Salty Zebra

  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5  My son is a mechanic. When he comes home from work, he is covered in dirt and grease and brake dust. It is embedded in his eyebrows, streaked across his cheeks, and coating everything from the edge of his t-shirt to the beds under his finger nails. He doesn’t even notice it. He looks just like everyone else he works with. I often ask if he wants to wash up before dinner. He looks at me sideways, as if that is a very strange thing to say. He has no idea how filthy he is!   I think we are all very much like that. Before Christ, we thought we were pretty good people probably. At the very least, we weren’t as bad as some. We (mostly) obeyed the law. We opened doors for people with their arms full or let someone cut in front of us on the freeway when they clearly needed to exit. Really...

  I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.   Ephesians 1:17  That you may know Him better. I have known my husband for more than 32 years now. When we first met, we would spend hours on the phone together, well into the wee hours of the morning. We exchanged notes (we were in high school at the time) daily, most of which I still have. You would think that after those many, many hours of getting to know him, I would really know him inside and out. Hardly! If this was the case, then when we became adults and began to make our home together, things would have gone swimmingly. Instead, it was like I was living with a completely different person! As we progressed in marriage and children, new parts of him appeared, and old ones were emphasized. Each different challenge we faced in life brought out a different part of his personality. We continued those long cha...

Image Credit: AphantasticDesigns - find them on Etsy    Sometimes life isn't ideal. Let's face it, most of the time it isn't! So, we do what we need to, to make things work. In my "Making It Work" posts, I share life hacks and ideas that have helped me so that, maybe, they can help someone else too. I hope you enjoy!  Over the last year or so I've been noticing a troubling trend. When I finish fixing dinner, I am often too exhausted and in too much pain to eat it. I have found that being on my feet for that length of time (1-2 hours typically) puts a great deal of stress on my spine in all the wrong places. Yes, I've tried body positioning, lifting my foot onto a step, moving as much as possible, and stopping to stretch as I go. None of it has helped. I was getting worried that I would have to give up fixing meals for my family (not sure what we would do then!) when I saw a wonderful post put up by Chronically Jenni on Instagram. She uses a saddle stool ...

  I love cruising, in case you hadn't already guessed. When I board a cruise ship, it feels like I'm coming home in the best possible way. I sleep better. I feel better. I eat better. Cruising is my happy place. And the beach house , that too 😉. I just love being on or near the water. I love the sound of the ocean and the way the ship moves on it. I even enjoy rough seas - until I don't. Nothing on earth is perfect! So in this season of uncertainty with my husband out of work, how am I going about planning, or even hoping for time on the water? Very carefully!   I'm in an interesting spot of not knowing. I don't know when my husband will get a new job, or what it will be like. In the past, he's been able to work from wherever we're at, so planning a trip wasn't as tricky. He'd just bring his computer and his headset, and we'd go. Now I don't know if he'll work remotely or in an office or even in a hybrid situation. I'm not sure what ...

  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,   Ephesians 1:13  When you join a club, there are often markers that you gain to signify your membership. Take AAA for example, many people will end up with an AAA sticker on the back of their vehicle once they’ve signed up and paid their dues. A more permanent example would be a tattoo someone gets when they join a gang. These are outward signs that the world can see to identify you with a group or cause. When you accept Christ as your Savior and join the family of God, you don’t get a sign imprinted on your forehead telling everyone – but that doesn’t mean that people won’t know. You see, as a Christian, you now have the Holy Spirit living within you. That is your seal, your marker of belonging. While you may not be able to see Him in someone as markedly as a tattoo, you will still se...

  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,   Ephesians 1:7-8  Slavery. It’s a dark word with dark imagery and connotations to it. It drips with evil. When I hear the word, I think of ships full of people making their way across the ocean – tossing them overboard when they expire from sickness or starvation. I think of plantations filled with people picking cotton all day in the scorching sun until their hands bleed. I think of children corralled in a factory sewing buttons onto clothing. But just like these people, past and present, I too was a slave – to sin. It’s darkness surrounded and entrapped me. It clouded my reasoning and kept me from what was good. Just when I was about to escape its grasp, it would pull me back under, as if I was drowning in its sea of deception.   Jesus saw me there. He recognized my plight and knew the o...