The Jesse Tree

The Jesse Tree – Day 1 – The Creation

Look at God’s Work!

In the beginning, there was nothing but water and God.

Then, God said, let there be light.  He knew the light meant nothing without darkness.  So he created that, too.  He separated the two and called them day and night, evening and morning.  The first day.

On the second day, God separated the water.  Some on the earth and some in the sky. He also determined there to be dry ground and separated it from the water.  Now, we have land and sea.  A place ready for the next day of work.

Here we are at the morning of the third day.  God tells the land to produce plants and trees that bear seeds and fruit.  And so it is.

God, on the fourth day, puts the sun, moon, and stars in the heavens and sets them in motion.  He knows the plants will need sunshine to produce as He intended.

Now, He creates birds and fish, in the sea and on the land.  He looks out over it all and says, “It is good!”  It’s the end of day 5.

Day 6 is going to be a busy one.  It’s all about creating livestock and animals that move along the ground.  Then He creates mankind.  Man and woman.  He makes them look just like Him.  He tells them to rule and subdue the earth.  He tells them what they can eat.  He looks around and says,  “It is good.”

Then God rests.

The Jesse Tree is all about knowing the genealogy of Jesus.  The people God put in place to point to the birth of the one who would save us all.  Adam and Eve were the first with many more to follow.

The Jesse Tree is a set of posts for the Days of Advent.  I am writing them for the Write 31 Days Challenge.

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Friends Forever

I love to watch children as they play.  There is such a freedom to express who they really are.

childrens-play-zone-01We took our God-niece (4-year old) to Macdonald’s Playland for supper and, of course, ate with all the other brave moms, dads, grandparents, and sitters in the community.  Miss Annabelle (AB) was certainly more interested in playing than eating but was only looking at the tubes and slides.  I realized the problem when I remembered that she had commented in the car that someone had told her not to be afraid of the red slide.  I asked the mom sitting next to us if I could introduce AB to her daughter and would she help her negotiate the playland.  So, introductions done, AB and her new friend went off to explore and learn.  A short while later AB said she couldn’t find her friend, who was hiding in the bubble.  She went to find her and had discovered that she didn’t want to play because AB didn’t want to go on the red tube/slide.   A bit later AB came up with a new friend named Emma.  As they played I noticed AB still was playing on the green slide but Emma wasn’t worried about that.  She had a friend and that was what was most important to her.

What a picture of Jesus’ love for us.  He doesn’t care if we don’t want to play on the red tube/slide,  He just wants to be our friend.  What a reminder of James 2:8.  We honor the Royal Law, of which we are a part when we ‘love our neighbors (friends) as ourselves.

What a Friend We Have In Jesus

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Be sure to check out my Linky Parties page for a list of the blog hops this may be attached to.

Sunday Psalms

Psalm 3

LORD, it seems like so many are against me.  They say You are against me.

I know better.  You are my shield.  You lift me up.  I call out to You and You answer.

When I sleep and then awake it is because You have protected and sustained me through the night.  I will not fear what is all around me.

Stand up for me, LORD!  Deliver me!  Strike down my enemies!

I know You will deliver me!  Bless Your people!

 

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Sunday Psalms are the Psalms written in my own words.  They are what they mean to me.  I hope you enjoy this series. When you click on the Psalm number at the top it will take you to the NIV version on BibleGateway.com

Psalm 1

Psalm 2

Complete

…and to have knowledge of the love of Christ which is outside all knowledge, so that you may be made complete as God himself is complete.  Ephesians 3:19 (Bible In Basic English)

 …you will know Christ’s love, which goes far beyond any knowledge. I am praying this so that you may be completely filled with God. Ephesians 3:19 (God’s Word Translation)

Most translations use fullness instead of completeness.  Both are correct but complete comes closer to the intent.  God’s completeness means that everything is finished.  Every part, bit, and nuance.

You and I are completely, completed creations because Jesus completed, finished, it. Finished in Greek is tetelestai.  It means paid in full.  Every bit of everything thing I owe because of my sin is tetelestai.  It is completed.

Being complete (in Christ) is not a someday thing. We are already complete.  We are totally, completely, whole.  We are completely redeemed, completely loved, completely chosen, completely equipped, and completely forgiven.

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

I’m joining a flashmob of other writers at Five Minute Friday.  Come joins us!

 

 

Wordless Wednesday

Yes, it’s Thursday…  I’m a day late and always a dollar short.

Feel free to caption this in the comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie