What is life apart from Jesus?

I have tasted life apart from Jesus. I lived that life for 17 years. The life of sin, selfishness, and death was painful, pleasurable, and confusing. I came into the light...TA DA...and everything got flip turned up-side down. Then I'm learning to live a new life...new rules, getting healing, experiencing power, love, acceptance, and beauty like I never knew.

I have been chosen, I have been called, I realize I am part of something extraordinary.

Then why, or better yet, HOW, have I allowed for compromise? I read past journals or think of experiences of when I was "on fire" for God. I made passionate commitments that were full of zeal for Jesus. Yet, what happened? How have I gone back on my word?

I need to begin to talk less and act more. I need to take what I say and what God reveals to me as sacred secrets of His Heart. It is a time of maturity. Weather I am in a time of consolation or desolation it does not matter. Pursuing God, living a live of complete devotion is the only way to live at all. If I choose another way, I make out God to be a liar.

I will spend my life, my efforts on you my Lord. Thank you for your grace to your servant. You reveal your heart and your love over and over again though I trample upon it time after time. Forgive me my iniquity and cleanse me of my sin, make me white as snow. I desire to live a life of devotion to you...not a life full of "devotions" but a life in which every single area of my life is for you. Weather I eat or drink or whatever I do, I wish to do it for your glory. Please help me in this effort Papa. I'm all yours, once again.

Jesus is where IT'S at :)

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life....anyone who wishes to go to the Father goes through him (John 14:6). Jesus is the door, He is the gateway, He is the narrow path, He is where the greatest joy can be found, and the deepest sorrow. Grasping the greatness, the humility, the manhood, the godliness of this person Jesus is unfathomable yet...he desires relationship with us. How crazy! All this to hopefully encourage....KNOW the Jesus is the way, put your trust in Him, He will never fail you. Man will always fail you...he is full of sin, selfishness, greed (I will always fail you). But Jesus, will never fail. Trusting in this person has changed my life forever and growing in relationship with him is wonderful..(and at times painful ;).

We praise you Lord, both now and forevermore. We thank you Jesus for your greatness as our God and thank you for your humility as fully a man. Increase in us. May you wash us again of our sin and pour over us with grace. We thank you for your constant attention and love in our lives. All the time, weather happy or sad, weather at peace or in strife, we praise you!