Post-birthday banter and previous thoughts

Ok, it's been a while. I had a good birthday and recieved a digital camera. I like it a lot. It was especially cool though because I totally did not expect it. I find the whole thing kind of humorous actually. I have 2 half-broken digital cameras I've been using for awhile. If you know me you know that I'm a cheapskate, and I said I didn't want/need a new camera because the other 2 worked, you know, okay. I just wanted a bigger memory card for one. So I get this new camera and I'm like, Ok! Cool! Um, except this new one is pretty expensive, and I could've gotten by with the 2 old ones... But after a few days, I discovered I LOVE IT. It's sooo much better than two half-broken ones. And it can take video! Now the question is what to do with the other two. I'm so frugal I have a hard time throwing things away...

Anyhow, I know I said some stuff earlier about sharing how God's grace has been affecting me. I realized you can kind of tell just by reading one of my earlier blogs and then one of my recent ones. But I'm still gonna try to slip in some things that have been exciting my heart now and then. For today I have a little comment on the sermon yesterday at my parent's church- Constance Evangelical Free. The sermon was about growth, and especially how real growth comes from action, not just knowledge. He talked about when Jesus called Peter, James and John while they were fishing and how they "left everything and followed him". Knowing about God and actually following God is a huge issue because Christianity has gotten blurry and watered down in our culture. Sure, I can know a lot about God and have good discernment and go to all the prayer/church/biblestudy meetings in the world. But that stuff doesn't really mean a thing if I'm not trusting and following God earnestly with my heart. This means listening to what he wants me to do (i.e. through Bible, prayer) and actually DOING IT as well as trusting his lead in every area of my life. I think what hit me most here was this "trust" issue: If I'm really following the Lord then I will trust him with myself and my needs: physically, mentally, financially, emotionally. Unfortunately, I find myself satisfying these needs my own ways all too often. Even as I'm writing this I'm wondering if I'm trusting him with these words and the people who will read this (maybe no one!) or if I'm just trying to sound and look good. I think as Christians this is our biggest struggle. Thanks, Lord, that you understand this too.