Pinchs all around!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! 

Although I am Protestant, I very much enjoy quite a few of the traditional Catholic prayers. 

The one posted below is a small part of St Patrick's Breastplate, which is worth taking the time to read and proclaim over your life. 

(This beautiful version of it was found at this blog)

Be encouraged my friends. Christ is in every single part of our lives, pouring out His love and life. Celebrate! 

It is also my dear husband's birthday, so we celebrate St Patrick's day with enthusiasm around here. 

Be blessed, 

Bethany

An audience of one

 Sin is real.

 If you don't agree with that statement, you probably want to stop reading right here.

 But sin is all around, every day, trying to become normal and accepted and ignored. Some days, it feels like it is winning.

 Families are falling apart and divorce is barely considered something to be sad about any longer.

 Self love, placing yourself and your desires above others, is not only seen as fine, it is taught.

 Sex, which is beautiful and holy, has been turned into something dirty and selfish.

 Sin is real, and has consequences.


 This blog posting was triggered by Disney.

 Surprise!

 There are some very well written blogs about the new Beauty and the Beast, and Disney's bragging about their "exclusively gay moment". (I can't agree with everything she says, but this one is worth reading. More importantly, I LOVE her friend's post (that she links to) on raising Daniels in a Babylon world)

 So, that is what made me start thinking about sin.
 But Disney is not what this post is about. I won't even pretend to tell you what you should or should not do about giving your money to someone you disagree with, because that choice has to be made multiple times a day in the world we currently live in. You need to follow your convictions. (For instance, I have given up Bath and Body Works, because they proudly support Planned Parenthood, which I cannot do. In contrast, I have not felt convicted to give up Target. However, my parents have, and out of respect for their conviction, I have severely limited my time and money spent there, even though I have not heard that instruction myself.)

 On a side note, you need to listen to your convictions in order to follow them. Just saying...

 But back to sin being real.

 This post is not about gay marriage, or divorce, or dirty sex. Not really. What I want to point out is that sin, all different kinds of sin, is simply not noticed in modern society.

 Sin, all different kinds, is what makes every single one of us need a Savior. If we were able to be perfect, we could "earn" heaven.

 We can't.

 I think Christians get a "bad rep" for speaking out against sin because they (we? me?) tend to be more vocal about sins that stand out. Christians, like the rest of the population, simply become numb to some sin.

 If you aren't a Christian, this post doesn't apply to you. But I think most people who bother to read this are trying to follow Jesus. So, guess what?

 All sin is wrong.  

 Some sin seems to stand out and be easier to notice. But all sin makes us less then perfect. All sin.

 If you are going to speak out against sin, which I hope you will, make sure you include it all.

 My refusal to trust Jesus about where the military will send us next is EQUALLY a sin with having sex outside of marriage.

 My lack of patience for the lady across the street whose lack of discipline for her children drives me crazy is EQUALLY a sin with some punk kid who steals and kills.

 My pride in the obedience of my own children is EQUALLY a sin to the man beating his wife and children or drinking himself into oblivion and ignoring them.

 It is all sin and all sin is wrong.

 The key is being sorry for it and trying, every day, to let sin control less and less of your day.

 Please, speak out against sin. But don't forget to include yourself in your audience.

Blessings!

Bethany

How I got here

 I was reading through old blog posts this weekend and somehow ended up in 2010.

 That is only 7 years ago, not ancient history. 

 But, at the same time, seven years is a long time, 

 So very much has changed. 

 At the beginning of 2010 my boys were 4 and 6, which is very, very different than 11 and 13. 

 Andy was still an AF enlisted crew chief, working the swing shift. 

 I was still mourning the loss of a child, then the loss of another child, and hoping for another chance. 

 I am so very glad that I wrote it all down.

 Here's the thing- we forget.
 The memories are there, in the background, but we don't pay attention to them. The events of right now take precedence.

 Which is expected, and normal, and nothing to be upset about... but still sad. Because we learn. We grow. We become better, and stronger, and more. Then we forget how we got here, and why we are who we are.

 We forget about the amazing miracles God made happen.

 We forget about the moments that made us laugh so much we cried, and the moments that we cried so much the tears almost overwhelmed.

 Almost... but didn't.

 We forget about the things that were completely unknown, just a foggy idea, lost somewhere in the future - because now they are known, and accepted, and taken for granted.

 I found a post in May of 2010 where I was talking about remembering, about reading old words and learning from them.

 It seems I have discovered this lesson before, and written this blog post before. 😊
Will I never learn?

 I am trying.
 Trying to remember.
 Trying to appreciate.
 Trying to learn.

 I will just keep repeating that I am so very, very glad that I wrote it all down.

 That is the encouragement of the week - write it down my friends.
 It doesn't have to be a blog, or Facebook, or even a journal. Post-it notes and the margins of my Bible have held quite a bit of history as well, and can do the same for you. When something hurts, vent it onto notepaper. When something is so exciting you can hardly handle the anticipation, transfer it onto a colorful, decorated, enthusiastic notepad. When scripture calls out to you, copy it, and carry it with you.
 Write it down. Let it out.

 Then, hours, days or weeks later, maybe even years or decades later, and hopefully more then once, go back and look at it again and remember.
 Remember and celebrate.
 You are who you are, and where you are, because of your past. There are always hurts, always mistakes, always dark moments. But they made you into you.
 Remember and celebrate.

Be blessed, (and seeing that blessings is a choice!) 

Bethany