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Wisdom And Understanding

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These are two elements that will get us through anything in life.  Wisdom from the Lord and understanding of His Word can help to lead us on the path to joy.  To gain these we must spend time reading the Word, praying and sitting quietly with Jesus.  For these activities are the true sources of wisdom and how we can gain understanding.  The world is filled with darkness and the evil of sin and they will do everything to keep you from spending time with God.  Don’t underestimate the power of sin, it is deceptive and persistent and will always be looking for ways to distract you.  Seek wisdom from the Lord and read the Scriptures for understanding each day.  Ask God to provide you the courage and strength to do so.  He loves you and He is watching over you.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.”

Proverbs 3:13-14

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

The Path To Joy

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It seems so often, we are trying to figure things out…why did this happen?  why didn’t it go the way we thought?  what went wrong?  how did I do that?  that is not what I planned?  These thoughts take us on a roller-coaster of a ride in our daily life and near the end of the day we are exhausted with few answers.  I believe we all need to simplify things a bit, narrow our focus and stay obedient to the way Jesus has taught us.  Start by committing our day to the Lord.  Spend time reading Scripture and praying that gives you a solid foundation to start on…then be present in the moments that are occurring in your life today.  Listen closely to what others are saying, offer encouragement and be of service to others.  If your current circumstances make this difficult or impossible in your mind then pray about that and ask God to help you find your way to a better situation.  The point is you don’t have to do this journey alone and frankly God did not intend you to be alone.  Reach out to the Lord and he will guide you to the right path.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Proverbs 19:21

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

Mother’s Day – Cherish And Honor Your Mom

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Today is a day to give thanks, to reflect and remember how your Mom impacted your childhood and how she still impacts who you are today.  We all know no human is perfect and not all Mom to child relationships are filled with fond memories but we must remember that people no matter who they are, are doing the best they can.  Whatever your situation take some time today to give thanks for the good your Mom is or was and say a prayer to God about your Mom…whatever prayer is most appropriate for you and your Mom.  Cherish and honor your Mom.  May God’s love, joy and peace be with all Mom’s and with you today.

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“She is clothed with strength and dignity;  she can laugh at the days to come.  She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.  Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.  Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”

Proverbs 31:25-30

(This photo was taken in March of 2013 in the Bontanical Gardens at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada)

The God Of Peace

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Everyone is facing a battle and a struggle of some kind.  It is natural in this broken and fallen world.  Some battles are easy for others to see on the outside and some battles are kept hidden from others yet they rage on inside a person just the same.  We are not equipped to fight these battles alone, the dark forces that exist in and around the human race are very powerful.  Our Creator God knows this and He has promised to never leave you or abandon you.  His presence is even more powerful than the darkness, He is the God of peace.  He will calm your anxious thoughts just like He calms a raging sea.  He has sent His one and only Son to be one of us to reconcile a relationship with us.  And most importantly He loves us with an everlasting love.  Bring your battle to Christ, no matter what it is, invite Him into your heart and mind and trust in God to bring you a peace like nothing you have ever experienced before.  May God’s love and peace wash over you this day.

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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

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

Sacrifice

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He gave us His everything to restore a relationship with us.  God loves us, God loves you so much that He came down from heaven to be born as a baby among us.  From the moment of His birth different people in the world sought to kill Him.  Even still God has forgiven us.  The world is filled with darkness, anger and shouting about my rights…yet when Jesus was here He spent the majority of His time teaching and helping others.  When He was persecuted He didn’t shout out you have no right to attack me, I am God…instead just before His death He said Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.  Jesus has set us an example of how we should live, now it is up to us to choose our attitude and our behavior each day.  May God’s love, joy and peace be with you.

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

Romans 5:8

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while driving through southern New Mexico)

Bring Your Burdens To The Lord

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When something is weighing you down, constantly causing angst and worry, bring it to the Lord in prayer.  Our minds often deceive us that we can take care of things or just distract ourselves long enough and everything will be alright…yet that concern finds its way back to the forefront of our mind and if we are not careful we could continue this cycle endlessly.  When we come before the Lord in prayer and offer these worries up to Him and we trust in Him to guide us we can make our way forward.  We still have a role to play as we need to pay attention and listen for God’s guidance and then we will begin to see a change in that burden or belief.  God is always working for our good, we just need to talk with Him and get out of our own way.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 near Arches National Park in Utah)

God Is With You

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Be at peace.  God is with you.  Everywhere you go, in every part of every day in your life He is with you.  As I continue to my faith journey, I shudder when I think what life would be like if I was still trying to live without my personal relationship with God.  He calms the storms, He lifts me up when I have fallen, He forgives me when I repent and He is the source of the kind of joy that has to be experienced to be understood.  My heart is singing today.  If you are looking for a song to sing in praise check out this song “Forever” by Chris Tomlin.

God created you, He sacrificed His One and only Son to save you, He forgives you for your sins and He goes with you everywhere, everyday…Forever.

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“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 near the border between South Dakota and Minnesota)

Parenthood

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When life on earth begins we are completely dependent on loving parents to care for us, feed us, hold us and watch over us.  As time goes by and the phases of life change a child begins to learn about interacting with others in the world, all the while the father and or mother each offer their unique perspective based mostly upon their own experience with their parents.  The generations go on…unfortunately the family structure has been under attack by darkness and evil for a long time now and in today’s society the vast majority of people are ruled by selfishness and they show little respect for family or parents mainly because of how people who are given the gift of children have not honored their role of parenthood.  When we become parents, we should be prepared to sacrifice things in order to help a child become a contributing adult in community.  One of the greatest joys of parenthood is watching your child succeed and do well because you were willing to have patience and willing to be persistent in doing what God has asked you to do with the gift of a child.  We are all God’s children and He is patient and persistent in loving us.  We would do well to pass it on.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Train a child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Badlands National Park in South Dakota)

Strength

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When life is difficult and frustrating, where do we get the ability to move forward?  What could possibly renew us?  What makes some people so resilient?  It has been my experience that there is only one thing powerful enough to lift us up out of any tragedy or trial…it is the Presence of the Lord.  A relationship with Jesus Christ in the way to strength in the battle and rest when we are weary.  To experience His presence we must do our part and be willing to spend time in devotions and prayer.  God made a promise, He will never leave you nor forsake you and He always keeps His promises.  Invite Jesus into your heart and into your life daily and you will be renewed each day.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10

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

The Power Of Faith

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The blessings that come from our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are so great it is hard to fully appreciate.  We should be careful not to underestimate the gifts God has given us.  Each and every one of us has been created and blessed with special talents and our role in life is to learn about those gifts and talents and then to use them to do good things in and around our community, to help others and to spread the Good News of Jesus.  Our actions and the things we choose to do and say are a good indication of where we are in our personal faith journey.  For myself, I did not understand or spend much time thinking about such things until about 8 years ago and in the last 8 years I have experienced events of all kinds in life, pain and suffering as well as joy and contentment…most importantly I have been learning to be more open to putting my relationship with God first…I have been learning gratitude and thankfulness…I also know I still have a lot of learning left to do as I still mess things up frequently.  The best part of my journey so far…I know more about who God has made me to be and I know He is always with me no matter what…I know because He told me so in His instruction manual for life…the Bible.  May God’s love, joy and peace be with you.

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“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:7

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