faith perspective

Light The Way

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We often stumble as we wander through life in this world.  So much darkness can surround us and tempt us.  In my experiences the one place I have found as a refuge is the Word of God.  The above photo was taken on a recent road trip and this cross and roadside chapel is the only thing around for a few miles…it is a beacon of hope for travelers.  I can imagine at night the lights at the base illuminate this cross as the only thing lit in a large area of darkness…a light showing all of us the way of peace and hope.  Let God lead the way in your life.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

                                                                                Psalm 119:105

Peace be with you.

We All Have A Choice

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We can choose either side of every issue that comes before us in the world…we can use words to tear down others or we can choose to stay focused on the Son.  You have a choice…it comes down to your Attitude…

Attitude

by Charles Swindoll

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.  It will make or break a company … a church … a home.  The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude … I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you … we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

Peace be with you.

It is not about you…

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It’s not about you…I have seen and read this message many times while reading a devotional or some other faith based writing.  When I was reading this morning it struck me differently…it spoke to me about sowing a seed with the hope of changing a life.  It made me think…how have I been blessed and how can I share that with others?  I know that God created me…I know that God has given me certain gifts.  My job is to discover my gifts and use them to help others…and it is the same for you.

Today as I was reading from a daily devotional written by John C Maxwell the words that struck me hard and fast were these…a quote from entertainer Danny Thomas…”All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don’t discover why.  Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself.  It’s what you do for others.”

It doesn’t have to be as hard as we make it to be in our heads…start today…start focusing on your gifts and start using them to help others.  If you are unsure of what your gifts are then ask God in prayer to help you identify those gifts so you can begin to sow seeds in your daily life.

It’s not about you…it’s about how you have been blessed and how you can use those blessings to help others.

Peace be with you.

Faith is a Journey

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Faith is an endless journey not a destination.  There are times of pain and sorrow and struggle…there are also times of joy and peace and comfort in ways you could have never imagined.  There are many who will assist as guides on this journey and be thankful for them while always remembering that there is only one leader to follow on this journey…Jesus.

When times are tough and it feels like God is so far away don’t quit seeking, don’t quit asking questions…pick up a bible…listen to some music…do whatever you do to meet with God.  Even when things are good and you feel blessed, go to that place or do the things you do to meet with our Lord and Savior to give him praise and thanksgiving.  The journey of faith and the journey of life do not have to be separate pursuits…life is temporary…but faith is eternal.  Put your faith first.  The world you tell you different things…the prince of this world wants you to only believe what you see and hear while you are here.  When things become overwhelming remember the words of Jesus…

“Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.”

                                                                                                Matthew 7:13-14

Peace be with you on the journey.

More than feelings…

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Your faith is based on more than just feelings…it is about connecting with the living God.  When we pursue faith based on feelings often times the good feelings go away after something changes for us; so typically we will quit or stop pursuing it because it doesn’t feel good anymore.

When you seek to connect and engage with the presence of God in your life and you continue to grow your faith in that way…you won’t stop when things don’t feel good in life.  In fact you will find yourself seeking your relationship with God in more ways and at more times than you ever have before.  I have found that growth in faith is strongest when I pursue something that makes me a little uncomfortable or is slightly outside of my comfort zone.  It takes courage and a willingness to open yourself up and trust that God who is right by your side will be with you no matter what happens.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be people of courage; be strong.  Do everything in love.”

                                                                                                1 Corinthians 16:13-14

I have also learned that to grow in faith it is important to connect with community.  Your community could be a few people that you gather with for a meal on a regular basis or it could be large gathering at worship service.   Maybe your community is in your neighborhood…the important thing is to find your communities of people that can help provide an environment that nurtures faith and walks the journey of faith in life with you.  Jesus said…

“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

                                                                                                Matthew 18:20

Your feelings are an important part of who you are, they are just not the only thing involved in developing your faith and relationship with God.  As I have said before we were never promised that life would be easy or free from pain.  Pain and suffering is present in the world because of sin and sin is present because we were promised free will.  In the end your faith and life come back to that…free will.  We have a God that loves us and wants to have a relationship with us…we just have to choose to pursue that relationship on a daily basis…using more than just our feelings.

May God’s peace be with you.

In the New Year…

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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

Peace be with you all through this New Year!

Uncomfortable Places

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The places one can have experiences of growth and pure joy are the places that start out as the most uncomfortable.  Often times to get to an uncomfortable place you have to step outside of “The Status Quo” of life in this world.  Routines and doing things the same way with the same people every day can quickly turn into ruts.  At first, the routine becomes comfortable we may experience contentment…however, if that continues for an extended period of time it can turn into a rut that we feel stuck in.

Society has many certain paths that are seen as normal or “the way you should do things” sticking only to these paths is typically the path of least resistance and the simplest to follow.  These often are also the least challenging for your God given potential and if you spend time with God consistently you will learn that he is always with you even in the uncomfortable moments.  As with everything in life you must have a balance of challenging, uncomfortable paths and being a contributing member of society.   The uncomfortable places I am referring to involve issues of charity vs justice for the hungry and homeless…or choosing a role of work that is serving others instead of trying to climb the corporate ladder for personal wealth.  Society tends to look away from the hungry and homeless and working to become a Director, VP or Executive is seen as ambitious.  If we pursued justice for those who need a hand in life with that same determination we could impact so many more lives.

The bible teaches that we should be working to be living sacrifices…

“Do not conform any longer 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 12:2

Challenge yourself…look for that uncomfortable place that is in your community.  Pray about it and stretch out of the status quo…you may find a new path that transforms your life and the lives of many others in ways you never imagined.

Peace be with you.

Hold On…

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No matter what happens…no matter what other people say, think or do that hurts you…hold on to your faith.  The prince of this world will constantly try to deceive you, knock you down and tell you that you are better off chasing after the things of this world…don’t listen to him.

Don’t believe you are all alone and don’t give in to the temptations that lead you away from your relationship with the One true God.  God has a plan for you and he is with you right now…he knows your joy and your sorrow and he is working out the best for you.  He never said this would be easy, you must trust in the Lord.  Open your bible and read one of the highlighted verses…they are words that spoke a special meaning to you once before.  He keeps his promises…he always has and always will.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

                                                                                                Proverbs 3:5-6

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

                                                                                                Romans 5:8

The love of God is unchanging and never-ending and if we do nothing else we must hold on to that in faith.  These words are for me as much as they are for anyone else who reads them today; I am working hard to hold on…

God’s peace be with you.