Grace Card

We have a very nice blacktop road a half mile from our house that leads to Route 10 - the main road into Clinton, this is the town where I work and bank... This road is like a race track, I'm sorry to say.  My boys have confessed to me that they speed on it.  It's just that kind of a road.  It's hilly and a perfect pavement for it.

Yesterday I took off not even thinking about the speedometer.  I didn't have to be anywhere at a certain time.  I mindlessly drove on this most perfect road.  Until...I saw a police car in front of me.  I had just come down a hill so I didn't have much notice.  Ugh...a police car.  In the middle of nowhere too.  I applied the brakes a little, to show some respect and I felt a pit in my stomach.  Please, don't pull me over.  Please...

He kept on driving.  I was shown some grace.  And I appreciated it.  I certainly deserved to be pulled over.  When I looked at my speed, it showed 70.  I had no idea.  I told you, the road is a race track!

Every single day, I experience grace, both in my day-to-day life and in my spiritual life but the grace experienced in my spiritual life is much more often and I can count on it.

"...The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ." -- (Romans 3:22-24 NIV)

You see, Jesus is our Grace Card - our 'Get out of Jail Free Card.'  Without Him, shiver...  I can't even imagine where I would be without Jesus.  I don't want to think about it.  

I learned my lesson for a bit.  I drove the speed limit the rest of the way into town.  But guess what I did when I got to the Waynesville Speed Way on the way home - I found my foot getting heavier and heavier until I was going about 70 mph again.  Whoa!  Surely I've learned my lesson.  I backed off and scolded myself.  When will I learn?  Will I ever learn my lesson?  

I'm very grateful to Jesus, that He died on the cross for me.  If the things I did depended on me going to Heaven - I would be in trouble.  My heavy foot would lead me down instead of to my intended destination, I'm afraid.  All we have to do is believe and confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  

Remember this most important verse of all and probably one of the first I memorized, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  (John 3:16 NIV)  

This post may seem pretty basic but there's a time we need to get down to the basics.  We need to remember there's many out there who don't know all of this.  Things we learned when we were little, are foreign to others.  Let's reach out and share this Good News to our friends and family in this New Year, 2013.  We're running out of time.  I really believe that.  We've been shown grace and we'll be shown grace on That Day, Judgement Day.  Won't you share that grace with others?

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Unclench My Fist

This school year has been hard from the very start.  I've been able to do what I love but only for a short time.  I knew it was temporary but I waited for God to intervene.  I knew He would. I was wrong.  Lesson learned:  sometimes God says no and I have to unclench my fist.

Through all this, something was stolen from me that I need and depend on.  The person was confronted and denied it.  I had to let it go and allow God to sustain me and He is and I'm learning some things about my body through it all.  It's not completely a bad thing but it's hard.  Very hard.  And I'm angry.  So very angry.  Lesson learned:  sometimes God says, "Hold onto Me and you will make it, Laury.  I know it's not fair but just hold onto Me."

Letting go of something I love to do and working with kids I understand and love to work with has been hard and yet...I love what I'm doing now too.  I had to get past the initial shock and anger before I could see it though.  Besides that, I still get to work in the class one hour a day and I've made relationships with the teacher and the kids.  It took that letting go of the emotion before I could settle down and see things for what they were.  So silly.  God made me a pretty effective educator wherever I'm placed.  It's not anything I learned or did, it's the talent He instilled in me and I'm so thankful.

Smoldering anger...I don't know where that comes from because I'm not an angry person.  Injustice and unfairness upset me though and this year and past years but especially this year, has hit me full in the face and I haven't been able to do a thing about it.  I have tried, trust me.  But once the temper tantrums haven't worked, and the sulking, and the pleading with God, falling into His arms and resting, knowing for sure Daddy will catch me and take care of me - then, and only then does everything begin to fall into place.

It's funny, situations don't change.  The stolen is still gone and God has helped me through in amazing ways.  The school thing is the same too.  It's me.  I'm the variable that needed the adjustment.  The anger and resentment and feelings of unfairness are still there, I am human after all, but they aren't right there at the top ready to spill out.  Sometimes I even forget about them for a bit.


Ephesians 4:31 ESV
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Proverbs 3:5 ESV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

When the world seems to be going crazy, the best thing to do is let go of it and cling to God. When everything else falls away, He will still be here. He is eternal.  Our Rock.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.

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Arm Our Teens - Pocket Testament League Review

“Why’re you wearing that shirt? Haven’t you ever heard of separation of church and state?” The noisy hallway grew quiet as Mattea considered the question.

“We can wear Christian t-shirts and we can pray in school…”

Anthony came along beside her and finished, “and we can bring our Bibles.”

The boy argued, “That’s not what we learned in History class. Church is church and school is school.”

“School officials try to bully us but it’s not legal.” Suddenly everyone scattered and left the two ‘rebels’ alone.

Mr. Porter, Vice-Principal, walked confidently down the hall. “Office, now.”

*********

This is exactly what many of our students face every day.  I work in a high school and when they see my Bible on my desk, they’re surprised.  I tell them, "You can bring your Bible to school."  It's amazing how kids believe the lie that’s being told to them.  Our Christian teens need to know what is evangelism and they need to know how to how answer questions that come up from their friends when they carry their Bibles and wear their popular Christian t-shirts.  Both parents and their teens can go to the Pocket Testimony website and receive free evangelism training.  The evangelism tools are easy to learn to use.

There are many teens who are on fire and ready to flood their schools this upcoming year with the Word of God.  What better way than with the Gospel of John from the Pocket Testament League?  They can be ordered with over 30 different, up-to-date covers: all very appealing and colorful. 

Even in grade school, students are read books that introduce evolution.  It may not say the word but the concepts are there.  By the time they are in High School, they are primed and ready to be taught the theories.  Our kids need to know the truth.  In the free daily devotionals on the website, I am especially impressed with the very first lesson which deals with chapter one of John and will arm our students with that truth. The devotional points out that we have to face the most challenging question ever as a follower of Jesus Christ: "Where did God come from?" 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”  (John 1:1-3)

No Big Bang Theory there!  God, our creator – period!  This is a great devotional and I highly recommend completing it as a family to prepare our students as they enter into the new school year.  Help your child, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks… to give the reason for the hope that (they) have.” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)  Let’s arm our teens with the Word of God as they go out into the world August, 2013 and beyond.

Pocket Testament League is the perfect tool for you and your family!

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Seeing the Crowds...

This morning, Greg, our pastor, told the story of Esther. He didn't preach to us. He didn't read from the Bible. He was dressed in character and he became a part of Esther's time. Greg's been known to preach from time to time. :) He's also been known to read whole chapters from the Bible. I love the variety. He also mixes up the flow of the service. I especially like that. We walk in each Sunday not really knowing what might happen.

But today, I could imagine our service being a bit like during Jesus' time.  No one wiggled in their seats.  No one was bored.  We all were enamored because Greg was speaking our language.  He spoke to our hearts.  He made us feel for each character.  

"Seeing the crowds, he (Jesus) went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, His disciples came to Him.  And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
(Matthew 5:1-2 ESV)

After reading this, I wondered where all did Jesus talk to the people? 

• Before He was even born, people were clamoring to see Him in Bethlehem.
• "And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan."  (Matthew 4:23-25 ESV)
• Up on the mountain where He gave the Sermon on the Mount.  This was after he was tempted by satan.
• No rest, the crowds followed Him down off the mountain too when He healed the centurion's servant.  (Matthew 8)
• Peter's house (Matthew 8)
• house of tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9)
• Beside the sea (Matthew 13)
• His hometown Nazareth but was rejected (Matthew 13)
• On the shore, right off the boat when He fed the 5,000 (Matthew 14)
• Gennesaret - all the people had to do was touch his garment and they were made well! (Matthew 14 ESV)
• Beside the Sea of Galilee and up the mountain - where He fed the 4,000 (Matthew 15)
• Galilee and Capernaum (Matthew 17)
• Judea - let the little children come (Matthew 19)
• Jericho - blind men (Matthew 20)
• Mount of Olives - "And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”  (Matthew 21:9-11 ESV)

I can imagine sitting on the side of the mountain, listening to Jesus. Or running after Jesus, reaching out for a piece of His robe. Or maybe cooking for Him and washing His dishes. Oh my! I can imagine doing all of this. My favorite thing of all, going out and finding Him in the coolness of the morning. Sneaking up on Him as he talked to His Father. And He would see me out of the corner of His eye and smile and I would know all was well.

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New Creation

One day while on the beach, there was a whole area of broken shells.  We walked on them and it didn't hurt our feet at all.  They were soft from who knows how many centuries of being in the ocean, smoothed out by the water.

This morning, my second full day at home from one of my most perfect vacations ever, I read this verse:


"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those who are crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18

It had so much more meaning to me after my time at the beach.  Mari found a couple pieces of green sea glass.  We also found lots of small pieces of smooth, broken shells.  Funny thing is, the first couple of days, they really didn't draw our attention.  It was the big, intact conch shells that we ran for, like Mari found in this picture.  Now that was a find!

The first day we picked up everything.  The second day we were more discerning.  After that, we wanted shells that had character, especially if they were worn and cracked.  These shells had a story.

The day before we went home, Laura, Mari, and I went once again down the shore and the big shells weren't there but tiny ones were.  They were almost like sea glass.  Shells worn by the tide.  So very smooth and beautiful.

My eyes were drawn to those tiny beauties.  I could relate to their struggles.  Beaten.  Worn.  But they held on.  Because of their adversities, they came out of their trials glorious!  The three of us bent down and picked them up lovingly, one at a time.  Once in a while, we would show our find to the other two, so proud.

I even thought of God doing that for us.  Bending down and picking us up one at a time.  So many of us yet He cares so much for each and every one.  I can see Him smiling and saying, "Just look at her.  I'm so proud.  She's growing even though..."

I can see Him bending down and plucking one out of an enormous wave that threatens to destroy...just in time.  I can see Him crying because of the fires in Colorado and yet...He smiles because of the few that are turning their hearts to their Creator.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those who are crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18

Mari and I took quite a few shells home with us.  They didn't get crushed in the process because they've already been through the trials.  They're strong.  We both have plans for ours, to put them together somehow, to create a brand new piece to share with others.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

The old ways are in the past and I don't miss them at all.  I love the new creation that I am and every day I grow and mature and become more smooth and colorful as the storms of life teach me to look up always.  

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