Weekly Spiritual Meditations - 6/20

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He is our clothing. In His love He wraps and holds us. He enfolds us for love and He will never let us go. --Julian of Norwich

Love Him totally who gave Himself totally for Your love. --St. Clare of Assisi

Feelings may change, but God's love for us is changeless.

As we nurture spiritual growth, our faith can flourish and produce God's fruit.

God gives to us in order that we may give to others.

God draws each of us along our unique path toward wholeness.

Each of us is imperfect -- and warmly welcomed by God.

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Did You Hear What I Heard.... Author Unknown
"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard from many sources about this man, and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.... But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. (Acts 9:13,15)
How easy it is to judge another person on the basis of what we have "heard" about him - perhaps second or third hand.
We form an opinion. Our minds are closed toward him, and he does not have a chance.
Perhaps it has been a misjudgment of our own. How would we feel toward this person if we took the time to get to know them? What if he or she is one of God's chosen instruments?
What if Ananias had not gone to Paul because of what he had heard?

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The power of loving your enemies by Allan Olsen
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. - Luke 6:35
In his book, The Grace of Giving, Stephen Olford tells of a Baptist pastor during the American Revolution named Peter Miller who lived in Ephrata, Pennsylvania.
In the same town also lived an evil-minded man who did all he could to oppose and humiliate the pastor whenever he had the chance. One day, this man was arrested for treason and sentenced to die. So Peter Miller traveled seventy miles on foot to Philadelphia to plead for General George Washington to spare the life of the traitor.
“No, Peter,” General Washington said. “I cannot grant you the life of your friend.”
“My friend?” exclaimed the old preacher. “He’s the bitterest enemy I have!”
“What?” cried Washington. “You’ve walked seventy miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts the matter in different light. I’ll grant your pardon.”
Peter Miller took his long-time enemy back home to Ephrata—but now he was a friend.
So often today, people miss out on the blessings that can come with loving their enemies. They don’t like this or that group of people because their behavior is sinful, so they treat them as outcasts. But what if instead of condemning them, we showed them who God is by loving them despite their actions?
God loved us when we were His enemies. So love others the same way and just watch how He’ll change lives through you!
Prayer Challenge: Ask God to show you “enemies” you can love today. Pray that He would transform their hearts as they see the kind of God you serve!

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The Secret To Understanding Author Unknown
It was the late 1940s. Eastern Airline's chairman, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, had a problem. Customers were complaining because the airline was mishandling luggage far too often. When nothing else seemed to work, he decided to take drastic action.
Rickenbacker called a special meeting of the management personnel in Miami. Eastern's management flew to Miami and was told their baggage would be delivered to their hotel rooms. Instead, Rickenbacker had the luggage stored overnight.
It was summer, the weather was hot and humid and the hotel had no air-conditioning. The various managers showed up to the meeting the next morning unshaven, teeth unbrushed and wearing dirty clothes.
There was no sign of the baggage all that day. But that night Rickenbacker had it delivered, at 3:00 a.m., with a great pounding on all the doors.
He opened the next morning's session by saying, "Now you know how the customer feels when you mishandle his luggage." He knew his team would be ineffective until his people empathized with their customers!
The same is true with us. Until we understand another's problem, we will never be effective in business, in relationships or most importantly, in ministry. The deepest understanding occurs when we actually sense what the other person is feeling. When husbands and wives, parents and children, friends, colleagues, and associates will take time to feel what the other is feeling, something wonderful will happen.
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2
"Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort which we ourselves received from God." 2 Cor. 1:4

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Y'all Come by Cathy Messecar
They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47
"Y'all come." Cline Paden said those were the sweetest words a young boy could hear. Those words meant the Paden family had an invitation to dinner after Sunday morning worship.
During the Great Depression, food was often scarce so an invitation to dine at a neighbor's house signaled a plentiful week. A growing boy knew the host's table would most likely be laden with mouthwatering fried chicken and homegrown vegetables. Boys with cavernous stomachs could eat their fill.
Sadly, "Y'all come" is spoken less and less in my busy life. Most ancestors' food production was labor intensive from seed and stall to table. My great grandmothers grew their own vegetables, milked cows, churned butter, baked bread, made jam, wrung chicken necks and fried their own chickens.
These chores were part of rearing large families. Yet, women still made time to invite neighbors to "sit a spell." They also set aside time to prepare a pot roast and have the visiting preacher over to eat Sunday dinner. Today, far too many neighbors are strangers to me. Sometimes the color of a neighbor's car and house is all that's known about those who live near me.
Desiring to be more hospitable, I planned a luncheon for a few people I wanted to get to know better. I invited the moms and children to meet me for an early blueberry picking at a nearby farm. Afterwards, we'd eat a light lunch at my home. Luncheon day arrived, and the phone began to ring with cancellations. A sick child. A Saturn slipped a transmission. Hard candy broke a tooth. Need to go to dentist. Pet cat broke a toenail.
As I walked out the door at 9:00 a.m. to go pick blueberries, my daughter phoned from her workplace to see how preparations were going. I explained my dilemma of too much food and no diners, and she suggested bringing the secretaries in her office for lunch. The "working girls" were delighted by the impromptu invitation to eat homemade chicken salad and munch on fresh blueberry muffins.
Strangers began eating at my table that day, but when the final iced tea was sipped, new friendships had begun. One girl eventually began a Bible study with us and later became a Christian.
Romans 12:13 encourages me to "practice hospitality." The words hospice, hospital, and host embody the idea of treating strangers as guests. Hospitality isn't limited to meals, but the simplest form of entertaining usually does include a meal.
Although modern food conveniences and microwaves have decreased my kitchen workload, I still find issuing meal invitations a challenge. I've yet to serve popcorn as a main course, but I've discovered meal ingredients need not be fancy. In a pinch, I've served takeout food to my kitchen diners, and even when the house was a bit mussed, guests truly didn't seem to mind folding the laundry while I diced potatoes for the soup.
My goal is to host more strangers, to practice hospitality, to phone more neighbors and say, "Y'all come."

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You're Not the Sausage! Author Unknown
If you have ever been a hospital patient, you'll agree that toward the end of your recovery, things can get a little boring. Sitting in the bed you find yourself looking at the wall or trying to find something to watch on television. By this time your day revolves around your meals.
I was in just such a position one day when that glorious moment finally arrived…breakfast! Yes, I could smell the rich aroma of the coffee as I beheld a domed covered plate, which contained the culinary enjoyment that I awaited.
Carefully lifting the cover off the plate, disappointment reared its ugly head. There lay my toast, my two boiled eggs, and a blank spot reserved for my sausage. No sausage? We'll see about that. I called the nurse and alerted her to my meatless predicament, fully expecting her to call a code brown. There was a code blue maybe a code red, but no code brown.
Patiently I ate my toast and sipped my coffee saving the eggs until they could be properly eaten with sausage. After a few minutes I heard a knock at the door. "Aha!" I thought. "Food service is here!" With excited expectation knowing that my moment had arrived, I invited my visitor to enter.
When the door opened, it was my nurse with a cart full of needles, IV bags, charts, and paraphernalia. Before I could stop myself, I opened my mouth and exposed my true feelings. I said, "You're not the sausage!"
Never have I seen such a perplexed look on a face as she replied, "No I am not, but I have another bag of antibiotics for you." We had a good laugh together. She had brought something that was actually better for me.
I am reminded of a man in the Bible who was also sick on his back and asked the Apostle Peter for some help. Peter said, "I don't have any silver or gold for you. But I'll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!" Acts 3:6 And he did!
The sick lame man got more than he expected. In his mind he hoped for money to sustain him at best. He never expected himself to be healed in the name of Jesus.
You may be hoping for something or someone to come into your life to fulfill a need or desire. But just think, what if God has something in mind for you much better, far better, than your biggest dream? It can happen for you just like it happened for the lame man in the Bible.
Our God is the God of something better, the God of more than enough, and the God of abundance. Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantlyJohn 10:10
Abundant life is your promise! Don't give up on your dream, but be open to God's version of your dream. Believe it. Hold onto it. Let God surprise you with His dream for you. He will sustain you and bless you beyond measure!
Oh, and food service finally brought me bacon!

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How to be content without becoming complacent by Allan Olsen
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:13-14
The great pianist Ignacy Jan Padrewski achieved tremendous popularity all over the world around the turn of the 20th century. Yet, said Padrewski, “There have been few moments when I have known complete satisfaction, but only a few. I have rarely been free from the disturbing realization that my playing might have been better.”
Padrewski was renowned as a near-perfect piano player. Yet he remained largely unsatisfied in his abilities and always continued working at improving his talent.
There’s a difference between contentment and complacency. Contentment is found in the biblical promise, “I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1), meaning God fulfills us with everything we need. Complacency, however, is the notion that we’ve reached and achieved everything, and there are no more areas in which we can grow and learn.
Contentment is good. Complacency is not. In fact, when we read Scripture, we see our heroes of the faith are always growing, always learning, and always pushing themselves forward. Be content, but not complacent. Realize that God has given you everything you need. But use what God has given you to continue growing and learning all the days of your life!
Prayer Challenge: Pray that God would bring about contentment and remove complacency in your walk of faith.
Questions for Thought
What attitude is really at the heart of the idea that we don’t have any growing or learning left to do?
Think of one area where you could take steps to grow and learn. How can you make progress in this area over the next few weeks and months?

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
Some things have been put on hold for a short time so that you can get your heart right with Me in this particular. I am dealing with selfish motivations and places of disregard for others. When you recognize wrong attitudes and set things in order, you will be able to proceed, says the Lord. Love is the order of the day. Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Take care to treat others with the same respect you expect. Weigh your criticism of others to make sure that what you say is not only valid but helpful. My kingdom is not about critical judgmentalism, but about exhortation. I call you to extend love, peace, and kindness, says the Lord. Be a vessel of goodness. Luke 6:41-42 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, "Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye," when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

I heard the phrase, "Steady as she goes." And, the Lord says: Do not deviate from your destination. I have set your direction, and your spiritual development and the outcome will depend on your staying on course. Refuse to be drawn away by distractions and interruptions to divine flow, says the Lord. James 1:13-14 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

In your questions about how to proceed, wait until you have a definitive answer. Any doubt about your direction or responses to circumstances will produce double-mindedness. If you need wisdom ask, and then wait for an answer, says the Lord. For, it is my desire to guide your steps and keep you in a spiritual flow. Let Me lead. James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Small corrections can make a big difference, and I am showing you things that need to be corrected in order for you to have a better outcome. Your tendency will be to over-correct, so it is important that you pay attention to that aspect of your life, says the Lord. See to it that you don't get down on yourself, but rather recognize that no one is perfect. You are simply being transformed. Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Take advantage of the grace available to you to deal with issues that have caused you to procrastinate. These are things you have dreaded or at least have not looked forward to. Now is the time to take care of whatever has been a bother so that it will not become a stumbling block, says the Lord. You will have My help to take appropriate action.
Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
Have you heard My word? Indeed, it is a season of transformation; of transforming glory. Transformation is always required when you move into a new season. The new season is before you; it has been declared; it has been prophesied; it has been spoken of. Your doorway is opened. For, I know that you will be able to find Me in a fresh way as the streams of life and reality begin to overflow and touch you. They will indeed give you the opportunity for the change that is required to come into this new joy of life in this season, says the Lord God.

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MY CHILD COME AND CUDDLE WITH ME By Debbie Preuss
My child come and cuddle with Me
Come and rest upon My knee
Settle in to My embrace
Let me see the pleasure on your face
Come and let your worries depart
Let Me calm your hurting heart
Breathe a big sigh of relief
Let go of all that brings you grief
Relax in Me beyond all measure
Cuddling you brings Me great pleasure
Hear Me speak words of love to you
Rest and let Me refresh and renew
Your weary soul and give you peace
All to Me now please release
Joys and sorrows My child pour out
All your cares and all your doubt
Hear Me singing now to you
Relax and let me bring joy anew
Let Me fill you with My grace
All your stress and strain replace
With the calmness of My love
As I cuddle you from above
Let your spirit commune with Mine
As you relax you will be just fine
Remember that I am in control
Your completeness is my goal
As I hold you in My embrace
Let Me see the pleasure on your face
Come and rest upon My knee
My child come and cuddle with Me

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You're Covered by Virginia Santoro
Snow drifts cover the windows.
Winter's here for sure.
Snuggled inside you're safe and warm.
Feeling real secure.
Think of your life in these same terms,
No matter where you go.
By the Grace of God you're covered.
Enveloped in His Love.

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If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14

We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:4-5

God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

"If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. " John 8:36

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The Bigger Picture by Alan Smith
Leith Anderson shared a story about when he was a boy. He grew up outside of New York City and was an avid fan of the old Brooklyn Dodgers. One day, his father took him to a World Series game between the Dodgers and the Yankees. He was so excited, and he just knew the Dodgers would trounce the Yankees. Unfortunately, not a single Dodger ever got on base and his excitement was shattered.
Years later, he was engrossed in a conversation with a man who was a walking sports almanac. Leith told him about the first major league game he attended and added, "It was such a disappointment. I was a Dodger fan and the Dodgers never got on base."
The man said, "You were there? You were at the game when Don Larsen pitched the first perfect game in all of World Series history?"
Leith replied, "Yeah, but uh, we lost."
He then realized that he had been so caught up in his team's defeat that he missed out on the fact that he was a witness to a far greater page of history.
"You were there?"
I wonder how often the same thing happens to us. We get so caught up in the "defeats" in our lives -- the times when things don't turn out the way we want them to. So we're depressed because an illness continues to linger, or when people don't treat us the way we think they ought to, or when we face financial difficulties.
But, we are often so blinded by the pain and disappointment of our "defeat" that we fail to appreciate the fact that we might be witness to something far greater that God is doing in our lives.
Remember when Paul was in prison? He wrote to the Christians in Philippi: "My dear friends, I want you to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the good news." (Philippians 1:12)
While most of us would have focused on the "defeat" (being in prison even though he was innocent), Paul was able to see what God was doing in his life. It's not an easy thing to do. It's never easy to view things from a heavenly perspective rather than an earthly one, but it is especially difficult in the midst of pain and defeat. But it is learning how to have a heavenly view that helps us to know joy no matter what happens in our lives.

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O my God, I love you above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because you are all good and worthy of all my love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of you. I forgive all who have injured me and I ask pardon of all whom I have injured.

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Read Through The Bible
2 Chronicles 27
Jotham Reigns in Judah
1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (although he did not enter the temple of the Lord). But still the people acted corruptly. 3 He built the Upper Gate of the house of the Lord, and he built extensively on the wall of Ophel. 4 Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built fortresses and towers. 5 He also fought with the king of the Ammonites and defeated them. And the people of Ammon gave him in that year one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand kors of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The people of Ammon paid this to him in the second and third years also. 6 So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God. 7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. 8 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9 So Jotham rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Ahaz his son reigned in his place.

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O God, help us to be witnesses of your love, regardless of what others may think. Help us to be aware of opportunities to help and serve others in your name. Make us faithful and strong. Mold us into the people you want us to be. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.