"a peace that passes all understanding..."

 I have felt God's peace and presence in my life recently more than I ever have before. I never knew that my convictions could be so freeing. Over the past couple of months, He has shown me two specific things. 1) I give too much of my attention to material things...I must find my fulfillment in Christ alone and not those pair of shoes I am "dying" to have. 2)I shouldn't "serve God" to make myself look like a "better Christian" (I don't believe there is such a thing) but rather I should feel so compelled by His death for a wretch like me that I want to display "thank you" to Him in every aspect of my life.

While these are things I have heard preached time and time again, God has shaped them into the desires of my heart. As he convicts me of areas in my life that need transforming, yes, there is regret for my sin, but there is excitement knowing that God in his grace can change me from the inside out. With that being said, this requires me too put one hundred and ten percent of my faith in him and not in my own strength like I try to do all the time. Even the smallest glimpse of Who He is and who I am not can compel me to trust His ways and not my own. While my faith may be small, (maybe even smaller than a mustard seed at this point), it has to be in Him...noONE or noTHING else. There have been several instances lately in which I have seen how even if we try to plan things on our own, even down to the finest details,  God is the most beautiful and ONLY perfect planner there is! Nonetheless, there are things in my life I still worry about and therefore am ridiculous enough to try and control on my own.

I am sorry if this post is all over the place but as the Holy Spirit constantly reminds me of my constant need for the Lord, I have to write about how HE he is changing me! I know that I have been consumed with my own selfish desires for far too long and it is my desire that He becomes my number one desire.

"So as to live the rest of the time in flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God."
1 Peter 4:2


Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'"
Matthew 22:37