Sam-isms

Sam is becoming such a little boy. And getting more and more of a personality. These are some of my favourite things about him:

• We've taught him about kissing his owies better. Now, whenever he hurts himself, he'll instantly come over and bring the hurt body part to our lips. And then he's fine. Done. Yesterday he hurt his finger on something, and was crying so hard he was hardly breathing. I picked him up to soothe him, and right away he shoved his little hand to my mouth. I kissed his hand, and then he wanted "doowwwwn", and promptly left to play.
• We do the "clean up" song. Sam's version sounds more like "pin tah, pin tah". Cute.
• Bread, and all types of bread products are "bundy".
• He loves playing on Kris and my "bet" (bed). He used to call it "bep". He constantly asks to go up there. When he was a baby, we'd always hang out on our bed, the three of us, playing and visiting before he went to bed. I wonder if that's why he likes being up there so much, because he knows it's special times.
• He really watches what I do. One day, I found him offering my plant some of his water from his sippy cup. And he was making little smacking sounds, like I do when he offers it to me and I pretend to drink out of it.
• Sometimes I catch him quietly looking at his books. Now he has started talking while he does it, as if he is reading.
• He loves to count, "one, two". He'll often say it before he jumps or throws something.
• Sam really loves when Kris and I are both home. He'll often say "mommy, daddy" quickly, over and over again, and it's like he's just reveling in having both of us at his disposal. I'm glad he likes us.
• Sam will now say "I love you" back. It comes out like "I luh", and it's one of the most precious things my ears have heard.

This stage is a busy one. And it's a fun one. It is so fun watching Sam discover things, and learn how to communicate, and just be a little boy. There is just so much joy in him. I love that he is just a child and doesn't have any other worry. It amazes me how much trust he has. And it amazes me that at the end of a busy day, he just takes a deep breath, rubs his eyes, and drifts off to sleep. All things in Sam's world are right, and he feels safe, secure, and looked after. And that's all that matters to him.

Oh, to become a little child again! :)

I'm confused

I had a discussion with someone recently about some heavy, confusing stuff. Here's the background:

I believe that my God is a good, gracious, and loving God. He loves us and wants us just the way we are. I often think that when we enter heaven, that there will be a moment where we will be held accountable for our lives on earth and what we chose to do with them. Not that we do those things to earn our salvation, or do it for the motive of working for God's love, but that we should be thinking of how we are to answer to God when we meet him. Does that make sense?

The person I spoke with was very adamant about how we don't live under the law anymore, and that while we should be feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc. (Matthew 25), we won't ever be judged or held accountable for whether or not we do those things.

As a side note, I'm really starting to realize how often believers pass off the "Old Testament" as just that - outdated, irrelevant. I know we do not LIVE under the law anymore, but there are some really beautiful guidelines and promises that I think would be GREAT if we lived out today. I love how Shane Claiborne (or was it Rob Bell? That is the problem with reading 2 books at once... but I think they both talk about this anyways...) refers to the OT as the "Hebrew Scriptures" instead.

Anyways, so then I brought up the sheep and goats idea, also from Matthew 25. She and another lady sitting there were both very firm about the fact that that doesn't apply to Christians at all. I said, "of course it does!" They informed me that the context of it implies that it is talking about the world, not believers. However, upon looking when I got home, it simply says "the nations", and nowhere does Jesus talk about "believing in him" as one of the requirements for not being a goat. I really believe it is US believers who are going to be separated. Why would the world be worried about feeding/clothing/helping Jesus? (Although truth be told, they often do a better job of it.) It is US who are supposed to be doing those things. And to be really blunt, I believe it is folly to think that just being a believer automatically makes you a sheep.

Then we got into the whole "true faith produces works" side of it. She believes that a genuine faith would, by nature, produce the works in Matthew 25. I said that I know tons of Christians, who I don't doubt love and believe in Jesus, who aren't producing that fruit (including myself, at more times than I'd like to admit). It's totally possible. It's an issue of listening to the Holy Spirit and letting it change you. It's about maturity. And those are the things that make sheep or goats.

So maybe I'm totally off here. I've been wrong before, so it's possible to be wrong again! I'm pretty sure that I'm on the right track, but I'd love your opinion. Is it believers who will be subject to the sheep/goat judgement, or are we exempt based purely on our beliefs? I have a hard time buying that, but I'd like to know if that's the case. I'd love to hear some thoughts.