Thirst and living stones

 BRP: 1 Peter 2:2-3 and 2:4-5

* Yesterday, I went to Church and at Sunday School we discussed 1 Peter 2:2-3, well more than that, but Sunday was my day away from here. That is not to say I didn’t learn or reflect on scripture, I just didn’t reflect it here Yesterday. 

        My husband and I have been visiting a church locally for around a year. We are members of another church in town, but we needed a different, more laid back church for my great aunt. We take her to church on the days that Brian is off. Here I go down a small rabbit hole….. I believe that you should grow where you are planted…. Generally, I am very adamant about this. However, I have been in a funk, you ever find yourselves in a funk? Not the I don’t believe in God funk but, more like the I don’t get it, don’t understand it, and the blahs overall. Often, times this life on Earth will cause trials, troubles and confusion. I guess I have been a bit of a pouty childish brat. Just going through the motions. Now, I know that God is an understanding God, He understands that we are human and fallible. We have wander through desert like moments and we also have moments on the mountain tops, where we can just embrace His Grace and Beauty while on the highs of life. So, know that wherever you are God sees you. He still longs for a relationship with YOU. Not one of the magic genies type relationships where we only speak to God when we want something but, He wants the relationship of an Amazing Father to His child(ren). One we speak with daily, One we tell and share everything with, One who comforts us and wipes our tears. One who disciplines his children out of love. The Prodigal Son- made foolish choices and slept with stinky pigs, yet when the son finally saw that his own way wasn’t working and went home…. The FATHER ran. He ran! To the stinky stubborn brat (which we can all relate too, can’t we) anyway… the son realized he could always go home. The father was waiting and watching for his beloved son to come home. Can you imagine your Heavenly Father running to you? Picking up your stinky self? Celebrating your return home? Well, I have been in the place of that prodigal. Down to the very bottom of the stank barrel. Well, I can tell you I still don’t understand how God can receive glory through those trials or hurts, but I am trying to get back on track with where He wants and needs me. Growing where I am planted. I have needed and been craving pure spiritual milk. Wanting to be close to Him and doing as He wants. 

     Back to I believe you should grow where you are planted. I understand that you might not be where you want to be, but are you growing there, or choosing to pout. We need to grow, and take in nutrients from God’s Holy word. In Sunday School and Church especially where you are, even if you aren’t a member there. However, pray and consider that might be where God wants you, not just being fed, but to also serve others. In whatever capacity you are able. Reaching out to others, being the hands and feet of God, praying for the lost and needs of your fellow believers. God has called us to be like is He is, He sees us as valuable, living stones, to build….. to build His spiritual house through Jesus. We really need to search who, what, when, where and why, we need to be in Christ. Be in prayer and be as God wants you.

I guess I will stop rambling now. Might do better phrasing tomorrow.

Called to rid yourself

Hey! Today, I am going to write the whole verse out, BRP 1 Peter 2:1 NIV

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.

Miriam Webster definition of these words, then my reflection.

Malice- 1. desire to cause pain, injury, or distress another 2. Intent to commit an unlawful act or cause harm without legal justification or excuse

Deceit- 1. The act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid 2. An attempt or device to deceive- trick 3 the quality of being dishonest or misleading: the quality of being deceitful

Hypocrisy- 1. a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not: behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel 2. An act or instance of hypocrisy 

Envy- 1. Painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage 2. Malice 3. An object of envious notice or feeling

Slander- 1. the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another’s reputation 2. A false and defamatory oral statement about a person 

Woah! Woah! Ouch! I am afraid to let y’all know that I am not perfect, and I have at one point or another been guilty of these and sometimes at first without thinking about it, premeditation like.

While I have been and probably am to some extent guilty by definition of these, I truly am striving to be different. I know that over the course of my life I have let other down and hurt them, whether intentionally or not the damage is done. I am not sure if you are or have done any of these specifically, but I do know that each and everyone of us is a sinner. Does that mean I am trying to point the finger back at another absolutely not. Yet, when we are reading or trying to understand each other it is good to reflect on oneself and try not to judge to harshly. 

Why do we continue to fall short, to slip up? Well, I know that our sin nature is a big part of it, yet it isn’t the only reason.

Right now the big one, pun intended, is obesity—- hypocrisy. I as a believer truly think that The Holy Bible is 100% true. Well, if I look in the mirror and sometimes in the eyes of passerby, I see the reflection of an obese  woman. I have always been comfortable in my own skin, and generally do not care what others think of me. However, if I hold myself to the plum line of God, I am missing the mark. The seven deadly sins that are from the Bible Proverbs 6:16-19 pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and being slothful. This is not a full list, just a reference for the particular sin that God has me working on.

Since, the beginning of 2025 I have been working on better habits overall, not like a New Years’ resolution, but a lifestyle change and come to Jesus meeting. As I told you in a previous post I am kinda sick, due to that, I kinda without realizing it gave up. I had the mindset of why even care about your health just let yourself go and live your best lazy life while you are still here. Yet, here I am a couple years post being told I was sick. I do have days when it isn’t slothful-ness, I quite literally have migraines or can’t literally get out of bed. Yet, on the days I was able or felt decent I just vegged out. I felt that was acceptable. Well, in December I thought you can and should do better, as the obesity doesn’t help with movement nor over all health and worse than that it was dishonoring God. So, I started trying to make smaller food portions, I bought a food scale, I am logging what I eat, how much I eat, and caloric intake. Will I always weigh and count everything I do not know, but at least for now it is a start. On Wednesday, I downloaded a walking app called WALKFIT- I can use it in home, which is good for me sense right now I am not driving and it cost the same as a gym membership. I am striving to be someone who honors God in mind, body and spirit. So, far I am trying to keep my mind in a better attitude, my body healthier and being active in the word of God. It is a journey and I still mess up and my body is at times a hater, but as of today I have lost 20 lbs 4.4lbs was sense I downloaded the app on Wednesday. I hope that you are striving to do what God lays on your heart and if you slip up, try and try again.

Here today gone tomorrow

 Hey! Today’s BRP is 1Peter 1:24-25 

    Have you ever thought about how finite we are and how infinite God is comparatively. I do. In today’s verse he compares us to grass and flowers which wither and fall. This is so true of us; of God and His word, they remain FOREVER. 

        There are seasons in our life that are ever changing, there are so many examples of this. An example for my own life was my college journey. It definitely came in seasons, I was unable to commit to getting all my education at one time for various reasons, but those do not matter at this point. However, when one is striving to get their college degree there can be challenges and hurdles that arise. These issues can cause one to fill as if they will fail, or that it is taking the individual to long to achieve their end goal. Yet, when they accomplish the goal they are relieved, excited and happy. No longer does it seem as if the world is stacked against them. Often, after reaching a goal and looking back they might feel silly or wonder why at the time it felt like such a challenge or a flood they would never survive.

        Our mortal flesh as mankind is the same, we will one day come to and end. Yet, our deeds will remain, in the spiritual sense. Whether or not we are remembered centuries down the road is unlikely, but our spiritual selves will ever have a story and be known. Will your spiritual self have many if any crowns to lay at the feet of our Lord? If not, what can you do about it? If so, can you do more? Pray and ask God to show you areas that need to be improved, and areas that He wants you to cover. I myself have been challenged of recent to be more about God’s business and I am working on it in a couple different areas I will share with you later. For now it is getting quite late.

Change and Love

 Today’s BRP is 1 Peter 1:22-23 (just an fyi I know that I am not a theological master mind) these are just thoughts and reflections that I have as I study and try to apply God’s word)

             You have purified yourselves, by obeying the truth. A call to action! It does not say be lost in yourself, tv show, novel or games…. Purify yourselves and obey the truth. Then He states for you are born again, love one another deeply…. Again action!

              We have got to stay in the word in order to be purified. Purification is not something you can buy on Amazon and have immediately. You have to work at being purified. You have to work at humbling yourself to obedience. It makes me think of the oil/tar that can get on you and stick which is like sin. We can not just say oil be gone, or wipe it off. You must methodically work to remove it to be cleansed anew. If you follow direction you will have a better chance of that oil/tar/sin to be removed. Connecting this analogy with the call to action in verse 23, our brothers and sister can help us to be cleansed, to work together for a better chance of removing the oil/tar/sin from ourselves. We can also help them as they work to be clean. 

              In our actual life we have an instruction manual. We need to obey it. We are called  to purify ourselves through obedience, through change and change is not easy. We like being in our comfort zone and living in our comfy sin. Yet, we have to remember this life is not all about oneself it is about others. About God, Spouses, biological family and spiritual family and friends. If we do not purify ourselves we are selfish. In purifying obedience this we can see and meet the needs of others, oftentimes without foreknowledge that there is a need. What if we continue to sit on the sidelines while a brother or sister is at the end of their rope? I do not want to fail anymore of my family or friends by sitting idly whilst others around me are drowning.

            I know that I have not always done what I have needed nor been obedient to the cause of Christ. But I am working to change that. I know that in the past I have helped others, I also know I have failed others for that I will ever have a scar, and shame. I am sorry to all of you that I have let down or missed an opportunity to help. I am limited now in some ways that keep me from doing certain things, but obviously God is not done with me being here on Earth. SOOO, I am seeking to be continually cleansed, to see how I, though limited, can be the hands and feet of Jesus! I know I can pray, I know that I can encourage and I know I can continue to be purified and obey. I want to be able to love others as Christ has called me.

It might be difficult to do, for you too, just remember God meets us where we are, when we seek Him and when we trust Him!

Also, remember we are to LOVE DEEPLY, that means as Christ does. Not with piety, haughtiness nor begrudging others, just because someone’s sin and fault is different than yours, sin all sin of any kind separates from God. Show compassion, grace and love to others… not to their sin, but to them. We are doing the best we can, but we can and must do better. There are family, peers and lost that are counting on each and everyone of us. Pray and ask God to show you where you need to grow, where you need to change and how to love more deeply.

Faith and Hope

            Yesterday, I did a post which was playing catch up from the BRP (Bible Reading Plan). Today the BRP was 1Pet.1:20-21

            Faith and hope are in God: Do you ever stop to think about what, why and how we are here? The purpose? The abilities we are given, especially in being a child of God? I thought about these again today as I was reminded…. We are, because of God. We are here because He desires a relationship with us, and wants us to worship Him, not as slaves before an unjust and cruel master, but of a Just and Gracious  Loving Father. He knew that we would be a fallible group of beings, knowing too what it would cost Him. Even still He desires a relationship with us. He knew that we could never measure up or have the ability to save ourselves. 

          Just as a parent knows that in life their child will face challenges of many kinds, a parent has foresight to know bumpy days will be ahead. The parent also, learns to know their children and knows what works best for each child. Ex: My dad has said, “when it came to you girls (3 of us) your older sister I could ‘spank her or bonk her with a 2x4’ and she was still going to do what she wanted”. (No, he didn’t ever actually clock her with a 2x4). Dad would then of my younger sister say, “child, I am disappointed in you” or have a disappointed face and that would essentially shatter her to the core. The older child needed discipline, but she also needed to find her own way, granted it might’ve come with added struggles, and falls along the way, but as her dad he had to let her be herself to a certain extent. She is now a beautiful woman, with a family of her own. She learned from her dad things to do and not do, which allowed her to shape 3 amazing biological sons, and 2 amazing bonus sons. The younger daughter needed simply to see a disappointed parent’s face or to be verbally told that she had done something that displeased them in order to be corrected, then she would strive then to do better. She is now a beautiful woman of two beautiful children a girl and a boy. She too took away things to do and not do as a parent and is trying to raise her children to be their best selves. (I am not sure what parenting strategy he thought to use for me or what I needed, but for the most part I turned out alright). 

         However, hard my dad might try he couldn’t be a perfect dad, as he is human and makes human mistakes. Yet, this quote of my dad reminds me of our Heavenly Father, He perfectly knows if we are ‘2x4 kids, or a disappointed look on the face kids, etc.’ to know how we need to be corrected and grown as the best version of our selves. All of us girls needed our own style of discipline from our dad to know what was right or wrong and when he had to let us try no training wheels, being close by if we began to wobble or be afraid. Also, dad was there when the training wheels did come off and picking us up, wiping tears or dirt and helping us to try again. 

          God is the same, though He is the perfect parent, we are not perfect. Occasionally, the holes we fall in our holes we dug and fell in. God carefully watches over us but allows us to try it our own way. Or till we notice we are the one holding the shovel, shaking it at God and asking Him, WHY?!?!? Why we are in the hole, he must have put us in it. Eventually, we see our error, then we have to cling to Him to get out of the hole, He was always there a call/prayer away. Other times God has holes along our path that we must go through, to get to the other side growing us just as Joseph, the coat of many colors guy, he literally was in a hole and went through many trials because God ordained it in order for Joseph to not provide for his family, and to bring God glory. We try so hard to figure out the why of the situation instead of The Who of the situation, are we the one Who put us there, or Who do we need to cling to, Who we need to repent to, Who we are becoming through the trial(s) of life.

          Regardless of who you are you will have trials, never forget that God is always with you, whether you are in a hole of your own making or in one that He is trying to teach you in HE IS THERE. You will have trials it is only a matter of when. Also, remember that we are each different and God treats us as such. Just because your friends’ trials, through your eyes, do not compare to the severity of your own trial; try and remember God knows our inner most workings. He knows the ones of us that need the 2x4 and those that need the disappointed look. I am obviously a 2x4 person and I am like Jonah a runner. So wherever you are in your walk, God is there. If you are an unbeliever, God is there. God see us and meets us right where we are. Whatever you have done or are doing that is offending God, He still loves and wants you. There is not a power in this world or existence that can change that. If you feel unworthy or that you have sunk so far that God can’t love you or what love if you call out to Him….. Trust me my friend YOU ARE NOT THAT POWERFUL. Granted He will never make you choose Him, but like the prodigal son He wants you to come home regardless of how messed up you are. I am a child, a person who can attest to this truth, His Grace Still Amazes ME!

Hi, it’s me, I’m the problem

         Hello, it’s me again. I know you might be thinking I fell off the map, well you are right in many ways I did. My life is way different than when I first introduced myself, I could go and delete that blog, but it is who I was/am. Just as you can’t erase your past neither can I soooo. I will reintroduce myself now, I will not get into the big gap from my previous post till now today. However, I will probably share bits of that part of me along the way.

I am Christiy McCoy, I still live in the great state of Texas, I am married to my amazing husband Brian, we live under our roof together with our miniature poodle Bailey. Some important things to note… I am sick (with what doesn’t matter at this point, may share later down the road) what you do need to know is due to my illness it affects my hands, feet and memory, and I get really bad migraines, so if you see poor grammar or misspelled words please forgive me and show grace. I never knew I would come to love spell check and predictive text so much as now, pen and paper do not offer those benefits and I get frustrated- like the other day in church when I was taking notes and couldn’t remember how to spell a word, Brian wrote it for me so I could see how it was spelled. Oh well. I was very grateful for Brian helping me though, just frustrated. I can’t even remember what the word was, it was a simple one. I simply couldn’t remember how to spell, and I always loved spelling and kind of prided myself on the ability to do it well. I might have stunk in many subjects other than spelling. Though, I worked hard and on the struggle bus for quite awhile, till I found my studying methods and habits that worked for my unique brain, and learning disabilities. I ended up graduating with my bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education- Sigma Cum Laude (equivalent to A/B honor roll). Did I retake courses I took my first year of college while I found my study habits, yes, yes, I did. Did I during that time cry, in my Algebra courses’ professor’s office yes, yes, I did…. Sorry, Mrs. Ross, she never gave up on me… so neither did I during that season. Anyway that was a rabbit trail sorry y’all. 

Any way…. I am still on this journey. I am trying to be the woman that God wants me to be, y’all the Refiner’s fire is hard and hot and frustrating yet, I know the end result will be worth it.

Today in the Bible reading, 1 Peter 1-19, side: note these are from the Bible reading plan in Lifeway’s Sunday School material, also using my NIV Study Bible. Now, I won’t be plagiarizing. Here is my reflection:

I am a woman of unclean lips and so unworthy of God and His grace, which still amazes me. Yet, I am redeemed, by God through Jesus’ sacrifice. I feel so unworthy. Do I think I will or should be a perfect believer and child of God, yes, yes I do. However, I know that can not be accomplished on this side of Glory, but I know I must try or allow Him to mold me in His image. I again went down a bunny trail, but I think it is important for y’all to note that I am not perfect nor do I think I am, I am just like anyone else, trying….. so here is my notes. We “will have grief in all (ALL) kinds of trials…. To be proved genuine.” Ouch, I felt that! Proved genuine, I am soooo not matching up with this, I fail daily, I think of my past and all the many times I failed Him. It also, hurts because I know I am lacking, after all the many TRIALS I have been through, I still am not worthy. “As the dog returning to it vomit” gross! I fail, I fail, I fail, Yet God’s Amazing Grace says I am worthy of the price He paid for me. I also, feel the pain still of some of the trials I have faced. I in my own self and strength can’t understand why I had to endure those trials, or understand how those horrible trials would be used to bring Glory to God is beyond me. Yet, today when I read this verse I had teardrops, since I know I am still not as genuine as I need to be. We are also to remember Christ Himself suffered many trials even to the point of blood sweat, beatings, mockery, betrayal, disowned, alone, bled and died; just to name a few. To think He did that for me…. For me? For us. I can’t begin to thank Him enough for His everlasting redeeming grace. So, while I go through trials and you go through trials remember we are not alone. We also, need to evaluate ourselves and see if we are being genuine and holy, set apart. He set us free! This obviously doesn’t mean that we won’t continue to have trials, but that we can rest in knowing we are being prepared, to be ready for our day of completion, blessed and delivered. I know that is often easier said than done, but sing to Him, Pray to Him in whatever trial you might or are faced with ask Him for strength, ask Him how you and your trial(s) can be used to bring Him glory and help edify fellow believers and the lost.

• Christiy

• 3-11-2025

A new chapter begins

     Just putting this on here so you know that I know that my past is gone, which is why I didn’t delete the older blog posts. I am a different person than I was in many ways. I wouldn’t and couldn’t change my past because it brought me to now. I would either mess it up worse than I did it or worse things might happen to me.

Any way

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift from God that is why it is called the present (not my original quote)

So, journey on if you want to if not that’s okay too.

                                            -Christiy