Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Tuesday Toss-up

Updated to add: If you are hopelessly wandering around in circles chasing your tail feathers while trying to find Everyday Mommy, don't worry. She's back in her spot... just click here and you'll find her. And don't get your tail feathers up in a flap... you're not wandering around in circles, chasing your tail feathers because you've got bird flu! (end of update)

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Folks, I'm torn! As you may have noticed, I took the whole weekend off -- Monday included -- totally away from the 'puter -- and I have so much to chat about, but I think I'll go on with my normal Tuesday Toss Up, and maybe I'll post again a bit later -- or maybe not -- depending on how long it takes for me to catch up on all your blogs. Oh, and I'm going to try to get bloglines working in my favor today! So, as usual, here's the Tuesday Toss-up. Just read through it, and in the comment section, share whatever crosses your mind about the quote! Don't worry about whether you sound theological, knowledgeable, or anything else, and don't worry about the length, either.


"Your past and current mistakes and/or failures qualify you for Christ's work right now. No need to wait, or work on perfecting yourself. He takes the "as-is" version of ourselves and uses it for His glory in the here and now."
By: GiBee

Have an awesome, although sweltering, day in the Lord! And, don't forget to check back and see what everyone else is saying!

13 comments:

Jennifer said...

Great quote, GiBee, and Praise Him for this fact! So often people think they "aren't good enough yet" to be a Christian. That's the point...we'll never be good enough to earn what Christ gives us fully and freely today! If we submit to Him, He can use us just as we are. Max Lucado says, "God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be Just like Jesus." I'm so thankful that Christ takes me "as-is" but wants to help me grow into His image day by day.

Anonymous said...

Hope you had a great weekend!

All our "stuff" from the past, God can use for His glory now. We're not the only ones who make these mistakes and we can use them to witness or touch another life in the telling of how God got us thru and dusted us off & forgave us and gave us new life. We will never be perfect here on earth. God will use whatever vessel He will as He leads us in changing the parts of our lives He wants changed. If we waited to let God use us until we are perfect He wouldn't be able to use any of us.

kpjara said...

I thank God for this very quote every day! I thought of how God doesn't want to "wait" to use us til we're perfect...Yeah, like that's going to happen on earth!

God wants to use us in our imperfections, not only because HE can...but because our imperfections are what show others His grace and His hand and that nothing we do can separate us from a Father that loves us like that, thank you JESUS!

Even while I am a work in progress...I am working while He makes me!

Wonderful Toss-up...and I hope you enjoyed your time 'off'. Missed you!

Angie said...

Thank God for this one, huh? Or I think we would all be in big trouble! I am living this right now, as I am sure all of us are. But since my husband's incident, finally he gets it! He always thought that God wouldn't want him because of all the bad stuff he had done. He honestly thought that there was no hope for him. Good thing he was wrong!

It is amazing how when people finally "get it" that that there really is a light bulb effect that happens. You can't stop him now. He is on fire for the Lord and quite honestly, I never thought that I would see the day it would happen. But God takes the worst of circumstances and uses them to better us for the glory of His kingdom!

As I said last night in my post, He uses our trials to bring us closer to Him. Don't ever doubt that He is not around because He is always right where you need Him to be! I am thankful everday for this! Thanks to the trials, both literal and figurative, my husband and I will spend eternity together!

Great quote GiBee, very thought provoking! Thanks!

Heather Smith said...

Great quote as usual GiBee. If I were given the chance, I'd change my past in so many ways, but I can't. However, I do know that God has forgiven me, and He remembers my past no more. For that reason, I can use my testimony to help others going through similar things. Theres a song I used to love when I was younger. It goes like this, "I'm not perfect, just forgiven. I've not arrived, but I'm on my way. Since Jesus found me, and forgave me, can't say I'm perfect, but I can say I'm saved."
God's forgiveness is something I'm thankful for everyday!

the lizness said...

God uses cracked pots. :) I know I'm not original, but it's what crossed my mind when I read it.

Shalee said...

Totally understand the time off. I did that too. It felt good, but now I'm ready to check on my friends...

Too often people think: " I can never be good enough for Christ." "I'm not worthy." or "I wish I had never ______." "Why can't I just not be tempted with _____?"

The point is that we will never be good enough for God, but God does not let that keep us from Him. He gave His grace and gift of salvation freely; it is up to us to either accept it and live life in peace or to live this life in Christ full of regret (which is NOT what life in Christ is all about.)

Remember that God can use those times of sin, those poor choices, those "uh-oh" moments, those frustrations for HIS glory. You may have been allowed to endure it so that you will be a help to some other person who needs to hear the voice of God in human form or you may have endured it to see how great the love of God really is.

Those who have aborted babies can be a strength to those contemplating it. Those who have had affairs can be the voice of reality of the pain and hurt involved. Those who have suffered infertility/miscarriage can be a sounding board and comfort to those who are enduring it now. Those who have been angry with God can be an example of how to be faithful through the emotion.

With God, impossible is nothing.

Most of the time, it is not about us - those past imperfections; rather it is about how you will let God use you to reflect His Glory. If I give my life over to Him, it has to include who I used to be as well as the me that He is shaping me to be.

Anonymous said...

ok, my head totally agrees with this statement, and yet...? today is one of those days i feel so inept to do anything for anyone, much less the work of Christ, just because of all that has me feeling this way.

did that make any sense?

Overwhelmed! said...

I agree with this quote and I'm quite thankful for it! My past and current mistakes/failures keep me real, keep me striving to do better, allow me to empathize with others.

I'm not sure exactly how God is using my as-is version of myself for His glory, but I'm confident He is!

someone else said...

I'm go glad I can come to Him "as-is". If I had to get all spiffed up first, I'd NEVER get it presentable. How humbling to know He just wants me, any old me that I have.

Kristen said...

It's a good thing he takes us "as-s", that's all I have to say! ;-)

Great quote!

Cheryl said...

It seems a lot of us took the weekend off, but that's okay. Enjoy your blog...

Carol said...

Yippee! I'm good for SOMETHING!

I hope your weekend was enjoyable.