H.A.P.P.Y

im so happy today. Everything seems to be in order- assignments are getting done, im over that stupid cold, im not being naughty (lol), and im going home this afternoon, havent been back since january. Iv actually missed my mum, and for me to admit that is quite something in itself. so yer going to have some home cooked food and sleep in my lovely bed....plus my bestest is back from Gambia and im gona see her too and will be able to meet up with my london crew, which i havent done since before christmas. aww exciting!! im definately in my happy place. ahh God really is good.

oooh, was gona leave it at that but i av something else to say...The other day I was trying to explain the reason for why we are not held by the laws of the old testament to a friend. I really had a hard time though. you know when you know something is true but cant quite put it into words for the people your witnessing to - so frustrating!! i wasnt discouraged because the seed was sown and i know God wont leave that persons questions unanswered. maybe i wasnt able to explain it, but that doesnt change the truth. so anyway i was reading something this morning from The Word for Today. actually its yesterdays reading but i thought i'd share it with you anyway:

"Have you ever watched someone walking a dog on a lead, when the dog doesn't want to go where its owner is going? The owner is constantly tugging on the lead, pulling the dog from here and there, telling it to 'stop that' and 'come back here.' That's the way a lot of us live. We are on a 'law lead.' Our lives consist of 'Stop that; come back here; don't do that.' Only it's in terms of 'Read your Bible; pray; go to church; pay your tithes; witness.' Now, these are certainly the things we should be doing, but God never meant us to do them at the end of a lead. What a difference when you see a dog and its owner that have a strong relationship. The dog doesn't need a lead to go for a walk. Its owner can just speak a word and the dog responds. Now we're not comparing ourselves to dogs, we're comparing performance-based Christian living to relationship-based Christian living. Big, big difference! Paul writes: 'Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.' When God redeemed you, He wrote His law in your heart and mind (Hebrews 10:16). That means He wants to relate to you from the inside. You shouldn't need an external system of rules to 'keep you in line,' because you have internalised God's Word and you have a desire to obey and please Him from your heart."

Hearing this analogy made it easier for me to understand. might try using it next time. Its not that the old testament no longer has value, its just that our obedience is no longer lifethreatening (well eternally it is, but i mean like your not gona get stoned to death if you dont do something) so because of Jesus we have a new covenant - a different kind of relationship with God. and with that is the choice to obey, and if we are in a relationship with God we will obey just because of the love we have for him.

ahhh just looked at the time, im going to be late for uni!!
will continue this later - i'll read thru and see if i left anything out.

Peace, Love and Romans 7:4 to 8:17 (read it, paul is deep)
xxx