I've been participating in a Bible Study by Beth Moore for the past few weeks and am finding myself very challenged by it.  The title of the study is Living Beyond Yourself a study on the Fruits of the Spirit.  Over the past few weeks I have been trying to figure out what it means to live beyond myself.  I must admit that it hasn't been the most pleasant discovery.  My first thoughts were, "How can DO any more?!" and "How can I GIVE any more?!"  Apparently that's not what I was to figure out.  I think what God wants me to learn is, Carrie, how can you Be more - more loving, more joyful, more peaceful, more patient, more kind, more good, more faithful, and more controlled.  Hmmmm....so yeah.  That's the challenge!  Funny isn't it.  When we ask the Holy Spirit to change us He wastes no time and just starts digging and digging and digging...hmmm. 

It's been quite an archeological dig.  He has dug deep in areas I didn't realise had piled so high and found things that have become quite rotten with decay - funny how they are the things I thought were worth holding onto!  Most things He's found he has encouraged me not to keep any longer, but to throw away because the smell is really quite disgusting!  Other things he has promised to help me clean up, polish and restore to a model even better than the original. 

So, my back is sore from digging and my hands are stained with dirt...but I've cleaned out some smelly garbage and found some real treasures!