An act of Grace

What is Grace? Grace is God's Riches at Christ's Expense. Grace is getting/receiving something we do not deserve. We had been doing a campaign at church called Captured by Grace by David Jeremiah. Our Sunday School lessons were tailored to go along with the whole campaign. There was a "Grace Challenge" each week for the kids.

Week One's challenge was to take somebody else's punishment for something to show them grace. Well, no one did it. It was a little frustrating but oh well. Well, week after week no one was really doing the challenges. Week 5 arrived and Brad taught our 1st - 3rd graders that day. He reiterated the previous weeks Grace Challenges to all the kids.

Our little Gabe was listening. That night we put the kids to bed and I was coming up the stairs to see Brad leading Gabe into our room. Here's what happened next:

Me: "What's going on here?"

Brad: "Justin got out of bed so Gabe has to get a spankin'."

Me: "What?"

Brad: "Son, get up on the bed for your spankin'. You're not gonna fight me, right?"

Gabe: "Okay Daddy I won't."

Brad raises his hand up to spank Gabe and Gabe's whole body tightens up. Brad brought his hand down...

Brad: "Gabe, buddy, I can't spank you."

Gabe: "Why?"

Brad: "Because I'm not God."

Brad then took Gabe back into bed and Justin was extremely concerned with his brother getting spanked. Brad told Justin that if he got out of bed again he WOULD get a spankin'. Brad came out and I asked him what had happened and this is what he said...

"Justin got out of bed so I told him to come to our room so I could spank him. Then Gabe spoke up and said, 'No Daddy, don't spank Justin. I want to show him Grace. Spank me instead.'"

I had tears in my eyes as I thought of how brave my little guy was. He was willing to take a spanking for his brother. That is love.

Random Thoughts

I cannot type a post and sing a song at the same time. It's too much processing. =)

Justin

Justin knows when Brad is traveling and he knows that when Daddy is gone he sleeps in Mommy and Daddy's bed. Without fail, we pray and he says, "Can I sleep in your bed now?" And of course I say, "Go ahead...just go to sleep!" He is getting to be so big!!! He is developing a sense of humor.

We were on our way to Super Target today and he says, "Oh, there's a Starbucks." I said, "What?" I knew that there was no Starbucks around. He started laughing and says, "HA HA...made you look!" And then he irrupted into giggles. He's silly...

I had to take a break from writting this post...Justin is in my bed and he wanted me to lay with him. I told him that he was going to have to wait for a couple minutes because I was doing something. The little boy tore at my heart when he said, "You don't never have time for me." Typically, I will lay with him for a couple minutes but I wanted to write this post so I told him to wait....He killed me! As I was laying with him I told him, "You are my baby." He says, "No I not, I your kid. Ben-juh-min your baby."

My Vegetable Garden

Okay, so I'm trying to "Go Green"....sometimes I'm doing good and other times not so good...BUT on Saturday, I spent the day weeding our garden. And then, I planted 6 tomato plants, 5 pepper plants (although Brad let the kids pick them out and we now have 2 hot banana peppers, 1 green, and 2 sweet pepper plants) and a japanese egg plant! I still have to plant my cucumbers, peas, and beans. Our strawberries are doing wonderful! We should have some yummy stawberries before too long. MMMM....

Benjamin's Finger

Last week Benjamin cut his finger on a lid to a can of olives. I thought we were going to have to take him into the ER for stitches, but thankfully we got the bleeding to stop. The next morning it kept bleeding. I wound up taking him into the doctor. It was pretty sad...she cleaned up his finger, put a piece of gauze on it and then wrapped his whole hand in an ace bandage. I felt terrible for him! Granted, the ace bandage lasted only for about an hour before he ripped it off. The good news is that it didn't become infected. I was thrilled about that!

My Weight Loss Nightmare

Okay, so I'm trying to lose weight. Brad and I are coming up on our 5 year anniversary in September and I would *LOVE* to be back down to my pre-wedding/dating weight. I am disgusted when I look in the mirror. I can't stand the way that I look! And so many people say, "Well, you've had 2 babies." SO!?!?!?! Yes, I've had 2 babies, but that doesn't matter. Just because I've had 2 babies doesn't mean that I've been given the green light to gain more weight. I've got a long road ahead of me.

This past week I did great on my exercise and water and I did pretty good on my eating, but did I lose weight? Of course not. I gained weight. It KILLS ME! I don't get it. I don't understand why when I try to do so good that it backfires on me. If I don't try to lose weight, do I gain? No, I've been at least staying the same. GRRR!!! It is so stinking frustrating! I want to lose weight. I want to do it for me. I want to be happy with the way I look. I want to not feel self-conscious everywhere I go.

Here's to a smaller me this next week.

My Girls...

I am so proud of my smartty pants girls! They have been accepted into the M.A.P. class for next year. They will be in the same class together. I think it will be great for Haeley to have a little healthy competition from her little sister. Haeley has a field trip coming up next week. The 3rd grade class gets to stay overnight at the zoo! Hopefully Haeley will not bring home any bad grades over the next week and she'll be able to go. With it being the end of the year she has started slacking off. Brad and I told her if she doesn't straighten up then NO ZOO trip. I don't want to see that taken from her. More info to come on the M.A.P. class later. We have an information meeting on the 15th. I'll fill in all the details later. =)

It's been awhile...

So I know...It's been quite awhile since I have sat down and blogged. So here we go...

As I'm sitting here typing this I am listening to the beautiful sounds of sibling rivalry. Haeley and Jasmine are at that age where all they do is fight....and they fight over EVERYTHING! It gets to be very annoying. The joys of sisterhood.

The past couple days have been pretty eventful. Thursday we discovered a tick on Jasmine's head. I don't know how long it had been there, but it was pretty big. Thankfully, after my research I found out that it was not a deer tick (they carry Lyme disease) but it appeared to be a dog tick. On Friday, we discovered some bumps on her head. We called our pediatrician and she told us to keep an eye on the bumps and let her know if they get bigger or if she gets fever. Brad and I kept a close eye on them and Monday morning took us to the doctor. Jasmine had/has a skin infection from the tick bite...Poor girl. She is on antibiotic twice a day for the next ten days. whoo hoo.

Haeley has pretty much decided that listening is over-rated since she knows everything. And I suppose that is why she chose to climb on a pile of split logs and try to balance herself. Unfortunately for her, the balancing didn't work out so well and her back got to meet the nice rusty fence behind the log pile. She has quite a few nice scratches and cuts on her back, but it is all healing well and there appears to be no infection...lucky girl this time. She is also is up to date on her Tetanus shot so we didn't have to get a booster or anything.

Saturday Justin started riding a two wheeler with training wheels. He is doing remarkably well. I am very proud of him. But as I told Brad, we shouldn't be surprised. He caught on to skiing back in Feburary so well that the bike should be like a piece of cake to him. This child's determination is mind boggling. I give him to the end of the summer to be riding without the training wheels.

Gabriel is Gabriel. He gets to serve his third or fourth after school detention for the year today. I cannot wait for this school year to be over. We have had problems left and right with his teacher. I'm not saying that he has been completely innocent in everything this year, but a lot of the blame lies squarely on her shoulders. We have exactly one month left till the last day of school---and it can't come quick enough!!!! Last night Gabe lost another tooth. He came to me and said, "Mommy, LOOK! Do you see my tooth...look what I can do to it." He was pushing it all the way down with his tongue. I said, "I can't see it too well, give me that washcloth." So he gives me the washcloth and I wiped the blood off his lip and around the tooth. He says, "Can you see it now?" I said, "Not quite...hang on a sec...." Yank! "Now I can see it!" It took a minute for it to register with him that I had just yanked his tooth out. He was thrilled....and I just realized that the tooth fairy forgot to visit last night. Oops...

Benjamin gave me a scare last night. I saw blood on the kitchen floor and assumed it was from Gabe's tooth. I was a little irritated with Gabe. That is until I saw more blood. And then Jasmine says, "Gabe you got blood all over. Even on Benjamin." I flew into the playroom and there was blood all over. On the couch, the carpet, Benjamin's head, face, legs, hands, arms. I had no clue where he was bleeding from. I pulled him on my lap and Haeley grabbed me the wipes so I could wipe the blood off and try to find where he was bleeding from. I started at his head and I wasn't having any luck....so I looked at his mouth...nothing...it was then that I saw blood dripping on my pants from his finger. I grabbed a towel and I'm putting pressure on it but that isn't helping. It just keeps bleeding and bleeding. And the whole time he is watching a movie and not paying any attention to what was going on. He never cried once.....Long story short...He cut his finger on the lid to a black olive can. I haven't checked it yet this morning, but I may be taking him in to the doctor if it still looks iffy in a little bit...I'll keep you posted...

But for now, I need to get ready because 3 little children are missing their bus and I have to drive them to school. WHOO HOO!!!!

Captured by Grace Devotionals Day 29

Fruitful

 

But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Romans 6:22

 

Nutritionists tell us that eating five fruits a day can reduce the risk factors for heart attacks—high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and excessive weight.  Fruit consumption is effective in the prevention and treatment of cancer, pulmonary disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases.  It also retards the aging process and promotes mental health.

 

In the Bible, fruit is a metaphor for qualities beneficial for Christian living.  Galatians 5:22 talks about the “fruit of the Spirit”—love, joy, peace, patience, and other attitudes reflective of Christ.  In Hebrews 13:15, we’re told to offer the fruit of our lips, praise to His name.  Philippians 1:11 says we should be filled with the “fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

 

Paul described the results of ministry as the “fruit” of His labors, and Jesus told us in John 15 that we should be bearing fruit, more fruit, and much fruit (verses 2, 4, and 5).

 

What would you think of a gardener whose trees never yielded fruit?  Are you like a tree by the rivers of water that brings forth fruit in its season?

 

 

We glorify God by fruitfulness. . . . And we must bear much fruit; it is muchness of fruit that glorifies God.

Thomas Watson

 

Recommended Reading: John 15:1-8

 

Captured By Grace Devotionals Day 28-----Happy Easter!

Moments of Grace: Grace for a Season

 

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

Hebrews 9:27

 

 

Warren Wiersbe tells of a frontier town in which a horse-drawn wagon with a little boy aboard was racing through the streets.  A young man risked his life to stop the horse and save the child.  The rescued child grew up to become a lawless man, and one day stood in a court in front of a judge—the now-grown young man who had saved his life.  On the basis of their prior relationship, the convicted man pled for mercy.  The judge responded, “Once I was your savior, but now I am your judge. I sentence you to your just punishment.”

 

When the young man risked his life years before to save the child, it was an act of grace.  He knew nothing of the young child: Was he worthy of being saved?  Was he a respectful child?  A rebellious one?  It didn’t matter, for grace asks no questions concerning worthiness.  It only acts out of self-sacrifice and love.  But the Bible says that grace is only for a season.  The day will come when God extends judgment to all who have rejected His grace and mercy.  Those who reject God’s grace will be worthy of God’s judgment.  Have you received His grace?

 

Don’t consider your worthiness to be saved.  Only reach out and take the hand that is extended to you by grace.

 

 

Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues.

John R. W. Stott

 

Recommended Reading: Hebrews 10:26-29