prayer

Living In The Light

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Choose to be optimistic…choose to have gratitude…be thankful…appreciate all that you have been blessed with each day.  Some days you may feel like there is not much to be thankful for, yet I encourage you to seek something to have gratitude about receiving or having available.  The more you practice gratitude and thankfulness the easier it gets.  The world is full of good things and good people…we have to want to see them.  This is about changing our perspective and our attitude, not about the world and others changing things to fit our wants and desires.  May we be filled with the light of Christ in our everyday interactions.  Amen.

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“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Ephesians 4:29

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

Everything, Anything

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Nothing is to big, to complex.  Nothing is to powerful.  Nothing is to difficult to solve.  When we believe in Jesus Christ and trust Him with our everything, everyday we know that God will guide our way through anything we encounter in life.  It may not be the way we would do it on our own, but that is the point, on our own we would get stuck…stopped, without resolution.  No matter what it is you are facing, no matter what battle is knocking you back or down…get back up and surrender the issue to God.  That doesn’t mean you stop doing things or stop living, it means you do your best according to God’s word to live by the fruits of the Spirit and let God take care of the rest.  May we all take steps to surrender our worries and our anxieties to the Lord.  Amen.

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“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13

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

The Love Of Christ

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We can search our entire life for something to comfort us, to depend on and to know that it is always watching over us…and yet there is only one thing that can be all of this and more for everyone…that is the love of Jesus Christ.  Nothing in this world is as powerful as the love of Christ.  No event or circumstances can compare with the death and resurrection of Jesus and the fact that He endured it all for you and for me because of  love.  It is the greatest gift we will ever receive and the most important thing we can share with others.  I pray we all seek ways to shine a light on the love of Christ in our lives.  Amen.

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“…And I pray that you, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…”

Ephesians 3:17-18

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 at Devils Island in the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior)

In The Midst Of The Storm

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What is the storm in your life?  Think about a weather storm…what is the process people go through?  Prepare for the event…look for where are you going to be safe…ensure others have safety as well…ride out the most difficult and stressful action of the storm…after it passes, come out and assess the damage…clean up…begin the process of repairing, rebuilding, restoring…make things new again.

These are the same steps and a similar process we all go through for many different reasons on our faith journey and in our spiritual life.  Just like the weather you will not be able to completely avoid the storms and God knows this…He sent His Son to save us and He sends the Holy Spirit to guide us.  The storms of life can last for many years but no matter what the world throws at you…God is a refuge and a shelter in all the storms.  May we all seek to the Lord to get us through in the midst of the storm.  Amen.

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“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7

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

Distractions

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It is so easy to get caught up in the things of this world.  So easy to lose focus from our purpose and why we are here.  The world is full of distractions and it is when we take our eyes off of Jesus and our faith that we begin to feel things becoming overwhelming.  We need to continually find ways to feed our faith and seek spiritual growth.  To build our relationship with our Savior and keep our focus on living a life centered on faith.  Jesus Christ is with you, even when you aren’t paying attention to Him…turn towards Christ and trust in Him to lead and guide you.  May the peace and love of Christ wash over us in our daily life.  Amen.

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“Lord if it is you,”  Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  ” Come,” he said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried our “Lord, save me!” 

Immediately Jesus reached our his hand and caught him.  “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:28-31

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Be Transformed

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Changed…renewed…remade…to make new again.  How we live, the decisions we make, our purpose and perspective are continually influenced by our life in this world.  If we fail to spend time feeding our minds and spiritual being with the Word of God and if we don’t spend time in prayer in relationship and communication with God, we will become like the world.  Only God can make us new again, with forgiveness, wisdom, courage, knowledge, trust and faith.  There are people in the world striving for the Fruits of the Spirit in their life…you may have to look for them with new eyes and a new perspective and those are available to all of us because of Jesus.  I pray we feed our faith and strive towards God and His will and away from the sinful nature.  Amen.

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“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

Romans 12:2

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at City Park in Winterset, Iowa)

Do Not Be Afraid

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Fear can be powerful, if we let it.  It can stop growth and progress, it can create major detours in our lives and relationships that none of us planned on taking.  It is a weapon of evil that is used frequently on everyone.  We can overcome fear, we can proceed with care and caution while still moving forward on the path God has put before us.  We can’t do this alone and the good news is we don’t have to.  God sent Jesus Christ into the world to save us and to teach us.  We are not alone and if you find yourself in circumstances wondering ‘how is this going to change or get better?’  Remember, all things are possible with God.  I pray we take our worries and our fears to the Lord and let Him guide our way.  Amen.

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“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Luke 2:10

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

The Message Of Hope

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No matter what is happening…no matter the circumstances in your life and relationships…even when you can’t see the way…The Word of God provides the message of Hope and a future with the Lord.  The world will provide false truths and absolutes…through the prophets of the Old Testament, through Jesus and the disciples in the New Testament, God provides Hope.  Throughout human history there has been suffering, tragedies and evil, God knows these things will occur in a fallen world filled with sin.  Yet only God can take the broken, suffering, worn down people of this world and give them a new perspective, a renewed strength and a belief in the Hope of good things even in the darkest hours.  Jesus Christ experienced the worst suffering and treatment that humankind can offer and God used that event to provide the greatest moment of Hope the world has ever seen.  I pray we take time to read about God’s message of Hope and believe in what God has in store for us and our lives.  Amen.

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Gifts For Your Faith Journey

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Each one of us has been blessed with gifts, abilities, strengths.  God created us out of His love and our love for God can be expressed best by using the gifts He has given us for good things.  The hesitation or fear we sense when we are unsure about things can be very uncomfortable…we must be willing to take time and reflect on times when God has showed up and we were made aware of our gifts.  We also need to be sure to be in prayer and not take all our cues about who we are or what we can do from the world as evil and darkness wants us to do very little in relation to what God intended for us.  Our Faith is a journey and the best part is God packed our bag full of the right things for us to take on this journey…it is up to us to be sure we talk with Him about it often and use the things God has given us.  I pray we all have courage, confidence and trust in the Lord until the day we go home to be with Him.  Amen.

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“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share in your master’s happiness!”

Matthew 25:21

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 while on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

Love Conquers All

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The driving force in any relationship is love.  It is described by specific behaviors to us in 1 Corinthians 13, so that we know what it means to love.  These words are read at more weddings than any other bible verse…just hearing or reading the words alone is not enough.  How do each of us as individuals put the words in 1 Corinthians 13 into actions and behaviors in our lives and relationships?  When we look at the life of Jesus…He did not only tell people to pray, He did it…He did not only teach people to help others in need, He did that to…He did not only speak about love…He did the one thing that showed the world His love for all people, for everyone and anyone who ever lives to see.  True love that shows up in our actions and our behaviors will always win over the most difficult and tragic situations.  How can we get better at practicing love in our lives?  I pray we seek to understand where we need to be better at love in our relationships.  Amen.

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“There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

1 John 4:18

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior in Ashland, Wisconsin)