Grace

I wanted to spend time commenting about the aspects of faith that interest me the most.

Grace is an important aspect of the Christian faith. We receive Grace as a Free gift from God. "Similar to a pardon by a Governor of state. He can give a prisoner who is facing execution a pardon, or his Grace, if he wants/wills".

Why would God will for us to have Grace? Because God desires to know each of us. He loves us and wishes to have fellowship with us.

If you find yourself wanting to learn more please contact me. In the meantime ask God to help clarify his message so you may better understand it. The paradigm is that there is a lot to learn, but it's really very simple.

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened

.

Questions

I often get asked a lot of questions regarding my faith and Church. For those that do not know me I am Christian and go to The Rock Church (which is a non-denominational Charismatic church) in a city nearby my house. I want to make clear I am learning everyday and that I have not been ordained as a pastor. I hold no employment at TRC, but I have a desire to know God, and to know the Truth. Because I have studied many different religions my family in-particular like to discuss my experiences and conclusions. Because of that curiosity I thought I would share what I found helpful on my journey of getting to know our Father in Heaven, his son Jesus Christ, the power of His Spirit and the message of Hope. These are clearly my thoughts on this matter and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts of my Church or it's staff; although I will try my best to be as bibically correct as possible.

Tonight was a good night for discussion and the topic at hand was how does My faith in Christ compair to the New Age philosophy of a higher power. Because early in my own journey I struggled with this concept I thought it might serve a purpose to post some thoughts and try to help others understand how they differ and why. If I am not clear please ask me and I will do my best to clarify. Obviously for space reasons I will not be able to use a lot of my material, so I welcome questions. For reference I am using information I found online at www.vatican.va .

To Start, the statement below sums up the two sides fairly well. It is my hope that even if you disagree with my viewpoint you will be able to at least follow along and possibly find some "food for thought" in the process.

"For Christians, the spiritual life is a relationship with God which gradually though his grace becomes deeper and in the process also sheds light on our relationship with our fellow men and women, and with the universe.

"Spirituality, in New Age terms means experiencing states of consciousness dominated by a sense of harmony and fusion with the Whole. ..not to meeting the transcendent God in the fullness of love, but a sense of letting one's individuality sink into the great ocean of Being".

Jesus is the difference here. There are many great philosophers, and traditions. There are many good sayings and ancient ways. Jesus is what distinguishes. Jesus was not just a man, or great philosopher. Jesus was divine and he saves us from the mess we can make out of life. Some people find it hard to see ourselves as sinners. I know I struggled with this too. God's spirit will help you understand this. We have all fallen short and understanding this is a process. We are born into a fallen world. Asking God for clarity and forgiveness isn't just you talking to yourself. This allows god to work in your life and make this message relivant.

The Bible is inspired by God.

People say the Bible was written by man. True, it was written by man, but it is inspired by God. What do I mean? I mean that no one would write the bible to just feel good about their journey. The bible contains Good News to those who follow Christ, but it is not easy or comfortable to follow all the time. The bible is God's plan and God's way of communicating with us how to live life. It is full of truth and will convict even the nicest and hard working person. I can find many things I would personally like to leave out if I had written it - just like anyone I don't like to read what I need to work on, but that's the point - it isn't inspired by people or great idea's and that is what makes it realivant yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

A Great quote...

Grace is different that Justice and Mercy:
Justice is getting what we deserve.
Mercy is not getting what we deserve.
Grace is getting what we do not deserve.

Happy New Year/ Happy 2009!!!

Recap 2008 1/2

As a recap of the year of 2008 I am going to list 10 things. Some great, others sad and some scary; but through all of them I grew as a person and learned a lot. In addition to that, I would like to say, change is hard regardless. The loss of a family member is a change I did not expect this year, or was prepared for. Physical death is a part of life, but I found it is a hard transition for the ones still living. The only comfort and joy in that transition is the knowledge that my Dad is living in God's presence where there is no pain.

Onto my list....

1. Trip to Disneyland. This was our first big vacation with the kids!

2. Dad's re-dedication When Dad had received news that he had 2-4 months left to live, I went on a mission! I spoke to some of the Pastor's at the church and two in particular took me under their wing and helped guide me through this process. No time could be wasted! Dad had been baptized Presbyterian years prior and when I was younger we all attended church - however, Dad needed hope, he needed to know God loved him and that he had a future. I prayed everyday and night like I had never done before. I prayed for healing, and for Dad's heart to be open to what God had to say. I gave prayers for my mom to pray with my Dad, and I had prayers I prayed with him as well. I asked some of our Church elders to meet with my Dad and Mom, and through it all - 1 week before my Dad passed from this life he asked God into his heart! This was a win/win! Knowing this has helped me deal with losing him - even for a short time (in the grand scheme of things).

3. Dad's passing This hit me hard - even though I knew he was okay. Why was it hard when I have faith? Well, I firmly believed in his healing. I was probably the last to admit that his body was dieing. I felt his testimony would help bring many to Christ. My heart was broken August 8, 2008 when I found out my Dad had past a little after 3am, but at the same time there was peace. It is a very hard thing to explain. He died in his sleep after seeing all of us right before. He had been transported to the hospital and we had all been there that prior day/night. He was responsive and able to communicate a little by using facial expressions. This was a blessing and will always be grateful that I had so much time with him in the short time we had. Dad past knowing he was loved and cared for and honestly I think this helped him. I still miss him a whole lot and honestly that will never change, but I am okay. God designed life to go on, and that our loved ones move from here into our future. I will see him again! As for healing, Dad was healed! Maybe not in a physical sense, but his heart was healed, and his Salvation secure and that is what matters most. Our kids were close to grandpa/papa and this has been a challenging transition for them as well. Each of our kids deals with this transition differently. There are a couple of good books out there on how to handle this sensitive subject with young children and if anyone would like to know what I have read, please email me and I will give you the titles and authors. Kids understand at their own level. Andrew being 9 gets it and wishes he had more time with my Dad, but knows he is in a better place. Austin at 6 speaks of him sometimes as if he is still here, but knows he isn't where we can see him and that he is in heaven, and Katie wants to visit him. That is the hardest! Katie is 4 and knows he is with Jesus. Time and space are a concept that aren't as defined. I think God protects the heart and minds of little children and I am grateful for that!

4. John Brevere John Brevere is a great speaker - as is his wife. I've been able to attend two conferences where John Brevere spoke and the revelation that happens when hearing what God has imparted to him is life changing. I have also heard CD's of his wife and her story is inspiring! When John came to speak at our Church in September I witnessed God's will and it was awesome!

5. Santa Train This was a fun time for my husband, kids, mom, brother, sister-in-law, and neice to get together and do something as a family. The kids are still young and these are the moments that we want to capture as many memories as possible.

6. Sabrina's (my niece) 1st birthday! I can't believe it! Sabrina is 1 and what a doll she is! Happy Birthday little niece!:)

7. Christmas pictures We had Christmas pictures of the girls taken and then some of all the grandkids taken. It was a special gift for my mom this Christmas.

8. Andrew's sledding accident This was a heart stopping moment, when one minute I was having fun with my family and the next My child is laying on the ground motionless. I watched our oldest sled down a hill and crash into a cement barrier that I didn't see until he was laying on the ground. It had been covered with snow. It happened so fast! There is no doubt in my mind God was watching over him that day! Andrew came out of this with minor injuries, although in the process of finding this out he was airlifted to Harborview and spent a night in the hospital. Ruben and I at his bedside. I am happy to say that he is doing well. We learned a valuable lesson in never underestimating the danger in contact sports. We will be wearing helmets from now on when going sledding and will be more aware of our surroundings. This was a popular sledding hill and one where there were many kids and adults that were sledding the exact run Andrew went down. I am grateful that this lesson has a happy ending!

9. Christmas Christmas was great! We incorporated a birthday celebration for Jesus and our kids loved it! It was good being home!

10. Trip to Victoria A small getaway for Ruben and I for 1 night. This was my mom's gift to me for completing my Montessori Training.

I will update this as I get time and add pictures/side notes. I just wanted to get the list out there before 2009 is officially here. Happy New Year and be Blessed!

Recap 2008 1/1

My Pastor posted a list on his blog as a tool to use in times when we may want a little reflection. I feel this is a good tool and one I would like to pass on...

1. I'm afraid that.... I'm afraid that what I can do/provide is not enough. This is an insecurity I fight with and am working on leaning on God during times of doubt.

2. It makes me angry that.... It makes me angry that when I have a good idea I have trouble communicating it. Many ideas I have would be great in effecting change to help others.

3. I'm ashamed that.... I don't know if I am ashamed, but I am sad that I haven't finished as much schooling as I would like to have finished.

4. I feel guilty that.... I feel guilty that I can look back to certain choices I've made that were not good choices. I guess everyone has gone through this at one point or another. I am not one that makes choices lightly. When I make them, it is something I have thought about; however with that said I haven't always made the best choice, but hindsight is 20/20.

5. It makes me happy that... I joined The Rock Church in Monroe, WA. Over the last 6 years we have gone through lots of life! Life challenges, highs and lows, and through it all my life has had a stability to it that can only be found in Christ.

6. I'm grateful that... I have relationships. With God, my family and friends, because without them life would get lonely.

7. I'm secure in... My salvation. Nothing in life is permanent, but a relationship with Christ is something you can "take to the bank".

8. I'm proud of... My Kids! They are growing fast! Being able to see them grow is the best and I learn something new from them everyday.