Unmerited Favor, Unconditional Favor or Unlimited Favor?

How would you describe GRACE?

To Push; to Pull; or Walk Away

I had an interesting conversation today with a friend and it made me think. There are times in our lives when we come to a crossroad, either by our choices or not. Imagine if you had friend at a crossroad which happened to be a cliff instead. You may or may not know the choices that brought your friend to that point. Do you --

push them off the cliff? Hoping to help them move forward to better opportunities?

pull them back from the edge? Hoping that they thought through their options first?

or walk away? Nothing you say or do will make a difference.

Stretched, Left Alone, Going Back As Things Were

Three questions tonight:
Would you prefer to be STRETCHED in your life?
Would you prefer to be LEFT ALONE/AS IS in your life?
or
Would you prefer to GOING BACK AS THINGS WERE in your life?

The illustration that comes to my mind is watching a friend prepare dough for fry bread. It takes gathering and preparing the ingredients together, punching down the dough, allowing it to rise, punching it down, sectioning it off, more rising, then the frying. After that's done, sprinkling on sugar OR slathering butter and jam OR building a taco.

Now what would happen if I left (perhaps leaving things as they were) the ingredients alone or even the dough alone. The ingredients would get stale, old and thrown out. The dough would sit, stop rising, start to smell after sometime and get thrown out.

My friend had to stretch the dough, pound the dough, rest the dough, separate the dough before it was ready to be fried into something special. Life is not worth living if you stay in one place or be left alone. A life worth living is being stretched, at times pounded, much deserved R&Rs, sometimes separating from the things that don't benefit us and finally resulting in something special, memorable, rewarding, contented.

What kind of life do you choose today? Let me know.

ICE CREAM TIME!! UMMMMM!

One of my fondest memories growing up is a simple vanilla ice cream cone (usually from DQ). You could add the nuts and the fudge shell but the vanilla ice cream would be the treat for me. I enjoy its simplicity and original flavor still today. I may enjoy it with double chocolate cake just hot from the oven or over warmed peach cobbler or even with a side of french fries. I even tried it with taquitos one day just to gross out the youth group and it was fantastic (they thought so too :) Vanilla ice cream will always be a winner with me.

I had to think for a moment to wonder why. Perhaps I like things simple and original. BTW (by the way), I just had some last week. UMMMM!!!!  So . . .

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

Why is it your favorite?
When was the last time you had it?

Just thought of having a little fun today -- Liane

Excitment! Passion! Hunger!

I thought about my walk through a casino, sitting down and having coffee and just observing the folks around me. To varying degree, each of us responds to the various stimuli around us. It could be the lights, the sound,  the cell phone, the anticipation of winning something.

I am excited when someone testifies of the faithfulness of God.
I am passionate about the Word of God.
I am hungry for more of the presence of God.

What triggers excitement in you?
What are you passionate about?
What feeds your hunger?

Let's talk

Your purpose, your goals, your defense

I was given accommodations at a hotel and casino while in town for a week. On my way up to the room, the security guard stopped me at the elevator and asked me to show my key card to verify that I was registered. I showed him my key card. He said thank you, smiled and asked how much I won at the tables. I told him I don't gamble. He frowned and looked at me and said what are you doing here then? I told him I was with the Salvation Army and just here for a week to do ministry. After a short pause, I smiled and told him God could take better care of me than any casino ever could. It was his time to smile and he said that's a good answer.

So I ask you:
--why are you here/your purpose?
--what are you doing/your goals?
--who is watching out for you/your defense?

Let's talk

Faith

What does faith look like to you? What is the focus of your faith? What is the source of your faith?

 Let's talk