simply difficult

Hey y'all! Time for an update, yes?
To start-off, I'll fill you in a bit on what I've been learning about these past 2 weeks!

Last week we had Donna and Tom Cole come and speak to us about Pure Heart. It is basically a week of dealing with your heart; the good, the bad, and the ugly. But the great thing is that you get to sort through it and get freedom in a lot of things! My favourite days were on true femininity and true masculinity. We got to learn so much more about what it means to be a woman and how fantastic that is, and how we reflect God's beauty and His heart. Then for true masculinity, we got to learn about how God designed men to have godly authority and how that is intended to be exercised, as well as calling them out of passivity and into their role as leaders and conquerors.

This week we are learning from Danny Lehmann. He's been speaking to us on what it really means to be a disciple and to discipline yourself in your walk with God. This has really challenged me to commit to my relationship with God. As we've been taught, a walk with God is simple, but its not easy. Like any relationship, it takes time and energy and effort. Its time for me, to really delve into the Word, and spend time with my God. There is a verse that says:

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes even his own life - he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26

Its pretty scary to read it, but what I believe its saying, is that your love for God has to be so much greater than your love for people who are dear to you, that your love for them seems like hate in comparison. That is hardcore. And this doesn't mean you have an excuse to hate people, it means you are seriously in love with God.

Danny has been talking to us a lot about Spiritual Discipline. That we are meant to take dominion over our lives and discipline ourselves to grow Spiritually, Physically, Socially, Mentally, and in Relationally.  Its so easy to over-spiritualize our walk with God. I've done it, and still am in many ways. But its not just a good feeling, its about truly knowing who my God is, and from that place there is no response but falling in love with Him.

For me during DTS, that means that I'm not going to be going-through-the-motions anymore. It means being truly dedicated and studious in everything I do. It means taking time that I would spend being with my friends, and spending time with my God. It means really getting into the Bible and digging for answers. It means spending time talking to and listening to God.

Like we've been told, its not complicated, but it isn't easy either.