M.O.M. CHALLENGE DAY 20

Tuesday, March 20, 2012
M.O.M. CHALLENGE DAY 20

WHAAA....Day 20??? Holey Mackeral...time flies (whether you're havin' fun or not!) Which leads me to a mini goal I had for today...have some fun! Go outside, step away from the computer, call my Mother & my Daughter, and smile!!! I went outside this morning to feed the chickens and my nostrils were pleasantly met with the most beautiful fragrance of our honeybelle orange tree blossoms. I LOVE NATURE. O Lord, You're beautiful!

Sooo... I already accomplished my daily M.O.M. challenge to read Proverbz 20, did you? My fav. verse for this day is Prov. 20:27 (The Message Version) "GOD is in charge of human life, watching and examining us inside and out." YAY, so glad that it is not solely my responsibility to examine, cleanse and purify my heart!

Hmmm, now that verse is really speaking to me today, because I have been navel gazing a lot lately and you know what I have found (other than a ginornous muffin top & belly button lint?) I have found that no matter who we are, we really think we are something, don't we? I try to remain humble, really I do...but it seems that it is just human nature to find yourself doing something wonderful and thinkin' "Yeah, I am all that, & a bag of potato chips!" (not another reference to my muffin top, but really, it could be...hahaha!!!) 

As I shared with you earlier in this M.O.M. challenge my "word" for 2012 is "humility".  It is really interesting how I can not seem to become distracted from that word!!! (No matter how hard I try!!!) I was finding fault with myself so frequently at the start of the year that I thought I was just the biggest klutz in the world, and a total dork! Instead of shoutin' "Hallelujiah, I have found yet another thing that needs fixin'!!!" I made the heinous mistake though of falling into the self destruction mode mentally, and becoming overwhelmed with my faults... (Honestly, after making my mental list of things I need to change about myself, I got discouraged!) I think HOLY SPIRIT finally got through to me though, because I am no longer wallerin' (southern GA translation for "Wallowing") around in the mud pit of self destruction. Now...when I realize that I need to change something, I see it as an opportunity for growth. I am asking HOLY SPIRIT to help me make those changes. Because they are just too over whelming for me to make on my own, & besides, with GOD all things are possible, right? yeah, ALL THINGS.

NOTE: The heart is "Deep Water"...  Did you know that like the ocean, much of your heart has been uncharted territory? Prolly for good reason, if you tried to sail that vast sea or dive into the depths alone that would be very dangerous...life threatening actually.  Never navigate through rough waters alone...that would be foolish.... but do you realize that you can walk on water when you keep your focus on JESUS? It is worth mentioning again...The heart is deep. Maybe deeper than you realized. Did you know that serene seas never produce skillful sailors? (say that 10X really fast!) I think that when people rock my boat, I either have an opportunity to get some skills...because I know that I have to hold on tight so I don't get thrown overboard and drown in the depths of my own heart where I have found unforgiveness, bitterness and self pity (to name a few). Now that I put it that way, I am really thankful that JESUS has called me to walk on the water (of my heart). I feel like I have been trying to tread water for so most of my life, just keeping my head above the depths. But I am willing to go a little deeper and dive for the hidden treasures of Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control (a.k.a. Fruits of the Spirit). Do yourself a favor, make JESUS the Captain of your ship, just let go of the wheel and ask HIM!

I know we all SAY we are not perfect, but isn't it interesting how deep in our hearts we think, "at least I am still trying, not like so & so..." or let me put it this way... Do you find yourself thinking, "At least I don't ______________ (you fill in the blank again...steal, cuss, smoke crack)? Do we all have bit of Pharisee in us (maybe its just me)? I'll be honest here...I have found that it is easier for me to find fault with someone else than to find fault with myself, I'm just sayin'. Maybe that helps us  (o'kay, me) not think of the overwhelming things that need chaging in our own hearts and minds...am I alone the only "poser" out here?

I am trying to get us all thinking here, not to beat us up, but to bring us into a mild state of humility so that we can be teachable. Think about that for a moment...a person full of pride won't listen to anything anyone else has to say, of course 'cause they have that "My way or the highway" mentality whether they admit it or not.

 I can speak only for myself here: "I DON'T WANT TO BE THAT PERSON (anymore)!!!" I have never been so ridiculously obvious about being full of pride, (heh heh, at least I don't think so!) and some of you who know me who are reading this may think that I am making this up, but seriously...I have had issues with pride! When I drew the word "Humility" this year I was like, "Seriously, GOD, I think I am the most humble person I know? (yeah, it sounds a lot more like pride now than it did when that thought was bangin' around in my head!) Then I also drew the word "Asking" and I just knew it was going to be a great year!!! (Hahaha...guess what? Sarcasm is also rooted in pride if ya' think about it!) BUSTED out by my BFF (HOLY SPIRIT!) So you know what? I am really glad to know that GOD loves me enough to discipline me. HE really, really loves me!!!

Ever had the thought:"How dare they __________" (you fill in the blank)? Well guess what? That is a prideful thought. Offenses are rooted in pride. Think about that for a moment, if you are a person easily taken to offense, maybe you've got some pride issues you have not been honestly dealing with? (oooh, did that just offend you? Well....ummm.....) I read somewhere that an "unbridled mouth is an unbroken person"... ouch! If you feel like you just HAVE to make your point, you are unbroken. I pray that GOD continues to break me open and scoop out the junk inside.

A few years back something absolutely horrible happened to me, I'll spare ya' the gory details because it is now behind me...but during that season, my thoughts consistantly went to: "How could they do that to ME?" I really was naive. Now I realize that when someone or people in general do things that are really horrible, unless they are just plain evil, they are prolly not doin' it "TO ME", but they are just bein' selfish, and self centered. They are doing something for themselves, not thinking of the consequences... so, do I trust GOD enough to deal with them & their mistakes? I am learning to do that.... really, it does take practice...(forgiveness). I have been humbled a lot over the past few years, enough to see that we are all imperfect beings, and how we respond to other people's "imperfections" is what GOD is taking a good long look at in us... I come before HIM regularly asking, "How am I measureing up to your plumb line, GOD?" You see, I don't want to compare myself to people, anymore. I don't like what I see when I do that, and I end up feeling condemnation ~YUK~! I know I don't measure up to GOD's plumb line either, but instead of condemnation I have hope that HE loves me enough to show me what and how to change my heart & mind ... hint: the key is humility (and Loving HIM anough to obey HIM!)

In the book of Mark (particulary the 7th chapter) JESUS nonchalantly talks about the source of our pollution (our hearts). (The Message Version) puts it like this:

"1 The Pharisees, along with some religion scholars who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around him.  They noticed that some of His disciples weren't being careful with ritual washings before meals." ...so they whined to JESUS like little tattle tails, and JESUS read their mail! (HE examined their hearts & nailed them to the TRUTH!)

I won't quote the whole chapter here, I just wanted to set up the scene.... Then JESUS quoted Isaiah in verse 6-8 pretty much saying that the Parisees were just posers, ditching GOD's commands.... whew, that was pretty brutal, but JESUS spoke truth, because HE could look into their hearts and HE knew the truth... HE IS TRUTH...but we can not do that because we are not GOD. So when we are judging others, it is usually rooted in pride. 

Isn't it interesting, how we try to jusge the motives of others? I know now that that is sinful behaviour, but human nature none the less. How many times have you thought (and judged) another person's motives? BEWARE, GOD calls that sin! Jesus told the Pharisees that HE knew that they would "scratch out GOD's Word and scrawl a whim in its place. You do a lot of things like this!" (To which I cry out in response, "Search my heart o'GOD and show me what to repent for". (Trust me y'all, there is soooo much!)

See the disiples were not perfect either, they didn't "get" everything, JESUS said right off the bat... but they were willing to be taught. They were willing to admit to being narrow minded & change their minds from Religious stinkin' thinkin' to the TRUTH! The Pharisees were not... they had all those religious spirits stuck to them like ticks! The disciples were kinda' hung up on some of the laws too, that was all they knew at that time, and JESUS was trying to help them pick off those religious ticks.

JESUS disciples had a hard time trying to understand how to deal with some of the rules with out breaking them...like eating "clean" and JESUS told them in Mark 7:20-23 "It's what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness ~ all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your problem."

"...Vomit from the heart..." man~o~man, I think I need some spiritual Pepto~Bismol! I know that my heart has had a few boo~boos. Aww, shucks, it has been beaten to a pulp a few time since it started beating over 44 years ago... occasionally requiring emergency surgery from GOD's HOLY SPIRIT. And yeah, that has left some residual scarring and bruising that takes time to heal. The good news is that I know the HEALER! I also happen to know that when I realize I still have splinters in my heart that need to be carefully removed, I can take my wounded heart to JESUS and ask HIM to skillfully pluck them splinters out! Yup, it hurts, but I can tell you that the short term pain of removing the splinters is waaaaay less painful than the long term pain of an oozing, polluted, vomiting heart.

Tomorrow we will read how GOD examines our motives... don't miss it! Take the time to have daily open heart surgery with the only skillful surgeon who is able to purify and heal your heart. Set yourself up in a quiet place. Come on... seriously? You know you have at least 30-45 minutes per day to spend with GOD. Don't find the time, make the time for GOD, HE will reward you more than you can imagine right now!
Blessings,
Shawnie