8. Birth vs. ReBirth

I am sure that you hear about this all the time. But what is rebirth, and why is it called that? Is there any connection between physical and spiritual (re)birth?

Rebirth, often spoken about in the spiritual sense, is the finding of Jesus, and 'being saved' by accepting Him as your Savior. Often, people who have had conversions or reversions remember their spiritual rebirths, and hope to never forget it.

What is birth? Birth is the deliverance of a child into the world. Rebirth is just like this, only it is spiritual, and we bring ourselves (or Jesus brings us) into the world of God's grace, mercy, and Love that perhaps we never knew, or are returning to after some rough times.

So what are some parallels between physical birth and spiritual rebirth? I will use my reversion as an example.

When we are birthed into this world, what is the first thing that we do, other than breathe? We cry.

When I went through my rebirth, I was at Adoration, and I cried because of the overwhelming presence of Jesus. 

When we are born, we don't really know who anyone is, although we are familiar with the sound of our mother's voice. Our mothers become our safe place (she has been for the past 9 months anyway!) and we feel calm with her.

We may not know who God is, exactly, at that moment of rebirth, but I felt comfort with Him, even though I had been separated from Him. 

When we are born, we are dependent on our mother. We are fragile and we need to be taken care of. We need to be fed the right foods and we need to receive love from the woman who birthed us.

When we are new to the faith, we don't know what to do. We're scared and sometimes intimidated. I needed a lot of help from God when I went through my reversion. He filled me with His love, and through Him, I found the courage to seek help from people and my (new) Church. 

These are some of the parallels that I found when I examined my rebirth a bit closer. I would love to know if you have ever experienced a rebirth, and if you know of any more parallels that I could add.

Don't forget tot comment!

{doGtoGevI}

God Bless!!

~Kylie~

7. Leaving Eden

Notice: We have left Eden.

In my US History course, we have a weekly 'current events' assignment. Today, when reporting on our current events, every one was about a tragedy. The debris washing up on shores of the Americas from the tsunami in Japan over a year ago. Special education children being assaulted. Women being raped in Africa. People committing fraud to pay for their weddings. The list goes on and on. Not a single happy story was reported. 

On the way home from work today, I drove past a small mobile home community. A mother and her child were standing on the opposite side of the street with shopping bags in their hands. The driver in front of me stopped for them to let them cross and they walked across the road. When they got to the other side of the road, the young boy (who was probably about 6 years of age) spat on the ground. Then, what really shocked me, was that the mother turned around towards the street and gave someone (I didn't see who) the middle finger. right in front of her child.

As I got closer to my house, I drove past two boys (no older than 14) standing next to a car on the side of the road. They were smoking cigars. 

Sometimes I have to lay my head in my hands and cry, 'what is wrong with this world?' The song by Brandon Heath, "Leaving Eden" comes to mind. Because of our sins, we leave the beauty of God's grace behind. I recommend that you listen to this song and reflect on it. How can you make changes to go back towards Eden? 

Thanks for reading and God Bless!

{doGtoGevI}

~Kylie~

6. I was a Prodigal Daughter...

I was. And many people are/were.

Most people have heard of the Parable of the Prodigal, or Lost, Son. If not, you can read it HERE.

Now that you know the story, let me explain.

I went to Catholic school for 10 years. I loved it so much, and I miss it terribly. But about three years ago I started to lose sight of God. I had gone to a public High School and I was quickly getting sucked into the pop-culture/media mind set and everything that it was pouring down our throats. Looking good. Having friends. Having fun. Doing stupid things. I did a few things that I still regret. I had strayed SO far from God and what He wanted for me. And I knew it. But heck, I didn't care! I was having fun.

Last summer, though, I returned Home. I was welcomed with open arms when the first thing I did was go to Confession. It felt so good to have the Lord forgive me and take me back with open arms!

Credit: Greenwichworkshop.com

If you think that you or someone you love may be a Prodigal Son or Daughter, you don't have to worry! God will take you back no matter what you have done and no matter what you think. God wants us to come back to Him when we have left Him. He wants us to be in Paradise with Him, and he wants us to be forgiven. All that is missing is our willingness to come back and ask for forgiveness.

God wants to forgive us. We just have to be willing to ask for the forgiveness, and to come back Home to the Father who loves us!

God Bless!
Don't forget to comment and share!


{doGtoGevI}

~Kylie~

5. Purity is more than physical

It really is! When people hear about purity, they often think of not having sex. But it truly is more than that. Purity can be, and should be extended further than abstaining from physical contact with other people.
What do I mean by this?
Well, let's think about it. what else do we often sin by? Our minds. Our minds and imaginations often cause us to sin as well. How many times have you found yourself thinking of that cute guy/girl and letting your mind drift off to places that you would consider impure if you actually had done it? Unfortunately, I am sure that it has happened to everyone. That doesn't mean it is okay, though.
We must try to be pure of mind, as well as of body. Think about it! If we are pure of mind and we avoid distracting things and lustful thoughts, it is much easier to be pure of body! Our bodies are controlled by our minds, and if our minds are pure, then our bodies will follow the example!
The tenth commandment is just as important as the seventh.
The 10 Commandments are as follows. I made the 7th and 10th bold.

1.You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet yourneighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”


Both these commandments pertain to lust and sexual impurities as sins. The seventh refers to physical adultery, while the tenth refers to the lust and desire to commit adultery.


But why be pure? Simply, God wants us to be pure and to have pure hearts. He wants us to be happy and to be holy as well. I stumbled upon this great video and I thought I would share it with you. It is very thought provoking and eye opening, no matter what your relationship status is, or what you have done or plan to do. 

{Please let me know if the video doesn't work. I will try copying it a different way. THANKS}




I hope this changes how you think of purity and makes you question how pure you want to be! God Bless and thanks for reading! Don't forget to comment and share if you liked it!


{doGtoGevI}


~Kylie~

4. For laughs...

Found this on Tumblr. Thought you would enjoy a good laugh :)

Leap List.

1. Wear a shirt that says “LIFE”. Hand out lemons on the street corner.

2. Hire two private investigators. Get them to follow eachother.

3. Go into a crowded elevator and say, “I bet you’re all wondering why I gathered you here,” with a straight face.

4. Make vanilla pudding- put into mayonnaise jar- eat in public.

5. Become a teacher. Make a test where every answer is “A” and enjoy the show.

6. Run into a store, ask what year it is. When someone answers, yell “IT WORKED!” and run out cheering.

7. Buy a horse, name it “Oscar Takes the Lead,” enter it in horse races.

8. Invite someone into your office, turn around in office chair and say, “I’ve been expecting you…”

9. Change name to Simon. Speak in 3rd person.

10. Become a doctor. Change last name to Acula.

11. Buy a parrot. Teach the parrot to say, “Help! I’ve been turned into a parrot!”

12. Follow joggers around in a car blasting “Eye of the Tiger” for encouragement.