Recently, I went to Young Life Camp. One thing that really stuck out to me was that the speaker called sin, “A human disability.” We’re all born with a sin nature. We all have regrets or mistakes in our lives that aren’t humanly possible to fix. When we do things that aren’t pleasing to God, it’s because we’re making ourselves the center of our lives, instead of Jesus.

  Maybe you’ve seen something on television or in a store and thought, ifonly I could afford to have that, then I would be happy. It would make my life so much better. Or how about, if I could just go back and do it over again, I wouldn’t have to feel so guilty. 

            The funny thing is, a lot of times even after we get the thing we were hoping for, we still aren’t happy. If we are happy, it’s only temporary. We’re always looking for someone or something to fill the void. The truth is only Jesus can truly love and forgive us the way we need to be loved and forgiven. Only He can cure us of our real disabilities.

            The speaker said, “Jesus came and died for you and I, so that you could have the life you were meant to have—the life that you really always wanted.” Have you experienced an abundant life?

Please come into my heart and take away my disability: sin.

Amen

Father’s Day is coming up. It reminds me of one of my favorite childhood memories – milkshake night. My father was a busy man. He owned the family business.  It seemed like he never got any time off. When he did get time off, he was really tired. Yet as tired as he was, my sister and I both knew that deep down he really loved us.

Every Saturday night was milkshake night. Our freezer was always filled with tons of ice cream. My sister and I would alternate. One week I would choose the flavor the next week she would choose the flavor. We chose flavors like strawberry, vanilla with chocolate chips, mint and chocolate chip, or just plain chocolate. It was so much fun!

We had an old-fashioned blender. Dad would pull out the blender and stand right beside us. In my case I would grab the spoon, my father would help me scoop up the ice cream, then I would grab the bottle of syrup. He would guide my hands as I squeezed it in until he said, “Okay that’s enough stop.” Dad was there to guide us every step of the way until we were done making the milkshake. Then we got to enjoy the milkshakes together as a family.

Milkshake night was our one-on-one father-daughter bonding time with Dad. If it ever seemed like Dad was so busy that he didn’t have time for his family, milkshake night was his way of reassuring us of his love for us. It was his simple way of saying, “I’m here for you and I love you.”

I was born on February 8, 1983.  My mother couldn’t bring me home right away because of complications at birth. Originally, I was supposed to arrive on April 8, but due to lack of oxygen supply to the brain, doctors had to get me out quickly. I was two months earlier than expected.  No one thought I would live.

             My mother often tells me that my father was the one who set the tone for how the family would handle my disability forever. The minute my mom and dad got a positive report from the doctors that I would live, they also told my parents that I would have to see lots of specialists so that they could closely monitor my condition—whatever it was.  I wasn’t diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy until I was three months old.  Shortly after I was born, my father said, “This is now the normal.”

             He meant that it was going to be normal for our family to go to 10 different doctors, I would go to physical and occupational therapy on a weekly basis, that was the way our life was going to be.  That was okay.  His strong leadership is a huge part of what shaped my character today. Thanks Dad.

Heaven is s a place where everything is perfect and we’ll be reunited with Jesus and our loved ones who were believers. Have you ever wondered what Christmas is like in heaven? The Bible doesn’t tell us, but I’ve found myself pondering the question a lot the past couple years each time Christmas rolls around. 

On December 3, 2007, my Grandma Benson died at the age of 78 of a massive heart attack.  Christmas Eve was at her house.  One of my favorite Christmas memories with Grandma is baking cookies. We made two kinds.  We made sugar cookies with different cookie cutters. We also made peanut butter with Hershey’s kisses in the middle.

Everyone would be around the table talking about how the year had been for everyone and Grandma Benson would be right next to me.  She would sprinkle the dough with sugar and then roll it out.  I would pick up a cookie cutter, she would help me line it up, and then I would press the cookie cutter into the dough.  When we couldn’t fit any more cookies on the dough, we’d scoop them up and put them on a cookie sheet and get another one.  We’d be at it for hours.  We’d make jokes, we’d laugh, she’d ask me how I was doing in school, etc.  It was a good feeling to have Grandma right next to me. We made Christmas cookies this year for the time in years. For the first time, Grandma wasn’t there. 

The thing I love most about cookies, or anything freshly baked is the smell as it’s in the oven! I also love the warm mouth-watering taste it gives my stomach on the inside because it’s so warm. Grandma was such a servant. When she didn’t have anything to give, she gave. I like to think that she is standing alongside Jesus right now preparing a feast for everyone there. I like to picture heaven like a huge bakery.  I can’t wait to share cookies with Grandma in heaven.  The best part is in heaven we won’t have to worry about calories because there won’t be such a thing. Since heaven is a place where everything is perfect, we’ll taste the best cookies ever made!  See you in heaven Grandma!