Spiritual Discipline

This past week I had taken off from work and really took that time to not do anything. I am such a do-er that I never find time to just be and listen. This flaw in me had caught up with me causing some weariness and just lack luster in life. So last week I decided to place myself in a retreat, a place of calm and serene, and get my focus back on what it needed to be. To say I was blessed in that process would be an understatement.

As stated before in this blog, Psalm 23 has been on my heart alot and allowing God to be the Shepherd of my life. This requires alot and here are some lessons I learned about myself this past week in light of allowing God to shepherd my life.

• I cannot control every aspect of my life, nor should I try. I do not need to know the details of God's plan for my life, I simply need to know Him.
• I've got to ask for help....a practice that I have not utilized but am beginning to and its helpful.
• Guilt and worry are not of God, therefore if I can recognize that I can get my focus back fairly quickly.
• There are lots of times to talk about God to others but what I'm called to do right now in my life is to talk to God.
• There is power in prayer and I need to rely on it more. I have a BIG test coming up on November 17th that I pridefully was only going to tell some people about. God really convicted me of this and said "Pam, are you really going to let your pride be more than My power?" Yes. was the answer to that question but its changed. If God has given me a purpose for my life and confirmed that time and time again, why would He not be with me in obtaining to tools necessary to complete that purpose?!?!
• I have family and friends that care about me and want the best for me and I need to stop and listen to what they have to say more. I get caught up in giving so much that God is wanting to bless me as well, but I've got to allow it to happen and not excuse it away.
• I have alot of opportunities to be involved in some good things through church, my work and my home but this God was really calling for me to place him above all that and allow Him to work more in my life and let me rest in Him and His purpose....a good place to be.

So, all of this really narrowed down to me needing spiritual discipline in my life. Not discipline like I give Matthew...Don't do that, Don't touch that, We can't spit food, yada, yada, yada. I don't believe that God is someone that is waiting to catch us to tell us "no" all the time. He is wanting to open up the floodgates for us but He requires obedience and sacrifice for that. Spiritual discipline creates an avenue in our life to get rid of the extra stuff that clouds our judgment, discernment, and prespective. It allows us to see God for more of what He is rather than what He's not. And ultimately allows us to open our hearts up more to a life of service and sacrifice to a greater good.

To say this week was good is an understatement. I am right where I need to be and able to let go of alot of things that just were making me blah. I'm feeling refreshed, renewed, and back to myself...which is a good place to be.