The World Through My Eyes

Recently my wife and I bought a new devotional book that we could read as a family. One such devotion was called "What will spill out of you?" Joking with my wife I told her that I am able to control myself, and how wrong was I. God today showed me that I am no were near where I need to be. The devotional asked a question...

What comes spilling out when I'm frustrated, made fun of, inconvenienced, or hurt? Is my natural response to be angry or defensive? Or am I find tht I can respond with joy, selflessness patience, and kindness? (source)

At work I found myself many times being inconvenienced and frustrated and instead of responding with patience and kindness, I found myself lashing out with impatience and becoming angry. It is funny to see how God sometimes just shows you your fault, as they say pride goes before the fall. Just goes to show that I need to pray for more humility.

Such a wonderful song, it continually reminds me that its not about me. Sometimes its hard to realize that you aren't the only one here and going through the hardships in life. This is something that I continually pray for

Give me your eyes for just one second, Give me your eyes so I can see, Everything that I keep missing, Give me your love for humanity, Give me your arms for the broken hearted, Ones that are far beyond my reach. Give me your heart for the ones forgotten, Give me your eyes so I can see

There are somethings that companies should just never attempt. This is one such attempt, the Mexican December Issue of Playboy put on over their models as the Virgin Mary. The cover was released with model Maria Florencia Onori posing as the virgin. Its headline reads in Spanish: "We adore you, Mary." Now some times it makes me wonder why or who thought this would be a good idea. Needless to say the Catholics are up in arms about this.
Playboy Enterprises Inc., based in Chicago, released a statement Friday explaining that the company did not approve the cover because the Mexican version of the magazine is published by a licensee, according to Reuters. "While Playboy Mexico never meant for the cover or images to offend anyone, we recognize that it has created offense, and we as well as Playboy Mexico offer our sincerest apologies," the company said. [Source]
I'm not sure what to think, the photos were well done, but when does "artistic" value infringe on tradition. I guess it will be interesting to see where this goes. Below is another photo from the magazine, this one doesn't show anything, but it may be NSFW, so be careful.

This is One of My favorite Hymns. I don't hear it that often, but when I do it makes me smile. It helps me to remember that God's word is strong and will help to sustain me through the hard times.

"Thy Strong Word"

1. Thy strong word did cleave the darkness; At thy speaking it was done.
For created light we thank thee, While thine ordered seasons run.
Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end!

2. Lo, on those who dwelt in darkness, Dark as night and deep as death,
Broke the light of thy salvation, Breathed thine own life-giving breath.
Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end!

3. Thy strong Word bespeaks us righteous, Bright with thine own holiness,
Glorious now, we press toward glory, And our lives our hopes confess.
Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end!

4. From the cross thy wisdom shining Breaketh forth in conqu’ring might;
From the cross forever beameth All thy bright redeeming light.
Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end!

5. Give us lips to sing thy glory, Tongues thy mercy to proclaim,
Throats that shout the hope that fills us, Mouths to speak thy holy name.
Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end!

This is something that I wrote a long time ago, still come back to it alot. If you do not wish to read this please just continue on to the next post.

I’m still hounded by the fact that I am pained by my own humanity. Yet it is something that I can never over come by myself. Is there a way to over come this? If we remain in Christ, if we grow up in Christ, will we reach a point where we will no longer sin? Ever since I’ve been saved I’ve tried to live a life flawless. This is something that I cannot do! In 1 Corn. 12:7-10, Paul had a thorn in his flesh, to keep him from growing conceited. I do not feel like I’m growing conceited, and I am no where near Paul. But I still feel as if there is a thorn in my side that pains me. I really can’t get past this whole reality of sin and the law of sin. Maybe it is me, maybe it’s the fact that I’m over analyzing my life. I am reminded of the song “I Pictured it,” by John Reuben. In it he says;

“And then there was me: Analyzing life more than I was living, anything possible good, I destroyed before the chance was ever given. See if I never have anything I’ll never have to lose anything; but then again if I never had anything worth losing I guess I lost everything. Either way, you could say, Pain will become a result from both, so actually I’m giving into the very thing that I fear the most: Losing it all, everything, completely unaware, that a fear of failure was the one thing that was taking me there. Fear of life, fear of love, fear of man, failure to relate. How I and God, and his voice to me would even begin to translate. So I wait, to escape this condition of rationalizing my own destruction. But I keep on listening to the voices that don’t deserve my discussion.”

I really am unsure of things. My mind can manipulate itself, yet it is not smart enough to realize it is being manipulated. Am I concentrating to much on myself and not enough on God? I know that there is a point that you can focus so much on your sin that it can over cloud the grace of God. Then we are no longer living by faith, we a living by sight, and we cannot live by sight, but by faith. Through faith I have been saved by grace, this is what John tells us.

I guess I should remember what Paul says in Gal. 1:10. “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I Trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Yet now I am answered but God through Galatians. “If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners…” (Gal. 2:17). I am a sinner! Why is this so hard for me to accept? Yet, “…through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:19-20). Am I still ruled by sin? Paul states in Romans 7:18-24;

18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

I will state again that in verse 25 of Romans chapter 7, it is Christ Jesus who saves me from this wretched body of death. I will fear no condemnation, “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life sets me free from the law of sin and death. Yet this still does not answer my question. Why if I am in Christ do I still sin! It is my human nature; it is my humanity shining through. This is something that I cannot get…Yet as I see this, how can I even know the love of God and what Jesus has done for us if I don't know my own sinfulness. I guess to answer my own question, we are sinners, and we need to know this so that we will rely on the grace of God, but we must leave it there if we dwell on this to much we lose our focus which should be the grace of God!