Grace Girls

Patricia and I put together a PACKED 4 week study we entitled, "Grace Girls".

Week One:  *Our concept of God (where we get it) and Who God really is,

                    *Our worth to God

Week Two:  *How God created man,
                    *How we are created anew after we believe in Jesus (I'm was a sinner saved by grace, now I am a saint who sometimes sins) That OLD SINFUL INNER MAN has been crucified with Christ, and a NEW RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY INNER MAN has raised with Him!  And He lives in my new man!  I am a completely NEW creation- one that has never existed before!

                     *Two aspects of the Cross-
                           -Saved from my sins (deals with behavior)  He is our Substitution
                           -Saved from my self (deals with my identity) I am united with Him

Week Three: *God-given needs (Love Acceptance Worth Security/Significance Truth) everyone is born with but only God can fill.

                     *Flesh- trying to get those needs met apart from God.  -flesh patterns, coping mechanisms, learned habits and behaviors

                     *What are our specific flesh patterns and how did we get them?

                     *Which tree are we living from?  Two Trees

Week Four:   *The Root Issue is an Identity Issue, Who am I?

                      *Love notes and Envelopes

                      *Truth vs Feelings

                      *Selfers Prayer

Last night was our last night.  It was wonderful.  It is such a blessing to be able to share Who God is and who we are because of Him.  These truth totally changed my life 5+ years ago...and He continues to speak Himself into me, moment by moment:

http://vinejohn15branch.blogspot.com/2008/11/one-monthmoment-by-moment.html

Kentucky Bound!

Tonight I am going home for the first time since Christmas!!!

Tonight I get to see my beloved Dad!  He was here a month ago for my birthday...but I sure miss him and I miss the beautiful farm!  Lovely weather expected!

May Day!

I haven't ran all week!  I walked 4 miles with Sebastian on Monday. I rode the stationary bike 6.5 miles on Tuesday. 

That's it!  

So I went out for 5.1 miles this morning just because it's 5/1!  : )

And I am really pleased with my time. But boy does the sciatic on my right leg hurt!!!!   The faster I run the more pain. 

Well amen! My thorn in the flesh!

Thy Hidden Ones by Jessie Penn-Lewis, 1899

Song of Soloman 7:12 There will I give Thee my love

It is blessed to see this hidden one is growing in the knowledge of her Lord.  There was so much of "me" and "my" in those early days (SOS 2:3-6).
 
Then it was, "My Beloved is unto me" (1:14).

Now she say, "There will I give Thee my love"; in effect, "Give the love Thou hast implanted in me back to Thee, by pouring it out of those for whom Thou hast died".  "Unto the least of these My brethren...unto Me" (Matthew 25:40), the Master said.  In binding up the broken-hearted with His word of healing, in proclaiming His liberty to the captives, in comforting all that mourn with the comfort of God, her life is love; and love-His love-is satisified!

She has learned to be "at home" in the sanctuary of His Presence everywhere.  "There" in the midst of ceaseless service, He is with her, and "there", in pouring out to thirsty hearts she gives Him to drink.

ADT Testimony

This is my 8 month Advanced Discipleship Training Testimony:

cwww.youtube.com/watch?v=FtMku5AggYc

Again...I haven't figured out how to put a thumbnail on it!

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Settle me, Lord.

Jesus, my Beloved.

Yesterday I got to do something I have desired for a VERY long time.  I got to sit down and talk for about an hour and a half with a young man who struggles greatly with something.  Something he cannot control.  It's a part of his brain function that just- is.  Out of that comes other disorders.  My heart breaks for him.  But he puts up a facade.  He is fake.  He has learned to be fake to cope with his disorder and- a family member who just wants him to be perfect.

I got to share with him how God created him.  Spirit, soul and body.  I told him the functions of his whole self.  We talked about how his disorder and his family made him feel.  His emotions are so calloused he hardly KNOWS how he feels.

We talked about flesh- coping mechanisms.  It astounds me how little the church as a whole knows about how God created man- why He created man- and how we deal with life apart from Him.  But I understand.  How can a pastor or teacher or just anyone preach/teach what they don't know?  No wonder they stick with the Old Testament.  No wonder they preach/teach with "do-do" glasses on.  They have not had the revelation of Jesus Christ.  They know Him as Savior, Master, Lord and maybe Friend but they do know know Him as Peace, Joy, Healer, Life, Truth, Resurrection, Creator of the new inner man.

The young man asked me, "What can I pray for myself?"

What a great question!

I simply said, "Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you."

I don't think that is exactly what he wanted to hear but I can't tell him anything else BUT Jesus.  Jesus is the Way and every other way is NOT the way.  He is enough.  His riches are Himself- why would we want anything else?

Then my sister called me.  Just heart broken.  A young man she knows (I do not know him)- a "wonderful Christian boy"- who is actually in the ministry, just got his girlfriend pregnant.

Oh, the secrets we hide.  Oh, the facades we put on.  She told me this young man was "all godly" on the outside but on the inside- a mess.  But not many people knew it.

And you know what?  He may marry the girl.  But if he doesn't come to really KNOW this Jesus, if he doesn't let this Jesus do a mighty work in him (and it may hurt!), and if he doesn't allow this Jesus to heal him- then marrying the girl won't solve the problem.  Because the problem is not the problem.  It's just a symptom of something else going on in him.  It will manifest in many other ways in his life.

This kid is just eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil- both sides.  The self-righteous and the unrighteous.  He is just trying to get his needs met.  Love, Acceptance, Worth and Security.  By being a "good Christian boy" and by giving in to the 'lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life'.  It's all flesh.  And flesh always leads to death.  There is no life and peace apart from God, for He IS Life and Peace.  And God WILL NOT allow anything but Himself bring us Life and Peace.

But only God can meet the needs- Love Acceptance Worth Security Truth Significance- that He created BOTH these young men with!  Which one will come to the end of their self and allow Him to anoint them with Himself? Either one?  Both?

I pray they both will.

Exploding Head

Sometimes I think my head is going to explode.  There is SO much going through it- ALL THE TIME.  If I could log all the thoughts I have in 5 minutes this blog would go and go and go.

What would I do without a list?  I am not sure I could survive!  And we women, we get the brunt of things.  How many men think these thoughts?

We need new sheets.  I need to change the sheets.  I'll hang them on the line.  I need new clothes pins.  And dog food.  And a snack for the study Thursday night.  I need to make copies of that last page.  It's going to rain.  Well, we need it.  The pool needs water.  I am so glad summer is here.  I hate winter.   I can't wait until heaven, I know the weather will be perfect there!  Don't forget to spray for ants.  Ug, I still didn't get all the windows cleaned outside.  We are out of bread, put that on the list.  I really don't want to go to work today.  I have to move money from the one account to the other or there won't be any money for bread and dogfood!  Ireland is one month away.  What about Nick and his sickness?  How are we going to deal with that.  Oh Jesus, you know our need!  What am I going to do about White Pines?  Your desire, Lord?  Thank You for Connie and our conversation yesterday.  I hope the storms aren't bad.  Lord, help me not to be overwhelmed.  Trust.  You hold all things together.  My kids are all things, Nick is all things, my friends and family are all things, I am all things.  No, I don't need to take my vacuum today.  No, no cleaning supplies either.  I look up to the sky and say, "You're Beautiful!".  I miss my Dad.  I can't wait to go home this weekend!  I need to send Karen money for Mom's flowers and Dad's cellphone.  Wasn't that so special and kind of Justin to ask Nick and I to sit in as his parents at his wedding?  Time to load the washer, ride the bike and go to work.

Yes, that's how my mind works!

Well, amen!