Month: March 2020

Be Present

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Stay alert of your thoughts, words and actions.  It is so easy to slide down a dark path and to be led astray by temptations.  Keep the Word of God in your heart and verses will come to mind when you need them most.  When an opportunity presents itself, share your faith and what you believe respectfully.  Trust in the Lord, He is with you.  Amen.

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“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

1 Peter 5:8-9

(This photo was taken in July of 2012 while on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

It’s Simple…

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Treat other people the way you want them to treat you.  When you stop and think about it…often times yelling and anger gets you more yelling and anger right back at you…and kindness and a smile often get a kind response back.  We are in charge of our attitudes and how we treat others and Jesus tells us the simple Golden Rule of life in the bible.  Read about what Jesus teaches us and follow the example He has set for us.  Amen.

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Luke 6:31

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“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 7:12

(This photo was taken in July of 2012 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Renewing Of Your Mind

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The information overload we receive each day has intensified with current world circumstances.  Distractions and inaccurate information are running wild creating misunderstandings and leading to people act on false perceptions.  We need a solid foundation of truth to stand on more than ever…that foundation can be found with God’s Word.  It is the truth about God, His Son and the Holy Spirit.  Pick up the bible and spend time renewing your mind.  May God’s comfort and peace be with you.  Amen.

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“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:1-2

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)

Transformation

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Change…conversion…revision…reshaping…remolding…rebuilding…reworking…renewing.  God is our Creator and He made each and every one of us.  He made us with a purpose and as we live our lives we get influenced and distracted by the world, by worldly desires and worldly expectations and we lose sight of what God made us to be.  This is not about what you do as a job or career, that should not define you, rather it is about who you are as a person in your everyday life and interactions.  Turn towards Jesus Christ and your faith, revisit the person God made you to be according to His plan.  Amen.

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“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Ephesians 4:22-24

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake place in northwestern Wisconsin)

Walk In The Light

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Our faith is about more than what we believe…it is also about how we put what we believe into actions.  A faith journey is best lived inside-out…start with you…what do you believe…what is your relationship with Jesus Christ…your sin…your confession…this isn’t a check the box in the process type of thing, it is a daily surrender of self-centered desires.  As we build our faith on the foundation of coming to the Cross, we can take the things we learn and put them into practice in our daily lives and interactions…this is a journey that requires commitment, it requires a willingness to sacrifice and it provides peace and joy that is beyond our imagination.  May peace be with you.  Amen.

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“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 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[a] sin.”

1 John 1:6-7

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Arches National Park in Utah)

Stay Connected

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Both to God and to others.  Yes, the world has changed and things are very different than they were a few weeks ago…most if not all of it was outside of your control…still today how you choose to respond is completely up to you.  You can connect to/stay connected to God by reading His Word and praying or you can reject the opportunity to explore your faith and build your relationship with Jesus Christ…you can choose to find simple or creative ways to connect to family and friends or you can focus your time on what was lost with the changes you can’t control.  Yes, we are all different and we all deal with change in different ways…and God gives us free will to choose our response…so how will you choose to respond?  Choose God (verse above the photo), choose life (verse below the photo).  Amen.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

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“Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota)

Wisdom From Heaven

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I pray we all seek the wisdom of God.  His message in the bible…the example His Son Jesus Christ set for us…the guidance His Holy Spirit provides us as that small voice in our minds.  The current times show how hurtful it is when we are selfish.  Because we are human, we all are convicted of selfish behavior at one time or another and when unity is what the world needs the selfishness of human behavior is magnified.  There are many people who are doing good things in the world right now to help others and I pray we hear more about those stories and we seek to live that way.  Lord, forgive us when we are selfish and teach us how to care for others just as you have cared for us.  Amen.

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“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”

James 3:17-18

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 while traveling through the state of Washington)

He Is With You

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No matter what, no…matter…what!  No matter where you have been, no matter what you have done, no matter how long you have strayed or how long it takes you to learn…God is with you and waiting to hear from you.  Profess your faith, confess you sins and trust in the one who stays with you through all things.  Amen.

The God Who Stays by Matthew West

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“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake in Plymouth, Minnesota)

Don’t Stop Praying

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As I awake this morning there are 2 songs that I can’t stop hearing in my mind that are constant reminders to not give up…we must learn to be patient and persistent.  No matter how long you have been praying about something and you haven’t seen a change…don’t quit…keep praying…believe…many people fall away from God because He does not work on our time line.  Remember He is God and He knows what is best for us even if we can’t see it.  Trust Him in everything.  Amen.

Haven’t Seen It Yet by Danny Gokey

Blessing I Can’t See by Building 429

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“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake in Plymouth, Minnesota)