Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘Christianity’

I See God

I see God

In the morning sunrise

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In the rainbow after rain

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In the blossoms of springtime

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In the smiles of children (and other friends, too, of course)

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In the gorgeous sunset here in Ennis, MT last night

Ah yes, I see God in the sunsets …

Sunset from Gerrons
In the water and in reflections,

And … at work in me and my loved ones

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Ernesto Cardenal, a Nicaraguan poet and priest wrote,
“Everything in nature has a trademark, God’s trademark:
the stripes on a shell
and the stripes on a zebra;
the grain of the wood
and the veins of the dry leaf;
the markings on the dragonfly’s wings
and the pattern of stars on a photographic plate;
the panther’s coat
and the epidermal cells of the lily petal;
the structure of atoms and galaxies.
All bear God’s fingerprints.”

Where do you see God’s fingerprints?
Where do you FEEL God?
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I feel God

In the winds that blow

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In a baby’s touch

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In every genuine heart-felt hug

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In the unconditional love of our four-legged furry friends

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I feel God in captured dreams

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Practice seeing and feeling God.

The more you do,

The more you will.

Where do you see and feel God?

2 Corinthians 4:18
“We do not look at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are unseen.”

In reflecting on that scripture,
Erika Bentsen wrote in today’s Daily Guideposts,
“Dear Lord, please forgive us when we are tempted to doubt.
Just as leaves are stirred by unseen winds,
stir our hearts with the breath of Your real presence.”
Amen

God Bless You!

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See you tomorrow

Love Uniqueness

Love Uniqueness

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Sermon notes
from message based on
John 17:20-26
“That They May Be One.”


Jesus prayed for Oneness
For each divided sect.
As He is One with God,
He prayed we will show respect.

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The ways in which we
Polarize ourselves here
Is tiring. It saddens me.
It brings no one cheer.
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All people are more similar
Than different from each other.
We establish boundaries
To separate from our brothers.
.
We do it to prove that
We are right and we’re accepted.
We name others as losers
And place them outside  –  rejected.
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Jesus prayed that we would just
Love One another – differences and all.
He prayed for our Oneness.
Honor uniqueness; stand tall!
.
Oneness is not about eliminating
The differences we see.
It’s about loving our uniqueness.
Love your neighbor, even your enemy!
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It is about Oneness with God;
It’s a boundary-less love.
It’s only possible with help
From the Divine Source above.
.
If we call ourselves Christian,
We must stop bickering and be
The loving children our Creator intended.
Love differences;  love even me!

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Be one with all.
In Christ’s Love we Pray,
Amen.
.

JanBeek’s poetic notes
from a sermon
by Rev. Jean Johnson
at the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church
Ennis, Montana
June 2, 2019

What will you do today to demontrate your love for one another?
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See you tomorrow

Quote

Increased LOVE, like FAITH, takes EFFORT

I wrote this blog in 2012…
It is sooo pertinent to what I wrote today!

Check it out: via Increased LOVE, like FAITH, takes EFFORT

Learners All

We are learners all
Living in Discovery
New every morning

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Sunday Sermon Notes
“Learners”
– based on John 14:23-29
– preached by Rev. Jean Johnson
– poetic notes by JanBeek

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We cannot hold on to life.
It is not ours to control.
The winds of time blow over us,
And our life continues to roll.
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Jesus gives us a precious gift,
The one we can count on today
And always: PEACE! He gives it
To us… speaks it as He is going away.
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He leaves us with a peace that
Passes all earthly understanding.
He promises, “I will be with you…
Love Me – Obey Me,” He’s commanding.
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Reading scripture daily is a way
To know the Word and live it.
Praying daily is a way to receive
His love, so we can give it.
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Love, Life, Word and Spirit are
The way His peace we receive.
The reality of these gifts are ours
When we learn His Word and Believe.
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Let not your heart be troubled.
Let go your grasp for life’s control.
Give it to God, your Anchor;
Let His peace permeate your soul.
.
Amen?
.
Amen!

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Happy Memorial Day in the USA
(A day to remember those who
have fought and died for our freedom)
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See you tomorrow

What Do You Yearn For?

What Do You Yearn For?

Today’s letter in the A-Z series
on Finding More Meaning
and Greater Purpose
in Life
is “Y”

The Word is “Yearning”

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When you look at this picture, what do you see?
I see more than a dog and a girl and a tall, dark tree –
I see more than a grove and a road to light –
I see something for which I pray each night.

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I see the peace for which I yearn – 

the Lord, to whom I turn –
I see a road that lets me in – 
And the path where I begin.

 

In their song, “Somewhere Only We Know,”
the Sons of Serendip sing of this place: 
“Why don’t we go somewhere only we know?”
Some of the lyrics say, “I found the earth at my feet…
Walked by a river and it made me complete…
There’s a place we used to love;
Is this the place I’ve been dreaming of?”

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I’m dreaming today of that place on earth
Where only peace abides;
Where folks can hear differing opinions
And find no need to take sides.
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I pray to find at the end of the tunnel
The Love of Christ everywhere on earth,
The peace that passes understanding
That was our gift when Mary gave birth.
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I yearn to place my feet, my soul
On the spot where only love can grow,
Where labels end and hate is gone,
Where love and compassion are all we show.

In their book, Spiritual Literacy,
Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat
wrote this about Yearning:

“Follow your heart’s boundless desire.
It takes you out of yourself
and fosters an appreciation for
the multidimensional pleasures of life.”

What do YOU yearn for?

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See you tomorrow… the Z Day of this series!

 

 

Love One Another

Love One Another

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Our marching orders are “LOVE.”
What’s confusing about that?
Is love unpredictable, my friends?
Can’t we just LOVE at the drop of a hat?

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What about those annoying people?
Can we just love them unconditionally, too?
That’s not as easy as loving the lovely –
At least not for me, how about you?

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Is love something we can command?
Well, Jesus did command it, in fact!
He said, “Love as I’ve loved you.”
What’s that mean to us? What’s the impact?

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He paid the price for our forgiveness.
He loved us so much, He died.
We couldn’t love as much as He did,
No matter how much we tried.

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The commandment before that one
Was to love neighbor as self.
The new commandment is an extension;
It doesn’t put the old one on the shelf.

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We are commanded to love others and God.
It’s a mutual love for us all.
The standard of love goes from self
To loving as Jesus loves us. That’s tall!

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It’s a tall order to love sacrificially;
It goes beyond self love so much.
It goes beyond whimsical emotion;
It goes beyond just those we touch.

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How well we love all others
Is a reflection of our faithfulness.
It’s a hard order to obey;
It requires prayer and holy helpfulness.

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This command is not a suggestion.
It wasn’t spoken for only a few.
It is a definition of us as Christians.
It’s not a feeling; it’s what we do!

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Love One Another.

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Amen!

Sermon notes – Sunday, May 19, 2019
My “Take-away” from today’s sermon
by Rev. Jean Johnson
at Madison Valley Presbyterian Church
Ennis, MT.

Rev. Jean Johnson defined love by saying,
“Love is something we decide to do,
a gift we decide to give.”

I’ve decided to give.
Dear Blog Readers,

have you??

I love you!

Thank you for visiting
and reading
and commenting,
and creating your own
loving and inspirational posts!

Happy Sunday!
Back to the Family…

See you tomorrow!

Do You See It?

Welcome Back to the A-Z series

Adding Meaning and
Finding Greater Purpose
in Life

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VISION

Do you see it?

What should I see?

Today’s Word is VISION –

Today’s letter is “V.”

When I open my eyes

To the world at my feet

I see what I look for.

Is it bitter or sweet?

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Do I tune in to news

That is divisive and rude?

Do I listen to folks

Who are angry and crude?

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Or do I focus my mind

On the things from above –

The goodness and compassion,

The things that I love?

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If I want to be happy

And spread joy – cuz I’m blessed –

I must focus on kindness,

And pray for the rest.
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Pray for the people

And the earth and the places

Where peace is a scarcity.

You see fear in their faces.

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Pray for the hungry;

Set your sights on the ways

You can bring some solutions;

And give God all the praise.

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Use your personal vision

To flood your space with Light.

Practice seeing the invisible –

And renew what is right.

Make the spot where you live

Shine a beacon of hope.

Share your positivity

To those sliding down the slope

Of negativity and sorrow.

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Lend your Jesus glasses out!

Help them see what you see

Through eyes of faith. Never doubt

That what you seek, you will find,

And where your heart and your mind

Bring God’s light into darkness,

You’ll bring sight to the blind.

 

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Have a beautiful day.

I will SEE you tomorrow.

Adding Meaning to Life – E = Enthusiasm

E = Enthusiasm

Thank you for exploring with me A to Z ways
of adding more meaning to our daily lives,
ways to inspire people around us,
ways to live more intentionally
to fulfill our purpose.

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Today, let’s explore ways to add meaning to life with ENTHUSIASM:

E nergizing
N ewness,
T rue
H umility,
U nassuming
S implicity,
I ntoxicating
A ctivities,
S teadfast
M astery

In their book, Spiritual Literacy,
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
wrote the following,
“Celebrate life with intoxicating passion.
It adds zest to everything
and helps build community.
Hold nothing back.”

 

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Seek Energizing Newness

Hold nothing back!
Walk on toward the light – – – with enthusiasm!
Walk where you have never walked before.
Eliminate the same-o, same-o…
Discover Energizing Newness!
Share with passion.

Remember, True Humility Attracts

However, in your enthusiasm,
as you are energized by the Light and the Newness,
it’s deadly to be pushy!
You want people to see your enthusiasm,
to capture your energy,
and to wonder “Where is its source?”

Then, you want to inspire them seek the Source. Only with true humility, acknowledging that all life is a gift, and that we are blessed – not by our own works, but by God –  can we hope to attract others to the Light.  Agreed?

Adopt Unassuming Simplicity

The idea of adding more meaning to our daily lives,
finding ways to inspire people around us,
and
ways to live more intentionally
to fulfill our life’s purpose,
does not have to be complicated!

I may be taking an A-Z approach to the task,
but any one of these ideas can head us to the right path.
Approach each day Humbly,
Observe the Newness,
Acknowledge the Source of our Blessings,
Work toward Mastery,
Share Joyfully.
Keep it Simple!

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The path has been walked for us.
The price of our freedom is paid.
Our purpose has been spelled out.
Can we accept it?

Engage in Intoxicating Activities

I have found that looking for meaning and purpose is best found in the day-to-day doing that supports, broadens, and encourages my faith. When I choose to do the things that inspire me, my enthusiasm for those tasks can be intoxicating.

For instance, I have a friend. For the sake of anonymity, let me call him John. “John” is my “senior friend” who needs help with his mail, organizing his stuff, filing for taxes, paying bills, etc. He’s a year younger than I, but he lives as if he’s twenty years my senior. His memory is failing. I pop in on him a couple times a week, get the key to his mailbox at the post office, return with his mail, and strive to bring a little cheer into his over-heated, smoke-filled house. “John” is a chain smoker. My work with “John” is intoxicating for several reasons:

  • I like helping others
  • I feel useful
  • I enjoy bringing cheer to the lonely
  • “John” doesn’t smoke while I’m there; maybe I’m adding days to his life?
  • Several friends also have begun to reach out to others in need

An “intoxicating activity” does not have to be some contagious fun thing like Bunko or bowling, vacationing or visiting others (although, granted those may sound appealing), it can be anything that inspires you – and in the process inspires others. That alone adds meaning to your life – and helps fulfill your purpose.

Work Steadfastly Toward Mastery

Nothing breeds enthusiasm like mastery!

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When we work to learn how to do something with skill, there is an ease that comes with that mastery. Your ease causes you to gravitate toward doing that more often. It causes you to want to share your skill. Those areas of mastery become areas of passion – and they become contagious as others see you enjoying yourself. People who master the piano often end up using that mastery as a means of livelihood… and if not, certainly a source of relaxation and enjoyment.

Do you know Laura Sullivan?
She is a Grammy award winning pianist
whose music adds joy to my days.
I ask Alexa, “Play Laura Sullivan for me.”
Amazon Music plays her wonderful, soothing music.
I am inspired to work more peacefully
with her music accompanying me.
Check out this link for free Laura Sullivan music.

https://www.laurasullivanmusic.net/

Add Meaning to Your Life

Enthusiastically plan to use your skills, your talents, and your passions to enrich the lives of others. Your life is enriched in the process!

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Maybe you already ARE using your talents to inspire others.
Writing is one of mine.
I’m working toward mastery in blogging.
Is there such a thing?

What area of your life is one that inspires you to work toward mastery?

 

 

 

 

Adding Meaning to Life. D=Decode

D = Decode

Thank you for exploring with me A to Z ways
of adding more meaning to our daily lives,
ways to decode the world around us,
ways to live more intentionally
to fulfill our purpose.

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D = Decode

Today we are on the letter D. I could have used the word DEVOTION, because it is so important that we express our praise and devotion to our Maker and offer thanks to Him every day. But, instead, I decided to use the word DECODE – – – with an emphasis on devotion.

Decode the World Around Us

D ecide
E veryday to
C ompassionately love
O thers and
D eal with
E verything fairly

Decide to
Look for
and fight for
Justice
Equality
and Balance

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Decode with Devotion

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In their book, Spiritual Literacy,
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
wrote the following,
“Express your feelings of …
adoration through devotional practices.
Pray with words and pray through your actions.”

Decode through Prayer and Bible Study

In a world filled with hate, cruelty, and divisiveness, we can find ways through prayer and Bible study to decode the world around us and live more lovingly, more purposefully, and more intentionally as Brothers and Sisters. Our adoration must be directed heavenward and to one another… not on things that are temporary. Pray fervently for our leaders, for world peace, and for the understanding of friends and family, allies and foes.

Pray for the wisdom to see and understand and act on God’s purposes for you today.

Yesterday was the 25th of April. Each day I read a chapter in Proverbs to correspond with the day of the month (Proverbs has 31 chapters). Chapter 25’s subheading in my Eugene H. Peterson’s translation, The Message, is “The Right Word at the Right Time.”

Find wisdom in the Book of Wisdom, Proverbs, which contains the wise sayings of Solomon:

Proverbs 25: 8
“Don’t jump to conclusions –
There may be
a perfectly good explanation
for what you saw.”

So, we reserve judgement – and as we seek to decode what we see and hear, we look for ways to be affirmative or compassionately corrective.

Verses 11 and 12 say,
“The right word at the right time
is like a custom-made piece of jewelry,
And a wise friend’s timely reprimand
is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.”

 

 

Decoding the World through Friendships

Proverbs 25:13
“Reliable friends who do what they say
are like cool drinks in sweltering heat –
Refreshing!”

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Be a reliable friend.
See and fulfill your purpose through the gift of reliability!
Be a cool drink in the sweltering heat of friends’ lives!

Decode the World though Giving

Give generosity instead of animosity. You get what you give!
Give goodness instead of rudeness. You get what you give!
But, don’t give to get! Let your motives be pure love.
Give without expecting anything in return.

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Just Do it!

Step out in Faith!!
Your world will clear up,
detangle, be kinder,
and you will live in greater inner peace –
if you decode with devotion,
prayer, Bible study,
friendship,
and selfless giving.

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Yes, as Nike says,
“Just do it!”

Adding Meaning to Life … B = Beauty

B = Beauty

How does

paying attention to

and creating beauty

add meaning to your life?

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 What IS Beauty?

One dictionary says,
1) the quality present in a thing or person
that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind,
whether arising from the sensory
(as shape, color, sound),
a meaningful design or pattern,
or something else (as a personality
in which high spiritual qualities are manifest),
or 2) a beautiful person or thing
(as work or art or building),
or 3) something excellent of its kind
(My old car was a beauty)

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In their book, Spiritual Literacy,
with a sub-title of “Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life,”
authors Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat wrote:
“Walk the path of beauty.
Relish and encourage its inward and outward expressions.
Acknowledge the radiance of creation.”

Find Beauty in Others

Observing and appreciating beauty
is a spiritual practice for me.
It enhances my ability to see the world
through Jesus glasses!
There is beauty in each of us.
Look for the beauty in others
and watch your happiness factor increase.

 

Find Beauty Within

Last weekend my grandson, Chris, and I went to see “Breakthrough.” It’s a new movie starring Chrissy Metz, a true story of a high school-aged boy who fell through the ice in a lake and was underwater for ten minutes before being pulled out. Presumed dead after a long and arduous attempt to resuscitate him, the story focuses on the power of prayer and the results of a loving, passionate mom who would not give up. The beauty of Chrissy Metz as she superbly played the role of the mom was undeniable.
(You may recognize her… she starred in the TV series, “This is Us” and told her personal story in the April edition of Guideposts Magazine.)

When we see compassion and love in the eyes of another, in the behavior of another, we see the inner beauty that shines through. We are encouraged to emulate that behavior.

Chrissy’s ability to passionately demonstrate the power of
unconditional love and an unwavering faith
showed us what beauty there is
in the treasure of life.

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Find Beauty in Nature

While looking for greater meaning in life, I find inspiration in the beauty of nature. A week ago as we were experiencing snow in April, and last Sunday when our Sunrise service was drenched in rain and no sun was visible, I wondered if spring would ever come to my part of the world. Yesterday we had a gorgeous sunny day. Hooray! This morning, look what I found outside my kitchen window:

Yes, this is a sign of spring… it’s here! Never give up hope!

Enjoy the beauty of nature

Let it remind you of God’s unfailing love for our earth and for us!

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Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

What beauty catches your eye – and adds meaning to your life?

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