Just 5.

God's been doing the broken record thing with me again.
Where every message, encouragement, verse, & sermon resonates with one theme.
This time, its about walking with God.

Enter: Enoch, Purity, Holy Spirit, & my 1 second span patience of things that irk me.
There was a story about a man. His whole life was summed up in 5 verses, and one legacy:
"Enoch walked with God."

The devotional book I am currently reading, "Purity" by Lydia Brownback, led to having verses about purity, and being wholly clean before God illuminated. We can only be pure, if we walk with Him.

**Normally, I'd write the references to where in scripture these things are, but knowing myself..you probably won't flip out your bible just to check out where in scripture these little rantings of mine are derived from, so if you're that interested, ask me :) which i know you probably won't be. haha. **

Anyway, (among the many verses that God spoke to me from), one I remember is Galatians. If we walk in the Spirit, we won't gratify the desires of the flesh. And vice versa. The Holy Spirit & our flesh will always be at WAR. Whichever one we feed, entertain & love..is where our heart is.

Where our actions are.
Where our mouth is.
Where our life is.

I know I'm not the only child of God that gets so entangled with sin and at times, so spent in doing this whole "following God" thing. It makes me sad to write it that way, but I'd rather be honest because I know that many of us (including me, of course) compartmentalize exactly where Jesus can rule over. We've erected kingdoms in our hearts, but with thousands of fortresses. Is it pride for you? Is it a relationship? Maybe the whole, entire idea of giving your life to your Maker.

Anyway, it's been quite a fun couple of weeks, I gotta say. I just have to smile every time! It's like God's playing this game with me.. but it's not a frustrating labyrinth..more like quick mazes that always lead to a hug & a lesson from Him in the end.

See, coming from someone who is as flexible as a marble countertop, I can genuinely proclaim that God really does make our days worth living for when we just give every interruption, hurt, doubt, anxiety, worry.. joy to him. I talk with my sweetheart every day for lunch, and today I was really looking forward to it (it seems I miss him to a degree of extra 10 every day haha)..but anyway! .. We had a few complications at the bakery with the phones and I wasn't able to even buy a lunch (or talk to him at all) .. but you know what? It was a blessing because I was able to pray :) For my bosses, for the company, and for me to have a great attitude.

And also because I work so near to home (haha), I was falling asleep on the road by the time I almost exited..I guess I was just so tired.. Hoping to come home to nap (which I have not done since last year), the moment I literally closed my eyes, my superstar brother starts BLASTING music from downstairs. Chris Tomlin, I love you man, but not when I'm trying to take a nap. haha. Well, I hit the sheets at 5 and it was now 5:40. I thought that I'd be tired enough to just fall asleep anyway--which is why I didn't ask to lower the music in the first place.. but to no avail. I asked him to turn down the music, which he did... but it was still pretty LOUD. And so, after trying to sleep again, I just decided to get up because this nap thing was NOT gonna happen.

Well guess what.

The moment I LITERALLY got up, the music stopped.

(i know my brother probably had no idea that I was trying to sleep, or that he intentionally does these things, but the fact that "I didn't get my way" would anger me, so I would naturally blame him because i need something to point the finger to instead of seeing the problem lies within myself..)

now, the normal me, aka.. Hulk Steph would definitely be pissed off right now. In fact, I would probably head on over to rite aid and gorge on two huge scoops of ice cream to take out my anger.

but, BECAUSE God has just been reminding me to "walk with Him," everything is on a much different scale. I mean, seriously.. is it worth the anger because we don't get our way? Is it worth hiding from God because we refuse to surrender the VERY things he freed us from? Can we say we love God with our life..if our hearts are far from it?

 Following God is no complicated formula. The key is just to.. well, FOLLOW Him. Abide in Him & walk with Him.
"There are no mistakes in the will of the Lord."

I have great faith in God, because He is so faithful. He has never changed. He never slumbers or sleeps nor does He need to.

I pray that at the end of our lives, if to be summed up in 5 verses, can also say,
"They walked with the Lord."

Happy Listening|| a tune that I've been ruminating over, the statement that's been pricking me over & over: "I will Exalt You." Guess it suits the title :)