I really love unpacking the letters to Corinth! So Thursday's quiet time initially made me chuckle, bc I thought about something that I had just been speaking about with some friends. "...I will never eat meat again as long as I live..." 1 Cor 8:13 NLT. Reason why I chuckled is because earlier on that day I was talking to my best friend, Jackie and her husband, also my friend, Jean about this lifestyle change that I am now embarking on. It isn't a new years resolution it's more my eyes have been open and now I plan on doing something about it for the rest of my life. This first week I am detoxing from junk foods! (BTW I'm on day 4 and doing well) My diet is to consist of vegetables, fruits, lots of water, and only if necessary, I am allowed 3 onces of lean chicken, salmon, or tuna at either lunch or dinner, not both... And someone(Ms. Antoinette), said "...Girl you need to stay away from all that meat you eat!..." What!?#!*?! I am a carnivore! If any lifestyle requires no meat, I am not jumping on that ban wagon! Jackie and Jean were laughing at me! Jackie and I hae been best friends for over a decade(YAY!) and she knows that a meal is not a meal to me without meat...lol! And that is where my mind went to! But this passage is a rather serious one! And to anyone who thinks that the christian life is lived alone and are not responsible for anyone else, and not held responsible for causing others to stumble, READ 1 Corinthians 8!!!! Paul says some pretty powerful things! According to vs. 6-7, Not all believers are set on the deity of Christ and who God is. This passage makes me think about statements that are tacked on to the salvation message. I wonder! If I am wrong in my interpretation please let me know.... Someone can be a believer and have some totally off beliefs, all bc God is still working on them... And when I continue reading I wonder how many of us have been in sin by causing one weaker in the faith to sin bc we thought we were helping  them understand that they are not bound by those things? Vs. 12 "And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ!" NLT. Aw man! This really made me think...  My knowledge of who Christ is can actually cause another believer to stumble? And if I do so, I am sinning? Wow? This makes me even more aware of others... I have to be sisters and brothers keeper! What responsibility Christ prieleges us with! So all jokes aside, I will deny myself something that I know is ok or even that I truly desire so that another might live! Yes, Christ has freed us from all of these bondages, rules, regualtions, and everything, but not everyone realizes that! It is not my job to prove it to them! It is God's job to move a person past this point!  My freedoms can not cause another to stumble! It's hard and I know that I will need the help of the Holy Spirit to do so and be conscious of others but that is now my duty. *Side note: Legalism is totally different than a weaker brother or sister*1 Cor 8:13 "So if what I what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live-for I don't want to cause another believer to stumble."

I def don't update as much as I would like to... I need to get on here more often!

This journey with my Lord and Savior is quite adventurous! I wish it were always easy! But that doesn't seem to be promised even in the Bible!!! God has been teaching me so much the past few weeks or so about himself, myself, and the rest of humanity... How can an infinite God intrust me with such valuable information and an important mission?What was/is He thinking?!? This God astounds me! He's been placing me in the paths of amazing people of God! They love Him! I love speaking to people who love God way more than I could ever dream of loving Him, and have a desire to know Him more! It is so encouraging! I know that this is just one of those seasons and that the trenches will be coimng soon! I kind of want to be anticipating them bc I know that those moments are when I cling to the Father more and our relationship is strengthened. And after the valleys come the hills... If only I could maximize my time in the valley, by learning all that I am supposed to learn, and cling to my Provider, my Protector, my Refuge and thus prolonging my time on the mountain tops. No matter the circumstances, I can remain up on the mountain tops... If I allow God to do what he wants in me, I'll be focused on him a whole lot longer than I am focused on myself....More and more of the things of God are becoming important to me while less and less of Barbara is getting in the way. And I know it's so not me!... I see my faults and frailties and instead of trying to fix them myself, I talk to God about them, and try to let Him be God!...

Ha ha... I wish it were always the case, but it isn't! It's actually within the last 2 months or so that I've even been listening to God again. It so easy to get wrapped up in life, circumstances, ME.... I had the desire to grow but I lacked everything else for a little bit. But I am really glad I am where I am right now!

This past semester was pretty awesome! In the sense that God totally showed up for His child! He allowed me to overcome hatred,slander, and self doubt, by blossoming and blessing my efforts and my faith. I tried so hard to give Him all the glory! He brought me out on top! Lord, thank you so much for such amazing professors! The voice instructors at Fau are top notch! They are so intelligent, knowledgable, and encouraging. There is one that stands out the most to me and it is because she is my personal voice instructor. Lord please bless her and her family!... I am so sad that this semester I will not be able to take classes. This puts me back a whole year, bc I can't take these classes till next spring... It really stinks!!! But whatever! I will see what I can do about not losing what I've already gained! So this semester I plan on continuing learning on my own. I've purchased software, yay!, am going to try and continue lessons, and am going to pick up as many instruments as I can, hopefully.... but what I can say for sure is that I am going to be doing a whole lot of working and saving!

My church is doing pretty well after the split. God is still provding and things are still being worked out. Its encouraging to see so many people step up and serve the Lord! I am so honored to sevre with such amazing people! Thank you Lord! It was hard for a little bit... The grief from the hurt, confusion and vulnerabilty was a  lot to bear... And I although I was praying about it all, I was carrying a lot of it on my own shoulders. Through some messages delivered by some pretty anointed servants,not all were from a pulpit, and my own personal quiet time, God has since relinquished me of that burden....  Please continue praying!

So I've been in the letters to Corinth lately! I really like them! I seem to be learning a whole lot more in the past week then I have in I think my whole life in those letters. I've been jumping around, but today I was in 1 Corinthians 1. Each passage seems to have so much meat/sustenance in each. I may have to break each passage up differently in order to get as much as I can out of each...

What I've learned from 1 Cor 1:

1. Vs. 9- God is faithful!

2. Vs. 10-16. There is to be no division in the church! We are to be of one mind. The church is not built on man but on Christ alone! There is one purpose in the church! Christ is not divided in to sections and so we ought not either. This makes you think about the different denominations of Christianity and how God views them...

3. Vs.17- So often we try to find of a clever, innovative way of sharing the gospel, we use all kinds of hocus pocus! And God's word says that all that stuff and the fancy words and adages just tak away from the gospel! We make it into nothing! Simplicity of the cross is key to its power! When the Holy Spirit prompts you to act or speak, just do it. Don't stop and think of how you can deliver it so that it is recieved well! As soon as we stop and do that we take God out of it and make it all about us! Keep it simple stupid!

4. Vs. 18-29- “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”- v.18. These 11 verses are the most important to me right now... God and everything to do with Him, seems like foolishness to the world! God does not do what seems to be rational! He uses the underdog to shame others. You can never know the Lord through this world's wisdom. It just won't get you there! The preaching that Jesus was crucified saves the foolish, those called by God.  The foolishness and weakness of God is wiser and stronger than any human! God could have called someone rich and powerful, "prettier", smarter, more educated, more together, and yet he chose me! He chose me so that He would receive all of the glory!   Fame, money, science, nothing can stand up to God! Everything is disqualified to even try and overpower or outwit Him! I don't deserve any talent, gift, or blessing I receive.  I stand unworthy in the presence of God. I can not boast of anything in His presence! I need God! And He reminds me that in so many ways! I need to stop trying to make excuses by discounting myself of how unworthy I am to serve God, bc I am unworthy! But God provided Jesus to make me worthy, to cleanse me of all unrighteousness, and dwell in Him forever!!!!!                    

5. Vs.30-31- Christ is my wisdom! Christ makes me worthy! Christ has freed me from sin! I have no bearing without Christ! I am nothing without Christ! I can not boast in anything but Christ! ³¹ Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

I still need to update my camp notes....lol

Please pray for Haiti!!!!! Please pray for the Salvation of Kathy(Connie Bryan), Nico(Antoinette), Fabu(my uncle), Fetch(My cousin), My finances- that I will do things God's way, Jean B(unspoken), My ministry ,my church,  family, my heart, patience, dreams, faith, walk, mind-focus, and love-that I will truly see people as Christ does and love them!

Merry Christmas! Happy New year!!!!

Christmas-

New years-