{"id":101,"date":"2013-06-10T18:18:12","date_gmt":"2013-06-10T23:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jillmaria.com\/wordpress\/?p=101"},"modified":"2015-11-17T18:09:56","modified_gmt":"2015-11-18T00:09:56","slug":"for-the-love-of-mosquitoes-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jillmaria.com\/?p=101","title":{"rendered":"For the Love of Mosquitoes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Mosquito\"<\/a>
\nMONDAY MORNING<\/p>\n

I woke up this morning, and started to grumble because it seems overcast again. I made a pot of coffee and then started scratching my finger. I have a danged MOSQUITO BITE right by the knuckle on top of my third finger. It is annoying, but a reminder of what a wonderful evening I had yesterday.<\/p>\n

Last night, I sat around a campfire with a group of people, and the topic was HOPE. We had a wonderful,\u00a0in depth discussion on times when life has been good, or when it has felt hopeless, and how grateful we were for the gifts God had given us. Then I prayed with the scriptures of the day and they help one put it all in perspective. It is all in Christ.<\/p>\n

From the beginning of Paul’s second letter to Corinthians<\/p>\n

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,<\/em>
\n the Father of compassion and the God of all encouragement,<\/em>
\n who encourages us in our every affliction,<\/em>
\n so that we may be able to encourage<\/em>
\n those who are in any affliction<\/em>
\n with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God.<\/em><\/p>\n

For as Christ\u2019s sufferings overflow to us,<\/em>
\n so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow.<\/em>
\n If we are afflicted,<\/em>
\n it is for your encouragement and salvation;<\/em>
\n if we are encouraged,<\/em>
\n it is for your encouragement,<\/em>
\n which enables you to endure the same sufferings that we suffer.<\/em><\/p>\n

Our hope for you is firm,<\/strong><\/em>
\n for we know that as you share in the sufferings,<\/strong><\/em>
\n you also share in the encouragement.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Followed by “Taste and See that the Lord is Good” for a Psalm and the Beatitudes for the gospel.<\/p>\n

\"fireit\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After our discussion last night, a friend and I pulled out the guitars, and a bunch stayed and we sang around the campfire for an hour and a half, enjoying the fire, the laughter, the camaraderie, the fresh air, summer, life. It was THEN that the stinking mosquito bit me.<\/p>\n

And yet as itchy as it may be today it is my reminder that “our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings you also share in the encouragement\u00a0<\/i>” It is also a reminder of what a wonderful time I had last night, and to enjoy the day.<\/p>\n

\"Hope\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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