Fun Preschool Stuff

Some of my favorite preschool memories with Hannah include making books. Some workbook that I had (and wish I knew the name of now) had sequence books in it. You know...what comes first, second and last? I loved doing those. Well, I don't have those exact ones, but I plan to make these with my two preschoolers soon.
I made a personalized book for John that says, "God made me a boy." The fact that this part of the book is prescripted is funny because John Caleb had a habit of declaring that a little while back. "God made me a boy." One day, as he played dress up with his sisters, he was wearing a dress as he often did. He came down the stairs and declared, "God made me a boy, but Hannah made me a guuull." Now, that's funny!

Reverence

Psalm 119:38 Establish Thy word to Thy servant
As that which produces reverence for Thee.

I was reading through a one-year Bible reading plan many months ago and read the following two passages on the same day. Lev. 21:16-23 and Matt 5:29-30.
Lev. 21:16 begins, "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to Aaron, saying, 'No man of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect shall approach to offer the bread of his God. For no one who has a defect shall approach; a blind man, or a lame man, or he who has a disfigured face, or any deformed limb, or a man who has a broken foot or a broken hand, or a hunchback or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye or eczema or scabs or crushed testicles. No man among the desendants of Aaron the priest, who has a defect, is to come near to offer the Lord's offering by fire; since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy, only he shall not go in to the veil or come near the altar because he has a defect, that he may not profane My sanctuaries. For I am the Lord who sanctifies them.'"

I am not singling out this passage for it's unusual content, merely! Hang on!

By the way, Aaron's sons were to bring the sacrifices before the Lord. Why not one with a defect? Is this an unfair judgement upon those with birth defects? Bearing in mind what was just declared by the Lord to the priestly line of Aaron, we will read what Jesus says in the New Testament book of Matthew.

In Matthew 5:29 and 30, Jesus is quoted as follows, "And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go into hell."

Why would the Son of God ask that we mutilate ourselves for righteousness sake, when God said that no person with a defect could come into His presence?

I say one word answers this delimma: reverence. Our malformed, twisted ways make us unapproachable to a Holy God! Jesus was saying that it is better to sever the part of your life that makes you stumble spiritually than to be tripped up by it continually and never be able to stand (and not fall) before God.

Lev. 21:22...'He may eat of the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy, only he shall not go in to the veil or come near the altar because he has a defect...." We all have a defect, to be sure. It's sin.

Reverence for God causes us to forsake our own pursuit for perfection and trust in the One, Holy, Righteous Sacrifice of Christ!

Psalm 119:38 Establish Thy word to Thy servant
As that which produces reverence for Thee.

St. Patty's Day

I am not usually inclined to celebrate the holidays with much fan-fare. They seem to catch me off guard. But, I do have a few things for St. Patty's Day tomorrow.
We'll make this Irish Potato candy recipe! : )
We may watch our Veggie Tales video that tells the tale of St. Patrick for the wee little ones!
I printed this off for fun! I love Family Fun!

That's about it for me.....
unless I decide to dye my hair....haha

Who am I mad at?

I've asked myself before, "What is the purpose of this blog?" Then I answer myself..."I need to work through and work out things in my head and heart. This seems like a good place."

Currently, I'm evaluating why I'm constantly shaking my fist.

In the past, I have shaken my fist at bullies. I have shaken it at myself, at laziness, at apathy, at the TV, at God, at the radio announcer, at no one in particular. I'm inclined to anger. I have confessed this numberous times to others in hopes for freedom, compassion, understanding, and better yet, for it to end. Anger was once my default mode. It may still be, I'm afraid to admit.

Now, I'm finding that anger masks my own ignorance. When I don't understand, I get angry. Most recently I got angry at the writer of my morning devotional. I thought that he was misrepresenting Christ. I proceeded to ask Jason if I was, in fact, right in denouncing his faulty doctrine. Then he busted my angry bubble. He agreed with the writer. The doctrine in particular isn't as important to me at this moment as is realizing I'm just shaking my fist at my own ignorance. At that doesn't do me any good!

Now, what am I going to do with this new-found knowledge. Hopefully, I will close my mouth more often and lower that clinched fist of mine.