I know it's after midnight and I should be in bed by now..... 7:00's going to come early.... but tonight was book study night and I'm having trouble shutting my brain off!

I'm reading through "The Lies Women Believe and The Truth That Sets Them Free" with a group of friends and it's been such an encouragement. Thanks Jennifer for planning and leading us!! We're only about half way through, but I'd already really recommend this to anyone who hasn't read it. Go get a copy.... or better yet wait til I'm through and you can borrow mine. It's all about the lies that Satan tries to trap us with to keep us from reaching our potential with God. So many of them are so prevalent in society that many times we don't even recognize them as lies, but when you hold it up to the truth of God's word it becomes obvious.

I'm really enjoying our group nights. I hope I'm as much of an encouragement to the other ladies as they are to me! I tend to isolate myself.... not always on purpose, just busy with the boys...... so it's nice to spend time with other mom's who have a heart for Jesus and a desire to live pleasing to Him.

One of the lies this week..... and I'm paraphrasing here 'cause I don't want to get up and find my book!..... is that "My Sins Aren't That Bad". Standing next to a sinful world I might not look that bad..... but the thing is God doesn't look at us compared to how everyone else is doing. I have to stand myself up next to His Word, that's the yardstick we're measured by.

I have to admit to sometimes wanting to believe this lie. I'll tell myself Well, at least I don't do That or No one knows about it so it's not that big a deal. But truthfully I know better. Sometimes I have to remind myself that Jesus didn't just die for my "little" sins too, He died for them period. My sin of unkind thoughts caused my Lord to be put to death. Because of my jealousy Jesus had to die on the cross. And He didn't hang there a minute for me and the rest of the time was for the "bad" sinners..... it was all for me. Sin is sin is sin.... there is no big or little, there is no bad and not so bad, it all separates us from God. Fortunately He did make a way, because of Jesus' sacrifice we can now come to God and His blood covers our sins, no matter how "big" or "little" we might think they are.