A Morning View

Everyday of my life it is a battle in whom to trust.  Whom do I trust and how much do I trust them? “This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,     who rely on human strength     and turn their hearts away from the Lord. But blessed are those who trust in the Lord     and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.”                                          - Jeremiah 17:5 & 7 NLT Peace, PB

So when you feel betrayed, disappointed in others and let down in cherished relationships, what do you do? When you are willing to go the extra mile for a friend, family member or even a spouse but it seems like you are giving with nothing in return even to the point of sadness and disappointment what can you do? It is not about being right or getting your way, it is just about being loved like you love, even in disagreement. It is about being called to have someone check on you, wishing you a blessed day, a happy birthday or even making something right that has wronged you. What do you do? Do you try to fix it? Can you fix something that does not want to be fixed? Do you wipe the dust off of your feet forget them and move on? Do you sit and wallow in self pity blaming yourself and running to your self satisfying sin of choice? Then a 2X4 slams me in the head! My question as I feel sorry for me is do I make God feel this way about me? Lord forgive me. God who desires all of me, forgive...

"And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” - Matthew 8:23-27 There was rain, lightening and thunder out there yesterday which reminds me of this Matthew scripture. A great analogy for us as followers of Christ today. When I am in the storms of life which wins? Faith or Fear? Do I rest in my faith in God or do I overreact in my fear? This does not mean everything is easy, it means do I trust the one who promises to take care of me? A "few" years ago...... as an 18-20 year old church camp counselor, I remember a story being told about being able to ...

BUT GOD "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” - Romans 5:8 NLT   "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)” - Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT   "These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles.” - Acts 7:9-10a NLT "Whom have I in heaven but you?     I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,     but God remains the strength of my heart;     he is mine forever.” - Psalm 73:25-26 NLT  "When they had done all that the prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead! ” - Acts 13:29-30 NLT No ifs or ands, B...

“One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”  The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”” - Luke 8:22-25 NLT Do you seem to be surrounded by the storms of life? Are you afraid?  Yet Jesus is your Lord and Savior?  Do you struggle with guilt because your faith is not strong? You believe Jesus will take care of you and know in your head that Jesus is there, but struggle with your faith in your heart? ...

How much time, focus, money and energy do you spend selfishly on yourself each day?  Do you see the injustice of the world around you? What about the other, you know, the person you do not desire to be around whom Jesus loves??  What about caring for Jesus who is sitting along the road hungry? What about the image and likeness of God deep within everyone?  Do we care? “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;     ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,     and see that they get justice.” - Proverbs 31:8-9 NLT Peace? PB

Do you ever experienced distance from God? Have you walked away from God? Are you striving to live in the principles of your relationship with God but are disconnected? Has sin overwhelmed your soul? Are you going through the motions of religion but not experiencing relationship with God and others around you? Does your heart just flat out hurt and your soul yearn to be fulfilled?  I am reminded of the story of the Prodigal Son and the Loving Father. The son left and lived a miserable life away from the best life offered to him. When he realized he would be better off being a servant at home working for dad, he went home. Upon arrival, what happened next was a miracle healing of his soul.  “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being ...

Where were you? Where are you?  Where do you desire to be?   Keep working and trusting God. “I love the Lord because he hears my voice     and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen,     I will pray as long as I have breath!” - Psalm 116:1-2 NLT Peace, PB

Do you ever wonder if you are making a difference for God?  Ever just want to give up and take care of yourself?  Have you said to yourself, "Why should I bother caring when they do not care for themselves?  Doing good all the time just seems tiring and unfair when there is no change.  “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” - Galatians 6:9 NLT Continue to do what is right and just Be Jesus! Peace, PB

Friends,  Today I had a reminder to prompt me to tell you that nothing else matters except for our relationship and salvation in Jesus Christ. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” - Matthew 6:33 NLT Seek God first nothing else matters..... Peace, PB

Remember when a band-aid was enough? As a child I would scrape my knee and just getting a simple band-aid took care of it. Yes a good cleaning of the scrape and a burning, stinging topical ointment was used, but the band-aid was enough. I have also had injuries which constituted stitches in my head and a band-aid was useless. Band-aids have their importance and use, but they are not always enough. They may make us feel better, but cannot stabilize the wound.  How often do we try to put on self remedy band-aids to cover our deep spiritual/emotional wounds? You know, I can handle this on my own. No other person needs to know. Or how about I find a way to escape the reality of the open wound?  First place we need to go is to God to deeply and passionately pour our hearts out to the one who Created us. Other steps are important, other people are important and "doing" all the right things are important, but confess the pain/sin, seek forgiveness as we believe and receive the heali...

“Let all that I am praise the Lord;     with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord;     may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins     and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death     and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things.     My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!” - Psalm 103:1-5 NLT I started with the scripture today because I am reminded why I am created. Ultimately I am here to have a love relationship with and to bring praise to the Lord. Also because all of humanity, those we know, those we do not know, those we like and those we do not like are created in the image of God and since I am to have a love relationship with God I must have a love relationship with others. All others.  I have a good friend who wears a shirt that says, "God Loves the People You Hate." Each time I see it I am reminded that I must lo...

Pray The only word for today is pray. Praise God Seek God Ask God Tell God Look for God  Listen to God Pray “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.” - 1 John 5:14-15 NLT Peace, PB

If anyone tells you life is easy either they are perfect in Christ or lying to you. I would tell you that living a life in relationship with Jesus is very difficult work. We all have varying and different experiences, failures and success on this journey, but it is hard and difficult work. It would be easy to give up. It would be easy to live in the lies. It would be easy to just accept the pain and numb it with the temporal things of the world. By giving up, I tell God that God is not enough. My head knows that God is enough, but my heart struggles to know deep inside my soul. It is so difficult to believe that God can love me after knowing all of my past. I struggle to love me, so why wouldn't God?  For some crazy reason God does love me. Again, my head knows, but my heart deeply struggles because I know all of my past and God is the only other who knows everything.  Friends, Agape means no strings attached. God Agape's me and you. So why do I struggle? Why do you struggle? ...

Feeling like a failure? Always seems like you mess it up? Asking yourself the questions like, Why does it seem like when life seems to go my way I find a way to fail? You just seem to fall short again?  It is easy to fall into this trap. This is easier said than done, but be confident in the God within you even when you are not confident in yourself.  "So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” - Hebrews 10:35-36 NLT   Peace, PB 

What and how we think impacts how we live.  "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  - Philippians   4:8 NLT   Simple, but can be difficult to do. Peace, PB

Jehoshaphat was under attack by many armies of many nations and God sent a message through one of the soldiers named  Jahaziel.  He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” - 2 Chronicles 20:15-18 The next day Jehoshaphat led the people through the wilderness with singers going before them singing;  “Give thanks to the   Lord ;      his faithful love endures forever!” The armies started figh...

Paul was encouraging others in how to live their lives and lead others as followers of Jesus Christ. His words are about how to lead as servant leaders seeking no personal gain, but leading only for the best of others.  “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.” - 1 Peter 5:6-11 NLT   Paul assures us we will be taken care ...

I wonder if we have let the world influence our hearts so much that the flavor of the salt and the brightness of the light have disappeared from us? Is our focus on being God's children first or are we living second best to God by putting other idols before God?  It seems like if all Christians flooded social media with Jesus instead of the world, the flavor and light of God would be magnified. May I ask if Jesus is first, do all other things fall into place? I know I am strongly speaking to me, but what is your #1 priority in life?  “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, ...

Often it is easy to be stuck in the valley of the shadow of death. When life is difficult and our head is down we do not see well what is around us. Over 400 of you posted yesterday and some today wishing me a happy birthday. Others texted and even some hugged me. Honestly on Friday I struggled a bit not because of my age, but because of my failures. God gently reminded through everyone who shared with me, sent a card and gave me a hug that I am a child of God. I give thanks.  “Even when I walk     through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid,     for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff     protect and comfort me.” - Psalm 23:4 NLT   Walking through the valley reminds us to not stay there.  Keep on keeping on!  Peace, PB

Perhaps if this was our personal prayer each morning, we would grow closer to and stronger with the Lord our God? “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;     wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again;     you have broken me—     now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins.     Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God.     Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence,     and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.” - Psalm 51:7-11 NLT   Lord, hear my prayer and draw me close. Amen Peace, PB

God forgives God forgets God uses our past for God's glorious future Forgive yourself Forget your past Allow God to use your past “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.” - Galatians 2:20-22 NLT   Peace, PB

It is good to have friends who love you, are honest with you and look out for your best no matter what. We need deeply committed friends in this life who are honest and real. They share without restraint in love to keep us moving forward with and deeper in relationship with God. They've got your back no matter what.  Find that friend and be that friend. “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” - John 15:12-13 NLT   Peace, PB

It is easy to struggle with fear.  Fear can easily cause us to fall away. Often we fear things that are not real.  Often our fears are greater than reality. “But when I am afraid,     I will put my trust in you.” - Psalm 56:3 NLT   Simple reminder, difficult to do.  Repeat after me, "Fear is a Liar."  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1srs1YoTVzs Peace, PB

What options do you have?  Do nothing? Accept the moment? Fight forward? Live in the past?  Or die?  Paul seems to understand the struggles of life. He lived them and pressed on. “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” - Philippians 3:12-14 NLT   Peace, PB

How do you live your life?  As you live, what words do you desire to hear from God? What words do you hear?  When you die what words do you desire to hear from God?  What words will you hear?   “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” - Matthew 25:23 NLT   Peace, PB