Company Girls coffee 082010

Pull up a chair.  The following is a bit from my quiet time journal from earlier this week that I thought I'd share.

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 2:18

Have you ever felt as if you are the only person in the history of the world who has experienced exactly what you are going through?

To a certain extent it's true: each one of us is a completely unique person, hand crafted by God with particular personalities, predilections and personal history.  No one else has ever been exactly like us (even if we have an identical twin!).  Still, the temptations we face, though differing in the specifics, are universal.  Satan's repertoire is limited; though he may twist the circumstances, the roots of temptation go back to his own fall and the desire to put ourselves in the place of God.

The devil threw his entire arsenal at Jesus, knowing that if he could entice Jesus to sin, God's entire plan for salvation would be ruined.  But Jesus resisted, His sinless state making Him the perfect sacrifice to satisfy God's wrath on our behalf.

More than that, it gives us a Savior who knows exactly what we are facing, as He has been through it Himself.  Jesus is able to sympathize with us, encourage us and strengthen us to resist.

Feeling alone and tempted beyond measure?  Call out to Jesus.
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Quiet weekend ahead.  Hair appointment, maybe a picnic Saturday afternoon, lots of reading and naps.  Plus a bit more decluttering - last Monday I hauled eight old gallons of paint to the city yards, leaving only the paint from the kitchen ceiling, walls and trim and a couple of gallons of base coat in my basement.  The kitchen paint is for touch ups for the next tenant; the base coat I will need when I change the walls back to boring beige. 

The Christmas decor is the next thing to be decluttered.  Some friends are taking my Christmas tree next month.  It's a bit of a "what was I thinking?!" tree:  though a narrower profile tree, it stands six and a half feet tall.  While prelit, easy-ish to set up and gorgeous when decorated, in three of the last four years I've gone "eh" when it came time to set it up, and did without.  Going through everything now gives me the opportunity to rethink how to decorate for the holidays before it's time to throw something together!

Have a blessed weekend, and visit some of the other Company Girls!