Well, it's been a really busy week. I did another art camp, Leo's been sitting at the fair manning a booth for MVCA, we moved a friend from her place to a garage, and then today we will journey again to move it from the garage to an apartment, Leo's been doing interviews at school with two of the members of the school board. Did I mention that this year he is doing some administration stuff too at the school. He's been putting together basketball teams and volleyball teams, we've been doing firings... and a I got a bug in me to start organizing EVERYTHING in the house and thoroughly get through all of our "stuff" and just binge. Whew. Busy! Things we have also been up to... last Thursday we decided to go on an adventure to the beach and enjoy it. We get out there only every once in a while which is ridiculous because it's all of 45 minutes away. We enjoyed walking the beaches, eating at Mo's (famous seafood place... not too fancy but fun.) Ventured to the pottery store, drove down to Depot Bay and sat on a cliff and took naps as well as worked on some work. (I'll blog an additional story about the happenings of that particular cliff.) Oh, I also had to finish my curriculum for OSU. 64 pages later..... I still have more I would love to do, maybe I'll slow down the pace (now that I've wrote the basics) and spend more of my time this school year getting it all out in the nice pretty format with all the bells and whistles.

For this blog I'll include an interesting event of last week that particular impact on me.

The week of VBS I decided to take an new route home. Now if you have ever rode in the car with me, you will know that I'm a very unsure of myself driver. I'm TERRIBLE at directions. I would say that I'm Geographically challenged, but that wouldn't be entirely true. I can get most anywhere if my directions are according to the landmarks: a strange rock, a pink house, a gas station, but put me in the car and expect me to get from point A to point B by signs... forget it. So I'll recap.... I'm driving a new route home (this should flag red flags to everybody reading.) I knew that the street parallel to the street I was on was 40 miles per hour..... (this too should indicate something to you). Little did I know, that tucked back in the trees was an elementary school..... and I was in a school zone (even though school is not in session).

Yep, you guessed it, I looked back and there were the red and blue lights. I pulled over and a nice officer with rubber bands on his braces asked me for my license and registration. A little jolted from the experience, I couldn't find my registration (amongst the PILE of state maps in the glove compartment). He went back to the car to do whatever fancy smanshy stuff they perform back there.... I found the registration and decided I would save him a trip and proceeded to get out of the vehicle. (Note to self..... no getting out of the vehicle). He got onto the speaker system and announced for me to stay inside the vehicle and that he would come to me. ~~Okee, dokie.




Now, I don't know if I had just committed the most hainous of sins by exiting the car or what, but another officer drove up and they had a good conversation. All I could do was sink down in my chair and cover my face in hopes that none of the VBS kids and their parents drive by and think I just got caught in a high speed chase or drug bust. Ugh.

Finally the officer returned (and don't get me wrong... officers are wonderful and they get far more rudeness than anybody deserves.... I'm not knocking the officer, I was going 40 in a 20) and handed me my $165 ticket. My stomach dropped! He also added that I had a court date I needed to attend. All I could think of was judge Judy and the great humiliation..... and a HUGE amount of money for something totally dumb on my part.

Well, the court date came about and I entered the courtroom and took my seat amongst about 40 other people with tickets. As I sat and waited for the judge I observed a few things. #1: We were all law breakers in that room. #2: I wondered what the judge would say... and was hoping he would reduce my fine. #3: A lot of people were very willing to pin the blame on an officer for something they had done.




The judge came in-- a rather stout older gentleman wearing a black robe... no wig, we rose and sat to his command. He called up his first victim... er' contestant.... er' person. A skinny lady went to the front and presented the judge with her registration, no penalty, no pain..... whew, that went easy.

Person after person stood up and went to the front. The judge read their crime asked for their plea of guilty, no contest or not guilty. Some were bashful, some proud, some defiant, some filled with shame, some laughed it off, some pleaded with him or let him know how they felt the system should be ran. The judge was fair... a little caddy at times, but even to the defiant people he looked over their record and gave the save verdict. I almost forgot that I was there for the same reason. Oh... and it's not like Judge Judy! It must be hard giving the same judgement for people who are rude.




Finally my name was called. I walked to the front, he read my crime, I have my plea in a squeeky timid voice. (He reduced my ticket and I am on this program where if I don't get a ticket in 6 months it gets totally take off my record... and not sent to the insurance company. ) I thanked him with a sigh of relieve even though my fine was still pretty high (at least for a cheapy like me.)

As I left I reflected on the whole process... the feelings and emotions. It was worth the money simply for the experience. I truly opened my eyes to what coming before our Lord will be. I am so thankful that went the GREAT JUDGE looks at me, even though I'm a "law breaker"... and sinner, that he will see His perfect son Jesus and declare me innocent. I won't even be on probation for 6 months, or have to pay a fine. Here I committed a little sin of speeding (by accident I might add, but none-the-less, still breaking the law) and had a steep fine in my mind, and when I come before Him he will look over my record.... and still say innocent. Wow! Isn't our God Awesome?

The other side of the spectrum was the thought of those that will come before him Him.... some of them hanging their head low, others defiant, still some blaming everybody but themselves. God will look at their record.... and I do wonder if for them, if he will say it out loud before the great multitudes (as part of the consequences).... what shame and guilt. And He will declare "Surely, I never knew you."... and they will be sent to eternal damnation. The consequences are deep, the fine is tremendous. His judgements are fair. Some people don't want to believe that God could be so "mean".... but why should the great and mighty God, who created the Heavens and the earth look onto us with favor. We are but specks, and specks that that are disobendient. Specks that might live for great causes, but if those specks never acknowledge their maker, why should God show mercy? If a life is spent (though in good deeds) glorifying self... even if it's simply feeling good that something good was done, but not for His glory and in denial to His deeds..... what obligation does He have? The answer is none. The judgement is the same whether rude OR kind.... the crime is still dealt with.

Our pastor has been talking a lot about the fall. Paul speaks of it in Romans. How God told Adam to not do ONE thing... He even presented the consequences.... death, and he did it anyway. Because of that sin came into the world and is passed on from generation to generation. To save us God sent us His son, Jesus.... the God/Man. He was sinless, though tempted like any other man, He did not sin, because he was God. He had to die to redeem us..... and if we believe, we are saved from the consequences of sin (eternal death). He is the GREAT JUDGE- fair & just. What a mighty God we serve.... and what a conviction I have share His promises. Especially the path of Salvation.



So I hope this blog reaches somebody out there. ~For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever should believe in Him shall have eternal life. And you.... reader can substitute the word "world" and put your name in, because He loves you, and would have sent his son for you alone. He wants to look at you on that day and say "innocent".... and why not?... HIS SON PAID THE PRICE! ~the least we can do is live for Him. Commit your life to Him... He is a fair and just Judge.