Onward and Upward

Today Upward begins. A children's sports ministry centered on Christ.

My little cheerleader has gone from shy, wanting to cheer, but "not to a crowd" last Fall...to anxious for her first real ballgame today. She has her first real "uniform", and is the tallest on her squad. Not the loudest...but often the first to think of the next cheer. The girls will cheer for BOTH teams.

Real pom-poms. Wow. A girlhood activity I never got to do. I am so thankful for Upward. I am thankful that she can do something fun and encouraging without learning to shake her bootie a little more than I'd like.

They are adorable.

And, of course, my second season basketball player...ready to do his thing. She is anxious to cheer for brother's team...which I think is cool. They asked in Upward what they liked to "make"...in relation to their Bible verse this week about God not living in templed made by man. Everybody was making crafts and pictures and things that made sense. She said, "I like...to make my little brother happy".

Man. That does reflect her. Just wanting to be there for the other person. She is so maternal at heart I can hardly stand it. A real servant. How can she be born that way?
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Personal:

Today, the struggle begins to get back into Bible study. I don't want to! I am enjoying the freedom of "surfing, gliding, enjoying the ride!" But, that time if OVER....month of December: party hard.

I know if I don't stay on track, I'll be "too behind" soon...

Today, I awoke fighting it. So, I pray today for God to remind me that I cannot love him unless the word of truth is active in my mind. I ask him to draw me back into the word.

I remember the verse from last semester that I "will know the truth, and the truth with set [me] free."

Does that mean I already know enough truth to be free...or that, as long as there is more truth to know ...I am still in bondange in some area that I COULD be free in.

As I struggle to find love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, and self-control (personality traits of His Spirit) in my own personality, then I still need to be freed in some areas of my "knowing" Him and His word?

I want that. I want total freedom...total abandon in Him and His truth. Unhindered by lies that keep me from exibiting him in my personality. I want to be a personality that reflects His.

I want to really know His love for me in truth...unhindered love, that allows me to live in that personality, unashamed, unafraid.

There was a blog this week that spoke to me on this level. It spoke of loving someone and being happy, joyful for them in their life, offering them "blessing"...in spite of the fact that they were walking in blatant sin. Wow.

God just began to show me that his love for me was just like that. He would show me, as I seek Him, how to live...but, even in that...there is NO TIME that he holds his love back from me because of my behavior. He may correct and discipline me...I may not feel his ultimate favor because of my blatant disobedience. But, I still am the apple of his eye! We ALL are. I mean, He is so "for" me that he just can't help it. He wants the very best for us. It hurts him when we settle for anything less due to our own reasoning. That's all.


Well, that gets too deep, even for me! He LOVES me!
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Well, off to "put on the full armor of Christ" this morning.

I usually don't say this, but if you are behind, back up and read this week's blogs...some of the richest experiences in my life. Truly.

Me