this has been my idea of a good weekend. i got up early saturday morning to welcome the day with prayer and bible reading. then - since nobody else was up yet - i went outside to shovel the driveway since friday night dropped several inches in my yard. though the roads weren't completely cleared, i had to run the van over to the shop to get new tires since i had already made the appointment. when i got home, mom and dad came over soon after to deliver a new oven/stove, which we unfortunately wouldn't be able to use. at 1p, nate came over to shoot some crossbow in the driveway. then i pretty much chilled for the rest of the day, including some wii bowling, playing with isaac in the snow for the first time (more like sarah pulling him around in the sled and me taking pictures), and watching the birds.
today has been good so far too. another day started off with the Lord and then to church to help kick off a new series (know it. live it. give it away.). and since we're busy tonight with sarah needing to be at the church for a couple of hours and me meeting with the guys for accountability, now's the best time for me to write about my weekend.
SEVERAL thoughts going through my head this weekend, which makes it hard to stay with any single one or even remember them all. so i'll do my best.
radical by david platt is still very impactful. it's making me think about all the excuses we make for not praying, reading our bibles, joining a bible study, going to church, serving others, etc. if Jesus is that important... why make excuses? if He is God... why is there anything more important? we read in church today that we need to CRAVE spiritual milk... that's a pretty powerful word: crave! so that begs the question - if we make excuses and never have time to follow God in any way - is He really as important as we say He is? blessings are important and come in many ways, but they're not as important as the Blesser.
that reminds me of another thing going through my head a lot lately. with the above thought, we need to be careful that it doesn't turn legalistic and to religious obligation. then there's no heart. no love. no grace. and that's just stupid because it's by grace we are saved. saved? from what? the sin that separates us from God! so while "doing" the above is important, it doesn't reconcile us to Him... His grace does. we've all been extended the gift of eternal life - whether we want it or not is the question. salvation has appeared to all men, brought by the grace of God (titus 2:11). so how does this explain verses like acts 2:38, john 3:15, and romans 10:10? baptism, belief, confession... all to be saved and to inherit eternal life. all these i can do on my own - why do i need grace? is it possible these are only a response to the gift of salvation from Christ out of obedience, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling? or does belief save me? confessing? being baptized? Christ did die for us while we were still in rebellion against Him... He didn't die to cover our sin in His righteousness after we took a step in the right direction. just a thought... i dunno... i'm legalistic at heart, so this whole "grace" thing can be hard to wrap my brain around sometimes.
i do struggle with feeling as though i need to do certain things or think certain ways or be a certain person before God will love me. "what? you mean you already died for me, even though i didn't want it? i'm not even sure i needed that! what's the catch?" maybe it's our culture that makes me think this way... achievement is our god here in america... at least one of our gods. i think this is why Jesus isn't my role model. i'd like Him to be, but let's face it, my role model is this fake person who i think i should be. i see "BEN: AS HE WAS CREATED TO BE"... and then i open my eyes. but that person, THAT ben... he's cool.
favorite bible verse read this weekend: "for we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. is God the God of jews only? is He not the God of gentiles too? yes, of gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith." (romans 3:28-30)
favorite picture (or pictures) taken, in no particular order:
favorite picture (or pictures) taken, in no particular order:
1 comment:
Ah..the last pic of Issac has the "look of Ben!"
I've found God's grace at the lowest moment of my life...so I'm thinking the me of me had nothing to do with God's gift.
Wish I had someone to pull me around on an orange sled. And, it looks like Issac is getting read for a luge career!
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