For as long as I can remember I have always struggled with wanting to be perfect. Not in a prideful way, but just in a, to be perfect is to be 100% and doesn’t perfection mean no problems, or issues, or failings, guilt or shame and everything would be all good, all the time?

My perfection idealism, I have been shown, is a longing for Heaven. It isn’t just me who I want to be perfect, I want everything and everyone to be perfect as well.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

While we cannot be perfect (completely sinless) in this life, we can work every day at being refined by the Creator. There was a perfect one, Jesus and His life had issues and problems, though he had no failings, He was sinless. And by His sinlessness, sacrifice, and resurrection, God looks at us (those who have accepted Him as savior) as perfect too.

This is the good news, the gospel, the message of salvation.

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:22-24 (NIV)

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Isaiah 1:18 (ESV)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (NIV)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
1 John 3:5 (NKJV)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (ESV)

Please do not be discouraged either when I write we cannot be completely sinless. I know there is some debate on this topic. However, let's be real with one another, the world we live in is pretty vile, and God’s ways/nature is on point, pure and above that which we can comprehend at times. Do we in 2020 even know every time we do fall anymore, as sin is stitched through the fabric of our society? Not that we are under the law but look at it for comparison in this instance, the rules, and regs that were set forth, or look at the 10 commandments and compare that with some of the shows we all watch. Though we are not “doing it ourselves” does focusing our mind on such things have the potential to distort us and cause us to fall (even if in other ways), I do think so.

Whew. 

Ok this has taken a bit of an unexpected turn as writing has continued, and I will conclude with this.

As always, I do not write things from a lofty, above everyone else, perspective. I do not think I am better than any of you and, if anything (from time to time), I feel like the worst human that ever has existed. It is only by Jesus Christ, do I have hope. There are many wrong choices I have made in life, even knowing the truth of Salvation and having a relationship with the Trinity, because of free will. Yet, we always have the chance to pick up, start again, and be a better person through the Trinity. Memories of my past try to eat away at my future, but I know and trust that what is in God’s word is true.

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”
Hebrews 10:15-17 (NIV)

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:11-12 (NIV)

Peace and blessings to you through Jesus Christ. ❤

Wow, wow, wow! 

Is it a recommended watch? For sure! 

Will I be checking out Christ Crucified next? Oh yes! **Note: I started to watch the 2nd installment and had to stop 30 minutes in. Though it might be beneficial for some, I cannot say the same for myself. Perhaps I am on false teaching-learning overload? But nonetheless, I will not be watching it. 

Admittedly, in years before I did watch some of the people mentioned in this film, though never as a solitary source of teaching. It isn't something I will hide as Joyce Meyers is written about in 31 Rays of Hope. However, I never bought into prosperity gospel or faith healing (for all). Some of the most devout believers with rock-solid faith I've ever met, happen to be some of the poorest and sickest people I've known. Yet, their testimonies are all about how God is WITH them, regardless. How they would rather be cast down in this life (by our society standards) than to ever spend a day not knowing who God was. 

It has always been hard for me to reconcile some teachers/preachers/whoever sitting on millions and millions when there are so many people who could benefit from those funds. It is not a sin to have money, however, the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). 

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As I am working on the audio version of the devo, (which will be available for free, details to be sorted out later), I realized that some of the words and phrases I used could be misleading considering what I didn't know was going on/being taught in so many churches. For the past 5 years or so, my main teachers have been Charles Stanley, Michael Youseff, and Allen Parr. I also happen to have a very faith strong mom who has much wisdom, even though she doesn't think it. Even know I check before I repin a verse if it doesn't look quite right. I learned early on to check the scriptures for myself to make sure what I was being fed was a lie or carefully twisted truth. 

Watching this video I was shown what I have been wondering for years, "why are people leaving the Church?" Well if you believe God is anything other than what He says He is (in the Bible), that Jesus was not all man and all God when He walked this Earth, or that the Holy Spirit is some sort of genie to grant your every whim, (just to name a few errors pointed on) well then, it sounds like a false religion, not a relationship.  I can understand why if people have been taught that God wants us all to have Rolls Royces, never get sick, and have the cream of the crop everything (mostly centered on financial success and stability), they would feel punished when it wasn't received. They would feel abandoned by God, discarded, and left out in the cold. 

But what falseness this is! Jesus had a hard life, and he said, "Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours." John 15:20 

The video is excellent (though some of the lies were hard to stomach), so I won't say much more but will close with these 7 truths: 

#1 - God is the Creator of the world, all that we know and don't know. Colossians 1:16
#2 - God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Psalm 139
#3 - Jesus is the Son of God. Matthew 3:17
#4 - It was the Father's plan for Him to be born as a human, yet fully God at the same time. 100 Verse List
#5 - It is by Jesus Christ alone that we are saved from our sins and reconciled back to God. John 14:6 & Romans 10:9
#6 - The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, our advocate, and helper. Verse List
#7 - Father, Son, and Spirit (Trinity) desire a relationship with YOU! 2 Peter 3:9

Peace and blessings to you through Jesus Christ! ❤

⇑ Curious where the closing comes from? Ephesians 1:2-4, blessings are about so much more than the tangible. 

If you know me in my personal life, or ever had the pleasure of being apart of one of my errr 3 or 4 Facebooks, and who knows what else along the years, you might question “what the what is up with her?”.

I have extreme social media anxiety, and it messes me with me in ways that others might see as foolish, but the thoughts, once there, cannot stop going around in my head. Rather than a way to connect, I saw many years ago people (in my own circle) straight posting one thing online (ex. we are so in love) but in reality, they were about to be divorced. This combined with a few other reasons, such as obsessive checking,  getting “in trouble” with friends if I didn’t post where I was, and other lifestyle changes beckoned me to step away from FB for good. Slowly all the others took the same turn, and the last time I posted on my personal Insta (now deleted) was the afternoon before I met my now-husband (12/2017).

Even now admittedly, I struggle with even the company Gram, because of expectations vs. reality, and a pressure that no one puts on me, but is there within my thoughts. Thus, going forward even that will be treated differently, though not going away entirely.

I have known so many great people through-out my life, and some people I fell out of touch with because of my lack of social media, but I hope for everyone (I have ever known) the very best. Mental health is something I have struggled with all of my life (though have kept that fact hidden from many), and I came to understand/realize that no one can fix it for you (aside from God), but regardless you have to be proactive about it on your own (avoiding triggers).

Simply put and reconfirmed over the past weeks, I am happier and have a better mental balance when my social media is limited to posting devotionals and pinning on Pinterest. Does that make me a weirdo? Perhaps in some peoples eyes, but I’m an imperfect, saved by the grace of God, Jesus Freak who has been called weird since I was a tot, and the only opinion that carries any weight in the grand scheme of things is what God/Jesus/Holy Spirit thinks of me (or any of us).

You will never hear me say that I am an open book, but if you have any questions or comments about this post, please let me know. I will answer as appropriate, and above all hope this provides peace, comfort, and clarification to anyone who may read it. ❤

Peace and blessings to you through Jesus Christ. 💙

This week we have been working on refining an upcoming pin design (hopefully July release) and writing the corresponding devotional. Which had to be re-written as the initial drafts were way too long to fit neatly on a compact card, as there is just so much that can be said about transformation. Really the Bible is filled with scriptures that speak to our soul’s evolution (for better or worse), so to get that extra info out, here is a verse blast for your viewing and learning pleasure. Along with a video, because well music is quite important to me and my personal relationship with the Trinity, and this song is awesome. 😊

*All base images are free use on Pixabay, then further edited and designed by me.  
Feel free to post and share verses as you see fit.
Why don't I "watermark" 24/7? Well because I don't own the copyright to God's word, and I go back and forth with doing it vs. not doing it.  
Also, blogger would not let me embed the video from Shonlock's actual account (for some reason #grrr), but you can subscribe for more awesome tunes here. 

Peace and blessings to you through Jesus Christ. 💙 

Yes, I was born in the 80’s and cannot let go of 90’s slang, who doesn’t remember “talk to the hand because the face isn’t listening”? Okay, so while I haven’t said that one in many a year, it did just make me chuckle to pen it down.

To be honest I haven’t written (on here) because I couldn’t settle on where to start with all that is going on, so now that we got that out of the way, here we go.

RIP

On May 19^th the world lost a great man (well great men and women are unfortunately leaving us every day), but I speak of Ravi Zacharias. I was blessed to be able to see him speak (and meet) a few years back at a college, it was awesome, and well there is no doubt in my mind where he is right now. If you are struggling or curious with any aspect of your faith, or if you want to come to faith, but something is holding you back, I recommend you checking out one of his videos. He speaks with intelligence, love, and kindness. **Edit: 2.15.2021, my heart is breaking over and over again with the allegations, charges, victims, and seeming betrayal. I am left confused and conflicted and have removed most of his sole posts on the blog and links. As I type this I am currently watching this video in which I hope brings some sense of "something", but alas I know only God will be able to mend this wound. May our hope, trust, and faith reside with Father, Son, and Spirit forever and always, all of our days ~ who is without fault, without failing, perfect, and good forever and ever. 

Pandemic

It is a ‘history book’ time we are in right now, and my hope is that common sense starts to flourish, and we (as the collective human race) do not place anything above human life. I know someone who has passed from COVID, and understand that this can be a confusing time. Know that there is a peace that surpasses all understanding available to you (Philippians 4:7), and that I truly feel the most important thing to know now, and ever, is that Jesus Christ is the risen Son of the One True God (Creator of the World), and by Him alone are we saved (John 14:6).

Two videos that touched my heart last month, but I failed to share: 

  

Wild Glow Studio

The new artsy, hobby, mission project that is tag teamed by Kory and I, with the statement: to create faith-centered, glow-in-the-dark enamel pins, so you can shine your light (Matthew 5:15-16), even in the darkest of times! So far the shop has 3 enamel pins and 2 button pins, with 2 more enamels on the way. As stated in the “about us” on Etsy: “As we are just starting out we have an idea of where we would like this to go, but as it is an effort of faith, fun, and love, we are content wherever He wants it to go.” As we are self-funded, there was an attempt at a Kickstarter, to create a 12 month “Glow Gram” sub, but that didn’t pan out (only 30% of campaigns succeed).However, it did open my eyes to something I can do standard.  We are hoping that as the months and years go by that all 12 of the Glow Gram designs are able to be produced, and all of them (and future designs) will come with a corresponding devotional card to dive deeper into the design meaning.😊

Missions

Due to some rules and regs that topic (in reference to my personal involvement) might not be shared on here much anymore, but my passion is still my passion, and my calling won’t ever quit – trust that (wink - wink), but I can point you to Love Beyond Walls who has been changing the game!  

What Else

Well know that you are an awesome human, and I hope that you are allowing God to use your life for His kingdom and glory. I hope that you are kind to yourself when you fall and are quick to acknowledge you need forgiveness and accept that forgiveness. That you do not carry with you burdens of this life, but you lay them down at the feet of the One who truly gives rest. That you see everyone through the eyes of God, full of love and understanding and compassion. That you do not use His word to spread hate but allow it to transform yourself and others through love with conviction and a truth that surpasses time itself.  

Peace and blessings to you, through Jesus Christ! ❤

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

    for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

    for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

    for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

    for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

    for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

    for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3-10 (NIV)

~*~*~*~

Dichosos los pobres en espíritu

    porque el reino de los cielos les pertenece.

Dichosos los que lloran,

    porque serán consolados.

Dichosos los humildes,

    porque recibirán la tierra como herencia.

Dichosos los que tienen hambre y sed de justicia,

    porque serán saciados.

Dichosos los compasivos,

    porque serán tratados con compasión.

Dichosos los de corazón limpio,

    porque ellos verán a Dios.

Dichosos los que trabajan por la paz,

    porque serán llamados hijos de Dios.

Dichosos los perseguidos por causa de la justicia,

    porque el reino de los cielos les pertenece.

Mateo 5:3-10 (NVI)

♥♥♥

“I bet you have Shonlock on there”, I boasted to my husband when he told me that Spotify had dropped our Top Songs of 2019. Well he didn’t, but I had him on mine twice! Music is quite important to me and entwined with my faith and daily life. The second tattoo I had inked actually represents a truth to me, that no matter how disconnected or lost I feel, without fail if I put on some tunes and start singing to God/about God/for God, my mindset changes and I am again realigned and refocused. Unfortunately, I also see what evil can be spread through music, so it is critical we not blindly “listen to a beat”, but pay attention to the words that are drifting into our ear canals.

Now from some definitely NOT evil, glory to God, get your praise and purpose on tunes, my top 10 most played tracks of 2019...

#10. Elevated by Citizen Way

#9. Amen by Matthew West

#8. I Got That by Anthony Brown & Group TherAPy

#7. Drop It by Viktory feat. Canon

*Fun fact: One of my favorite ever lyrics is in this song, “The hole in your soul can’t cover with makeup”.

#6. WaveWalker by Citizen Way feat. Bart Millard

#5. Lullaby by Shonlock 

*Fun fact: This song was on our wedding reception playlist. 

#4. Olympian by Propaganda

#3. Like Never Before by Nicole C Mullen

*Fun fact: This song was *also* on our wedding reception playlist. 

#2. Boomerang by Rapture Ruckus

#1. Stardust by Shonlock

Did you make it through them all, if so then, yes – you do now know I like the beats & bass! Not always, but while driving, solo .. default. 😊

What did your top 10 look like?

May you be strengthened in your faith, and may your light shine bright as you share the message of salvation and truth of Jesus to others!

❤❤❤

Howdy folks - 

Have you been living under a rock like me? Well, at least a Youtube boulder where you never really got into viewing on the regular and only just recently subscribed to your first few channels? 

It all started in support of my in-laws who are full-time RV nomads as I wanted to help them move their channel along Our Epic Field Trip. Pretty interesting (and breathtaking) videos for sure, and I am so happy for them to be on this journey after years dedicated to the corporate hussle. So I do recommend to check 'em out, but I return to the title of this post ... 

Have you all heard of The Bible Project? They are a 5-year-old Youtube channel with a mission, the best mission there is actually. As noted in their bio:

Our mission is to help people experience the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus. We are a crowd-funded non-profit, creating videos that walk through the narrative of the Bible, book-by-book and theme-by-theme.  

I have checked out a few of their uploads and let me say, I AM HOOKED. I am renewed, I am excited, and I am feeling that this channel was just what I needed in order to speak to me at this point in my life, to get me off of this world and into the Word. Not sure if you have noticed, but humanity has gone a little crazy, and it has left me very disheartened on the daily. But alas JESUS IS EVERLASTING HOPE and nothing is going down that wasn't foretold, but still I am human. 

It is my hope that if you have not already been blessed by the creators of this wonderful outreach,  that you take a moment to watch their "about us" videos below and head over to their channel to check out something that sparks your interest about the greatest book ever. 

May you have a wonderful and fantastic day/night, and may the love and truth of Jesus live in your heart always. 

✝❤☺, 

Hollie Marie 

Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.

Psalm 119:140

Chances are you have seen their iconic neon cross one time or another via your social media pages or an image search. Pacific GardenMission is a well-established (founded in 1877) homeless mission Chicago which houses over 300 + women/children a night, feeds 1,500 meals daily, and is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Not only that, but they even have their own television program and radio show. I recently came across some of the stories on Youtube, and wanted to share on of their lift transformation stories with you. It is such an amazing thing they are doing to reach the lost for the Lord! It is my hope that one day I can visit their operations in person. 😊 #Goals You can check out all of their Unshackled series (over 3,500 stories) here.

❤ Prayers and blessings to you all in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. May 

we stretch out our hands, hearts, and prayers to a world in need. ❤

If you never read anything else ever on this blog, I urge to at least listen to this message, “Jesus Rose From The Dead .. So What?” by Michael Youssef. It is one of the best teachings I have ever listened to.

Seriously.

Ever.

I urge you to check it out, it is less than 30 minutes, and I can assure you that you will be blessed by the words, the truth of the message that is never changing, and all powerful.

Check out the sermon on LTW's website here.

Corresponding verses are as follows ->

1 Corinthians 15:1-9 (The Resurrection of Christ)
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day pin accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Dear Reader -
May you be blessed with the fulness of the presence of the Holy Spirit as you go through-out your days. May you stand firm in the truth of salvation through Jesus Christ alone, and be fearless in your efforts to make Him know to all. In Jesus name ♥

The following was adapted to modern English by Grace Gems. It was stumbled upon when I was doing a Google search for the terms for another item - however I am blessed to have come across it. What powerful words given over 150 years ago that still ring true today. As it is told and tested, God's love, who He is, and the truth of Salvation, is never-changing!

Loved and Blessed
by James Smith, 1860

To love, and be loved — is real happiness. When we look around and feel that we love all we know, and believe that all who know us have kindly feeling towards us — it is most pleasant.

Much of the happiness of heaven consists in this, that each one loves the whole, and the whole loves each one. Yes, all is love there. The saints love the angels, and the angels love the saints, and God loves them both.

Our highest honor, and our sweetest happiness below, is to be beloved of God. For if God loves us, he will bless us; and however he may try us, he will withhold no truly good thing from us.

He used Israel of old to punish his foes, and to execute the decrees of his justice; to encourage them in which, his servant Moses assured them, "The Lord your God shall keep unto you, the covenant and the mercy which he swore unto your fathers; and he will love you, and bless you." Deuteronomy 7:13. Israel represents true believers; and what was spoken to them — will apply to us. If therefore we are . . .
doing the will of God from the heart,
making his word our rule, and
making his glory our aim —
he will love us and bless us!

"He will love you." WHOM will he love? Israel, as delivered from bondage Egypt, brought into the wilderness, and now a poor helpless people.

That is, he will love US, who are delivered from . . .
the bondage of the law,
the tyranny of Satan, and
the spirit of this world.

He will love us, to whom the world is a wilderness, yielding us neither contentment, satisfaction, nor delight. He will love us, though poor — poor in this world, poor in spirit, and poor in our experience. He will love us, having nothing to present to him, and unable to do anything worthy of him. He will love us, not only poor — but ungrateful, and often complaining — when we ought to be praising; and murmuring — when we ought to be filled with gratitude. Therefore we are utterly unworthy — unworthy of the lowest place in his house, to be the lowest drudge in his service, or to share in his most distant regard. But, as believing in Jesus, as united to Jesus, as acknowledged by Jesus — he will love us, and bless us.

WHAT will God do for His people? He will LOVE them freely!

He will prefer you to all others — setting His eye and His heart upon you.

He will take you into fellowship — the nearest, dearest, sweetest fellowship with Himself.

He will make you happy with the persuasion of the facts . . .
that He has loved you with an everlasting love,
that He delights in His love to you, and
that He will ever love you freely!

O blessed state — that the great, the infinite, the holy Lord God, will love a worm like me . . .
preferring me even to the angels;
indulging me with the freest, sweetest fellowship with Himself;
and sweetly persuading my soul of His eternal love to me!

"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely — for my anger has turned away from them!" Hosea 14:4

WHY will He love me? Just because He will. The cause, the reason — is to be found in His loving heart, and sovereign will alone. Not because I am good, or amiable, or can repay His love — for He loves freely, and fixes His love on the most unlikely and unworthy objects!

Lord, help me to believe the love which You have to me, and to love You in return! O shed abroad Your sweet love in my heart, and fill that heart with glowing love to You! "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you!" Jeremiah 31:3

"He will bless you." Yes — and bless you like a God!

He will bless you with the knowledge of himself — with such an acquaintance with himself, as will . . .
draw out your heart to him,
fix your affections upon him,
divorce you from all beside him.

He will bless you with likeness to himself, stamping his image on the soul, and making your life reflect his moral perfections.

He will bless you with a fitness to dwell with himself, in the world of light, holiness, and love. O what a mercy to know God in Jesus, to be like God, and to be qualified to dwell with God forever!

He will bless your temporal mercies — your bread and your water, your going out and coming in. He will bless you, not only in your person — but in your relationships, and will make you a blessing to others.

What an inestimable privilege to be blessed by God . . .
blessed in body and soul,
blessed in temporals and spirituals,
blessed in time and eternity!

To be blessed as only God can bless, and to be blessed by God with all his heart and soul.

Precious state! My soul, hide it deep in your heart, that God, the Author and giver of every good and perfect gift, will indeed love you and bless you!

God's love is always free and unchangeable. Everything outside of God will change — but his love is immutable!

God's blessing is infinite and eternal. We cannot fully understand, what it is for God to bless — as an expression of his love. There is a vastness, a dazzling glory in it. To be blessed of God — is to be blessed forever.

But HOW may I know that God will love me? Hear his word, "I love them that love me, and they that seek me early shall find me." Do you love God? If not, will you seek him? If you do, you will find him, perceive his glory, and soon love him. Hear the Savior, "The Father loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God." Do you love Jesus? Do you believe that he came from God? If so, you . . .
entrust him with the salvation of your soul,
rely on his precious promises,
and obey his holy precepts.

In so doing, you prove your love to him, and there can be no question but that "he will love you, and bless you."

Would you be truly blessed — blessed of God, blessed now, and blessed forever more? Would you be blessed with all that you need, all that you can enjoy, and all that you can turn to a good account? Just follow the Savior's advice, and you shall be so, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Seek principally, seek especially, to enter the kingdom, to extend the kingdom, to be an ornament to the kingdom. Seek . . .
to possess the righteousness which Jesus has wrought,
to experience the righteousness, which the Holy Spirit produces,
and to perform the righteousness which Jesus requires
 — and so will you be entitled to appropriate the language of Moses to yourself, "He will love you, and bless you!"


My Savior's ever watchful eye,
Is over me for good;
What will he not on me bestow,
Who has himself bestowed?

Sorrows, and agonies, and death,
You did endure for me,
When all the sins of God's elect,
Were made to meet on thee.

Exult, my soul, your safety stands
Unshaken as his throne,
His people's everlasting life
Is founded on his own!

 ❤❤❤

As I said it my insides knew something wasn’t right, although culturally acceptable, so many people use the word, believers and non-alike it didn’t taste right coming out of my mouth … “well you know karma” is what I said, while having a conversation with someone on checking if something was accurately mine or not … which lead me to ask, does the word karma even have a place in a follower of Jesus’ life?

So, it originates from the Buddhist and Hindu religions, and it would be hard pressed to go a day without hearing or reading it, right?

Karma is defined as the following: 

 - action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation: in Hinduism one of the means of reaching Brahman. - the cosmic principle according to which each person is rewarded or punished in one incarnation according to that person's deeds in the previous incarnation. - fate; destiny. - the good or bad emanations felt to be generated by someone or something

So in pursuit of knowledge, I worked the Google, and came upon a few other blurbs and blogs on the topic.

On Crosswalk there is a heartfelt writing, What’s The Difference Between Grace and Karma by Sarah Coleman:

“The Bible does not teach karma. It teaches grace. 
Grace is where you get what you don't deserve. 
Grace is unmerited favour. It is love and mercy 
bestowed upon us by God because He desires us 
to have it. As you can see, very different to karma. 
More like polar opposites.”

On Compelling Truth the question is asked straight forward, What Does The Bible Say About Karma? It concludes that, “It is only through Jesus' sacrifice that our good deeds will produce any real good” (Philippians 2:13). It goes on to share Galatians 6:7-8 that reads, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 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.”

In 2 Corinthians 5:10 we can read that is says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” Being told even prior to that in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

These all point to what we, as Christians, believers of the One true God, and His Son (our Savior), should focus on .. the bigger picture (the reason we are here), advancing God’s kingdom, as there are only one of two possible outcomes for everyone once this life has concluded. The price of our sins have been paid, yes we may stumble and fall, but glory be, Jesus’s death and resurrection has set us free! So as believers of Jesus, we do not have to live by the fear or trappings of the idea of karma. The Bible is clear that good and bad falls on the just and unjust, but the way to secure your forever is to accept and declare the truth that Jesus IS savior, as by Him alone are we reconciled to the Father. No amount of good deeds or “right” behavior can earn our way to a blissful eternity. “It is a free gift, so that no man can boast.” While we should try (and try again) to do that which is right, and operate out of love, we do not have to live with the fear that karma lends notion to. 

Rejoice, I say, rejoice. Give thanks to the Creator for His wonderful plan, for Jesus’ obedience to the Father, and for the Spirit that guides!

For further reading check out “Reaping What You Sow: Christian Karma” on Crosswalk.com by Whitney Hopler.