Maybe you're the one who needed to read this today

This morning I needed to read this.  Maybe you need to as well:

Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 

My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; 

his mercies never come to an end; 

they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 

"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." 

Lamentations 3:19-24

Yesterday you failed...today is new.
Yesterday you wanted to punch a wall...today is new.
Yesterday you were a jerk...today is new.
Yesterday you were lazy...today is new.
Yesterday you were ready to resign...today is new.
Yesterday you exploded...today is new.
Yesterday you procrastinated...today is new.
Yesterday you doubted...today is new.
Yesterday you were going through hell...today is new.
Yesterday is over...today is new.

Today is new.

His love for you and me...it never ceases.
His mercy for you and me...it never ceases.
It's forever and ever new.

Think about your junk and with it in your mind go back up and read that scripture again. (Read all of Lamentations 3 - it's amazing!)

And let it remind you...yesterday is over.

Today is new.

Rescue me from this poop

That time of year again, we are entering the 5th season.  You do know that we have five weather season, not five, right?   

They are: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and...MUD!  

Snowmeggedon is not a thing of myth & legend, but it has left a ton of mess with its exit.  Yesterday afternoon I had the fun experience of cleaning up the yard from two months of Stitch's work.  It reminded me of a post from a couple years ago, so I thought I'd repost.  Hold your nose, and read on...

Rescue me from this poop

Yesterday I spoke at church on the topic, "The Reality of Sin." I had some thoughts that I didn't share in the message that I still wanted to get down.

Friday afternoon I walked out back to take garbage to the alley. The backyard is Stitch's bathroom, so the white snow that was still on the ground made his dog piles pretty obvious. After getting a plastic grocery bag from inside I started the wonderful task of picking up after him. Late at night when I let him out I don't go out with him because of the Chicago cold, which is also reason enough to let things go for awhile with a "I'll pick it all up later." Seeing the brown/white contrast Friday afternoon - it was time to pick things up. It didn't look like much though. Upon starting I realized it was going to have to wait a little more. Frozen poopcicles are difficult to break free. I knew 50 degree weather was coming Satrday, so I decided to leave things for one more day.

Saturday afternoon Jeannette, Baylee, and I were going to go to Lincoln Park Zoo to enjoy the first nice day in a long time. We were outside ready to go when I remembered about the backyard treasures. "Let me go and pick these up really quick, there wasn't a lot yesterday."

By this time on Saturday, around 1pm, most of the snow had melted. Snow that had been covering up probably over a month's worth of Stitch's squattings. There was a LOT! There was definitely more than what I saw on the surface Friday. I literally almost filled a plastic grocery bag. Not fun, not pleasant.

My little backyard experience brought the reality of sin home to me in a real way:

If I would pick up after Stitch immediately I wouldn't have a bigger mess to deal with later.

Isn't that just how the junk in our life is also? If I'd just deal with things, not leaving them to the mercy of lame excuses, I'd have less of a mess to deal with later.

But no - I left things. Had a huge, disgusting mess to clean up, holding back a gag reflex at times. Had to wash my hands. Made Jeannette & Baylee wait for me, missing out on part of our planned fun.

Disgusting. And experienced because I didn't just take care of things immediately, when I knew they needed to be taken care of.

Romans 7 is a great passage to read in regards to our struggle with sin. I'd suggest you check it out, especially verses 14-25. Here's my paraphrase of verses 24-25:

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this backyard of disgustingness? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!