commitment

Pray

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When you don’t know what else to do…when you are grateful for what you have been given…when things are going well…when things are not going well…pray.  God wants a relationship with us, through every part of life…the good, the difficult, the peaceful times as much as the stressful times.  The best relationships are built on communication with one another.  Turn towards God in prayer…open up your heart and trust in Him…He loves you; He cares for you and He is waiting to hear from you.  Amen.

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“pray continually…”

1 Thessalonians 5:17

(This photo was taken in August of 2012 on hike along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Commitment

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Devotion…dedication…faithfulness…self-sacrifice….love.  A commitment can be hard at times.  A commitment is not something to be taken lightly.  If you commit to something think carefully about how you will respond when things don’t go as planned or how you expect them to go.  God made a commitment to love us and to save us even though we are still sinners and it was tremedously difficult for Jesus to keep that commitment…yet He was able to fulfill the commitment by staying close to the Father in prayer and trusting the will of God.  Jesus is our example of how to get through the hard times and to remain committed to God and trust Him with all aspects of our lives.  Amen.

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“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you strength.”

Deuteronomy 6:5

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 near the border of Minnesota and South Dakota)

Devotion

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Loyalty…faithfulness…commitment…dedication.  As we learn and grow in our spiritual lives we begin to see more clearly the differences between worldly goals and spiritual goals.  Eventually we all get caught in the middle of these differences for different reasons.  This is a battle that rages on for everyone.  The only answer I have experienced is trust in God.  We will not always be able to see the what or the why and that is incredibly frustrating…don’t let that hold you down.  Continue in faithfulness and not in worry, do your best in your situation and pray.  Talk with the Lord, not in memorized lines from childhood but with sincerity and true feeling because He is with you and He has shown His level of devotion to you by the sacrifice of His Son.  Amen.

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“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

 2 Corinthians 5:15

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Commitment

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This is hard when things are difficult, when it feels like at every turn we try and failure is right there to greet us.  When we commit to something we naturally put some level of our own expectations of how things should go or what we believe should be the outcome.  Here is the issue with this approach…we are setting “our expectations” on the result with little regard for God’s will and God’s plan.  Following our faith and trust in the Lord means we can be free from the limited results our own minds can generate and be open to new possibilities.  For me this is hard to grasp and at times very difficult to embrace…even Jesus struggled in the last moments of His commitment to save us right before He was arrested and He prayed to His Father…“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  – Luke 22:42  Bring your commitments to the Lord in prayer and seek His will.  Listen for Him and for the Holy Spirit to guide you…find your quiet place and quiet time and rest in Him.  May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

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“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”

Psalm 143:8

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Follow Jesus

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Commitment…dedication…devotion…faithfulness.  Our spiritual growth will show signs of all these things over time.  The faith journey is more than a one time decision to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and life…don’t misunderstand me, that is absolutely the right first step.  The journey continues from there with a daily giving of ourselves to the will of God for our lives.  It is prayer about everything, it is learning to let go of those things we cannot control nor should we try to control.  It is about learning to accept the love and forgiveness of God in your heart and mind and then turning outward toward others to share that truth in service and kindness.  My prayer is for us all to give of ourselves to Jesus each day.  After all, He gave all He had of His life in this world to save us.  Amen.

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“Then he said to them all:  If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Luke 9:23

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at City Park in Winterset, Iowa)

He Will Restore You

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Keep going…be steadfast and determined to find a way…don’t quit…don’t give up on them.  With so much of the world focused on convenience and saving time there seems to be less and less stories about the long journey of success.  The truth about most accomplishments is that they occur over a significant period of time.  In athletics people will tell stories of an “overnight success”  a player just emerged from out of nowhere.  When the truth is that individual worked their tail off for the last 5, 10 or 15 years to get to that moment and the world just noticed them now.  Hard work is expected to achieve anything.  Dedication, commitment and a willingness to fail and try again, these are the things that lead to success.  Especially in relationships and faith.  If you or someone you care for is struggling, start or keep on praying, don’t give up on the situation.  The world and society throw people away all the time…be different, believe in hope and God will restore the situation one way or another.  May God bless you with courage and strength.

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“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

1 Peter 5:10

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

 

Commitment

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Not giving up…to honor…responsibility…respect for…trust.  The way of truth means doing what you said you would do.  Our true character shows through to others when they see our commitment to something.  The greatest example of commitment to completing something that was more difficult than anything we will face in our lives was the example Jesus set when He honored a commitment to saving us from our sins.  He endured physical and mental suffering for something He didn’t do.  He is innocent, He has no sin…and yet He took on the sin of all of us and paid the price so that we could be reconciled to God.  He is our Savior and our Salvation will only come from a relationship with Him.  May God’s love and faithfulness be with you.

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“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

Proverbs 16:3

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 in the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior)

Be In Prayer

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Jesus said while speaking to his disciples…

“So I say to you:  Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Luke 11:9-10

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 while driving the north shore of Maui)

Community Growth and Unity

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“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.  From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Ephesians 4:15-16

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while driving through Colorado)