Our pastor, Pete (I don't know if he'd like his last name listed) is a great, great teacher. I LOVE hearing him teach.  A few months ago he said something in a sermon that hit me. He said, "The phrase, 'No, Lord' is an oxymoron." 

An oxymoron is "a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms".  A phrase like  "Jumbo Shrimp", "Silent Scream", "Pretty Ugly", "Same Difference" - which has two words in the phrase that mean exactly the opposite of each other.  A jumbo shrimp is a really large shrimp...but...well you get the idea. 

So, calling Jesus "Lord"  should mean that I am saying that HE is the master of my life.  It means that HE calls the shots.  It means that I am bowing low before Him every day, denying my right to myself, taking up my cross and FOLLOWING Him. It means that I am saying "YES, Lord" whenever God's Spirit whispers something to my heart.  It means that my life is not my own because I was bought with a price - a very HIGH price for Jesus- His very life.  So it's MY very life that He's expecting in return.  He's expecting a "Yes, Lord" woman in word and deed.  I don't actually utter the words "No, Lord", but I might as well.  I wake up every day thinking every minute of that day belongs to me and that I'll fit Jesus and His plans in - if I can.  (I'm not being hard on myself - I know He loves me no matter what - I'm just telling the truth)    

The reality is that I often do what I want, and then I look around for Jesus and wonder where He went.  The answer?   He went where I was supposed to be following Him to.  That's where He went. He went to the place that would give me the greatest peace.  He went where I was supposed to be.  If He isn't my Lord, then what is He?   He seems to be just as confused: "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and not do the things I say?" (Luke 6:46)   Why do I?   

So, there's been a big uproar around Nashville for the past few weeks, because someone stole a laptop computer from an elections office containing the personal information PLUS the social security numbers of thousands of registered voters. 

They found the thief. This morning on the local Nashville TV news is his picture, with the description above his face:  "LAPTOP THIEF". That's his identity now - and he deserves it - because that's what he did.  But I kind of feel bad for him because all over town, whenever someone sees him - his family, friends, neighbors, co-workers - he'll be known as "The Laptop Thief".  He did something bad.  And now his identity is shaped by it.  He probably has other identities we don't know about like Loving Son?  Loyal Brother? We'll never know.  He's "The Laptop Thief".    It's gonna shape the rest of his life.   

It happens to all of us.  That's how people are. Our actions assign our identity. Sometimes that's good.  We like the ones that say - Great Mother, Faithful Husband, Loving Wife, Successful Person, Loyal Friend - we work hard to earn those.  But if the WHOLE truth about us was revealed we might also be correctly identified as Grouchy Father - Jealous Friend -  Meanspirited Mother -  Unthankful Child - Divisive  Neighbor - Nagging Wife - Gossipy Co-Worker - Adulterous Husband - Unfaithful Wife - Drug Addicted Teacher - Porn Addicted Pastor...and many more.   

My real identity is not pretty. I'm not always what I show to the world.  But God sees me ALL THE TIME.  He sees every action.  He hears every thought.  He wraps my identity up in to one all-inclusive word:

S - I - N - N- E - R. 

It's who and what I really am deep inside.   It's what I'll always be.  But then, He offered me a deal.  

So the deal is this:  IF I will simply admit what I really am to Him - and tell Him I'm sorry for it and want His help to change - He will allow me to take on a new identity.  

I can get the identity that is based on someone else's actions in life.  I get the identity that is based on the actions of His ONLY Son .. Jesus.  You know what?  I took the deal.  I'd be a fool not to.  I've got a perfect identity in Heaven.  I'm perfect, holy, sinless and pure.  I'm God's child.  I'm His delight.  He thinks I'm great.  I have authority over every evil thing on the earth.  Yup, that's me - Marie Armenia - PERFECT.  Whatever I did, whatever I do, whatever I may do in the future is all hidden behind what Jesus did.  Yup. I'm clean.   And the laptop thief can have the same deal.  If he wants it.

Last evening, it snowed here.  I mean, big, honking, fat snowflakes that stuck to the ground.  It's hard to pin down an actual season here.  Just four months ago, it was 109 degrees.  Just two weeks ago, we were all wearing shorts and sandals again because the temperature was in the high 70's.  Then last week, local TV broadcasting took over because there were serious storms that were producing tornadoes - one day it was hot - tornadoes sweep through- the next day it's freezing. And now last night, snow.    
 

Going with the flow of the season you're in is a key to life.  When I first moved to Tennessee, the Holy Spirit whispered a lesson about seasons to my heart.  I moved here fresh from a season of being a pastor's wife, and active in ministry. And when we moved here, it all stopped.  And I didn't know what to do with my life.  I kept trying to rev up instead of letting the Lord lead me beside still waters - to restore my soul. It went that way for months.  And then the Lord spoke to my heart and explained that the seasons change, and our wardrobe must match the season.   In January, I wear heavy clothing when I'm outside, and heat up the house on the inside.  These actions keep me alive - IN JANUARY.  But if I try to do the same exact thing in JULY - the actions that kept me alive in JANUARY will kill me in JULY. In July, with the new season, I do exactly the opposite of what I did in January and that keeps me alive.  The key is to accept the season I am in - because God has ordained it - and "dress" accordingly. (If you read all the way down to here... all I can say is "wow") 

On average, there are 12 people visiting this site every day.  Since my mother doesn't have a computer, I can't figure out who is actually reading this on a daily basis. I've made it easier for you to email me by adding the new and nifty "CLICK HERE TO SEND ME AN EMAIL" which you can see above.  Welcome and thanks for visiting.  Years ago, I wrote a poem to my husband and for some reason, I feel like posting it here.  

What I Meant To Tell You Yesterday

Dear, sweet man, the love of my life

I meant to tell you, I love being your wife

I meant to tell you yesterday,

but the laundry and kids, well, they got in the way

Last night I noticed your manly hand

And how strong it looked under your wedding band

I meant to tell you yesterday,

That I love how you work, how you love, how you play

I looked at your eyes, and your smiling face

And your shoulders: the world's strongest, safest place

I meant to tell you yesterday

There were so many things, but they all slipped away

Life has a way of making us old

And the words that matter are words never told

So listen to me, because I need to say

What I meant to tell you yesterday

(copyright 1997 - Marie Armenia)

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." (1 Corinthians 9:24)

Olympic champions devote their lives to getting the gold medal.  For years, possibly decades, they have one focus - the Olympics.   And at the end of all their efforts they get a small piece of gold, short-lived applause from the masses, their name written down in the history books and the satisfaction of having attained something they set their minds to.  I've never heard a GOLD medalist say, "Well, really, I just lived my life in such a way that I would just be able to get in to the Olympic Village and hang with my friends."  No, they wanted to win the gold, and their lifestyle stood out- even among fellow champions.  Losing is a group experience, but winning the gold is a solitary moment.  You have to be willing to run your race your way. 

As a follower of Jesus, my choices, my efforts, my decisions must reflect Gold Medal Living.  I have to let the Holy Spirit tell me what MY race is - and how God expects me to run it- and then run my race in such a way to win the prize.  It's the "such a way" of that verse that gets me.  How would a gold medalist train if he already knew he was guaranteed the gold?  Would he continue to train?  To beat himself in to shape?   As a joint-heir with Jesus , the prize has already been awarded to me.  Jesus has already won every victory for me.  But I must continue to live my life in such a way that I will not settle for running with the church crowd.  My goal should never be to simply "get in " to heaven and hang with my friends, but to live a life  of white-hot, first love devotion to Jesus, who has already written my name in the Book of Life.  Gold Medal Living is more difficult when you've already won the gold.
 

So, before church today, one of the Pastor's came over to me and said, "Oh, hey, listen to this" And he told about being at a gathering at someone's home a few nights ago and there was a woman there who was RAVING about an article she read in a Christian magazine.  ANYWAY, one thing led to another, and she mentioned the author's name......and it was ME!!!  I kid you NOT!!  The pastor said, "Marie Armenia???  She goes our church!!". Isn't God so kind to me to send me some writing encouragement?  He really is.  He really, really is.