Not Good enough

I woke up feeling slightly oppressed and questioning “am I good enough” 

Am I pouring into people like I should be, 

Am I living as holy as I should be

Am I loving like I should 

Am I the mother and wife that I should be 

Am I the daughter and sister that I should be

After all those questions, I came up short. I came up short in every category 

Why do we come up short? Why do we as Christians always come up short? 

I am reminded of the other blog I wrote about "Fighting an image", though a true Christian will try and work hard at being Christ like, we often fail and the world around us sees it. Whether it's small or big, they look for excuses to prove that we are no better than them.   I am reminded that my sin or short comings are covered by the blood of my Lord and Savior and the world hated him then, just as they do now. Things are really different, times are different, but's it's all the same, just as the Bible predicted over and over that it would be. IT's not popular to be a Christian and never will be. 

A true Christian is striving to be Christ like so we are reminded when we mess up. Whether we are reminded by others through reproof or through the nudging of the Holy Spirit, A Christian will evaluate self and turn or try to correct the problem, striving to be Christlike,

 but we will never be perfect until we make it to heaven. 

I woke up feeling inadequate because I am inadequate, I am completely inadequate in my own strength.
 I prayed this morning and God reminded me of a few things, including my purpose.  He reminded me that I can do all things through him(Phil 4:13) and the key there is through him, in that I must include him and how do I include him? 
I include him by praying, seeking, reading his word, 
He reminded me that I am His and I need to lift up my head and go forward, continually striving 

I serve an amazing God and I am so thankful to be his. 

Fighting an Image

I have been on both sides of the coin, the judged individual who was living a life of sin and saw the "church" as my judge and have been on the other side of the coin in which now I see the church being judged and ridiculed and honestly feel like a minority in this beautiful America that was founded on God, and a protestant religion. 

As a Christian, or Christ Follower you are under a microscope to live up to the teachings of Jesus Christ and walk a straight line or else you bring damnation and a bad taste into that unchurched, or de-churched or lost person who is watching you intently and waiting for you to mess up or make a mistake.

They don't see you as an individual who is struggling to live right, or who is under grace or who is under the potter's hand being molded to become a better person, no,  they just see you through their convicted, judgmental eyes, looking to see that you are no better than them. 

Well I have news for you. I am no better than you. I am a sinner. I am only saved by grace and my savior went to the cross to die for my sins and through him and only through him can I live authentic, abundant life and when I say through him, I mean being in fellowship with him.  I am on a journey to find that perfect person, that perfect life, that perfection but I know that I will not see it until I am in heaven and Christ makes me perfect there. Until then I can only strive and do my best. 

I seek Christ to help me to become better and I seek HIM to forgive me when I mess up, no I am not perfect, but one day I will be. 

I am living my life to try to be a light to others, to extend Christ's mercy to others and to love others so that this sad, oppressed world can get maybe a glimpse of who Jesus is and I say glimpse because I know that I am not perfect, but I love, I hope and I pray for you.  I am thankful for his grace, I don't think one can live soley on grace.I do think there is some action on our part to strive to be better, and to read our Bible and take the whole Bible in stride, not just parts of it, but all of it. I do think we are required to strive and try, but with God all things are possible and he can and will help each one who desires him. 

My prayer for you is to find him, not find some religion or some church or group but Jesus Christ. 

My prayer is that you can have an intimate relationship with him who can change your life and make you new !! 

My prayer is that we can extend grace, love and acceptance to others as such has been given to us by Jesus Christ. 

Reflection of 2014 / The Mirror of 2015

James 1:23-25 ...'For if any be a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way and straight away forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continuity therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.'

This past year, I have been reminded more than once how fragile life is. How life is fleeting and like a vapor. It has been a great year, but it has been real as well. In experiencing life and death, I am reminded how Jesus Christ is who helps us daily, he gives us peace and sustains us. He gives us hope to see us through.
I am also reminded through living life that in all things I want to glorify Christ. Not because life is fleeting or short, or because of fear, but because of love, because of hope and because of life promised to all who will. All who will. It’s a choice. 
Christ gives us a choice to follow him. I don’t want to be the man or woman who looks in a mirror and forgets where I came from, or who I am, but I want to remember where I came from so that I can extend mercy and hope to others. Through him, we as Christians can share a light that he gives.


This year, if you display the banner of “Christian”, please remember what it means. Please look in the mirror and strive to see Christ. Strive to live like Christ, not a forgetful hearer, but a doer.

No one looks in the mirror and forgets himself, but who might just go to church for one hour on Sunday and then forget God the rest of the week ? 

It's easy to go to church for one hour on Sunday and get that feel good feeling of worship, the great songs, and maybe even listen to the message as long as we can refrain from our smart phone distracting us for that one hour, but regardless, one hour a week is not gonna give you the strength and peace you need to have the peace you so desire. It's a daily walk, it's constant prayer, it's a relationship with Jesus Christ that will get you through. 

One hour a week won't sustain you when trials come, one hour a week won't fulfill you when life is not, one hour a week will not empower you to go the distance and minister to others which we have been called to do. One hour a week is not enough.... 
unless you are a baby Christian and just learning how to walk, God will help you increase, and grow from there. 

As you reflect on 2014 and move forward into 2015 remember who you are and where you came from, pray that as you look in any mirror you will see Christ or at least a portion of Christ, a desire and a hope. 

My prayer for you in 2015 is the promise that Christ gives. Peace to sustain you and hope to get you through, resulting in abundant, & authentic life through him. God Bless !