Members of His Household

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, Ephesians 2:19 NIV

My homemade cheese press contraption

My mother, who is visiting, heard me talking about having a flop day. (A day when you don't do anything of consequence or a day of rest and relaxation.) Our flop day was actually pretty busy so we are going to try to do a better flop day tomorrow. 

Canned Hamburger Meat

Today we washed and dried off the jars from yesterday's canning, processed kefir and the cream cheese that we make from kefir or yogurt. Then we needed to take the car back into the shop because it was still spiking into the red briefly and then going back to normal. The mechanic suggested that we have the cooling system

The Daily Kefir Project

flushed. So while we waited for that to be done, we had a couple of hours to kill.

(Looks like it may have done the trick - car seemed fine driving home.)

Our first attempt at Sushi

 Since my son's birthdays were coming up in September we went looking for things that they might enjoy. Then we came home my mom took a nap and I made red velvet cake (low carb and gluten free) so we could have an early birthday celebration for both boys while my mom is still here.

Red Velvet Cake

  Niah the oldest boy, wanted Sushi for his birthday dinner so he and I worked on our first attempt at making it. Cai has not decided what he wants for his birthday dinner. In our house birthdays are a month long celebration where we try to do special things. 

So presently we are all sitting at the kitchen table. Niah is drawing with the new inks and papers he got and Cai is building a wooden working model of Di Vinci's 15th Century Arial Screw. I've got my lap top and am trying to come up with something that will encourage or inspire you in your walk with the Lord. 

Niah will be 16 Sep 7th  and Cai will be 13 on Sep 27th 

I guess what jumps out to me from today's verse is the idea of being a member of God's household. In my household we try to give gifts that are tools that will help to continue developing useful skills. Niah is very interested in all things art and Cai likes to build things and follow directions. They are both very different in how they approach things. I think as members of God's household there is room for us to each grow and develop. He does not expect us to be exactly alike and to all like the same things. He wired each of us a bit differently.  Even from one family to the next there are differences in what we value and how we approach life even as Christians. Those differences are wonderful. God's desire is for you to be you. He does not desire for us to all be the same. Each of us has a unique relationship with Him. Just because we are members of the same household does not mean we are all exactly alike. As members of the same household there are some things that we hold in common but there is also a lot of room to shine and to use your gifts in a multitude of creative ways. 

Cai is still busy at work building. 

Mom with the pressure canners. 

Me packing hamburger in jars to can. 

In His Grip

Tomorrow we will try for a better flop day. But I have students in the morning and we got big box of tomatoes to can. True flop days are hard to come by.

My oldest son got these wooden manikins as a present and wooden hand that can be posed for drawing. It was not very long before the hand was posed to hold the manikin. It reminds me that God holds us each in His hand.

Prayer: 
I pray that you would live your life fully. That you would also find time to rest and enjoy a flop day now and then. Help us Lord to enjoy each others differences. Help us to not try to transform others into our image but to remember that we are being changed in to your image. If we look at each other we can begin to see how amazing you truly are.  Lord keep us each in your grip.

I thought you might enjoy a peek into my household and some of the things that we are doing. At this point things are winding down for the night. I am thankful to be a member of God's household and I rejoice in the resources and freedom that gives me to be fully alive and totally me.