Yes, I am up...

In case you are wondering...it is 4:58am on Saturday morning and I have been up for an hour. It started as me thinking there was a bug in my ear. Seriously. I did that sit straight up in bed because I think something is in my ear move. Then I couldn't go back to sleep so I did that, "ok Lord, what's up?" This is what is up....(keeping in mind that it is now 4:59am and I am TIRED!)

Think of a snake......because that is exactly what I did at 3amish this morning. Not a scary snake like what is pictured here, but the fact of how a snake sheds it skin. Did you know that when a snake begins it's shed cycle that the skin begins to look very different even before it comes off? I never really thought of that, but it does (according to the research I have been doing for the last hour on the web). As a snake gets ready for a shed, a layer of moisture actually forms between the old skin that is getting ready to come off and the new skin that is underneath. When the snake is actually preparing to shed that skin, it will usually get down in it's water source and hang out there for a while. I don't know if this helps with that moisture layer or not, but I found it very interesting (obviously as it is now 5:08am and I am still typing). The really cool part is that when the skin is ready to be shed, the snake relies on rubbing on other things to help the skin come off and a "GOOD" shed is when the skin comes off in one big piece instead of little clumps. This is an example of a good shed:















Why all this rambling about a snake? Because it brings me to what God wanted me to tell you. I want to be like a snake shedding his skin. I want a GOOD shed. I want to realize that I need to get some stuff out of my life and in my soaking that in, I want to confess that to Jesus and repent and let that old stuff fall off of me in one big clump. Doesn't that sound great! The best part? I need to rub up against other believers to make that happen because I am not strong enough to do it on my own. I need help.

I hit the scripture next to back up what I felt God had put on my heart and I went directly to Psalm 51. WOW is all I can say. Take some time today to sit down and read this if this blog post spoke to you the way it did for me. I want to put a few passages of this Psalm on here to wet your appetite...this is GOOD stuff!

Psalm 51: 1-2 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions, Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Psalm 51: 10-12 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 51: 16-17 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O god, you will not despise.

It's 5:29am and I am back to bed...thank you Lord for waking me up so I could have a very special time with my heavenly father.

Little did I know....

How soon the topic of my last blog post would be put into action. Isn't it amazing how quick the devil jumps on you when you put it out there that you want to remove negative influences from your life. I don't want to be rude, but let's get real people. If you are REALLY that concerned about what is going on in someone else's life, doesn't the bible command us to go directly to that brother and ask them about it? If they won't listen, take a fellow believer with you?

Gossiping on the phone and/or in person IS NOT following scripture. What IT DOES DO is rip apart relationships...causes us to be paranoid and have no trust in our fellow believers! It causes amazing connect groups to fall apart. It makes people form opinions about people that are probably not even justified. It may be funny or feel good for a minute, but the effects can harm someone for a lifetime.

Again, I am not calling myself perfect....I truly struggle with this. In high school and college, it was horrible. Now that I am older, I find that I don't talk that much about what is told to me, but I sure do listen. I am now saying that I don't even want to listen. If that seperates me from some friendships, I guess I have to question how valid that friendship was to begin with.

Let's make a difference....let's change the way people view women. Let's start shutting up, standing firm and serving. Most importantly, let's confess and repent for good. I want friendships based on Christ, not based on lies.

Keep your mouth shut!

Ok, I know that I might make some people go "hmmm" after reading this post, but the amount of gossip I have heard lately is enough to make me not want to answer the phone. As a Christian woman, I feel we are called to higher standard to keep our mouths shut, especially if we don't have something nice to say AND/OR we don't have anything to do with the situation we are discussing. Now, I am not trying to say I am perfect (far from it actually), but as you read this today I want you to think about how much you have ran your mouth today. I just talked with a fellow Christian and let me tell you, this problem has got to stop. It is time we get REAL people....stop your talking and start your serving. Next time someone calls me to "tell me" the latest news, I think I will just tell them I love them and let them go. Hold me accountable peeps, the gossip has got to stop!