Shugart Family Rambling Spot

I read this devotional this morning and I LOVE it and find it to be so true in my life. Most of my life I have not cared to have "relationships" b/c of fear of rejection and being hurt all over again...I still at times have to fight the urges to disappear from the "world" and hide out in the comforts of my home and family. I can make any excuse I care to make but it always boils down to FEAR OF REJECTION AND HURT...To open up to someone leaves you vulnerable and you just never know how anyone is going to react to you. We each have been "touched" in this world and we carry those marks along our lives journey. If we are seeking God and trusting Him, He can weed out the untruths in our minds, but it is not an overnight process...it is DAILY taking up our crosses and following Him as he purges those form our minds. So in saying that we each need to remember that we each have imperfections we are working on and it is ok to admit those flaws.

I have found, for me personally, when I admit my limitations and struggles; those struggles seem to become smaller and less of a giant hurddle. To realize there is someone who is on your side as support or cheerleader is an AWESOME gift to find. I finally see that my whole being cries out first for Him, that God spot has to be filled, and then it cries out for human relationships. God put us here TOGETHER, to share w/each other, support each other, care for each other, etc...It is time to get in on the GAME....start with the coach who has all the info., GOD...and then begin to train with your team, fellow christian friends....Then you are ready to tackle the "other" team, Satan, and all his works that SEPERATE the very thing our bodies crave, RELATIONSHIPS....Don't stay on the bench, GET IN THE GAME.....

Life Together: Authentic Friendships
by Rick Warren
In our Devotionals series, Pastor Rick Warren discusses the Bible passages that inspire him the most. Today's Devotional is based on this passage:
"But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, God's Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).
In Christian fellowship people should experience authenticity.Authentic fellowship is not superficial, surface-level chit-chat. It's genuine, heart-to-heart, sometimes gut-level sharing.It happens when people get honest about who they are and what is happening in their lives. They share their hurts, reveal their feelings, confess their failures, disclose their doubts, admit their fears, acknowledge their weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.Authenticity is the exact opposite of what you find in many churches. Instead of an atmosphere of honesty and humility, there is pretending, role-playing, politicking, superficial politeness, and shallow conversation. People wear masks, keep their guard up, and act as if everything is rosy in their lives. These attitudes are the death of real friendship.It's only as we become open about our lives that we experience authentic fellowship. The Bible says, "If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other...If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves" (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light. We tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. But in the light, we bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are.Of course, being authentic requires both courage and humility. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again.Why would anyone take such a risk?Because it's the only way to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy. The Bible says, "Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed" (James 5:16 MSG).