My Flickr Mosaic

1. What is your first name? Andrea
2. What is your favorite food? Popcorn
3. What high school did you go to? Westchester
4. What is your favorite color? Blue
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Will Smith
6. Favorite drink? Coffee

7. Dream vacation? Australia

8. Favorite dessert? Chocolate Cheesecake
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Counselor
10. What do you love most in life? Jesus
11. One Word to describe you? Vessel
12. Your flickr name? wcwhite13

Peace

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace the man whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

My joy and peace are no one's responsibility but my own. If I place expectations on any person, including myself, or hold them responsible for my needs, it is wrong. No rudeness, no rejection, no injustice committed by anyone can rob me of my joy and my peace...unless I let it.

My joy and peace come from my love relationship with God and Jesus Christ. I know that He will be faithful to me forever and that He will never leave me. My joy is in knowing that I am loved more than I can comprehend. I choose to return His love by being totally submitted to be used as His vessel. I willingly submit to allow Him to show the same love He gives me to others even if He wants to use me to show His love to someone I really don't care for much. He has already saved me from this world and I am dead to it, so why should I think of myself first or allow it to influence my mind.

I need to remember that life is not about me but about Him. I think instead of focusing on my circumstances or the people around me, I will immerse myself in the promises God made to me. I do not need to notice their mistakes and I should not be affected by their misjudgments of me or my family. In doing this I find that I exchange the happiness I tried to produce by doing good things when I first became a christian for authentic joy and peace that remains unchanged regardless of whats happening . But it is up to me, for only I choose what I believe and whom I will listen to.

My way, my precious.

Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

My way! That's what I have programmed into myself all these years. Walking after the flesh. I have chosen to attempt to get all my needs met without God's help, instead of seeking God first and trusting Him to meet them. I know, I know, I was just being a good christian and lightening God's load, I only need to ask help from Him when its really big. Essentially I let God know he could save me, but I was going to be in charge of my life and the god of the things I wanted to handle because He had bigger things to take care of. I wanted a savior but not a Lord. Reminds me of the "the Precious" in the Lord of the Rings. It slowly convinced the bearer that the only thing that really mattered was itself. Only my precious is my life, my family, my time, . . .any area that I am trying to exert control in. Just like the characters in the movie, I was deceived into believing I didn't need a Lord I was doing good on my own with my precious. When I look to man or some earthly substance to meet my needs for love and provision, I am essentially cutting God out of the picture. Pretty harsh I know but sometimes the truth aint pretty for me.

Is control really an illusion

Wow God is downloading these days. I am not concerned with what He is up to, just trying to submit and allow myself to be led. Take this scripture for example.

I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. Matthew 18:18-19

God has been dealing with me on the issue of control. What issues have I attached control to here on earth? My family members, my friends, my provision, what I eat? I have been thinking about the difference between caring and control or teaching and control. This scripture speaks to me today in a totally different way than it has before. Am I binding these things on earth? Essentially I am taking control of (binding) these under my own power rather than allowing God control. This, I realize is not going to turn out well for me or anyone involved.

Are there people and circumstances in my life that I am trying to influence or control? Now I know there are many who would not like the word "control" and many who know me would not consider me a controlling person. But the answer to the question unfortunately is Yes.

Am I allowing myself to totally be used as a vessel to communicate God's love? The answer is complicated by my selfish bent. I believe I am doing and saying things in order for there to be the best outcome for all concerned. I realize now that unless God is speaking through me as a submitted vessel, with no input or words from myself, then my actions are selfish in some way. My actions reveal that I may believe that I know better than the other person what is best for them. So I am encouraging them to look to me rather than to God for their knowledge and provision. In essence I am telling God "I got this one, I will help you out here." I realize now that my God is a big, bad God that can handle it all on His own and all I have to do is submit to a 24/7 relationship with Him and allow Him to speak through me as He sees fit. Wow scary look in the mirror wouldn't you say? I am trying to process the information God is reavealing to me so I can assimilate it into my life.

Lord I realize that the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil to the very depths of hell. And in this moment, I choose to let go and loose the bonds of control I have placed on the people and circumstances in my life here on earth. I totally submit to you as a vessel and release control of any person or thing that I might have tried to help you out with. I know that you are sovreign and trust you to speak to them any time or place regarding their choices and behavior. I confess that is not my "job" here on earth and by doing that I basically thought I was smarter than you. I loose the manifestations of Jesus, the Son of God, in these areas tearing to pieces every design of the devil in the kingdom of darkness.

It's not about me, or maybe it is?

Does God communicate to me through all creation? Yes, He does! I was pondering what that really means by looking at my own experiences just in the last 24 hours.

God has definitely been working with me to see my own selfishness in my thoughts and actions as I walk through my everyday life. He woke me early after just four hours sleep today, my first thought was about me. Why so little God? I could see that I was immediately focused inwardly on me. He was gently showing me my selfishness. I ignored Him and tried to recover my slumber state, after several minutes of tossing and turning I willing submitted that maybe God had other plans. Even if I wanted to say it was just my body not cooperating, I would have to remember that God is the mighty creator of my body, it is HIS, and He uses it for His plans and purposes.

I prayed for those close to me and my family, pondering what He may have for them today. But He didn't share that with me. Funny, I am realizing that He only talks to me about ME! Amazing isn't it? Each time I find myself in that situation lately I see that my reaction to someone else's behavior is just God using that person he lovingly created to have a conversation with me. But the funny thing is He is desparately trying to allow me to see an area within me that has a hidden place that I have tried to protect myself, with my own power. The whole interaction is actually designed to allow me the space to see myself in a mirror. Anything I am saying to another person is actually me communicating back to God. I always am thinking God needs a little help noticing other peoples problems and flaws, but He is actually showing me we are all flawed. If anyone was perfect, why would we need God?