All that is good comes from God. When darkness creeps in and fear takes hold, God is our strength. When you don’t know what to do ask God to guide you and your decisions. When life is going well give thanks to God for His blessings. Remember the Lord every day and know that with God all things are possible. Amen.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for his is good. His love endures forever.”
Psalm 136:1
(This photo was taken in June of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
We are encouraged by the grace and mercy God our Father gives to us. We stumble and fall and yet He loves us the same. He walks with us daily and still there are days we yell ‘God, where are you?’ His love for us is greater than any we will find in human relationships but yet we put our time with Him off to the side or as a low priority that easily can be removed for our busy lives. We seek His forgiveness and He delivers everytime…the Word of God never changes…He created us; He loves us; He calls us by name…at that point it is up to us to respond. The greatest Dad there is, is God our Father. We are His children. We are comforted and encouraged by His love. Amen.
“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”
Psalm 103:8
(This photo was taken in July of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)
This is one of the Fruits of the Spirit. In our dictionaries it is defined as ‘the quality and state of being good.’ I see it as a summary word…things that go into goodness can include…being helpful, selfless, supportive, kind, generous, a good listener or serving the needs of others. There are several ways to express goodness in our every day life. It is up to us to choose an attitude that will reflect goodness in our actions and our behaviors. I pray we all tune into the Holy Spirit living within us and seek goodness and righteousness wherever we are in life and the world. Here is a quote associated to John Wesley that speaks about doing good:
“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
John Wesley
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Matthew 5:6
(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)
Nothing is more refreshing for the mind and spirit than to take some time to sit peacefully, with nothing but the sounds of the world going on around you and to be with God. I hope you have a time like that in your life, no matter if it is in the morning, midday or in the evening. Whatever may work for your life, I can’t emphasize enough the difference it will make in every aspect of your life…it is something you must experience to understand…for me it is the single most important thing I have done to strengthen my faith and to change my life. Our lives are about our experiences and learning and passing on that experience to others to help them. Ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and mind, again and again and again and let the Holy Spirit be your guide. If you are looking for goodness, kindness and compassion…all that is good comes from God. May the love, joy and peace of the Lord be with you.
“The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”
Psalm 145:9
(This photo was taken in March of 2013 in the Botanical Garden at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Neveda)
We all need need our Father’s, just as much as we all need our Mother’s. Unfortunately, Father’s and Fatherhood has been under attack for a long time. Many television shows and movies portray the Father as the doofus who just messes everything up or the stupid and incompetent one who is hardly necessary. When most of society sees this as the role of the Father, it is no wonder that the family structure is disintegrating in this broken world. If God is the God of everything then He needs to be the God of our families. No matter what the current status is of our relationships, we need to invite Jesus into them with our Father’s and with everyone else in our family. Honor your Father and Mother. God designed the family structure for a purpose and it is for our good to honor the relationships we do have. Love like God our Father loves us. May God’s love, peace and joy be with you.
“If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”
Romans 14:8
(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalm 37:3-4
(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Psalm 23
(This photo was taken in August of 2016 near Dillon, Colorado)
Take Your Faith With You 