Thank you seems so “not enough” to express the love you have shown me by following and supporting my blog. I am blessed to have so many connections around the globe. The WordPress community provides positive interactions with individuals of like and even differing experiences that is both educational and entertaining. I review my stats on a regular basis and wanted to share a few with you today, please know that not all the countries with followers is represented as the screenshot was for yesterday only. Please know that I am grateful that you spend some of your precious time reading my thoughts. May you be blessed as you have blessed me.
WordPress Stats • March 13th, 2022
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” — Numbers 6:24-26 (NRSVA) —
~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.
“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” —Ephesians 3:12 (NIV)
Why did Jesus have to die?
Jesus died that we may worship God freely and confidently in His presence
Bible Reading: John 4:7-26
“When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.). The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied.Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
*This passage may be familiar, it was also used during “Week Two • Jesus Crosses Borders.” You can read it here:
1. In today’s text Jesus reveals His identity as the Messiah, the promised Savior of the Israelites. But, He also says that the day would come when people of every nationality would worship Him. What does this tell us about Jesus?
It tells me that Jesus, when He looks around He sees His children, not as Jew or Samaritan, just simply His creation. Jesus is all about inclusion not exclusion. Jesus loves all of creation and wants to have a relationship with all His children. Jesus does not need us. But, amazingly, He loves us passionately, and in His goodness He wants us to live with Him forever. We are the ones who are in need of Jesus, in need of what only He can provide…He is our salvation, our solid rock, the perfecter of our faith. “
God is holy, eternal, almighty, and totally self-sufficient. He does not need any created being, but we do need Him. All of creation is dependent on the life that God alone sustains.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.“ —Hebrews 12:1-2 (NRSVA)
2. In Jesus’ day, it would have been unusual for a Jewish man to talk to a woman who was considered sinful. How does this conversation demonstrate Jesus’ love for her? For you?
Jesus sees the hearts of people, He knew of her sin before He spoke to her. He knows my sin and yours too, His love is stronger than all our sins. Jesus paid for our freedom from sin on the cross. We need only to seek forgiveness from our Heavenly Father. My experience with forgiveness is, it is much harder to ask for forgiveness than the actual act of sinning. I don’t necessarily think that this is a bad thing. Seeking forgiveness is confessing and admitting our wrongdoing with remorse. Through Jesus’ ministry it is clear that He came to not only to save His chosen people, the Israelites but for all humankind. From the very foundation of the world, God loved all that was created.
“God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” —Genesis 1:31 (NRSVA)
3. What do you want to say in response to Jesus?
Jesus, thank you for creating me and calling me your child. I’m sorry for my sinfulness. Please help me to live the life I was created for, help me to be a light for you wherever I go. I am so very thankful for the opportunities I have to worship you, to read your word and to share you with the people in my life. I am nothing without you, you are my everything.
“Without God (we) would have no life at all. Outside of Christ there is no reality. There is no logic. There is no reason for anything. Everything was made for Christ. Your next breath comes from Christ and is to go back to Christ.” https://biblereasons.com/being-nothing-without-god/
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my saviour; you save me from violence.” — 2 Samuel 22:2-3 (NRSVA) —
Friends, thank you for joining me on this Lenten journey. Welcome to Week • Three, I look forward to reading more about the “love” of Jesus. I am blessed to be able to share my thoughts and most importantly my faith with you. God Bless 💟
~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.
As this second week of Lent comes to a close, I am thankful for so many things in my life. My heart is also heavy and I’m saddened by the news reports of war, the ugliness of the world that takes center stage. So many people have lost family members, their homes, their belonging and the list continues. My trust remains in God and He is still in control. I’m reminded that the chaos and troubles we are dealing with all around the globe are all man-made. Mankind often chooses evil over good in this world, but God has not turned His back on His people. I pray that truth and wisdom will prevail, and that the killing and suffering will stop. The answer is right in front of us all…God. It’s a message from long ago, yet still relevant and needed today, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” —2 Chronicles 7:14 (NRSVA)
I found a song called, “Lord, Send A Revival” by B. B. McKinney, written in 1927. I found organ music and the lyric. We could use a revival today. Below I have posted a the lyrics for you to read.
🌀 Memorize John 3:16, keep it in your heart, because “God so loved YOU that He gave…” You might even choose to write it on a Post-It note and just randomly post them for others to see. You might even post it on social media sites. If you’re familiar with “rock painting” write John 3:16 on a painted rocks for others to find, such as on park benches, newspapers stands…
Photo Credit: Pinterest
“‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” —John 3:16 (NRSVA)
🌀 Fill a simple jar with prayer requests, designate a day of the week as your special prayer day, spend time praying through one or more requests. These requests can be whatever is on your heart.
Photo Credit: Pinterest
🌀 Craft a Passover Lamb using cardboard and a printing picture of a lamb. Use white yard and wrap it around the cardboard cut-out. Or if your really energized use cloth and stuffing to make a lamb. Reference Exodus 12:1-13 and see how Jesus demonstrated His love by becoming the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.
“When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, …He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. — Luke 7:13-15 (NIV) —
Bible Reading: Luke 2:11-17
“Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.” — Luke 7:11-17 (NIV)
Challenge Questions
L👀K Around You
1. Where is there suffering and pain?
“Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (NRSVA)
Our broken world is filled with so much suffering and pain. The suffering comes in many different forms; homelessness, poverty, lawlessness, healthcare crisis’, mental health, addiction, and the list grows day by day. From the four corners of the world people are suffering, many of which do an adequate job of hiding. I’m not sure when, how or why the practice of hiding our pain and suffering became the accepted practice with one another. The Bible is quite clear about sharing our burdens, not solving or dissolving them for one another but sharing.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV).
I believe we can all do more to help ease the daily struggles of many simply by being KIND. I have found that as a grow in years my patience level with others has increased. I think it’s partially due to my own personal experiences of being impatient. Life is entirely too short to, as they say, “don’t sweat the small stuff.” My “soul-life” is my priority, but just like you I work, so I can have a life to live and pay for things I need mostly and a few wants as well. But, I also work to help ours, both with my time and my finances. I am blessed to be able to work at a job I love, with people I love and share the blessings granted to me by God.
2. How might Christ’s compassion within you move you to action?
Each day granted to me by God Almighty is a day to make a difference in someone else’s life. Eyes wide open 👀 God will lead!
The best advice I would give to myself and to anyone asking would be, I was lost and I was found; Christ saved me and He will save you too. Compassion is a BIG word, it literally means “to suffer together.” (From the Greek and Latin)
Greek: συμπόνια
Hebrew: חֶמלָה
Latin: misericordia
🙏🏻🔹🙏🏻🔹🙏🏻🔹🙏🏻🔹🙏🏻🔹🙏🏻🔹🙏🏻
Prayerfully consider one practical way you may help alleviate someone’s pain, ask God to multiple your efforts as only He can do.
Friends — I am honored by you visiting my blog today. May you experience God in very real ways today. Thank you for sharing this Lenten season with me. May the peace of God go with you today and always. ~
~Charlottew, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.
“[Jesus] was amazed at [the centurion] and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” —Luke 7:9 (NIV)
Bible Reading: Luke 7:1-10
“When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.”
Challenge • Things to Ponder
*Think back on the past week*
1. Where is there evidence of faith in Jesus in your life?
Indeed, I experienced the presence of God this past week while performing my job duties, I found myself in a situation that often leads to stress for many reasons but this time I felt calmness and clarity. These feelings continued to be present within my being a few days later when I was asked about said situation. My normal and usual reaction leads me to doubt myself and I start looking for what I did wrong, because I must have been wrong. Not this time, I patiently listened and agreed that I was tense throughout the event but felt I did the best I could at the time. I also see now that I had other choices at the time that could have implemented. The other thing that I almost always do is apologize, broadly covering things that I could not possibly be guilty of, this incident I did not have that “knee-jerk” reaction, I took time to reflect and sought the advice of a mentor and friend. No apologies were needed or necessary, simply move forward knowing that in the future I should to access all available data to be more fully informed before making decisions. I felt real growth and courage growing inside me, in very real ways, “God’s Not Done with me yet.”
2. Where did you try to figure things out on your own?
Honestly, I did not spend much time initially on my own figuring thinking things out. I processed it while at work but did not overly think about it after work. I practice a “shut-down” work mindset when I leave work. It has proven to be most helpful and healthy. I did speak with two individuals that are important in my life. I value their opinions and they both are faith followers of Jesus. None of us are perfect and as Jesus extends grace freely to us, we should extend it to others and definitely to ourselvesfreely and often.
“God’s mercy and grace give me hope – for myself, and for our world.” -Billy Graham
Challenge • Prompt
Choose a situation or a relationship that is challenging you right now, and ask Jesus to do what only He can do in and through you. Then watch Him work miracles for His glory and your good.
Thank you for taking time to read my blog post today. It is my pray that you see, feel and find God. Blessings to you, as you have blessed me.
~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.
“When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven…Get up, take your mat and go home.” Matthew 9:2b, 6b
Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13b (NIV)
Bible Reading: Luke 5:17-26
“One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
Insights of This Passage:
1. It was the faith of the men carrying the paralyzed man that Jesus saw and verbally recognized.
2. Jesus’ response to these men, to everyone gathered was unexpected; Jesus said, “your sins are forgiven.” I am sure many in the crowd were gasping, some in amazement and others horrified that this man, Jesus who was not a Levitical priest offered forgiveness and to make matters worse no sacrifice was offered for the forgiveness. “Who can forgive sins but God alone” scoffed many in the crowd I’m sure. And, this is precisely who and what Jesus was born to do. He is God in the flesh, the Son of God. What was not known at the time but we know now, Jesus himself was the sacrifice offered for the forgiveness of all sin.
3. Jesus, could have healed the paralyzed man and sent him on his way; but Jesus offers more than healing of the body. Jesus can do what no other can do, he offers spiritual healing through the forgiveness of sin. He can bridge the gap between human to the divine that sin fractured in the Garden of Eden. Jesus’ love is so much more than the superficial we are accustomed to, that is why this story is so important, Jesus healed the man who was paralyzed by sin through forgiveness, then he healed his paralyzed body.
Challenge Exercise
Imagine yourself lying on a mat
1. Who is lowering you through the roof?
🤔 💭 🧐 💬 🤨 💭 🤔 💭 🧐 💬 🤨 💭🤔
2. Which friends in your life demonstrate Jesus’ love for you by believing in His compassion and mercy even when you don’t dare hope it for yourself?
🤔 💭 🧐 💬 🤨 💭 🤔 💭 🧐 💬 🤨 💭🤔
Today, reach out to those precious friends and thank them for tangibly demonstrating Jesus’ love in your life.
* Is there a friend that needs to have you “lower them through a roof.”
“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 one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” ~Colossians 3:12-13
A Prayer for Friendship
Lord Jesus, Thank you for giving me such a vibrant community of friends to do life with. I praise you for the people you have blessed me with, the ones who have come alongside me to love, encourage, support, and uplift me through all the twists and turns of life. I’m so grateful that I do not have to go through life alone, but that you have shown me examples of your love through my dear friends. I pray that you would be present in my friendships, that you would be drawing us together in deeper community with one another toward greater unity with you. I pray that you would help heal any places of brokenness or discord in my friendships, and that you would restore any friendships that have fallen apart. May I shine your light in my friendships, giving glory to you through all that I do, say, and think. Thank you for my friends, Jesus. Thank you for the ways they build me up and remind me of your goodness and faithfulness. In your name I pray. ~Amen.
~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.
“Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” —Mark 1:41 (NLT)
Bible Reading: Mark 1:29-34
“As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.” (NIV)
Daily Challenge
The scripture story today tells us about compassion, specifically the compassion Jesus shared with those he encountered. Here’s a quote from the book I am reading that I found to be profound, “Part of the mystery of Jesus is that God took on human flesh to become man. And in His body, Jesus experienced the full spectrum of human emotion, including pity, indignation, and compassion — all words that describe Jesus’ reaction upon seeing His beautiful creation marred by the effects of sin. Yet Jesus didn’t just feel emotions in His body, He allowed His emotions to move Him to action, and we now are called to be His hands and feet, showing others His love in incarnate ways.”
We can ask Jesus to help us show love through appropriate means such as; shaking hands with people we meet, talking with people and making eye contact to really connect, visiting a care facility speaking directly to residents touching a hand or shoulder. The power of human touch is extremely powerful and can provide healing if only for a moment. The most important question to ask ourselves is, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? (WWJD)
Bonus Information
The Greek word for “compassion” in Mark 1:41, is:
splagchnizomai (splangkh-nid’-zom-ahee)
σπλαγχνίζομαι (Greek)
Strong’s Number G4697 matches the Greek σπλαγχνίζομαι (splagchnizomai), which occurs 12 times in 12 verses in the TR Greek.
The Greek word is splagchnizomai. The first part of the word (splagchna) means “internal organs,” so splagchnizomai literally means to be moved so deeply by something that you feel it in the pit of your stomach.
Author Asheritah Ciuciu writes this in her book on page 47-48, “And He was moved with compassion. Literally, the phrase means His intestines were twisted in response to what He saw (beyond the man’s skin disease into the loneliness of his heart. And He was moved with compassion). Jesus had a guttural physical reaction to the man’s brokenness, and He did the unthinkable: Jesus reached out and touched the man.”
Can you even imagine what the man with leprosy felt when Jesus touched his skin? After years of being an outcast and having to shout out to anyone you encountered “UNCLEAN” “UNCLEAN” which was the practice wherever he went. He must have felt so alone, ashamed and crippling isolation. We do not meet people with leprosy but we are guilty of treating people as if they have deadly diseases, mostly because they are different from us…but we must ask ourselves, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.
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