"But life is among [us] is more than attending [church] and visiting the sick...No one is too discredited or has sunk too low to be welcomed...Social distinctions, petty rivalries and jealousies--these are laughed out of countenance.  Being wrecked in the same vessel, being restored and united under one God, with hearts and minds attuned to the welfare of others, the things which matter so much to some people no longer signify much to them.  How could they?"  

Stacy: this keeps coming up for me!  Just like our conversation: we are not to be of this world, but to be separate from the world.  

I have hung out with a girlfriend today who just three short years ago would have nothing to do with me.  It has taken a long, treacherous path for us to be friends.  Somehow it just worked better that way.  Sometimes being in the Spirit means just that: treacherous.  Today, I know that I don't live in this world.  I participate in it.  I do what is asked of me, but only so that it may serve God.  Things like who is and who is not my friend, whether what I am wearing is name brand, or how much better (or worse) I can be than you, means nothing.  

I went to see a friend today.  She is dieing.  She has lung cancer and sirosis of the liver.  When she found out they gave her a week to live.  Thankfully, God is bigger than doctors.  She actually drove herself to my birthday party.  What a birthday present!  She out-did anything that anyone gave me.  She gave of herself.  Today, they brought in hospice.  She is much closer now than she was before now.  I went to see her because that is what I can give of myself back to her.  She was pretty out of it.  One of the things she asked for was her pastor, who has been reading scripture to her.  It is about the Spirit, not the body.  She showed that to me today.  

I mess up a lot.  I am without a doubt not perfect.  I am beginning to recognize, that is part of being in the will of God.  In order for me to participate in this walk with Him, I have to be different from Him.  It is what makes Him divine and me, human with desires of closeness to Divinity.  But just because I am different from Him, does not mean that I have to be opposite of Him.  I have a likeness of Him.  I don't know why I wanted to be opposite of Him for so long.  I am so grateful to recognize my Likeness.  It is kind of like being okay with the fact that I am going to grow up and be like my parents.  Turns out they are not so bad after all.  No one could have told me that.  I just had to experience it, just like I had to experience the grace of God to be okay with that too.  

Atonement is so fulfilling.