Update to 2017 Intentions

You may remember my Star Word that I received in church on Sunday was Praise. I really didn’t know what to do with that, and today I had another opportunity to pick another star. In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I scrabbled through the available stars and found one that I liked better. In accordance with most of my intentions, I thought the one I deliberately picked was right on. It was…

COURAGE

Most of my intentions will take all the courage I can muster. We’re in for a bumpy ride this year.

The preacher will be doing a sermon series from now to the beginning of Lent on Bridging the Divide: Facing Divisive Issues as Christians. In Bible study today we looked at Matthew 10:34-39.

Not Peace, but a Sword

³⁴ “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

³⁵ For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
³⁶ and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.

³⁷ Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸ and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

That sounds like I really, really need courage to stay focused and true to my calling.