In my opinion, Matthew 5:3 contains some of the most well-known words ever spoken by Jesus: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3. I also believe they are quite possibly some of His most misunderstood words. Poor in spirit does not mean defeated and dejected, it simply illustrates we’re not fully aware of God’s unconditional love, and we’re just getting by, when we could be thriving. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for July, 2016
I Want to be Rich!
The Wonderful Circle of Love
We did not earn reconciliation; it’s a gift from God through Jesus, and all we did was receive His gift. This is one of the most important principles of Christianity; we cannot earn our salvation, but need merely accept it. We cannot do our way into God’s grace.
We must merely thank God, seek Him, receive His love, and watch as our love for Him grows with every new revelation He presents to us. And all the while, we should remain joyful and at peace as we seek God. The amazing thing is, the more we seek Him, the more peace and joy He gives to us.
It’s a wonderful circle of love; 
Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:11
He’ll Come Around
When I was very young I knew nothing of God, but then I was taken to Sunday school and church. When I was ten years old I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and began to learn about Him and God. Then, as I got older, God and Jesus became less important to me, I stopped going to church and slipped easily into a life of sin. I was, though I didn’t realize it, God’s enemy. Read the rest of this entry »
Fill ‘er Up Joe and Off We Go
It seems to me the Holy Spirit is God’s love—His very essence; the knowing Him and trusting Him, hoping in Him and accepting His unconditional love. For without hope, God could not hold our attention for long. Read the rest of this entry »
Looking Through My Keep-it-simple Lenses ~ July 23
This is one of my favorites. I hope it encourages others as much as it encourages me!
Looking Through My Keep-it-simple Lenses
I like the way things look!
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This Place In Time
Once upon a time there was a good man, who hadn’t always been good, but he’d always had some good in him, and the good seemed to grow larger as he grew older.
Every day, he’d write good things and share them with anyone who cared to read them. He wasn’t trying to change the world, he just wanted to give people hope in a time when things were changing rapidly, and not changing for the good; or so it seemed to him. He didn’t know if very many people would read what he wrote, but he hoped they would and thought maybe they’d feel better about things if they did.
One day, he realized he was spinning his wheels; not spinning his wheels like when a pickup gets stuck in the sand, but like when a race car is spinning its tires on the asphalt, and smoke is billowing into the air but… the stands are empty, so no one sees it. There’s just a lot of smoke, noise and the smell of something burning, which he thought might be the world around him. And, it surely seemed the world was on fire.
Because of that feeling, he thought maybe he wouldn’t write anymore, but then, he thought he probably wouldn’t write any less either. He believed his words meant something to somebody, even though he couldn’t be sure who. But he hoped the things he wrote and shared, might stir the winds of hope and help to blow the smoke and smell away. Maybe a gentle, cleansing rain would fall too, and the sound of it spattering on the asphalt would drown out the bad sounds and put out the fire. He hoped maybe if he kept writing good things, things would get good.
Because of that hope, he went on writing good things and hoping for the best. Writing was his job he figured, so he figured writing was what he should do if he was going to do what he should.
Until finally, he realized:
The Shoe Whisperer
This will sound strange—especially coming from me—but when does weird cross the line?
A few years back, I was walking the dog, minding my own business, and here comes this kid walking down the sidewalk toward me… pulling a shoe. Read the rest of this entry »
AH-HA!
I’ve seen several commercials lately advertising a certain brand of dusters and sweepers. In the ads, a family is living in dust that appears to have accumulated over a long period of time, and they are at a loss as to how to solve the problem. Then, somehow, a large box of the aforementioned, to-remain-nameless, dusters and sweepers arrive on their front porch. I am always amazed at this development—as are the recipients—and have pondered the whodunit considerably during my leisure times. THEN! One afternoon–this afternoon in fact–a light bulb appeared above my head and everything was suddenly clear… …
IT WAS THE DUSTER BUNNY!
There Are No Accidents
I believe we are the living conduit of everything God desires to do in this world, and everything we do and say is important. We might do good, we might do bad, or we might do what seems to us inconsequential, but in God’s eyes and for His purpose, everything we do and say, He will use toward His ultimate goals. There are no accidents. Read the rest of this entry »
If It Feels Right, Do It
I was a child of what I believe was the fabulous fifties and sixties, and I admit I was ripe and ready for the picking when a 1969 song proclaimed, “this is the dawning of the age of Aquarius.” The hippie movement, touting free love and peace, was underway, and the 
creed of the day was, “if it feels good, do it.”
I believe the world we live in today was highly influenced by those times and attitudes, and I often wonder what things would be like today if the creed had been, “if it feels right, do it.” What if our goal had been true love and true peace?
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