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“Speak the truth and speak it ever
Cause it what it will
For he who hides the wrong he did
Does the wrong thing still”
— a poem from my elementary school
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6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. — Luke 12:6-7 (NKJV)
God cherishes every person under the sun. No matter what someone has done, or what their situation is, treat them as Jesus would, with genuine love and care, not just feeling for those in need, but that will truly willing to do something to make a difference for people.
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Throughout His ministry, Jesus stressed the importance of loving, forgiving, and caring. That’s why He was not ashamed to mingle with those considered to be society’s sinners and outcasts. This is why He left the crowd that was following Him and visited Zacchaeus, the tax collector. It is also of great interest to note that the Gospel of Luke does not record any rebuke or reproach while Jesus was in the house of the sinner Zacchaeus. Jesus simply shared His love and acceptance.
Looking at Jesus, Zacchaeus understood: “Jesus has no other agenda but to help me and save me!” This love of Christ not only converted Zacchaeus, but also brought him to a reformation of his life, to a divine transformation.
Ellen White wrote: “Christ came to bring salvation within the reach of all. Upon the cross of Calvary He paid the infinite redemption price for a lost world. His self-denial and self-sacrifice, His unselfish labor, His humiliation, above all, the offering up of His life, testifies to the depth of His love for fallen man. It was to seek and to save the lost that He came to earth. His mission was to sinners, sinners of every grade, of every tongue and nation. He paid the price for all, to ransom them and bring them into union and sympathy with Himself. The most erring, the most sinful, were not passed by; His labors were especially for those who most needed the salvation He came to bring. The greater their need of reform, the deeper was His interest, the greater His sympathy, and the more earnest His labors. His great heart of love was stirred to its depths for the ones whose condition was most hopeless and who most needed His transforming grace.”
The life of Christ clearly demonstrates that change in life is achieved more successfully through love and care than through sermonizing, confrontation, or criticism. As Ellen White reiterates: “We must expect to meet and bear with great imperfections in those who are young and inexperienced. Christ has bidden us seek to restore such in the spirit of meekness, and He holds us responsible for pursuing a course which will drive them to discouragement, despair, and ruin. Unless we daily cultivate the precious plant of love we are in danger of becoming narrow, unsympathetic, bigoted, and critical, esteeming ourselves righteous when we are far from being approved of God.”
P.S. Above is a very simple animated cartoon about the story of Zaccheus that a friend of mine helped me stumble upon today. It’s a bit long, but before I knew it, I had watched through the whole thing and was deeply touched by the depiction of the story in this video.
See you soon,
Kelsey 😀
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Prayer should be the means by which I, at all times, receive all that I need, and, for this reason, be my daily refuge, my daily consolation, my daily joy, my source of rich and inexhaustible joy in life. – John Chrysostom
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)
The joy of the Lord, spoken of in the Bible, is not just any kind of joy or happiness that people talk about in daily life. It is something that springs forth like a fountain from deep within each heart where Jesus abides. It is something that continues to spring forth, despite our fluctuating emotions and circumstances. Rejoice and give thanks in every situation knowing that you have a blessed assurance in Christ Jesus.
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. – Psalms 63:5-7 (NKJV)
See you soon,
Kelsey
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What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise. ~Oscar Wilde
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Sarabeth and I started this new tradition. I wish we had thought of it years ago.
Like most everyone else in the world, Mondays are a huge upset to the Toy family. Mondays are like a knife that punctures the weekend and severs us from the sweet time we’ve been able to spend together the previous two days.
And it’s off to work we go.
Coming home from our vacation several weeks back, we were dreading the first Monday that would kick off the work week we had planned so long to escape from. Something needed to happen here.
I couldn’t just sit by and let the laws of time govern and dictate our attitudes and rob us of our happiness. Time had already spent the last nine days conspiring against us to dump us back into the mundane routine of life.
So I said to Sarabeth, “We need a…
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Lessons I Learn 