Yes, It's a New Post

... and yes, it's a Vlog.

It Just Can't Compare

I'm sure you don't struggle spiritually like I do, so you probably wouldn't understand how I've been feeling depressed the last couple days.  I can't even tell you the number of times over the course of blogging that I've wanted to shut down, just because I wanted to isolate myself from people because of the struggles.

But I'm still here.

So, I've been feeling this struggle and unsure how to really get on top of it.  Prayer didn't help because I didn't know how to pray about it.  All I knew was that I hurt and wanted circumstances in my life to be different.  I'd cry while praying, but that wasn't accomplishing much.

Thank the Lord for godly friends that share scripture.  And not just any scripture, but the very scripture that meets the need.  The very scripture that kept coming up again and again the last couple of weeks.  The one that I meant to memorize and haven't gotten around to it yet.

My problem was that I wanted a certain situation to be a certain way, and it just isn't working out that way right now... which hurts.  My friend, perceiving my idol for what it was, shared these verses with me...

Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.  ~Psalm 73:25 - 27

Then she asked me a question... Is your portion going to be [certain situation] or is it going to be God?  Let me put it in different terms for you.  Are you going to make [certain situation] the most important thing in your life, or is God going to be the most important thing in your life?

Immediately, I recognized how large of a contrast it is to compare my relationship with God to needing this desire fulfilled in my life in order to be happy.  It is incomparable!  I need God... more than anything else. 

Suddenly that certain situation didn't seem so important anymore.  That's peace.

She Did It Again!

Dear Ms. Barista,

You just don't seem to get it, do you?  When I order a non-fat raspberry mocha with whip, all I want is a non-fat raspberry mocha with whip.  And please don't tell me how much it smells like chocolate covered cherries.  It doesn't!  It can't because the perfume you left behind on my cup lid is overwhelming my nostrils.

You were doing so well, too.  What happened?

It seems I may need to take my business elsewhere if you keep this up.  At more than $3.00 a cup, I just can't afford to not enjoy my mocha.

Regretfully,

Liz

Ladies Bible Study

I'm not sure if I've told you before, but I attend a ladies Bible study on Tuesdays.  We have a small group of women who come for prayer and study, and we've been in Revelation.  It's been pretty exciting!

Today the study was different, though.  My friend Judy leads it, but she was sick and couldn't make it.  I don't think that has ever happened before.  When I found out she wasn't going to be well enough to teach, she said I could go ahead and have the group pray as usual and then read some scripture and discuss.

Currently, our church is focusing on the book of Colossians as a daily reading.  So that's what we did in place of a study.  I had no idea what we would talk about, as I had not prepared anything.  All I knew is that we would read the book of Colossians and then discuss the things that grabbed our attention. 

It was a very special time, and we had a terrific discussion.  My favorite section of the book is the passage in Colossians 1:9-12 that says,

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

I like it because Paul says how he has prayed for the church, and this is how I ought to be praying not only for myself, but also for others.  I can be sure I'm praying according to God's will for others because this is what He wants for us:

1.  Be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

2.  Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him.

3.  Be fruitful in every good work

4.  Increase in the knowledge of God.

5.  Be strengthened with all might to be able to experience joy in suffering.

6.  Give thanks in all things because the Father has made us partakers of the inheritance.

We need these things prayed over our lives that we might become mature, and I encouraged the ladies to be praying this way for each other.  No matter what adversity we face, God can always answer this prayer with a resounding YES. 

Officially a Dot Com

Well, I finally did it.  After more than a year of blogging and deciding if I would really, really, REALLY keep doing this, I took the plunge.  I am now...

www.discoveringliz.com

It doesn't really change how you get here, but it's shorter than typing out that whole long Blogspot address.  It's also just cooler to say, Check out my blog... I'm at discoveringliz.com 

Oh yeah, I am all about being cool.  Just don't ask anyone I went to school with because they might tell you something different.  Who are you gonna believe anyway?  A bunch of strangers or your good ol' blogging pal, Liz?

Yeah, that's what I thought...