Salsa Versus Salt

Several years ago, I attended a ladies function. The theme was “Be the Salsa of the Earth.” This was taken from the salt reference in Matthew chapter 5. Everything was decorated with a fiesta theme and some delicious Mexican food was served. All was very festive and everyone had a lot of fun. I had some reservations back then about the twist in the theme and over the years a nagging concern has lingered.

In this day and age we tend to try and make everything pleasing, fun, and relevant. This often waters down the Word of God. You may be thinking that I am over reacting but I have learned in recent years that words really do mean a lot. I am not the most articulate person in the world but I attempt to use words accurately. I fully admit that I do often fail.

Is there really a problem in using the fun and the idea of salsa instead of salt? I would venture to say yes! God uses the words he does for a reason. Salsa is a fun theme. It is festive, fun, colorful and adds spice to life. As Christians are we to be festive, fun, colorful and add spice to life? Yes, but salt gives a much fuller and important meaning and message than salsa.

Salt may not be much to look at, it may not be festive, fun, or colorful. It does however still add spice to life. In fact salt is essential to life. Salt may seem plain but I know that those who have helped me through tough times and caused me to learn and to grow up in the Lord have not been the ones always looking for fun. They have often been plain, studious, and committed to our Sovereign Lord. They have never felt that the Word needed any more flare than God gave it. Those who often seek fun and entertainment tend to grow lean when a brother or sister in Christ is in need. It is not fun to weep with those who weep. It is good to have others to rejoice with but a “salty” person will remain and weep with those who weep.

Often (not always) striving for fun, festive, colorful, and entertaining comes at a cost. The Word is watered down. God has always used the minority, not the crowd. Do we seek to fit in with the masses who lean toward the culture? Unfortunately, this is a common trend in many churches today. Or are we living lives that are distinctly different from the world? Do others see the difference God makes in our lives? Does the cultural Christian see the difference? The life committed to being salt and light is prised and valued by God.

Salt is a preservative. Salsa will mold and rot but salt preserves things. Christ has called us to be world changers. He has invested in us purpose and value. We are to be an element in this world that slows and prevents the rotting and decaying that results from sin.

Salt is valuable. In the Roman Empire it was how the soldiers were paid. When they didn’t get enough of their salt ration, they rioted. It was their income, their salary – “salt money”. This is where the saying, “He isn’t worth his salt,” originated.

Jesus invested value in those disciples with this statement calling them the salt of the earth. Humanity has the seed of rotting and decay. Modern science has tried to fix it through economics and genetic engineering. God’s remedy is you and me, Christians sharing His Gospel and truth.

Here are a few more references and uses for salt.

Lev 2:13 – Sign of the binding of a contract.
2 Kings 2:20 – Healing agent with a cleansing effect.
Mark 9:50(15) – Promotes peace.
Colossians 4:6 – Evidence of grace.
Job 6:6 – Stimulates the appetite.
Luke 14:34 – Stimulates our testimony.

Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”

Fruit of the Spirit

I have been honored to be selected to display the Fruit of the Spirit graphic on my blog and I will strive to continue to live up to what it represents.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote about the fruit of the Spirit ~ love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The Fruit of the Spirit graphic was developed in an effort to recognize bloggers whose writings and postings in the blogosphere give us a glimpse of this fruit in their lives.

There are many blogger and non-bloggers alike who have agreed to partner together in recognizing and honoring those whose writings, postings and lives exemplify how God works in and through His people. When we recognize Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit resides within us. It is the Holy Spirit who produces fruit in our lives ~ but He has also given us the honor and the duty of recognizing the fruit in other believers.

I welcome your help in spreading this “blessing” thoughout the blogosphere. If there’s a particular blog you believe reflects the fruit of the Spirit, please email Trish containing a link to that blog. Also, please include a sentence or two regarding your thoughts as to why/how that particular blog reflects the fruit of the Spirit.

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:24

You Might be a Large Family If………

1. You take up a whole pew at church.
2. When you laugh and shake your head at so called “family-sized” products.
3. Cheaper by the Dozen is one of your favorite movies.
4. You buy milk 5 gallons at a time.
5. You need a minimum of 2 carts in the grocery store.
6. The children are lonely when there are only 4 of them home.
7. People ask “are they all yours?”
8. You leave half of the children home when you shop, and people still ask if they’re all yours.
9. You own at least three sets of bunkbeds.
10. Your grocery budget resembles your house payment.
11. You just really wish people would not think they were clever for saying, “Don’t you know what causes that?”
12. You have forgotten how many times you have been asked, “Are you Mormon or Catholic?”
13. When you see photos of castles and grand mansions, all you can think is how many bedrooms it has (YES!), and how much space all those other rooms provide for the kids to mess up (NO WAY!).

Wordless Wednesday

Weblink Wednesday – Special Needs

This week Miss Valerie asked for some special needs resources so that is what I have listed. I hope they are useful to you. Check out more of the links at Weblink Wednesday.

NATHHAN National Challenged Homeschoolers Associated Network
Christian Families Homeschooling Special Needs Children

What is ADHD . . . of the Christian Kind?

The Institute for Multi-Sensory Education – ideal for dyslexia.

AVKO Educational Resource….ideal for learning disabilities.

Rejoicing!

As you all know I am a momma to many children. I consider each one a blessing and a gift from the Lord. They are great gifts which are a great responsibility. This is a responsibility my husband and I take very seriously. Several of my regular readers have read about how my husband and I view children and the Lord God’s sovereignty in this area of our lives. If you have not read our testimony, please take a moment to read about our journey. After you read it, please come back and comment here…..

Announcing #9……..
Three in a row and a positive blood test too!

Psalm 127:3
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Malachi 2:15a
Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring.

Praise be to God! Thank you Lord!