Soo anyway, on to Chapter 11:
"Knowing what you have makes all the difference." So often we relish in all we don't have, rather than focus on all He's already given us. What a silly mistake we constantly make.
Soul Vs. Spirit
"...when it comes to understanding how to come out from behind the masks we wera and live in freedom from those false identities, the distinction between soul and spirit becomes a vital part of our experience." I've never been taught that they weren't the same thing. I have always been taught that soul and spirit are one and the same.
The Visible Invisible
"The invisible can be overlooked until it isn't there anymore." Perhaps this is why we so often feel distance between ourselves and God. Because we tend to overlook our relationship with Him until it begins to fade.
The Anatomy of the Invisible
"So if I feel rejected, I'm likely to believe that I am unacceptable. If I feel embarrassed, I am likely to believe that I am a fool. If I feel capable, I'm likely to believe I can handle anything."
"When my spirit meets God's Holy Spirit, life is made available."
The Letting
"...simply knowing wasn't enough...she had to let it be true." How often have I known something, but refused to let that truth actually sink through my thick skull? Too many if I were to guess.
"Peace stands between them (my mask and my Savior), looks me straight in the eye, and asks permission to do what peace does best: give rest" I love this. Over the last week I reached out to someone, in hopes to make amends in our relationship. I came out with some pretty big scars, but I felt God asking me to take that step. It's been almost 2 weeks with no response. Instead of doing as I would have done before and over thinking the whys and what-nots about the lack of response, but instead, peace is reigning. Peace that I followed the call. Peace because I know that as far as it depends on me, I made the attempt to live at peace with this former friend.
"...I have to let peace be peaceful within me." Amen! I haven't learned out to do this very well until recently.
The Mystery
"Born as a daughter of Eve, your flesh was your only option because your spirit was dead." Since we're all daughters of eve...from birth into flesh...we were dead in spirit upon birth. "...now you have a choice:...Let fear dominate or let peace rule?" Seems like an easy choice huh? Until we allow our fleshly minds to think and rethink and over-think things.
The Release
"If you want to embrace the reality of who he is and who he has made you to be, you first have to release the lie of who you always thought you were." Oh wow. Cutting straight to the heart there...ouch. Time to go lick that wound...nah. I'll let the one who opened it, slowly close it up as I learn how to live this statement out.
Receive
"Are you trying to be who Jesus wants you to be? Or do you trust him to bring out who he has already created you to be? It is vital to recognize the difference between these two questions because one leads to death, the other leads to life." Ithinkknow I need to reflect on this more often.
"Only Jesus can be like Jesus. And he wants me to trust him to be who he is in and through me." Lord, teach me how to have this sort of trust. Show me what it means to truly trust you. Amen.
My plan is to do chapters 12 and 13 within the next few days. Hopefully I can be all caught up within the next week. But as this book has been forcing me to do this whole time, I will take it word by word, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph and soak as much as I can.
Blessings friends! Happy New Years to you and yours. Be sure to click on over here and subscribe to this blog starting on Sunday!
I loved chapter 11.... I loved it so much.
ReplyDeleteIt was amazing- - - I LIVED and Experienced it before I read it!! :)
So amazing!
I should be reading Chapters 14 and 15... Sigh. :)
You and me both Meredith! I'm only half way through 12, so I'm gonna take it as slow/quick as the content allows.
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