I can not speak for the SECRET others blog, but I know why I do.  I know that there are many levels to this decision and a whole lot of prayer.  An author doesn't just reveal their biggest secret, their biggest fear, or their biggest purpose all in one blog, but I am going to today...

1.) Don't you know that everything you post on the internet will never REALLY be gone.  This is SCARY for me because I know that every time I blog or post on the internet, someone can and will shape an opinion in their head.  It's not always good.  I wrote a book about the darkest time in my life, and I've read responses and reviews from others, and some were very emotional and PAINFUL for me to read.  My book was even used to try to hurt someone's political campaign because someone tried to twist what someone endorsed my book for and tried to use it against them.  That one confused me also.  I get .45 cents for a copy of my book and I get about 1-3 checks a year.  What I thought was going to be a HUGE financial blessing (so I thought as a young inexperienced writer) turned out to be much greater.  It turned out to be a Depression killer, which is what God intended.  All I needed to do was to come along side of ONE person and help them break depression, and they would find someone to walk along side, and they would find someone to walk along side, and so on and so on....

2.) Sometimes I need someone to talk to.  Sometimes I go through things in my head that I can't work out by myself, but I can think it though and I can rely on the word of God to give me answers.  It's really fun for me when you all interact, but most times, there is no interaction, because my name is not Joyce Meyer, or Joel Osteen, or P!nk, my name is "just Ang."  Actually my name is Angela.  It means Angelic Messenger of God.  So what that means is that when I get into God's word, I believe there are times that God speaks with me.  Now I am a gifted talker...just ask anyone that knows me, so a lot of my chatter, is just blah blah blah, but sometimes God does speak and when he does, I know because it overwhelms me and there is no confusion in my head about whether it is me, or him, or Satan...because he doesn't just bless me, he leave a carnage of chains on the ground from those that are affected by it.

3) But the BIGGEST SECRET to my blog is the very end... I used to put it at the very beginning because I wanted it to be the first thing you read.  My friend told me very gently though that if I continued to set up my blog in that manner "no one would read it."  Now this is the SECRET for my blog today... read that instruction again...if I put it at the beginning of my blog, "no one would read it."  It's the word of God.  The only thing in my blog that is truly worth reading, but if it was in the beginning, no one would read it.  I've been like this.... so don't shut me out, for some reason the word of God seems to make us make mountains out of molehills...but in this case it's O.K.  God wants to make something beautiful out of your life and my life...in order to do so, he has to be able to talk to us.  If we are not willing, than how is God to remove the chains to set us free?  You see, we think God is out to control us because we might have to stop doing somethings like going to the bar and getting drunk and leaving our families at home while we do inappropriate things.  He might just want to help you become an amazing spouse that can help others with their marriages.  God doesn't control, he sets free.  But if you never read the word...you will never know how amazing he is...and what your story is.

So that's the biggest secret to my blog...there is no fame, no financial gain, there is nothing in it for me, except, if I'm lucky enough I might get a like on Facebook or if I'm really lucky a comment...or holy cow a SHARE!!! But when I know it's God, someone will say, "that changed my life for the better." and that's happened too...so keep on keeping on my friends...you are all potential world changers...no matter what your life looks like now.

Now here's the IMPORTANT STUFF.....

John 1New International Version (NIV)
The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

I was blessed yesterday to have some pretty major God moments take place.  One of them was a perspective in dealing with sin.  Now, Galatians is going to challenge me a bit because I'm a rule follower.  I am much better in an environment where everyone has to follow the same rules and regulations. It's easy to spot those that don't follow the rules, and then you can deal with them, including myself.  I also don't like to disappoint people, so if I know their clear expectations of me, then I can make sure that I please them.  If I don't know their expectations, I don't know how to interact with them.  Galatians, however, talks about being free, and being free means that I don't have any rules, instead I walk beside God, talking, and choosing my own choices.  This is freedom, but right now I'm a little frozen.  It's like taking a bird out of a cage whose been in there for years.  The bird doesn't want to fly around because that's SCARY!  It might go out for a few minutes, but then in just wants to go right back in to it's safety net.

Walking in freedom however can be a little tricky.  Yes, you can choose whatever you want, but some of our wants are not always good for us, they are not always healthy, and our freedom can easily trap us back into sin.  One thing I love to do is encourage, when I see someone that is working on a better life, I'm the first one behind them to push them forward, cheering them on.  

The rule breakers, I have more trouble with.  Because, as I said, I like the rules, I struggle with the ones that don't.  Now I'm not looking for a world filled with anarchy and rule breakers, I'm looking for a world where there are no need for laws because everyone's heart is filled with Christ and there is no need for them. 

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

So maybe you are also looking for freedom...

Galatians 6 New International Version (NIV)

6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Yesterday I received a glimpse of an answer at what reacting negatively to the Holy Spirit can do to a person.  Jealousy over what someone else has or the lifestyle someone lives, can eat you up. Not to long ago, I walked into a workplace, full of joy, excitement, encouragement and ready for challenges and growth.  I left within a few years feeling defeated, depressed, trapped and worthless.  Up until now I felt like it was all my fault, because I take accountability for myself, many times, way too much.  Today I know that it was only partly my fault

Yesterday a friend said to me, when you started coming to church I was a little jealous because you had only been coming a short time and you knew stories in the Bible that I didn't know and I had gone to church my whole life.  My friend said, I could have let that get ugly.

I've been dealing with a internal battle for several months now, and I am one who shuts down, because somehow or another I will be at fault.  Such is the case to this battle.  It's always something I could have done better, or handled better, or said differently, and those things are all true.  BUT....there's things others could have come along side to do their part also.  If you are living life together, we are all held accountable.

The Spirit of God comes to reveal.  One of the things he reveals are things that are not healthy in your life.  Now the process of eliminating those things can become quite painful.  As Paul shares with us (below) because our flesh will begin to battle our Spirit in recovery.  For me, this is an ugly ugly process.  Shedding chains doesn't always look like it does in the movies, where the Princess's chains just drop off and she goes running to the Prince...on the contrary it looks more like the horror film "The Exorcist". Now you are getting much closer to what it looks like in my life.  Demons beg to stay attached, and they cling to your flesh and as my Pastor friend shared in his sermon on Sunday, becomes quite the "chatterbox" in your head.  Claiming territory of anger, hurt, lies and discord.

Another friend once said if something is bothering you about someone else, take a look in your own heart to find out what God wants to work on you with.  I'm convinced she is right.  You will never change anyone else's behavior anyway.  For one, it's not our job and for two, our purpose isn't to change others, it's to be a light and change our self.  If that change is appealing to others, perhaps they may want to change too... but if looks like the "exorcist"  in the process you might just scare them away.

I'm envious of many people, and what I find is that it never strengthens the relationship.  I'm envious because I don't understand that the gifts God gave me are valuable.  I don't believe them, because of many things that were stained in my "memory trees" as Dr. Caroline Leaf would say as poor images of not being good enougt.  I need them to be rerouted, and healed.  In order for that to happen, I might have to go through a few battlefields.  I'd rather hide, but God said, do not let your light be hidden.  I trust that there is a spark...and where there is a spark there is potential for a flame, and where there is a flame there is light, and the darkness can never put it out.  There is no darkness or shadows from the light.  Just look at the picture.

Life by the Spirit
Galatians 5:13-26 New International Version (NIV)

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Conflict in the church, is that even possible?  If we have our sights on Christ and all he can do and is doing and will do, would we even have time to recognize issues among believers? Sadly, the answer is yes.

I have been in just as much conflict in the church as I have been out of the church.  In any church.  I've been accused of not giving enough in my tithe and threatened to be "kicked of the membership list", I've been in conflict with other believers about certain behaviors, as well as disagreements about "the word".  I'm neither right nor wrong in any of these issues, and I won't go into any of them, but conflict is easy to come and feelings can be hurt worse in believer's lives than in non believers.  It's also easy to pick sides, especially if you only know one side of the story.

Does that give you a reason to bash Christianity and Christians?  If I can't behave any better as a Christian than as a non believer, should I stay out of the church?  The last thing anyone wants to do is cause conflict in the church walls and the last thing anyone wants is to jeopardize the safe environment of God's House.

First, let me explain where God lives when you ask Christ into your heart...oh I got ahead of myself.  Well now that the cat is out of the bag, and you know that he lives in your heart and that YOU are the church, it wouldn't matter where you went to hide, you would always be a part of the church walls. We all come to Christ with different pasts, different issues, different frustrations and different reactions.  It would make sense that we will come up against things that will challenge us, but they will not challenge God.  Each conflict is an opportunity to test out your God training wheels.  Sometimes we fall.  But it's ok, God's there to pick up back up and help us try again.  The best thing to do is focus on God and ask him to work on your own heart.

1 Corinthians 1:10-12 The Message (MSG)
I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I’ll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common.

I bring this up because some from Chloe’s family brought a most disturbing report to my attention—that you’re fighting among yourselves! I’ll tell you exactly what I was told: You’re all picking sides, going around saying, “I’m on Paul’s side,” or “I’m for Apollos,” or “Peter is my man,” or “I’m in the Messiah group.”

Do you have purpose?  Do you have gifts?  Does "everyone" have purpose or gifts?  Are some better than others?  What if you don't know what they are or how to use them?

I like to read through Paul's letters to the churches.  We are still the same as they were, just in a different time.  History repeats itself and I love to learn from the ones that walked so closely to Christ.  Paul was a Christian killer before he saw the light of Christ.  We would have considered him "evil" similar to "Hitler". We like to think that we are "so evil" that God would never be able to use us.  In reality, it isn't God that won't love us, it is all those people around us that we might have to admit we were "wrong".  Pride... interesting thing.  Don't worry though, most people will walk away from you while you are going through the process of letting God work on you.  I didn't like it when people walked away from me, but God knows what he's doing when you are a new born Christian.  God will pull distractions away from you so he can begin to reshape you,  first,  without distractions.  Then, little by little, He will allow those distractions to return and will slowly and sometimes painfully retrain you how to deal with them in a God- like manner.  Once Jesus begins cleaning you, be prepared, as he will also partner with you to help him reach others.  God is not willing that anyone should perish.

You have gifts, ones that were placed in you from the time of your conception.  Gifts perhaps you buried, rejected, turned away from, or misused.  God loves to come along side you and teach you how to live life in the clear, without worry or distraction, side by side with him.  He loves restoring your friendship and connection with him and delights in walking beside you in the garden he made to woo you.  How cool is that!  All it takes is for your heart to be open and your mouth to ask Christ to be in your life.  You have to be willing to at least see that your life needs repentance, and that you want to turn from those ways, and that Jesus died for your sins, and that if you are set apart from Christ there is no hope in forgiveness, but that once you allow Christ into your life, he already paid the price to give you free access to him, if you wish.  That includes every human that has breath, if you have breath you have life, and regardless of what you've done in your past,  you can restore your life in Christ and be made whole.  God never leaves you...not even while you are over your head drowning in sin.

1 Corinthians 1-9 The Message (MSG)

I, Paul, have been called and sent by Jesus, the Messiah, according to God’s plan, along with my friend Sosthenes. I send this letter to you in God’s church at Corinth, believers cleaned up by Jesus and set apart for a God-filled life. I include in my greeting all who call out to Jesus, wherever they live. He’s their Master as well as ours!

May all the gifts and benefits that come from God our Father, and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours.

Every time I think of you—and I think of you often!—I thank God for your lives of free and open access to God, given by Jesus. There’s no end to what has happened in you—it’s beyond speech, beyond knowledge. The evidence of Christ has been clearly verified in your lives.

Just think—you don’t need a thing, you’ve got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that.