Relationship with Christ.

How many of us actually stop to think what it means to have a relationship with Christ?
Have you ever thought "I, personally, can talk with God. And He talks to me."
Plenty of religions can talk at their gods, but how many can claim "God, Creator of the world, Savior of my soul, is also my Father." This is my badge. I CAN'T be "good enough" for Him, or to get to Heaven. But my Savior made it where I don't have to be.
I sit here amazed.
Think about it.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Rom10:9-10

That's my part, to believe, to confess. This belief is not simply head knowledge of accepting Christ as a fact, but trusting Him, and all He has said.

There is proof on whether or not a person believes.

Jesus tells of it in Matthew 7 (See final text.)

We know that when we are Saved that God the Holy Spirit dwells within us to teach us and guide us.

Galatians 5:22-23 says "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

When we are right with the Lord, (Not living in sin,) we have this fruit that is both inward and outward. An interesting thought, is that every part of the fruit is not feelings, but choices. Too many people want to place feelings into it. The prophet Jeremiah says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:" (Jer 17:9) This is our worship, that we choose Christ, and follow His teaching. In John 14:15 Jesus said "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Love is action, it is choice. Shall we read that again? "If ye choose me, keep my commandments." When God calls us unto Him, we make the choice to follow Him, or to turn from Him. A relationship with Christ requires that we walk with Him daily, choosing Him over ourselves.

Final text:
Matthew 7:13-27
 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Workkeys.

I got gold. Even with the knowledge that it is an amazing score, I was a little let down. I was going for Platinum, but one (out of three) lacked the score required. This will not be the end. I will study, test, and study to be able to retake the test and reach my goal. By the next time they have the test that I can take it, I will reach my goal. Count on it.

Sadly, I can not take much credit for the feat performed today. My Lord provided the mind that it may learn; He held off pain, and gave me the ability to concentrate.

Credit also goes to my wonderful teacher and mother. Without her I would have an average education, instead of the boosted knowledge that comes from a good homeschool experience.

My intrector assures me my mother's choice in homeschooling is the biggest part in my great scores.

Be proud mom. You taught me well.

Preaching love, not fear.

After reading an article ( http://www.patheos.com/blogs/formerlyfundie/5-reasons-why-many-american-christians-wouldnt-like-the-first-ones/ ) I have been thinking a lot on the way people share the Gosple, and why it is important.
John 3:16 says that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son..." We are to be like Christ, as the name "Christian" means. You will not find a sermon Jesus preached that said "You are all awful and hell bound!" While we are awful and headed for hell as sinners, that is not the approach we are to take. We are to share the Good News. The Gospel is not that we are awful, but that God is wonderful. We all know we are awful, that doesn't need to be preached to any wise person.
Another reason not to preach that way is because the focus is on us, and not God. "YOU are a dirty rotten sinner!" has the wrong focus. We are to be God focused, not us focused.
This isn't to say that Jesus never spoke of our wickedness, nor never spoke of hell(Example Matt5:22); but it is that Salvation was never preached with fear tactics.
It wasn't said "Follow me or burn forever."
It was said "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

John 15:1-16 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Jesus presented a choice. And a hard choice it was with His honest warnings.

John 15:18-21"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me."

People are more likely to make a profession when they are in fear of pain. People are more likely to actually follow Christ with love knowing the grace of God.

"Christian"

Working has provided me the chance to meet many people who have many different beliefs. What amazes me is how man will claim the title "Christian" without believing much more than that there is some sort of higher power.
This has forced me back to the roots of  "Christian." Acts 11:26 tells us that the disciples were first called "Christians" at Antioch.
I heard it preached that a Christian is these three things:
~A Sinner.
~A Believer.
~A Follower of Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:20-24 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"
Matthew 16:24 Also supports it: "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." 

One man I talked to said he believed some of the Bible, but couldn't believe all of it. 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 is the reply to that. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

Some said that they just believe they have to be good to get to Heaven. John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3:36
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Life, what to do?

My work training (barring an extension) will be over in the next month. In the next week or two I should be able to take the Workkeys test (which should be gold by all the different pre-tests I've done.) Then, I don't know. Life will happen. I still haven't the foggiest idea what I want to do for a living. I keep expecting to have some grand revelation; To have the answer handed to me. I keep hoping it would be that easy. But, then, we all know life isn't easy for anyone.
It is almost funny to me which things people will say you need to figure out for yourself, and which things God will just tell you. As if they know the mind of God and what He will do for you, and make you do yourself.
When you get right down to it, God will help you do a lot, but you do have to do everything yourself. He provided everything needed for the life He wants us to live, but still wants us to walk it. Most the time though, I wish He'd just live my life... that way it would go as planned.
Me? I have no plans. If only I could know His.

Growth.

Granny and I were talking the other day on how far I have come just since I started working a couple of months ago. I have since pondered it, and started praising my Lord for all these blessings.
When I started working:
 I couldn't stand for more than 20 minutes on a good day.
I didn't talk to people-I had no interest to.
I thought I'd fail, and fall, and end up dead from that.
I thought that even if I could do the minimum, it'd never help me.
I fought with God on my situation, demanding to know why.
I would get so stressed dealing with people, that I would cry for hours.

Many days when I first started working, I came home in so much pain, and completely exhausted. After a few weeks I had my first mess-up. I didn't handle it well. I just cried with a black cloud over my head, and became more withdrawn and focused on getting it right. Then they moved me to another station. I went from packing a kit, to labeling gauze with an expiration date. I thought it was punishment for messing up, and I sat there jabbing myself with mean thoughts on how poorly I was doing. It took almost a week for me to accept that I had been moved, and I had also changed how I looked at it. It was an easier job, and, with thought, I figured they probably moved me more for my breakdown than for my mess up. (I later learned that they move people around all the time to give more experience in more areas.) After a couple of weeks I began to thrive at my new station. I saw there was paperwork done each step of the process, and I asked to learn about it. A couple of days later the lead at the gauze station quit coming into work, and they began to teach me the paperwork. It took awhile to start to get the hang of it. One day, a couple of days into learning the paperwork, we had a couple of guys from a different station come down to work with us. They asked who was in charge, and I didn't know, so I told them "I guess no one is." So, they asked "Who's doing the paperwork?" "I am" "You're boss then." In that same conversation I learned lead comes with a pay-raise. I didn't get the raise for another week, until I was actually doing the job, and then asked about the raise. Once I became "in charge" I really began to thrive in personal growth. My new position forced me to interact with people, and had me working on standing more. The more I experienced, the more I learned, the more I grew. Now, I don't mind talking to people because it is a lot less stressful. I can stand up to an hour and a half solid on a good day. I have found depending on God to bring my success and confidence to a higher level is the only way to go.
When I started working, I had no goal but to be working because I was told I had to.
Now, I am looking to my future. I am saving to buy my own car, and eventually my own home.
When I started working, I didn't think I had the body or the brains to make it.
Now, I know God will help my body, and He gave me a great mind, and a great mom to teach me. Having been homeschooled, I tested at an at-least-two-years-of-college level.
I have been blessed beyond what I ever hoped or dreamed even possible.
I look forward to seeing what else He has in store for me.