An overlooked reality.........................

Hey everyone! I want to thank those of you who donated to the Pregnancy Center's Walk! I am super thrilled (as I said before) to kick satan's booty for trying to kick us when we are already down and making sure the Center's doors stay open is a fine way to make that happen! I have had something on my mind for over a week now so I just had to share it with you guys. As for a little update, the Bullock crew is still in wait mode. We are knowing deep down that the Lord FOR SURE has a great plan for us, we are just desperately trying to be faithful in the wait. Through this season I have noticed a super ugly side to our human flesh that I want to dissect with you all in hopes that we see it for what it is and call it what it needs to be called, U-G-L-Y some of you former cheerleaders are getting the jingle in your head already, U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi, it's ugly.........

The topic at hand today is refining or sanctification. Please know ahead of time that when I say something that "we" forget I am certainly including myself in that category so remember that as you read, I mean "me too". Ok, so we somehow know that we are sinners in need of grace, but then we forget that once we are saved by grace that we are committed or binded to Jesus to become more like Him while we still reside on this thing we call earth. We also somehow seem to forget that we look VERY LITTLE like Him from the onslaught of our salvation, therefore it takes YEARS of work to mold these lowly bodies into something that resembles Christ. The key here too is that experience often is a better molder than knowledge. (We really forget that truth and act down right shocked.) THIS is one of the greatest lessons I have learned from this season, that although I love Jesus and certainly look more like Him then I did 5 years ago, I still need A LOT of work, thus a lot of refining and sanctification and this is a season of hands on learning instead of a season of scholarly class room assignments.

I could go on and on and on about how many aspects of my life look nothing or very little like Christ and I could go on and on about how I am slowly but surely seeing those ugly truths revealed and some of them healed as I have walked through this season, but I will give you only one small example that could be followed by a million. Some people say that "everyone has a vice" or that "God doesn't expect you to be perfect" and I would say to those people, you are absolutely correct. The only small problem with those statements is the fact that God does expect you to look more and more like Jesus if you are a child of God.

Romans 8:28-29 "And we know that in all things God works for the good for those who love him, who have been called ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSES. For those God foreknew he also predestined TO BE CONFORMED TO THE LIKENESS OF HIS SON that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

Oh golly gee does this help us understand why godly people go through hardships. The reason is sometimes because, although they are godly, they still have a long way to go in the process of looking more like Christ. One time when all of this began the Lord spoke so clearly to my heart and said "Kelly, you are so arrogant to think that you don't "need" this refining". Well...........what do you say to that! Now looking back, I am sometimes scared because now I really know how much more refining I actually need. I need a lot of refining to get my mind to think like Christ, to get my emotions to be like Christ's, to get my heart to beat for the things of Christ. I am just thankful He is taking it one downfall at a time. So here is my quick example, but let me challenge you today. If you are going through a super rough season, remember, chances are you naturally still need a lot of work and this season is quite possibly just getting you one step closer to the total body/mind/spirit make-over that you are in need of to look more like Jesus!

A few years ago I would have told you a.)that I was not materialistic b.)that I was a good manager of our money. Those were both lies I believed because it is super hard to see your own faults. Now I would say a.)that I was terribly materialistic and that now I am slowly getting better in those areas, really not even sometimes wanting "stuff" because I am seeing the dangers it intells and b.)I am thankful He has stripped us down to be faithful in the very small amounts of money we have before entrusting us with more. Both of these (even if slight) transformations have come through the last few years of refinement. Did you hear me say YEARS? Just checking...............

still got a ways to go,
Kelly