duh.

I feel like I've been home all of fifteen minutes in the last five days. We studied peace as a fruit of the Spirit last week, and honestly, it's been the weirdest week for that. I know I have peace, but do I feel peace this week? Deep down when I stop to think from an eternal perspective, yes, but as I am busy, not so much. I sometimes have a disconnect between what I know and what I do. And not just peace, I've acted so unbelievably pitifully this week. And I didn't even go behind my own back to do it. Paul talked about that too. I'm glad I am not the only one who feels like a total idiot sometimes.

14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh;for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:14-25

To be beautiful...

October 22, 2009

I had fully intended to write on something else today, but I changed my mind when I read the quote of the day that I receive in my Google Reader. Here's what it said:

"All God's children are not beautiful. In fact, some are barely presentable."--Fran Leibowitz.

For a moment, I felt offended.... and then, I thought about it some more, and you know what? She's absolutely right. On several counts.

When we lose our witness, that is, when we don't look like we belong to Him. That's ugly.

You know what else is ugly? (not an exhaustive list...)
When we serve other masters.
When we return evil with evil.
When we choose the paths of unrighteousness or self-righteousness.
When we dishonor others.
When we dishonor ourselves.
When we don't love our brothers and sisters.
When we don't love our enemies.
When we disagree with those we elected to govern, we attack the men, not the issues.
When we choose bondage over freedom, or law over grace.

Any time we do any of the above (have you ever?) it's called sin. Sin's ugly. We come to God not at all presentable. We're told in Romans 3:23, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." I do ugly things daily, but Oh, glory, glory, glory to God, he makes me beautiful.

We have an amazing and glorious privilege to be able to come to Him in confession and repentance. Take hold of this gift that God gives us-- become beautiful again. Accept His forgiveness, knowing that ugly is gone! Walk in joy and celebration and beauty, like you belong to Him!

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

^24-25And now to him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating—to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength, and rule before all time, and now, and to the end of all time. Yes. (Jude 1:24-25, The Message)

Our true value...

Yesterday, Brad and I were talking about commodities. His business depends on commodity prices for materials like cardboard. And it got me to thinking....

Commodities are valued at the price someone is willing to pay for them.

So are you and me.

You were bought with a price... 1 Corinthians 6:20

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. Acts 20:28

knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers ¹⁹but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1:18-19

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a wonderful and blessed day!

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
1 Chronicles 16:34

For the ones we love...

I gave away Grandma's pie crust recipe.

I don't know that Grandma keeps it a secret. After all, she told me! However, it is special to me, and thought it should be cherished. We'd gone to our friends' farm the day before and picked a few bushels of apples. There were tons of apples in my kitchen, and I needed to share. I made a phone call.

"Shannon, bring your pie plate and come on over and make pies with me!"

So she came right over with her pie plate, and she brought the most lovely and most effective apple corer I've ever seen, as well. We were able to whip out pies in nothing flat!

As we were peeling apples, she told me she makes a horrible pie crust, that her husband won't eat her pies because of it. I told her not to worry, and we rolled out Grandma's. We piled in our apples and laid the top crust in the cutest lattice pattern. She was thankful for the crust lesson and the apple pie she'd have for dessert later.

As she left, I wrote down the recipe for her.

Yeah, I gave away my treasured recipe, but there are just some things you do your best friends, just because you love them.

4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 NIV


He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:32