Hmmmm

Can we take God's grace too far? Over the last few years I have been learning a lot about how God's grace covers all and because of this we can experience true freedom in Christ. How refreshing to know that I dont have to follow all the rules and regulations put on me by man. But can I take that too far? In 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 Paul calls the Corinthian church on an issue. "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?"

So this is an extreme case, but what is happening is that the church was so proud of how they could do anything and be covered by God's grace! It sounds ludicrous at first but when I think about it I have to wonder if some of us (mainly myself) may be on the same track. We are a group who are proud of the fact that we can drink, gamble a little etc.(I am not taking a personal shot at anyone here,I personally enjoy a good drink now and again and I look forward to poker nights) I am not saying that there is anything wrong with these actions in and of themselves but can they become destructive? What kind of example do I set for someone who perhaps has a drinking problem? Do I let them destroy themselves and their families because I am ok with having a drink now and again? Am I proud that I dont have to live by the rules that so many other churches follow, to the point of thinking that I am better than them. I know I catch myself often on this. Am I becoming legalistic about legalism?
This is the point in my rant where I expect many of you readers to bombard me with arguments and please go ahead. I am just thinking and processing things. Im not saying that I am right, just curious.

The second thing that I have been thinking through is kind of on the same level. I know that we are suppose to let go of issues in our lives and let God handle them but at what point do we actually have to make a decision and do something? Yup I said DO SOMTHING. Let me give you an example of what I am talking about. Lets say I have an addiction to alcohol ( we always pick on the poor addicts on this one)Now I pray and ask God to take this away as I know that I can't do it on my own. Now I have a choice. I can go to AA and learn to avoid situations that I know will tempt me or I can continue on with my same life style and say "hey I prayed so if I get drunk and screw my family over its God's fault". Both of those options involve DOING SOMETHING. Maybe that is not a great example. Here's another. What if I have a bum liver and the doctor says I need a transplant. I can give it to God and just sit at home hoping that he will heal me or I can get on the transplant list and pray that God will heal me through the hands of a professional. Does that mean that I didnt just let God have it? I know that there has to be a balance between doing and letting go. Or maybe MY God is just not powerful enough.Hmmmm.
I feel that this whole "just let God have it" has become a touchy subject for many people that I am in contact with. I was recently talking to a friend who mentioned that they have become afraid to pray in public for fear that they use the wrong words when they pray and will then be condemned. This friend said that it has actually happened when they said something the wrong way and they were confronted. Well that would never happen in our church. Oh wait this friend happends to be a member of the same church as me. Tell me if this sounds familiar "Dear God please give me strength to overcome..." No wait we are suppose to say " Dear God I ask that in your strength you would overcome..." If we are admitting that we need God's help does it really matter what wording we use? Isnt that a little legalistic. I dont believe that we are to come to God with a guarded heart. When we pray we should be able to pour out our heart to our creator. He knows what we are thinking even if our words are wrong.

Anyways this has just been a little of me trying to figure out somethings. Im sorry if none of it made any sense. I am still trying to sort it out in my own mind. Thanks for letting me get this stuff out there. I welcome your comments.

why we are buying a cell phone

You know how every once in awhile you have one of those things happen to you that is just a good story without even having to exagerate. Well this is one of those. First off let me lay a little background for you. 1. My husband is going to College in the city and so he is commuting everyday with another guy. 2.We do not own a cell phone 3. we drive a gutless taurus stationwagon. 4.We have a baby who of course needs to ride in an infant car seat. 5.groceries in a small town are stupidly more expensive than in the city and students get a 10% discount at Sobeys
With all that in mind I tell you this story.
Part 1
Yesterday we had the brilliant idea that instead of catching a ride home with his usual ride I would drive in to the city to pick my husband up after school and then we would go for groceries there and come home.
Sounds simple enough right?. Well because we dont have a cell phone we agreed a time and place to meet and just left it at that. Around 1:00 I noticed that it was snowing a bit so I thought I would head in early in case the roads got bad. By the time I got baby packed up and everything ready to go it was already 2:00 and the weather had turned to blowing snow and fog. I Phoned the cell phone of the guy who my husband was going to school with and asked what the weather was like there and I was told it was fine. I decided to try going anyways because I figured it was probably just happening right around our town. So away we go. Well when we hit the highway the weather was absolutely terrible. I couldnt see anything and I got stuck behind a little old man who was doing 40 km/h. It took me 40 minutes to do a drive that is usually 15 minutes. At that point I decided to head for home and give it a try again a little later in the day. As I was on my way home I was breaking and my breaks started making this terrible grinding noise and my litte green stationwagon started lurching. I made it home safely and immediately called the mechanic. He said to bring it in right away. I called my husbands commuter friend to say I wasnt coming but couldnt get through. I again loaded up the baby and took off to the mechanic. As I pulled in and hit the breaks I just kept going right on by the shop. After I drifted to stop I backed up and eased my way into the shop. Although they were super busy they pulled one of their guys to work on my car and we switched my baby seat into an extra vehicle they had there to give me a ride back home.
Part 2
After a few hours I get a call from the garage. Our conversation goes something like this.
Mechanic: (very condesendingly)um have you driven this car in icy conditions before?
Me: Yes and it hasnt done this before
Mechanic: Well we took your wheels off and there is nothing wrong.
Me: How can there be nothing wrong? It made a really awful sound and the car shuddered.(you know that sound your car makes when you drive over rumble strips just before a stop sign on the hiway. thats what it was like)
Mechanic:That is just the sound of your ABS kicking in. You havent had this car very long have you?
Me: No
Mechanic: well I will bring the car back for you.
Me: (thinking to myself)great they think Im an idiot
Part 3
I get the car back with just enough time to book it to the city and pick up my husband. I will only be about 10 minutes late. I quick reload the car seat and pack up the baby. Away I go again. The roads are clear so I figure its clear sailing from here on in.
I get less than five minutes from my town when a semi drives past me and sprays my winshield with snowy gook. I flip on my wipers only to discover that they arent working. I decide to pull over at the next farm and clean my windshield and fix my wipers. This should make me about 15 minutes late but safety first right. I signal and begin breaking a ways from the driveway I am wanting to turn into. I look in my rearview mirror to see the car behind me quickly approaching and showing no signs of slowing down to avoid me. At the last second I gun it and turn into the drive way being narrowly missed by the before mentioned car. As I rip into the snowy driveway I hit the breaks which lock(Isnt ABS that has nothing wrong with it suppose to prevent your breaks from locking?) and I go sliding into the ditch. Im stuck bad and although I tried to get myself out, my gutless stationwagon is hopeless. I step out into knee deep snow and go to the farm house. Luckily the lady of the farm is home and welcomes me and the baby in. Im now 20 minutes late. She phones her husband at the rental shop he owns (ironically placed next door to my house) and he comes out with a big truck and chains. He kindly gets me out and although I again try to phone my husband on his friends cell phone I still cannot get through. 45 miniutes late.
I again load up the baby and again hit the road. As I am driving the slush of the road and the spray from passing vehicles covers my windshield. Before long I am out of washer fluid. As I am debating on attempting to pull over again and use some baby wipes to clean the windshield, I see a lone country gas station. I pull in and ask for some washer fluid. It appears they are all out. After some looking the teenage girl working the place finds a bottle in the back. I get it filled up and again hit the road. I am now an hour late.
The last of the trip I am tense and frustrated but at least I make it with no more incidents. I pick up my husband and we get our groceries. As we are paying the clerk tells us that it is actually only a 5% discount and so we realize that with all that happened we didnt save any money at all by buying our groceries there.
We finally arrived back home at 10:00pm.
We decided its time to buy a cell phone