Learning

Courage

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It takes courage to be a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.  It not always the easy way or even the logical way to live according to the world.  It means living with different priorities than many people.  It means there will be times when you must step out in faith and it means you must be willing to admit your mistakes.  One of the toughest parts can be gaining self-control and getting a handle on your emotions.  There are many examples in the bible of people who have made this journey and they did really well at times and they also stumbled and failed at times.  The lessons we can learn from their experiences are to be courageous, stand firm in your faith and trust in God.  Don’t look for things to always go the way you want or have planned, but seek His plan.  There is a phrase I think fits with faith pretty well…Faith – it’s simple but it’s not always easy.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on a hike near Bayfield, Wisconsin)

Wait For The Lord

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I find sometimes that there are periods of time when God seems distant in my faith journey.  A sense that things that were once clear and focused seem less clear and jumbled up.  It would be easy to fret and wonder why, what happened, what changed and of course, is it me, did I do something wrong?  These are not times to invite worries and anxieties into your life.  This is a moment to know and to trust that God is still on the throne in heaven and He will be with you.  Think of Job in the bible…he had everything and I mean everything taken from him in life, plus he had these great “friends” telling him he must have done something wrong for all this to happen.  Job did not give in and stop believing…he persisted in faith and the Lord restored him.  There are and will be times when the Lord seems far off, be patient, stand in faith and wait for Him.  May God’s love and comfort be with you.

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“I am still confident of this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:13-14

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

Every Generation

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The cycle of life…we are kids playing in the sand…we learn to ride bikes and gain freedom…we experience our school years and activities…we learn to drive and get our first job…we make choices about post high school and become young adults…people our age are getting married…people our age our having kids and are off into their careers…everybody’s getting older…our parents begin to need more assistance…people our age are getting terminal diagnosis’…we are attending more funerals than weddings…we are slowing down…we go home to the Lord.  This does not describe every aspect of every life, just some of the stages in life.  Every single person you encounter is somewhere on the journey and every single person needs faith to help find the way.  As we learn and grow we need to be purposeful in teaching the next generation about a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Each one teach one to restore hope and to live in peace.  May your life be filled with contentment and joy.

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“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.  One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.”

Psalm 145:3-4

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Madeline Island at Big Bay Town Park in Wisconsin)

Gratitude

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I am thankful for God’s amazing grace.  I am grateful for His love.  Each morning when I get up I look forward to time with Jesus, my morning readings and bible verses.  I have a devotional bible that provides a writing from the perspective of a follower of Jesus and it provides bible verses as a reference for each day.  I began this practice over 8 years ago and every year I learn new things about myself and my relationships.  As long as we are here God is still working on us and when He believes we are ready He will call us home.  No one knows when that will be for anyone and everyone is working through some kind of battle or struggle.  Just because we don’t see it in them does not mean they aren’t struggling or fighting through something.  Give thanks to God for your life and seek His will for how to best use your gifts.  May God’s mercy and love be with you.

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“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

Psalm 143:10

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

He Knows You

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That’s not what I meant…I wish they knew me better…I don’t feel like I fit in…Nobody understands me…have you had moments like this?  I know I have.  You can be surrounded by people but feel like you are isolated.  God knows who you are, He knows what you can do, He knows how you think and He cares for you.  If you feel like you are off the rails in your life, it is time to get back to God.  He is waiting to hear from you.  He is the Creator, the one who formed you and has been right there with you every step of the way in life.  Turn towards God.  Trust in Him.  May you see the blessings from God in your life each day.

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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 the shore of Lake Superior in Ashland, Wisconsin)

Use Your Gifts

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All of us have something that comes naturally for us to do.  Things we do well that can help others and serve a useful purpose.  Our gifts or strengths that God has blessed us with could help support the basics in life…food, shelter or clothing.  They also could be gifts that help spread the Good News of the Lord.  Whatever they are and whatever they help you to do…get to know them, understand how to use them best and if you are not sure about this…start by asking God in prayer to help you to see the goodness He has planted in you and where and when to use it.  All that is good comes from God and He created you, don’t take your cues about your worth from the world.  Learn from the Creator about your goodness and use your gifts from Him to help others.  May God’s love and joy surround you each day.

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“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

1 Peter 4:10

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake place in northwestern Wisconsin)

Trials And Trouble

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Have you ever thought…’why does this have to be so difficult?’ or ‘it seems like every direction I turn things go wrong!’  When dealing with such thoughts I am trying to learn how to step back, to stop doing the repeat cycle that builds up frustration.  As we review situations we should try to asses, ‘am I trying to control too many things?’, ‘am I trying to get things to line up for the outcome I prefer?’ and the most difficult thought, ‘where is God in this situation?’  We may be struggling because we have had an opportunity to learn from the past and as slow learner we need to see the lesson again in a different way to get it through our heads.  Unexpected things are going to happen to us, things will not go as we have planned, the key to growth and development is how you choose to respond to situations and learning along the way.  There is no place in the bible that it says, “have no fear life will be easy.”  We will face difficult times and situations and how we choose to respond will have a lasting impact on us and others.  May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

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

God’s Peace

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There will be times in life when we will be faced with our broken humanness.  It is unavoidable in this world.  We will be very conscious and aware of our inability to bring about change or peace.  These are the natural limits of our existence.  What we are not made to be able to accomplish can easily be handled by God.  The only way to achieve the peace our soul desires is to put our trust, our hope and our faith in the Lord.  Only God can provide true peace.  When we cannot see our way through or know what may or may not happen…true faith pushes on, not recklessly but faithfully in this darkness knowing that God will be there to lift us up.  Pray for God’s peace to be in your heart and continue to push on in faith.  May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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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.”

Colossians 3:15

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

Walking In The Light

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Getting out of the cycle of pray-commit sin-repent-repeat means changing our behavior and our attitude.  It says in many places in the bible the path to peace is to humble your self before God (James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6) and admit you are a sinner who is unable to improve yourself alone.  This is true humility.  It is very far cry from what the self-serving world is telling us we should be doing.  We must learn to walk in the light of Christ…to me this means not judging others, not holding on to anger, offering to help those in need and spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ and His redeeming grace.  To walk in the light is to trust and know that no matter what you encounter, God is good, He loves you and He will guide you if you are willing to follow Him.  May the grace and peace of God be with you.

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“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

1 John 1:7

(This photo was taken in June of 2012 at sunset in northwestern Wisconsin)

The Conclusion

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In the Book of Ecclesiastes, the Teacher explores several aspects of life on earth searching for meaning.  The word ‘meaningless’ is used repeatedly in this book.  The Teacher reviews wisdom, pleasures, time, toil, advancement, riches and often states similar phrases like‘…it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him – for this is his lot.” (Ecclesiastes 5:18)  Finally after thorough discussion is complete in Ecclesiastes 12 a conclusion is reached…this is a lesson that every person can learn from, this is a lesson that keeps the values of eternity in view for all of us.  To summarize what the verses below state: Life without God is meaningless.  May you find peace and joy in the glory of God this day.

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“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:  Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

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