Dear John 15

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 Our children gave us a paddle board for Christmas!
I think I'll wait for the ice to melt before I attempt this!
January 15
Today I will be on the road, so I wanted to type up some thoughts ahead of time about John 15 from The Woman of Faith, NIV Bible.  This has been written five days after the Paris bombings, knowing in advance I'd be on the road.

"The Hate of the World"
"It isn't easy being a Christian in this world.  At times, our popularity will suffer because of our faith.  At times, people will misunderstand us. Some may even dislike us. Still others may go out of their way to oppress us or cause us suffering.
In such situations, it is tempting to blame ourselves for some imagined failure or to assume that our circumstances are out of the ordinary.  Jesus, however, makes no bones about the destiny of believers. He states clearly, that persecution will come to his followers because the world is hostile to those who follow him.
Persecution is never comfortable. But it may help to remember that the focus of the battle is not on us, but on Christ.  Jesus doesn't call us to be liked by everyone. He simply calls us to be faithful.  And he reminds us that, when persecution descends, it's simply evidence of the fact we belong to him."

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.
As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
That is why the world hates you.
John 15:18-19

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