My sister and I visited our home town for my class reunion this month. We really enjoyed the marsh-like environment, which brought back sweet memories. We savored the earthy smells, charming bird sounds and the breath-taking beauty of our growing up land.

I was searching for some answers while on vacation and a bright 16-year-old on the airplane ride home helped answer them. She wanted to share her research on Gen Alpha with me.

According to Wiki, “Generation Alpha is the first to be born entirely in the 21st century and the third millennium. The majority of Generation Alpha are the children of Millennials.^{[2][3][4][5][6]”}

A hard cover book lay open on her tray table that she had been reading. She told me about finding a sewing machine at the Thrift store which sparked her interest in making costumes for the theater. As a true advocate for younger children, she helped explain why taking away tablets and AI from pre-schoolers would help them get outside more, stay healthier and maybe even get dirty. She was very concerned about the weakening of physical strength as the youth became more dependent on electronics.

Of course, she was preaching to the choir as I smiled inwardly. The “answer” I had been seeking came in the form of her first statement to me: “this group at the back of the plane has a sense of community.” This realization emboldened her to share her research.

In this Psalm, King David was emboldened: he states that victory comes when we are safe from harm. Our cry for help is addressed by the Maker and Creator of our hearts. He knows what we need to be healthy and whole. He answers with love 💕. We have not been abandoned. He sees when our heart’s desire is for His kingdom come and His will to be done.

What community have you entered into? Where have you felt safe enough to share your heart? #Hehears

God’s victory over us comes in the form of His Son. I have found great refuge in knowing He is in me and all around me in the form of His Holy Spirit. -Teresa #shoutforjoy #cryout #desireHim #victory #answers #strengthfortoday #brighthopefortomorrow

Psalm 20: 1-5 (NLT)

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

¹ In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.
    May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
² May he send you help from his sanctuary
    and strengthen you from Jerusalem.^[a]
3 May he remember all your gifts
    and look favorably on your burnt offerings. Interlude

⁴ May he grant your heart’s desires
    and make all your plans succeed.
⁵ May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
    and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers.

Footnotes

1. 20:2 Hebrew Zion.

There is a song that states over and over “I am a friend of God” by Israel & New Breed. This passage explains how that can be.

Our wonderful new relationship with God begins with the person of Jesus Christ. He is also Lord because He is God’s Son, who was given a position of authority and equality with God.

Why would we be helpless? What happened to cripple us like that? Is it because of mankind’s rejection of everything good that God wanted us to embrace? #Hisimage

If Christ’s death can restore us to peace with God, will His life reconcile us as image bearers? #delivered

As God’s friend, you can have a wonderful new relationship, no longer enslaved to bitter thinking. #enemiesnomore

Do I want to be lord of my own destiny or am I willing to admit His Lordship over all creation, including my heart?- Teresa #Hosanna

Romans 5:6-11 (NLT)

⁶ When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. ⁷ Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. ⁸ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ⁹ And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.¹⁰ For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. ¹¹ So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Flying back to my high school class reunion, I was struck by the beauty of the clouds. I placed so much trust in mechanics and technology (not to mention my fellow humans), that my sense of wonder was freed up.

Faith is God’s way of making us right with Him and it’s called the “good news” or the gospel. The central figure in the gospel is Christ Jesus the LORD.

God’s power is released through this good news when we believe. Too often we rely on others to help us feel good. The problem with that is, no one qualifies as Savior, except Him.

Through faith, a righteous person crosses over from death to life. Eternal life is described as knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. (John 17:3)

Have you freed up your sense of wonder? Try believing God’s provision to have a right relationship with Him. #knowHim

Full of wonder, I am captivated by the beauty of His Son. He represents the bridegroom, loving the bride through selfless devotion. #HISchurch

Lord, we honor you above all, trusting your provision for sin. -Teresa

Romans 1:16-17 (NLT)

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.^[g] 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”^[h]Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. 1:4a Or and was designated.
2. 1:4b Or by the Spirit of holiness; or in the new realm of the Spirit.
3. 1:5 Or the grace.
4. 1:9 Or in my spirit.
5. 1:13 Greek brothers.
6. 1:14 Greek to Greeks and barbarians.
7. 1:16 Greek also the Greek.
8. 1:17 Or “The righteous will live by faith.” Hab 2:4.

Judah was the son of Jacob (Israel) whose lineage bore the Messiah (Jesus, son of David).

How extreme was it that Judah had both a son so wicked that God found it necessary to kill him, and another son who would be so promising that the Savior would be born from his lineage?

Both Joseph and Mary’s descendants are established as being from David. Joseph’s through Solomon and Mary’s through Nathan (who were both King David’s sons).

We cannot choose when we are born or to whom, but we can live our lives for God’s purpose (vs. for the wickedness of the world, the flesh or the devil).

Our struggles may be the result of genetic or environmental influences or simply due to our own poor choices. #Adam

The difference between a barren or fruitful life may be the conscious decision to act in favor of God’s will. How will we know God’s will and purpose unless we read His Word, The Bible?

If things seem barren, perhaps taking a moment to re-evaluate your own choices will be the step needed to begin bearing fruit. (Even much fruit…and fruit that will last, which comes from abiding in Christ)

Lord, may my life be promising because I trust You. In the past few months, I’ve had to commit a difficult situation over and over to God. In so doing, I’ve chosen to speak these words, “I believe”, aloud.

In Phillipians 4:19, Paul assures the believers that his God will meet all their needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Keep giving your gifts for His purposes, He will faithfully produce the fruit. -Teresa #Hiskingdomcome

I Chronicles 2:1-5, 9-15 (NLT)

2 The sons of Israel^[v] were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, ² Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

Descendants of Judah

³ Judah had three sons from Bathshua, a Canaanite woman. Their names were Er, Onan, and Shelah. But the Lord saw that the oldest son, Er, was a wicked man, so he killed him.⁴ Later Judah had twin sons from Tamar, his widowed daughter-in-law. Their names were Perez and Zerah. So Judah had five sons in all.

5 The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

^….9 The sons of Hezron were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Caleb.^[z]

¹⁰ Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of Judah.
¹¹ Nahshon was the father of Salmon.^[aa]
Salmon was the father of Boaz.
¹² Boaz was the father of Obed.
Obed was the father of Jesse.

¹³ Jesse’s first son was Eliab, his second was Abinadab, his third was Shimea, ¹⁴ his fourth was Nethanel, his fifth was Raddai, ¹⁵ his sixth was Ozem, and his seventh was David.