I was recently reading Matthew and noted that Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, taught certain personal characteristics He desires us to have. After compiling the list, I began a review of my own characteristics compared to the list and noted both blessings and discrepancies in my life. I challenge you to make the same comparisons for yourself.

from Matthew 5, 6 and 7

• Humility - 5:3, 6:1-6
• Compassion - 5:4
• Gentleness, Meekness - 5:5
• God Minded - 5:6, 6:9-13, 6:19-21, 6:31-33
• Merciful - 5:7
• Honorable -- 5:8, 5:23-26, 5:37
• Peaceable - 5:9, 5:39-47
• Integrity, Steadfastness - 5:10-12, 6:24, 7:12-27
• Usefulness - 5:13-16
• Reconciling - 5:23-26
• Generosity - 5:42, 6:2-4
• Loving - 5:44
• Perfection (fully grown, mature, complete) - 5:48
• Forgiving - 6:12, 14-15
• Prayerful - 6:5, 7:7-11
• Disciplined - 6:16
• Calm - 6:25
• Trusting - 6:33
• Non-Judgmental (non-critical) - 7:1-5
• Fair - 7:12

On March 23rd I marked ten years with our Lord.

Ten years.

I am overflowing with things I would like to say in recognition of that but I can't seem to get them out right now. How has my life changed? What difference is marked in my life today compared to ten years ago? How did I get here and where did I come from?

For now, I would just like to say, "Thanks". Thanks to the faithful that prayed for me to be delivered from bondage, to be set free and to be set apart, in Jesus. Thanks for the many prayers that I believe lifted me high enough that I could finally see past the murk of my life and into the eyes of our Lord.

Thanks to our Lord Jesus for dying on the cross for me; for me!

My eyes hurt, its been a tearful day; cascading events have mingled tears of joy with tears of grief, at times separate and at others joined.

A courageous and inspiring young man sits at the feet of our Risen Lord and I rejoice that he is free from pain, grieving with his wonderful family and his many friends, missing him now and looking forward with great anticipation to that eventual reunion.

I rejoice at the beginnings of a renewal of a life of freedom in Jesus for a new found friend. I am thankful at his forgiving me for a wrong done.

Two friends involved in auto accidents remind us of the suddenness of our precarious perch on this earth and of the need to be ready at all times.

23 women exchanged their lives for a life with Jesus on Friday, and we watched as one more brother stepped into the baptismal font to make a public profession for Our Lord.

My wife loves me and forgives me for my many failures.

I watched tonight, for the second time, a movie called "Facing The Giants". Joy and sorrow clasp hands on a roller coaster ride of emotion as a man comes to the end of himself and commits himself to walking a God directed path. His journey, his decision to praise God with his life, to seek God with his actions, to relinquish his dreams to God's direction, will touch your heart in a way that I won't even attempt to describe. I encourage you to watch this movie as a family, watch it with a friend; make the time.

Life comes at us hard and plays by an unseen set of rules. We all must face giants, but with God, nothing is impossible.

I thank God that he allows us to slip and continues, without failing and without ceasing, to hold His hand out to pick us up and dust us off anew. I thank God, that while this journey will be rough and stormy at times, He will always be there to direct our next move, if we let Him. I thank God, that He has set me free, and that He reaches out to all the world with a continual offer of Life in Him.