The Sanguine Blood Of Jesus
In preparing a sermon for Palm Sunday, I discovered that I didn't understand the correct meaning of the word sanguine. I had heard it many times but thought it meant sad or melancholy. However, as I did some research, I found I was quite mistaken. The word first and foremost is a color, "blood red." Further, it means to be optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation. Other synonyms include bullish, hopeful, positive, disposed to look on the bright side, confident, cheerful, cheery, bright.
We need to "resurrect" this word. The blood of Jesus covers a multitude of sins. His sanguine blood gives us every reason in the world to be sanguine. To be sanguine about our salvation, to be sanguine about our eternity, to be sanguine about our life. We, of all people, should be able to look on the bright side of life, being confident and cheerful because of the sanguine blood of Jesus.
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
"In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22).
Facebook Year-In-Review Montages Upsetting to Some
If you are ever on Facebook (and who isn’t?), you know what it is at year end to be bombarded by countless friends’ “Year In Review” photo montages. It’s all part of Facebook’s endless crusade to keep their users actively engaged in the site.
The problem for many, however, is that Facebook automatically generates these montages without a user’s consent. Admittedly, they do not post them publicly without consent (a user must select the option to “post” the review), but that doesn’t stop FB from creating them and then inserting them into your news feed repeatedly in the hopes that you’ll eventually opt to post the review. This keeps your page active, generates lots of “likes” and “comments” from your friends, and overall boosts Facebook’s exposure and vitality.
While many are all too happy to look back at the past year and smile at the images from the past twelve months, for other’s it’s a painful intrusion into a chapter of their lives they’d just as well leave locked in the vaults of yesterday:
Such is the case of Eric Meyer, who lost his 6-year-old daughter to brain cancer, reports the Washington Post. And while seeing endless tags proclaiming, "It’s been a great year! Thanks for being a part of it" was one thing, seeing the image of his dead child surrounded by partying clip art figures went beyond the bounds of decency. "For those of us who lived through the death of loved ones, or spent extended time in the hospital, or were hit by divorce or losing a job or any one of a hundred crises, we might not want another look at this past year," he writes on his blog …
Meyer is asking Facebook to rethink the entire process by allowing users to choose up front whether they’d like Facebook to auto-generate a montage, or by allowing the user to choose for themselves which pics and posts would be included.
Meyer isn't alone, notes Mashable: Many users are upset with Facebook's persistence in pushing the feature. Part of the problem is Facebook's culture of default positivity, writes Darren Orf for Gizmodo. "After all, you can only 'like' but never 'dislike,' so it's not surprising that the company may have overlooked the idea that many of us, like Meyer, had a pretty terrible 2014 and really don't need to be reminded of it."
New Year’s can be a time of looking back on the past year with delight for all that we've learned, accomplished, or experienced. Conversely, it can be a welcomed time of turning the page on a difficult or painful chapter in our lives to which we’re relieved to say good riddance. For most of us, it’s probably a little of both.
Either way, in the light of God’s love, grace, and sovereign will, we are able to reflect upon the last year with godly perspective, and to look to the new one with faith and anticipation.
Every clip that appears in the montage of our lives is only there after having passed through the permissive and gracious hand of our Heavenly Father. For the child of God, “All things work together for good.” With this mindset, we, like Facebook, can enjoy a kind of "default positivity." That doesn't mean we have to "like" everything God allows in our lives, but we can appreciate it as being dealt from the hand of a loving God who always and in every way intends it for our good.
Illustration Exchange
This is Your Brain On Gratitude
It is a well accepted fact that a grateful heart and a thankful spirit can positively effect nearly every area of one's life. The scientists and researchers in the field of neuroscience are now shedding new light on just how and why this is so by studying the brain activity of thankful people. According to Alex Korb, Ph.D. (a postdoctoral researcher at UCLA and scientific consultant for BrainSonix Inc.) this is a picture of "your brain on gratitude":
The wide variety of effects that gratitude can have may seem surprising, but a direct look at the brain activity during gratitude yields some insight. A study … from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) … examined blood flow in various brain regions while subjects summoned up feelings of gratitude (Zahn et al, 2009). They found that subjects who showed more gratitude overall had higher levels of activity in the hypothalamus. This is important because the hypothalamus controls a huge array of essential bodily functions, including eating, drinking and sleeping. It also has a huge influence on your metabolism and stress levels. From this evidence on brain activity it starts to become clear how improvements in gratitude could have such wide-ranging effects from increased exercise, and improved sleep to decreased depression and fewer aches and pains.
Furthermore, feelings of gratitude directly activated brain regions associated with the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine feels good to get, which is why it’s generally considered the “reward” neurotransmitter. But dopamine is also important in initiating action. That means increases in dopamine make you more likely to do the thing you just did. It’s the brain saying, “Oh, do that again.”
Korb concludes:
Gratitude can have such a powerful impact on your life because it engages your brain in a virtuous cycle. Your brain only has so much power to focus its attention. It cannot easily focus on both positive and negative stimuli. It is like a small child: easily distracted. Oh your tummy hurts? Here’s a lollipop. … On top of that your brain loves to fall for the confirmation bias … So once you start seeing things to be grateful for, your brain starts looking for more things to be grateful for. That’s how the virtuous cycle gets created.
God is calling us in His Word to cultivate a "virtuous cycle" of thanksgiving and gratitude within the very neurotransmitters of our brains (not to mention deep within the recesses of our hearts!).
"...Be transformed by the renewing of your minds...(Romans 12:2).
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:6-8, ESV).
"Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name" (Hebrews 13:15, ESV). "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16, ESV).