To those who have served and to those who now serve our great nation, to those families who have loved ones serving, and to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. . . . Thank you.
Photo Credit: http://www.united-states-flag.org/
Showing posts with label sacrifice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sacrifice. Show all posts
Monday, May 25, 2009
Memorial Day
A lot of men and women have sacrificed their lives for defending freedom throughout the years. We must never forget this sacrifice. Others have been wounded and bear the scars of battle, we must always honor them for their sacrifice. Men and women are currently fighting for the freedom of others and we must lift them up in prayer and support their efforts. Family members of our brave troops also sacrifice greatly and we must remember to aid them when ever possible.
To those who have served and to those who now serve our great nation, to those families who have loved ones serving, and to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. . . . Thank you.
Photo Credit: http://www.united-states-flag.org/
To those who have served and to those who now serve our great nation, to those families who have loved ones serving, and to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. . . . Thank you.
Photo Credit: http://www.united-states-flag.org/
Sunday, January 20, 2008
'First' Communion
Interesting visual lesson from Daddy this morning.
Today was the first Sunday since my youngest daughter asked Jesus into her heart. She was excited about taking communion and was talking quietly as the trays were being passed. She was saying the bread is the broken body of Jesus and the juice was His blood. The trays came to our row and I began to take a cup for myself and one for her. Next thing I knew I was spilling grape juice all over her pretty white dress. There was a look a shock on her face and I was feeling terrible that I had just done this. We finished communion and then she went to her class. My wife brought me the outer, white part of her dress and I went to wash it out. The stain came out. I was relieved. As I was taking the previously stained clothing to the car it was as if God, Daddy, was saying, "How did you like the lesson? Share it with her." So after church, I showed her the dress. I told her sin is a lot like the stain, it damages us, but Jesus makes us clean by taking our sin.
Thought I would share this simple, yet profound lesson. It is one I have know for many, many years, yet today, it was if it was new. Sometimes I forget and it takes a simple lesson like spilled grape juice to remind me to not take His love and sacrifice for granted.
Today was the first Sunday since my youngest daughter asked Jesus into her heart. She was excited about taking communion and was talking quietly as the trays were being passed. She was saying the bread is the broken body of Jesus and the juice was His blood. The trays came to our row and I began to take a cup for myself and one for her. Next thing I knew I was spilling grape juice all over her pretty white dress. There was a look a shock on her face and I was feeling terrible that I had just done this. We finished communion and then she went to her class. My wife brought me the outer, white part of her dress and I went to wash it out. The stain came out. I was relieved. As I was taking the previously stained clothing to the car it was as if God, Daddy, was saying, "How did you like the lesson? Share it with her." So after church, I showed her the dress. I told her sin is a lot like the stain, it damages us, but Jesus makes us clean by taking our sin.
Thought I would share this simple, yet profound lesson. It is one I have know for many, many years, yet today, it was if it was new. Sometimes I forget and it takes a simple lesson like spilled grape juice to remind me to not take His love and sacrifice for granted.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Stains
Laundry day. Two words that make most people cringe. My wife and I share this duty in our household. Basically, the duty belongs to whomever the pile of laundry lands when it falls over. Recently the duty was mine. I strongly dislike doing laundry. It is an all day job. Separate lights and darks. Check for stains, which with two young children and myself, means quite a few stains. Load the washer. Wait... Load the dryer, unload the dryer and clean the lint screen, load the dryer. Wait... Check the clothes and add more time. Wait... Finally they are dry, but they don't fold themselves, and you can only go so many days of pulling a shirt out of the dryer to wear, so then comes folding. A couple of hours go by and it is time for bed. The folded clothes are still on the bed. Too tired to put them away they go back into the basket and are placed on the floor. After a couple of days they need to be refolded again. This time they are put away immediately. I hate doing laundry. Oh well, it has to be done.
The thing I dislike the most is folding and putting away the clothes, but since I can't really come up with a spiritual application for this (however, I reserve the right to come up with something in the future though), I will talk about stains. Which does come second on my list of what I dislike about laundry duty. Like I said between myself and my two wonderful daughters we go through plenty of stain remover. In fact I am thinking of buying stock in the company whose product we use. Stains sometimes get forgotten from the time they happen to the time they hit the washing machine. Have you ever missed a stain only to find it after the shirt is pulled from the dryer? Frustrating because now it is set and won't come out. Then the ones you do catch you just hope they will come out. Some do and some don't.
We are a lot like a pile of stained shirts. We can't do anything to remove the stain ourselves, the stain detracts from our inherent beauty, and we are not as useful with the stain as we are without. Sin, is our stain. But unlike us, God is a master cleaner. He misses no stains, they always come out in the wash, and He is proud to display us and use us for His purpose. The old hymn "Jesus Paid it All" says:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
The thing I dislike the most is folding and putting away the clothes, but since I can't really come up with a spiritual application for this (however, I reserve the right to come up with something in the future though), I will talk about stains. Which does come second on my list of what I dislike about laundry duty. Like I said between myself and my two wonderful daughters we go through plenty of stain remover. In fact I am thinking of buying stock in the company whose product we use. Stains sometimes get forgotten from the time they happen to the time they hit the washing machine. Have you ever missed a stain only to find it after the shirt is pulled from the dryer? Frustrating because now it is set and won't come out. Then the ones you do catch you just hope they will come out. Some do and some don't.
We are a lot like a pile of stained shirts. We can't do anything to remove the stain ourselves, the stain detracts from our inherent beauty, and we are not as useful with the stain as we are without. Sin, is our stain. But unlike us, God is a master cleaner. He misses no stains, they always come out in the wash, and He is proud to display us and use us for His purpose. The old hymn "Jesus Paid it All" says:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. ~ Isaiah 1:18 (NLT)
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