Tag Archives: walk

Spiritual Walking Steps – Day 4 – what’s inside?

Because of yesterday’s PAIN, today, I had an MRI on my left ankle.

On the outside, the doctor could see the funny lumps that had grown up. With an x-ray, he could see the goofy bone issues. The doctor could not see what is going on inside the soft tissues of my foot with just an x-ray. Therefore, he ordered an MRI.

MRI’s are really neat inventions. With an MRI, he can see MORE than I’d like him to see, but at least, he can see this specific problem, and decide how to treat it. As I laid in the machine, meditating, and trying to keep my foot still for 30 minutes, I thought about what is inside me.

On the outside – you can see that I’m 5’2″, 240 pounds, female, caucasion, brown hair with silver streaks, and glasses. You might get the idea that I’m a ‘goody’ type of person – since I’m not wearing revealing clothes. This would sort of fit with the scripture 1 Tim 2:9

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

Of course, different brands of Christianity, or faiths in general, have differing definitions of modesty. But modesty in dress is on the outside. One can dress modestly, but have a lustful heart.

From the outside, we can judge a little of the inside, because of the fruit that surrounds us.

Matt 7:16- 17 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

X-rays are for seeing what is inside a person. Well, not really all of the story, but x-rays can see the structure. What is holding up all the other stuff? This is the foundation of the body.

1 Cor 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

X-rays can also see how we are building up that foundation, by the strength of the building around it.

1 Cor 3:12-13 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

We cannot know, totally, what is on the inside of a person, but that is what we are commanded to work on! We need the Fruit of the Spirit, to imitate the character of God, to build with gold, silver, precious stone, and even clothe ourselves with a meek and quiet spirit:

1 Peter 3:3-4 Whose adorning let it not be that outward [adorning] of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But [let it be] the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even the ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

We can judge some about others, but the most important judging is of ourselves.

John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Matt 7:1-2 Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Righteous judgement, in my opinion, is judging as Jesus did…by their fruit. The other key is that, we will be judged by the same measure…so make sure the beam is out of our own eye FIRST!

That brings me to, how can I know what’s inside me? What’s inside MY heart?

Jer 17:9 The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?

It’s hopeless, right? Of course not…

Ps 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

With God, all things ARE possible, even the searching, and judging of our own hearts…and HE will lead me in the way EVERLASTING! But WHAT is inside?

1 Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

When Jesus was resurrected, all the gang wanted Him to stay around, and He said:

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

The Comforter is the third person of the GodHead, the Holy Spirit that indwells the saints. YOU can do the searching for the doctrines about how the Holy Spirit comes into a person! I’m just saying, we NEED the Holy Spirit abiding in this temple! Jesus promised SO MANY GIFTS from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit!

John 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

We ARE the temple of the Holy Ghost…HOLY Spirit…and the whole reason for the indwelling is for our comfort, teaching and remembrance! EDIFICATION!!!

Folks can put on all sorts of stuff on the outside, and folks can act all kinds of holy, but without the Holy Spirit within, when we go for our Eternal MRI, God will see nothing…because the Holy Spirit within is the spiritual evidence of Jesus Christ as our Savior.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

These steps are not necessarily going to be in order of priority, but rather, in order that God gives them to me to write about.

Step 1 – Know your need for a Savior – Jesus Christ
Step 2 – Recognize that all good things are a gift from God
Step 3 – Cry out to God when you need help
Step 3.5 – HE will bring people into your fellowship
Step 4 – Know that YOU ARE the temple of the Holy Spirit – and make sure that HE dwells within!

Today, in my spiritual walk, I’m checking to make sure that the Holy Spirit is dwelling within this temple…and I think I may have some house cleaning to do!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or ‘like’ me! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

Weight Watchers – day 4
100 Spiritual Steps- blog – day 4
Chronological Bible reading…
50 days T-Tapp – AL, OIP, HD- gotta start!

Spiritual Walking – Day 3 – PAIN!

After my walk yesterday, and some working around the apartment and such, I had a HUGE PAIN in my left foot.

I was limping…badly.

My WALK was affected – in many ways!

I was having trouble remembering that my mouth is not connected to my foot! Nor do I want my foot in my mouth!
I was having trouble moving from point A to point B. I wanted to just sit, lay, stop and stay – but I wasn’t really wanting to pray.
God’s grace comes to those who ASK – and as we sat with friends, I WAS ASKING so as not to harm anyone with my mouth.
sometimes, God wants you to sit, stay and pray – and we don’t listen so good!
We can’t do this alone…not even Me & Jesus…we are in a fellowship – fellows in a ship! And I needed some ‘fellas’ to help me out in many ways…and in this blog, I am going to give several shout outs to the fellas(and sistas) that have helped me out today!

This morning, I awoke, and I still could not put weight on this foot…and I was having an inner argument with God.

“I do not need this now, Lord!”

SILENCE

“I know You know what is best for me Lord – I mean, I do not WANT this now, Lord!”

SILENCE

“I am afraid of going through another round of foot surgeries, Lord, and I don’t think I can handle it on top of everything else that is going on”

SHOUT OUT TO MY HUSBAND, JIM!

My husband was praying – and he said “I pray that you will go back to bed for a nap, and wake up, and the pain will be gone, and the bump will be gone or much smaller.”

I had just confessed to him that I was trying to keep my tongue from evil…

Ps 34:13 Keep MY tongue from evil, and MY lips from speaking guile.

Ps 141:3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

I didn’t believe…but I confessed that I would trust in the Lord. I apologized each time I snapped…and I reminded myself, just because I’ve confessed I’m having trouble with my tongue, doesn’t mean I need to abuse his grace by letting my tongue fly!

Then, verses came up on Face book:

SHOUT OUTS TO MY ONLINE ENCOURAGERS!

From Jim Wildman’s FB page:

Gods standards have not changed. If we want to abide, we must walk His way.
Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. http://bible.us/Ps15.1.KJV

From Larry T Crafter’s FB page:

No one enjoys having to wait..but as a friend of mine loves to remind me; ” Be Still and know that I Am God!” Waiting teaches us patience and allows us to see God’s plan unfold. As we wait, we learn acceptance, steadfastness and faith that God is in control! When the cloud tarried… then the children of Israel… journeyed not” (Num. 9:19). I will stand still until God’s will is clear!
Blessings

And this prayer ring from Cheryl Miller’s FB page:

Family I need God to do something for me, and I’m pretty sure many of you need him to do something for you as well. So just for today, how about you pray for my breakthrough and I will pray for yours…family lets move heaven today with our prayers. The word of God clearly states, where 2 or 3 come together in my name I am there, (Matthew 18:20) so come on family lets get down on our knees and move heaven today.

Then, this appreciation note from AntoinitaViolette on FB:

Today is your appreciation day, not the only one…but, just wanted to tell you that you have been an encouragement to me. Thank God for you, and thank you for saying, Yes! to the Lord…daughter of The Most High and Royal King, making you of the houselHold!Amen!

How was I supposed to continue in this funk, if the Lord is putting words like these together on Facebook, just to hit me in the eyes, and in the heart, and remember HIS WORD?

And I got an email in one of my groups…where a dear lady reminded me that we are all in the same boat:

Well, girlfriends, it sounds like we can all relate!!! Is there something crazy in the air? phases of the moon? unrelenting demands? rogue hormones? Let’s band together in “fellowship”–fellows, or rather females, all in the same boat–and encourage one another! Keep your heads up, eyes on the Prize, resting fully in His promises as we just “do the next *right* thing”!!! ~MT

Another friend sent email – and she really ‘got it’.

Christi – I know you did not need this. I am praying that this would heal quickly or just disappear. ~ Love, CB

This friend, Cathie, even went so far as to ask me, in chat, if I had cried out to God! The honest answer was I’d yelled out, I’d begged out, but did I cry out? I don’t know if my heart was in a right place, but yes..before my nap(per my husband’s instructions) I told the Lord, cried out to the Lord – “I don’t think I can handle this! Please, take it away, or give me the strength to bear it!”

What have I learned?

The Lord can put a watch over my mouth
I have to MOVE toward’s God – because HE didn’t move away from me
I have to CRY OUT to God for HIS help; I have to ASK for help.
I need to wait until I know God’s will, Be Still
I can’t do this by myself. I am in a ship – a fellowship

I don’t know if this is 1 step or 5…but the key is that I did beg out to God…and HE put the words in several people’s mouths and hearts – to encourage me in my walk today!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or ‘like’ me! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

Weight Watchers – day 3
100 Spiritual Steps- blog – day 3
Chronological Bible reading…
50 days T-Tapp – AL, OIP, HD- gotta start!

Spiritual Walking – Day 2 – Who Done It????

When I walk, I pray.
When I walk, I listen to music.
Today, I was listening to Butterfly Kisses, and thinking of my girls, and how I’m so proud of them.
But one line,

“Oh with all that I’ve done wrong
I must have done something right
To deserve a hug every mornin’
And butterfly kisses at night”(1)

My mom used to say to me, “I don’t know what I did right to deserve a daughter like you, but I must’ve done something right.”

The truth?
I did absolutely NOTHING to deserve these wonderful children – well, except for obeying the command to multiply!
I did absolutely nothing to deserve the miscarriages, the children that I never held in my arms.
My five children are gifts from God – totally undeserved, unearned. Just like the sunshine and the rain that God blesses even the wicked with every day. Gifts, undeserved and unearned.

Then, I thought about myself, a child of God Almighty, saved by the gift of sacrifice, by the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and sustained by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Gifts – I did not deserve them, and I did not earn them, and NOTHING I do can change the fact that I can do NOTHING to change my daughterhood.

I used to tell my children, there is nothing you can do that is so bad that I will stop loving you. It’s true.
Some have tried to test that out…but even with estranged times,

I love them forever,
I like them for always,
as long as I’m living,
my babies they’ll be! (2)

God says the same thing to us…John 10:27-29

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand.
My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father’s hand.

We didn’t do anything to deserve this gift …as Paul explains in Eph 2: 8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The first step was to know that I needed a Savior, the second step is – HE SAVED ME not the other way around. The very faith it took to ask Him into my life was a gift from Him, because, without Him, I could not have done it.
And I know that:

He will love me forever,
He’ll like me for always,
as long as He’s living(eternally)
My Daddy, He’ll be!

Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so,
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak, but He is strong!

(1) BUTTERFLY KISSES LYRICS
(2)Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or ‘like’ me! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

Weight Watchers – day 2
100 Spiritual Steps- blog – day 2
Chronological Bible reading…
50 days T-Tapp – AL, OIP, HD- gotta start!

Spiritual Walking Steps – Start Over – Day 1

I started a blog a while ago about 100 Spiritual Walking Steps.
I apologized in a blog, for not making sure that I kept that blog going as I traveled.
Well – I hope to start over…

Walking – a spiritual walk.
Why does walking have such a deep meaning to me?

Well – while in the Navy, I fell and was paralyzed from the waist down for several months – because of inflammation around five discs that were slipped. While I am very good with a wheelchair…I really appreciate the ability to walk.

After many surgeries on various parts of my legs, last summer culminated in three surgeries on my right ankle. After each surgery, I had weeks that I could not walk – wheelchair bound, and beholden to others to help me get around, and do things. I was very good with the wheelchair, but I wanted to walk on my own two feet.

Last December, when my daughter was going to give birth to our second grandchild, I was not permitted to travel, because of the recovery of my ankle. Needing a wheelchair would be a burden to them, as well as not being able to walk up and down the stairs in their house, or walk my own dog. This was very devastating to me.

Therefore – physically, I want to walk! But, while I have not been able to walk, I have thought about my Spiritual Walk.

The Psalm that comforts me the most, whenever I am in a trial, is Psalm 23.

The LORD is MY shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores MY soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for HIS name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death: I will fear no evil: for YOU are with me; YOUR rod and YOUR staff, they comfort me.
YOU prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: You anoint my head with oil; My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

For me, the main points in this psalm are about walking, following, and yielding to the shepherd.
The FIRST step, is making sure that the LORD Jesus Christ IS YOUR Shepherd!
I did that in August of 1969.
The Plan of Salvation is simple.

The thing is – just like exercise, every day, I have to wake up, and say “Jesus, I choose YOU, and YOUR path, TODAY.”

The other TRUTH is, there are times during the day that I have to say “oops, I have walked off the path. Jesus, I’m sorry, I choose to walk on YOUR path again.” It seems that the first step seems to often need to be repeated.

***I am not speaking about salvation needing to be repeated – I’m talking about needing to notice where one is walking, and making adjustments when needed to get back in focus with Jesus Christ.***

So – Step 1 for a Spiritual Walk is choosing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and choosing to walk in His paths daily. Maybe that’s steps 1 & 2…but they are the ONLY steps that are important when it all boils down to it.

For Today, I choose Jesus. My plan is to choose HIS paths every second of every day – but I know that I will fall. And just like walking, when you fall, you need to get back up…but I’ll talk about that later.

My verse for today:

Josh 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or ‘like’ me! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

Weight Watchers – day 1

100 Spiritual Steps- blog – day 1

Chronological Bible reading…

50 days T-Tapp – AL, OIP, HD- starting NOW

The First 100 days – day 2

Already, I’m delusional. I am sure I wrote this somewhere, and I cannot find it, so I am going to reproduce it today.

Day 2 of my Bible reading led me to Genesis 18:14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD?

What could be more impossible than bringing life into and from the grave of an old woman’s womb?

God becoming man?
Raising Christ from the dead?
Forgiving the sins of perpetual sinners?

Isaac was a type of Christ.

But, to Sarah, God asks, is anything too hard for the Lord? and the answer was, a baby!

To Mary, talking about Elizabeth being pregnant, the angel says

“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37 KJV/BLB

When Jesus was explaining what the choices were, what the expectations were about His followers, His disciples asked “who then can be saved?” and His answer was:

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men [it is] impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Mark 10:27 KJV/BLB

There are a few other references to Impossible –

Hebrews 6:4 and 18, but my favorite is Heb 11:6:

But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

We are responsible to walk in faith – and that pleases God! But faith is impossible for us to have on our own…. Eph 2:8

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

Who gets this faith? everyone – Rom 12:3

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

A Promise out of a Rebuke: Matthew 17:20

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Therefore, we are responsible to some extent for our faith growth…and we even have that answer! Rom 10:17

So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

I am able to do anything when I am walking in faith… faith that has grown by hearing, and hearing the word of God. It is first a gift, then it is my responsibility to nourish it and water it, and cause it to grow. And in these last times, is there anything to difficult for God? And the only thing making things too difficult for me is my unbelief, so says Jesus.

May God find grace to pour out upon me, as I have laughed at things He has put before me. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me! Phil 4:13

Now on to day 3!

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi