so things in the mckanna house are extremely busy right now and the light at the end of the tunnel is very dim at this point. hence i haven’t really posted anything of great depth for a while now. but today i’m trying to fit blogging into the madness of life…
since my last “blog” entry on the father’s heart, molly has slowed down a little on the teething end of things. but changing and growing is a whole different story. she can now do a modified army crawl… she stands up holding on to furniture (if you stand her up)… she can make just about any face imaginable… she can tell you how BIG molly is… and last but definitely not least is this little temper issue. see she likes to get her hands on things like the telephone or a laptop. and then when mom or dad take them away… WATCH OUT! she throws that head back and stiffens up like a board. that’s not to mention the short screaming fit that accompanies it. even though it can be frustrating, it’s quite humorous!
kasey tried a little trick the other night. when molly rolled over and grabbed the phone, kasey took it, but replaced it with a remote control that we let her play with. this remote is to an old dvd player that we threw out and it’s just her size. it kind of worked, ok so maybe it didn’t, but it reminded me of something that i had been reading in ephesians. (to which some of you begin to wonder how my twisted mind works…)
in ephesians 4:17-32 there is another idea of replacement. check it out…
17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. 25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. 28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (NLT)
paul is addressing gentile believers… not jews. and he is implying that there have been some who were either living according to their old ways or maybe had been in the recent past? and he describes what that looks like. then he goes into specific examples of what replacements need to be made… lies vs. truth… stealing vs. hard work and giving… foul/abusive language vs. good/helpful/encouraging words… check out how many times the word “instead” shows up. each time there is some type of former way of life mentioned, there is a replacement given.
why is that?
to show my mind is even more twisted… i thought of the word replacement. what is the most common way you see or hear that word used? Hormone Replacement Therapy… HRT. so i did a quick google search and looked at some info on wikipedia… there is a lot more info available than what i needed or wanted for that matter. but the basic concept is that when a certain hormone is lacking there are some negative side effects, problems arise. but when that hormone is replaced it “may prevent discomfort and health problems.” if it’s not replaced… the problems will persist. (i’m not a doctor so pardon my lack of knowledge on this subject and the lack of details given.)
the point is, when there is sin in our lives and we allow our former way to creep in, there are going to be some negative side effects and problems that arise. we are not going to be in right standing with God. we are not going to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. the way i look at it is, if we don’t replace the former way with something new… there is room for the former to fit back in. but if we replace it there is no room for it to return. we need some replacement to take place.
practical examples… when i feel myself becoming negative or judgmental, i start to see people and situations in a very negative way. INSTEAD i need to replace that with looking for the positive side of things. this person was created by God in His image and needs to see His love in me… or maybe it’s gossip? i’m feeling the “need” to tell this juicy story about sister so and so… INSTEAD i need to pray and ask God to work in sister so and so’s life and see if there is some way that i can share His love with her…
so look for the INSTEAD. look for the areas where replacement needs to take place. don’t leave room for the former way to return.
just as with molly, it may not work perfect the very first time… but keep at it and don’t allow the former way to take residence again!!!
