Baby Jesus

This is not a terribly deep post so bear with me. But I always wondered what Jesus was like as a kid. You know did he do the things that our kids do that just drive us nuts. From reading Luke when he was 12, it did seem as though he was pretty serious... so of course I turned to my source of all wisdom Google. And I googled "What was Jesus like as a kid?". And to no surprise I came across this, although not totally related, I got a really good laugh. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVJSEEOybIw

True Power

Pilate said three times that Jesus was innocent, yet still caved to political pressure and had Him crucified.  They were all trying to take a life that was freely being given.  The mob wasn't in control though, God was.

I just saw an article today that the US Council of Catholic Bishops is updating their version of the Bible.  They are going to replace the word "virgin" with "young woman".  It really made me upset that this bunch of scholars decided to do something like this.  If Mary was just a "young woman"...then why would the prophecy even be noteworthy.  It (oh so subtly) takes away from the faith needed to believe that Jesus is God's son...that He was the unblemished Lamb sacrificed to cover our sin in His blood.

So in my burst of righteous anger, I'm reading Mark 15...and the study notes under verse 19 say this:

• Worldly powers and philosophies that mock Jesus' lordship will not be so arrogant when Jesus returns in judgement (see Phil 2:10;11).  When you feel that unjust people who have control and viewpoints hostile to Christianity are carrying the day, rest assured that Jesus holds the highest place and will return in glory.

Thank you God for your perfect timing.  I'm a little more calm now.  Although it always bothers me, the realization that Satan is having his fun running the show on this earth.  But knowing the true power of Jesus is what helps me not want to rip my hair out over things like this.

Handling Stress

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5:7

So, I had one of those weeks, last week. The one where it starts out great. A New Monday...A New Beginning. Then, boom!  You get sucked into the drama that is called life. I have tried very hard in the last year, to distance myself from situations where drama and gossip are involved. It's hard to do. It's part of life. We all comment about things/people that bother us, and that's normal I guess. But, I have tried to stay away from the situations that cause me stress.

We have a busy household. My family is separated during the day by school and work. Our evenings are filled with homework and sports. Private family time is precious during the week, so I don't have the time to let people bring me down.

I had a scenario last week, that did just that. Brought me down. I dealt with it differently than I would have a year ago. Did it still bother me? Yes. But, again, I refer to the verse above. Life is what it is. If we take all of our worries and place them in the hands of the Lord, it all works out.

The drama is gone. It's a new week. And, I feel much better. It's very comforting knowing that I now have Him to help me. It has changed my life.

All Have Sinned

Not one person stood by Jesus as he was being accused.  Judas betrayed Him, the Sanhedrin (Jewish ruling body) unjustly accused Him, the Roman governor condemned Him, the Disciples deserted Him...and even the previously unmentioned young man following Jesus fled naked when they seized Him.  (Tradition says the fleeing naked guy was probably John Mark, the writer of this Gospel.)

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Romans 3:23

It's easy to get angry at Judas and the governing leaders who sent Jesus to the cross.  We are very good at ranking our own actions against others so we feel better about the things we've done.  But all of us are like the disciples in some form...we've all been guilty of denying Christ at one time or another in our thoughts and actions.  Some sins may seem worse than others because their worldly consequences are greater...but from the perspective of eternal life - ALL sin separates us from God (there are no big or little sins), but ALL can be forgiven.  Judas missed out on that part by committing suicide.  Just like his betrayal of Jesus was a choice...Judas chose despair and death before he ever really knew Jesus.  His choice prevented him from repentance, forgiveness, hope and eternal life.

Ants In My Pants

A couple weeks ago I had to sing a song called "Ants In My Pants" for KidStuf at church.  The song is cute, silly, and perfect for kids.  However, I wasn't too keen on singing out "I gotta get ants in my pants, so I gotta start jumpin', Ants in my pants, so I'll keep on the move..."  The visual isn't good.

So it was rather funny for me today reading Proverbs 6:6-8:

"Go to the ant, you sluggard;

consider its ways and be wise!

It has no commander,

no overseer or ruler,

yet it stores its provisions in summer

and gathers its food at harvest."

And this was soooo good for me to read today.  I was having a hard time getting out of bed this morning, just wanted to spend the day in my pj's (actually, I should get dressed soon), cuddle on the couch with my coughing Nate, and have a lazy day after a super busy weekend.

But, then I read this and thought about the Ants In My Pants song that I was allowed to sing (note the change in attitude - no longer "had to").  The second verse of the song mirrors the verses above "Moving ahead, taking a cue, not taking orders, following through, they just know what they should do".

I decided that I needed to stop resisting the work ahead of me today.  I chose to use my time this morning to read my Bible (and yesterday's reading that I procrastinated), practice my new KidStuf songs for this coming weekend...and I still have plenty of time to cuddle with Nate on the couch....After I get dressed of course. It is almost noon already  :-)