Seasons

In nature there are seasons. In life we experience seasons. God says in Ecclesiastes 3:1 " For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." NLT My life has had its share of seasons. I have had times of pure joy. Highs so high that I thought I could never feel sadness or loneliness or pain again. I was so close to the Lord, I thought I would never see turmoil in my life ever again. Wrong. What was I thinking?

First and foremost, I AM A SINNER. I was born a sinner. I will die a sinner. I am saved by the blood of Christ, therefore I AM FORGIVEN. In God's perfect love, he sees the good in me. He sees me as I see my own child. Full of potiental, hope and perfection. I think my son is the best kid in the world. To me, he could never do anything that would make me not love him. That love I feel for my own child is nothing compared to the love Christ has for us. We may depart from him, but he will never leave us. Joshua 1:5 NIV.... "for I will never leave you nor forsake you...."
Satan is the greatest deceiver of all ! He knows my weaknesses, my faults, my desires, my temptations. He will do whatever he can to attack me.............and especially when I am in a funk already. I have days of funk. Sometimes weeks of it. If I am not in God's word DAILY.... and I mean it takes me getting in there EVERY SINGLE DAY! I will find Satan lurking, waiting to pounce. It takes me about the 3rd day after an attack for me to realize..... oh, that was SATAN. I still worry, have times of insecurity, and self-loathing, but God is present and accounted for when I spend time with him in prayer and in His word. He has a plan for my life. This is just a season in my life. And right now, it feels like Spring! :)

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. "Jer. 29:11 NIV

Radical Changes

A year and a half ago I began to deal with the mess my life was in.  I turned to GOD. Being a PK (preacher's kid) all my life, I was use to being in church, and in God's word. I had grown some as a Christian over the years, but I never knew how little I had grown. I was in church every time the doors were open. I sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, lead VBS, even worked in our church library. I was involved in the activities in church all my life. But, was that what God wanted out of me? Apparently NOT!

I did not have a clue as to a real relationship with the Father was like. Oh, I thought I knew him. I prayed, didn't I? I went to church, and said my prayers. But, I had no idea the LOVE, let me stress that word again, L-O-V-E that our Holy Father has for us!!! Romans 5:8 "but God showed his great love for us by sending his son to die for us while we were still sinners"

Let me break it down like this: I have a son who is now 17. He is the most precious thing on this earth to me. Would I allow him to be beaten, scoffed, tortured, mocked, and then hung on a cross in public viewing, for a murderer? How about a prostitute? If this person could come to know Christ if my son died, would I let him suffer and die for someone so lowly, vulgar, and unworthy of love??? Well, God did! He loved us so much that He sent his son to this earth to become human! He loved us so much that he allowed him to die on the cross for OUR sins. My sins. It blows my mind. I think I love,.... have love,.... express love.   I haven't a clue of God's genuine love for me. The word LOVE appears in the King James Version over 300 times alone. If you add up the other forms such as loving, loveth...etc, there are over 500 times love is referred. So I believe that God is LOVE. If his word is about love and he tells us he loves us, and how we are to love each other, then..... shouldn't we read this book!

The bible is our direct communication with God the Father. I never knew this and I was a Christian. I heard it said, but I did not KNOW it. It took my life going through a RADICAL change to awaken me to some simple truths. I needed Christ more than HE needed ME! Go figure. I think I thought I was doing him a favor showing up and "working" at church. But, man I was blind. I needed HIM! I was on the floor, face down, couldn't lift my head, and low and behold........... I prayed........... and He heard and I felt such love engulf me.... makes me want to shout right now just thinking about it! LOVE lifted ME! My SAVIOUR lifted ME! 

I am one hard headed woman! I thought I had this religion thing down pat. I was moving and shaking "Robyn's" religion all over the place. I was justified and moralized and just plain STUPID-fied..... I thought I had a relationship with God. I thought I knew what being a Christian was all about.... but let me share this. I KNEW NOTHING! and you know what.... I am just barely beginning to see the pure joy that having a true relationship with Christ is all about.

God did not NEED me. I needed Him. One of my favorite verses has been Psalms 40:2...."He brought me out of the pit of destruction......" I was in a pit. I was not growing in Christ. I was clicking along thinking everything was just wonderful...........and BAM. Nope, God has some RADICAL CHANGES to make in my life. Thank God, he loves me enough to help me make the necessary changes I need to make. And, He is there to be with me step by step,  minute, by minute,  side by side.


"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

Change? Me Lord??

Change happens only when we are forced, most of the time. When life throws you a curve ball, you either duck, take the hit, or leave the game. I left the game a lot. When life did not go like I wanted it to, I ran. I would retreat and lick my wounds and pray.... "Oh, help me Lord!" But, I did not pray the prayer I needed. I needed to pray, "Oh, Change ME Lord!!!" I am sure my heavenly Father got tired of my belly-aching. He wanted to help me alright, but did I really want it to begin with ME??? True growth happens when we stumble, fall flat on our face, and can't get up. That is where I was. Flat on my face, feeling sorry for myself for my poor life. Blah blah blah... Oh, and I admit, I get flat on my face still sometimes even now. Why do we suffer trials in our lives? Why does God bring us to our knees? So HE can pick us up! Amen and Glory to that! These trials help us to focus on our only hope, Christ. These trials mold us into who God wants us to be. Trials change our lives and our hearts, if we let God truly become the solution to whatever comes our way! He is our only hope for a better tomorrow. God doesn't want me to run from life anymore. He wants me to live it to the fullest, so that I may glorify Him. He wants me to be the woman, wife, and mother, he has planned for me to be. Here my journey began, with change. And here my journey continues. God says in Eph. 3:14-21, "..that you may be filled up with all the fullness of God..." Amen!