Living in Jubilee

Living in Jubilee!!!

God wants us to be the happiest, overflowingly sufficient, blessed creatures.

This past week I went home for Spring break.  It was such a needed time as I didn't really realize how homesick I was.  You see, I'm the type of person who is literally used to 1,000 things going on all at once, that I don't realize my stress levels rising nearly ever, until I just burst out with emotion one day.
Sometimes, I've literally been sitting on my dorm floor crying, and ten minutes later actually realize what just made that happen.
In response to this, I would encourage EVERYONE, especially WOMEN, to read the book "Managing Your Emotions: Instead of Your Emotions Managing You" By Joyce Meyer.
It lays out so easily what seems like every situation we could possibly go through, she relates it to her personal experiences (a miracle in itself), and then shows us how the Bible can help us through those times, while minimizing the amount of emotional breakdowns of the future!

But anyway, my Pastor Tony Finley back home has been talking about 2 things for a while now.
On Sundays, He's been talking about "The Year of Jubilee", going at it with an Old Covenant (Testament) vs. New Covenant (Testament) viewpoint.  It's been great! I'm learning that we are to walk in constant Jubilee, which doesn't just mean happiness, but means every good and perfect thing that the Lord has literally laid out for us!
The only thing we must do is be in a position of humility to receive all He has for us! By grace through faith!

On Wednesdays, He just finished up an 11 week series on "Renewing of the Mind".
Now, you may ask, what the heck does this mean?
Well, it means... being steadfast into the Word, and allowing it to transform you from the inside out; make you more like Jesus.
In John 1:1, the Bible says that "In the beginning was the word, and the Word became Flesh, and dwelt among us."
Jesus IS the Word! So literally, when we read and meditate upon scripture in our Bibles, it IS doing something to the inside of you!
I've always believed this, but since Spring break, I realized a few areas in my life where I really WASN'T surrendering to God.
This doesn't do anything BUT slow down God's plan for my life, and stop God from getting all He wants to bless me with! If I'm not in a position where I'm putting Him first, He can't firsthand get all the blessings to me!
Wow, that statement was just accidentally really good. Read that again, haha.
We must put Him FIRST.  In kiddie terms... why?
It's like calling a friend over to "play" when we were younger... is it a lot easier to tell someone exactly what you want to do or to give them something if you talk to them directly? The answer is yes.
But if we don't put God first, talk to Him directly, open our ears ("incline your ears to His sayings"), then it's like going to a friend of a friend of a friend's mom and asking if their friend's friend's friend's child can play with you.
So do yourself a favor and get out of life ALL God has for you!!!  :)

Ok... I have piano class... I'll talk more later!

Thanks for reading!

Megan :)

Romans is an amazing chapter of the Bible.

Ever in a funk? Start reading aloud Romans 12-14.  You'll come out of it realllllly quickly.

This happened to me today.  Its kinda overcast out, and as I was sitting in my room for a while I was suddenly a bit overcome with just the sheer number of things I realized I had coming up, and what I had to do.

So I started reading Romans 12, "The faith chapter" of the Bible, though there are many.

Here are some amazing verses that really resonated with me. :)

Of course, to begin,

Romans 12:2 (definitely in my top 5 favorite verses in the Bible)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed (continually) by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:9

Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil.  Cling to what is good.
^ Simple, but profound!

Romans 12:10-12

10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer...

Romans 12:14-18

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
16 Be of the same mind toward one another.
Do NOT set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.  Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay NO ONE evil for evil.  Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

Romans 13: 13-14

13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
14 But put ON the Lord Jesus Christ, (the Word of God) and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.


I'll go into more detail about this later, just had to post this! :)

Megan