living IN this world, created for eternity

I started reading Ecclesiastes yesterday. It's not a common book read in Bible studies, but I figure, it's part of Scripture, so it must be worth reading!

My favorite passage so far is this one from chapter three (right after the "a time for everything" section):

"What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him." -Ecclesiastes 3:9-14

This is just a beautiful passage, and there's so much in it!
God has made us people with eternal souls--"has set eternity in the hearts of men." So we aren't fully content in this world governed by time, but at the same time our finite bodies "cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." We're not made for this world, obviously. But what does life in this world consist of? Eating, drinking, and working.
That could be a pretty meaningless existence--in fact, that's what the writer of Ecclesiastes ponders throughout the book. What's the purpose in life? What's the purpose to eating, drinking, and working? They're meaningless.

But this passage gives hope:
"That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in his toil--this is the gift of God."

Bingo.
We're not made for this world, but we were made to live in it for a time. And in order that our life here may not be without purpose, God created us for eternity--our lives in this world have an ultimate purpose, that is, to direct others toward eternity. We were all created as eternal beings, but not everyone knows that, and not everyone knows how much God wants them to live with him in paradise for eternity. So that's our purpose here, and we are constantly reminded of it because we can't be completely content living in this finite world.

And while we are living in this world, going about our lives--eating, drinking, and working--God gives us pleasure and satisfaction in that. He doesn't condemn us to a life of bore, a meaningless life. While we are at work pointing people to him, he blesses us and enables us to live a happy life, with the pleasures of food and drink, and the satisfaction that comes from work well done.

What a gift. What a life. What a God we have.

Thankful in the Storms

I got up this morning with the intention to mow the back yard (at my grandparents' house... we've been housesitting for them for a week but they're coming home today!).  Then, when we were finishing breakfast, I heard thunder.  It's stormed nearly every morning for the last week!

I have Pandora on (it's kind of become an obsession... I love all the fun/inspiring music playing while I'm writing at home or working at the library), and a little while ago the song "Praise You in the Storm" came on. My life isn't really a "storm" right now, but it just made me smile because of the thunderstorm that was going on at the time.  (It's since quit... now I have no excuse to not go mow the lawn!)

The point is, it was little reminder that I can always be thankful, even when it might not make sense (thank you, God, for [insert really difficult thing here]).  It's been easy to be thankful for a lot of things-- the fact that my grandparents basically let us eat whatever we wanted out of the fridge and freezer, so I didn't have to buy groceries this week.  The wonderful friends and fantastic coworkers I have.  Time to rest and relax with my husband in the evenings.  The opportunity to witness and enjoy an incredibly beautiful wedding last weekend.

But I know that life isn't always made up of things for which it's easy to say "thank you."  We experience loss.  Grief.  Depression.  Financial difficulty.  The day-to-day stress which, when it piles up, seems too much to bear.  The sick child.  The loss of a job.  The death of a parent.  The move of a dear friend.

In those times, it's hard to be thankful.  I've had experiences of my own when I wondered, what good can possibly come from this?

Sometimes I've seen the good that has come from those times.  A lot of the time I don't... but I know that God always brings good even out of the worst things.  He promises that he will, so I can trust that.

It's not easy to trust in that, but that's why faith is a gift from God, not something I can produce on my own.

If you're in a valley right now, I just want you to know that God is there, too.  He has a plan--even if you don't know what it is--and he will bring about blessing through those trials, whether for you or someone else.

Evil has already lost in this world: Satan has been vanquished and Jesus has conquered.  Even the most horrible things are temporary.  Christ has died and risen, and is in heaven waiting to bring us to be with him in paradise for eternity.

When I can't see the good that could come from a situation, that's why I take comfort in: knowing that it's temporary, and ultimately, I have victory in Jesus.

I pray that you are encouraged by that knowledge today!

(P.S. The song that's playing now?  "Grace Like Rain.")

Linking today with: The Fontenot Four, black tag diaries, Uplifting Love, There's Just One Mommy, Graced Simplicity

Redeemed

Redeemed: bought back, exchanged, purchased, reclaimed, ransomed.

I have been redeemed.  I would be a slave to sin and Satan if Jesus had not paid the price for me.

Had he not given his life for mine, I would have had to pay for my sin with my own eternal soul.  I would have spent eternity in hell.  But Jesus paid the life-debt for me and all other people.  He took the guilt of our sin on himself and gave up his life as a ransom for us all.

Thus, I am free.  Saved.  Redeemed.  And so are you.

I am no longer bound to sin; now, because Christ is my Redeemer, I am bound to him.  I am one with him through my baptism, and my life belongs to Christ--to God-- because he made me.  In response to what he has done for me, I strive to love and serve him by loving and serving others.  I can't do this perfectly--I fail all the time--but he already took care of the guilt of my sins, including the failure to love and obey him fully, and even the sins I haven't committed yet.

I don't have to live in fear of punishment.  Jesus already took the punishment that I deserve.  He destroyed the power of Satan, death and hell.  They no longer hold power over me, or over you.  Satan still has power in this world, but the battle is over--he has already lost, and he knows it.  Those who believe in Jesus will spend eternity with him in heaven, no matter what Satan tries to do to them in this world.  Why?  Because we belong to Jesus, and he is more powerful even than Satan.

We can therefore live this life in joy.  We are free from the weight of our own sin, and from the weight of the sin of the world.  Jesus bore it for us.  Despite the evil that is still rampant all around us, our life doesn't have to be one of sadness or despair.  Not for us.  Not for those who are children of God.  We have the promise of eternal life, and we know that nothing can separate us from God's love--because he has redeemed and saved us.

I know that my Redeemer lives!
What comfort this sweet sentence gives.
He lives, he lives, who once was dead--
He lives, my ever-living Head.

He lives triumphant from the grave,
He lives eternally to save.
He lives all glorious in the sky,
He lives exalted there on high.

He lives and grants me daily breath.
He lives, and I shall conquer death.
He lives my mansion to prepare--
He lives to bring me safely there.

(I Know that My Redeemer Lives, vv 1, 3, 7; text by Samuel Medley.)

How I was saved, and how you were, too!

This post was inspired by this salvation story on natashametzler.com.  Reading Natasha's post and responding to it got me thinking about my own salvation story!

The story of my salvation doesn't start with me.  It starts with God.  God, who created heaven and earth and everything in them.  God, who from the beginning of the world had a plan to conquer sin and death (Genesis 3:15).  God, who sent His Son to earth to become a human baby, who would grow into a sinless human man, who would die for the sins of the whole world (John 3:16).

Image Credit:  bela_kiefer via www.freedigitalphotos.net

My salvation starts with the incredible love of God.  It's because God loves us--all people--so much that He has a plan for all of us to spend eternity with Him.

He gives us faith.  We become His children.  We believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, and the fact that Jesus' death paid the price for all the wrong we ever do.  We live a brief life on earth, obeying God and loving Him according to His Word and in response for the gifts He constantly gives us (in addition to the gift of faith in Him!  Wow!).  Then, when our sinful, earthly bodies die, our sinless souls are united with God in heaven, and spend eternity joyfully with Him in paradise.

This is what God did for me.  He made me his child just four weeks after I was born into this world.  In my baptism, the Holy Spirit came into my heart by the power of God's Word, and gave me faith.  It wasn't necessary for me to understand what that meant, because my saving isn't about me.  It's not anything I do.  God saves us, God makes us His children.  It's kind of like how we become our parents' children.  We don't have any choice to become their children.  And they don't love us because of anything we do.  They love us simply because they are our parents.  God loves us because He is our Father.

So I became God's child through the miracle of baptism.  As I grew, my parents taught me, using God's Word, how much God loves me, and what Jesus did for me.  And I knew for sure that I was God's child.  I knew that whenever I died, I would be in heaven with Jesus.  I knew that I was sinful, and did bad things, but I also knew that God forgave those sins when I asked Him to, just as my parents told me they forgave me when I disobeyed them.

Now that I'm an adult, I'm still constantly learning what it means to be God's child.  How does that play out in my everyday life?  God reminds me daily to trust Him in everything.  He has to keep teaching me how to accept His forgiveness, because I struggle with remembering that.  Satan is constantly working to try to pull me away from God, but I know that because the Holy Spirit lives in my heart, Satan can't hurt me.  Jesus has already defeated him and his power, and I have nothing to fear.

So my salvation story doesn't end with me, either.  It ends with the ultimate gift from God--eternal life in heaven.  It will end when my sinful body dies, and my eternal, holy, sinless soul is taken to heaven by Jesus, where I will live with Him forever.  There no one will be sad or in pain.  There will be no death, no grief, no discomfort.  There will be joy, peace, love, and light, and it will be more wonderful than we can ever imagine, until we actually get there.

God wants everyone to be in heaven with Him.  He has created you just like He did me, and He loves you, too, more than you will ever understand.  I hope you know my Jesus, too, and know that He is your Lord and Savior--and how much He loves you.  You can spend eternity in heaven, too, because Jesus paid the price for your sins as well as mine.  Try saying this to God, your Father--you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain:

"Dear God, I know you love me.  I know you sent your Son, Jesus, to pay the price for my sins.  I acknowledge Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  Thank you for giving me faith in you and in what Jesus has done for me.  Now, as your child, I give my whole life to you."

Linking up today: A Holy Experience, Upward Not Inward, Deep Roots at Home, Raising Homemakers, We are THAT Family

Forgiven: Knowing it, believing it, living it.

I'd like to do a little soul-baring with you, my dear readers.  Perhaps one of you has had an experience like mine, so I hope that sharing my own story will bless you, as well.

Image courtesy of David Castillo, www.freedigitalphotos.net

For much of my life I've had what you might call a legalistic mindset.  I've always understood about grace, don't get me wrong.  I know Jesus died for my sins, I know that because of him I'll have eternal life, I know that God has forgiven every sin I've ever committed or will ever commit.  I know I don't have to DO anything at all for my salvation--Jesus has done it all.

But I struggle with applying what I know in my head, to what I truly believe in my heart.  I've never struggled with faith in Christ, but I've struggled with letting go of my sin.  With accepting the fact that God's forgiveness erases that sin from my life.

It's not like I've done anything "majorly wrong."  I've never done drugs, smoked or gotten drunk.  I was a virgin when I got married.  I've avoided swearing and bad language.  I've never broken a federal law.  My parents raised me to be a good, honest, obedient and law-abiding person.

But I'm just as sinful as anyone else, and I also happen to have a bit of a "guilt complex."  Or, as my husband says, an overly active conscience.  I struggle with letting go of my own sins.

I struggle with forgiving myself, and accepting that through Christ, God has forgiven me.

Does this sound like you?  Have you ever had a struggle like this?

Whether you have or not, perhaps what I've learned will be helpful for you.

Since I started dating Joshua, he has been a powerful voice of forgiveness in my life.  He easily and quickly forgives me when I sin against him and ask his forgiveness.  He's reminded me time and again of God's forgiveness.  And I'll remember that, and know it, for a while.  But then that little voice inside me pulls up a wordless doubt, one that darkens the cheerfulness I usually feel, and makes me feel sorry for myself.  "I'm just not good enough.  I'll always have to struggle with this.  The consequences will always be part of my life.  I don't deserve forgiveness."

I read a blog post today where the author talked about forgetting.  She asked God to remove memories of past sins, so that she wouldn't dwell on them anymore.  This, I realized, is what I needed to do-forget about those sins.  Dwelling on my sins, hanging on to that guilt, and refusing to forgive myself, is actually sin in itself.  It's letting the law take over my life, instead of filling my life with the Gospel.  Then I read another blog post with a similar message, and tonight Joshua and I watched the movie October Baby.  It's about a teenage girl who discovers that she's adopted...and that her birth mother had attempted to have her aborted, but the abortion failed.  The girl also had a twin brother, and although they were both born alive, her brother died.  She struggled to forgive herself for living when her brother died, to forgive her birth mother for trying to kill her, and to forgive her adoptive parents because they had kept the truth from her for a long time.
In the movie there is a powerful message of forgiveness--that because God has forgiven us, we have the ability and the power to choose to forgive others.  Including ourselves.

As the movie was ending I dissolved in tears...because for the first time in a long time, I felt truly at peace with myself.  I realized that I was damaging myself by refusing forgiveness.  And so I let go.  I let go of the guilt I've been clinging to.  What a self-centered thing I had been doing.  It's not like it consumed my life...but it would come up at times, and I wouldn't just let it go.  But I believe God spoke to my heart today.  And so I've let go of the past, those sins that no one else would blame me for but for which I've been blaming myself.  The sins that Satan's been using to hurt my heart.

I read a Scripture verse on a blog today, and it applied so well to my blog, but also to God's gentle message to me today.  It's at the top of this page.  Scroll up and read it.

It's especially the last sentence of that verse that really means a lot to me right now.

I also love these other words of God about forgiveness:

"I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.  No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of the greatest," declares the Lord.  "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Jeremiah 31:33b-34

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor 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.  As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust."  Psalm 103:8-14

God doesn't remember my sins.  Jesus' sacrifice on the cross took care of that.  God has removed my sins from me; they are no longer part of my life.  He is gracious, not "fair"--I don't get what I deserve.  I deserve eternal punishment.

What God's given me is eternal life.  And grace, forgiveness, and everlasting love.

There is no reason for me to hang onto my guilt.  There is no reason to deny myself forgiveness, not when God has forgiven me long ago.  I am a saved, baptized, forgiven child of God.

And just as Jesus died to save me from MY sins, so he died to save you from yours.  Remember that verse at the top of the page?  That's for you, too.  When we repent of our sins--turn away from them--God is quick to forgive, and remind us of how much he loves us.

And he loves us so very much.

I hope you know that.  If you don't, please talk to me, or talk to a pastor or another Christian you know, who is walking with Jesus.  If you don't believe in Jesus in your personal Lord and Savior, he wants you to, so much!  He wants you to know that you are his child.

It's amazing how much Jesus loves us.  I've been reminded of that today, yet again, and I hope you know that in your heart, too.

Linking with: Growing Home, Heavenly Homemakers, Time-Warp Wife, Exceptionalistic 

Preparing for Eternity

I've been thinking about heaven lately.

It's not something I ponder all that often, although my mom tells me that when I was little I would talk a lot about wanting to be in heaven and with Jesus.  That has always been something I have looked forward to with great excitement and anticipation.

However, the last few days--especially with all the "hype" about the Mayan calendar's supposed prediction of the end of the world--I've been thinking a little more about heaven than usual.

On the way home from my in-laws' tonight (we had a wonderful Christmas with Joshua's family), I was looking out at the stars, and the snow glowing in the reflected moonlight, and thinking about the world and how long it will last.  Then I realized that it doesn't matter how long the world will last--one day, a week, a year, or a thousand years.  No matter when I die, or when Jesus comes back, I will go to heaven to be with him for eternity.

Eternity.  That's a really long time.

Eternity, to be with the God who created us, the Son who died for us, the Spirit who lives in our hearts.

Eternity, to talk with those people from the Bible who sometimes seem like characters in a wonderful story, but who were real people who walked and breathed and lived on earth, and who are living now in heaven.  Real people, part of the body of Christ in heaven and on earth, the body of which we, his children, are also a part.

People like Mary--who I've been thinking about a lot lately--and Paul (just imagine having a theological conversation with that guy!), and Adam and Eve, Moses, and King David.  People who lived lives that were not perfect, but who trusted in God and his promises.  People like us.

We'll get to meet them someday.  Because we know, we can trust and believe, that Jesus will come back for us to take us to live with him.

It changes my view of life, and my priorities.  Because if Jesus could come back any minute, what matters is not what my house looks like, but what my heart looks like.  "Let every heart prepare Him room," we sang today.  Are we preparing our hearts for the next coming of that newborn King?

I wish to live my life--each and every day--preparing my heart for eternity...

Born to die...and live

I find myself smiling every time I'm able to say "Merry Christmas" to someone in a store, or at work.  It's a reminder of what this holy day we're soon to celebrate is all about.  Signs and decorations proclaiming "Jesus is the reason for the season!" are great--and I agree with them--but do we ever stop to think about why Jesus came to earth?

God became flesh, taking the form of a human baby, so he could live as one of us...and die.

Jesus was born to die.

That was the goal of his life: to give it up in order to save ours.  To draw all people to himself.  To conquer sin, death, and the devil once and for all.

That baby lying in a manger, born in a humble stable, coming into the world naked and bawling?  Just about thirty-three years later, he would be humbled in another way--nailed, naked, to a rough wooden cross, hung high for all those around to see.  He would give up himself willingly--and Satan would think he had won.

But then, three days later, he would rise again.  His body would be whole and perfect.  And those who loved him proclaimed the news joyfully--He is risen!  Just as the angels had proclaimed to the shepherds--He is born!

Humbled, in order to be glorified.

Born, to die...and then live.

God made man, so that man could live eternally with God.

Emmanuel...God with us. 

That, my friends, is the reason for this holy season.  That is what Christmas is all about.

Why I'm Voting for Romney/Ryan (and why I'm not)

My husband and I just finished watching the vice-presidential political debate.  We watched the presidential one a couple weeks ago.  Watching these debates, and all the other political discussion and ads on TV lately, has reminded me of something: I am NOT voting for either candidate because I agree with them on everything.  Neither of the candidates has a plan with which I completely agree.

That's not a bad thing.  It's also to be expected.  As my dad says, "You're not voting for a person so much as you are for a platform."  The Republican party is one I can stand with on MOST things.  And I feel that after four years of disappointment in what President Obama has done, it's time for the other party to have a go, again, at running the country.

Paul Ryan proved why I like his platform in the debate this evening.  The moderator asked the VP candidates, "You are both Catholic--something that hasn't happened in a presidential race in a long time.  Based on your religion, what are your opinions on abortion?"

The Catholic church's stance on abortion is that it is wrong (because they believe that life begins at conception), with, as Ryan said, the exceptions of rape, incest, and threat to the mother's life.  That is also the stance of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and although I don't agree with it entirely, I can accept it.  Ryan pointed this out, and stated firmly once again his belief that life begins at conception.  He did not back down on this at all.

When posed with the same question, Biden also noted the Catholic church's stance, but that he believed every woman should have the opportunity to choose whether or not she wants to have an abortion.  It's not the government's right, he said, to deny women that opportunity--that right--to do what they want with their own bodies.

(Yes, I am paraphrasing what the men said.)

What I appreciated about Ryan was that he did not back down from saying that abortion is wrong, period.  He didn't contradict what his faith believes about the life of unborn children.  And he did say that yes, in a case of clear right and wrong, it IS the government's right to dictate what people can and can't do.  It's wrong to kill an adult person in cold blood except in cases of self-defense.  The government dictates that and has laws that uphold that.  Abortion should be no different.

So I am voting for Romney and Ryan because they uphold what I believe is right.  I think their plans regarding foreign policy, the war(s) on terrorism, nuclear weapons, and taxes in the US will do a lot of good and are the wisest decisions that the government can make right now.  I have confidence in their character, as much as I can considering they're politicians, and more importantly, I have confidence that God is in control, period, no matter who is in the White House.

That, finally, is what it all comes down to for me.  God is in charge.  Not the President of the United States, technically the most powerful person in the world.  Not the people of the United States who vote that President into office.  Not terrorists who murder those people of the United States.

God is in control.  I have full confidence in that.  No matter what happens politically, in relation to other countries, or to the economy, the fact that God's in charge will not ever change.  I know he will always take care of me.  I know that nothing that happens in the world can affect my eternal salvation.  And I know that God will always give me opportunities to stand up for my faith in him.

God himself does not need defending.  What we can do, and should do, as Christians is to speak up for what is right and denounce what is wrong.  We need to make clear what is of God and his Word and what is not.  That's what matters eternally--not the person who will be in the White House for the next four years.

Rely on God, my friends...not politicians.


P.S.  I'm glad to be writing again.  I've missed it, and I hope to write a little more often starting now.  Thanks to those of you who are still sticking with me!  You are a blessing.

looking at life with an eternal perspective

I was going to write a list of all the ways I use vinegar in my house.
It's pretty nifty, versatile stuff, so I might do that later.

But what's on my heart right now is something that my husband and I were talking about last night.
We were talking about perspective.

I came down yesterday with an annoying summer flu (stuffy nose, sore throat, aches, a little fever).  Also yesterday I found out about a friend with a sinus infection that has spread so far it's within less than an inch of her spinal cord and cerebellum.  She's a single mommy of twins and is having surgery in a few weeks.  A little flu is nothing to complain about.

My husband was telling me about his boss...his encouraging, funny, no-nonsense, and very kind boss.  He's been such a blessing, this man I don't even know.  My husband loves his job.  No, it doesn't make tons of money, but it's enough...and for the happiness that I see in Joshua's face when he comes home from work with more stories to share, I wouldn't trade this for anything.

We have a little apartment, yes...with a leaky window and hardly any counterspace.  But Joshua told me, "You make this place a beautiful home."  And it really is.  It's ours, we love it, we love living here.

And emailing with a new blogging friend this morning, reading other blog posts....  How do we look at our lives?  Do we measure them by the world's standards?  Do we compare ourselves to those who seem to have it all?  Or...

do we look at our life through God's eyes?  Do we see ourselves the way He sees us?  Do we place upon ourselves the worth He has given us?

Because as children of God, we are precious.  Priceless.  Treasured.

What happens when we look at life with an eternal perspective?


It should change everything.

This life is not all there is.  We're not doing things for the here and now.

At-home mothers, wives, homemakers: you are making an impact on your family for eternity.  You are raising your children to love and obey Jesus, and they will be among the believers in heaven someday.  And in their own lifetimes they will be given opportunities to share the Gospel as well.  As you bless your husband, encourage him and support him, you are enabling him to do his ministry for the Lord, wherever and whatever that may be.  As you make your home a place of beauty and rest, you are creating a place where the Holy Spirit dwells, which will bless every person who enters it.

Women and men who have jobs in the workplace (and everyone else, for that matter): you are lights in a dark world.  You have been given the opportunity to live the love of Jesus, even if you can't talk about it.  And maybe you're a pastor, a youth worker, a teacher in a Christian school, and then you have even more opportunity to spread the Gospel.

Everything we do has an eternal impact on the world.


Nothing is insignificant in God's eyes.  He calls us each to different vocations, and he works with each of us to do his work.

In this world we have troubles.  But Christ has overcome the world.  He has conquered sin, death, and Satan.  Our victory is WON!  We have nothing to fear.


Yes, we may struggle, with health, with finances, with relationships.  But those things will last such a short time when we look forward to eternity.  Compared to forever in heaven with Jesus, in a place of perfect rest and joy, the pain and suffering of this world is brief.

We were placed in the lives we have to bring the healing light of the Gospel to every suffering, painful place in this world.  We are here to point others to Jesus.  We are here to help give the world an eternal perspective--to help them see that in Christ, they have the victory.
 

My Sickness...HIS Suffering

So I've been down with a rather nasty case of influenza since Monday.  I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. Today is my second day home from school, and this is the girl who NEVER skips classes.  Today Hubby isn't feeling well either, so at least I don't have to stay home alone all day!

Since it's Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, I've been pondering the connections my physical illness has to my spiritual one.  This sickness is a result of the fact that spiritually I'm sick with sin.  Before I was baptized and given faith by the Holy Spirit, I was literally DEAD in my sin.  Now sin does not have control over me like it once did--I'm not going to die permanently from its presence in my life--but it still rears its ugly head on a regular basis and causes much frustration, pain, and suffering in my life.

Then it hit me: I don't REALLY suffer all that much for the sins I've committed.  Yes, I have to deal with the consequences.  Sometimes they're very serious ones that affect my life and the lives of those around me.  Sometimes they cause feelings of guilt that I have to deal with until I realize, once again, God's amazing forgiveness.

But here's the thing: compared to how Jesus suffered on the cross, my sufferings are pretty minimal.  First of all, having the flu is nothing compared to being beaten nearly to death, being nailed to a cross, and then hanging there for six hours until He finally died.  The worst of it?  Jesus was literally, completely separated from God.  Because He took the sin of the whole world on Him, God couldn't bear to be in his presence, because of God's complete perfection.

Jesus took the physical sufferings  and the separation from God that I deserve--on HIMSELF.


Yes, I am sick with sin.  But MY sin caused HIM to die.

The incredible thing is, the story doesn't end there.  Yes, He suffered.  Yes, He died.  But Jesus is not only Man--He is GOD.  And as God, He didn't stay dead.  After conquering Satan, sin, and death completely, Jesus rose from the dead.  And He is still alive.  And He has promised that I and everyone who believes in Him will not die forever.  We will not have to endure eternal separation from God--or even get a taste of it like Jesus did.

And the physical suffering that we endure now, in this life?  Those won't last forever.  Compared to what a lot of people experience, this sickness I have is so short, so mild, so temporary.  But even the worst illness will be healed completely in time.  And in heaven, there will be no more sickness, no more pain, no more suffering.  The perfect bodies we will have there will last for eternity, because we will be with God.

All because of what Jesus did for us.

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thankfulness of things tangible and things intangible.

I am thankful for my husband's extravagant love.  He helps me around the house.  He does laundry while I'm at class and work.  He works hard to help support our little family.  He blesses me with gifts, with little cards to surprise me, with a getaway last weekend!

I am thankful that my failures don't make me who I am: that God does not count them against me, but sees me as his precious child, holy, forgiven, sanctified.

I am thankful that I don't have to live focused on my sinful self.  I am always sinful, but I am always a child of God: holy, sanctified, forgiven--a saint of God.  This is my life, too.  God lets me be a worker in his kingdom, in ways that I don't always know about, but ways that always give him glory.

I am thankful for my amazing friends, women (and a few men, too!) who make me smile, who encourage me, who help strengthen my faith, who share their wisdom with me, who encourage me, who love me for who I am.

I am thankful for my parents, and my parents-in-law: people who bless us without ever expecting anything in return.  They pray for us all the time, they do sweet things to surprise us (like the Valentine's Day package my mom sent today!), they have raised us to believe in and love God, and continue to encourage us in our faith.

I am thankful for time to do homework.  Time to do housework.  Time to be with my husband.  Time, most importantly, to spend time with God.

I am thankful for the reminder that there is so much more beyond this life.  Earth isn't all there is.  This life isn't all there is.  To me, this gives meaning to my life right now: knowing that there is more to come.  Eternity with God.  Everything here points to my life with him in heaven.  Suffering won't last.  Sickness won't last.  War will cease.  Poverty will disappear.  Sorrow will stop.  Death will end.  This life has purpose and meaning, always.