Looking for Holiness {{POTF}}

My friends,

We start 1 Timothy on Monday!! Can you believe it? We are almost through the book of Titus. Even though I haven’t felt well, I am falling in love with our POTF study! The Lord has fully provided all I need to sit, read my Bible, and journal through it.

I hope you are enjoying this study, as much as I am! There is still time to join us. Our “drawing nearer” tools include: our reading plan, and even an optional eight week study journal available to help support this blog.

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Let’s Get Started!

Today, I invite you to grab your personal Bible and read along with me, making highlights and notes along the way.

To people who are pure, everything is pure. But to those who are full of sin and don’t believe, nothing is pure. Really, their thinking has become evil and their consciences have been ruined. They say they know God, but the evil things they do show that they don’t accept him. They are disgusting. They refuse to obey God and are not capable of doing anything good (Titus 1:15-16, ERV).

In all honesty, I think it takes time to wrap my mind around Titus 1:15. But, this verse reminds me about the vast difference in mindsets.

What Kind of Mindset Do We Have?

“. . . Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2, CSB).”

Have you heard about the truth gained from Romans 12:2? We are lovingly invited to go to the Lord and be transformed versus listening to everyone else.

The difference depends on if we are willingly walking with our Lord Jesus Christ. We are transformed, as we pray, read our Bible’s, and meet with like-minded believers.

How willing are we to say “yes” to Jesus Christ – the Son of God, and allow Him to lead us?

But for those who have rejected our Lord Jesus Christ, they are left unchanged. As Scripture teaches us, they remain spiritually dead and don’t experience the reality of God and His Kingdom!

We are made alive together with Christ. Our togetherness is key (see John 15:1-5).

Knowing our Risen Lord and choosing to walk with Him – means we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. The Lord ignites a flame, which is the difference. Colossians 3 has been on my heart lately, and fits into this conversation. It shows the transformation process.

Application: Where Are YOU?

Friend, where are you? We can be nearer to our Lord Jesus, or busy dabbling in the things of the world. There is this transformation happening, as we experience our great God on a personal level. This is the difference between following Jesus and continuing to run from Him.

Not just in our heads, we need to truly know Him first hand and nourish this precious relationship we have been given with our Risen Lord!

Let’s keep. . .

• growing in knowing Jesus Christ.
• accepting Jesus as our Savior and Mighty God.
• welcoming His authority in our lives.
• resolving to stay connected to Christ versus saying “Oh. . . I know him” and walk (or more realistically, run) from the conversation we could be having.

Image by Joseph Chan.

Forever His,

Five Minute Friday – Grow

Welcome to this week’s edition of Friday Minute Friday!
This week’s theme is “grow“. To learn more about Five Minute Friday, please visit Kate’s blog for more details… Each week, a community of bloggers come together with the common goal is to spend five unedited minutes to write on a topic.

Growing Up in Christ

“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church (Eph. 4:15).”

This summer, I know I need to be deliberate- if I want to see growth in

~  my love relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ.

~ the area of writing, and honing this gift God has given me.

~ the kind of relationships I have with other believers in Jesus Christ.

~ the treasure discoveries I make, as I study Jesus and His Word.

Growth Steps

If I want to grow, I must be deliberate.

So, I am taking steps. Because, I do want to see that growth.

Here is what I have been doing.

♦ Studying Philemon and Jude for the month of May (join us on Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #GOScriptureWriting).

♦ Writing up a Scripture Writing Journal for a 6 week plan using the book of Ephesians (stay tuned its release date! My hope is to study it for the months of mid June/July – so )

♦ Keeping coloring books and utensils on hand, to keep me calm and focused on how to make the absolute best out of my days.

♦ Make writing a habit.

♦ Welcoming silence into my life. As an introvert with Dysautonomia, I know having that silence is a really important thing.

♦ Continuing to plug along in my exercise routine the best as I can. Some days, I have to skip a work out due to Dysautonomia/Pots. Other days, I have to journey at a slower pace. It is not about trying to lose weight, but see that growth as a person who faces health concerns that make exercise a difficult journey.

How are you pursuing deliberate growth in your life?

In Order…

In order to grow and become more like Jesus, I need to take proactive steps to make this summer one of tremendous growth – and – not a time of defeat and stunted growth.

I have no idea what this summer season holds in store for me. But, I do believe I am nearing a place of saying…

“I am ready. Whatever You will, Father. Let’s make this journey together! I am trusting You to get me through this, and to help me grow leaps and bounds as Your daughter and one who is following You as her King of Kings!”

Autumn Goals

We become like those we spend time around. I spend time around Misty’s blog. You can check her out here along with her own Autumn goals. So after reading her goals, I decided I would try to make my own. I wanted to make my own, but also make a list that works for me and where I am in my life. After all, that is what it is about. Finding goals that work for us… Now, I had this amazingly large list of books that I wanted to read over Summer. I didn’t get to a whole lot of them. I wanted to share that, today, as well as just share what I hope to accomplish during the season of Autumn.

1. Join a woman’s Bible study. I signed up for it, book has been ordered, and all I have to do is stay committed and show up. A great opportunity to engage in the Word with fellow women of God!

2. Reach out in my community. Offer to pray for others, dig into the Word faithfully with my community. Not only in church, but in my neighborhood where I live.

3. Minister to my family in my home. I can do this, by staying caught up on housework (as able), continuing to have what I like to call ‘family dinner’- nothing fancy, just food and devotion time with those I love.

4. Rest. I really need to work on getting more sleep. So, I want to work more on getting a better bedtime schedule. Of course lately, that means cutting down on caffeine. It is worth it all in the end.

5. Make sure to “charge up” each day. This should really be the #1 thing. I want to stay more faithful in my quiet time. It may mean my daily reading plan, a different study, or the women’s study, but it is important to be staying ‘charged up’ each day. A significant way this process happens is through writing during my quiet time (being in the Word and prayer). It charges me not only spiritually, but also emotionally. As someone with introverted tendencies, I need to remain consistent in blogging- this is my only place where I write out my thoughts. Important to be more about the things that help me to stay charged up!

6. Take better care of myself. This means, keeping with my food guidelines and working toward growing in how much exercise I can pursue. Just doing what is right for me. Honoring God in it all! <3

7. Book List:

Before I share what I hope to read this season, let’s share what I actually read this Summer (my Summer goals can be found here).

What I did read (at least part way or all the way through):

1. “Martin Luther King, Jr: A Biography” by Roger Bruns
2. “Balancing It All” By Candace Cameron Bure
3. “Spoken For” by Robin Jones Gunn and Alyssa Joy Bethke
4. “You’ll Get Through This” by Max Lucado
5. “Introverts in the Church” by Adam S. McHugh
6. “Quiet” by Susan Cain

These are just the ones from my Summer goals list. I don’t add in the books I read for reviewing. Though those books are often quite wonderful too! :)

This Autumn, I would like to continue working on my Autumn list of books, and finish those above that I didn’t get to finish all the way. In addition to those, I would like to include: “The Best Yes” by Lysa Terkeurst and “A Woman After God’s Own Heart” by Elizabeth George.

Anyone else have any Autumn goals? Keep an eye out, I do want to start back with my weekly goals. I think it would be very helpful, especially as I move toward a path of having motivation to create new habits.