People

Living Hope

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No matter what you are facing, no matter what struggle is pressing you down…when you devote your life to faith in Jesus Christ you will have access to a deep well of Hope.  Imagine what it may have been like for one of the disciples, living during Jesus time on earth…the Savior, the one who was coming to save the people, had been born and living on earth…healing the sick and living a life according to God, which was very different from many others on earth.  He had come and they were following Him…and then He allowed himself to be captured beaten and flogged and then crucified…because of who He was, imagine those three days after Jesus died…

Then the most amazing thing occurred and from the most tragic of circumstances, Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to many of them…He conquered death.  This same Jesus is with you no matter what…put your Hope in Him.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

1 Peter 1:3

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

The Final Word

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Once again I find myself in worship through music.  This time it is a song by The Newsboys.  Our journey of life will have ups and downs, highs and lows, struggles and joy.  We can find our way through anything if we stay close to God and His Son Jesus.  He gave up everything for us and He did it because of love.  No matter the situation of the events in your life…remember God has the final word.  Give this a listen…The Cross Has The Final Word by The Newsboys.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Nothing is all creation is hidden from God’s sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Hebrews 4:13

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 at Kaanapali Beach on the island of Maui)

 

Renew

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I am working on trying to be better about not making snap judgments and flippant comments regarding situations when I know very few details.  We don’t take time to learn the details of a situation and try to understand before we start down the path of judgment and criticism.  Social media, of course, it right there to encourage the wrong behavior.  If we strive to learn more before we speak out, society as a whole would be much better off.  I am able to renew my mind and my behavior when I spend time reading the Word of God.  I want to stop jumping in to be the critic and the doubter so quickly and remember that we all were created by God and that each and every person is fighting a battle.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2

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

Life By Faith

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Give it your best, know that your efforts are important to what is happening in your life.  Trust that there is goodness even if it is hard to see.  We must not give up hope…no matter what is present in your daily life, seek the Lord, consult with God in prayer and live with the hope of the resurrection in your heart.  From even the most tragic of circumstances God created a new hope for us all.  Live with the hope that God provides through His Son Jesus in every situation.  May God’s 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 June of 2016 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Start With Gratitude

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When you find yourself spending too much time in worry and fear it is time to change your perspective.  Nothing else will change for you in your life if you don’t start by assessing yourself.  Look around your life and assess where you are from a basic needs point of view…take note of things or people you may be or may have been taking for granted and be thankful for them.  Instead of starting each day with negativity of “now what?” or “what is going to go wrong next?”…change your thought process.  “I am so thankful for this person” or “I am grateful I have food” and eventually you will notice a change in attitude.  Try it for 30 days…see what happens and take time to pray about it.  God provides everything we need not everything we want or think we need.  May God’s peace be with you.

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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 December of 2013 in northwestern Wisconsin)

A Walk With God

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How can we feed our faith?  Why does it feel like faith is separate from the rest of life?  Where can I see God at work in my life?  All these questions and many more can be answered…by doing one thing in our life.  Take a daily walk with God.  Choose a time and a place, make it a top priority…other things will come up against it but don’t give up.  It takes a willingness to commit and you can pray for the strength to stick to it.  There is nothing more valuable to me and my faith journey then my time with God each morning.  There isn’t only one way or one time to do this, just be sure to have a version of the Bible that is right for you.  God knows you, He knows about your life, He knows about your joy and He knows about your sorrow…He even knows the things that very few people on earth know about you.  Take time to be with Him because He loves you like nobody else can.  Spend some time and take a walk with God every day.  May God’s peace and love be with you.

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.  Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

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

Serve To Meet The Needs

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When we look at what we do each day for work or what we are doing as a part of our daily routine…sometimes we find ourselves asking, ‘Why am I doing this?’  What is my purpose here?’  It is difficult to remember that our reason sometimes is just to provide for our families, friends or relatives who need us.  A parent who stays at home to care for a child actually can easily see their purpose, it is to provide for the needs of the child, not to serve themselves but strictly to provide for the needs of another.  The interesting part about this, is that purpose is true for all of us all the time…God wants us to love our neighbor as ourselves, care for the needs of others.  For some reason we get caught up in the messages of the world that we become focused more of ourselves and less on others and then when we get older we start to wonder, ‘Why am I doing this?’  ‘What is my purpose?’  If we spend time in the Word of God and read about what He has planned for us, it is simple…focus on meeting the needs of others, not just financially but in all ways in relationship, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, etc.  May God’s peace be with you and those you serve today.

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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)

Every Person Is Unique

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We all have something that is different or unique about who we are today.  It is these differences that make us interesting and uniquely qualified to help others in some way.  Unfortunately, due to human behavior we have taken our differences as something to be judged by, a referendum that is reviewed on social media, chewed up by the general public and pushed aside as broken and no good.  If we look to find out how we are to use our unique abilities we must consult with the One who made us.  Every interaction we have is with another person created by God.  This leads me to one of my favorite quotes – “Be kind to others because every person we encounter is fighting a battle we know nothing about” (many sources attributed to this quote).  The point is God has a plan for each one of us and a purpose for us and because He created us out of His love it is a plan and purpose for our good.  May your uniqueness be a blessing to others today.

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“Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Romans 12:9-12

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

Forgiveness

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Holding on to anger, rage and bitterness is unhealthy.  We know this is true.  Yet we still struggle to overcome the emotions of events.  To be able to exercise forgiveness we need to fully understand the intent.  It is not intended to say that an offender has been excused for their actions…rather it is a statement that we are not going to let the poor choices and actions of another keep us held in a state of  stress and anxiety.  Forgiveness should also be tied to some action to make a better future.  If we hold on to the anger and bitterness they will show up in all areas of our lives and this is a destructive pattern.  When we decide to forgive we are setting ourselves free from heading down a path of darkness.  Again I offer a musical reference to speak to this message…check out this song called Forgiveness by Matthew West.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:31-32

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 near Lake Dillon in Colorado)

Choose Faith Over Fear

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In today’s world it seems we are constantly being asked…Where do you stand?  Which side are you on?  What is your position on this issue?  Social media has intensified everything and because we are human and filled with sin and evil desires, social media has become a disaster, I heard this quote not long ago “social media the cesspool of questionable human behavior” -Dr. Donald Mallard, fictional character on NCIS.  Human behavior…that is the primary reason we are right where we are in today’s world.  A significant number of people have chosen to pursue anger instead of love, worry instead of peace, jealously instead of joy of another’s success, self-serving instead of acting to serve others, resentment instead of happiness and most tragically the majority of people have chosen fear instead of faith.  God is still offering mercy and grace, forgiveness for all…turn to Jesus, invite Him into your heart and life.  Ask the Lord how should I respond, I promise you Faith over Fear will do much more to protect and save people than anything the human race can create on its own.  I pray that more people will come to Christ today.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.  From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

John 14:6-7

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while driving through North Dakota)