An Introduction...

I have always been a hater of blogs. I mean, who wants to display their life on the internet for everyone to read. However, I have been intrigued by a couple of my friends' blogs and have really enjoyed hearing about their lives. More than anything, something worth remembering happens everyday. I'm realizing that if I don't write these things down, I tend to forget. Something that might have made me laugh, cry, scream, ponder, or just challenge me, could be lost forever. Also, throughout the entire Old Testament, God is continually calling the Israelites to REMEMBER! They are challenged to remember God's faithfulness and deliverance of them so that when times are hard and God might be hard to see, they will have a foundation to move forward and continue to trust him.

God teaches me new things daily and I want to remember them. Currently for part of my ministry training, I have to study an epistle for 1 month. I have been studying Galatians for the past week and I feel as though God is showing me new things daily. Although I have known the gospel since I was a small child, I am realizing that my life doesn't always filter through the truth that it communicates. For example, although I know that I am completely saved by grace, I think there is some way in which I need to earn God's favor for me. I need to read my bible daily, speak in psalms, be a patient driver, be joyous always, praying continually and the list continues...Instead of accepting Christ's forgiveness, I try and partner with God to somehow justify receiving the amazing gift that he has given. Is anything really free? I love Paul's blatant response to this. He says in Galatians 2:21 "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing." My continual efforts to earn God's favor and affection for me are in a sense belittling the fact that my righteousness was earned through Christ's death on the cross. Any efforts on my part to become "more righteous" are worthless. It has already been done. Paul later continues in Galatians saying that we are literally "clothed in Christ". It is like he has allowed us to be completely encapsulated by the very body and being of Christ himself. Weird in some ways to think about, but beautiful! I have a long way to go until my actual heart reflects the work that Christ has already done, but I continue to believe God's Spirit to work in me.

My challenge for the days, weeks and months ahead is this: 
         "But by faith, we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope" Galatians 5:5