God's Great Grace
Hey ya'll I wanted to share this with ya'.

I went to see the movie "Hildalgo" with my family on Sat. (I know it seems strange that God would speak to someone thru such silly things but He does go figure...)

Anyways it is a true story about a mixed bred man and his mixed bred horse. He is part native American Indian and his horse is a mustang - wild off the plains of America. He is famed for being the best long distance rider to ever live. He beat the Arabs (pure bred and their Arabian horse (pure bred) at their famed 3,000 mile race across the deserts of Arabia.

But what was interesting was the personal story of the man who would win the race. See he was ashamed of who he was and what he had witnessed- native Americans being slaughtered at the hands of the US Army and him a scout rider for them. And too boot he was a mixed bred... a gentile, heathen, pagan...

He had learned in life to forgive everyone everything but he could not forgive himself... for being what he was born as... how sad. How well I know his story.

But there is a scene early in the movie that changes his life and mine... he is ask by a pure bred Arab princess the following about his mixed bred wild mustang pony Hildalgo- "How did you tame him?"

The man says to her "I didn't." WOW! He was in right relationship to his horse and his horse was in right relationship to him.

The Lord spoke to me (yes I am one of the crazies who believes God speaks to me) saying "I didn't come to tame you. I came to bring back right standing/relationship between My Father and His creation. And you are a part of His creation." My God, I cry even now writing this... I cried thru the entire rest of the movie. He is not about taming me- He is about putting me in right standing with My Father. How precious is this grace we have been given... this unmerited favor from God. He knows I can not come into right standing with Him- it is not in me to do so... but He can! He has! He will!

What great comfort there is in this grace we have received and not by our own work but the Spirit of God...

I pray today that you each receive a real down deep in your gut revelation of God's grace today... it is better than milk.

ysiC, Pepper singin'~ How Great He Is Who Came To Love Us And Not Condemn Us!

From Feb. 6, 2004
Freedom and Sin

Since I understand that the 'churchy' world as I call it is based in the tree of knowledge of good and evil, then everything that I heard or was taught or thought of while in it is subject to question- this includes the subject of sexuality and all acts of sex. God is about relationships and He defines sin in terms of violations of said relationships. God and Adam had a relationship. God and Eve had a relationship. Adam and Eve had a relationship. The serpent tempted Adam and Eve into a violation of the relationship they had between themselves and between them and God. That is the sin- a violation of the relationship.

Get this- Adam and Eve were made in the image of God. Satan came saying- "DON'T YOU WANT TO BE LIKE GOD?" Duh- they were already like God. The temptation is always to violate a relationship. That is why most folks don't get it- it is about relationship- not about specific sex acts.

God outlines specific sex acts because they draw a clear picture of that violation. For instance- RAPE- that is FORCING one person to have intimate sexual acts with another- see a violation of one person by another. Same with incest because it twists the use of authority and family relations. Sex with animals because we are not made to beget with each other. Homosexuality because it is a barren relationship. It is not about specific acts of sex but it is about violations of specific kinds of relationships.

BTW- adultery is not about sex or sex acts outside of marriage- it is about covenant. A covenant is about vows (promises) in a contract made between 2 people. Adultry is about broken vows thus throwing linage and inheritance in to question. Adultery is about causing a desire to break said vows between folks- be it an agreement about a cow or field or another's wife or husband.

I have tried to put it short as possible. I sure hope I have expressed myself clearly. Feel free to ask anything else or to discuss. I am always open to being taught of the Lord.

The bottom line is this- if God called it sin- then it is sin. If He did not utter a word about it, then we are to walk in His wisdom about whether it is beneficial or profitable.

ysiC, Pepper singin'~ God Made Them Male And Female and He Said They Were Very Good.

From Feb. 24, 2004

from the archives of Andy Rooney-

"I've learned that being kind is more important than being right."

Hehe- yeppers- me and God is workin' on kind. Reproducing after it's own kind- being helpful with forbearance... it will take God to do that in me. By nature I am not a kind person- in fact I can be VERY SELFISH- which I am finding is the exact opposite of kind... go figure- only God.

And my first act of kindness to be conformed to was this-

"I've learned that everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile."

:~)))

Smile ya'll- uses less muscles which means less wrinkles and more laugh lines- and we have something to smile about- JESUS LOVES US!!! And that gives us the freedom and ability to love each other- YEHAW!!! My cowgirl hat is off to ya'll today!

ysiC, Pepper singin'~ Jesus Is Just Alright With Me!!!

Time
Well here I am again writing about time.

It would seem I have had little of it for posting to the web or my blog lately. :`(

But I am taking time now. I plan on posting some things that have occured over the last month... for instance- we have been preparing our yard and flower beds for spring. You know there is a lot of work to do in that. I am learnin' though and my family and I are working on it together!

So- I am hoping that I will be better able to post my thoughts more often.

Now- later ya'll- I have the day to start- we are refurbishing or kitchen - painting, repairing and in general making it a more pleasant space to be in.

Versions
To King James version the Bible or not... canon- I thought that was something men used to commit war... duh- slow me.

Ah- KJ- I have always wondered why we believe we must go about keeping a dead man's kingdom alive and running... he being King James of England. He is long dead and his whole motivation in having a version of the bible written in English was to keep and enforce his rule in a man's kingdom. DUH- politics of men.

So which canon do we accept as 'God's word and authoritative'? I was raised catholic- then the protestants told me to get rid of my catholic bible. Then among the protestants I was told to get rid of the NIV or the Message. Then the house churchers told me to get rid of my KJV, NIV, etc, etc, etc. It ain't about a book... it is about our Lord Jesus. He is the word of God and He is the One who is authoritative. So no matter which version you read in English or Spanish or Latin or the 1,000s of other languages- if the Interpretor The Holy Spirit is not speaking to us each, then it don't matter what you read- be it a bible or the morning paper.

ysiC, Pepper singin'~ Man Does Not Live By Bread Alone But By Every Word That Proceeds From The Mouth Of God.

Time- Tic Toc...
It has been a while since I posted anything on my blog. My husband has finally come home from Iraq and so I have been busy washing a ton of dirty clothes and getting to know my husband again.

God sent me home a new man... my Chuckles as I call him is not the man who left 15 months ago. God has dealt with him about ownership and possession. He has learned that we are bought at a price as christians and that our own freedom in Christ costs us something too.

Freedom is something to be fought for. Jesus did that on the Cross for us. But freedom must also be maintained and sometimes that means fighting for it again. The Spirit is at war with the flesh and flesh at war with the Spirit. It is up close and personal. The battle field is in our souls for our spirits to lead us.

So I am learning even more that I am a free woman by the grace of God. I pray you are too.

ysiC, Pepper singin'~ It Is For Freedom That Christ has Died... Walk In Your Freedom

Expectations
Life is wild... just like God!

I have not posted because I simply have not had the time nor the unction, but I do right now.

Expectations are wild things too.

Expect means to look forward, await, and to consider probable or certain as an out come.

So I am today talking about my expectations of other people - and too boot my own expectations of myself... ugh-gag... the Lord has instructed me to 'do unto others as I would have them do unto me' bam- the golden rule. But and interesting thing about that- He does not say for me to expect them to do the same for me.


Here are the words to worship song I just love- I think it expresses this concept of God in a lovely way...


WHY by Michael Card from cd- Brother to Brother

Why did it have to be a friend who chose to betray the Lord.

And why did He use a kiss to show them, that's not a kiss is for.

Only a friend can betray a friend, a stranger has nothing to gain and only a friend comes close enough to ever cause so pain.

And why did there have to be a shorny crown pressed upon His head.

It should have been a royal one made of jewels and gold instead,

It had to be a crown of thorns, because in this life that we live all who would seek to love,

A thorn is all that this world can give.

And why did it have to be a heavy cross He was made to bear.

And why did they nail His feet and hands, His love would have held Him there.

It was a cross, for upon a cross a theif was suppose to pay

And Jesus had come into this world to steal every heart away.

Jesus had come into this world to steal every heart away.

Selah...

ysiC, Pepper singin'~ And This Is Love That He Love Us While We Were Dead In Our Trespasses

Real Prophesy
Real prophesy by the unction of the Holy Spirit will do several things...

1. It will build, encourage and comfort the saints.

2. It will cause the fleshy/carnal man to be angry, i.e. the religious to gnash their teeth against you.

3. Makes satan made as hell- expect an attack to foil God's plans.

4. It can get you killed, cuz' eventually worldly men will do what they do best- hurt God anyway possible and that means going after His servants and people.

I do have a word for 2004- go to the wilderness and listen for God yourself and then do as He bides you. It will change you and it will change everything around you. I know cuz' it did that to me and my life.

ysiC, Pepper singin'~ It Is Like Fire Pent Up In My Bones- Who Can Help But Prophecy

Idealism
An interesting conversation took place between my dad and my daughter over this past holiday season. She was sharing about her last year of high school and her plans for the future. My dad told her that her mom started out that way. She said in what way? He said 'oh she was idealistic but she has gotten over that."

And then I interjected "OH NO! I am still very idealistic."

See, I have not changed in the least in terms of being idealisitic. I believe that things can and will one day be perfect in every sense of the word. I have changed however in my understanding of how the perfect will happen and who will cause it to happen.

I spent the first 20 years of my adult life looking for the right system to belong to, to be a part of something bigger than myself to see perfection come about among men. I tried all of the political parties and systems and was disilluded. I tried all of the social awareness agendas I could find and was disappointed. I tried all of the theologies and religions of the earth and never found peace. I even tried all types of relations among people from marriage to self awareness groups.

However, about 10 years ago I found perfection. You know what? It is not a system of politics or social activism or even theology. Perfection is a person, a being and His name is Jesus.

See what I mean? It is not me or you or even a bigger group of folk who will cause it to happen. It is not belief in any discipline of action that will bring understanding.

The bigger thing to belong to is Jesus. The bigger thing to do is Jesus. Perfection is Jesus.

So if you are like me and so desire with a yearning that is unexplainable to know and see perfection, seek Jesus, that is where what you seek is.

ysiC, Pepper singin'~ Glory to Jesus Who Is Perfection.

Christian Community- A Passage
I ponder often how I might best be obedient to God as a saint which belongs to Him and Him alone. It is from this frame of mind that I share the following. I have found this to be true among all those saints and communities of saints who desire that Jesus Christ be the head and have the primary place as the FIRST of many brothers.
ysic, Pepper singin'~ Jesus Is The King of kings and Lord of Lords

"Innumerable times a whole Christian community has broken down because it had sprung from a wish dream. The serious Christian, set down for the first time in a Christian community, is likely to bring with him a very definite idea of what Christian life together should be and to try to realize it.

But God's grace speedily shatters such dreams. Just as surely as God desires to lead us to a knowledge of genuine Christian fellowship, so surely must we be overwhelmed by a great disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate, with ourselves. By sheer grace, God will not permit us to live even or a brief period in a dream world. He does not abandon us to those rapturous experiences and lofty moods that come over us like a dream. God is not a God of the emotions but the God of truth. Only that fellowship which faces such disillusionment, with all its unhappy and ugly aspects, begins to be what it should be in God's sight, begins to grasp in faith the promise that is given to it.

The sooner this shock of disillusionment comes to an individual and to a community the better for both. A community which cannot bear and cannot survive such a crises, which insists upon keeping its illusion when it should be shattered, permanently loses in that moment the promise of Christian community. Sooner or later it will collapse. Every human wish dream that is injected into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community and must be banished if genuine community is to survive. He who loves his dream of community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.

God hates visionary dreaming; it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. The man who fashions a visionary ideal of community demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself. He enters the community of Christians with his demands, sets up his own law, and judges the brethren and God Himself accordingly. He stands adamant, a living reproach to all others in the circle of brethren. He acts as if he is the creator of the Christian community, as if his dream binds men together. When things do not go his way, he calls the effort a failure. When his ideal picture is destroyed, he sees the community going to smash. So he becomes, first an accuser of his brethren, then an accuser of God, and finally the despairing accuser of himself"

(Bonhoeffer, pp.26-28)

Bonhoeffer, Deitrich. Life Together translated by John Doberstein. HarperSanFranscisco, New York: 1954.