~Friends~

Proverbs 18:19
19 Do a favor and win a friend forever;
nothing can untie that bond.

People come into our lives....for a season (I've read somewhere), but the impact that they make on on our heart lasts a lifetime. I've blogged about finding purpose or having a mission in the life we live daily. Sometimes that mission is only to touch that one person today. Not a long lived mission, but a short term that is only for the moment. If it pursues itself as long term, then blessings to the soul! I wanted to share some of the people I've met...believe me, it isn't all of them! It's just a few that have made a difference and have found the strength to be called to their "mission". Thank you....all of you that I've met and have had the privilege to call you friend for my family.

...Place in our hearts....

We always strive to do God's will in our lives.....let's let Him place it in our hearts instead.

Celebrate The Day!

Easter is over, but our Lord still lives in the hearts of His "Easter People".

"We are called to be an Easter people, a resurrection people…people who proclaim life in a world of death and distraction. May we live together (united, even though we are part of different local communities) as the people of God in the everyday work to which God has called us…"
~Todd Hiestand, (Field Notes on Missional Leadership and Community Formation)

To Celebrate each and everyday, a new day;

a new moment;
a new phase of enhancing the world around us;
a new day to make a difference.
Go....Celebrate.

Isaiah 25:9
^9-10Also at that time, people will say,
"Look at what's happened! This is our God!
We waited for him and he showed up and saved us!
This God, the one we waited for!
Let's celebrate, sing the joys of his salvation.
God's hand rests on this mountain!"

HE HAS RISEN!!

CELEBRATE!!
HE GAVE US HOPE!!


Matthew 28:1-10

¹ After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

It Was For You...

John 19:28

...Jesus said, “It is finished.”
With that, he bowed his head
and gave up his spirit.

~Maunday Thursday~

We remember tonight at the Maunday Thursday service at church the Last Supper that Christ shared with his followers. What a wonderful way to share the symbols of what He did for us. Every time my church partakes in the communion service, it touches my soul and reminds me of the life that was given just for me.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26
²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts of Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.


John 13:1-17

¹ It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹ “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

¹⁰ Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

The part of this scripture that really shook me tonight during the foot washing service at church was that Christ knew who betrayed Him, but still washed the feet of Judas. Can we do the same to those that betray us? Can we shed our outward clothing and use them as a towel to dry the feet of those that do us wrong? Are we willing to set aside the hurt and anger to be humble to be a servant to them?

Emptying himself, that our joy might be full, he fed the hungry, healed the sick, ate with the scorned and forgotten, washed his disciples' feet, and gave a holy meal as a pledge of his abiding presence. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the spirit.