Thursday, March 29, 2007

American vs. Christian

Happy Thursday all! I am going out of town this weekend and so will not be able to send emails on Saturday as normal so I figured I would send a “retro” Thursday message {for those who are newer my emails used to be Thursdays when I first started sending my weekly emails J}.  I was in a patriotic mood this morning on the way to work and could not figure out why at first.  As I pondered it more I started comparing being an American to being a Christian.  I know there is all sorts of controversy about being an American, who is an American, and what rights immigrants and illegal aliens should be afforded.  I don’t want to go off on a terribly long rant about it but I will share some of my opinions.  I sometimes wonder and wish about what it would have been like to be living in the40’s and 50’s in this country, or even earlier, what about the 1800’s?  Americans back then knew how to be Americans, they may have had German, Polish, French, English, Swedish, Danish, Scottish, Spanish or a hundred other ancestries but when they came to this country it wasn’t to be German-American or Danish-American, it was to become an American, 100% love and devotion for the land of the free.  That’s how I see being a Christian in a way too.  We may be a mother, a father, a sister, a friend, a member of the clergy, a son, or a lot of other things but we are first and foremost a Christian, a son or daughter of the most high God and when we become a Christian it is to give 100% love and dedication to our Father, Lord, Savior and Counselor.  If we put being a mother, father or spouse above or before being a Christian then we are losing out my friends!  I read a verse this week, Matthew 10:37-39, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” This is Jesus talking to His disciples, when He is sending them out to, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[b]drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” {verse 8}.  This speaks to me that in this day and age no matter who we have here on earth to care for, love and cherish, be responsible for, they should never come before Him who has blessed us with their presence by His grace!  So put God first and feel His love run over, love God the most and receive His love in abundance, seek God and He will bless you eternally!! I pray this week that you are able to give God 100% of your love and dedication, to love Him more than anyone else in your life, and I pray He allows you to feel the amazing changes it brings in your life.  I continue to ask that each and everyone of us please pray for Summer and her family, please pray for our soldiers and please pray for each other.  I am daily thanking God that He continues to allow me into your email box each week and I pray that He inspires you through my messages.  Finally, I will always pray that God surrounds you with His love, favor and blessings, this day, this week and forever.

  Have an awesome weekend and week ahead!
Love through Christ,
Niki

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