Good morning to all on this beautiful Thursday morning. I had my first full night with Hailie Christine and it was a good bonding experience. She is so different from Kai and I guess I should have expected that; some how I thought I was getting another Kai. She has a hearty appetite and takes about 3-4 ounces at a time. She likes to root and likes to stay next to your heart. She will have her Daddy wrapped around her little finger in about a minute. Kai is very affectionate toward his sister; kissing her head and wanting to hold her. It is pure love and he is very tolerant of her need to have a lot of attention. It helps that uncle Aleron is here to make sure Kai feels special too. Watching our son build his family is a great joy to me. Please continue to keep them in your prayers.
I am continuing my journey in Matthew 20, verses 17- 28, "Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life!" Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of Him. What is it you want? He asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father." When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Amen and amen!
The time is drawing nigh for Jesus to end His ministry on earth and be seated at the right hand of His Father God. Christ knows this and wants to ensure that He prepares His disciples for what is to come. Throughout His ministry, Jesus sought to teach His disciples that the path that had been chosen for them and that they accepted would not be void of trials and tribulations. Every step of the way He was constantly showing them how to walk the path that was before them. He continues still with us! Jesus knows that we will have a life of abundance and a life filled with challenges as we share our faith and walk a life that is devoted to Kingdom building. He wants us to have as a motivation, our commitment of service and not because we are seeking rewards as was the case with the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee. His emphasis to her is that all rewards and good things come from His Father who will bless us not because of our works but because of our faith and attitude of service. This is of particular interest to me. I struggle daily with my attitude of service and have to remind myself that when you act in love then the act itself is reward enough; the act itself is fulfilling and can change my life if I let it. When I am challenged in my Christian walk my growth is evident because I recognize immediatley that I have either met the challenge or need to grow more. The walk I have is the point and as I continue to grow I am blessed. To know Him is to love Him. To love Him is to serve Him. To know Him is to love Him. To love Him is to serve you. As you walk today remember that you will be blessed as you continue in your attitude of service.
Stephanie
No comments:
Post a Comment