Life is all about perspective - do you see the master piece or a little swatch of the picture? I wonder sometimes how much we miss because we are so focused in on our little swatch. One of the hardest things to do is to see something from someone else point of view. I am so glad that someone had enough love and mercy for me to try to see things from my point of view.

I no longer paint my door posts with the blood of lambs because:
1 Corinthians 5:7b Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.

I need not strike a rock in the wilderness for water because: John 7:38: Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.

I don’t need to climb out of bed and hunt for manna anymore either because: John 6:51: I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

And finally I don’t need priests to carry the ark, to mediate between me and God any longer because: Hebrews 7:20-22 This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath, 2 but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, “The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow “‘You are a priest forever.’” Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God.

I am so thankful that God took Himself from His throne - humbled Himself beyond compare - and gave everything for me. While I was yet a sinner Christ died for me.

If you have been around a church for very long you have probably gotten a forwarded email including this little story:
There once was a little girl who needed a blood transfusion - the doctors test the family to find a suitable match and discover that her big brother is that perfect match - They talk to the boy and explain to him the procedure - until finally he agrees to help. He dutifully lays down on the hospital bed - donates a pint of blood and then solemnly turns to the doctor and asks how much longer he has left to live.
Sort of funny - often used as an example of God's grace - but in fact God's grace is so much greater than that.

The book I've been reading gives this example -
Instead of a blood transfusion - imagine it is a heart transplant - and that the recipient is a death row inmate. Not anyone that is remarkable - no one worthy of anything - this man is going to die not because of an illness or condition but because of his iniquity. But moments after his technical death - he will receive a heart transplant and continue to live his life, having the price paid for his debt to society - as a free man. This transplant will come from a living donor- who need not give his heart and will die as a result of the gift - but on top of all that the donor is the father of the child that the death row inmate killed.
That is a better picture of God's grace.

We are so undeserving - and yet we are often so proud of ourselves. We would do well to remember that we were all death row inmates at one time - and to extend to others a measure of the grace that has been extended to us. Not because we are righteous and they are not - not because they need it and we don't, but because of the great gift that was given to us.

For Mother's Day Drason got me the "Alive and Transported" Toby Mac CD - odd, yes I know, but it was what I wanted =]

It is a live CD so several times you hear Toby Mac talking to the crowds. In one instance he says this
"It's not our words. Our words aren't going to be what stops the world in their tracks. Our words will not change the world. They've heard it all. It's not normally our music, normally we make our music for us, for the body, so we can sharpen each other, edify the body, glorify our God. Once in a while one crosses over , but it's not typically our music that's gonna stop the world in their tracks. Our music's not going to change the world, more than likely. It's not our buildings, as grand and beautiful as some of our church buildings are. It's not the architecture that's gonna change the world. But I believe what will change the world is when we begin to love each other.... When the world sees that kind of love, undeniable love, I believe they'll stop in their tracks and say '... whatever you people have over there, I want some of that..... I want some of that for me...' When the world sees that kind of love, real love, they are gonna stop in their tracks"