Hallelujah Tenth Avenue North

It was a rough weekend at our house.  My uncle passed away, a long time friend passed away, and my brother in law was in a bad snowmobile accident.  I needed this song today.  I hope it touches your heart as well.  

Seeing Beauty Beyond the Gray

We have had a few more of those gray days.  The days where you really have to look to find much color in the landscape, where it can be difficult to have a positive attitude.  So, I grabbed my camera, determined to see God's beauty in the colorless day.  It's amazing how when I took the focus off the negative and put it on trying to find beauty, and unique things to look at, my attitude changed and I actually ended up enjoying the day and was sad it was over.  


Attitude is a choice, and we can find something good around us, if we look.  Sometimes, we need to turn away from what has us stuck, to see the beauty. It could be difficult circumstances, some of which may be beyond your control, but you still have the option to look for beauty.  Many right now are brought down by the world news.  Maybe we need to shut off the news, and know that no matter what, God is in control so we don't need to worry about things.  I'm not saying we need to be naive, but if it's dragging you down and making you depressed, take a break from it.  Yes, there is a lot troubling times in the world, but if we take our eyes off that and look to Him and know He is in control, our focus can change and we can start to see the beauty, the good things that surround us every day.  He gives us blessings and beauty all the time, everyday.  Do you see them?  

Joy

I got this in my inbox yesterday, and think it's something to always be mindful of in the midst of our busy lives.  


How have you brought joy to the heart of God today?    Glenn Martin, YWAM 


We can easily get consumed with our own thoughts, our careers, our to do lists, and the needs of those around us, but it seems we can easily be distracted about bringing joy to our Creator.  We can get so consumed with life, we forget the One who gave us life, and holds our life in the palm of His hand.  He loves us, and always wants the best for us.  JOY begins in our hearts and as we practice joy, it becomes a part of who we are. Happiness is different.  Usually, happiness depends on our circumstances.  JOY, however, is something that lives in us because we are God's children, and deeply loved by Him.  


I would love to hear some of the ways you have brought joy to the heart of God.  


If you are in need of some joy, go over to Biblegateway and look up passages, in different versions, just on the word joy, and let your heart take it in.  

True Love

Real, true love is modeled for us by God, through Christ.  He loves us.  That's all.  He loves us.  His love is unconditional towards us.  He showed us how much He loved us by sending Christ to earth to die for us.  He loves us.  I think many times we try too hard to try to figure out how to make God love us more, or think He won't love us because of things we have done, or things that have been done to us.  This is not true. He loves us.  It's pretty simple, much more simple than most of us have been taught.  He keeps loving us, and all He wants is for us to love Him back, and love and care for other people.   


The Bible is full of love, all we have to do is pick it up, or look online at biblegateway.com, and learn how to love, really love, not love as we are told on tv, or by society.  Love should be something we commit to, not just throw away when we are tired of it, when it goes through the tough times, or when we get bored.  Love is a lifelong goal for each of us to pursue, and continually improve upon as we show it to others and do our best to live it out in our lives.  


Happy Valentine's Day!




 Love never gives up. 
   Love cares more for others than for self. 
   Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. 
   Love doesn't strut, 
   Doesn't have a swelled head, 
   Doesn't force itself on others, 
   Isn't always "me first," 
   Doesn't fly off the handle, 
   Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, 
   Doesn't revel when others grovel, 
   Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, 
   Puts up with anything, 
   Trusts God always, 
   Always looks for the best, 
   Never looks back, 
   But keeps going to the end.

   Love never dies.

The Message Version

1 Corinthians 13:4-8


Same verse, but from the Contemporary English Version:


Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails!   

From 1 John 4:

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.

My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!
This is how we know we're living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He's given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we've seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God's Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.
God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.
If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both.

Falls Park, Post Falls

As the Falls rapidly rush their water over the rocks, the mist sprays up on the rock walls, trees, and power poles, creating an incredible scene of ice.  I am thankful I was able to take in these scenes before the weather warms up this weekend.  

Needing Some Rest

Do you ever have those times when you get so busy that you don't even get time to sit down until you fall down sometime in the evening, and then, you think, I don't think I can get back up because I am too tired?  You know, those times where you meet yourself coming and going out of your door, and you are so hurried, you can't always remember which way you were going?  That has been my life the past few days, and I must admit, I am very tired today.  Today I have a few things I have to do, but not as bad as the past several days.  I know I need to take time to just be still.  God tells us to be still.  We can't hear Him if we are constantly running.  I have spent time with God in my car, listening to some great music and our pastor's message from last week which was so good, it takes a lot of time to digest it all. 


Today, I am hoping to start to slow things down at least a tiny bit.  I made it on here to blog, so that is a start.  What are you struggling with this week?  My prayers for all who come here are that you can find peace and comfort through Christ this day.  He offers it to us as a free gift, we just have to take His gift and find rest in Him.




  “Be still, and know that I am God!

     I will be honored by every nation.
      I will be honored throughout the world.”

           Psalm 46:10 (New Living Translation)