What I've been learning lately

So, have any of you 'bloggers' found yourselves in certain environments thinking about your next blog post? Pathetic, I KNOW!! Anyhow, I found myself doing that exact thing during this Sunday's sermon. OK, before you start calling me a heathen or something worse, let me explain :) Our Pastor is leading our church through Romans on Sunday mornings. I am thoroughly enjoying it, as I do love the book of Romans. This week Pastor Dana preached on Romans 6:1-7, and it was such a wonderful reminder and such an encouragement. I find myself at times being drug down by sin and letting it take hold of my attitude or perspective. And even over a year after the first miscarriage, I still struggle with my outlook on that and wondering if I'm a "bad Christian" because I might question God. This passage speaks to all of us who have been crucified with Christ. Sin no longer can reign over us and define us-we are set free!! Pastor Dana talked about our Union with Christ and through that union we are made new. Our old self is gone-it was crucified with Christ-and through Christ's work on the cross and His resurrection "we too might walk in newness of life" (vs. 4) How awesome is that!! We gain a new lease on life because of Christ's work on the cross....we did nothing to earn it or to help us get a new lease-we actually made it go in the other direction, but because of God's mercy and grace, we have gained. It is comforting to me to reread Scripture like this because I'm assured that I can't mess it up because I did nothing to earn it in the first place. It is only by Christ. And in dealing with feeling like I'm a bad Christian because I question God or have been angry or too 'emotional' this passage speaks to as well. Fortunately and unfortunately, the miscarriages are the hardest things that I've ever walked through in my life and in my Christian walk. And so this was the first time that my faith had ever really been tested, you could say. I was feeling emotions that I didn't think a "good Christian" should feel. It was through reading Job and talking to my sister, Crystal, and other wonderful friends and family that I was reassured that I wasn't in sin because I questioned God or was so broken-hearted. I made the mistake of thinking that the real Christian walk was pain/heartache-free because if you are in Christ then you won't feel that pain...what a misconception! I believe that it is through the testing and the trials that we come before God stripped of all titles and clothing labels and social status, and in that state is where God can transform us from old to new. It isn't until we are real in our walk with Christ that we can truly be transformed into the newness of life that Paul talks about in this passage. We can flee from sin, which is a result of what the Holy Spirit is doing in our life, and cling to Christ. So thankful for truths of God's Word like this! See Pastor Dana, I was listening even though I was thinking how applicable it was to what God was doing in my life and how I should write a post about it! :) So, what has God been teaching/reminding you lately? I would LOVE for you to share!