God's will for me - is good!

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3.   Be joyful always.

 2.  Pray without stopping.

1. Be thankful in all circumstances.

For this is what God wills for you, in your life in union with Christ Jesus. 1 Thess 5:16-18 

16 πάντοτε χαίρετε, 17 ἀδιαλείπτως προσεύχεσθε, 18 ἐν παντὶ εὐχαριστεῖτε· τοῦτο γὰρ θέλημα θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ εἰς ὑμᾶς. 1 Thess 5:16-18

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I thank you Lord, for tuning me in to

a something that was "out of touch" today.

And thank you that my woman gave a clue,

then, that a mediator came to stay

for dinner here with us, and had some time.

And too, that things worked out so we could talk,

and even that young Wayne was not in line

(but help us to connect, to not just balk).

And thank you for our life together too.

The many good times, heaps of wisdom shared,

the attitudes and habits gained from you

together with each other. Learning care.

Do you consider you're being imaged, 

or, copied by a likeness here on Earth.

I know, we gain insight through this marriage

a holy game, pursuit of royal birth,

relationship that insights all your off-

spring, honours them as well, being allowed

to copy you yourself. We need to soft-sing

to enter into life this way, somehow.

And thank you that we're learning basic love.

Not higher forms perhaps, but courtesies,

and noticing of things come "from above",

that smell of goodness. We choose more of these,

to do beside you, as we waddle on.

And thank you most of all for help in this,

in wanting to keep walking with your son

(& daughter), for your spirit's holiness!

Lord, your own way of love connecting with 

your dad at ev'ry turn, you never stopped(!)

and thankful for the goodness in each biff,

your life on Earth gave you, each step on top,

well maybe I should say, down here, beneath

the heavens where you trusted God had placed

you with capacities that he'd bequeathed

you, not to "know" in loveless time or space,

but really to be known, then also know,

the king of all this wondrous realm around,

and show us duty, grown in afterglow

as little fetus* in your life, love found!

I see in the demenour of your boy 

before a  prayer of thankfulness to God,

and Luke's record that "Jesus, full of joy, 

right through the holy spirit..1" isn't odd.

And Hebrews2 notes the coming joy as well,

and John3 recalls his method to complete

our joy, that we might smell as heaven smells,

the joy of new life growing up is sweet.

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*  I note how well the name Jesus, or the singular title Christ, fits the New Covenant/Testament psalm about Love in 1 Cor 13. Once he said to his closest disciples: "..the world must learn that I love the father, and that is why I do everything as he commands me"(John 14:31) I also hear from the apostle Paul, a continual use of the image of an image of God, (identified as Christ), being formed by his seed in us, and also until we be formed into the full stature of Christ. Christ, may that kind of duty based on love, develop in this marriage. Oh, help me please to learn this love from you. 

1 "At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do." Luke 10:21 NIVUK cf the proverbial insight for the path of a disciple who takes God lessons seriously, as mediated by "parents" and "grandparents": "…You will become wise, and your knowledge will give you pleasure. Your insight and understanding will protect you and prevent you from doing the wrong thing. They will keep you away from people who stir up trouble by what they say — those who have abandoned a righteous life to live in the darkness of sin, those who find pleasure in doing wrong and who enjoy senseless evil, unreliable people who cannot be trusted. Proverbs 2:10‭-‬15 GNBUK

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:2‭-‬3 NIVUK

3 I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. John 15:9‭-‬12 GNBUK

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