love

This Is Love…

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Jesus came down from heaven…He came in human form as a baby…He taught the people how to live…He showed people kindness and compassion…He showed everybody love…He was treated terribly by others…He was beaten…He was tortured…He was crucified and died…and He did all of it for you and for me.  God loves us so much that He sent His Son to save us.  Thank you, Jesus…Amen.

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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 May of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Start With These Things…

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When Jesus was here as a man, some people were unsure on how to respond to Him.  The Pharisees felt threatened by Him, not directly, but they couldn’t see beyond themselves and they were supposed to be the teachers for others…they were fearful of losing their place in the world.  They continually tested and questioned Jesus…the benefit for us is Jesus was asked direct questions about life and how to live and He gave all of us the answers.  If you want to know ‘what is my purpose’ or ‘why am I here?’  Ask Jesus in prayer and pay attention for the answers…Amen.

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“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Matthew 22:36-39

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 on the north shore of the island of Maui)

God Is Love

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Love is about more than words.  Love is about how we treat each other with our actions and our behaviors.  We all will make mistakes and need to be able to forgive as well as be forgiven.  In what relationship or situation in your life is there a lack of love?  Pray about it and ask God to guide you in love.  Amen.

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“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  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 4:8-10

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

Self-less

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One of the most tragic afflictions of our time is selfishness.  The me first with a lack of consideration for others attitude, constantly assessing my place in the world compared to others and then determining my own value based on what others think about me.  This perspective pushes God to the side and puts me first as the top priority.  This has always been an affliction on human society and it seems to have grown exponentially since the explosion of social media.  One of the world’s greatest needs right now is more humility.  Imagine the impact on human relationships when people are looking to lift others up instead of tearing them down.  I am not suggesting we ignore self-care rather we put God first to guide us in the way we live.  I pray that we all take time to be humble and serve others more than we look to be served.  May God’s peace be with you.  Amen.

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“Do nothing out of selfish ambition of vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Choose Love

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We live with free will…a gift from God.  We have the freedom to choose what we say, what we think and our behaviors.  We can choose how we respond to others and what attitude we are going to present in our interactions.  There are many influences trying to sway our choices both in this world and in the spiritual world.  If we take time to reflect on what we have chosen and less time worrying about what others think, say and do…we give ourselves the opportunity to grow…in our relationships and in our spiritual lives.  Our example to follow is Jesus Christ…how He lived and what He said while He was here, as well as what the Holy Spirit is saying to us each day.  The message is clear…we should choose love in all things…in our thoughts, in our words and in our behaviors.  May the love of God flow through each of us.  Amen.

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

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

How We Spend Time

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None of us knows the time we have and yet we easily take it for granted.  The people in our lives and our relationships with them will end up meaning more than anything else in this world.  As each generation lives through the phases of life, we all have different experiences and opportunities to share with each other.  We eventually will get the opportunity to share with the next generation and that is what we truly will leave behind when we go home to the Lord.  If you are thinking about your time, turn towards Jesus in prayer and ask Him to guide you to living your life more closely aligned to God’s plan.  May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

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“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

Ephesians 5:15-17

(This photo was taken last weekend at a lake place in northwestern Wisconsin)

Relationships

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The attitudes and behaviors we choose to use towards each other are significant factors in our relationships.  If we are self-focused, we will have many difficulties in our relationships or if we over extend ourselves in serving others and we lack self-care we can become unable to help anyone.  Our guide for daily living is found by spending time with Jesus and reading God’s Word.  Feeding our faith and doing it daily is the best thing we can do to influence all other areas of our lives.  The most important relationship we will ever have is with our Lord and Savior, when we start with that and stick to it, everything else will get better.  May you be comforted by God’s love today.  Amen.

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

(This photo was taken in July of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

The Fruit Of The Spirit

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When we come to Christ and seek Him, we are renewed.  The Holy Spirit within us encourages us to live by the Fruit of the Spirit more and more and to leave the evil, anger, hatred and darkness behind.  The more we use the Fruit of the Spirit when thinking about ourselves and while helping others the better our life will be.  Most of us are too hard on ourselves and too hard on others…things can be different.  Pick up God’s Word and read about it, pray and ask for forgiveness of your sins and to have the Fruit of the Spirit stirred up in you.  May God’s love, joy and peace be with you.  Amen.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while traveling through northern Colorado)

Offer Kindness

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Every single person is fighting a personal battle within themselves…every single one of us.  Don’t be so quick to judge and assume your knowledge about any situation or individual.  Be different, be kind…listen and seek to understand.  The quickest way to diffuse an escalating situation is kindness and compassion, not pushing your personal agenda.  Turn towards Jesus and ask that you are filled with courage and the ability to see others with His eyes.  Amen.

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“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

1 Peter 4:8-10

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

He Is With You

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Trustworthy…reliable…constant…unwavering…unfailing…steady…faithful.  God is with you at all times no matter where you go.  All that is required is for us to come to the Cross and believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  There is nothing, no place or no one on earth that compares to what you can have in a personal relationship with our Lord.  We often spend our lives looking for something or someone and we believe that if that place or person could be a part of our everyday life then we would be satisfied…Jesus Christ is all that we need.  Turn toward Him and give thanks for all that He has done for you.  Amen.

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“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while traveling through Nebraska)