JESUS all for JESUS. really? Am I willing to lay all down for HIM? All meaning... my life, my reputation, my pride, what others think & say about me, my family, my many dear friends, the precious children I care for, and the list goes on. I say it's worth the cost, yet when it comes down to it I realize how attached I am to things that aren't even mine to claim. Some of them shouldn't even be in my life at all. Yet I hold onto my tattered rags of righteousness trying so hard to hide my sin. To cover up my shame. Jesus stands there waiting with eyes full of love, arms open waiting for me to just come. To trade my rags for His righteousness, my fear for His perfect love, my pride for His humility, my doubts for a child like faith in Him, my weakness for His strength, my trying to live under the law for His all sufficient grace, my independence to a complete trust in HIM. So simple, yet so many times I forget. I'm so thankful He's still working on me. Like the song goes... There really ought to be a sign upon my heart... all of our hearts for that matter. Don't judge me yet [or ever] there's an unfinished part...
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phillippians 1:6
Maybe some of y'all are wondering what I've been up to these days... Well learning more of who Jesus is, spending time caring for 4 precious children of one family, & for a dear lil boy of another family who has completely stolen my heart with his big grin & the cutest laugh. So yes most days you'll find me with children, my family, [who I'm so thankful to have this time with]
This dear sis of mine has entered her 20's last month :) say what?
& of couse the amazing friends, God has blessed me with near & far. Also God working in mysterious ways has led my heart to an outreach Church here in town. So I'm spending my Sundays worshiping God with my brothers & sisters in Christ who come from all different walks of life, of whom are not from the same Church upbringing as mine. I wouldn't have chosen this path, or this part of my story, but God has used it to teach me many things. Things I never would have realized I had believed that were lies. Things that I'm still wrestling with to comprehend. I searched [search] the Scriptures in ways like never before. What does GOD's Word really say? I've often felt like the Apostle Peter in the last few months except that I've had one foot in the boat & one foot on the water. Meanwhile Jesus has been there patiently waiting & saying "Come". You see I have to trust Him in ways like never before these days. "Walking on water" is something I've not done before. All this to say, I am grateful for my upbringing & for the things God has taught me while in the culture I grew up in. I'm "relearning".. it's who we are in Christ that matters, the work that He's done in our hearts... & if you don't know Him I pray that today you'll come to believe Jesus. His gift of love & salvation truly is the best gift of all!!
Now onto the mailbox part... so on the last day of last month I met one of my dear new friends at Dunkin Donuts. We had a wonderful time sharing what God has done & pieces of our life story. Before we knew it 3 hours had went by!! She so sweetly agreed to drop me off at my house. On her way out our driveway, her vehicle met our mailbox. The vehicle won & our mailbox though still fine [no worries her vehicle was too =] was knocked off it's "feet."[post] It brought some concern & lots of laughter. After all, "it's just a mailbox." Later that day we were texting and I seriously hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. The one that really got me was: "Oh noo what if your mailbox gets post traumatic stress disorder..." I laughed so hard the tears came into my eyes. That night I thanked God for our knocked over mailbox. :)
It got to rest for a few days on our porch :)
Cookies & more cookies... So my good friend Sam and I have been baking up "a storm" these past few weeks. We've been selling Christmas cookies for her trip to IGO & my trip to CO. [more info on that trip in next paragraph] So you're welcome to come to Weaver's Store in Fivepointville on Thurs. the 22nd in between 9a.m.-1p.m. and buy some of this yumminess.
Oh yeah one more thing.. Lord willing I'll be going to Ellerslie Discipleship Training www.ellerslie.com [ in CO] in February and will be there til May.
Well I'll close for now & hope I didn't "bore" you to tears, Blessings as you share the Good News of Jesus wherever you are & keep on letting your little light Shine!
In His hands, Rhonda
It got to rest for a few days on our porch :)
