Praise Be to God Our Father

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 

We praise God, the Father of compassion.

And the God of all comfort.

Today we pray for our friend Bob in the ICU recovering from dehydration and the flu.

Lord, we ask for your healing touch on our friend.

Comfort His family.

And give his doctors wisdom to tackle this illness with just the right treatment.

Lord God, may your will be done in his life.

And may you receive the honor and the glory.

For you alone are worthy.

Happy Mother's Day to those moms blessed with that title.

God has ordained you to mentor and nourish your family.

Holy and Dearly Loved People

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. — Colossians 3:12

We are God's chosen people.

He loves us.

He makes us holy through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.

God calls us to clothe ourselves with compassion.

And to put on kindness.

He commands us to be humble. 

He humbles us when we start to get proud.

The Lord shows us gentleness and mercy.

And He calls us to be gentle and merciful to others.

God is patient with me and asks me to be patient with those around me.

The God of Comfort

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He is the Father of compassion.

The God of all comfort.

He comforts us in all our troubles.

So we can comfort those in any trouble.

We can comfort others with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

The Lord Has Compassion

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; — Psalm 103:13

God is our loving Father.

And He shows His compassion to us.

Just as our earthly fathers showed compassion to us, his children.

We love and fear the Lord.

And are therefore the beneficiaries of His compassion and love.

Beautiful flowers from our financial planner.

Created by our loving Father, God.

Clothe Yourselves with Compassion

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. — Colossians 3:12 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;
And the rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

— an Irish Blessing

Praise Be To God the Father of Compassion

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 

Lots of our acquaintances have lost loved ones over the past month.

One of Kirk's former colleagues at Emerald Middle School passed away unexpectedly at 52.

Kirk attended his service on Saturday.

Don was still teaching just days before he died.

The Sunday before, one of our older church members passed away unexpectedly.

His widow was at church this past Sunday, worshipping and praising God.

As people who have lost loved ones, we are able to comfort those around us who are grieving.

And to celebrate the lives of those who have left us but who now live with Jesus.

Praise be to God the Father of Jesus.

He is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.

The Lord comforts us in our troubles.

He gives us the opportunity to comfort others who are grieving or troubled.

We comfort them with the same comfort we've received from God.

Wonderful.

Holy and Dearly Loved

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. — Colossians 3:12 

I am chosen by God.

As one of His chosen people, I am dearly loved.

God wants me to become holy.

He shows me how to clothe myself with compassion.

And to put on humility, gentleness, patience, and kindness.

Help me, Lord.

The Father of Compassion

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Today I introduced my new friend Michaela to my friend Robin over lunch.

Michaela is planning to have a mastectomy with reconstruction in April.

Robin had one 16 years ago.

We had a chance to share our experiences.

We'll go for a hike around the neighborhood or down to Mission Trails on Saturday.

To continue the conversation and support her as she goes through this tough time.

We both had strong support networks during our surgeries and recovery.

Hopefully we can help provide that same support for our new friend.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus.

He is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble.

We comfort others with the comfort we've received from God.

Unfailing Love

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. — Isaiah 54:10

God's unfailing love for us will not be shaken.

The Lord's covenant of peace will not be removed

God has compassion on me.

He is the stable rock even when the mountains shake.

Even when the hills are removed.

His love will not be removed from us.

I will Have Compassion on You

With everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer. — Isaiah 54:8

The Lord has compassion on us.

His kindness reaches to the farthest corner of the earth.

His radiance shines through the darkest night.

The Lord God is my Redeemer.

Today is Pi approximation day, 22/7.

We celebrated my colleagues' birthdays with a potluck.

I made pound cake and scones for Krista's birthday tomorrow.

One big celebration all week long!

God the Father of Compassion

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our troubles. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Praise be to God.

He is our Father and Lord.

The Father of compassion — He has compassion on me.

And He comforts me when I get discouraged.

In all my troubles He is right here beside me, lifting me up with His strong right arm.

As we move into July, He has guided us through the first half of this year 2021.

And He will continue to guide us  for the months and years to come.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. — Colossians 3:12

Today we think of wearing green.

Clothing ourselves with shamrocks and rainbows.

But God calls us to clothe ourselves in compassion.

To be kind to others.

To practice humility.

Act with gentleness.

Show patience.

A tall order when we face difficulties and stresses of life.

Put on Love

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. — Colossians 3:14 The Message

God asks us to put on love every day, just as we put on clothes for the day ahead.

When we put on His Fruit of the Spirit, He helps us get through the day with contentment.

God chose us for this new life of love.

He gives us the wardrobe we need to succeed at life.

Kindness, quiet strength, self-disciplines, humility.

These are not easy to come by.

It is only with God's help that we can get dressed and ready to face the day ahead.

Great Is His Unfailing Love

Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone. — Lamentations 3:32-33

God's love is unfailing. It never ends.

Even though he brings grief our way, He also shows us compassion.

My friend just had a very close friend who died.

That is so hard, and causes such grief and sadness.

God does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.

But we live in a sinful world, and grief is part of that.

So is affliction.

Even so, we can say, "Blessed be the Name of the Lord."

So great is His unfailing love.

Today we celebrate Abby's birthday. 

God's love is great.

The Lord Is Gracious

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. — Isaiah 30:18

God has risen up to show me compassion.

He is faithful, even when I ignore Him.

He longs to be gracious to me.

And He shows me his love and grace each day.

He has answered my prayers for my friend Krista's husband.

He was hospitalized for a couple of weeks with internal bleeding.

He had to be on a ventilator for over a week.

Both Krista and her son could not visit him due to the coronavirus.

I was praying for all of them.

He is now home, after losing 30 pounds and going through some very rough times.

God is gracious and has shown His mercy to their family.

God's Chosen People

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. — Colossians 3:12

We are chosen by God, His chosen people.

He loves us dearly.

He calls us to clothe ourselves with compassion and kindness.

We are to put on humility and gentleness.

And we are to practice patience.

This is the sunset I saw on the way home Monday night.

The clouds were amazing.

Beautiful.

God's Everlasting Kindness

"With everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer. — Isaiah 54:8

God is our creator.

He cares for us.

He is compassionate and kind toward us.

And He continues to forgive me when I confess my sin.

He is my Lord and my redeemer.

His kindness and love are everlasting.

Praise God!

Praise Be to God

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. — 2 Corinthians 1:3

Praise be to God!

Today our pastor did the children's sermon and also served communion.

What a blessing that he was feeling well enough to do  that.

God is the Lord of all comfort.

We are thankful.

The Father of Compassion

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Friday in our Bible study we once again studied God's Word and Paul's writings about our God of compassion and comfort.

God comforts me in my troubles so I can be equipped to comfort others as they go through troubled times. 

I can't comfort other people on my own, but God can give me His comfort to pass on to others.

How cool is that! 

One of my friends prepared dinner for us and another volunteered to bring a meal next weekend.

They are able to comfort and support me because of the ways God has supported and comforted them when they needed comfort.

God provides for us, just when we need it most, before we even ask.

 

Christ Accepted Us

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. — Romans 15:10

My brother-in-law Kelly and his wife Liz have been working on their front yard landscape.

It looks wonderful! What a beautiful design they've created with the rocks and plants.

God has also created a wonderful design in each person.

And He asks us to accept each person as a child of his.

That's not always easy when we have conflict and pain and miscommunication.

But God calls us to love others through Him, just as He shows love to each of us — completely undeserving.

Help me this week to be kind and compassionate to others, Lord, in the same way that you've shown mercy and love to me.