Breaking Our Box

I heard an incredibly moving sermon Sunday. The scripture is Mark 26:1-13

1When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2“As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man^a will be handed over to be crucified.”

3At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, 4plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 5“But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

6Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. 7While he was eating,^b a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.

8The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9“It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”

10But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? 11You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

Now, many of us have heard this preached. This preacher took a different angle. A more personal angle. 

He compared our lives to the fragrance inside that jar. Until the jar was broken, you couldn't smell it. You couldn't appreciate the beauty and the depth that was there. 

How often at church do we say hi. Ask how we are doing. But how often do we TRULY mean it? We compliment each other. Nice dress, pretty hair, powerful suit. But do anything of those things matter? So many times we don't want to make OURSELVES uncomfortable and truly reach out to others. Break ourselves for the sake of another person. Even if it is just as simple as telling another you are praying for them. Sitting quietly by in your little comfort zone while you fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are hurting wrong. It is being lukewarm. It is not allowing yourself to truly be broken for the cause of Christ. And it is not just for our brethren. But unbelievers. We are to show love. And this is a first step. 

Next time you ask how someone is doing, don't do so while walking away. Look them in the eye. Mean it. You may be the only person that does. 

We never know the battle that another person may be facing. And NEVER assume other people have reached out. I found out that a lot of people were praying for me. And I mean a lot. I was stunned. I had no idea. No one had told me. I mean I had family member and some friends and people that are going through similar circumstances. I have actually felt quite alone. But now I see I wasn't. And that REALLY matters.

ANY kind of battle, whether physical, mental, spiritual, marital, family, etc has a habit of making you feel isolated and alone. So there is a need for others to reach out. And yes, that can require a sacrifice on our part at times. But it is really worth it. 

Breaking ourselves before God can a lasting legacy. Look at the story of Mary.

The Walk

I have been thinking a lot lately about our walks here on earth. God knows the way our paths will go and has a plan to use us. He wasn't suprised by sins I have committed that I was for sure would derail everything.
I am facing some uncertain things. I got a bad report from an MRI and I think that plays into this a little. The doctors that I am seeing have no clue what is going on. And i must admit I am pretty scared. But you know something that is so comforting for me. God is not suprised. While He did not bring this into my life, He WILL use it for His glory. He will use it to mold me more into His image. It is in the refiner's fire that we are made pure. And through all these trials and experiences, I will be able to hold someone else's hand while they struggle with understanding a devastating illness. God can use these times to make us aware of how incredibly incompotent we are and how much we need Him. I sure know I do. And I am far from through the fire. I still do not get it. But that is the beauty of faith. You do not have to. You simply have to trust in the One with the Plan. I may not know the whole story, but I know how it ends as long as I keep the faith in Jesus Christ. VICTORY!

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Being Selective

I have learned the last few months how important it is to be selective about what is allowed in your life. Allowing the wrongs things can do more damage than you initially realize.

Television can change the way you view the world. If you are a Christian, we are to have a God-view of things. Everything should be filtered through the Bible. TV and Music can both distort the truth. I know a lot of people say, "but it is just entertainment." THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT SO DANGEROUS. It brings your guard down. I am just watching a romance. Instead, it leaves you thinking about all the things your spouse doesn't do and you end up fighting or nagging (been there). Or an idea that is CLEARLY spoken against in the Bible is sympathetically portrayed to the point you accept it. I have seen it and people don't even realize it. It is not just entertainment. I know I can do better making my choices. But I am trying.

Also, friends. Listening to people that are always miserable, always negative, always complaining. It can affect you. Read Proverbs. We are to be careful who we surround ourselves with. No one is immune. If you CHOOSE to be around it, that kind of behavior does rub of. Trust me. Do not learn this the hard way. I have.

But most importantly, if you feed your love for God constantly, none of the rest of these will have any hold on you. I must say I am not quite to this point yet. But I am taking steps. More Bible study time. Greg and I are doing a marriage study at church and are dedicating the next seven weeks to building not just our relationship, but God's. Will you take this journey with us? I will share here what we do. We will be going through the love dare with our church beginning next week. Have you done it before?

What are your tips for keeping your relationship with God strong and keeping the devil at bay in your life?

May God bless you

Indifference

Bear with me while I work through a few thoughts on this one :)

I think I have finally pinpointed what annoys me so much about people around the southern Alabama and why. It is not that they are overly rude. Usually. It is the indifference. No one seems to care about anyone else. No one takes an interest in anyone else's life. It's me me me me me. What an incredibly sad way to live. See, where I come from it is MUCH different. People are polite. And I have really let it bother me. REALLY bother me.

But, I think it has bothered me because I too have become indifferent to many things in my life. Particularly to God. Years ago, I had such a passion and fire for God. He was the only thing that mattered in my life. I didn't care what anyone thought about me. I stood for the truth and didn't give it a second thought. Whatever His will was, I wanted.

The last few years, I find this harder and harder. I know where it started. Four years ago, when I got sick, I was abandoned by the church I was attending. And I must say, it hurt more than anything I have gone through in my Christian walk. I was really angry for a while. Once the anger left, indifference stayed. But you know, indifference will kill you. I guess you can also call it being lukewarm. God actually speaks pretty harshly about it in Revelation.

Every single person that is called by HIS name should have a fire for Him and His kingdom and seeing people brought into His kingdom. I know I can't go back. But, I will move forward, focusing only on my next step. So, I am starting by learning to love His Word again. I find it is a lot like coffee. The more of it I consume, the more I need. The more excited I get about the thought of the next time I get to read. I know I also used to LOVE to drive around and crank the worship music and just sing my heart out to the Lord. There was just so much love in there for Him.

I really am not sure what my future holds, but I know I cannot continue to live like this. I also know I need to find some STRONG Christian women to have in my life. Since I was first saved, I have always dreamed of an older mentor. But it seems, that is incredibly hard to come by. Has anyone ever had a relationship like this before?

Greg and I are starting a class at church before Sunday night service called "Fireproofing Your Marriage." I am excited. Maybe we can meet some other couples!! Anyone ever done the study?

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Provision

I had no clue what is was like to be a Millwright wife when i met Greg. But boy have i learned. It is full of uncertainty and changes. So many jobs don't last as long as promised and some last so much longer.
We are currently in AL, When we came down here, it was for 12 weeks. That was in October 2009. :) Prior to that, work was scarce. But through it all, i have found that God has really taken care of us. Doors have opened just in the nick of time.
I never imagined how incredibly thankful i could be to have such a trying life. God has really taught me to trust Him. We have always had what we need, and some of what we want. Worry doesn't help. That is for sure. But trusting that the Lord has a plan. He has a way. And you know, it hasn't always been a path i would want to take. But I have learned so much.

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Sickness

This is an issue that I have really struggled with in the past, and find myself struggling with again.

When I first got sick, I was told by well meaning Christians, that it was my fault. I had sinned. Or I didn't have enough faith in God and if I would only believe enough, I would be healed. Now, I am not doubting that God can heal. I know He can. If He chooses. And I am not sick because I sinned. My sins are as far away as the east is from the west. I am sure there a lot of factors that led to where things are now.

But, none of that changes the fact that I am here. So what do I do? Hate myself because of things I have done in the past? No. Pretend nothing is going on and ignore so I SEEM spiritual? No. I think it takes more courage to face it and address it. Any kind of illness. Mine is physical. And emotional. The toll of the physical problems, and honestly, having pretty much no support in dealing with it except judgment, is hard. There are some days I wish I had people that really understood, or at least wanted to.

I am so very blessed to have an amazing husband. He is as supportive as he can be. That man is much more than I ever could have dreamed to ask God for. (See, He keeps His promises......Ephesians 3:20) :)

I really try to be "tough." But I have found the last few weeks that talking about things helps me deal with it. I have no desire for pity. Or anything even close to that. What I do want is to inform and educate about chronic illness. Not everyone is healthy. But it is possible to live a life full of joy in the face of trials. If my story can help even one person find some hope, know they are not alone, then I will shout it from the roof tops. I had someone tell me that others probably feel as alone as I do in their problems and need hope.

Now, I am taking every step I know to correct my problems. I eat a really healthy diet (most of the time). I exercise when physically able. I get regular massages and try to manage stress. I also take medication to try and lessen the damage from the disease.

I have come to a conclusion lately. I KNOW God has a plan to use everything I have gone through. HE can be glorified through my trials. I will keep my head up and keep moving forward. I am hoping to be able to do more for Him this year. I feel really strongly about that.

fresh start

So, I have had so many people tell me i need to do a blog........well, i am going to give it a shot :)
So, here is a little background on me......I am Katie, the wifey of Greg. We have three wonderful dogs. I am a child of God, saved by grace through Jesus Christ. I have a rare autoimmune condtion, Behcet's Disease, that I sometimes struggle with. I LOVE coffee. And ice cream.
Think i will leave it at that for tonight!

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