Saturday, February 29, 2020

PATHWAYS IN LIFE


 

Make a path all your own.


Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson knew what he was talking about. Find your best life. You can create it.

Do what you must do. Say what you must say. Build what you must build. Create what you must create. Sing what you must sing. Write what you must write. Do it to the best of your ability.

Use wisdom to guide your steps. Make understanding your friend. Let personal initiative propel you forward. Be wise in your risk. Ask for help when you need it. Carry on no matter what.

I met an engineer that spent his life immersed in his career. He said he had no choice; his job paid the bills. But his heart wasn’t in it, and he never pursued his interests. I say, it’s never too late.

I’m saddened when someone gifted and talented lives an unfulfilling life. There are ways to blaze a trail in spite of any limiting factors. I hope these individuals somehow tap into their dreams.

Bright days lie ahead with hidden opportunities. Surprises come when they’re least expected. Should one dream die, then it’s time to pursue a new one. You know best what works for you.

Seize the day.

Photo by Debby Hudson, Unsplash

Sunday, February 2, 2020

THE GIFT OF HOPE

HOPE
We can struggle in ways that unglue our usual ways of doing life during the hurting times. Hope is what we cling to.
Hope can dim, too, if life is hard enough. Yet it is hope that we look for; hope for better days ahead; hope for new beginnings; and hope in hope.

HOPE IS
Hope is present in a word of comfort, a hug, a smile, a colorful card, a kind word, a pat on the arm, a gift, lunch together. These are a few ways we encourage each other.
What may seem like a small thing when given from the heart and received in kind that has the unique capacity to rekindle hope and decrease despair.

HOPE ENCOURAGES
I have been the recipient of 'gifts of hope' on many occasions when I desperately needed them. The givers had no idea how much they helped and encouraged me.
We say "thank you" by turning around and giving a 'gift of hope' to someone else who is struggling, hurting, and in need of it.

Pay it forward.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

THE WAY OF BELIEF

BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED.

THE WAY OF FAITH
God is fair, just, righteous. God is good, kind, loving. God is faithful, relational, active. God's Word is true, right, unchanging. These are always true. We may not understand aspects of faith or why bad things happen. We may get stuck and even rail at God. But God is who He is.

Some people reject God. Some hate God. Some don't believe God exists. Some couldn't care less. Some are blind to the concept of a creator, living, redeeming, almighty Being. My desire is that all could see and know God IS real. When God is known--the soul awakens--redemption is nigh.

To the unbeliever the belief of a believer doesn't make sense. If only they could know the beauty of a relationship with God. The way of belief, of faith, is a deep, penetrating, life-changing, redemptive journey. God loves--they KNOW His love. God forgives--they KNOW His forgiveness. God enlivens the soul--they KNOW His quickening as beloved, new creatures.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

WELCOME 2020

HERE WE GO, HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Welcome, 2020!

Pause & Consider

 

A perfect year for listening, learning, and loving. Carry on. . .


Out with the old, in with the new. Kinda nice how that works. New beginnings -- fresh starts -- give us a zip, like we're hitting a refresh button. With mental energy . spontaneous ideas . creative fusion . goal setting, we boldly move forward: undeterred, undaunted, resilient in heart.

I am grateful for all my blessings. Grateful to God for taking care of me. Grateful for you, my faithful followers. Grateful for the grace that gets me through each day. Grateful to be alive.

I am so glad God is a God of second chances. He offers grace, forgiveness, and life to all who believe. Across the spectrum those in the faith experience restorative spiritual life. Life is complicated. We can derail with this or that misguided notion, but God guides us back.

Awareness of nature's wonders lifts the spirits. Delight in looking closely at the natural world: Delicate flower petals, fluffy cumulus clouds, sparkling fresh-fallen snow, glorious firs and stately pines, mountain peaks rising to greet the sky. See its breathtaking loveliness.

'The Love of God' is an old song that is a song of the heart from the heart. We could never pen the magnitude of God's love. Truly impossible. My brother plays 'The Love of God' on the harmonica. The song is incredibly beautiful to listen to.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints' and angels' song.

 

God’s best to you and yours as we enter a new decade.

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Photo: Unsplash Collections, Kelly Sikkema
Content from @nlbrumbaugh on Twitter