Wow! Change is Good.

I am sure I won't be able to adequately express my thoughts and experiences today. It's just amazing. God has been really working on growing me. I want to note that God can't grow you if you don't open yourself up to the growth. Anyway, growth requires change. For me they have been some pretty BIG changes personally. Not anything anyone would necessarily notice on the outside. But still BIG for me. The main thing is choosing not to stress in a certain area of my life. This was hard, I guess it still is. I would stress about this one particular thing and then I would get in a mood and then I would complain about the person or people that I was stressing over. A very bad chain. Ephesians 4:29 says let no unwholesome talk come our of your mouth. So you know, complaining would fall under the unwholesome category. Stress ROBS you of peace, of memories, of good times. So, obediently I have been choosing to stress less. The blessings are wonderful that have followed. Many times we are so caught up and puffed up about the changes God is calling us to that we just focus on the change and the discomfort. When we do that we miss the blessings he is giving us as a reward for our obedience. The changes God calls us to always lead to a better way, a better place, a better life. We forget that when we realize we have to change.

Last night I fell back. I allowed myself to stress a bit. Satan prodded a bit through other people, and I had a chance to stand up and say something positive, something uplifting, something that would glorify God. I didn't. I joined in and complained. At the time I knew I was not behaving in a way God would have me to...but I did it anyway. There is almost a comfort sometimes in knowing that something that stresses us also stresses someone else. It's like justifying our stress. That's called PRIDE. That is a trap set by SATAN.

It's bothering me today. I am asking for forgiveness as I type this. I liked basking in the blessing of the change much better than having to sit in the mire of my pride and disobedience. This lesson has really been driven home for me.

This is just a small area of change I am going through. I am amazed and in awe of all God can work on at one time if we just open ourselves up to it. I am seeing more changes ahead but I am also aware that there is a new calling for me ahead. I see lots of pieces to it right now but am not sure what it will come to once it all comes together. But I am excited!

Lots of love to all!

D. J.