My Book Report (Chapter 7): Every Day A Friday

Chapter Seven

Today is April 5, 2012. I'm including the date on this particular post as what I will share with you in this paragraph took place today, and not the day you will read this. Just me being thoughtful, that's all. This chapter was one that I didn't read through completely in one sitting. It actually took me several days to read through it. Not because I'm a slow reader, but because of many factors, but I tell you this! I'm glad It took the time it did, as it was a confirmation to me from another post I wrote earlier in the morning (in which you can see by clicking HERE), and a conversation I had earlier in the morning with my girl friend over the stresses of this world and how they can overwhelm us but the good news of how the circumstances of this world do not affect God, who is Jehovah Jireh; The Lord Our Provider. Amen.

I don't know about you, but I'm amazed at how God pieces everything together. Only someone who believes in God and the Salvation received only through His Son Jesus, can understand what I'm saying. So know that I'll be praying if you don't already know Jesus, by the end of this read, you will! Here's another place where you can experience that in your own personal time (PLEASE ENTER THIS PLACE OF BLESSING HERE.)

Getting back to Every Day A Friday in this chapter Joel gives many practical ways to "Know What To Ignore." Knowing what to ignore isn't as easily done as said. It all boils down to choosing our battles wisely. Something I'm steadily learning. Please pray for me on that. That word battle, makes knowing what to ignore something that will hurt you, right? Battles do cause and create pain. But I believe more importantly we can see from this word, that battles also are fought for something. If we are choosing our battles wisely, then it's safe to say we are choosing wisely what rewards will come from those battles. That's exactly what Joel suggests. He says we should ask ourselves when we are going to enter into battle, "Are the battles I'm engaged in worth fighting? Do they have any rewards? Are they furthering me toward my God-given destiny?"


Many things in life have the potential to be seen as a battle. The question both you and I have to ask ourselves is this: Will I enter into this battle to settle to injure and be injured, or am I wisely choosing this battle because the rewards far exceed everything else?


My Takeaway:


In knowing what to ignore and what to engage, shows great integrity on your behalf. It shows that you choose your battles wisely, and lead out by example. Choosing your battles wisely isn't easy. It takes practice. It takes a heart that desires to be of peace. It takes a problem solver by being a solution giver...It takes a peacemaker.

Father, thank You for a Spirit of peace, that leads to so many other blessings. Give us the strength to endure all challenges with peace and a good attitude. In Jesus name, Amen.

A Beautiful Attitude (Part 7): Are You A Peacemaker?

Are you a peacemaker?

Today as I woke up, I contemplated going back to sleep for another hour. As I thought of the upside of resting another hour, I also thought about the downside of losing an hour and going back to a bad habit. This thought came to mind that helped win over the decision to stay up- Writing a book. I have been thinking of writing a book for quite some time but I always had that voice of restlessness saying to me, 'what you have to say, no one wants to hear...c'mon! you barely lived life. You're too young. God and life is a topic you are inexperienced at.' Sadly I have listened to that voice many times. A voice not of peace, but a voice robbing my peace to write what God has been putting in my heart to write. Despite that voice constantly taunting me, I will rise above it. I will say to it, "I am a child of God." Amen.

That leads me to what's in my heart to speak with you about today. The Beatitudes. If you have been going along on this journey with me, you know that today we will see what God had to share with me on this portion of the greatest sermon ever preached- The Sermon on the Mount.

Now the Beatitudes are what? They are staples for good living and the blessings that go along with it.

A Beautiful Attitude is something that is rare in my opinion and even more rare is displaying that beautiful attitude consistently in and through your life. But! I believe there is one thing that will allow you to display a beautiful attitude on a consistent basis, and that is peace. Today's portion of the Beatitudes speaks to that. Let's take a look. Shall we?

"Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9 NKJV) 

That statement above is so powerful. Wouldn't you agree? Think about that for a moment...peacemakers will be called sons of God. Wow! That's tremendous. Oftentimes, If I'm not sure what to write on yet have the topic; subject already in mind, in specific the verse in scripture that was speaking to me on a particular day or throughout the week, I'd see if there was a referencing verse that went along with it in my study Bible. To my amazement and relief, there was no referenced verse that spoke to the verse in scripture above. Therefore, this thought came to mind. "Flavio, there's no referencing verse because the verse in Matthew 5:9 says it all!"

Being a peacemaker, is just that! Being someone who looks to not create problems, but resolve problems. Someone who doesn't look to gossip or spread gossip, is a peacemaker. Someone who doesn't waste all their time looking to the problem, but being a solution visionary. I myself look to not dwell on problems, but always see the solution. Do I succeed every time? Of course! Actually, I don't but that would be nice. I've been telling my girlfriend as of lately, "I'm the Solution man." You'd be surprised to see that being a peacemaker; in being a solution man/woman, life is much easier. You could say, that being a person of solution and not problem is being someone who is blessed. 

Therefore, look to be of peace. As I have failed at this many times, and experienced the heartache and pain of being all about problems, I wouldn't want you to go down the same road. So in all things, ask God for the wisdom to be a person who sees past the problem towards the solution. Seek to be blessed by being a peacemaker and in turn live life as a child of God in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.