Hey you guys!
Praise the Lord. You know what? He is awesome. I may sound like a broken record, but I'm so excited about what He's teaching me, I can't help it.
This is one of my favorite quotes from Amy Carmichael:
"If I cast up a confessed, repented and forsaken sin against another and allow my remembrance of that sin to color my thinking, and feed my suspicions then I know nothing of Calvary's love."
We so often condemn others, when we should be merciful. And why? Why do we feel at liberty to tear others down......to tell them that their sin defines them.......to make them feel that they need to hide their sin. WHERE IS THAT IN THE BIBLE? That makes me so angry. I have been forgiven and set free, what right have I to look down upon ANYONE. I'm not saying that people shouldn't be held accountable....we need that. However, Jesus would be disgusted by us tearing down those that need help. Can we please get over our self-righteousness and get onto helping one another? If you don't have any sin, then stop reading, this doesn't apply to you. But if you do, if you're like me and you're not perfect.....then.......
This scripture has been on my heart the last few days. It amazes me.
"Luke 7:49-43
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."
Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
Do you see the significance of this passage? The man who was forgiven more, loved more. He had more compassion, he had more understanding of the grace of God, and so he had a greater ability of how to extend that grace to others.
That is the beauty of grace. Do we want to sin? No. Do we need to stop sinning? Of course! But praise the Lord that he turns our ashes into beauty! He takes our sin and uses it to teach us to love more deeply, to extend more grace to one another.....if I had not experienced sin and all its vices how could I extend grace to others? So I hate sin. It's horrible....but I'm thankful for how I learn from it. I'm thankful that my sin, as terrible as it is, has been used by the Lord to change me and to give me a heart for others.
Self-righteousness and judgment are replaced with compassion and mercy in light of the cross. Praise him.
3/30/2008
3/27/2008
A fresh perspective
I am so thankful.
That has been the theme of my week. We serve a great God.....and you know what? We have EVERY reason to thank him! If he had just died for our sins....it would have been enough....if he had just risen from the dead so that we could have life.....it would have been more then enough.....yet he continues to pour out goodness and grace and mercy into our lives. How can I complain, or even wish for anything other then what he has given to me!?
We had a performance today at "Mustard Seed Ministries." It's a home for mentally handicapped men and women. At each performance someone from our group gets to share with the audience during the intermission. I really felt like the Lord wanted me to share....so I did. It was awesome! The Lord told me to share about freedom from sin and the victory we have in Christ Jesus. I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to hold their attention....but the Word of the Lord holds it's own....they were all attentive for the ten minutes I spoke. It was NOT me. The Lord gave me every word....it wasn't my own wisdom. I don't think I've ever been able to share the gospel that clearly. Praise the Lord. It was awesome! I know that he's going to use that in their lives. I don't know how much they can comprehend, but He does, and He will work in them.
One more thing from spring break. This is a picture of the wonderful and talented Wilson/Slager/McGrath family. They are precious. I really enjoy spending time with them. I got to hang out with them Friday and Saturday of spring break. Sue put up some pictures on Facebook, so here's one for you all to see.
The sweet baby in the middle is Lydia (Jeremy's niece).Oh gosh, it has had been a while....Alicia's 6 now, so yeah, I was out of practice with the whole baby thing....but I got to hold her! Hey Liz, thanks for sharing!
That has been the theme of my week. We serve a great God.....and you know what? We have EVERY reason to thank him! If he had just died for our sins....it would have been enough....if he had just risen from the dead so that we could have life.....it would have been more then enough.....yet he continues to pour out goodness and grace and mercy into our lives. How can I complain, or even wish for anything other then what he has given to me!?
We had a performance today at "Mustard Seed Ministries." It's a home for mentally handicapped men and women. At each performance someone from our group gets to share with the audience during the intermission. I really felt like the Lord wanted me to share....so I did. It was awesome! The Lord told me to share about freedom from sin and the victory we have in Christ Jesus. I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to hold their attention....but the Word of the Lord holds it's own....they were all attentive for the ten minutes I spoke. It was NOT me. The Lord gave me every word....it wasn't my own wisdom. I don't think I've ever been able to share the gospel that clearly. Praise the Lord. It was awesome! I know that he's going to use that in their lives. I don't know how much they can comprehend, but He does, and He will work in them.
One more thing from spring break. This is a picture of the wonderful and talented Wilson/Slager/McGrath family. They are precious. I really enjoy spending time with them. I got to hang out with them Friday and Saturday of spring break. Sue put up some pictures on Facebook, so here's one for you all to see.
The sweet baby in the middle is Lydia (Jeremy's niece).Oh gosh, it has had been a while....Alicia's 6 now, so yeah, I was out of practice with the whole baby thing....but I got to hold her! Hey Liz, thanks for sharing!
3/24/2008
There and back again.....into the final stretch of school.
Hey y'all!
I'm back in good old Mississippi.
What a wonderful time at home! It was SO great to see everyone. I managed to see Kelley, Atalie, friends from high school, friends at the studio, family, grandparents, Jeremy, Jeremy's family, church friends, neighbors, teachers from highschool, students from the studio......pretty much everyone that has played a role in my life. It was SO nice. My only regret is that I don't have more time to spend with each of those people. Oh well, such is life.
It is a little sad to have to leave everyone, but it's good to be back. I'm looking forward to the next two months until summer. There's nothing SUPER exciting going on here, basically day to day life.....but I enjoy it. It's good to get back into my routine.
Sometimes it's hard to switch back and forth between locations. It takes a little bit to adjust to both places. Thankfully the Lord is constant! He's always so near. He never changes, he's my constant companion. I love that aspect of God. He never leaves me, or forsakes me.....he's always with me and always loves me. Mhmmmm, God is good.
Well, just two more months of school. I wonder what God will do? I wonder what I'll learn? I wonder how I'll grow? I wonder who I'll meet? I wonder who I'll influence? I wonder who will influence me? I don't just want to make it through these next 60 days, I want to live them to their fullest....I want to get everything out of it that I can.
Praise the Lord for his steadfast love and faithfulness.
-Julie
I'm back in good old Mississippi.
What a wonderful time at home! It was SO great to see everyone. I managed to see Kelley, Atalie, friends from high school, friends at the studio, family, grandparents, Jeremy, Jeremy's family, church friends, neighbors, teachers from highschool, students from the studio......pretty much everyone that has played a role in my life. It was SO nice. My only regret is that I don't have more time to spend with each of those people. Oh well, such is life.
It is a little sad to have to leave everyone, but it's good to be back. I'm looking forward to the next two months until summer. There's nothing SUPER exciting going on here, basically day to day life.....but I enjoy it. It's good to get back into my routine.
Sometimes it's hard to switch back and forth between locations. It takes a little bit to adjust to both places. Thankfully the Lord is constant! He's always so near. He never changes, he's my constant companion. I love that aspect of God. He never leaves me, or forsakes me.....he's always with me and always loves me. Mhmmmm, God is good.
Well, just two more months of school. I wonder what God will do? I wonder what I'll learn? I wonder how I'll grow? I wonder who I'll meet? I wonder who I'll influence? I wonder who will influence me? I don't just want to make it through these next 60 days, I want to live them to their fullest....I want to get everything out of it that I can.
Praise the Lord for his steadfast love and faithfulness.
-Julie
3/18/2008
How should we then live?
Hey all!
Spring break is AMAZING. I'm loving every minute of it!
I'm teaching a bible study tonight at my old ballet studio. I'm SO excited! I can't wait to share what I've been learning with all these precious girls. Anyway, this is the lesson plan I've been working on...I thought you all might like to see it.
Love you!
-Julie
How should we then live?
#1. We are all sinners, we all deserve eternal death. (Romans 3:23-25)
#2. We were saved from sin and death by Jesus death and ressurection. (Isaiah 53:5-6)
#3. Because we have been saved, we must live like it. We can no longer walk in darkness. (1 John 1: 6-10)
#4. If you are a Christian you cannot have both God and sin, you must choose. (1 John 2:15-17)
#5. It is better to either live as a true Chrisitan, or as an unbeliever, if you are lukewarm God will spit you out of his mouth. (Revelation 3:15)
#6. It is not enough to go to church, you must live according to the Word of God, otherwise, you are not a true christian, you are decieving yourself. (James 1:22-27)
#7. Our salvation is not by works. (Galations 2:16)
#8. However, it is by our works that our faith is proven. (James 2:14-20)
#9. If you are truly surrendered to Jesus, then you will produce “good fruit” or good works. If you are not, then you will bear, “bad fruit” or sins. This is how you can tell who is a true believer, by the kind of fruit that they bear. (Matthew 12:33-37)
#10. Don’t get overwhelmed, you don’t have to change by yourself! Because you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit is in you, you are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)
#11. Because of the power of the Holy Spirit, you are no longer bound to sin. You are free, and therefore able to live without sin.(Galatians 5:16-17 &22-26)
#12. The Lord will give you the strength to live this way. He will cover your weaknesses. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
#13. If you wish to follow Christ, you must “pick up your cross.” That means that you must listen to the Word, and to the Holy Spirit and do as they say. (Luke 9:23-25)
#14. You will face ridicule, you will stick out, you probably won’t be cool. Just remember, you have no need to fear man, the only one you should fear is God. (Luke 12:4-5)
#15. You must walk the narrow road. It’s a hard way to go, but the reward is great. (Matthew 7:13-14)
#16. In light of what you’ve just learned, what do you need to do? Do you need to confess your sin? Do you need to apologize to a friend? A family member? Do you need to accept Christ as your savior? Do you need to rededicate your life to him? Remember, the Lord is slow to anger and abounding in love. If you confess your sins, he will put them as far as the east is from the west. He will cleanse you and make you new. (Psalm 103:8-14)
Spring break is AMAZING. I'm loving every minute of it!
I'm teaching a bible study tonight at my old ballet studio. I'm SO excited! I can't wait to share what I've been learning with all these precious girls. Anyway, this is the lesson plan I've been working on...I thought you all might like to see it.
Love you!
-Julie
How should we then live?
#1. We are all sinners, we all deserve eternal death. (Romans 3:23-25)
#2. We were saved from sin and death by Jesus death and ressurection. (Isaiah 53:5-6)
#3. Because we have been saved, we must live like it. We can no longer walk in darkness. (1 John 1: 6-10)
#4. If you are a Christian you cannot have both God and sin, you must choose. (1 John 2:15-17)
#5. It is better to either live as a true Chrisitan, or as an unbeliever, if you are lukewarm God will spit you out of his mouth. (Revelation 3:15)
#6. It is not enough to go to church, you must live according to the Word of God, otherwise, you are not a true christian, you are decieving yourself. (James 1:22-27)
#7. Our salvation is not by works. (Galations 2:16)
#8. However, it is by our works that our faith is proven. (James 2:14-20)
#9. If you are truly surrendered to Jesus, then you will produce “good fruit” or good works. If you are not, then you will bear, “bad fruit” or sins. This is how you can tell who is a true believer, by the kind of fruit that they bear. (Matthew 12:33-37)
#10. Don’t get overwhelmed, you don’t have to change by yourself! Because you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit is in you, you are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)
#11. Because of the power of the Holy Spirit, you are no longer bound to sin. You are free, and therefore able to live without sin.(Galatians 5:16-17 &22-26)
#12. The Lord will give you the strength to live this way. He will cover your weaknesses. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
#13. If you wish to follow Christ, you must “pick up your cross.” That means that you must listen to the Word, and to the Holy Spirit and do as they say. (Luke 9:23-25)
#14. You will face ridicule, you will stick out, you probably won’t be cool. Just remember, you have no need to fear man, the only one you should fear is God. (Luke 12:4-5)
#15. You must walk the narrow road. It’s a hard way to go, but the reward is great. (Matthew 7:13-14)
#16. In light of what you’ve just learned, what do you need to do? Do you need to confess your sin? Do you need to apologize to a friend? A family member? Do you need to accept Christ as your savior? Do you need to rededicate your life to him? Remember, the Lord is slow to anger and abounding in love. If you confess your sins, he will put them as far as the east is from the west. He will cleanse you and make you new. (Psalm 103:8-14)
3/13/2008
3/11/2008
Nothing but the blood
"But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5
"Would you be free from your burden of sin?
There's power in the blood!
Power in the blood!"
"What can wash away my sin?
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!"
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. John 6:53
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:13-15
"Hail to the King,
Hail to the living Word!
Let praise arise,
Heaven and earth,
Sing praise to the lamb,
Seated on the throne,
Power and strength are yours alone."
Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! Revelation 5:12
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:19-22
"Lead me to the cross where your blood poured out,
Bring me to my knees Lord, I lay me down.
Rid me of myself,
I belong to you...
Lead me to the cross."
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5
"Would you be free from your burden of sin?
There's power in the blood!
Power in the blood!"
"What can wash away my sin?
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!"
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. John 6:53
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:13-15
"Hail to the King,
Hail to the living Word!
Let praise arise,
Heaven and earth,
Sing praise to the lamb,
Seated on the throne,
Power and strength are yours alone."
Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! Revelation 5:12
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:19-22
"Lead me to the cross where your blood poured out,
Bring me to my knees Lord, I lay me down.
Rid me of myself,
I belong to you...
Lead me to the cross."
3/10/2008
3/08/2008
Waiting vs. Trusting
God is good. Can I get an amen??
Here I am, slightly annoyed that his plans aren't the ones I had in mind.....and WHAM, I got hit with a spiritual sledge hammer. There are some that say that God is always gentle, and that he only whispers, but I beg to differ. For those of us with heads made of steel, and a will stronger then that, the sledge hammer approach has to be used.
I was "waiting" on God for my future....honestly, I thought I had approached everything right. I was thinking, "okay, here are my plans, and I'm waiting for God to do this."
WRONG.
You see, what I've learned is that waiting and trusting are two different things. Waiting isn't bad, to the contrary, it's a very good thing. Trusting and waiting just look different depending on the circumstances. When you wait on God, you have a goal in mind, and you wait for God to bring you to that goal. When you trust in God, you trust that though you don't know, he has a goal, and he will bring that about.
What I need to do is TRUST God for my future.....well, for everything really. I need to trust that he has a plan, and that his plan is best, instead of waiting for him to come around to my way of thinking.
I realize that I was trying to honor God with my approach. My heart was in the right place, but my thought process was wrong. My goal (wanting to go to school), is not wrong, but I neglected to lay that down before Jesus. I just assumed that he wanted what I wanted. I also assumed that he'd do things in my timing (I'd rather go to school now, while I'm young, instead of waiting until I'm older.)
Does that make sense? My heart was willing to go wherever God wanted me, but my mind had over analyzed everything.
Moral of the story: Trust in the LORD with all you heart and lean NOT on your own understanding. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
Here I am, slightly annoyed that his plans aren't the ones I had in mind.....and WHAM, I got hit with a spiritual sledge hammer. There are some that say that God is always gentle, and that he only whispers, but I beg to differ. For those of us with heads made of steel, and a will stronger then that, the sledge hammer approach has to be used.
I was "waiting" on God for my future....honestly, I thought I had approached everything right. I was thinking, "okay, here are my plans, and I'm waiting for God to do this."
WRONG.
You see, what I've learned is that waiting and trusting are two different things. Waiting isn't bad, to the contrary, it's a very good thing. Trusting and waiting just look different depending on the circumstances. When you wait on God, you have a goal in mind, and you wait for God to bring you to that goal. When you trust in God, you trust that though you don't know, he has a goal, and he will bring that about.
What I need to do is TRUST God for my future.....well, for everything really. I need to trust that he has a plan, and that his plan is best, instead of waiting for him to come around to my way of thinking.
I realize that I was trying to honor God with my approach. My heart was in the right place, but my thought process was wrong. My goal (wanting to go to school), is not wrong, but I neglected to lay that down before Jesus. I just assumed that he wanted what I wanted. I also assumed that he'd do things in my timing (I'd rather go to school now, while I'm young, instead of waiting until I'm older.)
Does that make sense? My heart was willing to go wherever God wanted me, but my mind had over analyzed everything.
Moral of the story: Trust in the LORD with all you heart and lean NOT on your own understanding. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.
3/06/2008
Evaluations
Hey all.
Well, we had evaluations today. I got promoted to Trainee 2. (For those that haven't heard me explain, this is how B. Mag works.)
Trainee 1 (which I'm in this year) doesn't feed into the company, it's for training only. Trainee 2 is the level that they choose company members from. It's more advanced technically, they perform more, they have harder choreography....they have a different schedule from Trainee 1's.
So anyway, that's what happened! It's amazing how much peace I have about all this. Don't get me wrong, I still have my moments, but I know that the Lord has everything under control. I wanted to go to school, I thought it was time to move on from ballet....but the Lord has something else in mind. I'm here at Ballet Magnificat....for at least one more year.
Praise him.
This is what he's been impressing on my heart, I hope it encourages you all:
"This is the way my child, walk in it. This is where I have you, do not be afraid. This is my plan for you, do not doubt. This is my will, this is my voice. I am, that I am. I have covered the past, control the present and direct your future. Do not be afraid, for I am your God and I will be with you every step of the way. Follow me, for my yolk is easy and my burden is light. For there is no safer place to be then in the center of my will."
-Julie
Well, we had evaluations today. I got promoted to Trainee 2. (For those that haven't heard me explain, this is how B. Mag works.)
Trainee 1 (which I'm in this year) doesn't feed into the company, it's for training only. Trainee 2 is the level that they choose company members from. It's more advanced technically, they perform more, they have harder choreography....they have a different schedule from Trainee 1's.
So anyway, that's what happened! It's amazing how much peace I have about all this. Don't get me wrong, I still have my moments, but I know that the Lord has everything under control. I wanted to go to school, I thought it was time to move on from ballet....but the Lord has something else in mind. I'm here at Ballet Magnificat....for at least one more year.
Praise him.
This is what he's been impressing on my heart, I hope it encourages you all:
"This is the way my child, walk in it. This is where I have you, do not be afraid. This is my plan for you, do not doubt. This is my will, this is my voice. I am, that I am. I have covered the past, control the present and direct your future. Do not be afraid, for I am your God and I will be with you every step of the way. Follow me, for my yolk is easy and my burden is light. For there is no safer place to be then in the center of my will."
-Julie
3/05/2008
Commitment vs. Surrender
Hey all!
We're learning about this in Bible study, and I think it's such an awesome perspective, so I thought I'd share my thoughts:
What is the difference between commitment and surrender?? How does that apply to your (my) walk with Christ? Here are some things you "commit" to.
1. Diet
2. School
3. Exercise
4. Job
What do all those things have in common?? You have control. You choose what to commit to. When you commit to something, you are relying on your own strength to hold to whatever you've chosen.
Now think about surrender. When you hear the word surrender it's usually in the context of:
1. War
2. Property
3. Law
What do these have in common? You have no control. You must give up your right to choose because there is an authority more powerful then your own. Surrender means giving up the power to choose. Surrender means laying down your rights, and giving someone else complete control.
Now think about that in the context of your Christian life. I "commit" to reading my Bible.....then I fail....why? Because I'm trying to hold to it in my own strength. I commit my life to Jesus....and I stray.....why? Because I'm using my own power to make it come about. When you surrender your life, when you surrender your heart and mind to Jesus, you're relinquishing control. You're giving up your right to choose, and giving Him lordship over your life. When you surrender, Jesus is in control and you live like Him by His power, not your own.
So which would you rather? Commitment or surrender? If you commit to Jesus, then you have the power. The power to succeed, the power to fail....and ultimately, you're not going to be able to reach his standard on your own. If you surrender to Jesus then the ball is in his court. He calls the shots, he makes the decisions, all you have to do is follow. He will never fail, he will never fall short.....surrendering to Jesus, giving up the power you have over your own life is not only necessary, but it's freeing.
"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1
We're learning about this in Bible study, and I think it's such an awesome perspective, so I thought I'd share my thoughts:
What is the difference between commitment and surrender?? How does that apply to your (my) walk with Christ? Here are some things you "commit" to.
1. Diet
2. School
3. Exercise
4. Job
What do all those things have in common?? You have control. You choose what to commit to. When you commit to something, you are relying on your own strength to hold to whatever you've chosen.
Now think about surrender. When you hear the word surrender it's usually in the context of:
1. War
2. Property
3. Law
What do these have in common? You have no control. You must give up your right to choose because there is an authority more powerful then your own. Surrender means giving up the power to choose. Surrender means laying down your rights, and giving someone else complete control.
Now think about that in the context of your Christian life. I "commit" to reading my Bible.....then I fail....why? Because I'm trying to hold to it in my own strength. I commit my life to Jesus....and I stray.....why? Because I'm using my own power to make it come about. When you surrender your life, when you surrender your heart and mind to Jesus, you're relinquishing control. You're giving up your right to choose, and giving Him lordship over your life. When you surrender, Jesus is in control and you live like Him by His power, not your own.
So which would you rather? Commitment or surrender? If you commit to Jesus, then you have the power. The power to succeed, the power to fail....and ultimately, you're not going to be able to reach his standard on your own. If you surrender to Jesus then the ball is in his court. He calls the shots, he makes the decisions, all you have to do is follow. He will never fail, he will never fall short.....surrendering to Jesus, giving up the power you have over your own life is not only necessary, but it's freeing.
"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1
3/04/2008
A Day in the Life
Hey all!
Not a whole lot going on. I'm just living everyday, working to become more like Jesus....falling down a lot, but occasionally, I take steps forward. Today was one of those "forward" days. It was just awesome. I prayed for others, spent quality time with Jesus, got to encourage some of my friends and roommates. Glory to the Lord.....the good work he has started in me is that much closer to completion.
And.....
I'm having steak for dinner! Yum.
Later.
;-)
-Julie
Not a whole lot going on. I'm just living everyday, working to become more like Jesus....falling down a lot, but occasionally, I take steps forward. Today was one of those "forward" days. It was just awesome. I prayed for others, spent quality time with Jesus, got to encourage some of my friends and roommates. Glory to the Lord.....the good work he has started in me is that much closer to completion.
And.....
I'm having steak for dinner! Yum.
Later.
;-)
-Julie
3/01/2008
Grace and Forgiveness pt. XXVI
Hey guys! Sorry, it's been a while.
We had an amazing weekend. Megan came to stay with me for the audition this weekend! We had a wonderful time.....she loved my roommates (who wouldn't?!?!), and is really interested in Ballet Magnificat, so I guess we'll see what God has in store for her next year.
Okay, I know I talk about this all the time.....but it's constantly on my mind....so bear with me. Do you know what the most amazing words are?
"Paid in full."
Imagine being in debt. Not just a little short on money, I mean bankrupt. You can't work to pay off the debt...it's just too big, and it would take more time, energy and ability then you will ever have. The debt is completely your fault, you are to blame. The penalty for your debt is death. You're on the verge of death, it's looming, and you can't do anything about it. Then, out of nowhere, you receive a notice from your creditors that simply says, "paid in full." You're free. Your debt has been paid! You can start over....you have a brand new life. "It was an unfair deal on the part of Christ. He got my sin, I got eternal life"
Amazing. My debt is paid in full. I am a new creation. I am covered by Jesus' blood. I can stand before the throne of God my King unashamed, because instead of my sin, he sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
We had an amazing weekend. Megan came to stay with me for the audition this weekend! We had a wonderful time.....she loved my roommates (who wouldn't?!?!), and is really interested in Ballet Magnificat, so I guess we'll see what God has in store for her next year.
Okay, I know I talk about this all the time.....but it's constantly on my mind....so bear with me. Do you know what the most amazing words are?
"Paid in full."
Imagine being in debt. Not just a little short on money, I mean bankrupt. You can't work to pay off the debt...it's just too big, and it would take more time, energy and ability then you will ever have. The debt is completely your fault, you are to blame. The penalty for your debt is death. You're on the verge of death, it's looming, and you can't do anything about it. Then, out of nowhere, you receive a notice from your creditors that simply says, "paid in full." You're free. Your debt has been paid! You can start over....you have a brand new life. "It was an unfair deal on the part of Christ. He got my sin, I got eternal life"
Amazing. My debt is paid in full. I am a new creation. I am covered by Jesus' blood. I can stand before the throne of God my King unashamed, because instead of my sin, he sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
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