"Summa sedes non capit duos"

Translation:   Supreme power cannot be shared.

 I have heard that Roman soldiers recited this, Rome's motto, every day.

Whether or not we choose to acknowledge it,
 GOD IS THE SUPREME POWER (Sorry, Rome!)

and God does not SHARE His power.

We are soldiers in a kingdom which cannot be shaken. We are told to take up our armor, to fight the good fight, to endure hardship as a good soldier; that we are to please Him who enlisted us as a soldier.

 And He who enlisted us is THE SUPREME, ETERNAL KING!

(Of course you knew I was going to tie this into TRUST!)

It seems very comforting to me that I am putting my trust in someone who is SUPREME POWER.
Why wouldn't I? He cannot be deterred, deceived, overthrown. My trust is COMPLETELY safe with Him.

"Supreme power cannot be shared." I think I should recite this every day.

Mercy triumphs over judgment

For the first time in my life I am attending a congregation which regularly has street people visit the worship services.
And I, like most, it appears, am uncomfortable with them. I am not used to being around them. At all.
I feel compelled to greet them, to smile and seem friendly, but I don't want to really engage them in conversation. Why? Because they might need something of me. They might ask me to venture out of my

 comfort zone.

This morning I was challenged by James 2, admonishing us not to show partiality. I believe he really is talking about THESE very same people; this conclusion is inescapable.

 James' summation of the subject is "mercy triumphs over judgment." I get that.

He then continues with the well known dissertation on faith without works being dead.

So.    

 No partiality. No judging. No faith without works.

I think I've got some growing to do in trusting God's wisdom in this area.

KEEP LOOKING UP!!

That's my new slogan.

At our Fall ladies' retreat Andrea encouraged us to choose a life slogan or motto. I've thought about it for months, and while this particular slogan came to me early on, I wasn't sure it was THE one.

Then, a few weeks ago "my" store got some Hallmark wall plaques in with a picture of Snoopy and this slogan. Having been a lifelong Snoop fan, I took this as a sign that yes, this WAS the slogan for me.

(I have a feeling Snoopy will be visiting here often!)

What's your slogan?

Our security in God's perfect love . . .

"THE MORE WE TRUST GOD'S PERFECTION, THE BETTER WE CAN DEAL WITH HUMAN IMPERFECTION. There is no other healthy way to survive life in a broken world. Nothing short of divine love can equip us to love others as we should, for it is our security in God's perfect love that makes it safe to love those who are not perfect."                ~Gary Henry

I have read that statement again and again and each time I do a great wave of . . . relief . . . comes over me.

We do have true security in God's divine love. Try reading those words out loud.

There! Doesn't that feel great!?

Of course, trusting in God's perfection frees us to see our own limitations. And we discover that

                                 we are ALL in the same boat, after all.