Abba! Father...

"For you have not received a spririt of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." (Romans 8:15-17)

I hope that this is a familiar passage to most of you... I know that it was taught thoroughly to me and to those in my church family where I was raised. It had a significance due to the deep teachings we were given back then, but I have lived the example and felt its significance in a personal way that perhaps cannot be relayed to anyone else. I can't help but make the attempt...

This thought struck me with full force yesterday during communion and once again, I tried my best to ignore the tears and try not to be a distraction. As one of the elders spoke of the the Last Supper and the words of Christ I heard the echoes of something familiar to my heart... Christ knew what he was doing. He knew the cost and He knew the prize... ...He knew that at the end of the struggle that He then faced, He would take a bride, the Church, and extend an inheritance, a heritage to a new family. I am unable to speak of these things without tears right now, so writing will have to do.

Having been taught this adoption to the family of God from such an early age, it was almost a natural conclusion for me to extend this into my own life. In the same manner, it was a foregone conclusion for Christ - He knew the cost all too clearly and chose to follow through.

He knew what He was getting into. He knew that I would be imperfect, rebellious, sinful and all the rest, yet His love was fastened to me, to us, to his prize. His affection is as deep as it is firm and is not lessened though hurt by our transgressions.

We once had a slave owner for a father in Satan. He held us captive to our desires, our lusts, leading us to believe that his life is a good life. He leads us astray by telling lies and feigning care for us. When we have fallen, he laughs and he points, he abuses his children with accusations and he confines them in their guilt. He is a terrible father, indeed he is only a father in the most minimal of ways.

But the work of Christ to pay the penalty of our sins has allowed a us to enter the family of God. His adoption is binding. It is legal and it is complete. The Evil One has only the influence that we give him. He can cojole, harass and accuse all that he wants to, but he can do nothing unless we give him the time of day to work.

Satan will have his day in court, and he will try to point out our faults before God the judge, but our Advocate is Christ and His work is final. Our inheritance is sure in the courts of Heaven. Again I am writing in tears - and glad to be...

MY child... MINE and not his... the evil one has no right any longer, so do not live as though he does... Do we get it yet? "Oh how He loves you and me" !!!

Chicken...

I haven't had any time this year to do much blogging. I posted here and there about some of it, but in review I recall trips and visits, work (gratefully, of course), new floors in the house (thanks guys for advice and for the musckles), and then the coop...

I started looking for plans - or at least advice - on the Internet. I honestly underestimated the chicken crowd... I searched the Internet, read through catalogs, talked to people, etc. and "Wow!" I am surprised about the number of people who are cuckoo for chickens.

My experience with chickens was always getting eggs (sometimes with great caution around a grumpy hen), and getting another piece off of the platter on the dinner table...

When our chicks arrived, I was mildly amused that the girls thought they were pretty neat; but even my wife got in on it for a week or so. I got scared when the chicks got names, and got even more scared when the chicks got a photo session. You can imagine the dread I began to feel as I envisioned the fateful night we would be eating "Fluffy." (No, there is no Fluffy in our flock... I don't know their names, and if I did, I would change the names to protect the innocent...)

But all good things must end (mercifully), and my wife has recently issued an eviction notice - the chickens have to go outside, now. Funny, but now I find myself sort of attached, feeling a little scared for them and worried that they might get cold out there. Sure, they are two or three times larger now, and starting to get a stink to them, but still...

So, back to the Internet for a little insomniatic perusing to make sure that they will indeed be OK to move yet - oh, and to find out if it is normal for them to be tearing up bits of the newspaper and chasing each other around to get it. (Think tag, cute little chicken style... ...then think of it in fast-forward. Yes, that fast! Throw a bug in there and its like watching a scale version of Jurassic Park with little veloci-raptors...)

So, it turns out that chickens are indeed animals with God-given instincts and abilities - and apparently boredom too. I guess they need something to do... whoduthunk. Chickens need stuff to "do?"

I grew up in a rural area - but I guess I missed some of the finer points...

For the rest of us who know nothing about chickens, I found this site. http://www.backyardchickens.com/