"TEACHABLE AND GRACED"

     As a result of...being alive - fifty four and a half years, being married thirty five years - as of this July 24th. "2018," raising two children (who are now adults who, love Jesus, and, are positively contributing to society), co-grand parenting several grandchildren, being in the ministry (supporting/serving beside David - as his wife - as he's tried to obey God - as a man called by HIM to preach - throughout the years - as a:  Gideon, youth minister, evangelist, assistant pastor, pastor) for thirty one years, thankfully, God is continually - attempting to teach me (any problem with this - is with me - not HIM) things about myself, other people, money, love, pain, church politics, etc., expectations, forgiveness, ETC., ETC.,...LIFE!  After all - LIFE is like a "CLASSROOM" for 'Believers,' and the day of our "death," is like our "graduation!"  Throughout this "interesting" journey of - ever changing circumstances, twists, turns, mountains, valleys, sights, wrecks, and much more, as a person, I have experienced a metamorphosis - of sorts - as - God is using - EACH and EVERY - aspect of my voyage to reveal, teach, correct, warn (like traffic lights and signs), etc., to...CHANGE ME - a mutation into many different "ME'S!" IF, the nineteen year "young" me could meet the fifty four year "old" (now) "me," "she" would not recognize "her!!" 😳 I (the 54 year old me) faintly remember "her" (the nineteen year young me)!! 😉 Out of necessity - for my "well being," I've HAD to lighten my load oftentimes during this "trip" on 'Earth!' 🌎 (Romans ch. 8 - one of my favorite chapters) One of the most significant lessons that I'm learning, is that, it's alright to have personal boundaries, and other such guards and deterrents, etc., that help me in - NOT letting other people, manipulate and/or control, me!  HEY - some people are more than happy to have control, and, RUN other people's lives, and, they are often the people who cannot successfully handle their own! 😏 And, some people seem to think that your only reason for existence is to, please and/or SERVE, them!! 😑 Another lesson of which God is always reminding me (after many failures), is to, ask and seek, HIS counsel about everything, and then, to WAIT for HIS answer (which is accompanied by HIS peace) - BEFORE - I proceed, especially with important matters!  I am currently in a very challenging situation, in which - IF - I had WAITED for HIS - answer and peace, I probably would not find myself!  It's easy to JUMP into something (even with good intentions), without God's guidance, but, sometimes when one does, he/she lands in a "RUT," of which God won't immediately rescue him/her - for various reasons, one of which is - to teach one to depend on HIM for direction - into and through - HIS perfect plan/journey - that HE preordained for each individual - before HE even laid the foundations of this world!  However, part of this lesson (to me) is that, I cannot, DO or NOT DO, anything that will cause HIM to fret over the possibility of me messing up HIS purposes for my life, because HE (in HIS for knowledge, ETC. Isaiah 14:27) has already taken ALL of my failures, ETC. - into consideration (Psalm 139)! The next HUGE lesson that I'm learning is - to ACCEPT other people for who they are, pray for them, and, IF - any changes need to be made in them - trust God to do so!  The next thing that comes to my mind as a lesson being taught to me is - to have reasonable expectations for myself and others, as to not be in a constant state of disappointment!  Something else that pops into my head as another lesson that I'm trying to learn and apply to my life, is to completely TRUST GOD, and ONLY GOD!  Another one is - to TRY and only give my OPINION whenever someone asks for it!  This is not easy for an opinionated "girl!!" 😚 I mean when someone lightheartedly asks me, "so, Kim, whatta ya think?"  I want to answer, "about what specific subject, because I pretty much have my own formulated opinion about everything!" 🤣  I mean, I personally, usually, don't desire to hear other people's opinions, ESPECIALLY whenever they are the opposite of mine!! 😘😂 Well, do YOU, seriously?! 😗 AnyHOO...SIN and SINNING - now - come into my mind!  SINFUL activities almost always "look"/"seem" to be fun, pleasurable, exciting,  etc., BUT, I am learning (and, once again - the hard way) that - no matter how much temporary enjoyment "something" brings...SIN is NEVER worth the COST - or - PRICE - for which it eventually demands payment...NEVER!!  😔  The next thing that pops into my noggin, that I'm TRYING to - learn and apply (as I am with all of the previous lessons that I've already mentioned) to myself, is to be more careful with the words that I speak, which start in my heart (which must be kept clean by God + HIS Word + Spirit + blood (Luke 6:45)!  I didn't realize it - at the time, but, I think that maybe - I used to be a kind of "know-it-all!"  I'm learning from observing various people, and reflecting on how I once was, that, I do not want to come across as a "know-it-all!!" Help me, dear Lord!!! 🙏🏼  I'm learning to choose to be truly thankful with what I've been given - before I expect MORE!! 🙌🏼  I'm trying to not take people "for granted," and, to make certain that the people that I do - KNOW that I love them, because I've "lost" (they've passed on) many, who I wish that I had let them know how very much that I loved them - more than I did!! 💜 I'm learning to be more assertive, and less - passive/aggressive - than I used to be! 🤗  And, since the realization came upon me years ago that - God knows ALL (HE'S omniscient), I am now able to simply be totally honest with HIM - about everything!  HE already knows what's IN my heart anyway! Right?! 🙏🏼 I'm concerning myself less - these days - with other people's affairs of life, and, concentrating on seeking God's will for my life - and, working on being a more godly "ME!"  I still DO pray for people!! 😉😂 I try to not gossip - after being "bit on my behind" by doing so - and also - being hurt by it - a few times! In all of the areas of which I've written above - I keep failing and succeeding, and, HIS GRACE keeps "covering" me!  And, amazingly - HE NEVER loses patience with me, which, encourages me to keep trying to be WHO HE desires to SHAPE me into being (more like CHRIST)! 😳 Well, MAYBE - something I've written here today shall help someone - somehow?!  That is my hope and prayer! ✝️   May each of us - always choose to be - TEACHABLE!! 📖  Let's keep on - learning, applying what we are learning, and growing - for the sake of HIS:  NAME - KINGDOM - HONOR - GLORY!! ✝️ Until next time...👋🏼💖