Becoming

 

It has been a hard road to travel in this life. Recent times have been a test of mental, physical and spiritual strength. It doesn't get easier but is steady and for the perseverance of the soul. Getting older is not for the faint of heart. We travel and survive with the assurance that if we fight the good fight our Lord will be with us the whole way. Many friends, loved ones and others that have already joined Him we pray are at peace now and forever. Those that are left behind must lean on the strength of the word of God and pray continuously for the day ahead. Our hopes and dreams are on the power of the Christ we serve and no other. in a previous post I quoted the passage on the cross I wear and I believe it completely. Acts 4:12 "there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved". Though I stumble and fall, I will get up and continue on blessing Lord Jesus always for His grace and love. If we stay down, do not get up and continue on in spirit and belief, we are in danger of a death worse than death. We will fall often in our walk with the Lord but He is always there to help us back up again. He takes us by the hand and guides us along the way and forgives us, telling us we are his and He loves us. He tells us our pain is His pain, our concerns are His concerns. He died on the cross for the whole of Gods creation to assure that if we believe in Him we are forgiven and will be with Him always. (from Lumen Fidei by Pope Francis) Believing means entrusting oneself to a merciful love which always accepts and pardons, which sustains and directs our lives, and which shows its power by its ability to make straight the crooked lines of our history. Faith consists in the willingness to let ourselves be constantly transformed and renewed by God's call.

May the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to "Always Love The Details."

Self

 Notice: to those who comment on my blog, I will attempt to comment in return but if your comments are set to embedded, not popup, I will not be able to do so. Please go to your settings, comments and change it from embedded to popup. This is a problem many are having and cannot comment. Check your blog spam folder to see if you are missing those who manage to comment. That is where I found a few comments, about 6, that google deemed as being spam. Google did some "helpful" reprogramming and messed things up royally again. Thank you for visiting and commenting.

What is the most difficult problem you face in life? The number of answers would astound you. If you were completely honest the real answer would be self. Yeah, I know, daily life has all sorts of challenges to face and some seem overwhelming. The truth is that human kind sees the world differently than any other living creature on God's earth. Few would consider the problem to be one's own self. The happiest people I know have come to know who they are and are at peace with themselves and with those around them. The ones that are struggling are those who think everyone else is the problem. They in turn make those around them miserable when they try to reform others to be more like them. This is true of both Christian and non-Christians. Everyone is different, unique, singular. It is OK to struggle with who/what we are but it is not OK to expect others to be like us. It is not OK to persecute or rule over others. It is not OK to isolate or hurt those we do not agree with or differ with. The problem then becomes me if I do any of these things. Self is not something that Christ considered important other than to serve. Self in His eyes was only seen as being the property of God and servant of His father in Heaven. He led by example. (John 13:1-16) He washed the disciple's feet as a servant would do. Though His authority was above all others He was foremost a servant of the most high. Self was not something He dwelt upon but was confident in the knowledge that He was one with His father and servant to the children of His father. 

 This another image from "Paint The World"  that I really like. It is what I know as a tiger lilly. They are very impressive in the garden. When we visit Longwood Gardens and they are in bloom they are a sight to see. 

The Copic colors used are:

That will do it for this post. May the good Lord bless and keep you safe. Remember to always "Love The Details."