Do you have any spare change?

"Change that we can believe in!" I believe that was one of the slogans from Obama's campaign. I've thought about that statement a lot, especially these past few months when people told me they were in the process of "changing their ways". Should I believe in their change? Better yet what the hell is change and how do we come to believe in it?!?
These questions were partially answered for me when I took a trip to Houston to visit my linesister. (note yes I'm Greek, but that does not define me and I don't think it's important to disclose my affiliation). In the midst of an emotional turmoil I found myself in Houston hoping to party away my stress w alcohol and goodtimes. Instead I found that the best part of my trip was not the alcohol, weed, or random fun w my friends but instead it was a church service we attended that Sunday morning.

At a time when I felt detached from everything in my life I found myself in a service where the pastor was preaching about Transformation. For all intents and purposes I believe that change and transformation are closely related, better yet interchangeable. The pastor preached from Romans 8 40-51. The passage(which I suggest u read) speaks about Jesus coming into a town and being asked to come heal a mans sick daughter. On his way to do so a woman w an ailment touched Jesus robe. At that moment she was healed. Jesus felt power go out of him and asked whomever touched him to speak up. When she did, Jesus told her it was her faith that healed her. Jesus goes on to heal the sick girl even when most thought she was dead.

The basis of that story and the pastors lesson was that we cannot be in the presence of Jesus and not be transformed. As Christians we should pray for others(intercession) but also pray for ourselves. Sometimes we have to touch Jesus(like the sick woman) and ask Him to transform us.
Transformation(change) takes place when we love ourselves enough to initiate our own transformation. Nobody can pray for you like you can pray for yourself(faith) bc when you go for yourself there are no barriers. God already knows your shortcomings, so you cannot pretend or hide anything.

Change that I can believe in is the change and life that Christ offers us all. Change like love starts with self and all things good and perfect come from God. So I believe that the change any of us can undergo must from come from us humbling ourselves before God and asking him to transform us! This doesn't mean that after asking for this we just wait on God to move , this means that we have to make small and large changes in our daily lives.

For me, my long term goal is to become closer to Christ by reading and listening to the Word. My daily goals include being more positive and trying to find ways to better my health both mentally and physically. I turn 25 in a weeks, I want To be the best Annie I can be, so I have to make the changes I need to make in order to do so. Next week, after I get over this cold, I am starting my healthy eating and living goals to go along w my spiritual goals. I hope you all are ready to take this ride with me. :)