Love Your Neighbour, a poem

Love your neighbour as yourself.

Love...
action
determination
willingness 
present
future
there
more than feeling
doing
being
ready

your neighbour...
the person living with you
the person next door
.. down the street 
.. in the next town
.. in the next province
.. in the next country
.. across borders
.. across oceans

as yourself...
selfish
consuming
self-centred
total
active
internalized
deeply felt
considered

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  This is a five minute Friday post. the word prompt is brought to us by Miss Kate over at Five Minute Friday.  What is Five Minute Friday?  Well it's a party of a group of like minded folks who gather on Friday to do a five minute free write around a singular word.  AND THEN (and this is the most important part) we take the time to offer up encouragement to each other on this writing journey.  It's fun, though it's not always easy, but it is always good.   Come join us won't you?  You are always welcome.

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original picture from

Photo by Sadman Sakib on Unsplash

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Anguish and God's Choice

Today we are looking at Romans 9:1-29.   I can't say I'll get through the whole section as it's a whole 29 verses.  Let's see how we do eh?

Review: Psalm Hymns: Books 1,2,3

Do you love to sing scripture?  Singing back to God the words he gave to his people?

L.L. Larkin has come up with a book to do just that and I really really like it.  It is called :  Psalm Hymns, Books 1, 2, & 3: Dramatic, Contemplative, Singable, Recitable Psalms!

No boring unsingable tunes.  But simple easily recognized tunes with the words of the Psalms.    

Let me tell you more. 

I actually received two versions of this book, which appear to be identical within.  The only different being the cover.   You'll see the one cover here, and the other cover pictured below.

This book is FILLED with scripture written to the tune of familiar songs and hymns.

Pearl Seeker: I want to be a pearl seeker

When my friend Lori learned that I was seeking a book to do from my weekly book read, she sent me a book by Becky Blackmon called "A Pearl Seeker".   I think it's an interesting book and therefore wanted to share it with you.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

 This book has 11 chapters, so if all goes well it won't take too long to go through.  :)  I haven't delved into it too much, just read snippets here and there, so I'm eager to see what it has to say.

The first few lines of this chapter remind me of the lesson from Romans that's been sticking in my head.  God.. our ever present protection. NOTHING can threaten us, not one single thing.  For you know who God is?  God is superman!   From Deuteronomy 33 "he rides the heaves to your help, and through the skies in his majesty."   Neat huh?   Doesn't that imagery help you to see the grandeur of God?  It just captured my imagination.

Seek the Lord and His Strength.

Seeking..it's an active thing, it's asking questions, not being afraid to ask those questions, to look for answers, to wonder why and to discover it.   

The question that faces us is this.  If we have questions about God, where do we go for the answers?   Do we ask anyone we meet or do we go to his word?  Becky helps us see that there is really only one place to go.  God's word.  It's his book about himself.

So you can see that God doesn't hide himself away.  He makes himself ever so clear if all we do is ask questions and look for the answers.  It's all right there.  Open heart, open mind, seeking after God. 

To that end a question is raised.  Do we treasure what has been given to us?   Are his words ever so important to us?   Do we seek after him daily, looking for that ever present help?

Treasure it, let it become so very very important to you. 

...

I have to admit I struggle with the repeated "it's up to us to learn, grow and change" message found throughout this chapter.

I agree.. we NEED to seek the Lord.
BUT you know who puts that's seeking within us?   
The Lord himself!

So yes, we need to seek the Lord, but we also should be acknowledging that he helps us to seek him and that perhaps that should be our prayer as well.  that he helps us to seek him more keenly.

Sometimes we DO have to make a choice.  Watch that TV show or spend time in God's word.   Go for a walk or dig into scripture.  Care for the critters or take time with God.  It's hard to make choices sometimes.  But we can determine to make better decisions about our time so those choices come easier...finding the needed time to seek out the Lord in his word.  It's THAT important.  :)

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Art Book: Stick Sketch School

I want you to imagine that you have just taught your children about this amazing animal called the blob fish.  It comes out of Tasmania, and you asked your children to draw a picture of it and they give you a blank look... How can you help them draw this amazing fish?   Well, if you have the Stick Sketch School book it will be easy peasy.. just turn to page 86 and before you know it your children will have created a beautiful image of the blob fish.  :)   Might be a sketch figure but it will be "beautiful" enough to colour in and create an underwater world.

Allow me now to introduce you to a wonderful book called "Stick Sketch School"

Review: Journey Through Learning Lapbooks

The Greatest Inventors has been a delight to us to use over the past few weeks. We've laughed, we've talked, and we've discovered so much thanks to A Journey through Learning Lapbooks.  Let me tell you all about it!

Review: A Train of Thought

I have this fascination with trains, not real running on the rails trains...but the trains of old, the ones I can do in replica on an HO scale rail.   So imagine my delight when I was contacted about reviewing a book about trains, told from the perspective of a fella who worked the lines for 40 years.

Guide, remember.. fear not

Guide

I sit here feeling battered and flummoxed.
I inadvertently opened a hot button on facebook.

Name calling.
Hard comments.
Challenges made.
Misunderstandings rampant.
I awed by the support of a friend.

I wonder..

Parenting Series: Mercy

 Do you know what mercy is?

Mercy is "tenderheartedness and compassion toward someone in need" (Tripp p. 195) 

Mercy is "compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm."  (google)

When I was growing up I was taught that mercy was "unmerited favour". 

Mr. Tripp asks us to remember what it is, and to also remember, how much we need mercy in our own lives. Can you remember how important mercy is to you in your own walk with the Lord.

Now .. holding that in your mind.  Think about your children. 

Completely Protected

Today we are looking at Romans 8:31-39.

Do you remember that future hope that we need to wait for patiently?  How God has foreknown us, called us, justified us and glorified us?

 

Art Book: Spread Your Wings and Fly

Spread your wings and fly is a unique origami book.   

I honestly didn't know what I thought of it at first, I expected a typical origami book where it shows a picture of a folded paper creation and then shows you how to make it.

This book takes a somewhat different tack.

Review: Everyday Homemaking with Everyday Cooking

Want to try a new cookbook?   Well, Everyday Homemaking provided me with a collection of tried-and-true recipes in their book Everyday Cooking.  Included in this cookbook are numerous hints to make your cooking journey simpler, while emphasizing whole foods.  

Review: My Great Big God

 I suppose it's odd of me, but I like reviewing these hardcover children's bible story books.  Perhaps it's because I have a wee niece (what do you call a niece of a niece?) and her mom is dating a fellow who has a wee lad around the same age.   So I have these two little people in my life so these books make me smile.   I want them to have good books that help show them who God is.

This book makes the cut, let me tell you why.

Can we wait patiently for that future glory?

Today we are reading from Romans 8:18-30.

This morning on facebook I read about a young lady who is going through a hard time medically speaking, and today (or I suppose rather yesterday) it was an emotionally tough one.  One of the commenters mentioned that surgery scars are a sign of a battle fought and shouldn't be seen as ugly but as a sign of victory.  Mourn the need of them us, but truly see them as they are.  With that in mind.. when I read the first verse of this section it makes sense you know?

Hymn Study: Come Thou Font, Come Thou My King

 We sang this song in church yesterday, and I thought it was an interesting way to modernize an older hymn of worship.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  :)  I was captured by the words in verse two about how I was lost in utter darkness and then, oh then Jesus came and rescued me... Aren't those great words to remember? 

Are you Prepared to Wait?

As I sat here thinking about what to write as a letter of encouragement I had to admit, I was drawing a blank.  I thought about combining this post with my Five minute Friday post...and I actually might still do that, but my mind is full of the activities of the day.

I woke up this morning to a note left by my lad "I'll be back at 8:10" he was out looking for ant, he came back all delighted he found a  new type of ant (queen and male).   But what kind was it? Soon I heard the request.  "MOM!!!   Can you help me email the ant man?   Maybe he can help me figure it out."    For the rest of the day the kept asking "Mom, have you heard from him yet?   How long do you think it might take?"

He happily helped me care for our critters and then did his math and history for the day, I started working on the cold cellar.

I thought, this will take maybe a couple of hours.. I.... was.... wrong...

You know what we discovered?  A stinky smelly potato bin.. oh my.   Now.. we knew we had something going on there, but we needed the time and motivation to deal with it.  Our move in another six months is good motivation yes?

First we had to clean out all the stuff that a certain loved one had tossed in there over the years, then we removed the potato bin.. the wood was rotting!  Hence the odour... Loved one to the rescue, figuring out how to get it out!  Once it was out I kicked (literally) the guys out of the way, donned a mask and cleaned up the mess under the potato bin.  Boy.. rather icky that!  

Then came the fine work of sorting through and deciding.. am I willing to move this? NO?  Okay, list it for sale after cleaning it. Do I want to keep it?  Okay.. clean it up and organize it. I toss old canned jars of food, and garbage and.. well..  should have taken a picture but didn't.. our lovely big bin couldn't fit ALL THE TRASH!  

Wow.. I have to admit, it feels so good having that big job done.  And it's clean and no spider webs or icky smell. It's lovely.

Which brings me to this point... It took me ALL day to clean it out.  ALL DAY.. I was so very tired, the lad was tired as I had him running up and down the stairs taking things out to the recycling and garbage bins.  He worked hard.   

All day to clean a mess up from before we were married and was just added to over the past 15 years, cause it's the basement right?  Hubby wasn't prepared to deal with getting rid of stuff (cause he's as much a pack rat as I am) so I just left it, I knew sooner or later he'd want to and why put pressure where it simply didn't need to be?

Which makes me ask this momma... are YOU prepared to be patient?  Are you prepared to let time take care of that struggle that staring you in the face?

I could have pressured hubby over the past 15 years.. I could have really.  I could have said let's argue about it, let's make a stink ... but I didn't.  I knew that in time it would be dealt with and then it would all over and done with in one day (a long day mind).  When a fellow is ready to let go so it's not a stressful matter.  

That boy child who is so focused on whatever issue... are you prepared to wait it out.  To enjoy the good, to train the needful and to just wait for the right timing?  To see that boy become a man full of character and wisdom?   That girl who is becoming a woman and doesn't fully see who she is yet... are you willing to wait her out, to give a nudge when needed, a hug and a spot of encouragement saying  "it'll come out okay in the end lovey?"

Are you prepared to NOT be stressed out over something that time will take care of?

I just want to encourage you... to wait.. and then in the waiting.. to be ready, ready to act, to talk, to work, to encourage, to don a mask (if needed) and clean out the ickiness from bad decisions made, to sweep out the old, to make it look new again, to just get the job done even if it's exhausting.  But until then.. to just wait and see and enjoy what you have now.

The good Lord tells us to wait on him.  He knows the right timing for things.  Don't rush it.
Trust him, oh just trust him, believe me.. IT'S WORTH IT!!! It really is. 

Come along won't you on this last day?   You can find us all here, and you can start with this list.
Annette – A Net in Time -Five days to celebrate back to school, curriculum choices, supplies, things to do and encouragement for you. Come join us won’t you?
Ashley  – Gift of Chaos – Join us as we go “back to school” with a First Grader and a Preschooler!
Betty – Let’s Get Real – I am a veteran homeschooling mom.  Our family’s passion is to glorify God in all we do and say and we pray that God will use our lives for His glory.
Chareen – Every Bed of Roses – I’m about to enter into my 20th year of home educating.  I have two graduates and am currently homeschooling our youngest. I’m looking forward to sharing with you in the week ahead.
Christy  – Unexpected Homeschool – Join us on our journey as we homeschool our only child through her high school years while dealing with chronic illnesses.
Crystal – Living Abundantly – Living Abundantly seeks to help Christian women and homeschooling families live abundantly, even when the thief tries to destroy your joy.
Desiree  – Our Homeschool Notebook – I am Mom to 4 kids, and this is our place to share our family and homeschool adventures. This year we will have children in 11th, 6th, 4th, and 1st grades, and we are all excited to get back to school.

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Speak, a poem

Speak? 


Sunday it hit, 

The pain in my head.
Making me wish
Temporarily I could be dead.
Migraines aren't fun
The sunlight it hurts
Please tell me hun
You won't force me to church?

Pain sits and sits
Never seems to abate
But this week I have work
It mustn't be late!

Eagerly waiting
For the pain to leave
Each day I work 
Sunglasses relieve

Anguish each day
When I awake
WHY TELL ME WHY
Won't this pain hit the lake?

Knowing that God
Holds me close to his heart
I know I can work
I can do my part
Slowly I find, 
My voice as I type
So glad I can make
This room almost dark

 ACK!!!  I have no more letters to work with, and I'm getting tired.   Just have to say I am so glad that God gave me the ability to slowly.. oh.. so slowly.. to find the words I needed to make the five day blog hop work out as well as it did!   Sunglasses and darkness..it took four days for that migraine to leave!!!  AH.. don't want to live with that again for another year!  But to bed I must go, I don't want that massive headache to come back again!  

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This is a five minute Friday post. the word prompt is brought to us by Miss Kate over at Five Minute Friday.  What is Five Minute Friday?  Well it's a party of a group of like minded folks who gather on Friday to do a five minute free write around a singular word.  AND THEN (and this is the most important part) we take the time to offer up encouragement to each other on this writing journey.  It's fun, though it's not always easy, but it is always good.   Come join us won't you?  You are always welcome.

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This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

You can't do it all!

Did you know that you can't do it all?

You can't.

It takes a community to educate a child.

To that end.. we happily use the community to educate our son in the things that we can't.

What do we farm out you ask?

Review: The Superhero Handbook

 I have to admit, this is a cute book. Written in bold, easy to read font with quick easy instructions to get children on the road to making their own Superhero gear.   The Superhero Handbook is just that, a handbook made just for your average superhero, reminding him/her of all things important to superheroes.

Art Book: Mudworks

Today I have a rather different art book to show you.  It's called "Mudworks: Creative Clay, Dough and Modeling Experience". 

 This is a rather neat book, seriously.

Planners? I think NOT!

You know what happens to me every year around this time?

I feel like a failure.

Want to know why?

The "I've planned out my year".  "I'm using this awesome planner".  "I've got my studies all worked out and planned out".   

And I think to myself... I've tried, I've failed, I'll never pull this year off because I don't plan everything out.   I don't even plan out a month ahead of time.   

Are you like me?  

We are Heirs of God.

Today we are reading from Romans 8:12-17.

¹² So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Technology in the Classroom

I have to admit, I really struggled with this topic.  I think school supplies and I think.. oh yay.. talking about pencils, papers and glue.  BIG YIP! How in the world can I make THAT topic exciting?   Should I talk about how I organize them?  Should I talk about the differences in pencils when it comes to doing art?  Hmm...

I sat and pondered.  Thinking about what school supplies would I prefer to not live without.
Then it hit me.

My cell phone!  My Laptop!  The Tablets!   Seriously...this tech I would not want to be without.

If I combine them with my boy and his questions, and me and my ingenuity... we have a workable solution for our homeschooling needs.

YES we still need paper, printers, pencils, pens, erasers, glue and what not...but in the end.. what we really would have a hard time living without for our schooling purposes is the internet and how it comes through in the cell phone, laptop and tablet.

These three items make our schooling so much easier.

No Condemnation

Today we are reading from Romans 8:1-11.

 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 
 Oh!   I love this verse don't you?   To think that if we are in Christ, there is no condemnation heaped upon our heads!  Why?  Because we've been freed from slavery to sin!

 ² For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 
The Law of the Spirit has set us free!  Think on that a spell!   FREEDOM!   No condemnation. That's what the Lord God has wrought for us.  

Review: Lint Boy

Imagine that you have a life that you love, living with your family, just having a good time.  Now imagine that your sibling, who you love dearly, is snatched away.  Kidnapped by a dreadful person!  What do you do?

Well.. if you are Lint Boy you rush to the rescue!   Can you save your brother Lint Bear?

Grade Seven Curriculum Choices

 Today on the Homeschool Review Crew Five Day Blog Hop we are talking about Curriculum.

I thought I would take a moment to talk about the materials the lad and I hope to use this year.

School? No School? Our week...

 Ah.. it's an hectic week this week.  :)  Too much busyness going on.. I need a quieter week eh!  :)   I really do.

As I said, it's been a busy week, let me walk you through it eh? :)

Place: Some to hold dear

Walking through life 
one comes across many a place.

Places to fear
Places to hold dear. 

One such place we recently called home for one week.

A place to camp called Grundy Lake.
Filled with many smaller places.

Like a pond filled with 
Black Crappie
Smiling Snapping turtles
Dragonflies
Pike
Frogs

A swamp biome
Home to 
Sundew
Bladderworts
Pitcher Plants
Blandings Turtles
Biting flies
and swooping birds.

Canadian Shield home to
Jack Pine
Blue Birds
Red Squirrels
White Throated Sparrows
Massassauga Rattlers

A place to
Relax
Create
Kayak
Fish
Swim
Hike
Read books in the sun
Swat Skeeters
Watch falcons soar
Meet strangers and chat
Enjoy God's creation

This is a place we enjoy full well.

Wouldn't you like to go to such a place?

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This is a five minute Friday post. the word prompt is brought to us by Miss Kate over at Five Minute Friday.  What is Five Minute Friday?  Well it's a party of a group of like minded folks who gather on Friday to do a five minute free write around a singular word.  AND THEN (and this is the most important part) we take the time to offer up encouragement to each other on this writing journey.  It's fun, though it's not always easy, but it is always good.   Come join us won't you?  You are always welcome.

------

 This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Parenting Series: Rest

Rest.  Ah what does the mean?

Sometimes in the busyness of parenting and raising a child we forget something, something that is so vital it is surprising that we forget it.

Art Book: A First Book of Canadian Art

A First Book of Canadian Art was put together by Richard Rhodes.

It's a rather interesting book that is not about doing art, but about seeing what Canadian artists have done. It's a walk through history from First Peoples through to the 1990's. 

The Delight vs The Captivity

Today we are reading from Romans 7:8-25.

 ⁸ But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. ⁹ I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. ¹⁰ The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. ¹¹ For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. ¹² So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Can you see what sin does in a body?  It seizes opportunities. It uses the commands, the laws, to produce covetousness.  A great desire to possess something.  It makes us want something that we don't have.   Can you see that?  The law of God was meant to be freeing, but it wasn't.  The presence of the law revealed the heart...that heart that longs for something more.  BE MINDFUL therefore...what do you covet?  Don't let it deceive you.  Look for what it holy, righteous and good.

Back to School Blog Hop!

 Hey Hey Hey!

Guess what's coming up next week?

It's the Back to School Blog Hop hosted by the Homeschool Review Crew!  YEAH!!!  It's always lots of fun and busyness and I do hope that you'll join us.


What Will I be talking about?

I dunno, I haven't quite figured that out yet, You'll have to COME back to find out.

Day One: Curriculum. I'll talk about what the lad has in store this year.  Grade Seven!
Day Two: School Supplies?   Hmmm.. might do something different...
Day Three: Record Keeping?  HA!  haven't worried on that yet.
Day Four: Outside the home, will probably talk about farming things out or field trips or something
Day Five: Ah.. a letter of encouragement I'm thinking

BUT you will have to come back just to double check eh?

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Marriage compared to the Law

Today we are reading from Romans 7:1-6.

 Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? ² For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. ³ Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
Paul continues to talk about our freedom to not be enslaved to sin.  Now he uses the example of marriage and how in a marriage, while our partner lives we need to stick to the bounds of marriage.  BUT if our partner dies, we are free to live as we choose.   Makes sense right?   

Review: The Round the World Quiz Book

 Do you like quizzes?   I DO.
When my lad was little I'd read various fact and quizzler books to him, just to see if I could stump him.  It was remarkable how often I could not stump.  Mind, it's a bit easier now to stump him...I just have to ask harder questions!  (but then he can ask me harder questions too and well.. that just well... let's not go there shall we?

Today I have help!   The Round the World Quiz book is just the ticket for me and for you!

 Why for you?

Recipe: Gooseberry Jelly

Guess what I made today!  GOOSEBERRY JELLY!!!

I've made gooseberry jam off and on for years...it's GREAT in a stir fry or stuffed into chicken or with lamb.  But now I have a lad (and a hubby) who aren't keen on seeds (ergo their dislike of raspberries). 

The boys LOVE it, so I thought I'd share it with you.  Rather easy to make overall.

Slaves to Righteousness

Today we are reading from Romans 6:15-23.

¹⁵ What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 

What are we to be?  Slaves to sin or Slaves to Righteousness.  That is the question Paul has for us today.

He starts off by asking us.  Should we sin because we live under grace?
He gives us an emphatic answer.  NO.

Why?
Because how we present ourselves in obedience shows who our master is. 
 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 
 We could sin, but it shows that we are on the path to death.  OR we could be obedient to God which leads to righteousness.  What do you want people to see?

¹⁷ But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, ¹⁸ and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 
Do you see it?   We can thank God that we don't have to live like we used to.. like slaves to sin!  We've been set free!  You see we've been taught a new way to be... and are committed to it   Obedient from the heart.  That's what we become with good teaching.  And that good teaching helps us to become slaves to righteousness.

 ¹⁹ I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
It's like Paul is saying..make a choice!   Will you or won't you... make the choice RIGHT NOW.. to be a slave to righteousness.   To choose to let our bodies be obedient to God.  You once had no real choice right?  Natural limitations and all that, but then God stepped in.  Now you have that choice, so choose to let yourself be bound to the cause of righteousness.  Take the path that leads to sanctification!
 
²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹ But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.



We've been set free you know?  Do you really know that?  You don't have to be a slave to sin.  Where it's reward is that of death. NOW, NOW we've been set free.  And if we live by that freedom...the end result is not death, the end result is eternal life in Christ Jesus.




Isn't that awesome?
 
What say you? 
 To follow along with the rest of this devotional series in Romans Click Here.

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