Cookies and Saints

"For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do but I am doing the very thing that I hate."  (Romans 7:15 NASB)

I really enjoy chocolate chip cookies!   But the kind I like have gluten in them and I don't need to be eating them.  

I was diagnosed back in March 2011 with a very rare lymph node disease called Castleman's Disease.  It affects my autoimmune system and I have a mass located in the pelvic area that is caused by the disease.  I will be having surgery on Feb 9th to try and remove the mass but until then and even after, I have to do things that are best for my immune system.  One of those things is to be gluten free in my daily diet.  So unless something is cooked or baked without gluten (wheat, barley, rye) I don't need to eat it.  Do you realize how hard that is?  

I have done pretty good (I think!) Although I have been guilty of doing the very thing I don't want to do or should do... like eating cookies, a breaded Chick-fil-A sandwich, biscuits, and a few other things.  Why did I do that? It wasn't practicing what  I would like to do.  As Paul states in Rom 7:15.."I do not understand ..."

Praise God that He knew we would be this way!  Jesus was the only one that could do the right thing all the time.  He was God incarnate!  Jesus died on that cross to take care of our past, present and future disobedience (sins).  God knew even though we have a new nature (HIS nature) in us we would still do things that aren't  the best for us.  

HE KNEW WE WOULD BE SAINTS WHO WILL SOMETIMES SIN and He went ahead and took care of the penalty for those sins.   But just like eating those cookies that aren't gluten free, there are consequences in this life for my disobedience. And even though my loving wife may condemn me for eating those cookies, my loving God doesn't condemn me for my disobedience..."Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus". (Rom 8:1)

What's cool is that I have been going gluten free long enough now that my body has gotten used to it, so when I do eat something with gluten in it my body reacts and rejects it.  That makes me no longer want anything with gluten.

That is kind of like what happens as I grow in my relationship with HIM.  He replaces my desire for whatever I craved before with something else that is better.   As I grow closer to Him, my cravings change - wanting more of what He desires. 

"Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart". Ps 37:4

I am still looking for what that is in regards to warm chocolate chip cookies.....

I hate our cat!!!

Our cat is one of my least favorite things in life!  This is her (Baby Kitty) in her usual day-long position, sleeping on a soft fuzzy blanket in front of a window.

Baby goes around carefree thinking she owns the place. 

Baby leaves hair everywhere for us to deal with.  

Baby pesters us until we give her what she wants to meet her needs.

This month - about once a week - Baby has been urinating in front of her litter box (on a rubber mat) instead of inside it.  We have no idea why and it's not cute!

When we try to punish her for doing it, she doesn't seem to be bothered and instantly goes back to doing whatever she was doing before - usually taking a nap - which is her top priority for every day.  

This all makes me want to leave the front door open and hope she will go and find another family so I don't have to deal with her anymore.
  
WAIT A MINUTE....this also sound like me (well not the litter box part)!!  

I go through life like I own the place. I leave messes for others to deal with and I want my needs met as soon as possible. God chastens me at times and then I start acting like it didn't even bother me and I go right back to doing the same old things.  

I wonder if God wishes He could leave the door open so I might run off and then He wouldn't have to deal with me anymore?

WAIT A MINUTE.....that's not my God!!   He looks at me as being the apple of His eye.  

These verses validate that He looks at me in a way that I can't even begin to comprehend:
2 Cor. 5:17  New Creation
Rom. 8:1  Not Condemned
Phil 3:20  Citizen of Heaven
Eph 1:4  Holy and Blameless
1 Cor 1:2  Saint
Heb 9:28 Forgiven


And many other verses like these make His view of me very clear.  Oh, if I could only see myself the way HE sees me!


"The Lord is my shepherd...He restores my soul....Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me....surely Your goodness and lovingkindness will pursue me all the days of my life.  (Psalm 23:1,4,6)


What wonderful news to know that the thoughts I have about my cat never cross HIS mind because of what Jesus did on that cross.  What an amazing God!!!


And if you stop by to see us and the front door is standing open... my wife and cat are probably hoping I'm heading out for a long walk.