Learning

Our Refuge

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Worries and burdens will pile up.  We set ourselves up for disappointment and regret when we try to go it alone.  God is our refuge, He is the stronghold of our lives.  There is more to our relationship with the Lord than Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings…there is more than quickly speaking memorized words before a meal or at bedtime.  Turn towards the Lord and seek Him.  Pray for His presence to be something you can see in your life and listen for His guidance in everything.  Amen.

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“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”

Psalm 62:1-2

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

Renew Your Strength

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Many aspects of life on earth can make us weary and tired, shaping our perspective to approach life with negativity, doubt and fear.  We often forget, daily, that we can choose our attitude and perspective for this day.  If we focus all our thoughts and energy on the problem and why me, then we may get stuck and begin to spiral downward.  We can be renewed and draw strength by turning our focus to the Lord.  No matter what you are facing remember God is in control and if you put your trust in Him, your strength will be renewed.  Amen.

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“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall;  but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. 

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:29-31

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

Prayer

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When we want learn more about someone or grow our relationship with them…what do we do?  We spend time with them, we talk with them often, we listen and we focus our energy on them.  This has always been how friends become best friends, this is how people who have just met grow into a relationship of love and this is what God wants to have with you and me…more than anything else.  A close personal relationship.  Spend time with Jesus and invest in your relationship with the Lord.  Amen.

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“pray without ceasing”

1 Thessalonians 5:17

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

Quiet Time

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Busyness is a distraction that keeps us away from spiritual growth.  Living life at a frenetic pace not only wears down the body physically it also wears down and dulls your inner spirit.  We were made to be more balanced in our daily lives.  The example has been shown to us by Jesus…He often went off to be alone and pray, even when many people were clamoring to be with Him or near Him.  If you reflect on your life over the past few days, weeks and months…how much time have you spent quietly, in solitude, just you and God?  Seek balance in your daily life and you will find peace.  Amen.

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“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Mark 1:35

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

God’s Word

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When we have questions or when we need guidance or when we seek comfort, the Word of God can provide for us in all these situations as well as in every other situation we may encounter.  There is a sense of peace not found in the world that can come over you when you make time to read God’s Word and pray each day.  There is guidance in there that we will not find anywhere else.  May the peace of the Lord be with you on your journey.  Amen.

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

Psalm 119:105

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

The Presence Of The Lord

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When have you felt like you could sense the Presence of God?  When have you felt like God has come near to you?  Where were you?  What was going on in your life or around you?  How often do you ask or have you been asked where do you see God in this?  All that is good is from God…all that is dark and evil is from the prince of darkness and human nature.  Look to see the Presence of the Lord in your life and you will see that He has been with you every step of the way.  Amen.

Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli

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“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Exodus 33:14

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Our Redeemer

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To redeem is to recover…reclaim…retrieve…return to…to get back…rescue.  A price has been paid to return us to God.  The way to find true peace is by inviting Jesus Christ into your heart.  We all will encounter hardships in this world and in our lives, they may be different hardships for different reasons, yet we all have to endure something…even if it doesn’t look that way on social media.  Through it all there is one who has suffered and endured the worst things in this world and He did it for you and for me…Jesus Christ is our Redeemer.  Amen.

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“What, then, shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:31

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Gratitude

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Gratefulness…appreciation…recognition…acknowledgment…thankfulness.  Expressing gratitude is one sure way of changing your perspective.  It focuses your attention on that which has been given to you rather than what you think you are missing.  If you are looking for a way to make a change in your life, start with gratitude and give thanks to God and His Son Jesus Christ for all that has been done for you.  Amen.

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100

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

By Faith…Persevere

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How do we grow in faith?  How can our faith become the cornerstone of who we are?  It depends on your perspective…if your faith is more about religion and performing for the approval and acceptance of others, you will find it a poor foundation that will easily crumble.  Faith is a living part of who we are, we must feed our faith as often as we feed our physical body…faith is fed by reading the Word of God everyday, praying and seeking the will of God for our lives…we build and grow our faith by establishing and building our personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  That is the foundation that has stood the test of time and that is the foundation that God promises will sustain us.  Turn towards Jesus and begin building a foundation of faith that will last.  Amen.

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“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God did not give you a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:6-7

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

God’s Grace

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We see it on display in His actions…He sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to save us…He gives us an opportunity to learn from Him through His Word…even while we are still sinners He forgives us…He gives us the Holy Spirit as a guide through our daily life…He will never leave us or abandon us no matter what.  That is truly amazing grace.  Amen.

This Is Amazing Grace by Phil Wickham

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“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephasians 2:8-9

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