Good Morning Men,
Mountains
You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness,
O God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,
who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations. Psalm 65: 5-7
What mountain are you climbing? Is it a physical mountain or a mountain of pain of suffering? Or do you think it is a mountain and it is really a small hill. Whatever that mountain is in your life, remember the One who created the larger mountains is there for you. If He could create something that large and beautiful, then surely He an help you with your mountain.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, July 15, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Fantastic Friday #270- Lonely
Lonely
4 Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds;
rejoice before him—his name is the LORD.
5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
6 God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Psalm 68:4-6
My family went to the lake this week and I stayed at home to take care of things and of course had to work. The first thought might be, wow you got some great quiet time or you sure had some time to yourself to do what you wanted. The answer to both those thoughts would be yes, but there was just one problem, I became lonely very quickly and realized of course how much I love being around my family. Just like God says above in verse 6, He sets the lonely in families. God created us for relationships and even if you don't have an immediate family, you do have those family members that are brothers and sisters in Christ who you can share life with. Don't be lonely but surround yourself with those who share your common bond.
Have a great weekend.
4 Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds;
rejoice before him—his name is the LORD.
5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
6 God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Psalm 68:4-6
My family went to the lake this week and I stayed at home to take care of things and of course had to work. The first thought might be, wow you got some great quiet time or you sure had some time to yourself to do what you wanted. The answer to both those thoughts would be yes, but there was just one problem, I became lonely very quickly and realized of course how much I love being around my family. Just like God says above in verse 6, He sets the lonely in families. God created us for relationships and even if you don't have an immediate family, you do have those family members that are brothers and sisters in Christ who you can share life with. Don't be lonely but surround yourself with those who share your common bond.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Fantastic Friday #269- Gloom
Gloom
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:8-10
I watched a group of 9 and 10 year old boys this week have a great time playing baseball and experiencing the laughter and joy of success and then most recently what could look like to most a seriously devastating loss. The funny thing is, just like most baseball players they played hard until the end and had forgotten about the loss before we left the stands. Do you humble yourself hard to the Lord or do you laugh off what the Lord can do for you? Do you focus on the Gloom and stay away from the Lord or during those tough times or do you come near the Lord and have Him lift you up. Take a moment to think about how you can take joy in the life you live, and how the Lord can take care of the gloom and doom you might feel.
Have a great weekend.
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:8-10
I watched a group of 9 and 10 year old boys this week have a great time playing baseball and experiencing the laughter and joy of success and then most recently what could look like to most a seriously devastating loss. The funny thing is, just like most baseball players they played hard until the end and had forgotten about the loss before we left the stands. Do you humble yourself hard to the Lord or do you laugh off what the Lord can do for you? Do you focus on the Gloom and stay away from the Lord or during those tough times or do you come near the Lord and have Him lift you up. Take a moment to think about how you can take joy in the life you live, and how the Lord can take care of the gloom and doom you might feel.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Fantastic Friday #268- View
View
24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth. Proverbs 17:24
This week, I am sure if you looked at it, had many ups and downs. My week had more ups than downs, but the struggles were so heavy, they weighed me down. I sit and reflect today on why those downs seemed to burden me and after a long week I realized that it was because of how I was viewing them. Maybe if I would have viewed the problems through a lens of wisdom, and focused less on why they were dragging me down, they wouldn't have seemed so burdensome. I think our view is skewed many times by the foolish ways of the world and how the world tells us we should handle things. Take some time the next time you have a down moment and pray for discernment from the Lord to look at the issue through a lens of wisdom.
Have a great weekend.
24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth. Proverbs 17:24
This week, I am sure if you looked at it, had many ups and downs. My week had more ups than downs, but the struggles were so heavy, they weighed me down. I sit and reflect today on why those downs seemed to burden me and after a long week I realized that it was because of how I was viewing them. Maybe if I would have viewed the problems through a lens of wisdom, and focused less on why they were dragging me down, they wouldn't have seemed so burdensome. I think our view is skewed many times by the foolish ways of the world and how the world tells us we should handle things. Take some time the next time you have a down moment and pray for discernment from the Lord to look at the issue through a lens of wisdom.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Fantastic Friday #267- Wick
Wick
18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21 In his name the nations will put their hope.” Matthew 12:18-21
Candle wicks are very interesting if you think about it. The wicks sometimes can take a while to light if you don't have a good strong flame, because a match can quickly flame out. If you watch a wick while it is lit, it really does not burn that fast. In fact, it seems that it takes some time for the tip of the wick to burn down and the wax seems to control it if you look closely. And then when you blow the wick out or snuff it out, it really is still lit and smolders until it finally goes out on it's own. I think of Jesus as my candle that shines a light before me in my Christian walk, and a light that cannot be snuffed out. He is always there burning in my heart, and showing me how I can be a light to someone else. I know we can sometimes let our wick of our Christian Life smolder out on its own, and not shine brightly to others. Keep your wick burning strong and don't let evil allow you to be snuffed out.
Have a great weekend.
18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21 In his name the nations will put their hope.” Matthew 12:18-21
Candle wicks are very interesting if you think about it. The wicks sometimes can take a while to light if you don't have a good strong flame, because a match can quickly flame out. If you watch a wick while it is lit, it really does not burn that fast. In fact, it seems that it takes some time for the tip of the wick to burn down and the wax seems to control it if you look closely. And then when you blow the wick out or snuff it out, it really is still lit and smolders until it finally goes out on it's own. I think of Jesus as my candle that shines a light before me in my Christian walk, and a light that cannot be snuffed out. He is always there burning in my heart, and showing me how I can be a light to someone else. I know we can sometimes let our wick of our Christian Life smolder out on its own, and not shine brightly to others. Keep your wick burning strong and don't let evil allow you to be snuffed out.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Fantastic Friday #266- Shift
Shift
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless go hungry.
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless go hungry.
16 Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die. Proverbs 19:15-16
For those of you familiar with baseball, you know what a defensive shift is, and what kind of movement takes place. If you drive a car, you know that gears shift to get a car moving. When you are uncomfortable in your seat, you shift your body around to make yourself more comfortable. In your Christian walk, how much do you shift, or do you stand still and don't do anything to grow. There are times in my life that I don't feel the shift, but quickly the Holy Spirit reminds me that if I don't shift to following God's path for my life, I tend to grow hungry to better myself. It is important to shift towards a life God means for us to fulfill and not be a stagnant reed that only moves when the wind blows us to and fro.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Fantastic Friday #265 Fault
Fault
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. James 3:1-2
Today my son threw a baseball to me. I didn't catch it and it hit me in my big toe. As I look at it and see it swell and turn purple, I feel a lot of pain. Now who's fault was it that it hit my big toe. Well, my son thought it was his fault for throwing the ball too low. I thought it was the ball's fault for being hard, or was it really my fault for not getting the glove low enough to catch his throw. At times as Christians, people place us on a pitcher's mound of control and expect us to be perfect. When we do stumble off the mound and walk into sin, people see that loss of control and can judge us. We all know that we need to take a deep breath, reflect and look to the Lord for helping us control our pitches in life. We do not need think that we have all the control with that perfect pitch, because we all have faulty form. Learn to control your body through Christ and pitch that perfect game with His help, and try not to use your so-called perfect pitch because you know you don't have it.
Have a great weekend.
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. James 3:1-2
Today my son threw a baseball to me. I didn't catch it and it hit me in my big toe. As I look at it and see it swell and turn purple, I feel a lot of pain. Now who's fault was it that it hit my big toe. Well, my son thought it was his fault for throwing the ball too low. I thought it was the ball's fault for being hard, or was it really my fault for not getting the glove low enough to catch his throw. At times as Christians, people place us on a pitcher's mound of control and expect us to be perfect. When we do stumble off the mound and walk into sin, people see that loss of control and can judge us. We all know that we need to take a deep breath, reflect and look to the Lord for helping us control our pitches in life. We do not need think that we have all the control with that perfect pitch, because we all have faulty form. Learn to control your body through Christ and pitch that perfect game with His help, and try not to use your so-called perfect pitch because you know you don't have it.
Have a great weekend.
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