Vision

His Sacrifice For Us

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How often is it that we come across someone who literally has everything they need and everything they could want…a person that willingly decides I am ready to give up everything I have to help others?  It has happened and there are people in the world who have sold everything they own and gone overseas as a missionary.  I am pretty certain that is not what God has planned for me and my life…but to stop and think about the fact that Jesus was literally sitting at the right hand of God and came down to be born as a baby…to become one of us, in order to save us because of his love for us…that someone would willingly give up everything to help save you and me…I am eternally grateful for Him.  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 July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Choose Holy Living

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With each day the gift of free will means we can choose our attitude toward everything…we can choose our attitude towards what other people think, say or do.  We can choose to be kind and compassionate or we can respond with vicious words and wrath…nobody can make you do this, it is up to you how you respond even if you don’t take the time to think about your response you are still accountable for your behavior every day.  Choose patience…choose kindness and compassion…be forgiving and most of all no matter what choose to respond with love…after all that is what Jesus did for us.  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.  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 June of 2016 at a lake near Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Once For All

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Never give up hope.  Out of the most tragic circumstances can come the greatest peace and the greatest joy.  Look at the people alive when Jesus was here on earth.  They believed in him as the one person who was going to save them from corrupt government and tyranny.  Then the most tragic set of events occurred…he died…he was crucified even though he was with out sin.  For three days they mourned and were very frightened for there own lives.  Then the most amazing and unexpected thing happened next…he was raised from the dead.  Can you imagine the unbelievable joy they sensed when they were speaking with him?  Incredible…yet without his death and the death of our sins there could be no resurrection.  May God’s peace be with you.

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“For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.  The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 6:9-11

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

Faithfulness

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Every generation of people has struggles and suffering…God wants to help us and guide us through the struggles.  We suffer because humans beings invited evil into the world… God never said come follow me and life will be easy.  If fact the bible states…“In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome this world” (John 16:33).  He knows what you are facing every single day of your life, he knew it before you were born and he sent His One and Only Son to show us how much he loves us.  Trust God’s plan by spending time with him each day, read the bible and you will see God’s faithfulness surround you.  May God’s 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 August of 2016 near Arches National Park in Utah)

Perspective

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When you focus a portion of time each day communing with the Lord and reading the Scriptures you will begin to feed and develop your faith foundation.  This foundation can become what you stand on whenever you are faced with difficulties and challenges in everyday life.  We learn from the teachings in the bible that God is love and he loves us and he wants to have a personal relationship with us.

Seek to get to know God…just you and Him and that relationship will give you a new and refreshed perspective on your everyday existence.  May God’s peace be with you!

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

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

Living By The Spirit

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We receive messages all day long about “how we are to live”…”what we are to want”…as if we are missing out on something from this world if we don’t do or want the same things everyone else desires.  The Christian life is not better than others but rather different.  Dare to be different and trust God to guide your way.

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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 place in central Minnesota)

Happy New Year…Ask, Seek, Knock

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It is a new day, a new time and a new year.  As you look around your life…think about when in your daily routine can you commit to spending a few minutes with God every day.  What is a comfortable place for you to sit or kneel?  What time of day is it?  Do you have a devotional book to guide you?

Make a plan to start a new daily habit.  For me it started as coffee with God each morning, because if I could spend that much effort to have coffee for myself I sure as heck better be able to spend a few minutes in the quiet of the morning with my Creator…and it has grown into a time in the morning I look forward to every day.

The best part is you can start without the plan…just find a quiet moment and ask God to help you find a way to meet with Him each day and then pay attention for the opportunities…May the peace of God be with you!

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“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8

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

New Year’s Eve; Reflect…Forgive…Love

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As the sun sets on another year today take time to reflect on your life and interactions with other people.  For the times you feel that you were wronged find a way to forgive others…not for them but for yourself…think also about how you will be a light of the love Jesus Christ gave to all us when he came down from heaven to save us.

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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

As I close this year of devotions I leave you with the words of the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians…

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

2 Corinthians 13:14

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