love

A Prayer of Praise

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“Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.  Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.  You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.  Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long.  Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.  You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.  Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.  In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.

Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.  All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name.  For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.  Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.  I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.  For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.”

Psalm 86:1-13

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 and is a view from Pike’s Peak in southern Colorado)

Give Praise

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“Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.  Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.  Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.  Look to the Lord and his strength;  seek his face always.”

Psalm 105:1-4

(This photo was taken in February of 2013 in a neighborhood in central Minnesota)

His Love Endures Forever

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 with driving through northern Colorado)

What Do Others See In Us?

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It is said that people can learn about other people by watching their actions.  This is very prevalent with toddlers and young children.  When we are little we are like a sponge soaking up whatever we are exposed to…when a child is playing with something and gets frustrated and exclaims “Dammit” the adults will look in surprise and wonder where did you hear that?  Well they don’t come up with it all by themselves…they have witnessed it either live in-person or on TV or some other form of media.

This ability to learn by watching others does not disappear completely when we become adults.  Yet in our self-centered world we forget the impact our actions have on those around us.  The most popular verse around this thought is John 13:35…“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  There is also a popular christian song entitled “They will know we are Christians by our love”…it has been covered many times by groups like Jars of Clay, For King and Country and artists like Rebecca St. James.

All of this points to one simple fact, people will know what you stand for by how you act in every situation and every interaction…so when you think about your daily life…What do others see in you?

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

(This photo was taken in the fall of 2013 by my daughter in central Minnesota)

Nothing Can Separate Us

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“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written:  ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:35-39

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while driving through Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Our Hope Is In Him

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“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

1 Peter 1:8-9

(This photo was taken in the spring of 2008 in central Minnesota)

Living In The Present

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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 in the summer of 2012 in central Minnesota)