Things I'm Learning... (Part 1)

...while reading "Get Out of That Pit!" by Beth Moore:

- She describes a pit as feeling stuck.

- Some bondages/patterns of thinking happen to us because life throws it at us, some we slide into in ignorance or stupidity, some we jump into, knowing full well what we do.

- God is always good. He is unapproachable light and He has no dark side. (Meaning we can trust Him in difficult circumstances. That is an encouraging thought, that God has no dark side. He is not playing games or plotting for our demise.)

- To avoid sliding into a pit, don't just practice innocence, practice integrity. (I have sometimes arrogantly thought that I had integrity because of my innocence, but innocence can be very ignorant and proud without an active commitment to grow in holiness out of love for Christ.)

- Lost innocence can be traded in for integrity. (This is my favorite! In areas where we have fallen, God can bring restoration, and we come out the other side with a new depth of wisdom and integrity, and the ability to help and warn others.)

- We can help someone else climb out of a pit, but we do not have the power to sustain them. Only God can. (Because only He has that kind of wisdom and staying power.)

- Encourage one another and do not let the lie be told that victory is impossible. (Especially with God.)

Laugh More

I was innocently reading through the yahoo homepage news stories and happened upon this happy bit of information. : )

"And it has been confirmed that personality profile Type C—people that tend towards melancholy, depression, and excessive worry — are prone to develop cancer."


I don't tend to be depressed most of the time, but the other things are characteristic.

God certainly knows that our attitudes can affect our health and Scripture says that a joyful heart is good medicine!

A Picture

Because I think kittens are incredibly cute to look at and because sometimes I feel like this, a little out of control and inadequate. : )

Change

Today I was looking through my old childhood school journals. Surprisingly enough, or not surprising at all actually, as a kid I enjoyed reading and being at home. I also described myself as someone with the inability to say no for fear of hurting someone's feelings.

I wonder if I've changed at all!

Of course with time my written expression has gone from things like "I like school. I like carrots. I can't wait for the pizza party," to thoughts a little more coherent. But I can still see my current self in that nine year old's reflections.

Something must be different, though, because my world is not so small anymore. Neither is my experience with God limited to my salvation. These things have grown and expanded.

Some parts of our personalities do not change entirely, that is who we are, but I think they can be refined to reflect the character of Christ in us. Scripture says we are being transformed and renewed.

I continually feel God pushing me to widen my circles of interaction and to make decisions for His sake and not just for the sake of those I would hate to disappoint. I'm glad He does, because if initiating change were up to me....