Grayson’s photo shoot

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(click on the photo for a closer look)

Modern technology is so cool. Today Greg and I got to have a 3D ultrasound-really cool. The doctor said everything is fine and that he is a chunky baby! I am going to have to cut back on the carbs and eat more protein-boo!! Such are the sacrifices of a mother :) Many more to come, I am sure…

So of course this lead me to a thought about Mary, mother of Jesus. She did not have the opportunity to see her unborn child via ultrasound. But, she was just like any other expectant mother, excited about the arrival of the baby. Our God is a creative God and offers us a divine paradox. He sent his Son, our Lord and Savior, to this earth to be fully man AND fully God. Little baby Jesus would have looked similar to Grayson in the picture. He had 10 fingers, 10 toes, dirty diapers, and sweet , baby soft skin. He took on the appearance of all babies born into this world; He looked just like you and me! The difference is that He was also KING of KINGs and LORD of LORDS!

Matthew 1:23 says:
The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”which means, “God with us.”

God sent His son to live among us, to save us, and to have a relationship with us. The term “Immanuel-God with us” takes on the meaning of God with us:
-not a God who creates us and then leaves us to fend for ourselves
-He is for us, not against us (Romans 8:31), He only wants the best for us

The gospels give many accounts of Jesus interacting with us as human kind, his creation, disciples, Isrealites, etc.

*Jesus cried in the nighttime, needed diaper changes and nursed His mother’s breast just like any other baby
*Jesus walked with us along the dusty country roads of Judea; He nursed blistered feet as He preached, healed an gave hope to the Jews
*Jesus danced and celebrated with us at weddings, hoisting the bride and groom up on the wedding chairs; he also danced with the bride during the Mitzvah dance

Getting back to the Paradox of Jesus as fully man and fully God. There is a difference between us and Him:
**Jesus relates to us as man because he came to earth as a man. This DOES NOT bring Him down in stature.
**Just as He was a man, servant, brother, friend, carpenter, He is still supreme over All of creation.

Jesus was all of the roles listed above but embodied the role of leader, healer, teacher, SAVIOR, GOD, and KING.

LIVE IT OUT application:
read the following verse and think about how you look at Christ in the manner expressed in Isaiah. Do you hold Jesus up to these roles in your life everyday?

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, [a] Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!
Isaiah 9:6

AMEN!

Admin stuff-Posting a comment

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I heard back from some of you all that you were unable to post a comment-this is totally my bad! I didn’t have it on the right setting. You are now more than welcome to post a comment. If you don’t have a blogger/google account, you can click the anonomous button-but remember to leave your name in the post so I know who you are:)

love,
sarah

Quick devotion on Psalm 4

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I got a hold of some great scripture cards that encourage praying specific scriptures and have been trying to memorize and pray a new scripture daily.

Today’s verse:
” Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself; the LORD will hear when I call to Him.” Psalm 4:3

This verse is rich with so much meaning and is worth taking the time to look at what some of the words mean in Hebrew. In doing this, I get a tid bit of extra insight into what the writer of the Psalm was meaning when using that particular word. Alot of Hebrew words have deeper definitions than our English translation allows us to read.

The Hebrew for “set apart” means to be distinguished, to deal differently, to make a distinction. This means to me that God made me distinct from others and especially made me different from non believers. He sets apart His own to live godly, holy lives while holding us to a higher standard than the rest of the world. Once we become a follower of Christ, we are still going to mess up, but with the guidance of the Holy Spirit we can live that godly, holy life that is on par with God’s standards. This should be our aim everyday…

But, also take note of the fact that the LORD sets apart the godly FOR HIMSELF. He doesn’t just pick us out of the crowd, and then sluff us aside to be forgotten. The LORD saves us for HIMSELF,for His pleasure and delight. Boy do I want to live to delight the LORD!

But, how do I actually delight the LORD? This brings me back to the Hebrew meaning of the word, “godly.” It means to be merciful, faithful, kind, benevolent, and gracious. This definition does not cover the whole meaning of the word but it gives us an idea of what the LORD is looking for in godliness. Christ lived this example out for us and we can turn to the New Testament for further instruction on godliness.

LIVE IT OUT application:
In the meantime, what are ways that I can be more merciful, kind or gracious to those around me? What are some things I can do today to delight the LORD with my faithfulness? How can I act as one SET APART?

LORD, you are worthy of our praise and worthy of our godly actions. Show me, through your Holy Sprit, how to live my life as one set apart. My goal is to delight you and to also delight and have joy in You.