Lessons Learned

God’s Presence Is All Around Us

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One of the most difficult things for us to accomplish is change.  A change that will last, is sustainable and makes a difference in us and how we interact with others.  One of the greatest changes in human history occurred when Jesus Christ changed Saul into Paul, His disciple.  We read about this is the Book of Acts, chapter 9.  What Jesus did to create and sustain this change was to illuminate His Presence to Saul.  To show His Presence and then to give instructions to Saul as to what he must do.  God is present in creation and in each of our lives everyday…we just need to do a better job of looking for Him.  His Presence exists in nature, the change of the seasons and in the Fruits of the Spirit that we give and receive in our interactions with others.  God is with you, He loves you and His Presence is what gives you strength.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

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“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

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

Why Did Jesus Come?

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He came down from heaven and into this world.  God had a plan and Jesus knew exactly what He was getting into…so why do it?  He did because He loves you, He cares for you and He wants only the best for you.  The answer to this question and so many others have been given to us in God’s Word.  It’s not complicated, it is simple and yet the human race seems bent on making things much more difficult and complicated then they need to be.  Jesus came to save us because He loves us and even though we don’t deserve it, He loves us anyways.  Let us be thankful for Jesus Christ and His saving grace.  Amen.

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“…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10:10

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

Patience

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During this Advent time of year, the Fruits of the Spirit keep coming into my mind.  We wait for the celebration of the birth of our Savior.  Nothing about His coming was designed by us, the human race.  This is a clear example of God at work for the good of all people.  We must be patient on our faith journey and not give up hope…no matter how bad things may get, in any situation.  Prayer…thoughtful, sincere, true and honest prayer, that is based in trust and belief in Jesus Christ is very powerful.  The answers to our prayers are not based on our plans or our desires and that is a good thing.  When you are discouraged or frustrated regarding a person or situation…take it to the Lord in prayer and remember when God was at work with His plan over 2,000 years ago, the results both then and now have been better than any human plan ever conceived.  I pray we all trust in the Lord and seek patience with His plan for our lives.  Amen.

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of  those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

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

Judging Others

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We are all broken…we are all fighting a battle of some kind…we all need the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  None of us is in position to be in judgement of another.  Jesus spoke very clearly about this in the Gospels.  A summary statement would be, you will get whatever you give.  How we choose to act is what we will get back from others.  I struggle with snap judgments and emotion filled responses at times as much as anyone and I am reminded of humility, goodness and kindness when I spend time reading God’s Word and in prayer.  May we continually seek growth in our spiritual life and our relationship with Jesus Christ to guide us to living life with the Fruits of the Spirit.  Amen.

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“Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

Luke 6:37

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota)

 

Love Never Fails

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Love is found in our actions…love is found in our behaviors…love exists in our attitude…love is shown by a willingness to put the needs of others before our own.  Life is filled with thoughts and emotions, questions and decisions.  We can become overwhelmed when we get sucked into the swirl of news, headlines and information, etc.  When the busyness becomes too much and we need to step off the carousel of craziness…we can ask ourselves, what can I do to show love to another person?  When we decide we want to be different than what the world is telling us we “should” be and we want to live with Christ at the center of our lives…then the actions and behaviors that will show our internal change are actions and behaviors of love.  Let’s be thankful for the love Christ showed us, by saving us and let’s take that love into our daily life.  I pray we all have the wisdom and courage to live a life filled with actions of love.  Amen.

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“Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails…”

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

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

Distractions

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It is so easy to get caught up in the things of this world.  So easy to lose focus from our purpose and why we are here.  The world is full of distractions and it is when we take our eyes off of Jesus and our faith that we begin to feel things becoming overwhelming.  We need to continually find ways to feed our faith and seek spiritual growth.  To build our relationship with our Savior and keep our focus on living a life centered on faith.  Jesus Christ is with you, even when you aren’t paying attention to Him…turn towards Christ and trust in Him to lead and guide you.  May the peace and love of Christ wash over us in our daily life.  Amen.

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“Lord if it is you,”  Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  ” Come,” he said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried our “Lord, save me!” 

Immediately Jesus reached our his hand and caught him.  “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:28-31

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

Redeemed

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Saved…recovered…reclaimed…restored…changed…forgiven…set free.  The price has been paid for our sins.  Jesus came down from heaven and suffered to save us from the defeat of death in sin.  We are loved by God and that love conquers all things in this world.  We are reconciled with God and can pursue His will for our lives.  Sharing a song by the group Big Daddy Weave entitled “Redeemed”

I pray for God’s love to wash over the burdens in our lives and strengthen us in kindness, goodness, compassion and forgiveness.  Amen.

Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

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“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at City Park in Winterset, Iowa)

 

Trust

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Something that is earned…easily eroded by poor behavior…to be a person of your word…to keep your promises.  Trust is an essential element in good relationships, in relationships that have a chance to grow.  It makes us vulnerable and when we get burned it takes that much longer for us to trust again.  God is the only one who has never broken a promise, He is the only one who is by our side every single day, He is the one who sent His only Son to die in order to save us…yet so many of us want to keep Him in a box with a glass door that says “In case of an emergency break glass.”  In order to trust God we need to be willing to be more open to Him, to be more vulnerable in our relationship with Him and to believe that He is working for good things in our life.  I pray we all can take steps toward trusting God more in our life everyday.  Amen.

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“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 91:2

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

Be Transformed

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If we want to see a change in our lives and the world we must begin by being changed in our minds, in our hearts and in our soul.  A desire to see change is one thing and probably a good first step…but then what?  To be renewed, to be transformed and to truly have it be a new way of living and seeing means working on ourselves with God as our guide.  Repent, believe and pray.  We need to begin with repentance, admit our wrongs and our brokenness to God and ask God to give us the courage and wisdom to do better.  Next we must believe in the power of God, pick up the Bible and read Scripture…believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God and our Savior who came down from heaven to save us, was crucified, died and was buried and that He has risen.  Then we need to pray…in the morning, during the day and at night.  Pray for our new behaviors, pray for our family and friends, pray that more people will turn towards God rather than away from Him.  These are the things that will truly change your life…not according to the world’s standards but according to God.  May we all be blessed with the courage and wisdom to be transformed into what God created us to be.  Amen.

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“For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”

1 Corinthians 1:25

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

Light Of The World

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When we do not know where to turn…when darkness keeps us from moving forward…when it feels like the world is closing in on us…it is the Light of Christ that can lead us out of darkness.  We will encounter difficulty, troubles and frustrations in this life, everyone does…every single person is working through something.  In several places in the Bible we are told about The Light of Christ.  He is the Light of the World and He can shine best through you and me.  So when you need a little Light turn towards Jesus and pray or pick up a Bible and read God’s Word…the only way Light can be helpful is when it is shining bright…shine on!  May the grace and mercy of God’s love be with you.  Amen.

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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 May of 2014 at a lake in central Minnesota)