The scripture of the week comes out of the letter to the church at Ephesus. The first section of the letter is a doxology of praise to God. This doxology has three parts. The three parts deal with the role of each person in the Godhead. The Father is praised for choosing us to be in Christ and the blessings that flow from His election. The Son is praised for doing the work of redemption so that we can experience the blessings of election. The Holy Spirit is praised for securing our place in eternity and making these blessings a present reality. Paul uses the term adoption to describe this new relationship with God. I know a little about adoption. I am blessed to have two adopted children. It was a lot of work going through the screening process in order to adopt a child. When a couple goes through this process of adopting a child, they are very aware of what they are doing. It is one of the greatest choices one can make in life! When a child is placed in the arms of an adopted parent, the bond becomes immediate and special! Going through this process personally, I became more aware of how special I am as an adopted child of the Kingdom! I praise God that He choose me to be a son. Jesus told His disciples that they were no longer orphans, but children of God. This is our God given identity. No matter what I experience in life, I can be assured that I am someone! As an adopted child, I have a place in the kingdom of God. If you have received Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have an eternal identity. No one can take that away from you. In this world of contradiction, it may seem that you are a stranger and alien. No problem, you and I have an identity as a child of God. Claim it and live it!