"And (God)raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:6-7
Oswald Chambers put it this way: "We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God's grace."
"Is that a trophy, mimi?" Five year old Mason pointed to the gold painted plastic figurine mounted between the numbers "19" and "90" on the marble rectangle next to the salt and pepper shakers at the back of the stove.
I had to laugh. Shortly after we moved here over twenty years ago, I decided on a whim to enter two breads in a neighboring county's fair. One of the breads, an orange-blueberry loaf, was a family favorite that I'd baked often and probably could have made without a recipe, but the other one, a jalapeno pepper loaf, was a recipe I'd never used and had no clue how it would taste.
The morning all foods in the culinary division were to be registered, I stumbled just inside the Lee County civic center doors, and the orange-blueberry loaf broke into a million sticky, crumbly pieces as it flew out of my hands and onto the floor. Embarrassed to near-tears, I cleaned up the mess, dumped what remained of all my hard work in the trash, and delivered the jalapeno pepper loaf to those in charge of registration - hoping I'd never have to see any of them ever again. A few days later, the Ft. Myers News-Press called requesting to interview me. The judges had awarded the jalapeno pepper loaf the "Best of Show" trophy in the entire culinary division.
Ask anyone who knows me, Martha Stewart I'm not. Eventually I dismantled the shamefully huge "best of show" trophy that gave the false impression that I'm a good cook, down to the much smaller one I keep on the stove, hoping it would inspire me to be more creative in the kitchen, but with no aspirations to be known for my culinary skills.
When Mason asked me about that little trophy last night, I thought again of the quote from Oswald Chambers I'd read in my devotions last week - what would my life look like if I were a living trophy of God's grace - a display of the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward (me) in Christ Jesus.
This "multitude on mondays" morning, I remember with much gratitude, just a few of those "immeasurable riches"...
Counting thanks and "immeasurable riches" in community with Ann today. Won't you join? I had to laugh. Shortly after we moved here over twenty years ago, I decided on a whim to enter two breads in a neighboring county's fair. One of the breads, an orange-blueberry loaf, was a family favorite that I'd baked often and probably could have made without a recipe, but the other one, a jalapeno pepper loaf, was a recipe I'd never used and had no clue how it would taste.
The morning all foods in the culinary division were to be registered, I stumbled just inside the Lee County civic center doors, and the orange-blueberry loaf broke into a million sticky, crumbly pieces as it flew out of my hands and onto the floor. Embarrassed to near-tears, I cleaned up the mess, dumped what remained of all my hard work in the trash, and delivered the jalapeno pepper loaf to those in charge of registration - hoping I'd never have to see any of them ever again. A few days later, the Ft. Myers News-Press called requesting to interview me. The judges had awarded the jalapeno pepper loaf the "Best of Show" trophy in the entire culinary division.
Ask anyone who knows me, Martha Stewart I'm not. Eventually I dismantled the shamefully huge "best of show" trophy that gave the false impression that I'm a good cook, down to the much smaller one I keep on the stove, hoping it would inspire me to be more creative in the kitchen, but with no aspirations to be known for my culinary skills.
When Mason asked me about that little trophy last night, I thought again of the quote from Oswald Chambers I'd read in my devotions last week - what would my life look like if I were a living trophy of God's grace - a display of the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward (me) in Christ Jesus.
This "multitude on mondays" morning, I remember with much gratitude, just a few of those "immeasurable riches"...
- God's amazing grace and overwhelming kindness toward me in Christ Jesus
- basking still in the color green
- a friend who cheerfully picks up the ball I was forced to drop
- doctors and medicine and the wisdom God gives them for all things that concern me and those I love
- smoothies made with homemade yogurt and sweet strawberries
- cooling, refreshing, nourishing rains
- worship and fellowship
- peace in a week of uncertainties
- a visit (with pizza) from Kristin, Gavin and Addisyn
- a Sunday afternoon with Casey, Jessi, Mason and Austin
- the anticipation of laughter in the days ahead with two grandlittles who call me mimi
- Louis and Emily who continue to carry the burdens placed on their shoulders
Photos: A brief look back at two unpublished photos from a walk around the pond in the spring
