I have started reading a book that someone left for 5-7 called A Call to Grace by David Nasser. Grace is just something that I know I take for granted and cannot comprehend it's depth. It is a 39 day study. I started reading it and have been stuck on day five for three days. It is so profound to me that I want it burned in. I am going to share it today, for two reasons...one, that you might be blessed, too.....and two, that I may burn it in deeply for myself. Each lesson starts out with Ephesians 2:1-10. Here goes, and i quote...
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:1-10 NKJ
" The night that I became a Christian, one of the first things I did was call a man that I considered to be instrumental in my coming to faith in Christ. I can't remember exactly what time it was, but suffice it to say, it was way past bedtime. I remember his sleepy voice when I called to let him know that I had bowed a knee in my room and asked Christ to save me. There were a lot of encouraging things said in that conversation, but something that has always stuck out to me was the phrase, " You're in the boat now." That night he explained to me that I had been drowning in a sea of sin. Every time I tried to come up for air, the more my sin was dragging me down. But on that night, God came by in his boat-(he didn't say this part, but I figured that if it was God's boat, it must have been the Love Boat). I was told that God saw me drowning and threw out the lifesaver-Jesus. My friend said that night that I had symbolically grabbed on to the lifesaver and God had pulled me into the boat.
Since then, I have heard that illustration several times and I am convinced it is always shared with good intention from great people. However, when you look at Ephesians 2:1, you realize that, in fact, Paul does not say that we were drowning in our sins, but that we have already drowned. This is where we must all begin, at the end of ourselves. In Ephesians 2:1, Paul clearly states that you and I are dead in our transgressions and sins.
And you...
Paul begins with the word you. Although he is speaking to the people of Ephesus, those words are just as true and revelant to every single person today. "You" means everyone. You can take the word "you" out and insert the names David Nasser, Billy Graham, Marilyn Manson, or any name for that matter, and the verse still applies to each person throughout history. None of us are exempt. Romans 3:32 says "for all have sinned and come short to the glory of God."
....you were...
The next word is were. Paul says that every single one of us were dead in our trespasses and sins. It is important to note here that he is talking to the saints, those who are already believers. Much like himself and each one of us, this is what we were. Not what we are. God didn't leave us that way. Great hope can be found in the word were. Just because that's what we were, that doesn't mean that's what we are.
In the mid 1800's, the South was still in the midst of slavery. Tragically, there were now a couple of generations of Africans that had been born in the United States, knowing nothing but the bondage of being a slave. However, one day slavery was finally abolished.
The abolition of slavery made many slave owners hit the roof - literally. I can just see them climbing on top of their roofs, all over the South, gathering all their slaves together, and giving them a speech. I imagine the speeches must have gone something like this,
"You might have heard that you have been set free. But let me ask you a question, do you feel like you're free? Of course you don't. Your mama was a slave, your daddy was a slave, and have you ever been anything but a slave? Look at you, you're dressed like a slave, you have blisters like a slave, and all your life you have taken orders from me. Today is no different. Get back to work."
I can see the whip in his hand. Tragically, many slaves bought the lies. Even though they were completely free, many continued to live and work as slaves. Because that's who they were, they thought that's all they could ever be.
I love to imagine, though, that maybe one day a tired old slave finally throws down his shovel. Possibly he thinks to himself, "My back hurts and my neck is burned from the sun, but I'm no longer the slave I feel like I am. That's who I was. The president said I was free. That's not how I feel, but it's who I am now. I'm gonna be who I am, and not who I was." I can hear his cries get louder and louder as he yells across the hot fields, "Be who you are! Be who you are! Be who you are!" Can't you see it? One by one, men women, and children begin to drop their cotton sacks and hoes and start to walk off the fields. Louder and louder they all began to shout, " Be who you are! Be who you are!" See that free man limping off the farm with the rest of his free brothers and sisters following, their former master yelling at them all the way down the road. You see, there was really no way they could be stopped - they had become free. They just had to start believing in their new identity.
What a great picture of us. We were once completely enslaved to sin, with no way out. Through nothing we had done, God in his rich mercy completely pardoned us through Chirst's completed work on the cross. Satan might keep shouting, "You're not free. You've always been a slave to sin and you'll always continue to be." But that simply is no longer true. We are free. We have been freed from sin. Start believing in your new identity. Through God's pardon, we no longer have to act like who we were. We can become who we are.
--Be still. Listen to what God is saying to you. "
That is all, there about 10 questions that follow. I want to share the two that are the most profound to me.
#3. Say out loud the word "slave" and then stop. Write down the thoughts, emotions, and pictures that come to mind.
#4 Maybe there is something in your life that God has set you free from, yet you choose to remain entangled to its demands. Describe what that may be for you. Now pray and ask God to give you strength to walk in His freedom.
I have failed to answer these thus far. I think I still need to soak it in a little longer. I know God is speaking to me profoundly here and I certainly don't want to miss that! I hope and pray that this has touched you today as it has touched me. Have a blessed Sunday, all. Remember, in seven days is the holiday of holidays. :)
MC
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Happy Happy Joy Joy
Hee he. I couldn't help it. I am so happy that Ren & Stimpy are on Nick for a while. I LOVE it! Anyways, folowing my earlier post this week, you'll be happy to know, I hope, that I had a much better day today. I can't believe what a wonderful day I have had. Work couldn't have gone better. Home was great, I was in home in time to actually cook dinner, put dishes away and be there for all the basketball practice. It was great, I actually felt like a mom rather than an RVT.
Today, as I was reeling from my near perfect day at work, I was thinking about a sermon Pastor Brian spoke of a few weeks ago. The difference between Happiness and Joy. You see, I have a very hard time getting my hopes up lately. Well, for years, actually. I have such a fear of being disappointed that I have a hard time really enjoying the good things. I thought that I was a person without real joy. I was so glad to learn the difference between happiness and joy.
Happiness is fleeting, joy is substantial. It is beyond how you feel today about your circumstances. It is knowing that no matter what, I'll be ok. I know that I know that I know my God loves me and will take care of me. I know that He knows infinately more than I do and He knows what is best for me. He is more concerned with my heart than my comfort. I thoroughly believe that sometimes, just letting go is all you need to do to be blessed and sometimes not being blessed in the way that we want is truly a blessing. I have prayed so many times that if being financially 'stable' would change my relationship with God, that I didn't want it. Wash it off like a bad disease. The more comfortable we are, the more complacent we can become. Humans act like humans. When we aren't in need of something, we don't look to God for comfort, guidance, provision, etc. If we had everything we needed, we wouldn't look for Him. We wouldn't see it as the blessing it would be, we would feel that we were self sufficient or feel like we had something to do with it. Let me tell you. You have no talents that God hasn't given you, whether you are a Christian or not.
If you know me, you know that I am a scatterbrain. I want to be one of those mom's who seem to 'have it all together.' Having an orderly house doesn't come easy to me. I don't mean physically (really, who likes doing laundry) I mean mentally. If it comes easy to you, I bet you are confused. I have to really think when cleaning house or I end up running around in circles. I prayed and prayed once for the Lord to give me the ability to keep my house clean. It was miraculous. really. My house was CLEAN. Every day when I got home from work, I'd spend about 20-30 minutes and presto, it was clean. It was so wonderful. About a month into it my mom came over and was amazed. She said, "How are you keeping your house so clean?" (You see, her mind is muchly cluttered like mine. :) I replied, "Uh, I clean it." You could almost hear God snapping his fingers and taking it away from me. It had become so easy for me that I quickly forgot who had given me this newfound cleaning talent. Well, it was gone. It hasn't returned. I am working on it, but it certainly isn't as easy as it was. I got proud and forgot my God. See, what I learned deeply that day is that you are not accidentally born with the talents you have, they didn't come because your parents taught you them alone, they didn't come just because you worked really hard at it, they came because God planned you to be with the family you are with and he knew what you needed. Or because He just handed them to you. Remember who they came from. Even if it's cooking, cleaning, managing money, whatever you do well. What you have to decide next is whether you want to use those talents for good, or for excellence...but that's another story. :)
Today, as I was reeling from my near perfect day at work, I was thinking about a sermon Pastor Brian spoke of a few weeks ago. The difference between Happiness and Joy. You see, I have a very hard time getting my hopes up lately. Well, for years, actually. I have such a fear of being disappointed that I have a hard time really enjoying the good things. I thought that I was a person without real joy. I was so glad to learn the difference between happiness and joy.
Happiness is fleeting, joy is substantial. It is beyond how you feel today about your circumstances. It is knowing that no matter what, I'll be ok. I know that I know that I know my God loves me and will take care of me. I know that He knows infinately more than I do and He knows what is best for me. He is more concerned with my heart than my comfort. I thoroughly believe that sometimes, just letting go is all you need to do to be blessed and sometimes not being blessed in the way that we want is truly a blessing. I have prayed so many times that if being financially 'stable' would change my relationship with God, that I didn't want it. Wash it off like a bad disease. The more comfortable we are, the more complacent we can become. Humans act like humans. When we aren't in need of something, we don't look to God for comfort, guidance, provision, etc. If we had everything we needed, we wouldn't look for Him. We wouldn't see it as the blessing it would be, we would feel that we were self sufficient or feel like we had something to do with it. Let me tell you. You have no talents that God hasn't given you, whether you are a Christian or not.
If you know me, you know that I am a scatterbrain. I want to be one of those mom's who seem to 'have it all together.' Having an orderly house doesn't come easy to me. I don't mean physically (really, who likes doing laundry) I mean mentally. If it comes easy to you, I bet you are confused. I have to really think when cleaning house or I end up running around in circles. I prayed and prayed once for the Lord to give me the ability to keep my house clean. It was miraculous. really. My house was CLEAN. Every day when I got home from work, I'd spend about 20-30 minutes and presto, it was clean. It was so wonderful. About a month into it my mom came over and was amazed. She said, "How are you keeping your house so clean?" (You see, her mind is muchly cluttered like mine. :) I replied, "Uh, I clean it." You could almost hear God snapping his fingers and taking it away from me. It had become so easy for me that I quickly forgot who had given me this newfound cleaning talent. Well, it was gone. It hasn't returned. I am working on it, but it certainly isn't as easy as it was. I got proud and forgot my God. See, what I learned deeply that day is that you are not accidentally born with the talents you have, they didn't come because your parents taught you them alone, they didn't come just because you worked really hard at it, they came because God planned you to be with the family you are with and he knew what you needed. Or because He just handed them to you. Remember who they came from. Even if it's cooking, cleaning, managing money, whatever you do well. What you have to decide next is whether you want to use those talents for good, or for excellence...but that's another story. :)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Do over
Ok, well I just finished reading a friend's blog and decided to begin blogging again. I have been writing lots of notes on facebook and they're basically the same thing. I got back on and low and behold, it has almost been exactly a year since I blogged last.
I try so very hard to not be a perfectionist, because I don't have time to be. I will just quit blogging if I try and make it perfect, because it takes too long. I know I said it last year, but I am going to try again. Don't expect a pattern for a while, but hopefully one will develop.
Have you every really had a day that you wish you could do-over? Sure, but I mean, REALLY. You can't take stuff back, you can apologize, but it doesn't take it back. I once heard a story of (I'm sure I'll get this wrong, but you'll get the gist) a man and his son and this board with nails and holes. He told his son that the nails were things he'd done wrong. When he apologized, or asked for forgiveness, he would remove the nail, but the hole would remain. I think of this often when I say things that I shouldn't or when I get angry when I shouldn't and it sure weighs me down. I am glad for it, it a way, because hopefully I say/do fewer things that require me to put a nail in the wood.
Today I yelled at my son while helping him with his homework. It was simple and he is so smart and he was flicking at something on the table rather than listening to me after he asked me for help. Then when I asked him if he understood, he shook his head no. We had gone over and over it and I knew he just wasn't paying attention. I got so mad. I told him that I was mad because he had already made up his mind that he wasn't going to get it, but he wasn't even trying. We went back and forth and then he explained his understanding of the math homework, which was perfectly correct. I said, "See, you knew all along, you just had your mind made up that you weren't going to understand this!" We fight about homework nearly every time he has it. So a few minutes later I saw him write in a journal. He went outside and I ran to see what he'd written. He wrote...ok...crying here...'My mom hates me because of my homework.' Ok, I know kids can be dramatic, especially mine, but I remember how badly it hurt me when my mom was mad at me. I don't want that for my kid.
Believe it or not, my day went south from there. Greg got home and I yelled at him and left to the grocery store by myself so I could collect myself and get my head on straight. Then Greg called because Jake was crying. OMG. I was so upset. I can't even tell you when I'll get to sleep because I won't stop thinking about it. I know I put a nail in today and it's not gonna come out of the plank of wood cleanly. You see, this is the person I used to be on nearly a daily basis. This is the person most of you don't know lives in me. This is the person that God's grace covers up...most of the time.
I don't know, maybe He didn't cover me today so that I would remember where I came from and Who did it. It sure isn't me. I sure didn't change. He changed me and I am so thankful...and I sure hope he covers me back up tomorrow.
Both boys are in bed now, together, and believe it or not, the angry person inside sure wants to sleep on the couch, but it's the tiny voice that whispers, 'come to bed' that I will listen to.
So I have decided that I am using this blog to give testimony. I certainly will try not to withold even severly incriminating information about myself, obviously, to try and be as honest as I can. People don't see God illuminated in your life if they don't know how far He has brought you. So, I am so glad that He changed me before I became a mommy, because I have such a gentle, loving child. It makes me sick that he ever thinks that I think ill of him. It is so hard to understand as a child that your mom can be angry at your actions, but still love you completely. Ok. Well, I am thinking that this applies to adults, too, or we might just understand Jesus' depth of love for us.
I have spoken to and apologized to Jake, but I sure don't feel like it was enough. I will have to ponder the right words for a while. I have been really wanting to teach him more about Jesus' love in a way he could understand, maybe this is a good time.
Ok, I am sobbed out. Still sick to my stomach, but I am going to try and lay down for a while, I am cooking chicken and lentil soup for 5-7 tomorrow, so I have to try and rest.
I try so very hard to not be a perfectionist, because I don't have time to be. I will just quit blogging if I try and make it perfect, because it takes too long. I know I said it last year, but I am going to try again. Don't expect a pattern for a while, but hopefully one will develop.
Have you every really had a day that you wish you could do-over? Sure, but I mean, REALLY. You can't take stuff back, you can apologize, but it doesn't take it back. I once heard a story of (I'm sure I'll get this wrong, but you'll get the gist) a man and his son and this board with nails and holes. He told his son that the nails were things he'd done wrong. When he apologized, or asked for forgiveness, he would remove the nail, but the hole would remain. I think of this often when I say things that I shouldn't or when I get angry when I shouldn't and it sure weighs me down. I am glad for it, it a way, because hopefully I say/do fewer things that require me to put a nail in the wood.
Today I yelled at my son while helping him with his homework. It was simple and he is so smart and he was flicking at something on the table rather than listening to me after he asked me for help. Then when I asked him if he understood, he shook his head no. We had gone over and over it and I knew he just wasn't paying attention. I got so mad. I told him that I was mad because he had already made up his mind that he wasn't going to get it, but he wasn't even trying. We went back and forth and then he explained his understanding of the math homework, which was perfectly correct. I said, "See, you knew all along, you just had your mind made up that you weren't going to understand this!" We fight about homework nearly every time he has it. So a few minutes later I saw him write in a journal. He went outside and I ran to see what he'd written. He wrote...ok...crying here...'My mom hates me because of my homework.' Ok, I know kids can be dramatic, especially mine, but I remember how badly it hurt me when my mom was mad at me. I don't want that for my kid.
Believe it or not, my day went south from there. Greg got home and I yelled at him and left to the grocery store by myself so I could collect myself and get my head on straight. Then Greg called because Jake was crying. OMG. I was so upset. I can't even tell you when I'll get to sleep because I won't stop thinking about it. I know I put a nail in today and it's not gonna come out of the plank of wood cleanly. You see, this is the person I used to be on nearly a daily basis. This is the person most of you don't know lives in me. This is the person that God's grace covers up...most of the time.
I don't know, maybe He didn't cover me today so that I would remember where I came from and Who did it. It sure isn't me. I sure didn't change. He changed me and I am so thankful...and I sure hope he covers me back up tomorrow.
Both boys are in bed now, together, and believe it or not, the angry person inside sure wants to sleep on the couch, but it's the tiny voice that whispers, 'come to bed' that I will listen to.
So I have decided that I am using this blog to give testimony. I certainly will try not to withold even severly incriminating information about myself, obviously, to try and be as honest as I can. People don't see God illuminated in your life if they don't know how far He has brought you. So, I am so glad that He changed me before I became a mommy, because I have such a gentle, loving child. It makes me sick that he ever thinks that I think ill of him. It is so hard to understand as a child that your mom can be angry at your actions, but still love you completely. Ok. Well, I am thinking that this applies to adults, too, or we might just understand Jesus' depth of love for us.
I have spoken to and apologized to Jake, but I sure don't feel like it was enough. I will have to ponder the right words for a while. I have been really wanting to teach him more about Jesus' love in a way he could understand, maybe this is a good time.
Ok, I am sobbed out. Still sick to my stomach, but I am going to try and lay down for a while, I am cooking chicken and lentil soup for 5-7 tomorrow, so I have to try and rest.
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