I am not a techie.  I am hopelessly challenged when it comes to all things ... technical:  computers, phones, iPads, iPods, TVs, camera's, coffee pot.  Just ask my girls.  I call their "devices" MACHINES for to me that's exactly what they are.  But, not knowing what my machine does leaves me lacking.  When I push the "on" button to my Smart phone, I need to be aware that my machine does way more stuff than just make a phone call.  It was created to be a help to me, not a hindrance.  There is nothing on my phone that is gonna "get" me.  There is a whole lot of power packed into my little machine.  I can custom it to my preferences.  I can dress it up.  I can give it codes and passwords.  But, if I don't pick up the darn thing and explore it, it just remains a machine that makes phone calls and nothing more.

I was not made to live a mamby-pamby life.  I am a Christian.  I belong to the God of the Universe.  When He "saved" me, He gave me a new spirit.  What was corrupted and full of sin was replaced by incorruptible and sinlessness.  In my position to God I am 100% clean.  Now don't go looking at my performance - which is still in the process of looking like my Father - for that is not where my acceptance is found.  It is found in my relationship with the Father's son, Jesus, which admittedly lives in my heart and has the master calendar to my life.  I was made to demonstrate what living a life dependent on this God of the universe looks like.  He desires to change climates - and I ain't talking about the weather.  He desires to invade "normal" life and bring such peace, wholeness, power, light, life and whatever else you can think of that's good and effect change for the better!

I am told that I am to reject living in fear and being timid.  Why?  Aren't good little Christian girls supposed to be meek, mild, and soft-spoken?  (Insert giant rolling of the eyes and massive sounds of guttural groaning!)  Not according to the Bible:  "God has not give you a spirit of fear and timidity but of power, love and self-discipline."  Bam!  I find this incredibly helpful in light of what has just been said by the author right before this ... "fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you".

You see, when I say "Yes" to living as a child of God and accept Jesus as my Savior and then allow myself to be baptized by the Holy Spirit, there are flames inside me in the form of spiritual gifts that need to be fanned.  Woah!  I personally believe that's why the author tells his young comrade NOT to live in fear and timidity to the new things that he received when he said "Yes".  There is POWER, LOVE and SELF-DISCIPLINE inside us that comes from that place in the spirit.  The spirit is sending us flames that desire to come out of us and affect change (not literally, of course, but you get what I'm saying).  It's not what we do, how special we are, how good a Christian we are ... it's just how brave we are willing to be to be fanned!  Without the fanning of those flames, we become Smart Phones that are only used to make phone calls.

I'm not going to be content just making phone calls,
Christina