Sara's Tent

Humility

2011-08-29T08:40:00.001-07:00

1 Cor 4:20, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” Power comes when we die to everything in ourselves and the Holy Spirit fills us with His presence. It is not your power, it is His. True ministry gains its power through the humility of Christ. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus….who humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross,” Phil 2:3-8.

Grace

2011-08-25T05:55:00.001-07:00

Our mistakes are opportunities for God to be glorified in us. When we do something against someone, go to great lengths to make amends if you are able. I guarantee you that if you apologize; they will see Jesus in you. Do not expect forgiveness from them, but know that the Lord extends His grace to you. As the Church, it is our responsibility to be His Ambassador – that means you have all the rights of Heaven with you, but that also means you have a responsibility to represent the King on earth (“to whom much is given, much is required,” Luke 12:48). What an awesome opportunity to be a servant!

Let go of the rope

2011-08-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

People say to me that they are struggling with a situation. The reason we “struggle” is because we have lost our peace with God. The reason we have lost our peace is because we are trying to control our own circumstances or situation. Total surrender to Him is not helplessness – it is allowing God’s power to be released into your Spirit and your life. Let go of the rope, He is more than able to keep you from falling! (Jude 1:24).

The Promised Land

2011-08-03T12:16:00.001-07:00

God has a Promised Land for each of us – we are to walk by faith and not by sight. The spies came back with a report of giants, Caleb saw ants….Nothing is impossible with God! The secret is in this verse, “But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it,” Numbers 14:24. Caleb followed a different spirit - the Holy Spirit, not the spirit of man, and followed God wholeheartedly. The promise is not only for you, but your children too! Our God does things wholeheartedly on our behalf when we are faithful to Him.

Active Faith

2011-08-03T12:15:00.001-07:00

Faith without works is dead (James 2:20). This is more than doing church programs, it is acting on God’s Word. Continue to read through James and you will discover Abraham was considered righteous because he obeyed God in faith. The Word is alive (Heb. 4:12) and is put into motion as Christ breathes His power into us (John 20:22) by the Holy Spirit. Heart believing faith, based on the Word, is the transforming power of the Cross given to us for victory in every situation.

2011-05-18T07:15:00.003-07:00

We tend to look at what we don't have in life instead of what we do...we are agreeing with the enemy when we line up our thinking the world's way. We are called to "be in the world, but not of it", meaning we are to separate ourselves not just from "worldly" activities but our thoughts as well. The only way to transform your thoughts is by reading God's Word... you cannot apply the world's methods (positive thinking, astrology, hypnosis, etc.) to your life and expect to get God's results.
Romans 12:2, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."

2011-05-18T07:15:00.001-07:00

No matter what happens to us in this world, nothing can ever take away our relationship with Christ. No matter what people say about you, how they treat you, or circumstances that affect your life - nothing can take Him away from you (Romans 8:28-29). People come and go, jobs, careers, family members, but do not despair, He is with you. Hurts from others go deep, but Christ goes deeper still. Do not let the cares of this world turn you away from Him.

2011-04-15T13:10:00.001-07:00

We need to come to a place that we can learn to trust the Lord with those that we love. Whatever your relationship struggles, it is possible to leave them in God’s hands. The Lord does not ask us to fix our friends or our family that is up to Him – our job is to pray, love them and allow Him to shine through us. Many of us are wearing ourselves down with fear and worry about others; cast your burden on Him and He will take care of the rest. Remember, an “idol” can be a person; we must take care not to grieve the Lord by putting any one before Him (Exodus 20:3-4).

Plan A

2011-04-11T08:16:00.001-07:00

There is no failure with God – He doesn’t have plan B, only plan A and He will move heaven and earth to make sure you stay on course. Our responsibility is to keep focused on the Word and agree with Him through prayer. Your enemy is the spirit of self-pity; keep ahead of it through prayer and the Word. “Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy THOUGHTS shall be established,” Proverbs 16:3. The only person who can label you a failure is you – God looks at you through the blood of Christ – perfect-righteous-blameless- He sees His perfect daughter through the work of the Cross.

WOI

2011-04-08T06:05:00.001-07:00

You are a woman of influence. Your life matters, you influence your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and strangers daily. Your life is precious to God and He entrusts you to reach out to others with the gifts He has given to you. We are ambassadors for Christ - do not let your fears, doubts or the opinions of others stop you from doing what the Lord has asked of you. The secret to being a woman of influence (WOI) is this: the deeper your intimacy is with the Lord, the greater your influence will be with others for Him, because we are the aroma or fragrance of Christ, " But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him" (2 Cor 2:14). Go girl!

The Atmosphere of Heaven

2011-04-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Begin to think and agree with the Word, it is our benchmark, our barometer on how to live….stop comparing yourself to the world’s standards, remember we are to be in the world, not a part of it – He enables us to do that with the power of His Word and the Holy Spirit. He is the Word (John 1), He dwells within us, that is how are able to live out Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Much has been said recently about, Romans 4:17b, “the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.” You are not creating those things, they have been set aside for since the foundation of the world, and they have your name written on them in heaven. It is like having a storehouse and all you need to do is take your claim check to the Father and He will give you what HE HAS DECIDED IS ALREADY YOURS. This is not naming and claiming, this is asking and receiving. This is the atmosphere of heaven!

Power Living

2011-04-06T02:45:00.000-07:00

Never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. The same power that resurrected Jesus lives in YOU! The H.S. is not an "it", He is a Person of the Godhead, Jesus said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you," Acts 1:8. His power is your power, agree with the the Holy Spirit in every area of your life today. How? By agreeing with His Word, which is coming into agreement with Heaven. The Word of God is settled, there is no dispute - when you agree with the Word, all of the power of Heaven is behind you and on your side! Nothing to worry about, nothing to fear; start living in the power of the Holy Spirit today.

The Magi

2010-12-22T10:20:00.001-08:00

I’ve always been fascinated by the three wise men in the Nativity story. When I was little we had a manager scene under the tree with the baby Jesus, animals in the barn and three men worshipping at His cradle.

These three men are called the “wise” men; they were the spiritual advisors to the king of Persia. Magi are the root word for “magic”; they were members of Persia’s royal priesthood. They watched the signs in the sky to determine their plans and direction and the star was their compass to locate Jesus. The Lord used something that they were accustomed to draw them to Him - and today the Holy Spirit still desires to draw all men to Him. Spiritually, these three men represent the unbeliever coming to Christ.

The gifts of the magi are so precious. They each represent our own personal gifts we can give to Jesus: Gold symbolizes royalty, making Him the King of your life. Frankincense is coming to Him in prayer and laying your will down on the altar of incense. Myrrh represents giving your life to Him, even unto death.

Many of us may not be called to be a literal martyr for Christ, but we are all called to die to ourselves daily. I urge you to check your heart; are there things you are still holding onto that need to be submitted to Him?

In order for us to move forward in the New Year, we need to let go of some of our old ways. You can’t get to a new place without first leaving the old. For example, Elisha had to leave his plow to follow Elijah, the disciples had to leave their homes, occupations and families to follow Jesus, Joshua had to cross over the Jordan to get to the Promised Land. Everyone had to leave the familiar place to get to the new phase of their journey.

When you move out of the old and into the new you are positioning yourself for a blessing. By offering the gift of obedience to the Lord, it will put you in line to receive God’s blessing. Job 36:7 says, “If they OBEY and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures.”

Have a wonderful Christmas!!

Thanksgiving - Psalm 106:1

2010-11-22T12:55:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
I am taking a break for a week for the Thanksgiving holiday. I'll be back on November 29 :)
Have a wonderful holiday, and we thank God for all of His blessings,
Paula

Fog chaser

2010-11-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

This morning when driving into work there was some heavy fog. When I reached the bottom of the hill, things had cleared up nicely. I've been in a fog for about 5 days, I have many thoughts swirling in my head but when I sit down to write, nothing clicks.

Sometimes I think God allows us to be foggy to build our faith. Heb 11:1 says, " Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see". I always want to see clearly and know what is happening, but life just isn't like that, things don't always make sense. It is in those times that I believe I draw nearer to God, not just to understand what is happening, but to know that He is still there even in the silence.

If you are feeling foggy, just remember we do have a "foghorn" - it is blast to the heavens in the form of prayer. We just need to stay focused, have faith and believe that soon we will see our way clear.

Inner ear

2010-11-11T13:27:00.000-08:00

Some days I wish I had the hearing capability of my cat, Benny. He has super sonic hearing, and as you know even when cats are napping, they still have one eye and one ear on "mouse" alert.
Benny spends his day sleeping, eating, sleeping, bird watching, sleeping, you-get-the-idea. Some days I think how nice it would be to live his life, no worries, no cares.....just having mouse duty.

Earlier this week I talked about making time to hear God speaking to us, but today I want to talk about God hearing YOUR voice. Yes, God listens for YOU to speak to Him. Psalm 34:15 says, "The eyes of the LORD [are] upon the righteous, and his ears [are open] unto their cry, and in John 9:31, "We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will." The Lord desires for you to fellowship with Him, talk with Him, worship Him, just spend time with Him. He delights in you (Psalm 147:11) and loves you; He longs for your presence. These verses are usually thought of as God answering our prayers, which is true - but if we look at them from the perspective of God waiting to hear our voice, it brings a new excitement and dimension to our prayer life.

I googled "mouse, a/k/a Mus musculus" to determine if they can hear. Evidently they are relatively blind (think three blind mice) but have a keen sense of hearing. So, I'm thinking that mouse is also on Benny alert as he is attempting to steal that moldy crust in my bread drawer.

Inner Voice

2010-11-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

Today I have no clever lead in or catchy phrase, I'm tired. It has been a rough day.
Ever wonder why someone who annoys you the most is usually the one whom God places in your path on a regular basis? Some days I just wonder why - and then I know that the Lord is at work in me to change my mindset to be like His (Romans 12:2). Notice I said to be like Him, not to be what I want or think. The worst word in a Chrsitian's vocabulary is "but" - if you are totally committed to being in God's perfect will, that word is not in your word bank, do not listen to your inner voice getting ready to say, "but".

I use the "but" word to defend myself, excuse my behavior, or just protest anything that goes against my logic or reasoning. When we make the decision to become totally His, we give up our right to use that word any longer, we were bought at a price and that includes allowing Him to be our Defender.

When I've had a difficult day, I am ready to use the "but" word at the next person who challenges me. However, I know as difficult as it seems, there is a divine purpose in where God has placed me, and until He decides to make a change, I need to stay put.

I can hear you saying, "But, you don't know how hard it is to do ____ and deal with ____ all day..." I do not walk in your shoes, but I have experienced tough schedules, stressful work situations, health issues as well as being a wife and mother.

Like Paul, I want to someday be able to say, "I am content in all situations," (Phil 4:12), I am not there yet, BUT I know I am making progress. :)

Inner Sanctum

2010-11-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

My Aunt has a saying when you need to be by yourself to concentrate on something, she sends you to the "inner sanctum". As a kid I always thought this sounded spooky, but I was surpised to find out what it really means (here is the defination from the freedictionary.com website):

sanc·tum (sngktm)

n. pl. sanc·tums or sanc·ta (-t)

1. A sacred or holy place.

2. A private place where one is free from intrusion.

My first instinct is to hum the tune to "The Twilight Zone", but the point I'm trying to make is it is important to get alone with God and allow Him to do His perfect work in you this week. Yesterday's theme was on inner healing, today it is connecting with Him in the secret place.

We are familiar with the verse in Matthew 6:6, "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you,"which is meeting with the Lord to pray. Sometimes I find myself talking too much in my prayer closet and not listening enough. We are taught how to read our Bibles and how to live a godly life in most church meetings, but not much is taught on listening to God or how to hear His voice. Psalm 42:7 says,"Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls"; enabling you to hear Him speaking directly to the Holy Spirit in you. Just as we plan a getaway to renew our relationship with our spouse, I want to encourage you to plan a getaway with the Lord to renew your spirit.

One more thing: go back to Matthew 6:6, and read the last portion of the verse, "Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, WILL REWARD YOU." There are many cause and effect verses in the Scriptures - here is a big one, don't miss it - this isn't just about getting your prayers answered; the deeper thing here is your REWARD which is HIM. His Presence, His Glory, His Voice, His Being, overwhelmingly, overpowering, supernaturally JUST FOR YOU.

Inner Tubes

2010-11-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

On my 10th birthday I received a beautiful purple bike that had a white basket on the front, complete with a silver bell and a purple flowered banana seat cover. I thought this was the greatest possible birthday gift ever, and you can imagine my heartbreak when I went to ride it the next morning and it had a flat tire. I clearly remember crying and running into the house to tell my Dad, who promptly said it wasn't the tire that was flat it was something called the "inner tube". We went to the local hardware store and buy a new tube and by late in the afternoon all was well again.

I wish it was as simple with our inward parts or feelings. As we move into this week, I believe the Lord is reminding us that we need to stop and allow Him to do some "repair work " that we may be needed deep within our hearts.

The Holy Spirit is the only One who truly knows our hearts and minds and can bring total healing where we need it the most. Often, we do not even know that there is something not right or we are just feeling a little bit off, but that is why it is so important to stop and have some real quiet time with God. Just plain ask Him,"Is there something You would like to do, Lord?" It isn't complicated or scary, just set aside some time to hear Him speak.

We are so busy and become consumed with things we need to do, that we neglect ourselves and do not allow the ultimate Healer to take control. Most of us have so much to do we run on autopilot and wear ourselves out: body, mind and spirit.

For more information on inward parts/healing, your homework for today is to read: Job 38:36 and Psalm 51:6...then prayerfully run to your Father and ask Him to fix your inner tube. :)

A Heart Condition

2010-11-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

Last night when I went to get my hair cut and colored, I pondered that fact that I’ve been getting my hair dyed for a very, very long time. Truth be told, my “naked” hair looks something like a white Brillo pad. A few months ago my daughter mentioned she liked the color of my hair (which has been known to resemble Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors) and my son looked up at my head and said, “Oh, what are you talking about? You dye your hair?” WELL! That was THE moment I realized why I suffered though 16 hours of labor with this child; to hear such fabulous words out of his mouth was truly music to my ears. In the next second my daughter gave him a ICANTBELIEVEYOUJUSTSAIDTHAT sibling glare and asked, “Are you dumb?” He said, “Well, DAD'S hair isn't gray, so I thought Mom had natural hair color too.” Suddenly, my husband (ever the tactician) remembered something he had to do in the garage…

The good news is that according to God's Word, He doesn't care what we look like on the outside, He is interested in what is in our heart. In 1 Samuel 16, God sent Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint Saul's replacement as king of Israel. He had 7 sons who outwardly looked like they would be the best candidate for the throne, but God had David on reserve to take the lead. He says,"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart," 1 Samuel 16:7.

All week we have looked at David's life as an example of a leader who is in right relationship with God. It does not matter what others think of your outward appearance, (education, credentials, talents or gifts) all that matters to God is the condition of your heart and your willingness to obey His voice. YOU are that person that God has selected for a unique place in His Kingdom, it is time to answer that call.

Best Friends

2010-11-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Best friends are great. Minutes after I'm dead, my best friend has strict instructions to go into my house and remove all of the furry, green items in my refrigerator that resemble Pietri dishes. She will also go through my underwear drawer and throw out any suspicious looking items that may have a rather "worn" look to them, and finally scrub down those shower walls!

I may be exaggerating a bit, but you get the picture - a true friend is someone you can trust and rely on to be there for you in the good times as well as the bad. In keeping with the theme of David this week, his "best friend" was Jonathan, the son of King Saul and the heir to the throne of Israel.

We read in 1 Samuel 18:1-4, "After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt." In verse 3-4 it states he took off his robe, tunic and even his word, bow and belt and gave it to David. If we look closely here, you will see this is the symbolic gesture from Jonathan to David that he has given up his rightful place on the throne and passed it to David. Handing over his robe and tunic, signifies that he is willing to give up his crown to someone he believes is the better "man" for the job. You may be the "next in line" and feel you have earned the right to hold that position, job or ministry, but God may be asking you to sacrifice what you want for someone else who is better suited to fill that role. David already knew he was anointed to be King, but I believe this was a test from the Lord to check Jonathan's heart.

How to we get our hearts ready to do this? In verses 1-2 we see the key to letting go, "Jonathan became ONE in spirit with David." This means he loved David so much he did not care who received the credit. Only the Holy Spirit can knit together that kind of sacrificial love. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends," John 15:13. He laid down his life for us, we in turn can lay down our desires for another person to succeed.

Being a true leader is one who can recognize that someone else may be better equipped to do the job than you. In your quest to finish the race that God has set before you, I know that along the way the Lord will give you at least one opportunity for you to be able to help guide someone else on their journey too. I challenge you today to seek the Lord in prayer and ask Him to show you if there is a David in your life who needs your robe.

The Need for Speed

2010-11-03T05:45:00.000-07:00

I admit I have the "need for speed".... my husband will ask me while I'm behind the wheel, "where's the fire?" I like the feel of the open road, it is good that I do not live in the western U.S. where the roads are endless and flat, or I'd be in some serious trouble. My son inherited that need for speed too; he started with his bike and skateboard and has now graduated to motorcyles, ski jumps and fast cars. One day we were driving ( my new car) and a Corvette pulled up beside us at the light, he looked at me and said, " Don't even think about it, Mom, he would leave us in the dust."

I'm not sure why I need to be in a hurry, but I want things to be done in MY time and sometimes that opens the door to frustration and discouragement. Everyone gets discouraged at times, and we wonder if anything we do for the Lord makes a difference. It is espcially difficult when you see no fruit from your labors, or don't even know for sure why you are doing something :)

This week's focus seems to be about David* (I didn't plan it that way) and his struggles. He became discouraged after he had been on the run from Saul and crys out to God in Psalm 42:5-6, "why so downcast O my soul?" He was so discouraged but yet in verse 8 he knows God has not forsaken him, "by the day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me - a prayer to the God of my life." I encourage you to read all of Psalm 42, it will refresh and give you hope to continue on with your assignment.

Only the Lord knows the beginning and the end of our stories. Remember, the most important thing is your obedience to Him, even if you can't SEE the reason, He isTHE reason for your life and ministry. I have been in this spot for several years - God has called me to do something and I have no idea why - and some days the struggle and frustration overtake me. My heart wants to be like Jesus and only do the Father's will, no matter what - that's the bottom line, there is nothing else. Don't give up, don't surrender, and don't give in to impatience.

When I was driving to work on Monday, a BMW-Z4 pulled on my right side at the stop light. I texted my son to tell him and he replied, "Go for it, you can smoke him, Mom." There will be a time when all of your time, sacrifice, work and prayers will be used to "smoke" the enemy and you will be able to declare what the Lord has done!

*Scholars are not certain who wrote Psalm 42, but the general concensus is that David is the author.

Self-indulgence

2010-11-02T05:40:00.000-07:00

This morning as I started to feed our cat, I realized I had the dishwashing detergent in my hand and was ready to put the meow mix into the dishwasher! As Benny (our cat) had a confused look on his face, I realized I had a little too much on my mind. Driving into work realized I was too preoccupied with my own stuff. I know you may be laughing, but I venture to guess some of you have done something similiar - maybe put the milk in the cupboard and the cereal in the fridge...:)

We can be so concernced with ourselves that we loose sight of our mission in life, which is not what we do for God but that we obey Him. Jesus said, "if you love Me, you will obey My commandments (John 14:15). Obeying Him should be simple, but sometimes we get our own adgenda's in the way, thinking we are doing "good" for God.

Take the case of David, for instance in 1 Chronicles 21. This is the story of David's preoccupation with himself - and his pride. Verse 1 states, "Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census," which David's advisors knew was wrong but he still ordered the number of his army to be counted. What the real issue is here for David is that he wanted to take the credit for Israel's victories (the size of their army under his leadership), instead of giving the credit to God. As the story continues, David is confronted by his prophet, repents and makes a sacrifice to the Lord.

One thing I love about David, no matter how many times he makes a mistake, he is willing to admit it, repent and move forward with God's plan. He might have made many poor choices but his heart was for God and Israel, that was his secret of success.

As we continue with the story in 1Chronicles, we see what Satan meant for evil, God turned into good for David. This is my favorite part of this story: even though David made a huge mistake, after he made a sacrifice on the threshing floor, the Lord gave him the vision for the next phase of his life and ministry. When we read 1 Chronicles 22:1, David says, " this is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering of Israel, " (KJV). AFTER he repented for his mistake, God revealed to him the next location of the temple, which we know as Solomon's Temple. Humbling ourselves before God brings restoration to Him and then in turn will give us fresh revelation. There is revelation at the floor!

Surrender to Revelation

2010-11-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to day 1 of this blog! I'm very excited to see what the Lord will do and how he will speak to us over the next 40 days. Please feel free to post a comment or share this site with others :)

It isn't so important what we do for God as our relationship with Him. Jesus shares this with the disciples in Luke 10:20, "However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." He is saying it is more valuable to be saved and in the Kingdom than to be doing something for Him (even casting out demons!). A woman minister once told me that I was too concerned about pursing my destiny instead of my relationship with Jesus. I was offended at her remark, but now I know she was correct...before we can fully enter into the ministry God calls us to, we must be in the right relationship with Him.

In Psalm 51:17, David says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart O God, you will not despise." David prayed this after his affair with Bathsheba. The Lord is always ready to forgive when we come to Him with a humble heart. Your brokenness may not be a sin issue, but rather something that you need to surrender to God such as fear, bitterness or control.

Just as a racehorse needs to be broken before he can become a champion, we must be broken before we can serve Him as well as others. I caution you to check your motives, are you doing ministry for yourself or for Him? If you are feeling out of touch with God and need fresh vision - seek Him on this and I promise you He will not disappoint you - He meets you in the midst of your pain. Before there can be revelation, there must be a time of repentance and brokenness. New revelation requires a deeper level of surrender to God. Allow Him to bring you through brokenness, because on the other side is your destiny.

Tomorrow: The Floor

Welcome

2010-10-27T06:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog and to the ministry of Sara's Tent. The purpose of the ministry is to reach out to women who are seeking prayer, guidance and God's purpose for their lives. Sara's Tent was founded in 2008, with the scripture mandate of Titus 2:3-4. Just as biblical Sara birthed her "Issac" in her later years, God still has a purpose for your life no matter what your age. This blog is to encourage you to become all that God has intended for your life, and to share our thoughts and concerns to encourage one another along the way.

Although my writing is from a Christian worldview, this is not meant to be a "religious" site, but for anyone who is seeking a deeper walk with Christ.

The Lord has put on my heart to begin writing my blog for a period of 40 days, beginnning November 1, 2010. This has been on my mind for over a year to do, but I had many excuses not to start - the major one being I have no time... but as you know we make the time to do what we really want to, so here I go!!

I am currently taking some classes and found myself complaining to my classmates that people in the Body of Christ are not open and authentic with one another; we tend to wear masks so others will think we are all ok. Well, the truth is, we are all humans, saved by God's Grace, and we are a work in progress. I have found that the more open we are with one another, the more we can lift up our sister or brothers and become a brighter light for Christ. Well, since I opened my mouth, I became aware that I needed to "practice what I preach" and this blog gives me the chance to be more transparent too :)

My blog is not meant to be a scholarly journal, but very down to earth, real and honest. I do request we speak to one another in love - it is fine to disagree, but please do it with respect.

Thanks for joining me as we begin this 40 day adventure...

Paula a/k/a "pearldigger".... YOU are the pearls, God is digging deep to find women like you!