Back to the Basics

Well I did it! I made to Sunday School and Church! I overslept to be quite honest.  I woke up at 8:38 am...

Sunday school starts at 9:00. But Chris watched Deuce for me so I threw on some clothes and ran out the door and was only about 10 minutes late! 

I'm really glad I made it to Sunday school. They started a new series today about spiritual warfare.  I used to be well versed in this spiritual area. My parents taught me well how to be aware of it and how to overcome it.  However over the last few years I have strayed away from my faith base and lost some of those strengths.  I even mentioned to one of my fellow church members how I needed a refresher course on the subject yesterday! So imagine my surprise when I sit down and the start playing a video of "The Bride"! For those of you would aren't familiar with particular christian production it is a great play/musical about the battle between Satan and God that was an annual event for a couple of years when I was about 7 or 8 years old. This show was truly the base for all my spiritual warfare instruction.  God is soooo SMART!!! :) He knew that this was going to be the foundation for the series, He knew that it was my spiritual 101 instruction, and He knew I needed it, so HE MADE SURE I WAS THERE!!! Thank you Father! :) He is truly rebuilding me from the bottom up. 

And then on to the the church service..."How to Love a Turkey" another message I really needed to hear. Especially with the tumultuous weekend my husband and I had.  (yes my husband was my turkey) God was kind to me in this one, all weekend I did my best not to be confrontational and to resist the desire to argue back or get sassy about things and through this message God let me know that I was being Godly, that He saw and was pleased. But it went even further than that He reminded me that I am His daughter. I AM A DAUGHTER OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER! 

The other HUGE thing that I think I have never understood and perhaps is one reason I have such a hard time with my faith is that I DO NOT HAVE TO EARN GODS LOVE!! 1 John 4:19 says, "We love, because HE FIRST LOVED US!!" I know this verse, I've heard it before, but I never really thought about it.  I have an I have to earn _______ (fill in the blank) mentality so I never really thought about the fact that God loves me, just because He does! 

I can't tell you how liberated I feel after going to church today.  I feel filled up and full of hope and love and peace.  AND I have another line for my mantra!

I am a Daughter of my Heavenly Father,

I am courageous, 

I trust in the Lord and

I am Blessed!

Be Blessed, 

Annie

P.S. I also was hired for another babysitting position today. I can even take Deuce with me! Thank you Lord!