A Weekly Walk in the Word

Galatians 5:22-26  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Visiting an apple orchard is one of my favorite fall outings. Last week we strolled through acres of apple trees sampling as we walked. Here was an orchard loaded with rows of apples trees, each with their own unique tastes. I bit into sweet apples, tart apples, firm apples, soft apples and everything in between.

We serve one God… our Lord Jesus Christ. We are his followers, yet we are all unique. The fruits of the Spirit we share with the world are done so in our own unique ways. I share love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control differently than anyone else. I have been created uniquely for a special purpose. You have been created uniquely with a special flavor to be shared with the world.

After walking the entire orchard and tasting enough apples to leave with a belly ache, I went into the apple hut to ask the ladies to put together a bushel of apples for applesauce. They knew just the right apple variety mix to make the perfect applesauce. You and I are the perfect mix for sharing our fruits with others as we respect the uniqueness of the fruits we share!

Deuteronomy 2:1-3  Then we turned back and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea, as the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir. Then the Lord said to me, “You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north.”

The Israelites wandered through the hill country for 40 years, just outside the promised land. Instead of turning to God, they made poor decisions based on their personal wants and desires. During those 40 years, the Israelites faith was strengthened. Moses encourages them to remember where they have been as they continue to move forward into the promised land.

When I look back on my life, I am ashamed at how much time was wasted on the pursuit of my personal wants and desires. When I turn north, God leads me and fulfills my every desire.

When we remember where we’ve been and learn from those mistakes and failures, we are ready to move ahead with humility and wisdom as companions to our faith. Spend your week turning to the north!

Ephesians 5:19-20  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

There is something magical about music that soothes the soul. I am in awe of musicians who write their own lyrics to share with the world. Music alters the mood in the room. Keep the beat as you sing praises to the Lord. The world needs to hear your song.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “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.”

South Texas is where we traveled last week to buy antiques, relax and explore. My favorite part of our trip were the people. Every shop we visited and every person we met left us with the same saying… “you all have a blessed day”.

We were able to accomplish all the items on our trip itinerary even with a heat index of over 100 degrees every day we were there. I usually melt in the extreme heat, but in Texas the people thrive. We met such amazing friendly people who were not afraid to share their faith.

We now have new friends who are planning trips to visit us in Minnesota and we will return to our new friends in Texas. You all have a blessed day!

Psalm 8:1-4  O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man, that you care for him?

God’s handiwork is incredible. We took a road trip this weekend from Minnesota to Texas – 17 hours in the truck. I was in awe of the beauty of our land. We passed fields of cotton, red rivers and magnificent trees. But the skylines were breathtaking. The creator shares a piece of heaven in the landscapes of our world if we only slow down enough to notice.

Romans 1:11-12  I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong – that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 

How do you encourage the faith in others?

The Minnesota Writer’s Guild has begun their 2019-2020 year. We meet once a month in Hopkins, which is over an hour drive from my house. It would be easy to stay home instead of making the effort every month to attend the meeting. But, every time I go, I am blessed to be surrounded by other Christian writers.  Their text messages, emails and phone calls mean so much to me. My faith has increased because of the the love I receive from these writers encouragement. And the beautiful thing is that when I show up, God is always there to meet me in that place!

May God Bless you and may you find a group where you feel welcome to encourage each other’s faith.

Matthew 26:36-39  Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Where do you go when you become overwhelmed?

We had a crazy week last week that landed us on an antique buying trip near the St. Paul Cathedral. As we walked by, we decided to go in because neither of us had been this close to the cathedral. As we walked through the massive doors a sense of peace came over me. God was in that place. Even though outside St. Paul experienced 3 homicides in 9 hours and it was the week of 9/11, inside the St. Paul Cathedral, there was peace.

Instead of being overwhelmed by life, be overwhelmed by God’s love.

Isaiah 40:6-8  “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

The landscape seems to change daily. My flowers wilt a little every day as they reach the end of their growing season. Soon the bright blooms will fall as the early morning frost covers the ground. I anticipate the season change by adding an extra blanket to our bed and becoming reunited with my favorite sweater.

We experience many seasons of change in our lives. I think that is why I am so comforted by the verses in Isaiah. No matter how much things change, God’s word remains the same FOREVER! He is the rock when life gets moving too fast.

Enjoy autumn and the season of life you are in today. God was with you yesterday, he is with you today, and he will be with you tomorrow.

Psalm 29:3-10  The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. he makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forest bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Where do you hear the voice of the Lord?

Where do you see the hand of God?

He is everywhere.

Seek Him

Ephesians 1:13  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.

The project for this week was to seal our front patio and sidewalk. It began with a thorough cleaning of sweeping, scrubbing and rinsing. It is amazing the amount of dirt that builds up in the corners over a year. The sealing process is so rewarding as the chalky concrete turns to a sparkling golden color, highlighting the exposed aggregate.

You my friend have been sealed by the unconditional love of Jesus Christ, who has given you the gift of the Holy Spirit. He has cleaned away all the dirt in the corners of your life. You are protected by his seal to live in his glory forever!

Shine as you move through life, knowing that you have been sealed in Jesus.