[Kelly]

This will be a contest to see who can come up with the best devotionals and submit them here. Here is the contest outline:

(1) All devotionals submitted must be original works of the contestant.

(2) All submissions must be in no later than 9:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on Sunday, March 18th.

(3) There is no limit to the number of devotionals that may be submitted per contestant; however, only ONE devotional entry will be selected as the winner.

(4) The contest winner will be announced, most likely, on Monday, March 19th.

(5) The contest winner will get to select their prize from one of the following: a Christian cd of their choice, a capo, a guitar strap or a tuner (please keep in mind that the guitar accessories will be in the price range of $15-20...the same price as a cd)

I hope this will be very inspiring to you guys. I am sure you guys can come up with LOTS of great devotionals and inspirational works to share with everyone. I am personally looking very forward to seeing what everyone has to say. This is definitely a challenge to get those creative juices flowing because I feel VERY certain that you guys out there have lots of great ideas.

So, let the contest begin!

And, thanks to Ian Lozada for the contest idea.

Good luck!

Peace...
IHPL,
Kelly

[muddyart]

John 13:6-10a, "He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, 'Lord, are you going to wash my feet?' Jesus replied, 'You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.' 'No,' said Peter, 'you shall never wash my feet.' Jesus answered, 'Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.' 'Then, Lord,' Simon Peter replied, 'not just my feet, but my hands and my head as well!' Jesus answered, 'A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.'"

alright...now i know this passage is normally looked at as an example of how to humble yourself and serve others...but i gained a new perspective after reading it again the other night. i looked at this from peter's point of view. peter knew that Jesus was Lord. he was baffled that Christ would want to wash his feet, and he almost refused because he was too stubborn. when Jesus told him he could have no part with Him unless Jesus washed his feet, he was quick to reply with "wash me all over then!". Jesus told peter that he did not need to be washed all over for he was already clean from his bath; he needed only to wash his feet. back in those days, men bathed before leaving home and put on their best clothes. then, on the way to their destination, their feet would become filthy from the walk. when they entered the place they were gathering at, servants would be ready with a basin of water and a towel to wash their feet. they would once again become clean--but not before someone else saw the filth on their feet and helped them wash it off. i think God intends for us to let someone else see the filth; to have at least one other person that we can tell all of our struggles and secret fears to; to let down that wall in front of someone and be able to be broken around them; to confess our sins. God is surely all we need; faithful and sufficient enough for everyone in this world!-but i think He wants us to show someone else the filth as well. it's not an easy road to walk down, and i'm sure He doesn't intend for us to walk it alone on this earth. sometimes we may walk through the valley, and perhaps if we are too dependent on people, He will take us through a time where we are forced to turn to Him alone...but i do believe the body of Christ is here for a reason. and maybe, just maybe, if people wouldn't gasp in disgust every time they see that filth of someone else, we'd spend more time lifting each other up in Christ and a lot less time tearing down our own members. peter had to humble himself in a way; he swallowed his pride. what did he get in return? he got an intimate moment with Jesus in which He lovingly washed away the filth.