to celebrate what God has done

Thanks James for putting this video together. Its exciting and faith building to watch again. It truly was a time to celebrate what God has done.

My highlight yet again was watching Ed O'Daniel baptize his two sons. They are the last ones in the video to be baptized. What a joy this was. Two years ago, Ed was dying. Thanks to the sacrifice of Wendy, thanks to her kidney which God sovereignly ordained to be a perfect match, Ed was able to have the honor of baptizing his sons. Wow.

Buried and Raised in Christ - Union

Yesterday was baptism Sunday at church. I hope to have pictures soon to be able to post, but I just want to say it was simply an awesome day.

During worship, God was reminding me of my union with Christ... the joy found in that truth... and how marriage and baptism are both a picture of that union. I didn't expect baptism to remind me of marriage (especially since I'm not married), but here's what was going through my mind...

1. it is a public display - I am commited to this person forever and I want everyone to know.

2. it is a time of rejoicing corporately - the entire church joined in the celebration... they rejoiced, they clapped, they gave hugs galore!!!

3. some people laugh and hoop and holler, some cry. Not a big surprise here, but I was the latter. :)

4. in a wedding, your dad typically gives you away. in baptism, my spriritual leader, friend and pastor had the honor of baptising me. You could see in his eyes that he was rejocing with me, you could sense and feel it as he hugged me, and smiled and cried. so much was wrapped up in that moment. He cares for my soul with such excellence. God has lavishly blessed our church with not just one amazing leader, but three! what a gift. I am grateful beyond words.

5. it reveals the levels and depths of friendships - some stand close by your side in a wedding... some just hug you for all its worth while they are in their church clothes and you're sopping wet. at that moment, the last 5 years re-entered my mind... a friendship that has been formed by only God's grace alone... a friendship sweeter than I ever could have asked for. the main reason I had the honor of even standing there at that moment, dripping and smelling of chlorine, was because of how God worked in and through my sweet friend, Jessica Britt. Her patience, love and care is what led me to Christ. Her example made the gospel appealing to me - a sinner who had until that moment been content to wallow in my sin. So, Jess (since I know you're reading this)... thank you. Thank you for obeying the Spirit when He asked you to reach out to me. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your ongoing care over the past 5 (but especially the last 2 1/2 years). I'm not the same person that I was 5 years ago as a result. I pray that God lavishly, richly blesses you. I pray you feel His pleasure. I pray that I will be able to be the same friend to another struggling hopeless visitor, that you were to me.


It was a beautiful day. Every testimony given made me cry. God's grace is not merely great enough to reach into our sin-ravaged lives, He does it in a specific, personal, tender, caring, intimate way. Just like no proposal is the same... no salvation is the same.

Jesus truly is sweet. It is an honor to call Him mine. It is a joy to be in union with Him. It is my delight to serve Him. What a joy. What a splendid time of sweetness that has begun.

To be honest, I didn't expect all that...

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, You hast promised You will all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to You in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

hymn written in 1855 by Joseph M Scriven

Taste and See

Your words were found and I ate them, and they became a delight to me and a joy to my soul...

For I lead the blind in ways that they do not know... I do not forsake them.

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good...


I enjoy good cuisine. I enjoy beautiful scenery. But nothing compares to tasting and seeing God's goodness. Nothing compares to the magnificence of His blessing. Nothing so adequately defines my weakness as when I see God's power on display. Nothing makes me desire God more than when I see a glimpse of Him as all desirable.

My friends, I'm overwhelmed. I've cried all day. This morning, I was yawning and exhaustedly limping into work. Then God fed me richly with Psalm 62 (I've "bolded" the words that He specifically used this morning)

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.

Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work.

The first thought I had when I read that last verse was "I'm glad that's not true. I deserve hell. He's not going to render to me what I deserved. Because of the cross, because of the substitutionary perfect life of Christ, He looks at me with acceptance and pleasure. What grace! How that is undeserved!

Little did I know the roller coaster was about to take another flip - except this time it was behind my back and I couldn't see it coming...

One of the managers at work came to my desk and mentioned that he needed to talk to me when I was off the phone (I was fighting with the insurance company about the $1404 that they say I owe them from my MRI). I got off the phone and Siggi (my boss) reminded me that I needed to go talk to Jeff.
Weird.

So, I went over to Jeff (one of the manager's that is equal with my boss but I don't really work for him though I do work with him some and help him out as needed). He mentioned that he wanted to talk to me, and could we go in the conference room. He then told Siggi that we were going to meet and could he join us. The 45 seconds it took us to walk to the room, I was wondering what this was about but I wasn't nervous.

We sat down and Jeff says "are you nervous yet?" =)
I said "why, should I be??" =)

That's when he proceeded to tell me that what he was about to tell me was that he wants to offer me a position in program planning. That is the department that looks at the requirements from assembly and plans how the cars are going to be organized (by discussing with other departments in Germany and an overall view of how the plant functions and what would be the best steps to take). Basically, easily explained, look at the big picture, break it down to the itty bitty parts and then like a puzzle, put it back together in the best way possible.

Honestly, it is one of those jobs I always thought would be a great job but never thought I could get. There are only 11 people in that department and there were no planned openings anytime in the next 5 years.

Um, can you say overwhelmed?? Tina (who will be my boss) hand picked me because she has been watching my work now for months and has been working on getting this approved for literally 6 months! I'm blown away. I'm SO excited.

That's the cake...

...here's the icing...

Someone contacted the church office today (aka Jess) and wanted to register me for the Worship God conference.

WHAT?!!?#$$#(*$? :) Are you kidding me?

Psalm 62 was what God reminded me this morning. He rewards those who trust in Him. He is faithful. He is 2 things: powerful and steadfastly loving.

He is ridiculously amazing if you ask me.

There are no words to describe it. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve yet another blessing - I fail to trust Him. I doubt His goodness. I question His ways. I complain about my current state. And He says wait, hope, rest and trust while you are pouring out your heart to Me.

And still, I fail there. I don't wait with excellence. I don't rest without trying to plan out the next 23 steps. I don't trust without questioning "what if." I pour out my heart to my laptop and fail to do so to my Jesus.

Yet He still chooses to bless. I don't get it. I don't deserve such kindness. Doesn't He know I didn't perfectly believe He really would bless?

Yet, still He chooses to.

Taste and See...

Taste through those words that were found.
See because He brings sight to the blind as He leads and as they pour out their hearts.

What a feast! What a view!
What a God!

The Courtroom Verdict

"I cannot escape the exceeding wonder that not only does God look upon a guilty person in the court room and exercise clemency and forgive him and say, "you're guilty, I forgive you, go and sin no more", but he, also, beyond all imagination looks upon this guilty sinner and does not just say, "you're guilty, I forgive you" he says "you're not guilty." I mean forgiveness is understandable - just a little bit understandable – we kind of had some way to get our hands around forgiveness: you let it go; you don't hold it against them. But this looks me right in the face, right in the face, sinner that I am, and says "righteous."

John Piper

The Story of God's Goodness

I have been thinking about writing this for a while now, and that idea was compelled forward by a post I read this morning.

Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! Psalm 31:19

My life, like Steven's (in the link above) is a story of God's goodness. It's also a story of God's individual care, for my story doesn't look exactly like his. It shows God's guidance, but in a unique and different way than his story. Each of our stories does the same.

So, here's my story of God's goodness... the God who called me out before my birth... the One that is by His grace and mercy, receiving glory for my life of learning to depend on Him.

(*warning - lengthy post to follow - its hard to encapsulate 26 years into a few paragraphs!*)

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I was born in Pennsylvania. My family background is both German and Italian. With that in mind, I should probably have been born into a Roman Catholic family. Instead, by God's mercy, I was born into a family that told me of Jesus at a young age. I grew up with parents that were concerned that I be cared for, so they sacrificed to put my sister and I through Christian school. When none was available, they homeschooled us. They worked hard to do what they thought was best for us. I however, found myself conforming to the ways of my parents instead of accepting it as my own. I always questioned how I could know this faith was real and not merely a by-product of my culture.

Because of my family heritage (and because my family moved a lot when I was young), I was always interested in other cultures and languages. In high school, I began learning German. My family was very passionate about reaching other cultures, so for 2 years, we had foregin exchange students from Germany live with us (though my sister and I tried so hard, we were never able to convince my parents to get the cute guy from Russia. *sigh*)

In college, I lived with one of our exchange student's family for a summer. The questions I had always had in the back of my mind (how can I know this is real? does religion simply depend on where you grow up? are there really absolute truths? it's possible to be convinced but to be wrong, so how can I know my convictions aren't wrong? etc.)... these and more questions welled up for years, yet I never found a satisfying answer. For me, "just have faith" was not sufficient. My heart was longing for answers that could not be found. Throughout high school and college, I began to believe that there was not absolute truth - that each individual simply needed to do what they believed was best and that as long as you were genuine, you were okay. I believed that you could not know for sure and therefore it didn't matter. God didn't matter. How I lived my life didn't matter.

I could not have been further from the truth.

Outwardly my life reflected the good "Christian" I was thought to be. Inwardly, I knew that was not the case. Conforming was easier. And since I was in a Christian culture, I conformed. During this time, I came to know people who (like me) were sinners. But the background I grew up in was not a culture of confessing sin to God and relying on other's support for help - it was a background of hiding your sin and legalistically pretending that all was okay. As long as you looked good on the outside, no one asked questions. Everyone seemed more concerned with others thinking you were perfect than dealing with the root of the problems.

I began to believe that I deserved more and that I was the victim. I expected people to meet my expectations. I looked at wrongs done to me as greater than my sin that killed Christ. I thought no one understood me. No one cared for my soul, they were more concerned with my actions. And I was tired of playing the game. I had played the game for 23 years and was sick of it.

I was done. Game over.

Three days before college graduation, I was expelled from school. For me, that was the final straw. There seemed to be no point conforming anymore. To me, all this "game" was was "put on a good show and no one knows the real you." And no one cared to see the dirt and grime. But I wanted someone to know me. I wanted for someone to love me for who I was, not for who I appeared to be.

In my desperate lonliness, I then conformed to a different culture - the world's. I sought satisfaction in everything I desired. There was nothing "off limits" for me at that point. I did what I wanted, I bought what I wanted, I served only myself and convinced myself that this was the best I could ever hope for. At this point in my life, there was no difference in who I was from the previous years, simply a difference in what I did. I did not believe there was any eternal happiness possible. Life was hard, the best I could do is simply cope and then I'd die. A life of miserable "coping" is not a life worth living. That was my assumption.

At that point, a friend of mine introduced me to a Christian counselor named Rick Thomas. I was not thrilled to be talking to him. I had my idea of who he was and what he would say. He turned out to be very different than that assumption. After some time of building a friendship with Rick and his wife Lucia, they told me of a place where people cared about you, weren't judgmental of who you are, and truly loved you for who you are not simply how you appear. I remember telling Rick "I don't believe that exists, but if it did, that would be the best place ever."

I was convinced to prove him wrong.

I had told Rick I would come on August 3rd, 2003 to the first public meeting of Grace Covenant Church (now Sovereign Grace Church), but I was too hungover to be out of bed by 10 AM. When Rick called to see where I was, I told him the truth, thinking he would be shocked and leave me alone. He didn't. He invited me to come the following Sunday. On August 10th, 2003, I came simply to prove to him that what he thought of this church was wrong (and to get him off my back). That Sunday, the pastor and his wife invited me to come to their house the following Sunday for lunch. Free food? Sure, I'd sit through 2 hours of anything for a free homecooked meal. So, I came back. I ended up at their house from noon until 10PM that night talking to (and mocking) them for what they believed. But they were patient and loving each step of the way.

That was unexpected and made me question why.

Fast forward... I came and left the church countless times over the next 6 months. One morning, I met Jim (our senior pastor) and Rick (counselor/pastor) for breakfast at Jack in the Box. I remember Jim asked me if I was a Christian. I said yes. He asked why I believed that. I told him because I knew that Jesus was God's Son and that He died on the cross to save sins. I will never forget what Jim said to me next. He said. "Emily, Satan believes that too. Tell me, why is he condemned to hell for all eternity and you expect any different. What makes you different from him?" I had no answer. For the first time in my life, I was scared about that.

Fast forward again... I came and left again countless times over the next 6 months. I would show up at church dressed immodestly, hungover or high and mocking so many of those that were there to worship God. But despite my antagonism, these people loved me and cared. They were different. I couldn't explain it. God used that love to show me the meaning of the phrase "the kindness of God leads to repentence." One Saturday, again, Jim, Rick and I met for breakfast - this time at Cracker Barrel. I remember Jim sitting across from me with tears in his eyes, pleading for me to change. Pleading for me to repent. A man I had only known for a few short months, was broken over my lack of brokenness. He cried, pleading with me to repent.

He cried tears of love and it cut to my core.

God used the kindness of my church family to lead me to my Savior. He used free homecooked meals, little notes and cards, countless tear-filled prayers, trips to amusement parks (another long story) and so much more to show me His love. I didn't earn the love I was shown. I tried to push it away. Yet they pursued. God Himself pursued me. As I was running away, He came running after me. He came after His little loss sheep. It was unexpected, unwanted, and supremely kind.

About 2 1/2 years ago, God drew my hard soul to Him. He broke the walls down and showed me true hope - it happened after a trip to Carowinds (an amusement park in Charlotte, NC). That trip could be a separate post, and maybe one day will be, but to summarize, what I saw that day was a group of eight 20 somethings who were serving each other, loving each other and prayed for God to be glorified in all they did that day. My thought was "that's stupid. God's not at an amusement park, He's in church."

That day, He proved me wrong.

This thing called the "gospel" affected how those seven people lived that day. As Jess prayed for God to be glorified, something in my heart told me to simply watch. See if what they believe matched how they lived that day. So, I watched what I now know as the gospel, played out in human form that day. The Cross of Christ had changed their hearts, and was producing beautiful fruit. This truth I had been hearing about, didn't just affect the pastors, it changed how those people spent a day at an amusement park - those people I referred to as "stupid 5th graders" showed me true maturity that day. I had no explanation. They were serving. They were unselfish. They were loving.

It was different and SO appealing. The hope they had - I longed for that.

God's kindness, as displayed that day through my friends, blew me away. It had changed them and that could not be denied.

Through God's grace, new life was breathed into my dead soul. I am undeserving of that grace. God's kindess led my sinful soul to repentence of my infinite sins and to a trusting faith in Jesus as my only Hope. Not a "coping" anymore - this truth became a new reality. This was a new life. It was beautiful. The awful cross became to me a place of sheer beauty. Though I wanted to look away in shame, He drew me closer, ever reminding me that my shame was paid for completely in full on that bloody cross. There is NO PART of my sin that was not exponged that day.

I am truly undeserving of such grace. All praise to my God, for He is infinitely worthy!

That's my story. Its just beginning. I can't wait to see how it ends. I can't wait to meet my Jesus, walk hand in hand with Him and see His face. I was created for Him. He drew me to Him. He upholds me now through trials. He is beautiful to me.

I'm looking forward to the next step of this journey on May 18th. God is truly good. I'm eternally grateful.

The story He has written for me is amazing and humbling. It is only by God's mercy I am where I am today. His grace is beautiful.

Rest

I'm tired. My mind has shut off. I don't care about tomorrow, I'm simply sitting on the floor in my room enjoying my "sparking vanilla" candle from Yankee Candle. I do wonder; however, why I have a recliner, when 9 times out of ten I end up on the floor in front of it, simply leaning against the chair. Hmmm. something to ponder...

My body has been tired for the past 2 weeks especially, but my mind has refused to shut off. Tonight, my mind is tired, so I have the feeling I'll be sleeping tonight. I'm grateful for sleep. I wonder if this is what "rest for the weary" feels like.

Last night, about 20 of us got together for dinner and an extended time of prayer. It was so encouraging. It was nice that new people came. The Pratt's generously opened their home. Sometime, I'll have to write about it. God met us and it was sweet.

But for tonight, I must rest. Sleep is a gift. I feel it quickly approaching. I'm grateful.

A Gift

I've been reminded in the past few days what a special gift I've been given by God. I've been given the gift of friendship. I love my friends. They are such an encouragement and I believe they bring God much glory through their little "unnoticed" acts of service.

They pray for me and pray with me. Sometimes they call me while I'm walking through the produce section of Publix just to pray. Other times they call me when they are weak and need encouragement and then we talk for 57 minutes about God's goodness despite what our hearts tell us to feel. Then at other times, they send verses to remind me of God's intimate care in my life. Sometimes they drive me to the doctor or to singles events to help me save money. Sometimes they are "randomly" introduced to me through mutual struggles and we become prayer warriors and co-laborers together. Other times, they share a song of encouragemnt, or make me a cup of tea, or bring me a random bouquet of flowers simply because ...

I am truly blessed to have such wonderful friends. Friends that not only care for my physical needs but friends that more importantly care for my soul too. That is a rare gift. I'm grateful. God is so overwhelmingly kind.

... just another of one of the "fringes" of His amazing ways ...

Father, forgive them...

http://newattitude.org/articles/crucifixion_narrative

http://sermonaudio.wordpress.com/2007/04/06/a-crucifixion-narrative/


He looks up to his Father. His Father looks back, but Jesus doesn’t recognize these eyes. They pierce the invisible world with fire and darken the visible sky. And Jesus feels dirty. He hangs between earth and heaven filthy with human discharge on the outside and now filthy with human wickedness on the inside.

The Father speaks: “Son of Man! Why have you sinned against me and heaped scorn on my great glory? You are self-sufficient and self-righteous—consumed with yourself and puffed up and selfishly ambitious. You rob me of my glory and worship what’s inside of you instead of looking out to the one who created you. You are a greedy, lazy, gluttonous slanderer and gossip. You are a lying, conceited, ungrateful, cruel adulterer. ... You are lukewarm and easily enticed by the world. You covet and can’t have so you murder. You are filled with envy and rage and bitterness and unforgiveness. You blame others for your sin and are too proud to even call it sin. You are never slow to speak. And you have a razor tongue that lashes and cuts with its criticism and sinful judgment. Your words do not impart grace. Instead your mouth is a fountain of condemnation and guilt and obscene talk. ... You have no self-control. You are a betrayer who stirs up division and factions. You’re a drunkard and a thief. You’re an anxious coward. You do not trust me. You blaspheme against me. ...The list of your sins goes on and on. And I hate these things inside of you. I’m filled with disgust for you and indignation for your sin consumes me. Now, drink my cup!"

And Jesus does. He drinks for hours. He downs every drop of the scalding liquid of God’s own hatred of sin mingled with his white-hot wrath against that sin. This is the Father’s cup: omnipotent hatred and anger for the sins of every generation past, present, and future. Omnipotent wrath directed at one naked man hanging on a cross.

The Father can no longer look at his beloved Son, his heart’s treasure, the mirror-image of himself. And he diverts his gaze.

Jesus pushes himself upward and howls to heaven, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Silence. Separation.

Jesus pushes himself up again and cries, “It is finished.” And it is. Every sin of every child of God had been laid on Jesus and he drank the cup of God’s wrath dry.

Praise God for 60%

Electrical stimulation therapy... i think that's what they call it. its like a little drill with 2 rounded heads on it that go on either side of your upper spine and then pumps electrical currents into your body.

i call it an answer to prayer (even if only temporary). God is kind. The past 2 days have been significantly better than the previous 18. After functioning 18 days at 10%, seeing a 50% improvement is really a gift from God. I'm grateful for 60%.

still very aware of my limitation and confident that the migraine is still there (but simply shocked for a while), but nonetheless grateful for small gifts. God's mercy is on display in my heart right now. His mercy - giving me a day with minimized pain. I really do love Him more than I did a month ago. He's bigger. exponentially.

Like Eustace, I can't peel my dragon layers off... Like Lucy, when I come back and see another glimpse its like "Aslan, my how you've grown" "No, my child. I'm the same size. But as you get older, I grow larger in your eyes." Either way... He's growing in my eyes. not that I've achieved. or am even close...

Matt asked us in care group last week if we had a time when our relationship with God was especially sweet and where there was an extraordinary depth and specialness present. That's been the last month or so for me. This has been sweet. I pray that sweetness continues even if the migraines don't. And I'm really praying they don't. I don't like this and wouldn't have picked it. But in spite of that, there is a special, almost holy sweetness. Times of suffering can be sweet fellowship and growth periods, but oh, to have that same growth and desire during times of ease. I think that requires an extra measure of grace. to feel strong yet continue to acknowledge our neediness. that's not a natural human reaction.

How I long for the day when I will be ruled by truth rather than emotions. My feelings affect so much. the Bible rarely affects to the same effect. I pray that those 2 roles become reversed - that the living words from the Lover of my soul would constantly define and drive me instead of the absence or presence of pain.

i was reminded this morning of the verse "draw near to God and He will draw near to you." What a comfort! As I stumble and bumble anlong, He is guiding each step of the way. As I fail, He is faithful. As I'm hopeless, He reminds me of the hope that can truly only be found in Him. And as I draw near (only through the grace He's imparted to me and through the enablement He's already given me), He continues to reveal more and more layers and depths of His beautiful character.

How cool to know that will never be exhausted. I can't ever draw so near that "i've reached the end." The end is coming. But not here. Not now. I'll always be pursuing. And as I do, He'll simultaneously always be drawing and revealing. But its all because of His grace. All because of His mercy. And all through His work and power.

Titus 3:4-7

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

He did WHAT??!!

more thoughts on this later, but I am sitting in my room, typing away on my new FREE laptop!

Dust Mites

I was reading a blog this morning and once again came up the concept of Christ becoming a speck of dust. here's the post... its on the humiliation of Christ... http://blazingcenter.blogspot.com/

In care group Friday, Rick was comparing the Incarnation to us becoming a speck of dust to save the dust mites. On Sunday, Matt gave the same comparison and then this morning I ran across this post.

"A leading researcher on humiliation, Dr. Evelin Lindner, defines humiliation as 'the enforced lowering of a person or group, a process of subjugation that damages or strips away their pride, honor or dignity.' Further, humiliation means to be placed, against ones will, in a situation where one is made to feel inferior. 'One of the defining characteristics of humiliation as a process is that the victim is forced into passivity, acted upon, made helpless.' Johan Galtung, a leading practitioner, agrees with Lindner that the infliction of humiliation is a profoundly violent psychological act that leaves the victim with a deep wound to the psyche." (Beyondintractability.org)

Christmas celebrates the humiliation of Christ.The Incarnation was the humbling of the King of the universe, the stripping away of his honor and dignity. The Creator of all is born a helpless babe. The One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills is born in poverty. The One who directs the stars in their courses is laid in a trough, dependent on the care of his mother and father. The One who sends the rain cries out in hunger and thirst. The King of glory becomes a speck of dust.

The reality of this blows me away. God who was complete chose to take on this humiliation to come to the earth as a helpless, needy child. He was utterly dependent on care of others. He who needed nothing now took on a weak body that requires sleep. He who created all chose to become "the Least" - why?? to rescue me... to impute His charachter on me. He came to me to adopt me as His child. Me - who rejected Him, who despised Him and like those present the day of His crucifixion -- me, who mocked and ridiculed Him for His weakness.

He who was all powerful became weak for me - who was all weakness so that I could experience His power in my life. That power that raised Him from the dead freed me from the slavery to my sin. That strength displayed in His humility gives me the strength to practice humility in my life. That trust that He had in His Father, gives me an example of how to trust my Father. What a paradox the Incarnation is. What a mystery He has revealed. He is the Hope that the entire world has been waiting for. Yet He didn't come as a ruler - He came as a baby. He came veiled in flesh not as the obvious Ruler of All. The more I understand this, the sweeter Election becomes. Praise be to God who sovereignly ordained all of these details and then for some reason chose at the perfect time to open my eyes to that mystery revealed.