Lent Challenge: I will never be the same again!

I'm simply captivated by what the Holy Spirit is teaching me through this Lent Challenge.  So far I've finished
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (known as the 4 gospels).  These men and their accounts of walking with Jesus daily are simply breath taking.  They saw Him perform miracles, walked and talked with Him, and learned from Him.  Then He was taken from them..Well, not completely; He left them the Holy Spirit to lead and guide them!

As I finished up the Book of John I noticed some things that I missed before.  Things that may not make you go wow but for me things I'd glossed over.  There's this one word in John Chapter 15 that is consistent throughout the chapter when Jesus speaks about Him being the True Vine and us being branches.  What is that word?  Remain.  It means to "Endure, abide, persist, stay."  It hit me this morning like a brick.  If I "Endure, remain, stay, and am persistent in my walk with Jesus I will bear much fruit that the world can see.  Remaining is sometimes tough especially during times of difficulty but those times when we stay in close communion with Jesus that we produce great fruit.  Oh, I can't tell you how sweet this experience is for me!
So it makes sense that if I stay away from reading God's Word, church, or fellowship with other believers that I produce little to no fruit.  It just makes sense!

This is just another thing that I missed over the years...In John's account of Jesus' burial Nicodemus shows up.  The guy who came to Jesus by night...remember him?  Yep, that guy shows up at Jesus' grave with about 75 lbs of embalming ointments made from myrrh and aloes. John  19:39.  I'd never noticed that before.  They bury Jesus with one of the same gifts presented to Him at His birth.  WOW, WOW, WOW!

Oh how sweet it must've been to walk and talk and learn from Jesus!  I'm so glad though He's left us the Holy Spirit to teach us until we get to see Him face to face!

This is truly leaving me Wonder Struck!

Blessings,
Alicia Roark

Lent Challenge...At the feet of Jesus!

Well, each time I finish reading for this Lent Challenge I'm always left with one word: WOW!!!  God is completely leaving me WOnder Struck through this journey and I'm only in John!  Oft I've asked myself as I've read, "How Did I miss.....?"  For instance, Jesus saw Pilot TWICE.  That's just one of what seems to be a gazillion things that I've glossed over because I had told myself, "I've read this before, I know how the story goes."  What I'm learning is that I haven't even scratched the scratch of all that Jesus wants to teach me.

In the four gospels I've learned about life's storms, marriage/divorce, what it means to truly follow Jesus and the cost that disciples paid to follow Him.  Something else that has stuck in my mind is the fact that the pharisees (dumb pharisees) kept asking Him for a sign.  No matter what they saw Jesus do they still questioned who He was, and were always there to try and trap him or correct Him for things like healing on the Sabbath.  Then it hit me, there are still people today walking the earth who still say they need a sign before they'll believe in Jesus.  I always want to ask, "Is an empty tomb not enough?"  I just don't get it.

The one thing  that I've experienced above all else so far is that I can't get enough of God's Word.  I mean I'm thinking about it ALL DAY LONG.  It's like water to my soul and it's refreshing.  I'm learning so much.  Oh if I'd not glossed over so many things before, but now is the time for me to learn at the feet of Jesus and what it means to be like Him, to follow Him, and to tell others about Him.

This truly is leaving me Wonder Struck!

Living Wonder Struck,
Alicia Roark

Margaret Feinber's Lent Challenge..Days 1-5......

Well, yet again I've been double dog dared to join  my precious friend Margaret Feinberg along with thousands of other people across America to join in on the 40 day Lent Challenge and read the entire New Testament through!  Challenge and double dog dare ACCEPTED sweet friend!!!

The first thing I knew when I started this journey is that there not only would be Jesus on this journey but satan too would be all to aware that I've decided to dive in feet first and let God do some soul work on me.  God is doing a mighty work in me.  Satan tried to have a hay day with me yesterday (the nerve he had on my birthday of all days...I think yesterday was Margaret's birthday too!).

So far, I've managed to only miss a day!  I caught up this morning though.  I finished the book of Matthew this morning.  I don't know about you but it was easy to try and gloss over those stories I've read time and time again, but each time before I've sat down to read I've asked God to show up and show me something new.  Well, He's done that time and time again!

There's one place that got me!  I read it this morning and I realized that I'd been glossing over 11 verses of scripture.  It's about the 10 bridesmaids.  5 wise, 5 foolish.  They went to meet the bridegroom, but the important part is that only 5 of them were prepared and brought extra oil for their lamps.  The bridegroom was delayed so they slept.    At midnight, the bridegroom shows up and they realize it and go to welcome HIm.  The 5 foolish asked the 5 wise for some oil for their lamps but they get turned down.  The 5 foolish go out and buy oil and while they were away the bridegroom invites the 5 wise into the marriage feast and LOCKS THE DOOR.  Matthew 25:2-13.  This is a perfect picture of what our lives as Christians should be like.  The 5 wise bridesmaids.  We should always be prepared with our lamps lit for Christ's coming.  We don't know the hour He will return.

I don't know about you but I want my light to shine BRIGHTLY for Christ.  I don't want it doing dim due to a lack of oil (time spent in His Word, Worship, helping others, witnessing.). I'm so thankful to be on this journey with Jesus, thousands of other women, and Margaret!  You should join us!    40 days can change your life!!!!

This truly is a Wonder Struck Moment and God is blowing me away!

Living Wonder Struck,
Alicia