Forgiven and Unbound!

"He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our FREEDOM with the blood of His Son and FORGAVE our sins.  He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding."  ~Eph. 1:7-8

Now for a "Top 10 Tuesday" update ~ Top 10 Areas of Personal Progress (during the break)! :-)

1. I've been accepted and enrolled, and I start Seminary classes with Liberty University next week!!!  I'm so excited about this one!  Early on in the break, God poured out some much-needed clarity regarding my future... this just feels right, and it thrills me more than any other option I've considered!  I have felt passionate about studying and teaching the Word of God for a long time, and I'm honestly not sure how I didn't come to this conclusion sooner, but I trust that God's timing is perfect for me here.  So back to school I go, and I'll have my MA in Theological Studies by August of 2015 - GET EXCITED!  (*I also got to turn down Texas A&M and SNU, which felt so much better than being turned down or overlooked, a la 2013. lol)
   
2. Going to the Captivating Retreat in Colorado by myself without knowing anyone took some real courage for me, so I'm proud of that, and thankful for God's grace over me and for new friendships!  
   
3. Completed Donald Miller's Create Your Life Plan course, and (super-randomly) did a Professional Wedding Planning course, just for fun! :)
   
4. Took time off work to attend what was described as "an intense prayer and spiritual warfare ministry."  I was completely vulnerable and honest in my timeline, confessing every past area of sin or woundedness I could think of (not easy) and genuinely praying for a purified heart and for healing.
5. Red flags started going off all over the place, and in the end (well, the end for me), they literally tried to convince me that I was indwelled by a demon and that they needed me to allow the demon to speak through me and answer their questions.  Mmhmm, you read that right.  Butternut-crazy cult - the creepiest thing I've ever experienced!  And they waited until we'd gone through my entire timeline together, then tried to use specific things as "evidence" that there must be something demonic in me.  (To be fair, they believe 98% of people are born with an ancestral demon present at birth that doesn't go away at salvation, so it wasn't just a personal insult, but a dangerous false doctrine... SO FALSE.)  *Dear Christian friends, there is a massive, massive difference between being demonically attacked and being demonically indwelled; and the latter is not possible for those who are in Christ.  Anyway, I spoke the truth in love, and I was (apparently) the first person to ever walk out of their ministry without finishing.  So I feel good about that, and I'm thankful for the solid foundation of Biblical truth in my life!!  Wow.
6. Creative work - I'm taking an online writer's course (on finding your unique voice) by Ally Vesterfelt, and it's been great so far!  I also made this abstract NYC skyline painting for Talhia (of the view from the rooftop of their hotel where she had her wedding reception) and I think it turned out great!  
   
7. Checking things off the list - finally made an appointment I'd been putting off since 2012, changed my cable TV service to better reflect my moral values, and completely avoided reading something I was very tempted to read because I knew it would tear me up emotionally and send me in a downward spiral.  Progress!!
8. Attended a Beth Moore simulcast where she taught about our identity in Christ (one of the things I'd been praying for more revelation on just days before).  It was so good and life affirming, and I'll absolutely write more on that later...
   
9. Started an "Adoption Account" to save money toward that - YAY!  And on a similar note, I feel renewed peace and hope about getting married after Captivating... renewed faith that there are great, Godly men who will see my heart if I am willing to be seen (breaking an agreement with invisibility = another future post).
10. I made progress in relationships by forcing myself to actually call people and specifically talk through things rather than going to the blog to write out all my feelings.  I love writing and always will, but I want to have better boundaries on that and keep certain things between me and the "inner circle" friends. :)
    

"Technology absolutely can connect us. I don’t believe that it’s inherently isolating or inherently loneliness-inducing. Strictly speaking, technology by definition is neutral. It’s up to each of us to decide how we want to interact with it... I believe there’s so much good on the internet—thoughtful writing, beautiful design, inspiring creativity, meaningful opportunities to learn. I’m decidedly pro-internet. At the same time, I think each one of us needs to find the right way to connect with it, or more accurately, through it—our own way of connecting that brings life and creativity and wholeheartedness."  ~Shauna Niequist

Amen to that!

Anyway, all in all, it's been a great season of growing in health and maturity in Christ!  At the very least, some good seeds have been planted that I pray will grow stronger and stronger in my heart.  I am thankful for God's grace and for your prayers for me! =)  That's all for now!