A Morning View

I will be taking a break from writing the Morning View. Thank you for your understanding. PB

Do Advent and Christmas bring sadness or joy?  Do you ever feel alone even with others around?  Does it seem that no matter how hard you try you fail? Does it seem like you are in a pit and when you get near the top  you slide right back down? Do you seek and find failure, fear and pain? What do you find when you do? Remember, even when it seems like you are abandoned, God is still there. “For no one is abandoned      by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion      because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people      or causing them sorrow.” - Lamentations 3:31-33 NLT Peace, PB

I am in line for an abundance of joy! How about you? “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” - James 1:2-4 NLT Peace, PB   

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” - James 1:19-21 NLT If all Christians practiced this passage, I wonder what would happen?  I'm trying, how about you? Peace, PB

“We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”   - Colossians 1:3 NLT Paul was writing this to the faithful sisters and brothers in Christ at Colosse. As faithful sisters and brothers in my life I repeat Paul's message. I give thanks to you!  Happy Thanksgiving! “May God our Father give you grace and peace.”   - Colossians 1:2b NLT Peace, PB

Prayers requested today.  Many reasons. We all struggle. God always wins. Often difficult to understand and embrace.  Blind faith...... “Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”   - Mark 11:22-25 NLT Peace, PB

How often do we try to fix another person with something other than what they are crying out for? Perhaps we do not really hear or understand. Obviously we do not give someone something that is going to do serious harm and damage, but I wonder why if someone is asking for love do we withhold it from them? What about the one with self-esteem issues seeking approval do we not share? There is a fine line between sharing and enabling, but there can become a great chasm when someone is not nurtured and properly cared for.  I remember a former football player of mine that all he wanted was to be nurtured, recognized and cared for. He felt less than others because he could not live up to their expectations. He was rejected by his birth father while being greatly loved by his step father, yet it was not enough. I was young and I missed all the cries for what he needed. In fact my humor had a negative impact on him and his mother shared this with me. I quickly corrected my humor and attitud...

  Do you ever wonder if God really hears us? “The Lord is far from the wicked,      but he hears the prayers of the righteous.”                                 - Proverbs 15:29 NLT Peace, PB

“Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! ” - Acts 16:25-26 NLT In this passage Paul and Silas are in an actual prison. They were in chains and behind locked doors. They got their worship on while physically in a horrible place and God set them free. I am not sure I would sit and sing praises to God while praying. They did and were set free.   How many of us are in self imposed prisons? Are you chained to an addiction? Are you locked behind the closed doors of abuse? Have you been sentenced to low self-esteem? Are you in fear prison?   I wonder if we followed the lead of Paul and Silas and prayed and sang hymns instead of focusing on our chains and closed doors? Would we be set free?   Friends, I understand how it seems so difficult a...

Are you tired? Are you weary? Are you carrying everything? Do you expect others to carry it all? Do you try to fix it yourself? WHY??? “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30 NLT Rest In Jesus Today!!!! Peace, PB

I always used to struggle with this scripture because Jesus taught us to love everyone. Then I realized it was not saying to not love others, this scripture tells us to love God first and to love God more.  “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” - Matthew 10:37-39 NLT I recently saw a quote from American Theologian Tim Keller which has me thinking...... "If you love anything in this world more than God, you will crush that object under the weight of your expectations." If our love for God is not first in our lives, not only do we distance ourselves God but we actually crush our well intended love for others as well as the personal life goals and achieveme...

Dear Veteran, I recognize and thank you today for serving in the military to support, defend and protect the Constitution. I thank you for your willingness to lay down your life for your friends. I say thank you today. Dear Christian, Do you give thanks to God who became human to show us how to live? Jesus was fully human and fully God. He showed us how to be faithful followers of God and how to live on this earth. Jesus ultimately gave his life for all of us so that we might live. I say thank you Jesus everyday. “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” - 2 Corinthians 5:21 Peace, PB

Some days less stories from me and more scripture are better. Today is one. Read and re-read what Paul wrote. “I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” - Romans 7:21-25 NLT  Peace, PB

(Authors Note: Today I am being more vulnerable in my post. This is not a red flag about me, but an encouragement for you. We can never be who God intends us to be if we remain who we are!)  I have often heard the words, "Stop trying so hard." For various reasons, which I choose not to share, I have always been a people pleaser. I so badly desire people to have love and harmony in their live that I go to the end of the earth to make them laugh, try to make them happy and please them so that everything is alright. I do not like "feeling" like life and others are out of balance. It becomes easy to blame myself for the perceived failure. It is "always" my fault.  Sometimes I yearn so badly for approval and acceptance that I push away and hurt the ones I care for the most and desire approval and acceptance from,  because I try so hard. As confident, friendly and all together as I may portray myself to be, I can be deeply empty, alone and afraid. Often I find m...

Do you check on people you say you care about?  Do you pray for people you tell that you are praying for them?  Do you believe you have the power to make a difference? Why then do you not exercise the greatest power you have which is the power of love?  The person on the other side of your commitment is needing you, counting on you and perhaps waiting for you to come through. Listen to the nudge and carry out your commitment.  “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.” - Galatians 6:2-3 NLT Peace, PB

A simple challenge for all of us today. Read this scripture the first thing in the morning and before you go to bed every day an every night. Think and pray about it.  See what happens! “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. ” - James 4:7-8 NLT Peace, PB

Fall in Ohio is a beautiful time of year. The season is changing, the leaves are turning colors and the splendor of creation shines out. The air is crisp and the sun is still warm. I can see God in the beauty and know of the presence of the Spirit amongst us. In all of God's creation God cries out.  “The heavens proclaim the glory of God.     The skies display his craftsmanship.  Day after day they continue to speak;     night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word;     their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,     and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.  It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.     It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.  The sun rises at one end of the heavens     and follows its course to t...

Christians = Follower of Jesus Christ Christians = Taking on the character of Jesus Christ Christians = Sharing the character of Jesus Christ Christians = Being miniature Jesus Christ Yet Christians = division and separation over Jesus Christ “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.  There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.” - Ephesians 4:1-6 NLT Be Jesus Christ to one another and to the world. Peace,  PB

  A Morning View Near the Wood Stove This was a 5 year memory to share this morning with you! Peace, PB 5 Years Ago See Your Memories Active William Halter N o a 0 v 1 9 e m i b e p r   8 3 4 n s 0 ,   2 0 r e 0 5 1 6 d    ·  Shared with Your friends A Morning View From the Patio We attend church and expect God to show up and change us. We attend retreats and expect God to show up and change us. We attend trainings and expect God to show up and change us. We attend spiritual renewal events and expect God to show up and change us. Perhaps when we awake, when we go to sleep and every moment in between we need to expect God to show up and change us! Living a relationship with Jesus is a 7 day 24 hour lifestyle. Christianity is not a club, an organization, a political group or a fraternal club. Christianity is a life striving to live like, love like and act like Jesus Christ. Christianity is not just for us, it is for us to share with the world one person at a ...

Have you been deeply trying to do what is right and fail? Keep trying.  “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right;      his ears are open to their cries for help. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil;      he will erase their memory from the earth. The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.      He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;      he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” - Psalm 34:15-18 Peace, PB

Jesus, Why did you care so much? You created humans in your image and likeness, lived on this earth to redeem humanity, you loved humanity with all your heart, you died for all of humanity and you are still rejected by humanity to this day.  You expect me to do the same?  It doesn't make sense.  “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Mark 10:45 NLT “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?” - 1 John 3:16-17 NLT Peace, PB