One Of Those Weeks

 

Man, it's been one of those weeks. We've all had them, a week where seemingly a thousand things pile on top of us apply the pressure.  This week was one of those weeks.   A couple of the projects at work that are a part of my program are coming in late.  This is definitely frowned upon.  Other things seem to have crept in as well to keep the stress level up.  So many times, I completely forget to bring these stressing things to the Lord and in fact this was one of those times. It wasn't until I was reading someone's personal web journal and he was talking about how he was relying on the Lord to help him with some of the circumstances in his life that I realized I'd left the Lord completely out of my stressful situations.

With that I mind I went to my favorite Bible web site and did a search on stress.   This verse came up and I must say it spoke volumes to me.

Your justice is eternal, 
and your instructions are perfectly true.
As pressure and stress bear down on me, 
I find joy in your commands.
Your laws are always right; 
help me to understand them so I may live.  Psalm 119:142-144 (NLT)

But what does the bit about "I find joy in your commands" mean?  Should I delight in the thou shalts and thou shalt nots or is there something more?  Certainly if we were able to live our lives by the Ten Commandments, we'd be a happier lot.    However the Lord shares with  us the Greatest Command:

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39 

Is this something we can do naturally? Can we love others as we love ourselves?  Our world is described as dog eat dog, buyer beware, look out for number one.  I would assert that this is not a natural tendency, but something we can strive towards through prayer and studying God's word.  Through the power of God, we can find joy and melt the stress away.

Our Walk

My son and his wife bought our little grandson a toy for his birthday which is a car that converts from a car that he can ride to a little walker that he can use to practice his walking.  My son is so patient, encouraging our little guy to stand up and move about the house.  But the car moves a little faster than our grandson can handle so he pushes it around on his knees.  I think that as our grandson moves around the house on his knees while he learns to get his center of balance and then he will be up on his feet before we know it.

We have another walk to share with our grandson as well.  This walk is a walk of faith in Christ Jesus & following Christ's commands.  In a letter to one of the elders of the church, John writes 2 John 1:

The elder,
      To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth - because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love.

 

He goes on to write:

It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

In his writing John states, "I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning."  Christ himself was the original speaker of these words of love.  We read in
Matthew 22:36-40:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

And John records in John 15:12-13

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

May all of you be able to experience Christ's sacrificial love this Christmas season and in turn may you be able to share that love with someone else.

Love

Chapel

St. Lukes Hospital

We’ve had a bit of a family crisis. It’s actually a bit hard to write about. Our little grand baby has decided that it wants to be born much earlier than it should be. For now, our little baby is staying put and we are thankful to God for every day that it does so.

We’re thankful for the group of Christian believers that have surrounded our little family in prayer. What started as a quick text message to two of our friends asking for prayer for this little baby has blossomed to a prayer chain that spans oceans and continents. Pastors and church members are praying for our little baby, without knowing who we are, but knowing that fellow believers are in need of support. We read, in Galatians 2:6:

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

And Romans 12:10-13 encourages us to:

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

We thank those who are carrying our burdens in prayer and demonstrating their brotherly love. We pray that the Lord will help our little baby remain in place until the time He has appointed for its birth. We pray that the Lord will have his healing hand continually on my sweet little daughter-in-law as well.

A Westie Valentine Greeting

Westie and family wish you a very Happy Valentine’s Day




One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Matthew 22:35-40