Blessed Quietness Blog

As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.  Psalm 103:12 A Royal Mess. Perhaps when you were younger, your mother told you to clean your room. This command was all too familiar to me. Along with the mandate to clean my room were the words,  " a royal mess ." Sometimes, those words or similar phrases haunt us, but they no longer speak to the condition of our room. Often these words accurately depict and describe the attitude of our hearts. Looking back, a messy room was much easier to handle than a depraved heart.  photo credit: ecstaticist via photopin cc Farther Than the Eye Can See ~ Greater than the Mind Can Fathom A Regret Remembered. Often when we are responsible for the " royal mess " we experience deep regret and remorse for the resulting turmoil. If only we could do that particular part of life over again, maybe things would be different. If only we had allowed the Holy Spirit to control our h

The mind of a man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:19 Unvoiced Conversation. It was my first time on the beach this season, and the large, soft sheet was sprawled across the sand as I basked in the sun. As I was laying on my towel, I overheard a conversation that made me shudder. I was left with words that were stiff, sharp, and cold in the midst of the warm beach. And so, the conversation went... A: "You look at what others have and you get envious." B: "It just wasn't in God's plans for you. I've learned that." A: "Learned what?" B: "That some things are just not in God's plans." A: "And sometimes, God's plans just [stink].* The last phrase descended upon my spirit with a crushing blow. Is God a kill joy? Does He really enjoy my discomfort and my hurt? And these are the crucial questions that remained unspoken and unvoiced on the beach. photo credit:  rockygirl05  via 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 Challenging Fruit. It was a little over a year ago while sitting in a seminary class that our professor issued a challenge. He had given this challenge once before, but this time he seemed to dwell on his suggestion a bit longer. He challenged us to pick one characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 and allow the Holy Spirit to do his work in us. However, there was one catch -- as we asked for the Lord's direction and His work in our lives he also suggested that we allow Him "as long as it takes" to develop that particular fruit. It seemed a bit daunting to me, but for some reason, I decided to take his suggestion.  photo credit:  Darwin Bell  via  photopin   cc But the fruit of the Spirit is... Choice Fruit. Love encompasses many things. I Corinthians 13:4

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 Our Foundation Stands Firm.  Maybe you remember reaching that particular moment in your life; or perhaps you had an epiphany one unsuspecting day that your personal allegiance was to Christ and Christ alone. You placed unwavering faith in His death on the cross AND  His resurrection from the dead. You realized that you no longer lived for yourself but rather for the cause of Christ. Our foundation in Christ stands firm; His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead were accomplished on behalf of the entire world by Christ. Nothing we say or do, can shake the pillars of this foundation; it was laid by Christ! photo credit: Michael D. Dunn via photopin cc Life in the Spirit ~ Freedom in Christ Our Freedom Is Sure.  Since our foundation is certain we also have assurance of our freedom in Christ. We are no longer under the Law bu