How Does Biblical Law Benefit Me?

Up to this point, we've discussed whether or not the Law of the Old Testament is valid today and what it is. Today I'd like to discuss how obeying the law benefits someone who's saved by grace.

I've been considering my parenting skills (or lack thereof, depending on the area we're discussing) over the past couple of months. I've recognized areas where I'm too strong and areas where I'm too lax. I've considered my responses to my children and their behaviors. I've watched. I've listened. I've taken notes.

Like me, God is a parent. He is the Father of all of mankind. He is, after all, our Creator. One thing I've always known is that no matter what wrong I've done as a child of God, I am loved and I am forgiven by the blood of Jesus. Like God, I love my children unconditionally. They will make mistakes just as I make mistakes. They will have good days and bad days just like I have good days and bad days. I will want to duct tape them to a chair (and use it on their mouths) some days, but I will resist doing so out of love. Just as God probably wants to strike me with lightning some days and doesn't out of His love for me.

As I considered this post, I thought of God's commandment to children. It's the only one that comes with a promise. Here's what it says:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long in the earth" (Ephesians 6:1-3).

When we obey God's law, we are honoring our Father in heaven. Think about the rules and boundaries you set for your own children (or, if you don't have children, consider how your parents set up boundaries and rules for you). Why do you give them these rules? To protect them. To keep them safe from harm's way.

I'll never forget the day I took the kids to the local laundromat. I had Zachary (my step-son) who was eight at the time (maybe nine). I had Ezra strapped into his infant car seat. I pulled up alongside the laundromat to unload the five baskets of dirty clothes. I gave specific instructions to Zach. "Stay in your seat with your seatbelt on. DO NOT get out of the car." Easy enough, right?

I knew that the parking lot could be busy. I knew it would only take me two minutes to unload the clothes and park the van. Then we'd all go inside. Only Zach didn't listen. Instead, he thought he'd go over to the guardrail by the river and toss rocks into it. Which would have been fine with supervision. What Zach didn't realize is that at any moment a half-drunk redneck in a beat-up pick-up truck would come zipping into the parking lot and decide to choose the space...where Zach stood. The look on my step-son's face said it all. He was terrified. Thankfully, the truck stopped before hitting him. So did my heart.

"Honor your Father, that it may be well with you and you may live long in the earth." (Paraphrase mine.)

When we honor God and His law, we have an opportunity to live long on the earth. When we are obedient to His commandments, His boundaries, His rules, we find things going very well in life. I can't tell you how many times I've seen blessings flow from heaven as my husband and I have honored God and His people here on earth as we've walked our lives out with Him. Why anyone wouldn't want to honor God's law and His commands is beyond me.

What about you? Can you recall an incident where God's Law applied and someone was either blessed or cursed for obeying or disobeying that command? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Photo Courtesy of dazmac

Book Review - The Fine Art of Insincerity by Angela Hunt

I admit I found myself a little skeptical as I dove into this novel by Angela Hunt. I've always admired her writing, her strong female characters and her settings. However, I wasn't sure I liked these women. Not until the final quarter of the novel.

We start off with Ginger, the eldest of three sisters. Happily married to Michael, she's successful at what she does. And she's a bit of a control freak.

Then we meet Rosemary, who is melancholy and pitiful. Suffering the loss of two children prior to their births, she remains in mourning longer than the average person. She's a bit suicidal.

Finally, we meet Pennyroyal, the third of the sister trio. Penny is unhappily married to her nth husband, and we run into her story as she eyes her potential getaway man. She's quite the adulteress.

Despite the girls' flaws, their beloved Grandmother has passed away and left them a cottage of memories to clear out. The realtor needs to close the sale, so the ladies head off to the place they've avoided returning to and discover a few things about their heritage and themselves.

What intrigues me most about The Fine Art of Insincerity is that the entire novel is written in first person point of view and present tense. Not an easy thing for a novelist to pull off, especially not as well as Angela Hunt accomplishes it. 

I couldn't put it down, despite my brewing discontent with the characters and their attitudes toward life and the choices they made. At the end, all is not well, but all is worth living for. Which makes this a book worth reading.

To purchase your copy, please visit:
CBD
Barnes & Noble
Amazon

A Random List of Things I Love

Today's one of those days I'm trying to catch up on all I've gotten behind with, including blogging. Since there are so many fabulous ideas for quick posts on these kinds of days, I'm "borrowing" one from fellow blogging enthusiasts Marybeth Whalen and Pioneer Woman today. Here is my list of random things I love, in no particular order:

I love zoo animals and taking pictures...

Jesus

Victor H. Morales

Zachary, Ezra, Caleb, Hannah, & Gideon (Okay...maybe there is some order, but only for the first three items on my list.)

The smell of a fresh rain

Coffee

Chocolate

Books by James L. Rubart

My parents (including the in-laws)

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Extended Version

U2

Reading

Music of all sorts

Brownies (especially warmed, under cookies and cream ice cream & slathered with hot fudge)

Friendships

Going to the movies

Date nights with my hubby

Writing

Hiking in the Mountains

The Blue Ridge Mountains

Myrtle Beach

Childrens' Laughter

Gooby's kisses

Visiting the zoo

NCIS

Watching TV at night to unwind

Footrubs

Feeling my hubby's arms wrapped around me

Forehead kisses

Bones

Once Upon a Time

Writers Conferences

Walking on the beach while the breeze blows

Wysteria

Lilacs

Shoes/Boots/Sneakers/Purses

Doing Laundry

Autumn and all its colors

Southern trees in spring

Chick Flicks (like The Proposal, Failure to Launch, Letters to Juliet, etc.)

John Hughes films

90's music

Watching Hockey

Handmade blankets

Scrapbooking

Taking Pictures

The way a child's eyes light up in moments of discovery

Ministering to others

Pizza

Les Miserable

Prophetic Words

Warm showers on cold mornings and cool showers on hot days

Spending the day browsing the book store

Journals 

What do you love this February? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Burn for You

Photo Courtesy of Jody Stuart

Valentine's Day has passed, but my heart beats for Jesus throughout the year. This morning, while reading my Bible, I came across this verse:

"And they said to one another, 'Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?'"
~ Luke 24:32

Does my heart burn within me as I read the Word or talk with the Lord? It sure does!

How about you? Can you relate to any of the following?

• While reading the Word, a scripture verse jumps off the page at you, and your heart leaps with excitement as you learn a new facet of who God is.
•  While reading the Word, you melt and a tear wells in your eye as God speaks words of comfort and love into your heart.
• You're standing in the shower, talking to God before your day begins, and God whispers a plan into your heart that you can't help get excited about. You feel it start down in your belly and rise through your heart and up into your throat, knowing this is of God. You can't contain the anticipation and long to announce this new plan to the world. Cutting your shower short, you quickly dry off and throw your clothes on, nearly tripping over your pants as you race to your desk to start an outline of said plan.
• You hear His voice in your friends' phone calls, Facebook posts, Tweets, or pins. And when you do, you feel a little tingle inside.
• God speaks to your heart, and it feels like you just laid eyes on your beloved for the first time. You get all jittery and nervous-like. You glance around to see if anyone else notices your sudden reaction.
• You're praising Him on Sunday morning, and you get swept away to another world. Suddenly you're ballroom dancing in a palace hall with arched golden windows. You meet your lead's eyes, and it's Jesus. Suddenly, you're no longer just a person in a sea of people.
• Your husband (or parent, pastor, close friend) brings your attention to an area of lack in your life, and despite your urge to kick him (her), you feel conviction weighing down on you. God is speaking, even though He's using someone else. Instead of kicking the person, you run off to your prayer closet and bury your face in the carpet, because your heart is burning in the Refiner's fire.

These are just a few examples to consider. How else can you describe that burning in your heart that only Jesus' presence brings? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Greater Love

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

~ John 15:13

Memorial Day. It's a day in America when we take the time to remember those who've laid down their lives for us and our freedoms. We honor the men and women who have sacrificed more than we could ever know in order to protect our great nation and the things we've come to hold near and dear to our hearts. We remember those who've given the ultimate sacrifice, their own lives, so that we could remain free from bondage and tyranny.

Jesus says in John that this is the greatest love. Laying down one's own life for his friends. He paid the ultimate price and gave His life for us, so that we may have the opportunity to spend eternity with Him in heaven. He set aside His own desires ("O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." - Matthew 26:39) to fulfill His Father's will for humanity. 

As we honor our veterans today, I like to remember Jesus' love for us, as well. And as I reflect on the greatest love He gives, I ask myself what I've done to express this love to another in my life. Have I laid down my life for my friends? Have I gone out of my way to do something to express my love to my husband? Have I forgone something I deem as important to accomplish in order to spend time with my children, proving they're more important to me than my worldly successes? Have I taken the time to say a prayer for or visit a sick friend? Have I stepped out of my comfort zone and volunteered at a local mission? 

I may not be fighting for my country today, but I do serve a mighty King. And there are battles waged around me every day. Am I busy fighting for what is right and just and honorable? Or am I too busy with day-to-day things? I have to decide to concern myself with heavenly things, which are far more important than earthly things.

Photo Courtesy of Robert Linder 

Proverbs 10 - Love Covers

"Hatred stirs up strife,
 But love covers a multitude of sins."
 ~ Proverbs 10:12

Vic and I will celebrate our 13th anniversary this October. So many times I've thanked God for blessing me with a husband who strives to be a man of God, works hard to provide for our family, and challenges me to be a stronger woman in the Lord and better mother to my children.

Our relationship is strong. We're loyal to one another. We communicate (most of the time). We spend time together each day. We put our relationship before the kids, as is proper order in a Christian home. After all, if the kids always come first, how are they supposed to learn what a proper marriage covenant looks like?

However, there are days my conversations with God go something like this:

"Lord, he's driving me nuts. Why does he have to do that? Why can't he just accept the truth and get on with it? Why won't he pick up his darned socks so his kids will pick up their darned toys? Do they think I'm their maid? I so do not feel like a mother and a wife right now. I feel like the hired help who doesn't get paid. Why can't he see that acts of service is my love language? I'm so tired of this!"

The key to keeping my marriage solid is that I take everything to God first. Sometimes I sound ridiculous and can pick out my own sin while I'm spouting to God. Other times, He reassures me that I know what I'm talking about. 

I don't allow hatred to build up inside of me like a time bomb waiting to explode in the direction of my husband. I don't cause strife by spewing my heart's troubles all over my husband concerning what wrong he's supposedly done me. I take it to God. If I need more wisdom, I go to my pastor's wife or another trusted mature Christian friend. 

If I allowed the things that irritate me to get in the way of my marriage, it would have ended in the first five years. What I realized before I walked the aisle is that I entered a covenant relationship. And with God's assistance, that covenant would never break. God designed marriage to be between one man and one woman, for man to never separate. I can't allow the minor flaws in my husband's personality to get in the way of that covenant. 

I've discovered that love covers a multitude of sin, just as the Word tells us it does. Just because I don't like one thing or another on various days of the week doesn't mean I don't love my husband. It's my love for him that covers a multitude of sin. It's Jesus' love for me that reminds me I, like my husband, fall short of the glory of God. It's Jesus' love inside of me that takes the conditions off of my love for my husband and children. I don't love them because... I love them because of Jesus.

What about you? Do you allow the flaws in yourself or your husband to come between your covenant relationship before God? Or do you love him unconditionally with the love of Jesus in your heart?

Go Ahead - Hit Me!

I arrived home from my appointment at the church to find my family watching Cheaper by the Dozen. As the final credits rolled, we discussed what we'd watch next. I mentioned Part Two, but my children had already chosen another of my favorite movies, Mr. Megorium's Wonder Emporium. We snuggled into the couch and began watching.

And then it hit me like a lightening bolt. It amazes me how God can use one scene in a movie to strike a chord in my heart.

It's the scene with Henry and Eric. I've embedded it so you can see it for yourself:

I'd just spent an hour with a friend of mine who's getting her Master's Degree in counseling. We were discussing the results of my personality test. The two topics we'd covered were control and affection. I'd volunteered the information that I struggle with showing my kids vast amounts of affection. 

There are, after all, four of them, all vying for my attention at the same time. At least most days. 

And they always want to do something. Right when I'm in the middle of working. Yep. Now the scene from the movie is making sense.

My usual response? "Give me five minutes to finish up." My friend lovingly pointed out to me that my children won't understand five minutes so you can have five hours.  

She recommended I put down my work for five minutes and meet their needs. Once the needs are met, they'll be more likely to leave me alone for five minutes - simply because they know I care more about them than my work.

So when this scene popped up on the screen, I dabbed my eyes. I can totally relate. And I totally need to overcome this area in my life. God knows I love my kids. And my job. All I need to do is find the balance.

So as I finish writing this post, it's nearing the time for me to pick them up from school. And I will not be going back to work until I've focused on them for awhile. I pray I see happier faces and lighter hearts! 

 

From the Overflow - A Daytime Date

Every now and then my husband will have Friday off. Today is one of those days. 

One of the nice things about working from home is it's easy for me to take the day off, too. And we can spend it together.

Since the kids are in school, it also affords us the opportunity to go out on a Daytime Date.

So today, we'll be heading off to Augusta to enjoy our time together. We'll be browsing the bookstores (my favorite thing to do) and dining out (on the cheap). 

Tomorrow we'll load our family into the truck and do something he enjoys. We'll go to the local gun show. 

If you have the chance to go on a Daytime Date with your spouse, I highly recommend you take the opportunity! Spend some time together, alone, focusing on one another and holding hands. You'll treasure those moments in years to come. I promise.

God's Love Letter

Photo Courtesy of Photobucket

 

 

Dear (Fill in Your Name Here),

 

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born, I set you apart for My special purposes. (Jeremiah 1:5)

 

You have been upheld by Me from birth. Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! (Isaiah 46:3,4)

 

I love you so much that I gave My only begotten Son, Jesus, into the world. Not to condemn you, but to save you through His blood. All you need to do is believe in Him. And love everyone as I have loved you. (John 3:16-17; 15:12)

 

Do not be afraid, child. For I am love. And perfect love casts out all fear. I did not call you into the bondage of a spirit of fear. I called you into a spirit of adoption. I am your Abba Father, affectionately known as Daddy. (1 John 4:8,18; Romans 8:15) 

 

I am not like others in this world who prefer evil and darkness to love and light. As long as you remain close to Me, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. I am with you always, to help and to guide you through this life on earth. (Hebrews 13:5; John 16:7)

 

And when your time on this earth is finished, I have a place prepared just for you. A place where there are no more tears, no more pain, and no more death. (John 14:1-4; Revelation 21:4)

 

So come to Me, you who are weary and burdened. In Me you will find rest. I will hide you under My wings, and we will sit beside the still waters. Don't forget to spend time with Me today, for only I know your most inward parts. And only I can save you... (Matthew 11:28-30; Psalm 36:7-9; Psalm 23;  Psalm 51:6; John 14:6)

 

Love, God

 

For more love letters from God, read The Holy Bible. Scriptures have been paraphrased for the purposes of writing this letter. See references for exact scripture.

 

 

From My Valentine

Photo Copyright 2010 Alycia W. Morales

Pastor Dennis announced the Valentine's banquet our church would be hosting. No sooner than he'd finished telling what time the banquet started, my husband jumped from his seat in the middle of the congregation. "I challenge every  man in here to a poetry contest. You must write a poem for your wife, and we'll read them aloud at the banquet." My cheeks flushed. I wondered if they took him seriously. Or if he'd be the only man with a poem at the banquet.

We'd done this once before. Our first Valentine's Day as husband and wife. Our home church held a coffee house, and Pastor Bob put out the same challenge. Only that celebration of devoted love included a panel of judges. My husband took first place. I cherished that poem. I hid it away, to be kept forever and ever. But...I lost it. I haven't ever been able to find it. I searched my purses, my wallets, my journals. It never turned up.

And so I looked very forward to Valentine's Day 2011.

Here is the poem I received from my husband's heart this year:

Gentle breath of Heaven, fragrant and sweet

Whispers promise of lovers content and complete.

Bound by holy union much stronger than steel,

Our souls entwined, one another we feel.

In this very moment, I call to remember

God's limitless power that brought us together.

From ashes and dust a fire arose

To kindle a love - hot, burning, and bold.

Into the unknown we plunged headlong in,

By faith we leaped and by faith we are kept.

Through battles we've won, through battles we've lost,

Through battles to come, we have counted the cost.

Forward - our destiny - shining and bright

Beckons us follow the path of Love's light.

As we walk it together, enjoying the view,

Our steps will not falter, for we have much still to do.

Passions of youth can diminish with time, 

Yet I still drink deep from the cup of your wine.

Aged to perfection, sweet to my lips, 

Indulge all my senses with the fruit of your vine.

I have and I hold, as prophets foretold,

The joy of my life, in you my dear wife.

Heaven has smiled on this lowly man,

And given a gift greater than any can.

A lifelong companion, a counselor and friend,

More than I hoped for, more than I dreamed.

The best I can offer is, "Thank you, my Queen."

And that is the heart of my husband toward me. (Heaves big sigh.) The other men did rise to the challenge. They did well. I pray their wives' hearts were touched by their gifts of words. I know mine was...

What's the greatest gift your husband has ever blessed you with on Valentine's Day?