The Charming Tyrants

The Charming Tyrants

Good Words

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears and light for the way. - Anon

Friday, October 28, 2011

Scrap Happy

A lot has been going on here of late but not all of it is pleasant or even news worthy so instead of blogging about that I am joining Amy today for the semi-annual Bloggers' Quilt Festival.

The last few quilts I have made have a scrappy look and I am loving them, this latest one is a particular favorite, because the only fabric I had to purchase was the outside border and the backing.





I have mentioned here before that I participate in one of our local quilt shops free block clubs, this is one of those quilts.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Five!


Happy Birthday HT!

This boy turned five today and as you can see his little brother was as excited as he was.

This is a boy who sees an upside down smile, not as a frown, but as a rainbow.  I love his antics and his optimism.  I am truly blessed and so in love with this charming boy.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Two!


Happy Birthday EM!

I have lots to say about this little guy, but it will have to wait for another day, but I couldn't let this day end without letting him know how much I love him, how much we all love him and his charming ways!

Monday, October 3, 2011

The Gift of Grace


Grace.

The whole of christianity could be wrapped up in that one word, that one little word, that speaks so much to God.  About who He is and about how we were made to be and how our relationship with Him was meant to be.

We are reunited in Him by grace, through faith alone, in the gift of His son Jesus.  Through the sacrifice on the cross, the death and the resurrection.  The promise of salvation given.

Grace.

A gift that is offered without fail.  One we can choose to accept, whether with gratitude or grudgingly.  It is offered freely still.  Because of the love of the Father for his children.

A gift, as christians, that we so often take for granted, one that we love to talk about and sing its praises.  It's like a warm fuzzy for the soul.  It's the feel good part of Christianity.  Something everyone wants.

Grace.

Were it not for grace we would die in our sin and suffer the fate of our actions.  And there's the rub, the flip side of the coin, the reason we need grace, the reason we long for it, the reason our souls ache. The fall of mankind.

Sin.

The reason we fall to our knees.  The reason we seek forgiveness.  At least we are supposed too.  What's forgiveness for without repentance?  To turn away from our sin.  But really, why do we only give lip service to the idea,  when our actions tell a different story?

Even in grace God calls for our obedience, while he does not condemn us like the woman at the well He tells us "go and sin no more".

Like children we rebel at being told we ought not do a thing, even when it is for our benefit to obey.  To protect us from harm, to keep us safe, to make us free.

Sin.

We like to forget about that part, we make excuses for our less than stellar behavior.  "Everybody else is doing it.",  "A little can't hurt.",  "Where's the harm in it?",  "I just want to have a little fun."  "I can't help it."  Whatever "it" may be.  Justifying "it" any way we can.  We do it to make us feel better about ourselves.  Deception.  "A little white lie never hurts anybody." After all, "God made me this way."

Isn't that making God, who knows no sin, responsible for it?  We are wretched creatures.  We have taken this beautiful creation and condemned it to hell.

Sin.

We say things like, "What does it matter?"  "I'm not hurting any one." We are forgetting about ourselves.  We are hurting ourselves.  Our souls ache.

But do we repent?  Not hardly, it seems we would rather seek solace in a bottle, or a needle, or someone else's bed.  "If it feels good, do it." the world tells us.  We try to find some other way to soothe the ache in our souls.

But there is only one way.  And we know it and we know what that is and we know how to get it.

Repent.

Admitting our need for repentance and forgiveness means admitting that we are less than we think we ought to be.  Admitting that we are wrong. Admitting we need a savior.

Why are we so reluctant?  Why do we enslave our souls to resentment and bitterness?

Freedom is at our fingertips, we need only ask in faith believing.  Freedom from our sin.  Freedom to forgive and be forgiven.  Freedom to live a grace filled life.  Faithful.

Faith.

To ask is to humble ourselves.  To ask is a choice we make to choose freedom over enslavement.  To turn from our ways.

It is to free ourselves, to let go of the past hurts and resentments, regardless of the actions of others.

We ask for Gods unmerited favor.

Grace.



"For by grace you have been saved through faith, 
and that not of yourselves; 
it is the gift of God."
Ephesians 2:8

For more faith stories visit Michelle at Graceful.