The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Summer mini-vacation has come and gone. We have been saving over the past two years for a newer vehicle for me to drive. Mine was 16 years old after all. So we have not had the money for an official vacation.

In an act that just proves how powerful little kindnesses are, some family friends in the Houston area invited us to have mini-vacations with them over the past three years. Especially for the past two years these trips have been a major source of family memories. This year Galveston Beach pocket park #1 was a huge hit.

The Houston Aquarium was a blast with petting tanks, an amazing white tiger, a Ferris wheel and a carousel.

We saw our first Drive-in-Movie double feature. We swam, ate BBQ and generally had an awesome 4th of July weekend.

I feel challenged to find acts of kindness I can do to contribute to so generously to a family's happiness.

The Bad comes in, in a way I think most families struggle- The family photo. How to create that Milli-second where all aligns to make a good family photo. Well, we don't really have that down yet. But it was a great Sunday morning at Church so "C'est la vie".

 

 I struggled with where it gets Ugly this week. I was thinking about this before vacation and it stayed with me all week as I watched my family. Lately I have seen so many people talk about God's blessings in their lives, yet they openly defy all He has told us. They speak of God and disobey Him without seeing any connection.

I hear people asking blessings for marriages founded on living together long before the wedding, families with children and no plans for marriage, and singles seeking mates with no plans to wait on God. To the eyes of God this is a distortion of His design, as ugly as mud splatters on the Mona Lisa. It's not a control thing, it's a Love thing.

There is one thing God cannot do.
Yes it is true. He cannot bless sin. He cannot prosper what is destructive.

^{1 john 2:3} We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. ⁴ Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵ But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Might seem harsh at first sight but it's actually spoken in pure love. Am I walking as a perfect reflection of Christ? No, but that is my goal. My aim in all I choose to do, is to obey. Why? Because every time I have it has brought me joy and blessings.

He keeps His promises.

He can be trusted.

Take a chance on Jesus, please.