Author: Christine

Welcome to Hope to Inspire You….Highlighting God’s presence to Inspire your Life! I’m Christine, a Christian, hoping to inspire you by sharing what is in my heart about our faith and our great God. Take some time, read some of my thoughts, and feel free to comment and share your thoughts…It would be a blessing to hear from you. My prayer is that you may be inspired and blessed in some small way by reading!

PRAISE TO HIM

All glory and praise
  Belong to our Lord
Whose love has done more
  Than we can afford.

Because of Jesus,
  We can face each day
With love and peace
  To brighten our way.

Since living with Him,
  Life is easier to bear
Because we know
  He’s always there.

His greatest deed
  Is hard to measure–
For eternity with Him
  Is a priceless treasure!

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Photo credit by marty hadding under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)

But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long. –Psalm 71:14-15 (NIV)

TRUE FRIENDS

What attributes come to mind when you think of a true friend?

I think we can learn some attributes of a true friend from thinking about:

–The example Jesus gave us

–Our relationship with Him

–And our own friends who might mirror Christ to us.

Remember too, that a friendship works both ways…

–It is a blessing to have true friends

–And, we have the honor of being true friends to others.

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Photo credit by MICHELLE TEGROOTENHUIS under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

A true friend is:

–Someone who really CARES what is happening in your life

–Someone who WALKS WITH YOU whether you are hurting or happy

–Someone who LISTENS to you with all his/her heart

–Someone who SHARES your ups and downs

–Someone who makes you SMILE and LAUGH

–Someone you can DEPEND on to support you especially in the struggles

–Someone you can TALK to about anything and everything

–Someone who shares their FAITH with you to help you grow

–Someone who ENCOURAGES you in your walk

–Someone who CHALLENGES you to be a better you

–Someone who UNDERSTANDS what you are saying

–Someone who shows COMPASSION when you need it most

–Someone who PRAYS with and for you

–Someone who REACHES OUT to you and forgets about their own needs.

I thank the Lord for His gift and example of being a true friend to us and for the special true friends He has placed in my pathway to share my life with.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.   –John 15:12-15 (NIV)

THE SNOWBALL EFFECT

Have you ever experienced and taken time to notice in your life something that could be coined the “Snowball Effect?” (I borrowed that from my editor as I was sharing some of the stories below with her.)

By this, I mean God can use events and circumstances in our life to affect another person and their life. One small encounter in our life can be viewed as a small snowball. As that event affects another, creating that snowball effect, the snowball continues to increase in size and affects even more things.

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Photo credit by 19melissa68 under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)

For me, especially more recently, it seems I am more aware of it happening in my life. I am always so in awe of it and truly blessed to see how the Lord uses each and every one of us through such simple, ordinary ways to have a ripple effect. It makes me aware of God’s presence and Him working in my life and those around me.

Recently I had plans to visit a friend whose husband died a few months ago. We had a time arranged but at the last minute, I had a message from the friend saying to come an hour later as she was asked to be in a photo shoot for the place where she lives.

That simple little hour change in my plans then afforded me the chance to run to the dentist as I’ve been having some teeth issues. As I was driving to the dentist, I noticed, by the license plate, that a friend of mine was in front of me. I tried flashing my lights to get her attention but to no avail. Seeing her car made me think about saying a prayer or two for her as we haven’t seen each other or talked much in a few weeks.

After going to the dentist, I had a few minutes to run to the store, and felt inspired to pick up a few bouquets of flowers; one to leave for the friend whose car I had seen and the other for the lady I was going to visit though I wasn’t sure she really liked flowers. I thought it was quite a “God incident” that the lady I was visiting happened to have the same beautiful pink color shirt on to match the color of the roses I brought her.

When I got to the store, I texted my friend whose car I had seen, and I shared that I was praying for her. I was really blessed and inspired when she wrote back, “Well, that explains it. As I was driving, I felt this peace come over me. I had a bad day yesterday and need prayer. I’ll call you later.” When we talked later, she asked me where it was that I saw her…when I told her where she said that was the moment she felt the peace come over her. That sure was a God-moment for me! To see first hand the power of prayer was such a blessing for me…and my friend.

When we talked that evening, my friend shared an experience that she is going through that I have been through too, so it was awesome to see how God brought us together.

That same day, I was debating whether to attend a Celebration of Life for a husband of a teacher my children all had. It was about a 1/2 hr away in a different city & state. I really felt I should be there but wasn’t sure if I wanted to travel that far in the dark and on the country roads. While driving and at a stop light, there was a dump truck in front of me and though I’ve never seen anything like it before, on the top, right corner of the truck bed was the name of the city and state where the funeral was. To me, it was like “confirmation” that indeed I was to attend.

At the celebration there were many, many people and the “snowball effect” happened again. I was waiting in line to get in the church, but I was in the “right” place at the right time to see a teacher that I helped out in her classroom the last two years. This past summer she moved away so it was a blessing to run into her…and in the service we ended up sitting near each other though that was unplanned as well.

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Photo credit by Scripture As Art under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

As I sat at the Celebration of Life, all I could think was how powerful that ONE LIFE can be. This gentleman was a Godly man who was a basketball coach for 27 years and involved in Awana for 25 years at his church, among many other things. His life and Godly example touched so many people.

I think we ALL have that opportunity though maybe not in the “bigger” way that he did. WE have the power to touch and be a positive influence in EVERY life we come in contact with. Other people may not “see” the way we impact other’s lives, but God does and in the end, that is what matters. God sees all those little ways we try to brighten someone’s day, encourage another, pick up litter we see on the ground, send an email to someone we haven’t heard from in awhile, and the list goes on.

A few days later, I was taking my youngest son to his last outside fall baseball game. My teeth had still been hurting, actually even worse than when I went to the dentist the day mentioned above. To top it off, there were so many cars at this baseball field as there were football games going on too….there was no place to park! I drop my son off and try to find a parking spot way far away and hang out in my car (during his practice time) as it is a little chilly. I finally get a call from my son saying no one is there from his baseball team! Right as I was going to text the coach, the coach calls and says, “Oh, I just thought I bet I forgot to call you to tell you the game is cancelled.” Needless to say, I was not too happy especially as this isn’t the first time it happened.

On the way home, I decided to go to the store for some milk and bread. As I’m leaving there, out of the corner of my eye and through the boxes and aisles of food, I see a friend of mine who we get together weekly to talk about life and God. This is the first time our schedules and other commitments won’t allow us to meet for a month or more but we’ve been keeping in touch via emails.

The “snowball effect” again…if I hadn’t gone to the cancelled baseball game and stopped at the store, I wouldn’t have run into her. She had just gotten back in town from a weekend getaway. So, it blessed me to catch up quick with her and share about my teeth issue that was still so bad. Quite “God incident” my teeth did start to feel a little better after that encounter, as well as me asking another friend to pray for me on that same day.

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Photo credit by Sapphire Dream Photography under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Maybe these “snowball effects” are to benefit you, or maybe the other person. You may never know how your interaction touched or blessed another. God is good, and it is so powerful to see how everything is connected. I can help you, you can help me, and together we can glorify the Lord in all we do and say. It is awesome to be open to see the Lord working in all of our circumstances.

I encourage you to look at events and circumstances in your life to see what “snowball effect” you see. Feel free to share them in the comments section below.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. –Romans 8:28 (NIV)

THE SUN

For me, the SUN is a shining reminder of Jesus, the “SON”, in our lives.

If you have ever seen the sun rise
    from behind the hills and mountains,
You may have been blessed
    by the sparkling red and yellow rays that fill the sky.

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Sunrise at the Swiss Alps–Photo courtesy of Bekah.

Just gazing on this beautiful sight,
    reminds us how much beauty is in creation–
     both inanimate and living,
There is a breathtaking awesomeness in the sight.

So may all your enemies perish, O Lord! But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength. Then the land had peace forty years.   –Judges 5:31  (NIV)

During the day, see the sun brighten the earth
    and penetrate so deeply and warmly.
I so enjoy being immersed in the warmth of the sun
    as its rays are radiating so intensely.
A sign and symbol of all the love God gives us
    through His “Son”, Jesus.
Jesus’ love for us is deeply rooted in us
    and rises to brighten the lives of others.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.  –Psalm 84:11  (NIV)

sun day

In the evening, see the sun setting over the ocean waters–
    such a tranquil and serene view.
This sight restores our soul
    letting us know God is in control
     and He is filling us with His peace and love.

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From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.  –Psalm 113:3  (NIV)

FAITH & TRUST

Fall time in the northeast USA is always a breath-taking blessing to experience. I find it a beautiful season where you can see God’s hand working to make such a beautiful masterpiece which we get to  behold with our eyes.  The green leaves on the trees start to turn to different hues of yellow, orange, or red. It is quite a sight to view. For those that have never experienced the fall time colors, I do hope someday you will be able to! Seeing the rolling hills and mountains, especially in the beautiful fall array of colors that God provides, brings me into a closer relationship with the Creator.
I recently had the privilege of going on a short day trip in fall time where, as is typical, I just felt enveloped in the Lord’s presence. It was as if His majestic power and beauty was all around me as I looked upon the “Grand Canyon of PA” in Wellsboro, PA.
There are different stopping points where you can view nature all around you.  It was actually quite a trek to go from one scenic part to another. For me, it was a trek that exercised my faith and trust in God. It made me think about that in my life, especially since I was alone at this point in the trip.
The other factor was that this whole trek was basically with no cell service..no way to contact anyone if something happened.
What if I had a flat tire? What if the car broke down? What if something happened? I tried to put those thoughts out of my head and trust the Lord just like we must continually do everyday of our lives. Listening to some Mac Powell country music also seemed fitting to help me relax.
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Things didn’t get off to a great start. As I was leaving stop 1, there seemed to be this dirt road that was quite narrow. I thought it seemed more like a walking path but it seemed to be where the GPS was taking me. Thankfully it wasn’t too long before a closed gate was my clue that indeed it was just a walking path! I had to back up the car until I came to a parking lot to turn around, as the road was too narrow to do anything else.
Stop 2 is where there was a gorgeous view, though the trees were mostly just green and yellow, not so colorful on this particular day. Getting to Stop 2 took faith & trust in God and the GPS, that I’m never quite sure of! I still find it strange that one day the GPS can take you one way and another day it will take you a different path! My husband always says is a very complicated algorithm and wonders if I’m up to perfecting it!
At one point, I crossed over a paved road and end up on this dirt road that had a big incline and seemed only big enough for one car! I sure prayed a car wouldn’t be coming the other way!! At first I was doubting the GPS, but I figured at least the time was counting down to my arrival time so I had no choice but to trust it.  Sure enough I made it to stop 2!!
Stop 2 is where, looking all around, I definitely felt God’s majesty envelope me–the huge, massive hills–and I don’t know if you can see it, but to me, it looks like a giant heart carved in the scenery that only the Creator could do! I love the pictures that also have bodies of water in them.
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I couldn’t decide whether to venture down one of the trails but finally settled on going down this one. Once again, those “What If” thoughts would go through my head. In case you don’t know, I’m not really the mountain climber type, and I was all alone….What if I fell?  What if I got lost?  What if…  But, again, I tried to put those thoughts out of my head and decided to trust and have faith.
The view was awesome from this one outlook so I ended up being thankful that I did venture down the path. It was a closer up view of some of the water. I am always blessed reflecting on the beauty of the water.
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Stop 3 was actually a good 50 minute ride; once again with intense curves, narrow roads, some one lane bridges where you prayed no one was coming and you just went for it, and roads that required me to step out in faith. I was very thankful there wasn’t too much traffic going my way so I could go slower when I felt the need especially being on such unfamiliar roads.  The drive was kind of cool because at points you were close to the water and the sides of the massive mountains. It was like you were right at the base and could see how massive and majestic they were. These hills were covered with a beautiful array of yellow trees.
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I enjoyed Stop 3 where I pulled out my chair, journal, and started to pen my adventure. This stop was the perfect spot…located near the water where a few people were even fishing. I, in my typical fashion, sat to soak up the “Son’s” presence. At times you could only hear the wind blow, at other times the bird’s echoing squawks could be heard. When I’m near bodies of water and feel the Lord’s presence, I think about how often Jesus was near the water, calling the disciples, calming the water, etc.
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I knew I was definitely in the Lord’s presence when I looked up in the sky. What first caught my eye were three “different” looking clouds; the only ones gracing the clear blue sky. And right among those three clouds was a lone bird. Now, I always love to see the birds flying in the air near the water and want to capture the moment with a photograph. Unfortunately, I was unable to capture a good, clear enough picture of the three birds this time. There appeared this one bird who then left this cloud area, and was quickly joined by a second bird,  and just like I’ve experienced before, a third finally appeared…always reminding me of God the Father, Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Three in one in ME!
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God is big and sure makes His Presence known to us in the beauty of nature. Take a  moment and enjoy His presence today!
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.  –Psalm 139:7-10 (NIV)
And, continue to trust God to help you through your struggles and have faith that His Presence, the Holy Spirit, is with you always!
Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding.  –Proverbs 3:5  (NIV)

THE JOURNEY HOME

As a Christian, you can consider your life on this earth as a pilgrimage to eventually spend eternity with God our Father and Jesus our Lord.

Have you really viewed your life as that?  Maybe not focusing so much on the routine “things” you do daily but on the things that are really important for eternity?

On your journey home, you may travel down many different roads.

**Some roads may be heavily traveled–Maybe you find yourself following the crowd which could be good or bad.

**Some roads may be only slightly traveled–Maybe you find yourself forging your own path doing what you feel God has called you to do that others may not think is popular.

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Photo credit by ANDRÉS NIETO PORRAS under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0) Word added by www.hopetoinspireyouwordpress.com

**Some might be very bumpy and full of potholes–These are the times when trials and tribulations are coming at you to test your faith.

**Some might be smooth–Things just seem to be moving right along on a nice, even keel where you know God is in control.

Whatever roads your life takes, the important thing is to keep your eyes focused on Jesus, knowing He is in control. Relying on His power and surrendering the trials of this life to Him will get you down those roads.

On your journey home, you have the opportunity of meeting many different pilgrims along the way.

**Some pilgrims will have the same views as you on life and faith–Maybe inspiring you to live a better life or giving you a different viewpoint to consider.

Jenny

Jenny, a great pilgrim (& editor) in the Lord who inspires me!

**Some pilgrims will not share the same views as you on life and faith–Maybe you will be an inspiration for them or your life may help them see something differently when the time is right in their life.

By sharing your different experiences with each other, you both may help each other. There is so much to be learned from sharing one another’s journey if we are willing. 

On your journey home, you have the opportunity to do things that build up the kingdom of God on this earth.

**Giving to the poor, lowly, needy

**Sharing your love of the Lord through whatever gift God has given you-inspiring music, writing, art, spoken word

**Serving the less fortunate through serving meals, sharing the Gospel

Jesus Christ

Photo credit by QUOTESEVERLASTING under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)

**Praying for others to make a difference in their life

**Showing love and kindness to all you meet–opening a door for a stranger, sharing a meal with a widow or widower

**Giving an encouraging word to someone who is feeling down or alone

On this pilgrimage home, our focus should be mostly on how we can build up the kingdom of God with the gifts God has given us and how we can bring His love to all we meet.

Through everything in this life, it is important to keep your eyes fixed upon Jesus.

Everything you do—whether in speech or action—is done unto Him. It makes no difference if you’re at home, school or work—it is all for the Lord.

By keeping the proper focus throughout your journey, you will be prepared to make that final crossing whenever the Lord calls you home, without fear or concern. Then you can spend eternity face to face with our Lord—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.  –Colossians 3:17  (NIV)

MARTHA or MARY?

One of the many great stories from the Bible that Jesus teaches us some life lessons is found in Luke 10:38-42 about the story of Martha and Mary. Hearing and reflecting on this story is always a good thing for me.

At the Home of Martha and Mary

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (NIV)

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                                    Photo: God’s beauty in Bermuda

Let’s take a closer look to see what lessons we might be able to incorporate into our daily lives by looking at Martha and Mary and what Jesus had to say about them.

Martha:

–Opened her home to the Lord

–Distracted by preparations

–Worried and upset about many things

–Approached Jesus to ask if He cared that Mary was not helping

–Wanted Jesus to tell Mary to help with the preparations

–Thought Mary should be busy doing the same things as she was around the house

Mary:

–Did not busy herself with doing things around the house

–Sat at the Lord’s feet

–Listened to what Jesus was saying

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus himself said to Martha:

“But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 (NIV)

I don’t know about you, but I am definitely a Martha as far as trying to always “do” things, especially in the home.

It seems like there are always distractions calling my name, probably like most wives and mothers, and those husbands or fathers who are primary keepers of the house and children.

*Working

*Grocery shopping

*Planning and coordinating of schedules

*Dishes

*Cleaning

*Paperwork

*Bills to pay

*Running children to different events & attending too

*Planning and making meals

*Volunteer work

and the list goes on and on.

But, I must add a disclaimer here….The Lord has definitely blessed me, allowing me to work part-time since the kids came along, AND with a wonderful eldest child who assists me with taking care of so many tasks around the house which allows me more time to sit at the feet of Jesus and spend time writing about Him.

So often, it feels like if I’m not DOING, I’m not being productive or useful.

Reflecting on this story is a great thing to do…

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Photo credit by Unlocking the Bible under Creative Commons License (CC BY-ND 2.0)

**To remember that finding ways to listen and spend time with Jesus are most important….

–Through prayer, which can really be done at any time….I enjoy doing it while driving places

–Through reading Scripture

–Through attending retreats, seminars

–Through small group sharings

–Through Bible studies

–Through visiting the sick, lonely, poor

–Through writings to inspire others in their walk with the Lord

–Through sharing with other Christian friends who can encourage and inspire us

–Through listening to inspiring, worship music.

I think the challenge is to be like both Martha and Mary and to keep that BALANCE in our lives. What a great story to remind us of what is really important in this life!

YOUR STORY

Every life is truly a special gift from God.

What you do with it, and how you live it, is YOUR gift to God.

Have you viewed YOUR life as such?

Do the things you busy yourself with reflect that view? How about the decisions you make, the places you go, the people you interact with?

story to god

Your life is a story that only YOU can write to our Creator, God Almighty. No two people have the same story; each and every story is unique!

Your life is made up of some circumstances you have control over, and some things you do not have control over. Every day brings many decisions. The choices you make shape and mold YOUR life’s story.

Your story is made up of many chapters–it could be based on the stages of life–infancy, childhood, teenager, young adult, adult, elderly person.

The chapters could also be represented by significant events in your life.

When you start out as an infant, you depend solely on your caregiver to meet all of your needs, but as you begin to grow, you have some control over YOUR gift to God.

As you become a teenager, you have even more options in deciding how YOUR story will be written.

**Will you stand up for your beliefs or will you follow the crowd and compromise your faith?

When you are a young adult, you have even greater control over writing YOUR story to God. The opportunities are endless and you have more freedom.

Probably as an adult, you have the greatest potential for writing YOUR story to God. You are now on your own and responsible for yourself.

How you react to the various situations in your life is a big part of YOUR story.

**Are you going to choose to be happy despite possible “bad” circumstances or will you let sadness and loss of hope overtake YOUR story?

**Will you let Jesus guide your path?

With God’s help, you have the power and freedom to write YOUR personal story–your gift to Him.

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Photo credit by BK under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0)

It is never too late to begin anew if YOUR story is not what you want it to be.

**If there is a chapter in your life that you don’t like, you can seek God’s forgiveness and move on to bigger and better things.

God is always there waiting for us and waiting to guide us.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, when you are an elderly person, or at the end of every chapter in YOUR story, you can look back and say that you are satisfied with YOUR story?

YOUR story is YOUR gift to God!

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.  –2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (NIV)

COME AWAY WITH ME

“…Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”  –Mark 6:31  (NIV)
I think Jesus’ command to His apostles back in His day also applies to our lives today.
Have you ever had the blessing of getting away from the busyness of life to just spend time being…being with the Lord and enjoying the many blessings that are all around?
…Maybe it was on your vacation where you experienced God’s presence in the beauty of the environment you were surrounded by.
 
 
…Maybe you had the privilege of attending some kind of retreat where you had a close encounter with God.
 
 
…Maybe you just took time to be alone with Him and experienced Him in the peacefulness and solitude.
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                                                 Canandaigua Lake, NY
I know this summer I was truly blessed to attend a three day retreat at a place with a beautiful lake setting where you could commune with the Lord in a reflective way. Spending time with like minded people is always a blessing too where you can share your faith with others. It provides opportunities for making new friends in the Lord and learning from other’s stories as well.
Taking time to get away from the routine of life and spend time with the Lord is a necessity especially in today’s fast paced, technological world that we live in.
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It is enlightening to read the many scripture passages that show how many times Jesus took time to spend alone with God, His Father, getting away from the crowds of people and even His disciples.
“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”  –Luke 6:12  (NIV)
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  –Luke 5:15
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.”  –Mark 1:35  (NIV)
“After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.”  –Matthew 14:23
I encourage you, if the opportunity ever presents itself to you, to attend a retreat or any get together that will strengthen your faith.  It will help you refocus and concentrate on the really important things in life once again.
Even taking time daily to go to your quiet corner and commune with the Lord will enrich your spirit and get you in tune with the Creator.
I think the most powerful story of Jesus taking time to pray with God was right before He was going to be handed over to be arrested before being put to death.  Jesus knew the most important thing He could do was pray to His Father.
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Photo credit by Waiting for the Word under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)

” 36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”  –Matthew 26:36-46  (NIV)

Father, may we grow daily to be like your Son, Jesus….taking time to pray continually to you and being one with you.  Amen.

CELEBRATE YOUR LIFE

I can’t help but share these thoughts today….as this is the day I get to celebrate ME!

 

baby
                                                      One year old!
When you think about your birthday rolling around, what kind of feelings does that elicit?
Feelings of happiness or feelings of dread?
As I’ve gotten older, I find that it is easier to think about the negative aspect of birthdays. Like the part of the  aging body having more aches and pains and not working as well as it used to.  And then there’s definitely more gray hair to color! Thankfully, I still feel young at heart…now if only the body would realize that too!
But, I think it’s good to shift our focus to celebrating US!

 

 kinder

                               Nice crooked bow for Kindergarten!
Think about when you hear of someone expecting a child, especially maybe as a first time parent. Isn’t there so much joy and happiness to celebrate this new life?  One thinks of all the hopes and dreams you have for this child and what the future will be like.

I guess it seems almost like God wants us to rejoice in those same ways once a year when our birthday rolls around.  There are so many things to celebrate.

After all, we are God’s child…a great reason to celebrate!

 

8th grade
                                                                8th grade
Over the years, I have grown to appreciate the specialness of birthdays.
They remind me that I am special to the Lord, and that He is Lord of ALL creation.

 

hs grad
                                         High school graduation

 

Birthdays make me think about the reasons to celebrate in the Lord…
…to celebrate the fact that our life is a GIFT from God.
…to celebrate the MIRACLE of OUR life.
…to celebrate how SPECIAL and UNIQUE the Lord made each of us.
…to celebrate the fact that the Lord knew us even while we were in our mother’s WOMB.
…to celebrate the fact that the Lord has a divine PURPOSE for our life.

 

Birthdays are also a great time to take inventory of how far we’ve come in our walk with the Lord and the direction we’re heading.
 
                                                    The current ME!
So, when your birthday rolls around this year, don’t worry about getting older, but rather…
REJOICE & CELEBRATE the fact that YOU are a special part of God’s creation!

When I think of celebrating ME, I can’t help but think of my favorite, what I call “life song,” Offering by Third Day. I know I’ve shared it before, but take a moment to click the link below and really listen to the message of the song.

For me, in my heart and soul, this song holds such special meaning and truly summarizes that

MY life is my OFFERING to Him for all He has done for ME.

This song is an older song of Third Day’s, so it was such a blessing to hear them play it live at the last concert I went to! Such a wonderful song!!

 

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  –Psalm 139: 13-14  (NIV)