Well, as some of your know, I love Cadbury Creme Eggs. I only buy them at Easter time, because, well, that is the only time the stores carry them. Lately, they are carrying them earlier and earlier in the season. Some of you know my recent, humbling experience with the eggs. About 2 months ago I bought 6 of the little sweet things and put them in my freezer. First of all, why are they carrying Easter eggs in January???? Anyway, by the 3rd day, all of them were gone except for one or two. I can't remember the number--that doesn't really matter, does it? I had asked a dear SP friend of mine if I should throw the last one away or keep it to practice self-control. She asked me, "Does an alcoholic keep wine in the house to practice self-control or "just in case"?" I thought to myself, hummm, in MY case, I would keep it around "just in case". YUCK!!!! What a revelation. I got so disgusted with myself for eating so many in such a short period of time, AND knowing that I really wanted to keep that last one around "just in case", that I threw the remainder in the garbage with a fury. I said, "THERE! You go to the trash". I thought I had seen the last of that CCE. BUT, by the end of the night, (remember I am humbling myself here), I couldn't stand it and dug out the grocery bag which the last CCE was tied up in, from the trash and ATE IT. Yes, I did that. I really did that. I can't believe I am telling you my dirty laundry. I pulled the thing out of the trash and ate it. Confession is good for the soul. I learned a LOT about myself that night. I learned that I am definitely not perfect. I learned that all or nothing is not always a good thing. I learned that anything that controls ME is not in my best interest. Soon after this, in February, I had a word from God to me. It was simple but He said, "LOVE IS THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU". I am not sure why this was so profound to me but it was. Since January, I have passed by the Cadbury Creme Eggs many, many times at the grocery store and said "NO, thank you". It has been relatively easy to do so. I know this is the grace of God. Today, March 21, 2011, I was in HEB food store shopping. I passed down the aisle with the Easter candy, BOLDLY on display. There in flashing NEON lights was the CADBURY CREME EGGS! I glanced in their direction and acknowledged their presence. Then, something rose up within me that very resolutely said, "If God wants me to have a Cadbury Creme Egg, HE will bring me a Cadbury Creme Egg", and I walked past those babies without a second thought. Tonight, just before my group of ladies arrived at my house for Discipleship class, a friend of mine rang the doorbell. It was her and her daughter Samantha with a gift. Her daughter said they had just been shopping at the drugstore and spotted some miniature Cadbury Creme Eggs in a carton. Samantha told her mom, "Hey mom! Ms. Leeanna loves Cadbury Creme Eggs, let's get her some". So they did. And then, Samantha said, "Hey mom, Ms. Leeanna lives just a couple of blocks away, let's go give them to her now!" So, they did. Samantha did not know the story I have just shared with you. She had no idea that I had just two hours before said "If God wants me to have a CCE He will bring me a CCE." I have walked 30 years with God, as of this year. I am still in awe of His many ways of showing me His loveingkindnesses. I am shocked and awed at the way He provided me with the desire of my heart tonight. I am going to bed with a thankful heart and a new appreciation for the "Hand that feeds me". It was worth waiting for, my friends!
This is my "few words" response to the question I was just asked:
"Why don’t we spend one hour per day studying God’s Word?"
This is my personal opinion, based on my own Journey experiences.
1. First, I believe, we need a love relationship with Jesus that is inspired and fueled by the Holy Spirit. Martha worked hard for Jesus and wanted Mary to do the same. Mary chose the better part, to sit silently at Jesus’ feet and soak up His words, because she was in love with Him. Forgiven much, she loved much and spent limitless time in His presence, undisturbed by her sister’s judgments against her. (WE NEED A GENUINE LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS)
2. God draws us to himself with cords of love and when we know he loves us, we supernaturally long to know Him better through His Word. Our new Husband does not have to command us to study Him; we study Him because we love Him, we feel safe with Him, and because we KNOW He loves us. If we did not feel loved by Him, if we did not have grateful, thankful hearts for all He has done for us, we would not feel inclined to study Him or please Him. (WE NEED TO KNOW OUR HUSBAND LOVES US UNCONDITIONALLY AND HAS SACRIFICIALLY GIVEN HIMSELF FOR US)
3. There is therefore now no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. Praise our Living God, we are no longer under the cruel, hard taskmaster called Law, who bids us to conform to ordinances and pressures to perform to someone else’s standards, or to earn our acceptance in the Beloved, but we are set free to live and move and have our being in Jesus—we are in Him and He is in us. There remains therefore a rest for us as the people of God. For we who have entered His rest have also ceased from our works as God did from His. (WE NEED TO KNOW THE WORD WAS NOT SENT TO CONDEMN US; EVERY WORD GOD HAS SPOKEN TO US IS BECAUSE HE LOVES US; AND, OUR ACCEPTANCE IN THE BELOVED IS BASED ON LIFE NOT LAW)
My thoughts on The Cross? So glad you asked, Carly!
Here it is, in one sentence:
The Great I AM
Who knew me before He created the world;
Planned for my redemption,while I was yet a sinner,even born of a sinner;
By leaving His Lofty, Royal Throne and lowering Himself to be born as a helpless human infant, of a virgin, no less;
Because only a blood relative, a Kinsman-redeemer, can purchase another person from slavery;
And I was indeed in slavery, to sin, and in need of this Kinsman-Redeemer;
So, the Great I AM crashed into this world of sin-sick humanity, of whom I am chief, and loved not His own life, even unto death, even death on a cross;
To pay my debt owed to God, which debt was death;
For all have sinned and fallen far short of the glory of God;
And because the only just and right penalty of sin is death;
By the shedding of His own blood, for only the pure spotless blood of a lamb can atone for this type of sin, for life is in the blood;
The Great I Am, came down to planet Earth, born as the
Lamb of God,
as the Son of man,
for the sole purpose of death for my sin, even yours, even death on a cross--the most humiliating kind;
With His human flesh exposed for all the world to see, for me, for you;
Willingly giving His UNIQUE life, that I might live, and you also, if only we BELIEVE,
And I do,
Not only that, but hallelujah, the cross is empty, as He was resurrected on the Third Day;
Just as He promised His disciples, just as was prophesied hundreds of years prior to His miraculous birth, which was also prophesied;
And because of this cross, and because I choose to believe in what He did for me;
I died with Him, was resurrected to newness of life, became a new creature, resulting in the fact that it is now no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me;
Putting my fear of death to death, even the sting of death and hell, because Jesus tasted death for me, even for you;
By the simple act of taking Him at His Word, and believing that He did it for me, not because I was good enough or worked hard at pleasing Him or any other useless thing on my part, but that it was ALL His doing, and nothing that I did to merit His lovingkindness towards me, who deserved death and hell for my acts of disobedience;
Just believing and accepting His work on the cross was done for me, because He loved me and not because I deserved it, but just because of His great and mysterious unconditional love for me; because all that is good originate in Him;
Knowing that everything is from Him and for Him and back to Him, even me;
All because of that beautiful act of His obedience to our Father,
ON THE CROSS!
Now, what are YOUR thoughts?