The Creator of Creativity

Oh Lord you are so creative!

So many different people all with their own unique thoughts,

With their own spirit, with their own free will,

You didn’t have to make so many different types of trees but you did,

You didn’t have to make the stars so limitless but you did,

You didn’t have to make all the different animal and fish species but you did,

Thank you Lord for all the beauty in this life and on this planet,

It seems as if your creativity is infinite!

How perfect to reflect the glory of an infinite God!

How wonderful you are Lord,

I’m amazed!

 

Thank you Father for making us in your image so that your creativity is reflected by our own creative minds.  Without You I am nothing.

Thank You Abba!

Thank you Abba, Father God for my mom,

Thank you for blessing me with such a caring, compassionate,

And loving woman of faith in my life,

Without her I don’t know where I would be Lord,

Without seeing the Son’s love reflect from her eyes where would I be?

Without her countless prayers and words of wisdom where would I be?

You have blessed me so!

Thank you, thank you, thank you,

For my mom whom You and I both love beyond measure,

And this I pray that she knows.

Accept God’s Grace Today

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. –Romans 14:19

I’m realizing one of the beautiful fruits of the Spirit is the edification of one another in the body of Christ.  Life of course has it’s ups and downs, but God has given us grace and a way to help balance this through human connection—where if one is weak, another is strong.  These roles constantly shift.  One might be strong this week but find themselves in a terrible dark place the next.  This is why it’s so important to love one another as ourselves. 

We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. –Romans 15:1-2

Today I feel strong.  I am encouraged in the Spirit of Truth today but this was not the case last week, and it may not be the case for next week. 

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. –1 Corinthians 10:12

However, I thank the Lord for these trials knowing that it produces patience (James 1:3). Today the Lord has blessed me with strength so I wish to pass this on to you:

God loves you and never leaves you!  When you feel alone and trapped in the dark pits of your own negative thoughts just stop and whisper His name.  Glance around at this majestic planet and take a deep breath.  The presence of God is all around us and unmistakable.  Take a deep breath and let the Spirit of Truth renew you.  Do not be conformed to this world but allow yourself to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Submit your intellect and thoughts to God’s peace.  Welcome His rest.  Stop beating yourself up and accept the grace of Christ.  Accept that the cross was enough and the blood of Jesus covers all your sins. 

Say this prayer out loud and proclaim it in the name of Christ Jesus:

Your grace is sufficient for me Lord,
The blood of Jesus covers all my sins,
I accept your grace today Father,
I accept your love,
I accept you Jesus as my Lord and Savior,
You are the God of my life who has forgiven all my iniquities,
Who heals my diseases,
Who redeems my life from destruction,
Who crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Therefore I look to you Lord,
I will be still and patient with you,
I will wait on the God of my salvation,
Thank you for the gift of life,
I love you

(2 Corinthians 12:9, Romans 4:7, Psalm 103:3-4, Psalm 46:10, Micah 7:7)

 

Hear Him!

His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” -John 2:5

And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, Hear Him!” -Luke 9:35

“Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness,
You who seek the Lord:
Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.” -Isaiah 51:1

What is Jesus asking you to do today? Listen to Him!

Lord I pray that we would have open ears to hear you and a heart to obey.  May your Spirit not be hindered in us but overflowing with living waters! In Jesus name!

A New Kind of Thanksgiving

So the Thanksgiving holiday has come upon us once again and it feels like it was summer just yesterday. This makes me reflect on how short life can be and also how fast it can pass us by. I felt inspired today to write a post about what I’m thankful for and as I have sat down to write it I realize I am not nearly thankful enough. Today I was “in the flesh.” I was in a bad mood. I was not a thankful person today at all! It’s so easy for us to get caught up in our own personal worlds we create where everything evolves around us. Today I actually got mad because I did not have the proper change to go buy my lunch. I had to make an extra stop on my lunch break to go into a grocery store and get change for a larger bill so I could buy my turkey sandwich from Subway. This little minor inconvenience actually frustrated me. It really made me angry for a moment. Now thinking about it I realize how childish I was acting. What a waste of five minutes to let such a dumb thing bother me. I was “in the flesh.” This has made me realize I need to stop wasting time out of my life getting irritated at stupid meaningless things. I need to be more thankful, more often!

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever… Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness… Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.” (Psalm 107:1, 8-9, 22)

At church tonight we read over this Psalm and in prayer our pastor gave us a moment to reflect on what we are thankful for and to personally thank God for it. I started thinking about what I am most thankful for and one specific thing surpasses all other things—life! I thank God for being alive and I thank God for bringing life into my life! I thank God for waiting patiently for me and being a loving father with arms wide open ready to take his prodigal back! This year I thank God for life and the light He has shed on my path to guide me through it.

Life is short. The statistics are in and 10 out of 10 people die. My Thanksgiving resolution is simply to be more thankful and to pay attention to the things that really matter in life. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow would you be thankful for your house and your car? Would you be thankful for your job? Of course not. These things are temporary. A hundred years from now nobody will care what car you drove or what company you worked for. So what really matters? I say its love. I love my family, I love my wife and I love my God. Now I’m not saying don’t thank God for the small things. I am thankful for all the small things He blesses me with as well. Just having a roof over my head and food on the table makes me more wealthy than many people across the world.

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Wherever you are at in your walk with God take a moment right now and thank him for being alive. This is the most precious gift anyone has ever been given. In realizing this I now offer my life back to Him. I realize I must share His love with others because this life for me is not worth living without it. If you have stumbled across this blog and feel that you do not know this love of God I talk about then I urge you to call to Jesus in prayer and ask him to shed light on your path. He is always faithful and He will accept you wherever you are with wide open arms of love. Join me this Thanksgiving day in truly giving thanks to our Creator! Better yet, join me tomorrow and the day after. Let everyday be thanksgiving in your life.

Sing praise with me as I quote the lyrics of “The One Who Saves” by Hillsong United:

Come join the song, lift your voice
As heaven and earth give praise
Fall to your knees, at the feet
Of the Son of The One True God
Turn from old ways, lift your eyes
For the kingdom of God is here
Open your heart, offer all
For Jesus Christ is here, oh now

We have found our hope
We have found our peace
We have found our rest
In the One who Loves
He will light the way
He will lead us home
As we offer all
To the One who saves us

His love endures
Forever His love endures
Forever His love endures
Forever and ever

“I am my beloveds, and my beloved is mine.” (Song of Solomon 6:3)

This I am thankful for!

-I Want To Believe In God [dot com]