Pass or Fail?

My 10 yr old daughter (I call her "Gigi" on the blog) is very smart. As a matter of fact she is an A student who has been labeled as gifted. She does remarkably well at school, and is reading well beyond grade level.

The other day Gigi had to write a report at school. She chose the animal and wrote a fabulous report. It had interesting facts and included beautifully drawn illustrations. It looked like "A" work. Her grade on the project? An "F." You see, while Gigi's report was beautiful and interesting, she didn't follow the guidelines the teacher had instructed. Each report was to include information about the animal's predators and prey. Each one of those topics was worth 20 points. Missing those 2 topics made her lose 40 points - and she received a 60. Her first F.

You know we often look at our own lives and think we doing fine. We're "good" people. Life is beautiful, or at least interesting. We don't need a Savior or a God. But truth is, if you look at the guidelines (the Bible), you'll see that even though we might think we're an "A", we're really an "F".

Like Gigi's report, if you judge us on own merit, you might think we're doing pretty well. But God provides clear guidelines in the Bible that we are meant to follow and we don't. We deserve to fail.

Gigi was quick to get with her teacher before she even came home from school that day. She requested and received an "extra credit" project to pull her grade up. Her teacher had mercy on her. God too has mercy on us. We don't even have to do the extra credit. Jesus did the work on the cross on our behalf, and all we have to do is accept him and believe in him.

With Jesus' extra credit work, we can earn the A, the gift of eternal life. Review the guidelines today, and then determine what do your grades look like?

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If you were looking for the "Celebrity Doppelganger" post that I wrote yesterday, and clicked from your followers Reading List, please note I inadvertently published it. I meant to preschedule it, so I removed it. That is why you can't open it. It is scheduled for March 5 now.

Love's Battlefield

“Why does love always feel like a battlefield?” asks Jordin Sparks, American Idol season 6 winner, in her hit song Battlefield. Truth is, I guess we’ve all experienced a wound in love. It doesn't have to be romantic love either. We can have pain in our relationships with parents, siblings, and friends. Even after you have children you find out that they too are masters of battle, with you and each other!

Even without relationship issues, sometimes it seems like just living a decent and moral life is an uphill battle. It’s hard to do what’s right, especially when no one else seems to care if you don’t, and they’re certainly not. Try as we may, we’re up against more than we can handle on our own. What’s a girl to do? Jordin Sparks continues in her song, “Better go and get your armor.” The Bible says we need to do the same thing! Ephesians 6 says we need to put on the full armor of God. What’s that?

The Sword of the Spirit is the Bible. Armed with the verses in the Bible we can take on any challenge, as it is filled with wisdom and advice on relationships and love, better than anything Dr. Phil or Oprah ever came up with. The Bible even defines what perfect love is: "Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven." (1 John 4:10, CEV) Through our belief in Jesus we receive the helmet of Salvation…and it doesn’t even cause hat hair!

The Bible tells us that in God’s armor even our feet are covered with the peace that comes from knowing the truth about Jesus. Girls, that peace looks better on you than Jimmy Choo or Manolo Blahnik ever could.

Finally the shield of faith protects us from being harmed by the world’s attacks. That faith gives us the strength to fight the battle against sin, which is simply doing what the Bible says is wrong. As our faith grows, it gets easier to fight off the temptations to sin, even when the world says its okay.

Prayer too is an essential part of this warfare. As a matter of fact, “Prayer Warrior” is a churchy term for people who pray ceaselessly for others. Because whether we admit it or not, it’s a battle to do what’s right. We need to be considered armed and dangerous to sin and evil.

Relationships can be tough, and life can be tougher. We need every weapon God has issued to protect us. So take the advice of Jordin Sparks and the Bible, “Better go and get your armor.”

Ephesians 6:13 – 17 CEV -- So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm. Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God's justice protect you like armor. Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Let God's saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God's message that comes from the Spirit.

To read more devotionals today, hop on over to the blog of Rachel Olsen who is hosting a devotional carnival.

Jordan Sparks Battlefield Video:

Olympic Commercials

These two Olympic commercials almost make me cry.
They both catch me with the end.
How about you?

Tebow Commericals

Here are a couple of cartoons in response to the pro-abortion opposition to the Tebow commercials during the Superbowl.




If you didn't see the ads, visit Focus on the Family to see them, or learn more about chosing life.

Random Dozen

Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee is hosting the random dozen today, and I couldn't resist participating.

1. Are you pleasant when you're ill, or are you a grumpy, fussy patient?
Knock on wood, I am rarely ill. Whem I am, as long as you leave me to my sickness I am pleasant. Don't bother me, and I won't bother you.

2. When you find out that school is canceled (due to inclement weather) what is your gut reaction?
Usually I'm really excited! A lazy day in PJs is just the thing. Playing in the snow is fun! However, in the past 13 days, my kids have gone to school twice. So, it's becoming less exciting each time, and school is closed again today for more snow!GO TO SCHOOL ALREADY!

3. What is one domestic skill you wish you could improve?
Decorating! I can cook okay, and clean already, but my decor is nothing to write home about. I wish I could create a look for my home.

4. Do you decorate your home for Valentine's Day?
See #3 above...that's a no.

5. What song is on your mind today?
What song isn't? My mind is nothing but a mix of songs all the time. I've been singing American Dream by Nitty Gritty Dirt band, because with all this snow, I'm thinking dreaming about Jamaica in the moon light (sandy beaches drinking rum every night!). And no, I've never really been there.

6. Do you prefer contemporary movies or classic?
Contemporary. I love watching a good modern movie. There are exceptions...Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Sound of Music and the Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street...adn all the Disney classics. Okay, I like all movies.

7. How well do you "compartmentalize" your feelings? For example, how well can you put aside a really trying moment to deal with the immediate situation which is not related to the trying moment, e.g., putting aside a tiff with your spouse in order to finish wallpapering a room.
It depends. I can be the queen of cool, but get with a good friend and I let it all hang out so to speak. But pretty much I can compartmentalize.

8. What is the first thing that attracted you to your spouse? (Or if you're single, to your best friend.)
His wit.

9. When was the last time your heart raced?
If I can't remember that means it was too long ago. Probably the last time I went to the gym, and it's been months!

10. What are your memories of Valentine's Day at school?
I don't really remember anything about elementary Valentine's day. But then I've blocked out alot of my childhood...I mean compartmentalized it. ;-)

11. If you were going to receive candy for Valentine's Day, which would you prefer?
Godiva chocolates are the bomb! MMmmm. Or keeping it simple, a Hershey bar with almonds.

12. Red or pink?
This is the toughest question. Hot pink & red are my two favorite colors. But Hot Pink wins it!!! (If its pale pink - I go with red).

To visit more blogs participating in the Random Dozen, Visit Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee.

The Power of Love

Celine Dion and Huey Lewis both sang about it; the power of love. What power does love have? Can love really change anything? Or is it just a sweet notion that ebbs and flows with our mood?

Meet me over at Titus 2 in Action to read about The Power of Love.

The Post Where I Show My Dirty Side

Okay, maybe not so much dirty as just plain messy. The above photo is of my desk in the office. It is a pure wreck! Papers piled high and kids through their stuff up there too. The dog comes in with a shoe and it gets thrown on the desk (instead of in the closet). It's just a WRECK! Consequently I am embarrassed for anyone to see inside my office.

At Christmas time we pull boxes and boxes of decorations out of our attic, down 2 flights of stairs, and empty them of their decorations. We then used to carry empty boxes back up 2 flights of stairs, wait 4 weeks and bring them back down 2 flights of stairs to fill. In recent years we've decided to just put them in the office for the month of December, since no one goes in the office anyway.

My husband and I hosted our Sunday school Christmas party this December. About 40 folks came over to our house. I'd cleaned the house up spotlessly (Except of course the office, which was a wreck with all the usual stuff, all the Christmas boxes and everything else from everywhere else that I'd thrown into the office to hide for the party.) I instructed my husband, "NO ONE IS ALLOWED IN THE OFFICE!"

The party was going well. Someone brought a card to give our Sunday school teacher as a thank you and wanted every one to sign it. She asked my husband where is an "out of the way place" she could put the card to have everyone slip in and sign the card secretly. Guess where he sent them?!?!??! IN THE OFFICE!!

Are you kidding me? One by one folks were going in to see my dirty side! I only wanted them to see the clean part. And while I was very unhappy about this, the fact is everyone saw the real me, both sides. (Well, everyone who signed the card before I saw what was going on, freaked out, and moved the card.)

You know, it's not just my home where I want people to only see the best of me. In my daily living I put forward my "best face." I don't want people to see the dirty side of me. The side that utters a swear word, or yells at my kids when they mess up, or gets really mad at my husband because he sent folks into my office. I only want people to see the nice neat portion of me. But both sides exist.

I'm thankful for a heavenly Father who sees and knows all of me, and sent his son to die for my dirty side. He even helps me clean up the dirty side of me.

Do I have any other volunteers to clean up, you know, the dirty side of my office?

Matthew 8:2,3 -- A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.