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I am having a terrible day with my emotions, and this is not good. I lashed out at a girl who works at my hematologist's office, and that is totally not the "Me" I have become in recent years. Then, I opened Facebook this afternoon, and learned that a former colleague, a friend I had worked with for three years, we were on the same teaching team, passed away this week from cancer. I spent over an hour trying to find her obituary online, because the service is tomorrow, they are Jewish, and shiva is to follow. I would like to go and pay my respects to the family. This woman was a class act, and a role model in how to be a teacher. The kids loved her. She had a huge heart for the kids, and we worked well together, the four teachers that made up our team. We always had the best kids in the seventh grade, because our team had high standards and we were diligent about identifying the kids who needed extra help from the counselors and outside areas.
Then, I found out my nephew had a basketball game that I knew nothing about. I support him in his Special Olympics activities. I am a volunteer, and I love to see him play, and my sis-in-law posted a pic on Facebook this afternoon from a game today.
My daughter is experiencing Spiritual warfare at work, and I am experiencing it here at home.
Please pray for me to get my act together and get these irratic emotions in check. This is the first time in ages that I have had an emotional spell.
Hugs,
Trish
Albert Schweitzer
I'm working on a baby blanket that someone gave a fellow knitter in my group that someone gave her. Evidently this was started by a woman and she passed away before it was finished and the woman who was to get it wanted to see if anyone could fini**** for her. So after finding a pattern in the bag it was an easy project and I'm nearly finished. But my point is I'm so thankful God has given me the talent and opportunity to finish this for them so they can have a piece of something that was so important to them. I consider it an honor to be able to accomplish this with God's guidance. God bless! Karen I had a great Easter as well. My sister came to church, and the service included drama, dance, and cardboard testimonies. Very powerful messages. Several people accepted Christ, and I was thrilled just to be at church for the first time in ages. Services used to be at 9:15. Now they are at 10:30. Easier to get to.
I have a praise. I found an audio book on Mindfulness Meditation for pain, and am trying it to help me with the pain. My therapist recommended the meditation, but it has to be taught. The audio book is supposed to help me with that.
Please pray for my daughter. She is experiencing some opposition at work. Her principal is a Mormon, and my daughter feels under attack for the first time in her teaching career. It is really stressing her out. My daughter's name is Colleen.
Thanks,
Trish
Albert Schweitzer
April 26
God’s Grand Plan
First Peter 1:16 says, “You shall be holy for I am holy." What an overwhelming command! But that is exactly what the Lord is committed to do in our lives—make us holy. His grand plan can be summed up in one word: sanctification. This is the three-stage process by which He sets us apart for His purposes.
Stage one occurs at the moment of our salvation. When God declares us righteous, we are positionally holy. The second stage is a progression of growth as we become more and more in practice what we already are in position. This process will continue for as long as we are alive on this earth.
The Father has predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son, and He is continually working to shape our conduct, character, and conversation. Although God is the one who accomplishes the transformation, we have some responsibility in the process. If we don’t cooperate with Him, the world will squeeze us into its mold, and we will miss the great plans He has for us.
The third stage of sanctification is our ultimate perfection when we will possess absolute holiness. Upon our physical death, the soul and spirit are freed from sin, and in the resurrection, our bodies will be made perfect. We will stand faultless and spotless before Christ.
If we could just get a glimpse of what the third stage is like, we would never moan and groan about the difficult sanctification process we endure now. Our eyes would be fixed on the goal, and our greatest motivation would be to glorify God by submitting to Him as He transforms us.
Albert Schweitzer
April 25
Qualifications for Sainthood
Many people hold an unbiblical view of sainthood. Their idea of a saint is one who has led such an exemplary life that he or she is venerated by the church, but God’s Word presents quite a different picture. The Corinthian church struggled with all sorts of ungodly behaviors, yet Paul describes them as “those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling" (1 Cor. 1:2).
Sanctifymeans to set apart from common use to a sacred use. Throughout Scripture, the Lord has sanctified days (such as the Sabbath), places (the tabernacle), things (Ark of the Covenant), and people. A saint is simply a person whom God has set apart for His purposes. That means every believer is a saint.
Before you were saved, your position relative to God was one of enmity (Rom. 5:10). But the moment you trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, the Lord changed your position and set you apart for Himself.
You were born again and are now His child. He forgave your sins and declared you righteous. A saint is not a perfect person but one who is in a right relationship with God. Although our position of sanctification is not predicated on good behavior, the Lord expects us to live in a manner that honors Him.
Just think—God set you apart for a sacred purpose. That means you are here, not to live as you please but to bring glory to Him. He calls us to live according to our new position in Christ. To refuse this responsibility of sainthood is a blatant act of ingratitude, which grieves His heart.
Albert Schweitzer
Happy Easter,
Trish
Albert Schweitzer
Stacy B. · 8 replies · 984 views
