Buttons!

Alrighty, well it's been ages and ages since I finished the design for my two blogs, and yet I had never gotten to the point of actually making buttons. I'm not sure that I need to set them up for anyone else to grab--I mean, would you?

But I have been planning these for a while. I'd like to link to one blog from the other with a pretty button, you know? So, here they are. I hope you like them. :)

New Moon

**This is taken from another post on my other blog, Moments of Majesty. Sometimes I just write better over there, so I feel like I should share it with all of my readers. Enjoy.**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun; it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky. (Psalm 89: 35-37)

Yesterday morning when I got up the sky was still dark but it was perfectly clear--an amazing feat considering the snow storm we had all the day before and into the night. And, hanging in the middle of the sky was a beautiful crescent moon. It was so gorgeous that I wanted to go outside and take a picture of the clean white snow, the midnight blue sky, and the bone-white moon.

So on a whim I did a Bible search for the word "moon," and came across this psalm. I will tell you I didn't really pay attention to much of that verse except "the moon, the faithful witness in the sky." (I gave the sentence for context.)

But I just love what this verse says about the moon. Because what does the moon witness by its very light? The sun. The moon is just a rock, pitted and dead. But when the sun's light shines onto it, it shines brightly enough to light up the earth. The light is nowhere near as bright as the sun itself, but is beautiful and illuminating all the same.

And so it is with us, isn't it? We are called to reflect the glory of the Son (Jesus) and be a light to all peoples. When we use our talents, when we extend a hand of love and mercy, we are reflecting God's grace, and He shines out of our very actions.

When you think of the moon you know that it waxes and wanes, from a beautiful full moon to a tiny sliver. I believe that this also is reflective of our personalities... some days I feel much, much more in tune with God than others. Remember that the moon is still the same size and shape all the time. But what happens is that the Earth gets in the way of the sun, so that only some of the sun's light can shine through. Does this remind you of your own life at all? It sure does remind me of mine. Far too often I let the things of this world stand between myself and Jesus, and I do not reflect His love, his grace, or his mercy to others.

This is why we are called to be in the world, but not of it. To stand gently aside from the things of this world which would obfuscate our line of sight to the Son. Because as long as we are looking to Christ, He will shine through us, even when we are not outwardly attempting anything extraordinary. Just our presence will show God's hand in our lives, and we will be ourselves a silent witness to His grace and love and beauty.

So today let us all be a new moon, let us separate ourselves from the world so that we may shine in full with the light of God.

Amen.

Jesus is on Your Elevator

Guess what! This is my 102nd post! In honor of my 100th Post I'm doing my very first giveaway! Please check it out--you can still get in on it until 11:59pm Sunday!

And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming...

Oh my goodness, do you so NOT want to be on the elevator with these people? I mean really, the guy looking at his watch can't believe how long it's going to take to add your floor to the 11 other floors this elevator is going to, and that lady doesn't even look like she's going to let you on. The guy in the middle will just push all over you trying to get out and I really think the guy on the left just let loose a silent stinker and is trying not to show it. You SO don't want to have to deal with this.

But imagine something...

What if they were all Jesus?

Ok ok, I know, it seems crazy to think of an elevator full of Jesuses. (Except in a way it's perfect. I totally want to start a grunge band now called Elevator Full of Jesus)

But seriously people, think about it. I posted about this before but I can't remember which blog I put it on (I've also got a side blog over at Moments of Majesty) so I'm going to say it again here.

If you were on an elevator with Jesus, would you sigh loudly and roll your eyes if he accidentally pushed the wrong button? Would you fart on your way out just because it's kinda funny that he'd be stuck with it? Would you completely ignore him if he dropped his folder and his papers scattered all over the floor?

Would you hold the door for him if you were in a hurry and he was running to catch it?

I would think that if it were really Jesus, you would.

Well, didn't he say something about when you do things for other people, so have you done them unto him?

That's kinda the good and the bad, you know.

When we think poorly of people, we think poorly of the One who died so that those people might receive the same grace and forgiveness that God has extended to you. Yes, you. YOU. The one reading this. God loves YOU. He loves you so much that He sent His one and only son to die, to be separated from the Godhead, to break up (albeit briefly) the most perfect love-relationship EVER. All because we totally eff things up on our own and there's no way we could get into heaven otherwise.

And it's not just you. It's her too. It's him. Yes, even her. Uh, huh... him too.

Sucks a little doesn't it, losing that high horse?

We all get to get in, if we want it. So... maybe we need to treat each other a little better? If not for them, then for the One who gave them the same grace He gave us.

Because I'm sure someone else is looking at you half the time and saying "Really, God, them too?"

You betcha. All of us. We're just an elevator full of Jesuses, heading on up.