It’s Fall Break and while many of our students were away on family vacations this week, there were 12 here with us for another great evening to share a meal, a lesson, and their hearts! Thank you to Adam & Daphne for providing baked potatoes & chili with all the fixin’s for an awesome dinner and to Melissa for the superb chocolate peanut butter trifle … yum, yum were the eats wonderful! And we so enjoyed that Adam & Honore could stay and spend the evening with us as the teens fellowshipped, learned, and grew.
Speaking of learning, Dan took us on an exploration of self and self-image. Using a rock folk song (Change) and his interpretations of how these words about image and shame revealed the judgment of the enemy and world, he gave us all the challenge of 4 minutes of gazing directly at ourselves in a mirror as we listened again. And in our small groups, we read and meditated on God’s words …
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:1-7
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Ephesians 3:12
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. Colossians 1:21-22
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
The 4 minutes staring in the mirror was a revealing exercise for me… my mind wandered from my aging chin (made better by the mirror being held directly in front of me rather than resting on my lap :) to the concept of considering me as a “being” rather than the “doing” that predominates my self-image and various points in between. I found the experience to be unexpectedly “real” relative to introspection & contemplation, and hopefully, with prayer it will be impactful relative to transformation. Hmmmm.
Lots of love, Momma
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