A Day in the Life of Joshua Part 2

After breakfast, I crawl around on the first floor looking for trouble. I know I'm not allowed to touch mommy's flowers in this alcove...shhhh, don't tell on me!

Next I climb on the ottoman that's being used to block the downstairs. I don't actually try to go downstairs, but this very act sometimes gives mommy a heart attack, which I think is funny.Finally, when she's done cleaning up our dishes, I grab my walker toy to get me where I need to go...I head upstairs for the playroom, where all my toys are kept. Mommy & Daddy used to call it the office, but I have definitely taken over!
I'm a big boy and can climb the stairs all by myself. My physical therapist says this is a good exercise for me. Nonie is starting to teach me how to come down by myself (backwards) and last night I showed Daddy how I can fly down the stairs. Both Mommy & Daddy laughed and laughed - I put on quite the show. I'm coming!!!

I made it to the top!!! Hooray for me!!! Once we get to the playroom, it's time to do my morning ritual. I pause for a moment to grunt...
Uh-oh! I made a mess! (I'm starting to say "Uh oh" now and it's too cute! I really emphasize the "Uh.") Mommy comes to my rescue with a fresh diaper.Then it's time to read. I'm holding my favorite book, full of all sorts of new words & pictures. Mommy reads it to me almost everyday, and we go over colors and animal sounds, etc.Then, of course, I have to pose for a million bazillion pictures. Now, it's time to work. Mommy needs her time at the computer to write and grade papers while I play some more. Daddy gave me my own mouse and keyboard so I can work too!

I'ts important that you touch that key!I'm really getting the hang of this! Mommy's done with work! It's time to go eat lunch. I will get my walker toy to get over to my high chair.

Do we really need a picture while I have milk on my chin? Truly?If so, I guess I'll give you my handsome smile! Thanks for a tasty lunch!Now it's time to walk back the hallway to my bedroom. Oh wait, I'm heading the wrong direction! I eventually make it to my crib for a nap. I absolutely LOVE my blankie. That shows me it's time to sleep. And, we can't forget my friend froggy that Miss Suzy got for me!I'm awake! It's time to play some more! Hooray for my ability to walk with a toy! I'm now steering the walker toys to get around and around and around. I don't get as frustrated because I don't run into as many things. I'll stand there and all but lift the toy to be in the correct direction. Yet, I still won't walk without it...soon, Mommy thinks. Truly, I would only be a year old on November 6 if I would have waited to come till the due date. We play the rest of the day away, even when Dada gets home.

Then we start getting ready for bed. There's a bedtime story from the Bible.A snack (and no, I'm not usually sitting at the breakfast bar like a big boy!)

Then it's bath time fun! I love getting a bath and playing in the water. Hooray!

Sometimes I even try to stand in the tub and throw my toys out, just to say "Uh oh!" It was cute at first...not so much anymore!

Then it's a few more moments with Mommy & Daddy in my PJ's before I go to my crib and call it a night.

Good night!

Halloween Fun

Saturday we took Joshua around to any and all family members who were home (in this area, of course)...

We started at Nonie & Poppy's house in Reading...

Aunt Alicia & Jordon came over. Jordon's my buddy...oh wait, Buddy's the dog that I love... Jordon's my friend.

From there we went to Uncle Brian, Aunt Gayle & Cousin Grant's house. In this picture, Grant was eating grapes, but he also surprised us by eating dog food while we were there. We finally remembered to give Uncle Brian his birthday gift! Next it was onto Aunt Jen's house. Uncle Mike wasn't home and Emma & Daniel were sleeping, but I got to see Grace & Faith! When we left there, we called Grandma & took over a pizza to share with her and Grandpa Jamie. I tried to see Aunt Becky & Uncle Tim while we were in Leola, but she still had her cold and I don't want to get sick. We'll hopefully see you another time! Aunt Missy & Uncle Kevin weren't home, either. We tried to get them Saturday and Sunday with no success. I got to see them with Daddy another time, but I didn't have my froggy costume on, and I didn't get to see the puppies.On Sunday, my cousins stopped in. There was Daniel (the lion!), Gracie (the Ballerina), Emma (the M&M) and Faith (the cow, who kept showing us that she had a tail). Of course I put my costume back on so we could get some pictures together.We also saw Cousin Grant in his gorilla costume tonight and Mommy & Daddy forgot to grab the camera. They were too excited with the trick-or-treaters coming to the house...a lot less this year than previous years though. It was still a fun night. Hope you all enjoyed it!

Trick-or-Treat

Trick-or-Treat...

Smell My Feet...

Give Me Something Good to Eat...
If You Don't...

I Won't Be Sad...

I'll Just Make You...

Wish You Had!

Ribbit, Ribbit...That's Froggy for TRICK-OR-TREAT!

Miss Laura from the Schreiber Center gave me a Halloween bag filled with yogurt covered dried fruit snacks & animal crackers...I love them!
While I don't need any other tricks or treats, I think this costume is WAY cool! I am stylin'!

This morning's readings

Ephesians 5
Wake Up from Your Sleep
1-2Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

11-16Don't waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It's a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. Wake up from your sleep, Climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light!So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!
17Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.
18-20Don't drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.

Relationships
21Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.

Romans 14
Cultivating Good Relationships
1 Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.

2-4For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.

5Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.

6-9What's important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God's sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you're a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It's God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.

10-12So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren't going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:
"As I live and breathe," God says,
"every knee will bow before me;
Every tongue will tell the honest truth
that I and only I am God."
So tend to your knitting. You've got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.

13-14Forget about deciding what's right for each other. Here's what you need to be concerned about: that you don't get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. I'm convinced—Jesus convinced me!—that everything as it is in itself is holy. We, of course, by the way we treat it or talk about it, can contaminate it.

15-16If you confuse others by making a big issue over what they eat or don't eat, you're no longer a companion with them in love, are you? These, remember, are persons for whom Christ died. Would you risk sending them to hell over an item in their diet? Don't you dare let a piece of God-blessed food become an occasion of soul-poisoning!

17-18God's kingdom isn't a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness' sake. It's what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you'll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.

19-21So let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault. You're certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God's work among you, are you? I said it before and I'll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don't eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.

22-23Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others. You're fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you're not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe—some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them—then you know that you're out of line. If the way you live isn't consistent with what you believe, then it's wrong.

Rainy Daze

Yesterday was chilly, rainy and gray outside. It felt like a good day to stay in and bake something. Unfortunately, our cupboards and fridge were bare. I had already cleaned my entire house this weekend, including bathrooms, mopping, etc. So, after lunch I packed up Joshua and we headed to Provident & Giant. He was sounding very wheezy when I put him in the car, so I got out his inhaler & mask and gave him a treatment right then and there. He hates it, but he sounded like he could breathe easier once I did. From there we went to Provident to buy pastor appreciation cards. This was the second round of cards because Shawn had accidentally thrown the first bag away, which also had Thanksgiving cards in it for Grandma Kennel & Grandpa Georgia. Whoops! As I stood in line with Joshua, everyone was oohing and awwing at how cute he was. He could have cared less. All the sudden he declared "DOG!" I gently said, I don't see a doggy in here, sweetie pie. The woman in front of me turned around and showed me the book she was holding. Again, Joshua said "DOG!" and on the cover were the "Twelve Dogs of Christmas" complete with pictures of puppies & dogs. Could he have seen her book? I think maybe he did.

We then went to Giant. I absolutely hate grocery shopping to begin with, and having Joshua in public can be an adventure in and of itself. Our trip started with me clipping him into a cart and taking off...only to find that once again I got a cart with a half-immovable & very-squeeky wheel. I didn't care this time, though. He hadn't protested to me putting him in it, and I wasn't going to take my chances on trying to get another one. My theory is that every cart in America must operate this way...at least when I get them. Other than that, thought, my shopping trip was EXCELLENT! I found just about everything I needed on my list and Joshua was an angel the whole time. In each aisle, I'd let him play with something else I was buying from a can of green beans to a bag of pretzels, etc. When he'd throw it out of the cart, I'd pick it up and put it in the back and find something else for him to examine. That kept him quiet the entire time, and I had lots to get.

I can't believe how busy the grocery store was on a rainy Thursday afternoon. You would have thought the weather channel had declared blizzard on a Saturday morning. It was a zoo! I had to bag my own groceries - I guess the $125+ that I spent didn't earn me the right to customer service - but I didn't mind because that let me keep all my cold things together, frozen things together, pantry things together, etc. and I didn't make any bags so full that the handles would break. Again, people swarmed Joshua to say how handsome he was and he looked at me like, "are you ready yet?"

When we got home, I put him in his crib before unloading the car. By the time I was in with all the bags, he had nodded off to sleep. From there I unpacked and put away everything and started baking. First I made Grandma Ginder's butter, garlic & onion pretzels...mmmm! Then I started chocolate chip cookies. These did not turn out so well...I think the recipe called for too much flour, which I made note of for next time I make them. When Joshua woke up, I brought him down to the kitchen with some toys and he played while I continued to bake. Shawn didn't get home until almost 7 pm, later than I was expecting...with his own full load of groceries. I had already fed Joshua his supper and was going to cook for us, but I ate too much cookie dough and Shawn had so many cookies that neither of us were hungry. It was almost 8:30 when I cleaned up the last speck on the kitchen counter. So, I took Joshua upstairs for his bath and Shawn went back out...we had both missed getting diapers. Shawn took out the trash (thank you, my love!) and I got Joshua ready for bed. After his breathing treatment, he cuddled up with his blanket in his crib and fell asleep while we watched a little TV and nodded off ourselves. It was a busy day of doing what felt like nothing real productive. But I was thoroughly exhausted. It must be the rain.

Negative...A Good Thing!

I just couldn't stand it anymore. Everything I've read on Celiac Disease sounded like Joshua...including typical congenitive malformations. I was going crazy, asking myself if I should be giving him cheerios and bread and other normal things he eats. This morning I gave it to the Lord and thought I just need to know either way. So, I called and left a message for Dr. Devenyi's office. Within an hour, his nurse called me back. She said they hadn't received the results yet, but because I told her I was having a hard time sleeping over it, she went and looked it up. It's NEGATIVE! Praise God!

Things that make you go hmmm....

Yesterday as I was driving to school, I was feeling kind of bummed about my day, which had been rough. I was playing the Jeremy Riddle CD in my car. I decided I was tired of the song so I hit the "FM" button. The station it was on was WJTL, playing Jeremy Riddle. As if that weren't bizarre enough, it was not only the same song...it was the SAME EXACT MOMENT in the song. With a short hiccup from the button being pressed, the same beat, note, word was sung as would have been if I would have let the CD continue. Weird! My next weird moment was just a few moments ago. This evening we went to Grandma Stoltzfus' house for dinner, and I took over homemade brownies. When we were leaving their house, I thought to myself, "Did I turn off the curling iron?" This curling iron is so old, the heating element is broken and it gets hotter and hotter, which I LOVE for my hair because it really works. But, the on/off switch is also broken. It takes a long time of trying to get a pin just right to turn it on, and to turn it off, I simply pull the plug. Anyway, I reassured myself that even though I didn't remember doing it, I normally do it out of habit and I wouldn't have gone so far away for so long and left it burning. Well, I didn't remember again until just now. We got in the door and put things away and changed Joshua into his PJ's and then I went into the master bathroom to get changed. There to my dismay was the curling iron still plugged in. I gasped, shocked that our house hadn't burned down. But, to my genuine shock, it was turned off. Shawn shrugged and said that it must turn off on its own when it reaches a certain temperature, but this thing is too old and too broken to do that. I've seen it start to smoke and make all sorts of noise before where I've pulled the plug... Again, weird! It must have been an angel turning it off for us so our house remained in tact. Thank God!

This afternoon Joshua had physical therapy, and Laura from Schreiber disagreed with Dr. Hoshauer's expecting him to know animals, shapes and colors by 15-months. According to all their charts, there's a wide range that's considered perfectly normal that doesn't even start with 15 months, and she thinks Joshua is doing super! She always tells me how much he reminds her of her son, who was born around the same time as Joshua (just a year earlier) and developed pretty much at the same exact rate as the Bean. That made me breathe a sigh of relief. I think what we need to work on now, or at least start, is encouraging obedience...something the Lord is still teaching me to this day. Hmmm...

Down

We had a great weekend. On Saturday we went to Mike Hartmann's 30th birthday bash while my mom watched Joshua, and it was a great time of seeing some old friends. We left fairly early but that was okay - it's part of having a Bean. On Sunday afternoon, Shawn was in charge of an appreciation luncheon for the A/V team which was held at Fiorentino's after church. We love the guys on the team, so it was also a fun time of us getting out and Joshua having fun at Grandma's again (thanks, Mom, for your willingness to spend time with Joshua!). It's so nice that Grandma & Nonie live so close and enjoy seeing Joshua! Grandma & Grandpa Ginder also stopped in this afternoon to see the Bean.

Today overall, though, was not fun. This morning we had our follow-up with Dr. Devenyi first thing, so I woke up earlier than normal to get Joshua & me ready to go there. In the waiting room, we read One-Fish, Two-Fish by Dr. Zeuss which was a nice treat. Then, we FINALLY got to go back and see the doctor. Joshua now weighs 21.4 lbs, still less than he weighed at his one-year check-up on 9/28. According to Dr. Devenyi, there were "17" eosinophils in the biopsy report. A reading of 20 or higher would indicate that this is an allergic reaction. So, at this time we're treating it as straight reflux. He said, though, that 20 is sort of an arbitrary number - 21 would indicate allergies and 19 wouldn't but they're really close. So, there are some there to be concerned. To read more about eosinophils, click here. So, for now we're not treating this as an allergy, but he said that we still have to monitor what happens and be concious that they're not completely ruling out the possibility. We double Joshua's medicine and change the way we give it to him for three months and then go back, when he might possibly have to do another procedure to look again. ANOTHER PROCEDURE!!! Ugh!

Then, Dr. Devenyi sent us for more bloodwork. He said that they saw something "borderline" with his small intestine that could relate to Celiac Disease, which is an intolerance for gluten that is found in wheat, rye and barley. To read more on Celiac Disease, click here. He said that it's probably nothing to worry about, but they can't ignore any possibility. So, from there we went to get the bloodwork done. Again, Joshua had multiple needles since they can never find his veins. Ugh! I don't have a follow-up scheduled with Dr. Devenyi until January, so I'll find the results out on 10/31 at the pediatrician unless the news is bad and someone catches it earlier and calls us (who knows?). I'm praying that this is not the case. I know people with this, and they...well, let's just say it's not good.

If it's straight reflux, which is how we're proceeding at this point based on all the "borderline" or "unclear" findings, it's something Joshua could very well outgrow, which is what I'm hoping and praying for. Dr. Devenyi also noted that asthma is related to reflux and allergies, so it's important what goes on with his breathing in the next three months, too. With only having 1.5 lungs to begin with, if he continues to be wheezy, it could be a symptom of further complications. It's hard to tell... They gave us some information (very basic, very not-necessarily-helpful) on Reflux and sent us on our way with a new prescription for medicine. Please continue to pray for Joshua and his complete healing!

I'll end this post with a Joshua story from moments ago, according to Shawn... It's not nearly as funny as sitting here in person, though, because you can't get the true sense of Shawn's annoyed voice. First, Shawn never gets really upset over anything...he's almost too easy-going. But, I heard him yell, "DOWN!" to Joshua. And then I heard him talking in a more annoyed voice about obedience. He came into the room I was in, and with an exasperated voice he told me that when he said "Down!" Joshua bellowed back to him, "YOU down!" I only laughed because Joshua was out of earshot. Disobedience is not funny, but sometimes he's so darn cute!

A Day in the Life of Joshua

First things first, it's potty time! While I get my diaper changed when I wake up, I also LOVE flushing the toilet any time I can escape into the bathroom. I don't stop at one flush...I like the idea of that blue "1,000 FLUSHES!"Next, in keeping with Mommy & Daddy, we step right onto the scale. No change! I still weigh 20 lbs...the same I've weighed now for months! Next we'll brush my teeth... Then I get to give Dadda a kiss goodbye. You wouldn't know it from the picture below, but Dadda is cracking me up here. (Mommy can't figure out how to make the picture take quicker - it's on the fastest shutter speed, but it takes forever to snap when she pushes in the button. Stupid new "improved" camera!)
Then, it's time for my breathing treatments. Until I'm done with this cold and it's nasty cough, I have to have breathing help every four hours. The only way I don't scream & throw a royal fit (since it seems like they are trying to suffocate me with a goofy fish-mask) is by being cuddled on Mommy's lap while watching a video. And not just any video, as Mommy found out yesterday, but my video on shapes & colors that makes me laugh. Even with the video, I'm less than calm, but it doesn't quite feel like torture then. This morning, though, I was really, really coughing and couldn't wait to hop into Mommy's lap as she was putting the medicine in the machine...I surprise her all the time.
Next it's time for breakfast. Before I can eat, I get a 3 ML dose of steroids to improve my lung strength. But, I don't like being given medicine from a syringe. Thankfully, this morning was the last dose. Then, I get my prevacid sprinkled on a spoonful of applesauce. I don't care for taking this one either, but the applesauce makes it a little more tolerable. Then I get my treat - Cheerios - hooray! Mommy gives me a few of these to keep me happy while she prepares breakfast. Yesterday it was scrambled eggs. YUCK! I didn't even finish the first bite, so she gave me a banana to munch on. This morning it was french toast. I didn't finish the whole piece, but it was tasty. I drink a whole sippy cup of milk with breakfast. Mmmmm.... My favorite thing to do is throw everything on the floor, which upsets Mommy. But, she picks everything up, which keeps the game going. After we're finished, she puts the dishes here...

She puts me down to roam and play while she finishes cleaning up and washing her skillets by hand. That lets me peek into all the cupboards and make sure nothing was taken overnight by the groundhog that lives in our backyard.

Don't worry, Mommy, I'm not going to get into anything bad...
I think everything's still here...do you need the dishwasher detergent?

After I'm shooed away from cupboards I shouldn't be into like this one, I find my way to the ones filled with plastic that I can play with and I cruise around holding onto the cabinet doors. When Mommy's finished, it's time to go upstairs to get dressed and start to play.

And, what day would be complete without a picture of me?

The End of "Day in the Life of Joshua - Part One"

The Luggage You Took to the Altar

Yesterday I was making eggs for Joshua & me for breakfast (of which he ate none, but I figured it was worth a shot) with the radio on, as usual. Normally when the "special guest" comes on in the morning, I groan since I'd rather listen to music than someone talking (even though I've set these "special guest" appointments up for my church's conference and some marketing clients). Anyway, yesterday the talking had the opposite effect.

They had an author on there talking about a book he wrote and some of the principles that were written in the book. He wrote that everyone brings their own "luggage" to the altar, the contents of which typically come out the first day of the honeymoon or could even wait until the first full week of marriage. He said that he married a sinner...and his wife married a sinner. We're all sinners! This sin is what rips apart marriages. And once we recognize that, we can begin to see the root of problems in relationships rather than playing the blame game. He talked about the scripture "don't wipe the speck out of your neighbors eye until you get the plank out of your own" and likened that to how you treat your spouse - if your marriage is rocky, you have no further to look than your own behavior or heart issues. Then, he talked about showing mercy to one another and referenced Luke 6.

I thought his talk was so good that when we were done with breakfast, I sat with Joshua on the rocking chair to read Luke 6 from the Message (he lasted about half way through before wanting to get down to play, but he stayed right next to me as he examined things in his room). When I was in tenth grade, I participated in Bible quizzing, and the beginning of Luke was what we memorized. However, written in the Message it took on new phrasing and new meaning. I got a lot out of it, and I highlighted parts that seemed to be "highlighted" for me. I thought about how I bawled the night that I had Joshua in the doctor's office again and they said he couldn't breath, but I was okay the next day. I'm not saying I was happy, but there's a difference between happy and the joy of the Lord, which is our strength. And then as I continued to read, I especially felt the "ouch" when I read "you're true being brims over into your speech and deeds..." Hmmm...food for thought.

Luke 6

You're Blessed

17-21Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon. They had come both to hear him and to be cured of their ailments. Those disturbed by evil spirits were healed. Everyone was trying to touch him—so much energy surging from him, so many people healed!

Then he spoke:

You're blessed when you've lost it all.

God's kingdom is there for the finding.

You're blessed when you're ravenously hungry.

Then you're ready for the Messianic meal.

You're blessed when the tears flow freely.

Joy comes with the morning.

22-23"Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don't like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this.

Give Away Your Life

24But it's trouble ahead if you think you have it made. What you have is all you'll ever get.
25And it's trouble ahead if you're satisfied with yourself. Your selfwill not satisfy you for long. And it's trouble ahead if you think life's all fun and games. There's suffering to be met, and you're going to meet it.
26"There's trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.
27-30"To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
31-34"Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that's charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.
35-36"I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.
37-38"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don't condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity."
39-40He quoted a proverb: "'Can a blind man guide a blind man?' Wouldn't they both end up in the ditch? An apprentice doesn't lecture the master. The point is to be careful who you follow as your teacher.
41-42"It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this I-know-better-than-you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

Work the Words into Your Life

43-45"You don't get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It's who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.
46-47"Why are you so polite with me, always saying 'Yes, sir,' and 'That's right, sir,' but never doing a thing I tell you? These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on.
48-49"If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a dumb carpenter who built a house but skipped the foundation. When the swollen river came crashing in, it collapsed like a house of cards. It was a total loss."