March Madness is underway for the NCAA basketball. The brackets have been filled, 1 plays 16, 2 plays 15, 3 plays 14, and on and on. Reading the beatitudes, we find the real brackets for our life for March. Put the eight beatitudes on two brackets of four. 1 goes with 5, 2 goes with 6, and so on. (#1 Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. #5 Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.) When our stubborn, rebellious spirits have been broken, we are then able to be merciful. (#2 Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. #6 Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.) Purity of heart comes from having faced up to the reality of who we really are inside. It comes from permitting the master potter to create a new heart within us. Being a Christian doesn’t mean living an unnatural life. It doesn’t mean escaping from reality. Rather it means living in the now, knowing who we are and to whom we belong. It means living with a clear definition of our problems, knowing that with God’s help we can face the impossible and stand in the winner’s circle. It means sailing through the stormy seas of life smiling in triumph, transforming adversity into opportunity. Pastor Don