Transformed by the renewing of the Mind

I have been praying and seeking God all week as to what I should write to you this Monday morning.  I am currently doing an in depth Bible study of Joshua with the kids, studying biblical finances with a small group at church, reading through the Psalms with the kids, studying the sermon on the mount with Jeremy, and reading the book of Ephesians.  I am also reading through a blog study of the book of Revelation, for the second time.  Lastly, I just started today, a blog study on the book of 1 Peter (thanks Anne, really excited about it).  So, you would think with all this time in God's word something would just jump out at me to share with all of you today.  But the funny thing is the passage the Lord keeps bringing me back to is not in any of my Bible studies.  No instead it is from the book of Romans.  But before I share from it.  I want to share a little about myself.  You see it hasn't always been that I could spend hours of time in God's Word.  When I was a child, I had some health and learning problems.  Because of those problems, I spent a lot of time in special education classes.  My parents never limited me and never made me think I was not able to achieve just as much as their other kids. But, I was passed from grade to grade, but never really learned how to read and comprehend until I was about fourteen.  As a small girl, I loved learning about God and the Bible.  But, I had to rely on others to teach it to me. As I became an adult the thought of studying the Bible for myself was overwhelming.  I would convince myself that just reading it a few minutes a day, and having a strong prayer life was enough.  But then one day, I made the mistake of asking God to give me a love for learning His Word.    I really thought this was a good prayer to pray, and I sincerely thought it would be easy if God did it. My first experience with the love of learning came when Jeremy and I went off to college.  When I was a senior in high school I begged God not to call me to go to college.  I had truly hated school from junior high through high school.  It was not a place of learning for me.  It was not fun or enjoyable in anyway.  So, I asked God not to make me go on to more schooling.  He was kind and gracious and showed me another way.  But after a couple years, God began to place a desire to go to Bible school in my heart.  So Jeremy and I applied, and packed up and went off to Bible school.  This was a totally new experience for me.  I got to choose what I studied, and I got to study God's Word.  It was the first steps in learning to love learning.   But then life changed, I became a mother.  There was no time for Bible study anymore.  I used the excuse that God understood how busy I was.  But, it was when I was the mother of six children that God started to make it clear I needed to stop making excuses and start seeking answers for life in His Word.  So, I joined my first woman's Bible study study.  I had no idea how awesome God's Word was and how alive it was.  I am forever grateful to those ladies for bringing me into their circle and allowing me to be a fumbling fool amongst them.  But, even then I still made the excuses for why I couldn't do the homework, or why I couldn't look into God's word on my own.  I had grown to love the word and love learning from it, but I was still relying on others to bring me into it.  I made lots of excuses.  But, last year when we moved to Pennsylvania there was no room for excuses anymore.  I needed more of God and I needed more of His truth in my life, and there was no other way to get it than to get into His word.  So, I began consuming it.  So, now I am at a wonderful place where I can't get enough time in God's Word, and the amazing thing is the more time I spend in it, the more time he gives to get all the other things in life done.  So, what does this story have to do with Romans. If you read my family blog than you may have seen a post last week in which I reference Romans chapter 12. Ever since writing that post, I have been going back to that chapter over and over and looking at all it has to say to me.  As you read this familiar passage of scripture to yourself.  See if there is a new message for you today.  I am so grateful that God does his might work in my life, and that he allows me to be a blessing to others.  Please share one thing that strikes you in this passage, and be a voice of encouragement to others.  For me, I am thankful that God has been transforming me into the woman he made me to be by the renewing of my mind. Only God can take a girl who can't read and make her into a woman who loves to read and study His Word.  Romans 12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.          3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[ faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.                9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. practice hospitality.   14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;     if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.