The Strictest Discipline

I have THE BEST devotional book EVER thanks to Sara Lewis!

Honestly its amazing.

It's "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.

And you can read it online daily @ http://utmost.org/

GO THERE NOW!

Anyways today's devo is really something that hits close to my heart this wk. So.. I thought I'd post it on here for 2 reasons : 1. I learn/remember things better if I type/write them out & 2. I want to share this nugget of encouragement :)

"The Strictest Discipline"

If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your memebers perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.     Matthew 5:30

Jesus did not say that everyone must cut off his right hand, but that “if your right hand causes you to sin” in your walk with Him, then it is better to “cut it off.” There are many things that are perfectly legitimate, but if you are going to concentrate on God you cannot do them. Your right hand is one of the best things you have, but Jesus says that if it hinders you in following His precepts, then “cut it off.” The principle taught here is the strictest discipline or lesson that ever hit humankind.

When God changes you through regeneration, giving you new life through spiritual rebirth, your life initially has the characteristic of being maimed. There are a hundred and one things that you dare not do— things that would be sin for you, and would be recognized as sin by those who really know you. But the unspiritual people around you will say, “What’s so wrong with doing that? How absurd you are!” There has never yet been a saint who has not lived a maimed life initially. Yet it is better to enter into life maimed but lovely in God’s sight than to appear lovely to man’s eyes but lame to God’s. At first, Jesus Christ through His Spirit has to restrain you from doing a great many things that may be perfectly right for everyone else but not right for you. Yet, see that you don’t use your restrictions to criticize someone else.

The Christian life is a maimed life initially, but in Matthew 5:48 Jesus gave us the picture of a perfectly well-rounded life— “You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Hanging around..

Just an update!

I've continued to work at the clinic here in town as a fill-in triage nurse, and I love it! The people I meet are priceless and I just absolutely love them!

 My cousin's wedding was this wkd and it was FABULOUS! Seriously it was the most elegant and classy wedding I have ever witnessed/been a part of! Ill have more pictures of that soon hopefully!

The bridesmaids luncheon was derby themed! SO FUN!

My grandmother's birthday was last wk and we went to lunch with her, my sister, and Aunt Mary. It was a great time!

Im continuing to enjoy the summer and soak up all the relaxation and AMAZING and PRICELESS time with my friends from home! Derek (my cousin) and I have been working out together daily, and if you know how we are together, you know this is always a hoot! He is so so funny!

I can't believe its July 4th wkd..... where did the time go???? I love the 4th though, and I hope everyone has a great one!

Counting My Blessings

I heard from Sara Lewis today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I honestly can not even begin to explain to you my excitement over this! But the really sad part is that I missed her phone call :( I was at work and my phone was on silent (like all good worker's phones are) and then I realized I had a missed call and voicemail from "Unknown". Listened to the voicemail and it was my bestie! Ahhh! I have literally been smiling ear to ear all day! I wish I could upload the voicemail so you all could hear it...but I'm in no way technologically gifted...so that won't be happening. But it was wonderful! And she said she loves China, loves the Chinese food (which was a worry for her, ha), and has the best Chinese friends ever! I'm so happy for her I can't even put it into words. It's an out of this world feeling to know that God has blessed you with a sister in Christ, that not only is your best friend, but is a bubble full of godly wisdom with Christ-like love to give. (If you can't tell I'm so excited right now and just giddy with the blessing of her friendship!)

Anywho... So I was just doing my devotional for today and it correlated so well with the "season" I am currently in. I am home for the summer, working a summer job, and just hanging around with friends and family. I have had a huge amount of time to spend in the Word and reading any and all books. This summer has been exactly what I needed. One of my biggest down falls is that I always get these really great and wonderful ideas that I plan on doing....and with the best of intentions....I just let them fade away as another idea I had. And all year prior to this summer I have been brainstorming about all the great and wonderful things I could do this summer: mission trips, internships, summer jobs, vacations, day trips. Just about everything. But I didn't get the internship I applied for and I did not apply for the mission trip I had been contemplating. So here I land, in Guntersville, AL, spending the dog days of summer. And want to know the best part?? I know its exactly where I am supposed to be! This summer has been a huge time of growing, thinking, and just realizing so much about myself, relationships with friends, family, guys, and God. I have had the pleasure of one of my best friends Lindsey Gillen being home this summer also....talk about a blessing. That in itself has played a HUGE role in my "spiritual exploration" this summer. I don't know how,...well actually I do know how, GOD coordinated it, but Lindsey and I are on the same page and "season" and have been able to go on walks and just discuss everything! Talk about therapeutic :)

But all in all I feel as if this summer could be titled, "Add to your Faith".

"In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient edurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone."

2 Peter 1:5-7

As I mentioned earlier about my devo, there were 2 sentences that really stood out to me, and with those I will leave you.. So of course they shall follow....

"We are not meant to be seen as God's perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace." - Oswald Chambers

"I must realize that my obedience even in the smallest detail of life has all of the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it. If I will do my duty, not for duty's sake but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience all of the magnificent grace of God is mine through the glorious atonement by the Cross of Christ."- Oswald Chambers