God’s love

Patience And Persistence

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“I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:13-14 NIV

“Let your eyes look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[c] paths for your feet
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
    keep your foot from evil.”

Proverbs 4:25-27 NIV

Keep going

Learn from what has happened

Know that God is working for good things in all situations

He is with you

It is His plan that is best

There will be plenty of opportunities to go your own way…stay on the path…walk with God

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“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 145:8-9 NIV

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

Peace Of God

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“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:4-7 NIV

A peace that exceeds understanding is a the deep peace we can have when we put our trust, our faith and our hope in God

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“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake in central Minnesota)

Trust In The Lord

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“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

A vital element to any relationship is trust

If there is a lack of trust everything else that comes after that will be filled with negativity and the relationship will erode and break apart

Trust takes effort, commitment and humility

Trust works like a bank account…you build it over time making deposits and it can disappear quickly with big withdrawals

The most important relationship for each of us is our relationship with Jesus Christ

We can trust in Him because of who He is and what He has done for us

To learn more about Him, pick up a Bible and read about His birth, His life, His death and His resurrection and know that He did it all for you…

Because He loves you

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

(This photo was taken while hiking on the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Do Not Be Afraid

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“You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.”

Isaiah 26:3 NIV

God is with you…wherever you are…whatever your circumstances

No matter what you have done or left undone

God promised He would never leave you or abandon you

If you can’t see Him…think about Jesus

Pick up God’s word and learn about Him and remind yourself what He teaches us

Choose gratitude, forgiveness, kindness and compassion

May the peace of the Lord be with you

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“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

(This photo was taken on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

Trust…Rest

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight”.[a]

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Father God, it is easy for us to worry about circumstances in our lives

Each day, help us to remember that You are always in control

Today, we are trusting in Your protection, provision and plans for us

Because we know You care about every need and desire we have-we know we can rest

Give us peace as we give You control of our lives

In Jesus name, Amen

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

(This photo was taken in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Put On The New Self

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“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.”

Ephesians 4:25-28 NIV

We are all created by God in His image

He sent His only Son down from heaven to save us from our sins

As we learn and grow spiritually we are called to put off the self-centered way of living that the world preaches and put on the new self

To live a God centered life that God designed for us

Renew the attitude in your mind and choose God’s way for your life

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“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:29-32 NIV

(This photo was taken on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

The Goodness Of God

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“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8 NIV

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

James 1:17 NIV

No matter where you are…no matter what has happened or been done

God’s goodness will conquer all things

We know this because of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice

From all that is broken we will see the Goodness of God

Trust in Him…trust in His Goodness

Goodness Of God by Jenn Johnson | Victory

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28 NIV

(This photo was taken in Tettegouche State Park in northern Minnesota)

The Truth

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“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 NIV

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 2:15 NIV

The Truth by Megan Woods

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“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Worship And Praise

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“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;

    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.

3 For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
7 for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.”

Psalm 95:1-7 NIV

The only thing in all the earth that brings about true unity among all people from all over the world is Jesus Christ…His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection and His never-ending love

Praise Him

My Only Response (Unplugged) by Eagle Brook Music

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the Lord with the harp,
    with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
    shout for joy before the Lord, the King.“

Psalm 98:4-6 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Love God, Love People

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“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV

All actions and behaviors of violence and destruction against others are wrong

  Nobody can rightfully condone violence at one event because it aligns with their opinion and condemn it at another…all actions and behaviors of violence against others are wrong

  We need more listening that is seeking to understand even when we don’t agree

We need more kindness, more compassion

If we choose to condone violence at any time, against anyone…we are just going to get more violence in the world

Turn towards God, seek Him, seek understanding

Forgive as Christ forgave you

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)