in honor of...

So this month is Breast cancer awareness month.  My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer 5 years ago.  She endured a TON of agony over that year of her life and has been cancer free since then.  This background is in honor of her!  I love you mom!!!

On to a completely different subject, bible study tonight!
I'm loving this study of becoming a woman of grace.    I'd just like to share some things that "jumped out" at me this past week in the study.

"... base our freedom on biblical truth - not on traditions or on other's opinions of what is true."
Romans 14:21 tells us to not do anything that could cause our brother to fall.
Hebrews 13:9 says "... do not be carried away by strange teachings..."
2 Peter 3:17-18 tells us to "... grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ..."
"But the one who imposes the law upon a believer, whether himself of another, by that very act denies the need of dependence upon God and thereby commits sin."  J.F.Strombeck
We should be acting on our security in Christ and the freedom that His truth brings, no other people's ideas of what is right!  Our purpose should be to please God only!  We should ask ourselves, "If I do this, will it bring glory to God?"
"Legalism exalts the flesh and stifles the Spirit; liberty grounded in truth stifles the flesh and exalts the Lord."   Cynthia Heald
"If we engage in particular rituals and keep certain rules, we always know where we stand.  If we know what we can do that will make us more acceptable in God's eyes than a person who doesn't do them, we, by doing them, can advance our status.  Such a religion puts us in control.  We no longer have to live by faith, trusting God to accept us in mercy...   What we are being offered is a security system in which we do not have to live by faith, will not have to trust in God, but can trust instead in ourselves."  Eugene Peterson

I know this is a lot of what other people have to say, but these are the things that really stuck out to me.  It scares me to think of all the "rules" I may be "following" to try to stay where I think I need to be in God's eyes.  I don't want to be trusting on everyone elses rules I want to trust in God's grace to keep me close to him.  I want only to live for Him, not the world or its list of rules.  I also don't want to be the one creating rules!  I hope to always be only sharing what is biblical, to only be sharing the grace of God that I cling to. To never be the judger, and that's VERY hard!!!  My prayer is that I will be a light to show others the grace of God.  So that all will see, in me,  that we don't have to follow all the rules, we have to follow God!

Anyway....     TTFN!!!!