Fantastic Friday #1051 - Time

Time

5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5-7

How many of us wish for more time? More time to do the things we really want to, more time with our children, more time with our spouse, more time with our friends and loved ones. I got to spend some amazing time with my children and wife this week, and at the end of the period when we were all together, I didn't want that time to end. The joy we experience when we are together can really lift up my spirit, especially with everything we go through in this life. So, why do we focus at times on the "limited" time we have together and not on the time itself that brings us joy. I believe it is because we are so focused on wanting more time than we are allotted, that we get caught up in this situation where we feel like it isn't enough. If we stop and think about it, God gives us exactly the right amount of time to spend with each other, and we should consider that time precious. We should also not let our pride drive us into a situation where we aren't grateful for the time God has given us. God knows when our time is up, and when we see His true miracles in our lives, and the time we have been given, we can have our anxiety of wanting more time reduced. I wanted more time with all my kids, but I know God gave me and my lovely wife just the right amount, and we should give our Father the time He deserves and give thanks for all He does.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1050 - Peaceable

 Peaceable

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. Titus 3:1-2

Today's world is full of videos of people not subjecting themselves to authority figures, which usually results in a bad situation for them, however if they would have been peaceable it could have been very different. What does being peaceable look like to you? For me it all starts with the attitude that I carry, and it also has a strong sense of kindness and care as a part of what being peaceable may look like. Usually people who are angry have a hard time seeing the good in others and can tend to cause havoc in a relatively peaceable situation. Those who have peace in their heart can usually look for the good in others, but it doesn't always happen for us that way. We can work on being peaceable each and every day by looking to others and the goodness they provide, and also by looking at them through the eyes of God. God sees all of us as His children, and maybe if we looked at others in a kind and beautiful way as we did as children, maybe we would have a better world.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1049 - Unfriendly

Unfriendly

1An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.

2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.

3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach. Proverbs 18:1-3

I have seen a pattern lately of really unfriendly people. I grew up in West Texas and New Mexico, and we had some of the friendliest people around us all the time. When you would be driving on a road, I remember people in the cars going the opposite direction always waving, especially on the long lonely two-lane highways. What has happened to us in society to where our friendly waves have turned into unfriendly gestures. I really made a huge error this week when I made a stop at a stop sign, and as I rolled out into the intersection the two people going the opposite way rolled through their stop signs and almost ran into me. I proceeded to yell out the window at one of the drivers I was behind that there was a stop sign back there. Did it make me feel better? Only slightly. I felt more guilty about how angry I became with this situation. I know friendliness can lead to pleasure, and anger can lead to wickedness. So, why is it so hard to be friendly these days? I think a lot of it has to do with the multiple distractions we have, including people looking at their devices while they drive, but I also think the enemy has weaseled his way into our lives in an easier manner. If we find focus on being friendly and what the Lord teaches us, the contempt we feel for others will disappear. So many angry people in this world can drag us down, but if we focus on kindness and giving a friendly wave, with all our fingers, maybe you will have a positive impact on others. You also may not feel so guilty about your own behavior after lashing out.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1048 - Understanding

Understanding

33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.[a]
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight. Psalm 119:33-35

Do you seek understanding? Is it that you are looking for clarification on something, or are you trying to be more empathetic in your life? There are many times that I do not understand why the Lord has me in certain situations, and my immediate question to Him is to give me more understanding of why I am in these predicaments. These situations may be related to family, health, or just the world pressing down on me. God doesn't always give us full understanding while we are in these situations, but He does give us something for each and every moment. That is the ability to call to Him with our requests. Stopping and focusing on God and His goodness can many times help us find delight in our circumstances and help us realize that right now we may not fully understand the why. We can however understand that God does everything for our good, and nothing bad can come from God. We can all lean into God's empathetic voice to direct us and guide our path every single moment, we just can't get caught up in fully understanding. Take a moment to find delight in what is happening in our lives, and give thanks to God for each and every path we travel. He will direct us.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1047 - Rejoice

Rejoice

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:4-5

This last week our lives took a crazy turn, and it was really hard to find how the situation we were placed in could make a positive impact on others and in our lives. When we have these experiences it can be easy to be swallowed up into the depths of despair, until we stop and look at how we can rejoice in all God has given. There was one person who told us they weren't religious, but that they could see how God put all the pieces in place. This made me realize that even in the most desperate times in our life, we need to rejoice in even the smallest impacts to others with the faith that we show others. This faith extends far past us in many ways, so we need to remember the Lord is always near and just rejoice, even among the most challenging circumstances.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1046 - Comforter

Comforter

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you. John 14:15-17

The first thing I think about when I hear the word comforter is the big heavy bed comforter I had back in the day during the winter. It was so warm, and if I wrapped it just right, it would protect me from the monsters that hid under my bed and in my closet. What about our true Comforter that God sent for us? How often do we think of what the Comforter could do for us? I know I don't think about it enough, and certainly had a personal reason to call on the comforter this week. At our weakest moments, that Comforter can provide the necessary support that we all need. I know some think that we could be looked upon as weak if we talk about a Comforter, but truly that is what the Comforter is there for, to make us strong. So the next time you need to hide from monsters, or truly need to be comforted, call on the one God gave us. The true Comforter.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1045 - Ascend

Ascend

8 This is why it says:

“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”

9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) Ephesians 4:8-10

I was listening to someone talk about a book about a man that ascended the very dangerous climb up a mountain where most of his party died, and I also recently read a book about a group ascending a mountain for a higher power(fiction of course). There was danger involved in both of these climbs, but there is an ascent that is not as dangerous as a descent. What have you done this week to move from a lower level to a higher level of relationship with our Father in Heaven? The picture we need to think about is how Jesus, who ascended higher than all the heavens, actually came down to the lowest level of earth to serve and fulfill His calling. The world is a beautiful place but it can also be a swamp of disaster for those that allow the worst parts that are influenced by the enemy to encompass their entire life. We tend to get dragged down by the enemy because that is his sole goal to pull us away from ascending to our Father. We have to take steps every day to avoid descending to the level that God doesn't want us at. Keep climbing with the help of our Father, and we can reach heights you never thought you could.

Have a great weekend.

Matt