Skip to main content

A Morning View By the Wood Stove

If you read the Morning View regularly, you should recognize that I am cautiously vulnerable and willing to share some of my life journey with you. I do this because I am willing to share that I am human just like you and we humans journey through a lot of stuff. Also, please understand that I share not for you to fix me or try to figure me or my struggles out, but so that the pearls of God showing up in my journey can be seen and used for God's glory. Remember, you only get a glimpse! 

Often we think we are alone when in reality the random person at the store may be walking a similar journey as you. It is difficult to become honest and vulnerable because others, even others with good intentions, can and do hurt us. In our current culture, division and lack of trust in one another, it becomes even more difficult. If you are struggling as you journey it is alright to seek help no matter if you believe your issues are great or small. I share this because small issues might only be symptoms of something greater which you are not even aware of in you journey. I am taking proper action in my life to heal and grow. 

Yesterday a friend reminded me of something I said in a sermon last year and it deeply resonated with me in my current journey. 

"WHEN YOU FACE STRUGGLES IN LIFE, DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE STRUGGLE THAT LED TO THE EMPTY TOMB" - Pastor Bill Halter

My words from God often come back to comfort, challenge and remind me while I am on my journey facing struggles in my life! 

Remember that Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and Savior of the world walked a very painful journey to the cross and experienced a gruesome human death. I believe that, not only did Jesus die and arose from the dead for our redemption, I believe Jesus experienced every struggle for us so that we can be assured Jesus is with us on our journey. The result of Jesus's struggle was the empty tomb which has provided the world with grace, hope, forgiveness, unconditional love and everything we need to defeat the enemy and continue on our life journey with Jesus. 

“Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  - Matthew 28:20 NLT

I am alright because Jesus is walking with me. Others are joining me on my journey, but Jesus is with me to the end of the age! I have a life long journey ahead, but Jesus is with me as he promised! 

What about you? Are you walking with Jesus? We need a Journey with Jesus, just Jesus now. 

Peace,
PB

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Morning View By the Wood Stove

If you proclaim Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then I must ask you a question. Are you seeking the deepest possible intimate relationship with God that you can ever experience on this earth? Because I know what I am about to say to be absolutely true. If you are not and if you are pursuing anything other than God you will not ever be satisfied and ultimately any other relationship will fail. It does not matter how deeply connected with another person you are without God it will fail. Failure may not mean completely walk away, failure can mean that a relationship will not be what it is intended to be and you settle for it because at least it is there, it's the best I can do, it could be worse and for many other reasons.  We are created to be in relationship with one another. We have many relationships and many depths within those relationships. We have social relationships. We have relationship with many forms of addiction and substitution. We have friends and we have FRIENDS...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Morning View Near the Patio

I believe Christians are called to live a different life in the world than those who are not Christian. I believe that no matter the circumstance of the world, the government and all the just and injustice we are called to be different. Jesus handled the Easter journey much differently than I believe the modern Christian in the USA would have handled it. The Apostle Paul lived as best he humanly could to model the path and life of Jesus Christ during the difficult times of persecution and injustice of his journey. A lot of thoughts are swirling in my head during our difficult time we are currently experiencing and all of those thoughts come back to my life as a Christian, believer and follower of Jesus Christ, and do my thoughts, actions and words model Jesus on the Easter journey to the cross? In Matthew 16:24-26 Jesus told his disciples to "take up their cross and follow me!" I am believing that Jesus is telling us to live like, act like, be like and love like Jesus did....
Post a Comment
Read more

A Morning View Near the Patio

Sabbath - to rest from labor, set aside as holy. Because we have less to do in our current situation, perhaps as Christians we can redefine what Sabbath looks like for us. I wonder how many of us traditionally go to church in our weekend routine, have lunch then get right back at it? After all, we have so much to do and so little time. It has been nice to sit and be. On the nicer days, when the weather cooperates, it has been so nice to sit on the patio and just be. I have sat and contemplated there more this year than I did all last summer. Perhaps a new normal of Sabbath can take place in our lives. As a child I remember going to church on Sunday morning and on the way home being dropped off at Grandma and Granddad's place. We would have lunch and quite often go for a ride. Usually the ride would end somewhere with ice cream! The routes must have been develops around the ice cream establishments in Northeast Ohio! We did very little, but for me as a kid we did a lot. I remember...
Post a Comment
Read more