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Gratitude – Normal or Not…

A few days ago, I went grocery shopping.  Not seemingly a monumental occasion.  But for someone who hasn’t been able to go for months, it was a pretty big deal!

After I came home, I shared with Brad how awesome it was just to be in a store.  Just to wander through the aisles and browse through all the choices…  I wanted to buy everything I saw and stock up our pantry.

Thankfully, I maintained some self-control and didn’t drain the bank account – but I sure could have…

That small trip to the grocery store was something that resembled my life before my back problems.  It was a life in which I accomplished tasks and felt productive.  A life that felt easy and comfortable.  It has been so long since I have had those feelings – so long since I have been able to do the normal things I used to take for granted.

My goal is to never do that again.

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Freedom Series: Sin and Death

Sin and Death

When I started thinking about this series, one of the freedoms that stood out to me first was the Freedom from Sin and Death.  (If you missed yesterday’s post on Freedom from Burden, be sure to check it out, here…)  Prior to becoming a Disciple, I had a general idea of what that meant. But, after studying more and digging deeper into the Bible, I realized I knew very little.  And, I definitely was not thanking God enough for the amazing gift He gave to us…

Beginning in Sunday School, we are taught about Heaven, and the wonderful place it is.  We are taught that Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, was crucified, and died for our sins.  Then, he rose from the dead and now is with his Father, God, in Heaven.  And, if we believe in Him, we can go there, too.

If you asked a random person on the street, I’d bet you’d get a similar recant of the information, without a lot of differences.

But, just because we know what happened doesn’t mean we know what it really means to us.

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