The Chronicles of Melinda

It is often said - a sin is a sin.  No sin is greater than another.  But some people choose to judge the sins of others as worst than their own.  We are all sinners (and this is why God sent Jesus to die on the cross for us so that we could be saved….John 3:16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.).  In demonstrating humility and being humbled by God any sinner would consider themselves to be the worst of sinners.

Before getting saved - many of us consider that our sins are unspeakable and unimaginable.  Well guess what - - they aren’t unspeakable and unimaginable.  Because God already knew what they would be and who would commit them.

But, my friends, don’t let your sin rule your life.  Repent…and accept the forgiveness that god has waiting for you.  There’s no fruit in dwelling on your sin and letting your sin rule your life.  Let God rule your life.  Put God first. 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:28)

“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.” (Acts 13:38)

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7)

 I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. (Jeremiah 33:8)

 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Alright guys - here’s the deal.  You have got to get over your tunnel vision on this chapter.  Yes….it says….

22 Wives, follow the lead of your husbands as you follow the Lord. 23 The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church. The church is Christ’s body. He is its Savior. 24 The church follows the lead of Christ. In the same way, wives should follow the lead of their husbands in everything.

Okay so for those who might say it…yes this pretty much makes the man head of household.  But it is not always the case.  It’s the year 2009….and there are plenty of women bread winners out there. 

But when there comes a dispute between husband and wife sometimes you guys only want to focus on Ephesians 5 verses 22-24.  Oh my men friends….but you must keep reading!  Because if you do you will see that this Chapter also says:

 25 Husbands, love your wives. Love them just as Christ loved the church. He gave himself up for her. 26 He did it to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her with water and the word. 27 He did it to bring her to himself as a brightly shining church. He wants a church that has no stain or wrinkle or any other flaw. He wants a church that is holy and without blame.28 In the same way, husbands should love their wives. They should love them as they love their own bodies. Any man who loves his wife loves himself.

but wait…it also says:

33 A husband also must love his wife. He must love her just as he loves himself. And a wife must respect her husband. 

So men…do not forget that the Bible is just as clear on how you should be treating your wife as it is on how she should regard you.  This marriage thing…it really IS meant to be a two way street.  So stop seeing things ONE WAY!

In Isaiah 1 the prophet pretty much lays out God’s acknowledgement that his people turned against him.  That they have grown sinful and well…God is not happy despite their sacrifices and meaningless offerings.  Check it out - God pretty much says “You better do right” and gives out the chance for repentance and forgiveness!  This is where one of my good friends favorite scripture can be found - in Isaiah 1:18 

 18 “Come now, let us reason together,”
       says the LORD.
       “Though your sins are like scarlet,
       they shall be as white as snow;
       though they are red as crimson,
       they shall be like wool.

Yeah - that’s where he offers that no matter what the people have done….he is willing to wash the sin right out of that man (hear the jingle - “wash that grey right outta my hair!”) and make them pure again.  But he warns - be willing and reap the reward, cuz if man continues to rebel - he will die by the sword!

19 If you are willing and obedient,
       you will eat the best from the land;

 20 but if you resist and rebel,
       you will be devoured by the sword.”
       For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. 
 
Then he goes on (in case you’d like to go check it out yourself) to tell what the results of that rebellion will be.

Now In Isaiah 2 the prophet lays out that the Day of the Lord is coming.  The day that man will be humbled from his wrongdoing… giving himself the credit for his treasures and works, worshipping false idols and being full of pride.  God promises to humble man and only HE will be exalted (as in GOD not Man).

And here’s the fair warning that we ALL need to heed even today when it comes to putting our trust in other people and not God.  Remember - it’s a known fact that PEOPLE will let us down.  And the last verse of Isaiah 2 wraps it all up!   Maybe one of the most powerful phrases to remember….

Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he? (Isaiah 2:22)

Now the Bible is full of references to false prophets:

This is what the LORD Almighty says:  “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. ( Jeremiah 23:16)

The entire chapter of Ezekial 12 regards condemning false prophets…
My hand will be against the prophets who see false  visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. (Ezekial 13:9)

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.(Matthew 7:15)

In Matthew 24:24 we’re told that false prophets will appear near the end of the age:
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets  have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)

But I tell you what - when Isaiah said stop trusting in man…that makes him pretty legit in my book. A truer word was never spoken.

So yeah - it was nice and pretty and white this morning - but kind of disappointing really.  A source told me the roads were bad early in the morning.  The County scheduled to open at 10:30AM so I had to go to work.  Well the roads were snowy - but driveable.  (Tomorrow will be a whole nutha story after what is now melting and slushy freezes over).

My co-worker who is orginally from Maine who is a snow veteran picked me up and drove it like it was nothing and said…it pretty much was nothing compared to what he’s seen in Maine so I can’t say that.  However, we passed at least 8 cars in the ditch down Guess Road and one BULLDOZER.  I guess he intended to help get a car out of the ditch and instead…tipped over at the ditch.

Anyway - we go to work to open the office up at 10:30AM, Officers run a couple of “emergency” calls and then…the County closes at 1:30PM.  THREE whole hours of productivity.  Woo hoo! LOL!

So I loaded up in a truck, stopped at the grocery store and headed to the hills.  The roads were wet in Durham, but traffic flow was pretty normal.  Got to the country and there were still spots of snow - Orange County is not as diligent with treating the roads up my way.  The Bulldozer was still turned over on it’s side and there were still some cars in the ditch, but the ride home was pretty smooth.  Tomorrow morning will be another story - there will be ice to navigate.  I think I would far rather navigate snowy roads than icy ones.  So wish me luck on that one.

On another note - well history was made today.  Barack was inaugurated (or however you spell that word).   We watched that in the breakroom.  Aretha laid out My Country Tis of Thee, but I have to say I was disappointed in the poem - I would loved to have seen Maya Angelou up there laying down a nice one for history.  But a little bird told me she was probably hangin’ out with Madea and since Madea Goes to Jail is coming out soon…she’s probably bailing her out.

I have a friend trying to navigate her way OUT of DC right now.  Can you say hectic.  I enjoyed my front row seat right there in front of the tele!  But anyway - change is upon us!

In my world - here’s how it goes:  30 square bales deliverred Saturday.  CHECK!  One roundbale picked up today! CHECK!  Feed picked up from the feed store!  CHECK!  Stalls cleaned and bedded!  CHECK!

Oh yeah- fresh Propane tank for the grill!  CHECK!  Laundry done (in case the pipes freeze!) CHECK!  Four Wheeler gassed up! CHECK!  Fuel for the heaters and oil for  my oil candles! CHECK!

WE ARE READY!  Bring it on.  Of course…we aren’t looking forward to the melting since that means more mud.  But we’ll have fun in the white stuff tomorrow.

Taira is already off of school until Thursday so no need to worry about school closing.  I may have to struggle myself into Durham to do absolutely nothing if the County closes since they don’t like for us to be home and getting paid like the rest of the County offices (hence we become “Essential personnel”).  But it’s all good.

I am not afraid.  Okay- I’m going to jump into the book of Isaiah now.  (No reason - just Bible roulette!)

(Please note that anything italicized is something of someone else’s writing and not my own).  My thoughts will follow in regular non-italicized font).

SPIRITUAL PRIDE

It manifests itself in arguments about theological purity and acceptable thought.

Something else I found on the subject:

Spiritual pride is a more serious matter because it goes beyond ignorance to a blindness of how one is in relationship to God and others. Where ignorance is characterized by incomprehension of another way of seeing the world, pride views others with condescension, contempt, and intolerance. Most important, it has lost the awareness that grace is a gift and regards it as an accomplishment of superior breeding, insight, or religious practice

Andrew Murray noted that: “There is nothing so natural to man, nothing so insidious and hidden from our sight, nothing so difficult and dangerous, as pride.” Especially is this true of spiritual pride.

A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. (Proverbs 9:23)
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight (Isaiah 5:21)

All I can say is amen to that.  Spiritual Pride is the very characteristic of “christians” that drives people who are seeking faith, new in faith or struggling with faith to turn away from the very thing they should cling to.  I had this conversation with my Spiked small group last week.  We were in a discussion in our study topic “Choosing Faith” bout how the bad church experiences and bad people experiences in a church are what keep people out of the church for so long or that run them out of the church altogether (thus turning them away from God). 

BFF VISITS
Thursday afternoon I got off early to pick up one of my BFF’s, Michelle, who flew in from Texas to hang out with me for my birthday celebrating.  I haven’t seen her since we went to Disney World in 2007.  She moved from Goldsboro to North Dakota and then she retired and moved to Texas.  I’ve missed her.  She’s what I call a “low maintenance” friend.  She does not need to be entertained or caterred to every moment she is in your presence.  Since she’s been here…it’s like she never left.  It was just like another weekend she’d come to visit she used to haul her horses over and spend the weekends when she lived in Goldsboro.  Not a whole lot of catching up to do with the internet and unlimitted text keeping us connected.  

We had a no nonsense drama free ride (on the horses) Friday afternoon, had a smoke related near death experience Friday night, rode again Saturday morning before going to Taira’s cheerleading competition, did our birthday celebrating at the bonfire and she came to church Sunday (which is cool because we can now relate on a whole nutha level since she’s started attending Gateway Church in Texas).  We rode again on Sunday afternoon  - so we’ve logged about 8 saddle hours between Friday and Saturday.  Yesterday we had a totally lazy morning and then we rode the four wheeler over the river (okay creek) and through the woods until Taira got home from school.  Got back and she made some chicken enchiladas for dinner (yummmmm).   Then we pretty much crashed for the night.  Like I said - she is low maintenance.  While I am here blogging she is sitting in the living room rubbing my dog and hanging out watching t.v.  Tonight is her last night here and we have dinner plans so we are unwinding.

FAMILY
My family from Massachusettes also came in early early Saturday morning.  They arrived a little after 12:30AM.  My dad, my other mother Irene and my ever so cute grandpa.   Thanks to my roommate Lanie they had a whole upstairs room to themselves to occupy.   Wish my brother could have come, but he couldn’t get off of work.  Hope he gets to come through in the spring time.  Mom Irene made a humongous pot of Cape Verdean Munchoupa! Yummmmmmmmmmm!  She also made some Pumpkin Cheesecakes!  OMGoodness.  She also made me a handmade quilt with horse print and monogrammed M’s (for Melinda - duah) for my birthday.  It’s so very nice I love it and it feels special that it’s hand made.  She also found at a yard sale (she loves yard sales) a silver locket.  What’s special about it?  Well it has MY initials on it. 

My mom came Saturday afternoon and stayed through and left while we were gone to church.  She just blends right in with my friends when she’s here! LOL!  I gave her a cowgirl hat for Christmas and she just did her thing and hung out while I entertained (or WAS entertained!) LOL!  She gave me some artificial roses (not to replace my now traditional regular fresh ones, but very pretty and they will never wither) and some very nice candle sets (because I LOVE candles) including a long burning Faith candle and a nice mirrored plaque depicting Family and Faith.

FRIENDS
Another BFF, Julie and her family hauled their horses over mid morning on Saturday.  She made me my favorite…RED BEANS AND RICE!  She’s from New Orleans - so it’s the real deal stuff!  Not the Zatarans! LOL!  We all went riding and then when we got back another BFF Stephanie was waiting for us.  (who is all cute with pregnant roundness as she and her hubby are expecting their first little boy in May).

So we all loaded up in two vehicles, the family, the friends and the child and headed to the Dorton Arena for Taira’s cheerleading competition.   It was the State Finals for the Cheer America teams.  She and her team (Hillsborough…YOU KNOW!)  took 2nd again.   I am so happy to have raised a child who is just as happy with second as if they had gotten first.  I think she called just about everyone in her contact list on her cell phone.  Now she’s trying to decide if she wants to continue on with the cheerleading or do it again later so she can concentrate on showing this year.  Neither are cheap - but the showing will be much more doable.  Once the cheerleading elevates to having to travel out of State  it’s way beyond our financial ability so I think I might be a bit relieved not to have to disappoint her with “we can’t go.”

When we got back from the cheerleading competition it was time to start tthe festivities.  The bonfire was ready to be lit and food was already started on the grill thanks to Julie’s significant other who stayed behind from cheerleading and started the grill.  Friends from all walks of my life came through in spurts.  NHC peeps, work peeps, horse riding buddies, just peeps I know.  My friend Carrie came and brought her signature pumpkin rolls in honor of the January birthdays.  Her birthday is this week as well. 

It was just nice hanging out and enjoying friends, family, food, music, fire and four wheeler rides.  It was nice and I truly enjoyed myself. Needless to say — I looked around and felt pretty darned Blessed that God has put some awesome people in my life who have been around through thick and thin for quite awhile. 

Even after a long night - we loaded up and headed to NHC for 1st service Sunday.  (Sunday was my actual birthday).    Then we came home and did some riding.  Another long time BFF (Sandy) and her daughter Rachel drove out just to come hang out with us afterwards for a bit.

Sunday evening we had a nice family dinner (including Michelle) at the Texas Roadhouse.  I don’t know if they were quite ready for such an equally as loud and willing participant for that Texas Roadhouse Yee Haw where they make a scene at your table for your birthday.  Say WHAT?  LOL!

I had to go get my licensed renewed today.  I probably did it in record time at the DMV on 70 in Hillsborough.  I think I spent a combined total of 10 minutes signing in, taking the test, getting a pretty darned good picture taken and waiting for it to print out.  And that was not long after the lunch hour!  Michelle and I were joking at how exhasuted we were spending “all that time” in the DMV.   We came home to meet Taira at the bus with her horse so she could ride him back up to the house bareback.  Then she rode around bareback for awhile before coming inside to make us a batch of Rice Krispie treats. 

So now we have all just been vegging out for a few hours before we head to Raleigh.  We are meeting Sandy and some other friends at the Ale House for dinner and to hang out before Michelle leaves tomorrow.  Funny - but it’s almost the same exact crowd that was there the last time we had the opporunity to do the Ale House for dinner with Michelle.  I hope the Ale House is ready!  Ha ha!

Tomorrow I drop Michelle off bright and early at the airport and then head back to work.  Well actually I have three days of class - but back to the regular grind.  When I get home tomorrow evening after Spiked small group - it will be “back to normal” at home. 

One of the youth made me a scrapbook for my birthday.  It is REALLY nice.  It has lots of pics of me and my youth peeps doing Spiked stuff and just hanging out and it’s pretty darned special.  I really like it and it’s obvious she put a lot of thought, time and effort into it.  I am very touched by personal gifts and this is one of those that tugged!

So…happy 14th annivesary of my 21st birthday to me…blessed with family, friends and fond memories!

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