It's Skyline Time

Skyline Chili is one of my favorite foods. It is a Greek-style chili that some call Cincinnati chili. However, Skyline is the original and the best in my opinion.

During my college days in Cincinnati, Skyline Chili was a staple. Our curfew was 11 p.m. But we could easily leave campus at 10:15, walk to Skyline Chili, eat a three-way or coney dog, and be back to the dorm by 11 p.m.

On my visits to Ohio to see family, Skyline Chili is a restaurant we frequent often, because I need to get my chili fix before I leave. I also purchase cans of Skyline Chili to take home so that I have a little to hold me over until my next visit.

Skyline Chili is a regional thing. There are no restaurants in Colorado and you could not purchase it here...until now!

Several months ago, my daughter called me from her local grocery store very excited. “Mom, they sell Skyline Chili!” So naturally, on my next visit to the grocery I looked to see if my store carried it. But no, I was disappointed. However, I knew I could get it in the Denver store.

I had forgotten about Skyline Chili. So imagine my excitement when I found a display at another nearby grocery store! Yes! I could purchase this product in my own state. When I wanted it. And the hassle of transporting those cans had come to an end.

Sometimes I think this is exactly how we treat God. We are not consistent with our Bible study, prayer time, or quiet visits with God. We run to Him when we have an issue. Or we talk to him about a problem. But it’s usually on our schedule and according to our own needs. We have no real desire to be in God’s presence on a daily basis.

However, if you are in a situation like this, might I suggest that you work a little harder at taking your relationship with God to the next level? God wants to hear from you (and me) on a regular basis. Just because. Or because you want to be in God’s presence.

So let’s take a look at Psalm 16 and see what benefits David says there are in being in God’s presence.

Safety

“Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.” (Psalm 16:1 – NIV)

All Goodness

“I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” (Psalm 16:2 – NIV)

God’s People

“As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.” (Psalm 16:3 – NIV)

Devotion

“The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips.” (Psalm 16:4 – NIV)

Security

“Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup you have made my lot secure.” (Psalm 16:5 – NIV)

Future

“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” (Psalm 16:6 – NIV)

Instruction

“I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.” (Psalm 16:7 – NIV)

Firm Foundation

“I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8 – NIV)

Joy and Rest

“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,” (Psalm 16:9 – NIV)

Everlasting Life and Jesus

“because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” (Psalm 16:10 – NIV)

A Path

“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11 – NIV)

If nothing else, these benefits should draw you to a closer relationship with God. Why not see for yourself the wonderful benefits of being in God’s presence on a regular basis. Get to know Him. Learn of His ways and teachings. Love and praise Him through the good times and lean on Him through the bad. It’s exactly what He wants you to do.

As for me, I keep thinking of Psalm 84:10 (NIV). “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”

I pray that you can say the same thing.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

Study to Show

I am studying and leading a study on the book of James by Beth Moore. I’ve been surprised. I’ve been taught. I’ve been open to learning new ideas from this small book of the Bible. And I will say, it has been a great study.

Until now. This week we have studied chapter 3. And chapter 3 verse 1 of James is one that most teachers of Scripture know. “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1 – NIV)

I have read and heard this verse for many years. I’ve been a teacher since I was 16 years old. I began teaching Sunday School with 4^th and 5^th graders. Then just out of Bible College I began teaching women, along with children and adolescents.

I understand that teaching is not something to take lightly. Not only as I lead women in studying God’s Word, but even as I write this blog, I am teaching.

So this passage is always in the back of my mind.

But in this study, I’ve learned more about this verse and I’d like to share some of what Beth Moore has to say about it.[i]

She reminds the teachers who are studying this book that there are “a handful of land mines that go with the territory.” Here are the things she shared:

The temptation to teach more than we know.

The capacity to mislead.

The capacity to be misled.

The temptation to use the platform for personal agendas or opinions.

The demand for self-discipline.

The pride and humiliation.

Oh my. Yes there are some “land mines” that go along with teaching. These will lead to disaster.

But Beth Moore doesn’t stop here. She encourages those who feel led to teach to teach. To be honest, there is nothing else a teacher can do except teach.

She makes another statement that I am living proof of. “God often likes to teach the bigger lesson to the teacher.”[ii]

As I prepare to teach or lead or write, I know the extra weight I take upon myself. I know that each sentence I speak or write will be critiqued. I know that what I say must be truth.

That is why I dig into God’s Word more and more to find those truths. If it isn’t in God’s Word, I will not put it to pen or into words. I’ve had to rethink some of my own beliefs because of this very task.

I’ve found that some things that I’ve been taught in the past don’t line up with God’s way of thinking. If it doesn’t line up, it cannot be true.

I am also a firm believer that you, as a student or reading, should not take everything I say or write for complete truth. I am human. I make mistakes. I would urge you to evaluate all that is read in my blog. Study it to make certain that my words line up with God’s Word. In doing so, you’ll be growing yourself and gaining new wisdom and insight into Scripture.

Are you a teacher? I pray that you have a greater understanding of your role in light of God’s Word.

Do you sit under a teacher? I pray that you are not presuming that teacher knows all. Take the time to understand God’s Word for yourself.

Regardless of which role you are playing, know that it is God’s desire for you to hold His Scripture close to your heart, to understand what He has to say, and to obey all that God has placed within Scripture.

Psalm 119 is filled with verses to give us examples of this truth. Psalm 119:11; Psalm 119: 16; Psalm 119:28; Psalm 119:43; Psalm 119:74; Psalm 119:103; Psalm 119:105; Psalm 119:114; Psalm 119:130; and Psalm 119:161.

And although my words may not be perfect, God’s Word is flawless. “The words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.” (Psalm 12:6 - NIV) See Psalm 18:30 for further confirmation.

Psalm 33:4 (NIV) tells us “For the Word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.” God’s Word will not fail us. He is always right. He is always true. He is always faithful.

Today as we study, teach or listen to God’s Words being presented, keep in mind that we each have a responsibility. To know the Bible. I pray that you’ll find great joy, many blessings, and deeper devotion because you are reading and studying God’s Word.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

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[i] James: Mercy Triumphs, Beth Moore, Lifeway Press, 2011, pages 110-111.

[ii] James: Mercy Triumphs, Beth Moore, Lifeway Press, 2011, page 112.

Chasing the Beep

There is an annoying beep that can be heard on the main level of my house. It’s a soft beep (not a blaring smoke detector beep), inconsistent, and so far I’ve been unable to pinpoint where the beeping is coming from. Just when I think it’s not going to beep again, it does. Then it will stop for no apparent reason.

Sometimes we find ourselves doing this same thing in our lives. Searching for that “one thing” that will satisfy. Seeking the perfect “one thing” that will bring everything else into alignment. Or perhaps it’s the “next thing” that will make your life right.

When we live our lives in such a way, we are always going to be searching. Always looking. Always seeking. Always pursuing.

And sometimes in this pursuit, we miss out on the best we could have hoped for.

Let’s take a look at what God thinks is worthwhile of our pursuit. The things He believes we should be seeking.

Obviously, God wants us to look for Him. Psalm 105:3-4 (NIV) says it this way. “Glory in his name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”

And Psalm 119:2 (NIV) also says, “Blessed are they who keep his statues and seek him with all their heart.” We must seek God above all else. The rewards are amazing!

And what else should we seek? Here are a few.

“Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14 – NIV)

“He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it.” (Proverbs 11:27 – NIV)

“The Lord detests the way of the wicked but he loves those who pursue righteousness.” (Proverbs 15:9 – NIV)

“He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.” (Proverbs 21:21 – NIV)

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 – NIV)

“Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” (1 Corinthians 10:24 – NIV)

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” (1 Timothy 6:11 – NIV)

“Flee from evil desire of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22 – NIV)

This is quite a list. Perhaps if we pursue or seek all of these things, we won’t have time to seek our selfish desires.

As we seek God first and foremost, those remaining should be easy to find. They are all qualities of God that keep directing us to Him.

The beeping has stopped…for now. Maybe we’ll never hear it again. I doubt it, but I can certainly hope. But in this moment, chasing that beep has stopped. Now I can continue to seek more productive things…God, His kingdom, and His righteousness.

What are you seeking today?

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

The Dishwasher

My grandson Percy is 21 months old. He is a ball of energy and loves to explore. He also loves to open things. Cabinets, drawers, doors, the dishwasher. If you’ve been around a toddler, you understand.

We’ve been pretty good to keep him out of spaces where he might get into trouble or get hurt. But there was no way to do so with the dishwasher. It was easy to open. There wasn’t a locking mechanism on it, so he’d just pop it open.

So apart from the fact that he could open the door when it was washing, or that he could have access to knives or dangerous utensils, he loved climbing into the dishwasher.

As concerned grandparents, we did the only thing we could think of. We purchased a new dishwasher.

On our search for this dishwasher, we had a set of criteria, not in this particular order:

1. It had to hold a lot of dishes
2. It also had to have a small load ability
3. It needed to be quiet
4. It had to be white
5. The buttons needed to be on the top with locking ability (another of Percy’s favorite things to do is push buttons)
6. It had to be Percy-proof (difficult to open)

So the first thing I did when we entered an appliance store was pull on each door handle of all the dishwashers. If it seemed difficult for me to open, I figured it would be impossible for Percy to open.

From that test, we would then choose the ones that fit the other criteria for our search. We visited all the places within a 50 mile radius of our home that carried appliances. I opened a lot of dishwashers.

The salespeople enjoyed the process as well. Several had to admit they had never heard of making it difficult to get into a dishwasher. They are designed for easy access. Several even had a good laugh over our dilemma.

I have to admit that this was a difficult decision. There was a lot of work put into making this choice.

We find in Deuteronomy that Israel had a choice to make. Moses thought it was an easy choice. But he also knew it had to be their choice. So he shared all the pros and cons of this important decision.

Moses and the priests called Israel together and said, “Be silent, O Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the Lord your God. Obey the Lord your God and follow his command and decrees that I give you today.” (Deuteronomy 27:9-10 – NIV)

There is a lot in these verses, but what I’d like to show is that Israel had already been chosen by God. Now it was their turn to make a choice.

After quite a long speech on blessings and curses, the renewal of the covenant, and prosperity in the Lord, Moses gets to the main point. In Deuteronomy 30:11-20, Moses lays it all out for them. He makes a great case for God.

Moses believes it is an easy decision to make and says so. “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.” (Deuteronomy 30:11 – NIV) Moses goes on to say that they don’t have to go to heaven to find it. They don’t have to cross the sea to get it.

“No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” (Deuteronomy 30:14 – NIV) I love this verse for it is exactly the same for us on this side of the cross. God’s Word is within us. In our hearts and should be on our tongues. And the reason? So that we may know it and obey.

Moses then tells them they have a choice. Life and prosperity or death and destruction.

This great leader of God enlightened Israel of the consequences of disobedience and the blessings of obedience. For Moses, there wasn’t a decision to be made. He had already chosen to follow God. Israel needed to do the same.

One final swaying argument for God and Moses would hand the leadership role over to Joshua.

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20 – NIV)

I can hear the great crowd cheering after Moses’ convincing words. They are inspiring words. Words that called Israel to action. Israel was all in at this point.

Oh, we know that Israel made bad decisions throughout their history in the Old Testament, but at this point, they chose God. They chose blessings. They chose prosperity. They chose life.

Do Moses’ words call you to action? Are they enough to convince you to love God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him? Are you willing to accept God as your life?

As a Christ-follower, I must ask myself a few questions as well. Am I thrilled that God’s Word is very near? Are God’s commands in my heart? Are they on my lips? Do I listen to God’s voice? Do I hold fast to Him?

I’ll say it like Moses did. It’s not a difficult decision. Choose life!

Well, our searching paid off. Percy cannot open the new dishwasher; therefore, he will not be crawling inside of this one. It was a good decision on our part. I’m so glad that choosing God isn’t as difficult as choosing a dishwasher!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

Building a Doll House: It’s All About the Details – Chapter 8

NOTE: If you missed Chapters 1-7 of Building a Doll House, you can find it in the column under "blog archive" to the right. 

From the beginning of this dollhouse project, my husband said we needed to be very careful with each piece. During the painting process, it was important that the paint didn’t drip, because that would cause it to be out of line with the rest of the pieces. During the sanding process, we had to be sure that just the right amount was sanded or it would fit.

Then of course, the details of the entire project was overwhelming. The directions. The number of pieces. The step-by-step process to take all of these pieces and create one doll house from them all. It was pretty amazing.

Here’s the thing. If we hadn’t paid attention to the details, it would not have turned out the way it was supposed to. It would not have looked like a house. Or at least not a pleasant-looking house.

It’s the same with our spiritual lives. If we haven’t taken care of the details of our faith, it’s hard to say what the outcome might be. But if we follow God’s plan and pay attention to the details, the results will be exactly what God intended us to be.

God planned that we would be “His chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” (1 Peter 2:9 – NIV)

So how do we get to this point? What steps (details) do we need to take to become exactly what God intended us to be?

We must believe

There is a lot that we simply must have faith in. We must believe that God’s Word is living and active and that God breathed life into each verse. (Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16)

We must believe that Jesus is God’s Son, sent to be the Messiah, the Savior of mankind. (John 3:15-16; 1 John 5:1; 5:5; Romans 3:22)

We must believe that Jesus was crucified for the forgiveness of our sins and rose to life to prove victory over death. (Luke 24:46-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:14)

We must repent

Repentance means to turn completely around. To go the opposite direction of our original path. So for a believer, we must put to death the sinful nature in order for the spiritual nature to be visible. (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19)

We must confess

You’ve heard it before, Peter’s great confession of our Lord. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16 – NIV) Yes, we must proclaim it as well. (Matthew 16:16; 2 Timothy 2:19)

We must be baptized

Jesus teaches that baptism is part of the salvation plan and was himself baptized. Peter preached it on the day of Pentecost. Paul also was baptized and preached baptism. (Matthew 3:13; 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 9:18; Galatians 3:27)

We must live

Live lives that bring honor, glory and praise to God who has freely lavished grace upon us. There are plenty of passages that lead us in this direction, but I’m just listing two here. (Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 2:10)

We must tell

If in fact we have the greatest news mankind has ever heard, why do we keep silent? Why isn’t His message on the tip of our tongues constantly? I don’t know the answer to that question, but I know that Scriptures tell me to share the Gospel. (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:47)

These are the “details” of our spiritual lives. They each fit perfectly with the next, like a plan, and exactly as God intended. By paying attention to each of these details, we ensure that our salvation will be complete.

Oh, I know that we’ll mess up along the way. I know that a detail will be missed or we’ll botch it up. But please know that God can take all those mishaps, those imperfections, and turn them into a thing of beauty. That’s an added bonus of loving God. Grace.

If you have a question about these “details,” I’d be happy to chat with you. I do know that there is nothing like being in God’s grace.

I’d also love to hear your story of grace. How your faith has been built through the years. What God’s grace means to you. Would you be willing to share?

In the end, the pieces of the dollhouse went together pretty well. There were a few pieces that didn’t quite fit, but a little sand paper and caulk covered a lot of mistakes. Please don’t look too closely at the dollhouse. You just might find those mistakes.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

My God Reigns

Yesterday was Election Day. I’m sure if you are like me, you are thankful that the television ads are over, the phone calls have stopped, and that peace will once again reign in households all across America.

Over the past few days, there have been statements on Facebook that refer to the fact that regardless of who won the election, that today and every day, God is still in control. He knew what the outcome of the election would be long before the poles opened.

Why is it that we have difficulty maintaining this way of thinking through our day-to-day lives? Why do we spend precious time worrying? We should be spending less time worrying and more time praying.

Yes, God is still in control this morning. He will be all day long and well into the evening. Even while you’re sleeping through the night, God will be in control. When I came to this realization and really accepted it as truth, my life suddenly became less hectic, less aggravating, and produced much less worrying.

A wonderful Psalm delivers this message. “The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity.” (Psalm 93:1-2 – NIV)

Aren’t there some wonderful thoughts in this passage? God reigns. He is robed in majesty. He is armed with strength. His throne was established long ago. He is eternity.

If we believe these five statements, we will be able to face each day and offer it to God. In return He will keep our world (lives) on a firm foundation.

What are you facing today? A difficulty? An illness? A broken relationship? A job search? A death? Whatever it is, God wants to be in the middle of it with you. Why not open up to Him and allow Him to encourage you with His strength. Allow Him to wrap His robe around you for comfort. Allow Him to be the Lord of your life and reign on the throne of your heart. Allow Him to be your eternity.

I will be praying for you…and our nation!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

3 a.m.

Oh how I wish I could turn my mind off at times. You know, like at 3 a.m. when I’m wide awake and thinking of something I need or want to do? That’s when I do wonder why Mr. Sandman doesn’t show up and sprinkle some of his little dust over me so that I might fall into a deep sleep for another three hours.

But it doesn’t happen that way. The harder I try to fall back to sleep, the wider awake I become.

This morning was yet another morning when I was wide awake at 3 a.m. and I just couldn’t stop my mind from doing what it’s designed to do. Think.

Since my acceptance of the two writing challenges during November, I’ve taken on two new projects that are media driven.

Now while I am pretty good with most secretarial skills, I’m most challenged by the media driven programs. Like PowerPoint. I love it, but since I don’t use it on a regular basis, I forget some of the features and it takes me longer to do anything because of that fact.

So not only was my mind thinking of what I might write this morning, I was also thinking of the two new projects, the presentation of the two new projects, the related details that go along with the two new projects, plus the two writing challenges that I have undertaken for November.

It’s no wonder I couldn’t sleep!

So here’s my question this morning. How can I possibly be effective today with only four and a half hours of sleep?

Well, if I rely on my own abilities, I know it is impossible. I don’t believe I can be effective on my own. But, I do believe with God’s Spirit working through me, I can be effective.

Here are some Scriptures to back up this statement.

Isaiah wrote a message long ago for us to consider. “The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.” (Isaiah 32:17 – NIV) When I think of effectiveness in connection to righteousness (God’s righteousness upon me), the result will be quietness and confidence. Now with that combination, I can be effective.

Paul and Barnabas were pretty effective guys. But they also knew where their effectiveness came from. God. God’s Spirit at work in them caused a great awakening among the Jews and Gentiles. Look at Acts 14:1 (NIV) to see the results. “At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.”

Paul loved visiting with his Church people. And the Church at Corinth held a special place in his heart. He had a great desire to spend some quality time with this group, so at one point he opted to skip a visit so that he could stay longer the next time…and because of an effective work in Ephesus.

“Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me” (1 Corinthians 16:6-9 – NIV)

On another occasion, Paul wrote these words to Philemon. “I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.” (Philemon 1:4 – NIV) Paul was and is pretty good at deepening our understanding of all we have through Jesus Christ.

And then there’s the message from James about prayer. I began with righteousness and will end with righteousness. “Therefore confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16 – NIV) Now that is what I call effective!

So what can I take from these passages?

Through God’s righteousness, I can be effective.

Through God, I can speak effectively for Him.

Through God, great doors for effective work will open.

Through God, I can effectively deepen my understanding of His goodness.

Through God’s righteousness, my prayers are effective.

I am certain that I will not be of any use at some point this afternoon. I will more than likely need to take a short nap in order to be effective. But in those moments when I feel the least effective, I know that I can lean upon God and His righteousness and I will be effective.

How effective are you today?

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

Perfection!

Perfection. What comes to mind when you think of that word? I think there is perfection in our world. The perfect combination of flavors brings a smile to my face. I believe I’ve seen perfect sunsets. I’ve experienced perfect days.

Imperfection. What comes to mind when you think of that word? I must admit there is imperfection in our world. Computers that aren’t compatible with upgraded programs. Potholes that cause flat tires. The absence of fireflies in Colorado.

Perfection and imperfection. I believe we can look at these words through Scripture and find God’s view on them. So let’s do that. Let’s see what He has to say about perfection and imperfection.

Imperfection

We know from the Old Testament that the Hebrew nation was to provide sacrifices without blemish. They weren’t to have imperfections. (Leviticus 22:21; Numbers 19:2)

We are imperfect. If you read through all of the lists of sins we are to get rid of, you and I both know that we haven’t achieved that task yet. You’ve seen the lists. Galatians 5:19-22; Ephesians 4:22-31; Ephesians 5:3-4; Colossians 3:5-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-7; and 1 Peter 2:1. Unfortunately, some of those sins are still in my life. I am imperfect.

Perfection

Paul’s final words to in 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV) were, “Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” Aim for perfection. Now that I think I can do.

Yes, we are to rid ourselves of the sins listed above, but we also have lists to show us how we are to live. Galatians 5:22-23; Galatians 6:2; Ephesians 4:23-24; 32-5:2; Philippians 2:14-16; Philippians 4:4-8; Colossians 3:12-17; Colossians 4:2; 1 Peter 1:13-16; 1 Peter 2:4-5; 1 Peter 2:12; 1 Peter 2:17; 1 Peter 4:8-11; 1 John 1:7; Jude 1:20-23.

“Aim for perfection.” Other versions of the Bible have translated this phrase a little differently. Maybe we can gain some insight from them.

“Keep things in good repair.” (The Message)

“…be made complete…” (New American Standard)

“Try to be complete.” (New Century Version)

“Aim for restoration.” (English Standard Version)

I love the ESV translation. “Aim for restoration.” It seems to help me understand that it is a work in progress. That it is a time-consuming project. Maybe even that it is a never-ending task. I must continue to work at living the way God wants me to live, because I know that it is only through Him that I am perfect.

I believe that as we remove a sin from our life, we must replace that void with something. Something good. Remove something from the imperfection list and replace it with something from the perfection list.

I also believe that I cannot do this without God and His Holy Spirit working in my life. My sinful nature is too strong for me to battle on my own. And God has given me the perfect tools to go into battle. Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us of the armor we are to take up and use. God’s armor.

Let’s strive today to live as godly men and women. Let’s utilize the tools (God’s armor and His Holy Spirit) as we head into battle. Let’s aim for perfection. Aim for restoration. Let others see Jesus through you that “…they may see your good deeds and glorify God…” (1 Peter 2:12 – NIV)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna