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The Holy Spirit – Counselor

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There are many times when we are praying to God and we just want Him to tell us in an easy to understand way, what should I do?!  One of the greatest freedoms God provides is free will.  He provides us the ability to decide our attitude and our behavior.  Better still He has given us the instruction manual for life, the Bible and the guide to walk along with us, the Holy Spirit.  The key to unlocking these resources?…Time.  In order to understand the instructions and to sense the direction of the Holy Spirit, we need to spend time studying the Word and time in prayer.  Jesus our Savior came and has saved us all from the defeat of sin and before He ascended into heaven He told of the Holy Spirit coming.  Tune in to the Counselor and seek direction and guidance from the Word of God.  May God’s love and joy be with you.

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“All this I have spoken while still with you.  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

John 14:25-26

(This photo was taken yesterday while walking the dog in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Hope Everyday

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We are blessed with the love God has for us and because of His love we have hope that is never-ending.  We will experience trials and suffering, it is expected because we live in a world filled with selfishness and brokenness.  Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him is where our hope can be found.  Even when things are at the darkest hour, hope is the glimmer of light Christ provides.  He has overcome anything this world can throw at us and He is waiting to guide you through everything you have going on in your life.  May God’s hope and love be with you.

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 14:8

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

The Love Of God

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It may be hard to believe sometimes…it seems unfathomable, an error in judgement or even misguided from our perspective.  However, it is true…God loves you, unconditionally.  There is nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God.  It has all been tried over and over again throughout the Old Testament, so God took things up a notch and sent His one and only Son to triumph over all, forever.  He had it written about before it occurred in the Old Testament and then again after it occurred in the New Testament.  God loves you and He is right there with you, He knows the struggles and the victory you experience in your life every day.  Talk with God, thank Him for His never-ending love and seek His will as you go forward in your faith and life journey.  May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:37-39

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while driving through North Dakota)

Forgiveness

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This is something we all want and need and yet it is so hard to give to others.  The part to work on is remembering this is not saying what someone did or said is Ok…forgiveness is making a commitment to not hold on to bitterness and hardness in your heart over something that happened in the past and can’t be changed.  We all make mistakes and we all will be making more mistakes in life, forgiveness is about the courage to move forward and to find joy, it is about letting go of the things in the past.  The best place to start to forgive is to turn to God in prayer, as He has forgiven you already.  Look up the serenity prayer and use it to speak to God about the forgiveness needed in your life.  May God’s grace and mercy be with you.

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“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalm 51:10-12

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Learn To Listen

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The skill of listening is becoming less and less frequent in today’s world.  It seems people are so intent on speaking and spend more time preparing a response then seeking to understand others.  It is a form of selfishness.  All of us are cursed with some form of selfishness…it does not go away or become less present over time unless we are actively working on reducing its presence in our lives.  In order to strengthen our abilities to see things from the perspective of another person we can start by listening and seeking to understand them.  Listening does not mean you automatically agree with them rather it means you are willing to consider more than your own opinion.  We do not have all the answers, nobody on earth does…nobody.  The only one who knows is God…and if we can’t listen to Him we will struggle more than is necessary.  May God’s love and peace be with you.

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“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.”

Proverbs 19:20

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake place in northwestern Wisconsin)

Friendship

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We need good friends as a part of our journey.  True friends, not the ‘how you doing’ people we pass and never take time to sit and listen to how they really are doing.  Friendship is a commitment to the other person that you will be there for them and they will be there for you.  It is a give and take and both parties have a responsibility to honor that commitment to the other.  These are the people that will go through your greatest highs and your deepest lows with you.  Think about who that is for you…give thanks to God for that person and take time to let them know you appreciate them.  May God’s love and joy be with you.

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“My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:12

(This photo was taken in July of 2014 by my friend Matt at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Giving

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Be generous when you can, to whomever you can, wherever you are in your life.  Look not only to your own needs.  Look around you, there are others in need and you have the ability to help.  Giving is not always a financial based event, the world tends to portray it that way.  Giving can be in things more valuable than money, like giving your time, your attention, sitting and listening to someone, preparing a meal, etc.  Don’t limit your gifts to what the world wants to tell you can offer, trust in God and your relationship with Him to fully understand what you are created to give.  God loves you and knows the most about what you have to offer to others.  May God’s love and peace be with you.

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“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:7

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Grace And Mercy

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God provides us both His grace and His mercy, even though we do not earn them.  His love for us is so strong that even though we were still sinners He sent His one and only Son to save us.  When we reflect on our daily lives there is so much we should be thankful for that gets taken for granted.  We would be wise to take time to praise God and give thanks for all He has done for us.  It is so easy to get distracted by a variety of things in the world and yet God is right here with us, waiting for us to turn to Him in faith.  We are most encouraged when we spend time in relationship with the Lord.  May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Memorial Day – Thank You

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This day I offer gratitude to all military personnel and their families, to those that have died fighting for our freedom in the world and those that are serving now…Thank You!  The sacrifice these individuals and their families have made deserve nothing less than our respect, honor and gratitude.  May God’s peace, love and joy be with you.

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“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:13

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota)

Choose Love

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Relationships can be hard if we strive to seek power or control.  If our self is driving during our interactions with others things will often end poorly.  There will be bitterness, anger, frustration and all the things we don’t want to be a part of our relationships.  There is a better way.  There is love.  Unconditional, never-ending love.  This does not mean just let the other person walk all over you and do whatever they want whenever they want.  This means both people do things to make life better for both of them.  It is important in any relationship to build your time together on a foundation of faith.  There will be times when each of you will need to lean on the Lord in prayer as each of you will have your moments when self will try to take over.  Be strong together and God will watch over your life.  Today my wife and I are celebrating 23 years in marriage, we were joined in marriage by God and nothing will keep us apart.  We have had to fight some battles and we continue to get stronger as we go because we both know that there is nobody who will love us like we do each other.  I am thankful for every day God gives us together.  May you find God’s love and joy in your relationships.

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“Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with God’s people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.”

Romans 12:9-13

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 at a lake place in central Minnesota)