Questions

The Lord Of My Everything?

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One of my struggles in faith is opening up to the Lord for everything.  Not only the parts of my life and my heart I think He wants to be involved in…that would be God on my terms.  It does not work like that.  God is the God of everything and Jesus Christ is Lord of all.  All of creation, all people in all nations since the beginning of time and His love for everything, His grace and His mercy will endure forever.  It is so difficult for my finite mind to comprehend the totality of God and His love.  He is more than the God of Sunday morning or Wednesday evening…He is more than the God of when I really need help or a crisis is happening…He is more than a beautiful sunrise or sunset when we feel more of His presence.  He is the Lord of housework, the Lord of daily errands, the Lord of trips to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, He is the Lord of where you work and what you do…He is the Lord of everything.  Period.  The best part of all of this means He is right there waiting to hear from you about all of it.  He is your Lord and Savior and even though that doesn’t mean everything will be easy and good He is with you through it all everyday.  May God’s presence, His love, His joy and His forgiveness be present in your life everyday.

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“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of the life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm 23:6

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

Attitude

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Here it is…the one thing you have the most control over in your entire life…your attitude.  You choose what it is, about everything and everyday.  As I have shared in the past Charles Swindoll who is a pastor, author, teacher, etc has written the best description for us to reflect on when thinking about our attitude.  Here is what he wrote…

Attitude

by Charles Swindoll

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.  It will make or break a company…a church…a home.  The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.  We cannot change our past…we cannot change that people will act a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it.  And so it is with you…we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

To learn more about Charles Swindoll you can go to his website http://www.insight.org/

In the words of Forrest Gump…”That’s all I have to say about that”

May God’s peace, love and joy be with you.

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“What, then, shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:31

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

 

Angels All Around Us

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As we go about our journey of life God knows we will need His ever-present help along the way.  Creation has so much to offer us but we still live in a fallen world.  God is constantly sending in His angels to guide and protect us throughout our life.  Angels come in and protect us, and the help they provide is typically essential in our daily lives.  When you reflect on moments in your life where something incredible was avoided or times when a decision you made quickly ended up keeping you and others safe…do you believe angels played a part in the process?  I do.  God does not do His work alone…it is written about in the bible and I believe He has an army of angels working for the good of those who love Him.  May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Psalms 91:11-12

(This photo was taken in September of 2014 on a walk in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Believe

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How many times do you have to see something to believe it?  How many stories do you have to hear to accept the facts?  When something in life seems to be beyond comprehension what does it take for you to believe it?  In the Gospel of John we see both the human side and the Godly side of Jesus…in chapter 11 there is the story of Jesus coming to where Lazarus the brother of Martha and Mary has been laid in a tomb.  Lazarus has been dead for four days, starting at verse 35 and concluding at verse 44 Jesus shows all that He is…

“Jesus wept” – John 11:35

“When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”  The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.  Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” – John 11:43-44

There are many more stories throughout the bible that show the truth about who Jesus is and that God sent Him out of love to save us from our sins.  Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Son of Man, as He said…”I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” – John 14:6…Do you believe it?

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“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?”

John 11:25-26

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 in White Sands National Monument in New Mexico)

Have Faith…Pass It On

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There is nothing greater in this world then a belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Your relationship with Him is the foundation of your Faith.  It does not mean life will be easy and it does not mean you will get everything you have ever wanted in life.  The world and evil continues to send us messages that if what we are pursuing doesn’t end with convenience or an easy life it is not worth pursuit.  Not true!  True joy, peace and contentment does not come from chasing after things to satisfy the self.  It comes from knowing that you are loved and you are saved from your sins no matter how much you mess up.  True faith is built by spending time on your relationship with God everyday and by sharing the Good News with others, especially those in the next generation.  May the peace and understanding of God in faith be with you.

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“How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!”

Proverbs 16:16

“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalms 100:5

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

Holy Living

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We are broken but we are saved.  We are sinful but we are forgiven.  We live in a dark world but Jesus Christ is the light of the world.  For every statement about human life on earth God has provided an answer and hope for a future.  There is no need to dwell in negativity and sadness for an extended period of time.  Pick up the Bible and read God’s Word.  Read the stories of those who came before us and the real struggles they went through even when Jesus Christ was here on earth.  We will never be perfect but we will always have hope because of God’s love.  Choose positive responses to life’s questions and live your best holy life according to God’s Word.  May God’s peace and contentment be with you.

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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 whatever grievances you may have against one another.  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 July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Take Refuge In Him

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The world is an attacking place filled with darkness, deceitfulness and evil.  The only place to seek refuge from the storms of life is in God.  There are several examples in the Bible of people who were under attack by others or by circumstances surrounding them…Abraham, Elijah, Job, the disciples, Jesus etc.  They all took refuge in God, through prayer and listening.  We don’t have to have all the answers and we never will…we just need the courage to seek our relationship with God everyday and be able to listen and understand where He is leading us.  May you experience the peace and joy of God today.

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“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless.  He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.”

Psalm 18:30

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

The Love Of God

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It may be hard to believe sometimes…it seems unfathomable, an error in judgement or even misguided from our perspective.  However, it is true…God loves you, unconditionally.  There is nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God.  It has all been tried over and over again throughout the Old Testament, so God took things up a notch and sent His one and only Son to triumph over all, forever.  He had it written about before it occurred in the Old Testament and then again after it occurred in the New Testament.  God loves you and He is right there with you, He knows the struggles and the victory you experience in your life every day.  Talk with God, thank Him for His never-ending love and seek His will as you go forward in your faith and life journey.  May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“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 8:37-39

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

Forgiveness

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This is something we all want and need and yet it is so hard to give to others.  The part to work on is remembering this is not saying what someone did or said is Ok…forgiveness is making a commitment to not hold on to bitterness and hardness in your heart over something that happened in the past and can’t be changed.  We all make mistakes and we all will be making more mistakes in life, forgiveness is about the courage to move forward and to find joy, it is about letting go of the things in the past.  The best place to start to forgive is to turn to God in prayer, as He has forgiven you already.  Look up the serenity prayer and use it to speak to God about the forgiveness needed in your life.  May God’s grace and mercy be with you.

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“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalm 51:10-12

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

Be Strong And Courageous

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Don’t give up, don’t stop trying…whatever it is the next attempt can be the one that gets the results you are hoping to see.  Be persistent and be creative.  When you have exhausted your approach to an issue or situation, be open and willing to change how you think about it and try again.  Pray about it as well, lift your worries and concerns up to Jesus in prayer.  Surrender your plans only to God and see what He has in store for you.  No matter what the circumstances God is with you and He can guide you.  May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

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