I just made a peach cobbler.  Most any peach cobbler is worth eating in my book, but I did a little something special on this one.  Instead of a plain biscuit or pie crust topping, either of which is outstanding, I rolled the biscuit dough out fairly thin, then spread it with a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, finely diced crystallized ginger, and melted butter, rolled that up jelly roll style and sliced it in one-inch wide circles.  They looked just like cinnamon rolls.  That was my top crust.  As I said, this is not your ordinary peach cobbler.
            I have special touches I add to a lot of things, small nuances that make it just a little better and little different.  Like adding a teaspoon of vanilla to my apple pie filling and sprinkling the top crust with freshly grated cinnamon, throwing a teaspoon each of lemon juice and lemon zest into my blueberry pie filling, rolling my molasses or ginger cookie dough in white sparkling sugar before baking them, adding a chopped jalapeno to my collards, and a tablespoon of red wine vinegar to a Dutch oven full of beans or lentils.  I do those things because I am always looking for ways to make the things I cook for friends and family out of the ordinary.
            I bet you all do things like that with the things that matter most to you.  My mother used to finish all the edges of her seams—the part you never see unless you wear the item inside-out—with a special stitch that kept it from raveling.   And when anyone did happen to inspect her seams they were always impressed with how neat those raw edges looked and marveled that she would take that extra time.
            So here is the thought for the day:  What extra effort do we go to in our offerings to God?  I am afraid that too many of us think that coming in for the Lord's Supper hour on Sunday mornings is the most we really "have" to do.  But could we do something extra for God?  Could we get up an hour earlier or stay an hour later?  And beyond that, could we wake up every morning with the determination to offer him something a little special, a little out of the ordinary in our behavior, in our service to others, in our prayer life, in the way we conduct ourselves out there in the world?  Wouldn't it be great to offer God a taste of a life that has just a little more zeal, a little more devotion, and a little more sacrifice? 
            We will never match the extra he put into our salvation, but wouldn't it be nice of us to try?
            A prayer for the day:  I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you. (1Chr 29:17-18)

Dene Ward

Those of us in North Florida who have been around awhile, know the name "L. A. Mott."  Though he has passed on to his reward, he still might be one of the most respected preachers and teachers in our area, and the entire southeast for that matter.  I have reviewed several of his books before.  This one is the transcription of three lessons he taught in Atlanta in October, 1976, regarding, as the title says, faith as explained and taught in the book of Romans.
            Romans is widely regarded as one of the most difficult epistles.  Part of that is the fact that we spend so much time on "what it doesn't teach" and neglect to let the entire context of the book show us what it does teach.  My husband Keith also does an admirable job with Romans, lessons I have heard over and over, so it was especially interesting to hear brother Mott's approach.  They are very much the same.  While he may barely mention a couple of false doctrines, he spends the majority of his time doing exactly as Keith does—showing what faith is in the context of Romans, not what it isn't. 
            This book is three lessons so I read it in three days.  It is perfectly comprehensible, but the subject matter is not exactly shallow either, so I let each lesson "sit" a day to make sure it jelled.  Otherwise I could have read it in about an hour and a half.
            The last lesson was most appreciated.  Brother Mott deals with the problem of Christians who are "running scared," as he puts it, unsure of their salvation and fretting themselves to death, lying awake worrying at night over whether they are saved or not.  He shows you that this is not the life a Christian should be living, not a life of faith, and tells you how to do otherwise.  I know many who need this.
            Now the difficult part.  Amazon says this book is "temporarily unavailable."  So does Abebooks.  I couldn't even find it on Thriftbooks or Alibris.  You might try calling the Florida College Bookstore, CEI Bookstore, or OneStone.  Even if they don't have it, they might be able to give you a contact.  I hope you can find it, and if you do, enjoy an excellent study.
 
Dene Ward