Korea, Here We Come!!! 12/13/10

I'm torn between 2 blogs at the moment.  The new one is designated for our upcoming Korea Journey.  The details are falling into place.  You can see more at:  The Blackmons in Korea

Like a City Without Walls

 "Like a city broken into and left without a wall, so is a person who lacks self-control." Proverbs 25:28

Bad habits are like breaches in the wall of the "city" of our lives.  If left in disrepair, they become an easy access point for destruction and decay.

I felt challenged this morning to examine a few places in my life where the "wall is broken."  Usually these things are easiest to spot in my children.  For example, I think they consume too much sugar.  (I wonder who they get that from?)  That's when the Holy Spirit brought this scripture to mind.  I felt like He was reminding me that any place in my own personal life where I consistently lack self-control will be an area where my children will also lack self-control.  He's right.

Like the old phrase, "most things are caught, not taught" my children are affected by the areas in my life where I choose to either walk in self-control or a lack of self-discipline.  As Joyce Meyer says, "either we will suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret."  There are certainly several areas in my life where I've opted to simply "do as I please" and disregard a more beneficial option.  Eventually, that type of behavior wears down at the wall of protection and encroaches upon the good boundaries that should be set up in our lives.

I think the Lord is kindly reminding me that I need to address some issues in my own life -- repair the wall -- and therefore help bring a lasting and effective change in the lives of my children.

The Cares of this Life

A torrential down pour of thoughts
have been steadily falling lately
tugged to and fro by the blustery winds of urgent details
and demanding "to-do"s.

The days are hard to hold onto
slippery and slipping by so fast
I try to squeeze them hard and make them stop
but I cannot.

Somewhere in front of me I sense the joy of Jeremiah 29:11
it is peeking around the corner
and it keeps smiling at me
as if it knows something that I am unaware of.

But I forget to see it and I bend down to try and tie my laces
only to find that they are already tied
I wonder if I am wearing the right shoes
for this journey.

I wonder...
I wonder...
I wonder...
I... I cannot understand a journey I have not yet seen.



As I wait, the Lifter of my head
stoops low to look into my eyes and
He reminds me that
He has prepared the way.


"It is extraordinary what an enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention from God.  Refuse to be swamped with the cares of this life."  --Oswald Chambers

Getting Closer 11/12/10

The moving sale was a ridiculous success.  The Lord blessed it and we made $1200, which brought our savings to just enough to purchase 4 plane tickets to Seoul, South Korea.  I bought the tickets a couple of days ago (wiping out our savings account.)  That was a little stressful and exiting all at the same time.  It was another reminder that our security is not in Navy Federal Credit Union, a paycheck, or any other earthly possession, but only in the Lord.

It feels like we just jumped out of a plane.  We've got our chutes, but aren't using them yet.  We have to trust that they'll open when we need them.  There's no going back.  But, I know with all my heart that the Father will honor His word and give us a safe landing to the place He's calling us to go.  Genesis 12 is a passage that He gave me a few months back when I asked Him to talk to me regarding Korea.  He simply said, "Go to the land that I will show you.  I will bless you and make you a blessing."  It's that simple.

We have 3 details that have yet to come together, so please pray with us that these loose ends will soon be tied up.  1)  Our house.  What should we do with it.  Rent it out?  Well, we'll need a tenant.  We've had a few prospects, but nothing has solidified yet.  2)  Our sweet dog, Lizzy. She'll need a home for the next year and I so want her to have people who will love and enjoy here.  She loves her people and loves to snuggle and it breaks my heart to think of her feeling too lonely.  3) Our visas.  We're working on them now, but we need the details to fall into place for that.  Thank you so much if you've read this and will stand in prayer with us.

I'll keep you posted...

Moving Sale, October 23rd, 8am-2pm 10/19/10

Barry and I are going through every nook and cranny in this house and clearing out all the excess junk.  We're trying to get ready to rent the house out and hopefully make a little cash for plane tickets.  It's all kind of overwhelming.  Everywhere I look I'm constantly trying to assess whether or not the item under scrutiny should be sold, kept, returned to it's original owner, given away, trashed, packed or stored.  In the word(s) of Mr.Page, my old AP History teacher, "YEEESH!!!"

Redirected 10/11/10

Well, I just got off the phone with EPIK and they simply can't take an applicant with a family.  Housing is just too tricky they say.  I won't go into the entire explanation.  I will say, however, that David, the interviewer, was very positive about my credentials.  He said that other than the housing difficulty, my qualifications are perfect for being a candidate for teaching. 

What's kind of cool about all of this is that I had heard the Lord say awhile back that this whole teaching venture was "man's plans."  It was a way that made sense to us and Pastor Kidoong to get us over there.  The bottom line is that the Lord has called us like he did Abram in Genesis 12 and we are going.  The logistics are not the priority. 

I've got more peace about going and trusting and being fully available than I do about going and being super busy with a full time job.  I am definitely open to teaching if that's what the Lord chooses, but I'm not passionate about education.  I simply felt obligated to pursue that option because it just made sense to us.

I was very overwhelmed at the prospect of teaching at an unknown location 5 days a week and commuting to Seoul on the weekends for 3 days of slam-packed ministry.  Perhaps we'll just work with the church and trust the Lord for our income.  I don't know yet.  It may be that I work part-time at a location closer to the church.  The Lord knows and I look forward to watching things unfold in this new adventure!

Update on the Application Process 10/10/10

The mountain trip was very refreshing.  The weather was amazing, the cabin was great, the friends were fantastic.  It was a wonderful time.  After just getting home, I am pretty pooped though.  Why is that?  Barry isn't tired at all.  Hmm...  I'm going to assume it's a male/female thing.  I just don't have a ton of stamina.

Anyway, when I got home I checked email and found out that I have "passed the first selection phase" for the teaching job in Korea.  That's exiting!
 
So, I'm now scheduled for an interview tomorrow evening with EPIK.  I'm a little nervous about that.  It came a lot quicker than I expected and my head is still spinning a little from being out of town.  But, tomorrow is a new day and mercy awaits me there and I trust that clarity of mind will, too!  God is my strength.

I also realize that I may not even teach at all.  The Lord has secured an apartment for us at the church where we'll work on the weekends.  It's a 1 bedroom apartment, but it will be our own space.  I'm thankful for that.  It may be that we live there and simply do ministry stuff.  Or... it could be that the Lord had me finish that degree last year for a reason and that I will be working as a teacher in Korea.  Or... it could be that I'll simply work part time.  Really, we don't know yet.

All of  that to say, I'll keep you posted on the interview!

The Application... 10/5/10

has left my "drafts" folder and is now out in cyberspace making it's way to EPIK.  Wow!!!  That was one of those very deliberate and exiting "send" finger-punches.  Hmmm...  I'll keep you posted on what I hear.  It will probably take months, but it's in the Lord's hands.  Now I can relax and enjoy the upcoming trip to the mountains.

Voice Today, Inc. 9/29/10

I just got back from the most incredible weekend.  Words will not do it justice.  I was asked by a friend to help lead worship for a women's retreat.  I haven't had the pleasure of singing with her in years so I was happy to agree to it.  As it turned out the retreat was for survivors of sexual abuse.  Wow.  These women had been through serious trauma.  At first I was intimidated by that and then I saw how the Lord showed up to minister to and mend broken hearts.  It was the most amazing ministry I've ever seen.  I've been in and around the church since 1991 and I've never seen emotional healing take place like this.  The founder of the group went through years of abuse herself and through Christ has forgiven her abuser and found a life of peace, joy and incredibly purpose that I witnessed first hand.   Wow.  This ministry is Isaiah 61 in action.  I was so humbled to be in the presence of so many Overcomers.  Amazing.  I am so thankful that I got to be there.  I was changed, too.  It was truly incredible.  Even the grounds keeper at the facility gave her life to Jesus and got delivered of cigarettes.  God was at work in such a powerful way.  I hope to stay connected to this group.  I feel like I've found my ministry niche and a new group of amazing sisters.

Voice Today

Coffee is a Keeper 9/11/10

So, I've spent the last week and a half coffee-free because I'm trying to eliminate triggers for inflammation while I'm doing this exercise/PT stuff.  Coffee is very acidic and therefore can aggravate inflammation.  After almost 2 weeks without it I realize that I just don't function as well without the caffeine.  There are days when I literally can't get the engines going without a little help!

So, I researched low-acid coffee today and found that it's super simple to make your own.  I'm very happy about this.  All you do is put 1 lb of fresh ground coffee (any kind) in a bowl with 8 cups of water.  You cover the bowl and put it on a shelf in the pantry for 15 hours.  After that you drain the liquid with a coffee filter or cloth and then you have coffee concentrate.  Just store it in a jar in the fridge and you can add 2 tablespoons to water or milk for coffee.  Apparently, it still tastes like regular ole coffee, minus the acid.  I'll know for sure tomorrow morning!

Here's one of the sites that had info about it  :Acid-Free Coffee

"Be the Granny" 8/31/10

I just wanted to say that phrase -- for a few reasons.  First off, we now own a granny-mobile.  It's a Mercury Grand Marquis -- a ginormous boat of a car.  Our other 2 cars died and we wanted to pay cash for something cheap and reliable so that we could get around before we leave.  We'll sell the car back to the car dude when we move in January.  It's a good arrangement.

Secondly, Barry wanted to start the p90x fitness and nutrition program today.  I can do the nutrition deal with him, but my body is still messed up from the injury so my version of the fitness routine is physical therapy90x.  I use 3lb weights and go really, really slow.  I definitely don't go to failure and I don't do push ups or pull ups since that's my injury zone.  Anyway, while I was doing my little dinky exercises I kept hearing the phrase in my head, "be the granny."  I used to be really competitive with sports and athletic activity.  Now that I'm "humbled" it's good to remember to be smart about how I do things and to be sure I don't push my limits.  I will indeed "be the granny" as long as I must.  Hopefully, I'll be able to work up to something more substantial and develop a little perseverance and patience in the meantime...

Date Night 8/24/10

Barry and I had a great date tonight.  (Thanks Jessi for watching the kiddos!)  We ate at Buffalo's.  We had a $10 coupon.  Nice!  Afterwards Barry got McD's chocolate chip cookies and I got a Jittery Joe's Dutch Mocha (decaf).  Yum!  We finished off the night by flipping through radio stations on the way home and remembering and singing some of our favorite songs from years past.  Twas fun. 

I'm so thankful to be married to my best friend.  It's also fun to share so much history.  Though we're 5 years apart in age we both went to the same high school and grew up in the same area. If we move to Korea I'll miss hearing "y'all" and other fun colloquialisms from the South.  You can take the girl out of the South, but you can't take the South out of the girl.  Right?

It was good to reconnect with Barry and to just have fun being together.  I finally feel like I'm hitting my stride again after all the trips and upheaval. Now that I know I'm NOT going to be back in school this Fall I'm having a much easier time getting focused and remembering my niche.  I'm having a good time with the scheduling, cooking, cleaning, etc.  Yay for that.  It's so nice to just be home.  I always was "just home" before I got hurt and then went back to school.  I think I appreciate the role of wife and mom afresh these days.

Like the Word says, "Contentment with godliness is great gain."  What a gift contentment is.  The Lord has done so much.  He is so, so good.  I wish everyone could see and  know the goodness that I've seen in Him, (even though I know my experience with Him doesn't even scratch the surface of who He is.)  And I hope to get to know Him better and better everyday.  He's just so wonderful. His attention to detail, His creativity and wisdom, and personal attentiveness are mind-blowing.  Even in the fact that He decided to give us all different fingerprints.  Why'd he do that?  Why did He bother?  He's just so amazingly personal.  Here's a song to go with that thought.  He made us all so unique and we all have a way to praise Him and love on Him that only we as individuals can bring.  He loves the way we all relate to Him differently, just the way He made us to!

Samantha is 11 8/22/10

Time really does fly.  I can't believe Sam is 11 years old.  Wowzers!  She's a great kid and I'm so thankful and blessed to have had the honor of being her mom.  I look forward to the years to come!

I feel the need to ramble now, so here's I go...  (That's why I have this blog.  I need a place to ramble and it takes too long to write it all out with pen and paper.)

I'm so glad that Fall is approaching.  We've got some big changes coming up and there is a lot to be done in preparation.  I was going to go back to school this fall, but I'm SO glad that I opted out of that.  It was just one "iron" too many.  I'm greatly relieved to have chosen not take classes right now.  Did I mention that already?  Because, I am so very glad that I'm NOT IN SCHOOL right now.

We're trying to get organized and get rid of our excess stuff.  Speaking of which, I need to do the same for my physical body, too.  I really need to be more intentional about dietary choices and exercise.  I need help and motivation for that.  I like the little myfitnesspal calorie counter deal.  It's pretty nifty, but I seem to forget to use it.

Our best friends are house shopping.  That's fun.  I like to think that I'm an undercover real estate agent.  I get a big kick out of researching.  I'll be happy to see them settled into a bigger house soon. 

Can you say "stream of consciousness?"  It's 1am and the stream is flowing.

So, I have bronchitis and I'm taking steroids, which may explain all of this -- like why I'm typing any of this at all and why it's all so random.  I will be completely med-free in 2 more days.  Yay.

Did I mention that I'm exited about Fall coming.  I am.  I need to find some free mulch for the yard.  Yep.  We might be putting the house on the market.  That's a big fat "might."

Homeschool is going really well.  The kids are in a good rhythm with it.  That's been nice.  I had a min-breakthrough with Will.  I'm letting him use my little computer desk in my bedroom sometimes for his school work.  It has made such a difference for him to have a distraction-free zone.  He's kind of like me -- easily distracted.  I'm sure you wouldn't have any indication of that from this post, but actually I am pretty easily distracted.

Oh, and Barry got a massive pay cut.  Like 30K less than what he was making.  Not that we were rolling in it before.  We both laughed when we found out because it was fitting in light of our possible future plans... to be unveiled later.  The Lord keeps reminding me that His plans are GOOD.  He has GOOD plans and He is a GOOD God.  Yep.  That's good to think about.

Welp, my back kind of hurts sitting in this position, I guess I'll go to bed.

And, and, AND...  huh, huh... part of the reason I had to write this post is that I needed to vent on the previous post, but wasn't comfortable leaving that post up top.  So, if anyone actually reads this, which I doubt, then you deserve to know the real thought process (or at least one of them) going on in my head as I aimlessly typed all of this.

Congratulations to Ian and Leslie 7/17/10

The whirlwind weekend has almost concluded.  Ian and Leslie had a lovely wedding today and an amazingly delicious rehearsal dinner last night at Mama's Boy.  I know everyone is tired, but it really was a sweet time with lots of wonderful and memorable moments.  If fell in love with Leslie's little nieces and nephew.  They're such cute kids. 

I actually introduced Leslie and Ian over 5 years ago.  When things were rough I always felt bad about it, but today was a happy ending!  I'm so thankful to have been able to witness the Lord's hand in bringing them to this point.  He is so kind and patient with all of us.

Tomorrow is our last Korea meeting and band practice, then we're off to South Korea for 2 and a half weeks or so.  Other than being momentarily wiped out I'm really looking forward to the trip.  Our God is such a good, good God.  It's indescribably nifty to belong to Him and be a part of His kingdom.

My Latest Awesome Adventures 7/11/10

I mentioned the minor collision I had with a truck a few posts back.  Here are a few more scrapes (no pun intended) that I've gotten myself into recently.

2 weeks ago I opened a door on my foot.  There was no good reason for this.  It made a blue bruise and bled.  The bruise on the outside of my foot still really hurts when I wear flip flops.

1 week ago I sprained my ankle playing soccer (all by myself).  I was at a park and there were lots of people around.  It was pretty classic.  I'm dribbling the ball around the field in my little Sambas.  I'm having a grand old time.  It's the first time I've played soccer since I got hurt in '07.  "La dee dah!  Oh what fun!"  And then my left ankle turned, I bounced down to my knees and then my head did a little bobble and I made some awful shriek.  I kind of limped back up and hobbled around until the sting went away.  I thought it was fine until I got home and iced it and it swelled up and I had to use crutches for the next few days.  That was a first for me.  I've never needed crutches before and I've never sprained my ankle before.  It was a fairly useless experience.

A couple of nights ago I topped every dumb thing I've ever done.  It was ridiculously awesome.  Yes.  I was with friends at the Fox Theater.  We were sitting way up top -- like 2 rows from THE top.  I had to pee.  I didn't want to make everyone on my row move.  The 2 seats on the 2 rows directly behind me just happened to be empty.  I decided to climb over them so's not to disturb anyone.  So, I clear the first row just fine.  I go to step over the last row and decide to do a cute little leap.  There was no floor behind the last row.  Yeah.  So, I free fall 5-10 feet in the pitch black darkness.  I was falling long enough to say, "Ooooooooooh craaaaaap!" with arms and legs flailing. Then I made my loud splat onto the concrete.  I caught myself with my left knee, hip, boob and right hand.  I have some bruises and minor abrasions to prove it.

After my less than graceful descent I noticed that a young girl on the top row had seen the entire event.  Her eyes were as big as saucers.  She probably thought she had just witnessed a suicide attempt.  No, little girl, I'm just an idiot.  I promptly hopped up before any ushers could come to my aid.  I whispered to the little girl that though I made a lot of noise I really wasn't hurt and I scurried to the bathroom to do what I had set out to do in the first place.  I emptied the old bladder and shook my head in utter disbelief at what I had just done.  I also put my sweater on and took my glasses off in hopes that I could disguise myself and not be recognized by the bystanders of my little stunt.

I was in utter disbelief that I had just launched myself over the cliff of the back row at the Fox.  Oh my!  I still laugh out loud when I think of it.  Yep, that was the most awesomely awesome thing I've ever, ever done.

1 Wedding and a Trip to South Korea 7/10/10

We're in the home stretch before our trip.  Barry and I are both in a wedding next Saturday and then we'll leave the next week for our South Korea trip.  I've got our first of 2 band practices tomorrow.  The details are steadily falling into place and the Lord has been so kind to put together such a great team.

It's been a busy time.  The kids just got back from Kids Camp and then last night was a bachelorette party for a dear friend.  Good and busy times!

oh great. 7/6/10

I've got to pick, practice, organize, etc. the music for our Korea trip and a friend's wedding.  I'm avoiding that by coming to this handy little link called "new post."

I started the day off right by grazing some one's beautiful, brand new, massive truck that was parked on the side of the street this morning. I was creeping up the hill in the neighborhood with the sun in my eyes and the morning dew and condensation still thick on the windshield.  My wipers were going and my defrost was on high and I couldn't. see. a. thing.  It was 7am and I was thinking, gee I'm glad kids aren't out playing this early, cuz I'd hit 'em.  Then THWAP! Bump.  Bump.  Bump.  sliiiiiide. 

oh great.

So I get out of my car to find out WHAT I hit since I couldn't see anything.  Wonderful.  A truck.  And look it's like the perfect color to blend in with the world around it.  No wonder I hit it.

I left my name and number on their windshield and told them I was SO SORRY, which I am of course.  It's almost noon and they haven't called yet.  I keep rehearsing in my mind that when they do I will keep it simple and accept full responsibility and promptly give them my insurance info.  Sigh... (I've found that you can't sue the sun or the water on your windshield and that people really aren't interested in your very valid reasons for doing dumb things.)

This whole "accepting responsibility thing" keeps chasing me around.  Obviously the spiritual posts as of late have been all about how the Lord is pointing out my part in our walk together.  Even my mini bio up top says that I'm trusting Him to do the work.  He's really pointing out that it's not all Him.  I've got to put forth effort too.  I think I'm having a hard time coming to terms with this.  I don't really like the idea that my choices or lack thereof can alter the course of my life, even if it's just 1mm at a time.  The big choices have obvious impact, but it's all the little choices that cause you to drift.  As we all know, eating to much, over sleeping, choosing to be lazy, watching dumb TV, not giving time to the Word, not guarding your heart and thoughts etc. are the things that little by little create undesirable change.  We can't just walk away from the guard post and expect to stay on track.  Okay Lord, you're right.  Please help me to make the right choices toward godliness.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road 7/6/10

I really am deeply convicted about my need to grow in the Word and continue to move forward in God.  If I were to be honest with myself I'd have to say that I'm probably softer and lazier than I've ever been.  I've grown so comfortable in my life that I just don't want to move.  Ouch.  I clicked on this link here and read my own Words from 2007.  They applied so much to where I'm at that it was almost scary.  Double ouch.

God, please help me to put action into these convictions.  I'm so far from where I need to be.  I know you give us goals not to condemn us but to give us direction so we know where to aim.  Please help me to focus my effort and energy into Your direction and goals for my life.

POH 3 7/5/10

So, I got the kids packed earlier today, which is great, but... why am I still up???  I don't have an answer for that question.  It's after midnight and I'm driving one of the church vans full of kids to camp in the morning.  That's what coffee is for, I guess.

I just watched an episode of Glee online to see what is was all about.  (I've seen a lot of people on facebook make comments about it.)  Don't get me wrong, it was very entertaining and I loved the music, but you know, there were a lot of ideas presented that were so very contrary to the Word of God.  I know, it's the world and that's what we should expect, but the way it was presented was disturbing to me for some reason.  "Go ahead and have sex before you're married.  Life is all about experiences..."   That's a big fat lie.  Here's another one:  "There's only one thing required for you to be a man and that's GUTS."  That's not true either! There were a lot of wrong ideas and opinions presented in a very bold and entertaining way.  I'm not trying to knock TV, but I am examining the ideas that are dumped into our heads when we tune in.

To tie this into what I've been reading I want to think about the fact that there really is no reliable compass for morality within the heart of man.  We don't know better.  The Bible has it pegged in Jeremiah when it flat out tells us that the heart of man is deceitful.  We think we've got it figured out and a lot of our conclusions about life and relationships make sense (to us) and for the most part seem to be right on, but they're just not.  The only, only, ONLY accurate plumb line for all of life and relationships is the Word of God.  I'm talking to myself here.  As I've mentioned in the past couple of posts I'm finding myself years into this Christianity thing and I'm being reminded that my heart is no less prone to wander than it was before I met Christ.  I still need the Word.  I need to read it, memorize it, lean on it and let it live and work in me so that my life can be conformed to Heaven's ideas and standards.  He desires abundant life for us!  But, there is a little work required on our part.

Like Jesus said, our work is to believe.  But, how can we believe in something we don't know about?  The Holy Spirit, faithful counselor that he is, has been reminding me that it's up to me to take the time to grow in the knowledge of God by reading the Word.  How can conviction and transformation be at work in my heart if it isn't turned toward the Almighty and His thoughts?

I've drifted a bit and I need to remember my Maker and His infinite kindness toward me.  I want to want His Word and his ways more than I want the next great coupon find or landscape project or bike ride.  I want to want to make Him smile more than I want to please even my husband or kids.

Transformation of the heart can only come from Him, but if I don't choose to put myself into the shaping power of the Word I will stunt the process.  Come fan the flame.

POH 2 7/3/10

Great book.

I'm in the middle of Chapter 9 and there are so many things I would've liked to type in and process here, but I joined a small group at church that's reading another book ("A Better Way to Pray" A. Wommack) and I've spent my extra time reading and processing it. It's a great book, too! I highly recommend it.

So, here's another stream of consciousness post. Sorry.

We're less than a month away from going to Korea. This time the team has 12 members -- much more manageable size. My dear friend, Leslie is getting married the weekend before we leave. I'm looking for a dog sitter for the 2.5 weeks we're gone. I sprained my ankle 2 days ago playing soccer. (Ouch.) I'm heading up to my mom and dad's today so the kids and I can see the fireworks on the lake. (Barry has to work. He's such a wonderful man!) The kids leave for KidsCamp on Monday morning and I'd like to get them packed BEFORE Sunday night.

Back to the book...

So, I really felt drawn to read it. I'm just going to type in an excerpt from what I've just read. This is Jerry Bridges stuff. It's just so good and reminds me that we never outgrow the need to stay in God's word and hide it in our hearts. It's only by reading the Word and letting it sink in that we come to fear the Lord and avoid conforming to the patterns of this world.

Here Jerry has been talking about the fact that we each will always have a propensity toward sin. He explains in depth the fact that we are responsible for our own choices. Each time we sin it is because we choose to, but we cannot resist without the power of the indwelling Spirit of God. Here are his suggestions based on scripture to stay on the path of holiness:

"The crucial question then is, "How do we destroy the strength and vitality of sin?" If we are to work at this difficult task, we must first have conviction."

Okay, my words here. When you've walked with Christ for years, there are times when you may recognize a particular shortcoming in yourself. Maybe it's not something that seems even big enough to tackle, but when we step back and realize that we are always called to press on in our growth in Christ we know we need to address it. For example, you may find that you tend to be judgmental in your heart toward others. Even though you may not act on these thoughts, you know they are not right. This is what I like about this book. Jerry reminds us that the motivation for growing in holiness and godliness never comes from ourselves. He gives a clear explanation that we as believers MUST humble ourselves by staying in the Word and dependent on the Spirit or we will not progress.

Back to Jerry.

"We must be persuaded that a holy life of God's will for every Christian is important. We must believe that the pursuit of holiness is worth the effort and pain required to mortify the misdeeds of the body. We must be convinced that "without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).

"Not only must we develop conviction for living a holy life in general, but we must also develop conviction in specific areas of obedience.

"These convictions are developed through exposure to the Word of God. Our minds have far too long been accustomed to the world's values. Even after we become Christians, the world around us constantly seeks to conform us to tits value system. We are bombarded on every side by temptations to indulge our sinful natures. That is why Paul said, " Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remake you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed" (Romans 12:2).

"Only through God's Word are our minds remolded and our values renewed."

That's just good stuff, especially for those of us who have been in the church for a long time and who tend to forget that we are continually been pulled along by the world's current, even when we don't realize it. It's only when we look to the Word of God intently that we see how far we've drifted.

POH 1 6/12/10

I started this book today and I really want to meditate on it's contents. We as humans are not created for compromise, we're created for purity and holiness. I'm reminded through this book to catch the "little foxes" because "it is compromise on the little issues that leads to greater downfalls." Here are a few thoughts I want to ponder and process from "The Pursuit of Holiness" by Jerry Bridges:

1) "Will you begin to look at sin as an offense against a holy God, instead of as a personal defeat only?"

2) "Will you begin to take personal responsibility for your sin, realizing that as you do, you must depend on the grace of God?"

3) "And will you decide to obey God in all areas of life, however insignificant the issue may be?"