Reminders from today

God is so good to me. He gave me people around me to remind me.. well, things. :)

Reminder 1: Weep for our sins because it hurts God

Psalms 51:1-4  <<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.>> Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

I sat through good preaching on Sunday when my pastor preached about the conscience.
And I took this home with me: Salvation comes not through a mental assent that Jesus came and paid the penalty of Man's sin. Salvation has to come through a seared conscience and a hearfelt acknowledgment that it was our individual, personal sin that required Jesus Christ to die and pay that penalty on OUR behalf.

We don't need a Saviour until we realize we have sinned against a Holy God! 

Luke 13:5  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

So it leads me to today, when I was disciplining one of my brood for some bad behaviour.

So you got mad and drew on your sibling's desk and popped another sibling's balloon?
Do you know this behaviour makes God sad?

And at that moment, he (might be the "she" but I'm just using "he" for convenience, just sayin') started crying a sad sad cry. I asked him if he was sorry to make God sad, and he nodded his head. And I encouraged him to pray to ask God for forgiveness.

Now, I too, need to remember that I do much worse things than drawing on a desk or popping a balloon which I don't cry before God for forgiveness for. :( 

I cried together with my child. 

Matthew 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Reminder 2. In the End, it'll be alright, just like He said. So stop worrying. Worrying is sin!

I wanted to bless a missionary lady by bringing her out grocery shopping. I ended up being blessed in return.

She has 6 children, the eldest of whom are 20 and 18. 

And we got to talking, her being further along down the road of parenting, she was telling me with much excitement in her voice that these were exciting times (parenting a 20 yr old and an 18 yr), seeing how the children learn to take God's hand and walk with Him and seeing how God is working in their lives.

Like twice she said, these are exciting times!!!!... but scary times....these are exciting times!!!!... but scary times.... haha. :) I think it's because we don't know the specifics of how it will eventually turn out but just trusting that God is faithful and He will see it through... 

I conclude that parenting will always be punctuated with moments of fear and self doubt- no matter which age our children are, be it 1 or 20!!! Will my children self destruct???

It's always easier on hindsight to look back and say, yeah, God is true to His word. Of course it turned out just the way He said it would.

What are some of these promises I'm clinging to as His child? :

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

(this promise could go both ways, godly training, godly results. ungodly training, ungodly results.)

Psalms 32:8  I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

James 1:5   If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

And most importantly:

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

So, today's reminder number two from talking to this dear servant of God, is to just be faithful to the mothering/ teaching task I've been called to do for my precious children and sit back and take pleasure in watching God do the rest. 

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God bless you, dear reader. I have been much blessed by friends I've made through this blog. I can't begin to say how wonderful that is! Or even placing my blog on their blog roll, thank you so much. I'm honored!

So, do leave a comment or email me! :)

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from my home to yours,

Suwei