Category Archives: Love one another

Simple Feet (Part 1)

Christianity, Grace, Love one another, mom, motherhood, Parenting, Spiritual Encouragement, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Simple Feet- Part 1

I have an aversion to feet.  There I said it.  Baby feet I can tolerate.  Sorry.  What kind of mom was I?????

But simple feet have a story to tell.

 John 13:2-8  “The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judias Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.  Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his out clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.  He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord are you going to wash my feet?’ and Jesus replied ‘You do not realize what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘No’, said Peter, ‘you shall never wash my feet’ Jesus answered, ‘unless I was you, you will have no part of me.'”

Friends, these were not baby feet!!  These were grimy, dirty, walk many miles in the mud and no telling what else, men feet.  And our Jesus actually washed them!! The King of Kings and Lord of Lords washed his disciples’ feet!!

Imagine sitting around the table, laughing, eating and having a good time.  The serious stuff had not happened yet.  I believe with all my heart that Jesus knew how to have a good time.  He was happy, charismatic and a man whose love drew people to him.  At any rate, he knew his time had come and he knew the lesson he had to teach. And Jesus, the greatest teacher ever, taught them in a way they would understand and remember. Can you imagine the horror on the disciples’ faces? I bet the silence was deafening as they all sat there with shock on their face!

Then Peter (love this guy) said what most all of them wanted to say….and then Jesus responded.  Jesus was showing them the love he had for them!  He showed the true humility of God’s servant by washing their feet.  He was setting the example…Luke 22:15-15 “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater that the one who sent him.”

I have a story to further illustrate this lesson next time.  Simple feet…a lesson indeed!

Be blessed,

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*google image, NIV*

Simple TRUTH

Christianity, Grace, homeschooling, Love one another, mom, motherhood, Parenting, Spiritual Encouragement, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

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Simple TRUTH

Wow, do we ever complicate the truth about grace. I just finished reading ALL IS GRACE: A RAGAMUFFIN MEMOIR by Brennan Manning. It was the last book he wrote before he passed away. I think I have mentioned him once in my blogs. That is because the truth of the gospel hits me between the eyes when I read his books….A RAGAMUFFIN GOSPEL, RUTHLESS TRUST, ABBA’S CHILD, THE RELENTLESS TENDERNESS OF JESUS and many more.

We as parents are so concerned in raising our children in the way of the Lord.  We take them to church every time the doors open, talk Bible and scripture, and sometimes unknowingly have an expectation of perfection.  When we should have been teaching constantly about the unconditional love of Jesus and truth of grace, we were teaching rules and regulations. And I am pointing the finger at me as a parent.

Oh, our hearts were in the right place…and later on I myself got the grace message and taught it, but oh, how I wish I had it down deep in my heart before that!  I would teach, show and exemplify the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.  I would extend grace to others as He extended to me. 

While under legalism, the rules and regulations have a way of catching up with you!  We cannot maintain the law!  It is impossible.  Then the cycle begins….obey, fail, guilt, start again….try and obey, fail, guilt, start again….and on.  Many times we believe God could never love us after that “sin”, so we just give up.  We fail.  We do not deserve the love of God!

But the truth of  grace is simple.  Not that what Christ did was simple…He sacrificed more than we will ever understand.  But His extension of grace to us is about Him, not our ability to get to HIM by all the “good” or “right” things we do! Grace is “something we don’t deserve, unmerited favor.”

Brennan Manning says:  “God loves you unconditionally, as you are and not as you should be, because nobody is as they should be.”

His grace is contingent upon me being as good as I can be. Truth.

THAT, my friends, in my humble opinion is what we should be teaching our children.  Theology is great, scripture memorization is awesome, even those called to apologetics is something to behold…but if I have not an understanding of unconditional love and the truth of grace, what do I have?  

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

True Grace—

Be Blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE
Isaiah 55:8-9

*google image, NIV*

Simple Dining

Christianity, Grace, Love one another, mom, motherhood, Parenting, Spiritual Encouragement, , , , , , , , ,

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SIMPLE DINING

 

After church I saw a person standing on the corner of an intersections asking for money.  I gave him some, because I knew that is what the Lord wanted me to do.  Honestly though, can’t these people get a job?  Last Wednesday night at Bible study that new gal told us she had messed up in the past with some “inappropriate behaviors”.  Really?  I told her that God loved her and would forgive her, but I know she will do it again!  Gees, I go to church every time the church doors are open…cannot say the same for my neighbors.

We go out and eat every Sunday after services.  I swear though, I told my husband and kids that I will never go back to that restaurant.  That waitress was simply awful!  I don’t know how many times I had to correct her and let her know she was doing a lousy job.  One of her co workers whispered to me that her husband and just left her and her two year old little boy.  Well, I felt bad for her, but she had a job to do and was getting paid.  I expected better service and I told her so before we left!

NOW, before you start throwing tomatoes….or stop reading…this is an exaggerated story!  I would hope that I never consciously said or acted this way!  I especially would not have wanted to act this way in front of my kids….but, it does sound vaguely familiar.  That isn’t good. Did I say things as I “do good Christian” things in front of my children when they were at home with me?  What message have I sent them?

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all the mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing…..Now we see but a poor reflection in the mirror, then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.  And now these three things remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.”

Our lifestyle and the good “Christian things” that we do to be  a “good Christian” keep us from loving.  This type of bondage enables us to do things which mean nothing to the kingdom.  They are done out of obligation and not out of love.  Agape love allow us to love without condition.  The highest form of love is when God infiltrates our hearts and we are able to allow Him to love through us…agape love.

Is this easy?  Not always, but it is completely attainable when we understand the love that GOD has for us.  When we abide in his love and surrender our will and life to him, we are able to love, and that love drives us.  It allows us to “want” to love and share.  We are personally convicted to do out of our hearts, and not out of obligation.  It is useless to do anything…without love.

Children are beyond honest.  I messed up…alot. They could tell you stories, I am sure.  These simple lessons of loving, without obligation….and through love are the lessons I hope my children remember.  And if they remember my mistakes( I am sure they do when I think of hearing them repeat my words as I yell at the driver in the next lane)….I pray that they do learn from them, and not repeat them.

Simple Lessons.

Be Blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*image-animationsA2Z, NIV Bible*