Butter Noodles.

       The past few months have BLOWN MY MIND.
God has changed me in almost every way I could even imagine.  These past few moths have been more on the eclectic side of things, but as far as my version of human goes- this is how I grow.
God is Always Strenghtening our relationship with Him. Through EVERYTHING.  Whether it's the smallest little sampling of patience/ longsuffering, or He tests you with having you give your Brother up to the Country in which you worship Him Freely, and all the time.
       Over and over, God has been revealing to me how important it is to be confessing, and to be having CONSTANT fellowship with Him- whether that is through attending a good church, getting involved in the community, and Praying.
       And through SO MANY blessings of Discipleship, I have opened my eyes to a whole new look on my God.  It's funny how different something can be when you are listening to it compared to if you are teaching it.  God is Just, Beautiful, Jealous, Loving, Patient, Amazing, and Holy (to name a few...)  
       Through the conversations I have had, I have experienced passion, love, care, joy, and a whole new perspective on how broken I really was. "It took God to show me how Broken I Really Was..." (thank you Beautiful Erin Shepherd.. :)  Love you, Darling.)  And on top of that, how much, We as humans.... suck.
       But it's equally important to remember how God sees us, and why.
       One simple answer: As Perfect because of Jesus.
       WOW.
       I mean, ....WOW.
       God have HIS SON!!!! What kind of a Father would do that?  OURS!!! THAT's WHO!!!!
       WHAT A SACRIFICE so that we could walk and live in the Light, and get to bask in the glow of Heaven when we leave Earth. AMAZING AMAZING.  WOW.
       Everyday, I am becoming closer in my walk with God and becoming, well.. more Christ-like.  He WANTS us to life like He did while he was on Earth. He WANTS us to reflect that, so that Earth, or our Country, or even our Communities, could be better places.
       We suck. Really. But, if we Believe, I mean, you've got GOD.  What are you EVER going to do on Earth that could top THAT????
       .......Yeah... Thought so.
       A life in the Darkness (humankind sinfulness) is like an Unhealthy Diet. No rules or guidelines. No definement of what a healthy diet would look like, or oblivious to consideration for exercising. Then, you notice a need to change after you can no longer zip up your jeggings. Sooo, you decide to begin to live a healthier life, as to change the outcome of your future. Now- a path has been set out for you. Exercising, fruits and vegetables, and all that jazz. Then, one day, you decided to meander away from those low-calorie sandwiches, and the cutting out of breads and sweets, and you decide to indulge in Butter Noodles.  (What an Incredible Snack. Unhealthy, NOT whole-grain pasta- smothered in 17 shakes of a salt shaker and half a tub of Butter. Yeah. Paula Dean knows what she's talking about with that butter thing..)  Automatic guilt after the first bite, but Soooooooo Delicious. You experience happiness for almost half a second after every bite. Then, when you're done with your plate of noodles, you start freaking out, and doubting so many things. Unsure of yourself, your reflection, and the thought of whether your Spring Break bikini will fit... You broke your diet. You'll never forgive yourself. But, the cool thing is- that evening you talk to your nutritionist/ personal trainer. He says that it's okay. We don't consume and indulge in the right things 100% of the time. We do stray in guilty pleasures and don't treat our bodies the way we should. But, we can get back on the right track. Your fitness trainer comforts you, and reassures you that everything is still right on track- because you learned from those Butter Noodles. You learned that it hurt to stray away from your diet. It hurt to only have temporary happieness rather than the joy of dropping a few pounds for Spring Break.
God is our Personal Trainer/ nutritionist.
He is the giver of the "diet" and the graceful forgiveness.
The Butter Noodles are the Delicious Temporary Happiness we refer to as Sin.
We are the Consumer of the Butter Noodles and the ones that learn more and more everyday how to walk in the light, and understand fully who God is, what He is capable of, and how He wants to affect our lives. We are the ones who grow from those "Butter Noodle-ful" experiences and become stronger in our diet, and out relationship with our Personal Trainer.
       Thank You God, for my Growth, and for Growing those around me. Thank You for my Words, and my gift of Encouragement from You. Thank You, Father,  for your Beauty, and you love for Us everyday and at every waking moment.  Continue to make us "healthier" in our walk with you, and help us reach the Beach: eternity with you. You, are an AMAZING God.   Amen.