Directionally Challenged

Directionally Challenged

The Weekly Walk

'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Isaiah 58:3-4

Sometimes Christians are directionally challenged. They focus either on their horizontal or their vertical relationships, not connecting on how these relate to each other. Maybe you have some horizontal stuff (with people) that you need to deal with before you can get the vertical thing with God right. Isaiah 58:3-4 says, "Behold, you fast" (you seek God in a worshipful way) "for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist." In other words, you fight and fume with people all week and then you come to worship. Instead of leaving church determined to get right with people and be an instrument of reconciliation in this world, you walk out and before you get 100 yards, you pound the steering wheel over a traffic jam in the parking lot. You fuss at the kids all of the way home. In the middle of all of that, you try to fold in some genuine, personal relationship with God. God is like, "You're kidding, right? You want Me to be part of that?" God doesn't meet with us when our lives are filled with strife.

God has taught me the hard way that you can't have the vertical thing right with Him if you haven't at least done your part to make the horizontal relationships right. Romans 12:18 says, "As much as it is possible, as much as it lies within you, be at peace with all men."

Jesus said in Matthew 5:23 that if you come to worship God and, while you're at the altar, you remember that you have a problem with somebody, you should leave your sacrifice and go make the relationship right. Just get up and walk out and get on the phone or write the letter or get in your car and get over to that house and humble yourself before that person and say, "I'm just so sorry for what's happened. Please forgive me." Or "I want to tell you that I forgive you." "As much as it lies within you, be at peace with all men."

Sometimes you can't control it. I've learned that, too. But if you haven't done your best to be right with people, don't come and expect to be right with God. God doesn't involve Himself in that kind of worship.

This is taken from James MacDonald's book, "Gripped by the Greatness of God"
Check him out here: Walk in The Word

Working on Me

Quote of the day:

"but you have to understand you before you can understand anyone else..."

Just a Thought

It's Friday! This has been a long, emotional week for me. I'm glad it's over! I'm thankful for God's mercy and His unconditional love. If I treated a human being the way that I treated God, he/she would be outta here!! I doubt God, question Him over and over and over again after He's already given me an answer (doesn't that annoy you when people do that?). I cry, I scream, I disobey and do my own thing. But still He loves me. That doesn't mean that He doesn't chasten. He chastens the ones he loves. I thought about that regarding my relationship. Were we being punished because we did what we wanted to do despite what God was telling us to do?

Anywho.....

Have a wonderful weekend!

God bless!

Photo Op!

I want one!

Revolutionary Road

Last night I watched a movie that I had forgotten that I wanted to see. Revolutionary Road. Wow. The movie had me in tears. The movie isn't a tear jerker. It's actually quite hilarious at certain moments. (But I have a very weird, eclectic, unusual sense of humor.) The movie did, however, bring out emotions in me that I thought I had dealt with. And I really did sob a little- just a little.


The movie is about a married couple who struggles behind closed doors with their personal demons.

That last line...... hmmm.....

Tell Me Bout Myself

Don't ever let your mind or the enemy trick you into thinking that you don't have enough time. We all make time for what we want to make time for. =)

I came home and started cleaning out my car. I came across my schedule for New Members Ministry and saw that I have to work tonight. I thank God for that because I would not have gone tonight!

So, of course I was like, "aww man!" because I had other plans. So, I continued to clean out my car then went inside. I'm being better with my money, so I decided to cook. I was thinking, "I'm not going to have time to do anything before church tonight." But I cooked, took out my roommates dog, studied the Word, and now I'm blogging!

There is always time.

God has been showing me things about myself. Some good and some bad. :/ But all in all, I'm grateful for it because I used to complain and ask God, "why don't you speak to me??" But He does. Via his Word, my Bishop, and His Holy Spirit.

Today God led me to 1 John. It was about love.

I went to D.C. this past Sunday and walked around with a friend. A homeless guy- I guess he was homeless- came up to us and said, "excuse me sir or mam, can you please buy me some food?" And it was so rehearsed. It sounded like he had been saying it all day. We had our take out from this Chinese restaurant that we went to in ChinaTown. I didn't even think to give him my food. But my friend did. So, I said, I hope that was your food and not mine. The response was, "we can always get food." And I felt bad. I wasn't trying to be ugly.... it just came out that way.

So today, when I was reading, I read, "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" And immediately that incident came to my mind.

The Word really is sharper than any two edged sword. It will tell you about yourself. But its up to you to repent and change.

As my friend Jen says, "don't judge me!"

That's my testimony. I'm not perfect!!! But I'm working on it! See the post below!

I have to get on the road now.

Be blessed!

Thought For You

Christians aren't perfect people. They're changed people.

I'm blogging from my phone. So excuse the mistakes and anything that doesn't make sense.

I have a few things on my mind that I wanna share.

1. Today my Bishop preached three sermons and in every single one my rhema word was: "trust God, even though it makes no sense to you." that was confirmation for me because God told me to do something that to me, is completely backwards and will not do anything to help the situation. But alas, I shall be obedient, shut my mouth, and do what He said. (insert pout face)

2. I need to take this to the altar. I have a hard time giving people my time after they vehemently deny it. But when they're ready to come around, I'm supposed to jump? I don't operate like that. I keep saying that I'm gonna pray for God to soften my heart...

3. I love Deitrick Haddon's new CD. Its like Bobby Valentino for Jesus! =)

4. My new thing: getting super cute and walking around our nation's capital on a sunny afternoon. Only downfall is all the dude's that try to holla. Ugh! Kick rocks! My name is Rachel when I go to D.C. Hehe...

5. I love me and I think I'm extremely fly. Don't hate because I love all that God has created me to be. You should love yourself too.

6. Don't put your trust in man. Its a let down evertime. Expect it. Then you won't be so surprised. I wasn't...

That's my randomness for now. Goodnight!

Jesus

Jesus,

I need you more than the air that I breathe. You are the air that I breathe. You are so many things to me wrapped up in one. You are a helping hand when no one else has anything to give. You are a shoulder to cry on when the world is too busy. You are my counselor when friends give me 30 different viewpoints. You are my peace when life becomes hectic. You are my healer. You are my help. You are my father. You are my friend. You are my comfort. You are my deliverer.

I don’t always understand the things that you tell me to do. I don’t understand your ways. But I know that your way is perfect. Help me to walk. Help me to stand in the midst of my situations. Help me to walk in the deliverance that you’ve given me. The door is wide open. All I have to do is trust you, put one foot in front of the other, and walk.

Trust.

That is the hardest thing to do at times; especially when I’ve done things on my own for so long. I have leaned unto my own understanding. I have operated out of my own feelings. I’ve done what I wanted to do. Listening to you, believing you, and trusting that you won’t lead me into harm is hard for me. I want to do it. But, you know, Lord: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

So, when I have my temper tantrums, when I’m crying because I don’t understand, when I’m hurt by what my eyes perceive, remind me that your way is perfect and that I can rest in your righteousness. Remind me that I can rest in your presence. Remind me that you are all that I need. Remind me that you know me better than I know myself. Your way is right. And all Glory and Honor will be Yours.

I love you. J-E-S-U-S

Lovingly, adoringly, in worship,

-fullcomplexity

Obedience

OMG I WANNA BLOG SOOOO BAD!!! LOLOL!!!! AAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!! But I can't and I won't!!!!!

Not until I figure out what my true motives are for posting it......

So instead I'll just kiss those thoughts goodbye! hehe... i just wanted to post this pic. Me likey.

Let Go

Aight Lord, you're in control. =)

Wise Counsel

"A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels" Proverbs 1:5

Thank God for wise counsel. I'd be looking real foolish right about now.

You Can Do It Too pt2....

You Can Do It Too....