sin | .....and a sprinkle of love

Tag Archives: sin

O Holy Night

~ O Holy Night~
“A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn”. Hope, our great hope in Jesus Christ who came to the world in the most humble and lowly ways to be our sin bearer and to give us hope (Google Jesus and hope). When there seems to be nothing left to give, feel, or even take-we still have our hope in Christ and Christ alone. His mercies are new every single day! Amen!
“Chains shall He break,for the slave is our brother. And in His name all oppression shall cease”. He came to break the bondage of sin and Satan’s hold on us. There is a constant struggle of things that can hold us in bondage-grief, food, drugs, alcohol, p*rn, and just about anything else you can think of of this world. “For the slave is my brother” With Christ, you see a brother or sister in place where you might of just seen a prostitute, a drug addict, a beggar, a Muslim or Jew, or any other undesirable or different beliefed person we live among. To love them, so that even if they don’t seek or know Him, they will recognize Him in us.. Oppression of worldliness will no longer weigh me down in spirit and will cease to have any hold on my life.
Our Savior came to be the light of the world (John 8:12) and to save us from sin (Matthew 1:21). Rejoice with greatness and gladness that our Savior lives and our Savior brings with Him hope and life.

Merry Christmas. May you be filled with renewed wonder about the babe in the manger who came to live among us and die for us.
I leave you with a few versions of my favorite song-take a minute to really hear the lyrics and see how it resonates in your soul.
http://youtu.be/4Zh-yR0pbmU
http://youtu.be/lKSknasrE3k

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca

Image courtesy of [dan ] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tags: addicts, Amen, and a sprinkle of love, believers, Bethlehem, Bible, Biblical, birth, birth of Jesus, blessed, blessing, bondage, burdened, celebration, child, children, christ, Christian, Christian blog, Christian mother, Christian wife, Christian woman, christianity, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas star, Christmas story, comfort, easy, education, Encouragement, Eternal Vaue, faith, family, father, food, free from sin, glory, glory to God, God, God made flesh, gratitude, holiness, holy, Holy Birth, Holy night, Holy Spirit, home education, homemaker, homemaking, homeschool, hope, housewife, husband, husband and wife, Inn, Jesus, Joseph, Joy, king, King of Kings, light, Line of David, Lord, love, Luke, lyrics, majesty, mama, manger, Mary, Matthew, media, mercy, mom, mommy blog, mother, mother and daughter, motherhood, music, Nativity, O Holy Night, oppression, parent, parenthood, parenting, Pinterest, praise, prayer, Royalty, Savior, scripture, Servant, servants heart, serving, shoot of Jesse, sin, spirit, stable, teaching, transformation, Trinity, trust, Truth, values, virtues, weary, wife, wise men, Woman, wonder, world, worldliness, youtube

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Faith, Family

Marriage in Pieces

8 Oct

I don’t think it is the heat of the moment that kills a marriage but the brick wall that is built after. Holding on to bitterness, being self righteous, and keeping score, little by little builds a wall that is almost impossible to penetrate.

A bad moment can open the door for a real deep intimate connection with your spouse. You can hold a grudge and spend a miserable day taking cheap jabs at each other and spending a long sleepless night clinging to the edge of the bed, rehashing the events, and dreaming of all the things you will say once morning comes. You wake mad, miserable, and exhausted.

We come into a marriage as two selfish, sinful individuals learning, constantly, how to put another’s needs above our own. We easily overlook our own faults but put our spouses under a blinking neon sign. Yes, at first it all seems easy, you’re still reeling in the newness of your relationship. We overlook each others faults and we let little things go. Why? Because love wins (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). The mere thought of our spouse’s wonderful qualities seem to outshine their imperfections. The first fight happens, tears are shed, forgiveness happens quickly, and you feel stronger and closer than ever. Then each subsequent argument drags out longer, venom flows easier from our mouths, and grudges are born. When grudges fester bitterness grows. Brick by brick our walls are being built.

Instead of holding that grudge, take the opportunity to offer a prayer for a tender heart. Take a minute to think of all the things you love about your spouse. Somebody has to make the first move and that person can be you. It can be extremely difficult (trust me, I know), especially if you feel you’re right. At the end of the day I would much rather have a strong thriving marriage than another check on my being right score card. Think about how releasing your anger and extending understanding will draw you and your spouse to a place of deeper love, trust, and devotion. Where forgiveness reigns bitterness can’t grow. Instead of spending a sleepless night fuming spend a sleepless night talking and reaffirming the love and respect in your marriage. You can smile about how exhausted you’re by your late night. You’ll both be content because not only did you weather the storm but grew closer because of it.

Let God work through you, not only when your marriage is for better but especially when it is for worse. Sometimes the only life line is the one you throw, it can be heavy but oh so worth it! Don’t let the enemy win.

I love hearing from you. How do you keep bitterness from taking root in your marriage?

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca

Let’s connect on Pinterest

Linked up with

“Image courtesy of smarnad / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.

Tags: and a sprinkle of love, believers, Bible, bitterness, blessed, blessing, blog, burdened, children, christ, Christ centered marriage, christi, Christian, Christian blog, christian blogger, Christian mother, Christian woman, christianity, comfort, conflict, conflict resolution, connection, easy, Encouragement, Eternal Vaue, faith, family, forgiveness, God, Godly marriage, grace, gratitude, grudges, heart, homemaker, homemaking, homeschool, housewife, husband, in love, intentional, intimacy, Jesus, jesus christ, Joy, life line, Lord, love, man and wife, marriage, media, motherhood, parenting, prayer, respect, scripture, Servant, servants heart, serving, sin, sinful, spouse, teaching, tenderness, transformation, trust, Truth, understanding, weary, wife, Woman

Comments 14 Comments
Categories Faith, Family

Customizing Jesus

30 Aug

I heard someone say recently “My Jesus isn’t________!” (it was obscene, so I’ll leave out the actual words) I was floored. Not only was it shocking but completely Biblically unfounded.

Now, this just might of been a random person ranting and looking for validation for his lifestyle but I see and hear it more and more, people customizing Jesus.

How easy it would be to shop for a Jesus that embraces our sins and condones our lifestyles. Accepting that is doing favors for no one and actually it is depriving them of a real true Savior.

You can’t try on several Jesus’ until you find one that fits you just right. He is one size fits all.

He is loving and merciful but He is also holy and hates sin. Not just the “big sins” but all sin, it separates us from Him.

I know our society is quick to remind us that we should be seeking what makes us happy, because God is love, therefore He would want us to be happy. So, as long as we are happy God is happy. Happiness, though, is so conditional and momentary. That is not what God has in mind for you. Being a true follower of Christ will give you so much more than that. Really seeking the true heart of the Lord will find you seeking righteousness and that will lead you to joy. Joy brings you peace and contentment because you’re in God’s abiding presence.

Jesus is for everyone. He came to give you everlasting life. It is a free gift to all who accept it, but it is on His terms not yours.

Seek the Lord the creator of the heavens and earth, the lover of your soul and not the Jesus created by man.

To keep this from getting long winded, if you are wanting to know more about who God is click here for more information.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Let’s be Pinterest friends!

Tags: and a sprinkle of love, believers, Bible, blessed, blessing, burdened, children, christ, Christian, Christian blog, christianity, compassion, death, easy, Encouragement, Eternal Vaue, everlasting life, faith, family, forgiveness, God, God's love, gratitude, happy, Heaven, holy, Holy Spirit, homemaker, homemaking, housewife, hppiness, husband, Jesus, Joy, joyful, life, lifestyle, Lord, love, media, mercy, motherhood, parenting, prayer, righteousness, salvation, Savior, scripture, Servant, servants heart, serving, sin, soul, transformation, trust, Truth, weary, Woman, Word of God, wrath

Comments 11 Comments
Categories Faith, Family

Good Intentions

24 Aug

“We are a culture trained to be a great starter but not a finisher”

-Beth Moore, A Woman’s Heart God’s Dwelling Place. Video session 9.

I am a gal filled with good intentions. I daydream and plan loads of things, good things, and helpful things. The problem is, is that they usually don’t come to pass. I have purchased supplies to create beautiful things, and ingredients to cook delicious things to just have them collect dust and turn rotten. I am by no means a mass collector of stuff, (I actually loathe clutter, even the secret kind) I am just a do it tomorrow person.

When watching the above mentioned video, my heart was deeply convicted. Out of all I have learned and studied the past 10 weeks in this Bible study God decided this is where he wants me to focus a little more intently and seriously.

I seriously made the exasperated sigh generally reserved for teenage parental annoyance. Seriously, of all things to call me out on You are choosing to call out my good intentions?

It brought me to a place that had me looking and praying long and hard as to why God was calling out this seemingly, insignificant part of my life. Here is what I learned. God wants me to make the most of my gifts and abilities. By not following through I am falling prey to laziness. Not just to my good intentions but to the most important parts of my life such as prayer, worship, wife, mother, homemaker, homeschooler, etc… I’ve looked over my life lately and see where my laziness as crept into every facet of my life. Several verses came to mind but the one that really stuck to me was Proverbs 14:23, “In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.”

So all my talk and good intentions is stealing my full potential of what God has in store for me. It never ceases to amaze me that God longs for us to strive for righteousness and He uses, sometimes, interesting outlets to bring forth change in us.

I am always a work in progress but I am sure glad to know that God sees the value in me and puts forth the love and time to help me to be all He has created me to be. What an awesome God we serve.

Has the Lord convicted you of anything recently? I would love to know how God is working in your life.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Let’s be Pinterest friends!

Linked up with

Tags: A woman's heart God's dwelling place, believers, Beth Moore, Bible, bible study, blessed, blessing, burdened, children, christ, Christian, Christian mother, Christian wife, christianity, comfort, convicted, easy, Encouragement, Eternal Vaue, faith, family, focus, forgiveness, gifts, God, good intentions, gratitude, growing, homemaker, homemaking, homeschool, housewife, husband, Jesus, Joy, laziness, lazy, learning, Lord, love, media, mom, mother, motherhood, parenting, prayer, Proverbs, righteousness, Savior, scripture, Servant, servants heart, serving, sin, teaching, transformation, trust, Truth, value, weary, wife, Woman, worship

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Faith, Family

Can you Relate?

13 Aug

For much of my life my weight determined my quality of life. What I mean by that is, the heavier I was the less social I became. I would whole myself up hoping to just become a name without a face. I would slowly draw away from the circle so it would slowly swallow up my gap. I would become a whisper and a wonder. I truly felt my self worth was wrapped up to what the number on the scale dictated. With curtains drawn tight I spiraled into a pit of self loathing.

I have spent my whole life in a death spiral of one crash diet after another. Those consuming diets that steal all your thoughts and leave you watching the hands on the clock tick, tick, tick, ever so slowly waiting for the miserable days to pass. When a diet would finally stick, slowly the sun would begin to shine and I would again emerge vibrant much like a caterpillar breaking free from its cocoon. Life was mine to enjoy once again. I would seize every opportunity until it was time to repeat the cycle again.

I really needed proper perspective in order to reclaim my life and find joy regardless to what the scale said. Psalm 139:4 says, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful. If God’s works are wonderful than so must I be. I am God’s workman, created to do good works, which Christ prepared in advance for me (Eph. 2:10). How am I to follow Christ if I am unable to allow His will on my life? I must recognize the voice of the enemy when he is whispering his sweet lies in my ear and remind him that I don’t walk of the flesh but of the spirit (Romans 8:1). For God has plans for me to prosper (Jeremiah 29:11). Do you see, there are no conditions to that. He doesn’t say I will prosper when I am 110 pounds, He says I will prosper because He says so! I just have to be a willing vessel for His love and goodness.

Being at a place right now where I would normally hide, I am pushing myself to keep letting the sun shine on my face. Letting God work through me for His glory. I am grateful that God’s grace is given to me in abundance. I pray for victory!

Can you relate? I would love to hear from you!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Be a peach and follow me on Pinterest

Linked up with

Tags: article, believers, Bible, bible study, bless, blessed, blessing, bog, burdened, change, children, christ, Christian, Christian blog, Christian woman, christianity, comfort, crash dieting, diet, dieting, Encouragement, enemy, Eternal Vaue, faith, family, glory, God, heart, homemaker, housewife, humanity, husband, Jesus, Joy, lies, Lord, love, media, motherhood, overcome, overcomer, parenting, Pinterest, prayer, prosper, relatable, relate, Satan, scripture, self esteem, serving, sin, struggle, struggles, teaching, transform, transformation, trust, Truth, victory, weary, weight, Woman, Word of God, worth, writer, wriying

Comments 7 Comments
Categories Faith, Family

Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Grocery Store

9 Aug

I found myself alone in the car today. I was feeling a little sorry for myself-Stressed at the first week chaos of homeschooling and all the little things that come up in life. I won’t lie, there were tears. Oh poor me tears. Self consuming tears. Selfish, life isn’t fair tears. But then, something funny happened. God showed up in a song and it changed my heart. A song I’ve heard a hundred times, but today the words came to life.

It got me thinking about how very blessed we are to live in a country where we are free (for now) to share our thoughts and opinions, to disagree, to think freely, to dress as we please, to go where we please, to eat what we please and to worship our God freely and openly without fear. This is normal life to us. We don’t really appreciate these freedoms until we are reminded that life isn’t so everywhere else.

I know many friends who came here seeking a safe place to lay their heads. Coming from places so volatile that all they can mutter about it is that they are blessed to be here. Perspective is the greatest humbler. So I will shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth (Psalm 100:1) and I will do it without fear, for I am a blessed American woman! Here is the song that changed my attitude http://youtu.be/_MbcYyOsF50
A prayer for you:
Thank you God for blessing me with being a woman, wife, and mother here in America. Thank you for the blessing of clean water, abundant food, education, and medicine regardless of money. Thank you God for the freedom to worship you wherever and whenever we choose- free from persecution. Lord, I pray for the people who live oppressed persecuted lives. For the people who live in fear and without hope. Lord, somehow someway touch them and deliver them from the bondage. With praise and thanksgiving to you, my mighty, loving King.

How is God working in your life? I would love to know.
~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca

Follow me on Pinterest

Tags: American, believers, Bible, blessed, blessing, bondage, burdened, children, christ, Christian, christian music, christianity, Encouragement, Eternal Vaue, faith, family, forgiveness, God, gratitude, homemaker, homemaking, homeschool, homeschooling, housewife, humble, humbler, husband, Jesus, Joy, Lord, love, media, mother, motherhood, music, parenting, perspective, praise, prayer, scripture, Servant, serving, sin, songs, stress, stressed, teaching, transformation, trust, Truth, weary, wife, Woman

Comments 4 Comments
Categories Faith, Family

Being Intentional

26 Jul

I am one of those gals that needs to be very careful and intentional with my faith.

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home so I lack a lot of the discipline and understanding that happens when you grow up in a faith filled family. Being honest here, I struggle immensely with my worldliness because I have lived and tasted that life, while shallow and lacking in substance, was still thrilling and fun. I sometimes, maybe much like an addict, will see or hear something that gives me a hunger for a lifestyle long (mostly) forgotten. It just sneaks in there without much cause or warning and I am left battling my heart against my flesh. The enemy is tricky and knows where I am weakest. Lucky for me, my God is stronger than my worst temptation and I know the more I seek Him the easier it will become to rely on the promises of our living God.

Romans 12:2 says-“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”. Sanctification can begin as soon as I surrender and seek the will of God in my life but I can’t do this unless I am intentional with that relationship because it doesn’t come naturally-but as time goes on it does get easier. Staying faithful requires endurance, much like a seasoned athlete, it takes careful preparation, training, and focus on the ultimate goal-which for me is having everlasting life.

What do I do to be intentional and remain in the Word? First, I have to keep my Bible in plain sight along with a devotional or Bible study. Why is reading the Bible important? Ephesians 6:11 says-“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” and Ephesians 6:17 goes on to say-“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”. We have to be ready to face the enemy (Ephesians 6:17) and unbelievers (1 Peter 3:15) we do this by knowing the word of God. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus says, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

It is important that I get involved in church and ministries. God wants believers to come together in fellowship. Proverbs 27:17 says ” Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” When the body of Christ comes together we can restore each other (Galatians 6:1 and James 5:19-20), to love and encourage each other (I Thessalonians 5:11 and Hebrews 10:25-27), and to bear each others burdens and to forgive one another (Galatians 6:2 and Cololassians 3:13). By coming together as the body of Christ we become more refined, effective in our calling, and have brothers and sisters in Christ directing us away from temptation.

Finally, I need opportunities to serve and love my neighbors. Romans 12:13 says, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” By doing this, I can be a reflection of Christ’s love. A concrete reminder that being the hands and feet of Christ demonstrates His love for all in a way that is selflessly sacrificial.

My brothers and sisters, how do you stay intentional? I would love to know!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Tags: believers, Bible, blessed, blessing, body of Christ, christ, Christian, christianity, church ministries, Encouragement, enemy, Eternal Vaue, faith, fellowship, God, hospitality, intentional, Jesus, Lord, love, neighbors, prayer, scripture, Servant, servants heart, serve, sin, teaching, temptation, transformation, Truth, unbelievers

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Faith

Separating the Sin from the Sinner

13 Jul

We have come to a place where we automatically assume because something is lawful it must also be moral. Morality has changed a great deal just even in my lifetime (35 years). We, for some reason, think that if we wrap sin in pretty paper with a shiny bow and throw a party for it, it somehow changes how humanity and God sees it. Because one is acting within law they automatically assume they are “a good person”(which is subjective without the moral parameters given to us by God). There has been a drastic culture change and it just isn’t within the secular world but also within the lives of believers. We are challenging people to redefine what God already defined. I sit in church and see just as much cleavage, thigh, and backside as one would see at the beach. Many Pastors and churches are riding the worldly train looking to attract new members by going against the very word of God-perverting the Bible in ways to make sin irrelevant to ones salvation. We have caved under pressure and are afraid of defending the word of God because we covet the love of man more than the Son of Man.

We have to learn to separate the sin from the sinner. We can love and support people without celebrating their sin. James 5:19-20 says- My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

Of course I understand not everyone is a believer but we as Christians need to live a life that reflects God’s will toward them. For example in Colossians 4:5-6 it says-“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone”. When we are asked, we need to be ready with an answer and do it in such a way that conveys truth, gentleness, and respect. Titus 2:1 says-“You must teach what is in accord to sound doctrine”. Their are many other verses dealing directly with false doctrine. When we sugar coat, add, or purposely misinterpret for gain Titus 1:11 says it well-“They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach–and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

I know the new popular slogan is “I want to be on the right side of history”. While that might bring worldly pleasure, I would much rather be on “the right side of eternity”.

Love everyone fiercely, be the first to offer encouragement, and always speak the truth in love. Let’s be bold for Jesus!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Tags: Bible, Christian, christianity, Eternal Vaue, God, Jesus, love, media, scripture, sin, teaching, Truth, unbelievers, worldly

Comments 4 Comments
Categories Faith

My Thoughts on Paula Deen

11 Jul

I just read an article about the rise and fall of Paula Deen. Let me start off by saying that I don’t condone the use of hateful speech.

I think as a culture we enjoy building people to superstardom status and then we love to watch them tumble hard, all the way down and when they are as far as they can go we start to stomp and kick them. There is some sweet satisfaction that is gained by almost stripping all humanity from them. It isn’t just with celebrities. I have seen it done just generally with everyday people.

I have said things that I regret. In the heat of the moment I have said things that I didn’t mean but said them because they were convenient, easy, trash words readily available to the situation-even though they don’t mirror my true feelings. I have felt shame and remorse and grateful for not being in a position where it would haunt me for always. I am pretty sure if we were all to be honest we are all guilty at one time or another. Under oath, I would hurt a lot of people I love with all I got. Good or bad we have given some words a lot of power. In any extreme emotion we naturally want to pull at those words, grab them and breath life into them. They have meaning and they can bless or pierce a soul.

She is a wounded bird. I think many of us can relate to being in a place of such remorse and sorrow, willing to give and do anything just to have a little mercy thrown at you. To be given the grace needed to prove that it was all just a big mistake and the grace to pick oneself up and to continue on being a wiser better person.

As Christians we need to be better at setting that example. The measure we judge someone we will be judged with. So we need to make sure we remove that log in our eye before we point out the speck in someone else’s eye. We can then see clearly and take a different approach to the situation (Matthew 7:1-5). Romans 3:23 says we ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. I doesn’t say some, but all. I like what Galatians 6:1 says about the attitude we should take as believers when another believer sins “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believeris overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.”.

Ephesians 1:7 reminds us that we have redemption through His (Jesus Christ) blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance of God’s grace. If God is willing to forgive who are we not to?

This is my perspective as a believer to other believers. I think we need to be the ones offering the olive branch to our brothers and sisters. Remember, forgiveness doesn’t mean we let them off the hook it just means that when they repent we give them the grace and mercy needed to make things right again. We can stand behind them and offer love and encouragement just as our heavenly Father does time after time for us.

I know I am better because of the grace given to me and through it God was able to use it for good (Romans 8:28). Let’s take joy in building up and not tearing down.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Tags: believers, christ, Christian, faith, forgiveness, grace, guilt, Jesus, judgment, love, mercy, mistakes, Paula Deen, remorse, scripture, sin, sinners

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Faith

Newer Entries →

Search

…..and a sprinkle of love

O Holy Night

Marriage in Pieces

Customizing Jesus

Good Intentions

Can you Relate?

Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Grocery Store

Being Intentional

Separating the Sin from the Sinner

My Thoughts on Paula Deen

Categories

Recent Posts

Archives

Follow Blog via Email

And a sprinkle of love

Meta

Search

Blogroll

Follow me on Twitter

RSS Links

Search

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Categories

Recent Posts

Archives

Follow Blog via Email

Meta

Search

Blogroll

Follow me on Twitter

RSS Links