Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. As I attempted to settle in to meet with the Creator of the Universe this morning, I kept going back and forth between the front porch and my desk and my spirit was unsettled. I read my devotional and I read the assigned chapters on my read through the Bible schedule, but I had to keep forcing myself to remain focused because my mind was going back and forth too. I didn’t realize that my unsettled and unfocused state this morning was a Master Plan of the One I Serve who eventually led me to where He wanted me today…to the Scripture intended for my soul AND to the Spiritual Woodshed to set me Straight. Today I read the same Words I’ve read countless times before, but today, I cried and I hung my head in shame when I read them. How blessed I am that the Living God would love me enough to illuminate a Personalized Message just for me today…a Message to Set me Straight and to help me Grow. Isn’t that the way He Grows you too?

One of the things about the Journey of Faith that is so incredible to me is that we can be coasting along feeling as if all is well with our Soul and then BOOM – He takes us to the Woodshed and we realize we weren’t as “focused” as we thought we were after all. One minute we can feel joyful and be filled with gratitude, and the next minute we can feel shame over our thoughts or behaviors in need of a Spiritual Adjustment. We are ALL inclined to be “double-minded” if we aren’t careful and sometimes God will “show up” like He did for me this morning to set us Straight by way of Conviction. I am still a diamond in the rough, and I still have a long way to go, but the one area that I struggle with the most is double-mindedness when it comes to how I Love. The Bible says “They will know you are mine by the way you love one another” because Love is the Truest Definition of Jesus and the way we spread it is our Witness to the world. If I can’t love 100% of the time – no matter the circumstances – who am I to expect Love from Him if I refuse to Love another? Conviction over such things is the KEY to humility and growth.

The Bible says, “With the tongue, we bless our Lord and Father, and with it, we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing”. If that’s not a perfect picture of double-mindedness I don’t know what is! The “cursing” here is not defined by a bunch of four-letter words…the “cursing” here is every word, thought, or action that goes against the nature of Christ. Ouch. It’s just a process of breaking bad habits to remove curse words from our vocabulary, BUT it’s an entirely different story to not speak, think, or act upon our “feelings” when we’re convinced that we’ve been wronged…and that’s the hard part. It’s not about what “they” deserve. It’s not even about what we think we deserve. It’s about what He deserves! Remembering that He made each one in His “likeness” should

make us choke each time we curse out the same mouth we Bless Him with. Striving for such things is what it takes to please the God who says, “Be holy as I am holy”.

I’m a little bruised after my time in the Spiritual Woodshed but I’m glad He loves me enough to take me there sometimes. I want to please Him MORE than I want to be right about something, and I want to strive to “Be holy” as He is holy. Perseverance and Humility are the backbone of the Journey of Faith. I’m Teachable…I’m Humble…I’m Committed…I’m Unstoppable…and sometimes I’m guilty of being double-minded by blessing and cursing with the same tongue. But I serve the God of forgiveness who Knows my Heart and He sees that I want to please Him more than I want to be right. As long as I remain Humble, I know that I can learn and grow all the days of my Life. That’s the Goal.

How about you?