What is the Gospel?

 

All the behavior modification in the world will NEVER change our hearts

~Derek Webb

This is a statement that I heard recently while listening this CD my son-in-law left at my house "accidentally".  I've listened to it over and over again since it was graciously and providentially brought into my realm of being.  It totally unpacked for me a more complete understanding of the Gospel.  For more than 20 years I thought I knew what the Gospel was.  You know, Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose again the third day, etc.  But I am coming to see that it is much more than that.  It doesn't just stop working, moving and being in our life AFTER conversion.  We don't need something else, something more, some "holy living" preaching, we just need the Gospel.  We are called to preach the gospel to ourselves every day, and to preach the gospel to one another!

In the culture we find ourselves most often, even in church culture, we are defined by WHAT WE DO.  That's really a shame because we are not what we do, we are who God tells us we are.  So often we look at other people and judge them by what they do, it could even be "he's the pastor".  Well, he does teach us the bible and his title technically is "Pastor" but that's not really who he is.

We also give respect to certain people, hold them in higher regard because of WHAT THEY DO.  Are you getting my point here?  It's not about what we do!!  We're sinners, we're going to sin and when we do, no one should be surprised by it.  That may sound a little strange but it's something that is true, about me and about you. 

When our friend handles a situation badly, or exhibits selfishness, or is lazy or crass or unforgiving or just downright short temptered and angry, we should not be surprised.  We should give grace, knowing that we are of the same family...a family of sinners.

Here's a question for you to mull over.  Should we praise people for their "good" behavior?  That's hard.  When we see someone doing well, demonstrating grace and loving kindness to others we want to pat them on the back, give 'em a thumbs up and a "good job".  But what do those words say about what we believe?  What is important to us and demonstrates the Spirit at work?  It's not about us, it's about His work in us.  It's a demonstration of God's grace at work in us. 

Why do we forget ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS FILTHY RAGS?

And why do we not see that WE LOVE THE PRAISE OF PEOPLE!  Think about it a minute.  When your friend notices something and compliments you on your "whatever" what does that do for you?  How does it make you feel?  Or, a little closer to home, when you post a picture of your family or your child's latest accomplishment on Facebook, how do you feel about all the positive comments you read later that evening?  Come on, be HONEST!!  We all appreciate (love) when folks admire and praise our children or their accomplishments or our accomplishments.  Just take a look at your news feed sometime, and ask yourself some tough questions.  Are we seeking the praise of people?  And conversely when someone doesn't notice OR points out a flaw or a weakness, do we feel "bad"?  Are we basing our worth as individuals on what people, family, church friends, think about us?

Here's the truth:  our actions betray that we are sinners. 

 Why can't we just accept that in ourselves and in others and quit hiding our sin? 

 Why can't we just be gracious to others when they sin and love them even while they are sinning? 

That's what Jesus did for us and demonstrated time and time again in the New Testament! 

 Jesus LOVED SINNERS!!  Why don't we?? 

Why do we think that our friends and family who profess Christ aren't going to sin,
against us and against others? 


The gospel frees us to be "real" in our community of believers.

The gospel is what transforms hearts!

TGIF

Fill In the Blank Friday---My first EVER.  Here we go...

 

 1.  I am a terrible procrastinator.  Not something I'm terribly proud of and I've been making attempts to reform but still kind of struggling.  

2.  I have always wanted to be wife and mommy, from a child on into teen years I never wanted another type of career.  I loved having kids at home and all that went along with it. Every stage with my girls was a grand adventure and I miss not having a ball practice or music lesson to attend or someone needing a costume or special party dress that meant shopping or crafting for a week to come up with the perfect thing.

3.  I hope to some day travel to Europe. 

4. I can tie a cherry stem with my tongue.  This is obviously not the ONLY thing I can do just a random little tidbit not everyone who knows me knows about me! :o)

5.  I dream of owning and operating a Bed and Breakfast or small Inn.  I am a decent cook and a very good baker and love to have people over and cook for them. What better way to quench my "mothering" need than taking care of guests.

6.  The way to my heart is a surprise - whether it be a friend dropping by for an unplanned visit, someone showing up at my office with an unexpected sweet treat or a spur of the moment lunch date, all these make me feel special and thought about!  These types of unplanned interruptions to the norm make me smile and add a little spark to my day.

7.  I am passionate about my family.  They are the ones I would rather spend time with, the ones I hope understand and love me for me when no one else does and the ones who will some day take care of me when I've been declared totally incapable of looking after myself. (I just know one day I'll need them to repay me for all the care-giving I did for them back in the day)

So, there you have it.  If you only know me through reading this blog (whoever you might be) this gives you a little glimpse into another side of the woman behind the keyboard.  Hopefully, this will not be my last Fill in the Blank Friday.  Thanks again to Lauren at The Little Things We Do for hosting such a fun "get to know more about you" link-up.

Perspective ~ Is Your Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

Well, my baby girl was right, her big sister beat me to it!!  My "life lover" so enjoys sharing her life she frequently shares some of mine too.  Which is a great way to expand our following of readers so I'm totally on board with the ever so frequent story sharing.  That was exactly the case with her most recent blog post regarding our exciting weekend of falling trees, power outages and unexpected welcomed house guests. 

During all of these unexpected yet sovereignly ordained occurrences I was reminded over and over again how very blessed I am to have a Father who appoints storms and struggles and then gives grace as we walk through them with Him.  Blessings and grace surrounded me and my family during every minute of these outrageous happenings.  

I was NOT at home when this tornado (or whatever they're trying to call it now) occurred.
I was enjoying a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant and didn't have to experience the noise and drama first-hand or alone.  Very kind of my Father, he knows me so well.

I received information from my neighbor that a mere six inches to the left and my brand new car would have suffered severe damage from our basketball goal falling right on her.  She is still wearing her lovely temporary tag, still just a baby.  She is such a grace treasure provided just for me and I was actually more worried about her than the tree falling on the house!!  (I know, I'm a little cray-cray)

I HAVE ELECTRICITY!!  Not kidding, of the estimated 500,000 individuals in our
surrounding area who are dealing with power outages I. Have. Electricity!!. 

My daughters and son-in-law can duly attest that even WITH air conditioning,

I am frequently stating the fact (that's what I call complaining) that I am hot.
and considering the over 100 degree temperatures we've been having~

OH MY, again, what a kindness, He knew it would be too much for me!

I've been able to "mother" my children and some of my adopted sons this entire weekend, 

because none of them have electricity and I do!!  What a wonderful time I've

had just being in the house with them, having people there to interrupt my

rather lonely quiet empty-nest environment.

My scheduled trip to deliver a very important and much needed bed to my youngest
 did not have to be postponed because of the weather.  It actually went rather swimmingly!!
  I experienced absolutely no trouble obtaining gasoline.  This may not seem overly significant,
but apparently there was a run on the gasoline stations!  I've never seen anything
like it, EVER...the lines were 20-30 cars long and almost every station in our area
ran out of gas and closed at some point during the weekend.
When I got to the town where she has rented an apartment for the summer,
 it didn't even seem they had had a storm at all, business as usual.

AND
 

I enjoyed a lovely lunch with she and her roommate at

a restaurant they talk about all the time that I had never been to before

(one thing I love, visiting new restaurants - i like to eat, what can I say).

I'm sure for many of the folks in my little town the memories from the past several days are not filled with positive uplifting and praise worthy happenings, but then again, maybe they are.

"Two women stood behind iron bars
One saw mud, the other saw stars"

Maybe it's all about perspective!

Introducing My Friends (notice it's plural)

wow, it's been a VERY LONG TIME since I posted anything here.  two months.  that's downright unacceptable. as i contemplate the reason(s) for this lack of diligence on my part, a miriad of things have crowded in and crowded out my blogging.  maybe just good 'ole procrastination, or lack of time or lack of meaningful things to say...not this girl, not really, not ever.  i'm a talker from way back and can ALWAYS find something interesting and meaningful (if only in my mind) to flap my jaws about.  maybe it's the incessant  barking of a certain dog, who shall remain nameless, that has interrupted my concentration, like just now!!

where was i, oh, WHY i haven't been keeping this up.  well since april 12th, we've experienced two birthdays, a college graduation, the death of a significant family member, two different trips to florida, a move for the firstborn daughter and this weekend a move for the the baby daughter.  whew, i'm tired just thinking about it.

as i re-read the post from april about friendship, my thoughts went to the events of today.  i had lunch with one long-time friend, an unexpected visit from another long-time friend and then dinner with a rather new friend whom i hope will end up becoming a fast friend.  

the two "long time" friends share the not only the same name but also married men with the same name (how weird).  These two Debbies (blonde haired D and dark haired D) are my sister/friends and our lives have been intertwined in varying degrees for the last 25 years.  we've watched our children grow up, go off and get married and have babies (well Deb S is still waiting, but soon), enjoyed beach trips (just moms and kids), moved houses, built houses, lost husbands, married again, talked and laughed

and shared and cried and just done life together.

 although there have been periods of time when we have only

been in contact with one another sporatically, we still remain friends.

there is a loyalty and understanding even when communication is not constant or consistent that we are "there".  we don't have to talk or e-mail every.single.day and no one feels slighted if we don't.  when we get "back together" as one D put it, we take up right where we left off and

 it's better than ever.

my love for these ladies has lasted and grown over the past years.  i am very thankful and blessed to have these women in my life.  they've been to me what i desired as a young women and thought 

i didn't have.  in all actuality, i was unknowingly

cultivating two friendships that would last not only through

the ups and downs of my life here on this earth, but throughout eternity.

i not only have one best friend, i have two women

with the same first name who have shared

a treasured spot in my heart for over one-half of my adult life!

they are gifts of God's grace to me!

women of integrity, courage and a desire to live

life in a way that demonstrates the power of 

God's grace in their lives on a daily basis. 

here's to another 25 years!  at that time we can join the

red hat society and get together for tea parties or 

whatever those ladies do when they don those red hats.

p.s. i want a red hat with a feather ; )

A Confident Heart

I have several blogs I read on a regular basis and A Planting of the Lord gets regular views from this blog lover! Although I do not personally know Miss Kimberly, I feel as if we are fast friends because of the honesty with which she conveys her heart in all of her posts. The post from her blog that I linked above highlights Chapter 6 of  Renee Swope's book A Confident Heart.  Two lovely ladies who I am priviledged to call "friends" and I have almost finished this helpful book.  It has been a wonderful tool in not only identifying what causes doubt in our hearts but how to go foward in replacing those doubts with confidence!!   

  If you've been reading here long, you might remember the very first post I ever wrote which explains WHY I needed this book in particular.  We all have doubts, no matter what type of individual God created you to be, every single fallen person hears doubt whisper things like

 "You can't do that, you don't have what it takes"

"What's wrong with me?"

"You'll never be able to (fill in the blank)"?

and, of course, the ever popular

"Why can't I be like so-and-so?". 

comparison is so very dangerous

 This book not only clearly speaks to every area of our doubting heart's thoughts BUT gives tools to alleviate each one with the Truth from a God who formed us to be a glorious representation of himself (pre-fall that is)! 

I am so very sad that my study of this book is almost over!  It's one I would truly do again and again.  My heart needs to be reminded so very often of what God says about me as his daughter. Clicking on the link above will give you a sneak peak into just what is available in this powerhouse publication!!  AND if you're interested in participating in a small group study, leave me a comment. I'd love to join you in the journey of discovering the secret to A Confident Heart!

Grace Treasures

I've decided every once in a while I'm going to share some of the graces God gives to this poor frazzled pilgrim daughter.  WHY he does this I have no idea, I'm just glad He cares for me and understands who and what I am.

We have care groups at our church where we do just that, "care" for each other in times of need.  Take food to a new little momma and papa or help families pack up their belongings when a move is necessary.  Recently I was called upon to participate by taking a meal to a family who had lost a loved one unexpectedly.  They had traveled out-of-town for the funeral and I was to have a meal at their home upon their return, approximately 5:00 pm.

In my customary style I was "running late"..not my usual 10 minutes late but really late, like going to be 45 minutes late!!  To say I was rushing wouldn't cover it...I was flying through my kitchen like a wild thing grabbing, measuring, pouring, trying to get my brownie dessert into the oven so I would be ONLY 45 minutes late.

I decided to call and make sure the poor starving family was home and let them know I would not make the 5:00pm deadline. Upon speaking with the Momma of this sweet family, I was informed that they had spent some extra time visiting with their out-of-town relatives and their GPS was giving them an ETA of 7:30, allowing me an extra two hour span in which to get my dessert completely cooked, cooled, cut and packed up with the other food goodies and delivered well before they returned home.   To say I was thrilled to hear this news is a definite understatement!

Wow, even when I didn't have it all together, my Father did.  He knew just what I needed and he supplied a precious grace treasure of a little more time to get everything fully prepared and delivered.  He knows me so well, and he cares that I struggle with time management.  He loves me just as I am and gives me what I need and helps me grow by giving me desires and ideas so I can learn how to be a better planner.

That little block of time was just the encouragement I needed!  It was His way of showing me love!
What kind of Grace Treasures have you experienced this week?  Leave a comment, I'd love you to share!

by grace alone,
Lisa

Love, Love & More Love

So this week, as you know, was Valentine's Day.  When my girls were growing up, we loved any excuse for making home-made cards, baking cute cookies and giving gifts so Valentine's Day was right up there with Christmas and Birthday celebrations!  Now that my daughters are grown with lives of their own, things haven't really changed that much. We still give little gifties and send cards to demonstrate our love to one another (even if at times, it doesn't get delivered exactly ON V-day).

This little jar of yummies was delivered to my office on Monday by one of our regular customers. What a way to start out a Valentiney week!

And I received this flower early on Tuesday morning from the older's fam and Little E!!  It made it's home on the corner of my desk all week! Flowers are just cheery all the way around!  Love, love posies!

Even though MY Valentine is far, far away in Florida, I still had a lovely dinner date with my favorite little darling!

And while Aunt B was home she made some of these tasty treats for some of her friends:

As you can see I sampled a little bite!

And, of course, no Valentine's Day is complete without making some really cool Valentines to send to, well, to whoever is on your list of recipients!

All in all I felt very "loved" this week with all our family traditions and little gifties exchanged! 

We love Him BECAUSE He first loved us!!

What is the difference?  Why do some families make intentional plans to show the people they love how they feel about them?  Why the need to express to others that they hold a special place in your heart, that you think about them, and care about what goes on in their lives?  That you want to"know" them?

We love Him because he first LOVED us!!

There are many people out there, in the world around us, who have no one to express to them that they are thought about and loved.  During this week of cards and kisses there are those who go without one Valentine, one person to express to them that they are thought of or cared about.

We love Him because he first loved US!!

 This week I happened upon (I don't really believe in such a thing) some words that were written from the heart of one friend to another, a consoling, encouragement for that one who doesn't have a hubby to share Valentine's day and express to her how special she is.  This is what I read:

Tonight of all nights, don't you dare forget how loved you are.

Don't you dare scroll through the mini-feed, looking at patched-together pictures from couples struggling to keep on giving in a world that rolls downhill to taking, and feel like you are the only lonely one.

Don't you forget that people rarely post their emptiness. They rarely post their fears and their doubts. They rarely post their fatigue. Sometimes they post trying to prove love to themselves as much as to the world.

So when you see that stuff, don't let it fool you.

Don't you dare forget that you are beautiful.

Don't you dare forget that you are funny, and tender, and smart, and how you bring life into the dark places of the world.

Don't you dare forget how you make me laugh, and how my life would be less without you in it.

I need you. I love you. I'm not the only one who does.

Tonight a lie will slither and bite, whispering that being single makes you somehow less desirable. When that happens, step on its head and crush it. Nothing could be further from the truth.

You are blindingly appealing. You are a vessel of light and love. How I love you for it.

Don't you forget that you are seen, and known, and wanted. And don't you forget that all of those hurts that you keep pushing down inside, that resound today like some sort of cruel clock striking, are held tenderly in the heart of the One who made you.

He will never stop chasing you. He has been writing a singular romance with your name on the envelope since time began. May you fall asleep tonight hearing that love whispered softly over your pillow.

Thanks to my sweet friend Gina for allowing me to steal from her Facebook!  Oh, to be a woman who could give such a wonderful gift of encouragement--to strengthen, and build up a friend who might be failing to see the real TRUTH.  This life is oh.so.hard and we have an enemy who whispers lies in the darkness of our loneliness with intentions to kill and destroy!!

There is ONE who thinks of us, even though we may not think of Him. And He speaks to us through His Word:

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! 

how great is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they are more in number 

than the sand

 Psalm 139

By grace alone,

Lisa