Sweet Mercy.

Sweet mercy! I pretty much had the best weekend ever. Super low key and relaxing. Spent time with good friends. Finished some last minute edits for some jobs. Relaxed. Went to church, heard a great message and was lead in awesome worship. [side note: 90 pictures I took the other day, were looped in the background of the PowerPoint when we sang With Everything in big church a.k.a. the largest audience of my work thus far...made me kind of nervous & a little excited!] Some good friends got baptized. Spent time in the Word and prayed in my church's back yard. Took a long nap. Went to church again and it was amazing.

Oh yeah, and in the midst of a seemingly good and relaxing weekend, I managed to get into with my mom. -- how annoying, I ruin an almost perfect weekend! Sweet mercy! Even though I'm having a good weekend, the way I talk or act brings another person down. How selfish. We talked about in church today how we're made in HIS image, all humanity, made in HIS image. Nothing is accomplished when I'm rude, disrespectful, ungrateful, or arrogant towards anyone, especially my mom in this particular situation. When we tear people down we're tearing down; a human being that was fearfully and wonderfully made, in the image of God! How could I?! Why don't I think before I speak or act?! ugh... frustration.

All these things were on my mind this afternoon. When I got to church [for the second time] I was just annoyed with the way I was acting, after a good weekend I ruined it with shallow words. My delightful weekend shifted into a melancholy, annoyed weekend. We started a new series at church called Thread, how every story {ours, others, stories in the Bible} all have a common thread; Jesus of Nazareth dying for a imperfect sinful human race, saving us and CHOOSING to show us mercy and forgiveness.

What an example of love to learn from. Giving of His life, to show us what true love, mercy and forgiveness really looks like. To be a Christian, is to be a "little Christ", an imitator of Christ, constantly dying to yourself, making Christ first in every aspect of life. Putting others down and saying unkind things is surely not of God and it makes Him sad to see his children bringing other children down.

Ephesians 5:1-2 {Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.}

Sweet mercy is an interjection a lot of people in my life use on a regular basis. Thinking about how I acted towards my mom this weekend makes me think in my head "sweet mercy, what was I thinking?!" Turn it around and I'm reminded of the s w e e t m e r c y God lavishes on us... when we DO NOT deserve it! A lot like the mercy my mom has showed me time and time again. Even when I'm a brat to my mom, she still loves me and she still has my best interest in mind, she still looks after me. I don't deserve the mercy she shows me day after day.

God forgive me of my arrogant attitude, rid me of impure motives, and take away my thinking I have the right to treat my flesh and blood unkindly. Mend the imperfect relationship my mom and I have, allow us to start over freshly this week. Leaving behind my wrongs against her. Thank you for my mom. Thank you for blessing me with a wise, Godly, mentoring mom. Thank you God for a mom that chose to keep me and take the risks of having a sick baby. Thank you for her shoulder to cry and lean on. Jesus forgive me for not always honoring my mom & dad. Nothing is impossible for You, don't allow yesterday to define me. amen.