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Life is a constant struggle to do what is right. Our schedules rule our worlds. Men and women both often find themselves overwhelmed, overwrought and overworked in our high-tech culture. The blessing of technology also means we have more options and opportunities than ever before. As a result, we are racing just to keep up.  God forbid an opportunity pass us by.  If you blink you might miss something!

Just this week I discovered the “Amazon Echo”. It’s a robot that looks like a tall speaker! It sits on your counter top and awaits your verbal command to execute almost anything an app can do; which today seems to be endless. I had to stop and pause for a long time to fully absorb the reality and ramifications of this new tech.. Once again, daily life has the potential to be drastically changed. From the era of smartphones and Google-Mania comes a mighty temptation to rush to keep up and forget what we are doing, and why.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;  to be made new in the attitude of your minds;  and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24

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As believers we desire to walk in the will of God. This is not some fairy tale ideal. Once we surrender our lives to Christ, the Holy Spirit shows us where, and how, we have been blinded by incorrect thinking and beliefs. He gives us a spirit of discernment and wisdom that grows as we make choices in line with the Word of God. Despite our best efforts we often get off track.  It is harder than ever to focus in a world flooded with new and amazing distractions!

…you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Dueteronomy 13:3

God in His infinite patience and mercy walks us through our trials and missteps. He sets our feet upon a path that leads to Him if we remain faithful. Nothing apart from this is worth our time or energy. This is radical thinking when you are caught up in other things, but “other things” lead to sin. For Christians, sin is anything that separates us from our relationship with God or comes before Him. In my life, that means I have to be intentional about the amount of time I spend with “technology” compared to the amount of time I spend in prayer, in the Word, and seeking God in my daily choices. Let’s be honest, we could spend all day on our Smartphones if we aren’t careful and it doesn’t stop there…

If the Devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy…

anonymous

God gives us opportunities daily to know Him more.  What happens when we are too busy to slow down and act on those Godly opportunities? How many times have you gone from one thing to the other, and before you know it, the day is over and you have not thought about God for more than a fleeting moment?  How many days do we go without praying, acting in our own strength, making choices that do not honor God but distract us from our true purpose?  Most of us struggle with this regardless of how long we have been Christians, we are too easily distracted, and the Devil knows it.

We are called to simple acts of kindness and love, ministering to others in need. These meetings have Heavenly consequences. When we can slow down and listen to the prompting of the Holy spirit, we don’t miss out on divine appointments set by God.  It’s shocking to think that we could miss out because we are playing Mine Craft, Candy Crush, or some other equally addicting game.  They seem harmless in isolation, but we must ask ourselves if we have unconsciously shifted our attentions away from God’s calling on our lives and given up precious time.

A  famous Christian Pastor tells of how he was in a busy hotel when he was a young man and a bellman offered to help him with something. He felt that he really didn’t need help.  He was about to say “no thank you” as he was in a hurry to get back to his room and check his email. But years of walking with God had taught him the importance of listening to that voice inside, the God voice, asking him to do something against his better judgment or desire. That voice told him the boy needed to speak to him. The pastor chose to slow down and listen.  He was able to comfort the boy and minister to his needs.  The boy was blessed, but in the end that meeting blessed the pastor in a way he never expected. That divine appointment led to another meeting that led to the pastor publishing his first book. That book went on to be a best seller and impact thousands of lives for Christ.

Is there an app for God?  We are the God app.  He writes the code for our lives, He is the Master Designer.  He works through us and in us.  God has an infinite wireless connection to every soul He created, that never glitches, disconnects, or becomes obsolete.  Technology is amazing and we should embrace what is new, as long as we keep our eyes on the real prize…

As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 18:30

Heavenly Father we praise you for the miracles and wonders in the world around us. Guide us in your ways.  Help us to choose wisely how and where we spend our time, resources, and money. Remind us who we are in you, and that you have a purpose for our lives. Let our identity be in you God. We are who you say we are; beloved children, created in your image for good works in your name so that more may come to know you God. Help us stay on course Father, make us intentional in putting you first above all else, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Is There an App for God?

/ Shannon Jarvis / Leave a comment

Redemption

/ Shannon Jarvis / Leave a comment

The Garden, the lie, the fall, the goodbye

The hiding, the shame, the sorrow, the blame

The truth, the cost, the foolish, the lost

The choice, the sin, the struggles within

The dark, the light, the power, the might

The path made clear, the birth of fear

The boy, the girl, their broken world

The Love that saves, the bond man craves

The Son, The Cross, the death, the loss

The Risen, The Lamb, The Savior of Man

The promise revealed, the broken now healed

The old, the new, The Gospel, The Truth!

Love, Honor, and Learn God’s Word…

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joMy daughter recently shared with me one of her favorite parts of Romans. God has given her a heart for young girls her age and she looks for opportunities to mentor and disciple teenagers. She told me that some have asked her to share with them practical things about God that can help them in high school, so she’s been teaching them Romans 12: 9-12.

When she and I went through the verses together she said that she chose it because it helped her at a younger age when she really needed it. She said she would read it over and over again. I never knew this. I felt a deep sadness that I had not shared this with her myself, that when she needed it most, I did not have enough of God’s word in me to comfort her and guide her. I loved God for a long time and innocently thought as a young mother that was what mattered most. Looking back, I see how God was shepherding us both. I know that there is “no condemnation in Christ”. God is truly the Father of us all. I know He knows how much I love Him, and my children; and that He does not want me to regret but rejoice in my walk with Him secure in the knowledge He has had us both in the palm of His hand the entire way.

It’s not about our failures or mistakes as mothers, it’s about our faithfulness and obedience. That being said, I have learned that it is not enough to love God, if we do not have His word firmly planted in us we will not grow and we cannot fulfill our roles or minister to others in the way God intended. We are meant to lead our children, how can we lead them in ways we do not know?

This message is praise to God for giving this scripture to my child and growing in her a heart to share it with other girls whose mother’s truly love them, but like me, maybe did not have the words they needed when they needed them. Here is a short application of Romans 12: 9-12 that I am grateful I have now to share with whomever may need it, young or old.

It is important to know that this part of Romans is the author’s, (the apostle Paul,) instruction about how God desires us to live as Christians. †

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ROMANS 12: 9-12

VERSE BY VERSE:

 Verse 9: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good.”

In our relationships we are to love with a sincere heart, and further oppose cruelty by clinging to what God has said is good here. This is especially challenging for teenagers as their relationships begin to mature. There are very few good examples in the entertainment media of how human beings are to treat each other much less believers in Christ. So many negative messages bombard us on a daily basis. We live in a fallen world and must deal with evil, persecution, pain, suffering and more. When we trust and believe in what God has said we lean in to Him and this truly becomes a shelter in the storm. When we react to the negative or ungodly influences around us, and turn away from God, we lose that shelter and become entangled in battle. Contrary to what the world is telling us, God is telling us not to pretend to love people, but to love them as He does, because He does:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 JOHN 4:7-11

 Verse 10: “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

Pride is a killer, especially in a world where image is everything. Social rules demand we order ourselves into groups with some on top and even more on the bottom. This is directly against God’s word. He tells us to put others above ourselves. Forget the accolades, compliments and praises we crave, God says it is better to put others first. This is obviously not a popular way of thinking as we can see by the many competitions for awards, magazines, and pop culture icons that we are surrounded by. These things are not evil unless we put them before God. To obey God you must keep your eyes on Him and let go of what is popular.

Verse 11: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

Keep your eyes on the prize. One of my favorite Bible teachers says often; “There is no high like the Most High.” God must be first. In everything we do we are to consider if our choice is pleasing to God. Does God want us to make sure we see every Hollywood blockbuster but rarely find time to read our Bibles? Do we make time for fun with friends and forget to pray because we are simply too busy? A wise man once said; “If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.” Satan does not have to make us drug addicts or murderers to destroy our witness and our purpose, he simply has to encourage us to take our eyes off of God. No purpose we create for ourselves in the world will ever compare to the purpose God has for us. Do we crave recognition, power, money, and fame more than we desire God? If so, we are on a path to destruction.

Verse 12: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

God is in everything. He does not promise us a problem free life, He does promise to never leave us or forsake us. He promises us beauty for ashes, good from evil, if we believe and cling to hope:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  James 1: 2-4

Finally I want to leave you with these additional scriptures to hold close to your heart. These have saved me from myself more times than I can count, never more so than when I am tired, stressed, or sick, God’s word does not fail to protect me from my foolish reactions, impulses and emotions! If your heart is struggling to love, obey these words, pray and ask God to change your heart:

 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  2 Corinthians 10: 5

Thank you God that you love us so much that we cannot even begin to fathom the depth of your love, that you would give your son to die for us so that we may be reconciled to you! Help us to put others first, to honor them, to love them, because they are your children, not because we judge them worthy. Help us to be wise and give us words to lift others up. Give us strength to resist the temptations and attitudes of the world, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and wisdom to choose the path you would have us walk so that we may lead others to you. Let us not grow weary but hold on to our fervent devotion and zeal for you. May we be joyful, patient, and faithful, oh Lord, in all our circumstances, secure in the knowledge that you are with us and you will work all things together for our good.   Do not let us lose hope but keep our eyes fixed on you. We love you Lord, in Jesus name, Amen.

† The following website is a good resource to use for in depth study of the Bible. For the purposes of this article it was used to confirm the author’s original intention and for Greek translations of key words in the text. http://www.blueletterbible.org/

Starry Night

/ Shannon Jarvis / Leave a comment

the breath of life

the stars at night

shine bright for all to see

the eye of God

spies all we are

from sea to shining sea

look up to know the joy of light

the darkened veil is pierced

by heaven’s glory shining through

a rain of joyful tears

Life After Death

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broken, scattered by the wind

falling

falling

down again

what God has joined is more than us

fighting ashes turned to dust

I can not bear to see you go

I wish you’d stay, I love you so

my heart, my soul, my memory

too quickly shattered by this need

to keep this life the way it was

to feel no pain but hold to love

where shall I stand? I whisper now

how to move on? I know not how…

a journey’s end is left behind

another path now I must find

my hands reach out to grasp the Light

to keep the joy now I must fight.

an act of faith by force of will

I long for silence, soft and still

a quiet heart, a peaceful mind

a new day dawns and Hope we find

as rolling surf meets silken sand

He waits for one with outstretched hand…

I will guide you

Call my name

These are tides that never change

the Lord thy God is close to thee

He hears your cries across the sea

of time and space and desperate doubt

the Lord, He hears when we cry out

this grand design to carry on

memory echoes God’s great song…

and so I take you where I go

and know that I am not alone

through the mountains majesty

of falling leaves and evergreen,

through the desert long and dry

of fallen earth and endless sky,

through the waters wild and blue

of crashing waves and changing hue…

…lifted, carried on the wind

rising

rising

up   again…

Worry Not…

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The old man lay still in his bed. Morning light streamed through the window as birds chirped a carefree song of greeting outside.  He was not asleep.  For 87 years, he woke with the dawn and listened as the world began to wake.  The room he lay in was unfamiliar.  The bed was not his own.  Even the pictures on the walls were of places unknown, faces of strangers.  Until the moment the little girl walked in, nothing felt right.  His grand daughter reached out and took hold of his withered hand.  She looked at the cross he’d worn around his neck her whole life, silver, shining in the sunlight. He opened his eyes for the last time and looked at her, “never, never, never give up.”  

Wise words can lead us where we need to be, but in moments of weakness and despair, they are often forgotten. Where does hope come from then?  What can make the difference in giving up or holding on? When we turn our eyes to people and circumstances, and take our eyes off of God, we can lose sight of hope. We can be like sheep without a shepherd, wandering, lost and alone.  The truth is, that with God there is always hope.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever–present help in trouble.   Psalm 40

In every life, there is trouble. I was born into trouble and can scarcely remember a time in my youth when I wasn’t overcoming something, or suffering in my circumstances. A sense of worry grew in me that was always in the back of my mind. I worried when times were good that they would soon turn bad. I worried when times were bad, that they would never be good again, or that they would get worse. I prayed, but I did not know the God of the Bible. To my young mind, He was a force too large to comprehend, outside my reach, far removed from my dysfunctional world.  I prayed, but did He hear me?

Years of worry did not reduce my suffering, or diminish my pain. Worry, like salt in a wound, only made everything worse. It did not glorify God. I wore it like an impenetrable armor, but it protected me from nothing. It was the manifestation of my fear, in direct opposition to the Word of God.

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?   Luke 12:25

The more we know God, the less we are prone to fear and worry.  In God’s Word we find a clear path to peace, a divine instruction to face our fears and handle life’s many challenges.  His comfort sustains us, His love changes us, His sacrifice restores us, His grace covers us.  Worry not, the Lord is your Shepherd…

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The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever.

Psalm 23

Thank you God that you are close to the broken hearted, that you love us and sustain us.  Be near the lost and the lonely, God.  Comfort them with your Holy Spirit, give them peace and the strength to persevere, for you alone can fill our empty places and restore our joy.  Take away our fears and our worry and remind us that you are with us, always.  You will never leave us or forsake us, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Heaven’s Door

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imagesThe Reaper, the void, the endless night

the things that fill the heart with fright

the time not spent

the living lost

letting go too great a cost

ashes dust and burning sand

desert, barren, empty lands

things the eyes will never see

things that now will never be

a dead man’s cries, a lover’s plea

are sounds that fall in broken dreams

and leave an echo vast and hollow

in pity, pride and fear we wallow

roots lie deep in hallowed ground

we try to keep from falling down

the destiny that never was

the ones we miss

the things we love

a day turned dark, a violent rain

the promise of an endless pain

beneath this heavy desperate weight

the day grows long, the hour late

time is not a friend to man

we run but in the end we stand

to face what we cannot avoid

and taste our portion of life’s joy

the last few drops are sweeter yet

and go down smoother than regret

one minute life’s a stately feast

the next- a snarling angry beast

if God is mercy, good and just

than we are more than scattered dust

and though the dark is closing in

new life we’ll have

through faith in Him…

a light, a beacon burning bright

until the end, for life we fight.

Give your Children God’s Best

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How do our kids know if we love them? As a mother of three girls I know many times I took it for granted that my children knew I loved them. But the truth is that often we are not showing them love despite the fact that we have their best interest at heart. In fact, many of us believe that just because we do have their best interest at heart that our behavior is covered. In other words, if the motivation of my heart is right, my choices will be right, the problem is we may be operating under some serious mis- beliefs. We are so influenced by our own pasts and experiences that many times our good intentions may be colored by ungodly beliefs.

The more I come to know Christ, the more I understand how we are to live as believers and why. One of my biggest regrets is the fact that I focused too many times on the behaviors of my children and lost sight of the bigger picture- the message my choices sent them. In stressful moments, I often felt unprepared and found myself reacting to what was happening instead of responding. A good friend recently reminded me of the difference.

A reaction has no forethought behind it and is driven by emotion, a response is a thoughtful choice based on some deeper understanding.

My reactions resulted in many negative exchanges between my children and I over the past 18 years. One of my favorite Christian authors, Lysa Terkeurst, calls these “unglued” moments; mom has “lost it” and is pulling out whatever she thinks is going to work in the moment, frazzled, and not thinking clearly. I wish I had written down some of the ridiculous things I have said to my children that seemed like a good idea in the moment but later made me cringe! Sometimes we learn the hard way!

These days I pray with intention and ask God to help me respond in love by giving me the strength to control my reactions. I have a plan for my responses when challenges arise; it is simple, I ask myself, “how can I reflect Christ in this moment”? Not, “what do I need to get my child to do right now”, but “what do I need to do right now”.  When I am in that frame of mind, God shows up.  He gives me words and ideas that I know I would not have come up with on my own! On the days when I fall short, and I do, I ask God and my girls for forgiveness and give myself grace. (It is important that we treat ourselves with as much love as we treat others!) I ask God to help me continue to learn to be a Godly parent. I believe, in the end, it is our witness to our children that will have the greatest impact on their lives.

God bless the families in your care.  Help us to be more like you and to understand what that looks like in our parenting.  Give me grace and the compassion to give others grace, especially my children.  Help us Lord to be more like you so our children will long to know you more.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I would like to share the following resource as my family and I have been deeply blessed by it and hope that you and your children will be also.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ilVz5ozNNo

http://www.ccef.org/category/authors/julie-e-lowe

 

 

 

GENESIS

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the tumbling, turning, rolling surf

the sandy, silken, shifting earth

the brilliant, blazing, bright blue sky

the sun, the clouds, the birds that fly

the life, the joy, the tragedy

the end, in truth, the victory

man is not worthy

and yet he will live

by blood we are saved

by faith we are His

172041_10150090458749842_5411622_ocreation revealed,

creator is seen

In all that has life,

awake and in dreams…

Hope

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It’s hard to see with eyes shut tight

and harder still in darkened night

Hard to know what’s coming next

and harder still to pass the test

But when I open up my eyes

I see a sun begin to rise

Promise comes with morning light

and love is there in childlike eyes

that see the day and hope for more

that yearn to walk on distant shores

that worry not and trust that day

will come again somehow someway

So as I lay me down to sleep

I’ll not fear night

but rest

in peace…