Monday's Musing - Forgiven?

We celebrated Easter this past weekend. 

What's the point? 

Stores sent sales flyers that resembled those of Christmas advertising toys. 

So we're supposed to buy our kids new toys for Easter? Not sure exactly how that came about. Not participating in that. When I was a kid, I was thrilled to just get candy. 

Many people buy new clothes. This makes sense. Change is in the air and it's fun to move from the dark colors of winter to the bright colors of spring. 

Again, what's the point? 

It's to celebrate. 

What, you might ask?  

To celebrate forgiveness. Forgiveness of our sins, mistakes, regrets. 

This forgiveness came in the form of Jesus. He lived, died and rose again. And because of that, we can be made right with God. We can ask for forgiveness and be forgiven. 

Maybe you don't think you need it. 

I know I do. I could have some debilitating regrets without forgiveness.

I am grateful that there is a God who is in control. 

Who walks with me and gives me strength. 

Who loves me. 

But no more than he loves you. 

Who promises us new life, like that of spring. 

Who promises to wash away our sins. 

Who promises not make us pay for them.

Because his son came and took our place. Jesus said on the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." 

Wow.  

Forgive them. 

For they know not what they do. 

No angry rants from Jesus. No curses. No arrogance. 

He willingly died. 

For you. 

For me.

All of our sins can be forgiven. 

Sometimes as believers, we think we've gone too far, should have known better and don't deserve continued forgiveness. So we wallow in our misery. Or beat ourselves up. 

But here's a thought. 

Jesus died before you were born. 

Or before I was born. 

Is there really anything I can do that's outside of his grace and forgiveness? 

No. 

Run to him when you fail. When you sin. When you hurt others. 

Forgiveness awaits us. And the strength to forgive others as we have been forgiven. 

I'm sorry if Christians have seemed self-righteous. I'm sure I've fallen into that category. When we focus on behavior instead of the heart, we can have a false sense of self-rigtheousness. 

Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that we are all sinners. And God loves each of us.

You no more than me and me no more than you. 

Don't let others stand in the way of you being in a loving relationship with God. 

He offers us love and forgiveness. Through Jesus. 

What are you celebrating in your life right now?

Me? 

Forgiveness. 

Restoration of relationships broken by sin. 

God showing me his love during the hard times. 

How about you?

Monday's Musings

In Need of a Solid Foundation

My house taught me a lesson recently.

An expensive lesson.

You see, we had cracks in our house. And several of them. Both inside and out.

There was only one way to handle it. We had to shore up our foundation.




So, I called multiple companies to get various bids. They used different techniques to promise me that my house would stop settling. One company wanted to use a Bobcat, so I would have lost all my azaleas and I would have to have paid several hundred dollars extra for them to remove and put my deck back together. Let's just say, they didn't win my job.

The company I did choose uses people to dig holes. I got to keep all my azaleas. And, they only removed part of the deck. And put it back. Included in the price.





Then, for one morning, my kids and I learned what was going on beneath our foundation. Some holes were dry. The next hole, two feet over had water in it. No wonder we had settlement issues!

What did I learn? That you have to have a solid foundation to have a solid building. I spent a lot of time and effort figuring out what the best course of action was to stabilize the foundation of my home.

Stop and think. If your house had cracks, you, like me, would put considerable effort into correcting the problem.

But do we notice the cracks in our lives? Do we put together that some of the problems in our lives are the result of a weak foundation?


Jesus talked about building a solid foundation. And that means in him. That means knowing the truth. That God does love us. That he will forgive us everything and anything when we ask.  That we need to forgive others.

I don't want a foundation based on me. I want something much more solid. I want a foundation built on truth.

I'm going to go dig into my bible, and find a solid foundation.