BE Excellent ~ Shine!

BE Excellent ~ Shine!
"In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:4-5

Jesus is a reflection of light: eminent, conspicuous, and distinguished. To be conspicuously evident or clear that Jesus is alive in and with you, SHINE like Jesus!

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Who is “Him” in this verse? (the Word)
What was in Him? (the life)
What does John say was the “light of men?” (the life)
Do you remember when God said, ‘Let there be Light’? (in the beginning, at creation)
Do you think this is the light He was talking about?  Consider the light IN the world and the light OF the world. Consider if Jesus is IN us, then we are HIS living light...the light of the Son of man.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
When is it dark outside? (at night)
But are there any things that light up the night sky? (the moon and stars)
But “in the beginning” God’s world was completely dark.  There was no sun, no moon, no stars.  
What does this verse tell us shined in the darkness?  (the light)
What was this light? (the Word)
Who is the Word? (Jesus! Jesus lit up the darkness!)
We reflect Jesus' light by Shining!

​I encourage you when learning about a concept or idea to also jot down the opposite.  By doing so, you will gain even more insight of the value of the attribute.  
This will help you to BE Excellent.  
​What is the opposite of excellent?  (Look it up)
To BE Excellent = Light = SHINE!

Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father, my days are full.   On the days I start with you, my days are centered in your excellence.  As I reflect on your excellence and blessing and creation, make me more like you.  I am your reflection to the world.  Let me shine! Help me shine and help others out of the darkness.  I don't want to be dim or lack value.  Fill me with your Glory and Shinyness.
Amen

Author: Sandi Hanscom 
References:  The Bible
"Simple Home Blessings" online 

​"40-Days of Excellence" Journal
CHALLENGE
We invite you on a quest to dig deeper and learn about the meaning of the death and resurrection of Friend Jesus.  Over the next 40 days (of this Lenten season), join us in this Journal Challenge.  You want to "give something up" (we recommend noise in your life:  social media, limited news time, etc.).  Instead of focusing on what you can't have, let's focus on what we CAN HAVE walking with Jesus through the prophets and disciples through the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Here is What To Do
1) Start by scheduling quiet time into your schedule every day for 40 days.
2)  Get a Journal and entitle it:  "40 Days of Excellence"
3) Get your Bible out (or use the YouVersion Bible app) and write out the questions and scripture mentioned in the our blogs, (you can go back and review the blog posts)
4)  Around Day 30, journal what the characteristics of BEcoming an EXCELLENT Christian can look like in your life.

We promise you, this will be one of the most enriching studies you can do.
BE dedicated, set boundaries, and you will discover EXCELLENCE in ​Jesus, Others and Yourself
JOY!!

Please Note:  If you are joining us well into the 40 Day Challenge, like God, we will meet you where you are at!  
​No stress.  No worries.  We're just happy you are coming along for the journey. 
xo Christie and Sandi