When I stream thoughts, some probably think I was raised up by something other than humans, all those run-on thoughts.
I assure you thought, I am OWNED by Him, He is mine, I am His. I claim Him because He claimed me. Hey, whaddyaknow , I just gave the answer to my question, but, as if you didn't know already, my smart ones of Christ living .Oh,how I want to tell those who are not choosing Christ how stupid a decision that is to make, one of eternity doing, where you spend forever and forever is such a long time, don't we all know.
Being raised by good parents who took me to church, showed me God, helped me to, eventually, choose God, on my own, and, through reflection of that made at 16 choice I KNEW who had really raised me up in life. That had given me life, not my parents who did have me, especially my mom, LOL.
And, seriously, there's no small appreciation for mom's decisons, but, Christ knew I was to become a living soul and he saw to it that it would happen and I sure hope I thank God for "raising me up" every day of my life. I do, Lord, I do, I do want to, thank you, Jesus..........
[video=youtube;sza4rh1YzsM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sza4rh1YzsM[/video]
This video show us why our Blessed Mother of Jesus Mary is blessed!
We do not "praise the virgin mary as if she opened up the gates of heaven herself."
The Blessed Virgin Mary is important to Catholics because the Bible says she is important to God.
• Mary is the handmaid of the Lord (Luke 1:38), a servant of God just like us.
• Mary is the first Christian. All other Christians follow her on the road of faith. She is the model for all of us because she actively cooperated with the Will of God by saying "Yes" to God in the plan of salvation.
• Mary is the model of faith. Mary's faith never wavered throughout Jesus' life, even while watching him die on the cross when most of the Apostles ran away.
• Mary is full of grace. The angel Gabriel called her, "Full of grace" and said, "The Lord is with you." She is full of grace at that moment; the Lord is with her at that moment, before she says "yes" to the angel's question. Catholics believe the state of grace was with her since her Immaculate Conception. God prepared her for her later role as the mother of Jesus.
• Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, of God the Son.
• Mary is a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, a tabernacle. The angel Gabriel says to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow." (Luke 1:35)
• God praised Mary through His messenger, the angel Gabriel, "Rejoice, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you." If God and his angels praise Mary, shouldn't we?
• Jesus honored Mary. Jesus kept the Commandments and did not sin. Jesus fulfilled the Commandment to honor both his father and his mother. WWJD? What would Jesus do? Jesus would and did honor Mary, his mother.
• The Holy Spirit inspired praises of Mary. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women," and "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." (Luke 1:41-45)
• The Scriptures tell of Mary's place with Jesus. Mary gives birth to Jesus, presents him to the shepherds, to the wise men, to God in the Temple. She lived with him for many years in Nazareth, intercedes with Jesus in Cana, suffers with him at the foot of the Cross, and prays to him with the apostles in the Upper Room.
• Mary is our Mother too. While he was on the Cross, Jesus said to his beloved disciple (who represents all Christians), "this is your mother." (John 19:27)