Happy Thanksgiving to all!
We have so much to be grateful for. God has given us more than we'll ever need. With Christmas rapidly following, along with all the blessings of family and festivities that we may experience this time of year, our schedules can become very overloaded. I don't ever want to become so absorbed with the busyness of the season that I forget why I'm here and Who I live for.
Here are five simple things we can do every morning before we start our busy day.
1. Acknowledge God's greatness and thank Him for the miracle of another day.
2. Tell Him that you want to make a difference for His kingdom and that you will purpose to be sensitive to those around you, making the most of every opportunity to share His love with others.
3. Trust Him to meet the needs of your day.
4.Reflect on you life. Confess any known sin and ask Him to reveal anything unknown that needs to be made right. Forgive anyone who has hurt you and depend on the Holy Spirit to keep you from sin.
5. Again, acknowledge God's greatness and thank Him for the miracle of another day.
Blessings to everyone during this engaging time of year!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
MARK 12:30
"And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength."
Mark 12:30
According to the Bible Knowledge Background Commentary, the definition of this verse goes as follows:
heart - the seat of spiritual life and the inner being; among other things
soul -life itself, which often involves feelings, emotions and desires. It overlaps with the heart.
mind - understanding and intelligence
strength - refers to one's ability or to one's capacity or power to act.
That brings it up a whole new level for me. It challenges me to study and memorize more. It challenges me to keep my quiet time with the highest priority. It reminds me to get involved and press forward. It is all for Him. It is what really matters.
Mark 12:30
According to the Bible Knowledge Background Commentary, the definition of this verse goes as follows:
heart - the seat of spiritual life and the inner being; among other things
soul -life itself, which often involves feelings, emotions and desires. It overlaps with the heart.
mind - understanding and intelligence
strength - refers to one's ability or to one's capacity or power to act.
That brings it up a whole new level for me. It challenges me to study and memorize more. It challenges me to keep my quiet time with the highest priority. It reminds me to get involved and press forward. It is all for Him. It is what really matters.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
REMEMBER
A couple of months ago, I went on a quest to find out how I can recharge. Through that search, it was revealed to me that I had lost my joy. How could I have lost my joy? This put me on a new chase. I know, as a Christ follower, His joy in our life is essential. It is our strength.
Last blog I shared how joy is not a matter of the ups and downs of life, but rather it is a fruit that is placed within us by the Holy Spirit. It is relational rather than circumstantial. Another way that we can lose our joy is through forgetfulness. We forget what Jesus has done for us. We forget His promises. We forget that earth is not our permanent home and that our real home is in heaven. Sometimes, we can't remember because we simply don't know. In order to know, we must search so we can remember. What is it? What is promised? How do we fit into it?
I challenge myself to memorize God's promises to us. I can't remember them if I don't know them. If I see a book about heaven, I have to devour it. It is our future. It is our joy. In Ephesians 1:18, Paul prays that, "Your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future He has promised to those He has called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance He has given to His people". The Message Bible says He gives us "endless energy and boundless strength". What a joy that awaits us! What promises we have right here and now!
God's goodness is all around us. On Fridays, I try not to request anything of Him. I focus on all the gifts He has blessed us with and glean on His promises. I find myself reminded of the beauty of creation and all that I seem to take for granted that is right under my nose. It is necessary for me to remember. I must choose to learn more about what I should remember. I find a peace and a trust and an anticipation that creates a deep-rooted joy. I find strength. ....... - Remember -
Last blog I shared how joy is not a matter of the ups and downs of life, but rather it is a fruit that is placed within us by the Holy Spirit. It is relational rather than circumstantial. Another way that we can lose our joy is through forgetfulness. We forget what Jesus has done for us. We forget His promises. We forget that earth is not our permanent home and that our real home is in heaven. Sometimes, we can't remember because we simply don't know. In order to know, we must search so we can remember. What is it? What is promised? How do we fit into it?
I challenge myself to memorize God's promises to us. I can't remember them if I don't know them. If I see a book about heaven, I have to devour it. It is our future. It is our joy. In Ephesians 1:18, Paul prays that, "Your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future He has promised to those He has called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance He has given to His people". The Message Bible says He gives us "endless energy and boundless strength". What a joy that awaits us! What promises we have right here and now!
God's goodness is all around us. On Fridays, I try not to request anything of Him. I focus on all the gifts He has blessed us with and glean on His promises. I find myself reminded of the beauty of creation and all that I seem to take for granted that is right under my nose. It is necessary for me to remember. I must choose to learn more about what I should remember. I find a peace and a trust and an anticipation that creates a deep-rooted joy. I find strength. ....... - Remember -
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Let's Talk About Joy
If I were to ask you what makes you happy, I'm sure I would get an array of answers. We're all uniquely wired with our own preferences. I also think that I would get a new set of answers on different days of the week. The truth is that happiness is based on our circumstances. Today, I'd like to share about joy and one aspect, although there are many, that can steal that joy away from us.
Joy is easily confused with happiness. But actually, it is very different. Just as sure as happiness is based on our circumstances, joy is based on a relationship.This relationship is established when you become a follower of Christ. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. We can't muster it up ourselves. It is evidence that God is recreating us to be more like Him.
We can be experiencing something very unpleasant, but still have a deep-rooted joy inside.It's a peace that says, "No matter what's going on around me, I know that I'm being held in God's hands." It creates in us the ability to see past our circumstances and into the positives of the situation and others. When our heart is filled with joy, the Holy Spirit can actually help us overlook the negatives as we focus on what is noble and right, pure and lovely, anything admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. (Phil.4:8) We are told to think on these things.
We're choosing to walk in the flesh when we hold a grudge. It will steal the joy right out of us. "Love keeps no record of when it has been wronged." (1 Cor.13:5)
It would be wonderful if this happened overnight. But the more we choose to follow God's words and yield to the Holy Spirit, the more we will know this deep-rooted joy that encourages us and others. We need God's joy to walk victoriously on this journey together. The joy of the Lord is our strength!
Joy is easily confused with happiness. But actually, it is very different. Just as sure as happiness is based on our circumstances, joy is based on a relationship.This relationship is established when you become a follower of Christ. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. We can't muster it up ourselves. It is evidence that God is recreating us to be more like Him.
We can be experiencing something very unpleasant, but still have a deep-rooted joy inside.It's a peace that says, "No matter what's going on around me, I know that I'm being held in God's hands." It creates in us the ability to see past our circumstances and into the positives of the situation and others. When our heart is filled with joy, the Holy Spirit can actually help us overlook the negatives as we focus on what is noble and right, pure and lovely, anything admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. (Phil.4:8) We are told to think on these things.
We're choosing to walk in the flesh when we hold a grudge. It will steal the joy right out of us. "Love keeps no record of when it has been wronged." (1 Cor.13:5)
It would be wonderful if this happened overnight. But the more we choose to follow God's words and yield to the Holy Spirit, the more we will know this deep-rooted joy that encourages us and others. We need God's joy to walk victoriously on this journey together. The joy of the Lord is our strength!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Everybody Has Stuff
Everybody has stuff. You know what I'm talking about - things in our life that weigh us down; seemingly permanent complications that set us back. It may come in the form of challenging health, heartache with a family member ... or two ... or three, work related pressures. Whatever it is, none of us are exempt. We all have stuff. Some of us would never want to voice it, but I'd be stating an honest fact when I say that our lives would be easier without it.
We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world. It is going to be that way until the day we die. We have to get the thought out of our heads that life is supposed to be fair. Again - we live in a deficient world. We are all dealt a hand of different cards. The question is, what are we going to do with what we've been dealt? If it is something we cannot change, I would like to encourage you to embrace the challenge, knowing that it's there to make you stronger. Just as the refiner heats gold to temperatures that will melt out the impurities, so our heartaches and trials work as tools to refine our souls, creating sensitivity, dying to ourselves and thus having more genuine love for others. The bible tells us to count it all joy. (James.1:2-4)
If you are a follower of Jesus, the bible also tells us that all things work together for the good, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.(Rom. 8:28) If you've never made the decision to live for Christ, there's no time like the present. No matter how good we try to be, none of us can get to heaven on our own. Jesus is the only unblemished person who walked upon the earth. He took the weight of our sin upon Himself, died and rose again to heaven. Those who depend on and have yielded their life to Him are then covered by His grace. They are now adopted into God's family, where one day, we will all be together in that perfect place called heaven. With that said, you too, can have everything working together for the good. Make the decision to become a follower of Christ. It's never too late; no one has ever gone too far. He takes all things and makes them new!
... So what are you going to do with what is on your plate? Many of us would love to jump right into the dessert. The vegetables don't always taste so good and some of us are not very big meat eaters. But without the sometimes dull / sometimes bitter tasting veggies we would not be healthy. And it is so important to regenerate our cells and feed our bones and muscles with protein. We need the bitter with the sweet. We need the meat with the milk.
For many of us, the toughest trials to swallow are the very ones responsible for some of our most life changing victories. Through life's unpleasant situations, we can learn to depend on the faithfulness of our Father. Even though pain may be present, we can expectantly trust in the One who makes all things new and works it out, not only for ourselves, but also for the good of others.
We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world. It is going to be that way until the day we die. We have to get the thought out of our heads that life is supposed to be fair. Again - we live in a deficient world. We are all dealt a hand of different cards. The question is, what are we going to do with what we've been dealt? If it is something we cannot change, I would like to encourage you to embrace the challenge, knowing that it's there to make you stronger. Just as the refiner heats gold to temperatures that will melt out the impurities, so our heartaches and trials work as tools to refine our souls, creating sensitivity, dying to ourselves and thus having more genuine love for others. The bible tells us to count it all joy. (James.1:2-4)
If you are a follower of Jesus, the bible also tells us that all things work together for the good, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.(Rom. 8:28) If you've never made the decision to live for Christ, there's no time like the present. No matter how good we try to be, none of us can get to heaven on our own. Jesus is the only unblemished person who walked upon the earth. He took the weight of our sin upon Himself, died and rose again to heaven. Those who depend on and have yielded their life to Him are then covered by His grace. They are now adopted into God's family, where one day, we will all be together in that perfect place called heaven. With that said, you too, can have everything working together for the good. Make the decision to become a follower of Christ. It's never too late; no one has ever gone too far. He takes all things and makes them new!
... So what are you going to do with what is on your plate? Many of us would love to jump right into the dessert. The vegetables don't always taste so good and some of us are not very big meat eaters. But without the sometimes dull / sometimes bitter tasting veggies we would not be healthy. And it is so important to regenerate our cells and feed our bones and muscles with protein. We need the bitter with the sweet. We need the meat with the milk.
For many of us, the toughest trials to swallow are the very ones responsible for some of our most life changing victories. Through life's unpleasant situations, we can learn to depend on the faithfulness of our Father. Even though pain may be present, we can expectantly trust in the One who makes all things new and works it out, not only for ourselves, but also for the good of others.
Friday, June 10, 2011
On Guard!
It's a scary thing to lose sight of love. It's happened to me and it will happen again. All perspectives get thrown off course. It's as if we are looking through someone else' eyes and we feel lost.
Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 16:13 to be on guard. What is your "on guard" trigger?
Ego
Perfection
Self - gratitfication
A critical heart
Laziness / complacency
Worry
Fear
Gossip
Comparing
I guess I can go on, but you know what I mean. We all have trigger points that set us off the preferred path. Some, we constantly battle; while others suddenly pop up. That's why it's so important to guard our hearts. We don't want to fuel the negative fire to go any further.
Pastor David mentioned the other night, "Love must surround everything we say and do". I know that's the cry of my heart. To be on guard takes discipline to set our minds on things above .... no matter what the circumstance. God won't give us more than His grace can't handle. It will take courage. It will take strength. But if we keep at it and don't quit, we will be steady on our feet and kept completely whole. (Isaiah 26:3)
So .... "Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. And everything you do must be done with love." (1 Cor. 16:13
Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 16:13 to be on guard. What is your "on guard" trigger?
Ego
Perfection
Self - gratitfication
A critical heart
Laziness / complacency
Worry
Fear
Gossip
Comparing
I guess I can go on, but you know what I mean. We all have trigger points that set us off the preferred path. Some, we constantly battle; while others suddenly pop up. That's why it's so important to guard our hearts. We don't want to fuel the negative fire to go any further.
Pastor David mentioned the other night, "Love must surround everything we say and do". I know that's the cry of my heart. To be on guard takes discipline to set our minds on things above .... no matter what the circumstance. God won't give us more than His grace can't handle. It will take courage. It will take strength. But if we keep at it and don't quit, we will be steady on our feet and kept completely whole. (Isaiah 26:3)
So .... "Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. And everything you do must be done with love." (1 Cor. 16:13
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Power of a Smile
Isn't it amazing what a smile will do? It can transform a dark situation into feelings of hope. The power that laughter brings actually heals, at times. "A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing." (Proverbs 17:22a) When you last received a smile from a perfect stranger, didn't it feel good? A smile is free. At this day and age, it's usually hard to find. For some, it's hard to produce. but I find that it overflows in children. Jesus says we must become like children. A smile shines naturally if the heart is actively trusting, forgiving and choosing to love.
Oh, it's easy to smile when all is well. There was a day, almost eight years ago, I was very busy running from place to place, trying to get everything done that needed to be taken care of for the big night I had planned. I noticed that people were exceptionally happy that day. Everywhere I went strangers were not only smiling at me, but they were flashing their pearly whites to the point that I almost needed to keep my sunglasses on indoors. Finally, my last stop - I needed to run into the grocery store. I made a quick entrance into the restroom just to make sure that I wasn't the cause for the world's entertainment of the day. Were people laughing at me? And then I looked into the mirror. Oh my goodness - I was contagious!! You see, that evening I was going to marry the most wonderful gift that God has ever given me; and I was sharing that joy with everyone through my smile. Strangers were basically responding back to what I was giving them.
A smile is a free gift from God. Sometimes, as in my wedding story, it comes easy and is simply an over-abundance of the heart. But there are days when just smiling is a true effort. King David used to tell his soul to "take joy". In taking joy, we are placing our day into God's hands. Smiling, then, is an action of faith. It is trusting God in His sovereignty. It pleases Him and is a form of worship to Him. It is coming out of ourselves and being "others - focused".
I challenge you, as well as myself, to be contagious and welcoming with our smile. It is our first impression to others and it can lead to an open door to building God's kingdom. Let's grow down and out and up together.
Oh, it's easy to smile when all is well. There was a day, almost eight years ago, I was very busy running from place to place, trying to get everything done that needed to be taken care of for the big night I had planned. I noticed that people were exceptionally happy that day. Everywhere I went strangers were not only smiling at me, but they were flashing their pearly whites to the point that I almost needed to keep my sunglasses on indoors. Finally, my last stop - I needed to run into the grocery store. I made a quick entrance into the restroom just to make sure that I wasn't the cause for the world's entertainment of the day. Were people laughing at me? And then I looked into the mirror. Oh my goodness - I was contagious!! You see, that evening I was going to marry the most wonderful gift that God has ever given me; and I was sharing that joy with everyone through my smile. Strangers were basically responding back to what I was giving them.
A smile is a free gift from God. Sometimes, as in my wedding story, it comes easy and is simply an over-abundance of the heart. But there are days when just smiling is a true effort. King David used to tell his soul to "take joy". In taking joy, we are placing our day into God's hands. Smiling, then, is an action of faith. It is trusting God in His sovereignty. It pleases Him and is a form of worship to Him. It is coming out of ourselves and being "others - focused".
I challenge you, as well as myself, to be contagious and welcoming with our smile. It is our first impression to others and it can lead to an open door to building God's kingdom. Let's grow down and out and up together.
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