Over the past month I have been reading a book by Catherine Martin.  I had the privilege of meeting Catherine through the Christian Women's Fellowship Spring 2010 Retreat in 29 Palms, CA.  She was so inspiring to me.  She was so real.  A real person who just happened to write a book (okay - lots of books).  But that made it really cool to me.  I connected with Catherine.

She has a ministry called Quite Time Ministries in Palm Desert, CA.  The name of her ministry peeked my interest as I was thumbing through various options for speakers of the retreat. (See I was responsible for coordinating the retreat and thus responsible for selecting the speaker.)  I had been in prayer for many months about how I could personally improve my quiet time.  So this one looked even more interesting to me, personally.  As I contacted her and found more information about the various topics she speaks on, I was sold and so was the rest of the CWF board.  At the end of the retreat last April, Catherine was VERY kind and gave me a few of her books.  One of which was Set My Heart on Fire.

Over the past year or so I have read almost all of her books.  I think to date there is only one left for me to read - until she releases her new book later this year.  All of her books are 30 day journeys and all of them are truly amazing and inspiring.  Set My Heart on Fire was no different.  However, there were two sentences that gripped my heart.  I felt God was speaking directly to me through these two sentences.  What's even more funny....these two sentences are not from Catherine.  They are a quote she found by Ruth Paxson (I don't even know who Ruth is).  But she stopped me dead in my tracks with these words:


"It is not in order to be His, but because we are His that we yield our lives to Him.  Purchase gives title to property, but it is only delivery that gives possession."


That cut me to the core.  I am proud to hold the title of Christian.  But have I truly delivered myself to Him?  Have I given Him possession?

I have grown leaps and bounds in my prayer life, which was my goal for 2011.  But now that the first half of the year is coming to a close and second half is upon us I am choosing to set a new goal:  To give God possession of what is rightfully His.  He made me.  I am His.  It is now time to start living like it.