We decided over the weekend that it was time to shop for a new refrigerator. Our old one is over 15 years old, and we thought it would be better to buy a new one while the current one was still running.
There is an outlet store not far from us that sells appliances that have been damaged during shipping. The discounts for a scratch here or a small dent there are enormous, so that was our designated stop. We hadn't expected to buy this weekend. We were just going to price; but the refrigerator we ended with was just too big a deal to pass up.
Of course, we didn't buy right away. We went home, prayed, and did some research. We discovered our old refrigerator used twice as much electricity as the newer one! And the newer one was about 7 cubic feet bigger!!
When my husband went back to the store later that evening, he paid the price on the tag which was about 40% off retail. He picked the refrigerator up on Sunday and it is now sitting in our kitchen keeping very quiet (our old one was starting to get noisy) and looking tall and regal.
I was reminded of our lives before we accepted Jesus into our hearts. Sin made us old and noisy and about ready to fall apart. We used up a lot of energy and weren't very efficient. When we accepted the price that Christ paid for us on the cross, we became brand new. We weren't and aren't perfect. There may be a few dents or scratches from our old ways that need to be smoothed out over time, but we are clean and we run smoothly because the Lord has made our hearts work properly.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new." If you have already accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, rejoice. You are a new creation in the eyes of God. If you haven't, turn to Him. Ask Him to recreate you so that you can toss out the old, sinful ways, and begin life anew.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Weekend Reflection
"Let your speech always be with grace,
seasoned with salt,
that you may know how you ought to answer each one."
Colossians 4:6
Friday, March 28, 2008
Time Is Flying By
Have you noticed how fast the days are flying by? Didn't we just celebrate Christmas? Before you know it we will be making our New Year's resolutions for 2009!
The problem with this apparent speeding of time is that we don't get to finish all that we need and want to accomplish. Projects get pushed aside because we can't find the time to work on them. Goals we have set for ourselves lose their value because we get distracted with other pressing matters.
Although it seems like an impossible task, I think there are solutions to help us make good use of our time. First, make a list of things you would like to do, both long term and short term. Next, tackle the easy projects first to get them off your list. At the same time, allow yourself a set time each day to work on your long term projects.
For example, if you want to work on your memoirs, allow fifteen minutes a day to write. You will be amazed at what you will have written in a month. Maybe you want to work on planting a garden this Spring. Spend a half hour each day doing things like drawing out plans, buying seeds, or preparing the ground for planting. By scheduling in the big project each day or every other day, you will make a dent into what normally would be a daunting task.
The point is to set the time and follow through. Nothing will ever be accomplished by wishful thinking. Action, even if it's a little at a time, will get those projects done.
What is it that you would like to accomplish this year? Make an asserted effort to do a bit each day, and watch those projects, instead of time, fly by.
The problem with this apparent speeding of time is that we don't get to finish all that we need and want to accomplish. Projects get pushed aside because we can't find the time to work on them. Goals we have set for ourselves lose their value because we get distracted with other pressing matters.
Although it seems like an impossible task, I think there are solutions to help us make good use of our time. First, make a list of things you would like to do, both long term and short term. Next, tackle the easy projects first to get them off your list. At the same time, allow yourself a set time each day to work on your long term projects.
For example, if you want to work on your memoirs, allow fifteen minutes a day to write. You will be amazed at what you will have written in a month. Maybe you want to work on planting a garden this Spring. Spend a half hour each day doing things like drawing out plans, buying seeds, or preparing the ground for planting. By scheduling in the big project each day or every other day, you will make a dent into what normally would be a daunting task.
The point is to set the time and follow through. Nothing will ever be accomplished by wishful thinking. Action, even if it's a little at a time, will get those projects done.
What is it that you would like to accomplish this year? Make an asserted effort to do a bit each day, and watch those projects, instead of time, fly by.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Abundant Evidence
Since this was Easter vacation for my kids, we decided to take a field trip down to Santee (near San Diego, California) to visit the Institute for Creation Research Museum. The drive was long, but the day was beautiful, making for a pleasant excursion.
Although small, the museum was packed with an enormous amount of information that supported Creationism. It was laid out in a series of rooms that basically unfolded time from the first day of creation to the present century. I would have loved to linger through the rooms reading and observing all the carefully created displays, but with six children ranging from ages seven to 14 (I had my niece and nephew along), the attention spans varied. I had to be satisfied with scanning most of the information. It's a good thing I'm a fast reader.
I particularly liked the abundant amount of evidence to support the idea that we were created beings. We were not accidentally formed by a supercharge of electricity that pulsated through some over-proteinized ooze. There is design and detail in this world. Everything has purpose and reason.
It takes more faith to believe that we were once slime and now have rational thought; that we evolved from monkeys and are now swinging down the halls of commerce and productivity instead of swinging from tree to tree. I'd rather believe in a God who loves me and has a special plan for me than believe I have no value because I was formed from a pool of goop. The evidence for a Divine Creator is all around us. It is available to anyone willing to examine the data with an honest evaluation.
I'm glad I matter to God. Try to remember that you matter to Him, too!
Although small, the museum was packed with an enormous amount of information that supported Creationism. It was laid out in a series of rooms that basically unfolded time from the first day of creation to the present century. I would have loved to linger through the rooms reading and observing all the carefully created displays, but with six children ranging from ages seven to 14 (I had my niece and nephew along), the attention spans varied. I had to be satisfied with scanning most of the information. It's a good thing I'm a fast reader.
I particularly liked the abundant amount of evidence to support the idea that we were created beings. We were not accidentally formed by a supercharge of electricity that pulsated through some over-proteinized ooze. There is design and detail in this world. Everything has purpose and reason.
It takes more faith to believe that we were once slime and now have rational thought; that we evolved from monkeys and are now swinging down the halls of commerce and productivity instead of swinging from tree to tree. I'd rather believe in a God who loves me and has a special plan for me than believe I have no value because I was formed from a pool of goop. The evidence for a Divine Creator is all around us. It is available to anyone willing to examine the data with an honest evaluation.
I'm glad I matter to God. Try to remember that you matter to Him, too!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
A Gamble
I've noticed something lately. I'm seeing more shows and advertisements about gambling. If it's not "Deal or No Deal" where the contestant chooses a suitcase hoping it contains a million dollars, then it's billboards on the freeway announcing 1,300 new slots at an Indian casino in the desert.
Another billboard boasts about the next lotto jackpot. Television commercials show a happy couple winning big at the black jack tables. Getting what seems to be easy money is the big push nowadays.
I tried my hand at gambling many, many years ago when I took a quick trip to Las Vegas, Nevada with my cousin. We played a variety of slot machines and the Keno game. I was daring at one point and played the dollar slots. For awhile I was doing pretty well, winning a tidy sum, but then I started to lose. Eventually all my winnings were used up and I had to decide whether to invest any more of my vacation money or just stop playing. I chose to stop.
Gambling establishments use lights, sounds, and colors to make their casinos enticing and attractive. They give you the impression that it's easy to win, but if that were really true, they'd all be out of business. I have long decided that the thrill of the play is not worth losing my hard earned money. The odds are definitely not in my favor.
It's too bad people don't realize that they are gambling with eternity when they don't accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. They think the odds are with them that they'll go to heaven on their own merit. Others think they will have that last chance to accept Christ at the moment of death.
The Bible tells us that the only way to get to heaven is through Jesus. No amount of betting or manipulating the odds will change that. Jesus is a sure thing. Why gamble on your eternal life? Jesus is the only way to win big.
Another billboard boasts about the next lotto jackpot. Television commercials show a happy couple winning big at the black jack tables. Getting what seems to be easy money is the big push nowadays.
I tried my hand at gambling many, many years ago when I took a quick trip to Las Vegas, Nevada with my cousin. We played a variety of slot machines and the Keno game. I was daring at one point and played the dollar slots. For awhile I was doing pretty well, winning a tidy sum, but then I started to lose. Eventually all my winnings were used up and I had to decide whether to invest any more of my vacation money or just stop playing. I chose to stop.
Gambling establishments use lights, sounds, and colors to make their casinos enticing and attractive. They give you the impression that it's easy to win, but if that were really true, they'd all be out of business. I have long decided that the thrill of the play is not worth losing my hard earned money. The odds are definitely not in my favor.
It's too bad people don't realize that they are gambling with eternity when they don't accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. They think the odds are with them that they'll go to heaven on their own merit. Others think they will have that last chance to accept Christ at the moment of death.
The Bible tells us that the only way to get to heaven is through Jesus. No amount of betting or manipulating the odds will change that. Jesus is a sure thing. Why gamble on your eternal life? Jesus is the only way to win big.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Stubborn Stains
I had warned her. I strictly asked my seven year old to be careful when she went outside because she was wearing a beautiful pair of pink shorts for the very first time, and I didn't want them to get stained. I should have asked her to change her clothes. Now there are two spots on the back that won't come out. I tried using a stain stick and re-washing, but to no avail. The stain has set. Her shorts will move from the nice clothes pile to the play clothes pile. Too bad she only wore them once.
My mother taught me a few tricks about stubborn stains. Put a bit of flour on grease stains and then use a stain stick. Use hair spray for ink. Use cold water for blood. My problem with these shorts was that I didn't see the stain before I threw them into the washer. It wasn't until I was transferring the clothes to the dryer that I noticed the trouble. That's when I applied the stain stick and re-washed. I should have been more observant earlier.
We carry the stain of our sins with us. Mistakes we made will leave some type of mark on our attitudes or in our relationships. Time will fade and discolor the original markings, but some hint will always be there. Only God has the power to clean away the residue of our past. His special cleaning agent is made from a very unusual ingredient: the blood of Jesus Christ. It is only through Christ's sacrifice on the cross can our stain be scrubbed away and we can be made white as snow. Through His healing power, the scars our sins left behind (fear, hate, doubt, anger, etc.) will start to fade. It we trust Him to work in our lives, the scars will eventually disappear.
Have you tried to scrub out the stubborn stains in your life only to fail in the process? Let God wipe away your stains so you can be sparkling bright.
My mother taught me a few tricks about stubborn stains. Put a bit of flour on grease stains and then use a stain stick. Use hair spray for ink. Use cold water for blood. My problem with these shorts was that I didn't see the stain before I threw them into the washer. It wasn't until I was transferring the clothes to the dryer that I noticed the trouble. That's when I applied the stain stick and re-washed. I should have been more observant earlier.
We carry the stain of our sins with us. Mistakes we made will leave some type of mark on our attitudes or in our relationships. Time will fade and discolor the original markings, but some hint will always be there. Only God has the power to clean away the residue of our past. His special cleaning agent is made from a very unusual ingredient: the blood of Jesus Christ. It is only through Christ's sacrifice on the cross can our stain be scrubbed away and we can be made white as snow. Through His healing power, the scars our sins left behind (fear, hate, doubt, anger, etc.) will start to fade. It we trust Him to work in our lives, the scars will eventually disappear.
Have you tried to scrub out the stubborn stains in your life only to fail in the process? Let God wipe away your stains so you can be sparkling bright.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Family
I had a great time with family yesterday. My cousins, grandmother, mother, aunt, sister, niece and nephew, and my family met up at my Mom's to celebrate Easter. We hugged, conversed, laughed, ate, laughed some more, and just had a wonderful afternoon of fellowship. I love getting together on holidays.
Our busy lives don't allow us much extra time to get together than those few days a year. Work, school, distance and extra curricular activities are some of the reasons we don't see each other more often. We also all have different friends, so we don't associate with the same people.
Have you thought how it will be in heaven when the members of God's family get together? Even though we will come from different backgrounds and different regions of the world, we will be united because of our common love of Jesus. We will have automatic kinsmanship as if we had always known one another.
Because our main purpose in heaven will be to worship and glorify God, we won't be worried about leaving our time of fellowship because of work the next day or a school assignment that needs finishing. We will want to stay and interact with our fellow believers in open praise to our Lord and King. Our thoughts will be focused on God and not ourselves.
Will you be joining me in heaven for fellowship with God? I'm looking forward to praising Him with you!
Our busy lives don't allow us much extra time to get together than those few days a year. Work, school, distance and extra curricular activities are some of the reasons we don't see each other more often. We also all have different friends, so we don't associate with the same people.
Have you thought how it will be in heaven when the members of God's family get together? Even though we will come from different backgrounds and different regions of the world, we will be united because of our common love of Jesus. We will have automatic kinsmanship as if we had always known one another.
Because our main purpose in heaven will be to worship and glorify God, we won't be worried about leaving our time of fellowship because of work the next day or a school assignment that needs finishing. We will want to stay and interact with our fellow believers in open praise to our Lord and King. Our thoughts will be focused on God and not ourselves.
Will you be joining me in heaven for fellowship with God? I'm looking forward to praising Him with you!
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