No Chrome, No Horns but a lot of blessings

This picture of a Stone Cross reminds me of Reformation Day. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted a proposal at the doors of a church in Wittenberg, Germany to debate the doctrine and practice of indulgences. This proposal is popularly known as the 95 Theses, which he nailed to the Castle Church doors. This was not an act of defiance or provocation as is sometimes thought. Since the Castle Church faced Wittenberg's main thoroughfare, the church door functioned as a public bulletin board and was therefore the logical place for posting important notices. Also, the theses were written in Latin, the language of the church, and not in the vernacular. Nonetheless, the event created a controversy between Luther and those allied with the Pope over a variety of doctrines and practices. When Luther and his supporters were excommunicated in 1520, the Lutheran tradition was born. This in turn would later ease the creation of the Reformed and Anabaptist traditions as well.

Wow no fishing and the season is ending very quickly. Steelhead aka “chrome” should start to run soon.

Deer Season is going on but I haven’t done that yet either.

The last ten days has been crazy. Finished a huge project. Got hired full time, truly a blessing from God. And I passed 2 kidney stones. God is at work here at the in our home and life. Blessings are a very interesting thing, for so long I have been at the fringe of my own growth relying on myself for my own survival but now I have let God take over and what a difference, great things have happened. God has truly seen fit to open up the doors and begin to bless my family. I do struggle with this, I come from a pay for performance mindset. I know who and what I am and have been told by several that I am correct in my thinking. This is a lie. 1 John assures me that I am loved by the Lord and that I am precious to Him and I am not what others say I am. He is not ashamed of me, He is not embarrassed by me. He loves me and He cares that I have good gifts (Matthew 7:11 if ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?). How do you justify getting good gifts and rich blessing when you have done nothing to deserve them? I don’t have a good answer for you other than to tell you get your children great gifts and all they did was to be formed out of the love you have with your wife. That being said we get great gifts just because God created us when he laid the foundation of time. He knew what the plan was in the beginning we are like Jeremiah. Jeremiah 1:55"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." He has known us from the beginning and I am convinced that He sees us as we will be and not as we are. John Calvin said “God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation.” If we can remember this that we are here for His Glory and not for our own, we will be greatly blessed. Calvin also said this “However many blessings we expect from God, His infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts.” Be comfortable with blessing and don’t try to justify it there is nothing on this earth that we deserve except Hell. Remember what is stated in Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. That sums it up, we deserve nothing and what we have is a gift born out of God’s love for us not us for Him. Take care until next time. Sorry for the delay it has been a long few weeks.