Tag Archives: Change

Let the Change Begin – Emily Easley
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Ready for change

Ready for change

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

“It’s an alligator!” she shouted. As she grabbed my legs, I assured her there weren’t any alligators in our living room.

She persisted, “Then it’s a snake!”

No question, my daughter had spotted something out of the ordinary. I reassured her there weren’t snakes in the house either, but I began to doubt myself. I cautiously walked toward a pile of toys, looking ever so closely for any creepy, crawly things. I picked up the stuffed bear. Nothing. Then I spied the culprit squirming on a pair of pants meant for Buttercup the Build-A-Bear Leopard.

“Oh, Lil. That’s just a caterpillar.” The ugly, brown caterpillar stretched no more than an inch. I bravely picked it up…well, I flung the pants and the caterpillar outside.

Guilt settled in. It had turned chilly outside and I wondered about the caterpillar. My heart softened. How sad it may never wrap itself in a cocoon to transform from its current and limited state of crawling, into a butterfly, free to fly where it wills.

I spent much of my twenties as an ugly, brown caterpillar. Emotions reigned, keeping me from a transformation for Christ. My walk with Christ was based on how I “felt.” When things were going well and emotions ran high, I felt good, but when life threw blows…it hit hard. I felt like I was crawling around getting nowhere, only to be flung outside with no direction.

I needed to stop the cycle, encounter an authentic transformation from within – a metamorphosis. I needed the Holy Spirit’s power to work from the inside. My mind needed renewal.

Renewing my mind on Sundays and Wednesdays wasn’t enough. Meditating on God’s Word needed to be a daily occurrence. Surrendering my will to Him allowed me to experience unexplainable growth — much like a plain caterpillar turning into a magnificent butterfly. When I stopped conforming to what the world expected and began my transformation, direction came.

Wrap yourself in the cocoon of God’s Word and be transformed. He will change you through and through.

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Arvind Baralaman.

Emily Easley finds herself falling in love with the Creator of the Universe. The other loves of her life include her husband, Josh, and daughter, Lillie Kate. Her heart’s longing is to be the woman God desires her to be and to share God’s transforming power with others. On most days, you can find her fulfilling her dreams as a wife, mother, and writer at her home located in a small town of western Kentucky. Emily wants to encourage others to say yes to whatever God asks of them, for in that is life’s greatest blessing.

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Yanking it Out – Connie Pilston Shoemaker
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Weeded Out

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23

I spent today yanking it out. No, I’m not a dentist. I’m a gardener and a sinner. While weeding, I realized how much weeds are like sin. They’re thieves, taking up real estate that doesn’t belong to them; much like sin does. They both shadow objects from the light and, like sin, weeds suck out the nutrients and rob those entangled in them of their full potential and future growth.

Noble plants like Morning Glory and Mint can also wreak havoc in the garden left unchecked. There are like sins that are noble — sins we do that seem right — noble gestures — but if they aren’t done in accordance with God’s plan or are directly contrary to what He’s asked us to do, they are still sin.

Weeding takes time and diligence. It can’t be done quickly if it’s to be done thoroughly. It’s not just the big weeds or sin that need to be removed, it’s all of them. Weeding is hard work. My body and face contort as I yank, sweat, stretch, and groan.

Weeding the garden, and our hearts, is a battle. To guard our hearts requires vigilance because the status of our heart determines the course of our life. Keeping our heart free from sin will enable it to grow unhindered.

Do you have a weed growing in your heart that needs to be yanked? Get on your knees and pull hard, then watch what God will do.

Connie Pilston Shoemaker resides in Pittsburgh and has been writing and speaking for more than twenty years. Using God’s canvas of creation, Connie weaves together the story of our most important relationship on her blog “Kissed by the Creator” (www.kissedbythecreator.com) . She has been published in Parent Talk, Vibrant Life, Cross Country Skier and Backpacker magazines. She is putting the finishing touches on her first book.
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Of Ants and Sin – Faith Zao
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Ants, Ants, Ants

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! Proverbs 6:6 (NIV)

Living in the South, I value a reliable ant killer. We don’t have those cute little black ants that attend picnics. No. We have the monstrous colonies of red ants invading us every summer. Without a plan of attack, they’ll build a subdivision on our property.

Amdro to the rescue. I know there are equally effective products out there, but I’ve seen this baby in action. A few years ago, God used Amdro and an ant condominium to get my attention. Don’t tell me He doesn’t speak in mysterious ways. I know better.

That particular day, I spotted a colossal mound of red dirt in my backyard. I sprinkled the bait around the outer rim of the bed and returned a short time later to find the mound covered with busy ants. Each ant lifted the deadly poison and carried a chunk into the center of the mound. The faithful soldiers delivered the juicy food, not realizing it would be the ultimate destruction of their kingdom. That queen never knew what hit her.

That’s when God said, “You are just like those ants.”

And He was right.

I spy something enticing and grab it, never considering the harm it can do to me. It’s often chocolate, and not that healthy dark stuff. I prefer the creamy, milky chocolate that melts in your mouth. Hey, I’m a woman!

Temptation comes in many forms—food, drink, TV, movies, alcohol, immorality. You name it. The enemy dangles the bait in front of us. Like those faithful ants, we can find ourselves taking in the venom of this world and exterminating our spiritual lives.

I’m guilty. I consume the poisons of this world without any regard for the impact on my spiritual condition. What about you? There are times we’re all enticed from our faith by the pleasures of the flesh.

You have a choice. You can follow the ants’ example, or you can follow Almighty God’s precepts. One offers death, the other life. Which will you choose?

Faith Zao is a freelance writer who shares a home in Alabama with her husband and a temperamental feline. Having faced many hardships in life, she views her struggles as opportunities to minister, especially in the areas of infertility, death, divorce, and remarriage. As a Christian writer and speaker, she uses her experiences to offer hope and effect change in the lives of her audience. Faith has received non-fiction awards from the Southern Christian Writer’s Conference, and she is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Sonshine Writers based in Hueytown, Alabama.
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