Somewhere in the Middle

Have you ever heard a song that inspires, uplfts, encourages,or even convicts you to the point to where it makes you quit listening and begin to deal with an issue or issues in your personal life that can only be dealt with between you and your God through times of prayer and meditating in the Word??? -Listen to some of the Lyrics of this song-
"Somewhere between the Hot and the Cold-Somewhere between the new and the Old-
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be-Somewhere in the middle, you'll
find me- Just how close can I get ,Lord, to my surrender without losing all control.......(Chorus)
Fearless Warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense--
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle- with eyes wide
open to the differences,the God we want and the God who is-But will we trade our
dreams for His or are we caught in the middle...?"
This is the first verse and the chorus to a song "Casting Crowns" has out called "Somewhere in the Middle". I've been in this place so many times that I am actually ashamed to admit it. The sadness of knowing that you are not where you should be , and the devestation that it can do to your soul can happen quickly; But I know that God Loves and can Heal and Restore...
The very last sentence wrote in this song (by Mark Hall) goes like this---
"Lord, I feel you in this place and I know your by my side-- Loving me even on these nights
when I'm caught in the Middle."
Galatians 2:20 - says " My Old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.."
So- sometimes we end up in the "Middle" but we don't have to stay there,because there is a loving and caring God that can Restore and Heal.
Have a good day--PaulP

Part - Time Christian ?

If you ever read this blog you can tell that it has not had much traffic in the past few months. The main reason for that is I have taken a part/full time job, that I enjoy.
But it makes me think - are our lives that are supposedly to be dedicated to our Savior the same as my part-time job, just part/full time (more part -than -full)?

Is your heart divided? Or does God have a piece of your heart, but the rest belongs to you? Or someone else? If you've given your heart wholly to God, perhaps you remember a time when your heart was divided, A divided heart places our entire lives in jeopardy. Only God can be totally trusted with our hearts. He doesn't demand our complete devotion to feed His ego, but to provide for our safety.

Many motives exist for serving God other than pleasure and delight. God wants us to serve Him with a willing spirit, one that would choose no other way. Right now you may be frustrated because serving and knowing God is not your greatest pleasure. You may be able to instantly acknowledge a divided heart. Your question may be how can I change the way I feel?
You can't- But God can. Give Him your heart -- your whole heart. Give Him permission to change it.
Deuteronomy 30:6 says " The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live."

I know we will never be men and women after God's own heart with half-hearted devotion. A heart wholly devoted to God is a heart like His.

Yes this new job makes me part/time to my blog -and part/time to some of my yard work and -part/time to some other task at hand - but it will not let my heart become part/time to Him- the one that delivers me from all sorts of trials and is my ultimate deliverer at the end of the ages--deserves way more than a part/full time mentality. SO how's your heart have you became a "Part time Christian ?"

Here's an ending thought from PaulP--"God didn't call us to follow other people; He called us to follow Him wholeheartedly!"