Time

The Power Of Prayer

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I am learning that our perspective about prayer says quite a bit about our beliefs and lack of understanding of the true and effective power of prayer.  In the last few days I have heard that the only thing the disciples truly asked Jesus to teach them is how to pray.  What does that tell you about its power?  When people are talking about a situation a friend or family member is experiencing and the comment ‘all I can do is pray’ is spoken it sounds so last resort and as if I can’t help them…prayer is not a last ditch effort to make change, people say I don’t know how to pray…there is no right way or right words the most important part of prayer is that it is sincere, comes from the heart and is offered with the belief in its power.  If you pray and have thoughts that I really am not helping or believe nothing is going to change, you are only viewing a response from your perspective and your timing.  Belief in the power of prayer is offering your prayers to God and giving the prayer to Him and believing that He loves you and the people you are praying for, no matter what the outcome may be…God is not a genie in a bottle, He is your Creator, Savior and all loving Father.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of the righteous man is powerful and effective.”

James 5:16

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

Transformation

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A process of change or alteration…on our faith journey this is a core element in growing your faith.  We come with questions, doubts, fears and hesitation.  All the answers eventually end up at Jesus.  It takes a different amount of time for each person to process the questions and doubts and fears but we all end up at the cross.  That is not the end…Jesus and the cross are the answers and when we continue in our life and journey we take that knowledge and face many of the same questions, doubts, fears and hesitations only now we approach the things of this world with a new perspective because we have been transformed.  The faith journey continues with the Holy Spirit guiding us, we can’t stop at the cross and not go out again into this fallen world…the love of God will change our perspective and we are to share that with others.  May God’s love and peace be with you.

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“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:6

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

First Seek God

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When we are preparing for something such as hosting a holiday with family and friends or going on a trip or taking on a new position or job, even planning a wedding.  We often spend a great deal of time and effort planning and doing all the little details to get ready or some people choose to spend very little time planning and they just do…either way in both scenario’s we often don’t stop and pray about it to God.  Sometimes we do but that is right before we eat or right before we walk in the door on our first day or as we step on the plane to leave.  It feels kinda like, ‘Ok God I spent a great deal of effort getting ready and checking all the boxes to do this, now you make sure it all goes as I have planned, Oh and don’t forget the…’ we are human it appears to be in our nature.  What if when the possibility of something to be planned is presented we go to God first and seek His plan to see if it is what He has set for us?  It will be hard at first as changing behavior always is and we will still go our own way sometimes, (I recently did this and am making my way back to God’s plan) in the end it will all be worth it to follow Him.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:33-34

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

Don’t Give Up

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Our lives are filled with moments and memories…some are good times and some are difficult.  We all tend to embellish a bit in our memories, the memory of good times seem to be really good and the memory of bad times seem to be really bad.  For many there seems to be more bad memories that start to take a person down a road where even the present moments are seen through their eyes with a negative perspective.  This is a quick spiral downward and we can get stuck in the swirl of negativity.  We have to have the courage to choose a new perspective, a more balanced view things and we are fed that perspective when we read the Word of God.  When times are hard and it feels like you are making no progress on anything…don’t give up, keep pressing on, keep believing…that is your faith at work.  Goodness will come to those who believe in the hope that God provides through Jesus Christ.  May God’s peace 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.”

Colossians 3:12

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

Self-less

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One of the most tragic afflictions of our time is selfishness or being self-focused.  The look at me, make sure I have more than others, constantly assessing my place compared to others and then determining my own value based on what others think or tell me they think about me mentality.  This perspective pushes God to the side and puts me first as the top priority.  This has always been an affliction on human society and it seems to have grown exponentially since the explosion of social media.  One of the world’s greatest needs right now is more humility and less selfies.  Imagine the impact on human relationships when people are looking to lift others up as often as they care for themselves.  I am not suggesting we ignore ourselves rather we strive for a better balance in the way we live.  I pray that we all take time to be humble and serve as much as we look to be served.  As usual with faith it’s simple but not easy.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Do nothing out of selfish ambition of 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 2:3-4

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

Living Faith

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What does it mean to live out our faith?  What does it look like?  Questions like these make me and others stumble often…as if there is one way and only one way to be a person of faith and if we could just figure that out…man things would always be great and easy…uh no.  The life of faith is not presented as easy in the bible and I am pretty sure Jesus never said, come follow me and everything will be easy and you will always be happy.  Faith is a journey.  It is communicating with God, showing the fruits of the spirit in your daily walk, being thankful and having gratitude, being patient and trusting in God’s plan even when we don’t see it from His perspective.  It’s hard and Jesus knows this first hand, He was here, He lived it, temptations and all…He suffered too.  Then the next question becomes…Why? and at the core of faith is the one important thing that can answer the question of why…Love.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7

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

 

Servant Leadership

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I have been doing some reflection on this phrase and what it is all about.  In my faith journey I have learned that Jesus while on earth was a servant leader.  He set the example for others, he was willing to humbly do and be what was needed to spread His message of love and service to grow the spiritual life of the apostles first and then to spread the Word to the far reaches of the world through them.  To be a servant leader is to be a listener, to have awareness of the needs of others, to have empathy, to build community and to enrich the lives of others so that they can achieve their best.  It is not about the individual as a leader in power over others…rather it is about serving others as the leader to help everyone achieve good things as a community.  The best way to learn about this is to study the best example we have…Jesus.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

John 13:15

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

Each Has A Purpose

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The makeup of a car engine has many different parts and all the parts work together to create a properly running engine.  The slightest malfunction of one part may stop an engine from running completely or will at the very least create a rough running situation that can damage the engine for the long term.  The bible talks about the body of Christ in the same way.  We are all members of the body of Christ and we all have different functions according to the gifts and blessings we have received.  In order to grow the body of Christ which is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ across the world we all need to learn and understand our part and perform it to the best of our ability.  What is your function in the body of Christ?  Seek it and live it.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

Romans 12:4-5

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

Peace Of Christ

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Each day can be filled with ups and downs, depending on where you focus your thoughts and your energy, a day can feel like quite a roller-coaster ride.  At the end of a day like this we are exhausted, tired and we just want some stability and peace of mind for a period of time in order to have a better balance to life.  I have found one way to access peace on a day to day basis and I have learned that you have to go get it, this is my time with the Word of God…the world is not looking to provide you peace of mind or time to rest.  The demands will keep coming from all areas of your life…be courageous and when necessary you can say no in order to defend your time.  For me a start to every day is coffee and with that coffee is time with God.  If something is planned for the morning I try to get up a little earlier or say no or reschedule if it will conflict with my time.  To be clear this isn’t always smooth and easy but what is significant is that it has become a time of priority for me and a time I look forward to every day.  Jesus sacrificed himself in order to reconcile us with God the Father, it is up to us to take advantage of this reconciliation and build our relationship with Him…every day.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.”

Colossians 3:15

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

Grace

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To the Christian this is the free and unearned favor of God shown to us by the sacrifice Jesus endured to save us and it continues in the many blessings we have in our daily lives.  Too often I get lost in the minutia of life, focusing or worrying about something that at the end of the day really doesn’t deserve that much of my time and attention, either because it is not something I can control or more commonly it is in the past and it can’t be changed.  When we begin to spend time with the Word of God it will seep in to us in places we usually don’t like to acknowledge, deep in our souls to places we don’t show to the outside world.  God knows about these places and still He loves us.  We don’t deserve it, we didn’t have to pay for it…yet Jesus offered himself up and showed us…Grace.  Let Christ in to your heart and mind every day, He loves you and He goes with you everywhere you go.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Pike’s Peak in Colorado)