Discipline

I have had a whole lot on my mind lately. A lot is about me, my family, friends and church. Most has been about me though. I guess it's being more observant than anything...with me, family, friends, church....me. Yeah, it all is then applied to me. No, I cannot apply it to family, friends, church, James' job...only me. Only others can apply this to theirselves.

There's so many disciplines to take hold of and conquer. Yeah....discipline. There's this body, this home, this school, our church, James' job... And to discipline myself while disciplining our children. Now, THAT'S humbling. When telling the children to get their acts together while my act is....not so together.

I am thankful for one thing and that thing is GRACE! You see, so many times I see others living by the letter of the law. "Yeah, I have to do this because it's stated to, but don't have to do that because it's not stated. Let's just push it as far as we can. And I dare anyone to push my buttons or I'll...." Yeah, that's a prideful spirit and one straight from the gates of hell. No, the kind of discipline I'm referring to has to do with wanting to do what is right, wholly right, purely right and cautiously right. Doing things in a disciplined way because love abounds in a reciprocating way....I love Jesus, the Father and the Comforter and They love me.
I am loved through grace and They are loved through thankfulness....and discipline...and.....love. A kind of love that has you to do what is right because it's a natural thing to make those you love happy by doing what they'd like. It's not a thing of seeing how far one can go without pushing past a standard. That is a Saul thing. Grace and love is a Paul thing.

With so much love then my new body does what is good automatically. But then the fleshly, carnal self still needs d-i-s-c-i-p-l-i-n-e. Each and every day I need grace to have just that. And to be NICE when others don't. And to NOT be BITTER when others don't. And to pray for others. Isn't that what God wants?

So, each day I try to get this mind together, my body together, this house together, my children together, our school together and try to help keep the church together all the while trying to keep my chin up. Even when I don't feel like it. Because my being up may keep others up, may help other get up and may bring others to Grace. Yeah.....discipline.