Sometimes

I get overwhelmed by emotions, and I get overwhelmed by the state of the world I live in.  Even in my studies of education I discover how selfish we can be. I am so often put in a tail spin of emotions because I think someone has dismissed me, is uninterested in my life or has forgotten me, that I get into this poor me attitude. The truth is I have found something that is so Amazing, so wonderful, I have found a compassionate, loving, grace-giving, mercy-offered, Savior and that should be something that consistently floods my mind. I have a new mantra (it may seem silly) that I am learning to use in moments of distress and selfishness, first the human side of the mantra, I will not analyze, project or predict every situation in my life, and then the Christ side of my world is to focus on praying for someone like me. I know that I am not the only one out there that gets preoccupied in their own feelings that they lose sight of the importance of life. I know people that spend their days trying to help someone else, that wake up each morning looking forward to what the day holds for them.

I don't want to be selfish or self-serving I want to be more like Christ, I want to be able to seek out ways in which I can honor Christ in the way I live each day. I want to change my focus from the external to the ETERNAL side of life.

This is who I want to be...

Embraced by Grace and Humbled by Mercy!
Stephanie Stephan

Choices

It all comes down to choices, I have to choose everyday how I want to live. I have to choose if I want to do what God has called me to be or if I want to stay under the covers and pretend that this life is all about me. I have freedom in Christ before I was enslaved to sin and the world that my sin belonged to. I am under the blood and redeemed at the cost of death on a cross, I am anticipating something so much greater than what this earth can offer. With that said the goal is to bring as many people to Christ as possible, and how do I do that? I do that by living for Him in a way that sets me a part, that makes people take notice and maybe every once in awhile say "why are you loving, forgiving, encouraging", why do you show grace when others are angry and condemning, because I was once lost and now I'm found. I want like any person that is found to be grateful for being found, for being loved, for being wanted. Today when my alarm clock goes off I have a choice whether I will get up and shout His praises or whether I will stay in bed or in my pity, or in my own selfish ways, because I am not able to bring others to Christ under my covers, I have to live out of the covers I have to be out showing love, grace and mercy to others. I have to spend my days with my children, with my friends, with family and with others loving them in such a way that Christ gets glory and I am a witness to the God that gives me grace who loved me first so that I could love others.

Forgiven by Grace,
Stephanie Stephan