Sunday dinner

It is Sunday afternoon and I have decided to stay back from church and spend some time alone with God here at the Ranch. It has been a week since Julie posted and I thought I would hop on and share a bit!

I occasionally stay back from church to have some time off. Often when I stay back I will end up making something for dinner so that Rosa can have a complete day off without cooking. As it happened this time, I was planning on going to church this Sunday until I was asked to make dinner. I found out that Caleb had been asking for over a month for lasagna. I made it one time last fall for them and was rather surprised that he even remembered what it was. To make sure that he would not be disappointed when I made lasagna, only to find out that wasn't want he wanted, I ask him if he remembered what lasagna was. His reply, "Yeah, it's that food that Garfield eats". I couldn't help but smile about that! Yes, Caleb remembers. :)

However, he somehow missed the fact that it was for this reason that I was staying back from church today. So when Julie was buckling him into his car seat to leave for church he again requested lasagna (with a rather frustrated voice because his request had not yet been fulfilled). Julie informed him that I was staying home and was going to make lasagna and that seemed to appease him.

I just thought I would share a picture of what it was like to live down here on the day to day basis. Caleb wanted lasagna...and I am making it. For those of you who began reading this post thinking that it would have some great spiritual insight or story of God's work I am sorry that you have been disappointed. :)

Although, I can share that I greatly enjoy the Sundays I stay home because I spend my time listening to sermons and devoting as much time as I want to Bible study. I often feel as though I am filling up for the week ahead as my morning schedule never seems to have enough time, I always want more.

Today's insight has been the reminder of how all through the Bible (Old Testament and New Testament) God is calling His children to follow Him from their hearts. It is never about outward actions for Him because He knows that if our heart were truly His then there would be no way we would live outside of what He wants. Us as men look to the outward actions (laws, doctrine, etc.) because they are easier to follow. The Pharisees are a perfect example of this. Even with the Law in the Old Testament, God was trying to draw the hearts of His people to see Him as the only way to be free. That is what Paul means when he said that we are no longer under the law but under grace (Romans 6:14-15). It was not that we can continue in sin but we have the grace through Christ to walk away from sinning. But we have to know Him. Not know lots of stuff about Him but know Him personally.

Sorry if that sounded random. Those are just some of the thoughts in my head as I have been contemplating God's Word on this Sabbath. May you all have a wonderful Lord's day full of His presence!

Ashleigh

Staff at Refuge Ranch