Transformation

      I love the lazy days of summer. I enjoy the change in routine and extra time with family. Ministry demands usually ease up for us a little in the summer and it’s wonderful to have time to relax together and tackle some projects.  My husband Ken has been very busy fixing up the yard. My daughter and I have been reupholstering chairs for the little rent house she will move into in a few weeks in Oklahoma City! We have plenty of old furniture that just needs a little love and care and  updated fabric. So to save money, we began our transformation project, found fabric and trim on sale and decided we would call the chairs Vintage! I bought these little chairs from a flea market when Ken and I were first married.
      I’ve never really done this sort of thing except for a simple chair seat, but it’s been a fun time together and definitely challenging to figure out how to make it all work. After our first attempts didn’t go so well we searched online for the DIY tools and instructions. We discovered that the real upholstery staple guns are quite expensive and beyond our budget, but they make the job much easier! So we settled for the next best option and began the project of transforming the old chairs with new covers.

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      We’ve gone through many hours and days of work, different staple guns and staples, many trips to the store and eventually had to ask Ken for a little physical relief to pull off some of the old cushions, but are finally half way there! The rosewood on these chairs is beautiful, but very hard. So hard, in fact, that whether you use an electric staple gun, hand stapler, or hammer it often just spits those staples right back out at you! It refuses to yield. 
                         There must be a spiritual lesson here! 
We’ve definitely come to appreciate the price you pay the experts, and how important the right tools are! The experts know the secrets and wisdom of how to transform and bring new life to something old and worn out,  how to make beauty out of something that needs repair and renewal.

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      After we finished one of the chairs yesterday I came upstairs and laid in the bed trying to stretch out my back which has had to settle into some rather awkward positions lately working on the chairs. I'll spare you a picture of that! I quieted my mind and began to read one of the My Beloved letters I had written years ago while studying the work of the Holy Spirit. These letters were the Lord’s way of teaching me how personal His Word is for me.  As I read  I was reminded of how grateful I am for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in my life. The Spirit knows the secrets to the beautiful life that Jesus has planned for me. He has the perfect instructions for the remodeling of my life. He sees the finished design and knows the exact path I should take to get there. There’s no limit to His means or budget!  The Holy Spirit illuminates Father’s instructions for my life and can fill me with all that I need to arrive at His destination, covered in the beauty and grace of Jesus. 
He unveils the mystery of the wisdom of God and makes His Word come alive. 

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      In the Spirit we have the essence of God the Son. He is gentle. He is powerful. He is forgiving. He is faithful. He is merciful. He is just. The Holy Spirit has all the attributes of God, the Father. He is holy. He is wisdom. He is love. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. All that we know and proclaim about God the Father and God the Son is true of the Holy Spirit.

I wonder if you need some instructions for your life today....
                    Do you need to discover some secrets that only Jesus,
                                                           the Expert,  knows about your transformation... 
He longs to make something beautiful out of the brokenness, wounds, or old patterns of your life?

      I pray that you will be encouraged as you read the paraphrases of the Scriptures below on the work of the Holy Spirit. When we choose to surrender to His work and power in our lives we will be amazed at the beauty and purpose that will emerge. Jesus in the business of transformation!

My Beloved

I am waiting for you to come to Me. 
You cannot conceive all that I have prepared for you because you love Me. I will reveal it to you by My Spirit. 
My Spirit will search out everything 
and show you even My deep secrets of life. 
I have given you the hope of glory, Christ in you.

            Do you need wisdom? I have given you the Spirit of truth. He will be your Counselor and Comforter, coming alongside you to teach you everything you need to know. If you love Me you will obey My commands. 

The world cannot accept My Spirit because it neither sees nor knows Him.
 But you know Him. He lives within you. He is always with you. 
He will glorify Me and take what is Mine and make it known to you.
 Stand firm in Christ for I have anointed you and set my seal of ownership upon you. 
I have placed My Spirit in your heart as a deposit of the unfathomable glories to come.
 When you received the Holy Spirit, you received His power to be My witness. Do not fear.

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Be filled with the Spirit. Come to Me and drink. 
Believe in Me and let the Living Water of My Holy Spirit fill you to overflowing so that you never thirst again 

 I have poured out My Spirit on you.
 Be filled with all joy and peace.
 Trust in Me, so that you may overflow
 with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
 I have given you gifts for the work of the ministry,
 all that you need to serve Me in the body of Christ.
 Consecrate your body to Me 
as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing. 

 Remember that your body is the temple of My Holy Spirit. It is My sacred residence.
 Surrender to Me and I will renew your mind 
so that you will be able to test and approve 
what My perfect will is for your life.
 Live as one who has been crucified with Christ
 and raised to new life.
 Live in Me, through Me, and for My glory.

Walk as a child of My light bearing the fruit of My Spirit in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Let My Word dwell richly within you and sing with a heart of gratitude.
 I love to hear you sing my praises!  Let the peace of My Son rule in your heart 
and above all, put on My garment of love. 

I Cor. 2:9,10, Col. 1: 26-27, John 14:16-17, 26, John 16:14, 2 Cor. 1:22, Acts 1:8, 2:17, Eph. 5:18, 
John 7: 37-39, Rom. 15:13, 1Cor 12:4-7, Rom. 12:1,2, Gal. 2:20, Rom. 6:1-8, Eph. 5:8-10,  Col. 3:14-17
NIV  Bible

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Lord Jesus,
Let the Living Water that flows from Your throne cover me. 
Restore, renew and rekindle the fire of Your Holy Spirit deep within. Transform me by the power of Your Holy Spirit 
and the greatness of your loving heart. 


          In Him,
          Kathy

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