Goats and Sheep OR Christ

As the sun arises launching the new day, a heavy burden haunts the forethought of every mind. The fresh dawn soon becomes disheveled by the numerous, sinful possibilities. The burden weighs heavier than the camel’s load migrating through the wilderness.

The Lord spoke and his words remain absolute.

The weight of perfection hovers over their souls, beyond their reach…outside the realm of possibility.

The infinite supply of goats and sheep, birds and turtledoves, choice flour and olive oil wait for the moment of sacrifice for the need is immense.

Each second of the day and every single step painstakingly consumes the mind for fear of being the next one to prep the way with the forewarning, “Unclean!”

The vast expectations bring about heavy hearts and distracted minds.

How is one expected to obey every law, every last command and remain spotless at all times? For even sin committed beyond their awareness must be confessed and presented as a sin offering before the priest.

Perfection is simply impossible.

In the book of Leviticus, the Lord reveals to Moses the lifestyle in which one is to live in order to be pure and righteous before the Lord. The laws, seemly reaching eternity, encompass expectations to guide the Israelites. As a result, these laws inundate them beyond comprehension.

The finite rituals consumed every thought, every deed, every waking moment.

Before Christ, God’s unattainable expectations struck fear in the hearts of those who sought him. The painstaking truth was the law could not bring righteousness.

“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands.

The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”

(Romans 3:20)

However, through Christ, righteousness becomes reality for all people.

“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ…For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”

(Romans 2:22-24)

So enjoy the goats and sheep, birds and turtledoves, choice flour and olive oil. They no longer force us down the trail to righteousness.

All we need is simple faith.

Through faith in Christ Jesus, we find freedom from the great expectations of the law and we receive the righteousness God intended for our hearts from the beginning of time.

You have a choice: goats and sheep…or Christ.

The Little Ones

Sunday, a day for rest.

Being the day prior to starting back our homeschool schedule, today did not feel much like a day of rest.  My husband's work schedule demanded his presence yet his presence at home was needed and desired deeply.  A trip to the busy grocery always raises the stress level especially when my daughter persistently argues about this and that...a simple answer never does the trick.  The "Can we get this," and "Mama, can we buy that," escalates, followed by a firm "No...don't ask again." 

"Pick up your toys."

"Clean your room."

"Put your dirty clothes away."

and on...and on...and on.

My patience has been pulled this way and that way, now holding on by only a frail thread.

With all my might and a whispered prayer for strength, I open the Bible to read...

"Let the little children come to me..."

(Matthew 19:14)

Jesus, carrying the weight of the world, stopped the most important moment, to bring a child into his arms.

Jesus, the King of the universe, always found time for the smallest ones. 

These children are gifts, given to me by the Father.  How many times have I dismissed them, shoved their immediate needs behind my "to do" list, turned a deaf ear to their imaginary story?

Oh, Lord, forgive me.

Empower me to be like Jesus.

Please, let the little ones come to me so that I may experience your joy and learn more about Your love for little 'o me. 



Friday's Favorite: Birthday

It's FRIDAY!!!

What has been your favorite moment this week?

I had several within one...

celebrating my son's 8th birthday!

Moving 2400 miles away from all we ever knew has made our family traditions twist this way and that.

Birthdays before our move always were defined by family...

Siblings

Cousins

Aunts

Uncles

Grandparents

Now what? 

One thing's stayed the same...

Family.

Creativity ran the course planning out skype times with grandparents.

For a boy with milk allergies, a special, homemade, cheeseless pizza highlighted the evening.

Of course, a birthday wouldn't be a birthday without a bit of spoiling our new 8 year old a few special gifts.

The evening fades with shiny candles, a big breath and a wish come true.

What a blessed week!

Until next Friday, wishing you many favorites!

Our Job on this Earth

My little ones have one job at this point in their lives. 

Play.

And they're good at it!

They play from dawn til dusk,

on happy days or sad days...

on sick days or healthy days.

We have one job on this earth...

glorify God.

We must glorify him from dawn til dusk,

on our worst days and our best days,

whether we feel like it or not.

We are here to

glorify God!

"Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people."

Colossians 3:23 (NLT)





Different

Taking a lovely stroll by the water always ends a perfect date night. 

The boats float on water like feathers.

An occasional seagull interrupts the stillness.

The creaks of the boats' rocking play loud enough to soothe...
soft enough to lullaby.

The salty air breathed in relaxes the soul.

Lined up like dominoes, boats dock for the night.

Large.
Luxurious.
Shiny.


Houseboats.
Fishing boats.
Sailboats.

Quite a plethora of fine boats for fun in the sun.


Until you see that one...
the one that stands out among all the others.


No, it's not the biggest.
Not the grandest.
Simply...


different.

We are not called to "fit in".
We were not created to be "cool".
We are meant to be different...


"Blessed are the poor in spirit...
those who mourn...
the meek...
those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...
the merciful...
pure in heart...
the peacemakers...
those who are persecuted because of righteousness..."
(Matthew 5:3-10 NIV)

"...love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you..."
(Matthew 5:44 NIV)

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility consider others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others."
Philippians 2:3-4

"Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only."
Luke 4:8

Many heavenly blessings to you as you live your life...
differently!

Friday's Favorites!

After long days of potty training, picking up toys and on a good day, catching up on laundry,

a family supper is just what I long for all day. 

Daddy's finally home and delicious food is waiting to be devoured.  

I find myself trying to soak a moment to sit and relax;

 however, in a shorter time than it took to prepare, the kids are off to play. 

And then dirty dishes decorate the table.  Crumbs encircle each chair, including Daddy's. :)

More often than not, before the rush of evening and bedtimes and Bible story begins,

my loving husband asks the question,

"What was your favorite part of the day?"

One by one, sweet little voices shout out their answers...

"Buying Oreos from Target!"

"Getting stickers on my chart!"

"Finishing 'Charlotte's Web'!"

Ahh, the sounds of our favorites.  It doesn't get any better than this!

Each Friday, I invite you to join me in sharing your
Friday's Favorites. 

You have an entire week to decide what was most special to you. 

You may have one...you may have many. 

I'll start...

Watching my son enjoy soccer camp everyday this week.

On Wednesday, my daughter watered the garden.

Monday evening, my youngest held my hand rather than running with the others during an evening walk.

On Sunday, my husband and I bought plane tickets home!!

I so look forward to hearing your responses! 

May God truly open your eyes to the many blessings He has gifted you with each of your days.

A Moment to Confess

If I were truly honest with you, I would tell you...

Even if my house was clean and neat the last time you were here, most days it's not.

I drink too much coffee.

I still get scared in the dark.

I'm 35 years old and still love the color pink. 

I have to pray every night that the Lord will help me get up in the morning...I'm not a morning person!

I'm extremely self-conscious around people.

Today, I was not a sweet mama to my children. 
I posted about Christ serving...it was meant for me more than for you...I forget sometimes my main job is to serve my children.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast."

(Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)

Little Feet. Big Lessons.

Benjamin.

Just saying his name makes me giggle. 

Of my three little ones,
he's the only one who wears ketchup on his face all day long. 

Hiding behind three empty chocolate milk cups usually sits
2 clean smiles and one chocolate smile.

After a long day in the sun, Benjamin lay on his bed as I grabbed the newly packaged baby wipes, fresh in scent,
to wipe his little black feet. 

As I began to clean his little toes, on top, below and in between,

my thoughts wander to Christ in the Upper Room.

What would it have been like for Jesus to wash my feet? 

I can only imagine the humility that swarmed the room as the disciples sat in silence...waiting for their turn.   

"Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron."
(John 13:3 Msg.)

Jesus Christ. 

Put in charge of everything.

Cleaning the feet of sinners.

A true servant.

I love how the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts...
ever so quietly...ever so gently...in such little ways. 

The Holy Spirit used little feet to walk me down a path 
of remembrance of our beautiful Savior,

a servant.

The Holy Spirit used little feet to bring to mind

the importance of serving,

as Christ did.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve..."

(Mark 10:45 NIV)

Glorious Presence

After reading through the instructions the Lord gave to Moses about the Tabernacle and the duties of the priest, as well as the many preparations that must take place to meet with God (Exodus 25 – 30), my mind was blown away.  Frustration overwhelmed me for I could not grasp the fine details of this foreign lifestyle.  My heart was astounded by the differences of then and today.  There were even moments I found myself asking the Lord to forgive me for my mind would wander to my daily plans or wondering what the children were doing…distractions overcame.  

Many times as I read the Bible, lack of comprehension causes much frustration.  That was thousands of years ago and it seems as though nothing of today resembles the lifestyles of those times.  How am I to ever understand or fully comprehend what God was expecting of Moses, Aaron and the Israelites?  What is the meaning of all this in my personal life in the year 2011?

I pray with time and study, God will reveal more of His Word to me.  However, in this one moment, I came across two verses that God pulled out as if it were a three dimensional text.  “These burnt offerings are to be made each day from generation to generation.  Offer them in the Lord’s presence at the Tabernacle entrance; there I will meet with you and speak with you.  I will meet the people of Israel there, in the place made holy by my glorious presence.”  (Exodus 29:42-43)  The beautiful Holy Spirit highlighted three phrases: “each day”, “I will meet with you” and “speak with you”.  The offerings were to be sacrificed each day.  Not once a week.  Not when it’s convenient.  Not on special holidays.  But each day!  When we chose to sacrifice our time each day to be with him, He will meet with us.  Sitting alone in a quiet room, up on a mountain top, away at a retreat center, wherever… when we go to meet with Him, we are never by ourselves!  And then, not only will he meet with us, he will speak to us.  Did you fully comprehend that?!  God, the creator of the universe, God of all gods, King of all kings, speaks to us!!!  That truth should make us tremble and fall to our knees in humility and awe! 

Our “tabernacles” in 2011 look very different than what is described in the Old Testament.  Mine is an oversized, beige chair in the corner of my family room with a Bible, journal, computer and pens.  Not quite as spectacular as the holy house of God in Exodus.  However, God remains spectacular.  I praise Him for meeting with me and speaking to me in my humble setting.  Someday, we will have the presence of God in a way we cannot imagine or begin to describe.  Until then, may each of us continue to be with him daily and anticipate the day of his presence before our very eyes for eternity!   Oh Holy Spirit, be present every day and speak to our hearts, guiding us in every way!  Thank you, Lord Jesus.  Thank you!

Please share what God is teaching you and how he speaks to your heart!!