God is LOVE

"I love Star Wars."

"I love tacos."

"I love listening to praise music."

We often use the word "love" to describe the affection we feel toward a finished work ingenuity or cleverness. We see something that is well-made and call it “good.” In this way, we are like God, who marveled at his creation in the beginning:

Genesis 1:1, 10

“In the beginning, God created…and God saw that it was good.”

But God’s love doesn’t stop there. He responds to the enjoyment of something beautiful by surging forward to create yet more marvelous and satisfying things in an unending cycle.

God's love is an active force, alive and on its feet, producing new and appealing compositions. His love prompts him to produce works of art and write poems; specifically, us.

The word "poem" comes into English directly from the Greek poiema.

Ephesians 2:10

“You are God's workmanship (poiema)…”

We are God's crafted poems. We are composed in the ardor of his passion, the passion that renews and sustains all things.

Psalm 139:13

“You formed my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother's womb.”

The word "knit" calls to mind the image of a grandmother smiling to herself as she stitches together a scarf for someone she loves, humming a gentle tune as she works. That is the spirit of our origin story: affection, care, intentionality.

When we see a person freshly in love, we may say that she is “glowing.” This is what is meant in the Blessing of Aaron, “The Lord make his face to shine upon you” (Numbers 6:25).

Another person newly in love might find himself possessed by the inexplicable urge to sing, just as God sings songs over us: “He will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

We were created in love, by love, since God is himself is the very essence and epitome of love.

1 John 4:8

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:12

“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”

John is saying that even though God is invisible, he can be seen most clearly through the love Christians show for one another. He's saying that the love of God radiates through us and finds its fullest, truest expression when we give and receive love; it is then "perfected in us."

In fact, the night before Jesus died, he made a point about love. He could have said so many other things. He could have commented on when communion should be taken, the proper age for baptism, or worship styles. Instead he speaks of love.

John 13:35

“By this all people will know you are my disciples, that you love one another.”

The calling of our own lives is to imitate God by pressing into the very force that brought us into being, returning love back to God and extending it outward to one another.

In other words, the essence of Christianity is this:

God is love. Love writes poems. You are God’s poems. Now go and love.

Dear Lord, fill us with your loving-kindness so that it overflows to those that You bring into our life. Help others see Your love in us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Creating Change

James 1:5 (ESV)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

The best day to start creating the life you want is today!

So how do you get there? How do you move from where you are to where you want to go? These two steps are a great place to start:

1. Seek God’s advice about your situation.

In addition to reading God’s Word, you can pray for mentors, knowledge, and divine strategy on how to live your best life. Matthew 7:7 (NIV) says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Sometimes getting the answers we’re looking for simply starts with asking the questions!

2. Implement daily practical steps.

If you keep doing what you did yesterday, you’re going to keep getting yesterday’s results. Seize the moment and commit to the changes you need to make to thrive! It takes time and effort, but you’ll thank yourself three months from now.

Dear Lord, help us to create the life that You have for each of us. Help us to not live in the past put look to the future You have for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Changing your thoughts

Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Changing your thoughts and controlling your emotions are not easy, but both are possible! John 8:32  says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” You can choose to put your trust in what God says about your situation instead of in your emotions.

I read a story about a lady that was pregnant with their third child, she started showing signs of a miscarriage. She said it was tempting to let her thoughts and emotions run wild. She knew that if that baby was going to live, she needed to get her emotions under control. She recalls sometime before she had written Scriptures on index cards and put them all over their house. She said she had even stuck some on the ceiling over the bed, so as she was going to bed at night, she would see the right picture. Although she battled thoughts when her circumstances spoke contrary to the promises of God, she already had the upper hand by knowing God’s truth. She says the preparation made her battle ready, and by staying on the truth, I she won. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy a few months later!

If we will stay in God’s Word, we are able to fight successfully. Don’t wait until the evil day to prepare; instead, meditate on God’s Word day and night. If an attack comes, God’s Word stored up inside of you will quench it!

Dear Lord, we thank You that we can arm our self with Your Word. We thank You that we can conquer anything when we fight the battle with You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Brave

2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

I have done some adventurous things in my life.  Some of those things include Winter camping in -17 degrees, canoeing through Canada, repelling off the side of a mountain in Colorado and I even tried cliff diving once.

I won’t lie. All of those things took guts.

There is always something that is outside of your comfort zone, and as soon as you conquer that, it’s going to be something else. So how can you be courageous enough to handle whatever comes your way? How can you be brave enough to jump off a cliff into the water?

I promise you, you can. And it’s easy!

If you want to jump off cliffs into the water, this is the one simple step you need to take—jump in the water!

Whew! That’s easy, right? No?

I’ve discovered that many people want to know how to be free from fear, but they want an answer that removes all responsibility from them. People want to hear, “Do not worry. If you say these three words, God will take over your body and do the scary stuff for you.” No matter how many times you ask the Word of God how to be courageous, you will never find that answer. You have a part to play, but remember, I said it would be easy! All you have to do is jump in the water, and God will take care of the rest. You can trust God to take care of you.

The hardest part is always just saying yes. When you understand that, jumping gets a lot easier!

Courage is doing something even when it looks scary because you know you aren’t doing it alone. All you have to do is jump—say yes, step out—and God will meet you there. Don’t worry about what comes next, just jump!

It takes courage to share God’s good News with your neighbor or the stranger you meet while out walking.  Remember to just jump in ad ask God to give you the words to say.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the courage You give us. Help to not be fearful but filled with Your love and courage so that we can do great things for You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Really happy

1 Peter 1:8 (ESV)

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.

Raising our two children was an incredible time mixed with many  adventures and overwhelming joy. I love happy families!

That joy and intense love are like the joy we feel when we experience the knowledge of the love God has for us. And even though at times it can seem a bit cloudy with all the day-to-day tasks, it’s real. There is great joy in the relationship, and we haven’t yet seen Him with our natural eyes. We see Him with the eyes of our spirit. We see Him through His Word and others’ encounters, but what will that day be like when we see Him face to face and fall into His arms, or maybe swoon at His feet before we can even get there?

He said, “I go to prepare a place for you so that where I am so will you be also.” We prepare parties, food, presents, books to read, vacations, and activities for our children because we want to express our great love for them. What joy we have in the preparation! Jesus is preparing a place for us to make our joy full when we see Him. We have joy now, but we haven’t seen anything yet! So if things seem a little rough today, don’t forget the joy of His love and the fuller experience of that joy that is yet to come!

Dear Lord, thank You for the place you are preparing for us. We want to thank You for the joy  that is waiting for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Rise and shine

Isaiah 60:1 (ESV)

Arise, shine, for your light has come,

    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

You may have people come into your life who try to discourage the dream God has put inside of you. When someone feels like they are drowning, they try to save themselves by pulling other people down around them. Persecution is a very real part of our Christian walk, but God assures us that He will be our light in darkness. Remember, it’s not flesh and blood we’re dealing with—we’re dealing with Satan and his plan to keep us from our destinies!

When we experience this kind of pressure, we have to get into God’s presence. Jesus told us in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Think about a hot air balloon. If you want a hot air balloon to go up, you need to put more hot air in it. If you put God’s truth over the opinions of the people around you, you are going to rise; those weights—regret, discouragement, and lies—have to fall off.

Don’t let your circumstances weigh you down and choke out the Word— rise and shine!

It’s our job to stand against the darkness so that we can raise each other up. God wants us to honor one another in love and be positive influences on the world around us. Your value is not about what you have or what you did. God says you are valuable, loved, and nothing will change the love He has for you. Let go; throw off those weights of self-pity, anger, and unforgiveness. Today is the day to stop living in the past. Drop the regrets. Rise and shine! There is a bright future ahead!

Dear Lord, we thank You for Your light that shines in us. Help us to not let those around us discourage us or dim that light.  Help us to fill our self with Your truth over the opinions of others. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Family Fun

Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)

Train up a child in the way he should go;

    even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Our daily lives are full of distractions and pressures: paying bills, running errands, driving the kids to practice. The enemy would love nothing more than for us to go into survival mode and live in a constant state of frantic busyness. When you only focus on the earthly concerns, stress inevitably creeps in, and stress can cause conflict. So how do we stop letting today’s worries steal tomorrow’s joy and begin to see God’s plan for our lives?

Listening.

Allow God to reveal answers to you. When God speaks to you, it’s up to you to listen and obey His Word. Financial worries, work issues, and overly busy schedules will add pressure to your family, creating cracks in your foundation. When this happens, we get off the path God wants us to follow. You can change your course by making God and family your top priorities!

Switch from surviving to thriving.

At least once a week, put everything else aside and focus on your family. Go for a walk together. Pop some popcorn and watch a movie. Play a board game, even if your kids complain that it’s not as fun as their smartphones! Just as Jesus was the Good Shepherd for us, so too we must do our part to shepherd our children and be an example of love to them.

Dear Lord, we thank You for our family. We pray that we would take the time to focus on them and spend time with them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.