God Colored Glasses

Have you ever heard the phrase that someone sees life through "rose colored glasses?" That means they see things more pleasant than they really are. It certainly takes a special type of personality to always look on the bright side, especially where other people are concerned.

Sometimes, its easier to do the opposite. With people, its easy to find fault and see where other people are messing up, often ignoring our own faults. The Bible refers to this as seeing a speck in someone else's eye, while missing the plank in your own.

We need to be aware that we don't rip apart someone else to make ourselves feel better. At the same time, rose colored glasses can also lead to pain, if we continue to think repeated negative behaviors in someone else might change when clearly they won't. Or as Albert Einstein put it "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

What I'd like to have is God-colored glasses. These glasses would allow me to see myself and others as God does. So I'd see the sin, but with a forgiving and loving heart. I see the faults, while extending grace and mercy. I'd see myself without the negative baggage of a broken childhood. I could extend that same grace and mercy for others.

I long for God-colored glasses, so I can see. See like Jesus.

Give Me Your Eyes, by Brandon Heath



Matthew 7:3-5 -- Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

1 Samuel 16:7 -- Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

Hebrews 12:2 -- Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Thankful Thursday - 3/27

Five things this week that I am thankful for, big or small....

1. My name in print! I received a copy of one of my articles in print. It looks so good. Nothing like seeing my article type set, with illustrations. It's exhilarating!

2. Getting together with friends. Went to a Bonfire birthday party Saturday night and it was so nice just to visit with everyone (Bible study buddies, their hubbies and kids.) Fellowship is good for the soul.

3. Setting the right example. My nine year old has decided to read the entire Bible ("just like mom.") She has challenged me that she is going to beat me in reading it. She's already read Matthew, Mark and Revelations so she just might! I'm so thankful that she is emulating a positive quality in me. :-)

4. Positive Peer Pressure. Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee (button below) is hosting a challenge to do 30 minutes of exercise a day, 5 days a week, for 2 weeks, then post about it. I'm in! I did my 1 hour Body & Soul class this morning, so we'll see how it goes.




5. Praying friends. I've mentioned this one before, but I'm always thankful to have friends who are praying for me! And people who love me, "warts" and all. (I don't really have any warts...just a few flaws here and there). Shocking, I know. But true. (LOL!)

That's it. Five things I'm thankful for this week. How about you? Tell me what you're thankful for in my comments, or link up at Truth 4 the Journey by clicking the button below.

Naming the Twelve

"Mom, what are the names of the twelve disciples?" asked my five year old.

"Peter, James & John...." I started confidently, as she held our three fingers to keep count. "Simon." I added, thinking. She lifted a fourth finger. I began to feel under pressure.
"Simon" I repeated (there were 2 Simons, no wait, I had already said Peter and he was the other Simon) I stifled the urge to add "Theodore and Alvin." (They were Chipmunks, not disciples). But I was under pressure and she wouldn't know the difference. She stood there with her five fingers up waiting to hear the names of the others. "Go play, I'll tell you the rest later."

I can't name all twelve disciples. Although after she left the room I did call out to her "Judas!" (not as an insult, mind you. His name just popped to mind). I can't name all the books of the Bible by memory either, although my nine year old can. If I had a piece of paper, and some time, I think I could figure out most the Bible books and the disciples, but I can't just call them out on demand.

This is another example of salvation not being what you know, but WHO you know. It's a wonderful thing to know all the facts, but the most important thing is to know Jesus. Continue to study the Bible and pray and learn and grow in God. But don't think all that is what is saving you. It is by faith. That's it.

So go ahead and name the twelve. I can name the ONE. His name is the only one that matters.

Psalm 8:1 -- O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 148:13 -- Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

Philippians 2:9-11 -- Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Ladybug Lessons

My 5 year old, Cici, received a ladybug habitat for her birthday earlier this month, complete with ladybug larva. I was excited to watch the changes occur, while at the same time thinking "great, something else to try and keep alive!"

The larva soon changed to pupa, and then hung upside down from the habitat waiting to molt from their shells into ladybugs. Soon 2 ladybugs emerged, busily crawling all over the habitat. The third ladybug seemed to break from her pupa shell, but was stuck. After two days, I assumed she was dead and went to remove her from the habitat. She wiggled.

I removed the pupa shell/ladybug and began trying to free the ladybug from her old shell. It was hard work, but I did the best I could. I gave her some water, and she drank it. I put her back into the habitat. She flipped over, feet up, and laid there. She still had too much of her old self stuck to her to stand up. The next day, I again removed her from the habitat and peeled away more old shell, and gave her more water. This time she was able to stand upright. She now eats & drinks and crawls around the habitat, although not as quickly as the others. She was saved.

Do you have any friends who are stuck in their old self? It's hard to confront friends who we see stuck in sin. But if we leave them there in sin, as if I'd left the ladybug in her old shell, they could die. It's up to us to try to remove them from the old self and give them living water...Jesus.

In Luke 20, some men brought their paralytic friend to Jesus to be healed. Unable to make their way through the crowd, they climbed up on the roof, and lowered the man down to Jesus. "When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." (Luke 5:20). Seeing THE FRIENDS faith, he forgave the paralytic man of his sins.

Do you have a friend who needs help. Intercede on their behalf today.

One final thought. Even though I helped the ladybug all I could, she still could have died. (she didn't). Sometimes our friends refuse to leave their old self. They are truly in bondage. Sometime we have to turn it completely over to God and just pray for them. Do what you can. You can lead them to Christ. But you can't make them accept him.

You can lead your friends to living water...but you can't make them drink.

Luke 5:18-20 -- Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

John 4: 10, 13-14 -- Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (the woman, confused, asks Jesus about drawing water from the well, he replies) "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."