My name has been changed!

I went to bed last night with a burden on my heart and I woke up this morning with that same burden. It was the first thing I thought of before I even made it to the end of the hall. Yesterday I talked about the video clip on Beth Moore's blog page and how she asked us what conviction would God not leave us alone about. I told you that I had one but wasn't sure I was going to share it. Now I know I have to. I could easily say that I am a blog addict. I just love them. I could spend hours and hours reading them. I believe strongly in not reading, watching, or listening to anything that puts "junk" in my heart. I stand strong in the saying "garbage in, garbage out"! Whatever you put in has a direct effect on the quality of "stuff" you put out...and that effects you and your family and your witness. Because of that, I am careful about what blogs I read. There are some really sad people in the world and with the Internet, in total innocence, if you are not careful, you can link up to some pretty freaky, scary information. Even if a blog I read is completely "clean" according to my standards, God is still convicting me that I need to read things that bring Him glory. Because of that, I have had to do even more housecleaning in my blog favorites menu and remove the blogs that do not have a shared love of the Lord and live for Him. I'm not being cliquish or snooty with this, I am not like that at all. I just feel like God wants me to have an even higher standard of what goes into my brain. Don't think for one second that Satan will not use something so innocent as the entertaining blog of a SAHM who keeps you in stitches and captivates you with stories of her life and her family's life. He will! For me he can use such a great entertaining blog in a negative way in my life by enticing me to spend my time reading that instead of spending time in the word or doing things that build up and strengthen my family. Satan can use ANYTHING to pull you away from where God is leading. He can and he will try. We have to always be listening to the Holy Spirit. We have to have our head in the game all the time. You cannot sleep or slunder because the enemy, Satan, never lets up. He prowls like a lion ready to devour. He knows he has lost the final battle with Jesus, that was decided at Calvary when Jesus said "It is finished!". He knows he will lose in the end so he will work harder than ever to consume our lives with as many feelings of defeat as he can. His endurance will be greater than ours if ours does not come from the Lord and if ours is not rooted in His word.

I feel led to share my testimony. Today the best way I can do that is through a song. When I went to Beth Moore's blog this morning, there was a video clip from one of her conferences. You have to go there and you have to watch it today. It is short and it is just pictures of women, thousands of women, one in spirit worshiping God. The reason I want you to look at it is to hear the song. Oh that song, it was as if it had been written about my life. I had never heard it before. I have to share it with you. Please read the lyrics below and then go to the website and listen for yourself.

The website is http://www.livingproofministries.blogspot.com/
Here are the words to the song:

Who I am is a mystery I can't explain cause your mercy fell like healing rain and washed away
my past.
Who I was, all my secrets, all my hidden pain, now your grace has broken every chain and set me free at last.
Who I was before doesn't matter anymore!

You changed my name, when you called me forgiven!
You changed my name, when you called me redeemed.

You took my shame and wrote a new beginning to the story I was living and I'll never be the same. You saw what I could be and reaching out for me, you changed my name.
You changed my name!

Now I live in the light of your redeeming love and I bear the marks your healing touch has written on my heart.
With each step I take I'm reminded of the price you paid and the living sacrifice you made to set my soul apart
My life is yours alone.
You have marked me as your own.
You changed my name, when you called me forgiven!
You changed my name, when you called me redeemed!
You took my shame and wrote a new beginning to the story I was living and I'll never be the same.
You saw what I could be and reaching out for me...
You changed my name!
You changed my name, when you called me forgiven!
You changed my name, when you called me redeemed!
You took my shame and wrote a new beginning to the story I was living and I'll never be the same!
You saw what I could be and reaching out for me, you changed my name!
You changed my name!
I'm not the man I once I was, behold all things are new, cause you changed my name.
All things are new!

Travis Cottrell from the album The Patriarchs

I am so thankful He changed my name!