Quit Passing the Buck!

This if one of those blog post that came to my mind because of something that happened.  Not much thought but BAM! Here it is and that’s it.  Just one of those pet peeves of mine.

Is anybody out there tired of the ole –It’s everybody’s fault but mine– game?  I AM! I’m not talking about politicians I’m talking about friends and family. We have all done it and hopefully we have grown out of it but for some, I think they enjoy being there.

  They enjoy always blaming someone or some circumstance for their situation. Blaming serves only one purpose — making you feel like a victim.

Don’t get me wrong there are times when there are other people to blame for what has happened to you.  Those things are not what I’m talking about such as certain acts of crime that may have happened to us.

Just how many names have already popped in your head?  You would love to take this poster and plaster it all over their house?  I can sure name a few!   Have you ever been left at the very last moment trying to pull it all together because YOU had to finish a job that someone didn’t do?  NOBODY likes having their back against the wall.  There’s an old saying, “you want something done, go to the busiest person.”  There’s a lot of truth in that!

People who blame others tend to overemphasize themselves. Blaming others, often just boils down to plain ole lazy and selfish.  When you blame others it does not require you to meet any standard of behavior — other than what you feel is appropriate for the situation.  It is their fault!

Do us all a favor and just accept blame for your own actions!

But I’m Broken. Is There Hope For Me?

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. Luke 4:16-21

What a passage for Jesus to read as He began His public ministry! Reading from Isaiah 61:1-11, His gracious words were so different from what the people heard from the religious rulers of their day. Most people  I know, with very few exceptions, have a past they would rather not re-live. Haunting memories cloud our minds. We feel broken, imprisoned by our previous experiences. It doesn’t matter if these wounds were self -inflicted by our own sin or by someone else’s. The result is still the same.  Noone is excluded from the blessings of knowing Christ as Savior.

Jesus, in His sweet, compassionate voice calls to each one of us, offering us:

Wholeness for brokenness (Isaiah 53:4-5)

Liberty for bondage (Romans 8:1-2; John 8:31-36)

Light for darkness (John 1:4-5; John 8:12)

Joy for mourning (Psalm 30:11-12; 1 Peter 1:3-9)

A spirit of praise for despair (Ps. 40:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Belonging for rejection (1 John 3:1; Galatians 4:6-7)

Righteousness for injustice (Isa. 26:1-8; Isa. 30:18-19)

In Him the disgraced find newness of life. The abandoned are taken under the shelter of His wings. Hope is restored. What a Savior!

Blessings! ~Kelly

He Was Minded To Put Her Away Privately ~ Are We So Gracious?

My attention was turned to Matthew 1:19. “He (Joseph) was minded to put her (Mary) away privately”. What a verse of compassion! Imagine it. Here is this young man whose life had been wholeheartedly surrendered to the will of God. I’m sure he and Mary were a good-looking young couple, but it must have been Mary’s heart, bent towards Heaven, that attracted him to her so strongly. How it must have surprised and shocked Joseph to learn of Mary’s pregnancy!