I have twenty-one minutes left to join hostess, Sonya, and all the other thankful bloggers in sharing thankfuls on Thursday.
#1. I just returned from an Avalon/Selah concert. I wasn't sure if I would like the new female singer for Selah, who actually joined the group in 2006. I haven't been paying much attention to the new albums. I love the older ones with Nicol, sister of lead male vocalist, Todd Smith. Well, I found that not only can Amy Perry sing, she had something to say that carried a message just for me.
She shared about her lifelong struggle with her weight and how her family and a particular old boyfriend had always made snide remarks about how she really needed to drop some pounds.
Hard stuff. Hurtful. Wounding.
She talked about how, with the encouragement of love from her husband, she learned to believe that God created her in His own image and gave her special gifts and talents that she could use to praise and worship Him. So, though she does the torturous workouts in an attempt to battle the bulge- she lives with confidence, in joy, knowing that the God who created all things good, loves and cares for her just as she is.
Her testimony challenged me to think about it. All people are created in the image of God, are his handiwork and loved by him. I cannot say I love Him and then have prejudices against those, whom he created! I want to love, just as I want to be loved, not for how I look, but for what is inside of me- a heart that yearns to follow Jesus, to love and care and show compassion for others. I want to share the hope I have in Christ- just as Amy did so beautifully tonight!
Thanks, Amy!
#2. God is challenging me to consider the truth of his word, the whole word and nothing but the word. A friend of mine recently shared about a ministry she is involved with, whereby she and others pray with people who are troubled by demonic activity. Wow. It sounded like something out of a sci fi flick.
BUT. I go to the word of God and I read about Satan and the forms he takes in the world.
I grew up in a denominational background that did not discuss Satan or hell, but rather talked about these words as being universal language that just stood for anything evil. Nobody from the church of my youth went to hell, because if there was such a place (and the teaching was there wasn't) Jesus would be the first one there to catch that poor, unfortunate soul and carry it off to heaven.
Very confusing, in light of the word.
So, I'm thankful for the challenges that cause me to think and re-think and read, read, read the word of God!
#3. I'm thankful that the blog meme's allow for a little leeway. Because I'm not posting five today, but 3.
It may be a broken road, but if it leads us straight to Him- it is one worth traveling.
