YES to GOD study: Chapter 8

Welcome to...

FYI: If you take a cute and chunky Piglet out in public (see previous post) then you will get lots of miniature Snickers and Twix bars thrown your way.

FYI: If you eat all the mini Snickers and Twix bars thrown your way then you will get ill and gain 10 pounds.

FYI: Lots of mini Snickers and Twix bars adds up to lots of King size candy bars.

FYI: Using children to get candy is bad. Very bad.

Okay...whether you acknowledge Halloween or not, I hope you had a great weekend and if you love candy, come to my house. I know where Aaron hid his pillow case full of sugar. Yes, my 14 year old still goes door to door and when scolded by the elderly for doing so he crosses his finger and politely says, "But sir, I'm a 6 foot 5th grader with size 14 shoes. It's in my genes to be this tall". He claims he then gets more because they think he's a freak.

I'm afraid to admit that free chocolate from strangers brings out the worst in all members of my family. Stranger Danger is completely forgotten on this night.

Okay...let's begin. Hard to believe we are almost finished with this incredible journey; however, I have a feeling it's just beginning.

CHAPTER 8:

WE ARE COMPLETELY LOVED AND COMPLETELY ACCEPTED.

Remember, anything in blue is a quote from the book.

This chapter was so good and I loved the Bible study too.

I am going to steal Lisa's friends quote that she tells Lisa upon occasion: You are an awesome spirit being truly loved and accepted by God.

Wow. Just think about that. No matter what we've done, where we've been...our God loves us. Is crazy about us. And notices us. Wow.

These are a few of Lisa's words that really hit me in the gut:

We are programmed by the worlds' view of love which has great limitations.

What we thought would bring us love has let us down and we are tired of searching.

God's love is without pretense, without conditions and without limits. His love feels good the night before, the morning after, and every time in between. It is like water to a thirsty soul, food to a hungry heart, and freedom to a confined prisoner.

We are irresistibly desired by God.

I also loved the story from the Bible Lisa shared about the woman at the well...All Jesus wanted to do was give her the gift of love she hadn't been able to find in anything or anyone else. And like so many of us she had certainly tried.

The last few weeks my teenage daughter has been spending a lot of time at our home. She has even spent the night a total of 4 times now. Something so sweet about standing over your Prodigal Daughter as she gets rest in your home. Last night when she left to go home I knew she didn't feel well, but I had gotten on her case about some stuff anyway.

One thirty in the morning my phone rang. It was her asking me to come over because she was throwing up and had an accident in the bathroom. I said I'd be over to clean it up and she said, "No Mom, I cleaned it up, can you just come over?"

I stayed with her from 2 until 6 when I had to come home to get the kids up for school. It was an incredible 4 hours for me. I deep cleaned her bathroom, did her dishes, took her trash out, gathered her dirty laundry and held her hair as she threw up in the trash can and rubbed her back. Most importantly though when I did sit down I prayed over her as she slept. I prayed over her apartment.

This morning she called and said, "Mom, thanks for being there for me last night."

I wonder...does she have any idea that she is irresistibly desired by her Creator? Does she know that while she searches desperately to be loved that she already is? After a night of giving herself away does she know that Jesus wants to give Himself away to her?

What I do know is that my girl called me and to this praying, sometimes crying Mom that was a sweet touch from the Savior. One day soon I pray she'll realize that only by God she is completely loved and accepted and will stop believing the lies of the world.

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Next week...Chapter 9!

~Many Blessings~