In case you were wondering, my title subjects aren't exactly related- although the Lord certainly was with us during travel tonight.
He walked on water...I doubt he needed snow tires ;-)
Anyway- this evening did not go exactly as I had planned. What had I planned? I planned to go to my Tastefully Simple party in East Brady (I was the consultant). I was going to leave my baby home with his Poppa- all warm and snuggly to spend quality time together. I was going to make money just by letting people taste food. Come home. Sleep tight.
What really happened....
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| Dayton- February 2010 |
A snow storm happened...leaving me several miles from where I needed to be (late to start with) and turning around. VERY embarrassing... this is my business! However, I have a little boy and a husband at home who need me around a little while longer. Heck, I'll go as far as to assume they like me! 2 miles of twisty road and sharp turns didn't seem worth the risk as bad as it was coming down...and not letting up. I drove route 268 back to Walmart with my 4-ways on while my darling husband took Benjamin to his Nana's while Poppa came to rescue me. Don't put your faith in a job...it's just a job and can go as quickly as it came. Lesson learned. Again.
During the course of the evening, I was led to think on something else:
During each of our lives, we change- several times. Sometimes we change for the better. Sometimes we change for worse and sometimes we change our shirts four times in one day because we may have a baby who likes to throw up on everything we own...and that's ok.
What's not ok is being expected to keep quiet when you change for the better...you know...just in case you hurt someone's feelings. Just because that happens, does not mean it was the mission. Guess what- when people are told what is right from wrong, feelings get hurt. It's what you do with that new information and those emotions later on...that's what counts. My responsibility it not to politely stand by and tolerate immorality and misconceptions. As Christians, our responsibility is to be lovingly intolerant (I suggest reading "Be Intolerant" by Ryan Dobson). If we stand by and tolerate what is wrong and against God, then how are we going to respond to Him when he "calls us out" on it? In a perfect world, we would do this all the time. Usually, there's going to be a point (actually, several) where we are going to say "You know, what they said was wrong. Why didn't I say anything?" All we can do after that is ask for forgiveness and do better the next time.
Another thing that is not ok is "blaming" someone I love for making me this way. As if to say, "How dare he help make you a better person who is willfully trying to follow God!" My thoughts and actions are my own. Implying otherwise is insulting to my own intelligence and free will. It also insinuates that there are ultimatums or "conditions" to our relationship. It makes me a little angry, but more sad that I'm not considered able to think for myself.
What interests me, and frustrates me, is when I'm told the Bible was "never meant to be understood.....to understand that would be to understand the mind of God.....etc., etc,....". I used to think like this. To be honest, I thought like this because I was taught like this. Too prevalent in the Catholic church is a lack of Bible reading in the homes. By no means does this apply to ALL Catholics- I know better than that! This isn't even just the Catholic church- it happens everywhere- I can only speak from personal experience though.
If we read the Word of God with open hearts and minds, we WILL understand! Some things aren't as easily understood as others- those things will make sense to us when we're ready to understand (or when the time is right). If it was never meant to be understood, then why was it given to us, with commands, expectations, etc., to live by? WHY would the Lord give us something that we can't understand? He WANTS us to know His Word and live by his commands!
Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be a scholar to read and understand. It does help, if you're familiar with the customs and ways of the people of the times. Not "a lot" was lost in translation as I was always told. I've found this has been a response by those who don't appreciate being told they're wrong- this being that, if they accepted what the Bible says as true, then they would have to change their ways and/or worldview. As I wrote earlier- no one likes being told they're wrong (I know I don't)!
I know that in our home:
: reading the Bible will happen as a family and will be encouraged (expected, I should say)!
: Our children will be raised in a Godly home. This won't happen overnight. It is something that Sam and I will learn to teach and live as we grow in our marriage and our faith- as we learn to be examples to our children, our families and those that we encounter every day (we have a ways to go, but I'm hopeful that we're on the right path).
: Those who enter our home need to check the use of the Lord's name in vain at the door....but please don't pick it back up when you leave!
: if you DO use the Lord's name, you had best be praying (I need that on a plaque on our porch! lol)
: our children will not be exposed to or permitted to watch/listen to movies, cartoons, music, etc. that glorify immoral behavior. This is not sheltering them. Besides, even if it is, why would anyone WANT to expose their children to that. Are we naive enough to think it will never happen? Of course not!
This is not a rant or meant as an insult. This is a promise to my family. A promise that we will raise them the way God expects, within the best of our ability. When that isn't good enough, then our abilities need to be better!
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| Jesus love ME?! =) |
