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Here I am...second time through the MCFC study. It's been awhile...but I really need to redo these steps to renew my calling. I've been a bit unhappy in my service to the Lord, and have done some house cleaning already to try and strengthen my answer to God's call. This is just one more step.

So my test score was 81%-90% Same as it was when I took this test the last time I did MCFC. Which means...my gifts are obviously still the same.

As I read through the introduction to the MCFC I thought of where I fit into the Body of Christ...and how my gifts can be used more effectively in allowing Him to use me to reach others. It's all about submitting to the Holy Spirit and not letting myself get in the way...

Step 1

I know that I am called by God. So the choice is now to answer that call. I have this ache in my heart to help others...and when I see someone in hurt, it's just automatic that I want to reach out to them. I recently had to go through a healing process, and set aside my calling in order to be able to continue forward...during this time there was great difficulty for me not to answer a cry for help...but I was in no condition to help another...and had to let God work on me first. Our strength has to come from the Lord...and we have to build our Faith as this study says. My faith is now stronger than it was before the healing process.

This step discusses fear and how it's not really fear...but the realization that we are dependent upon the Lord. This is so true for me..because when God calls me to something...there are times I feel very unsure..and fearful....but in reality that is probably God's way of saying...not you mlg but ME!

This step also says to please God not man. Often I worry about other people and their feelings being hurt...and this has hurt me in my calling...another reason I am here. I was to the point I was doing things out of obligation and not out of cheerfulness. I've backed off a few things that I was doing...as my heart was truly not in them...and this has allowed me to focus more on what I truly am passionate about....telling the lost souls of the world about Jesus.

This step also talks about persecution...which I have faced a lot of....I think often it stems from the fact that people expect me not to fall down or make mistakes...they look to criticize because of whatever reason...and instead of helping me they look to hurt me. I'm learning to become more longsuffering towards these people, as I know that deep down the reason they persecute me is the enemy is using them. Persecution is never easy to go through. It hurts...but during this time if I will seek God and ask Him to handle those who are persecuting me...and then work on forgiving them...the persecution will not feel so painful.

Hey MLG

So glad to see you posting here in this forum , been a while since I seen you here . But your post explains why , and you know what ? That is exactly what "taking baby steps" is all about isn't it ? . When I first heard the term I thought they were saying something like "take each step s l o w l y " , but obviously that is not the case is it ? When our Lord says jump , we just jump , that's it ! We don't ask how high , or whether I can do it or not , or worse yet "what's in it for me , or others !" we just jump and take the steps because that's what He said period . He never gives us more than what we can handle , but what we can handle He will give , our job is not to get bogged down with what others tell us whether we can or not . But when we come to point of exhausting our abilities to do His wish effectively , that is when while everyone else start saying things like you're done here or you're not producing what's expected of you from our point of view , and go to Him and ask Him , "Lord is that true ?" is When we hear our Lord saying "Child , you've done everything exactly how I wanted you to do , at that time you could only handle this much , that's why I gave you this much , but now that I saw your obedience and fervor to serve Me instead of man , now what I want you to do is go back and do it again !"
That's my idea of baby steps today , we answer the call , we run our course , coming to what seems to be the end of the line we go back to Him and say "What now ! " and He says " You did so well , I want you on my team , now go back and strengthen yourself some more , and forget about those numbers , I got some of My own to show you ! But you got to finish the race first and I'm the One who decides where to place the finish line"
Think of it as running in track , just because you made the loop once don't mean the race is over right ?

I thought I'd throw this one in just for the sake of comeback , been waiting to say this for a long time , "Therrrre's morrrre ! "

Doing great MLG don't let the enemy get the best of ya !


In Christ
Luv ya !

Step 2

This step spoke a lot to me.

Luke 12:48
For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.

This verse here...is something I'm going to really have to work more on accepting. Sometimes the "pressure" of what is expected seems so very great and comes to the point of being overwhelming. Sometimes I've wanted to just give everything back and just quit. Do I? No...but I'm not going to lie and say I've never thought about it...yes that's one of those stinking thinking things...but when the tribulations are great...it's just hard to be all those things this step says we should be.

I am a very emotional person...I cry at the drop of a hat...I'm working on not letting my emotions control me as much...but it's something that's been with me my entire life...and a 34 year habit is very difficult to change. But...with God all things are possilble...

This step discusses how lost souls take a while to change their actions...how very true this is...even after being saved souls can still struggle with their actions because they are still babes learning...so we must be very patient with these souls...

Speaking of patient...I have great patience with people...but I'm not so very patient when it comes to waiting for things for myself. I tend to want instant jello...when the only kind sold anywhere is the kind you have to cook...Therefore, I often make myself miserable because my patience level is very low. God has really been trying to teach me patience this year...in many different situations....I hope that one day I can just take everything in stride and not want the solution until God says it is time.

I have not read the Who Am I part of this step yet. I will return...

Sometimes what is expected of us is not what God expects of us but what humans expect of us. It adds pressure to our lives. The Lord says his yoke is light and his burden easy. Or is it yoke is easy and burden light?

I love watching the Lord working in you. Isn't it sweet that he doesn't stop his working in us until he's completed it? God is sweet.

Love ya mlg.

Yes mlg I agree that you are a very patient person with others. But in the patient with yourself category, I think that you do not stand alone.
We have a resorted to a I want it now society and I think it has all played a factor in us. Fast food, fast banking , fast, fast, fast so hmmm maybe that is the way we think it should be with us, When God works in his timing and not ours. (Maybe on our patients too)
We are always harder on ourselves than others and we get aggrevated at us because we forgot to........ maybe sometimes we just need to back up, take a breath, be still and know that He is God with our on judgement on ourselves. I know that I sure do sometimes.
Hope this make sense c

One of the greatest benefits one receives from walking the walk with another is the enhancement of their strength through the sharing of their own weaknesses . Hence the term "Iron sharpens iron" .
The passage

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.

It spelled fear . The what if's .
Reading this post , two things came to mind , one of which that had the greatest impact on my life was my basketball coach in my youth . Though I was only 13 or 14 at the time but was also considerably tall-er than the others (always been the odd-ball) . Being just released from the hospital at AUB (American University in Beirut) after the bombing , and while there , the nurses would bring me some comic books and magazines such as Sports Illustrated where my passion for B-ball was ignited , from then on , all through my stay there , for six months I just inhaled basketball , and having no other to play with , all I did was shoot the ball , from anywhere , and any wich way , and all the while I had this imaginary opponents and I tell you they were mean ! Like Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Jabbar !
In short , I had developed my own style , and my later to be coach had noticed it and was asked for a try-out for the team . Making the "mistake" saying ok , I found myself among from anywhere 22 to 26 year olds , and I went oh oh ! and they went ha hah . So , the coach walks up to the point guard (I was forward) and whispers something to him and there went the whistle , first pass ever and the ball is in my hands , and what do I do ? , what else do I know , ... nothing but net ! 2nd pass 3d , and 4th .. ok time out ! I walk up to the coach and " I hope you realize there are 4 other players out there !!!" , though I did not realize it then , but what he said to me next , was to mold my life , "Look at the score vahn , your team is winning , so shut up and do what you do best " . At the end of the season we brought the championship trophy home . So far so good right ?
Here , one day coach says Olympic team and my knees went out from under me . Could not score a single point ! Why ?

All that time prior to the recruitment of another team , I was playing for my coach because he gave me a chance and allowed me to play a game I loved just for the sake of playing ! the trophies and the championship where just icing on the cake , it came with the territory . But when it came to playing for the scoring (expectations of others) I just simply froze !
Coach takes me to dinner after the try-out , and with the saddest face I had seen , almost in tears says to me " You don't know how much this means to me , do it for me vahn " . Two weeks later we brought home the area trophy and my coach was signing some paperworks !

Play it for the COACH , He is the One to please , the rest is nothing but shadows , they disappear when the Light is turned On .

Who Am I?

Wow, I must admit I feel like the first part of this statement...I've been doing some real soul searching these last few weeks...and I noticed that many have thought I'm acting strange. But in reality...the strangeness was not really strangeness but hurt...once I got past the healing phase...I have now begun to work on the soul searching...cleaning my house...trying to find out who God wants to be within me. Yes He knows I want to serve Him...not for me...but because my love for Him is so deep. My faith in God is strong...and gets stronger with each passing day. I share my day with Him...and He takes care of all the things I can't....

But now who does God want me to be? I see my calling not as changing but as being refined more. My call is to help the lost find the Light. In fact I woke up this morning with a lost soul heavy on my heart...and I've been praying and talking to God about this soul all day. Who I am...boils down to this...I'm compassionate, loving and caring above all things. Some think I'm too kind or too nice, I've even been called too Christian...but is there really such a thing? I mean...Jesus was kind to those who hung Him on the cross. I love to give things to people...especially the gift of Jesus in their life.

I have many gifts that God has given me to use to help Him receive more glory. I just have to stay humble and remember that the gifts I have are His and not mine...and to use them for Him and not me.

Hi sis,

I am a very emotional person myself. And its hard to control our emotions sometimes.

Lately ive been feeling a little bit of a dry period in walk with the Lord. Some of my gifts i felt slipping away from me. And i was confused to say the least.

During this time i didnt feel "hopelessly in love" with Jesus. I think it was a combination of things going on in my life. BUt i was still doing what i usually do in my walk.

I had to get realy real with God and say God "Im sorry, but i dont feel i love you like i used to love you and it saddens me, i dont want to fall away from you and i want to stay close to you."

He said "My precious daughter, love is not a feeling it is action. Even though you dont feel it i still see your actions, and your actions say you love me. "

ITs not the feeling its the actions of our service even when we dont feel like it.

Does that mean we should walk around and be numb while doing His work? Absolutely not. I believe we have to get back to basics and restore our relationship with Him.

ok Heres something for you.

God likes us to seek Him.

When playing hide and seek with my kids. There is a divider between my kitchen and living room. So when running around it i can hide behind the divider. But i would let my shoulder poke out, or my foot so that my kids would get a glimpse of where i was. I am not a mean mom who would go and hide from kids in another part of the apartment to make it difficult for them to find me. I want them to find me. And when they find me there is so much joy within me. And they get those belly laughs and then i begin to tickle them. And we are all laughing and having fun. Our Father is so much more a better father than i could be a mother. Because He is perfect! I Know our heavenly Father is an awesome Dad! And He loves to play Hide and seek with all of us!

We are made for mystery!

1 COr 2:4-6
Eph 1:7-9

IT IS the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings IS to search out a matter Prov 25:2

Rev 1:5-6 God has made us kings and priests!

It is for the Lord to hide and for His people to reveal.

John the baptist is a good example of this as well. He didnt know that his cousin was the Messiah ( The story in the book of John gives this story a whole new twist.) He was told by God that the person he baptises and His spirit comes upon is the Messiah. John the Baptist was baptising out of obedience and He was searching for the Messiah. He was searching Gods words!

Man hides from God because he want to be hidden. God never hides from man beacause He wants to be hidden- He hides from man because He wants to be persued!

What a wonderful God we serve!

Heres some more scripts:
Matt 10:26
Is 55:6
Deut 4:29-31
Ps 53:2
Heb 11:6

Gb you sis on your journey of searching Him out in your life! May you be tickled when you get a glimpse of Him.

♥Jill

hi mlg. I've been reading your posts even though I haven't answered any but I just wanted to let you know that I support you as you are going along.
It's great when you find new things about yourself that God reveils, isn't it?

Step 3

Today's step was a discussion on the world and how it can influence us. It's amazing how the smallest of things can bring in unwanted thoughts...and before we know it we are all wrapped up in them. Those bad seeds are easily planted...and that is another part of the reason I'm going back through the MCFC steps. There for awhile I felt like I had lost my purpose and my compassion. I didn't feel like helping anyone..and just was a mess to be honest. As I've gone through the healing process and now on through MCFC...I find my compassion is still there...it was just being covered over by all the bad weeds that were eating into my mind.

I think the enemy definitely can use our friends to place unwanted thoughts in our minds. Not that they are doing it intentionally, but say your friend says I went out to eat today at ABC restaurant and the service there was just horrible. Automatically you decide that you don't like ABC restaurant because they have horrible service...and you've never been there. Because your friend had a bad experience...you take and make their experience your experience...when in reality the Truth is you'll never truly know if you should not like ABC restaurant, because you've never been there. So to find the Truth...you should check out the restaurant for yourself and draw your own conclusions...not let the bad seed planted by your friend...be what you agree with. The friend also did not mean to plant a bad seed...they were just expressing their thoughts about their own bad experience...but nevertheless the seed is there...and you will ponder on it, if you don't renew your mind.

I'm not into worldly things...tv...I seldom even turn on...computer I limit to e-mail...work related stuff...and the Oasis...radio...Christian station...clothes...definitely respectable...yes I do wear makeup...but nothing over the top...and I am at peace with that decision...so I know it's not making my Father uncomfy....Jewelry...I have several crosses...I like to wear these to witness at business meetings especially....I'm just not into a lot of worldly things...but I love people...

And with people comes vocally spoken thoughts...and when people express their thoughts or opinions...then can come the bad seeds...so this is where I need to be more concious and to pull out the bad seeds planted daily and sometimes hourly if need be.

I don't know how many times throughout the day I get this " What're you doing talking to this person or that , they'd done this , had said that ! " that comes with the territory of my occupation . I had come to treat it (with considerable practise and self discipline) as , well that is your view , and even if their view be accurate , I still have to find out for myself .
I myself was like what you mentioned , used to make "decisions" based on what others's opinion is without looking further into it . But , even then , it actually makes it my "fault" to draw the line without checking . And had to ask myself as to why is it that I'm siding with these people . What if they pointed at a person and said they are king , does that make them one ? Doesn't the opposite apply as well ? As to pointing at a king and saying he is not , because I seen him doing this and saying that , will that stop him from being one ?

I myself am the type where , anyone can tell me I Jesus Christ , I believe them , and treat them as such , ... as long as they're acting like One , who cares what they had said or done in their past . I apply the same principle when they point to others and say " He is Jesus Christ " I go ok , lets see if he can walk by the pool without getting nervous .

People will say a lot of things , it all boils down to is , what is it they're doing now , and how can I , or if I can be of help to correct when they err . I sure would like to be treated as such , wouldn't anyone ?

Keep up the good work mlg , doing great !

luv ya

Step 4

Peer pressure...this again is one of the reasons I am here. Allowing the pressures of what others wanted...to be a hinderance to my True calling. As I'm cleaning house, I'm looking to please God now...and wow what a difference this is making. It's like so peaceful.

As far as my faith goes...this is something I do stand very firm in. I love God and I tell everyone. I try to display characteristics that He can be proud of, despite what everyone else is doing. There are times I wish my faith were stronger though...especially when I doubt...I need to believe more when trials are brewing...and to know that God is in control. Now this may sound weird...but when it comes to my job and things surrounding it...I totally hand all the trials over to God...and just take everything in stride...but when it comes to my personal life...this is where it gets a bit "hairy". I do pretty good with handing over the financial aspects of my personal life...but where I struggle is with other things related to my personal life...I'm trying to do better with this though...by letting it all go and giving it to God.

Yes I fall just like anyone else...and yes I may wallow in self pity at times...but then I get up and start fighting again...I try not to stay down long...cuz if I do...I fall deeper and deeper. God senses this as well and recently sent me a friend to help me through the fall...instead of letting me just quit....