Reconciling Yourself to the Fact of Sin

Recently I picked up my copy of My Utmost for His Highest and yesterday I what I read was so profound and eye-opening to me, I wanted to share it with you all.

I love O. Chamber's style of writing, and it's been amazing to me how many days I have picked up his book, and read something that applied almost directly to what I was thinking about and working through that day!  It's definitely my favorite devotional that I've ever read, and if you've never had the chance to read it, I would strongly recommend it!

This is your hour, and the power of darkness —Luke 22:53

"Not being reconciled to the fact of sin— not recognizing it and refusing to deal with it— produces all the disasters in life. You may talk about the lofty virtues of human nature, but there is something in human nature that will mockingly laugh in the face of every principle you have. If you refuse to agree with the fact that there is wickedness and selfishness, something downright hateful and wrong, in human beings, when it attacks your life, instead of reconciling yourself to it, you will compromise with it and say that it is of no use to battle against it. Have you taken this “hour, and the power of darkness” into account, or do you have a view of yourself which includes no recognition of sin whatsoever? In your human relationships and friendships, have you reconciled yourself to the fact of sin? If not, just around the next corner you will find yourself trapped and you will compromise with it. But if you will reconcile yourself to the fact of sin, you will realize the danger immediately and say, “Yes, I see what this sin would mean.” The recognition of sin does not destroy the basis of friendship— it simply establishes a mutual respect for the fact that the basis of sinful life is disastrous. Always beware of any assessment of life which does not recognize the fact that there is sin.

Jesus Christ never trusted human nature, yet He was never cynical nor suspicious, because He had absolute trust in what He could do for human nature. The pure man or woman is the one who is shielded from harm, not the innocent person. The so-called innocent man or woman is never safe. Men and women have no business trying to be innocent; God demands that they be pure and virtuous. Innocence is the characteristic of a child. Any person is deserving of blame if he is unwilling to reconcile himself to the fact of sin."

Oswald Chambers

Wild Earth Bakery

At the recommendation of my sister and brother in law, Stephen and I decided to check out this bakery on Sunday.  It's a homey, "down to earth," "from scratch" bakery where all the food is simply amazing!  

I was just as delighted with the decor as I was with the food, I have to confess.

It almost felt like going into the sort of bakery you would discover in Middle Earth, if they had such things as bakeries there....

These lamps had such a "Middle-Earth/Elvish/Dwarvish" feel to them, and I was very tempted to steal a couple. :P  But I didn't.

A few weeks ago, I had this fun idea of taking pictures of decor when I liked it, whether it was in a restaurant, store, bakery....you name it!  I so often see styles that I love when I'm out and about, and I wanted to capture them so that someday, if we have our own place, I can look back over all these pictures, and remember cool things that I'd like to incorporate into my home.

I love being creative with decorating, and making a house a really beautiful, welcoming place to be!  It's so much fun to turn a blank wall into a friend (okay, I think I stole that phrase from Anne... :P) by putting up a wreath, or a collection of pictures! :)