II Timothy 1:7 - "Alive"

I've had these words to Alive that Big Daddy Weave sings going through my mind yesterday and again this morning...

But God, rich in mercy
You came to save me
Now I'm alive
But God, strong and mighty
You reached down for me
So I could rise

Now I'm breathing in, breathing out
I was in the grave, but God you called me out

Yes! There is life when we accept Jesus into our heart. There is even more life when we allow the Holy Spirit to live in and through us as God desires. The more we die to self and allow Him control, the more life we will live. The more we say 'yes' to going out of our comfort zone as Doc preached on Sunday, the more freedom we find in life. Oh how I wish more people would find this type of life. I pray for more people to realize a II Timothy 1:7 type of life where fear does not guide their days but instead the Holy Spirit does. I pray for more people to realize His love in the way He desires us to be empowered. I love living a life where He is in control. I'm not perfect and mess up from time to time but I know I'm striving to be Christ-like. I know I am working toward living in the manner He desires and I also know He is proud of me. Sometimes I think about how my earthly Daddy would feel about me if he were still alive. I think he would be proud of me too. I'm proud of my boys and the way they are leading their families to know God. I loved seeing the pictures of Ben's family celebrating Sukkot. They are teaching their children about the Biblical feasts which is so important for all believers to know. It is like the richness one gains when they look into their ancestry. The more we know about our family, the more we can appreciate our history. Many cannot grasp the idea of celebrating the Biblical feasts because they were 'Old Testament' teachings. The history of the Old Testament is the foundation we all need to understand. If God would not have created this earth, we would not be here today. The Old Testament foundation is ours to study. God did not just have the New Testament written but He had both the Old and New written. If Jesus would not of came to this earth as a baby, He never would have been able to die for our sins. I love the words to this song where it speaks of us being dead in the grave but then "God you called me out"! He called us to...

• be believers who never stop seeking more knowledge
• not only accept Him into our heart but to live for Him with a 'yes' spirit
• love everyone not just those we choose to love
• have a forgiving spirit
• realize He is in control of every aspect of our life if we truly want to live in His freedom

Woo hoo! I desire to not live in the grave or not even live with one foot in it but to live 100% in Him. The desire of my heart is to fulfill the desires of His heart.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace that empowers me to live in and with You! Thank You for the memories made yesterday with my Momma! Thank You for the strength You have provided both Doc and I for this trip! Thank You for continuing to pour more of Yourself into me! Father, cleanse me so You can fill me. May You be greater than me today. May You be seen in my actions and attitude and heard through my words. May You continue to lead me on the path of surrender to Your will. Thank You Jesus for being My Everything! Amen.