Christianity Oasis Forum

[mlg]

Hey forever sis...you have to make a choice to want to make improvements in where God wants you to be. He is willing to help you and wants to...but you have to let Him. Step 2 is about pulling weeds from your garden(mind) that have been planted...and this means you are gonna have to get down in the dirt and dig some. Often we are content as we don't want to get dirty in the garden...but honestly the garden if not weeded continues to grow and before you know it you have a forest.

I know you don't like this step...but in order for improvement to come following what is asked in this step is necessary. Noone will force you to do this..you have to make a choice. God wants you to choose the Right way.

luv ya

[Mackenaw]

Hello Foreverbelongs

God bless you this day.

I love Summer! I love the colors, grass, flowers, trees, bushes, butterflies, birds, dragonflies, I even love bees (I don't necessarily want them on me, but I love them)

I love to garden -- at least, I think I do. This time of year I am so anxious for warm weather and to be able to sit outside and breathe in the fresh air and to set my eyes and ears and nose on the sights, sounds and smells of nature that I'm somewhat giddy. Right now, my back yard looks to lush and green -- a feast for my eyes...from the inside of my house looking out. But upon closer inspection, there are weeds growing: some I don't see, and some I can see already. Those buggers are gonna take over my entire back yard unless I get out there and start weeding.

The problem is...I have flowers bulbs planted too, and theirs leaves are just starting to peek out of the dirt. If I start pulling the weeds, I have to be careful not to pull up the new growth of the flower bulbs -- and because the soil is so wet I could easily pull up the bulbs themselves.

In addition, I have two doggies who have used the backyard all winter long to do their business. Soooooooo, there's gonna be that cleanup too. AND, I'm out of shape, so I know that just kneeling down or bending over to start pulling weeds is gonna have me wrestling my elderly parents for the ben-gay ointment to slather on my aching bones and flabby muscles. I can't stand the smell of that stuff, even though they use it like it's liquid gold -- for some reason, they love the stuff. My hubby and I refer to ben-gay ointment as old people's catnip.

We also feed the birds: I love birds. But all that bird seed grows if it hits the ground, and if I let it, it will grow and yep, most of it is weed seed -- or things I don't really want growing in my garden. And let's not forget the seeds of weeds that the wind carried in, or birds or squirrels carried in.

It sounds like a lot of work, and I can talk myself right out of gardening if I dwell on too long. But, I love to sit in the garden in amongst the flowers and bushes and trees, and enjoy the serenity, soooooooo I choose to roll up my sleeves and get to it.

Well, the garden of my mind is more cluttered than my backyard. Geez, the seeds that blow in from all the noise going on in the world, and those sneaky seeds (thoughts) planted by the enemy of our souls. And, yes...some I planted myself -- through bad choices.

The CCCC Program was such a blessing to me. It really helped me clear out the clutter of my mind, and gave me tools to use in maintaining a clutter-free mind. It takes work, I won't kid ya here. But, my oh my Woooooohooooooooo! am I glad I learned the lessons that I learned.

Oh, and I hated to read. I was never one of those peeps that read for pleasure, and when I did read it was how to books -- like gardening, or why I was such a wreck. So, I prayed and asked God to give me a passion for His Word -- The Bible. He answered my prayer with a YES!!!

Wooooohooooooo! So now, I invite The Holy Spirit to read The Bible with me and help me not fall into a snooze fest, and He does and it truly truly truly helps me to enjoy my life.

Foreverbelongs, I just wanted to share this with you in hopes of encouraging you. It's so easy to walk away from something that takes commitment and challenges us. But if we're not happy with where we are, we need to make the commitment.

The CCCC Program -- It's approximately 30-45 minutes a day for 14 days. I hope you'll stay with it -- it just may well be worth it to you, in the end. It was for me, and it has continued to bless me for several years now. Why? because it gave me spiritual tools -- godly tools -- to help me overcome, and I it helped me navigate through God's blessed Word, which is Spiritual food.

Foreverbelongs, I'm praying for you. God's blessed will be done.

God bless and keep you.
Love,
Mack

[xxJILLxx]

Hello forever,

Do u know when you first turn on the lights in the morning your eyes have to adjust to the lighting? Then you have to rub your eyes a bit to get the sleep out of yr eyes. As your eyes adjust to the light you begin to focus in on the things in the light. Then you begin your day as you go through your normal routines and agenda.

Well sometimes we just want to run from the light and put the covers back over our head and say just a little bit longer, just a little bit more sleep, but we know we have things to do, things to accomplish, if u have kids or bills you know u have to get up because of your responsibilities. So we throw the covers off and say "OK OK" and we face the light and leave the darkness behind and soon forget about the extra time you wanted to stay in bed (our comfort zones) Now we are walking and facing the things we need to face. And at the end of the day we look back and say wow if i would stayed asleep look what all i would of missed!

Time to throw the covers Off and keep going sis! It will be worth it in the end!

God bless and have a wonderful day!

♥Jill

[mlg]

Yes it may seem scary sis...but that's because you are not sure of what comes next and are having to relinquish some of the control to Trusting...but that's good sis...cuz it's needed.

Your gonna do just fine.

luv ya

[deetu]

doing good

[xxJILLxx]

NO need for apologies!


Love ya and God bless u!

♥Jill

[Tam]

Forever

I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!!!

you are doing great. When you feel like running sis.....run to Jesus and rest in His arms and tell Him all about what you are feeling at the time.

Love ya sis

[momof3]

hey forever, sis.....so.......this time, choose NOT to run the other way...where has it gotten you? CHOOSE to run to Him. He is the only way, sis...Jesus is the ONLY way.

choose, sis. you can do it.

in Jesus,
love momo

[mlg]

Amen I agree with momo forever...the choice is yours

luv ya