In Our Hearts

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“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:15-17

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

The Son of God

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“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.  After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Hebrews 1:3

(This photo was taken in July of 2015 near Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado)

You Know The Way

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The words of Jesus while speaking to his disciples in the Gospel according to John…

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.”

John 14:1-4

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

The Light

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“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” “

John 8:12

(This photo was taken in September of 2016 on a lake in central Minnesota)

Jesus

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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 April of 2016 during sunrise on a lake in central Minnesota)

Jesus Knows How You Feel

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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

It is so easy for us to get distracted by events and the words of this world that make us feel terrible.  That is about the time we let our self-talk, you know, the talk in our minds about how alone we are, how nobody really understands…been there, done that myself, too often!

The thing is Jesus does know, he came down from heaven and lived as a man on earth.  He lived an everyday life, not just a miracle making life.  He interacted with people, he got frustrated with others, he felt grief and sorrow, he went to weddings and funerals, he was treated poorly by many and treated with love and respect by others.

He lived a life on earth just like you and me…no matter where you are, how you are feeling, trust in Jesus, talk to him about it today…

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.

Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:14-16

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while driving through Nebraska)

Merry Christmas with Love!

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I wrote this post during Christmas 2 years ago, it still best sums up all that Christmas means to me and the thankfulness I have that Christ came to save us…

Reflecting on the season and all that goes on in our lives…I have always looked forward to Christmas time.  As a kid, I enjoyed the lights, the music and family gatherings and of course…the presents!  As I and my faith have grown I realize that Christmas is a significant point in time for me to really deepen my faith.

As an adult in the mind and a kid at heart I still enjoy the lights, the music and the family gatherings…I now enjoy the giving of gifts far more than the receiving of presents.  Where we live I enjoy the snow and even the cold.  The change of season is natural to me, it is God showing us his love using nature.  All that was alive in summer has passed on but it will all be reborn in springtime.  With the shorter days we set up lights to brighten our nights.  I most enjoy that it seems to be the one time of the year that a significant number of people in the world take pause…and actually acknowledge Jesus Christ and his coming into the world.

This Christmas I pray you see and feel a sense of…

Hope – God made a promise to you and everyone to love you and to never leave you…believe him and trust him with every area of your life.

Peace – Be content when your basic needs are fulfilled and share with others if you have been blessed with abundance…practice patience.

Joy – Wear a smile more often and make an effort to help others find their smile…focus on the positive in any situation.

Love – Life is more about how you treat others than how they treat you…you can’t control what others will think, say or do so don’t waste time worrying about it…do all that you do with love.

At Christmas time and throughout the year put Christ in the center of your life…with Christ you will know Hope, you will know Peace, you will know Joy and you will know that the Love of Christ in your heart will help you overcome anything this world can throw at you.

May you see and know God’s blessings in your life this Christmas and carry them with you all through the New Year!

Merry Christmas!