Blessed are those...

I started looking at the Beatitudes the other day.  Beatitudes-supreme blessedness. Supreme blessedness is endowed with divine favor and protection.  Blessed are the poor in spirit.  Blessed are they that mourn.  Blessed are the meek.  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.  Blessed are the merciful.  Blessed are the pure in heart.  Blessed are the peacemakers.  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake.  Who are these people that are being blessed?  Why do they receive divine favor and protection?

The poor in spirit are “those who are not self-exalted, but candid, and of a humble disposition, not too proud to be taught, not vain and ambitious for the honors of the world” 2T 631.1.  They that mourn are “those who are penitential, submissive, and who grieve over their failures and errors because the Spirit of God is grieved” 2T 631.1.  The meek are “those who are gentle and forgiving, who, when reviled, will not revile again, but who manifest a teachable spirit, and not hold themselves in high esteem”. 2T 631.1.  They that hunger and thirst after righteousness crave ardently, seek with eager desire integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling and acting (BLB).  The merciful are “those who manifest compassion to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed” MB 22.4 and are “partakers of the divine nature”. MA 22.2.  The pure in heart are not merely “free from that which is sensual, pure from lust, but true in the hidden purposes and motives of the soul, free from pride and self-seeking, humble, unselfish, childlike”. MB 25.1.  The peacemakers are “whoever, by the quiet, unconscious influence of a holy life, shall reveal the love of Christ; whoever, by word or deed, shall lead another to renounce sin and yield his heart to God”. MB 28.1.  Those that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake are make to run or flee, put to flight, drive away, to be mistreated, suffer persecution on account of integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting. (BLB).

So how can I receive divine favor and protection?  Well, I need to follow the beatitudes.  I need to be humble, be willing to be taught.  I need to be repentive and my heart needs to break for what breaks God’s heart.  I need to be forgiving and be teachable.  I need to crave a pure life and correct feelings and actions.  I need to be compassionate to others and show love.   I need to be childlike and unselfish.  I need to show others the love of God and turn away from sin.  I need to stand up for all of these things.  Basically, I need to have a relationship with God.  I need to reflect His character.

Not only will I receive divine favor and protection, but I will also receive the kingdom of heaven, be comforted, inherit the earth, be filled, obtain mercy, see God, and be called a child of God.  All these lead to salvation. 

The relationship leads to the salvation.  Hmmm.

But I can’t do this on my own.  It is only possible by God’s Amazing Grace.

Courting God

Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 

In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light, Let there be air, Let the land and water be divided and trees and plants to grow, Let there be a sun, moon and stars in the sky, Let there be fish in the sea and birds in the sky, Let there be animals that walk on the earth, Let us make man in our image.”  After creating the earth and all that in them is, He looked around and said, “It is very good!”  

Then in Genesis 2, we read:
² And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
³ And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

 On the Seventh day, the Sabbath, God communed with Adam and Eve.  He spent time with them.  God had prepared all week so He would be able to enjoy and partake of Sabbath with his created world.  Adam and Eve were able to spend their first day together as husband and wife on the Sabbath with God.  It was like their first date. God was given the opportunity to seek the affection of Adam and Eve.  He began courting them.

To court means to woo or to seek the affection of.  This is what God did.  He courted them.  Remember, Adam and Eve were given the freedom of choice.  God did not automatically have the affection of His created beings.  He had to woo them to gain their affections.  Because of God’s wooing, Adam and Eve loved God and chose to serve Him.

It says in Revelation chapter 19 verse 7: Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 

Who is the wife?  We are.  The church.  God’s church.

Who is the Lamb?  Jesus is.  If we are the wife and the Lamb has come for His marriage, wouldn’t that make him the Husband?

So now let’s talk about courting.

The year was 2006.  Fall was beginning. Well…this is happening in Texas, so it’s still summer.  I went to a surprise party for my best friend’s mother.  Her mother was not the only one surprised.  I was surprised as well when a young man walked through the door.  I was not expecting him, her son, to come to the party.  Yet he was there.  I was smitten, to say the least.  After a night of conversation, flirting, and secret glances, important contact information was exchanged.  We both went our own way forever changed.  The young man and I talked every chance we got whether through instant messenger, text messages, or phone conversations.  And then we started courting.  We went on weekly dates and talked daily.  Shortly after, we were married.  Yet we are still courting each other.  Which is important to any relationship.  Whether between a man and a woman, or a human and their God. 

So let’s discuss the main things that made our relationship successful and how it relates to our relationship with God.

First, Conversation is Key.

Gabriel and I talked daily.  We discussed things that affected us, inspired us, made us happy or sad, or things we just wanted to share.  A good percentage of our conversations were positive and uplifting.  Through our conversation, we were able to lift each other up after a bad day and pray together for things that were going on in our lives.  We were able to encourage each other through our successes.  We were able to show each other how much we loved the other one.

Imagine this:  Every time Gabriel tried to talk to me, I would get on my phone and play.  How far would that conversation go?  What about if every time I would talk to him, he fell asleep?  Either I’m really boring or he’s really tired.  Either way, I would lose interest in talking with him.  What if when Gabriel talked to me, I began to interrupt him with other thoughts that were irrelevant?  He started talking to me about his job and I started telling him how I need to get this to do list done by tomorrow evening.  Honestly, how long would we last?  I could say with certainty that our relationship would have died eight years ago.

Yet how many of us do this with God when we pray?

In 1 Thessalonians 5 verses 16 through 18 we are told: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Jeremiah 29 verse 12 says:  “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

Romans 12:12 says: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

In Steps to Christ Chapter 11, page 93, Sister White says “Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.”

Then on page 94-95, she says, “Our heavenly Father waits to bestow upon us the fullness of His blessing. It is our privilege to drink largely at the fountain of boundless love. What a wonder it is that we pray so little! God is ready and willing to hear the sincere prayer of the humblest of His children, and yet there is much manifest reluctance on our part to make known our wants to God. What can the angels of heaven think of poor helpless human beings, who are subject to temptation, when God's heart of infinite love yearns toward them, ready to give them more than they can ask or think, and yet they pray so little and have so little faith? The angels love to bow before God; they love to be near Him. They regard communion with God as their highest joy; and yet the children of earth, who need so much the help that God only can give, seem satisfied to walk without the light of His Spirit, the companionship of His presence.

The darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray. The whispered temptations of the enemy entice them to sin; and it is all because they do not make use of the privileges that God has given them in the divine appointment of prayer. Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven's storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence? Without unceasing prayer and diligent watching we are in danger of growing careless and of deviating from the right path. The adversary seeks continually to obstruct the way to the mercy seat, that we may not by earnest supplication and faith obtain grace and power to resist temptation.”

So how important is prayer?  It is extremely important.  It is the way we can commune with God.  Yet we either neglect to pray, are distracted during prayer, allow our thoughts to wander, or fall asleep during a very crucial moment of communication with our God/Husband.

Here is a video about a conversation between a man and Jesus.  Take a minute or three to watch it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7FgdChoXus

The second point is that Quality Time is Crucial

When Gabriel and I were courting, we would spend time together and not just any kind of time, but quality time.  We still do this today.  We would go hang out somewhere and we would be able to do fun stuff together, be able to talk, and get to know each other better, quality stuff.  We actually know each other’s likes and dislikes.  We know what makes the other one tick.  We know how to make the other one happy.  We can even finish each other’s sentences and thoughts.  Yes, we know each other’s favorite color and food.  But it is more than just favorites.  It is about knowing each other personally.  It is about the inside, not just the outside. 

So let’s imagine.  Gabriel and I are in our initial courting years.  He invites me to the movies.  During that movie, do I get to know him any better?  Do we get to talk?  Do we express ourselves during the movie?  Not at all.  We know the exact things about each other coming out of the movie as we did going in.  One thing I do learn is how Godly he is based on his selection.  Or what if he invited me to a birthday party.  He goes all around the room introducing me as his gal and then leaves me there to go hang out with his friends by the birthday cake?  Am I going to have quality time with him?  No!  We have no time together because he focuses his time on his friends and not on me.  Do you think we would still be together today if that is how he treated me in the beginning our relationship?  Not in his wildest dreams, No!

But why is it okay to do this to God?  If it is not okay to spend this kind of time together with the one we are courting, then why is it okay to spend this kind of time with God?

There is a song by Larnell Harris titled I Miss My Time with You

The lyrics say:

"there he was just waiting,
In our old familiar place
an empty spot beside him,
where once I used to wait
To be filled with strength and wisdom
for the battles of the day
I would have passed him by again
If I didn't hear him say

I miss my time with you
Those moments together
I need to be with you each day
and it hurts me when you say
you're too busy
busy trying to serve me
but how can you serve me
When your spirit's empty
there's a longing in my heart
wanting more than just a part of you
it's true
I miss my time with you”

So how do we spend quality time with God? First way is through prayer—Communication.  Second way is through Bible study.  We need to delve into his word.  Not just read, but study.  There is a difference.  Listen for what God wants to teach you.  Another way is through service.  When we serve others in the name of God, God is glorified in the situation and you are spending that time with God.  Going to church.  We learn more about God through our worship services.  But if the only way you are spending time with God is during the hour or two you are spending in the pew at church, there is not enough quality time.  It needs to be daily.  But if we spend most of our day on our phones, computes, in front of the television, and no time with our Maker, what kind of courtship do we have other than one that will die?!

The third point is that We Must be Prepared for our Dates

I remember when Gabriel and I started courting.  He would tell me a week in advance when he would be coming to visit and we would go out on a date.  The moment he told me, I began thinking about what I was going to wear, how I would do my hair, what I would say, and begin playing out scenarios in my head.  Then when the day would arrive, I would make sure that I was ready for our date, even if it meant I had to wait another hour until he arrived.  I wanted to be ready.  I was excited for our date.  And he usually showed up a little early as well.  I would love to believe it was because he was excited to see me, too!  You’d have to ask him.

But let’s just imagine that I waited until an hour before to prepare for our date.  I put on whatever I pulled out of the closet first.  Didn’t really consider what I was wearing or how I looked.  Then the knock on the door would come.  I’m not ready yet.  I still have to at least brush my hair.  I would make him wait sometimes 10 minutes and sometimes an hour.  What would he think of me?  “Does she even want to go on a date with me?”  “Am I even important to her?”

Or even worse, we had to meet each other for our date and I show up 30 minutes before the date is supposed to be over?  What kind of message am I sending to my date? 

It is Sabbath morning.  I’ve done nothing to prepare for my date with God.  I pull out the first decent outfit I own and put it on.  I run a brush through my hair.  Sabbath school starts at 9:30.   Maybe I’ll show up at 10 if I decide to go.  If I decide I don’t want to go to Sabbath School, then maybe I will leave my house by 11.  I can get there in time to hear the sermon.  No big deal.  What kind of date is that?

Instead, shouldn’t it look like this?  Sabbath has just ended.  I begin thinking about how I can honor God during the week so when I have my date with Him on Sabbath, I will be prepared to see Him?  I do my daily Bible studies and even study the Sabbath School lesson.  By Friday before sundown, I have my clothes picked out and ironed so that I am prepared to see God for my date.  My house is clean and prepared for Sabbath.  I don’t want distractions on the Sabbath.  I want to spend as much time with God and not have my thoughts distracted by what needs to be done around the house.  I also make sure I am ready to leave my house so that I am not only on time for Sabbath School, but maybe even a little early.  I want to be ready to meet my date.  I need to be on time.  I want God to know that He is important to me.  Yes, I believe Sabbath School is important.  We get to know God in a different way through the study that happens on Sabbath.  But I can’t just come to Sabbath school expecting to get my weekly fill of God in forty-five minutes.  Once again, I need to prepare for Sabbath through my study of His word during the week. 

Here is what Ellen White says about preparing for the Sabbath from her devotional: Our Father Cares, p. 64.: 

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Ex. 20:8.

At the very beginning of the fourth commandment the Lord said, “Remember.” He knew that amid the multitude of cares and perplexities man would be tempted to excuse himself from meeting the full requirement of the law, or would forget its sacred importance. Therefore He said: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

All through the week we are to have the Sabbath in mind and be making preparation to keep it according to the commandment. . . .

When the Sabbath is thus remembered, the temporal will not be allowed to encroach upon the spiritual. No duty pertaining to the six working days will be left for the Sabbath. During the week our energies will not be so exhausted in temporal labor that on the day when the Lord rested and was refreshed we shall be too weary to engage in His service. . .

On Friday let the preparation for the Sabbath be completed. See that all the clothing is in readiness and that all the cooking is done. . . . The Sabbath is not to be given to the repairing of garments, to the cooking of food, to pleasure seeking, or to any other worldly employment. Before the setting of the sun let all secular work be laid aside and all secular papers be put out of sight. Parents, explain your work and its purpose to your children, and let them share in your preparation to keep the Sabbath according to the commandment.

There is another work that should receive attention on the preparation day. On this day all differences between brethren, whether in the family or in the church, should be put away. Let all bitterness and wrath and malice be expelled from the soul. In a humble spirit, “confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another.”

Before the setting of the sun let the members of the family assemble to read God’s Word, to sing and pray.

We should jealously guard the edges of the Sabbath. Remember that every moment is consecrated, holy time.

The fourth and final point is We need to Continue Courting

Courting doesn’t end the day you get married.  If you believe that, then your marriage will end the day you quit courting.  Having a child makes it hard to have dates, but we have found creative ways to still court.  One of those ways is to put the little one to bed first, then have a picnic in the living room, a romantic dinner for two in the kitchen, or go camping in the living room.  I actually made a tent from the kitchen table and a blanket.  It was so much fun.  But we continue to court each other.  If we don’t continue to kindle the love we already have, then the flames will die out with our love. 

Without my earthly husband, I feel so incomplete.  I need him.  Through the love and support he gives me on a daily basis, I find the strength I need to get through each day.  When he was gone to visit his mother, I felt a sense of loss.  I felt like part of me was missing.  It is true.  A part of me was in Texas.  God does say that when man and woman are married, they become one.

 

So if I feel this way about my earthly husband, how much stronger should those feelings be with my heavenly husband?  I should be courted by God.  Our dates should not just be on the Sabbath for the length of the sermon.  They should also be during the week.  I spend personal, quality time with my husband with no interruptions.  I should do the same with God.  I should have personal, quality time with God with no interruptions.  I shouldn’t be interrupted by music, my cell phone, work, my child, or even my husband.  God and I should have intimate time together.  Otherwise, the flame of the Holy Spirit that is given to me from God will slowly become non-existent.  God says in Revelation 3 verses 15 and 16: "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”  God wants us to choose.  If you are not 100% for God, then who are you for?

God spent a week preparing for his date with mankind.  And when all was said and done, He was able to claim, “It is very good”.  Can you say the same thing about your courtship with God?  Is it very good?  Are you hot or lukewarm?  If you cannot say that it is very good and that you are hot, then today is the day to change that.  Ask God today to make a transformation in your life.  Just be prepared when He does that because you will be a different person.  And praise God for that!

I want to continue courting God.  I want to have daily communication with Him.  I want to spend quality time with Him.  I want to prepare for our weekly dates.  But I need His help.  I can't do this on my own.  That's because it's possible only By God's Amazing Grace! 

Broken Rock

Hubby and I were sitting on the porch as Little Bit rode her three wheeler around the concrete.  We were sitting there enjoying the great outdoors.  It had rained this morning, so the temperature had come down quite a bit.  There was a slight breeze and still clouds in the sky.  Nothing dramatic was happening besides the bird trying to catch his dinner from Little Bit's window.

Then I remembered something I had seen the last time Little Bit and I were on the porch.  In the new puddle that had formed was a rock that previously was on dry ground.  I am an avid rock collector.  My favorite rocks are the ones with the imperfections.  The ones that have multicolored striations and interesting designs due to erosion.  I remembered that this one had caught my eye before.  Now that hubby was home, he could go under the tree and grab it from the puddle for me.  It filled my hand.  And it was covered in mud.  I went inside and washed it off.

The outside of the rock, after washing, was a yellow hue and quite rigid.  It also had quite a few brown spots.  Maybe from sitting in the mud.  Maybe it is naturally yellow and brown.  But then the other side of the rock.  It wasn't the complete rock.  Only half.  The other side was the inside of the rock.  Instead of yellow/brown rigid surface, I was met with a crystal like mineral.  I have always seen geodes in the store but never have I found one.  I was amazed.

I took it back outside to show Hubby and Little Bit.  It was then that I realized I am this rock.  We are this rock.

We go through trials in our life.  Trials that seem like there is not an end in sight.  Instead, we will not make it through.  But then we do.  We come out alive on the other side.  But not only alive, but stronger.  And more beautiful.  How is this possible?  Because through this trial, we have surrendered our trial to God.  During this trial, part of us became broken.  It could have been a stubborn mind.  It could have been self-reliance.  It could have been a selfish heart.  It could have been our love of this world.  No matter what it was, it was broken and surrendered over to God.

Once we come out on the other side, we are stronger because we became weaker.  We allowed God to take something out of us that was not of Him.  We became more like Him.  Because of this, we became more beautiful.  His strength is beauty.

Sometimes we have to be broken to see the beauty in ourselves.  And that beauty is not from us.  It is from God.

I want to live so fully in God that He breaks me of my bad habits so I can have good habits.  I want Him to break me of my love of this world so I can love Him even more.  I want Him to break me of my selfish desires so I can give like Jesus gave.  I want Him to break me of my self-reliance so I depend fully on Him.  I want Him to break me of anger so I can be full of His love.  I want Him to break me of loneliness so I can enjoy His companionship.  I want Him to be break me of my desires so I can share His desires.  I want to be broken of my fears so I have the courage to live for Him.  I want to be broken of me so I can be like Jesus.

I want to be like this rock.  Broken and beautiful.  But this is possible only By God's Amazing Grace.

I'm Thankful For

What am I thankful for?

I imagine Him standing next to His Father and looking past all the comforts of home.  Looking past all the friendly faces of the angels.  Looking past His position.  Until He saw me and said, "It's worth it!"

I imagine Him kneeling in the garden and looking past all the beatings.  Looking past the name calling.  Looking past the blood and tears.  Looking past the nails.  Until He saw me and said, "It's worth it!"

I imagine Him hanging on the cross and looking past death.  Looking past eternal separation from His Father.  Looking past the excruciating pain.  Looking past the grave.  Until He saw me and said, "It's worth it!"

I imagine Him standing next to His Father in Heaven and looking past all my mistakes.  Looking past all my failures.  Looking past all my doubts and fears.  Looking at me and saying, "Yeah, it was worth it and I'd do it again just for you!"

That's what I am thankful for.  And it's only By God's Amazing Grace.

What are you thankful for?

 

The Lesson on Repeat

Little Bit has a mind of her own.  Well, I would hope so.  It would be pretty bad if she had to share it with someone else.  But she is very independent and she tries to make decisions for herself.  So when she has her mind focused on something, it is really hard to district her and to refocus her on the matter at hand.  Like going to bed.  Yep, that is the hardest part of the day.  But when we do need her to refocus, to pay attention to us verses the markers in her hand preparing to redecorate our place, we have to tell her multiple times what we want.  “Little Bit, put down the marker.  Little Bit, marker.  Down.  Little Bit, the marker.  Drop it.”   Once does not work.  EVER.  Sometimes twice works because we got a smidgen of her attention by saying it once.  I’m sure you have no idea what I’m talking about as your children listen the first time you tell them to do something. 

But what if I am teaching Little Bit something new?  For example, teaching her the letter sounds.  I show her an apple and say “A, apple, ah”. She got it the first time.  NOT.  But I told her again.  And again.  And again.  Tonight she came up to me and showed me an A and said, “A says ah.”  Then proceeded to run off to return to her daily scheduled routine.  I want her to know her letter sounds.  I couldn't just tell her once.  I had to tell her and show her multiple times. 

Adults are the same way.  Sorry to disappoint those that thought it eventually ended and you could tell someone something once.  HA. 

Recently I discovered that God has done this.  Yep.  In a period of twelve verses, we are told something four times.  Four.  Goodness.  Does He think we aren't listening?  Well, it is probably true.  But in Joshua 1 verses 6, 7, 9, and 18, we are told to be strong and very courageous.  Man, that must be really important if we are told four different times to be strong and courageous. 

Unfortunately as a human, I am innately weak and scared.  You turn all the lights off on me and I will scream like a little girl.  No joke.  So how am I supposed to be strong and courageous?  What does that strength come from?  “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”  Isaiah 40:29.  “But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.”  Isaiah 40:31. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”  Philippians 4:13.  “Finally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10.  “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness…For when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9,10.  I could go on.  But our strength is not man made.  It is God’s strength.  He gives us the strength that we need. 

You don’t need to be Arnold Schwarzenegger to have the strength that we are told to have in Joshua 1.  But we need to rely on God to have the strength we are told to have.  You can be weak physically but through God, you are strong spiritually.  That is more important.  You can be a body builder and be the weakest person.  It is not about muscles.  It is about God.  

I want to be strong and courageous.  I know my strength comes from Him.  I just need to “wait upon the Lord.”  This is only possible By God’s Amazing Grace.

Making a List

You know what I despise about the idea of sleep?  That it is just that, an idea.  There are nights where it never comes to fruition, like tonight.  I want to sleep.  I go to bed ready to fall into a restful sleep but am met by tosses and turns instead.  Sleep seems to be right at my fingertips, but I can't seem to get a good enough grip on it.  Instead of sleeping, I am being teased by an idea.  It taunts me. 

So on nights like tonight, a couple different things happen.  If people's names come to mind, I pray for them.  And sometimes I just pray for random people if no one comes to mind.  I get up and read.  For hours.  Then go back to bed and get taunted by sleep yet again.  And since my brain does not have an off switch, I think.  A lot.  Seriously.  I get some of my best ideas while sleep evades me.  Which is a blessing and a curse. 

Something I did tonight to help my brain relax was make a list.  Things that need to be done within the next two days.  I don't always make lists.  But I did tonight.  I did not want what I have to take care of tomorrow and Wednesday to be running through my mind preventing me from sleeping.  And they weren't.  But other things were, obviously.

One thing I like about lists is checking things off that have been completed.  When we were preparing to move, I kept an inventory list of what was being packed.  Each box was numbered with a specific sticky note.  Each color sticky note was a specific location.  For example, an orange sticky signified Little Bit's room.  Then in a note pad, I had each room on a separate page.  I would write down the sticky number and the contents of that box.  Once all of our stuff arrived to our new home (two weeks after we did), I was able to know when a room was complete by looking at the inventory list.  Once a box was unpacked and its contents put away, I marked off the box from my list.  When all boxes were marked off, I wrote in huge letters "COMPLETE!!!".  It was quite rewarding.  Especially when I was able to write complete on my last page.  I am not a big list person, but when I make lists, I do them big.

But not everything needs a list.  There are things that would be a waste of time to create a list for, like cleaning the house.  It would take me longer to make a list than to clean.  That's only because I would get distracted by the multiple colored pens.  I'm sorry, I'm easily amused.  I don't need a list for cooking.  Every once in a blue moon I might need a recipe.  But for the most part, a list is not needed. 

Most importantly, my walk with God does not need a checklist.  God doesn't have some big list for me to complete before He will give me the free gift of salvation.  God did give the Ten Commandments.  But He did not give them as a list to follow to earn salvation.  I don't follow them to earn it.  I follow them because I love God and want to do so.  Jesus told us in Matthew 22:36-40 that the greatest commandments were 1-to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and 2-to love our neighbor as ourselves.  If I love God, then I will follow the commandments, specifically the first four.  If love my neighbor, I will follow the commandments, specifically the last six. 

I love The Hubs.  He is my strength on a daily basis.  Because I love him and have a relationship with him, I don't want to hurt him.  I don't want to take anything that belongs to him (except maybe a few bites off his plate).  I don't want to put another man before him where I share the same thoughts I have towards my husband.  I definitely don't want to take his life.  I do my very best to always tell him the truth.  It is because of the love I have towards The Hubs that I don't do these things.  It is also because of my love for God.   It is because He loved me first that it is possible.  

The fact that we don't have this huge to do list to earn salvation is apparent in Luke 3 when John the Baptist is baptizing people.  A tax collector asked him, "What should I do to be saved?"  He wasn't given this list of things to do to be saved.  It was one simple thing.  Don't take more than what is appointed for you to take.  In other words, don't steal from those you are collecting taxes.  Soldiers asked the same question.  The response was simple.  They were to not intimidate or falsely accuse anyone. 

Both the tax collectors and the soldiers asked simple questions.  Both received simple responses.  And it comes right back to love.  Love for God and love for others.  When we do theses two things, the relationship that ensues is one where we don't want to hurt others.  We don't want to lie or kill or steal, we don't want to put anyone before God or use His name in vain. 


I want the free gift of salvation.  But I can't earn it by completing a check list.  I can make a choice to accept or reject it.  But there is nothing I can do.  Because I choose to accept it, I show my appreciation by loving God and others.  I want my actions to show that I love God.  I want my actions to show that I appreciate this free gift that no one else can offer.  But this is possible only By God's Amazing Grace.

Wet Feet

I did something that shocked quite a few people recently.  I got into the lake.  The water came up to mid calf.  It was chilly but not terrible.  And a couple days before that, I got my feet wet...in the lake.

Why was this such a shock?  Because of my immense fear of the water.  Not just any water.  Water that does not come out of the faucet or that is in a swimming pool.  So oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds, streams.  Nope, won't touch them with a ten foot pole.

Until the other day.  What made the difference?  Little Bit.  She made all the difference.  I don't want her to be afraid of the water.  Therefore, I don't want her to see my fear.  A fear that is sometimes crippling.  I want her to feel secure.  So I went into the water with her.  And she had a blast. 

I survived it.  So, I guess I could say that it was somewhat fun. 

Was I scared?  For most of the time.  But when I took my focus off of my fear and put it onto Little Bit to ensure she had a good time, I began to relax.  A tad.  I eventually had to switch off with The Hubs.  I gave the excuse I wanted to take pictures.  Which, by the way, is very true.  But as I was taking pictures, my feet were still in the water.  (Go ME!!)

I know why I am afraid of water, but that situation is so far removed that it should not be an excuse any more.   I should not be afraid of water.  For one, God created the water.  I am afraid of something He spoke into existence.  And two, I have a Protector. 

Does this mean I can just get in the water without even thinking about it?  Haha.  No.  Not yet, at least.  Baby steps.

Do you remember the story of Peter?  One of my blogs is about him.  "Where is Your Focus".  I wonder if Peter felt like I do when he asked Jesus to allow him to come on the water.  Maybe he was trying to act all tough by getting out on the water.  Maybe, maybe not.  But as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he wasn't afraid.  When he took them off of Jesus, he became afraid and started to sink.  Once I took my focus off of my fear and put it onto my daughter, I began to relax.  It is all about the focus.  Am I going to focus on my fear and be paralyzed?  Or am I going to focus on something else, preferably God, and enjoy myself?  I want to do the latter.  I need to do the latter.  It is a work in progress.

This reminds me of the verse in 2 Timothy 1:7 where we are told that God does not give us the spirit of fear but of love, power, and self-control.  God loves me enough to give me the power to face my fears and control my fears so that I am not afraid.  If He did not give me the fear, then I should not be afraid.

But it is so hard.  It is much easier being afraid.  But I miss out on life due to my fears.  Especially now that I live five minutes from the lake.

I know that I can overcome this fear.  I know that I can be strong for Little Bit.  I know that I can be strong for me.  And I know I can put my focus on Him so that I am not afraid. But this is only possible By God's Amazing Grace.