It's a new season! It's a new day!

So it's been a while since I've written a new blog.. The holidays have had me swamped! Anywho.. Just a quick word that's been burning in me a lately. Through all of the holiday hustle and bustle... As wonderful as all that is... I have not been in the word and in prayer like I should've been! Blame it on the season... Sure. But in all reality it's been me... I've been a little distant from God. Not in a "backsliding" way just distant. Kinda of lazy...taking my relationship with God kind of casually as its been well put before. Well my husband and I had an awesome discussion while out on a date recently. I told him how I've been feeling lately...how i want to be in the word and in prayer but im so lazy its ridiculous...and he (led by the spirit) began to talk about Romans chapter 7 (paraphrasing)where Paul begins to talk about how he desires or delights in the things of God.... The law, the righteousness... He desires to seek after these things however he sees something warring against that. He sees a war in his members! He then goes on to talk about how he ends up doing the things that he doesn't want to do and the things he does want to do... He doesn't do lol. Well Mr. Paul I Anjel Hendry can relate. With not having been in the word lately at all and kinda just being lazy in prayer and treating God Casually I've been feeling pretty beat up and alone. But when my husband began to talk to me about the struggles that Paul was dealing with I became so encouraged!! Because after Paul says all of this stuff he then goes on to say in the very next chapter Romans 8:1 there is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. So it's a normal struggle. A struggle that needs to be dealt with and learned from.... But there is no condemnation!!! Thank u God!
Well my hubby also got me a new bible for Christmas the "fire" bible. It's leather bound and has my name on it... It's a great tool to start out the new year right!!! I've already been in the Word more than ever lately!!! 2013 does not have to be a year of the same old struggles... It's a new season and a new year!!! Stand up, fight, grow, learn, give, forget, seek, pray, read, forgive, resist, shake it off, get fired up, and get READY!!!!!

Remember!

Sometimes we tend to get in this thing and forget where we came from! We get hardened to the things that should move us and we miss out! I have recently been going through this! I have kind of just been going through the motions and I needed a wake up call! This past Sunday my pastor preached on Jesus! :) best kind! And he was just talking about how he has been given authority and how He is in control and it was very moving! Just being reminded of the God that I serve and who He is and what His nature is was very encouraging! Jesus deals with us ever so gently! He talked about the story of the lady caught in the act of adultery and how the people of that day were ready to stone her and kill her because of her sin! They bring her before Jesus feet and ask Him what they should do to her. (trying to catch Him willing to break Moses law, because Moses law said she should be stoned) So Jesus calmly bends down to write on the ground....(What He wrote we do not know) But then He looks at the people and says those who are among you that are without sin can cast the first stone! And they were pricked in their hearts and dropped their rocks and walked away! Then Jesus bent down to the woman and said woman where are your accusers? She looked around and said...I have none! And He said neither do I condemn you..go and sin no more! And she got up and her life was changed forever! What a picture of mercy! Jesus said the statement "Those among you who are without sin cast the first stone..." that was meant to remind them that YES this lady was sinning but could anyone of them REALLY pick up a rock in judgment and throw it at this woman?? They knew that they too had sin in their lives! So Powerful! I love Jesus and how HE treats us! How many times though have I been one of the people that has a stone in my hand instead of saying go and sin no more! God help us to respond to sinners like Jesus would! With mercy! Was HE condoning her sin?? Absolutely not!! But He died to save us! HE never expects us to be good enough to make it to heaven on our great behavior...lol that is why He came to die!
        But at the end of pastors message he told a story about a girl that had a very broken life and as a teenager she went to a church and Jesus happened to be there that night! She took the broken pieces of her life and handed them to Jesus and He made her brand new! Then HE called her to preach the gospel! As I listened to him tell this story I became pricked in my heart and I walked down to the altar and cried! Thank God! The reason this story pricked me in this way was because I was that girl at one point! Was he talking about me? No but I have the same story!! I was a teenager (19) and I met Jesus in an altar and handed Him the broken pieces of my life and asked Him to change me and lead me home! And then HE called me to preach! Some times we need to be reminded that WE have been redeemed! We can get in such a routine that we forget that Jesus has done such an amazing work in our lives!! Thank you Jesus!!