FIRST

WELL, I CAN'T TURN OFF THE CAPS BUT MAYBE THAT'S OK WITH THIS SUBJECT. I'VE BEEN OUT OF SORTS FOR A FEW WEEKS AND JUST HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FOCUS AND BE STILL WHAT WITH LIFE GOING ON AND CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY BUSYNESS COMPETING WITH THE MARYNESS WITHIN.

THIS MORNING I STARTED THINKING ABOUT PRIORITIES AND THESE VERSES CAME TO MIND AND WITH THEM CAME THE PEACE I'VE BEEN SEEKING.

THESE WORDS ANSWER THE QUESTION,"WHAT REALLY MATTERS AND WHAT SHOULD MY FOCUS BE?" I WRITE THEM HERE AS A REMINDER TO MYSELF. PERHAPS YOU'LL ENJOY THEM AS WELL.

MATT. 22:38~"YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR MIND." 'THIS IS THE FIRST AND GREATEST COMMANDMENT.'-JESUS

MATT. 6:33~"SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU."-JESUS

PS.37:4~"DELIGHT YOURSELF ALSO IN THE LORD AND HE SHALL GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART."-DAVID

REV. 2:4~"NEVERTHELESS, I HAVE THIS AGAINST YOU, THAT YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE."~JESUS

PHIL. 3:8~"YET INDEED I ALSO COUNT ALL THINGS LOSS FOR THE EXCELLENCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, FOR WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ALL THINGS, AND COUNT THEM AS RUBBISH, THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST AND BE FOUND IN HIM,..."-PAUL

LUKE 10:42~"MARTHA, MARTHA, YOU ARE TROUBLED ABOUT MANY THINGS. BUT ONE THING IS NEEDED, AND MARY HAS CHOSEN THAT GOOD PART, WHICH WILL NOT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HER." -JESUS
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SO TODAY, AS I HEAD OUT FOR A DAY OF SHOPPING,
I HOPE TO REMEMBER TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL MY HEART,
TO SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,
TO DELIGHT MYSELF IN HIM,
TO RETURN MINUTE BY MINUTE TO MY FIRST LOVE,
TO COUNT ALL ELSE AS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM,
AND TO SIT AT HIS FEET IN THE MIDST OF THE BUSYNESS AND PRESSURE TO JOIN IN WITH THE WAY THE WORLD 'CELEBRATES' HIS COMING.

"PEACE ON EARTH.
GOODWILL TOWARDS MEN"
ARE WORDS THE ANGELS PROCLAIMED
TO THE SHEPHERDS IN THE FIELDS
THE NIGHT CHRIST WAS BORN.

AND THEY ARE WORDS THAT ECHO
THROUGH THE AGES-ETERNAL WORDS,
GIVEN TO YOU.
GIVEN TO ME.

PEACE TO ME!
GOODWILL TO ME!

I OPEN MY HEART TO RECEIVE WHAT HE WENT
TO SUCH DRASTIC MEASURES TO GIVE.
HOLY, HOLY GOD.