HIS PRESENCE!!!!

I'm doing a FABULOUS Bible study this semester that I could not do without, for sure!

Today we were talking about God's Presence! WOW! It was so good and powerful! I KNOW that I KNOW that I KNOW, I NEVER want to be without His Presence!!!

Making so many life applications, I could go on and on, but I won't.

One thing that really resonated with me is that God made us to be relational for sure!!! But He made us for the most relationship we have is one with Him!!!

What was presented was the God created everyone with a "with" need and with a "significance" need. Can you raise your hand if you agree?! I know I have both of these and I know when I have looked to satisfy those needs in the wrong places or people. An idea that was tossed out was when I confuse me "with" need with trying to fill it with other people instead of filling that "with" need with GOD, HIMSELF, it's idolatry.

Are friends idols?

Not all of them!

Can they be?

Yes!

When I make them more important than God....Yes!

Text after text, the teacher showed us in Old Testament and New several verses telling us God is with us!! Over and over, it gave me goosebumps! And ending by saying that WITH out God, we can do nothing!

I have struggled with friends and friendship from my arrival here in College Station going on 4 years now. I have begged the Lord for friends, praised Him for friends (near and far), questioned Him why friendships end or change, but today, in His goodness and glory, wasn't He all along protecting me from falling back into idolatrous relationships? Wasn't He teaching me and showing me that the relationship with Him is the only one I truly need? Is it that I just haven't been listening?

I don't think that 1 answer, answers all of those questions or situations, but man oh man! I know it does for some!

God is so good and loves me and you that He doesn't let anything get in HIS WAY...

what am I letting get in my (silly 'lil me) way???

God says.... BE PRESENT WITH ME, (fill in the blank with your name) kari, and I WILL BE PRESENT WITH YOU!!!!!

Whether you realize it or not, there is NOTHING like the Presence of God in your life!!!!

Lord, may I never want anything more than I want You and Your Presence with me!!! -Amen

What a Wonderful Wednesday!

Wednesday was the first day of my women's fall Bible study.

I love the beginning of a study.

My book smells new...

I have my new pen, new hi-lighter, and felt-tipped pen ready for action.

I meet new friends and see old friends that I haven't seen since spring.

I anticipate all that God is going to teach me through the new study.

I tear-up as I open in prayer, because I KNOW that God is going to show up!

He's going to grow me

stretch me,

retrain me,

change me!

HALLELUJAH!!!

Bring it on!!!

In 1 hour's time...

I learn something new!

I hear something old that becomes afresh!

I look forward to this week's homework.

I look forward to meeting Christ on the pages of this study.

Of seeing what His Word has to say about my heart

and what it mean's to make it a dwelling place for HIM!

Wednesday afternoons are precious to me.

Sacred.

A MUST!

Thank You, Jesus for speaking through Your Word and through Bible study teachers.

Help me to be obedient to what it is that You will call me to this semester!

I love You!

Disturb us, Lord!

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
[Sir Francis Drake]

Can You be Content without being Happy???

Somethin' I was mullin' over in the shower at 5:30 this morning.

What do you think?

Are contentment and happiness a must duo?

or can you be content without being happy?

I'm not quite sure what I think.

I think I know what my answer would be, but I'm not sure.

I don't think I want to be content without being happy, because I'm not sure that would really be, being content.

But if you really can be content without being happy, I still don't think I want to.

I would like to be happy in my contentment.

I would like to say that I'm content while feeling happy about it.

I would prefer to not just deal with being content and not being happy, because isn't that being complacent?

OYE!

Definitely too big of things to be pondering so early in the morning, I think!

So Much to Say and Update, but a MUST right now!

I have been struggling with change in my church family!

For awhile!

Some weekends are ok, but others are not so ok!

It's me!

I KNOW!!!

But my flesh has been pretty stubborn lately!

And of course, like in all things, I want to run away!

Maybe it's the fact that I know we aren't leaving College Station

anytime soon, so church is the one thing I can "leave" and still remain in this town.

I rationalize my thoughts about finding a new body.

I convince myself that I'm justified in my feelings!

But then a friend who loves me more to tell me the truth than to be afraid of my reaction speaks truth to me!

I know she is telling me the truth,

but dangit!

Either because of my current sin or my past

I ask God

please confirm this AGAIN!

I know, I know!!!

I'm hard headed!

stupid

stubborn

And whew!

He did!

Of course

He did!

Church isn't about me!

I know that!

It's not about my boys!

i....k..n..o..w....th...at.....?

My God, is big enough!

My God will capture their hearts in HIS TIMING!!!!

In HIS WAY!

HE WILL CAPTURE THEM!!!!

Not a church,

not a program,

not a person!

This may not make sense for the 2 or 3 of you who actually read this,

but I had to get it out of myself!

Still need to process!

ALWAYS! need to pray!

Every Sunday, need to be humble and ready for GOD!!!!

not the sermon...

not the music...

not the program...

not the friends...

BUT...

HIM!

It's ALWAYS ABOUT HIM!!!

Thank You, Jesus for reminding me of that this morning!

And thank You for whopping me upside the head!

and thank You for being so patient with this stupid, but wanting so much to be in Your Will, child!

I do love You so much!