Stephanie Pavlantos: Wounded
We’ve all experienced wounds–whether from sports, accidents, or abnormal growths– and had to have a doctor or surgeon intervene in order for us to heal properly. It’s especially hard when it’s your child or pet going through something like this. …
Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: Happiness is…
For some time now, we have been looking into the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. The other day, I read Psalm 32 and noticed it begins with the same wording as Matthew 5. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. PSALM 32:1-2 ESV While looking for a commentary about these verses, I came across an … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: Happy are the Pursued…
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. MATTHEW 5:10-11 ESV Years ago, a recruiter contacted me because he saw my resume online. He called asking me to come in for an interview for a state-of-the-art histology lab in Cleveland–even offering me the salary I desired. This company pursued me for my skills. … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: Shalom
How blessed are those who make peace! For they will be called sons of God. MATTHEW 5:9 CJB I am a middle child. I have three older sisters and two younger ones. My eldest sister, Cindy, is nine years older than me, while my youngest sister, Melanie, is nine years younger. The term most often applied to middle children is peacemakers. That was my role as a child in our loud and sometimes chaotic family. I hated conflict and strove … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: The Pure in Heart Sees God Everywhere
How blessed are the pure in heart! For they will see God. MATTHEW 5:8 CJB I read a great quote on the Beatitudes by Skip Moen, Ph.D. He says, “[A Beatitude] is not a “blessing” that implies one party granting a favor to another party. A Beatitude is really a macarism, an announcement of an existing state, a status of happiness. https://skipmoen.com/2018/02/character-1/ Today, we will explore the sixth Beatitude of Matthew 5. As said above, these are not blessings over you … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: Mercy!
How blessed are those who show mercy! For they will be shown mercy. MATTHEW 5:7 CJB One of my mom’s favorite expressions of surprise is “Mercy!” (Imagine a Southern accent with that) My youngest son, Michael loved to imitate her by repeating it when she visited. My mom always got a kick out of it. Even though my mom is no longer able to drive up to see us–and for now is living in South Texas–Michael will occasionally go around … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: Do You Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness?
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6 We are continuing our series in the Beatitudes. Today, we will examine the fourth Beatitude found in Matthew 5:6. You can go back and read the last three posts if you haven’t already. We didn’t have much growing up. My father had a stroke that paralyzed him on his right side. With a fairly young family, he could now, no longer work. My mom … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: O the Blessedness of the Meek
O the blessedness of the meek! For they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 CJB Let me start off by saying, Wow! I found some cool meanings of these words in my research of ancient Hebrew, and I am really excited to show and tell you what God led me to. I just bought a really cool book called Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible by Jeff A. Benner (Yes, I am a total geek). It doesn’t just explain the Hebrew of the Bible … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: Joy Comes in the Mourning
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 ESV When was the last time you mourned over someone or something? There are days my heart is heavy over the things I see in this world–in politics, in the church, or in our country. I have mourned over the death of family members and pets, and the loss of relationships. Sometimes as I mourned, I felt Jesus mourning with me, and other times … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: The Passover Lamb
Growing up, I loved Easter Sunday. We dressed up in our new dresses, ate the candy from our Easter basket, went to church, and spent the day with family eating a lot of food. I grew up hearing the same story every year of Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection. I’m not sure how much it really meant to me until I was out of college. I remember hearing a song called Watch the Lamb by Ray Boltz in the late 1990s. It … Continue reading →
Stephanie Pavlantos: The Betrothal
After four months of dating, my boyfriend got some of our friends together and planned a three-day cruise. There were eight of us total, four guys and four girls — two rooms (one for the guys and one for the girls). Then, off we went to the Bahamas. On the last night of our cruise, there was a formal dinner with great food, friends, and fun. At the end of the night, Mike took me to the top deck overlooking … Continue reading →