{"id":18596,"date":"2014-03-20T00:20:19","date_gmt":"2014-03-20T04:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=18596"},"modified":"2014-03-19T21:20:15","modified_gmt":"2014-03-20T01:20:15","slug":"18596","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2014\/03\/20\/18596\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Are They Headed"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/SeekingHimLogo.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13840\" alt=\"SeekingHimLogo\" src=\"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/SeekingHimLogo.jpg\" width=\"560\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/SeekingHimLogo.jpg 560w, https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/SeekingHimLogo-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>We have now entered the season of Lent. \u00a0For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words. \u00a0\u271e \u2665<\/p>\n<p>During this season, here on the\u00a0<strong><em>Seeking Him<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus\u2019 instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5\u2014the Beatitudes. \u00a0Jesus said, \u201cBlessed are\u2026\u201d and He went on to give instruction as to how to be \u201c<em>blessed<\/em>.\u201d \u00a0To be \u2018blessed\u2019 is to \u2018be happy, or to be envied.\u2019 \u00a0 Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed\u2014oh, how very blessed we are! \u00a0Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed\u2014and that we KNOW it! \u271e \u2665<\/p>\n<p>Please consider Jesus\u2019 instructions along with us. \u00a0We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection! \u00a0\u271e \u2665<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #306963;\"><strong>Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #306963;\"><strong>Matthew 5:4<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re driving down the road, do you wonder about the people in the passing cars? What are their stories? <em><strong>Where are they headed?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>When you leave the grocery store pushing your buggy, do you see all the people silently walking in the parking lot and wonder what their stories are? \u00a0I do. I even wonder if they are in some kind of pain masked by doing routine tasks.<\/p>\n<p>Immediately after September 11th 2001, people engaged in conversation more easily and were so willing to help each other\u2014even perfect strangers. \u00a0We didn\u2019t even have to live where planes crashed into towers or the Pentagon to feel that we were all in this together. \u00a0A tragic situation had occurred, and we were united together. \u00a0We mourned the loss of so many lives. \u00a0We hurt together as a nation. \u00a0We easily reached out to each other. \u00a0And now, almost thirteen years later, we quietly walk in different directions again. \u00a0But shouldn\u2019t we be thinking about engaging with others more than we do since none of us knows what each day holds? \u00a0Tragedy could happen at any time.<\/p>\n<p>When the World Trade Center towers fell that day and so many lives were lost in New York City and other lives were lost at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and still others in a barren field in Pennsylvania\u2014all of those were enormous, sorrowful tragedies especially for the loved ones left behind. \u00a0We were all saddened that each and every one of those lives ended that day, and our hearts hurt for those who loved them so much! \u00a0But I hope you will understand when I say that a far greater tragedy than leaving this earth early or unexpectedly is <em>leaving this earth <strong>without<\/strong> a Savior<\/em>!<\/p>\n<p>My heart is burdened for those who don\u2019t know Jesus as their personal Savior. \u00a0Life is hard at times&#8230;even when you DO know Him as Savior. \u00a0(I can\u2019t imagine life without Him!) \u00a0But for those who come to death without having believed, received, and trusted Jesus as their Savior (having asked Jesus to forgive them of their sins and knowing He took their place in dying for their sins on the cross) before they take their last breath, they will enter into a horrific place called hell where they will be separated from God for eternity. \u00a0(See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=luke+16%3A19-31&amp;version=AMP;NASB;ESV;RSV\" target=\"_blank\">Luke 16:19-31<\/a>.) \u00a0 I wish that for no one!<\/p>\n<p>To those who are saved, let us mourn and be broken-hearted for those who do not know Jesus! \u00a0Let us pray for them! \u00a0And let us engage in conversations with them as the Holy Spirit prompts and leads us.<\/p>\n<p>On September 11th 2001, many kissed their loved ones good-bye that morning not aware they would never see them again. \u00a0Perhaps it\u2019s time to start having important and urgent conversations with the people we know and love. \u00a0To decide to have a relationship with Jesus and to be forgiven of your sins is the most important decision one could ever make! \u00a0(Please see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=ephesians+2%3A1-10&amp;version=AMP;NASB;ESV;RSV\" target=\"_blank\">Ephesians 2:1-10<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>Do you know where your family, friends, and others are headed?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong><\/strong><\/em> If not, let\u2019s pray that we all start talking about Jesus with them!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #3e7f84;\">* ~\u00a0\u2665\u00a0~<strong>\u00a0\u271e<\/strong>\u00a0~\u00a0\u2665~ *<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Dear Lord, we praise and love YOU! \u00a0Let our hearts be broken for those who don\u2019t know You yet. \u00a0Guide us in when and how you may call us to approach them and in what to say. Help us start talking. \u00a0Let us use the power of Your Word and let us say it with love, as it will provide truth. \u00a0Prepare the hearts of those who speak and of those who hear. \u00a0In it all, You will lead us, love us, encourage us, wipe our tears \u2013 if need be, and comfort us. \u00a0Thank You! \u00a0In Jesus\u2019 precious Name I pray, Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We have now entered the season of Lent. \u00a0For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":13840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3020],"tags":[127,3175,243,3367,5857,1287,425,5784,5858,5856,1405,5827,934,3174,5859],"class_list":["post-18596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-devotions","tag-beatitudes","tag-cheris-gaston","tag-comfort","tag-daily-devotions-2","tag-ephesians-21-10","tag-gch","tag-girlfriends-coffee-hour","tag-jesus-speaking","tag-know-jesus","tag-luke-1619-31","tag-matthew-54","tag-mourn","tag-saved","tag-seeking-him-devotional","tag-where-are-they-headed","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/SeekingHimLogo.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s39pHp-18596","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/121"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18596"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18596\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18601,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18596\/revisions\/18601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}