I know I know I should stop talking!

Someone once asked me as a child why I had to talk so much. My response, I have so much in my mind I have to get out. Obviously that hasn't gotten any better!! There was one quote I had to share with you from Dietrick Bondhoeffer. He's quoted in John MacArthur's book that I'm currently reading Anxious for Nothing. Enjoy. :) :)

Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disatrous is his isolation. Sin wants to remain unknown, It shuns the light. In the darkness of the unexpressed it poisons the whole being of a person. This can happen even in the midst of a pious community. In confession the light of the Gospel breaks into the darkness and seclusion of the heart. The sin must be brought into the light. The unexpressed must be openly spoken and acknowledged. All that is secret and hidden is made manifest. It is a hard struggle until the sin is openly admitted. But God breaks the gates of brass and bars of iron.

I was reading a little in Mitch's book The Godly Man's Picture of puritan writings and that stuff is so deep, well beyond the feel good, emotional fluff many Christian books are today. It gets down deep to the real issues of the heart. The book talks about the "darling sin" the sin that makes you angry and defensive when confronted with it. The ones you just won't let go. Jesus says, as a man thinks in his heart so he is. That is so scary! When I think about how I think and have thought through the years pretty much most of those thoughts have been self-serving, prideful, if not downright evil motives. I feel very convicted lately in certain areas I just let myself have this bad attitude here or there. Hey, that's just me, being Audrey, deal with it. I am a perfectionist, anal, critical, vain, control freak!! One thing I have to keep telling myself is that, what's required of me is clear, obey the Lord, and leave the rest to Him. Sounds so duh, easy but I have to tell myself this a lot! My heart's tangled with sin and it's easy to justify it's sinful ways. The fleshs wars with spirit and vice versa, Ok I'll shut up for now, since probably the only person still reading and enduring my rants is my Dear Mommy. :)

...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such a hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. Hebrews 12:1-3