There were some comments on yesterday’s post about being ‘Uncaring’ that got me to thinking.  So I searched the archives for this article on Renewed Commitment.   I think it’s time for Melinda to plan a week of revival in her soul, and do some planning on how to get back down to <DRUM ROLL PLEASE> her all time favorite 125 lbs.  There are just some feats that are easier when we quiet ourselves, meditate on what it is we want to accomplish, and make a plan to get it done.  Over the course of next week, that’s exactly what I plan to do.  (Hope you don’t mind if I self plagariaze last year’s article).

Revival Has Come! Written (by me) April 2009

Hallelujah!  It’s time we have some church up in heeerrr, up in heeerrrr…..

I’m from a Baptist background, turned Pentecostal.  But, regardless of the affiliation, every year we had revival.  You know the kind…  the saints come dragging in, discouraged, sad looks of gloom and doom on their faces cause they haven’t been able to overcome the devil…  they’re heavy laden with sin, guilt, shame…

And then suddenly, the piano starts playing…  organ starts churning…  drums start beating (ok, not in the Baptist church)…  and we all begin to sing.  And sing.  And sing.  And, suddenly, the mood begins to lift.  As the words are lifted to the heavens, something starts moving and burning, something called “HOPE”.

Then, the preacher gets up. Oh, and he’s on fire!  He has a Bible in one hand, a handkerchief in the other… sweat pours… he yells, shouts, answers his own questions:  “Amen?  Amen!”  And the choir all join, “Amen”. Glory hallelujah!

I miss revival.  They used to get me all stirred up inside.  I would feel that conviction, tugging on my heart which led me to walk down toward the alter.  I dragged all my heavy sins, just begging God to not tell anyone what they were, behind me.  But then something happened.  I had an encounter there at that alter.  My sins were forgiven.  I was white as snow.  When I stood up to go back to my seat, I felt a lighter load.  No more burden, guilt, shame.

Now you may be asking, “Where are you going with this?”  Oh, just hold your britches on!  I’m getting there!  I decided it’s time for my sins to come out into the open and let the burden be lifted.  I’m feeling that burning conviction inside my heart and TODAY, not tomorrow, TODAY I made a choice to step out from my comfort zone and walk forward…  I have made up my mind that I am losing this 10 lbs that I have put on this year (actually, today it’s 5 lbs I need to get rid of!)…  and I will not carry around the guilt, shame, and embarrassment around any longer.  Today, my load is lighter.  I made a commitment in my heart to abide by the rules.

Now before ya get all weirded out on me, thinking I must have abandoned all the gastric bypass rules, let me just say…  a sin is a sin…  whether it be one or many…  I’m not a habitual rule breaker… just sometimes, I do get off track a bit and need to be corralled back up again like a wild horse…  So, it’s time to just take inventory, make some fresh commitments, and abide by them.

So today, as the preacher asks his congregation, I ask my readers…  “Will you join me today?”  Are you off track and need to make a fresh commitment, rededicate yourself to the lifestyle that you know is best for you?  Let’s do this together…  Let’s work the plan so the plan can work for us!

Oh yeah, and the saints go marching out, alive, refreshed, happy… clapping, dancing, shouting…  And, I can already say that something is burning on the inside of me…  I just can’t stand it.  I may even do a little Pentecostal jig.

This morning Tim & I went for a walk around 7:00.  Our neighborhood is located right behind a high traffic mall area, but you would never know it.  It’s a quiet and settled neighborhood.  The homes have been here since early fifties.  Even being in the middle of a city, we have an acre, a tree line in the back separating us from our other neighbors.  We cannot see their house, or the lights in the night time.  I’ve been wanting to take my camera and do a walk.  So, we did today.  I had no idea what we would encounter.  Maybe a few flowers…  But when I got home and downloaded my pictures, I saw a theme…  my mind started thinking about how we are never alone… even when we are walking by ourselves, or when we have no friends nearby, or perhaps we don’t have a boyfriend/girlfriend.  We are never alone in this life…  I hope you see a few pictures that you like…  Here are the many faces I saw staring back at me as I walked this morning.

[IMG]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u192/melsreturn/IMG_2362.jpg[/IMG]   [IMG]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u192/melsreturn/IMG_2368.jpg[/IMG]  [IMG]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u192/melsreturn/IMG_2374.jpg[/IMG]   [IMG]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u192/melsreturn/IMG_2382.jpg[/IMG]  [IMG]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u192/melsreturn/IMG_2384.jpg[/IMG]   [IMG]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u192/melsreturn/IMG_2402.jpg[/IMG]  [IMG]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u192/melsreturn/IMG_2395.jpg[/IMG]   [IMG]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u192/melsreturn/IMG_2393.jpg[/IMG]

Last and most certainly not least, this picture made me glad to be alive.  [IMG]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u192/melsreturn/IMG_2405.jpg[/IMG]

Time For Renewed Commitment

Hallelujah!  It’s time we have some church up in heeerrr, up in heeerrrr…..

I’m from a Baptist background, turned Pentecostal.  But, regardless of the affiliation, every year we had revival.  You know the kind…  the saints come dragging in, discouraged, sad looks of gloom and doom on their faces cause they haven’t been able to overcome the devil…  their heavy laden with sin, guilt, shame…

And then suddenly, the piano starts playing…  organ starts churning…  drums start beating (ok, not in the Baptist church)…  and we all begin to sing.  And sing.  And sing.  And, suddenly, the mood begins to lift.  As the words are lifted to the heavens, something starts moving and burning, something called “HOPE”.

Then, the preacher gets up. Oh, and he’s on fire!  He has a Bible in one hand, a handkerchief in the other… sweat pours… he yells, shouts, answers his own questions:  “Amen?  Amen!”  And the choir all join, “Amen”. Glory hallelujah!

I miss revival.  They used to get me all stirred up inside.  I would feel that conviction, tugging on my heart which led me to walk down toward the alter.  I dragged all my heavy sins, just begging God to not tell anyone what they were, behind me.  But then something happened.  I had an encounter there at that alter.  My sins were forgiven.  I was white as snow.  When I stood up to go back to my seat, I felt a lighter load.  No more burden, guilt, shame.

Now you may be asking, “Where are you going with this?”  Oh, just hold your britches on!  I’m getting there!  I decided it’s time for my sins to come out into the open and let the burden be lifted.  I’m feeling that burning conviction inside my heart and TODAY, not tomorrow, TODAY I made a choice to step out from my comfort zone and walk forward…  I have made up my mind that I am losing this 10 lbs that I have put on this year…  and I will not carry around the guilt, shame, and embarrassment around any longer.  Today, my load is lighter.  I made a commitment in my heart to abide by the rules.

Now before ya get all weirded out on me, thinking I must have abandoned all the gastric bypass rules, let me just say…  a sin is a sin…  whether it be one or many…  I’m not a habitual rule breaker… just sometimes, I do get off track a bit and need to be corralled back up again like a wild horse…  So, it’s time to just take inventory, make some fresh commitments, and abide by them.

So today, as the preacher asks his congregation, I ask my readers…  “Will you join me today?”  Are you off track and need to make a fresh commitment, rededicate yourself to the lifestyle that you know is best for you?  Let’s do this together…  Let’s work the plan so the plan can work for us!

Oh yeah, and the saints go marching out, alive, refreshed, happy… clapping, dancing, shouting…  And, I can already say that something is burning on the inside of me…  I just can’t stand it.  I may even do a little Pentecostal jig.