Dee2rites Blog

Tag: Christian beliefs

  • Through Jesus Christ I Have…

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    “For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17

    A number of years ago I was challenged to read the New Testament looking for all the prepositional phrases referring to Jesus. I don’t know how many there are, I lost count but I know it’s in the hundreds. But the purpose of the assignment was not to count them, but to grow in my understanding of everything Jesus has done for us. I began reading and every time I came to a phrase referring to Jesus, I would circle the phrase and meditate on what the Scripture was saying to me. The result was I came away with a deeper understanding of who I am in Jesus Christ.

    I encourage anyone wanting to grow spiritually to try the same process. Starting reading the New Testament actively looking for “in Jesus Christ”, “in Whom”, “by Jesus Christ”, “through Jesus Christ”, “through Whom”, “from Whom” and so on. As you find one, stop and meditate on what the verse is saying. Ask yourself how that applies to you and your life, what exactly has God done? Sometimes you need to consider the verse before and after it to fully understand the context of the verse.

    To help you get started, here is a small list of verses. But these are but a small sample of what is waiting for you in your Bible.

    John 1:17 – we have grace and truth through Jesus Christ
    Romans 8:1 – we are free from condemnation
    1 Corinthians 5:18 – we are reconciled to God through Christ Jesus
    Philippians 1:11 – we are filled with the fruits of righteousness by Jesus Christ
    Colossians 2:3 – wisdom and knowledge are in Christ Jesus
    Romans 5:11 – we have eternal life through Jesus Christ

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

    Amplified Bible (AMP)
    Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

  • My Father’s Voice

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                “…your Teacher will not hide Himself any more, but your eyes will constantly behold your Teacher. And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.’” Isaiah 30:20b-21

                 Last Sunday afternoon our North Texas area was slammed again by a late winter storm pelting us with sleet and ice. My daughter, a newly minted ER nurse, called me on her way to work asking me to pray for her safety driving the 40 plus miles to her job at an area hospital. The roads, particularly the bridges and overpasses, were getting slippery. I could hear nervousness in her usually confident voice. As we talked, I remembered an incident that happened to me many years ago, before she was even born.

    My husband and I were living in Houston, and one afternoon as I was driving home from work, we had a sudden thunderstorm, making the quickly wet streets slippery in places. I was approaching an intersection and applied the brake to slow down, but as I did, my car began to slide right towards another car. For a moment I started to panic, but then I heard my dad’s voice in my head. Dad had taught me to drive and even after I got my license, he continued to instruct me on how to handle various situations that I might encounter while driving. That day I heard my dad say, “If you ever start to skid, take your foot off the brake and steer into the skid.” Immediately I calmed down, did what he said and regained control of the car.

    As much as hearing my dad’s voice that day calmed me, there is another voice I seek to hear that calms me even more. The voice of my Heavenly Father can not only calm me in the storm, but He calms the storms in me.  My earthly dad taught me everything he possibly could, not only about driving, but many other things. However, as much as he tried to prepare me for life, his wisdom and knowledge was limited. My Heavenly Father knows all things, He knows my life and what I need to hear from Him.

    Psalm 139:16 says, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.” God knows my past, my present and my future. He instructs me the way to go because He knows where I need to be, what I need to avoid. He tells me when I need to let off the brake and when I need to steer into the skid.

    My Heavenly Father speaks to me through the Bible, His written word and by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said “But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].”  (John 16:13)

    This is what the prophet Isaiah spoke about in Isaiah 30:21, that we would hear our Teacher saying ‘This is the way, walk in it.’

    After Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to live with and in us, all who will receive Him. Not just a little, but to overflowing. He teaches, guides and empowers us. It is through the Holy Spirit we can share the gospel with others. It is through the Holy Spirit I have words to write. It is through the Holy Spirit I know how to pray when my child calls needing prayer. “For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, For we are also His offspring.” (Acts 17:28)

    How I thank God for my Father’s voice!

     Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,

    Dee

     

    All Scripture references from the Amplified Bible.Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

    photo credit: freestone via photopin cc

  • Life or Death, Your Choice

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        “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16, 17

     

    Studying the book of Genesis, I notice something interesting. When God placed man in Eden, two special trees were in the center of the garden. One was the tree of life and the other was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God told them they could eat freely of every tree in the garden, including the tree of life.  All the trees were pleasant for food but one was forbidden. Only the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was forbidden to them, with the caution that if they did eat the fruit from it, they would surely die. God was offering them life, if they obeyed, or death if they disobeyed.
        Then isn’t it interesting that the serpent tempted them with the one leading to death. The tree of life was equally appealing to the eye, but the serpent could only offer death.  There is no life in him. Jesus said the thief (referring to Satan, called the serpent in Genesis) “…does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” (John 10:10)
        Only God can offer life and He has offered it to us from the beginning. Deuteronomy 30:19, 20 says “I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live and may love the Lord your God, obey His voice, and cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land…”
     God calls us to choose life. He has provided a way for us to have life. Jesus said then, and is saying to us now, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  (John 14:6)
    The choice is ours. Life of death. I believe I’ll choose life. Thank You Jesus for giving me life, a fulfilled life on here on earth and when it’s done, eternal life with You in heaven.

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

    All scripture quoted is from The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

  • Disappointment 101

    “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay alert.” Mark 14:34

    How do you handle disappointments? People don’t always behave the way we expect or need them to behave. Even our closest friends or family members let us down. Things happen that we have no control over cause us pain and disappointment. What are we supposed to do with those feelings? Who can we turn to in those times?

    Jesus suffered disappointment in the Garden of Gethsemane. He took Peter, James and John, the inner circle of the twelve men He’d called to follow Him, His closest friends, into the Garden to watch and pray with Him. One of the twelve had already deserted Him and was going to betray Him.

    “Then they went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took Peter, James, and John with him, and became very troubled and distressed. He said to them, ‘My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay alert.’” Mark 14:32-35

    “Remain here and stay alert” Jesus asked them, but when He returned they had fallen asleep, not once, but three times. When He needed them the most, they were sleeping. (See Mark 14:32-42)

    David wrote in Psalm 31:7 “I will be happy and rejoice in Your faithfulness because You are aware of how distressed I am.”

    God notices our pain, emotional as well as physical. He is aware of our disappointments. But He does more than just notice and be aware. David goes on to say, “But I trust in you, O Lord! I declare, ‘You are my God!’ You determine my destiny!” (31:14, 15a)

    Keep trusting God. He knows what happens in your life, and He has a plan for you. Other people do not have final say in your life – God does!

    Verse 19 says, “How great is your favor, which you store up for your loyal followers! In plain sight of everyone you bestow it on those who take shelter in you.”

    When your friend lets you down, when your spouse disappoints you, when you get passed over at work, pull into Jesus. He knows your hurts and He understands them as no one else can.

    “Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.” Hebrews 4:14-16

    Jesus suffered disappointment without letting it cause Him to sin. He forgave and continued to love those who had let Him down. He held to the plan that after His resurrection, those eleven men would be the leaders and take the gospel to the world. Forgive without being asked, keep loving those who hurt you and hold fast to Jesus.

    David closes Psalm 31 saying, “Be strong and confident, all you who wait on the Lord!”
    Be strong. Be confident. Wait on the Lord.

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

    References: New English Translation (NET)
    Mark 14:32-42
    Psalm 31
    Hebrews 4:14-16

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  • Resurrection Power

    Resurrection Power.

    Since I first wrote this blog, I have heard one of my pastors teach from Ephesians 1:18-20 more than once that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in believers through the power of the Holy Spirit.

    “By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places]” Ephesians 1:18-20 (Amplified Bible)

    Feeling powerless? Feeling low? Feeling defeated? Call on the Power that dwells within you by the Holy Spirit. If you’ve been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, It is there.

    Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Dee

  • God Over the Trivial

    “Behold! God is mighty, and yet despises no one nor regards anything as trivial; He is mighty in power of understanding and heart.” Job 36:5 (The Amplified Bible)

    Have you ever felt that something you were concerned about was too trivial for God to care about? I’ve heard people say things like “Well God is too busy taking care of the big serious things to bother about my little problems.” There was even one woman who said she didn’t pray about her kids because she thought God needed to be busy taking care of the world and she could watch her kids. What!? Yes, God is indeed concerned with what is happening in the world, but He is also concerned with us, even the most trivial mundane things.

    Jesus said “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And [yet] not one of them is forgotten or uncared for in the presence of God. But [even] the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be struck with fear or seized with alarm; you are of greater worth than many [flocks] of sparrows.” Luke 12: 6, 7 (The Amplified Bible)

    Wow, our Father even knows how many hairs are on our heads. (And knows which one are colored or not!) Yes, the Creator God who created us is concerned with anything that concerns us. It is only when we learn to trust Him with the small things that we truly learn to trust Him in the big ones.

    Ryan Kennelly, the first man to bench 800 lbs without controversy, started weight lifting at age 18, and became a serious power lifter five years later. In 2008, Ryan set the bench press record with a lift of 1070 lbs. Do you suppose Ryan started out lifting 800 or more pounds on his first work out? Of course not. That would have caused him serious injury. He started with a set of dumbbells his father gave him when he was 10 years old. It took 5 years of serious training and weight lifting, adding little at a time, before he was ready to compete.

    Developing our faith in God is the same way. If we learn to first pray and believe God for the small things, that increases our faith to believe Him for the big things. Faith is like a muscle – it only grows and gets stronger when it is used. But just like a baby has to learn to walk by developing her leg muscles and develop her balance by contracting her abs, we must use our faith for it to grow and develop.

    As for the woman who said she didn’t pray for her kids, that is an example of the polar opposite of faith – pride. Pride in believing she had the power to protect and take care of her children on her own. The Apostle Peter wrote, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6, 7 (New King James Bible) My children and grandchildren are better off when I “cast the care” of them on God and not rely on my efforts!

    I have no pride. I know that left to my own choices, even in the mundane or trivial, I’ll mess up every time. I have to rely on God’s direction, I have to hear from Him to know which way to go, how to spend my day. What if I hear wrong? I repent and ask for clarity. And clarity only comes when I spend time with Jesus, talking about everything. Listening for His voice through His written word and through the Holy Spirit speaking to me. About the big things, about the trivial things. Nothing is too great – or too trivial – for my God!

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

  • Getting Past Our Past

    “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (New King James Version)

    “Me teach a Bible study? I can’t do that. I’m not worthy. Lord, You know my past. You know the sins I was involved in. I’m not suitable to lead a Bible study.”
    “Daughter, did you repent and ask Me to forgive you? And did you turn away from those sins?”
    “Well, yes. I did. And it no longer has a place in my life.”
    “Do you believe I’ve forgiven you? Cleansed you?”
    “Yes, You promised in Your Word that if I confessed my sin You would forgive me and cleanse me of all unrighteousness.”
    “Do you believe you are now righteousness?”
    “Uh, I’m not so sure about that. I don’t always feel righteous.”
    “Daughter, do you know what I see when I look at you? I see the Blood of my Son Jesus. I see My righteousness which I have given you in place of your unrighteousness. I see you as worthy because I have made you worthy.”
    “Yes, Father. I believe You have given me Your righteousness. Thank You Father for forgiving me not only of my past, but also for not believing Your righteousness has been given to me. Thank You Father for forgiving me, healing me, and giving me a new life in You. And I will do any task You ask me to do. Even leading a Bible study when I don’t feel worthy. Because I know in You I am worthy.”

    Have you ever had a conversation like that? Knowing that God has called you to do something, yet not feeling like you’re worthy of the call?
    Too many times as Christians we allow fear, doubt, or shame over our past keep us from fulfilling a call from God. We allow the enemy to come in and condemn us for things God has already forgiven and cleansed us of. When satan brings these thoughts, that is not the time to turn from God; that would be falling into satan’s trap to lure us back into sin. Rather that is the time when we need most to run to God, to go to the Word and meditate on the fact that we have been made the righteousness of God.

    “God made him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (New International Version)

    Some may say, ‘but I was already a Christian when I sinned. I knew better but I did it anyway. How can I be the righteousness of God?’ The same way we’re saved to start with – by faith, believing the Word of God, by believing God can and will do what He said He would do.
    1 John 2:1 was written to Christians. “My little children, I write you these things so that you may not violate God’s law and sin. But if anyone should sin, we have an Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with the Father–[it is] Jesus Christ [the all] righteous [upright, just, Who conforms to the Father’s will in every purpose, thought, and action].” (The Amplified Bible) We have an Advocate – One who pleads our case before the Father and makes sure we’re forgiven.

    God instructed me once to major on righteousness because when we become more aware and understand that we are the righteousness of God, sin begins to lose its hold on us. And the more we know of righteousness, the less it has control over us. We have to lose, give up, get rid of and deny its right that old religious idea “we’re just poor ol’ sinners saved by grace and can’t help ourselves but to sin”. As long as we hold on to that attitude, we’ll continue to be subject to sin.

    It’s time to move on. Time to get past our past. The Apostle Paul said that he was forgetting his past – the position he’d attained as a devout Jew, his persecution of the Christians, all of it, and was moving on with Jesus toward the goal of being like Him. (See Philippians 3:13, 14)

    We can’t change our past, neither the past before or since we received Jesus as Savior. But we can change our present. We can learn to walk in the righteousness Jesus has provided for us. We can grow into it. Like a child grows into a suit of clothes or a pair of shoes that are too big, we can grow into the image of Jesus Christ.

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

  • Let No One Deceive You

    “And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”
    Matthew 24: 4-6 (NKJV)

    I heard on the news last night that according to one preacher Jesus is returning on May 21, 2011. The man supposedly arrived at that exact day by careful study of the Bible. But when I read about him and his prediction on the internet, I found this is not the first date he’s said Jesus was to return. I also found other people giving different dates this year for Jesus to appear and for the judgment of the earth to begin.

    This is not a new phenomenon. Predictions have been going on since the first century church. There were even some preaching that Jesus had already returned. Jesus warned us about this when He said “Take heed that no one deceives you.” He then went on to tell us what to look for.

    Wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes are just the beginning. Christians being hated for being Christian, false prophets rising up and lawlessness abounding. Sounds like today’s headlines doesn’t it? The gospel of Jesus Christ is being preached around the world today in ways there were not even possible a decade ago. When you read Matthew 24, you cannot help but believe that the return of Jesus is near.

    Jesus told us to look to the fig tree as a sign. “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” Matt 24: 32-35 (NKJV)

    Most Bible scholars believe the fig tree is symbolic of Israel. After Rome destroyed the temple and Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the Jews were again scattered throughout the world and there was no nation of Israel for almost 1900 years. Then on May 14, 1948 the nation of Israel was reborn in one day. The fig tree bloomed overnight. This is the reason that I believe that those of us born in this generation will see the return of Jesus.

    Bible prophecy is being fulfilled almost daily. The present turmoil in the Middle East is just one more piece falling into place. Will it be May 21, 2011? I don’t know. It could be before I finish posting this blog. It could be another decade. Only God the Father know the exact date. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matt 24:36 (NKJV)

    I do know this for fact: we are to be ready for His appearing at any moment and until He does appear, we are to be busy for His Kingdom, sharing the gospel with everyone. I long to see Jesus and pray for His return to come quickly, but for those who do not know Him as Lord, it will not be a glorious day. I believe the Father is waiting for as many to receive Him as will before Jesus returns.

    “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
    But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”     2 Peter 3:8-10 (NKJV)

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

  • You are Beautiful to God


    “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.” John 15:9

    Elizabeth* sat across my desk from me while I was preparing her common-law husband’s taxes. With them was another young woman who was the mother of his baby. My heart ached for this young woman. She didn’t appear to have any self worth and seemed resigned to be replaced and subservient to a new “wife”. Her shoulders drooped and frown lines were already creasing her young face. She looked much older than the 23 years of age indicated by her driver license. There was a strong spirit of despair and sorrow surrounding her. How I longed to reach out to her, take her by the shoulders and tell her “God loves you. He sees you worthy of love and you are beautiful. You can be free from this situation.” Because of where we were, that was not possible, but I pray that God will send someone to Elizabeth and share the Good News that will set her free.

    At age 20 months my precious granddaughter Kaylee knows she is loved and knows that she is beautiful. Just ask her.
    “Kaylee, who’s Nana precious girl?”
    “Me!” she responds with a big smile, slapping her hand on her chest.
    “Kaylee, who’s my pretty girl?”
    “Me!” she again responds with a big smile, again slapping her hand on her chest. Yes, when we’re young and are affirmed by our loved ones, we know our self-worth. If we are loved by our parents, we can learn and believe God loves us and has value in us.

    The world does its best to tell us we’re not worthy and there are things wrongs with our bodies, wrong with our abilities, wrong with our feelings. The enemy feeds on our fears and insecurities and he doesn’t wait until we’re adults to start putting those doubts in our heads. All you have to do is look around to see young women allowing themselves to be used and put into demeaning situations to know that. I wonder about Elizabeth. Did she have a father who loved her and made her feel special? Or was he absent, or worse, did he abuse her? What took her to that place where she is being used and taken advantage of by a man old enough to be her father?

    Fathers play a crucial role in teaching a young girl to have self worth. Generally the way girl’s father treats her is how she will expect to be treated in life. Mothers have a role in this as well, but it is the father who usually has the strongest influence in how a girl sees herself.

    If you’ve lost your father, or never had a loving earthly father, know you can have a Heavenly Father who loves you with the highest and purest love you will ever know.

    “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” I John 3:1a

    God lavishes His love on us. He calls us His children. All we have to do is accept it. If you’ve never asked Jesus into your heart, given Him your life, do it now. He is waiting for you to respond to His call. It makes no difference to Him where you’ve been, what you’ve done. He loves you and wants to forgive you and wash you clean. Nothing will keep Him from you if you will only receive Him.

    “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39

    Your Heavenly Father loves you and thinks you are beautiful. He will give you beauty for your ashes and joy instead of despair.

    “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
    He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
    to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
    They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”     Isaiah 61:1-3

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

    *Her name was changed to keep confidentially.

  • Being Engaged

    “As Jesus landed, He saw a great crowd waiting, and He was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.” Mark 6:34

    For my birthday last November, I asked my husband to buy us a membership at the city recreation center gym. Since then, we have been walking on the track 5 or 6 times a week and now we are up to walking about 3.5 miles in the hour we are there. That’s 33 laps around the track, plus 3 or 4 “cool-down” laps. Boring? Not at all. First of all, I’ve got my praise music plugged into my ears, and second, I’m a people watcher. Larry and I both are and we’ve learned who the regulars are at the gym.
    There’s the young lady with severe Scoliosis and her friend who walks with her. There’s the retired Marine with his military hair cut, who runs like a man half his age in his jeans and white tee shirt. There’s a lovely black lady with her curly grey hair carrying 5-lb hand weights and who still out walks me. There’s the older gentleman who was born in India and walks a lap backwards. “Always one lap backward every day. Very good for you.” There is the trainer who is every one’s cheerleader whither or not they are her client. Occasionally there is a very handsome young Arabic man who laps us several times running. I always wonder does he know my Jesus, the One True God of his father Abraham?
    There are many more, but our favorite of all is Matthew and his mom, Rita. Matthew is a young boy with special needs. He’s non-verbal and looks out at the world through thick glasses. Matthew has a surgical scar that starts somewhere in the back of his head and goes down below the top of his shirt. He walks with a slow awkward gait and some days he’s reluctant to walk at all. His mother has to push him and at times seems to struggle to get him out on the track. I can see the frustration on her face as she works trying to get him up and going. But on the days he’s cooperating and walking willingly, I can also see the joy and love on her face as well.
    One day as Larry and I were walking past Matthew and Rita, we slowed down a little to encourage them. Rita beamed a bright smile and said “He’s such a blessing.” A few days later we were leaving about the same time they were and we visited with them for just a few minutes. I told Rita that I’ve been praying for her and Matthew. Her face lit up with at knowing someone cared enough to pray for them. “Oh, thank you! Please do,” she said.
    At church yesterday, our pastor preached on “being engaged” with the community around us. Just as Jesus engaged the Samaritan woman at the well, so are we to become engaged with the people around us. God has been showing me so many people and giving me opportunities to engage them. I don’t know all their stories, I don’t have to in order to pray for them. Will I ever have an opportunity to share Jesus with them? I don’t know. All I do know is I have to be willing and to trust God to open the doors.
    Compassion equals engagement. Over and over in the Gospels it says Jesus had compassion and every time it says that, it follows with what He did.
    “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Matthew 14:14
    “Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.’” Matthew 15:32
    “Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.” Matthew 20:34
    “Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed’”. Mark 1:41
    Having compassion for people is more than just having pity or sympathy. It means being engaged as Jesus was.

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee