5 Minute Friday - Together

5 Minute Friday is somewhat of a "writing flash mob" hosted weekly by blogger Lisa-Jo Baker. Each Friday she selects a subject and your job is to write about it for 5 minutes and link to her post. Whatever comes to mind, even if you aren't sure what the subject is about, don't know anything about it, or haven't ever really thought about it. Just write. For 5 minutes. Doesn't that sound fun?? There's only one rule: After you've linked your post, you MUST visit the person who linked up before you and leave a comment.


Today's topic: Together

Go!

I think one of the biggest social problems in society today is that, no matter how many people are around, people feel alone.  Social media has certainly not helped.  We can "friends" and yet not actually talk to or visit anyone for who knows how long, and no wonder we feel lonely!

People need to be together.  God created us for fellowship.

And that is never more true than in the family unit.  We need to spend time together.  Study after study has shown how important a family dinner time, or, if that's just not possible, other types of family time.  The phrase "quality over quantity" is, quick frankly, hogwash.  You can't plan or force quality time to happen just because it's convenient in your day planner.  Spending time together, in as large amounts as possible, is the key to quality time.  Quality time can only happen when you're together.  And it's so often spontaneous, not planned.  Especially when it comes to kids, particularly teenagers.  You need to talk when they're ready to talk, and in order to do that, you have to be available.   If you're not, they'll talk to someone else.

So, take the time to just be.  To be together.

It will never be time misspent!

Stop!

5 Minute Friday - Mercy

5 Minute Friday is somewhat of a "writing flash mob" hosted weekly by blogger Lisa-Jo Baker. Each Friday she selects a subject and your job is to write about it for 5 minutes and link to her post. Whatever comes to mind, even if you aren't sure what the subject is about, don't know anything about it, or haven't ever really thought about it. Just write. For 5 minutes. Doesn't that sound fun?? There's only one rule: After you've linked your post, you MUST visit the person who linked up before you and leave a comment.

This is my first time participating!  Want to join me?

Today's topic: Mercy

GO!

Whenever I think about mercy, I think about grace.  What's the difference between the two?  They're often used interchangeably, but they're actually not quite the same.

Mercy is God not punishing us, when we deserve to be punished.

Grace is God blessing us, when we don't deserve to be blessed.

All of us, Christians or not, live under God's mercy and grace every day.  Every breath you take is a demonstration of God's mercy and grace.

God is in control.  God created the universe and everything in it, including this world and the people who inhabit it.  God determines right and wrong, not us.  And God demands perfection in order to enjoy relationship with Him.

Unfortunately for us, none of us are perfect.  NONE.  Not me.  Not you.  I think we would acknowledge that.

Fortunately for us, Jesus was perfect.  And Jesus took the punishment for our imperfection, for our sins, when He died for us on the cross.  When He experienced the wrath of God that WE deserved.  He took our punishment.  And we get His perfection, when we believe in Him as our Saviour AND Lord.  Both are required.  We can't accept Him as only Saviour.  We also have to accept Him as Lord of our lives.  That's the tough one for people to swallow.  It's hard enough to admit we need saving, let alone allow someone other than "I" on the throne of our lives.  But it's the only way to perfection, to relationship with God, to heaven.

Our imperfection, our sin, deserves death.  Death is a just and deserving consequence.  God demonstrates His grace and mercy to us every single day that He allows us to live.  Every breath we take is evidence of His mercy.  But more often than not, we presume upon that mercy.  We take it for granted.  We don't even acknowledge it as mercy at all, but rather our "God-given right".  Ironic, isn't it?

And.... STOP.

Eek.  I think I actually went over by 2 minutes - lost track of time. Guess I should set an alarm next time! :)