Sing
Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples! Psalm 96:1-3
Yesterday our family lost a beautiful, caring wonderful woman. She was a woman that cared deeply for all of those around her and how just a few weeks ago over Facetime, recognized me and smiled at me after many years of battling Alzheimer's. She was a woman who had a hilarious laugh, and also a woman who loved to sing. I can imagine her singing with her sister Eileen in Heaven right now. The thing with my mother-in-law is that she was always joyful in her singing, she always cared about the songs that meant the most. Let us all sing for joy as she always did and still does in Heaven today. Don't dwell on the negative, but think of how God has always been there for you. There is something about singing, even if you do it badly like me, that is a joyful sound to God. Music moves our emotions and gives us hope when there are dark times. Its no wonder that throughout God's Word, singing is mentioned, so take a moment today and sing a song of joy.
You will be missed mother-in-law dear, and how I will miss calling you that when I talk to you on the phone. Ooooh Doggy!
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, October 19, 2018
Friday, October 12, 2018
Fantastic Friday #649 - New Thing
New Thing
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 4:18-19
How many of us actually try a new thing, or do we find ourselves stuck in the same place? This week one of my sons got to try a new thing. It was completely new to him, and took a lot of hard work, however in the end he did well for his first time trying this new thing. I think we need to always look to try new things, so we can learn something new or improve ourselves. Maybe you should look for the new thing that God is telling you to try. You might not know what it is until He reveals it, but it is brought to us so we can improve ourselves, or grow in our faith. God is always doing a new thing in us, we just have to listen for what that thing is and follow through. Try a new thing.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 4:18-19
How many of us actually try a new thing, or do we find ourselves stuck in the same place? This week one of my sons got to try a new thing. It was completely new to him, and took a lot of hard work, however in the end he did well for his first time trying this new thing. I think we need to always look to try new things, so we can learn something new or improve ourselves. Maybe you should look for the new thing that God is telling you to try. You might not know what it is until He reveals it, but it is brought to us so we can improve ourselves, or grow in our faith. God is always doing a new thing in us, we just have to listen for what that thing is and follow through. Try a new thing.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, October 5, 2018
Fantastic Friday #648 - Joy
Joy
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:9-11
I felt joy this week. Did you feel joy this week? Joy is hard to find in our world, because there is so much negativity and the enemy doesn't want you to feel joy. So, do you really want to know how I felt joy this week? I will tell you. First, my friend who has cancer laughed at one of my stupid childish jokes. Second, that same friend blessed me with a special gift that I would never be able to afford myself. Third, my children and wife traveled safely to see my mother-in-law. Fourth, I had a friend tell me how much my posts on Facebook meant to her. Fifth, my mother-in-law recognized me and smiled at me over face-time. To many of you, that fifth one might not sound like a big deal, but it was a big deal to me and there is a lot of Joy in my heart because I know that God has laid out a path for my life and my loved ones. He is in control. Find joy in the little things and the big things, it defeats the enemy's efforts because he does not want us to feel joy. Feel joy this week and find it, it is right around every corner.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:9-11
I felt joy this week. Did you feel joy this week? Joy is hard to find in our world, because there is so much negativity and the enemy doesn't want you to feel joy. So, do you really want to know how I felt joy this week? I will tell you. First, my friend who has cancer laughed at one of my stupid childish jokes. Second, that same friend blessed me with a special gift that I would never be able to afford myself. Third, my children and wife traveled safely to see my mother-in-law. Fourth, I had a friend tell me how much my posts on Facebook meant to her. Fifth, my mother-in-law recognized me and smiled at me over face-time. To many of you, that fifth one might not sound like a big deal, but it was a big deal to me and there is a lot of Joy in my heart because I know that God has laid out a path for my life and my loved ones. He is in control. Find joy in the little things and the big things, it defeats the enemy's efforts because he does not want us to feel joy. Feel joy this week and find it, it is right around every corner.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, September 28, 2018
Fantastic Friday #647 - Roots
Roots
7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
I saw a lot of rain in the last week, and with over 6 inches of rain I expected that I would have seen a lot of damaged and washed-away trees. I am not saying there wasn't damage, but what I did see is those trees that had the stronger root system were strong and sturdy and did not fall over. I know that we don't want to get washed away by the enemy and it all starts with our roots, the ones we have in Him. If we spend time with Him and in His word, our roots will grow. If we have confidence in His power and ability to provide for us, then He will provide and protect us. We might feel swayed by wind of a storm on occasion, but if our roots are deep and strong, we don't have anything to worry about. The stronger our roots, the more we can stand against the enemy and not be swayed. Work on your root system and rely on Him for your every need.
Have a great weekend.
7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
I saw a lot of rain in the last week, and with over 6 inches of rain I expected that I would have seen a lot of damaged and washed-away trees. I am not saying there wasn't damage, but what I did see is those trees that had the stronger root system were strong and sturdy and did not fall over. I know that we don't want to get washed away by the enemy and it all starts with our roots, the ones we have in Him. If we spend time with Him and in His word, our roots will grow. If we have confidence in His power and ability to provide for us, then He will provide and protect us. We might feel swayed by wind of a storm on occasion, but if our roots are deep and strong, we don't have anything to worry about. The stronger our roots, the more we can stand against the enemy and not be swayed. Work on your root system and rely on Him for your every need.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, September 21, 2018
Fantastic Friday #646 - Way
Way
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21
Do you find yourself running through life? When you take time to stop and look to see what is around you, is it blurry? Quite often the blurriness is related to the time you take with anything. You might be speeding through your walk and not paying attention to the important people in your life. When that happens, you begin to be disconnected from most everything. At times you could begin to head down the path of least resistance and look for the easy way. We should be looking for the way with resistance because through that our faith is tested. When our faith is tested, God is still always with us and will continue to guide us. Walk in the way the Spirit guides and don’t focus on the enemy to take the easy path.
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21
Do you find yourself running through life? When you take time to stop and look to see what is around you, is it blurry? Quite often the blurriness is related to the time you take with anything. You might be speeding through your walk and not paying attention to the important people in your life. When that happens, you begin to be disconnected from most everything. At times you could begin to head down the path of least resistance and look for the easy way. We should be looking for the way with resistance because through that our faith is tested. When our faith is tested, God is still always with us and will continue to guide us. Walk in the way the Spirit guides and don’t focus on the enemy to take the easy path.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, September 14, 2018
Fantastic Friday #645 - Mystery
Mystery
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. Ephesians 1:7-10
I like a good mystery. My favorite mystery writer is Agatha Christie, and one of my favorite books by her was "And Then There Were None." The book includes a group of people who were killed but suffered a great deal of guilt before the killer had completed his revenge. It was a mystery of why all the people felt the guilt, until the very end when it all was revealed. The great thing about God's grace is that He gives us every reason not to feel guilty but to realize through the redemption of Christ we may have the mysteries of God revealed. It is His will to remove the guilt and make us whole, and it is His will that we be a part of God's heavenly family. So remember, this plan is no longer a mystery to us but very clear.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. Ephesians 1:7-10
I like a good mystery. My favorite mystery writer is Agatha Christie, and one of my favorite books by her was "And Then There Were None." The book includes a group of people who were killed but suffered a great deal of guilt before the killer had completed his revenge. It was a mystery of why all the people felt the guilt, until the very end when it all was revealed. The great thing about God's grace is that He gives us every reason not to feel guilty but to realize through the redemption of Christ we may have the mysteries of God revealed. It is His will to remove the guilt and make us whole, and it is His will that we be a part of God's heavenly family. So remember, this plan is no longer a mystery to us but very clear.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, September 7, 2018
Fantastic Friday #644 - Redeem
Redeem
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:4-6
Pay off, exchange, make up for, convert are all terms of definition used to explain the word Redeem. What do you think of when you hear people say "I need to redeem myself," "I need to go make up for my wrong," or "I need to be forgiven." I typically think that they must have done something pretty bad at first, and then if I think, who am I to judge. Doesn't scripture in 1 John 5:17 discuss that all wrongdoing is sin. The important thing about sin is that all can be Redeemed for their sin, if they accept Christ as their savior. They can be forgiven of sin, because Jesus was Redeemed for us. He exchanged His life for us, think about that. He died for us. If you think about the sacrifice that was made, it becomes more clear about the redemption we can experience. I know that my Redeemer Lives.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:4-6
Pay off, exchange, make up for, convert are all terms of definition used to explain the word Redeem. What do you think of when you hear people say "I need to redeem myself," "I need to go make up for my wrong," or "I need to be forgiven." I typically think that they must have done something pretty bad at first, and then if I think, who am I to judge. Doesn't scripture in 1 John 5:17 discuss that all wrongdoing is sin. The important thing about sin is that all can be Redeemed for their sin, if they accept Christ as their savior. They can be forgiven of sin, because Jesus was Redeemed for us. He exchanged His life for us, think about that. He died for us. If you think about the sacrifice that was made, it becomes more clear about the redemption we can experience. I know that my Redeemer Lives.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
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