Another day, another dollar...

I got to re-seat a toilet today. Ever done that? Have you ever seen what a wax ring looks like after having been under a toilet for several years? (did you know that your toilet sits upon a wax ring to keep it from leaking on your floor when you flush?) They aren't pretty. However they are amazingly good at what they are designed to do. They fill every available space around the drain of a toilet and keep the water from going places it shouldn't. Even after all these years this ring wasn't leaking (there were other problems that required the replacing of the ring.)

How good are you at what you do? It is amazing to me how much more enjoyable a task is if you are good at it. One of the first times I spent any time with Kathy's family after we got married, they taught me to play pitch (a card game.) I was partnered with her dad, and I had no idea what I was doing. we got beat pretty bad, and I thought I'd rather not play that game anymore. However it is a favorite at their house so I had to suck it up and keep at it. While I am in no way an expert, I have come to understand the game and enjoy playing now. There's something to be said for practice.

I've been working on memorizing the book of Ephesians, I think I mentioned that awhile back. Today I finished with chapter one. It's been an engaging exercise and I am slowly coming to recognize some of the benefits of memorizing. Saying these verses over and over kind-of drills them into your head. You might not pay real close attention to the message at first while your trying to get them down, but eventually you start to grasp the words you are repeating. Did you know how obsessed Ephesians 1 is with the grace of God? It's like the writer was trying to pound it into someones head and they weren't quite getting it. Yet as you read these words, your realize, why shouldn't we be obsessed with God's grace? How else are we supposed to get through day by day when we know how much we mess up without a clear picture of God's grace firmly planted in our minds. Living like we are forgiven sinners who have been blessed by God's grace doesn't come easily, it's a practiced thing.(here's the tie in with the beginning) I want to be good at it...

I know this is getting long so I will stop for now. After this final admonition...go read Ephesians 1, and thank God for the grace that He freely lavished upon us in the One He Loves...