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Renew Your Faith in God

“And do not be conformed this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you might prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2

Be renewed in faith, and learn again to trust in God. For He is our hope and salvation. The one true and living God who watches over us

Remember

Rouse up your memory, so that you might be restored

Recall those days when He was alive in you, and your life was found in Him

Lift up your heart. Clear out the haze that has cloaked your mind

Purify yourself, so that you might know His fellowship again. Seek His forgiveness for sins with a spirit of repentance, so that the road ahead would be clear

Seek after your God!

Call out to Him. Spend time in prayer each day until the eyes of your heart sees Him, and your life is filled with His Spirit again

Don’t wait for another day, until it is convenient. Delay no more, for He is waiting besides you

Sing out to Him and lift up your praises unto Him

Give thanks for everything you can think of, for He has given it all to you, and more

Walk towards Him. Follow the one true path that leads to life

Hurry, if you have the strength

Rest upon His promises

Work towards His upward calling

Enjoy the peace of His love and salvation. The only sure thing that exists in this world

Stand upon the life of Jesus Christ, the one true savior of all mankind

Renew yourself

Cease from sin and from worthless distractions. Steer clear of the traps that are laid all around, and follow all the good ways of God

He is trustworthy

He is our strength

He loves us with a power that is beyond our understanding and rejoices over those who have faith

Be strong and don’t give up

For all those who seek to continually renew themselves in Him, each day, will surely taste the sweetness of His love and salvation. 12/23/2010

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Blessed Things

As I prayed this morning, my mind focused on a project I was in the middle of. The construction of a new shed. There was some details that had come up with the builder and my mind was awash with solutions and problems… all the what ifs. Then something interesting happened. Since I was in prayer and the moment should be more God focused, I turned the ownership of my shed around and decided to dedicate it to the Lord. I asked Him to bless it’s construction and its existence in this world, so that it might honor Him in any way it could. And this, made all the difference in my perspective.

I started thinking about when I had asked God to bless things of mine before in my life, There was a house, a property, and a truck that I needed to buy. There were gardens and jobs, trees that I had planted, and even the pages of words that I have written that were put into print. These became my blessed places after I had asked God to take them and use them through me for His Glory. It changed my whole attitude and the way that I valued these things and it stayed with me all the days that I ‘owned’ them.

It’s amazing how God can power us through a simple act as this. In truth, I should be placing everything in my life before God. Isn’t it amazing and humbling that all we have is His to begin with. Each thing that God brings into our lives are really just gifts that we can use to glorify Him in whatever way we can. He owns them all, but He has allowed us to own them for a time, a chunk of this and a part of that. Tools that I use, spaces He allows me to manage, even my friends, family, and the people I come into contact each day. These people whom He considers His most precious possesions. This is God’s intention of how we should conduct ourselves in this life.

Our loving God created us to live in this place, and He has given us all that we need. Indeed, we pass through this world in a blip of time within the span of a great eternity. And yet He made us, so that we might live before Him and enjoy the wonder and beauty of all His goodness. It is therefore, our duty to honor Him and live our lives according to His Will. So that we might consecrate our lives, and all the things He has given us, into honoring Him for all that He has done.

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Mercy’s Prayer

Lord God, help me always follow Your will and Your Way

Let me not to get too caught up in the ways of the world

Show me the right path, that You desire of me

By Your Spirit and through Your Word. Give me insight into Your truth. Mend my heart, and soften my tendency towards stubborness

Let me show mercy, goodness, and grace towards others, as You bring them before me each day

When I have been quick to judge and shown contempt for those I do not even know, help me not be too swayed by the rhetoric of these times. Which only works to consolidate power towards those who are already powerful, and shows contempt for the weak and lowly among us

Jesus Himself, once stood in a temple ruled by the religious authorities of that time, and behold, before Him stood a man who was both a cripple and poor

There, the leaders of the temple stood and watched Him. They positioned themselves as the ones who were holy and righteous above all others

In all power and authority they ruled over God’s people and they looked upon Jesus with great contempt

Jesus stood before them, full of the Spirit of the living God. He was the very incarnation of God Himself, filled with the supernatural beauty of His love and grace

Jesus looked upon the injured man, whose life had become such a struggle, and He desired to heal him and make His life complete again; To openly show the love of God for a man who had simply come in faith that day

In their selfish hearts, the temple leaders gazed at the very Son of God, waiting to see if He would sin against their man made rules 

They glared at Him in utter hatred, because He was not like them at all

In the rigidity of their own laws, they had neglected God’s mercy. Because of the hardness of their own hearts, they showed their own hatred, but not God’s grace

For when Jesus reached out and took hold of the poor man’s hand, and healed him. They reacted in anger, jeolousy, and hatred; seeking a quick way to destroy Jesus’ life

Oh, how can we get it wrong so often? Is it because we trust in our own ways and not in God’s?

What ugliness wells up from us, when we act out in pride and selfish ways. It obscures the beauty of God’s love that exists as His banner for all to see

The Word of God is clear

The Gospels of our Lord Jesus Christ show us without any doubt

That We need to live our lives before Him and renew our faith each day, so that we may show His mercy, goodness, and grace to all. So that we may express, as best we can, the essential nature of our Lord

My God and Savior, help me each day to not be led away with the doctrines of man

Show me the right path, as You lead me by Your Spirit and by Your Word

Help me see the love You have for Your people, so that I may not be quick to judge them

But that I might be willing to help them in any way that I can  3/26/2025

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Morning

I awoke earlier than I had expected this morning. Fumbling around in the dark to find my socks, my phone does a belly flop on the hardwood floor. Smack, my dog grumbles her disapproval. You see it was her doing that I had arose so early. Her mumbling growls awoke me from a deep slumber. Something was up outside that her keen ears had detected, some critter stirring, an unfamiliar sound… a distant bark from one of her buddies.

So it was out into the morning we went. The storm from the night before was long past. A few clouds remained and skidded low over the nearby hills. One, which appeared avian, like a Sparrow gazing out across the valley. Its hopeful eyes studied the new day to come. There was light off to the east, a general glow out towards the horizon. Venus was stationed there her white brightness shone like a small bright searchlight. Always preferring the beauty of twilight, she announced the coming of this new day.

There were stars up there, too, though they were finishing up their closing act from last nights show. I was surprised to see some familiar actors from other seasons up there. The stars from some of my favorite nights out. Oh those fond memories of a balmy late summer evening laying back on a flat slab of granite high in the Sierra. Looking up to see the sparkle of a thousand stars sprinkled across the heavens. Of course the glowing stream of the Milky Way must have been up there, too, adding both depth and grandeur to the wonder of those nights.

But now, the flow of sunlight rising up from just below the arc of our earth has outshone those billions of worlds that resided above me. Only the brightest stars remained. Finding the Big Dipper, I followed its two pointer stars to the north. Ah, there it was, the north star, slightly to the left of where my eyes had searched. Geographical orientation locked in, I studied the heavens anew. Ninety degrees right, looking due east, I stood firm riding this spinning earth directly towards the sun. Bonzai!

What wonders lie just outside our doors; Incredible sights and sublime beauty. It calms and heals my soul to look upon these things each day in wonder. With deep gratitude, I give thanks to the maker of all that this morning has given me. What a great God He is!

The Sparrow has disappeared, the glow in the east grows brighter. The air is crisp and still, yet there is the sound of things beginning to stir. Birds are chirping, a car rolls by on a distant road. Soon I will be moving out into this world, getting things done, pursuing the things that this world demands. But, I will remain grounded in the things I have seen early this day and be assured that all is well. Because our God and creator, the one who has made all this has shown me a greater perspective this morning. I know that He is greater that all the petty things we have dreamed up here and that He still reigns over all this earth and also, across the heavens above. 1/17/2024

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The Highest Thing We Can Know

'Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain' Psalm 139:6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Psalm 139:6

The eyes of the Lord watch over all the Earth. They see in varied and abundant ways

No one can hide themselves from Him. There is nowhere that He does not exist

Live in awe of our Creator, be amazed by the magnitude of His glorious ways

We see in three dimensions; our minds have conceived of four. Some, who are inclined to dwell upon these things believe there may be more. Only God knows how many may exist

He inhabits every part of all that is

The Lord, our God, is filled with love for His creation. He regards those who trust in Him

He gave us His Son, Jesus Christ, as a measure of His love, so that we might more fully know Him and that we might dwell with Him for all eternity

Blessed are we who trust in Him as our savior. His children, the ones whom He looks upon with love. He pours out the blessing of His Spirit upon us, so that we might more fully know and experience His presence

We are finite and incredibly small in comparison to the width and breath of this all. The gift of life is poured out to each of us, but in the end our light is extinguished in death

How great then, is this gift of God. What beauty is bestowed upon us that we can overcome this sentence and be given life forever more

Our God is an awesome presence that fills all the universe. He comes and dwells within us as we trust and believe in Him

God sees our form, the Spirit of Christ searches us out. He dwells within us so that we might know Him and more fully understand the riches of His goodness and grace

Our lives are a miracle

The Lord, our God, has made each one of us. This gift which we were given, is incredible, it is highest thing that we can know

As we acknowledge Him as our Savior, and lift up His name with our highest praise, we live out our purpose and fulfill the reason we are here

Glorious God and King we fix our eyes upon You and bend the entire focus of our life towards Your glory, so that we may glorify You in all that we do.   4/18/2022

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The Two Paths We Take

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:8

All those who trust in the Lord shall find abundant help during their life

Our God will lift them up when they have fallen and comfort their every sorrow. He will direct their steps to safety and fill their lives with goodness and blessing

But to those who choose not to seek their God, He will continue to call out to them and not withhold any of the blessings common to life

In patience, He will place His message before them, even for as long as all the days of their life

The believer always has fellowship with God. They will be as close companions with Him each day. He will fill their lives with His presence and give to them His wisdom and mercy

But to those who choose not to believe and walk away from the path of God, they will draw near to perilous places, and there they will become easy prey

By their own choices, they will take dangerous paths as they seek their own glory. They will follow after empty pleasures and reap shallow rewards

The just in God will gladly accept the wisdom of His Word and learn great truths that will direct them.

They will find safety in the way that they go. Honor will find them, and hope, when there might not seem to be a way

But the person who shuns God, will not clearly see the dangers that surround them. They will be blinded by a false sense of security. Ultimately, it will be their ruin, and an end that will have no way to sustain them

In every place that the believer may go, God will call to them. He will not stop loving them even though they may feel like giving up

The wonder of the truth of God is before all people, but the faithless ignore Him each day. The evidence of His truth, power, goodness, and mercy is there before all our senses, but many will refuse to believe

In the end God will not force them, even though they will die without hope, separated from the only thing that could have saved them. 1/10/2010

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Rejoice in Christ

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Holy is the Lord, our God, and Savior; justness and righteousness flow out from His throne. Great is His love and grace towards us, goodness and mercy abound in all that He does

We, who trust and believe in Him are made new and alive, the lamp of our lives is renewed day by day. It will never go out

Sing praises to the God of all creation. Lift up His name with all your strength, for He knows those who place their faith in Him, He loves those who consider Him their God

Rejoice in the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, believe in the man who came to us from God. Even before the dawn of creation, He was one with Him

Speak His name in love, for He is the Christ, God’s incredible gift, our Lord and savior who reigns above all the earth

Christ died to remove our deadly burden of sin. He was raised to life again, to reign as one with God in heaven

Jesus opened the door for God’s grace and mercy to pour out upon us, so that we who believe and trust in Him could have everlasting life 

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, atoned for the burden of all our sin when He gave up His life for us upon the cross. By the same power that raised Him to life again, He rendered death powerless over those who put their faith in Him

Cry out to God, for His mercy is given freely. Lift your praises unto Him,  because His forgiveness is poured out to all who trust in Him

For we, who are imperfect and burdened with sin, have now been pardoned of our sentence of death through Christ and we will dwell in purity and wonder with God forever more

God reigns in power, He is at work this very day and hour

Christ Jesus is seated with Him in heaven, He rules above all the earth. They are one and the same power, sovereign over us

Give thanks this day and forever more, never forget or take it for granted, that you are a child of God

You, who call yourself believers, never stop praising His Name, for you were once dead in your sins, mortally wounded in transgressions, but now you are alive in Him

You see and know that He is the light and life that dwells within you

Brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t turn away or rest easy as a Christian, for we have all been called to serve, and to put our faith in action

Christ calls us to always be ready for His return, because we neither know the year, day, or hour when He will come again. Run the long race, renew your faith each day

Rejoice in God always, for you have been forgiven, you are children of the one true King, Jesus Christ, our God. 2/14/2022

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Faith is Connection

Blessed is the person who listens to Me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds Me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. Proverbs 8:34-35

Life is more difficult when we find ourselves disconnected from God, when the magic of our experience of living becomes lost and the Lord is absent from our daily walk

Where are you this day?

How well are you connected through your faith with your Maker?

All of us lose sight of Him sometimes, as we live our lives. We leave Him off somewhere along the way

Let’s face it, living during these times is one gigantic distraction. It is challenging each day. There are an endless number of things that clamor and overtake us, which prevent us from refocusing upon our God

Perhaps you have never experienced a faith relationship with Him. We all start from that point during the course of our life

It begins in us from our deep need to believe in something more. To anchor on to something solid in this universe so vast and uncaring

Connection always starts at some place. It meets us where we are

God dwells all around us, He is near, yet unseen. Therefore, we must take action and move our life towards His presence

We must seek Him, for He can be found. When we draw closer to Him, He will draw near to us, and we will begin to experience a life of faith

If you feel disconnected to God, or you just are not experiencing His life moving inside you, call out to Him from your heart in prayer 

Ask Him back into your life, humble yourself before Him and ask for forgiveness, then ask God to reveal His Son, Jesus Christ, in your life

Find a quiet place without distractions, take a walk, sit in a garden, or visit a sanctuary

Read God’s Word, as He has spoken to us through the Bible and let the message soak into you. Apply His Words to your life, let them have meaning in what you have been experiencing this day

Take time to do these things each day and you will reconnect to your God. It may take some time, or it might happen abruptly

As you prepare your mind, heart, and soul; reach out to Him in faith and listed to what His Word reveals to you

God is more real than the air we breath. He is like light and life unto us, for He created us, and we were made to live before Him

I pray this day for you, my friend. That you would draw closer to God and that He would reach out with His hand and touch your life, so that You might become whole in Him again. 2/8/2022

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A Prayer For This Land

“if a fire breaks out and spreads into thorn bushes so that it burns shocks of grain, standing grain, or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.” Exodus 22:6

Oh great God of heaven and Earth, I bow my head in prayer to You this day, and pray for this land that stretches out before me

I call out to my Lord, that You would listen to me and feel compassion for the life that lives here

A drought has stricken our lands. It has made our fields dry and cracked. Our once lush forests have been weakened and are struggling. They have become like tinder that waits for a single spark to ignite them

All of life here is in retreat. The beauty of the west is disappearing and the survivors are hard pressed and stricken

The fires come in weary regularity now. They burn like gigantic furnaces that consume everything in their path and with a quickness that fiercely devoirs the gardens that once bloomed there

It has been heartwarming to witness the regrowth that springs up after. Like a miracle, it is a testament to the tenacity of these survivors. But, something is much different now, the old ground rules are being broken

For the heat and the drought is just relentless. Year after year it continues to surprise us and repeat itself

The rebirth of our lands and forests, so promising, is losing now . Restoration is being aborted, because of the harshness of our climate

The days keep growing warmer and the nights even more so. The heat and aridness are worse that anyone can remember

Our wet seasons happen in short bursts, and then vanish for months at a time. Brief periods of ‘normal weather’ are being displaced by strange periods of sun, winds, and drought

Lord look down upon us and this hard stricken land. Bring us relief for the sake of this beautiful place. Look fondly upon this land, for it is suffering

I can’t help but think of the ways in which we have caused all this

The excesses of our age that have tilted the balance and now wreak damage. Global warming is a man-made plague, a problem of our own making, and our responsibility 

This drought I see all around me is a consequence of our actions

Can I really ask God to help bring us relief?

Can I truly ask Him to clean up this mess that is a product of our disrespect for His creation?

Therefore, I will pray a new prayer. May we all develop a caring attitude for the Earth and all that lives here

Can we overcome the inertia and profit motives of our industries, so that we may focus on finding solutions to this difficult problem?

How great are the consequences if we decide to ignore and accept this and deadly for millions of people in the coming years

Climate change has the potential to accelerate rapidly from here. As it does, it will ripple unrest, starvation, and plagues across the globe

I will pray then that we commit to undoing the damage we have caused, and that we will work together throughout the world, to care for the health of our planet

For this I will pray for, and for this, I will accept responsibility  2/4/2022

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The Significance of Caring

The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did also for me.’ Matthew 25:40

How is it that we have become separated from our home the earth? That we have forgotten the connection we have to its function and beauty?

Has our technology insulated us from this reality? Do we not remember that caring for the Earth is caring for all its people, and indeed, all other life?

Our God created this place for us and all the wonder that abounds here. It is not ours to do with as we please

Because of our standing and our place in the order of things, it falls to us to care for the health of this place. As stewards, each of us must try to leave this place in better condition for the next generations

We should lead as a good example to our children, so, they might learn this important truth and not ignore it like we have

It is such an obvious goal to achieve and should never be neglected again

I hope the children of the future will look back at us kindly and forgive our generation for not recognizing this sooner. For at no time in history has our species created such a damaging impact upon our home

We have no choice now; we must reduce the harm we are causing. Because caring for the earth is, caring for its people

This is especially critical for our poor, the needy, and the vulnerable. Are these not the same ones God calls us to care for?

Can we also learn to share this place with each other, and give our time and wealth to help solve these problems? It is not going to be easy, but it must be done 

Neglecting to address this will place incredibly difficult burdens on future generations

We must begin to act now and swiftly ramp up our effort so that we can lessen the impacts and begin to heal this incredible place

Each of us bears some responsibility, we are all in this together

Lend a hand in any way you can. Use your strengths and skill to help others and to reduce your impacts. Support the efforts of others and our leaders who recognize the magnitude of this crisis

Become a caregiver of this earth and of its people and life

There is so much to be done

God will honor those who honor Him. He will consider our efforts as helping Himself when we care for those affected by this danger

We are all in this together, let us act in love, with concern for those who need our help. 1/29/2022