Makes me pause, think and face truths as I will hear the words, “repent and believe in the gospel”
So often I have had opportunity to evaluate myself. Have you? Seemly, all to often I am reading about or having this conversation with others. What is the difference between ‘privilege and entitlement’? I love the way Brené Brown, acclaimed author and life coach explains the difference; “The difference between privilege and entitlement is gratitude.” Then Todd Brown responds; “Whenever someone does something nice for you, your response should always be appreciation. Go the extra mile to show that you are grateful and honored by what others do for you.” Todd also calls to my attention these words:
“Look at your interactions with your coworkers, leaders, and even your friends. Do you sometimes feel as though you are not getting what is owed to you? Analyze the situation. Is this a result of an unhealthy relationship, where you’re not being seen or appreciated, or is it because of prideful expectation?”
The Apostle Paul writes; “You will shine among [a warped and crooked generation] like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.”- Philippians 2:15-16 (NIV)
Join me as we approach ASH Wednesday, March 1, 2017 and see just how bright we are shining to give light to the world. If need be take joy and; “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” Much ❤️
Lets light up the SKY! 🌕🌚🌔🌗🌘🌕🌏🌛💫⭐️🌟✨
thedailylily.com 
Todd Brown also wrote; “You reap what you sow. Before you expect a harvest, first look into the soil to ensure that what you’re sowing is adequate to achieve your goals.”
The Apostle Paul considered by many as the worlds’ greatest thinker and writer shared; “Galatians 6:7-8: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
The apostle begins this text with the warning: “Be not deceived.” …”deceived” literally means “to be led astray,” to be led astray either by yourself or by someone else.
Lent causes me to pause, think, rethink, repent and think and think again.
I am in love with The Christian Church Calendar when Lent/Easter shows its face! I love reading Psalm 32:1-5 I love how liberation-freedom starts with honesty! We uncover and admit our sins and God is so willing to cover them. Self-deception has a peak summit called disappointment. I don’t want to climb that trail but use my compass and navigate the trail that leads to my proclaiming “The Wonder of it All”! George Bev Shea gave us the words to express as his bass-baritone voice boosted us right up to the summit! 🌕
Sara, I appreciate reading the different quotes and thoughts, scripture and examples above…they all provide light as an “opportunity to evaluate myself” going into this season of lent.
Debi, glad you found from this blog some input into your Lent fast!
Dictionary; “Gratitude the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful:”a feeling of…I am grateful and give thanks for the created beauty I see daily and nightly in the sky that hangs just above my head. 🌟🌙🌤🌧❄️🌈🌞
I am so grateful to our Baptist Church Chef, Harold and team, that will cook for our community tonight and the first Wednesday night of the month most months. . And, for my co-laborer, MG, that has special favor with the team and they choose out of pure kindness (fruit of the Spirit) to deliver to my front door in a more than timely manner this first out, hot, oversized plates of the best home cooked food on the planet. Now, both my husband and I and son and DIL all get the feeling of being grateful. We thank them, we thank the church. We bless them and we send all the hope, prayers thoughts and blessings to them and their families. They all truly light the sky ✨💫🌟⭐️ that hangs above my head. “The Apostle Paul writes; “You will shine among [a warped and crooked generation] like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.”- Philippians 2:15-16 (NIV)
Spiritual gifts and talents in action are the stars of the dark night! I love seeing spiritual gifts form stars!🌟
I am so very grateful for the seeds sown by Sara & Gary into the soil of my heart, teachings from the Word of God, good counsel, exhortation, correction, prophetic utterances, encouragement that they labored in and over for almost three decades to instill the Ways of the Lord….. helping in the development of the Spiritual Gifts granted by the Holy Spirit and watered along the Way….so that the Lord Jesus Christ might give the increase…redounding to much fruit.
That’s a mighty Large order but that they may stand before the Lord God..as shining stars, themselves. That they might hear those most glorious of utterances from the Lips of the Living Word of God, the Lion of Judah…” Well done, you who have been good and Faithful to ME and My cause. Enter into the joy of your LORD.”
For these things is my heart most full of gratitude…and to the Glory of God and
thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ
Thank you MG for the encouragement to Gary and myself. For surely encouragent is food for the soul and strength for the Spirit to shine enlightenment into the eternal flame of His brilliant glory. We go from glory to glory. ◄ 2 Corinthians 3:18 ►NIV “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
A friend from NC told me she was fasting wants.., (evaluating herself by this measure) only purchasing a need not a want or desire. Only a few hours into her fast she realized her name was brat. 😱 Oh, no I don’t want to get near her that might be contagious! My fast knowing the difference in attitude and actions on entitlement and privilege didn’t get a much better start than hers. Hum! Fast discipline. Paul makes the same point about our life of faith. My devotional this am made this point; “Following Jesus requires discipline and perseverance. As we enter into the season of Lent, Paul’s letters remind us to practice the self-discipline necessary to grow in Jesus’ likeness each day. By taking on new habits or disciplines during Lent, we can grow closer to Christ.”
This blog has got me on spring time sowing hoping for a harvest. Sure hope my sowing skills are better than my tomatoe/beans and corn garden. For that garden has proven to be fruitless or useless next to my time and $’s of investment.
I love this hymn written by Knowles Shaw (1874)
“1 Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Chorus:
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves;
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
2 Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. (Chorus)
3 Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,
Tho’ the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;
When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. (Chorus)”
I loving reading about Knowles Shaw…but how is this for a bright light? “His last meeting was held in Dallas, Texas, in May 1878. He was killed by a railroad accident, going from Dallas to McKinney, on the 7th of June, 1878. During his ministry he baptized over eleven thousand persons.”
Over 11,000 persons…..can anyone imagine the rejoicing in heaven?✝
It does awaken my imagination of heaven and its activities.
“Luke 15:7 (NIV)
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
Fear not, dear Sara. The Lord has told us in His Word….”Do not be deceived. God is NOT mocked. What a man/woman sows so shall they reap.” So your sowing of beans, corn and tomatoes…whether they be of the quality of my daddy’s garden so long ago… plentiful, delicious, fruitful gardener that he was…. providing us with food for almost the whole year as Sister Grandma canned and preserved lovely fruit from his garden….or if your plantings are merely for the squirrels, birds and the deer that panteth after your tomatoes…. ‘what you sow, you reap’.
However, your planting into people’s lives and ministries… encouragement, exhortation, counsel and even financially…will prove to bring forth a very wholesome harvest…. of anointed blessings ….for the Body of Christ, the Bride and the Kingdom of God. We are here for such a time as this…and God has ordained you and Gary for the sacred privilege of the plantings of the Lord…in people’s hearts…”Yes..there is a God, Virginia” and HE can be seen in the works of the Holy Spirit by Holy Spirit administrations through the sowing of and planting and watering and tending of souls to present to the King of kings… a wedding gift from Sara & Gary, Your Bride in the Body of Christ…. that He may be Glorified and rejoice in you….. and you, with HIM!
MG, you give us a nice art form of the believers rewards in the bride and groom, he, King Jesus, she, believers in King Jesus and their mountaintop reward! Jubilant are His body of people(s) awaiting their eternal rewards.
Last pm I read a Tozer devotional that I thought echoed what Sara wrote above, “Dictionary; “Gratitude the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful:”a feeling of…I am grateful and give thanks for the created beauty I see daily and nightly in the sky that hangs just above my head.”
Here is a part I would like to share:
“The created world is to be prized for its usefulness, loved for its beauty and esteemed as the gift of God to His children. Love of natural beauty which has been the source of so much pure music, poetry and art is a good and desirable thing. Though the unregenerate soul is likely to enjoy nature for its own sake and ignore the God whose gift it is, there is nothing to prevent an enlightened Christian who loves God supremely from loving all things for God’s dear sake. This would appear to be altogether in accord with the spirit of the psalms and the prophets, and though there is less emphasis upon nature in the New Testament much appreciation of natural things may be found there also.”
Tozer searched for God and found Him it seems from his writings.
“….. there is nothing to prevent an enlightened Christian who loves God supremely from loving all things for God’s dear sake.”
Debi, Tozer has great insight ro all of us To to keep in mind when we admire the stars and sun and moon… the beauty of the earth, to remember it is for HIS sake that we are enthralled with the glory of the creation. The Character of our God is manifested in His mighty works of beauty. That Character we strive to emulate and to give our highest worship….Jesus Christ ”by Whom the worlds were brought into existence.”
What a mighty God we serve’!!