Imitators

Hi.

Did I tell you I got started my first part time job?  I did.  A couple weeks ago I started nannying for a family twice a week.  The boys I watch are adorable.  I start really early in the morning.  Like 4:30 am early.  I know. Wild.

Anyway, I'm able to snooze a little before the boys wake up, and then they have some time to watch a little TV before they get ready for school.  On Monday, the 5 year old woke up, came to the living room where I was sleeping through a cartoon, and cuddled up on the couch with me.  It was precious.

I'm sure I will have more stories about them later.

Remember that oatmeal casserole recipe I tried out?  Well, I decided to look into where it came from, and it was from a blog.  I scanned through some of the posts, and I really like it.  It's just fun.  I've decided to follow it.  I like finding new blogs to read.  In case you're interested:   http://alwaysamrsforeverakidd.blogspot.com   

Today, while Jered was at clinical, I spent some time riffling through some of the "stuff" I brought with me from home.  You know, the odds and ends that I just couldn't live without in Chicago. 

In what I've dubbed my "art box" I found the art supplies Mary Beth gave to me at my bridal shower, several magazines I saved for pictures I wanted to draw, old sketches, and a couple notebooks.  One of them was the black and hot pink one Jered gave to me for a birthday.  He gave it to me with the intention of having me work on my creative writing.

It ended up being more of a book of notes from church.  A few pages have story ideas and random descriptions scrawled across the pages, but mostly it is a collection of Sunday School and church sermon notes, accented with my doodles and sketches.

I spent some time to look over said notes.  I found some really good stuff, so I think I will be writing about them for the foreseeable future.  For today, I'm going to write about my notes from an Ephesians 4 sermon.

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.     Ephesians 4:1-6

This is just the first section of the chapter, and it's already chock full of convictions for me.

I'm supposed to imitate God.

I'm supposed to imitate God!

To be honest, these notes are from quite a while ago, and I regrettably can't recall who gave the message, but this is some of what they said.

To imitate God, it doesn't start with us planning to do so- that sets us up for failure because the focus is on us, when it should be on Him.

If we spend time getting to know Him, it will come naturally, and then you even start to enjoy it because it's what we were made to do in the first place.  Why would we want to act like those who aren't?

Some more excerpts from Ephesians 4: 

• You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;  to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
• “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,  and do not give the devil a foothold.  
• Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Oh golly. I "became a Christian" when I was 5 years old.  I feel as though it really became my own faith when I was in high school.  I wonder if I've actively "put off my old self and put on my new self?"  It's not something I generally give much thought to, but I guess I should.  After all, I am supposed to imitate God.

"Be very careful how you live... Make the most of every day because the days are evil."

And so the sermon ended with "Why wait?  Do it right now!"


I'm off to think about that a little more.  Talk to you soon!

Aim