Learning

Taste And See…

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In our times of greatest need, the only thing that will uphold you or sustain you is the Lord.  When things go sideways in your life according to your plans and it will happen I can promise you that much, any shred of hope, courage or peace will come from God.  No matter what is going on in your life, in your mind or in your heart…take it to the Lord today.  Share with God your fears, what you are worried about and trust in Him to uphold you…He promised He would and God never breaks His promises.  The only way to find out if something is good is to taste and see for yourself.  May God’s love and comfort surround you as it is surrounding all aspects of my family during this time of significant change.

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“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8

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

 

A New Creation

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Ok, I accept that Jesus Christ died to save me from my sins.  I believe that he is my Lord and Savior…now what?  Faith is a journey, not a destination.  Coming to the point that has you turning towards God is just the first step on a new road.  If you go about your daily activities and schedule with no change of thought or actions then you aren’t really turning towards God and following…it is more like you stopped what you are doing took a longer than usual look at a new road and then kept going on the one you were on.  To be engaged in your faith journey means a new way of doing things, it means looking at the same things with a new perspective, it means commenting on situations with a new attitude…to be a new creation.  It will mean being different from the crowd, it most likely will mean meeting a new crowd, it will mean putting on a new self.  God is with you, He will guide you and keep you safe…He loves you and He is waiting to hear from you.  May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.

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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 June of 2013 while traveling through Nebraska)

Strength

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God will renew our strength…He will provide our energy…the Lord is a strong tower.  Have you ever had it happen that when you turn towards God and sit with him, or truly spend time with Him you get this unknown source of energy?  Have you ever spent a great deal of time or effort on something and not felt exhausted?  And others say how did you spend so much time on that?  Have you ever heard it said or said yourself about someone…where do they get the energy to do that?  When we are aligned with God’s plan and doing things that He set out for us to do, He will supply the energy and strength we need.  We will not grow tired or weary, if we do, that is a message that we are spending our time on something that takes us away from God…this includes what we spend time thinking about in our minds.  Trust in the Lord, be faithful to His plan and you will not grow weary.  May you be blessed with wisdom and strength from the Lord.

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“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

Isaiah 40:29

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

A Quiet Place

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Peaceful…Prayer…Meditation…Rest…Renew…Restore…Recharge.  Where and when are you spending time in a quiet place?  If you live a busy existence keeping schedules and deadlines for either the family calendar or a job you usually have to wait until late at night or early in the morning while others are sleeping.  I have had co-workers who prefer to get the office really early before others because it is quiet.  We need to have a balance of going and doing and being productive some of the time and being at peace and resting at other times.  If we don’t have both we will either become completely worn out from running around all the time with no rest or become isolated from community because we are always off on our own.  This isn’t a choice of which one should I be but more of a mindfulness of what does my mind and body need right now?  Go and do and then rest and recharge…(rinse repeat)  May you find peace and rest in the Lord.

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“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’.”

Mark 6:31

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

Holy Living

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To know Him and to make Him known.  Love…Joy…Peace…Patience…Kindness…Goodness…Faithfulness…Gentleness…Self-Control.  These are all ways we can live a holy life.  We do not need to pound on people with bible verses as if they are the law.  God gave everyone free will, each person will either turn towards God or turn away from God by how they choose to live.  The attitude and behaviors they exhibit in everyday life.  I usually try to pick one of the nine fruits of the Spirit and make myself more aware of how am I practicing patience or how am I showing faithfulness and one of the hard ones for me…how am I doing with self-control.  The more we spend time with Jesus and the Word of God the better we get at holy living and the more prepared we become to share the Good News.  May you find joy and comfort in your faith.

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people holy and dearly loved, cloth yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Colossians 3:12-13

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

Choices

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We all have them…we have them for little things…we have them for big things…we have choices to make everyday…even not deciding is a choice.  We are bombarded with messages about what we “should” want, what everyone “needs” and the quick and simple things you can do to have it all.  Um No.  This is evil and the sinful nature constantly at work telling us me, myself and I are the only important things to focus on.  Every step we take towards the sinful nature is a step we choose to take away from God.  We need to focus on the fruit of the Spirit “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.”  (Galatians 5:22-23)  These are free, they are choices we can make in our everyday interactions.  Choose a life based on the foundation of Faith and trust in Jesus Christ with every aspect of your life.  May you be blessed with wisdom in the choices you make.

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“Do not conform any longer tot he pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2

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

God’s Presence

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It is true…He is with you…He gives to you…He holds you…He comforts you…He blesses you…He guides you…God is always with you.  There will often be times in this world when you will feel like you are alone, that God has somehow left you.  It is not true, when that happens take a moment to reflect on what you have been focusing on.  I have found in my own life that usually means I have turned away from God for some reason, not the other way around.  We can’t always expect the miracle event to prove that God is with us, let’s face it even people who lived to witness the miracles in person struggled to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  It is a matter of faith to know and believe that God is with us.  He did not bring sin into the world and the bad things that happen are from evil and darkness in the world and they want you to blame God for everything.  God made sure you know that He created you, He loves you and He is with you…it is all written down for you to read for yourself.  Trust in God and you will see the good things too.  May the presence of God surround you and what you see today.

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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 August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Give And You Will Receive

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The messages we keep getting from all around us are “get more”, “take what is yours”, “protect it”, “mine”, “not yours” or “me first”…the world emphasizes selfish behaviors and attitudes and people wonder why there is so much conflict and suffering.  This is not how we were made to be.  When God created us out of His love He gave us free will because when we choose to give, it has such a deep impact compared to being forced to give and serve.  Let’s talk about our pets as a simple example…if you have ever owned a dog or a cat you may have experience in the joy one feels when our pets give love and affection freely versus when they choose to do other things…and often times the pets receive better attention and affection when they are givers rather then when they are demanding to get!  If you have never owned a pet I recommend watching the movie ‘Marley and Me’ to see this illustration.  The point is when we make a choice to help, to serve and to give we are showing the love of God through our actions and we will have no need to worry about what we receive.  May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.

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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 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Solid Rock

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Firm foundation…strength…courage…determination…a shield…a place of refuge.  When we think about solid rock it gives us the impression of strength to stand on or the protection to shield us.  All of us has a rock in our lives, whether it is another person, a place or something else.  The rock we all need is a solid relationship with Jesus Christ.  He is our firm foundation, He gives us strength and courage, He gives us the fortitude to keep going and He is our shield and protector.  Anything we could ever need will come from Him.  Make time to build your relationship with Jesus Christ our Solid Rock!  May you seek the Lord in your everyday life.

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“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:2

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

He Will Restore You

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Keep going…be steadfast and determined to find a way…don’t quit…don’t give up on them.  With so much of the world focused on convenience and saving time there seems to be less and less stories about the long journey of success.  The truth about most accomplishments is that they occur over a significant period of time.  In athletics people will tell stories of an “overnight success”  a player just emerged from out of nowhere.  When the truth is that individual worked their tail off for the last 5, 10 or 15 years to get to that moment and the world just noticed them now.  Hard work is expected to achieve anything.  Dedication, commitment and a willingness to fail and try again, these are the things that lead to success.  Especially in relationships and faith.  If you or someone you care for is struggling, start or keep on praying, don’t give up on the situation.  The world and society throw people away all the time…be different, believe in hope and God will restore the situation one way or another.  May God bless you with courage and strength.

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“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

1 Peter 5:10

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