I am gone a lot.
Are you sick of hearing that from me?
Probably.
My apologies.
I am tired tonight and don’t know what I want to tell you.
Which means that you are going to get a picture tour of my
life since the last time we talked.
It's getting cold here. Since I was out west all summer and didn't have any summer here at home I don't feel like winter should already be approaching, but....it turns out the rest of the world wasn't on "delay" as I was away for months.
Most of you will scorn me for saying this, but I hope we have a real winter this winter. The ground needs the moisture and my fur coats need more of a workout.
Anyway.
Fall truly was probably the most lovely one I have ever seen. It just goes so fast always. I am enjoying the last shreds of leaves on the trees, even though I have succombed to wearing turtlenecks already.
Last week I was reading one night and came across this passage. I know I have read it countless times before but that night it struck a new chord.
Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our tresspasses, made us alive together with Chrst--by grace you have been saved---and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
*Isn't that incredible! The whole section hinges there on the little phrase "SO THAT."
This says that he has rich mercy towards us BECAUSE of the love he loves us with. As in, his love towards us is what propels his mercy towards us. It's his motivation, the movement.
EVEN WHEN our sins held us down and dead, he made life come to us--those of us who have been called by him and accepted the same Caller. And not only are we then saved and made alive with Christ, we were RAISED with Christ.
Look at it this way: God didn't just raise Christ from the dead, he raised us from the dead, too. With Christ. Jesus came out of that grave that morning and we likewise followed suit. Then, get this, he seated us with Christ in the heavenlies. Why? BECAUSE WHERE ELSE WOULD WE WANT TO BE?!??? Let's be honest. We want to be by the One who loves us.
SO.THAT.
This is the kicker. See, being shown mercy because of love, and being brought to life and raised from the dead and seated in heaven....all of that good stuff...that wasn't any reason in and of itself. That wasn't the goal. That was the road. That sequence of events doesn't answer the "What?" question, it answers the "Why?" question.
All of that happened SO THAT----So>that> in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
THAT, Wolfies, is what he wanted to do.
He wanted to show us his immeasurable riches of grace through kindness.
That's the "What?"
A display of his grandeur.
Him being gracious to us is only so he can show us more grace.
Doesn't it make you think then that all those things we had to go through (the salvation, the being raised from the dead, the life in Christ, the seated in the heavenlies, etc etc etc) are only the shallow elements of his grace?
I mean, if he did all of that...which is measurable by the way...just so that in the future he can show us the IMMEASURABLE riches of his grace, doesn't it allude to the fact that we haven't even scratched the surface yet?
Wow.
In the words of my favorite 15 year old boy:
Get you some of that.
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| This actually isn't from one of my travels. It's right down the raod from my house. |
 |
| A very dear friend of mine was in town from out west. So naturally we galavanted all around. |
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| I told you about Jesus painting the town red, didn't I? And you thought I was kidding. |
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| And have you ever seen anything so yellow!? My goodness. |
 |
| Sorry. I am just so into Fall right now. It's everywhere. It's glorious. And sorry, golden leaves, but you were not the ones chosen to be redeemed by the return of Christ. :) Poor little guys. |
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| WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS PUMPKIN?!?! I mean, I think it's amazing, I am just really confused. |
 |
| My friend and I went to a high school reunion of hers, the year of which that graduation happened will remain unsaid. And are your eyes shocked yet with seeing so many patterns on so few bodies? |
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| I just couldn't resist. Ever since the Exodus I just have something for red doors. I will have a house with a red door. Hold me to it, ok? |
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| And check out this Picasso shirt she gifted me with! How Fab. |
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| Went on a little boat trip and saw this baby. Swoon. |
It's getting cold here. Since I was out west all summer and didn't have any summer here at home I don't feel like winter should already be approaching, but....it turns out the rest of the world wasn't on "delay" as I was away for months.
Most of you will scorn me for saying this, but I hope we have a real winter this winter. The ground needs the moisture and my fur coats need more of a workout.
Anyway.
Fall truly was probably the most lovely one I have ever seen. It just goes so fast always. I am enjoying the last shreds of leaves on the trees, even though I have succombed to wearing turtlenecks already.
Last week I was reading one night and came across this passage. I know I have read it countless times before but that night it struck a new chord.
Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our tresspasses, made us alive together with Chrst--by grace you have been saved---and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
*Isn't that incredible! The whole section hinges there on the little phrase "SO THAT."
This says that he has rich mercy towards us BECAUSE of the love he loves us with. As in, his love towards us is what propels his mercy towards us. It's his motivation, the movement.
EVEN WHEN our sins held us down and dead, he made life come to us--those of us who have been called by him and accepted the same Caller. And not only are we then saved and made alive with Christ, we were RAISED with Christ.
Look at it this way: God didn't just raise Christ from the dead, he raised us from the dead, too. With Christ. Jesus came out of that grave that morning and we likewise followed suit. Then, get this, he seated us with Christ in the heavenlies. Why? BECAUSE WHERE ELSE WOULD WE WANT TO BE?!??? Let's be honest. We want to be by the One who loves us.
SO.THAT.
This is the kicker. See, being shown mercy because of love, and being brought to life and raised from the dead and seated in heaven....all of that good stuff...that wasn't any reason in and of itself. That wasn't the goal. That was the road. That sequence of events doesn't answer the "What?" question, it answers the "Why?" question.
All of that happened SO THAT----So>that> in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
THAT, Wolfies, is what he wanted to do.
He wanted to show us his immeasurable riches of grace through kindness.
That's the "What?"
A display of his grandeur.
Him being gracious to us is only so he can show us more grace.
Doesn't it make you think then that all those things we had to go through (the salvation, the being raised from the dead, the life in Christ, the seated in the heavenlies, etc etc etc) are only the shallow elements of his grace?
I mean, if he did all of that...which is measurable by the way...just so that in the future he can show us the IMMEASURABLE riches of his grace, doesn't it allude to the fact that we haven't even scratched the surface yet?
Wow.
In the words of my favorite 15 year old boy:
Get you some of that.
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