Cheryl L.’s Journal

I know I am naturally scum at heart but Christ who died for me, and raised again to life gives me grace that is everlasting and truly the best and most worthwhile gift I ever received. I would not want to be one of those that pridefully stands before the thrown of God with arrogence on judgement day, but unfortunatly I know people that plan on doing just that. About a year ago I was in my prayer time and I was trying the understand God's wrath, because God for me is kind, loving, and the best most awsome Father I could ever have, I had a hard time understanding that he is also just and his wrath. So in my prayer time I asked God to show me a glimpse of what it feels like to be in his wrath (I know sounds stupid right?) well he did just that. For 5 secords (if that) this incredible feeling of terror (not fear but worse terror) came over me and then it was gone, be careful what you ask for, God may just give it to you.

In EVERYTHING you do do so for the glory of God! We will all have to atest for every deed and word that we ever did or mouthed, so where are your priorities? Is your focus on power, money, or stuff, or is your focus on Christ and the treasures he stores up in heaven for those who LOVE him! For all the stuff we have on this side of heaven will be burned away, but the word shall NEVER perrish! That to me is excilerating, I personally am anxious for that time!

Some chapters I wish we could pick more than 1 verse for I would have picked verses 6, 9 & 11 too. I also would have included verse 15 to finish the thought of the one I picked today too. "15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments" I choose verse 14&15 today because this describes my landlord & myself to a T He is w/o the holy spirit and ademently rejects anything to do with God (not just Jesus but the Trinity) in fact he considers me foolish because I believe in what he calls "fables". In the mean time he is trusting of a person that has shown to anyone with ears that hear and eyes that see that the person is untrustworthy. As we read in verse 15 it is okay to make judgements IF the holy spirit within you is the one that is making the judgement call not the human within you. That said when a man kept hanging around my shop for hours on end and during which time the hairs on the back of my neck stood up whenever he was around that was because the holy spirit was warning me, so when I found out that he was a convicted pedofiler with targets on my son, My ex pastor should have understood rather than make me feel like I was the gulity party. My ex pastor thought he had the gift of decernment (which he may have at times) BUT spiritual gifts are not 100% of the time but as the lord wills it. In the end I found another church.

In my shop I make it very apparent that we are believers in Christ and I love it when people come in for prayer or just need someone to listen, And when I get the opportunity to boast about our God and all that he has done for us it is excilerating, God is Awsome!

I suppose this is why I have a difficult time signing up to be a member of any one church. Since childhood I have been to many churches and I have found that there are churches designed for new belivers of which I attended for 7 years until I felt I was not learning anything new because sermons where repeated every 2 years. Then I went to a church that as far as knowledge of the bible the Pastor was great but I didn't feel like I was part of their "in crowd" they never acknowledged that "in EVERYTHING you do, do so for the GLORY of GOD". I wish all churches put a stress on that being a believer and living it out loud is not a 1 day of the week thing but 7 days a week, "but be doers of the word not just hearers only lest you decieve yourself". And now I go to a church that the pastor is kind and unlike all other pastors he actually makes a point to get to know his congregation outside of church, and he solved the one thing I had a problem with "how do you study the bible and apply that knowledge" Pastor Randy gives us study sheets to work on Monday-Friday that are filled with tough questions, truth, and application. There are just too many "churches" that only teaching surface christianity.

This is easier said than done when the person who moved into the business suite next door and uses it as a home instead does everything to make life difficult for everybody else that runs a business there in the other suites including throwing drug and booze parties "after hours" taking down the signs that point to the other businesses, leaving the gate open for people to come in a steal and attempt to steal, and purposfully putting dog dung on the front porch of one of the businesses. And the landlord does NOTHING! It is hard to accept someone who is blatantly an thorn in everybodys side.

I long for this day honestly I am tired of living in a world that disreguards God and his son Jesus and would rather worship trees. As many people tell me that they are athests or agnostic or the newest phrase "I belive in a higher spriitual power" I say "Great but do you know him personally? Beacuse in the end that is ALL that matters."

In this day and age I find that hard to believe anymore. Where I live I see "authority" bulling the innocent like the homeless that make their camps in the secluded areas tearing down their campsites and harrassing them. Not only are these campsites out of the public view but as I have built a relationship with some of them and got to know them , they like us they don't like to bring issues into their home. Someone harrasing them in public isn't welcomed in their home. The police said they are doing this because someone complained but that complainer ended up stealing the unguarded personal items like sleeping bags etc. as soon as the site was unmanned. I have seen people that held the high role as police become drug dealers when cutbacks cause them to loose that job. The corruption in the police department in my area is astronomical, and my area isn't the only place didn't the justice department take over the New Orleans Police Department just days ago citing that it was the most corrupt department in the COUNTRY! And what is worse is that it is going to get worse! AKA FEMA camps

There were at least 5 verses that I could pull out of this chapter that I could easily comment on but I will chose the one that brings back memories. This verse coincides with Matt 5:39 "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." Well that was how I was raised I was not always successful (especially with family) but I did try to the point that when a bully was bulling me in 7th and 8th grade I turned the other cheek even when I felt like slugging him. In 9th grade we were placed in another class together he tried to do it again and again I turned the other cheek but then I didn't see him in that class anymore shortly after which I was perfectly fine with, I found out later that he was booted out of the school altogether for doing drugs...that was great revenge and I didn't even have to lift a finger. Then 20 years later I run into him again and find out that now his wife supports him and he is the stay at home dad of 2 girls meaning that now he has to worry about bullies picking of them and he went completly bald. No where near the hotshot he thought he was when he was younger. Thank You God for taking the revenge.

Out of this chapter I would have to say this is the most profound to me...it says that you can call yourself a "Christian" (in fact a lot do) all you want but unless you have the faith and accept that Jesus who took upon your sin making you who's hands are bloody and soiled with guilt; washed clean by the holy blood of Jesus Christ to be pure and snow and then born again making you a new creation. As a new creation you no longer do the things that you did before but are blessed to follow the example of Jesus and love as he first loved us.