Even though I am locked...

I have been called many things, but up until now spam hasn't been one of them. :)

This is the opening post to my new blog, which I am creating as a place to put all of the ramblings that I have been currently clogging up my Facebook page with. I am a born again, in-love-with-Jesus christian, and so my ramblings have a definite lean to them.

As far as my Christianity goes, I have a difficult time placing myself into any of the standard categories that the world and church seem to find so useful. I love God passionately. I believe that He not only wants me to be free from sin and the awful consequences of sin in my life and the lives of others, but that He also has provided the supernatural transformation of my heart so that I am capable of consistently choosing His will for my life instead of my own, or anyone else's. I believe that some churches call this holiness, while others call it impossible. I call it an amazing gift of grace, one I am not worthy of but one I live in daily. I am not yet free of sin, or free of the potential of sin. As long as I am granted freedom, I have the choice, and while I seek to walk along side God in my life, I do stray. I am willful and stubborn and have moments of whining, fussing, and tantrum-y wanting my own way. God's love for me is merciful, and because He will not leave me or forsake me, I am always His.

I also love God's church. God's church is not a building, which is why Christians do not typically worship in temples. The temple is considered a dwelling place for a deity. The Spirit of God dwells within His people, and so God's people are His temple. The building is simply a place where the church comes together. It is a profound mystery, how the Almighty God actually lives inside the hearts of people. God's presence within His people is evident in what the Bible calls the fruit of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Many people claim to belong to God, the God of the Bible, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who sent Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sins and to open the door to full access to God for the world. The evidence is in the fruit of the Spirit of God, lived out in the lives of people in increasing measure as they consistently walk with Him. We are not perfect, but we are growing in these fruit. Just as a new baby's presence in a home is made evident by the new look of the home; a nursery, playpen, baby toys, baby bottles and food in the kitchen, and extra laundry in the washing room; so too is the Presence of the Spirit of God made evident in the life of a believer by the new look of their heart.

It is a gift.

These are just some of the things that I am thinking about today...