Getting Gray

I'm getting some gray hairs. They stand out like a sore thumb, the contrast between them and my dark brown hair highly evident. Even the texture is different, causing the grays to poke out of my nicely coiffed hairdo. My husband on the other other hand has light brown/blondish hair. Even though he is much older than I am, you can scarcely find a gray hair in his head. Even though I'm sure they're there, the isn't enough contrast to make them noticeable.

Such is the way sin is in our lives. If we are living a life strongly in contrast to sin, when we do sin, or when we see sin, it sticks out like a sore thumb. *SIN* it screams. But when our defenses are down, there isn't enough contrast. Perhaps it's the idea that I'll only have one drink. Or one bite of that cake. Next thing we know it's more than one and your sick and ashamed of yourself.

Maybe you're assuring your self that by "friending" your old boyfriend or girlfriend on facebook (just to catch up) that nothing will happen. That casual flirting won't lead to anything else. The lunch date with that cute co-worker will be strictly professional. Suddenly things get gray.

Casting Crowns song "Slow Fade" says "It's a slow fade, when you give yourself away. It's a slow fade as black and white turn to gray." Don't let sin creep into your life turning what you should know is sin into a gray area.

Like my gray hairs, you need to pluck that sin right out of your life. If you don't, before you know it everything will be gray. Don't let sin make you dye die. Wash that sin right out of your life, with the help of Jesus.

Slow Fade by Casting Crowns

Thankful Thursday - 4/30

Five things big or small I'm thankful for this week:

1. My husband! Our anniversary is Monday - 13 yrs.
2. Going on a field trip with my 9 yr old. It was so nice to spend time together, with her class.
3. I'm registered for a writers conference in August! I'm so excited to be going!
4. A date night with my husband this weekend (in honor of our anniversary).
5. A break! My friend watched my kids Tuesday afternoon so I got a pedicure! Free time, just for me? REALLY thankful for that!

What are you thankful for this week? Link up at Truth for the Journey by clicking the link below, or leave it in the comments.

And Be Thankful. Colossians 3:15b

Embracing Your Inner Sinner

Have you ever noticed that the very things people dispute in the Bible, are usually the things closest to home for them. Homosexuals dispute that homosexuality is a sin, saying that it's just "old testament stuff." Strongly independent women (not unlike myself) disregard that whole submission thing as a sign of "Biblical times, but not relevant today." Liars (dare I use such a strong word?) explain how it's just little white lie and not really lying. Gossips assure us they are just spreading the word so you can pray for the person.

Why do we minimize our sins? Why do we negate the Biblical truths? Because the truth is, we don't really want to be sinners. We want to say we're really good people, and yes, we may have a few missteps, but nothing really big. Nothing bad like, you know, THAT guy over there. Nah, I sin a little, but I'm okay. I only need a little grace. Cause if my sins were BIG, God wouldn't forgive them, would he? Wouldn't I be a bad person?

The truth is, the only sin God doesn't forgive is the one that isn't asked for forgiveness. There is no sin that is too big for God's grace. By minimizing our sins, we not only are minimizing God's gift of grace, but are in fact raising ourselves up higher than we deserve. We are ALL sinners.

Why not embrace your inner sinner today? Why not say "yes, that whole wifely submission thing is impossible for me alone, and hard even with Jesus' help, that is why I need grace! That is why Jesus died for me, because I cannot get this one right." It's okay to admit it. We can't get it right alone. That's why Jesus died for our sins.

Keep striving to do better. But don't minimize your sins. Admit them, ask God to forgiven them, then work to change them. God's grace is big enough.



2 Corinthians 12:8-10 -- Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.



Romans 6:1-3 -- What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?


"Your Grace is Enough" video

The Noticer - By Andy Andrews - Book Review

I haven't found a fiction book that I've really loved in a long time. Until now. The Noticer by Andy Andrews is the best book I've read in ages. From the first page, where we are introduced to "Jones," I was riveted to find out what would happen next.

Jones has the gift of perspective. And he seems to find people just when that is exactly what they need. "All lives" Jones says "are either in a crisis, coming out of a crisis, or headed for a crisis." Jones finds people in their time of crisis and by offering perspective he saves marriages, reputations and even lives.

Much of Jones perspective is simple, and some of it isn't even new. It's just offered in a new and refreshing way.

Jones says "It's time to stop letting your history control your destiny."
Jones says "A grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into a person's life."
Jones says "Everybody wants to be on the mountain top, but if you'll remember, mountaintops are rock and cold. There is no growth on the top of a mountain.....We must come off the mountain, go through the valley and begin to climb the next slope. It is in the valley that we slog through the lush grass and rich soil, learning and becoming what enables us to summit life's next peak."

I really loved this book. Based on a true story, the characters in the book were well developed which made me care about them and what would happen to them. I couldn't wait to find out more about Jones. Was he really a drifter? How did he get his perspective? I enjoyed the fact that many of the perspectives Jones shared were relevant in my own life, and I'm sure they'd be relevant in others as well.

The Noticer is a feel good book that left me wishing for a "Jones" to bring perspective into my own life. I'll have to settle for Andy Andrews.



Click here to become part of the THE NOTICER PROJECT, and notice the five most influential people in your own life.
To purchase a copy of this book visit Thomas Nelson or any book retailer.

I Am Second

I Am Second - that means put God first. It's a new ad campaign for Christ. Campaigners include the lead singer from Korn, a NASCAR driver, a NFL coach, an American Idol (Jason Castro), and a soldier:



I am second...are you?

http://www.iamsecond.com/

The Stain

I have a spot on my carpet. It's a stain left from a spilled drink. I've cleaned the spot many times. Usually the stain looks like its gone. But before too long, it's back. Obviously I am only cleaning the surface of the carpet and the stain must be underneath. So while it looks clean for a while, it always comes back.

Sin is like that. Sometimes we may change a behavior in our life, or "clean up" our act. It looks like the sin is gone. But if the heart issues stays, then the sin will return. What are some examples of cleaning up our act, without changing the heart?

Doing good to get something. (Bribery)
Doing good to please. (Emotional)
Doing good to avoid punishment. (Punitive)

But without changing the heart...the behavior always comes back. That is why prison's have so many repeat offenders. You can punish all you want...but without a heart change the behavior doesn't change for good.

But Jesus - he is better than Oxyclean. He goes to the root of the stain, the sin, and he removes it. The doesn't mean it doesn't require work on our part. Without Jesus, we can work all we want and the stain will stay. But with Jesus, we still have to work, we have to fight temptation, but suddenly we have the power (stain fighting power!) to beat sin.

The fact is, as long as we're on earth we'll always have some remnant of the stain left. Because we are sinners. But once we go to heaven, we'll be presented to God - Stain free!

Ephesians 5:25b - 27 -- Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Mark 7:21, 22 -- For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.

Colossians 1:22, 23 -- But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.

Thankful Thursday

This week's list of 5 things big or small that I'm thankful for:

1. My husband supports my writing career. Yay!
2. My daughters' swimming lessons - they will be good swimmers by summer!
3. A good friend who is recovering from basal cell skin cancer removal. I'm thankful they got all the cancer (a relatively large area) and pray she recovers quickly.
4. My sister went to church with me finally! I think she liked it. Yay!
5. Mochas at McDonald's. It's is $1 cheaper per cup than Starbucks AND for every 5 you buy, you get 1 free. In this economy that is something to be thankful for.

What are you thankful for? Link up at Truth 4 the Journey by clicking the button below, or just comment here. Thanks for stopping by as always! I'm still thankful for you!