Imagination… that is a word I have lived too much of my life by. I can have a very vivid imagination, which is good in creating, but when imagination turns to negative thoughts… that is where the problem lies! In Genesis 33… where Esau and Jacob were going to meet up with each other so many years after Jacob had stole Esau’s blessing… Jacob imagined Esau would still be mad and maybe want to kill him, but that was not the case.
There have been so many times when I would walk into a room of strangers or acquaintances and just know they were looking or thinking critically of me. I could have the whole scenario playing out in my mind, when none of it was true only my imagination. The devil loves to play off our imagination… it is like we are doing all the work for him… you know the thoughts… “that person thinks I am not good enough”… “they are staring at this big zit on my face”… “they think I don’t belong here”… “what if I trip and fall as I walk across the room”..."are they laughing at me?" All those condemning thoughts of inadequacy… we do it to ourselves and then let the enemy have his fun too with our help. I know that my imaginations of inadequacy have come from me not being secure in who I am in Christ… human fear over Christ-like faith. If the devil can keep us from living in our faith in Christ then he has got us where he wants us.
A couple years ago God really spoke to me about living life “out-loud” for Him. All the insecurities that I lived everyday of my life with were keeping me stifled and I was becoming stagnant for Him… I was determined that with God’s help I was not going to live one more day based on my insecurities or emotions. Not saying that I don’t have trouble with that anymore but I try to live day to day and moment to moment trying to conquer that with comfort and guidance from the Holy Spirit. It is so freeing and actually refreshing not to have those imaginary conversations going on in my mind… I saw the people around me as my enemy when they were not my enemy… my enemy was my own imagination.
"Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,.. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." I Peter 2:1, 4-5
I have a little graduation card to share with you... embossing folder with the Cuttlebug... SU corner and edge punch... mini butterflies... and little half pearls... thought it turned out pretty.
I know this is a long post today, but I felt like I needed to share this. Asking once again for prayers for my mom... she has been through a lot over the last year and it is all catching up with her... she is dealing with major mental anguish and she is in the hospital once again... God hears our prayers and we believe for complete healing in Jesus' name.
with a grateFUL HEART, carin
