Sinning with Stretchy Pants

Our youth pastor once talked about how avoiding sin required some prep work. You need safe guards in place. He compared it to going over to a certain family's house, who is known for serving yummy meals, while he is on a diet. He said that it required doing some prep work which meant that he would take along his own food, to ensure he stayed on his diet.

Sitting in my pew, I felt a little ashamed. When he mentioned doing prep work before going over to that family's house for the meal, my first thought was to skip all other meals that day and wear stretchy pants so I could pig out.

So instead of sticking with what is right, I immediately went to planning a way to not do what was right.

Definitely not a Hall of Faith moment there.

I have done that in my past. I knew I wasn't doing what God wanted me to do, but I went ahead and wore the proverbial stretchy pants so I wouldn't feel confined by my convictions.

We can come up with some great justifications while doing our sin planning. Just like I thought of skipping meals so that when I indulged later, it wouldn't be as bad, we convince ourselves the sin we are planning on doing isn't as bad as another sin. The problem with that is the fact that sin is sin.

There are no big sins or little sins. We like to categorize them as such because it makes us feel better. We don't feel we are as bad as we could be if we were doing such and such. Or we aren't as bad as that other sinner over there. But Jesus only died on one cross. He didn't die on a big cross to pay for the big sins and then go die on a small cross for the little sins.

One size cross fits ALL our sins.

Back to the stretchy pants.

Instead of thinking of ways to plan how we can sin and get away with it (yeah, there's no getting away with sinning), we should spend our energy and time thinking of ways to plan how to avoid sin.

So no more stretchy pants for me!

Alone Yet Not Alone

 

 No matter where we are, no matter what our circumstances, we are not alone. God is with us. Satan wants us to think God has abandoned us, but don't buy that lie. We are never alone.

This movie is based on the story of a young woman who had to experience being alone, but knew she isn't truly alone. However, she experienced trials beyond our comprehension. Will she continue to believe God is with her?

This is a great family movie! It is set in colonial America before the American Revolution. In fact, a young General Washington makes a cameo appearance in this movie! A family that is grounded in the Word of God experiences an unimaginable horror. 

My family has watched this movie more than once. I am so glad I bought it! I am planning to write a study guide to go with it. There is a pivotal point in the movie that makes a great teaching moment for parents. Are you going to trust in God? Or are you going to take the "easy" way out? 

Find out for yourself how great this movie is! An added bonus is the theme song, sung by Joni Eareckson Tada. I think she is an awesome heroine of the faith! In the bonus features, the movie video shows Joni praying before recording the theme song.

I Know The Plans I Have For You

I decided to pull an old song out of my itunes. In fact, it has been so long since I've listened to it, I haven't moved it over to my laptop yet, and I've had that for some time now.

♫ The song is "I Know The Plans I Have For You" by LordSong. I love this song! I'm listening to it and wondering why I've forgotten about it!  ♪

This song encourages me when I choose to let worry and/or fear invade my life.

My mind knows that God may not answer a prayer request right away, but in His timing. My mind knows that...but do I live it? I will offer my little concern up to Him and step away and actually know I have placed it in His hand. But then a day goes by, a week, a month....and I don't see any answer. However, that doesn't mean it isn't coming.

 I know the plans He has for me are better than any I could have for myself. My little concern may not fit into His plan or may not fit at this time. I just have to keep walking with Him and rest in the fact that He will take care of me.  He wants to bring hope to my life.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray not me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.     Jeremiah 29:11-13 

The song mentions hearing God say this promise again and again. Well, that's my fault He's having to say it more than once. I let go of His promise and started worrying! Verse 13 says to seek Him with all your heart. Obviously, I was not seeking Him so that left time to give into worry.

Why would God bother with "fearfully and wonderfully" making me if He was not planning to take care of my future? Why would He bother to provide a way for me to spend eternity with Him if He wasn't going to take care of me here on earth?  He wouldn't.  He has taken care of me. He takes care of me now. He will take care of me in the future.

If you don't know God, I hope you will seek Him. Allow Him to show you the plans He has for you.✟