Category Archives: Peace

Nope! Face It! He’s Never Gonna Change!

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His Love will never fail you!

Nothing can separate you from His Love…

Even if you run away…

Even if you make mistakes…

He stays the same through the ages…

His Love for you never changes…

Your pain in the night…

Becomes joy in the morning…

When oceans rage…

Don’t be afraid…

Know that He loves you…

And that’s never gonna change!

When the wind is strong…

And the water’s deep…

Trust in Him!

You’ll see…

You’re never alone in the open seas…

The chasm’s wide, but…

Jesus is the bridge…

So, you’ll reach the other side…

Because…

“…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28  NIV

Love like that can’t fail!

Amen!

Things Of This World Grow Strangely Dim…

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How can Christians stay so focused in this world???

They’re eyes are fixed on God!

All the things of this world suddenly grow strangely dim…

Things they loved to do, or say, no longer matter…

No longer entice and ensnare them…

Worldly things fade in God’s light!

Doubts and worries go…

His Peace embraces…

All that He is…

Is all that’s important!

They seek His face…

And don’t look around…

They know who’s holding them…

Safely in His arms…

And they know the world…

Can’t offer anything that compares to that!

Some Days, Life Is A Walk In The Park!

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Like Today!!

Lunch with my husband and two other couples…

A walk in the park…

Along the Peace River…

Cool, crisp, sun-shiny day…

It doesnt get better than this!!

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“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said,

‘I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness,

but will have the light of life.’”

John 8:12  NIV

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“Teach me thy way, O Lord;

I will walk in thy truth…”

Psalm 86:11  KJV

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“…Walk as children of light.”

Ephesians 5:8  ESV

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“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7  ESV

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“Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light to my path.”

Psalm 119:105  ESV

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“Whoever says he abides in Him

ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.”

1 John 2:6  ESV

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“He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice,

and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?”

Micah 6:8  ESV

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“If we live by the Spirit,

let us also walk by the Spirit.”

Galatians 5:25  ESV

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“…who walk not according to the flesh

but according to the Spirit.”

Romans 8:4  ESV

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“Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6  NIV

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“Let your eyes look straight ahead,

fix your gaze directly before you.”

Proverbs 4:25  NIV

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“Calling to those who pass by,

who are going straight on their way.”

Proverbs 9:15

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“…a man of understanding keeps a straight course.”

Proverbs 15:21  NIV

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“For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came

and testified to your truth,

as indeed you are walking in the truth.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

3 John 1:3-4  ESV

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“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar,

praise and extol and honor the King of heaven,

for all His works are right

and His ways are just;

and those who walk in pride He is able to humble.”

Daniel 4:37  ESV

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“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord,

urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling

to which you have been called,

with all humility and gentleness, with patience,

bearing with one another in love.”

Ephesians 4:1-2  ESV

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“And, as shoes for your feet,

having put on the readiness given

by the gospel of peace.”

Ephesians 6:15  ESV

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“Observe the commands of the LORD your God,

walking in His ways and revering Him.”

Deuteronomy 8:6  NIV

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“Yes, LORD, walking in the way of Your laws,

we wait for You;

Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.”

Isaiah 26:8  NIV

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“When Abram was ninety-nine years old,

the LORD appeared to him and said,

‘I am God Almighty;

walk before Me faithfully and be blameless.'”

Genesis 17:1  NIV 

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“…Then Peter got down out of the boat,

walked on the water

and came toward Jesus.”

Matthew 14:29  NIV

Yes, walk straight into His arms…Amen!

Bloom Where You’re Planted!

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We’re all different, but we’re all beautiful!

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“The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
…they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.”

Isaiah 35:1-2  NIV

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“…Who knows but that you were brought to the kingdom for a time like this?”

Esther 4:14  ISV

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“But in fact God has placed the parts in the body,

every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.”

1 Corinthians 12:18  NIV

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“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in Him.
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  NIV

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“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.”

Psalm 1:3  NIV

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“I know that the Lord is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
The Lord does whatever pleases Him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.”

Psalm 135:5-6  NIV

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“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,

they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

planted in the house of the Lord,

they will flourish in the courts of our God.

They will still bear fruit in old age,

they will stay fresh and green,

proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright;

He is my Rock…'”

Psalm 92:12-15  NIV

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“Nevertheless,

each person should live as a believer

in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them,

just as God has called them…”

1 Corinthians 7:17 NIV

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“There are different kinds of gifts,

but the same Spirit distributes them.

There are different kinds of service,

but the same Lord.

There are different kinds of working,

but in all of them and in everyone

it is the same God at work.”

1 Corinthians 12:4  NIV

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“All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,

and He distributes them to each one,

just as He determines.”

1 Corinthians 12:11  NIV

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“Just as a body, though one,

has many parts,

but all its many parts form one body,

so it is with Christ.

For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body

—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—

and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  

Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”

1 Corinthians 12: 12-14  NIV

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“Now you are the body of Christ,

and each one of you is a part of it.”

1 Corinthians 12: 27  NIV

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“And over all these virtues put on love,

which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

since as members of one body you were called to peace.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach

and admonish one another with all wisdom,

and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs

with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

Colossians 3:14-16  NIV

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We’re all needed in the Kingdom!

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So…Bloom!

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Present yourself to the King!

“See how the lilies of the field grow.

They do not labor or spin.”

Matthew 6:28  NIV

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Take a stand!

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Be confident!

“Yet I tell you that not even Solomon

in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”

Matthew 6:29  NIV

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Don’t remain silent!

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It’s your time!

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Live loud for Christ!

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Persevere!

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Obedience always brings blessing!

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God is working through His people!

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He will accomplish His purpose!

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Let Him use you!

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Stay faithful!

And…Bloom!!

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“Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime;

it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds.

He gives showers of rain to men,

and plants of the field to everyone.”

Zechariah 10:1  NIV

The Battle’s Already Won!

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Even the battle for your mind!

No!

I’m not giving up now…

I’m claiming victory!

I’m not giving in now…

The war’s already won!

The struggle’s between God and the devil…

Love against the enemy!

No!

I’m not giving up now…

The war’s already been won for me!!

Amen!

I just read an article by Joyce Meyer, entitled,

“Are Your Thoughts Powerful or Pitiful?

Taking Battlefield of the Mind to a New Level”

Joyce Meyer Ministries

publishes

“Enjoying Everyday Life” Magazine.

In this Special Edition issue article,

She shares “Power Thoughts” from Scripture…

To encourage you to bring your thinking into agreement with God,

So you can enjoy Him…

And His good plan for you.

Here are three “Power Thoughts” she  mentions:

Power Thought #1:

God Loves Me Unconditionally!

Psalm 139:14

  We are “…fearfully and wonderfully made.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,

the new creation has come: 

The old has gone,

the new is here.”

Power Thought #2:

I will Not Live In Fear! 

“This is the day which the Lord hath made;

we will rejoice

and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

Each morning, she says to herself,

“I will enjoy this day

and I will not live in fear.”

Power Thought #3:

I Am Difficult To Offend

“Whoever is slow to anger

is better than the mighty,

and he who rules his spirit

than he who takes a city.”

Proverbs 16:32

Win the battle for your mind!!

The war’s already won!

“East To West”

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“As far as the east is from the west,

so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Psalm 103:12

Have you allowed Him to cast your transgressions that far???

“Who is a God like You,   

who pardons sin and forgives the transgression   

of the remnant of His inheritance?

You do not stay angry forever

but delight to show mercy.

You will again have compassion on us;   

You will tread our sins underfoot   

and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”

Micah 7:18-19

Have your iniquities been hurled into the sea of forgetfulness?

This song by Casting Crowns, is so powerful!

Here I am, Lord!

I don’t want to end up where You found me!

In the arms of Your mercy I find rest!

Jesus,

You’re holding on to me…

You know just how far the east is from the west

From one scarred hand to the other!

Amen!

“Orange” You Glad You Know Jesus!?

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Sorry!  Couldn’t resist this title!

Kids,

Click below for a crazy worship song we do in our Kids Church about…

The Fruit Of The Spirit!

Galatians 5:22-23  NIV

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“…for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true…”

Ephesians 5: 9  ESV

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LOVE

“Love the Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your strength.”

Deuteronomy 6:5  NIV

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JOY

“May the God of hope

fill you with all joy and peace

as you trust in Him,

so that you may overflow

with hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13  NIV

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PEACE

“You will keep in perfect peace   

those whose minds are steadfast,   

because they trust in You.”

Isaiah 26:3

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PATIENCE

“And so after waiting patiently,

Abraham received what was promised.”

Hebrews 6:15  NIV

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KINDNESS

“But love your enemies,

do good to them,

and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.

Then your reward will be great,

and you will be children of the Most High,

because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”

Luke 6:35  NIV

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GOODNESS

“Our people must learn

to devote themselves to doing what is good,

in order to provide for urgent needs

and not live unproductive lives.”

Titus 3:14  NIV

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FAITHFULNESS

“For we live by faith,

not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7  NIV

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GENTLENESS

“Take My yoke upon you

and learn from Me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.”

Matthew 11:29  NIV

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SELF-CONTROL

“For we do not have

a high priest who is unable

to empathize with our weaknesses,

but we have One

who has been tempted in every way,

just as we are—

yet He did not sin.”

Hebrews 4:15  NIV

Know Jesus!

Bear Fruit!

Walk in the Fruit of the Spirit…

Display the Fruit of  the Spirit to others!

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…

It’s not easy all the time!

But produce good fruit!

Not rotten fruit!

 Dried up fruit…

Useless fruit…

Or no fruit at all!

Be a juicy piece of fruit!

Big and flavorful!

Yum!

Sniff It Out!

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What’s that smell???

My Crazy Siberian has a very keen sense of smell!!  She always knows when something smells “fishy!”  Ha!

If it seems out of the ordinary…she perks up…and is at full attention…until she can figure it out!

When she was an immature puppy…her senses were not mature yet…so she would ingest anything and everything!

Socks (dirty or clean!), rubber bands, plastic bottle caps, plastic beach shoes, dust bunnies, etc., etc., etc.

You know dogs even (YUK!!!!!!!) eat their own vomit…they’re so disgusting!

They sniff out everything (including their poop!!!  YUK, again!!), and are certainly not too discerning at all!!

Once, she ate the entire black substance inside a tennis ball/bar bell-looking toy we got for her at Walmart…

And threw it up for days!

So knowing this history of our crazy dog…I don’t expect too much from her…

However, I was surprised yesterday, when I realized I left the dryer lint where she could reach it in the laundry room…

AND IT WAS STILL THERE!!

An “AHHHHHH HAAAAAA!” moment, for sure…

My precious, little, 6-year-old girl is growing up!

She’s making better decisions!

She sniffed it out…and decided it was not worth ingesting!

She still eats questionable things for a healthy dog to eat, but seems to be restricting her intake to food items!

She still chooses peanut butter, cheese, burgers, and anything else we’re eating over her own food…

But, I say she is maturing in the area of what she will put inside herself!

Hallelujah!

Hey everybody!!  God feels this way about us, too!

We need to grow up!!

Sniff it out, first…

BEFORE you ingest it into…Your Body…Your Mind…Your Heart…

If it stinks…Don’t eat it!

“Stinkin’ Thinkin'” isn’t good for us!

That’s for babies!

Don’t be a baby!!

As a  mature Christian, be discerning!

Sniff it out…whatever you see, read, hear, think, say…

If it doesn’t smell good, according to God’s Word…

Don’t put it in, and don’t let it live in you!

Throw it out!

Philippians 4:8  NIV

“Finally, brothers and sisters…

Whatever is true…Whatever is noble…

Whatever is right…Whatever is pure…

Whatever is lovely…Whatever is admirable…

If anything is excellent or praiseworthy…

Think about such things!

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me…

Or seen in me…put it into practice…

And the God of peace will be with you!”

Amen!

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Sniff!  Sniff!

Hiding From God???

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You Can’t!

So Don’t Try!!

You can run, but you can’t hide!

He’s everywhere!

That’s bad for you if you’re trying to hide from Him,

But good, because you can be assured that He’s always there!

He’s already found you…

Now stop, turn around, look up, and there He is!

He loves you!

It’s like “Lost and Found” to Him!

His love embraces you…

Wraps around your hurts, your pain,  your despair,  your scars, your mistakes…

It wraps around everything!

“…because love covers over a multitude of sins.”  I Peter 4:8 NLT

Come out of hiding…

If He loves even me…

He can love even you, too!

What are you hiding behind???

Your job?  Your family?  Your health?  Your money?

Your wants and desires?  Your reputation?

I assure you, He knows who you are and where you are!

Look up!

Or, if you knew Him in the past…

Look inside!

To that place in your heart that can only be filled with God’s Holy Spirit…

Where it can be refilled…

And ready to overflow again with His Joy…

Even in life’s difficult situations with your job, family etc.!

Adam and Eve tried to hide, too!

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God…

As He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day…

And they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’

He answered,

‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked;

So I hid.’”

Genesis 8-10  NIV

In Bible study, while watching the DVD series called Frequency by Robert Morris…

Pastor Morris talked about God feeling sad when Adam said…

“I heard your voice and I was afraid.”

God created Adam and Eve to have a relationship with Him in Paradise…

He did things with them…

He walked with them in the garden…

He was always anxious to spend the day with them…

But, one morning, He finds them hiding…

They’re afraid of Him…

How it saddened God…

To lose that close intimate relationship…

Their sin had separated them from their God!

Jesus can restore the relationship…

Between you and God!

Don’t hide from God…

Even when going through a difficulty…

Come back…

Ask for forgiveness…

Do what it takes to be in a right place to hear His voice…

Don’t fear God’s voice…

Draw near to God!

You’re perfect together!

Psalm 139:1-18 NIV

“You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts,God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.”

Don’t hide from Him

You’re Beautiful!

You’re Loved!!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

If This Is All There Is, It’s Not Enough!!

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What’s Our Purpose???

What’s Our Destination???

Who’s Going To Say, “Well Done!!” At The End???