Cornerstone United Methodist Church

Zachary, who is nine months old, has been eating pureed baby foods for several months now.  Recently he's also learned how to spit.  Occasionally Zachary likes to combine these two activities, the result of which reminds me of one of the most important principles in parenting--baby food cleans up easier when it is still wet.  

The same thing goes for being angry.  Ephesians 4:26-27 says, "In your anger do not sin: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."  In other words, take care of that anger right away before you do something you might regret.  Nothing gives the devil a stronger foothold than someone who has been stewing on something for too long.  Like gooey sweet potatoes, the longer we let anger sit inside of us, the harder it is to loosen its grip on us.  And that gives the devil far too great a chance to influence us to act on that anger. 

It would be simpler if we just never got angry in the first place, but that's about as easy as convincing a nine month old not to spit.  So we must make peace with the fact that while we may not be able to control the way we feel about something, we can certainly control how we act.  Let go the anger and let God instead.  SEE YOU SUNDAY.  XOXO--Kelly

God does not wait until our faith is strong to be who He is and to do what He is going to do. His glory does not depend on how glorious you or I or the guy next door happens to be feeling that moment. His truth does not wait on a world of skeptics to believe in it.

He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, and none of this changes just because we do. We are often tricked into believing in the kind of God that is up to the individual, serving just what we need, a "customizable Christ" that dwells within our hearts in the form we feel most comfortable with. But the truth is that while Christ does dwell within us He most certainly dwells beyond us as well. And the kind of God we need is also the kind of God that gently (or sometimes not so gently) reminds us that His will comes first.

Our God stands awesome in His power regardless of how you or I see Him and equally as awesome in His love regardless of whether you or I deserve it. Praise God that He is more than the idea you or I have of Him and will be long after we're gone.

SEE YOU SUNDAY. XOXO--Kelly

School starts next week and that means people everywhere are making plans....plans about classes, plans about extracurricular activities, plans about the people we'd like to be and be with this year.

On the subject of making plans, James writes,

 "Now listen, you who say, 'today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'if it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'"  James 4:13-15

Okay, I think "mist" is a little harsh for starting back at school, but James' point is a good one.  We are only here on earth for a short while.  What time we have is far better suited to God's plans than to our own.  Life is full of "what-if's" (good ones and bad ones) and we spend a lot of time trying to out-smart, out-plan and out-think our futures.  James calls this "boasting about tomorrow", putting all of the glory in what we think we can make happen instead of waiting to see what God will make happen.  James very carefully uses the words "we will LIVE and DO".  These are action words my friends, commands for boldness.  He does not instruct that we would sit and decide if we like God's plan and then maybe follow it.  We are called to a living, moving, active faith in what God has in store for us.

Sometimes you and God are on the same page.  Sometimes you are not  But whatever the outcome, know that God sees (even if you are just mist ) and loves you and has something amazing in store for you.  Here's to a great school year!! 

SEE YOU SUNDAY. 

XOXO--Kelly