This morning as Joe and Jessa started out the door for school I was praying for them! My prayer was that they would be a light and grow in their love for the Lord! As I finished praying my thoughts went to Luke 7. The story is about a prostitute who responded to Jesus with extravagant love because she had been forgiven much! The parable that Jesus uses to drive home the incredible lesson is about two men who have debts to be paid to the same moneylender. One owes a tremendous amount more than the other BUT both are pardoned. The question is then presented, "Which one will love the moneylender more?"

Luke 7:37-48 (ESV)

37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

If I am asking the Lord to increase the love that Joe and Jessa have for Him they will have to understand that they have been forgiven MUCH! ! They are not just forgiven for the sins that they have already committed but those that they will commit in the future! That means that they will make mistakes, do wrong things and intentionally sin! As their mom I don't like this method but I personally know that it is the BEST for them in their walk with the Lord.

I heard a D.A.R.E. instructor tell my students in Florida, "You are going to make mistakes, that's how you learn." So when, not if, my children make a mistake I want to use that moment to share Luke 7 with them! The list of sins in II Timothy 3:1-5 will be a hard pill to swallow. However, the more Joe and

Jessa can learn to stand in front of the mirror of God's word the more their love will grow for the one who pardoned them. I want to let them know that there is room to stand by me and share my mirror! We can learn to love Him more together!

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (ESV) 3 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Broken and Spilled Out by Steve Green