Amazing clarity

When I was a kid we had "spellings" to learn.  Nowadays they are called "sight words".  Kids learn them so that they are recognized quickly when reading.  Emma's class is on 111-120 of the 500 the schools here use, and although the she knows about 495 of them quickly, we practice what the class is doing.  Spelling them from memory, and writing them In a sentence for context and spelling.

She has to come up with her own sentences, and tonight she had some great ones, but I'm sure you can guess which one made my heart jump for joy!

To many people, living for Jesus sounds like crazy nonsense.  But to us it shows that she understands that she was designed and made by God, just as she is, because he has a purpose for her life.  She knows that she needs Jesus as her savior and that we live for him because he died for us.  

Living for God means putting his values and priorities first in our lives.  What are they?  Despite what the media likes to say, it's very simple, and very good!  Jesus says that the most important command is to love God with all your heart, should and mind.  Then you should love your neighbor.  And since Jesus equates obedience with love ("if you love me you will obey my commands"), we are to love others.

I want to live like that.  It's not always easy - selfishness is strong in me!  But Emma has grasped this very early on and I believe that she will have a strong foundation of loving others.  People don't always love us back, but that's not the motivation!  The motivation is our love for God and his love for us!  While we all get hurt, rejected and disappointed, we can not become jaded or unforgiving.  We have to focus on our source of love, and if it's God, then you will never go without.