Jesus was pleased with the stranger

Glory to God!  Thank you Father, for blessing my life today!

Let each of us remember to praise god and give thanks for the blessings we receive from Him throughout each day.  Jesus was pleased with the Samaritan (considered a stranger to Israel) for his praise and thankfulness as detailed in chapter 17 of Luke.  

It's easy to fall into the rut of forgetting to be thankful.  Don't let this happen to you..

Back when our Savior walked near Samaria, the children of Israel had allowed their focus to shift away from praise and worship to the importance of priestly duties and rules.  They were too busy for praise, with all of their duties and too proud for drawing nearer to God.  They were members of a special group and considered themselves to be "the chosen ones" and "God's people".  It's almost impossible to remain humble and close to God, while considering yourself better than others.  God loves each of His children equally, in other words, He is no respecter of persons.  

Luke 17:11        https://scriptures.info/scriptures/nt/luke/10

And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Jesus was known to hang out with the "less than desirable", the sinners and strangers to Israel.  While Jesus ministered and taught, He elevated not Himself, but His Father, that sent Him from the High Heavens. 

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Speak Kindly to Each Other and About One Another

The T.H.I.N.K. Method:

Before speaking about someone else, remember to use the T.H.I.N.K. Method:

T.  -  Is it True?

H.  -  is it Helpful?

I.  -  is it Inspiring?

N.  -  is it Necessary?

K.  -  is it Kind?

I'm not sure of the source as I found this method in a few different places online

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Praise and Worship

Praises to Thee, Glory to God!  Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, Father and Mother in Heaven.

I just finished a great book.  The title is: "the Veil, an Invitation to the Unseen Realm" by Blake Healy.  In the book, Blake shares his gift of seeing the spiritual world that surrounds each of us.  Blake offers helpful suggestions for increasing our personal spiritual environment.  He also describes what happens when people attempt to worship God.  

What happens when we send praise and worship up towards the heavens?  The heavens react!  The angels come into our midst and join our worship, helping us and teaching us how to reach higher and higher.  Jesus receives of our heartfelt praises and honor.  He draws nearer to us, as we are drawing near to Him, with our praise and worship.

There are many ways to worship and praise God.  I don't think there is one correct manner of worship.  I do believe that He welcomes whatever type of praise we offer Him.  During my upbringing in organized religion, praising God was not taught or emphasized.  For me, attempting to praise Him has been humbling and rewarding at the same time.    

As I pray and attempt different modes of praise and worship, I am being led to focus on my behavior throughout the week.  How am I behaving while I interact with my fellow beings?

Am I being patient and kind?  Would someone else describe me as such?  Am I being humble, charitable, and long suffering?  Does my daily walk resemble His walk?  I'm learning that He views my actions in each situation as a form of worship to Him.  True worship is a state of the heart, something that we are focusing on all the time, even on the freeway during rush hour traffic.  

1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

When I'm alone, I enjoy singing to God, as part of my worship.  I usually sing to Him, while I'm driving to work, instead of turning on the radio.  I like listening to Christian worship music and have noticed that certain songs help me feel closer to God.  I've never seen a live band performing worship music during a Christian worship meeting, but I sure want to.  Especially after reading Blake's book about the Veil.  Some of my favorite musicians for their worship music include: Fernando Ortega, Mark Schultz, Mercy Me.

earnestmormon.com