Christianity for the visual learners out there!! :)

But I say, walk and live (habitually) in the Holy Spirit (responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit,); then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). Galatians 5:16

Put away, take off	Put on, clothe yourself with
Anger	Patience
Ill temper	Even temper
Rage	Conduct controlled by the Spirit
Bad feelings toward others	Kind feelings
Selfishness	Tenderhearted pity
Vainglorious	A lowly opinion of yourself
Foulmouthed abuse	Encouragement
Bitterness	Readily pardoning each other
Impurity	Purity
Lies	Truth
Deceit, deception	Honesty
Hate	Love
Cold-hearted	Mercy
Immorality	Moral
Yoke of slavery	Freedom
Slander	Gentle ways
Curses	Blessings
Shameful utterances from your lips	Let the word dwell in you richly
Indecency	Decency
Provoking and irritating one another	Be gentle and forbearing
Divisions, party spirit (factions)	Unity
Competitive and challenging	Agreeable
Adultery	Faithfulness
Enmity, strife	Let peace rule in your heart and mind
Do not get drunk with wine	Be ever filled and stimulated by the Holy Spirit
Idolatry	Worship God only
Sorcery	The Source
Wrong motives	Goodness, benevolence
Passions, appetites, desires	Self-control
Jealousy	Thankfulness
Envy	Gladness
Haughtiness	Meekness
Pride	Humility
Sadness	Joy
Darkness	Light
Death	Life

What God offers us in life is 100% better than any counterfeit the world can give us! :) Have a blessed week!

♥ Dina

Download this free printable from my TpT site: Put On, Take Off Printable

Confessions of a Distracted Christian

Wow, it seems like every time I write I'm writing about what I struggle with as a person/Christian, whether it be thought life, forgiveness, etc. I guess I figure if I'm struggling, others probably are too. As I write I pray, it's me, me, ME oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer! If it encourages you, convicts you, or draws you to the Lord in any way, TERRIFIC! That is the only reason I share these posts with the world at large! ...

Ok, confessions...I am a distracted person, ALWAYS have been as long as I can remember! Yes, I CAN pay attention, but sometimes it takes great effort. Anyone who has ever sat with me at an inservice can testify to this! (I apologize! :)) Well, add motherhood and loads of laundry, housework, 3 meals to prepare daily, etc, ministry involvement, home business, yada yada, and you compound this problem greatly!

Lately, I struggle with finding balance. As a mom, I have very little private time AT ALL! Honestly, I struggle with finding time for God. It's sad, but true. Sometimes it's easier to pick a distraction than to sit still for the time it takes to read His word and talk to Him. It is so much easier to entertain the flesh. There are things that my flesh enjoys that don't require that level of heart and effort (i.e. facebook, netflix), and if I'm not careful I realize I have not been nurturing the relationship that is of the most importance in my life. Not only is it important to me personally, but when I don't take that time, it shows in my level of patience with my children, with my attitude toward the hubs, and in my compassion toward others. This struggle for balance also involves FOOD! I have never been a snacker... not until I was pregnant with my first child. Yes, I enjoyed junk food and have a wretched sweet tooth, but I think I had it under control...to an extent. These days, I honestly think of the saying "You are not a dog, don't reward yourself with food"...A LOT! LOL!!! When there is a lull around here my brain says... "Oh...a moment of quiet...time for a snack". But it's not only snacking, but choosing things that are so not good for me.

In the midst of this I hear the Lord saying "BE STILL and know that I am God"...Be still Lord? Do you know how much willpower and effort it takes to NOT DO ANYTHING? To just be quiet and still before you...without fixing a bowl of ice cream? These days it is tough! My brain is so tired, there's a mountain of chores waiting every time I'm not changing a diaper or fixing a meal. How can I be still?

Recently we did a study at church called "He speaks to Me". One thing the speaker said just really pinpointed this struggle. She said something like "God will not speak over your noise, but He waits for you to be still". WOW! She might as well have put my name in front of that statement because I really needed to hear that. The bottom line is, He doesn't need me, but I desperately need Him. He will not beg for my time and attention. He waits for me to come to Him. He is so patient! But at the same time, I hear Him calling me. To pray when it's not out of desperation, but just to talk to Him. It is ultimately my choice.

and it's ultimately your choice too.

...just some food for thought! Have a great week! :)
♥ Dina

God won't chase you, but He will call you...

God won't chase you, but He will call you.

Heard that yesterday and it's so true. It's easier to turn from God than you might think. There are subtle choices, attitudes of the mind and heart that can be slippery slopes. If God feels far away, He's never the one who has moved. He calls us to return to Him and welcomes us with open arms!

 

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.  From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.'

Romans 17:24-28

No time for regrets

I woke up with a heart and mind full this morning. There were a ton of things to do to get ready for a MOPS meeting I had to lead. Usually my heart and mind are full of good things and happy thoughts, but a sly trick of the devil is to bring to my mind past regrets, failures, low points, hurts, mistakes, etc. In a flash I saw people's faces the moment after I said something thoughtless or hurtful, opinions I shared that would have been better left unspoken, judgments I had made about others, things I had done that brought guilt and shame, things done to me that make me sad.

And then the line of a song sprang into my heart, "I have no time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way He loves us...". Thank you Holy Spirit! And after that I remembered friends, family, mentors, counselors who have helped me get past these times in my life that I'm not proud of. God is sooooo good! In a moment my heart went from full of shame and sorrow to full of the mercy, grace, and love of God offered new everyday and the knowledge that He doesn't see me broken or stained. He doesn't hold my words and actions against me. I don't have to drag these regrets through my day or through the rest of my life. But, I can use them as stepping stones. When they come to mind I will let them remind me of what not to do, what not to say, and that I'm not the person that I once was.

Everyday in my walk with the Lord He is changing me. Little by little, day by day. I don't want to be the same. I still have PLENTY of quirks, rough edges, imperfections, uglies...but He's not done with me yet! How grateful and blessed I am to have such a loving and caring Father!

As a parent I try to make everyday a new day. I don't want my kids to carry their mistakes of yesterday into today. Today is a clean slate. I want them to learn from yesterday's spankings and time outs, but I do not want to hold over them or against them. What a wonderful example God is to me in this.

So today, if you are remembering past mistakes, failures, regrets...know that God is willing, able, and faithful to forgive us, if we are willing to ask Him. He loves us just as we are, but doesn't leave us that way.

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]. 1 John 1:9 (AMP)

One more thought, I can't help thinking of the people who may read this and think back to a time that they were on the receiving end of something hurtful that I did or said. I may remember or I may not even know I hurt you. Just like I know there are others who have hurt me and didn't even realize it (and still others who could care less). I just want to say I do care, and I'm very sorry. I hope you will forgive me as I too strive to choose forgive others. Know that I don't want to be that hurtful person! I hope you can see me for who God is molding me to be and not for who I have been! :) 

Wishing you peace and joy today!

Dina

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)

Walking with Jesus

Walking along with Jesus
But He is quiet on the way
"Jesus, have you left me?"
"No child, I'm with you always"

"Up ahead the path grows darker,
Cliffs and valleys, dark as night
But I'll hold you, lead and guide you,
Hold my hand, you'll be alright!"

My bestie once told me God is like a navigator, he doesn't always speak until it is time to change directions. He is such a faithful friend and guide! When no one else is trustworthy, tried, and true, HE IS! :)

Have a great day!