Since I cannot get the people at church to understand that “just a little bit of perfume” smells like a bottle to me, and triggers migraines, I am just going to share a quick thought with you. Someone shared this with me and I really liked it.
We need to love people and use things, and never get the two mixed up.
This is a good week to stay on the subject of forgiveness of sins. I have been re-reading the account of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection, as I did after seeing The Passion the first time. I like to compare the scenes in the movie to the scriptures and am still impressed at how close they are.
Tonight I was reading a topical study in Jon Courson’s Application Commentary titled The Pathway To Pain. He discusses five steps Peter took that led to his sin and sorrow. Step Three is subtitled Replacing Devotion with Action, refering to the moment when Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the Roman soldier, Malchus. It is told in Matthew’s gospel in chapter 27 verse 51.
From Jon’s book:
… Jesus healed the severed ear as much for Peter as for Malchus, for if Jesus hadn’t healed Malchus, there would have been four crosses on Calvary the next day instead of three as Peter would have been crucified for attempted murder. But just as the Lord does with us, He healed Peter’s mistake, making it impossible for Malchus to press charges.
The same thing happens in the heavenly courtroom. But Jesus has forgiven the very sins of which Satan accuses us. Therefore, there is no record of them because His blood has cleansed us from ALL sin. (1 John 1:7)
I love that illustration! I have heard songs where, when questioned about a certain sin, Jesus replies, “What Sin?” I have read how our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west, how we were once crimson, but now are white as snow. I have even heard about how Jesus covers our sin. I had never before thought about Him covering up, healing, cleansing our sins so that there is NO evidence that they ever existed.
I must be a visual learner, I love word pictures. Preventing Malchus from bringing Peter before the courts by healing his sin, what a perfect picture of how it will be for us!!
I did it. I have been wanting to see The Passion Recut, to re-establish the conviction and impact I felt after watching the original version. I hoped with the recut version I would be able to keep my eyes open for more of the movie. I did. However, it took me several days to be at peace with the decision to see it, and still I sat out front of the theater for a time, staring and contemplating.
Yes, the tears flowed again, but disturbingly, not as much as the first time. I then realized that this is not a movie you want to watch too often. As many become desensitized to the violence in movies, because they are exposed to so much of it, I know this could happen with The Passion as well. God forgive me for the times I have become callous to the sacrifice You made. Reading the Word and envisioning the scenes from the movie helps to maintain the impact. I do not ever want to see the movie enough times that the blood and gore doesn’t bother me anymore.
I was thankful that I didn’t see The Making of… before I saw the movie, and that I have forgotten most of it before seeing it this time. The reality of the movie is what moves us to renewal.
I had a new perspective in watching it this year. I have mentioned my migraines, and with them comes an intensely painful type of headache called ice picks. They literally stop you and make you cringe for the short time that they last. I have complained about both types of headache. Today I watched a depiction of my Lord and Saviour having thorns pounded into His head. Each time He fell and hit His head, the thorns were driven deeper. I thought about the fraction of pain that I feel in my head. The tears rolled as I imagined that pain magnified, all for me, for my sins.
I want to start each day greeting the Lord and asking that I NEVER neglect the intensity of the sacrifice He made to save me from eternal suffering. Not that I want my focus to be His death, for us the miracle is in the Resurrection, but I never again want to take mercy for granted, or the gift of grace.
Still not feeling well today, so I am just going to share an excerpt I found on another site and thought was fun. The terrible thing is that I cannot remember the site to give them credit or you a link.
We hear them 24/7. But at the end of the day, which cliché makes you want to scream? With all due respect, figuring this out is not rocket science.
At least, that’s what a group called the Plain English Campaign thought. Led by John Lister, it surveyed more than 5,000 English-speaking people in 70 countries to determine the most annoying clichés of all time.
And the No. 1 most annoying cliché is: “at the end of the day.”
Not much to share today, battling the Migraine beasty again. 
A quote from an article in O magazine pretty well sums it up:
The curse and the blessing of this disease are the same: It won’t kill you.
Loved it! Had to share:
The cabin door opens. Two men dressed in pilots’ uniforms
walk up the aisle. Both are wearing dark glasses, one is
using a guide dog, and the other is tapping his way along
the aisle with a cane. Nervous laughter spreads through
the cabin, but the men enter the cockpit, the door closes,
and the engines start up.
The passengers begin glancing nervously around, searching
for some sign that this is just a little practical joke.
None is forthcoming. The plane moves faster and faster
down the runway, and the people sitting in the window
seats realize they’re headed straight for the water at the
edge of the airport.
As it begins to look as though the plane will plow into
the water, panicked screams fill the cabin. At that
moment, the plane lifts smoothly into the air. The
passengers relax and laugh a little sheepishly, and soon
all retreat into their magazines, secure in the knowledge
that the plane is in good hands. 
In the cockpit, one of the blind pilots turns to the other
and says, “You know, Bob, one of these days, they’re gonna
scream too late and we’re all gonna die!”
I have to share a mind boggling experience I had recently with our local hospital. I’m thinking, don’t go there if you don’t want anyone to know where you are.
My pastor was recently diagnosed with migraines very similar to mine. They hospitalized him to break a rapid firing cycle, and to experiment with new medicines to help prevent them in the future. There are MANY of us who truly love him and are concerned for him during this rough time of illness. Since he has been in before, when they were trying to figure out what was wrong with him, he knows that many of us would go visit him. Therefore, he requested no visitors, and no phone calls, so he could rest and recover.
I decided to print up a few articles for him that I found particularly helpful concerning migraine prevention and treatment. I wanted to take them to his nurse’s station so that he could read them while he is laying around in bed all day. I enquired at the main desk as to where the nurse’s station was for his room. She brought up his name and apparently he has a no visitors order in the computer because she asked me how I was related. “Just a friend, I am looking for the nurses station only.” She writes down his room number and gives me a map. When I tell her I just want the nurses station, she says, “It’s up there.”
Okie Dokie.
Approaching the nurses station, I give her my pastor’s name and request that she give him the envelope. She asks me if he is an employee, and I tell her no, he is a patient in that room, pointing ten feet away. Questioning me why I don’t just give it to him, I tell her that he is not wanting any visitors and that I respect that. So I head down the hall. She yells after me, “What is your name.” I return to her desk, give her my name, and she asks again why I don’t just take it in. I repeat that he is trying to rest and I do not want to bother him. No problem for her though, she flies into his room and announces loudly enough to be heard down the hall, that I brought this envelope for him. He asks if I am still there and she tells him that I am. As I am stepping onto the elevator she yells for me to come back. I reluctantly went into his room, to find him exhausted and obviously drugged from all their experimenting. I stayed with him for about three minutes and went on my way.
Man I wish I had more “SIGNS” when I need them!! 
Focus on the Family has a link that you can click on, enter your zip code, and e-mail all your representatives in one easy shot. I agree with their article…we need to FLOOD them with our support for keeping Terri alive. Here is the quick note I wrote:
I am actually surprised that there is still any question as to whether Terri’s feeding tube should be pulled or not. If it is allowed, people will have an open door to go through institutions and just pull the feeding tubes of all who cannot talk or express their opinions. Are they worthless? Do we now assign a value to someone’s life? If the value is low enough we just torture them until they die? Can you imagine having your mom, your sister, your daughter, your self, being starved and allowed to die a slow agonizing death? It is ludicrous! PLEASE RUSH this law through so Terri and others like her can be spared!
Please take a moment to send a letter to them. I know they won’t be able to read them all, but they will be able to see an overwhelming response to save her! Each one will help tip the scale in her favor.
You know how you hear a song, that you’ve heard at least a thousand times before, but this time you HEAR it, you get a fresh picture of what it is saying? In the hurry up business of the day, I listen to the music, but often my mind is elsewhere and I don’t hear the words.
Today I was listening to ‘Day by Day’ which is sung by Point of Grace. Today God gave me a fresh vision of the message they are sending.
Here is the chorus:
‘Cause day by day You’re coming closer
Making our way clearer and straighter
Turning our faces into the Light
And I can’t wait to fall at Your glory
On my face, God of the morning
You’re coming closer day by day
I am not sure that I ever thought about it with such excitement until now. Every day that passes brings us closer to the day that we will see God in all of His glory! 
Whether our days are good or bad, a drudgery or a joy, each one brings us closer to the Father.
Think about the last really special vacation you took, or perhaps it was an event that you couldn’t wait to happen. Think about how the days just seemed to pass so slowly, and as each day passed the excitement of reaching THAT day built and built. The night before, you could hardly sleep, your imagination filling your mind with the joy you knew lie ahead.
Now think about heaven. Think about the moment the dark becomes light and you see Jesus face to face. Think about Him reaching out His hands to you, and taking you to the Father. 
Instead of not sleeping though, I am going to rest in Him, and dream of the day He will hold me in His arms, as I long to hear Him say,
“Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come and share in your master’s happiness.” Matt 25:21 NIV
Have you ever noticed how time flies whether you are having fun or not? Well, today’s story went from a miserable time, to having a really good .
My friend, her children, and I had been fighting my weed farm for a few hours and we were very tired. Let me throw in the fact that it started to rain on us a gain as we were getting to the last of the weeds. Being worn out, I did not want to do a buffet, which is her kids favorite. I wanted to sit and relax while someone else served me. However, our waitress had to be in contention for the world’s worst. The list of reasons is beyond the bandwidth.
The laughter came when, after waiting for over an hour for our food, the kids got restless. Her fourteen year old son, affectionately known as Billy Bobinski, started to shake the table. His mother, in a deep and scowling voice, demanded that he stop. With a michievous smile, he gave the table one last hard shake, and his smile quickly went away. His then full soda, dumped right in the middle of his crotch. He whipped the glass up, flinging the remaining soda and ice across the table. I laughed so hard that beyond the tears I truly thought I was going to be sick! 
Shortly after that the waitress who was previously AWOL, finally returned to our table. “Oh did someone spill something?” I wanted to say, “No, we were so bored waiting for our food that we decided to play ice hockey.” HERE’S YOUR SIGN! Do you think she ever brought anything for us to clean it up with? (oops, that was from the list)
After a period of getting frustrated with the waitress again, Billy B decided to go get the drink himself. But as any self respecting young man would do, he wanted to make sure his appearance wasn’t too embarrassing. He turns around and asks me if the drink soaked through to the back. You know that old ’snorting soda out of your nose’ trick? The drink had followed the seam all the way up the back, and I was laughing too hard to answer him.
I am so thankful this family has a great sense of humor. I would have hated to stifle all that good laughter!!