Learning

Persistence

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When we read about prayer in the Bible there are words and phrases such as “without ceasing” or “continually” and when we read about the life of Jesus we find He spent hours and sometimes even the whole night in prayer to God His Father.  In today’s society we are so quick to move from one item to the next it seems there is little attention paid to dedication and commitment.  The ability to stick to it, not giving up and believing the next attempt will be the one that is successful…these are the attributes of true success in life.  This approach to anything takes patience, persistence and faith.  We learn the most from trying and failing and we succeed by taking what we learn and applying it to the future.  The same is true in our prayer life…if you have been praying about something and you haven’t seen results yet, don’t give up, keep praying.  God hears you and He will work things out in His time, His way, not based on our thoughts or our timetable…and thankfully His way is always better than ours.  Be persistent in prayer and give thanks to God for all your blessings.

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“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

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

Rest In Him

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Take your burdens and your worries to the Lord.  Take rest in His grace and forgiveness.  Believe in the sacrifice that Jesus made for you and trust in Him.  All that is good comes from God.  May you find peace and joy in the Lord.

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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 March in 2018 in southern New Mexico)

The Word Of Life

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The more I spend time reading the Word of God and in prayer the more I am learning about how God is present in my everyday life.  I like many of us stumble very often in life with my words or my actions or my thoughts and as I sit down each morning and read from a Billy Graham devotional book and from the Bible I am learning about the things Jesus was teaching when He was here and what He is still teaching us today.  When I think about other things I could pick up and read first thing in the morning, the Bible and time with God are clearly the only things that will renew my spirit, restore my mind and comfort my thoughts.  I can physically feel my shoulders loosen up and relax more as I read and pray.  The Word of God also sets up my perspective for the day and helps to refresh my attitude to help and serve others wherever I can.  The Bible is truly the Word of life and the living water that only comes from Jesus Christ.  May we all see and sense the presence of God’s Word in our daily life.

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“But blessed in the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out it 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 August of 2012 while hiking near the north shore of Lake Superior)

Forgiven

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We can not change the past.  We are not able to undo what has occurred.  Even still God has forgiven us for our sins…we can do better today, here in the present.  We can learn from the past, we can learn from the experiences of others.  If you are holding on to a mistake or a wrong done by you or by others bring it to the Lord.  Worry and anxiety are the biggest waste of time in life, yet so many of us have spent a significant amount of time doing it.  I have wasted an enormous amount of time in my life on worry about the past and about things that may or may not occur because of the past.  That is how I have not trusted God.  I am learning, slowly as usual, to bring it to God…all of it and that really means all of it.  Let it go, stay present in life and know that God forgives you for your sins.  He gave His One and Only Son to ensure we know of His forgiveness and His love.  May you sense the peace and comfort of God in your life.

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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 July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Surrender

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Because a life of faith is a journey and not one event or moment in time we must come back to Jesus Christ and His life, death and resurrection.  I am learning that growing and developing or maturing in my spiritual life takes persistence and commitment.  If I reserve my time and faith in God for a few moments at church on the weekend and a few memorized prayers before I eat or go to sleep, I feel like I am just going through the motions and not connecting.  Coming to Christ daily, reading scripture and praying every morning before I sit down with this laptop and ask the Holy Spirit to guide my fingers to share the good news with you…that is how I am learning about new levels of faith and connecting more deeply with God.  We must be willing to give of ourselves, we must be willing to trust in God’s plan and we must be willing to surrender our own plan in order to experience the full glory of God in life.  May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.

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“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said:  “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me  and for the gospel will save it.”

Mark 8:34-35

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 in White Sands National Monument in New Mexico)

Living Hope

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When we talk about hope, it mostly gets aligned with wishful thinking in general conversations.  This kind of hope is not sure, not firm and carries many doubts.  The hope talked about in the Bible is hope that believes and knows the Word of God and God’s promises for good things.  The hope we receive from Christ is a hope that knows that God is for us and working for our good, even when, especially when the visible evidence is against it. The hope in the Word of God tells us to not give up or surrender to sin, rather know that God is with you and you can trust in Him…not for the things you believe you should have but for the things God knows that you need.  May the God of all hope be present in your daily walk.

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

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

A Sacrifice…Our Salvation

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When you feel you are not sure where God is in your daily life…stop and take a moment to remember what God has done for you.  God is love.  He is our Creator and our Redeemer.  We are broken, all of us.  Me, you and everyone you know is broken in some way, even if it is unclear to you how someone else is broken or fighting a battle it is still going on.  God knows this, He knows our worries, our fears and He is doing good things.  It is all a matter of perspective.  If we reflect on what has been done already it will help restore our perspective and our knowledge that God is love and He loves us more than we can ever imagine…the proof?  The Cross.  May you know the love of God in your daily life.

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“This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

1 John 4:10

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

Compassion

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To be helpful…thoughtful…aware of the suffering of others…a desire to provide help and support…understanding the needs of another.  One of the strongest elements of humility is compassion.  Being aware that others are suffering and need assistance and then going and doing something that provides help and support.  We all have different roles in our relationships with others, which means there are many different ways for us to provide help and support depending on who needs us and what has happened to them.  When you know or get a sense inside you that you should do something for someone else but you are unsure what it is you should do, do not ignore that feeling, turn to the Lord and ask Him to help guide you to what the other person needs…then listen and watch for His reply.  Be careful not to do something you believe they need from your perspective, rather be sensitive and aware of what they say they need.  Compassion does not have to be something difficult and complex in order to be helpful…often times it is the simple and thoughtful things that make the biggest difference for others.  May God’s grace and mercy flow through us and into our relationships.

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“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 145:8-9

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 near the border between Minnesota and South Dakota)

He Knows Me

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The One who created us knows everything about us.  Even if we haven’t spent much time with God in our life.  Even if we have put Him aside in our daily, weekly routine and have been trying to go it alone or do things our own way.  He knows you, He loves you and He wants to have a relationship with you.  If you want to seek more about this read Psalm 139.  Then pray and invite Jesus into your everyday moments.  God has a plan for you and your life and we must be willing to surrender our belief that we are in control and seek His Word.  God knows you, He loves you because He created you.  May our days be filled with the comfort of God’s presence.

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“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Psalm 139:23-24

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

He Carries Us Through…

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Struggle…conflict…suffering…darkness…pain…difficulties…uncomfortable.  We all encounter these moments in our life.  There is no way to avoid them and if we spend our time trying to avoid them we are mostly likely hurting ourselves and others.  The one true source of peace, courage, strength and perseverance is Jesus Christ.  He is strength in the struggle, He is calm in the conflict, He is peace in the suffering, He is light in the darkness, He is healing for the pain, He is answers to the difficult times and He is our comfort when we are uncomfortable.  Nothing is impossible for our God.  Seek Him and His Word and you will find rest for your soul.  May you see and sense the presence of the Lord in your life.

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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 July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)