March 5, 2011

Yesterday was another day of school, each day is different and with different needs and challenges and joys.  After school I went to Devils Lake to get some books for one of the classes and to check at the extension class as I am helping them with a foods project in two weeks, left some books with Vivian Wass and had a good visit with her.  She is a gem. came home, fixed Jack and I something to eat and relaxed for the rest of the evening.  Oh, I made a cake, to try something for the4-H event.  Thoughts from Joni.....

The Love of Christ


"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither
the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in
Christ Jesus our Lord."

--Romans 8:38-39

The supreme reason that you can and should trust God through suffering is found
at Calvary, for no better argument can be voiced apart from the cross. That He would
endure the full fury of hell so you could escape it should tell you something as
 you face your own hellish circumstances.

The greatest love scene in the world happened when Christ hung and bled on the cross.
It was God saying, "Look, see, this is how much I love you!" What's amazing is that
He played out this love scene while we snubbed Him in cool, callous indifference.
Who would want to escape that kind of love, or ignore or deny it? And what Christian
could ever dare doubt it? Christ died for you. What love!

Sometimes after I've snapped at a friend or chipped in my two cents' worth of gossip,
I catch myself thinking, "Oh, God, these are the things that nailed Jesus to the
 cross... I am so sorry."  Human logic tells me that He should turn away from me.
But nothing, absolutely nothing can separate me from His constant outpouring of
love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Often we twist God's arm for the "reasons why" before we decide to trust Him with
our circumstances. We want the blueprint spread before us. But the bruised and battered
apostle Paul who probably had every reason to wonder "why," never said, "I know
why all these things are happening." Rather, he said, "I know in whom I have believed."
The love of Christ was enough.

Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.