The Flower Garden (Things I Learned from My Kids #1)

My two-year-old daughter Hannah reminded me that all life on this planet has a purpose.

"Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5

It sure is hard to inherit the earth.

"Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:4

It took me a long time to write this post. For a statement that seems so simple, there are many facets to it, and I ultimately decided to go with three of them.

Abhaya

Abhaya

As I sat in peace with a book,

my cat spotted two others

playing nearby.

He began to stalk

with a bristle in his fur.

I Saw Jesus Today

I Saw Jesus Today

I saw Jesus today

at the park.

He was a woman tending a garden,

a bee pollinating a flower,

and two young girls running past their mother.

"Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!" Matthew 5:3

I am thrilled to arrive at the Beatitudes. The Bible's first account of Jesus' preaching is a shock to the world, as each one is the antithesis of what our human nature drives us towards. It is so easy to believe in them, but it is so incredibly hard to put them in practice.

"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19

As Jesus began his ministry around the Sea of Galilee, he started choosing his disciples. The first four were fishermen, and he gave them the enduring directive:

"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (KJV)

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17

Jesus started his public ministry with a phrase that has gotten a lot of play:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (NAB)

“Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’” Matthew 4:10

Jesus' third temptation in the desert was a statement against idolatry, but how does that apply to me? First, a synopsis.

“Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’” Matthew 4:7

This one took me a while to mull over. During Jesus' 40 days in the desert, the devil presented him with three temptations. I covered the first one in the previous post. Today's quote covers the second temptation.

Satan brought Jesus up to the top of the great Temple in Jerusalem. Quoting Scripture, he dared Jesus to jump, reminding him that God would send angels down from heaven to catch him. Jesus refused, saying:

“Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’” (NAB)

“It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4

A good spiritual journey requires a self-assessment. Fortunately, I didn't have to look far in the Gospels to find inspiration for one.

“Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Matthew 3:15

The first published words of Jesus to appear in the Bible represent an appropriate start to a spiritual journey.