Inspiration

Change

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Life is not about what the world and other people are doing to us, it is about what are we doing to be a light, to encourage others, to be helpful and supportive, what are we doing to be different?  Micah Tyler released a song last fall…he introduces the story behind the song in the video I am sharing today about change and being different.

Different by Micah Tyler

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“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Psalms 51:10

(This photo was taken in December of 2013 on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

Do Good Things

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This statement is all about being focused on persistence and patience.  We often get stuck on narrow minded results of our actions or words.  We lose sight of the fact the God is working for the good of all people and each of us plays a role in a much larger story that we will not always be able to see the results of first hand.  His will and His plans are so much greater than ours and so it comes down to our willingness to trust in God’s plan more than our own desires.  We know what it means to do good, we understand how to bear fruit in our daily lives and it is our responsibility to strive to do those things and leave the rest up to God.  As they say, God is good all the time and all the time God is good.  May we be blessed to share the goodness of the Lord today and everyday.  Amen.

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“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 on the shore of Elliott Bay in downtown Seattle, Washington)

Give Thanks

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Lord, I thank you for the people you have put in my life.  My family, my friends including all of those who help me to see things differently, the encouragement they provide and the joy and laughter we experience together.  They help guide me through the rocky moments and events in life.  Because of them I know you are near and I give thanks for your faithfulness and your love.  Thank you, Lord…I love you…Amen.

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“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalms 100:5

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

Faith

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Belief…trust…comfort…patience…persistence…love…joy…strength…encouragment…Hope!

May our faith help us to see and to know the presence of God’s love in our daily lives and relationships.  Amen.

What Faith Can Do – Kutless 

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“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Hebrews 11:1

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Be Generous

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To be generous is to be a giver, not just in terms of money.  There are far more valuable things in life than money to give.  A generous person has a certain mindset, an attitude and perspective about life and things.  A generous person focuses very little time on what they receive or if they will receive, as that often takes care of itself because they are givers.  Givers carry many of the characteristics related to the Fruits of the Spirit…they often exude kindness, goodness, gentleness, love, joy and patience.  They are generous with their time and focus very little attention on what’s in it for me.  To learn more about what it means to be generous, learn more about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ…you will find all you need to know in God’s Word.  We are blessed to be a blessing.  Amen.

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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 July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

The New Creation

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We often believe the most difficult battles will come from what the world and others are doing to us.  The actual battle that is most difficult to fight is within, it is the battle against the self.  The self is stubborn, persisent and demanding, always wanting to be at the center of life regardless of how that impacts our actions and others around us.  We are blessed with the opportutnity to choose our attitude, our behaviors, our values and our beliefs.  Self-awareness is the first step in learning our tendencies and noticing the habits we have developed in our thoughts and actions.  Self-awareness is learned through self-reflection, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, understanding your values and learning what situations and people bring about an emotional response from you.  It often helps to keep a journal and it is important to invite God into the process…after all, He created you.  The more you learn the better prepared you are to grow and change.  Peace be with you on your journey.  Amen.

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

2 Corinthians 5:17

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wiconsin)

Rest In Him

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When and where do you get quiet time in your life?  We all  have commitments and responsibilities and if we run ourselves into the ground just trying to keep up, we eventually become weary and ineffective at many things.  The key is to find some balance, to prioritize, we can’t be all things to all people.  This is why the story or analogy of the big rocks, the pebbles and the sand in a bucket hits home with so many people.  We know that if we spend all our time on the sand and pebbles we will never get to the big rocks in life.  For me this analogy is all about balance.  Sometimes we can say yes and sometimes we need to say no or not right now…Jesus set the example for us, while He spent time teaching and speaking to the people He also would go off alone to pray and spend time with God our Father for hours…balance.  Take time and rest in Him.  Amen.

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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 May of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Be Courageous

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One of God’s great gifts is free will.  He created us out of His love and His desire for relationship with us is one He wants us to seek, willingly.  He did not create us to be robots or puppets, which means we have a responsiblity to make choices.  We will find we are often presented with opportunities to make decisions and if we are paying attention to our faith journey over time it becomes more and more clear which choice is step towards God and which choice is a step toward our sinful nature.  It will take courage to make decisions grounded in faith, it will be different than what the world thinks you should do.  Don’t give in to fear, the journey will be very difficult at times and as it states in the Book of Ephesians chapter 6, put on the full armor of God and stand in faith.  The choices will often be between courage and fear, be courageous in your faith.  Amen.

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

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

(This photo was taken in July of 2015 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Morrison, Colorado)

Seek The Light

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In our daily lives we are surrounded by messages of temptations, judgements and propaganda telling us what we should think, what we need to do, what brand of this or that, that a ‘sensible’ person uses. In the era of social media it has evolved into pop-up ads and notifications within streams of other information. This is all the work of darkness and evil. No matter what outlet you choose the attempt to pull you away from God will be present. There is a light for all of us and it is the Word of God. Seek Him and His Word and you will find hope and peace in a dark world. Amen.

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

Psalms 119:105

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 at a park near Bayfield, Wisconsin)

How Deep Is Our Faith?

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I have heard the faith journey described as a process of working from the inside, out.  The first part of the journey is transforming and changing the inside of ourselves…our thoughts, our beliefs, our attitude and our behaviors…removing the focus on sinful desires and self-centeredness as we learn and grow in our personal relationship with Christ.  As the inside changes we become better equipped to share what we have learned and to provide encouragement to others on the journey, just as we have been and will be given assistance on our own journey.  The question today is regarding that inside part of the process…the learning and growing and the depth of our inside transformation is not to reach a destination.  The more we learn and grow and spend time in our reltionship with the Lord the deeper and stronger that relationship becomes.  As discussed yesterday the battles will come at us in this life and a deep, strong relationship with Christ is the most powerful weapon we have when it comes to fighting evil in this world.  Continue to strengthen and grow your relationship with Jesus Christ.  Amen.

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“But blessed in the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  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

(This photo was taken in July of 2012 while walking on a trail in the North Shore of Lake Superior)