Annie

Is this picture of

A) Annie's annual kool aid bath

B) Fingerpaint

C) A bloody scene

D) violation of child labor laws through producing strawberry wine

(Note-If you guessed B and have a one year old, two year old, three year old and four year old present, finger painting in a little crazy)

Look

My favorite App on my phone is one that I downloaded by accident. It is from National Geographic and it changes my background every day to a new picture and tells me where it is and a little about it...it shows me things from all over the world (today it's the Rio Negro in Brazil, yesterday the Badab Sourt Spring in Iran, the day before that it was El Capitan in Yellowstone National Park). I have really enjoyed waking up and looking at my phone, I'm met with awe of seeing what God did each morning.

Today I am met in awe again, not just by my a picture on my phone, but of a tomb. An empty tomb. An empty tomb that declares loudly that justice has been satisfied and I have been justified. The punishment for sin has been payed in full, Jesus' blood has satisfied it. Though my sins were like scarlet, they have been made white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). A debt I could not pay, payed for me. It's one of the ultimate look what God did moments and for that I praise God.

How Deep the Father's Love for us

It's a big day for me...I finally figured out how to add a youtube video to my post! (Note-It is rather easy, I was just to stubborn to ask) So to celebrate here are two great videos of Jesus.

Allegiance

So a little known fact about me...sometimes I listen to Christian Radio. Sometimes it is because some of the songs I like, sometimes I like the cheesiness of some song and words spoken (note-so sorry if you listen to Christian radio and don't find anything cheesy...ignore my last statement) and yet other times I forget to change it (this is mostly the funniest when I finally realize that I have been listening to static for quite sometime after driving out of range).

As you may have guessed I am going to talk about lyrics to a song that I find end up somewhere between cheesy and unhelpful. It's lyrics set to an upbeat catchy tune, that I find myself singing along with. They suggested that Christianity should be

More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart

Than giving my allegiance

It is the second half of that where I find my biggest problem, for the simple reason that it seems to elevate emotions (losing my heart) over the truth (my allegiance). With is incredibly unhelpful especially because my heart sometimes does not feel lost at all, it feels very focused on me, my wants, my needs, me.

It is for that reason I find allegiance more of a comfort and truth. My allegiance is to Christ. My loyalty, as one whose citizenship is of Heaven (Philippians 3:20), is to the Lord of Heaven and earth. This is true when my heart seems lost and when it's focused on me. The Word of my Lord is good news to me either way, when my emotions line up with truth and when that don't.

Here is a song that gets it right.

1. My hope is built on nothing less
   Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
   I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
   But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
   • Refrain:
     On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
     All other ground is sinking sand,
     All other ground is sinking sand.
2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
   I rest on His unchanging grace;
   In every high and stormy gale,
   My anchor holds within the veil.
3. His oath, His covenant, His blood
   Support me in the whelming flood;
   When all around my soul gives way,
   He then is all my hope and stay.
4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
   Oh, may I then in Him be found;
   Dressed in His righteousness alone,
   Faultless to stand before the throne.

Tears for a Saint

My brother called me on Friday to take advantage of these present times, which he was reminded (and reminded me) how fleeting these times are. His friend died Thursday night. He was a pastor at the church Jake goes to. He died along with his baby son in a house fire. Upon hanging up with him I grabbed one of the toddler twins I was bathing at the time and cried and prayed for the family...I am pretty sure both girls thought I was crazy.

This man, Derek, had come home from Together for the Gospel

Conference, the same conference my pastors were at this week, Picked

up his 5 month old son, as his wife and two daughter were visiting family

in FL, went home, put the baby to bed and that night they both died.

In a sense this is really sad, they leave behind a wife/mother and two little girls and countless family members in Christ. In another sense this is joyous as it always is when a Saint (redeemed sinner/Christian) is buried. Borrowing from the hymn Jesus, I my cross have taking, Derek's hope has changed to glad fruition, his faith to sight and prayers to praise. It has been encouraging and challenging to look at Derek's life, a man who preached the Gospel; the sinless for the sinners, repentance and Christ's love. He leaves a legacy of a man who promoted the truth, a truth that will out last us all.

Here is a link for their obituary. You should read it.

Here is a link to a letter written by Derek's wife. You should probably read it too.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures -1 Corinthians 15:3