I pride myself on being a good, efficient homemaker....but when I find cream cheese from December, 2007 in my fridge...It possibly made two moves with us - from Cartersville to Adairsville, and from Adairsville to Chattanooga. Humbled to the dust!

Why are Christians so nervous about the fact that God offers reward based on services rendered? Of course, this is not how we gain salvation. That is conferred upon us by our gracious Father, based entirely on the merits of Christ. But once we are His, Scripture speaks so clearly of the fact that we will be rewarded according to our faithfulness. Why is this such a problem to Christians; why do we have to hedge it about with so many caveats?....Of course, I am not serving God for the reward...Of course I am serving Him just to be faithful...As though the two are separate...God would not present the truth of heavenly reward so clearly in Scripture if he did not want us to be motivated by it...What, oh what, is the big problem with that? And it is so straightforward and clear...

I come by an unexpected couple of hundred dollars. All my bills are paid. Nothing looms in the future to devour this money. I therefore have a choice. I can go to the mall and buy a couple of pairs of pants which I in some sense "need", according to the context of our society. This is a perfectly valid choice. God will not punish me for it. God is not against me in it. But there is a better choice I can make. I can send that money to Voice of the Martyrs and fund indigenous pastors living on next to nothing while sharing the Gospel with others. I have invested in that unseen, heavenly bank where treasures are stored up securely against the age to come. That wealth is eternal. The other choice is not sinful, but gives me "reward" - the reward of looking well-dressed in another couple of pairs of pants - in this life only. I have not gained anything eternal through that choice...

To me, Scripture is entirely clear about the types of choices we make as Christians day in and day out. Not "sin" or "not- sin", necessarily at all....But definitely tying in with reward in this life, or treasures stored for eternity...As believers, God has granted us this great freedom. Why do we not discuss it, embrace it? .. Actually deny that it should factor into everyday thinking?

Especially when the reward we strive for is something to do with God Himself, nearness to Him, increased service to Him in the future..."Abraham, I am your shield and your very great reward." I don't get it.

I was reading Luke 21 a few days ago and noticed a recurring theme as Christ spoke of the end of time. There will be "terrors and great signs from heaven"," signs in sun and moon and stars", distress because of "the roaring of the sea and the waves", and "the powers of the heavens will be shaken." It really sounds like the earth itself will begin to become unhinged. We all know the physical universe was cursed along with man, and as history winds down and evil is more and more concentrated, will God allow the poor earth to suffer increasingly as well? Will this be "natural", inadvertently induced by humans, directly caused by evil Dr. Frankensteins? Some of each? Who knows?

But it is interesting to see that as the nations are "distressed...in perplexity...fainting with fear and foreboding of what is coming on the world", we are to "straighten up and raise your heads" as our redemption draws near. The supine posture is not for God's bold and brave soldiers - unless before the commander himself. God, may I be faithful, always faithful, strong and courageous.

Winston Churchill said the secret of success is to never, never, never, give up...I want to claim one exception to that. If you are a five foot four, 115 pound woman trying to wrestle an air conditioner into the trunk of a car - GIVE UP! QUICKLY! Lest you end up with an extremely sore back...And the air conditioner remains leering up at you from its firmly-planted position on the ground...

Grace reminded me of an incident today that Tim will surely remember...Tim and Brian are not yet able to drive, so sometimes cycle from one home to the other. Tim is in the lead and going flat out along a country road when....disaster strikes and he goes down - hard! Tim, Tim! Brian cycles up ...I hope you haven't crushed my potato chips! (that Tim was carrying for him)...What would have destroyed a relationship between girls did not impact Brian and Tim's. They remained good friends for years...

Now, why do I have a vicious headache? I never get headaches - at least, hardly ever - perhaps every couple of years...

It is COLD today and we have had the heat on for Baby Cora...Is it dust from the air vents?

I am still not awfully used to my glasses. They are fairly large and, at times, seem to weigh heavily on my nose...It begins to ache, then can spread into my eyes etc...That it?

I had a type of red wine - birthday gift from Grace and Justin - that I haven't drunk before. Does it have more sulfides than I can handle?

I wore "real" jewelry today, which I hardly ever do...So I tightened the earrings so as not to lose them. Has that pressure built up over the course of the day?

Am I getting sick? (Don't think so )

Am I just plain old tired?

So many possibilities for one very - to most people - ordinary event. Isn't life complicated?