My precious children,
My love for you knows no boundaries. It isn't based on what you do or don't do, right or wrong, mistakes or accomplishments. My love for you is unconditional. It is from God who's love knows no limits. My love for you will never change or lack.
When you were little I tried to teach you right from wrong. I tried to keep you safe. I tried to keep you from falling and getting hurt. I tried to teach you about choices and consequences. But you have reached an age where I can't protect you all the time. You will have to make some difficult choices over the next few years and all I can do is pray for you and hope that I have done a good job as your mother. I can't take away the natural consequences for the choices you make. I can't prevent you from ever being hurt. But I promise to love you regardless of the choices you make. I will love you thru pain and sorrow, thru happiness and success, thru good times and bad. When you fall down I will try to pick you up if I can but please know that it might not always be possible for me to do that, even if I want to. But that doesn't mean that I don't love you. I do love you and I wish you would never fall down. But we all fall down. When we fall down it's when we learn who we really are. We learn that God is always there to lift us up. We find out who truly loves us. We see that we can do all things thru Christ. We learn that He is our strength.
I pray that God will hear the pleas of a mother's heart who longs to protect her children from a cruel, dark world. But I also pray that God will make you a light that will shine for Him in this darkness. I pray that you will know and accept that I love you with all my heart and nothing will ever change that. No matter what happens or where life takes you, God & I will love you unconditionally!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
My name is Sherry & I am not a fan.
Thank you Kyle Idleman for showing me the difference in a fan & a follower. If you don't know the difference you should read "Not a Fan" by Kyle Idleman.
My name is Sherry & I am not a fan.
My name is Sherry & I am done living in fear that I might break a religious rule or be caught in a moment of weakness that will supposedly lead to eternal damnation. I want a relationship with Christ not rules. I choose love over laws. I will no longer allow myself to be held captive by guilt. I will believe that the person I am right now, right here is worthy of God's grace. I choose grace over guilt. I am laying down my "do it myself" mentality. I'm done trying to live the Christian life out of my own effort & thru my own strength. I choose to be a spirit-filled follower instead of a self-empowered fan. My name is Sherry & I am not a fan.
Thank you Kyle Idleman for showing me the difference in a fan & a follower. If you don't know the difference you should read "Not a Fan" by Kyle Idleman.
Thank you Kyle Idleman for showing me the difference in a fan & a follower. If you don't know the difference you should read "Not a Fan" by Kyle Idleman.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Penalty Flags
Today was one of those days where you feel like everything that could go wrong did. As I reflect on my day it is like watching a football game that is filled with an enormous amount of penalties. Sometimes I wish I could be an NFL referee. I would love throwing the penalty flag! In case you are not familiar with football, a penalty flag is thrown when there is well, a penalty or infraction. And today was a day full of penalty flags.
I overselpt - penalty flag - I had to be the last one in our house to take a shower.
My son complained about his sprained wrist hurting - penalty flag - I feel guilty because I have to go to work instead of staying home and caring for him.
Thick fog=wrecks on the highway - penalty flag - I was late to work.
After being at work for only 2 hours the school calls and says Zac is crying because he is in so much pain - penalty flag - my boss is upset with me because I have to leave work to go pick up my son.
On the way to Zac's school I am pulled over for speeding - penalty flag - a speeding ticket.
That's it! At that point I've had all I can handle. while the officer is processing my ticket I lose it. I break down and begin to cry. It's only 11:45 am and my day has already seen more penalty flags than a Raider's game.
I am angry with the officer for pulling me over. After all, I wasn't the only one exceeding the speed limit. And he doesn't care that I am concerned about picking up my hurt little boy or that I'm worried about my boss being upset because I only worked 2 hours today. No, he doesn't care about those things, he is simply doing his job. I broke the law and it is his job to enforce consequences when the law is broken. It is his job to throw the penalty flag. And I deserve this penalty flag. Actually, I probably deserve all of the penalty flags that have been thrown today.
So, tonight I am thinking about penalty flags and their purpose. A penalty flag is thrown for a foul, an infraction, a bad decision like unsportsman like conduct. We all face penalty flags or consequences for our fouls, our infractions, our unsportsman like conduct. Tonight I am thankful that God doesn't throw penalty flags. He does discipline but not with penalty flags. I can only imagine what the field would look like if God threw a penalty flag every time I needed corrected. Yikes! But God doesn't throw penalty flags. He pulls the GRACE card. Thank you Jesus for the grace card! When we mess up God doesn't give us what we deserve, He gives us what we need. What if we were more like that? What if we pull the grace card more than we throw the penalty flag? I'm not saying we should turn a blind eye to blatant fouls or infractions. But what if the next time my kid forgets to take out the trash I pull the grace card instead of throwing the penalty flag?
Or how about this for an ending? When I finally got home and got Zac situated and comfortable I pulled the speeding ticket out of my purse and found that the officer had only cited me for 5 over the speed limit. I clearly remember him telling me he clocked me going 15 over. Look at that - he pulled the grace card! Thank you Jesus for the grace card!
I overselpt - penalty flag - I had to be the last one in our house to take a shower.
My son complained about his sprained wrist hurting - penalty flag - I feel guilty because I have to go to work instead of staying home and caring for him.
Thick fog=wrecks on the highway - penalty flag - I was late to work.
After being at work for only 2 hours the school calls and says Zac is crying because he is in so much pain - penalty flag - my boss is upset with me because I have to leave work to go pick up my son.
On the way to Zac's school I am pulled over for speeding - penalty flag - a speeding ticket.
That's it! At that point I've had all I can handle. while the officer is processing my ticket I lose it. I break down and begin to cry. It's only 11:45 am and my day has already seen more penalty flags than a Raider's game.
I am angry with the officer for pulling me over. After all, I wasn't the only one exceeding the speed limit. And he doesn't care that I am concerned about picking up my hurt little boy or that I'm worried about my boss being upset because I only worked 2 hours today. No, he doesn't care about those things, he is simply doing his job. I broke the law and it is his job to enforce consequences when the law is broken. It is his job to throw the penalty flag. And I deserve this penalty flag. Actually, I probably deserve all of the penalty flags that have been thrown today.
So, tonight I am thinking about penalty flags and their purpose. A penalty flag is thrown for a foul, an infraction, a bad decision like unsportsman like conduct. We all face penalty flags or consequences for our fouls, our infractions, our unsportsman like conduct. Tonight I am thankful that God doesn't throw penalty flags. He does discipline but not with penalty flags. I can only imagine what the field would look like if God threw a penalty flag every time I needed corrected. Yikes! But God doesn't throw penalty flags. He pulls the GRACE card. Thank you Jesus for the grace card! When we mess up God doesn't give us what we deserve, He gives us what we need. What if we were more like that? What if we pull the grace card more than we throw the penalty flag? I'm not saying we should turn a blind eye to blatant fouls or infractions. But what if the next time my kid forgets to take out the trash I pull the grace card instead of throwing the penalty flag?
Or how about this for an ending? When I finally got home and got Zac situated and comfortable I pulled the speeding ticket out of my purse and found that the officer had only cited me for 5 over the speed limit. I clearly remember him telling me he clocked me going 15 over. Look at that - he pulled the grace card! Thank you Jesus for the grace card!
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