Thank you to Amy Harden www.cyberhotflash.com for asking this question:

Keep the Sabbath Sacred. What does that mean to you?

As promised, here is my answer. Please comment, discuss, tawk amongst ya-selves, especially if you think I'm completely off base. Luv ya's!

The Sabbath in the Old Testament is a type (picture/representation) of resting because of the finished work of Christ. Besides the scripture, common sense and natural law tell us that God gave us night for resting and that we can't thrive without recreation. I include spiritual recreation in my life on a daily basis, just as I eat food and breathe air, and because this life is short...eternity is long. If I keep the "Sabbath" at least spiritually, every day, I will naturally fulfill His law whether it's on Saturday, Sunday or Tuesday, Hebrew calendar, Gregorian calendar, solar calendar, daylight savings time, etc. etc. Just as Jesus healed on the Pharisee's "Sabbath", in Him, we do not need to fear the "law", but understand what, should I say Who the law actually is. He is LORD of the Sabbath. He IS (fulfilled) the law. He IS the Sabbath rest. The Sabbath is not doing, because there is nothing we can do to gain salvation. That is not to say that once we accept adoption into God’s kingdom through Christ, we should do nothing, or that we should do anything we want.

Before doing what we should, we must remember that no action, no ritual does any good without love.

1 Corinthians 13:3 - And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Matthew Henry's Commentary says:

“The excellent way had in view in the close of the former chapter, is not what is meant by charity in our common use of the word, almsgiving, but love in its fullest meaning; true love to God and man. Without this, the most glorious gifts are of no account to us, of no esteem in the sight of God. A clear head and a deep understanding, are of no value without a benevolent and charitable heart. There may be an open and lavish hand, where there is not a liberal and charitable heart. Doing good to others will do none to us, if it be not done from love to God, and good-will to men. If we give away all we have, while we withhold the heart from God, it will not profit. Nor even the most painful sufferings. How are those deluded who look for acceptance and reward for their good works, which are as scanty and defective as they are corrupt and selfish!”

So, when the new Covenant given to us in Jesus’ blood began:

Acts 4:32…all of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them [z]claimed that anything belonging to him was his own (it all belonged to Him)…33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 34 For there was not a needy person among them…More is recorded about how the believers were in contact on a daily basis.

Later, when they were scattered away from Jerusalem and others began to believe, Jesus’ teaching reminded them that even…”where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”Matthew 18:20. He promised this would be true regardless of where the gathering took place, so that when I “gathered” to walk, talk and pray in the park with my sister yesterday, He was there. This word “gathering” is the same Greek word “synago” that is used in Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling (synago) of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

One last commentary of Hebrews 10:25-31 says:

“Believers are to consider how they can be of service to each other, especially stirring up each other to the more vigorous and abundant exercise of love, and the practice of good works. The communion of believers is a great help and privilege, and a means of steadfastness and perseverance. We should observe the coming of times of trial, and be thereby quickened to greater diligence. There is a trying day coming on all men, the day of our death."

Feeling like a slug

This is not to toot my own horn. I was starting to feel guilty that I hadn’t done much today, so I decided to write down exactly what I did. I know you feel the same sometimes.

What I did today -

Exercised

Read non-fiction

Ate a healthy breakfast

Prayed, read and shared scripture online

Talked to BFF on phone

Encouraged some online friends

Ate a healthy lunch

Called my Dad

Made homemade tortilla chips for a friend’s birthday

Played Words With Friends for ½ hour

Gave hubby a massage

Ate a healthy dinner

Wrote this post.

Seeing it in writing, I don’t feel so bad after all. Besides, guilt comes from our enemy…”There is therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” My heart just smiled. See?...

I have a dirty little secret.

My husband is my servant.

He's really not, but that's how he makes me feel. Friday morning he asked me to go to one of his doctor appointments with him, which is different. When I was working, I couldn’t go all the time. Of course I said sure, just wake me up an hour before we need to leave. I woke up to him coming in already dressed because he had let me sleep in through the whole appointment! I felt so sad, ashamed and guilty I cried, but partly because of his thoughtfulness to me.

True, he’s one who finds it difficult to sit still; but even with all he’s been through, he truly treats me like his queen.

It’s almost embarrassing how much he does for me. Not enough for me to keep silent about it anymore, though. He starts with bringing me coffee every morning, and ends by always making sure the house is locked up at night. He didn’t always treat me like this, and if you were to ask him, he’d say that we have a true partnership...that I do as much for him. I guess that’s what really makes me feel like royalty. He respects me and my opinions or ways of doing things that he recognizes might be better than his so that we work together really well now. Instead of being embarrassed, it’s time I reveled in his goodness to me and honored him with my little confession.

A Christmas Token

Dear Lord, my heart is breaking that I can't even afford to buy my kids in Sunday School a little gift for Christmas. Father, I have chosen You and Your ways again, and I'm going to have to learn to trust You if I'm going to survive and thrive in this renewed life. I know this. Still, how can I teach them by example how to give if I can't give just a small token? They are so small and innocent, just 2 and 3 years old, Father; but then You know all of this. PEACE on Earth You say. You, Whose name is Breath. "Breathe, Gina...breathe Me in. Breathe in peace, breathe out worry. Someone else is taking care of them. I AM." As she concentrated on exhaling the stress, giving it to the One Who could take it, she continued dusting the furniture in their cozy first home.

Gina had known for a while now that it's truly more blessed to give than to receive. First, she had been reckless with her finances, making it impossible to even give her parents and sister anything for Christmas a few years back. The sad and sick feeling that started to make her stomach churn and squeeze out the tears made the bright and beautiful season of joy she had always loved, crushing and shaming. How would she face them with nothing substantial to represent how much she really loved them and her new brother-in-law?

What a sweet surprise it had been that Rick and Stacy had ended up together! When the childhood friends finally admitted romantic feelings for each other during High School, it was still a bit of a puzzle for the analytical Gina to figure out. They were absolute opposites…a perfect, complimentary fit. Stacey was going to need someone like him, almost like herself, her big sister. Now that they were both married, it gave her hope that she and her own husband would weather the storms they had gone through in their shorter marriage.

Just as Gina had brought her own debt to their budget, he had brought his impulsive spending done “for her”. Money was tight, it’s rare when it’s not, and Gina’s husband had “surprised” her with several major decisions without so much as a “how about we…?” For some reason, he was not at all happy that she had recently decided to take their little boy to church and raise him to know the Lord. Oh, he said he believed in God; but he had experienced so much confusion and deep pain in his young, just barely 30-year life. She prayed, “Lord, help him to understand that our son’s eternity is at stake, even if he won’t recognize how he needs You himself.”

As a teenager, she had learned that “without faith it is impossible to please God” and “faith without works is dead”. She had always been a do-er…a classic over-achiever. So when she heard there was a need of teachers for the little ones, she saw a way to try and please God while serving “the least of these”. Now she was stuck between trying to please God and please, or not dis-please her husband by asking for a few dollars for a small treat for them. She would probably hear, “I can’t give you any more until next payday”. It was the same every payday. So Gina kept on doing what her hands found to do, and silently thanked the Lord for her little home, asked Him to keep her Police Officer husband safe and to prepare the best possible future for their son.

When she came to the bookcase, Gina lifted the blue and white Chinese ginger jar to dust beneath it. As she went to set it back down, she wondered what might be inside. She lifted the little round top and there was a five dollar bill. Now she knew for certain that no matter what the future would hold for her and her little family, she would always find enough to share. Her Father and the childrens' is One and the Same. The tears that sprung up in her eyes this time made her feel like a shimmering, twinkle-lit fountain.



 
Psalm 50:10 “For every beast of the forest is Mine,


The cattle on a thousand hills.

11 “I know every bird of the mountains,

And everything that moves in the field is [d]Mine.

12 “If I were hungry I would not tell you,

For the world is Mine, and [e]all it contains.

Lawbreakers and Lovers - Act II or Do What You Want

This post isn't so much about Lovers, but more about Lawbreakers, delight, life goals and personal desires. It's not as much about rules and what God doesn't want, but what He does.

Maybe you don't really care what God wants. Still, I think you'll find it interesting whether you are a believer in Him or wonder such things as, "If there is a God, and He's supposedly good, why does He allow suffering?"

http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2009/08/30/what-is-gods-will-for-you/

Here's love from me to you!

A really great day

Hello again!

Today was the day for our free carpet cleaning. Truth be told, it was bartered. Our nice cleaner knows all we've been through in the last few years, so he offered in exchange for us placing flyers around some neighborhoods. That worked in nicely with Michael's job selling roofing.

I order to be out of the house, we went out for Einstein's Bagels this morning with our coupon for 1/2 off. Then we headed over to spend the day with Erin and Brian, our newlyweds.

Aren't they sweet?

We watched a great movie - Charlie St. Cloud, then Erin and I went to pick up burger fixings. Oh, how I've looked forward to a day like this! Spending time with my adult kids is one of my most treasured activities. I am so very thankful that Erin and Brian are settling in, and close by. Those of you with children know that the years fly by all too quickly when they're young. We are truly blessed.

Here's a shot of our nice, clean carpets.

While we were there, Erin made us a CD of their wedding pics, so we came home and enjoyed seeing what fun we all had with SNOW on May 1st, remembering how everyone pitched in and punted to make it a wonderful beginning to their lives together.

Lawbreakers and Lovers

"Your law is my delight" (Psalm 119:77). Every one redeemed of the Lord should now find that their "delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law (they) meditate day and night" (Psalm 1:2).  Most people have standards that keep them from exhibiting behaviors like those seen in the Caylee Anthony case, child-molesting religious figures, Rupert Murdoch, terrorists, etc., etc. But delight in God's law? That's pushing things.

Most of us occasionally feel trapped, anxious, powerless, discontented if not poor, unloved, hopeless, lonely, judged, betrayed, tired, left out, or fearful. More and more people are feeling miserable every day. A lot of people seem as if they're just, well...cursed. We'd much rather experience freedom, peace, power, contentment, generosity, unconditional love, hope, loving and trusting marriages and relationships with family and friends, acceptance, rest, a positive outlook.

What if you knew that following God's law guaranteed you would experience these? That certainly would be delightful! I'm not saying that nothing bad ever happens, and neither does God in His word. If we're completely honest, we must admit that we sometimes bring this negative stuff on ourselves; and what other people choose to do is beyond our control. My experience has been that even in the midst of some pretty negative stuff, we can have peace, acceptance and all the rest to make life more than bearable...abundant, even!

How, you ask, do you get this, Deb?

Here's a little exercise to help ease your summer boredom. Get your Bible or www.biblegateway.com and go to Exodus chapter 20. See if you can find mention of the things listed above. Keep in mind that each negative has a positive opposite. Really think about (meditate on) what's being said. Meditate a little more.

There is a law that supersedes all of these. That's right, it's the law of love. You'll find it in Deuteronomy 6:5 and again, spoken by the One Who fulfilled it in Luke 10:27. If you love the Lord, love Him more deeply. If you've never considered it, I pray that He and His law will become a delight to you.