parenting

The Joy Of Faith

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The true form of joy comes from believing and knowing that the Lord your God created you out of love, knows the about the deepest part of you and will never leave you or abandon you.  Faith has been and is the only thing that can overcome sadness, darkness and sin.  Jesus came down from heaven and showed the power of faith by His actions and His sacrifice.  He defeated sickness and illness, He defeated the devil in the desert, and He defeated death.  He did it all for you and He did it out of His love…and that is why true joy is found only in Faith and nowhere else on earth.  May you find joy in God’s peace and love.

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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 June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

The Path To Joy

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It seems so often, we are trying to figure things out…why did this happen?  why didn’t it go the way we thought?  what went wrong?  how did I do that?  that is not what I planned?  These thoughts take us on a roller-coaster of a ride in our daily life and near the end of the day we are exhausted with few answers.  I believe we all need to simplify things a bit, narrow our focus and stay obedient to the way Jesus has taught us.  Start by committing our day to the Lord.  Spend time reading Scripture and praying that gives you a solid foundation to start on…then be present in the moments that are occurring in your life today.  Listen closely to what others are saying, offer encouragement and be of service to others.  If your current circumstances make this difficult or impossible in your mind then pray about that and ask God to help you find your way to a better situation.  The point is you don’t have to do this journey alone and frankly God did not intend you to be alone.  Reach out to the Lord and he will guide you to the right path.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Proverbs 19:21

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

Mother’s Day – Cherish And Honor Your Mom

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Today is a day to give thanks, to reflect and remember how your Mom impacted your childhood and how she still impacts who you are today.  We all know no human is perfect and not all Mom to child relationships are filled with fond memories but we must remember that people no matter who they are, are doing the best they can.  Whatever your situation take some time today to give thanks for the good your Mom is or was and say a prayer to God about your Mom…whatever prayer is most appropriate for you and your Mom.  Cherish and honor your Mom.  May God’s love, joy and peace be with all Mom’s and with you today.

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“She is clothed with strength and dignity;  she can laugh at the days to come.  She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.  Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.  Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”

Proverbs 31:25-30

(This photo was taken in March of 2013 in the Bontanical Gardens at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada)

Parenthood

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When life on earth begins we are completely dependent on loving parents to care for us, feed us, hold us and watch over us.  As time goes by and the phases of life change a child begins to learn about interacting with others in the world, all the while the father and or mother each offer their unique perspective based mostly upon their own experience with their parents.  The generations go on…unfortunately the family structure has been under attack by darkness and evil for a long time now and in today’s society the vast majority of people are ruled by selfishness and they show little respect for family or parents mainly because of how people who are given the gift of children have not honored their role of parenthood.  When we become parents, we should be prepared to sacrifice things in order to help a child become a contributing adult in community.  One of the greatest joys of parenthood is watching your child succeed and do well because you were willing to have patience and willing to be persistent in doing what God has asked you to do with the gift of a child.  We are all God’s children and He is patient and persistent in loving us.  We would do well to pass it on.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Train a child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

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

Lead Me, O Lord

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We are always looking for the the best way to go, looking for the right path, whether physically going from one place to another or mentally trying to make a decision.  We analyze and assess multiple options and eventually proceed.  We do this so often it is easy to forget to consult with our Creator and to consider what direction or path will keep leading us closer to Christ versus leading us farther away in from our relationship with Him.  God knows you better than anyone, even if you haven’t spent much time with Him.  You are His child and He loves you.  Take time to meet with Him each day and bring your choices to Him.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.”

Psalm 27:11

(This photo was taken in April of 2018 while walking the dog at a park near Plymouth, Minnesota)

The Power Of Faith

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The blessings that come from our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are so great it is hard to fully appreciate.  We should be careful not to underestimate the gifts God has given us.  Each and every one of us has been created and blessed with special talents and our role in life is to learn about those gifts and talents and then to use them to do good things in and around our community, to help others and to spread the Good News of Jesus.  Our actions and the things we choose to do and say are a good indication of where we are in our personal faith journey.  For myself, I did not understand or spend much time thinking about such things until about 8 years ago and in the last 8 years I have experienced events of all kinds in life, pain and suffering as well as joy and contentment…most importantly I have been learning to be more open to putting my relationship with God first…I have been learning gratitude and thankfulness…I also know I still have a lot of learning left to do as I still mess things up frequently.  The best part of my journey so far…I know more about who God has made me to be and I know He is always with me no matter what…I know because He told me so in His instruction manual for life…the Bible.  May God’s love, joy and peace be with you.

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“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:7

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 during the sunrise at a lake place in central Minnesota)

The Joy Of The Lord

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We live and we work, we eat and we drink, we move from one activity to the next day by day.  We face decisions and choices day after day, big decisions, little choices and through it all God calls to us to live life to the fullest.  What does that mean for you?  What is living to the fullest?  It all depends on the perspective you choose to look from…if you choose to view life through the eyes of the world measuring success by possessions, material things and number of likes on social media then you will find much disappointment.  If you choose to look at life through the spiritual perspective, with a daily connection with God, praying for and helping others, serving those in need and living life filled with the fruits of the spirit…you will find joy.  True joy is found only in a relationship with Jesus Christ.  May God’s love and joy be with you.

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“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

John 15:11

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

Put Aside Your Fears

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The journey of faith becomes more difficult if we let our fears have the power to stop us.  If we allow our fears to be sustained in our thoughts and in our actions we are feeding them.  We can be strengthened against our fears by the Word of God and by connecting in a community of faith.  Fear is a weapon of evil and darkness and it can be very powerful if we allow it rule in our lives.  We must remember that God is good, He already knows much more about us than we realize, He loves us and He has forgiven us.  Be renewed by developing your personal relationship with Jesus Christ…after all He gave all He could in order to save us.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:17

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 at the natural entrance to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico)

Trials Of Life

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Everyone has knowledge and experience in trials and pain and suffering.  No matter what type of front they display on a social media feed there is trial and pain in their life too.  The problem with comparing ourselves is that many people are very skilled at hiding their pain, trying to ignore the suffering.  Worse yet is the news media and the sad way they choose to display their view of the world.  There is a phrase I have heard used more when I was younger and not as much now…“you get what you give” or “what you will get out of this is determined by what you put into it”  To me this provides one of the things missing in society today…accountability.  Easy street is not a real place or a way to live.  That doesn’t mean that we never will feel happy or joy but it depends on where you are looking for it, it depends on your perspective.  The one place that helps with every day life and builds a strong foundation to live on is the Cross.  Come to the Cross and live.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”

Psalm 139:23

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

Perseverance

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The definition of this word is: “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.”  To me it says don’t give up.  One truth about life that some find difficult to understand is there are going to be times when life is difficult and unfair.  We are human and none of us is going to be perfect.  Trouble will come our way despite our best efforts to avoid it.  So what are we going to do?  We keep going with “continued effort” in spite of difficulties, failures and opposition.  We move forward respectfully and give our best to achieve.  Another blogger who writes BeautyBeyondBones shared some advice she would get from her mother during extremely difficult times…what is the next right thing to do?  If we can figure that out in any situation we can persevere.  We also have the greatest teacher ever in Jesus, He showed us the ultimate perseverance and we will remember it during Holy Week next week.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Blessed in the one who perseveres under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

James 1:12

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