BLESSED ARE THE MEEK - SUNDAY IN THE SON

"BLESSED are the meek,
 for they will inherit the earth."

BLESSED! OH, THE JOY!

I apologize for the break in blogging, after today, but I will be needing to focus on the ending of the semester, beginning of teaching summer school, and some family transitions.  My desire is to continue blogging about the Sermon on the Mount when I  hopefully return, sometime in mid-June.  

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN - WOMEN IN THE WORD WEDNESDAY

PSALM 30

"I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up,
And have not let my enemies rejoice over me.

 
² O Lord my God,
I cried to You for help, and You healed me.

 
³ O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol;
You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit.

 
⁴ Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones,
And give thanks to His holy Name.

 
⁵ For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;

 
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of JOY comes in the morning.

⁶ Now as for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I will never be moved.”

 
⁷ O Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong;
You hid Your face, I was dismayed.

 
⁸ To You, O Lord, I called,
And to the Lord I made supplication:

 
⁹ “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness?

¹⁰ “Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me;
O Lord, be my helper.”

 
¹¹ You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
¹² That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever."

 BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN - MEDITATION MONDAY

As a "transformed mom", I want to wake up each morning, beginning my day reminding myself of Jesus' words:

• "BLESSED are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• BLESSED are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
  
  
  
  I want my children to remember that their mom was focused on Jesus and not on herself AND that I was very willing to mourn over my sin and ask for forgiveness."
  
  Several years ago, our son Caleb penned a poem based on the book of Ephesians.  Today, I'd like to share with you the part of the poem based on Ephesians 1:
  
  
   
  
  
  
   Chapter 1 
  
  
  1A
  "Looong before time began,
  God was indeed our biggest fan,
  He wanted us to carryout
  The love within His master plan
  Jehovah knew what we should be about.
  
  
  1B.
  Before the world was given frame
  God was ready to give us His name
  He foresaw us blameless and pure
  Even before we repented in shame,
  God knew that Jesus would be the cure.
  
  
  1C.
  That’s when Christ came, that’s where we saw
  When we were forgiven and filled with awe
  His blood cleansed us without any glitches.
  His grace and peace lavished on us all                                                                                            
  According to His wonderful and marvelous riches.
  
  
  1D.
  Christ reigns, in heavenly places, on God’s right,
  As we keep walking in the light,
  The Son of God; the one with blessings
  What He promised He has fulfilled:
  The Holy Spirit my heart has sealed.
  
  
  1E.
  Now, I’m blessed with all I need
  Because Jesus Christ did succeed
  I have joy and lots of peace
  Yes on Him, the Word,  I feed
  And in Him I have release."
  
  
  
  
  

  BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN - SUNDAY IN THE SON

 YOU HAVE TURNED MY MOURNING INTO DANCING!

As sung by Hillsong:

  BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!

 

 

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN - WOMEN IN THE WORD WEDNESDAY

There are many reasons why people mourn.  

Yet, when Jesus says that we are blessed and comforted when we mourn, He is speaking of the forgiveness that He gives and the forgiveness He expects us to offer to others. 

His gift is ready... it's the repentance He's waiting for...  It's a mark of our faith in Him. 


IN LUKE 5 Jesus said, 

 “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

IN LUKE 17  Jesus said to His disciples,  

 ³ "Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” ⁶ And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you."

 IN LUKE 24  Jesus said,

"Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, ⁴⁶ and He said to them,
 “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things."

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY! 

  

Join us next on Sunday, for "SUNDAY IN THE SON".

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN - GRATITUESDAY

• I messed up! 
• I feel like a clod! 
• Why do I keep doing the same old things I know not to do? 
• I am so sorry!
• Please FORGIVE me! 
• I want to change the way I do things. 
• It's time for a new start! 

Jesus, I am so grateful for Your GRACE... You offer each of us FORGIVENESS.  I accept the gift!      

• G od's
• R iches
• A t
• C hrist's
• E xpense

Ephesians 1:7-8

⁷"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. "

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY! 

 

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN - MEDITATION MONDAY

 Today is IRS day or "tax day" in the USA.  Many of us mourn the thought of having to pay additional taxes.  Yet, today, this blog post is about a type of "Mourning" that Jesus says is a blessing.


The Bible is full of explanations about sin and the need to confess our sin and repent.  When I think of the apostle Paul, I think of his passionate desire to teach others how to live a Christ-like life.  In his letter to christians at Corinth, Paul was trying to get them to live out their lives like the life of Jesus: 

Today, join me in spending time considering Jesus' words in connection with Paul's words:

• Jesus said in Matthew 5:  "BLESSED are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

• Paul said these words to the christians, in Corinth, in 2 Corinthians 12: 

 "All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved. ²⁰ For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be 

• strife,
• jealousy, 
• angry tempers, 
• disputes, 
• slanders, 
• gossip, 
• arrogance, 
• disturbances; 

²¹ I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced."


CHOOSE JESUS!  CHOOSE TO MOURN OVER YOUR SIN AND REPENT!

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN - SUNDAY IN THE SON

 In Matthew 5, Jesus says,

 "BLESSED are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

 

 In order to have the "mind of Christ", we must have the attitudes of Christ. 

In Matthew 5, Jesus says that begins with being "poor in spirit" - convicted of our spiritual poverty. 

Our first steps on this Christ-like journey:

1.  It's NOT about me... I am nothing unless I get it right with Jesus!  I must pour myself out to be filled up with Him, admitting my own personal and spiritual emptiness.

 -  SELFISH TO SELFLESS.

 

 2.   I am a sinner!  Once we see Jesus for Who He is, The Sinless One, there is the overwhelming conviction that we are sinners!  Scripture says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."  Admitting and grieving our own spiritual emptiness opens the door for Jesus to comfort us - with forgiveness... salvation... acceptance.... understanding... family.  

- SINNER TO SINNER JOYFULLY SAVED BY GRACE!

 

 In Matthew 5, Jesus says,

 "BLESSED are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

Join me in singing this powerful song, 
about this subject, 

today on Sunday in the Son. 

A SINNER SAVED BY GRACE as sung by the Gaithers:

 

Songwriters: HUMPHRIES, MITCH/GAITHER, WILLIAM/GAITHER, GLORIA

If you could see what I once was... If you could go with me...
Back to where I started from... Then, I know you would see...
A miracle of LOVE that put me in it's sweet embrace
and made me what I am today - just an old sinner - Saved by grace
I'm just a sinner - Saved by grace.

When I stood condemned to death, He took my place.
Now I live and breathe in freedom with each breath of life I take.

LOVED and FORGIVEN...
Back with the living...
I'm just a sinner - Saved by grace.

How could I boast on anything I've ever seen or done?
How could I dare to claim as mine the victories GOD has won?
Where would I be had GOD not brought me, gently to this place?
I'm here to say I'm nothing but a sinner - Saved by grace.

I'm just a sinner - Saved by grace.
When I stood condemned to death, He took my place.
Now I grow and breathe in freedom with each breath of life I take.
I'm LOVED and FORGIVEN...
Back with the living...
I'm just a sinner - Saved by grace.

Now I grow and breathe in freedom with each breath of life I take.
I'm LOVED and FORGIVEN...
Back with the living...
I'm just a sinner  - Saved by grace - Saved by grace

 

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT - MEDITATION MONDAY

Today would have been the 63rd wedding anniversary of my dad and mom, if dad was still on this earth.  They both were convinced that this life was NOT about them.  Dad's favorite song was "This World is Not My Home, I'm Just a Passin' Through".  Mom's song was and is, "I Serve a Risen Savior". 

Before Mom's Alzheimer's set in, she would often tell me, "Patti, I have set my mind to...".  Isn't that what meditation is all about?  We choose to "set our minds".  My mom knew these scriptures well:

MATTHEW 16:23 (Jesus speaks to Peter)

• "But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

ROMANS 8:5

• "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

COLOSSIANS 3:2-3

• "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. ³ For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

This week, every morning (before getting out of bed) choose to say,

• "I set my mind to be poor in spirit and rich in Christ's Spirit

I'll see you back here on Sunday 4/14/13 to start our journey through "Blessed are those who mourn..."   In the meantime, maybe you can catch up on reading the blog posts from 3/31/13 until now, if you haven't already!

 

BLESSED!  OH, THE JOY!

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT - SUNDAY IN THE SON

SUNDAY IN THE SON

The picture above symbolizes "a cracked pot" emptied of self and willing to be filled up with the light of Jesus.

On this blog, I keep coming back to these words: 

POUR IT OUT!

Let's pour ourselves out at the feet of Jesus!

Blessed are the POOR IN SPIRIT!

Oh, I know that POUR and POOR sound alike, but technically don't mean the same thing.  Yet, hear me out when I say, "If I empty myself out or pour myself out at the feet of Jesus, that certainly is the beginning of being "poor in spirit".  

There are very few songs that articulate that journey more than those penned by Theodore Monod:

1.

"Oh, the bitter pain and sorrow
That a time could ever be,
When I proudly said to Jesus,
“All of self, and none of Thee.”
All of self, and none of Thee,
All of self, and none of Thee,
When I proudly said to Jesus,
“All of self, and none of Thee.”

2.

Yet He found me; I beheld Him
Bleeding on th’ accursed tree,
And my wistful heart said faintly,
“Some of self, and some of Thee.”
Some of self, and some of Thee,
Some of self, and some of Thee,
And my wistful heart said faintly,
“Some of self, and some of Thee.”

3.

Day by day His tender mercy,
Healing, helping, full and free,
Brought me lower while I whispered,
“Less of self, and more of Thee.”
Less of self, and more of Thee,
Less of self, and more or Thee,
Brought me lower while I whispered,
“Less of self, and more of Thee.”

4.

Higher than the highest heaven,
Deeper than the deepest sea,
Lord, Thy love at last has conquered:
“None of self, and all of Thee.”
None of self, and all of Thee,
None of self, and all of Thee,
Lord, Thy love at last has conquered:
“None of self, and all of Thee.”

Many times, it's not a linear journey, but one that takes us around in circles.  We often find ourselves saying, "Dear LORD, I'm on my knees again... I just can't change myself..."  This is another song that gives a glimpse of what "poor in spirit" looks like.

Dear Lord,

I’m on my knees again

I come to You because You understand

I’ve tried so hard,

but I just can’t change myself

That’s why I know I need Your help

Chorus:

So here I am

This in my plea

My only hope is Your love for me

I’m reaching out

So desperately

Come take my hand;

take all of me

Just as I am!

Oh Lord,

You make what’s broken new

Why can’t I just learn to follow You

I want to know You and feel You in my soul

I surrender all control.

(Chorus again)

I am not afraid to follow You where You lead me

I can leave the past behind me

I’m forgiven and I’m free!"
 

~BLESSED~

OH, THE JOY!

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT - KETCHUP AND MUSTARD SATURDAY

KETCHUP AND MUSTARD SATURDAY

(Catch - Up and Must Do)

Life can be soooo hard..... it is full of frustrations!   How does one get through it with meaning, sanity, joy, and blessing?  I really do believe that our answers are found in a library of 66 books called the Bible.   Please join me in watching this short video about the Bible. 

.




.The message is Jesus!  From the first book to the last, in this library, is the thread of Jesus.  The Bible is His-story!  During His ministry on earth, He speaks words that are often called "the magna carta of Christianity".  We refer to those words as THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT:  Jesus words in  Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7.   Only Jesus has the complete answer of how to lead THE BLESSED LIFE.  He begins His sermon with:


MATTHEW 5:1-3 .

Now when He saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. .
His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them, saying:
.

"BLESSED are the POOR IN SPIRIT,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

. . .




 The apostle Paul learned the secret to THE BLESSED LIFE ... this life that begins with being poor in spirit. Let's ask Paul some questions. He can answer through the verses he wrote in PHILIPPIANS 2:5-7
.
1. Paul, what should my continual outlook on life be?

• Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

2. Who is Christ Jesus, Paul?

• Who, being in very nature God,

3. So, my attitude should be the same as God? Isn't that kind of prideful? Wouldn't that make me kind of full of myself?

• did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but He made HImself nothing,

4. Okay, so if Jesus, who is God, didn't have an attitude that was full of Himself - what did that look like?

• taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness..

As you ponder these new verses from Philippians today, consider using the word AGES. Paul is sharing with us a foundational concept... for living THE BLESSED LIFE... for the AGES.
.
Try memorizing it in these 4 sections:
.
1. A: Attitude of Christ Jesus

• Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

2. G: God

• Who, being in very nature God,

3. E: Equality - NOT!

• did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing,

4. S: Servant

• taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
  .

Philippians 2:5-7

• Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus
• Who, being in very nature God,
• did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing,
• taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

~BLESSED~

OH, THE JOY!

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT - FAMILY FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY

Fellowship = 2 or more fellows in the same ship!

Looking at it in those terms, I ask myself, "What happens to those 'fellows' when a storm comes?"  I have a feeling that "focusing on oneself instead of on the good of all on board" would NOT be the correct answer.

It is so easy to get caught up in protecting ourselves first.  In light of our current topic on this blog, we each must learn to be poor in spirit by pouring ourselves out and allowing Jesus to fill us up.  What does fellowSHIP look like when one or more "fellows" are filled with Jesus?  

I'm thinking of some of my friends, the past few weeks, in terms of FellowSHIP...

• FellowSHIP:  What does "poor in spirit" look like while chaperoning a busload of teens on a multi-state trip?
• FellowSHIP:  What does "poor in spirit" look like when you host a bunch of young ones for a slumber party?
• FellowSHIP:  What does "poor in spirit"  look like when you use your day off to cook and clean so that you can have a group over for a Bible study that evening?   
• FellowSHIP:  What does "poor in spirit" look like when your spouse is recovering from major surgery and you've taken on the responsibilities for both of you? 
• FellowSHIP:  What does "poor in spirit" look like when you are alone with your family at home?

Today, our oldest son turns 32 years old.  I ask myself, how might "J's" siblings describe him to others?  What about his wife and children?  I'm sure their description would coorelate with mine:   "poor in spirit"... "selfless"...!   Oh, what a family fellowSHIP!

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT!

~OH, THE J.O.Y.~

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT - TRANSFORMING THURSDAY

 TRANSFORMING THURSDAY...

And God raised us up

with Christ and seated us with Him

in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus..."

.

Transformed people, living here one earth, make their home in the "Kingdom of Heaven" according to Matthew and "...in Heavenly Realms or Places" according to Ephesians. Those are the only scriptures where those two terms are used.

Jesus took the form of a baby when He came to live on the earth. During the short 33 years that He lived on this planet, he did a lot of teaching. God, the Father...God, the Son...and God, the Holy Spirit had designed earth to be a blessing to all involved. Over the years, mankind had a lot of difficulty understanding how to lead a life of blessing. So, one day, Jesus taught His disciples about what a blessed life would look like. Many scholars believe that this is the place where Christ's Sermon on the Mount happened.

In Matthew 5, the first part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks what we call the BE-ATTITUDES. These foundational principles of Christianity could be accurately called the BE-JESUS verses.

I'm going to list them for you in abbreviated form, only noting the verses that have the specific promise of the "Kingdom of Heaven".

1. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Blessed are those who mourn
3. Blessed are the meek
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
5. Blessed are the merciful
6. Blessed are the pure in heart
7. Blessed are the peacemakers
8. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
9. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Life is a mess!  It's a dark world out there!  You want to live above it all right now?  In heavenly places?  In the kingdom of heaven?  It's possible!

Did you know, my friend, that if you live this way, you will live THE BLESSED LIFE!   While on this earth, you will be the flavoring of choice and a light in the darkness.

• Verse 13 "You are the salt of the earth.
• Verse 14 "You are the light of the world.

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT,

FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN...

At some point, each of us must learn that "life is not all about me...it's about God..."

We change from selfish to SELFLESS.

~BLESSED~

...OH, THE JOY!

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT - WOMEN IN THE WORD WEDNESDAY

I am a huge fan of Christ's Sermon on the Mount. I have heard it called the "Magna Carta of the Christian Faith". I like to call it my "Declaration of Dependence". Years ago, Steve and I read a book by E. Stanley Jones called Christ of the Mount. It wet my appetite for continual revisiting of Christ's Sermon. This week, I've really been thinking a lot about the first 3 "Be-attitudes" of THE SERMON in Matthew chapter 5.

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT...

Hmmmmm...that's how Christ starts out! That's His first point! That's His first "Be-attitude":

"Blessed are the POOR IN SPIRIT for theirs is the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN."

Honestly, that's a tough one for a 42 out of 42 Choleric personality type. Yet, that is what He is calling all of us to do when we come to Him. If we want the Kingdom of Heaven, then let's give ourselves up, pour ourselves out, empty our pockets of the 'me' factor...from selfish to selfless....from crowned with worldly stuff to crucified with a crown of thorns....hmmmmm....



You might be tempted to think whether or not this Kingdom of Heaven is even worth the "poor in spirit" thing. Well, before you give in to the temptation to X out of these challenging thoughts, how about today...just for a few minutes...read through what Matthew says about the Kingdom of Heaven. Did you know that the only place in the Bible that the phrase Kingdom of Heaven is found is in Matthew? So, let's do this...read through the Matthew passages and get a glimpse of this kingdom...and then meditate on whether or not you think it is something that is important to be a part of. If so, then, I guess we need to meet back here tomorrow and talk about that "poor in spirit" thing.


Here are those Matthew scripture references...but before you start, know this:

From the Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers - "The Kingdom of Heaven is always the Kingdom of God, but the Kingdom of God is not limited to the Kingdom of Heaven, until in their final form, they become identical,
Rev 11:15, RV; John 3:5; Rev 12:10."


In the verses below "it" is the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN:

Matt 3:2..... J. Baptist preached-repent, it’s near!
Matt 4:17... Jesus preached – repent, it’s near!
Matt 4:23... Jesus preached it's good news!
Matt 5:3..... It belongs to those who are Poor in Spirit
Matt 5:10... It belongs to those who are persecuted for righteousness.
Matt 5:19... Some in it are least.
Matt 5:19... Some in it are great.
Matt 5:20... Some will not enter it.
Matt 6:10... It's the Fathers and it’s coming.
Matt 6:33... Seek it first.
Matt 7:21... Not all who say “LORD” will enter it.
Matt 8:11... Abraham, Isaac, Jacob at its feast.
Matt 8:12... Subjects of it thrown out.
Matt 9:35... Jesus preached its Good News!
Matt 10:7.... Apostles to preach It’s near.
Matt 11:11... We are greater in it than J. Baptist.
Matt 11:12... It’s forcefully advancing.
Matt 12:25... Will be ruined if it’s divided.
Matt 12:28... It has come, if H.S. drives demons out.
Matt 13:11... It’s secrets given to disciples.
Matt 13:19... It’s message can be misunderstood.
Matt 13:24... It’s like a man sowing good seed.
Matt 13:31... It’s like mustard seed.
Matt 13:33... It’s like yeast.
Matt 13:38... It’s sons are the good seed.
Matt 13:41... Angels will weed out its sin.
Matt 13:43... Righteous will shine like sun in it.
Matt 13:44... It’s like a treasure hidden in a field.
Matt 13:45... It’s like a merchant looking for pearls.
Matt 13:47... It’s like a net.
Matt 13:52... It’s like the owner of a house.
Matt 16:19... Peter given keys to it.
Matt 16:28... Some won’t die before J.C. comes in it.
Matt 18:1-3.. Unless like little ones, never enter it.
Matt 18:4..... Humbled like child, are greatest in it.
Matt 18:23... It’s like a king who wants to settle…
Matt 19:12... Some are eunuchs because of it.
Matt 19:14... It belongs to childlike people.
Matt 19:23... Rich men have a hard time entering it.
Matt 19:24... Easier for camel than rich to enter it.
Matt 20:1..... It’s like a landowner hiring workers.
Matt 20:21... It belongs to Jesus.
Matt 21:31... Tax collectors/prostitutes entering it.
Matt 21:43... It’s given to those who produce it’s fruit.
Matt 22:2..... It’s like a king preparing wedding banquet.
Matt 23:13... Teachers of law... Pharisees shut it.
Matt 24:14... It preached in all the world-then end comes.
Matt 25:1..... It’s like ten virgins who meet bridegroom.
Matt 25:34... It’s prepared for you since creation.
Matt 26:29... Jesus drank in it with apostles.

 ~BLESSED~

...Oh, the JOY!

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT - GRATI-TUESDAY

 

At the top of this blog, it says, GOD BLESSES AND TRANSFORMS. It is so true!  God isn't Santa Claus or the Good Fairy. His ways are not "magical", they are transformational. His WAY is a journey and a process. God is God!  God is good!

My relationship with God, begins and continues with me BEing and living His BE-attitudes. This week as we talk about the first be-attitude, I am grateful that He has made it clear that this is how I can be blessed.  This is how He wants me to think/live/be:

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT... Lord, I want to be transparent... no masks! This is me, God, with all my warts, inconsistencies, and woundedness. Thank You for introducing me to Your HOLY SPIRIT, sending Him to live inside of me, and allowing me entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. You, Jesus, are MY KING!

Today, our youngest daughter turns 26 years old.  I am so thankful for "C" and her heart!  I want for her to continue to walk in the JOY of  the Good Shepherd, as He walks this journey with her.  I want for her THE BLESSED LIFE!  Each of the be-attitudes begins with the words "Blessed are..."  Another way to read each be-attitude is to begin with, "Oh, the JOY of being...".  Whichever way the be-attitude begins, I am thankful that Jesus teaches us how to be:

~BLESSED~

OH, THE JOY!