The Daily Struggle (cont')

Galatians 5:16 - "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."

In my last post I talked about my experiences with the daily struggle and how the flesh and the Spirit contend with each another because they are contrary to one another... Well, I was just reading a few passages that crossed my mind today and I happened to read the above verse. That verse really helped me to remember something very important: We don't have to struggle against our fleshly lusts, and when we do it is because we are not allowing Him to lead us in the paths of righteousness and restore our souls (Psalm 23:3).

God says in Galatians 5:16 "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." If we are walking in the Spirit, constantly communing with Christ through the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13), and continuously relying upon God's Word as a grafted branch abiding in the Vine (John 15:4) we will not allow ourselves to fulfil the lusts that the flesh desires to fulfil. What I believe our problem is (what my problem is too) is that we don't remember this truth all the time, when we ought to. Our enemy and our flesh is very good at getting us to feel "trapped" in our sinful nature, that is, when we give place to the Devil and to sin (Ephesians 4:27). He is a deceitfully wicked, sly, roaring lion that roams around (1Peter 5:8), seeking for the most opportune time to take hold of the places we have allowed him to access and then gruesomely attacks our most vulnerable areas. We must remember, I must remember, that through faith in Christ (1Peter 5:9) sin has no power over the redeemed (Romans 6:7), and that nothing "shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39)."

Press toward the mark... (Philippians 3:14)

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The Daily Struggle

I'll tell ya, sometimes the daily battle can really get to me. Paul wasn't kidding when he said in Galatians 5:17, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things ye would." This world and Laodicean age in which we live is not pulling out any stops when it comes to ridding the world of biblical anything. We are bombarded each and every day with so much information and entertainment from the internet, TV, radio, and other various multimedia sources that it gives us the potential to learn more about anything and everything than any other human in history. We have the ability to be incredibly overwhelmed with so my different options between food, recreation, hobbies, clothes, friends, the way we spend our time, what classes we will take in high school, what college we will go to, what degree to pursue while going through college, what career to have once out of college, who we date, who we marry, where we will live, where we might go on vacation, what plans we might do over the weekend... and the list can go on and on and on.

These potential options that we have in front of us each day can make us start to pursue the things that we selfishly desire. Once the world is able to make us think more about ourselves and the options we want, we will naturally end up being distracted from everything that God desire for our lives. God desires that we we walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the selfish flesh (Galatians 5:16), mortify, suppress, and totally rid ourselves the deeds of the selfish flesh (Romans 8:13, Colossians 3:5), and follow after the things that conform themselves to holiness (Hebrews 12:14, 1Peter 1:15-16). If we truly are believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ we will have the Holy Spirit permanently inside of us (Ephesians 1:13), and while our flesh will keep lusting after the things of the world and our sinful desires the Spirit will be convicting us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). These conflicting desires are at war with one another and cause us to be, in some weird way, schizophrenic. This is exactly why Paul states in Romans 7:14-25:

"14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

It is God, through the Spirit, that delivers us from our schizophrenic problem as a believers in Christ... I always need to remember that... each week... each day...

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"If weak in prayer we are weak everywhere."
- Leonard Ravenhill

How Do You Know You Believe?

I am grateful...

I just wanted to take some time tonight to just express my gratefulness to the Lord. He has been so good to us... He has been so good to me and in my life I can never repay Him for all that He has done. I guess that is the point to being redeemed by faith and walking by faith with the Lord, isn't it!?

Lately I have been listening to a sermon series that a pastor friend of mine (Pastor Mike Blake) has been preaching (you can check it out at this website -- http://www.maplecitybaptist.com). Mike has been preaching a series on the book of Romans that has been packed with many, many practical things that we all need in our life each and every day. One of the main things that Pastor Mike has been focusing on is how the book of Romans teaches the main fundamentals of the Christian faith. Sometimes, and probably more often than not, we need to stop ourselves and revisit the basics of our faith in the Lord.

In our culture, especially if you grow up in church or in a Christian home, it can become very easy to get wrapped up in thinking that the things that we do somehow sway God's opinion about us. We almost treat God as if He is as we are where we can manipulate His thoughts towards us by the things that we do that may please Him. We need to stop this kind of thinking! The Word of God says that in the flesh "dwelleth no good thing (Romans 7:18)" and "There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Romans 3:10-12)." When it comes to who we are in the flesh there will never be anything good that will come from it. After the fall of man in Genesis 3 the flesh has always been corrupted, and we must always remember that the flesh will always be corrupted. God does not come in to change our flesh so that we can begin to become better within our flesh, He comes in to give us life that will come along side our dead flesh to give us power to not follow the flesh anymore. Whatever is touched by the flesh will be corrupted because of the flesh, but when we submit our whole selves to the Spirit nothing we do will be touched with corruption.

So what's the point of all this? -- When we stand before God one day, whether we are saved or lost, we will not get be able to be right with God and get into heaven being measured on a standard of good works (doing more good than bad). If we were measured on a standard of good works none of us would be able to stand, NONE... for the Word of God says that "we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Is 64:6)" and "If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? (Psalm 130:3)".We will, however, be measured on the standard of if we believed God and His gospel. God's Word says that when Jesus comes back that He "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2Thessalonians 1:8)" and "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" It is faith in Jesus and what He has done that we can have any hope before God.

Never forget the basics... it will mean life or death, eternally.

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Meekness...

There is nothing that pleases the LORD more than a heart that is girded in meekness...



Numbers 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

Psalms 22:26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

Psalms 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

Psalms 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Psalms 76:9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.

Psalms 147:6 The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.

Psalms 149:4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Isaiah 29:19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 61:1   The Spirit of the Lord GOD is UPON ME; BECAUSE THE LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Amos 2:7 That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:

Zephaniah 2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Matthew 21:5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

1Peter 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

With my WHOLE heart...

God has really been working on me with some things... Some very convicting things.

Do I worship God in my life with my WHOLE heart?
Do I give Him everything that I've got?... all that I am?
Do I diligently live for him so much throughout each day that I can say that I have been a faithful, unselfish servant of the Lord?


Do I seek the Lord with my WHOLE heart?
Do I consistently crave to spend time with my Lord?
Do I want nothing more than to search after Him and find Him in every situation?


Do I keep the Lord's Word with my WHOLE heart?
Do I fail to diligently take heed to all of God's Words?
Do I take action to follow through and be obedient at any cost?

Now, by all means it must be stated that if I were to be able to answer "yes" to all of these questions then I would either be perfect and sinless, or I would be big, fat liar... but saying "yes" is not what I am concerned about right now. What I am concerned about is my DESIRE and LONGING to say "yes" to all of these questions and more. The holy desire and true longings to be completely and totally obedient to the Lord in all things is the very thing that will motivate us to more faithful service to our God... and this isn't just a flimsy, hap-hazard, and emotional desire. What I am talking about is a deep, down to the core of your being, life transforming motivation that naturally effects every thought, every word, every decision that one can make. The desire and motivation that is produced when you imagine standing before God one day and He asking you, "Did you do ALL that you could to obey me with the life that I gave you?" Let this kind of fire motivate our lives to become more pure, honorable, and pleasing to the eyes and ears of God.



MAN, I just want to be able to hear God say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant..."



Don't you?

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If it weren't for the Lord...

Psalm 124

1 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;

2 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:

5 Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

6 Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.



This passage of Scripture was a comfort to my heart a few mornings ago, so I wanted to write more about it. Although we must understand that this passage is written from the context of Israel and therefore directly applies to the different times in Israel's history when God supernaturally intervened to save them apart from their own strength (Exodus 15.1, Isaiah 37, etc.), there is an obvious application to us... the Church.



Honestly, "if it had not been for the LORD who was on our side" how in the world would we ever make it through anything? ...especially through the things that are difficult? As this world becomes darker and darker it has become more evidently clear to me that I cannot make myself, in this flesh and without the help of God, better in God's eyes. Anything that teaches that we can make ourselves better people apart from the help of God it a total lie. Paul says in Romans 7.18, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." As sinful humans, we have the true and honest desire to be better, to do the right thing, to follow everything that is considered holy ...but our flesh does not have the power to follow through unto these "righteous" desires as a consistent pattern of life. If our flesh could follow through on our desires as a consistent pattern of life then we would be able to attain our own salvation without the help of God, without the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and without being born again into the body of Christ ...and thus, God would be a liar.



...BUT praise be to God that He has helped us and given us a way to not live in our flesh! When a person realizes that there is nothing that we can do in our own works to make make our standing before God anything better, understand that without the sacrifice of God in the flesh on the cross for the sins of the whole world there would be no chance for any way to be made available to repent from our sinful ways and turn wholly unto God, and then willfully submits their life to the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord of all... they have then crucified their sinful flesh, crucified themselves from the world, crucified the world from themselves, and have become a new creature that now has the power to live each day in a holy, righteous, and God-pleasing way as a consistent pattern of life.

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It matters WHERE you live

When I say "It matters where you live" I don't necessarily mean physically... and I'll return to that very shortly.

The King James Bible uses a very interesting word when talking about living your life, and it's a word that we do not use very regularly anymore, although I think we should... The KJV calls your life, your CONVERSATION. Think about that for a minute... Conversation, as we know it today defined by Wikipedia is "the verbalization of concepts involving abstractions and concrete objects which make up the reality in which we reside." Now, to make this definition little more applicable to this post, conversation is the output of what we think, believe, feel, and know to be true about ourselves, our life, and our world around us each day. When another person sees your decisions, habits, actions, reactions, and passions; hears your thoughts, words, speech, and reasonings; and understands your motivations, desires, goals, and practicalities that you live by each day... this is called your CONVERSATION. Now, let's take a look at what the Bible says about the word "conversation":


Ephesians 2:3
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.


Ephesians 4:22
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;


Philippians 1:27
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;


Philippians 3:20
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:


1Timothy 4:12
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.


Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.


Hebrews 13:7
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.


James 3:13
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.


1Peter 1:15
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;


1Peter 1:18
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;


1Peter 2:12
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.


1Peter 3:1
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.


1Peter 3:16
Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.


2Peter 3:11
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,



The Bible is very clear as to how a believer in Jesus Christ ought to live his or her life, and therefore it is important to know that it matters HOW you live... our conversation in this world is to "be as it becometh of the gospel of Christ (Phil 1.27)"... But I want to take this a little deeper... I believe that the thing we need to consider more is not necessarily HOW you live, but WHERE you live.

Consider this with me... WHERE you live will determine HOW you live. A person that lives in the middle of the jungle in central Africa will have many, many different ways of life when compared to an individual that resides in downtown Chicago. There are different modes of communication, different ways to travel, different customs to follow and be aware of, and many, many, MANY other things that will be different. Now, you cannot expect the person that lives in downtown Chicago to move to the jungle of central Africa and live the same kind of lifestyle that they lived while in Chicago. In the same way, you cannot expect the person that lives in the jungle of central Africa to move to downtown Chicago and live the same kind of lifestyle they once had... it would be incredibly CRAZY to even imagine what that all would be like!

There are a lot of applications that we can take from that example above (especially when it comes to a brand new believer in Christ), but what I want to talk about is that this simple truth that we explored together should cause us to stop and realize that unless our daily, constant habitation (Psalm 91) is found in Jesus Christ, our conversation in this life will never be what the Bible says our conversation should be. Unless we are thinking about God all the time in everything that we do, praying to Him without ceasing all day long, spending as much time with Him in His Word as we possibly can, talking about Him when given an opportunity, earnestly contending for the faith that was given to us through His Word, and striving to always be about the Master's business there is no way that we will be confident that we have lived the kind of life that God desires for us to live... the kind of life that we all long to have as His creatures created in His image...

Where is your habitat? (Psalm 91.9)

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Man's Strength?... Vanity.

1 Samuel 2.9 -- "He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail."

Another lesson that needs to be learned while in the realm of "waiting on the Lord" is knowing and remembering that "by strength [man's own strength] shall no man prevail." Our flesh has the natural tendency to want to be in control, and we often times fall prey to the flesh because we believe the lie that speaks, "You need to take control with your own hands, because If you don't nothing is going to be fixed and get done." To this lie we need to remember passages like:

Lamentations 3:12-35 -- 21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25 The LORD is GOOD UNTO THEM THAT WAIT FOR HIM, TO THE SOUL THAT seeketh him. 26 IT IS GOOD THAT A MAN SHOULD BOTH HOPE AND QUIETLY WAIT FOR THE SALVATION OF THE LORD. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. 29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. 30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach. 31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever: 32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. 33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. 34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, 35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, 36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.

When we find ourselves in circumstances that are difficult, cause anxiety, may make us worry or fret, and may afflict us pain and suffering, we need to realize that God's wisdom and purposes for those circumstances go beyond our finite understanding... and you CAN trust God... He knows what He is doing... "For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men (Lamentations 3.33)." Do not try to take hold of the circumstances with your own might through your flesh; you're not strong enough to control the circumstances... you're not strong enough to even control yourself! ..."For by strength shall no man prevail (1 Samuel 2.9)." To do right, to do that which is pleasing to God we need to allow Him to take control, which will cause us to take the back seat and wait on the Lord for help, wisdom, guidance, clarity, discernment, meekness, stability, humility, divine strength, comfort, assurance, truth, patience, longsuffering, hope, grace, mercy, compassion, selflessness, and peace. This is why God says, "It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord (Lamentations 3.26)."

Wait on the Lord, trust Him, be in His Word as if it's your food, lean on Him with everything that you've got... He will not disappoint you.

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What are we to do while we wait on the Lord?

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 -- "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."



Thinking about the whole waiting patiently on the Lord topic, the verse above really stuck in my mind... especially today. As God allows us to pass time here on this earth and in this life, we ought to realize what we are to do as we pass time. From the book of Ecclesiastes we can find that Solomon passed his time trying to find fulfillment in his life by pursuing everything that this world had to offer and everything that he could think of that could satisfy our flesh. Solomon's approach took him to one thing, then another, and another, and then something else, and then trying another thing... but all of these "things" life left him longing for something more... They never satisfied his inner longing for purpose and fulfillment. Then, when all was said and done, he logically and reasonably concludes that fulfillment in life is fearing, respecting, and honoring God in all one can do, and to keep the Word of God in obedience. This place that Solomon came to is a place where we all must come... realizing that total submission and obedience to God and His Word is the end of all we could desire.





Full and total obedience to God and His Word will always at least require 3 things: (1) a desire and willingness to follow God wherever, whenever, however (Isaiah 6.8; John 6.66-69)... (2) trusting God and His Word despite yourself, your emotions, your experiences, and your logical reasoning (Proverbs 3.5-6)... (3) the ability to practically follow through and obey God even when obedience is difficult and does not make too much sense at the time (Jeremiah 20.7-9; Acts 9.10-18).

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The same lesson, but a little deeper...

Lately it has been a real blessing to relearn a valuable lesson from God within the experiences that have been unfolded over the last year... waiting on the Lord...



Waiting upon the Lord was a lesson that I recognized God wanted teach me approximately three or four years ago. I knew that I was learning it then because it was about me desiring something but not being able to have it at that time. I was forced to sit back and totally, sacrificially trust God to allow everything to unfold in the time and the way that I desired IF that was HIS plan for my life. It was in the circumstances surrounding these lessons that I learned that sometimes time is needed in order to wait on the Lord, and sometimes you need to wait painfully in the midst of your anxiousness.



Over this past year God has given me the opportunity to learn another aspect of waiting on the Lord, and it really has not come together in my finite understanding until this past week (and believe me, I am not saying that I understand the reason or reasons for all things in my current circumstance... that is FOR SURE). Knowing that waiting requires time, we must come to the place where we are able to understand time within the context that God created time, and therefore time is perfect. Time is a constant that can never change no matter what any person may say, not say, do, and not do. No one can speed it up, and no one can slow it down; every person is held captive to the consistent power of time. Each and every moment of time, each year, month, week, day, hour, minute, and second has been set in motion as God determined it to be set.



Since it seems as if we are harnessed within the restraint of time, we can either decide to let the time taken to wait cause us pain because we are selfish about our circumstances... or we can realize God's perfect decree of time and allow Him to use it in our lives to further His glory as we faithfully and trustingly wait on Him. God, our Father, and Jesus Christ, our Lord is "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending...which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1.8)." He is the Author that is outside of his imaginative boundaries of time that He created and placed us in. There is no one and no thing that is able to be anything close to who He is, and this truth ought to cause us to trustfully wait upon Him with eagerness, joy, excitement, and gratefulness... not necessarily because of the circumstances we are waiting through, but because He is the object of our affection that has saved us and given us reason and purpose in our existence! No matter what comes our way, and no matter how long we must endure, we can trust Him... Our God transcends the time we must take to wait on Him.



There is so much more; there is so much within this matter... this is only the beginning of my thoughts on this from this past week. I can't wait to see what else God can teach me through this!...

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Why start this blog?

So I have decided to start this blog as more of an "official blog" that is not attached to any other type of community site (xanga, myspace, facebook, etc.) because I really want to be able to unashamedly get my thoughts out there without any pre-conceived expectations and standards set by others entangled in those community sites... I want to be real... I want to be me... I want to share the things God has been teaching me... I want to share my life that God has saved and is changing every day... and I want to get all of that out there in my own personal way. So, with that said, this is me... and let's see what happens!... :)

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