results!
Not worrying about anything, but in everything submit your requests to God, and He will hear you and answer you. In ways you don't yet understand, your faith will bring about things you can't even imagine, because God loves us so much!
Walk by faith and not by sight, and walk in love. How simple does that sound? Pretty simple. How easy is it? Not so much, but by God's grace and mercy. "Give me a teachable spirit" I prayed. "Teach me to walk in your ways, by faith, and in love" I pleaded, and then I waited. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall run and not be weary, walk and not faint, and mount up with eagles wings!!! PRAISE GOD!!!
In the midst of my weakness, He is strong, and He gives me His strength. As I decrease, so He increases. PRAISE THE NAME OF JESUS!!!
to be continued....

new post

I have not posted in a while, and it feels rather funny. I have been too busy. But, I don't know if anyone has read in a while either, so I don't feel too bad, haha.
This post won't be very long, because what I am really doing is trying to relax this evening. The yard will wait, the grocery shopping will wait. The house is clean, and the cats are played with and happy. Tiffy has escaped outside at least a dozen times in two days. I cannot open the door without him getting out, even if I kick at him. He hissed at the neighbor because she was in his way, and I am pretty close to letting him escape and not chasing him anymore.
If I have time on Sunday, I will post a bunch of pictures. The house is looking nice, and the yard is slowly coming along. I would like to do more yard work and less mowing, but the grass seems to grow 2 or 3 inches every day!
I have also learned, or rather re-learned, some things about prayer that I would like to share. But, that is for another day. Happy weekend to you all.

Love

Dear Friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God IS love.-
1 John 4:7-8
I love my husband, I love my family, I love my friends, I love my God. Without love, everything is lost, hope is mute, faith is pointless, and everyday reality is bleak and colorless.
Love is not just a feeling or an emotion, not a fleeting fluffy thing, not a easily broken bond.
Love is not just a word, or group of words, that are empty or shallow.
Love is a force, The Force, the Holy Spirit of God on earth. True, real God love, cannot be broken, shaken, moved, killed, mauled, or hidden. It instead will make the nations fall to their knees, heal the sick and wounded, care for the weak and poor, and cause His people to fly.
I look at the world and see so much pain and hurt, divorce and abandonment,so many widows, orphans, homeless, and so much anger. God sent His love, His Spirit, to fill the ones who call on His Name, to go out into all the world and heal it.
I see divorce all around me. It is trying to creep it's way into my life. Without the intervention of the Holy Spirit, it threatens every single marriage in existence today. Without Love, the unbreakable bond is weak and frail and very breakable. There is no such thing as "falling out of love", but there is a such thing as turning your back on the Holy Spirit, and the Love that God gives us. The world only knows one kind of love, and it is not real. It is a counterfeit love, a shadow of the real thing.
I never want to sound "preachy" in this blog. Please, to all who read, know that each time I share, it is from my heart, and if I find that something I have said is wrong, I will admit to it. I am going through a time of trial in my own life at the moment, and am learning more than I did in 12 years of school and 8.5 years of marriage and the years in between. I have sinned and I have made mistakes that are embarrassing, and mistakes that I know have taken me in directions I never would have gone, but they have all led me back to the One who made me, the One who is making me whole. I have walked a path that could have led to bitter ends and when I asked God to deliver me, He said "ok: now into the fire with you". I am coming out pure gold and pure silver. Did you know that when the refiner skims the drudge off the top of silver that is being refined, if the process is successful, he can look down and see his face reflected perfectly as in a clean mirror? Wow, to know that God will be able to look at me and see His Face Reflected Perfectly!!!
For now, the trial continues. And when this one is over, it won't be long before the next. But each one teaches us who we are in God's Love. Each one brings me closer to the fulfillment of my destiny. Only true Love can accomplish that. Only true Love can turn something meant for evil into something good.

Center of my Focus

"not on the hurt, the past or the shame that you have turned over control of, but on the "prize" the "goal" the future that I promised you"- God
I put some things on the altar yesterday, things I have never told a single soul about. No one, never even talked to God about it, let alone my husband or mother, NO ONE. As I was kneeling there, a woman touched my head, and knelt to her knees, and wrapped her arms around me, and she told me all about how God wanted me to know that He heard me, and revealed to her, just enough to know what she needed to pray for. And I cried, so long, and so hard, and for the first time, really really really did let go. I wouldn't be sharing this on here, but that I hope that someone else can benefit from it as well.
Then that night, I felt so empty, though God promised to give all that was stolen from me back, ten fold, so I went forward, again, this time for filling. No one said anything, but I was pretty sure I was levitating, at least in Spirit. I didn't fall, but my arms were lifted so high, and my eyes open, not closed, and I thought, if I look down, I will see space between my feet and the ground!
But, then, today, the battle was on yet again. Only this time, I learned something. Where the focus of my thoughts are, there is my heart. How can God give me a miracle, if all I do is focus on the hurt, or go over past conversations, or past things done to me? How can He, or anyone else, show me love when I wallow in the hate and pain? So, I did what I have always done, rebuked Satan as a liar in Jesus Name. BUT, it didn't work, something was missing, I mean I used scripture, I prayed, I cried, but I still thought about the hurt, UNTIL, I opened my mouth and started singing. I switched to TRUE praise. Not just "I love you Lord, you are Great, ok when do I stop hurting?" But, simply, "hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...." until more praises came out, and my focus changed. And that's when it hit me, the battle has been won, the miracle is there, waiting, but I am not looking at it, I am looking at the past, thinking I have to still fight. Man, here goes another lesson! So, I have to turn around, turn my back on all that crud, since I said I gave it to God, why am I still looking at it? No, turn around and run Run RUN toward the goal, eyes focused, asking God, "what do You want me to do next, that will get me closer to that which You promised?"

brrrr

Icy-cold-22-degree-morning!
After all that nice warm summer weather, and now its freezing cold, frost on everything, killed the hastas I think. I'm glad I brought the lilac bush into the garage. It's supposed to start climbing back up again this week though, with the highs climbing about 5 degrees every day, and back to 70 by Friday. Geesh.
Happy Resurrection Sunday!!! May God bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you! Give Him all the glory!

God has brought us here

To this place, or to our knees, God has put us here to worship Him. He inhabits the praises of His people. When I praise Him, He moves. When I don't know what to do, or how to pray, I praise Him, and He does what needs to be done.
I was afraid to do anything, afraid of doing the wrong thing, or trying to do my own will, and not God's. Sometimes all He wants is for us to be willing to do His will. When He told Abraham to sacrifice Issac, all He wanted was for Abraham to be willing to do His will, and not to doubt that His plan is perfect. His plan is not just perfect, it's amazing! The legacy that we will leave behind, when we follow His plans, standing in agreement with Him, not kicking against the goad, but going where He prods, WOW!!! If we pray, seek, and turn, He will not fail us, but will grant us Victory! When we put all of our focus on Him, and praise Him all of our days, He will give us the desires of our heart. He may even change the desires of our heart if we let him. I don't need to have anything, but if I seek first the kingdom of God, all things shall be added unto me. Because of Christ, I have every reason to live a full and peaceful life on this earth. I don't have to struggle to make ends meet, or to save my marriage. God sacrificed His Son, himself, so that I could have it all, eternal life, peace, healing, forgiveness, mercy, grace, power over darkness, and all the love my cup could hold, and more.
I asked God "increase my capacity" so that I can hold more of His love. I asked God, "expand my boundaries" so I can share more of His love. I asked God "save my marriage" so people will know that you are the God of love. Then I asked for one more thing, strength to shut up and pray.
Now I pray, I pray every minute, and every minute I am being filled. There are still valleys, still moments of darkness, but they pass like clouds that evaporate in the sunlight. He has shown me mercy in my weakness. I give Him all the praise.
I am going to share somethings on here I have been hesitant to share.
I am not even sure who reads them but they need to be put out there.
God wants His WOMEN to know that we need to be prepared for battle. There are things coming, and we need to be focusing on strengthening our spirits and our bodies. This is a special year, 2007. Things are starting to happen that the world will want to understand, and only we can explain it. We, the reborn, need to be sure we are not letting Satan have the reins in our families, and in out workplaces. We need to not be afraid, but speak truth and love to our neighbors, and our co-workers, our children and our parents and our spouses. And I don't mean all mushy love, but tough love, strong love, and truth. They may not like it at first. But time is too short to let it wait. I am speaking to anyone who will hear, but specifically to women. We have let it go too far, women. We have not used the voices God gave us. We can easily sit around and gossip, or cut each other down, but we have become weak and bitter. I hear so much complaining about husbands, sons, boyfriends, and fathers. And I know that so many of you are like I was, letting the men in your life do whatever they wanted or saw fit, thinking that we were to submit. Well, the Bible says we are to submit in ways that are holy, not in all things. And maybe you are like I was, angry that the man isn't taking on the spiritual head of the household role. Well, we need to get over it. Women need to stand up and start taking care of things. Daughters, look to the Heavenly Father for the example of a good man. Mothers, teach your sons to be like God. Girlfriends, learn who you are, and who God has made you to be before you marry that man. Wives, pray pray pray pray, and do not let Him run away from God when things get tough. Remind him, with actions, that God is in control, not him. Wives, take control. Do not let your heart be troubled, do not be afraid. When you don't know what to say to him, when he has hurt you, when he is hurting your family, PRAY!! Take up the sword of the spirit and fight against the devil with the Word of God. And when things are good, keep putting on the armor. Don't let a day go by without it.
We are not to be silent any longer, letting the world fall apart, letting politics get out of control, letting the Name of God be slandered in our families. We have to pray, for each other, for our country, for the men in our lives, for our children and our grandchildren. But there is something more. There will be another time, when the men will run and hide in fear, when it is the women who are going to be the first to tell the news that Jesus is alive. We no longer live in that part of history, when women are silent, we live in America, and here we have been given a voice and a mission. Military spouses, I know that we have been taken all over the world, leaving our homes over and over again. We have all felt the fear of that phone call, or that chaplain at our door. We have all felt that insecurity that he will succumb to temptation, for the first time, or again, when he is away. But the time for that has past. The season is now for us to rejoice in the Lord, lean on Him, bind up Satan, surround our husbands with angels, and pray for their every step. God has called us to be soldiers of a different kind. Soldiers of prayer for our men. God said He would answer our prayers, He would give His protection, He will honor our marriages. But we have to actually do the praying, we have to live in the Word daily and do what is right. We have to resist the temptations that come against us, to give up, to find another man, to spend large amounts of money, to hurt ourselves. ( I have met people who have broken bones, and wrecked cars to get their husbands sent home, you know who you are, and you know that its wrong). Do we want the military to have such a high divorce and suicide rate? No, we want strong men and women to go into battle for our lives and our freedom. So we must be strong in Christ! We must take care of things, our house, our bodies, our cars, our finances, our families. God promised that He will take care of us, so we shouldn't worry about that. I am not preaching something that I have done all along. I have learned through trial and fire, but God is giving me words to speak so that others don't have to face this particular trial.
So, sorry for the long-winded-ness, but sometimes stuff just must be said.

yard update

it rained, and the grass grew four inches in a week! so I HAD to get a lawn mower. I really didn't want to spend $99 on a "cheap" one that didn't have a mulcher or anything. But, I didn't want to spend over $350 either. So, I did the smart thing and checked www.craigslist.org. I had to drive an hour, (only $7 in gas) but I got a like-new Craftsman mulcher/mower, that is only missing the bag (but I didn't really want one anyway and can get a replacement at Sears). I got it for, drum-roll please.... $70! and a full tank of gas! And, I got to try it out, and several others as well, before I took it home, so I really got the one I wanted. I am glad that I got to do that as well, because I though that I wanted a self-propelled model, but when I tried them, I didn't like them.
I got about a third of my yard mowed this afternoon before it started raining. I am sweating like crazy, but it was so much fun!! Call me crazy, but I love sweating for a good reason. When we lived in Hawaii, I bought a $5 old-school rotary mower (you know, no engine). But that was a 10 by ten yard and took about 10 minutes to mow, or $5 to the neighbor kid, lol.
Anyway, sweating for a reason, ie yard work, housework, etc, is so much more fun than "working out". I mean, how much fun is it really to run in place for an hour? Be honest, now, its not much fun. But when you sweat doing manual labor, at the end you can stand back and say that you accomplished something more than just the loss of a pound or two.

Planting a seed to be ReBorn 2: my sacrifice

Update:(6/24/2007) I have edited this a little. I have read up on some things, that made me understand what the people were talking about when it comes to tithes and offerings. I have left some things in this post to show a "where I was", though.
I don't want to get too much into it today, though, as I am still studying. I do understand one thing, God's Word says He wants us to present ourselves a living sacrifice. He doesn't want us to be under the old ways, or the old laws. His Holy Spirit gives us new life. That is the blessing I want and receive. I am called to be His child, and to present myself as a pure and blameless sacrifice to Jesus, God's Son and High Priest. He doesn't want a tenth of me, He wants the whole thing! The New Testament is very clear on all of these things.
I stopped tithing in 2005. It was about halfway through Bryan's first tour in Iraq, and I started listening to some people talk about "old testament law" and some other junk I can't even remember now. I had always had an issue with tithing, I felt like it was political or something, I guess, I am not sure. I also do not know why I, of all people, would have a problem with it, for, since I was a youngster, I always thought one should take the Word of God as that, and follow it. I do understand what people were saying, about how we live under New Testament Law now, but they were making up excuses not to part with their hard earned money unless they felt "led". These people went to my church, and I had missed the sermon that they heard, so I am still not certain what it was I "leaned my ear to".
Anyway, at the Church I am attending now, I was about to stick to that. But there was testimony given, about God providing the money He asks for. It was the first time I had ever thought that "this all makes sense!". He isn't asking us to give more than He is already providing. If He "leads" or asks you to give more, then He will provide the way.
Imagine where I would have been if I had listened to God with my heart years ago, instead of rebelling and going my own way. How much more will He bless those who OBEY His commands, instead of going their own way?
I am not just talking about tithe, either. For years, I have allowed my self to be rebellious, to twist God's word to my liking, or listen to people who do the same. I believed in God's love, and His kindness, but I have not spoken with conviction, or lived like I believe any of it. I have let my heart come into contact with things that aren't of Him, and said, "its ok, because I am saved", but that is like putting sugar on everything and then praying for God to take the calories away. He wants us to live in righteousness. I think it was Peter, in the Bible, who said that everything is permissible for us, but not everything is good. Yes, God won't strike us down with lightning if we listen to a dirty joke, or drink a margarita, but when the we take off the armor of God, and let those things in over and over and over again, to where we don't even blush anymore, or drink so much we can't control ourselves, we move farther and farther away from God's blessings. He commanded us to set an example, to live and speak in purity, to tithe, and to love our enemies and forgive those who hurt us.
I am a new creation, the old things have past away. The soil of my heart has been broken, the seed planted, the Word is my rain, and the God smiles rays of sunshine when I praise. The tree of my life will be strong and its branches stretch out wide.