I wanted to share a tidbit from a conversation I had with a friend this evening. The Holy Spirit was present and our hearts were being changed by His power. "It's not easy for the carnal minded to follow Jesus... because he tells us to deny ourselves and not only to deny ourselves but also to take up our cross. Hmmm. Even for the best among us - its hard to do. Denying yourself, getting victory over your thing (thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, conversations) takes spiritual focus and soul determination. Sometimes it feels like we need to approach this like a soldier approaches warfare training. So what about your thing. Maybe it's obvious, like huge. People can smell it, see it or hear it very easily. Maybe your thing isn't as obvious as the person you sit next to. In truth, we each have a thing. Lets evaluate ourselves. Where are we as individuals with denying ourselves, with taking up our cross? How readily do we choose Him over self?"