25-Jul-14

Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful.  Grow to maturity.  Encourage each other.  Live in harmony and peace.  Then the God of love and peace will be with you.  II Corinthians 13:11How can we be joyful in this turmoil-filled world?  Praise God for our blessings and let gratitude for the little things be evident. in our hearts.Maturity?  Everyone wants us to be mature, not old, but mature.  Maturity is gained through thinking not of self, but others with a servant’s heart.Encourage each other, not only with words, but attitude and giving others strengthening acts of love.  It has been my joy to experience this encouragement through others’ concern for what concerns me.  To cry and laugh with me.  When I know that their encouragement comes from The Greatest Encourager Who walked with earth, our Lord and Savior.   I am humbled.How do we live in harmony and peace?  That comes through unconditional love, non-judgmental love.  Loving because Jesus loves and seeing our hearts through that love.What is the result of gratitude-life, spiritual-maturity, Jesus-encouragement?  The assurance that the God of Love and Peace will be with us, not just in this world, but in eternal life to come.See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.   Always be joyful. Never stop praying.  I Thessalonians 5:15-17