Freshly mowed weeds

When we moved in to this new house at the beginning of the summer, we inherited a major weed problem in both the front and back yard. I'm talking crabgrass like you've never seen it before. It's nearly impossible to see any signs of bermuda grass growing in the midst of this overpowering weed. So, we're tackling it and have hired people to kill it in hopes that next year our yard will look decent.

It's strange, but something magical happens in me when I walk out to our freshly mowed crabgrass..... I am happy! For a moment, I feel like we have a normal yard. It's green and it's short. For about a day, I feel okay about our weed problem because it just doesn't look that bad.

I went on a run today and listened to a podcast that taught on our sin nature. I believe that my sin nature is much like the roots of this crabgrass. If I'm not poisoning the weed or pulling it up by it's root, I'm not getting rid of the weed at all. By merely mowing across the top of it, I just disguise it's identity until time reveals it's there and never went anywhere.

The seed of healthy bermuda grass has been planted in my heart. I see that as the Holy Spirit. Have you ever tried pulling Bermuda grass up by it's roots? Dang! It's really hard. Harder than crabgrass, actually. I have much evidence of the Holy Spirit in my life, but my nasty flesh shoots up and can change the whole look entirely. While I know that I am not going to have a weedless life (or a sin-free life), I do know that dealing with my sin accurately can make a huge difference on the glory that is brought to God.

**sidenote** The way I handle my sin does not determine my eternity. The promise of heaven became mine when I put my trust in the fact that Jesus paid for all of my sin ONCE for all on the cross. So, when I talk about dealing with my flesh and and my sin on a daily basis, it is NOT to earn a righteous standing or anything special in my eternity. That is done and can't be tampered with. Jesus already paid it and God already sees me as righteous because of His Son. Rightly handling my sin is so that God can be glorified, others will see Him and I may have victory! **

Now, to the de-weeding process. I know that it will take time to have the Bermuda become what it seen rather than the Crabgrass in our yard. The killing off process is long. I have root sins that I am currently tackling in my own life. I want to deal with these sins SO THAT Christ may be seen in me and not my flesh. To God be the glory no matter what!

Satisfy

I'm one of those that "needs" coffee in the morning. It has always been the first thing I go to. Even to read the Bible, I "need" my coffee. So, on our recent camping trip in Colorado, for the first time out of all my camping, I didn't have to have "cowboy coffee" because who does that when VIA exists? I felt so spoiled having such a good cup of joe in a camping environment. Now I sound like a commercial for VIA or something. I'm not trying to sell it, I'm actually just babbling about my coffee addiction.

My real point is actually a sad point. It must be sad as I've sat and stared at the cursor cautioning the words in my head to sound right as I write them. Hmmm...... There are pretty much two different cups that I have in my hand on any given day. A coffee cup (up to 3 in the afternoon) and a wine glass (anytime after 5 in the evening.) Now, while the coffee is an everyday occurrence, the wine is not.

But, often enough that I am posing this question to myself:

Can only God satisfy me?

Oh, how wonderfully righteous I would sound if I said yes! But, I'm just not so sure. Do I LOVE and NEED God? YES. A resounding YES. But I'm really hung up on the word satisfaction. I know that God quenches things in me that only HE can. But are the wine and coffee habits quenching something else that I'm not allowing God to quench?

I'm putting these questions out there at the exact time of them entering my mind. With this all said.... for anyone to read, I wonder how many others have things in their lives that satisfy in ways that we believe HE can't. I'm curious. Do you have anything like that at all? Surely I'm not the only one. I may the only one that posts it on the internet for all to read, but what I do with it is the important part.

I find it interesting that I haven't posted since the end of July, and first post out of the shoot has me challenged. Well, I'll keep you updated on what God does with these issues on my very tender heart.