In the trunk of every car in Kansas City (my old stomping grounds) you’ll find 2 things…an umbrella and an ice scraper. I won’t try to describe the ice scraper to the Phoenicians; don’t worry, you’ll never need it. As for the umbrella, well they are those things that people use to shield themselves from the rain…and you Phoencicians thought they were sunshades! 
Under the umbrella we are protected from the elements.
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God’s grace is kind of like that. God tells us that if we obey His commandments that His blessings will come. (Ps.112:1) No doubt that God’s mercy and grace is for everyone, but the spiritual truth is this: those who walk in the ways of the Lord are blessed, in the spiriutal sense. (Let’s not step into the trap of thinking we’ll get every material thing we want and that nothing “bad” will ever happen in our lives.) Under God’s umbrella, He protects us from those things that take us down the wrong path. We wouldn’t walk outside in a pouring rain without our umbrellas and expect not to get wet. So, what makes us think we can thumb our noses at God walk our own way without God’s covering, and expect not to suffer the consequences.
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So how do we stay under God’s umbrella? For me, it comes down to living a life of integrity. I believe that I almost always know what the right decision is and when I chose the wrong path, I’m walking out into the storm without my spiritual covering. To be sure, I cannot live the life of integrity on my own strength. I need the Spirit of God guiding me and I need my friends there with the umbrella in their hands reminding me of who I am and where I’m suppose to go.
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Dinosaur tippers walk in the way of the Lord and enjoy His spiritual umbrella. How are we doing?
I remember as a child I had full confidence in my parents to protect me and guide me..it’s as I got older I began to rebell.. I think that’s why Jesus said come to me as a little child..there is real consequences to our actions…God our Father has his commandments for our protection..it’s like us as parents telling our children not to touch the hot stove..why ? because you will get burned !.. I want to continue to remember that his Love and Grace is in his comandments they SERVE US they are our protection.I have been out side that umbella many times in my life and have touched the stove. I also have the scars to prove it.God gives us his comandments because he does not want us to go through the pain and the hurt ( that will happen ) by being outside His comandments .
Thanks for thinking of us…how thoughtful! Today it’s 60 degrees, tomorrow in the 20’s…Missing you guys and thankful we got a little Phoenix sunshine in over the holidays! We’ll be wearing red on 2/1!
Always good to be reminded of this. As young parents training our kids…we refered to this as the “Circle of Blessing”
While we know that God makes the sun to shine on the just and unjust…and the rain to fall on the just and unjust…There is certainly a unique peace to be know… as the sons and daughters of God…when we learn to live within the perameters that He has given to us to promote our spiritual, physical and emotional well being.
Side note I stopped buying umbrella’s for our family because they always ended up used for some sort of playing that rendered them trashed and therefore inoperable…so…we all just get wet the 7 times a year it rains.
I know how I feel when I stray..it def does not feel the same as it did in the past. I have I guess in a sense a changed heart in alot of aspects of my life because of God. I know I can see that change in my husband as well… I am thankful to God for that.
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