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Bath Time: The Full Extent of Love
by Cara Hanson

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The first time I gave all three of our kids a bath, I thought, “No wonder my mother was always exhausted!” Bath time is a huge effort, and the process can be grueling: scrubbing bodies, washing hair, lifting kids in and out of the tub, and drying them off. Not to mention the fact that dressing damp children, a miraculous feat similar to covering an eel in shrink-wrap [1], takes the strength of Samson and the patience of Job. I could suddenly relate to the record of Naaman in 2 Kings Chapter 5, when he was told by the prophet Elisha to go wash in the Jordan seven times to cleanse his leprosy. Some days instead of bathing my kids, I just want to tell them, “Oh, just go dunk in the river seven times!” But sometimes love means getting down and dirty.

When Jesus knew that he was about to die, he wanted to give his disciples the ultimate demonstration of love.

John 13:1, 3-5
(1) It was just before the Passover Elisha to go wash in the Jordan seven times to cleanse his leprosy. Some days instead of bathing my kids, I just want to tell them, “Oh, just go dunk in the river seven times!” But sometimes love means getting down and dirty. Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
(3) Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
(4) so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
(5) After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

What was the full extent of his love? Bath time! He was about to wash their feet. In biblical times, they didn’t have paved roads or hiking boots. I imagine that the condition of someone’s feet was somewhat similar to my kids’ when they play barefoot outside in the summertime–they come back in with the entire backyard attached to their feet. Yet here was Jesus, the Messiah, on his knees washing the grimy feet of grown men (yuck).

Not only washing, but drying them with a towel, and it’s not like he could take it to the Laundromat afterward. I think I would have let them air dry. But I wouldn’t make my own children air dry, because I love them. When they emerge from the tub shaking and shivering, their downy hair plastered to their heads like newborn baby chicks, I wrap them in a fluffy towel and hold them close like a mother hen protecting her brood. Jesus went above and beyond the call of duty to make his disciples feel loved.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed when I look at my TO DO list for the week–errands, shopping, cleaning and appointments–and then I think, “There is NO energy left to bathe those kids.” What was Jesus’ TO DO list?

1. Get beaten beyond recognition.
2. Die for the sins of mankind.

That intimidating list didn’t stop him from showing the full extent of his love. Why did Jesus do this? It wasn’t just because they were about to eat and he couldn’t stand their smelly feet!

John 13:14,15 and 17
(14) Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
(15) I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
(17) Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

When Jesus gives us a key to being blessed, we should be taking copious notes. In verse 26 of this record, Jesus gives Judas Iscariot the piece of bread after dipping it in the dish. Wait a minute–errrrrrkkk!–Rewind! Judas was in the room?! No part of the record indicates that Jesus washed everyone else’s feet, yet skipped over Judas’ feet. He washed Judas’ feet, knowing that this was the man who was about to betray him to die a horrible death. I give my kids a bath because I love them, but I don’t invite every kid in the neighborhood and randomly start scrubbing everyone down. But Jesus did not discriminate in his love. He washed even his enemy’s feet, and he did this as an example.

There are times, even with my own children, when there are unpleasant things to clean. So why do I bathe them? Physically, they need to be clean, and emotionally, they need to feel loved. A child who is neglected is usually dirty. But God has cleansed us, His kids, through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:22 states that “…the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Lawfully, it was necessary for Christ to die so that we could be cleansed by his blood. 1 Corinthians 6:11 lists some descriptions of sinners, and then states:

1 Corinthians 6:11
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Peter 3:20 tells us that those on Noah’s ark “were saved through water.” It took forty days and nights of rain to cleanse the earth of the sinful people during Noah’s time. That’s a lot of water, almost as much as it takes to cleanse my boys after playing in the mud. But it took a lot more than that to cleanse us of our sins–the life of Jesus Christ. His BLOOD cleansed us from unrighteousness. Jesus taught his disciples to “dig deep” and bathe each other’s feet. How their hearts must have ached when they saw him hanging on that cross, and in the months and years to come imagine the awe they felt as they realized that the full extent of his love was his voluntary cleansing of their sins by his death. He had asked them to wash each other’s feet, and here he was washing their entire bodies and souls.

After the bath and mealtime in John 13, Jesus gave the disciples a new command–not a suggestion:

John 13:34
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

“As I have loved you” are 5 words that cannot be dismissed. Jesus was setting the standard for love. He didn’t bad-mouth his enemy, Judas; he loved him and washed his feet! I’m sure Judas’ feet didn’t exactly smell like lavender and primroses, and his heart definitely smelled rancid. What was racing through his mind when the man he was about to betray was bestowing such an act of grace and love upon him? Instead of looking at the dirt on other people’s feet and perhaps thinking badly of them, what if we dared to clean them off with love?

There are some who will resist the bath. Peter at first resisted his bath in John 13, until the Lord convinced him otherwise:

John 13:8 and 9
(8) “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
(9) “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

When our daughter Grace was about to receive her first bath, we were ready with the video camera to capture this tender moment. As soon as her body hit the water, she started screaming like a cat caught in a rainstorm. I couldn’t just say, “Oh well, I guess you can bathe when you get to college!” We can’t do that to people. Even when people resist our love, we still need to bathe them with it. It’s good for them, even when they don’t realize it. When our kids don’t want to take a bath, sometimes I have to say, “Honey, there’s a nest of birds in your hair; that’s not good.”

Sometimes after I give our kids a bath, they end up making a huge mess that negates the whole process. The Bible states, “”A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud”” (2 Pet. 2:22). Likewise, a child who is washed goes back to his playing in the mud. So what do I do? Go back to the bath! Isn’t that what happens to all of us? Even though we’ve been cleansed, we go wallowing in the mud again.

1 John 1:9 (KJV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When we confess our sins to God, He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness! (God, I blew it, I’m in the mud again.) He doesn’t need to drag out the soap, bubble bath, rubber ducky, and towels. He has the blood of our savior, Jesus Christ, and He calls, “BATHTIME!”

The Crown has revealed that accused St Thomas killer cop Dwayne Smart had pointed a loaded weapon at a police constable during the confrontation in St Thomas on September 1 in which a pregnant woman was shot dead. Crown counsel Sasha-Marie Smith made the disclosure in the Home Circuit Court this morning while successfully opposing a bail application by Smart’s lawyer Valerie Neita Robertson. Reading from a statement by a Constable Moncrieff, Smith said the policeman was going to the assistance of Corporal Smart during the fracas when the weapon was pointed at him. In the statement, Moncrieff said he became fearful and backed off and that it took the efforts of Smart’s brother who is a district constable for the corporal to hand over his firearm to police. But Smart’s attorney insisted that her client was under attack. Neita Robertson also said the police corporal had a torn shirt to support his claim. However after listening to the arguments, Justice Lloyd Hibbert said given the circumstances, he would not grant bail to Smart. The accused is to return to court on October 16. Smart is charged with murder, wounding with intent, assault, and illegal possession of a firearm. He has been in custody since September 1 following the killing of 27-year-old Kay-Ann Lamont in Yallahs Square, St Thomas. It’s reported that Lamont and the policeman got into an altercation after he attempted to arrest her for using indecent language. During the scuffle, the pregnant woman was shot twice in the head. She died on the spot. Corporal Smart then reportedly shot Lamont’s sister in the shoulder. It’s further reported that he attempted to shoot yet another sister but she escaped after running and hiding.

St Thomas cop pointed gun at his colleague

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Corporal Dwayne Smart charged with murder of a pregnant woman in St Thomas was refused bail this morning in the Home Circuit Court.

Bail was denied based on the circumstances of the case, the presiding judge said.

The court was told this morning that Smart pointed his gun at a colleague who tried restraining him after the woman was shot in Yallahs Square on September 1.

According to the colleague’s statement he cautioned Smart prior to the shooting about the way he was treating the pregnant woman.

Smart told the court that he was attacked by relatives of the pregnant woman and other people in the crowd at Yallahs. He said that his uniform was torn in the process.

Smart appeared in court for the first time Monday since being charged with murder for the shooting death of eight-month pregnant St Thomas resident Kay-Ann Lamont.

He returned to court today when his attorney made bail application on his behalf.

Smart is scheduled to return to court on October 12.

Read more: h

Title: Stalker

Message Body:
This girl went to the extreme over a man that she claims she dont want and dem nuh deh!

The post that u have of Trudy which was posted on the 17th, this is the girl who is behind all of that bs. She snuck into her uncles house when GQ Luke Brayan was asleep and stole his phone, then she proeeded to call trudys phone nonstop that morning with threats and she stated ”my man is falling for u and if i cant hav him nobody cant and im goin to ruin u” Trudy is my friend so we paid it no mind until i got a phonecall saying that her private pics was plastered all over whiteplains rd then on fb, and instagram. This girl is a mother of 2 and this violation of another womans privacy over a man that clearly doesnt want u (luke gave us his facebook password and we read their messages) anymore is very degrading both to herself and her family. I would like the world to know what a woman scorned looks like. She is an ugly bitch insideout. Every girl needs to realize when ur time is up with a man pull urself together and move on cuz nothing u do would not make h im come bac when he done get a proper rub off and a suck off. Something she claims she doesnt do prolly dats why she has 2 kids and no babydaddy stuck around…This chick needs to start suckin some dick!!!

P.S. she’s the one standing on the left

Title: The Carringtons

Message Body:
ok well met this is a follow up on Sandy’s family.Met them family drama tun up !! Sandy is the eldiest of Nervas children i think sheis 40yrs old by now.Sandy does not have a house she however drives a benz truck and has nice looking kids..but mek mi dash out the met sandy (Edited)
Lets move on to Nerva weh think she a bull buck after har drugs money done shi couldnt pay her bills and did haffi carry har truck guh hide a har madda yard suh dem couldnt repo it. mind u har madda is now wearing adult diaper n dem not even waan buy it fi har
then there is jason the boyfriend of chris hardy (pictures attached) jason brite have good job with the jamaican goverment but just have a weaknest fi (Edited)
then there is kimarly who has kids with thiefing ico ice weh wen she found out him marry next gal call ice pon him and mek them dip him and a few yrs later smaddy do the same to ico madda met the file long and mi tyad lol

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Teacher Collapses At School, Dies
Published: Wednesday | September 19, 2012 3 Comments
The Meadowbrook High School community was plunged into mourning yesterday after a male teacher at the institution collapsed and died.

The Gleaner understands that the teacher, 43-year-old Orville Heaven, collapsed while he was teaching his class.

While Principal Michael Peart confirmed the death of the teacher, he was too traumatised to give details about the incident.

“There was an unfortunate happening at the school, but I am not in the frame of mind to speak about it,” Peart said.

As news spread of the death, past students of the institution took to the school’s Facebook fan page to express their sorrow.

“I swear MHS (Meadowbrook High School) need some serious prayers. R.I.P. Mr Heaven, you were a nice teacher,” one person wrote.

“RIP Mr Heaven, although you weren’t one of my teachers, but you were cool, calm and a very people person,” another Facebook fan wrote.

Some responded in shock.

“OMG, is it true Mr Heaven is dead?” one person asked.

“Oh my word,” was the comment from another individual.

Heaven, the last of 14 children, was the brother of W. Billy Heaven, chief executive officer of the CHASE Fund, and Hyacinth Heaven-Harvey, secretary in the communications department at the Ministry of Education.

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