These are a few of our SOAP notes from today’s reading. We encourage you to read and journal on your own first, then join us in conversation about what God revealed to YOU today. Click HERE to go directly to the daily reading if you wish.
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Judgement | Marisa Tomlinson
S~ Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1-2 (NIV)
O~ Today, in honor of my child’s birthday, I’m writing about judgement, love, and acceptance. You see, my incredible 16 year old identifies as a female, but was born a male. As soon as she felt that acceptance from her parents (all 4 of them), my sweet, thoughtful, funny, witty kid returned. All it took was for her to feel accepted and love for who she IS. I’m just sad we didn’t figure it out sooner.
A~ Finding that acceptance from others has been in some aspects easier, and others very, very difficult. Her peers readily adapted the name change and complimented her clothing choices. Her teachers call her Rose and there are clubs at her high school that help kids maneuver through identifying differently than main stream America. Her grandfather, on the other hand, has a much harder time. Mainstream Christianity has a hard time loving on kids like mine. For as much as Jesus accepted the people on the “fringe,” many of today’s Christians do not. Is the LBGTQ community sinning? YES, WE ALL ARE!! The God I serve loves everyone and offers his love and grace.
Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” (NIV, emphasis mine)
As Christians, we’re called by Jesus himself to love God and love others.
Mark 12:29-31 “Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Loving our neighbor isn’t qualified with if statements. It’s not “love your neighbor if they look like you” or “love your neighbor if they believe what you do.” Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Do we have to approve of their choices? No. WE ARE CALLED TO LOVE.
P~ Father, thank you for the beautiful child you blessed me with. Thank you for her heart and courage. Lord I pray that you lead her to You and your loving and accepting arms. Please protect her from those that will hurt her. Help me be the best mom that I can be and always point my kids back to You. I am so grateful for your teaching and guidance in every aspect of our lives. Thank you for trusting me with my 3 amazing children. I am awed by them daily. You are the source of love in everything.
https://www.glaad.org/transgender/allies
No Doubt Who God Is | Deanna George
S~ “I am the Alpha and Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelations 1:8 (NIV)
O~ God is the beginning and the end. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is everything to all. He is all knowledge, all wisdom, and all power. I can’t even begin to fathom what that means. All I know is that it gives me chill bumps when I try to comprehend who he is, what he can do, and what he already does for all us imperfect people.
A~ Boy, I love that I don’t have to be everything to everyone. I can and do get overwhelmed at times just trying to be the best wife and mom I can be. I am not the same everyday. Some days my emotions get the best of me. Some days I just don’t feel like trying. On these days, my family does not get the best of me! God always brings his best. He is always there to support me, love me, and walk with me during my trials. Man I forget that sometimes. I forget that he doesn’t change because he is frustrated with me. I can tend to put my limitations on God. He always wants the best for me, plus he is always willing to help me achieve it through his word, our prayer time, and plain out pushing me toward a reset of my mind. He wants the job (which I don’t know why he would want it because I know I’m a major project all by myself). He wants o be everything to me! Am I letting him? Am I remembering that he is more than capable to be the Alpha and Omega and the same everyday? Today I am! Today I have chill bumps, not because I’m cold, but because I have the privilege and opportunity to know the “Great I am.”
P~ Lord Jesus, your greatness is hard to comprehend for this imperfect brain. I just stand in awe of the things I have witnessed and the story of who you are in my life, in the Bible, and those around me. I absolutely love this proclamation because it tells me all I need to know! Thank you for making who you are clear to me. I just want to get up and scream and dance because it needs to be told. It’s an excitement that can’t be contained, and I needed that today. Thank you!!
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