A new year every day

Here we are, awaiting the end of 2010. I find it kind of amusing how much we look forward to a new start in the new year. Why is it that we have to wait for a particular day to start anew? God tells us that His mercies are new every morning (Lam 3:22, 23), so we aren't given the Word as an example. And yet, here we are...so many waiting to celebrate the passing of the old, and welcome the new.
I hesitate to bring this up, but I have been pondering Romans 5:20b lately which says " but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more." This might lead us to think that we should feel free to sin, that God's grace may be even more apparent. I have been practicing this a little the last couple of weeks. I have wholly given myself over to the gluttony of chocolate and sugar. Cookies, candy, M & M's a specialty, all the while thinking that I will become so sick of the taste and effect that giving them up will be so much simpler. Ah, the lies we believe! I find that my tolerance has increased, as well as my craving for such unhealthy fare. Much like tolerance to sin. The more we indulge, the higher our tolerance and insensitivity to the healthy and whole.
Which brings to mind Romans 6:1,2,15 "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?"
I don't know about you, but I don't want to wait for a special day to declare myself dead to sin and alive to righteousness! Why wait when I am missing so many blessings from not choosing kingdom living? Chocolate: be gone! You are death to my body, and sin in my mind. I choose a new year, every day!

Adoration

There are many Christmas Carols sung each year. Some playful, some jolly, some telling tales of wishes and hopes, some poignant and sweet. For me, there is a progression:

An acknowledgment that I am not resting in what the Lord has to offer me each season: Peace. Peace with Him, Peace from Him, Peace to pass on to others





This is one, each year, that no matter what my day has held, my time obliterated, my unfeeling heart missed, will stir in me such depth of thankfulness and worship that I can but weep. It sets the stage in my heart for Christmas.




Which leads me to
ADORATION.




Happy Birthday, Jesus! Thank you for leaving heaven, to live here, in order to reconcile me to the Father and lead me home.

Bebo

On a day like this
I want to crawl beneath a rock
A million miles from the world
The commotion that never seems to stop

And on a day like this
I want to run from the routine
Run away from the daily grind
That can suck the life right out of me

I only know of one place I can run to…

CHORUS:
I want to hide in You
The way, the life, the truth
So I can disappear
And love is all there is to see
Coming out of me
And you become clear
As I disappear

I don't want to care about earthly things
Be caught up in all the lies
That trick my eyes
They say it's all about me

I'm so tired of it being about me

I would rather be cast away
Separated from the human race
If I don't bring you glory

Thanks, Bebo, for capturing my heart in words I couldn't express.

Walls

A tiny gray blur jumped out at me this morning as I was reaching for more traveling cups in my garage. I was startled, to say the least! A mouse had climbed out of my stash of hot cocoa mix and ran away, only 6 inches from my bare feet. I shrieked. I believe this was an appropriate response to such an occasion.

It has caused me to ponder, however, my safeguards. You see, there had to have been an entrance for that little rodent, in order for it to have an exit. It must have located a "chink" in the wall. In the ancient world, a city without walls was a city completely open and vulnerable to its enemies. They had no defense, no protection at all. I had felt that my foodstuffs were safe in that pantry, easily accessible and at my fingertips when needed. Now, I feel violated.

I have a wall spiritually, as well. A Rock and a Fortress. His name is Jesus, and I feel completely protected when I am in the shelter of His walls. Psalm 139:4 says He hedges me in behind and before. This is wonderful comfort! And yet...I have my part - my response - as well. Jude 1:21 tells me to keep myself in the love of God. I am to keep falling in love with Him, keep remembering that He alone is my shelter and my protection. And so, I ponder. Have I allowed any "chinks" in my wall of love? Have I allowed anything that is a lie to drown out the truth? Have I allowed a love for anything in this world come up against my love for my Savior? Have I grown listless in checking my defenses? Is my armor (Ephesians 6) on and firmly fastened?

I know that my dear husband will deal with that small intruder. He is wonderful that way. I also know that my God can deal with any small intruder I have allowed to creep in. He is completely wonderful in every way.

He Knows Best

Except from the book "Surrender, the Heart God controls" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Quoting 'Living Sacrifice', by Dr. Helen Roseveare

To be a living sacrifice will involve all my time. God wants me to live every minute for Him in accordance with His will and purpose...No time can be considered my own, or as "off-duty" or "free."

To be a living sacrifice will involve all my possessions...All should be available to God for the furtherance of His kingdom. My money is His...He has the right to direct the spending of each penny...I must consider that I own nothing. All is God's, and what I have, I have on trust from Him, to be used as He wishes.

To be a living sacrifice will involve all of myself. My will and my emotions, my health and vitality, my thinking and activities all are to be available to God, to be employed as He chooses, to reveal Himself to others. All rights are His - to direct my living so that He can most clearly reveal Himself through me. God has the right, then, to choose my job, and where I work, to choose my companions and my friends...

To be a living sacrifice will involve all my love...I relinquish the right to choose whom I will love and how, giving the Lord the right to choose for me...I must bring all the areas of my affections to the Lord for His control, for here, above all else, I need to sacrifice my right to choose for myself.

I need to be so utterly God's that He can use me or hide me, as He chooses, as an arrow in His hand or in His quiver. I will ask no questions: I relinquish all rights to Him who desires my supreme good. He knows best.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service (of worship).

Embrace

Exodus 25:31

It is when you are beaten and yet continue to burn bright that the beauty, the reality of the Light of the World is most clearly seen. This means that the point at which you choose to embrace the difficulty that seems to beat upon you is the point where you will see Jesus in ways you've never seen Him before. It is when you're being beaten, when you're in the fiery trial, that Jesus is clearer to you than you ever dreamed possible. ~ Jon Courson

A fiery trial is what I am in right now, and I surely do feel those fiery darts flying at me. How wonderful it is, though, to know that I am in this trial at the Lord's bidding - because He wants to burn away the dross and purify my life. While I welcome the cleansing, the process is surely painful. I wonder how long this stubborn self will fight the work. I don't choose the fight, yet I find my old man hasn't reckoned itself dead. Pride. Habits. Old thought patterns. They are my enemy. They need to be washed in the blood of the Lamb, sometimes minute by minute. I will choose grace. I will choose obedience. I will choose to embrace the difficulty so that I may continue to see Jesus is ways I never have before. I will choose to shine by reflecting the glow of my Savior's holiness and love.

I choose to shine.

Independence

Wow. Today marks the 9th anniversary of the call to come in for my dual-organ transplant. It was funny walking around the Del Mar Fairgrounds a few days ago...it always brings me face-to-face with the decision that changed so many things in my life. The transplant has given me more time, more strength, different challenges, more choices.

I know that God isn't done conforming me into the image of His Son. I am thankful for the time He has given me. I hope to redeem the time, yet realize just how unfaithful I can be. By His mercy and grace, I will stand fast in the hope I have, and run the race with endurance. Keeping my eyes on the prize of the upward call of Christ Jesus my Lord.

Thank You, Jesus, for my life.
Thank you for every breath, every beat of my heart.
Thank you, unknown family, for the lifesaving gift of new organs. I hope to honor your gift with the way I spend my time here.

Independence is a beautiful!