Bought With A Price

I thought I would start my day off with a devotional to carry me throughout today.  God's peace is the treasure of all treasures.  It is a rather costly gift, for both the giver and the receiver.  God purchased this peace with His blood.  We are to receive this gift by trusting Him in the midst of life's storms.  If we had the world's peace, we would not seek His peace.  Thank Him when things do not go our way, because spiritual blessings come wrapped in trials.  Rejoice in the face of hardship, for He has overcome the world.

Matthew 13:46; James 1:2; John 16:33

When I gave my life to the Lord, I thought I had a set of rules to follow.  If I broke any of these rules, God would punish me through trials.  Over the past few years, I have come to realize that a relationship with God is not about following rules, but having an intimate relationship with Him.  Salvation is not on our own works, so we cannot boast, but we are saved through grace and mercy.  The goal of my salvation is to be changed by God, and to live a Christlike life.  I am human; I will never be perfect, but I am to imitate God's behavior.  God deepens my relationship with Him through trials.  Without trials, I would never know my need for God.  Through trials, lives are changed and hearts are broken.  Without this process, I would never humble myself and recognize God as the Lord in my life.  I love the lyrics to Jesus Bring the Rain by Mercy Me.  I want joy, and I want peace, but there are days when life brings me pain, and if that is what it takes to praise Him, then Jesus bring the rain.

I look forward to Saturdays for many different reasons, but the one big reason is because it's WEIGH DAY!!  I am very excited to see how much weight I have lost this week.  I am not going to get my hopes up and expect another big week, but I am confident that I am going to be in the 120's again.  I have not seen 1-2 since Chandler was born.  I had my in-laws over last night for dinner, and my mother-in-law did comment on how skinny my face looked and what I have been doing.  So obviously counting calories has been working.  WHY OH WHY HAVE I NOT DONE THIS YEARS AGO!!