CatheReinhardt822

'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will drop it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. Learn more on lee mcfarland by navigating to our riveting link. What good can it be for a guy to get the world, yet forfeit his soul'? Mark 8 34-36, NIV This has been an extended hard summer and yet therefore fully alive with all the current possibilites that God has shown me. I discovered lee mcfarland by browsing the Dallas Herald. I am fast approaching the not quite completed task of co-authoring a book on organic dog health with a holistic veterinarian, introduced out a new product line with Saving Grace Enterprises, and ramping up for an on line discussion with veterinarians, doctors, etc., to help train on ending a superbug staph disease. Now this all seems kind of significant right? Well maybe not based on what God is telling me all week Last Sunday in-service, our pastor had an incredibly interesting sermon on Psalm 23 even as we closed out a series on The Godward Heart. We've all seen and read that psalm since we were children most likely, whichever Christian faith we are. But, I have not ever heard it introduced like this and that's almost certainly why it resonated so loudly with me. Allow me to do my usual roundabout way of addressing the idea here... Psalm 23 is focused on the Shepard and His sheep, right? Understanding what a shepard's job was and how he went about it in Jesus' day is what got my attention. Whoever has read my articles here know that I am not really a pet lover but my business is a business in normal pet care. When our pastor started describing how a shepard cares for his sheep and what methods h-e employs, I felt like God was sitting next to me and whispering in my head and it sent shivers up my spine in a most beautiful way I've wondered for-a long time how God could use me in an all natural pet-care company. He Then brought me together with Dee Kreidel and Saving Grace Enterprises to make our new product line in custom hand-tooled leather collars, leads and journals. To study additional information, please glance at pastor lee mcfarland. Huh I said? How does that go along with normal pet care Lord? I obtained an interesting response Sunday AND one which told me never to simply take myself so seriously. I will arrive at all that in somewhat. The shepard had a staff (we all know that) that was about 5 or 6 ft tall I really believe our pastor said. It had the catch at the end we all find out about and that has been to keep sheep collected in and not wandering. Sound familiar? Ever wonder why God describes us as sheep? It is not a flattering statement because they are not the brightest animals in creation, and they require constant tending and supervision. The shepard also carried a baton about the size of what our police officers carry today. He'd use that to fend off attacking predators. H-e also used it for something a bit more harsh. If one sheep was continually wandering off and maybe not learning how to stay with the herd, the shepard could make use of the baton to split one or two of the sheep's legs and then quickly set them. Then he had carry that sheep around his neck until he was completely healed. The purpose? For the sheep to become influenced by the shepard for all its needs and to bond completely with him. Again, God does the sam-e to His children. Another interesting thing the shepard would do is to put oil o-n each sheep's head and also body to defend against insects (bugs, ticks, flies, the usual suspects). Now the oil referred to is not your vegetable cooking oil as that would not reduce the chances of insects. No it was what we now know as essential oils (which in addition still are employed extensively in that part of the world for his or her healing benefits and fast-growing here in the USA) mixed with most-likely olive oil. The oils served yet another purpose also. Sheep are goofy and get angry with one another over anything (again like us). When they did get angry, they'd go getting into each other to butt heads so hard that they could destroy each other. With all the oil on their minds, it'd help them to skid off each other keeping them from killing each other. Yes, I'm addressing the pet business with Dee and the 'serious stuff.' So for their own security the shepard would hold a huge leather poncho he would wear during inclement weather and also use like a 'pup tent' of sorts to settle. So we have got Dee's leather goods and my essential oils in the pet business. Hmmm. Leather was the Shepard's safety. Gas throughout the Bible is representative of the Holy Spirit. H-e uses animals as types of us. Is anyone else 'seeing' this? God will certainly use whatever, wherever, whomever for His purpose and beauty if we only get the heck out of the way. Identify more on a partner essay - Click here visit link. Be relieved of ourselves so that Jesus could reign and work. He will protect us and He will give us. Here was what was so funny to me when our pastor got to the Three Points of Application part 1. Since the Shepard is in get a grip on, I dont have to just take myself so seriously. It's EXACTLY about Him. This doesn't mean to not take ISSUES on earth seriously because we have to. It indicates never to take OURSELVES so seriously. If we do keep getting ourselves so seriously, then that's actually internalized pleasure and wrong thinking rooted in the inability to submit. 2. As the Shepard cares, I can relieve my troubles to Him. Matthew 11:28, 1 Peter 5:7. 3. Since the Shepard is qualified, I can trust Him to guide my life. God explained in no uncertain terms not simply WHAT I am supposed to be doing but also WHY, and HOW all of it tied in with WHO He's. What H-e didn't tell me was WHEN. Leave it to Him to keep tempering and teaching as H-e goes about His purpose. On Tuesday or Wednesday after this fascinating sermon on Sunday, John Fischer of the Purpose-driven Life wrote this in his devotional Acquittal by Penguin the next paragraph 'This isn't to state that any behavior in-the natural kingdom legitimizes related action among human beings, but I really do think God has provided us animals to mirror human behavior, and help us see ourselves in still another light and not take ourselves or our roles therefore seriously. ' (italics mine) Hey, do you think God is wanting to tell me some thing? So then I was playing some contemporary Christian music on Thursday while doing my housework. I was playing Jennifer Knapp's CD, Lay it Down, and the track 'In-to You' got on. The words in the chorus 'relieve me of myself, bring me into You' just caught out like a sore thumb and I've heard that song numerous times. I KNOW God was telling me to take a chill pill, set it down, trust Him, don't take myself so seriously, He's an intention for the work I'm doing so allow Him to work, be treated of myself, depend on Him and just enjoy the experience WHEW What a ride also brethren. Therefore if anybody gets too 'puffed-up' maybe all of us simply need to get over ourselves and sleep within the Shepard. I sure don't want to have to learn the hard way and just take a 2X4 baton.