Religion

Short Thoughts For Your Thursday

Posted on by lainamunoz

Finally I Surrender, for your listening enjoyment whilst reading this #ThinkBackThursday

11 April 2012

“Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in Your presence. Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but man.” Psalms 9.19-20

I have often in my life told You that “I surrender” to Your will, Your plan, Your guidance – and I genuinely meant it. But I feel like in order to surrender something I have to have something to give, but I have nothing. G-d, I am just a woman. My greatest ability is to birth people. I am man, I am human and therefore sinful. I’ve always loved etymology so to really understand – we see // Sin – ful or FULL, we are FULL of sin; not just that I HAVE sinned but my being, my race is FULL of sin. “O, LORD; let the nations know they are but man.” Remind me Lord, that I have nothing of worth to surrender so that I understand the gift of the cross. So what is the exchange?

(as we are now, man)

–       Sin for death; my death to be full of despair and weeping and eternal suffering.

But, with G-d, with HIS merciful (FULL of mercy) judgment

–       Sin for death; His death, His pure death on a cross to sacrifice because He had something to offer. And now, I claim His sacrifice as my own.

Why? Because, “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in Love. He will not always accuse, not will he harbor his anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west. So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalms 103.8-12

All I want is You to have Your way

You are the Potter and I am the clay

All I need is You to have Your way

You are Creator and I’m what You’ve made..

Finally I surrender…

– Misty Edwards

CathaBaptiCostal Church

Posted on by lainamunoz

What is the church to me? I was asked this question recently in school and while I believe there are many answers for this question here are a few thoughts that I came up with:

 If the church truly is the Bride of Christ, shouldn’t we be the assembly of those preparing for the return of Christ? A bride spends all of her engagement in preparation for being forever one with her groom and we as well should be the ones who are getting ready for eternity. Our roles might look a little different even as we are all the bride, one might have the role played most by a pastor in preaching and educating the congregation on how to prepare, and others might just be in a role of being in the congregation and gathering more people to be included in the preparation. Either way we do all have a role to play and we have a mission to those who still don’t know about Christ to tell them our good news.

In another class this week we discussed the differences IN the church, and specifically Denominations. If I’m being totally honest they don’t make every bit of sense to me either but I think that I’m starting to get a hang of why there might be a zillion on the planet (there is really only about 33,000 denominations according to this random website I found on the Googles). A student in the class piped up and went on about the fact that ‘denomination’ comes from the root word ‘denominator’ or something like that, which clearly wasn’t a thought I agreed with because I hate math. But also, ‘denominations’ aren’t from the root ‘denominator’, but rather comes from the Latin word denominatio(n-), or from the verb denominare (denominate). Here I found our position as a denomination to be an action, it is to give name to or to be assigned a specific financial unit. To be “denominated” would mean that you are assigned a specific unit. Which would be assumed that being apart of a denomination means you’re really just one specific assignment the same as everyone else. You are apart to be spent for the Kingdom. You are to be used to grow the kingdom by giving yourself.

Things I’ve never understood about arguing which denomination is the “right” denomination:

  1. How do you know that you are right?
    1. What if you are wrong?
  2. Why do you have to be mean about saying you’re right?
    1. Don’t be mean
    2. No one will want to be your friend
  3. Have you ever thought that maybe the different denominations aren’t actually anything that separates people but actually includes more people?
    1. Wouldn’t giving the people an option of faith with convictions they can follow bring them closer into a relationship with Christ?
    2. Isn’t it all about your heart and Christ?
  4. If you think I’m wrong, help a sista out.
    1. I don’t have all these answers but rather I really have a lot of questions and thoughts.
    2. I’m also a little bit of a hippie and think if people just love Jesus and love one another it doesn’t matter too much if you’re non-denominational, Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist or Catholic, or a cowboy.
Learn to love your neighbor as yourself.

Scrabit Be

Posted on by lainamunoz

Please enjoy this #ThinkBackThursday. I’ve been in a very, ‘be still’ sort of mood again the last few days so this post highly reflects that. I think it’s the thought that school could be super busy and stressful right now but I’m choosing to just sit with Jesus through it.

Hey, it’s working for me.

Dear yesterday, let G-d cover your mistakes or you’ll never see your forgiveness.
Dear today, let G-d do what He wants or you’ll never see your fulfillment.
Dear tomorrow, seek to please G-d or you’ll never see your potential.

Dear child, believe in the King who has always been faithful with the sunrise and sunset. Seek after the giver of live who knows the flaps of a bird’s wing. Realize that no matter where you go He is in your heart if you allow Him to be.

I don’t enjoy making mistakes and feeling like I’ve failed but all that I can do is trust in a grace that is enough for me. Sometimes it’s intimidating to make a promise to G-d that you will think on Him throughout the day when you know how crazy everything will be. But my offer to G-d is that I’ll do MY BEST cause He deserves nothing less. As for my future… I’m terrified I don’t like feeling like G-d doesn’t hear my prayers and feeling like it isn’t time for Him to answer my questions. The world would say I should have this figured out by now and maybe I do, maybe I’m just worried that I’ll disappoint someone. Not for their opinion but for the opportunities I might lose.

Shoot… If I knew half of what I wanted to know right now, I’m sure there would still be something that was bothering me.

Lord, teach me to be content with what knowledge You’ve given me. Please.

Familiar Phrases

Posted on by lainamunoz

For your listening enjoyment while reading: No Longer Slaves

At Team Night this week I told G-d that I was done doing things for Him. I am done waking up early to do devotionals and I’m done with Leadership College. I’m done attending and serving at church for Him. I’m done striving to do what I can to make sure that when I’m 50 I’m still faithfully serving. Why?

Because this whole gig isn’t working for me.

So I sat. I didn’t tell Him that I was done in the context of ‘Stuff You, this is isn’t something I want to be apart of’ but, I sat there telling G-d I was done because it’s exhausting to try to work for grace. It actually accomplishes nothing. My personality type is a ‘doer’ I want to accomplish things and find an organized approach to make sure that no one sits in a pointless meeting longer than they ever have to.

I forget something so special when I live in fear that if I don’t wake up and read and write every morning that somehow I no longer have the Spirit actively with me. Or if I forgot about Him for a moment I maybe somehow would have a day where I wasn’t being used for anything worthwhile.

“You need to trust His ability to LEAD you more than your ability to follow Him.”

My faithfulness is no reflection of His.

Teamnight was all about songs, the ones we sing to connect to G-d, confess truth of who He is and who we are, and the song that G-d sings over us (Zep. 3:17). So I asked G-d if I could listen in. I wanted to know what G-d was singing over me. It blew my mind when I felt like He was responding with something already dear to my heart, “His banner over me is love”. I don’t know another person or thing on earth that knows what the melody of love is, but He does. He resonated that in my heart and it felt as if my heart responded to the familiar chorus. My mom used to sing a song to me ages ago with those lyrics (His Banner Over me Is Love – I could have found a better version… but these outfits! I also found it extremely appropriate that it was children singing)

Almost everything in my walk with G-d has something to do with Grace, my sister. As we sang No Longer Slaves and proclaimed “I am a child of G-d” over and over, I thought about what it truly means to be a child of someone. I don’t DO things for my parents to get them to love me, in fact I’m sure I’ve done things that would give them every right not to love me but they still do. I think about morning cuddles and that wonderful age of 2-4 years when you just run up to your parents and throw your hands above your head and wait to feel weightless. I’ve never been super emotional or sentimental but at no point in my life do I remember not just waiting for Gracie to throw her arms up towards me. It overwhelms you with love for these little squishy beings when they CHOOSE you. You feel cooler than the other people in the room when they throw a fit until YOU pick them up.

Guys, I shamelessly go on and on about my sister frequently because my heart actually has never understood more of G-d’s love than when I think about her. I legitimately ACHE when I think about how much I love her… and shoot, she’s not even my kid. But a long time ago I asked for something tangible from G-d to understand His love, He gave me grace… and He gave me Grace. And if I don’t even fully understand how much parents love their kids then this is just the beginning of G-d’s love… like the VERY VERY small and humble beginnings.

How great is His love?

“I am surrounded by the arms of a Father

I am surrounded by songs of deliverance”

At this point in the evening I might have started crying at the thought of my sister and the thought of me being G-d’s child, I couldn’t even process or express how much I loved her and then I got a nudge in my Spirit, “I love you more”. Again, my mom used to say this phrase to me (and still does via 9,000 miles of iMessaging). More than I love anything on earth, He loves me MORE (than I understand). G-d knows how to get my attention.

I love you more
I cannot fathom the depths

I sat after telling G-d I was done working for something I already had, and was just there, listening to this song I left up at the top for you all. The bridge starts to sing;

“You split the sea so I could walk right through it,

you drowned my fear in perfect love”

I stood, letting go of the fear that somehow if I didn’t DO something to get His attention I wouldn’t have it. I lifted my hands knowing that He couldn’t leave me there.

((He always picks me up.

((His grace is always enough.

((I am a child of G-d

I’m Halfway Listening To What She Thinks She Knows

Posted on by lainamunoz

Hippie music to enjoy whilst reading my blog

– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5ASEfYFADs
­ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMd35tfCiXQ

I enjoy being someone who is readable (no pun intended). I have a lot of people who know me and know me very well. Of these people some of them still enjoy my company and having a laugh or two with me (and at me). The most confusing thing about me is when I’m speaking and don’t even know what I’m talking about, or the fact that I change my mind a lot. But I have decided something – people are allowed to change their minds. I’m a planner. I like my weekends filled with sunshine and my work-weeks packed to full. I like my work schedules a month in advance and my new posts to come out on Fridays. Because of this I often have a difficult time letting myself change things up. Once I have black ink to a calendar I rarely give myself the opportunity to cross it off and reschedule.

Something I’ve learned in the last 2-6 years is the fact that things change. Always.

It then becomes our opportunity to learn how to respond to such things happening because they WILL in fact happen. It used to cause me legitimate anxiety that found it’s home in my stomach when things didn’t go according to a neat schedule and while I still believe it is important to be timely, I have found the freedom of occasionally rescheduling a thing or two. Obviously commitments that are pressing aren’t things to be thrown onto a different date… but you get what I’m saying.

(Please get what I’m saying)

Sometimes, I really like to rant. I get super passionate about a lot of thoughts and things and sometimes I just need to say a lot of words around that subject. I love when I find people who will just smile at me and let me talk. I love when people get me.

Sometimes, I think I’m super sneaky or really good at hiding feelings. Guys and lady-faces, I SUCK at this. I’m a freaking open book and often people can guess what I’m going to say word for word based on the ridiculous smile that I have on my face. I’m not fooling anyone. Except myself. I trick myself into thinking that I’m fooling other people. But I’m not.

Sometimes, I really enjoy people I can just BE with. I love the ones who can be sitting across the room not having a consistent conversation flowing and still just being pleased that they are there. I enjoy company more than conversation and tend to feel like I know you a little better when you spend time with me. It’s like a collaborative investment and I think it’s beautiful.

Sometimes, I don’t have anything to say to G-d. My quiet times can be ironically quiet. I’m not entirely sure if I don’t try hard enough in these times and can occasionally feel guilty when I miss a day journaling. Then I realize: G-d gets me. He knows me WELL and I feel like occasionally laughs at me. He lets me change my mind and doesn’t hold it against me. He keeps my weekends full of sunshine (unless it rains) and reminds me to leave space on my calendar for dates with Him, even if all we are doing is sitting on opposite sides of the room and mutually investing time there.

He lets me rant.

When I think I have something to say He allows me to splurb and blab on and on until I’ve exhausted my passion and thought process to finally come to a conclusion. That I will likely second guess. And change.

He gets what I’m really saying when I actually talk to Him, and He isn’t ever fooled by my replies assuring Him that, “I’m fine”. I don’t think I truly realize how important His character is to me or how much I appreciate who He really is. Sometimes I let weeks go by and feel like I’ve learned nothing about Him and that I’ve gotten no better in my attempts to be a super person (whatever that means).

But as I allow life to change around me and take the turns that it will, I find that He allows ME to change. I love realizing just how much has changed and how much has healed.

I love that He gives me time, investment, love… and that HE GETS ME.

The Heart of a Child

Posted on by lainamunoz

I wrote this when I was 18 years old, which would have made Gracie about 4 years old at the time. Also making her the cutest ever. Also making this a #ThinkBackThursday…

Pardon my love for ellipses at the time(…)

Enjoy!

Whatever you write on the heart of a child
No water can wash away
The sand may be shifted when billows are wild
And the efforts of time may decay
Some stories may parish, some songs may be forgotten
But this graven record—time changes it not
Whatever you write on the heart of a child
A story of gladness or care
That heaven has blessed or earth defiled
Will linger unchangeable there…
-Author, Unknown

“And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.”//“Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

For anyone on the brink of being a parent, who has been a parent, or who works with kids of any age: realize the gift and responsibility that has been given to you.

G-d not only gives children for the purpose of raising but instructing and to personally keep YOURSELF in check…

Storytime!

One fine, freezing Monday afternoon an Ice storm hit Owasso, OK. At the time I was at church working with Kevin, Kara, Nich and Francyne (Frankie). Nich and Frankie live in Catoosa (roughly 45 minutes away from Owasso) and the roads had already gotten too slick to drive safely home for them, so they stayed at my house. The next day was filled with quality time with them and my baby sister Gracie. Gracie and I LOVE making cookies so, Frankie, Gracie and I start making our homemade chocolate chip cookies. Francyne and I both LOVE McAlisters Deli cookies because they usually (more often than not) under bake them so that the middle is still a very soft almost cookie-type cookie dough (AMAZING).
So in honor of being stuck at home and wanting that good ol’ comfort food we under bake a batch just enough to satisfy mine and Frankie’s taste.  🙂

All of the cookies are done and cooling on the table downstairs and the boys come down (what guy doesn’t come to the smell of food?) so downstairs at the table it was me, Grace, Francyne, My dad, and Nich (Vito might of been there too at this point)… I went to go for one of the under baked cookies with a lot of chocolate chips. I picked it up with both of my hands and ALL of my focus. Nich, being the loving co-worker and friend that he is decides to take my chair out from under me and I, in all faith and confidence sit down expecting the chair that I just got up from to be there. I land on my back. I was really alright with falling, no big deal… but when I looked up and realized that my cookie that I so carefully picked out was no longer in my hands I shout (in a joking voice) “I HATE you Nich!! I hate you!” I look around in a somewhat panic to find my cookie broken into two or so pieces and I pick it up, pout and make Nich eat it because it fell on the floor.

About this time while everyone is laughing at me falling, Gracie chimes in and says “Laina, you shouldn’t say you hate people…” at this point apologize and still laughing sort of brush the comment off; She continues “It hurts G-d’s feelings when you say Hate” Ouch… I slide back from the table and everyone at this point is in shock and laughter (Francyne was crying she was laughing so hard) because hearing something like that from a 4 1/2 year old isn’t exactly common. Everyone is laughing and we all semi-collect ourselves back to the table. I apologize once more and take a huge sigh and say “I’m sorry Gracie but that was really funny” and she replies “Yeah, that was really funny when Nich pulled your chair out from under you”

….Gotta love the mind track of 4 year olds.

This was possibly one of the funniest things that has ever happened to me and also one of the most spiritually convicting.

The idea of having “Child-like faith”

It’s an innocents I wish I still had.

Words such as “crap”, “dang”, “stupid”, “hate” are all words that coming out of a child’s mouth you’d cringe to hear. But why does the standard change just because you’re older and you’ve put in your time? Do you somehow earn the right at a particular age to say whatever you want? What you say around children will not be forgotten. Gracie is 4 and absorbs anything and everything she hears. I thank G-d and my parents for teaching her that life is about being polite and honest and keeping your speech at a standard that pleases G-d. To this day I watch more than ever what I say because I didn’t even think about Gracie being in the room. To tell the truth I didn’t even think about saying “hate” …no harm no foul?
However, the harm in the situation is not being sensitive to the fact that not only was I in the presence of a child, I was in the presence of G-d and HE monitors more than just my speech, He guards my heart and spirit. The Bible says the Word of G-d even separates bones and marrow. G-d gets to the nitty gritty of faith and gives a black and white of what life should be.

Why is any of this story Important?

“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 18.3

If you don’t become like little children, you WILL NEVER enter heaven. What better way to learn how to be a child that from a child? Next time you’re around a young person watch what you say and instead of trying to get them to learn to read or add or multiply or any of that, why don’t you just observe what exactly they have that you’ve lost.

He’s Faithful To My Heart…

Posted on by lainamunoz

I began my Wednesday morning this week as per usual at Gloria Jeans with my housemate for our coffee, catch up and read up time. We had a great time. 

Fast forward to just shortly before chapel started around 11:45am… I get a text from my housemates asking if any of us could come home and help clean out the refrigerator because our landlords had popped in for a surprise ‘we’re-going-to-take-your-refrigerator’ party that they didn’t invite us to.

(It IS their refrigerator but notification to remove food and maybe not have just gone shopping and stocked up would have been lovely)

So there sat the refrigerated portion of my households food. No one knew what was going on or where we were going to put all of this food.

My brain immediately went reeling through all of my food safety training. I was mentally sorting out where we were going to fit all of the meat and spoilable things that really needed to be cold. Mostly I was pissed and shocked at our landlords lack of understanding for all of my food safety concerns for all of the waste that would soon become of our food if we didn’t get the proper air temperature control box device to monitor the longevity of our edibles.

(guys, wasted money on food and spoiled food gets under my skin #ChilisForLife)

So, I prayed, I vented to G-d and told Him how unpleased this situation left my heart feeling. I then texted my parents. I asked them to pray for wisdom, peace and a free refrigerator. I also prayed for these things. I fumed a little bit through chapel all whilst reminding my household that it would all be alright.

The ‘fix it’ mode that I was operating in blocked off my memory from memor’ing* a meeting that I had set up with a friend until he called me as I was walking home. I apologized and explained that we needed to reschedule because I needed to get a house jam sorted. He asked me what was up and I explained in less words the story that you just read. Without another breath he responded, ‘wait let me call my friend she had some extra refrigerators I’m sure she could get you one!’.

What?

G-d what?

I know that I’ve heard that prayer works and I know that I even believe that prayer works but G-d, you aren’t messing around. Within the evening we picked up our new refrigerator.

The following day at Sisterhood I was reminded of a verse that in many seasons of my life I’ve held dearly:

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I got to experience the entirety of this verse within the time span of chapel. I threw it to G-d and He did not disappoint. One thing I keep coming back to is His faithfulness… Guys, it’s SO big!

The resounding sentence I’ve had stuck in my heart is that, I’ve never lived a day that the sun didn’t rise. If that isn’t a display of the faithfulness of G-d than you must be a scientist or some non-science (see what I did there?)

Point of the story: Pray, and watch to see what G-d does.  

It’s More Of A Prayer

Posted on by lainamunoz

Sometimes I miss my Merge team… sometimes I miss my band.

Please enjoy this simple #ThinkBackThursday

It’s more of a prayer

Let me be apart of something beautiful.

You have people that you surround yourself with that you just feel better being around. Cherish the moments with them because somewhere inside you know that 1- They won’t be in your life forever (at least physically there) and 2- You have a deep pride when you think about them because you see what they will be.

They are world shakers.

They are the ones who when faced with impossible tasks show you that they have more to them. They are the people who if you think about long enough you just want to give more time, energy, investments and attention. They are creative and challenging they make mistakes and figure out how to keep going. They inspire you and many around them and most of the time they don’t see it.

They are the creators of precious moments that you wish would last a lifetime. They are sunset personalities and when their season in your life is over you are upset, but realize something new is coming.

They are just there for a season, for a day, for a moment and then gone. But you never forget them. You never belittle their impact on your life. They are friends and family, they are people you encounter in the workplace and school and driving, they are artists and the homeless they are travelers and hippies. They are your mom, your dad, your brother and sister; and in those moments, those beautiful moments, you see clearly that it’s not about you. It’s nothing you can do on your own – it’s life and it is meant to be shared with someone, with many someone’s; to experience pain and victory together.

Life is a beautiful thing even when it’s not.

G-d, bless the painfully surreal moments in my life.

I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T // Do You Know What That Means?

Posted on by lainamunoz

The more I wake up the more I need Jesus. The closer I am to Him the more I need Him closer still. I’ve chatted with my roommate a few times about this and maybe even mentioned it in my writing that occasionally (and for no valid reason) I feel like a bad Christian, or a bad college student, or like I’m somehow doing life wrong. Know that I’ve identified them as my mental battle and I know that those things aren’t true or how G-d sees me but I’m still aware daily of how much grace I require to be alive.

I’ve grown up for the most part with an independent spirit, which can absolutely kill the church.

I’m not blessing anyone by being alone and standoffish towards my community and friends. It is for this reason that I am learning how to live in constant communication and calling out to G-d to teach me how to live with people and give to people with all of me. Honestly, the less it’s about me or I think about me or rely on me the better my life gets. Sometimes it can seem a little scarier but the reward of having a group of people to do life with is proving to be the greatest journey I’ve been on. I actually ENJOY learning how to communicate, have conflict, resolve things, have differing opinions and still treasure the human to their core. But I can’t do this community thing or love with out grace.

I can’t learn how to bless people without realizing how much I need Jesus to do it; all because He blesses me.

Lately the phrase that has been echoing in my heart and both terrifying me and encouraging me is “Grow Your Capacity” to which my heart responds with a firm “how the cheese do I do that?” At some point this last week while thinking of all the logical ways I could grow my capacity and abilities I realize the only thing I can really do to grow is increase my dependency. I have a LOT of goals – I’m a task driven person, which can also drive me crazy. There is more to fit in a day than allotted hours and I still have to function as a relational human being with real college homework. I wonder sometimes if I have what it takes for the long haul and all conclusions I’ve come to is: no. I’m crazy and overthink and over plan and yet somehow when I wake up, love Jesus and do my best: He blesses the rest of it. I accomplish so much more when I’m not dependent on me.

G-d has been challenging me lately to kill my independence and live in dependence on everything that He is.

#HitUmWitDatScriptureTalk-
“You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.
 I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-18 MSG)

We all have our separate parts and functions but WE live inside of a body that SHOULD be encouraging one another and crying when WE feel loss. WE should be operating in our own personalities and callings TO BETTER ONE ANOTHER NOT BE BETTER THAN ONE ANOTHER. WE should be growing our capacities as to grow the Church.

So, I hope we begin to live fully and love deeply. I hope we begin to grow in dependence on each other and desperate for Christ. I hope you go with me towards this community of the Body and calling on the Savior in the daily.

Grow your capacity. Grow your dependency.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Posted on by lainamunoz

It’s just so good to remember HOW good G-d is. The beauty of who He is can be revealed in his many gifts that He blesses us with. I’m so thankful for His grace everyday.

Please enjoy this #ThinkBackThursday

14.08.2012

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of G-d – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2.8-9

Birthday gifts are funny things; we receive them in a celebration of the day we were born. They aren’t given to return favors but almost as a, “congratulations, you didn’t die this year!”. We didn’t earn them nor do we by any means deserve them. This is the case with most any gifts we received.

Our salvation is a gift from G-d. Of all things to be ill-deserving of, He chose to give us eternal life and in that life all of our mistakes (the accidents and purposely rebellious things) are covered by grace. I don’t understand a LOT of things – “I don’t know” comes out of my mouth and is written by my pen more times than I could recall.

But how I understand grace is this: I’m alive today.

Despite going from a devotion yesterday morning straight to driving and bickering at all the morons who drive with less skill than I do, despite forgetting what I even read yesterday or sleeping through my alarm and missing Sunday school – I’m here and I’m given this moment to praise my King. I’m given this gift of salvation and (dare I say) “insight” into the kingdom that I might know the hope to which G-d has called me, the riches of His glory and His great power (Eph. 1.18-19)

If you take Christ and His sacrifice out of the equation, it’s likely that ink would have never filled this page. I’d never have been born, and my parents might not have met. Me alone without G-d leaves me dead in sin (Eph. 2.1) – a useless bag of gross that people should light on fire and leave on a porch somewhere.

Thinking of my life without G-d is awful.

LORD, Thank You for Salvation and Grace. Help me to fully realize how dependent I am on You and remind me daily of where I’d be without You. Your grace is a beautiful thing and though I don’t see or understand fully I am so grateful for this gift. Forgive me for all the time I waste and for how sinfully forgetful I am. Help me remember to reflect on and praise Your name and blessings.

I don’t understand why He chose a sinful man to pour all of this out on but He did; probably because He is just THAT wise. He not only handles our shortcomings but He can make them look like they were always in “The Plan”. He teaches us through our trials not around them.

“In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.”

Ephesians 1.11

Who has two mighty hands and can work out EVERYTHING in conformity with the purpose of His will?!
G-d. That guy.

Everything. G-d, Creator of the Heavens and Earth picked us all first before any other creature offered on the little league team to be apart of His great plan. Not only were we chosen but we are given this Author who has the creativity that is beyond our favorite writers, painters, inventors and kindergarten teachers meshed together. We have a G-d who can move us into something of worth – even after our days filled with mistakes –  ALL for His will. And He actually KNOWS what He is doing.

Shewt.

Jesus, Your Word is true. I was dead in my sin and have been offered this salvation and grace and forgiveness and I want it. I’m going to hold You to Your word. Use my life and cover my shortcomings to allow me to fit into Your will. Help me to understand the hope You’ve called me to – in that give me rest. G-d, I’m not the brightest… can You remind me how much I need You? How much others need You and let my life be of some use for Your kingdom. Cause I know it’s ONLY by You that it could.

            I love you, talk to You soon.