p.s. o'yay, I found this under "drafts". My "lost" blog

Thursday, March 1, 2012
~* Passion *~

"Good morning, HOLY SPIRIT & thank you ushering me into this new day." ~* This is my beginning thought today! Yesterday I had challenged myself to "leap" and guess what? It seemed that I became a magnet for things that wanted to stick to me and try to suck my life's blood...kinda' like a tick. I am so glad I am in a state of awareness! Let me explain...

Ever go hunting (or for a walk in an area where there is an overgrowth of underbrush?!?!) I went hunting with my husband a few months back, and when we got home we had to check ourselves for ticks! Yeah, TICKS, eww! Ticks are tiny parasites that attatch themselves to humans and animals and feed on their blood... you can be hosting a tick happy hour and not even know it!  You don't always feel it when they attatch themselves, and sometimes (I found out the hard way) if you don't find them right away they... umm...they'll just turn up! That is why it is crucial to frequently "check yourself, before you wreck yourself!"  Just by being aware that there are things that you may be hosting, that are unsolicited by you, unwelcomed by you is important. I do not advise navel gazing...you know when you go lookin' for ticks and you get all creeped out about even the idea of a parasite. By partnering with HOLY SPIRIT each day, and asking HIM, "What's up Doc?" those ticks can run, but they can not hide!!!

So today I read PROVERBS chapter 1. Right outta' the gate, Proverbs promises that the wise words of Solomon teach wisdom and self-control. (4)"They make the undeducated wise, and self-controlled and give knowledge and sense to the young." (7) "Knowledge begins with respect for the LORD, but fools hate wisdom and discipline." It has been suggested that Proverbs is like a multi-vitamin ~ consumed daily (consistantly) it is good for your health. Reading Proverbs daily is like a 3 minute course in higher education! These teachings come from the highest source there is ~* straight from GOD's heart <3 (spoken through Solomon). Solomon gives a shout out to the younger crowd when he is talking about wisdom, sure you can develop more wisdom as you grow older, but years do not guarantee it.  It is just as possible to be an old fool as an educated fool. Formal education is not cheap, but reading the BIBLE doesn't come with a high prace tag...the cost? Your time: it is either a potentially valuable or  a worthless & wasted comodity! True wisdom is like an antidote against wasting yourself on unimportant things, and it can ONLY be found in GOD!

A healthy person has passion... my thoughts on PASSION:  I have found that passion is so important! I have been through seasons of apathy ~*  not a pretty sight! Passion is a beautiful thing! Apathy is...meh...whatever...over grown weeds...(hint: it's where the ticks live!) that is what I envision when I think of the word apathy... overgrown weeds. For me apathy was born of defeat. It was the tiniest thing (negative thought) in the back of my mind that was still nagging at me... the thing that did not take too much of my attention too often, actually I was not even aware that it was still there, thought I had found that "tick" and dealt with it!  When I realized that it was hiding, camping out waaay back in the back of my thoughts...I could think of a million reasons to ignore it, to give up, and not one reason to try dealing with it. HERES WHERE I WENT REALLY WRONG: It became the one thing I would avoid, on purpose (sin)!

I think for me it was a coping mechanism...I have had people in my life who liked to tease me (suggestion, teasing is ugly, and loaded, and potentially hurtful) or tickle me (Which I believe is a form of torture!) and honestly I believe that trying to cope with the junk I do not like led me to feelings of apathy... I am learning not to try to cope...but to let it go... LET IT GO...when someone says or does something offensive to you...DROP IT LIKE IT'S HOT!!! Revisit it later, in your quiet time with HOLY SPIRIT, if it is still buggin' you (pardon the pun)! I know that that is hard for some people to do. It is kinda' hard to imagine that something could be attatched to you, right now and it is sucking your life's blood, but TRUST GOD, HE will NOT let the ticks win. "BUT BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE," you say, and again I say, TRUST GOD (PASSIONATELY)! DISCLAIMER: Sometimes you are called to LOVE in the verb form, which means taking action...I am not suggesting that you sit back and never take action, but STAND until the HOLY SPIRIT moves you...Think of the mighty oak tree...it was once just a little nut that stood her ground. Be still little nut, just hang out, and get to know GOD! Proverbs 1:32 says "Fools will die because they refuse to listen; they will be destroyed because they do not care. (33) But those who listen to me will live in safety and be at peace, without fear of injury." (So, yeah...I trust GOD more than I trust myself!!!)  Here's the icky part: I know that there are more ticks, but I don't go lookin' for 'em! I can't deal with all my stuff at the same time... so I trust GOD. That is why I partner with my BFF (HOLY SPIRIT) daily, until HOLY SPIRIT reveals the tick to me in our quiet time together I just let it go, in HIS timing, HE will bring the tick to my attention and together we can deal with it! Meanwhile, until HE brings it up, I can be passionate about other things! Besides, the battle is not mine... NO WORRIES! Some things I obviously cannot carry and I gladly hand them over to GOD, but sometimes I am like, "it's ok GOD I got this!" NOPE! NAH-uh...I am learning to process everything with my BFF, HOLY SPIRIT...who sticks closer than a bro.  How foolish to even try to think I can go make coffee in the morning without first kissing GOD on the cheek! Father GOD, I pray that you help me (and my friends that might be reading this) to  Practice of the Presence of GOD...(A great book written by Brother Lawrence).


Several times this morning, (while I have been journaling this blog) I secretly went in to check on my son while he was working on his school...at one point I snuck up behind him and said, "Caughtchya' bein' good!" He just smiled, encouraged! Let HOLY SPIRIT catchya' bein' good today. Be encouraged. Have some self control cut off the t.v., do something wonderful for somebody (in secret) and be blessed.

Until tomorrow...
Blessings,
Shawnie