Lessons Learned

Praise The Lord

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Today is recognized as Independence Day in the US.  A holiday where people can gather and celebrate freedom.  It is a day where we should give thanks to the Lord for all we have in our lives.  Take a moment and reflect on your surroundings, people in your life…all of the good things are gifts from God.  If it is difficult to see goodness, take some time to work on your relationship with God, talk to Him and listen in the quietness of time alone with God.  You were created out of love by God, He is with you and you can have contentment, security, peace and hope for a future in a way that only God can provide by choosing to turn to Him and His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ.  God is good…all the time…and all the time…God is good!  Praise the Lord.  May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.

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“Praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord, O my soul.  I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”

Psalm 146:1-2

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

The Cross

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Come to the Cross…A place to bring your burdens…Savior…Salvation…Forgiveness…Peace.  The Cross of Christ, this is the place we should turn to in all situations.  This is where God sent His One and Only Son to be crucified to save us from our sins.  This is where our relationship with God is reconciled.  There are problems and struggles everywhere you can’t change everything for everyone, but He can.  You can’t change everything but you can change something, you can change one thing that will make a difference in the world…You.  Jesus said ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.’  (John 14:6)  Open your heart and mind and invite Jesus Christ into your life everyday.  This will make the world a better place.  May God’s joy and peace be with you.

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“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

John 19:30

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Pike’s Peak in Colorado)

God’s Word

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Instructions…directions…guidance…wisdom…understanding.  It takes a certain attitude to be willing to follow instructions, to accept wisdom from another or to trust the guidance of someone else.  We have to be humble, willing to admit we don’t know our way around a situation or place.  This is easy when we are using one of our devices of “convenience,” a cell phone, Ipad, computer, etc.  It is more difficult when we start involving other people in our need for assistance.  We are challenged to learn how to have humility, to accept our level of knowledge for what it is and to seek out wisdom and to learn from others in history.  God’s Word is the instruction manual for life we all can use.  It provides the Way to make it through this world, it does not say do this and life will be easy and always happy.  It is more honest than that and more about providing wisdom and guidance as help from those who already have lived on earth and know the troubles human beings will have in life.  Pickup a bible and seek the understanding that God provides.  The test for this book is happening all the time in our daily life, how are you answering the multiple choice questions of your life?  May God’s mercy and grace be with you.

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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 August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Trust God

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I am finding myself seeing examples of the brokenness of people in my daily life interactions and experiences.  Or at least I am more aware of these things than I used to be.  It is discouraging.  We are so willing to pull and push others down for a variety of reasons.  It is so important to seek out what is good and what we have gratitude for in our lives.  If we look around with the eyes the world wants us to, we will be very negative and feeling unworthy.  If we trust in God and His goodness for our perspective it changes things dramatically.  We are never going to know all the answers or understand them while we are here, however, if we trust in the Lord we know that He is working for the good in all things.  May God’s joy and love be with you.

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“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8

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

On Believing And Seeing

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You may have heard someone say or you may have said it yourself, a phrase such as ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’  This originated in biblical times after the resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus appeared to the disciples at a time when Thomas was not with them.  Even as one of the apostles who had been with Jesus he could not comprehend the resurrection and told his brothers…“unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” (John 20:25)  Thomas was so sure this could not be true, that Jesus had risen, that he made this statement basically saying to the others…prove it!  Oh boy, I have been there before.  The problem with this approach to our faith is it is not faith at all…if we have to see it to believe it, what do we truly believe in?  A simple example is the wind…the air can move at very high speeds at different elevations and we know this not because we can see it move, what we can see is what it can do.  Don’t get caught being a doubting Thomas, rather learn from him and have faith in the One who knows us and can see what He has planned for our lives.  May God’s love and joy be with you.

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“We live by faith, not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7

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

Highs And Lows

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Our journey is filled with these…moments where things are good, we are strong, confident, faithful and filled with hope and joy – Highs.  We also have moments of fear, concern, sadness that are filled with despair – Lows.  Every life has both whether you see it in others or not, they both exist for everyone.  The key to living with all of this is how are you reacting to your highs and your lows?  Reading and learning from God’s Word with the Holy Spirit as your guide is a great place to start.  After that, the way to give and receive celebration for highs and support for lows is with Friends.  Personal relationships, that is the key to living, learning and growing through out your life journey.  Reflect on your personal relationships, with God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as well as with your friends.  Pray about them and find ways you can enrich those relationships.  Faith is not a destination, it is a way of living through the Highs and Lows that come to all of us no matter who we are or what we are doing.  May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.  Share with God’s people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.”

Romans 12:12-13

(These photo’s were taken in July of 2016 at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Do Not Worry

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We will have what we need, we will not always get what we want (I am now hearing a Rolling Stones song in my mind), yet we struggle with worry and anxiety daily and that constant strain causes physical damage to our bodies over a period of time.  God is our Creator and He knows exactly what we need.  If we are saying it is not enough then we are too focused on our plans and not His.  Before I started daily devotions just over 8 years ago I wasted a large amount of my time on worry and the worst part is, it was about things I can’t even control.  As I have grown spiritually my perspective has changed for the better…I still pray a serenity prayer to help as old habits die hard.  It is a test of faith to let go of the worries and to trust God with the answers and the outcome.  May God’s grace and peace be with you.

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“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Matthew 6:31-33

(This photo was taken in June 2018, last weekend, while driving to South Dakota)

Jesus

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To Him be the glory.

The world divided, broken and lost…how can there be hope?  Lives of struggle, hearts broken, sadness…who can make this better?  People hurting each other, selfishness in control, fear and anger rule the days…what can change our perspectives?

The answers to all of this; to every thought of despair, to every life looking for a new direction and for every individual wanting to make a change…Jesus is the answer.  Believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, invite Him into your life everyday, spend time reading God’s Word, build your personal relationship with Him and you will see transformation.  May the presence of God be in you and may the saving grace of Jesus Christ bless you each day.

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“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Badlands National Park in South Dakota)

The Needs Of Others

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We all have been given gifts and talents to use in the world.  While we are all unique the gifts we have are to be used to not only support ourselves, they are also the way we can help others in need.  It is important to learn and accept the gifts and talents God has given us and to seek out ways to use them to honor God.  Selfishness is running rampant all over the world and therefore the needs of people are many.  Can we help everyone?  No.  Does that mean we should only worry about ourselves? No.  We should strive to do whatever we can, for whomever we can, whenever we can, wherever we are…even if it only helps one person in that moment in time, it is helping someone in need.  May God’s grace and peace be with you.

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“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:4

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at a rest area in South Dakota)

Honesty And Integrity

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In the world of constant information updates it seems to be getting difficult to know what is really true.  As we continue on our faith journey and study God’s Word we find the growth in ourselves when we are able to be honest with ourselves.  When we are truthful and accept who we are, who God made us to be, we can act with integrity and be honest with others.  I find it common in my faith journey the path to true joy is to get your relationship with God right first and take your worries, discouragements and concerns as well as your gratitude and joy to Him first and everything else will work itself out according to His plan.  My personal issue with that process…I need more patience.  So I am off to pray for patience in my day…May God’s grace and mercy be with you.

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“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:8-9

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