serving others

Do Good Works

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Go out into the world of your daily life knowing that God is with you and do good things.  Do not measure your goodness by how people in this world do or do not react, do not measure your goodness by how many “likes”  or “shares” you have on social media.  Do good work that benefits, encourages and uplifts another person.  It can be just one other person or it can be more depending on where God is leading you.  Fulfill a need of another person without expectation of getting something in return.  Everything you do, every single day, God knows about it and our relationship with Him is most important one of our lives.  May God’s love and peace be with you.

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“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while driving through southern New Mexico)

Share Goodness

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Whenever you can, share the goodness of life.  Make eye contact and smile at other people, hold a door open, help someone carry things, be patient with others, listen instead of talking and support those in need without expectation of something in return.  When we choose to live in community with one another we can see the goodness of the Lord in life.  It is striving to get back to the basics of interacting with each other in a simple and kind manner.  It is a choice, we are not victims of our environment or our surroundings unless we choose to be.  If you don’t know how or where to start, I would recommend getting out into nature and be present in God’s creation.  Nothing soothes my soul better than being outdoors in the amazing world God created.  May God’s peace and the wonder of creation be with you.

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“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

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

Living For God – A Prayer by St. Francis of Assisi

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Make me a channel of Your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring Your love,
Where there is injury Your pardon Lord,
And where there’s doubt, true faith in You.

Make me a channel of Your peace.
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope,
Where there is darkness, only light,
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.

Oh, Master, grant that I may never seek,
So much to be consoled, as to console.
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of Your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving to all men that we receive,
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

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“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.  If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.  To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.  Amen.”

1 Peter 4:10-11

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

Living In God’s Grace

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“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

1 Peter 4:8-10

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Freedom To Choose…

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“You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  The entire law is summed up in a single command:  “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

Galatians 5:13-15

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota)

Work For God – Make Ripples

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The words of the Apostle Paul as written in his letter to the Philippians…

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:1-4

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

Grace

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“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:8-10

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 on Beartooth Pass in Montana)