day two-

We received our tax return today- and whoo hoo my first impulse is to shop till I can't any more. However, I am a grown up and I have to be responsible- or so I keep reminding myself. So I can honestly say I haven't spent one penny yet and the day is at an end. (tomorrow may be a different story though..haha)

So day two I went to church again today via the internet (which I am beginning to love! sweatpants and my note pad curled up in front of my computer- face to face with God and God alone and no group of people to watch or be distracted by). Part two of the Feeding The Hunger Series is all about the mind. Matt Chandler went over tons of verses about how power and grace and goodness begin with our minds. Throughout this entire message I just kept hearing my mother and what she always used to say "Garbage in- Garbage out". I think that was our family motto through most of my teenaged years- we probably should have had t-shirts made as much as I heard it. Well that was essentially what this message was about, but on another level. He said

"where your mind goes your life will follow."

So if I were to sit around thinking about chocolate all day and then went out and saw a candybar, chances are I would eat that candybar. Okay? Basic concept and I get that, but it didn't seem to hit any chords with me. Then he said

"God allows both joys and sorrows in our lives in order to detach our hands from things of this world and attach them where they should be on Him."

Okay... that one was also good, but once again no lightning bolts in my heart. Well- then the bomb dropped...pretty literally. Matt said that most of us sit around in our lives watching tv and vegetating just waiting for that one sermon, or one event, or one person, or for our Bible to magically fly open to that one verse that will just change it all for us and make this head knowledge that we have attained over the years become a life practice for us. BAM- insert that God wall that I just ran right into. Yep that is me and me to a capital T. He went on to say that this is not how spirituality works.

Phillippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

How do we fix this waiting for God problem? Crawl into His lap- center ourselves there at all times. Quiet time with God for 9 minutes every day before we move on with life is not possible. THE TWO CAN'T BE SEPARATED. If God is in our lives then He should BE our lives. When we veg through life without paying attention to what enters our minds we are feeding ourselves with things that don't belong, that aren't healthy for us. And just like giving up caffeine or smoking, when you give up the trash, at first the good stuff doesn't taste right, or feel right, or seem to be working. But you have to persist- focus on the good stuff and don't let go. Grow your mind by sitting in the lap of God and the crap will fall away on its own. Persistence and training of the mind in the things that are right and Holy will change your life and make it follow.

So let's begin day 3 and see how we do with this new knowledge. I hope this post finds someone out there that needs it as much as I do.

Oh and song for the day-