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Whenever I don’t (publicly) blog for awhile, that usually means God is showing me some amazing things (and/or something amazing). That is what has been happening since Saturday’s sermon when Pastor Joel preached about sometimes we don’t know what is right or wrong until someone points it out to us. He gave the example of seeing so many ‘worldly’ movies that our (moral) filter becomes desensitized to having the movie values as our values. I know for me, there’s an area in my life that has been so ‘normal’ for so long that I truly have come to normalize it. Saturday, someone reminded me that (without giving too much information), when I am unfaithful to another person, I am unfaithful to God. Ouch! That stung, but I needed to hear it. Honestly, I can ‘justify and minimize’ being unfaithful to someone I casually know, but I can’t live with myself being continuously unfaithful to God. So my thoughts have changed, leading to my actions to change because of absolutes. I will not be unfaithful to God (as far as I can help it) so the thoughts, speech and behaviors I have been struggling with are not an option. *On a side note, I realize in hindsight that I had been talking about certain behaviors more, which no doubt negatively affected not only me, but my friends who are dealing with similar issues. Someone told me self-control doesn’t come in a vacuum, but it is something to develop in a process, referring me to 2 Peter 1:5-8. You start with faith, then add goodness, then knowledge, then self-control… and these things will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive… This morning, I am focusing on goodness and read the following, which really spoke to me since the consistent struggles I have had for years haven’t been as much as an issue since I stopped thinking about them: Our souls become filters through which we perceive goodness or evil. The pure (those who have Christ in control of their lives) learn to see goodness and purity even in this evil world… whatever you choose to fill your mind with will affect the way you think and act. Turn your thoughts to God and his Word, and you will discover more and more goodness, even in this evil world. A mind filled with good has little room for what is evil.

"Word from Scotland" from Sandy Shaw

What Are We to Do When Others Give Us A Rough Time?

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