SHINE JESUS SHINE... IN THE MIDST OF THE DARKNESS... FROM JARS OF CLAY...

MEDITATION MONDAY

&

GRATITUESDAY

As I approach the end of the my semester, my time online will be limited. There will be days that I will need to combine my posts. I must say that, for me, this post might be sufficient for the next few weeks, months, and years for me to meditate on. Let me share with you why. It includes a few of my FAVORITE THINGS!

1. ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS: How JESUS lived out what He taught - specifically His teachings on the SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

As I "walked" through Christ's last week, on this blog - I was convicted! He was neck deep in people on His way to the cross. His attitude towards those people was not one of indifference, even though He knew it was crunch time. I saw Him shine! He did shine loud and clear:

1. His humility!

2. His focus on His objective - to rescue humanity!

3. His willingness to be led by the Father!

4. His hunger and thirst to do that which was right... righteous...

5. His grace and mercy to all those He came in contact with and even those who He didn't...

Oh, how I love how He shines in that last week!!! He illuminated those first five BEATTITUDES - didn't He?!?!!!

.

2. ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS: Our theme song of this week - SHINE JESUS SHINE!

Lord the Light or Your Love is shining,
In the midst of the darkness shining,
Jesus light of the world shine upon us,
Set us free by the truth You now bring us,
Shine on me. Shine on me.

.
Shine Jesus shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit blaze,
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river flow
Flood the nations with grace and MERCY
Send forth Your word
Lord and let there be light.
.

Lord I come to Your awesome presence,
From the shadows into Your radiance,
By the blood I may enter Your brightness,
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness,
Shine on me. Shine on me.

.
As we gaze on Your kindly brightness.
So our faces display Your likeness.
Ever changing from glory to glory,
Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story.
Shine on me! Shine on me!

3. Yet, another of my favorite things are my favorite flowers - TULIPS! Red tulips!

For those who have been in our home, there are red tulips throughout our kitchen and den. There's something so inspiring for me about a red tulip! I was gifted with a bouquet of them from my secret sister yesterday. The tulips along our front walk were once bulbs. They had their own graves under the dirt. Then, light and water coaxed life to spring forth. Tulip transformation had begun long before the green leaves peeked up through the dirt!

4. A FOURTH FAVORITE THING OF MINE IS THE SCRIPTURE BELOW. IT IS MY FAVORITE! There is something about this scripture that is fuel for my day... light for my fire... a match for my candle. I confess to you that the last few months have not been easy for me. I have been spent... discouraged... and empty. I confess to you that this scripture has not been in my tank the last few months, either. I'm not sure why! I commit to changing that! Please join me in reading it all the way through:

Therefore,

since through God’s MERCY

we have this ministry,

we do not lose heart.

2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways;

we do not use deception,

nor do we distort the word of God.

On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly

we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience

in the sight of God.

3 And even if our gospel is veiled,

it is veiled to those who are perishing.

4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers,

so that they cannot see the light of the gospel

that displays the glory of Christ,

who is the image of God.

5 For what we preach is not ourselves,

but Jesus Christ as Lord,

and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

6 For God, who said,

“Let light shine out of darkness,”

[a] made His light shine in our hearts

to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory

displayed in the face of Christ.

.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay

to show that this all-surpassing power

is from God and not from us.

8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;

perplexed, but not in despair;

9 persecuted, but not abandoned;

struck down, but not destroyed.

10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,

so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

11 For we who are alive are always

being given over to death for Jesus’ sake,

so that His life may also be revealed in our mortal body.

12 So then, death is at work in us,

but life is at work in you.

~BLESSED~