Litmus Test…

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What is the Litmus Test for Love?

“Love is Patient”…

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Am I?

“Love is kind”…

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Am I?

“It is not jealous, is not pompous, it is not inflated”…

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Am I?

“It is not rude, it does not seek its own interests”…

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Do I?

“It is not quick tempered, it does not brood over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.”

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Do I?

“It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” …

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Do I?

“Love never fails.”

Have I?

“But when the  kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.” Titus 3: 4-7

We have much to be thankful for!

Hangover?…

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Thanksgiving Hangover?…Great!…Please read on…

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Turkey leftovers stored in fridge for turkey sandwiches later…

The “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” sighs after the last bite of pecan pie have ushered us into the official hustle and bustle of the holiday race.

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Quick thank you’s have sped us into frenzied gift buying.

Is this really what it is all about?

Was our giving thanks only as deep as the ladle in the turkey gravy?

In 1621 an incredible first chapter for our country was written…

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The truth that all good things come from above and the recognition of this erupted into the first Thanksgiving.

Abraham Lincoln many years later in 1863 grounded us in the soil of this gratitude by declaring Thanksgiving a national holiday.

Where are we now?

Let us live a Hangover of Thanksgiving and Praise.

One heart at a time living a hangover of thanksgiving and praise can cause many to look upwards and beyond.

Want to transform the world?

Slow down and walk in thanksgiving and praise.

Paul knew the secret (Acts 16:23-34)…

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It was praise and thanksgiving that broke open the prison bars.

Please join me in living the Thanksgiving hangover.

“Enter the temple gates with praise, its courts with thanksgiving.  Give thanks to God, bless his name; good indeed is the Lord, whose love endures forever, whose faithfulness lasts through every age. ” Ps 100: 4-5

Can You Pinch More Than an Inch?…

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Love is Sacrifice…

The two words can be used interchangably.

I love you….I Sacrifice for you.

Love pinches…Sacrifice pinches.

Love takes a bit of our heart….And gives to another.

Love calls for Obedience. Obedience to God’s Law of Love.

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Look carefully at the word Obedience.

See the 3 letter word within?

DIE…

To be Obedient is to Die to self…

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To Die to self is to Sacrifice…

To Sacrifice is to love…

Jesus left us an example.

So…today…

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Can you pinch more than an inch?

“I give you a new commandment:  love one another.  As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.  This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if  you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Feel the Burn…

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Love…

the word…overused and misunderstood.

Love is not based on feelings…

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stars in the eyes, sweaty palms, Hollywood hype feelings.

Love is not even based on understanding,

for as hard as we try we cannot ever fully understand each other.

Love is acceptance.

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Otentimes acceptance is uncomfortable….it goes against the grain.

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But it’s in the uncomfortable we begin to love.

Love is loving the unlovable and that is where true virtue begins.

Let’s look more closely at the uncomfortable in our lives…

there’s room for love there.

Let us stretch ourselves and feel the burn of our prides convicted and our very selves challenged.

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We have to give up to win!

That’s when we truly begin to love.

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FEEL THE BURN!

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your STRENGTH.”

Mark 12:30

“Versatile Blogger ” Award…

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Wow, How exciting! Thank you Michael at “Have a Dream” Blog for nominating me for this award.(Please check out Michael’s motivating blog….it’s a regular read for me!) This newbie blogger is touched. The Versatile Blogger award has a few rules up on acceptance.

Rules of Award:

1.  Nominate 15 fellow bloggers

2.  Inform bloggers of their nomination.

3.   Share 7 random thoughts about yourself.

4.  Thank the blogger who nominated you.

5.  Add the “Versatile Blogger” award pic on your post.

7 Random Things About Me:

My first name is Julianne….don’t think I’ve ever shared that.

I like to bake silly desserts that make others smile.

I really like the beach.  It recharges me.

I almost always see the glass half full…even when others think I’m crazy.

I smile a lot…at least that’s what others say.

I  like fresh flowers and almost always have some in my house, mostly from my garden.

Last but not least Through Him (Christ Jesus), With Him, In Him I strive to be.

Now Drum Roll….Fellow Bloggers I nominate are:

 Sam at http://dandelion6oclock.wordpress.com

poeticjourney at http://poeticjourney251.wordpress.com

pstok at http://pieterstok.com

Julie Van Meter at http://lightonmypath.wordpress.com

Donna Evaro at http://supermomsarefake.wordpress.com

Julie Moore at http://gracefullwomen.com

SR at http://bornofwaterandspirit.wordpress.com

alienhippy at http://alienhippy.wordpress.com

DrT at http://doctortisms.wordpress.com

justalilly at http://justalilly.wordpress.com

JW2Shay at http://thequestforChristproject.wordpress.com

Pat Cegan at http://patcegan.wordpress.com

laurenscott at http://laurenscott.wordpress.com

Scrappy Scribe at http://eabussey.wordpress.com

d.a.v.e. at http://daveestrera.wordpress.com

Blessings on you all and keep blogging,

FromtheheartofJ

Mint Julep Optional…

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What is PEACE of mind…How do we live it?

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Spanish Moss is common in the southern United States.

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Oak trees draped with hanging moss paint a picture of peace and tranquility.

Evoke images of Southern belles, all afternoon picnics, and croquet games.

Mint Juleps optional.

Spanish moss is very beautiful…

but it grows in nooks and crevices of the weakest branches of majestic hundred year old trees.

Blocks the sunlight from feeding the leaves that surround it.

It does not kill, but yes, further weakens.

Our minds can become full with random thoughts, distracting thoughts, busy thoughts, purposeless thoughts, empty thoughts…

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Our minds become weak with the heaviness of them.

Thoughts drape up on thoughts shutting out the light from above that guides us and sustains us.

Begin to weaken our will, our walk.

Let not the moss grow in weakened areas of the mind.

Relax, slow down, rest…

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Mint Julep optional!

Let the light of Godly, purposeful, affirming thoughts fill your mind.

Anything else is mere moss.

A light filled mind is a PEACE filled mind.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me.  Then the God of peace will be with you. ” Phil 4: 8-9

An Instrument….

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Lord make me an INSTRUMENT of your PEACE…

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Where there is hatred, let me sow love…

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Where there is injury, pardon…

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Where there is doubt, faith…

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Where there is despair, hope…

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Where there is darkness, light…

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Where there is sadness, joy…

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O Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console…

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To be understood as to understand…

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To be loved as to love…

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For it is in giving that we receive…

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It is in pardoning that we are pardoned…

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And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

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Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

“Lord truly make us your INSTRUMENTS of PEACE.”

Get the Elephant out of the Middle of the Room….

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“Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called sons of God.”

Peace MAKERS.

We all love Peace, but…

We are called to be Peace MAKERS.

Called to go about life intentionally bringing about the highest good of others.

Then we are BLESSED to be called Children of God…

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 Mirrors of God’s very nature.

Peace MAKING is not about avoiding conflict…

Brushing dirt under the rug…

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Ignoring the elephant in the middle of the room.

This is a call to get to the heart of the matter…

To unravel the knots with God’s given grace and wisdom.

Jesus, Our Savior King, died up on the cross to bring Peace and to restore us to a right relationship with Him.

Peace MAKERS don’t avoid conflict.

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 They walk right into it with their armor on.

And by the power of the Holy Spirit bring wholeness into the brokenness.

MAKE Peace in the real sense of the word and you will be BLESSED.

“Let us pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another.” Romans 14:19

 

Walking in the Garden in the Breezy Time of the Day…

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Adam and Eve walking in the garden in the breezy time of day, conversing with God.

Sigh…..can you just imagine?

But then the fall…

Discord…Disconnect…Seperation…Sin

Now we all long for Peace…

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Shalom in Hebrew.

Peace…a word that packs a punch.

Peace…a prayer.

Peace…means wholeness, completeness, perfectness, fullness.

When we greet one another with “Peace” or “Peace be with you”,

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We are actuallly saying…

“I hope this day there is movement toward wholeness for you.”

“I hope this day things in your life are as they ought to be.”

“I hope this day you are restored to walking in the garden in the breezy time of day with God.”

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Peace…a mighty blessing we bestow on others.

Peace…a paradise petition.

Peace this day, friends, may you know it and may you pass it on.

Words are powerful!

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27

Wearing a Tatoo?…

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Sundays are for celebration!

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For singing and for gathering…

For lifting up hearts as one in praise and thanksgiving.

Sundays ignite us…recharge us…renew us…transform us.

But are we just “Sunday visitors”?

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Dropping by….in and out…returning back into our comfortable week?

Or do we choose…

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To be tatooed?

Marked?

The richness of Sunday imprinted on our very selves…

Vibrant response carried out into the world humming the tune…

“We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord (2x)

And we pray that all unity will one day be restored,

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

They will know we are Christians by our love.

We will work with each other, we will work side by side (2x)

And we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride.

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.

They will know we are Christians by our love.

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand (2x)

And together we will spread the news that God is in our land.

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

They will know we are Christians by our love. “

Join the ranks of the heart tatooed!

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, “Your God is King!” Is 52:7