"May We Live"

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." ~Nelson Mandela

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

It's difficult for us to face problems. We don't like to admit we have them, and we have an even harder time of making a decision regarding them. Easier for us to run away, ignore them, hope someone else will deal with them for us, or point the finger at something other than ourselves in order to justify our actions (or lack thereof). The problem isn't that we will have problems (because face it, we will!); it's how we deal with them. When we spend more time focusing directly on the problem/decision itself, we run the risk of falling into an abyss of self-pity and despair (to which we will occasionally fall). And this we know is not a healthy attitude, nor will it get us anywhere. All this advice we already know; it's almost always easier said than done, and we all know how much we love what is easier.

Encountering problems and/or making decisions often catches us comparing our lives to others--we look at how we could've done so many things if we only had the chance (or the chance again). We see others around us and wish we could be them; we are hard to please and harder to satisfy. In the last daily bread we discussed how people and various lifestyles can look so appealing to us. It seems that we want to be happy, but as soon as we achieve whatever it is we believe will make us happy, then we are not happy, all over again. "We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." ~Frederick Keonig

"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." ~Nelson Mandela This does NOT mean the life you might be living is not a notable life. It does not mean that someone else's life might be BETTER or more IMPORTANT than your own. Because stop right there. Our lives, our individual lives are individual for a reason. No one else can possibly fully understand us (except God) because no one else is YOU. You can tell me your problem for example, and while I may have had a similar experience, I can only empathize so far with you--even if I feel the same emotions as you, your EXPERIENCE is unique to you and to you alone.
 

Only YOU can ask yourself the question: what are YOU capable of? Don't be surprised if you can't answer it though. We can go our whole lives and still not be able to answer such a question. People can change throughout their life, and to say you know or want to know yourself so fully in every way would in reality take many lifetimes to study--not to mention the dedication it would also require. "Knowledge rests not upon truth alone, but upon error also." ~Carl Jung I for one couldn't tell you who I am, because this is something I will be studying on for the rest of my life.

   

No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it. Ecclesiastes 8:17 So why should we bother asking at all? Well, we will discuss more on that later, but think of it this way; we can still learn and grow...

 

 

This leads us to the topic at hand; I have heard many ask the infamous question, "what is God's plan for my life"? If you are one of those that struggles with the problems that often collaborate with such a question, keep reading. You might be someone who look at other people who have said that God called them to such and such, and wonder why God hasn't called you to a similar more noteworthy life. "Child," said the Voice, "I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own." ~Aslan, The Horse and His Boy Therefore, you are the author of your own story, and no one's is better than another. Keep in mind this thought; someone who seems to have accomplished much in the public eye may have accomplished little mentally or spiritually. So don't fall so quickly for the belief that a seemingly "noble and fantastical" life is not what you already have. Everyone's view of these things are different. But, on the other hand, if you don't like your life, then work on changing it yourself. God will present to us opportunities; we can choose to take them or not, but ultimately focusing on whether God orchestrates everything for us and we have no say at all seems rather childish. I believe that God's "plan" for all our lives deals with the mental/spiritual sides of life--what makes us a better person for example. Or does what I do strengthen my relationship with God? With others?"As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself... Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility." ~Nelson Mandela

So then, just WHO is this sort of God? I'm afraid I have no clear answer for this one. I can however, look around at the world, and see all that He has created, and I feel Him a part of it all. I can say that's who God is. I can say He is a part of the woman who gives a homeless man a hot meal. I can say He is a part of the family who loves and hurts together. I can say he is a part of the wind that whispers through the trees, the sun that helps the plants grow, a baby's laugh, or even in a young friend killed in a car crash. He is a part of everything, even that which we may view as sad or unfair or something we do not understand. I don't see how anyone can really explain Him outside of that; but just as we can see and understand to an extent the results of the work of an experiment, so also can we at least see what He has in this world--what makes up you and me. A reflection of Him if you will.

We are made in His image; Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:26-27

This means we are NOT God, but rather a REFLECTION of Him. This means that our reflection should be a beautiful representation of who God is; ultimately this paints the picture of WHO WE ARE. (We've discussed this topic in past daily breads). God is so many things, and so much more that we will never comprehend, so our reflection of Him is rather complicated. I am sure that God is greatly interested in all that we do in our lives; but when we make decisions and stress whether God will be pleased or not with them, I believe we then begin to lose sight of the essence of God and what He's ultimately all about (love...). We are all different, so I believe we all then will show different reflections of God. The bottom line here I think, is that it is more about HOW we reflect God than the actual essence of what we do; what is your attitude like for example. I believe we should be humbly glorifying Him in all that we are. If we are His reflection, we should honor it and strive to be holy...

Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. John 8:54

"People should not worry as much about what they do but rather about what they are. If they and their ways are good, then their deeds are radiant. If you are righteous, then what you do will also be righteous. We should not think that holiness is based on what we do but rather on what we are, for it is not our works which sanctify us but we who sanctify our works." ~Meister Eckhart

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5

Why should we honor God? We honor Him because He is a part of us and gave us life; the least we could do is show our humble and appreciative respect. And as far as what He longs for our lives, well, I think that's just it. He longs for us to love Him, and to glorify Him in whatever we may do. Sometimes we may look at other peoples' lives and wonder why we didn't have a life like theirs; we might wonder why we seem so, well, incomplete. Is this showing God love, or selfish ambition? Is it fair for us to blame God for what our lives may be like? We will say we search for happiness, but I wonder if and when we might find it, will that truly make us happy? And will we be satisfied even then?"If our condition were truly happy, we would not seek diversion from it in order to make ourselves happy". ~Blaise Pascal

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what He commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility. Zephaniah 2:3a

God can and will use us in whatever we do in this life. So if you make a decision you aren't sure is the "right" one in line with God's "plans", take a moment to breathe. It's extremely hard to say if any one thing is "right"; most decisions are based off of what might seem like the "better" or more "beneficial" way to go. If your decision turns out not as well as you thought, reevaluate it. Don't settle yourself in your fabricated despair. Rather instead create new opportunities. Learn from mistakes. Learn for future ideas. Make new mistakes. Life will never be cut and dried simple. But we can still work with it. It's just going to take effort on our parts. "To listen is an effort, and just to hear is no merit. A duck hears also." ~Igor Stravinsky We need to be willing to try my friends.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything..Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:4, 12

I think He is very interested in what we do, but isn't the kind of being idly spinning our lives on some perfect string as though we were a puppet. Life is too unpredictable; even though He may have a hand in our lives, what we make of it is ultimately up to us. I believe He has given us the freedom to decide; He is here to give us His strength, love, and guidance--the question is, are we willing to let Him in to help us? The Lord will guide you always;  He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11

"You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy for you to believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose that you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn't you then first discover how much you really trusted it? Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief". ~C.S. Lewis

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6: 25-34

So, don't spend so much time worrying over the problems and decisions you will face in this life. Instead, let God in to help guide you and lend you strength. He does love us after all. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand". Isaiah 41:10

Whose life are you really choosing to live? Strive to make yours holy to God's rather than mans'.*

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." ~Oscar Wilde

Seeking to live,

Whitney 

"Reflections of the Heart: Learning Value and Finding Beauty in the Darkest of Places"

We live in a world that encourages going straight from point A to point B, with as little time wasted in between as possible. Time has become something we can't seem to live without, yet at the same time something we wish we could.

We often get so caught up in ourselves that we assume more than we realize. For myself, I value relationships enormously; anyone who knows me knows that I try to be as genuine as I can be with people. However, I often muddle up my relationships no matter how true I try to be. I assume things about others when they are not true. I assume others think and feel the same way I do, which is rarely the case. How many people do you know that are exactly like you?

When I assume things about others though, I have a problem; I don't seem to be really thinking about those around me even though I'd like to think so. I'm actually more worried about what they will think of me. After all, I am thinking they are feeling what I would feel if I were them—still with me? :P. But they are not me, and yet no matter how many times I tell myself that, I don't seem to change…

Once in awhile though I meet people who are truly sincere, and choose to place a genuine interest in my life. I was out the other night with my amazing older brother and a lovely friend of ours, and I must say we all had a wonderful conversation about life and the like. It was so nice to be around people who not only care about you, but understand you and are willing to accept who you are or who you are becoming. It is people like them, and moments like those that cause me to self-reflect upon my life. Its times like those that make me feel genuinely happy, and truly thankful I am loved. It's people like them that reflect of God's love for me.

It's generally difficult for us humans to give up ourselves. It's hard to surrender our fears, to talk about our feelings and emotions, our thoughts and opinions with others. After all, someone might disapprove of us right? And who wants to face human rejection? I know I certainly don't. I am probably one of the worst when it comes to lacking self confidence.

It's simpler of course to stay on the surface of our lives. Simpler to take the easier roads and hope that life is handed to us on silver platters. But what benefits do we receive from paths like these? Not much. It is healthy and important for us to grow, which means many times it is actually better for us to feel the difficulties of life. If everything was easy (which would be boring), then no one would progress or learn anything. Look at Jesus' life. He taught us so many things; but He wasn't just all talk. He lived it.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

It's easy to say all these things, but much harder to actually carry them out (believe me). You all know the saying, "it's easier said than done". But Jesus himself never said life would be easy. "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

I am an amateur photographer, and I recently was given the opportunity of a dream job—a student photography internship. I thought that that would be perfect for me; I thought that was something I not only wanted, but needed in my growth in the field of photography. But many times what I want may not be what I need.

I didn't get the job, even though I tried my best. At first I was disappointed and angry. 'What did I do wrong?' I wondered. 'Why wasn't I good enough for them? How could they choose someone over an obviously talented me?' But after awhile I thought about it, and realized something phenomenal. I was being rather self-centered.

I believe God gives us opportunities in life. I would have sworn to you before I knew of the job that it was an amazing, silver-platter opportunity given me by God. But later on I realized that perhaps instead of God giving me an opportunity at a job, He might have been giving me the opportunity at something else I needed more. The job was something I wanted, but perhaps not the thing I most needed.

God knows our hearts. He knows what we need, and gives us many opportunities to ensure that. There will be times you don't understand the opportunities God gives you. But in everything take the time to learn; for me, I realized that God might have wanted me to see that life isn't always going to be easy, but to take heart and grow from such experiences regardless. I've had a wonderful life; blessed beyond measure. So I think I needed to hear from Him that it won't always be this way, but that I should learn to trust Him, and to know that He will lead me through. Yet You, Lord, are Our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand. Isaiah 64:8

"I am God, the God of your father," He said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again." Genesis 46:3-4

"Since that time an endless succession of my people have come this way. They came to learn the secret of royalty, and now you are here, Much-Afraid. You, too, are in the line of succession. It is a great privilege, and if you will, you also may learn the lesson of the furnace and of the great darkness just as surely as did those before you. Those who come down to the furnace go on their way afterwards as royal men and women, princes and princesses of the Royal Line." The Great Shepherd, Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard.

He wanted me to learn humility, and to be appreciative. In such a moment I humbled myself to the fact that the person, who did get the job, might have needed it more than I. I humbled myself in thinking that it wasn't that I was wrong or not as good, but that it might not have been right for me. I needed something different. Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. James 1:9a

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

This moment also taught me value. When we get in our selfish modes we tend to devalue things, or rather take things for granted. I was doing this, expecting to get the job because I thought it was perfect for me. Blessed people are always blessed right?

I took the situation for granted. I thought I would easily get it. But my high expectations were let down.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

So I didn't get the job, but I learned several valuable lessons. 1) I realized I needed to move on with my life and simply try for another job of some other type. Even things that don't seem to make sense at all can be great opportunities to learn and to grow. And I hope to meet many of those (which I have and will); challenges are good for someone like me. Challenges are good for all of us.

2) There is ALWAYS hope. Keep your chins up and fight the good fight. Try and even if you do not succeed, take heart; for God sees you and recognizes everything that you do, even if no one else does. As Hilary Swank's character Erin Gruwell said in the "Freedom Writers" movie: "I SEE you Marcus; and you are not failing." Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12

This life will be hard. But in those moments where everything seems to be falling apart or no one seems to care about you, remember you are not alone. God is always near. Just call on His name, and suddenly your world seems just a little bit brighter.

Why do we discuss topics such as these in these daily breads? They seem like 'no-brainers' right? They should be, but it seems, at least with me, that we need reminders of them from time to time. Its daily breads like these that hopefully remind us of who we are in the eyes of God. He sees us as valuable. He sees us as people of much worth.

Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say. When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil? When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? His God instructs him and teaches him the right way. Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a stick. Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it, but one does not use horses to grind grain. All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent. Isaiah 28:23-29

So to all my friends, family, and readers out there who have stood by me and lifted me up, I would like to say thank you. I hope that you would know that I have not nor ever will forget you. You are in my thoughts always as I go through this life.

We have to try not to get so caught up in ourselves that we lose sight of everything else. God's still around. He cares about you, so why not give Him a try if you haven't already? Look at Him smile today in the shining of the sun. Feel Him in the sweeping of the wind, His emotions in the brilliance of the sky. He is in everything; in you. He's the least selfish of us all; after all, this is all for you and I, not all about you and I. Open your hearts and reflect all you have learned. See the beauty, feel the value of who you are.*

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4

But for you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. Malachi 4:2a

Basking in the sunlight,

Whitney

"Who Will You Be?"

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Romans 7:15-24

Have you ever looked in the mirror and saw somebody you didn't know?

Coming across the above passage made me think about days I've had like that. Where yesterday I was somebody I didn't know. Where yesterday I did things that were not like me…

We do many things we are ashamed of. But why do we do them? It might feel thrilling when considering doing something wrong, and it often feels good while you do it. But afterwards you might feel tainted and dirty. You might feel terrible and ask yourself, why did I just do that? Even though you probably knew that it was wrong, you still did it. And over and over we keep doing them….

I know that none of us are perfect, and that no matter how "good" we try to be, we will still fall. (But don't use that as an excuse for when you do sin!) There shouldn't be any excuse for us to do the same thing over and over when we know it's wrong.

Let's branch off for a second, and look at things that are considered "wrong". Most of us know about the Ten Commandments, so we know those are important to keep. We know that there are certain things in the Bible that God detests. For example,

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

Of course there are other things that are considered wrong. Humans have moral compasses, and while we don't always heed by them, we usually can tell when something we are about to do or say is wrong. If we don't feel right about it either before, during, or after at any time, then it was probably the wrong thing for us to do or say.

But don't despair, for there is always hope.

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:7-8

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Psalm 5:11

Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. Psalm 6:4

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:25

God loves us. No matter how many times we fall.

"How am I supposed to show love to somebody over and over and over who constantly rejects me?" ~Caleb Holt, Fireproof

It's amazing that God doesn't ask this question of us. For when we fall, we are in a way rejecting God, even if we don't mean to be. When we fall, it could mean we aren't as tuned into God as we should be. It could mean our passion to follow him is not as strong as we'd like it to be. Now, don't get me wrong; I know that reality says otherwise. Temptations are everywhere after all... But, in the end, just remember, it is YOU who makes the final decision.

"God wants true brokenness, not just a formulized ritual of confession when we're caught in sin." Jerry White, The Joseph Road. If we truly want to live a Godly life, we have to want it; we have to mean it. It must be real, otherwise you will always see someone else staring back at you from the mirror…

Just like Caleb Holt from the movie Fireproof. In the attempt to get his marriage back on track, he used a 40 day dare called The Love Dare. But for the first half of the dare, it seemed he and his wife's future wasn't going to get any better. But the reason for that was simple. Caleb first had to have his heart in the right place. He was simply going through the motions at first, relying solely on the dare to fix his marriage. There was no substance behind his actions. No passion. But once he realized that, he became changed. And in the end we see his changed nature rubs off on his wife, and the relationship is saved.

We're not going to change overnight. Caleb and his wife sure took a lot longer than one night. So don't pray to God and then expect things to be fine and dandy from then on out. It's a tough journey when we choose to follow God. How can we live holy for him when we are constantly tempted by so many worldly things around us? It's a difficult question to be sure. All we can do is simply try our best. God loves us no matter what don't forget. We just have to remember that it won't always be wonderful. But in those moments when we fall, look to find what is beautiful. God will guide you back to your feet if you let him.

Alright, let's recap now. We know about things that are wrong. We know that we do things we don't want to do, and we don't do enough of the things we want to do. We know that God has given us hope no matter what we do—he can set us free. We know that he loves us no matter what as well. And if we want to truly love him in return for all that he has done for us, then we have to make it real. I can't tell you why we do the things we do (or don't do). But in the end, when we stand before God, what will matter is if you can say to him, "Yes Lord, I've screwed up plenty over my lifetime, but ultimately I gave it my absolute best to try to stay on track. I learned from my mistakes and grew much because of them. I love you and thank you for choosing to love and stick by me no matter how many times I didn't love you in return. While I am ashamed of many things I have done, I am proud of the realness inside of me."

But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. Galatians 5:5-18

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Galatians 5:22-25

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25

Who will you be when you look in the mirror?*

Striving,

Whitney