Almost everyone knows the story of creation... and the whole Eve eating the apple part. (by the way.. the Bible never says it was an apple....but a fruit.  Since Adam and Eve subsequently covered themselves in fig leaves.. maybe she ate... a fig?)

Well.....the pathway to our death and destruction ended when Eve bit that fruit.  It was disobedience. But.......certainly Eve didn't want to die... She just wanted what she had been convinced God was KEEPING from her.  The serpent phrased it so that it wasn't that she would DIE if she ate the fruit... OH NOOOooooo... He convinced her that God didn't want her TO KNOW what HE KNEW so that's why she was being denied this ONE FRUIT.

And that's the way it keeps going.  Once we can be convinced to believe that what God wants us to keep away from has a motive of GOD BEING SELFISH and not wanting us to HAVE SOMETHING GOOD....we are on the pathway to our own destruction. 

It doesn't matter what you're lusting after - food, fame, lust, power, possessions - if you believe that God is being mean, rather than LOVING, by telling you to keep away from it... you will soon deny the only faith that can save your life.  Faith that believes HE IS GOOD and LOVING... no matter the circumstances.

If God doesn't let you have something... it's always because LOVE is the reason.

Love is the reason.  NO matter what the enemy whispers to your heart.  God loves you. All the time... You must believe this every day.. you must believe that love is the reason...without a doubt about it.  If you don't ask Him to give you the faith to trust that He is a loving God with good plans for your life. 

.... of my life, according to God, is to make me someone who closely resembles His Only Son, Jesus.

Even though I have spent my lifetime in and around church and church people.. I can't always say I understood that this is the goal... or that I tried to reach it.  I guess, at first, my thoughts were that God would USE my life to reach others with the Good News - the Gospel.  And THIS is the foundation of our faith - to "go in to the world and preach the Gospel, making disciples of all men (and women)." 

So... it's not like we can just sit in our little caves and keep the good news of God's love a secret.  It's not like I can just be happy that I'm forgiven.. and let the rest of the world fend for itself.

BUT ULTIMATELY... as God is working in my life.. He is allowing things and people to come in to my life... with the ultimate goal that I would be someone who looks like Jesus... who acts and reacts like Jesus... Who truly does what Jesus would do.. and doesn't have to stop and ask herself, "Now what WOULD Jesus do... in this situation?"......

So many times... I have missed that this is the goal.  When God allows things in my life.... He is allowing me to see that I need more love - and to ask Him to give it to me.  I can't even give myself more love without Him giving it to me as a result of His Spirit working in me.

It took me many years to understand.........I am to resemble my Lord.

When God allows - WHAT God allows - has one purpose: that the image of Jesus may show.

I know that at times.... in the past... and sometimes in the present.. I look NOTHING like my Lord. 

But I want to.

And God knows that.

And all He expects is the want to.

And then He gives the power.

I was raised by my mother to value truth.  She spent a lifetime helping me find the the truth in any given situation.   She was not someone who didn't speak the truth to me about myself... and I always knew it was grounded in love. 

Because where there is real love there must be pure truth.

There's lots of things people say about truth. 

• Some people say that the truth hurts.  And I think that the truth only hurts when we have been living a lie... believing a lie...
  

• The truth will set you free is another thing that is said about truth.  It does set you free because once you face and embrace the truth... then... you cannot be hurt by it anymore. 

• Only one Person has claimed to actually BE the Truth - and that is Jesus.  He says, "I AM the Truth."  He further says that anyone who follows Him will never walk in darkness, will never walk in a hidden life or lifestyle.... but will have the LIGHT of LIFE.

The reason God has allowed you to read this today?  Truth is, I don't know.  But, He does.  Is there something you need to face the truth about?  Ask Him to send His Holy Spirit to speak to you where it counts - in your heart.  Ask Him to show you where you might be walking in darkness.. lying to yourself.. deceiving yourself.

Truth is...........telling yourself the truth is not as difficult as you might think.

I am not proud to admit that I have ruined two computer keyboards because I put my morning cup of coffee next to the computer and then knocked it over on to the keyboard.    The last time I did this was just a few weeks ago........and.......it was sorta a good thing because I NEEDED a new laptop but was too cheap to actually go out and get a new one.  When you are a writer, and the shift key is broken on your laptop.. that becomes a MAJOR inconvenience.

I have caused great damage and confusion by the placement of my coffee cup.. and yet.. just 10 minutes ago.. I noticed my coffee cup on the desk next to the BRAND NEW LAPTOP I purchased just a few weeks ago.  Really?  Really.  

Well.. it goes without saying that the LAST THING I WANT TO DO is ruin another computer.. and yet.. there I did exactly the thing that ruins them.  

I don't want to ruin another computer. So I have options.

I can stop drinking coffee in the morning.  OK. Not an option.

I can stop drinking coffee near my computer. Better option. 

And i was thinking that in reality, most people don't WANT to detroy their lives..their families... their marriages....It's just that we are creatures of habit.  We keep doing something we've always done... just because... well.... just because we've always done them.

In the long run, having a hurtful habit is what does most of the damage in our lives. 

The habit of holding a grudge, of speaking down to another person, of walking in fear.  These are things that can be changed.......we can change these habits. 

but not without OUTSIDE INTERVENTION.

I have learned that when I actually GIVE THE HABIT to God.. when I say, "God, I need help in learning to overcome this habit... learning to think the way You say I can think...learning to have faith the way you say I can have faith.....so I GIVE YOU MY FEAR"........when I give the habit to God..

He gives me the power to change.   It's true that I am a creature of habit.. but when I am IN CHRIST.. I AM a NEW creature... and that means... 

All things become new. EVEN MY HABITS.

This.......is a miracle.

My friend Debi, along with a team of women from middle Tennessee have just arrived in Kenya to help with the drought situation there.  They will be there for two weeks.  You can follow her blog below:

http://threadsofmercy.blogspot.com/

..........God is in the healing business. He wants to HEAL you in every way. 

He is able to do whatever you ask Him to do.  What have you really asked Him to do lately?

What do you really believe He is willing to do?  Have you asked Him to do it?

What do you really believe He is able to do?  Have you aksed Him to do it.

He says, "You don't not have because you do not ask."

Asking requires a belief that He exists, listens, that He cares, that He is willing and that He is able.

When we don't ask.......it's a sign that we don't believe.