Days 16,17,18

After about half a month, I've decided I need to change up how I'm doing this. I've been reading and waiting, I've enjoyed it, but I'm also super easily distracted. So my changes are coming after our (my lifegroup) last night in this book. I have been reading the prayer in the back of the book in snippets during my quiet time, but made the decision last night to read the entire thing aloud before diving into my Bible reading for the day. Then a man in our lifegroup said he had chosen to read it aloud that morning and the fog cleared and he felt renewed, so it sealed the deal in my mind that this is what I will do daily before I go into my devotion. I've also incorporated a playlist of worship songs for my quiet time when I'm sitting back and listening for God. This way my mind can stay in the mindset I've prepared up until that moment and I'm not distracted. So we will see if this formula does better to keep me in check and in focus!

Just a side note, praying that prayer aloud made my heart feel a way that I've longed to feel for sometime. I felt truly alive in Christ and ready to tackle the day at hand. 

Days 12-15

I guess I'm halfway through this challenge and I do not see myself stopping after just a month. I have never been good about getting up and having my devotions on a regular basis, I've squeezed them in various times throughout my day or skipped the day all together. The past 2 weeks, I have really enjoyed starting my day off with The Lord  and I know I should have been doing this all along, no excuses. 

Anyway, guess what? Days 11-15, no great epiphany happened! Bet you didn't see that coming ;) I definitely feel His presence around me though, I know He's here, I just need to open my ears and my heart and hear Him.  

Days 6-11

There is a line written in the book we are going over, Waking the Dead by John Eldredge, that says, "...if it doesn't bring freedom and it doesn't bring life, it is not Christianity. If it doesn't restore the image of God and rejoice in the heart, it is not Christianity."

We talked a little about my not really knowing if it is my mind thinking or God speaking, and I reminded if it pointed to God, it was God speaking. So that is how I'll go from now on deciphering if it is mind thinking or God speaking. 

For sometime now, I mean like at LEAST 3-4 months, I've felt a "pang" when I think about my neighbors across the street. If you know me in any aspect, you know I'm not neighborly. I'll wave and say hi every now and then, but I'm not going to make an effort to walk outside and chat. I know my neighbors are not Christians, I've heard through someone else about a lifestyle they lead in the past. I am quick to tell someone I'm a Christian when asked, but honestly I'm not very good about sharing my Faith. I get nervous, I don't feel like I have a powerful testimony and I don't know how to really start honestly. I've asked for help with this and one answer to the prayer is a Sunday night lifegroup about being bold in sharing, but also another answer is a door that's opened for me. My neighbor's dad passed this past week and sitting here, it just dawned on me that maybe that's an opportunity I can use to go talk to them and open up about Christ. But again, I don't know where to start without sounding "Holier than thou" or like I'm shoving something down their throats. I've put notes and such in their mailboxes before, but that is not the same as a face to face conversation. So anyway, all this to say, I felt this morning, the Lord reminded me about them and telling me to use that as a window of opportunity to share a bit with them. So if you're reading this, pray for me please, this is not my area of strength at all.