20 Ways to Grow Up in God

I've compiled a list of "Ways to Grow up in God." Please don't think for one minute I only did this list for my readers. This list is compiled of the Ways that I've addressed, am addressing, and need to address consistently. So, by no means is this list just for you. Read the list slowly. Actually ponder each Way. Consider whether or not you need to incorporate a Way into your life. Pray about it. Ask the Lord if you need to incorporate a Way. He always knows best. Your starting point should be the answer to your prayer. If the answer to your prayer is, "Yes," ask the Lord to reveal to you which Way you should apply first. Ask him for the motivation to want to apply the Way, and then for the determination to hang in there during the application of the Way. Also, pray for the success in the mastery of the Way. After you've completed the prayer, confess the way in your life (speak it out loud). For example, I would confess, "I treat others the way I want to be treated." I should confess this at least daily, but it would be even better to confess it several times throughout the day. Romans 4:17 states that God calls those things that do not exist as if they already exist. We are to do the same. When we do this, we are aligning ourselves with the Word of God and allowing his plans to come to pass in our lives. Repeat this process for each Way the Lord reveals to you to apply until he reveals to you that you're finished with this list.



Think before you speak, instead of giving everyone a piece of your mind.


Exercise discipline and self control in every area of your life, instead of being slothful and out of a balance.


Pray for the needs of everyone, instead of just yours and your family's.

Look for ways to serve others, instead of trying to run everybody and everything.

Treat others the way you want to be treated, instead of reserving good treatment for family and friends.

Choose to live by the Word, instead of your emotions.

Realize that your pastor's sermon is for you, instead of your friend.

Ask the Lord to see your spouse the way that he sees him, instead of complaining about what you think is his every shortcoming

Take responsibility for your actions, instead of blaming others.

According to Pastor Michael Freeman, "Do not paint the wrong picture of sin."

Admit when you're wrong and say sorry, instead of acting like you're always right.

Choose to keep a positive perspective, instead of being beaten by worry.

Admit that you don't have to know every thing about everybody and turn a deaf ear to gossip, instead of being an "Enquiring Mind."

Pray everyday, instead of only when you need something.

Be a good steward over all that you have, instead of only those things you deem important.

Receive correction and instruction, instead of being unteachable.

Believe God for what you can't see, instead of limiting God to what you can only see.

Increase the time you spend reading the Bible, instead of only reading it during Sunday School and church as instructed by the teacher and the pastor.

Live up to those high expectations that you set for everyone else, instead of giving yourself an out.

Extend the benefit of the doubt to everyone again and again, instead of being so quick to make an assumption about them.

Exact Imitation

Have you ever seen a knock off handbag? Some people love them because they can get a designer look without paying a designer price. I've actually seen a few, and I have to admit the few that I saw did look real... from afar. Upon closer inspection, the fake bags didn't stand a chance. They were of poor quality. The stitching was crooked, the leather was cheap, and the designer stamp imprinted on the inside of the bag was weak. Some just can't afford the real thing while others with the money are unwilling to pay the steep price. But one thing is for sure, there is a price to pay if you want either bag. Which ever you choose, you get what you pay for. Be glad this is not the case for our salvation. The costly price of our salvation has already been paid. Jesus Christ paid the price. Good thing, because no matter how badly we may have wanted it, we could never afford the price of salvation. God knew we could not afford it and had another plan in place since the very beginning. We are not resigned to accept a "knock off," salvation, but the real thing. In this case, we got what we didn't pay for! Ephesian 5:1 calls Christians to be "imitators of God." We are to "live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us." We are to fashion ourselves after the example that God gave us in Jesus Christ. Unlike the production of an imitation bag, imitating Christ is by no means a small assignment. It comes with a sack of other assignments. We must first acknowledge his Word as truth before any imitation can take place. In order to imitate him, we must first know exactly how he acted. The only way to know how he acted is to spend time in the Word of God by studying or listening to it. Before the creation of the fake bag, its maker spends a great deal of time examining every inch of the real bag in order to produce an exact replica. We should conduct that same type of examination of the Bible, so that we have the knowledge of the scriptures that we need for the imitation of God. Once the bag maker has completed his examination, he's ready to begin the building of the bag. He sits down at this sewing machine and applies all that he's learned about the real bag to make the fake one. Before we can apply what we've learned, we have to undo what we've been doing. That's right, we have to undo the mind sets that we've held for a lifetime. Those mind sets must be undone, because those mind sets are what caused our evil ways (greed, bitterness, rage, impurity, brawling, slander, foolish talk). We should pray that the Word of God takes root in our hearts and changes us from the inside out. Then, we have to patiently practice the Word of God over and over and over again to renew our minds. Our minds will become full of God's Word. We have to practice speaking it, practice reading it, practice writing it, and practice applying it. The renewing of our minds will cause a new thinking pattern that lines up with the Word of God. This new thinking pattern will then produce new behaviors that line up with the Word of God. Then we will be exact imitators of God. Despite his best efforts, the bag maker's attempts will be flawed. Although his outcome may look similar to the real thing, we know that upon inspection its over for the the knock off. Its maker never had the original design. He was at a loss before he ever began. Here's an opportunity for you and I to rejoice! We have been given the original design. We have the blue prints for becoming like Christ, the Bible. Not only do we have the instructions, we also have examples of how these instructions look upon application. We can be as Christ was in this world. We don't have to settle for "knock off" status.

PROCESS 101:IT'S GROWING TIME

When my daughter was younger, she wanted to be a cheerleader badly. She couldn't wait for the little league football season to begin. She soon realized, however,that she didn't like practicing. When the other girls were stretching, she would be looking off across the field. If the team was jogging, she would be walking as slowly as she possibly could. When it came time to actually cheer at a game, she found that she didn't like that either. All of the other girls would smile brightly and were enthusiastic, not my daughter. She was always frowning and a few moves behind. She really didn't like anything about cheer leading other than the uniform. She absolutely loved wearing the Inkster Raiders uniform. It finally dawned on my husband and I that our daughter just wanted the uniform with no strings attached. She wanted the uniform without enduring the process to get it. I'm sure many Christians can relate to my daughter's situation. Because at one time or another in our lives, we too wanted something that we did not earn. We've seen Christians with the results of their harvests... cars, careers, jobs, husbands, health, houses, faith, or relationships with the Lord that we wanted and became angry, because we didn't have them. We had the nerve to want what they had (their harvests), even though we didn't do what they did (process) to get those things. In order to get those harvests, we have to put God first all the time, even when its not convenient. We shouldn't put him first to just to get things, but to get to know him. What better way to get to know him then by spending time with him praying and reading his word? Mark 6:33 clearly states, "But seek ye first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Some of us were seeking things when we should have been seeking God. When we put Him first, he gives us his very best harvest. The Lord revealed to me that the Kingdom of God is a process that must be endured. There is no such thing as a short cut in God. This process is stated in Mark 4:26-29, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain-first the stalk, then the head, the the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." These verses in Mark describe the process of the kingdom of God in us. It starts small as a seed but grows to full maturity as a full kernel of grain that is ready to be harvested. If you want to go to the next level in God, you must go through a similar growing process. The seed went through stages of distinct growth. It all starts with the seed. The seed has to be planted. The stalk first appears, then the head, and the kernel. Notice, this growing period doesn't happen over night. It happens over time. This process was probably more than a little uncomfortable too. Imagine, that first sprout attempting to make its way through the hard soil. That sprout patiently displaces the soil that is directly in front of it a little at a time so that it can inch its way to the surface. The entire time growth is taking place although it is not obvious to the eye. Once close enough to the surface, the tiny sprout bursts through. That part of the process is probably shocking, maybe even stressful to the sprout's system, however the process isn't over yet. That sprout has to grow into a tall wheat stalk that has a head that contains a full kernel of grain. Wheat is measured in stages from 1 (sprout) to 11 (fully mature stalk of wheat). So, the growth process of the sprout must continue until it reaches full maturity as a stalk of wheat at 11. This is the very same process that Christians must endure if we want to grow up in God. Growing up in God happens gradually in stages. I heard Pastor Michael Freeman say it best, "The Kingdom of God is a process not an event." Do not despise the process. I know...I know the process isn't easy. But, what some of us are doing isn't easy either. It's just familiar. Really, I was tired of being in the same place for so long, and I was wondering when the Lord was going to move me to another level. All the while he was showing me what to do, but I wasn't listening. He was waiting for me to make a move in him. When I did, he began to reveal to me what I needed to do. Many times we want God to do the very things that we should be doing. Was this process easy? No. I can't lie to you. It was quite uncomfortable, but well worth it. I can't believe how much my perspective on life has changed. I always wanted to be a writer, but I couldn't seem to find any time to write. The Lord revealed to me that I had as much time as everyone else. I just had to use it properly. That meant becoming an early riser. Before, I never made it out of the bed before about 10:00 am. Now I'm up by 7:00 am, sometimes even earlier. Before, I ran late all the time. Now, I plan to be early. Before, I read the Bible a few times a week. Now, I study it daily. The process called for me to trash some of my old ways, because they were preventing me from doing the very things that I wanted to do. Do you want a harvest? If you answered yes, get ready to grow. Ask the Lord to reveal to you how his kingdom works. Then, ask him to work his kingdom principles in your life.

Choose Joy and Give Thanks

I could complain about a few things. I could complain about my hair. I could complain about my clothes. I could complain about my body. I could complain about my skin. I could complain about my finances. I could complain about my kids. When I really think about it, there are quite a few things that I could really complain about. However, I don't. I used to, but not anymore. What good would it do? It won't get me those things that I want any faster. Actually when I used to subscribe to this method of constant complaining, it made me feel even worse...depressed even. A depressed Christian (This is actually an oxymoron because the pair of words is in direct opposition to one another; They're contradictory.) is easily defeated, because they are allowing their thoughts to run wild. We must control our thoughts. We don't have to receive negative thoughts. Whenever we get one, we should rebuke it and oppose it with the corresponding word of God spoken out of our mouths. I make a conscious effort to control my thoughts. I keep my mind out of the gutter. Now, no matter the circumstance, no matter the situation, I choose joy. I choose to speak about the goodness of the Lord. I choose to speak about his good plans and intentions towards me. I begin each day by speaking Nehemiah 8:10 out of my mouth, "...for the joy of the Lord is my strength." This scripture causes me to think about his goodness..to think about his greatness...To think about his mightiness... This should cause me to develop a strength in him. A strength that is unshakable. I should begin each day knowing that he has me... period, bottom line. He has me despite the obstacle, despite the problem, and despite the crisis. This is cause for joy! Once I make him my focus and trust him to keep me, he does. He keeps me time after time, after time, after time. I can see what he has done in my life. Then I can say, "Thank you Lord. I'm not where I used to be. Thank you Lord. I'm not who I used to be. Thank you Lord. I don't do what I used to do." Only then I can choose joy and be sincerely thankful.

I'M OUT!

Although I've always wanted to be a writer, I never thought I'd go about it in this manner. I thought I'd be writing novels similar to Terry McMillan. Boy, I used to love her work. One summer I read all of her early novels. Reading her work confirmed it for me. I would write a novel. A lot has happened between then and now. I never did write that novel, however I'm certain that soon quite a few Christian novels will be birthed out of me. Ten years ago you never could have told me I'd be writing blogs, Christian blogs at that. Back then, I was on another level. I have to laugh and shake my head when I think about it. I was a hot mess! It's amazing to me now how back then when I was doing my own thing, (living by my flesh) and I didn't care who knew. I was out with it. Well, I probably would have cared if the members of my church knew. It probably wouldn't have gone over too well if they knew only a few hours before I had just left the club, stopped for a bite to eat, went home to change, and then went to early service. It would have ruined my whole "churchy" image. I'll try to put this tactfully...I didn't try to hide the fact that I was living in a manner which didn't glorify, God nor was I trying to. I could have been a character straight out of one of Terry McMillan's books. Like I was saying, the way that I lived my life was no secret. I didn't care who knew. My attitude was, "You can love me. You can leave me. Whatever." Having considered my brazen attitude, why then did it take me a few years to be "out" for Christ? If I was bold about my sin, why couldn't I be bold about my righteousness? In the early stages of my walk, I felt like it had to be whispered, almost like a secret. I didn't know how others would feel about it. It must sound crazy, because I went from honestly not caring about anything anyone thought of me to caring about what my friends would think about this...my renewed relationship with the Lord. I call it renewed, because I had been saved much earlier in my life. I just never lived like it. I had always gone to church. I just didn't have a personal relationship with the Lord. I was living to satisfy myself and not him. I had finally made the decision to live for him. Living for him meant that I would have to make changes in my behavior. If I didn't do the things I used to, the "others"would be hurt, because they felt I was different. If I did do those things, I just wouldn't feel right about them. Really, I would feel bad about doing them. I wanted to please my friends, but at the same time, I wanted to please the Lord. This was new for me. Before, I lived for pleasing myself. I spent a great deal of time pondering how my decision of renewing my relationship with the Lord made others feel. This went on for a while until I had enough courage in the Lord to say, "I'm through living like this." I simply walked away from that part of my old life style. I had finally reached the point where I began to be "out" in the Lord. I've noticed the more I grow in Christ, the less I care about what people think about my relationship with Him. But, this growing didn't happen over night. It's been, still is, and will continue to be a process. Although I didn't know it then, Ephesians 4:22-24 was happening in me. I was taking off my old fleshly self and ways. My mind was being renewed, and I was putting on the new me which was created to be like God in "true righteousness and holiness." As I look back and think about it, I realize how great the Lord has been to me. I mean he has just plain shown off in my life. I can't deny him his glory. I can now say without any hesitation, "I'm out!" Think about it. Can you say the same?

Peace Be Still!

"Peace be still." That's exactly what Jesus told the waves as they rocked the boat containing himself and the disciples as they crossed the river in Mark 4:35-41. He rebuked the wind and told the waves to be quiet and be still. Right before this, the disciples woke him from a much needed rest. They became frightened by the whipping wind and the waves that crashed into the boat and over its sides. They were probably wondering how in the world could Jesus be sleeping through a storm like this. They probably thought here he is sleeping and we're about to die. The question is if Jesus was sleeping peacefully at this time, why weren't they? So, they woke him and said, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" This is the question that they asked the the very one whom they witnessed teaching and healing with such authority that everyone took notice. Jesus was preparing the disciples to be fishers of men. He was training them to do what he did. He was teaching them to have the very same authority that he did. When Jesus went to the synagogue to teach, the people were amazed at his teaching because he taught with such authority, not like the teachers of the law. His disciples witnessed the sick making their way to Jesus at all costs. They were there in Mark chapter 2 when some friends of a paralyzed man could not make their way through a huge crowd so they cut a hole in the roof and lowered him through the hole to get his healing. They witnessed such faith acts as these and still allowed the fear of the storm to get the best of them. Here they were on the boat with the redeemer of all mankind and they were consumed with fear. The disciples had a limited view of Jesus. They knew him as a teacher and a healer, because that's what they saw him do. They only believed what they could see. They had no faith. They were walking by sight. That's why Jesus responded to them by saying, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith? He was essentially saying, "Do you not know who I am?" "I thought you knew!" After Jesus rebuked them, they said, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" The very ones who had traveled with him day after day and didn't know who he was. Since they didn't know who he was, how could they possibly have faith in him? Since they didn't know who he was, they couldn't have peace in him. Peace would have come from knowing who he was and trusting that he controlled the situation. They called him, "teacher." They saw him as one who instructs. They didn't see him as saviour, one who could save them from death. To take this even further, because they didn't know who Jesus was, they didn't know who they were in Jesus. Because, they didn't know his full authority, they didn't know their own. Here they were appointed by Jesus to go out into the world to do what he was doing. Any one of them could have stood up and rebuked the waves, but they didn't. Mark 3:14 states, "He appointed twelve-designating them apostles-that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons." They chose to allow this situation to almost over take them, because of their limited view. The disciples were waiting for Jesus to do something for them that they could have done for themselves. This is a wake up call to Christians. You must get a revelation of Jesus. Once you get that revelation, you must get a revelation of who you are in him. For as Jesus was in this world so are we. Today, ask the Lord to give you a revelation of who he is.

The Bible: My Handbook For Living

I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't read the Bible. I read it as a child, as a teenager, as a college student, and I read it now. I always knew that it was the right thing to do. Don't all "good Christians" read the Bible? I also knew that it contained some very important lessons that I could apply to my life, but I had no idea that it was my supernaturally handbook for life. After all these years of reading the Bible and attending church, I heard my pastor say that the Bible is the believer's handbook for life. Wow! That was deep! In all my years, I never looked at it like that. I had never heard anyone else say that. Some of you may be thinking, "Hello! I thought everybody knew that." I guess I was a little late in getting that memo. Well, if I had known that, maybe I would have made it my business to be more diligent about reading and retaining it. Since my pastor made that statement, I started to view the Bible differently. Not only do I read it daily, but now I study it to find out everything I don't know about life. I read to see who did what and who said what and to find the outcome. See, I didn't know that life came with a supernatural instruction manual. When my daughter was younger and I was a young mother I would think, "Man I wish she came with some type of instructions, because they would surely make my life a lot easier." If only I had known sooner that life came with instructions. Which ever you choose to call it instructions or handbook, its purpose remains the same, to instruct Christians how to function supernaturally in this earth. I even read the Bible differently now. I read it and reread it. I analyze it. I ponder it. I pray over it. I meditate on it. I apply it. It is a textbook for us. We can read to see how it unfolds. It removes all of the guess work from life. It has sure made my life a lot easier.

What Is Your Report?

Two people can see the same thing and give two totally different accounts of it. The accounts can be so very different that you wonder if both individuals actually saw the same thing. For example, if two individuals saw a glass of water, one might say, "My glass is half empty. It's almost gone." While the other might say, "My glass is half full. I have plenty." Another example can be found in the book of Numbers the thirteenth chapter. The Lord told Moses to send some his men to spy out the land of Canaan which he was going to give to them. It was a land that flowed with "milk and honey." He was told to send a leader from each of the Twelve Tribes. Before deploying the men, Moses told them to check out the land and the people. After checking out the land and the people for forty days, they returned home. Upon their return, the twelve all agreed that the land did "flow with milk and honey." That's where their agreement ended, and the negative report began. Ten out of the twelve went on to say that the land's inhabitants were powerful and strong. They said the inhabitants were much stronger than they and thus infected the Israelites with their bad report. Caleb, one of the two who had a good report, said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." The men who had gone with Caleb became instantly enraged. They basically said, "Are you crazy? They' ll kill us. They are a bunch of giants and we're not. We couldn't possibly win against them." That was the beginning of the end. The bad report spread and infected the Israelites. The Israelites became distracted by the giants they saw in the land and failed to remember that the Lord was giving them that land. They were looking at what they couldn't do when they should have been looking to the Lord to see what he would do. Caleb and Joshua, the two who had good reports, attempted to tell the Israelites how great the land was, and that if they obeyed God he would protect them and give them the land. Unfortunately, the Israelites didn't make it into the land at that time. The end result was the Israelites were punished for their disbelief. They were punished for not trusting God. The same God that delivered them from Egypt with miraculous signs and wonders. They were made to wander in the wilderness for forty years, one year for each of the forty days they spied out the land. During this time, every man over the age of twenty would die in the desert except for Joshua and Caleb. The other ten with the bad reports were "struck down with a plague before the Lord." The Lord gave the Israelites a preview of the good land he was going to give them. The land was great! Instead of seeing this great gift that the Lord was giving them, they were distracted by the giants. They allowed the giants to block their view of the land's goodness and the Lord's greatness. The Israelites really should have seen the giants as God's problem, because God was giving them the land. Since he was giving them the land, he would have made the proper provision for them to receive it. God would have dealt with the giants if the Israelites had allowed him . Instead, they grumbled that they couldn't possibly win against them. They never even asked God how they should proceed. What is your report? Will you walk away from your blessing because of giants, or with the Lord's help will you take the land? Will you be like the ten out of the twelve with a negative report, or will you be like the minority,Caleb and Joshua, the two out of the twelve, with a positive report? Remember, when the Lord gets ready to bless you, he will make the provision for you to receive the blessing. What is your report?

Flourishing Under the Hand of Adversity

I will never forget my college years. They were one of the most STRESSFUL times in my life. They were just plain difficult. I was a young, bitter, broke (financially and emotionally), divorced mother attempting to get a degree, so that I could support myself and my child. During that time, nothing seemed to go my way. I had a work study job and at times worked two jobs, but I still didn't have enough money. Although I was blessed to be given a car free and clear, it seemed to break down all the time at the most inopportune times. I never had enough time. I didn't have enough time to spend with my child. I didn't have enough time to do homework. I didn't have enough time to have down time. I was always in a rush. Time seemed to be a rare commodity then. The odds seemed to be against me. Each morning I prayed for the Lord to keep me in my right mind. I hoped every day would not be the big day...the day I lost my mind. To the physical eye, I probably looked like a basket case. What the enemy meant to destroy me, the Lord used to build me. Spiritually, the Lord was growing me (Although, I didn't know it then). In the first chapter of the book of Exodus, the Israelites were growing in the midst of a horrible situation. They were forced into labor by the Egyptians. The Israelites became the slaves of Egypt. The Egyptians worked them unmercilessly. It seemed like the odds were against them. However, the Egyptians found that the more they "...oppressed the Israelites, the more they multiplied and spread..." Here Pharaoh and the Egyptians were trying to break the Israelites with hard labor, but all the while they were growing, multiplying. Under Pharaoh's oppressive hand, they were increasing. While under the strongest of adversities they were ever increasing. The Egyptians made their lives bitter with hard labor and worked them ruthlessly and still they grew. How great is that? In the natural, I'm sure the Israelites must have looked like they were at their lowest point. They probably looked like they wouldn't make it another day. What the enemy meant to destroy the Israelites, God used to expand them. In the spiritual, they were huge! In the spiritual they were, multiplying, growing, increasing, gaining, and spreading. God was preparing them for where they were going. Wherever we may be in life, God is there. When a situation may seem dismal, bleak, or just plain bad, God is there. He is there turning that situation around and working it out for our good. God is using it to grow us and expand us. He is processing us for the next level. He is sending us through a process, so that we will be prepared for that next level. We have to experience some things that will grow us up in the Lord. Is this a comfortable process? No. Is it necessary? Definitely. Although those college years were rough, I learned so much. Now, I know those years served as my growing time. I was being trained. I had to grow. I couldn't go to that next level in the state that I had been previously. It wouldn't have worked. I wouldn't have had what it took to be successful. I learned to trust God. Those times taught me to be diligent, determined, motivated, brave, strong, committed... and the list continues. I took all of the training I received with me to the next level, and I was successful. I continue to be successful because of what the Lord birthed out of me then. If you find yourself in a situation similar to this, ask the Lord what you need to learn where you are.

Royally Redeemed

Royally Redeemed is quite a fitting name. Actually, when I think about how the Lord redeemed me from a life of self destruction, I couldn't call this blog site anything else. It is a living testament of exactly where He has brought me and what He is doing in me. Every time I read the book of Ruth I am reminded of the Lord's constant care, love, and provision for me. I am reminded that no matter how dismal a situation may look, the Lord still has a plan for my life. Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, thought they were left hopeless in a foreign land after the passing of their husbands. They returned to Naomi's home, Bethlehem. Naomi was old and bitter. While there, the Lord's plan for their lives unfolded. Not only were they redeemed from a life of pain and poverty, the Lord more than restored what they lost in a royal fashion. Ruth became the wife of the wealthy, well established business owner, Boaz. Naomi became the grandmother of Ruth's son Obed, who was the grandfather of David, who slayed the Philistine Goliath and went on to become King of Israel. I'm sure they never once thought something so great could happen to them seeing from which they came. The Lord redeemed the pair from loss, pain, and poverty. Ruth was now a happily remarried mother. Her son was the grandfather of KingDavid. Look at how the Lord worked that out! Naomi, once bitter, was also royally restored. She had a daughter-in-law who was loyal to her, took care of her, and treated her better than any son could. Her grandson was a direct descendant of Jesus Christ. The Lord redeemed me from a mess of a life running over with deception, rebellion, anger, lawlessness, conceit, selfishness...and the list continued. To sum it up... I was OUT OF MY MIND! Thank you Jesus I am redeemed from the curse of the law. I am no longer the person I was. I am a new creation in Christ. The Lord continues to royally restore me more and more. I'm in my right mind, I have discipline and self control, and I no longer live according to my flesh. Everything in my life isn't perfect, but I have JOY, regardless of the situation! The best part is my story is just beginning!