Random Question - Tagged Twice

Lots of tags and awards going around again and I've been tagged on two different tags. So today's RQ is this:

Wanna Play Tag?

Tag 1 - Stephanie at Thirsty Soul tagged me to share six things I've learned this year. These are not necessarily new things, but rather lessons that God has brought - and is still bringing - into sharper focus. I was a little confused so I didn't do this right away. Sorry Stephanie! If you don't know Stephanie please go visit her, you will be blessed by her thoughts and deep love for the Lord. I hope I did this right.

1. God can be trusted. He wants me to depend completely on Him and He wants me to be free.

2. Grace - Unmerited Favor. I need to remind myself at times that it really is Unmerited. (Just a little honesty.)

3. Joy is harder for me to grasp than faith, hope, love, and grace.

4. Honesty can be hard but is always right.

5. Scripture is seeds of Truth. The more we plant these seeds in our hearts and the hearts of others, the better we will know God and keep the enemy from convincing us of lies.

6. Believing God is a choice and not about our emotions. He speaks Truth even if I don't feel it.

Tag 2 - Heather at Things Above has tagged me for 15 things I'm not afraid to admit. Heather is another dear blogger that I have only recently had the pleasure to meet but I always enjoy reading her blog! Go visit her too, you will be glad you did. Oh ... and she has a guestbook waaaayyy down at the bottom of her blog. Please go sign it cause it's lookin a little bit lonely down there. :)

1) I can drink coffee just about any time and I usually have a pot brewing about 9:00 pm on any night of the week. (That reminds me, I need to make some coffee. There's a fresh pot on now so come on over if you want some. ... come on over even if you don't.)

2) I get cold very easily ... except when I get a hot flash (like now), then I get hot very easily.

3) After one lesson in driving a standard, my boyfriend (at the time) wanted me to drive to the store ... alone. I told him I wasn't ready ... he didn't believe me ... I ran into the side of his sister's house trying to back out.

4) I usually go to bed somewhere between 1:00 am - 4:00 am. I wonder if we will have to sleep on the other side of eternity.

5) I love to watch people and to find their unique quirks qualities. :)

6) In a HS biology class we had a couple of snakes and I used to wear one like a belt during class sometimes.

7) I recall timeframes of my childhood events by the grade I was in and not the age that I was. I have to calculate my age if I wasn't in school.

8) When I was in 6th grade (see, I told you) my mom's boyfriend was an actor who had been in quite a number of movies (small parts). The Love Bug, Blackbeard's Ghost, The Gnome-Mobile ... now I have to Google him, Gil Lamb, be right back ...
Here's his filmography: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0482957/
Here's a perfect bio of Gil: http://www.answers.com/topic/gil-lamb-actor-comedy-musical
Ok so that's not really about me, but I'm making it about me now. I really loved Gil. He made me laugh. I guess that's good since he was generally in comedy's.

9) As a child I prefered to play with racetracks over Barbies ... still do.

10) I drink milk with my meals. I buy 2% but can drink anything from non-fat to whole milk. I almost never drink sodas.

11) My 1st car was a 1969 VW Bug. (Yes the one I ran into the house.) I paid $40.00 for it. It had a dent in the hood (which you know is in the front) that looked like a giant karate chop. My boyfriend hammered out the dent and painted the car with canned spray paint that was on sale. LOL! $1.00 of gas would take me 50 miles.

12) I love to crank up praise and worship music and sing and dance to the Lord with all my might. ... um ... when I'm alone. :)

13) I can talk in a funny squeekyish (new word?) voice that I've never heard anyone else be able to do ... except my daughter.

14) I can't wait to go HOME. I think about eternity a lot and try to imagine living forever ... and in His presence. The thought of it just amazes me.

15) This one is hard for me to write because it floors me. I have been told on three different occasions by people who didn't know each other, (and when I was younger and blonde) that I looked like Heather Locklear. One time I was actually mistaken for her. It was when she was first becoming well known. Of course, I didn't know who she was. LOL!

Ok your turn. Use Mr Linky so we can all come and read about you.

Random Question

Taking the day off today. Have a great weekend!





"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." Corrie ten Boom

Random Question ~ Take Your Pick

Right click in the box below.
Select All - Copy (ctrl+C)
Paste in HTML. (ctrl+V)

<a border="0" alt="Random Question" href="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a290/ed77ie/my%20graphics/logos/random_question_logo.png"></a>

Happy Friday to you bloggy friends! It's time for our Random Question. I love giving people choices so today I'm letting you choose.

Romans 12:1-2 is packed with multiple bits of wisdom, instruction, and promises. Today I'm asking that you choose any part of this scripture and write about how it is speaking to your heart.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)

God has put Romans 12:2 in my path several times these last couple of weeks. Today as I sat down to study my Bible, He sent me there again, only this time He had me include verse one. I broke down these scriptures and wrote out the definitions of each section as you see below.

1. "In view of God's mercy" - Because God is merciful (takes pity on us.)
2. "Offer your bodies" - Voluntarily give yourself, all of yourself.
3. "As living sacrafices" - Releasing to God ALL rights to live my life as I choose, and accepting what God has chosen instead.
4. "Holy and pleasing to God" - Pure, perfect, blameless.
5. "This is your spiritual act of worship" - This is what it means to worship.
6. "Do not conform to the pattern of this world" - Do not be shaped into the likeness of this world in your thinking, speech, or actions.
7. "But be transformed" - Be changed into something completely different.
8. "By the renewing of your mind" - By getting a new mind, or replenishing your mind.
9. "Then you will be able to test" - Then you will be able to prove.
10. "and approve" - And be in favorable agreement with.
11. "What God's will is" - What God desires.
12. "His good, pleasing, and perfect will" - The highest and best of what God desires that will bring Him pleasure.

As I wrote these out, God stopped me on number 3, "As living sacrafices" - Releasing to God ALL rights to live my life as I choose, and accepting what God has chosen instead.

Writing out the definition of a living sacrafice really makes an impact. Yes I've read that scripture before, lots of times. I've thought that I had offered myself as a living sacrafice, and yes in some ways I suppose I have ... a little. But it dawned on me as I wrote that definition that somewhere in the back of my mind I seemed to have this image of happily sitting on this alter with little or no discomfort. Oh, I've never actually believed that's what it was, but still that image was there.

Releasing to God ALL rights to live my life as I choose. Am I really willing to let go of all my rights, all of my dreams, all that I desire, and hand everything to Him no matter what He chooses to do with me? I have thought that I had done that before, more than once, but today He asked it of me. I chose to say YES to my God.

Now it's your turn. Is there something in these verses that speaks to your heart? Write about it on your blog then come back here and use Mr Linky to link to your post. To use Mr Linky, just fill in the field boxes and it will automatically link for you.

Random Question - Are We Still a Nation Under God?

I know I usually have a deep, thought provoking question on Fridays, but today I felt led to ask something that everyone can answer. This nation is at a critical time right now. We are a powerful nation ONLY because we began as a nation under God.

Are we still a nation under God?

I believe that this nation is at a very critical crossroad right now. We have lived all of our lives with the freedom to do and say just about whatever we want. We have been given much power and wealth compared to other nations. Now many in this country seem to have this idea that we deserve this freedom and that we are invincible. We take these things for granted. We have come to depend on ourselves instead of our God. To many, God is something you can have on the sidelines, but should not affect your decisions or your job or any person who holds a different view. It is not only the unbeliever who holds these views but many who say they are Christian also hold these views.

That is not what the Bible teaches. God should affect every thought, decision, action, and word spoken from His people. For a very long time and more and more, God's people have remained silent and allowed the enemy to take over this country bit by bit. This country reeks of immorality, oppression, abuse, greed, and evil of all kinds.

I have to say that I don't believe that we are living as a nation under God. I do believe that we can be again. As I watch and listen to the people in this country, two thoughts continually come to my mind. The first one is that the wheat is being seperated from the chaff, the sheep from the goats. This nation is so clearly divided that there is almost no mistaking one side from the other. The second thing that continually comes to my mind is a scripture. Ok two.

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves
this day whom you will serve" ... (Joshua 24:15)

"If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster
on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you." (Joshua 24:20)

I believe that God is saying these words to the people of this nation. We are not invincible. God can bring this nation down if He chose to do so, and it would be highy arrogant of us to think that He would never choose to no matter how we behave. He is a God who loves us enough to dicipline us.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln

I am asking you today, are we still a nation under God? Please write about
this on your blog and include a prayer for this nation. Please ask all who read
it to do the same.

Dear Lord forgive me for my own complacency in praying for those that you have placed in positions of authority over this nation. It is by the Power of the Name of Jesus Christ that we have become a great nation. Lord we have become a terribly sinful nation. Please pierce our hearts Lord. Call on your people thoughout this nation to bow before you in prayer. Save us from ourselves Lord. Open wide our eyes to see all that is happening in this country from your perspective. Cleanse our hearts. Holy Spirit stir the hearts of your people. Create an intense love for our Savior and desire within us to follow hard after you and to obey all that you command. I lift up all those you have placed in authority over this nation, that they would have hearts to seek your counsel and to obey you. I pray that you would choose leaders thoughout this country who will call on the Name of Jesus Christ. I pray that you would infuse courage into all of your people that we would no longer be silent but speak up for the Name of Christ. Lord give us one mind as we vote this election, the mind of Christ. I ask these things for your Glory and your Name's Sake. In Christ ~ Amen

Random Question - What's Your deSign?

Well all week long we've been talking about the way God designed us, surely you knew it was leading up to something. :) This week's question is ...

"What's Your deSign?"
What specific qualities did God implant in you when He designed you? These could be talents, skills, passions, etc. They are things that you do well and could spend hours doing without feeling the time pass.

Over the past several years God has really been teaching me so much about Himself as He is teaching me about how He designed me. It's hard to choose the exact starting point since I can take everything back to birth practically, but none of us has that much time and I seriously doubt that any of you has that much interest either.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10) NIV ~ [emphasis mine]

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)
NKJV ~ [emphasis mine]

Have you ever really looked at that scripture, at those words? I have, and realized that my life was anything but abundant. I certainly felt the impact the thief was having on my life but I had to admit that I did not feel that I was living the life Jesus said He came to give. This is not just a spiritual truth intended for the other side of eternity only. It's for this life as well. So I asked God to show me what this is supposed to look like in my life. How can I live this kind of a life? I'm so glad God likes deep questions. :)

I felt like I was plodding through life. Walking from one day to the next in oppression, boredom, lifelessness, and without purpose. Was this it? Was this what I was to do until I reached the end of this life? Ugh! But God ... two of my favorite words. God began teaching me many things. Among them, He has put a great deal of emphasis on the way He designed me. You see, first I had to get a right view of myself, His view of me. Ok sometimes I still think to low of myself and sometimes I still think to highly of myself but He has brought me a lot closer to His view, the proper perspective.

I am still learning, but He began to show me some of the specific strengths and abilities that He gave me. Some of these came so naturally to me that I thought everyone possessed these qualities. That is one way you can tell they are a true strength in you. I began paying a lot of attention to things I said and did and what things got me really motivated when I did them. And I noticed how the specific set of qualities that He gave me, worked together to form the unique way that I applied them.

I'm an analyzer. Someone recently said to me that my favorite word was "however" because I tend look at, examine, and dissect every possible aspect of a situation.

Creating structure and efficiency comes naturally to me. I discovered that this was one of the major things that frustrated me where I worked because the owners of the company were absolutely opposed to structure.

I love details. I have always loved details. I'm one of those people that will notice if a picture is hanging crooked and I will straighten it. I notice details in creation, in art, in animals, and in people. I tend to pick up on individuality traits, preferences, and tendencies in other people fairly quickly.

I love helping others, doing for others. We all do in different ways. In me, I have discovered that when I hear someone express a need or desire for something, it motivates me into action.

I love to create. More specifically, I love to design. When I was a little girl someone said something to me that sent the message that I had no creative or artistic ability in me at all and that no one would want anything that I made. I lived with this belief throughout the majority of my life. As a matter of fact, up until just recently.

"And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works ..... I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded" (Exodus 31:3-6)

My desire to create became overwhelming within me. God showed me that He designed me to design, to be an artist. Now this is not to say that I think I'm "All That", but that God has shown me that He has created me to be artistic. I also realized that designing without a purpose was just as frustrating as not designing at all. No, God designed me to design for others. He designs each of us with the very "tools", skills, abilities, talents, and passions that we will need in order to accomplish the work that He has for us.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

Eric Liddell, an Olympic runner, said "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." I used to wonder about that statement. How do you feel God's pleasure when you run? How can I feel God's pleasure? Eric Liddell felt God's pleasure when He did what God designed him to do, Run. I have come to realize that I feel God's pleasure when I do what I am designed to do, Design.

We are all created to glorify God. I deeply desire to glorify my Designer in and through what He designed me to do. I still don't know exactly what that will look like but He has been so faithful to bring me this far, I am sure He will not fail me now. I pray that He will use the skills He gave me to further the Kingdom and to Spread the Word.

So how are you designed? Write about it on your blog and come back and use Mr Linky to link to it. I'm looking forward to reading about you! Don't forget to leave a comment.

If you are interested in learning more on discovering who God created you to be and what that looks like in your life, take a look through my favorite books list for some great resources.

Random Question - What Does "In His Image" Look Like?

It's Friday and here we are again with a new question to think about, discuss with God, and write out your thoughts on your blog. I want to thank you all for participating and I do hope you are enjoying our weekly topics. Ok, on to the question. Are you ready for a tough one?

What does "In His Image" actually look like? Consider how this may look different in some ways before the fall, after the fall, and after Christ.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness ....."
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image ..... (Genesis 5:3)

In His Image. I love this phrase, and I have often wondered and prayed about it too. Looking at the two scriptures above they appear to carry the same idea. Whenever a baby is born friends and family often say "He looks just like his dad", or "She looks just like her mom." We search for identifying traits that mark a visible connection to the parent and even to other family members. So is it possible that we might actually bear a physical (I use that word very loosely here) resemblance to our Father? Maybe. We won't really know that until we step on the other side of eternity.

I have to believe that Adam & Eve in their perfect state were the closest human representation of His Image (apart from Christ) there was. After the fall His Image faded in us and continued to fade as time went on. Then when Christ came, He made it possible to sharpen His Image again when we choose to accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Since He takes up residence in us and begins to change us back into a representation of His Image. Looking at this I think I have to say that "In His Image" has moved from a more physical representation (the perfect human) to a more spiritual representation (the character of Christ). In the same way we notice physical traits in a baby in the image of his/her parents, and later in life we often notice character traits of the parents. Those are just my thoughts.

So here are a few things that I have seen in people that I believe are In His Image.

• Ability to think, talk and reason.
• Strong arms combined with a gentle touch.
• Sense of humor.
• The way God wired a man to protect and provide. (I know not all men do this but I do believe that God wired men this way.)
• A woman's desire to have a child.
• Creativity. I believe all people have creativity in some form, but not all creativity is expressed in the same way.
• An appreciation for beauty.
• Imagination.
• Ability to love.

Ok so this is a very, very small list but it should be enough to get you thinking. Now it's your turn. Write about what "In His Image" looks like on post it on your blog and include a link to this post. Then come back here and use Mr Linky below to link back to your post and leave me a comment.

Random Question - How Do You Recognize When God Speaks?

Happy Friday! It's time for our Random Question. I have to be honest, this is a question I pulled from Priscilla Shirer's book, Discerning the Voice of God". It's an excellent book and discusses an excellent topic. So on with our question.

How do you recognize when God speaks to you? Can you tell us about a specific time when you heard Him?

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27)

If I'm going to be transparent here, then I have to admit that I have, more than once, questioned my ability to hear God. How do I know that it is Him and not my own desires? That is kind of ironic to me too since I was an agnostic in my teens. I just didn't know if there was a God, but I did know that if there was that He would be more than capable of telling me, so I asked Him... several times. One day as I was having a conversation with a friend, seemingly out of the blue I heard God say "I Am Real." Not audibly, but most definetly I heard it in my heart. I was so amazed by it that I looked at my friend and said "God just talked to me!"

I think it's interesting that even though I had never heard God speak before, I knew without a doubt that He spoke to me then. I've thought about this a number of times since then also because many times I have been unsure if I am hearing Him or not. There have also been times that I have been sure He spoke to me but then as things did not appear to occur as I had expected, I questioned if I had really heard Him to begin with.

I have found that He speaks differently in varying circumstances and people. While there have been a number of times when He has spoken loud and clear to my heart like that first time, most often I find I'm not exactly sure that He's speaking to me until I take that step into obedient faith. At those times His voice is more like a pressing or a pulling into a situation that doesn't let up until I have moved into the situation.

At times I hear His voice when I am reading the Bible or a devotional, and something jumps out at me. One time I had been praying about a strong concern I had over someones conduct toward me and a website that I was trying to access was having trouble opening properly. All of a sudden in large bold type popped up the words "Leave Him To Me". The words Hit Me and I knew that was God speaking to me.

So how about you? How do you recognize when God speaks?

Random Question - What Element of Creation Most Causes You to Worship God

Well, it's Friday and time for this week's Random Question. Please join us won't you?

What element of creation makes you most want to worship the LORD?

The Heaven's declare Your greatness,
the ocean cry out to You,
the mountains they bow down before You,
so I'll join with the earth and I'll give my praise to You.

I find myself often looking up at the sky and thinking on God. Sometimes I think I'm looking for Him to appear there. I love to look into the sky, but that is not the element that makes me most want to worship Him.

I used to have my living room decorated in kind of a jungle theme. I had pictures of wild animals on the walls, animals carved out of wood, and stone, and even a real crocodile head. I didn't have the animal killed, so please don't be mad at me. I bought is because it facinated me. It also facinated the five year olds that I taught Sunday School to when we learned about creation.

It's the animals that make me most worship God. Ok, let me add that includes bugs, flying creatures and aquatic creatures too. Everything about them teaches me something about Him, about His character, and His thoughts, and His personality.

I have mentioned that I rarely ever watch television but one night I turned on the tv and went to check out the Discovery Channel. Well it was about the African Dung Beetle. I was so disappointed and started to change the channel but then there was a closeup of this little guy doing what he was created to do. Basically that was find a mate, build a house, have baby beetles, and die, and he had very little time to accomplish it too! Anyway, I found myself being amazed at the personality in this little bug and his wife. At one point he was in the way while she was trying to setup the home and she let him have it with both barrels! I thought it was pretty funny but I don't think he was too amused. But they had a purpose and they knew what it was and worked together to accomplish it. God designed their little bodies perfectly to accomplish their tasks of digging, and rolling up the supply of food that would be necessary to sustain their little bugs as mom and dad would never see them.

God gave creatures incredible camouflauges, both for protection and for hunting advantages. The leopards spots blend in with the leafy shadows of the trees. God made zebras to hang out together and the stripes make it difficult for preditors to tell where one zebra ends and another begins. There are bugs that look like leaves, fish that look like rocks, and animals that change color with the season or the environment. When feeling threatened goats play dead, puffer fishes puff into a spiny ball, and there is a lizard that looks like that cute little dinosaur in Jurassic Park whose neck fanned out like an umbrella. Then there are the built in protection weapons like the frog we met in my post on why dogs should not eat frogs.

God put so much thought into His creation it really is hard to choose just one element. When I look at the creatures, I see incredible beauty, protective features, defensive features, logic, imagination, creativity, variety, oddity, uniqueness, color, and personality. I have been amazed to find personality in every creature. I had a fish once in a fish bowl that, when I would walk near the bowl he would actually swim to the top of the bowl and let me pet his head.

Without a doubt, when I look at the creatures I am awestruck over my Creator.

I hope you will join us this week. Leave a comment and use Mr Linky to link to your post.

Random Question - Which is Your Prefered Bible Translation?

It's time for another RQ. I'm so glad to see that so many of you are enjoying this challange. I have loved reading the thoughts you have posted on your blogs. I'm going to take it easy on you this week. First, this weeks question is less challanging than previous questions. Second, because I love to give people choices, I have posted an optional question at the end of this post. Choose one or both to write about.

Which is Your Prefered Bible Translation? Why?

There are numerous Bible translations available to choose from these days. There's the New International (NIV), New American Standard (NASB), the Amplified Bible, the New Living Translation (NLT), the King James (KJV), New King James (NKJV), the Message, and the list goes on....

How is one to choose? Well, I don't claim to know all the differences in all of the various translations but I have narrowed my preferences down. I decided I wanted to live for Christ in 1991 as a result of reading my Bible. We had been in the Gulf War and I began wondering about it's signifigance to the end times so I started reading Revelation. Yep, I started with the most difficult book to understand. In addition to that, I was reading out of an Old King James Version.

Here is a sample reading in case you haven't had the opportunity to read this translation.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

This is just proof that it is God who reveals Himself to us and He can use anyone and anything, or nothing at all to do so.

So I have a certain fondness for the KJV but it is not my prefered translation. I was introduced to the NIV shortly after that and it is the translation that I carry and use most. It is an accurate translation and easy to read and honestly, I've become accustom to it. I do however, refer to two other translations often.

I am developing quite a taste for the NLT these days. It is written in a more common English verbiage and I have been finding deeper meaning in a number of verses lately using this translation. I am even considering switching from my NIV to this translation.

On occasion I will also refer to The Message. This translation seems to be the most frequently quoted these days. It definitely sheds a different light on scripture. I choose not to use it much but I do like to refer to it at times just to see how a verse is translated.

I think refering to different translations often offers deeper understanding of scripture, and with the online Bibles that are available today it is much easier to refer to several. So which one is your preference?

Alternate Question:
Why is it bad news for a dog to attempt to eat a frog?
Yes this is a real question with a real answer. Have fun finding it!

Random Question - What quality of Christ's do you most see in yourself?

Wow I was plesantly suprised by the response I had to last week's question and that so many of you continued to participate throughout the week and not just on Friday. My purpose with this is just to provide a topic for discussion, help us all to turn our thoughts to the Most High God, and make a few friends along the way. I really enjoyed reading about your passions all week.

I had several questions come to mind as I wondered what I should ask this week. (BTW, I'm open to suggestions for future questions.) Here is what I decided on this week.

What quality of Christ's do you most see in yourself? Tell us about it.

If you're thinking that this is a tough one well I just have to say "me too." I thought that it would be good to put some focus on the positive and reflect on how much He has brought about in lieu of how far we still have to go.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. (Psalm 139:13-14)

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6)

I think the Christ-like quality I see most in myself is that I am an advocate for the underdog. It's funny but I see this played out as God's strength in my weakness. Not that I am doing any great deeds mind you, but that I will quickly step forward to stand up for someone who is being mistreated in some way, where I would endure it if it was being done to me. I hate injustice and my heart just breaks when I see someone, especially someone weaker, being crushed. That's what mistreatment does, it crushes.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in
spirit. (Psalm 34:18)

Maybe because I know how it feels to be pushed around and treated like I don't matter, and I know how it feels to have someone come alongside of me and defend me. When I was a little girl one time I was riding my bike in the neighborhood and made some new friends. One little girl had a new bike and offered to let me ride it. I left my bike with her and rode hers around the block, when I returned there was a huge commotion. Well it turned out that she and a bunch of other kids told this girls mom that I had stolen her bike.

I left them and rode my bike home crying and they followed me in their car. Apparently there was quite a ruccus as I stood in my driveway being yelled at by a car full of people, because a neighbor who lived two houses over came over to me, told off that car full of people, and made them leave. I had never met this neighbor before that day but she was my friend from then on. Her name was Debbie Sanford (so if you're out there Debbie, I remember). We have all been mistreated in our lives, and likely have not experienced being defended as much as mistreated.

I have found myself in some situations in life where another person needed to be defended, and my automatic response was to do just that. One time when I was about 17, I was at some new friends' house and was sitting next another girl my age on the couch. At one point her boyfriend, who was standing on the opposite side of me but facing us, raised his arm to hit her and without thinking, I reached up and grabbed his arm. As if I had any strength to stop him. But it caused him not to hit her.

When Christ lived as a man, He reached out to those who were being oppressed and mistreated. Those who were crushed in spirit. He was and is our advocate and Defender.

O Lord - Thank you that you do not leave us to fend for ourselves. Thank you that you do not allow the enemy to crush us. Thank you that you have brought me through these trials in order to make me more like you. I love you my God. - In Christ

Write about your Christ-like quality on your blog and include a link to this blog, then come back here and use Mr Linky to automatically link to your post. Be sure to leave a comment here too!

Random Question - What's Your Passion?

There are so many great writers and deep thinkers and huge hearts for God in this blogosphere. I just love reading your thoughts on experiences and lessons learned. So I thought it would start a random question meme. I plan to post this on Fridays and I do hope you will join us with your thoughts.

What's your passion or passions? What has God given you a heart for or about?
How is it revealed in your life?

I have a passion about Faith. I am always in awe of those who step out in Faith. I try to place myself in their shoes and wonder how I would respond in their situations.

Can you imagine what Abraham must have been thinking as he walked up that hill with his dearly loved son trying to make some sense of it all? Why would God have me do this? Didn't He promise me this son? Didn't He say my decendents would be like the grains of sand? Isn't He a loving God? Yes He is, and I will trust that He knows best, I choose to have Faith even though I don't understand.

Then there's Elijah. He's my favorite. I am really looking forward to meeting him one day. So he goes to Mt Carmel. He is alone!! There is no friend encouraging him, telling him this is the right thing to do. No one to back him up. He is in the spotlight of his advesaries as he challenges them to prove their God against His God, the All Mighty. Now, in all honesty, would you really have the courage to do that? To create a situation for the sake of His Name, and in public, that only God can get you out of and trust Him for the outcome? I know that I would be praying my heart out as I poured water on that carcass and expecting God to set it ablaze without even the help of a match. But Elijah chose to trust God. To have Faith.

And David, what about him? Not the mighty warrior King David, the gentle shepherd David. He is the one who God said was a man after His own heart. Think about this. An entire army of "mighty warriors" were too afraid to go into combat with this giant, Goliath. By the way, Goliath was only 9 feet 9 inches tall. Granted that is taller than anyone I have ever met but I am pretty suprised that not one "mighty warrior" in that army had even a hint of courage or Faith in that situation. So here's David, a youth, still considered a young boy or a child, and he steps up to the challange. So what would you be thinking after mustering up the Faith to accept Goliath's challange? How about... Oh my goodness, what did I get myself into? God? You are going to fight this one aren't you? I know you fought that bear for me, and then there was that time when you rescued me from the lion too. Will you do it again? Have I pushed it too far this time? No! It is for your Name that I do this. You did not fail me in the past and you will not fail me now. I choose to trust you. I will have Faith.

I have read many biographies of missionaries that had this kind of Faith and it just creates a deeper desire in me to Trust God that much. The Bible says we should have the Faith of a child. Have you ever seen or heard of a little child standing up to a "giant" to defend their mom? I have. What about trying to teach your child to jump to you in a swimming pool for the first time? You may get a lot of "Are you sure you'll catch me!?" type questions, but ultimately they jump. They choose to trust you. They have Faith.

This year God has had me take some pretty big steps of Faith. He is having me trust Him with pretty extreme circumstances. The freedom I have received from this is Awesome. I want to do it again and again.



So what is your passion?

Post about it on your blog with a link to this blog, then come back here and use Mr Linky to link to your post. Be sure to leave a comment here too! I will be at the Women of Faith Conference Friday and Saturday so I may not get a chance to see what you write about until Saturday but I am looking forward to it! (I really hope I do Mr Linky right. Here goes.)