Sunday, 09 April 2006

Wow, another full weekend! I cropped most of the day Saturday. It started at 10AM. I cropped until 4:30PM then went home to let dogs out before I went to DriveSafe. After DriveSafe I went back to the scrapbook store. I wasn’t going to originally as the crop was supposed to be over at 10PM but Cathy told me the ladies there wanted to stay later so come on back. They only stayed an hour longer. They all went home by 11:30PM. I stayed and helped Cat clean up. I didn’t do all that much I was so busy trying to pack up my stuff. After I got home Vanessa was still up (surprise). She was on the computer on her webpage through “MySpace” http://www.myspace.com/na_nessa . I had been trying to setup a webpage on MySpace but was getting very frustrated. Several of the kids from church are on this blog site. I’m one of those who do better by you showing me how to do something instead of reading instructions. Vanessa told me she would help me the next time we could make connections. So I took advantage of her being available and I made myself available! Come to find out I wasn’t even on “MySpace”. What I thought was “MySpace” was a blog site by MSN called MY MSN Space. No wonder I couldn’t find anyone including my daughter!! Anyway she has me started. I don’t know if I want to continue it or not. I have enough trouble keeping up with Xanga much less learning another websites ways of doing things! Don’t misunderstand, I’m NOT LEAVING XANGA. Just wanted a way to keep up with some of our other kids. I will probably keep both sites similar so don’t feel obligate to visit both. As far as I’m concerned, Xanga will be my main site for now. If you’re interested MYSpace web address is http://www.myspace.com/miss_spunky91 . Look familiar!

Excerpt from the Pilgrimage of the Heart by Catherine Martin. Week 5 Day 4

The substance of your devotion – But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Psalm 5:11

What qualities are essential to the pilgrim if he or she would enjoy intimacy with God? He or she needs a heart fixed on God and knowing Him. Have you resolved in your heart to know God? (YES!!!!)

The intimacy of your relationship with God is what determines this quality of devotion. Your intimacy with God is a gift of His grace and rests wholly on Him as the Giver of Himself. Yet He does promise that those who seek Him will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13) The substance of David’s devotion is joy and love for God. These two qualities are the foundation of a rich inner life with God. They grow from within as you spend time with Him. They are not of this world and cannot be manufactured on demand. They are supernatural and come from the presence of God in your life. The earliest followers of Jesus looked into His eyes and sensed His compassion, forgiveness, and love, their lives were forever changed. Out of their dynamic relationships with Jesus, they developed a passionate and ardent love for Him.

Think about the last six months of your life. Describe your devotional life with God. What do you desire in your relationship with the Lord?

Excerpt from my personal journal - My devotional life the past six months (until recently) have been non-existent. Or at least what I perceived as “my time with the Lord”. I would be embarrassed if people knew that – I talked to God and very sporadically read my Bible but I did not devote time to Him. I have been crying out for quite sometime now for God to increase my love for Him, my passion, my longing, my yearning for Him and He has seemed eerily silent. I’ve asked Him to change my heart. Make me hungry and thirsty for Him. To burden my heart for the lost, to give me a passion to intercede – a hunger for His word – renew my desire to worship and take me deeper in worship – all has seemingly fallen on deaf ears – I say seemingly because that’s just how I’ve “felt”. STUCK!! BUT, I know God does hear and answer – I know His word is true – He can not lie, that His promises are yes and amen in Christ Jesus – so the problem isn’t with Him – it’s with me! BUT God is doing something as I ran across a book at Wal-Mart that almost leaped off the shelf to me called “Six Secrets to a Powerful Quiet Time – Discovering Radical Intimacy with God” that was in January and it has encourage me to “try again” where my spending time with God is concerned. I’ve had my ups and downs with this too but I have been more consistent in my “time with Him” since I began using these devotional books.

To answer the question “What do I desire in my relationship with God?” I desire to know Him as Abraham, David, Elijah, Isaiah, John and Paul knew Him. I want to be award of His presence all the time. I want to talk to Him as a friend and Him talk back to me – I want my time with Him to be something I look forward too and can’t live without. I want to know His heart that I might do His will – accomplish His purposes in me. That people when they look at me or remember me will associate me as a “lover of God.” God I want to know You – I must know You!

Have a good one