a few thoughts

Ice covering everything this morning. It's a very cold 34°F. Mikah is a little sick. Pray it’s not the flu. We got the tree and lights put up last night, but the kids were too tired so we will put the ornaments on today.

I have such a beautiful family! :^)

I’ve spoken and thought so much about the second greatest commandment, “love your neighbor as yourself”, that I have neglected the first. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matt 22:37-40) I realize that my inability to be ANY good at the second one is my neglect of the relationship with my God. I’m just trying to take some one-on-one time there.

A few thoughts that are sticking around:

John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (it‘s not just as I love myself, but as Jesus loved me that I am to love others)

John 15:18-19 "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”

Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

“bodies a living and holy sacrifice”.....service! Obviously that is in the practical context of this world. That is how Jesus did it.

In our fellowship with one another, our ‘community’, we have all forms of chances for service. All kinds of needs to be met on all different levels. We know that our church is to be inclusive and visible(visible doesn’t mean a larger steeple). - “not the righteous, but the sick” - Isn’t this worship? Worship is soooo much more than singing (Ps. 66:4) and lifting up our hands (Ps. 63:4). These are obviously good, but.......I think of John 13:35 which says "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." This would have to be visible. There would have to be service. It has to be practical to be understood and seen.