Weekend Encouragement

Good evening friends. I sincerely hope your weekend is going well. I hope they are correct in forecasting that it will warm up a bit next week, I am kinda done with winter. I know it’s just February but still, I am done. I am thinking of spring thoughts to help me visualize that warmth is coming…

This morning, the new church council met for a retreat to get focused with its programs for the coming year; what worked last year, what do we hope for in the coming year and to support each other as a team. One of the things we touched on that got me thinking was “Soul Care”, what does it look like for each of us and how can we use it to help others. We were given a list of 10 items and we were to rate them on how they worked for us in our own spiritual care. Because it is true, if we don’t participate in our own soul care, we can’t help others, who may be struggling, take care of theirs. The pastor reminded us that while Jesus was very much engaged in helping others, He knew He needed time to take care of Himself as well by going off quietly to rejuvenate and refocus. He never loses the connection with God and then in turn He reaches out to us with that same connection. Staying connected through our soul.

I bring all that up because while we were discussing these 10 items, this morning’s devotion kept coming back to mind. One of the 10 items was “do devotions play a part in your soul care”. For me it’s a definite yes and when I read something that rings a bell for me, I like to share it with others. I don’t have the training or wisdom to come up with these ideas on my own but when I read what someone wrote and how it relates to scripture, then I like to share it to encourage others like I was encouraged.

Two of the devotions I read are written in the first person of Jesus as though He was actually speaking. Matter of fact, one of them is called “Jesus Speaks” by Steven Scott. Today’s devotion ties right in with what we were discussing at the retreat – “Soul Care” and how praying creates a connection of love, peace, nurturing that we all need with God and that it needs to be done quietly and privately.

It’s personal between you and God. This is a familiar passage I have read many times but as the devotion unfolded it made a statement that made me take a second look and it’s the second look that I want to share with you today – a different way to see how God interacts with you, because He is always there, even when we don’t feel Him.

“Praying alone and in secret for more than a few minutes requires faith. You need faith that the Father and I will truly be with you and will listen to your heart.” from Jesus Speaks

Did you catch that – the Father and I? We have always been taught that Jesus intercedes for us, that God and Jesus hear our prayers but it hit me today – they do this together. I know you are all going “well yeah ” but you are not getting my simple brain epiphany. See if this picture helps where my brain went.

God has one hand and Jesus has the other at the same time – always guiding, always nurturing, always there. Whether we feel it or not and in some cases, whether we believe it or not. Opening our hearts to God the Father and God the Son with any care, any concern or any hope we have will be answered with love, peace and comfort.

When you have finished your groanings before God, meditate on His words and listen to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.

“We will be waiting.” from Jesus Speaks

How marvelous it is to know we are never alone in this world, even at the darkest times. Thank you Lord. I sincerely hope my musings brought you a little encouragement on this cold February day. Send the encouragement forward if you like to help lighten the dark for others who may need it. And as always remember the power and beauty of kindness.

Morning Encouragement, Jan 6

Good chilly morning friends as we are in single digits today. I hope you are all staying warm. I have several devotions I read each morning along with my bible and thought I would share some of those thoughts with you. I sincerely hope they bring you comfort, encouragement and a warm smile.
Billy Graham’s devotion this morning tied right in with bible study yesterday. He spoke of our need for constant anticipation of Jesus’ return.
If we could live everyday as though it may be the very last one before the final judgment, what a difference it would make here on earth! Billy Graham

“I never begin my work in the morning without thinking that perhaps he may interrupt my work and begin His own. I am not looking for death. I am looking for Him.” Dr. G. Campbell Morgan
I think some days we tend to plunge forward moving from task to task not thinking at all about the future of that glorious day and in turn totally missing the wonder of it and the beauty around us in all of the daily blessings we encounter. The purpose of both of these blessings is so that we can stop, breathe them in, and share the joys of them with others; the blessing of knowing that He is coming again and the blessing of knowing that whatever we face today…He has got our back.

Oswald Chambers reminds us that sharing our blessing only magnifies them not only for us but for others as well.
God will never allow you to keep a spiritual blessing completely for yourself. It must be given back to Him so that He can make it a blessing to others. Oswald Chambers

So I encourage you today to be watchful in your daily blessings…the things that make you smile, the things that make you laugh, the song that is forever in your head today – all of these have a purpose that turns our thoughts and love toward Him and others.

Feel His blessed tenderness as He holds you today and remember to always share His kindness.

Kick Moodiness to the Curb

Good morning friends. I wanted to share some encouragement that I got from my devotion this morning. Oswald Chambers reminds us that when we become born again, we have a new way of thinking and a new way of reasoning.

Many of us miss a lot of the joy God has for us because we stay at the door of Christianity instead of walking through embracing His Love. We fail and blame things on the devil when it is really ourselves because we won’t get out of our own way. Think of where we would be if we fully embraced God’s truth. Its hard. We get discouraged and we let our moods run the show. Our moods are rooted in some physical circumstance that is surrounding us. We can pray about it but in reality we just need to stand up to the mood and kick it to the curb. It is a struggle to listen to these moods but we must stand firm against them and not give them the power to rule us.

The Christian life is one of spiritual courage and determination lived out in our flesh. Oswald Chambers

When we feel ourselves being beaten down by our moods, we need to pick ourselves up, shake the mood off and march forward into the peace Christ has for us – even when it seems impossible. Stand Firm!

Sometimes when you are in the midst of a hard struggle and you find that you can still be kind. That is when you have learned to stand firm. Try always to be kind.

The Door of the Cross

The importance of daily study of the Bible creates for us light bulb moments. You know what I mean…those moments where you have looked at a passage a hundred times. You think you fully understand what it means and then something happens in your day that when you read that passage for the hundred and first time it gives it an entirely new understanding – a light bulb moment.

Although we don’t fully understand it, we all believe that Jesus was fully God and fully man. Oswald Chambers in his devotion this morning reminded us of the gift God gave us. He deliberately limited His, omnipotence, His omnipresence and His omniscience to be the Son of Man…for us.

During Jesus’ time, the people of God were under the law. Billy Graham reminds us that the law was a mirror reflecting the wayward heart of man. While the law in itself wasn’t bad, man would never be able to follow it, he was condemned by it. But the Cross and Jesus’ ascension into heaven redeemed us from the power and condemnation of the law.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, He returned to His Father in glory not only as the Son of God but also as the Son of Man. And as He did this, He left the door wide open for anyone to have access through that door of the Cross to the Throne of Heaven. And now, Jesus, as the Son of God and the Son of Man, has all the power at the Throne of God. So take a deep breath knowing as hard as it can be sometimes, God always has our back.

And knowing that God has your back, remember to be kind. Someone next to you may not know that.

Pros/Cons, SoCS

There are always two sides to any argument. Some will always agree with you and some will fight you about it letting you know you are so wrong. Today I am going the do the pros and cons of a concept that while everyone may agree with the cons, they are far outweighed by the pros making everyone…well, you will see.

The Pros and Cons of Dogs….how can their ever be a con? Well, okay, walking them in the rain is a con…

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset — Look at that precious face…

but it’s better than them going in the house…

dog accident — Oops, sorry…but its raining outside…

Then their is the con of pet hair on you clothes… but the pro is you are making a fashion statement.

dog-hair-on-pants — Black hair on white pants is even better…

Beside the obvious attributes that can be cons, lets talk about the gut wrenching emotional pros…like cuddling

Cuddling, touching, companionship is a powerful pro for dog ownership.

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And their love is timeless. They are all in with their owners. Totally devoted to us.

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And their devotion sometimes make us laugh temporarily forgetting the day’s trials.

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So very true…they give us an emotional support that sometimes surpasses anything we may run into during any given day.

doglove 3

We just have to make sure we are deserving of that devotion and try to mirror that love and devotion out into the world showing the world it possibilities through kindness as was first started at creation. Always be kind to all kinds.

Dogs love 1

Come join in on Streams of Consciousness Saturday with Linda Hill and all who play with this prompt.

The Guiding Spirit

Good morning friends. Hope you are all well this morning. Do you ever have those times where you have understood for a long time meanings of certain scriptures but then you read a verse and a new understanding shows itself…a light bulb moment as it were.

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I think this is how God uses His word to keep us be refreshed and on track, always learning something new…that we already knew one small part of it. Today’s devotion with My Utmost for His Highest was concerning the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. We know the disciples had to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit arrived but the dots for me didn’t fully connect on Jesus having to be Glorified first before that could happen. He even told Mary to not hold him as he had not returned yet to the Father. I have always known Jesus was fully God and fully man and considered him our glorious Lord…but not at this point. The Holy Spirit was not given because Jesus had not ascended and was not yet glorified.

But Paul explained to the people during Pentecost what they were now seeing and hearing. The Holy Spirit was now being given freely to all of those who believed, about 3,000 that day, with growing numbers even today to where God’s love and Spirit covers the world to those who believe. We are reminded in today’s devotion that once the Holy Spirit was let lose into this world, it has remained forever.

Even Isaiah told us this was going to happen nearly 800 years prior to it happening.

“The attitude of receiving and welcoming the Holy Spirit into our lives is to be the continual attitude of a believer.” Oswald Chambers

Some think that when we die, we then live on in eternity but I think eternity is now and how we need to live day to day with the guiding of the Holy Spirit.

So breathe in today his love and allow the Spirit to guide you as you go.

Remember as you follow this spirit filled direction that God’s love is leading you on, His love for you is strong, so bring in this love and share it with others and always be kind.

Morning Encouragement

Good morning friends. Each morning as I read from my devotion book and the bible I try to follow that lesson I have read for that day. Today’s encouraging message is one that really speaks to me while we are in this time of uncertainty and I thought I would share my thoughts. I find it interesting that if we stop and listen, ignoring all the noise that goes around us daily, God’s scripture will open to us and start to make sense. His word never changes and never gets old and can encourage us differently each time we read it depending on what we are going through at the time.

Paul tell us in Colossians Chapter 2 how he personally struggled but that if we all come

together in love, the love and riches of Christ will be made know to us.

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While some of these treasure may come to us wrapped in the form of a trial, the trial itself is designed to shake us free from our perceived thoughts of how we think we are to be, to help understand His prepared path for you for that day. Although it can be a scary time, it is the key to the hidden treasures He has placed strategically along the way to richly bless us.

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God’s treasures also come in the form of many things we enjoy like sunshine, birds singing, colorful flowers, friendships and answered prayers. He has not abandoned this sin-wracked world, He is strongly present, in every sun rise, every flower, every smile you see and the kindness he shares with you that lifts you up so that you can share kindness with others to lift them up. My hope in sharing this with you today is that you are lifted up knowing He is there with you.

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And regardless of what is on your particular road of life, whether is be bright sunshine or seemingly gray darkness, God never lets go of our hand and will walk safely with you so hold tight to His hand.

May you have a richly treasured day and always try to share kindness. It may be the only kindness a person sees on any given day.

Joy, A Good Start for the Day

This is the day that the Lord had made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

rejoicing

Today’s comforting point in Jesus Calling devotion is regardless of your circumstances, you can still have joy. We get confused thinking joy and happiness are the same thing or come from the same feelings, they are not. Joy comes from inside where God allows it to grow for we find joy in His Presence.

Our day can be dark and gloomy surrounded by pain, loss, illness, depression and fear but if we lean on His everlasting arms we can find Joy as we search for it in hidden places. I encourage you today, knowing he creates each day, that he reminds us to be glad and rejoice in it. Somewhere the warmth of His Presence will shine on you and the gloom will soon turn to brightness. Reach out to Him and he will scoop you up in His arms and carry you to a brighter place.

Remember the kindness He has shown you and show it to others. It may be the one thing that cracks that person’s gloom and allows the light of Joy to shine through.

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Let Joy brighten your day and you brighten others.

Sparks and Wrinkles, Macro Monday

We have all seen the sparkle in a babies eyes but puppies have them too, an honest show of happiness and love.

eye spark

But they also have cute wrinkles inside their ears.

dog ear

I know this is kind of stretching the idea about macro but because her cuteness is anything but macro and I had to share.

May I always be as deserving as the the love and devotion I have been shown in all the dogs I own…or may own.

Hoping you Monday was good and that your Tuesday will be even better. Share a kind smile as you go and reflect your light inside.

kind smile

Thoughts to Start Your Day

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b

Today’s devotion from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young was right on for me. ‘My Presence with you is both a promise and a protection.’

What an awesome reminder. As humans we tend to forget that and get wrapped up in our own self pity and despair, or ride that train of pride and self will forgetting who got us where we are or who has us protected in his hands. ‘The way to stay on the path of life is to keep your focus on Me.’ Awareness of God’s presence has always been our best protection whether on the mountain top of great things or deep in the valley of fear. Never let go of His hand.

Where ever you are in your life journey, remember His presence and try to reflect the grace, love and kindness he has bestowed on you to others. Its a way to make you feel even better than you are making others feel.

God love ocean