Up For A Challenge?

One of the things Freedom's Call is doing right now, is memorizing Romans 12. Now, we aren't on any sort of time table, we have just committed to hide this passage in our hearts. I did really well the first week or so spending 5-10 minutes in the morning and 5-10 minutes in the afternoon on this passage. I struggle with memory work, so I was asking God to make this happen. I felt and still feel that when I put forth the effort, He will bless that. Lately though I find that it has been harder for me to dive in and spend the concentrated time I need to on this.

In between ironing and folding laundry this afternoon, I picked up my Bible and looked at this passage again. Just reading through it from verse 1 down to verse 21. When I got done, I went back to verse 2. Oh how it stirred something in me.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world. But be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is. His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Verse 1 reminds us that we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. I don't really know how to start this post without sounding preachy, or judgemental. So I'm praying that you will understand, as much as possible through the interweb, :) my tone.

God has really put on my heart that I need to be very aware of what I allow myself to watch on t.v. I'm really pretty strict with the girls, but probably not as strict with myself.

Several years ago when I was just beginning to do Tuesday morning Bible Study with a group of ladies in Chattanooga, I asked God to show me where I had time to spend 45 minutes each day doing my homework. Immediately, He said 12:30 - 1:30.

I said surely you don't expect me to get up in the middle of the night to do Bible Study 5 days a week!!

God said "P.M."

I trembled. Didn't He know that I lived for this hour. Chloe napped during this time and I folded laundry while I watched "The Young and the Restless". This can not be. Niki and Victor were the highlight of my afternoon.

I agreed, because I didn't want my homework to be imcomplete. Yes, I'm one of those. Every question must have an answer and every outline completed. You have no idea how freeing it was for me when we moved to Dacula and discovered that our pastor here doesn't print study guides for his sermons. Anyway.......

I would love to tell you that one day was all it took, but it wasn't. Each time I would choose Y & R over Bible study, God would interrupt. I am not kidding. One time the power went out, another time Chloe woke up running a fever. Then there was the time I flipped it on only to find March Madness. Which for me is just as tempting, but do you see where I'm going here.......

The times that I left that t.v. off, God spoke. It was life changing. Chloe napped the entire time and somehow, God multiplied my time and I got everything done. Our days were better, much better.

I was visiting my grandparents one afternoon about a year later and Y & R came on. My mamaw is a die hard fan. I was shocked at what I saw. It was as if, God had given me new eyes, and I felt so sick. I had allowed that story into my home, but more importantly into my mind and heart.

As I loaded Chloe into her little carseat to go home, it was all I could do to hold back the tears. I had lost time with Him and that grieved my heart. God gave me this verse that sits in a frame next to our DVR box.

Psalm 101:3 I will set before my eyes, no vile thing.

Today, God reminded me of that time. I don't watch a whole lot of t.v. now unless it's H.G.T.V or Food Network. (or Survivor and that gets to me at times.) I just feel like there is so much on that goes against Phil. 4:8 Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, whatever is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. We become what we expose ourselves to, I want to be Phil. 4:8, I long for my daughters to be Phil.4:8.

This is an on-going battle for me because it's so easy to just flip on the t.v. and veg out. But God tells us on down in Phil.4 that :

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

I'm asking God to give me the strength to keep the t.v. off when what I want to watch doesn't line up with Phil. 4:8. I know and believe He will because the word says :

And My God will meet all your needs... Phil.4:19

I need more of Him! I'm believing God to knock my socks off. Something t.v. just can't do! (Unless of course you're watching Wednesday's With Beth on Life Today! God is all over that 1/2 hour of television!)

My friend Angela says it best to her college age girls. "You can't leave church, go home and watch Desperate Housewives and expect God to bless that!" It just doesn't line up with the word of God.

I'm challenging myself to keep a t.v. journal for the next 5 days. I'm going to write down every show I watch. Then I'm going to ask the Lord to show me if there is anything I need to stop watching. So I challenge you to do the same. Let's just see what God has to say to us.

I love you ladies, you are precious to me!!