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.
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is the one who will condemn?
Author: Betsy Nelson
Epiphany is my favorite day in the church year. It is the 12th day of Christmas – the one of the 12 drummers drumming. It celebrates the day that the Magi arrived in Bethlehem and saw Jesus, Emmanuel, God-With-Us.
The birth of Jesus was unremarkable. It happened to two weary travelers, swept up in the hubbub of a random government mess. There was a census. Everybody had to go to their birth-towns to be registered, without any consideration of ability or inconvenience. Here were these two ordinary people, doing what they had to do. There was no place to stay for them, even though the woman was very noticeably pregnant. Nobody took mercy on them. They weren’t special. They weren’t anybody to look twice at.
The child was born without any midwives or even friends around. The story could have ended here, with this tiny new family just doing their duty in a strange town, strangers themselves.
I wonder how different this world would be if by looking at the mirror, we could see a reflection of our soul, instead of just our physical appearance…
How much better we would want to become and how much more attractive we would want to be?
Instead of jewelry and makeup, fine perfume and fashionable dresses, we would make LOVE, FORGIVENESS, HONESTY, PEACE-MAKING AND COMPASSION our true standards of beauty. Continue reading “May You ALWAYS Stay Beautiful!”
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