On the 7th and 8th days of Christmas my true love gave to me......

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The seventh day of Christmas marks the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit:
1.  Wisdom, 2. Understanding, 3. counsel( choosing to do what is right), 4. fortitude (courage), 5. knowledge, 6. piety( the gift of reverence) and 7. the fear of the Lord (wonder and awe).

As I start 2018, I have a long list of things I want to do better this year that I did last year.  Most are pretty cliché and predictable but as I read the list of these seven gifts....I think I want to ask the Lord for these things instead of help losing weight and keeping my house cleaner.  Lord, grant me these gifts and give me the power to use them for your glory.....

The eighth day of Christmas is for the 8 Beatitudes.  Jesus listed them in his famous sermon on the Mount.  When he named the poor, the sad, the meek, the peacemakers, those who want to do good and make peace as those he blessed, well, that was pretty counter-cultural.  When he called those who would willingly be persecuted for the sake of righteousness blessed, that was even more scandalous.....and still he calls us to these things.  He still asks us to not follow the call of the worldliness and shallow, selfish living.  Still he tells us in every way to care for the meek and lowly, the tired, the hurting.  He urges us to have an appetite for righteousness, a clean heart and to strive for peace and not fighting.  These blessings, these beatitudes are more true in 2018 than ever before.  Lord, give me the path to bless these and to be counted one of them. 

  • Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  • Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
  • Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
  • Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
  • Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
  • Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
  • Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
  • Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

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