Divide and Conquer- Romans 8:1-17

Friends, This is a hard to passage to take in. I found I needed to divide it up, to allow it to sink deep into my heart! Here are a few of my thoughts on the phrase "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The world tells us we can be prettier, skinnier, smarter, more educated, higher up the ladder. There is a subtle message with that what we are is not enough. Because I am in Christ, I have enough. He is enough! At the end of the passage we are reminded that if are in Christ, we are His children, and we are His heirs - the best ever!

Keep soaking in the Word! Even if it's hard! Janice

A Revelation!

This month I have waited for a revelation from Revelation 3:15-22. I loved our last passage (Isaiah 42) so much and reviewed it so often, it was kept popping up in my mind. That's actually a good thing but I wanted something to hang onto in our new passage. God's Word never let's us down when we continue on! The beautiful thing I found was a connection- a connection between the two passages! Isaiah 42:17 says "those who trust in idols...will be turned away in shame". There is a sadness when you are turned away. Shame in itself brings sadness. But Revelations 3:18 tells us that we can go to God for counsel! He "will buy us white garments so we will not be shamed...". It's a beautiful metaphor of Christ taking our shame- washing us clean covering us with His purity!

Keep on dwelling in the Word!
Janice

Happy New Year!

Last thoughts on Isaiah 42 1-17. "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make rough places smooth. These are the things I will do, I will not forsake them."

In this small piece of God's Word there is reassurance that God is with us. And yet I am reminded that there are times when I am blind and that I do not know the way. I do not know what 2013 holds for me, my family, or God's family. My kids in Portland shared about a young married couple who just had their first baby and the young mother had a stroke and is now in rehabilitation. We do not know what the future holds. The path will be unfamiliar at times, dark, and rough. But God has the power to give us great spiritual blessings in spite of our circumstances. I take great courage from the words "I will not forsake them."
Blessings to you in the new year!

Feed Your Soul

Friends, This blog ended up with another name because "Feed Your Soul" was used in different places on the Internet and I didn't want any confusion.

I hope you have continued to reflect on Isaiah 42:1-17 even though we have gone through the hectic holiday season. God's voice has strongly called out to me with the words, "I am the Lord. That is my name. I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols." With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I have found a strong idol in the way I want things to go smoothly and efficiently. I have begun the process of tearing that idol down and moving toward more freedom in Christ and trust in God's power!

Fade to Gray

2012 was the year I turned 60. It was a regular old birthday, emphasis on the old! When I turned 60, I decided I was going to stop coloring my hair, stop wasting money on a process that God kept canceling out and let my hair go gray. Fade to gray! It has been a challenging year for me at my job, where I have been learning about the aging process and how to care for the elderly. I am learning so much about my future! I have also been reminded that people don't necessarily age gracefully. So I decided to ask God to make me more aware of His grace in my life as I continue on. This is where I got the name for my blog.