The Be-attitudes

This week, on one beautiful fall day I was talking to my mom on the phone and she told me that she recently thought about the beattitudes and thought that I should teach them to the girls.  I thought it a great idea.  Here they are:

What are the Beatitudes?
This section begins with the setting for the sermon on the mount, followed by the beatitudes.
   The word "beatitude" is derived from the Latin "beatus," which means blessed or happy. This designation is appropriate because each teaching begins with the word "blessed."

Setting
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying...

Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Light of the world
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
    You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
    Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.------

That last part is good.  Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.  You see the beatitudes are not about what they get us; they are about how we can glorify God through our actions BUT they are also statements of PROMISE.  I don't know about you but in a world where breaking your word is as common as well, filing for divorce, the idea that these statements bring promise is very comforting to me.  I am not sure which one is my favorite.  I like "blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God."  I've always wanted to be pure in heart.  And since I am a believer I know that I will see God SOMEDAY but I think the speaker was talking about sooner rather than later.  This person sees God in her life and in the lives of her children.  That is who and what I want to be.

That is the only treasure I want.

Weekends are so hard when the house is empty and I am sitting here with just my thoughts and the blog.

There are so many things I want for myself and for my children but most of them do not have to do with earthly possessions.  They are character traits.  I want to teach my children to be more like God.