Winners and some t-shirt theology

I know, it's super weird. I'm posting twice in a week. But I have things to say. First, I wanted to share the WINNERS of the Valentine's week Chrissie Grace Art giveaway.

According to the random.org number generator, Comments #11 and #13 were the winners! That means Leila and Sonia. Guys, please email me (see button on my sidebar) and I'll send your info on to Chrissie so she can get the prints out to you both. Congrats!!

So how did your Valentine's week go? Mine had its pits and peaks, as we like to say around here. But hey. The twenty stem bunch of tulips from the grocery store really made my kitchen a lovely place to be. The peanut MnM's didn't hurt either.

 

My husband got me this super cute card for V-day. Not that I am into smoking. It's a play on words, folks. He knows how much I love pretty much all members of the animal kingdom, and he thinks I'm sorta cute. Double prizes.

Speaking of double prizes, look at these two. I snapped this after they climbed this tree in the front of school while I chatted with another mom. Sometimes their childhood is so moving and beautiful. Those moments flicker by so quickly, the ones when they are wild but not reckless, free but not foolish. Something about children is so pure - not pure like sinless, but pure like natural and unaffected - like we were all supposed to be this way, before everything got messed up.  It's easier to find the holy in kids, I find.

And then there's this shirt. I saw it in a store and stopped. I read it and thought, "Not really." Well, yeah, in heaven it will be. Everything will work out in the VERY end. But I don't think the designer of this shirt was having an eternal perspective. I think he or she was most likely leaning on the positive thinking philosophy. Have you heard that one? "Oh, just think positive and everything will work out." Well, I don't exactly agree with that. Sometimes things don't work out. People don't get well. Stuff breaks. Sometimes my life is NOT amazing, and I can't simply will it into that category. I should not be caught by surprise every time life isn't perfect. The shirt made me ask myself, "Do I have faith enough to stand strong when everything is not amazing?" I hope so. I think so. Do you?

One thing I know for sure is that you need more than positivity to make it through this life. Positivity can't save you anymore than a tee shirt can. If only it were that simple. I posted this photo on Instagram and Meg replied with a cool story. She owns the shirt and had a stranger approach her and ask her if she believed what it said (a skeptic, I presume, like I am). Meg had an awesome opportunity to share her faith with this woman, turning a shirt on positive thinking into a tool for introducing truth and a counter-culture perspective to others. I like that. A lot.

We have promises in the Lord that are just for believers. Romans 8:28 promises that God will cause all things to work out for our good, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Through eyes of faith, that is what this shirt says. The Old Navy translation of Romans 8:28 is just that: Everything will be amazing. Now that I can stand behind.

Especially if I am wearing those green flip flops.