Chapter 9, Walk in Love

 How would one imitate God, look like God?  What is the defining characteristic of God that would identify one as an imitator of God? 

Reading on in Ephesians 5 there is the answer, “And walk in Love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us.”

Love is the identifying characteristic.  Could this then be true then, that an absence of love is at the root of every sin that I commit?

Elyse says this in chapter 9 of Because He Loves Me   “Every sin we commit, either by omission or commission, is a failure to love as we have been loved.”
and this
“Covetousness is the belief that one hasn’t been fully loved in Christ”

Unbelief that I have been fully loved produces covetousness. A failure to love as I have been loved means my love has been misdirected.   My love has been focused wrongly, and my affections are given to an idol, leaving me empty, short tempered, self abosorbed.

Colossians 1:12  … giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

1 Timothy 2:1  Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,

Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

To my current understanding, recognizing the love of God produces gratitude, which then enables a person to walk in love, becoming an imitator of God. 

Has anyone else noticed a constant theme of gratitude coming up in their life?

This month I’ve done a lot of reading.  Really.  But somehow only two books are completed, besides the second book of the Bible.  That was a surprise when I sat down to look at my list;

Exodus (as I’m working though a plan to read through the Bible this year)
Tales of the Defended Ones
Sweet Sanctuary

And I am still working on;
Because He Loves Me, you can read my thoughts here, here, here and here
The Peacemaker
Peacemaking for Families

And added to the list;
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
The Last of the Mohicans

Hopefully in April I’ll wrap up a couple of those.  It will take some discipline to not add any more until a few of these are completed.

 

One by one, as kitchen appliances have needed replacing in our home, we have purchased stainless steel appliances.  The appliances quickly look dirty and streaked.  As you can see, we have some messy cooks…

 Stainless steel requires different products than I have previously used, to get the shine back.  That has been a surprise!

When I read the information about Soft Scrub Advanced Surface, I knew just where I’d try it out.  Using this product as the stainless steel cleaner on our dishwasher was simple and quick, and effective.  Hurrah!  There isn’t a good picture to show you, as day and night we seem to get a rainbow glare on the dishwasher door.  

linking with

We started the week off strong, but I just didn’t get the things on this list completed.  Many other big and small things were accomplished though.  There is an interesting thing I have learned from posting these goals.  Having them written down here put my mind at rest.  While other must dos appeared, there was only a momentary wrestle with stress.  Remembering that I would just pick back up after the flurry of “this season” wrapped up. 

This next week looks like it might be a little more routine and I have hope that I’ll stay focused on my list.

Last Week’s Goals

Family/Mothering Goals

Memorize Psalm 91:14-16
Exercise 4 Times ~ Only made the time for 2 workouts, but during the first one I tied on High Green belt at Karate. 
10 More Lessons in Math Book, brushing up for College Algebra
Read and journal 1 chapter each of Peacemaking for Families and Because He Loves Me
Read Tales of the Defended Ones and  The Last of the Mohicans

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by Harmony Art Mom

for more information on providing clean water through child sponsorship, visit Compassion International

Purex Nature Elements Tropical Splash laundry detergent arrived last week.  It’s one thing for cereal to have a tropical splash, and quite another for laundry detergent to smell so fruity.  Thankfully the towels only had a hint of sweet smell out of the dryer.  That is very different than a sweet scent of clean.

My sweet granddaughter was hanging out in the laundry room with me while I switched the laundry between machines and folded some towels.  She is much more interesting and cute than the stack of towels.

We want to offer you the opportunity try Purex Natural Elements Tropical Splash detergent by winning one of 2 FREE product coupons. 

Chapter 8 is titled “Realizing How God’s Love Transforms Your Identity and Life.”  My thoughts this week come from this question;

Is every failure in sanctification a failure in worship?

Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

This verse appears to say that the mercy of God motivates us to present ourselves for sanctification, to become holy and acceptable to Him.  And that this is worship. 

Worship isn’t something done on Sunday morning.  Worship is yielding one’s life, believing in the mercy of God.  Belief, faith, in a merciful God produces a grateful pursuit of holiness.

So in looking up at Him, we see mercy, motivated by  His love for us, and we in turn are motivated to worship, which is an act that produces sanctification.