(day twenty-four) the CORE.

If you've ever done p90x or yoga or any type of exercise that focuses on complete well-being, you'll most likely hear that the CORE is the most important part. Most of these programs put major emphasis on strengthening the core because it's the center of you... the foundation of your physical body. When this is firm and healthy, other parts of your body will follow.

Through the natural symbolism of our physical and spiritual body, I've seen how the strength of the core determines our unity, freedom and mobility. If my physical core is weak then my parts don't seem to work together in unity; I become controlled by my body (and am more susceptible to getting sick); and I can't go as far or as fast as I'm capable of. It's the same spiritually speaking because if I put Christ as my core in the center of my life, He IS my strength. And if we, as the church, truly put Him as our center before religion, organizations, and agendas... then we will truly begin to see unity in the body of Christ; freedom to live, love, and serve as we're designed; and be mobile enough to do anything/ anywhere for the kingdom of God.

Just as I write this I'm distracted by my pounding headache. Because of the nature of these headaches, I know that something is out of alignment in my back that is causing all the pain. It's amazing how one little adjustment can bring so much relief. It really makes you stop and think how important it is to be in alignment with God's word and His heart for the world. There may be some adjustments that need to be done in our own heart, but once He touches us there comes a great relief in knowing it's all in His hands. We can trust He knows what He's doing. Just tonight I was telling a friend that i used to say (more as a justification than anything), "you are only accountable for what you know." But now as I look closer to His word... I'm realizing that because I know Him I'm accountable to what the word says if i've read it or not. What a wake-up call for me!

So as we put Him in the center, and begin to align ourselves with the word... we will start to carry His characteristics and begin to resemble our Father more and more. It's pretty funny to walk around my hometown and to have some completely random person stop me and ask if i'm Pam Little's daughter. Not only do we favor, but because i've spent so much time with her we have similar tones, laughs, expressions, and habits. I want to spend so much time with my Dad that I start to think, look, talk and act like Him. I want people to stop me on the street and say, "you must be the daughter of God because you really resemble His son Jesus." Wow.... how amazing would that be? And how proud our Dad would be to have all these little carbon copies of His Son running around loving and serving the heck out of people. I wonder if God ever looks at us and thinks, "can you please just get over yourselves, stop arguing, and love each other despite your differences for crying out loud??".

B90: (2 Samuel 15- 2 Samuel 24:25) I was thinking about this all day, not really knowing what part to focus on but knowing somehow it would all come together. And tonight, at 10:30 pm, as I'm driving to the airport to pick up my friend... I turn to a radio station I never listen to. The first thing I heard was a man's voice reading 2 Samuel 19:4-6. At this point I was driving with my ears open and jaw to the floor. Seriously, What are the odds? Once again try and tell me God doesn't like to be involved with His kids lives. Hahaha.

Anyway, the point this man was making was more on the Father/son angle of the story. David mourned over the loss of his son, even though his son was trying to freakin kill him! Although Absalom denied His father's love, He could never deny His kinship and the imprint of His father on his life. How many times have we, and how many times have we seen the world, mis-understand our Father? How often it breaks my heart when I see God's unfathomable love denied by so many who all carry the fingerprint of Him on their very soul. And perhaps it's denied because they've never seen (first-hand) this loving relationship of a Father and kid represented in this world. If we truly want people to see/experience the love of God for themselves, then we've got to lay down our agenda for them and start living this love out loud.

All of this has now led me on a daily search to find my center. Who am I choosing to be in the very core of who i am every single day? Myself or my Savior? Once we choose Him (if we do) as our center: He becomes our strength, aligns us with His word and heart, we respond...and we then begin to take on the very likeness of our Father.