Faith.

It's so crazy to me how easy it is to let the devil in with out even realizing it. 
I've been having a quiet time in my bible every morning, but not really having a quiet time because my mind was totally elsewhere. 
We pray at night and sometimes I can't even remember what Kyle had said. 
I rarely listen the KLOVE or Air1. 
Lastly, we hadn't been to church in almost a month! 

Last weekend we went to church, finally, and for the first time in a while.
My pastor was preaching on the 4 soils, a message many of us had heard multiple times. When he started preaching though, I was instantly convicted. The message was brought to us from a different angle. It was about growing. In the message we were given 4 thoughts for the 4 different soil types. The passage is found in Luke 8 if you would like to give it a read. 

Soil 1. The stepped-on mind

How to grow if you are in this soil: Be open to the fact that God wants to talk to you.
Fear, bitterness and pride can step on our minds and snatch that seed from being planted. 


Soil 2. The shallow mind

We need to set aside dedicated time to listen to God's voice. 

If you are in this soil, you are usually thrilled with what God has to say but never transformed.
Make time for a quiet time!

Soil 3. The preoccupied mind

Keep yourself free from the distract you.  
For example:
The cares of life thorns
The riches of life thorns
The pleasures of life thorns

These people hear the word but the thorns that are near choke out the word.

I find myself in this category. I am so preoccupied with whatever is going on around me. When I pray, I find my mind wandering and not actually talking to God. Sometimes I will cut my quiet time short because I need to blog or catch up on a show. 
I need to remember that God gives and takes away. I can't control what is going on around me, if I will get a new car or a promotion at work. I need to give it to hime and stop letting the thorns of life choke me. 

Soil 4. The committed mind

Make a commitment to do what God tells you to do. 

We should all strive to be like this. I desperately want to have faith like this, to be able to tell God, "I don't know what you are going to ask me to do but that's ok because I will do it." 


Reception with God is not automatic. It takes work. I had somebody tell me a couple weeks ago that they don't really understand how people can feel the Holy Spirit, because he just never has. 
When you truly accept Jesus into your heart to be your savior, he gives you the gift of the Holy Spirit. You don't just instantly call to the Holy Spirit and he's there, if you don't know Jesus. Of coarse that is why it's so confusing for him, because maybe he hasn't really surrendered his life to him.  
It's hard work to be in connection with Jesus. Actually it's not that hard, giving up time and clearing our minds to finally hear him is what is hard. 

After this weekend, I felt so much more in connection with Jesus. 
Also, the devil started attacking me more.
Kyle thought he might have hours cut & I thought I was out of the running for a new position at work.
Turns out they were both just miscommunications. 
I need to stop being worried and preoccupied with life and all of it's worries and start trusting God and telling him yes, even if I don't know what he will ask me to do yet. 

Hope this encourages you this morning!

With Love,
Kenzie Ann


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