Grace

Prayer

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This is the beginning of a personal relationship with God.  It is not a place to worry about saying the right words in the correct order rather it is about being honest with yourself and talking in truth to God about everything and anything.  A strong personal relationship always begins with communication, honest, heart-felt and a willingness to be vulnerable shows true commitment and trust.  Then when we are looking for the answers we must be open to a possibility of something we did not think was going to happen because with God anything is possible, even the unthinkable.  Open up your heart and mind in conversation with God and then watch for the amazing things that will happen.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Philippians 4:6

(This photo was taken in June of 2015 while driving through South Dakota)

Forgiving

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Everyone has been hurt by others in some way, at one time or another.  This is not a unique situation to be in, the key to peace and joy is what you do with the hurt and the pain…do we live with bitterness and anger at the sound of their name or place where the pain occurred?  Maybe for a period of time, eventually we must find a way to forgiveness.  We will be much better off to learn about what it means to forgive someone and proceed with removing the dark cloud from over our heads.  It won’t make the pain go away and we will live with the scar of past hurts no matter what we do…what it will do is open us up for other future possibilities, some that we could have never imagined if we were still angry and bitter.  Give forgiveness a try and see what God has in store for you.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:32

(This photo was taken in February of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Be Different

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So much of our time is spent in comparing ourselves with other people and the world with social media feeds the anxiety and stress of these comparisons.  We are all made by God, with each having gifts and talents…we are made to work together for the good of ourselves and others.  Don’t get caught up in the differences as a bad thing or a reason to try and be something other than just yourself.  We are all God’s children.  Trust in God and the difference you can make when you have a close relationship with Him.  On this day of worship I share a song entitled Different – by Micah Tyler.  Be different in having a strong connection with God our Father, Jesus Christ his one and only Son and the Holy Spirit.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

Romans 8:16

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 on the north shore of the island of Maui, Hawaii)

The Final Word

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Once again I find myself in worship through music.  This time it is a song by The Newsboys.  Our journey of life will have ups and downs, highs and lows, struggles and joy.  We can find our way through anything if we stay close to God and His Son Jesus.  He gave up everything for us and He did it because of love.  No matter the situation of the events in your life…remember God has the final word.  Give this a listen…The Cross Has The Final Word by The Newsboys.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Nothing is all creation is hidden from God’s sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Hebrews 4:13

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 at Kaanapali Beach on the island of Maui)

 

Renew

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I am working on trying to be better about not making snap judgments and flippant comments regarding situations when I know very few details.  We don’t take time to learn the details of a situation and try to understand before we start down the path of judgment and criticism.  Social media, of course, it right there to encourage the wrong behavior.  If we strive to learn more before we speak out, society as a whole would be much better off.  I am able to renew my mind and my behavior when I spend time reading the Word of God.  I want to stop jumping in to be the critic and the doubter so quickly and remember that we all were created by God and that each and every person is fighting a battle.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“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

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

Forgiveness

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Holding on to anger, rage and bitterness is unhealthy.  We know this is true.  Yet we still struggle to overcome the emotions of events.  To be able to exercise forgiveness we need to fully understand the intent.  It is not intended to say that an offender has been excused for their actions…rather it is a statement that we are not going to let the poor choices and actions of another keep us held in a state of  stress and anxiety.  Forgiveness should also be tied to some action to make a better future.  If we hold on to the anger and bitterness they will show up in all areas of our lives and this is a destructive pattern.  When we decide to forgive we are setting ourselves free from heading down a path of darkness.  Again I offer a musical reference to speak to this message…check out this song called Forgiveness by Matthew West.  May God’s peace be with you.

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

Ephesians 4:31-32

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 near Lake Dillon in Colorado)

Grace

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To the Christian this is the free and unearned favor of God shown to us by the sacrifice Jesus endured to save us and it continues in the many blessings we have in our daily lives.  Too often I get lost in the minutia of life, focusing or worrying about something that at the end of the day really doesn’t deserve that much of my time and attention, either because it is not something I can control or more commonly it is in the past and it can’t be changed.  When we begin to spend time with the Word of God it will seep in to us in places we usually don’t like to acknowledge, deep in our souls to places we don’t show to the outside world.  God knows about these places and still He loves us.  We don’t deserve it, we didn’t have to pay for it…yet Jesus offered himself up and showed us…Grace.  Let Christ in to your heart and mind every day, He loves you and He goes with you everywhere you go.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Pike’s Peak in Colorado)

Persistence

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In a world that focuses on self-serving convenience, fast, time-saving rushing around and immediate gratification it takes persistence and patience to stay on your faith journey and to grow your spirit.  You have to be willing to be different from the crowd at times and have the courage and confidence that God is with you always.  We will all make mistakes and wonder off, I certainly have, and God is always able to guide me back when I take the time to be with Him.  You won’t have all the answers and may not know all the reasons why…it won’t be easy, however, in the end when our time on earth is up it will all be worth it.  If you don’t believe it…just ask God.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Galatians 6:8-10

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 near Salem, North Dakota)

God Wants To Hear From You…

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When I first started my devotion time I had heard about and knew about God the Father, Jesus Christ his only Son and the Holy Spirit…I didn’t really know them or what a personal relationship with The Savior was all about.  I am realizing there is so much to learn and experience in growing and developing a relationship with them…God the Creator loves me unconditionally and Jesus his Son is the one person who sacrificed everything in order to save me.  And the Holy Spirit can be my guide through the ups and downs of life in a fallen world.

One of the hardest lessons is not to judge your relationship with God based on what you see in human relationships…all of us on earth are broken, even the people you think “have it all” and the sooner we can admit we need God the sooner we may find peace in our lives.  May God’s peace be with you!

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“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9

(This photo was taken in August of 2012 while hiking on the north shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota)