Sunflower Faith

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

—Hebrews 10:35-36

It almost feels like we live in a world where we are getting it from “both sides” of the fence.

Just as we think we are on our feet and are going to make it, something seems to come up, another crisis, another friend lets you down, or just everything that day falls apart, and we feel like infants trying to walk but not making it.

The holidays brings with it a special set of expectations as we struggle to find that “perfect gift” for friends, families, co-workers or acquaintences, we feel like our inadequecies are magnify even larger or we feel all the more forgotten and abandon.

It’s through times like this, we have to reach down and somehow,somewhere, find that faith in Jesus Christ and remember that we will over come all this.

Our friends may abandon us, we may feel like they have abandon us, or we fail to get that “perfect gift” or just life in general has us down, but God WILL NOT abandon us.

Ultimately in sickness, in health, good times and bad, HE will see us through no matter what and HE will not give up on us.

If you find yourself counting down the holidays or just feeling blue, pick up God’s word, or just talk to Him. It doesn’t have to be a special prayer or anything fancy, just talk to Him like you would anyone, trust me, He IS listening to you.

God bless you,Gentle Reader

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

Praying that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a powerful reminder of not only the importane of giving praise to our Heavenly Father, but just a reminder that no man is an island.
I remember reading a story about a family that posted on craiglist for those who were in need of “family” to share Thanksgiving to come share Thanksgiving with them and let them be a family for the day.

Shouldn’t that be the way everyday and not just because of a special event.

It’s discouraging to think as Christians that there are brothers and sisters whose time for fellowship is usually only on Sundays and even then, there are many who may not know their fellow member as well or even at all.

There was a powerful devotional that was a strong reminder to me and I pray to all of us, that we need to remember that everyday is a Thanksgiving and time to give and to be with others and not just because of a designated time, day or event.

As the devotional would go,

“Jesus often spent unhurried times of fellowship with the disciples. They shared countless meals together. It is often during such times we get to know others at a deeper level.

Love for one another is one of the greatest signs of faith in Christ. However, the pace of life often contributes to a life being lived for the next event instead of a relationship rooted in the love or Christ.

How many relationships do you have in your life that would allow you to fellowship simply because you cared for one another?”

That is a good question.

For many of us, even in our faith, we tend to slip into a competitive, it’s all about me, not about them mode. We’re human, we make mistakes, however as brothers and sisters in Christ, we are expected, either consciously or subconsciously, that if we are to emulate Jesus Christ and to allow Him to live in and through us, part of that is to shed our old lives and allow His light to shine through us.

Some of that includes puting aside ourselves and what we have to gain and instead think of what Jesus Christ will have to gain in and through us by putting aside selfish desires and instead see what we can do for others and in our community so that others will come to know Him.

As the devotional ask, I challenge you to ask yourself as well this Sunday Praise and Worship,”How many relationships do you have in your life that would allow you to fellowship simply because you cared for one another?”

“John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light” (John 5:35).

There are people that you just know has Christ living in and through them. There are people who call themselves Christians and yet when one is around them, rather than feeling our Father’s love and life through and in them, instead we feel rejection and hurt.

In a daily devotion, I read,

“

A diamond is designed to reflect the light to reveal its true value. The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance. There is no single measurement of a diamond that defines its cut, but rather a collection of measurements and observations that determine the relationship between a diamond’s light performance, dimensions and finish.

Jesus came to bring the light of His love and grace to each of us. However, we are born into a world dulled by the sin created by Adam and Eve that makes our lives dark until we meet Jesus. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Rom 3:23-24).”

It’s silly to use as an example, but think of an engagement ring and how everyone in the room seems suddenly drawn to the newly engaged girl’s display of her promise to be married. The oooo’s and the aaaah’s but more than anything, it’s hard not to get caught up in the joy and excitement of the newly engaged and the soon to be married.

As Christians, do we show that ourselves daily in our lives to everyone we meet and I mean truly and honestly and not when we just feel like the spotlight is upon us.

It’s hard to do so, to be honest, if we have had a bad day, but it’s food for thought…when people cross our paths, what do we want them to remember not so much us by, but our Heavenly Father by?

That despite the storms that may rumble in our lives, do we want them to see us as sour faced testament to our Heavenly Father that should they see us in any other day, may instead of embracing us…turn from us and our Heavenly Father, or as human beings who knowing they are not perfect, gave their life and trust to our Heavenly Father and allowed Him to lead us and to guide us how to act and react.

We are the diamonds that reflect our Heavenly Father and how do we allow Him to live in and through us so what is reflected is Him and not us or our moods that change.

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15).

 

 

 

Forgiveness doesn’t mean to forget as if a transgression never happen, but forgiveness does mean to forgive and try to move past whether then deal on a transgression.

This is difficult.

We have people who for whatever the reason, are in our lives and out and in the process have hurt us. Maybe lightly;Maybe deeply.

The hardest part is accepting that not only has God forgiven us for our sin, but for the sins of those who hurt us to. He forgave them. He has not said, it’s okay for the pain they have caused us, but that for us to grow in His grace, we must forgive and move on else we get rooted in the bitterness of the pain that person cause and rather than foxus on how God can heal us…we become more focus on the pain that person has caused us.

We live in a world of hurt and brokenness and though we crave for a perfect world, that world doesnt’  exist however there did lived a perfect man who went through the worst pain and humiliation ever experience so that you, me and yes, even those who may be the cause of bitterness will find salvation.

Ouch and relief at the same breathe.

This is a hard subject.

This is a painful subject.

It’s something that we have to face as people and as Christians as we walk in our journey with our Heavenly Father.

Don’t worry about not posting; This is not about share what happen, but rather, what has God done for you, now, here, to help you deal with overcoming the roots of bitterness that try to take root in your life.

It’s not easy. It’s not perfect. For many its a long process, but praise God, that He is here to see us through this and for us not to be alone, but in the company of Him.

“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – for he grants sleep to those he loves” (Ps 127:1-2).

Ever just find yourself struggling to be successful with something and not knowing why, no matter how much time and effort you’ve invested, it just doesn’t seem to be going anywhere?

Sometimes it may not just be the lack of effort but rather too much effort and not enough allowing room for God to just do what He does best and that includes, allowing Him in taking hold of what you are trying to build and grow it in a way that will rightfully serve Him, not us.

A powerful point was made in a devotional that I read when the devotional said,”How does one die so that Christ can be our all and all? It usually takes a crisis of significant proportions for most people to relinquish the control of their lives. It means we come to the end of ourselves and our striving to control the events in our lives and we finally come to the place where we can say, “Lord, I surrender. Please take full control of my life.[1. From "Prime Time with God" ]

Sometimes it takes realizing that the more we try to push the circle into where the square should go, not only the less results we get, but the more needless stress, we create.

It  takes a little humility and acceptance that as much as we like to try to do things ourselves, like just wont’ get easier until we give a little ourselves and allow God to take control for us.

Share with us this Sunday, what this verse means to you and how God has taken over and help you in areas that you couldn’t accomplish without His guidance.

There are many different ways to spend our Sundays.

Some spend it watching football (if you’re a guy). Other’s go shopping, sleep in, maybe work in the yard, or just hang around the house, but for others, it’s spent going to church and spending that time in fellowship with other believers and taking in the word of God.

For those who are new to the faith, or maybe in between church homes, the time is spent at home, either with family worship time, reading the bible on one’s own time, maybe one has a spouse who is a non-believer so going to church is a tricky issue.

If comfortable, share ways that you use Sunday’s to reflect on our Heavenly Father’s words, maybe ways that you observe the day either going to church or if you don’t go to church.

What and how does spending Sunday mean to you?

“John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light” (John 5:35).

There are people that you just know has Christ living in and through them. There are people who call themselves Christians and yet when one is around them, rather than feeling our Father’s love and life through and in them, instead we feel rejection and hurt.

In a daily devotion, I read,

“

A diamond is designed to reflect the light to reveal its true value. The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance. There is no single measurement of a diamond that defines its cut, but rather a collection of measurements and observations that determine the relationship between a diamond’s light performance, dimensions and finish.

Jesus came to bring the light of His love and grace to each of us. However, we are born into a world dulled by the sin created by Adam and Eve that makes our lives dark until we meet Jesus. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Rom 3:23-24).”

It’s silly to use as an example, but think of an engagement ring and how everyone in the room seems suddenly drawn to the newly engaged girl’s display of her promise to be married. The oooo’s and the aaaah’s but more than anything, it’s hard not to get caught up in the joy and excitement of the newly engaged and the soon to be married.

As Christians, do we show that ourselves daily in our lives to everyone we meet and I mean truly and honestly and not when we just feel like the spotlight is upon us.

It’s hard to do so, to be honest, if we have had a bad day, but it’s food for thought…when people cross our paths, what do we want them to remember not so much us by, but our Heavenly Father by?

That despite the storms that may rumble in our lives, do we want them to see us as sour faced testament to our Heavenly Father that should they see us in any other day, may instead of embracing us…turn from us and our Heavenly Father, or as human beings who knowing they are not perfect, gave their life and trust to our Heavenly Father and allowed Him to lead us and to guide us how to act and react.

We are the diamonds that reflect our Heavenly Father and how do we allow Him to live in and through us so what is reflected is Him and not us or our moods that change.

What was your defining moment that you knew you were firmly in the grip of Our Heavenly Father and was more than just a “Christan” but completely His child?

For me, it had to be the moment when I ran out of excuses why I didn’t need God.

It was the moment that I found myself having to come face to face with the reality of who He was and who I wasn’t without Him and that HE loved me…He loved me even though I felt like I didn’t deserve to be loved by Him, HE loved me and called to me to repent of my sin and to accept Him as my Lord and Saviour and to accept the love and forgiveness He yearned to share with me, with you, with all of us.

There are many defining moments in people lives, be it when they are life long Christians only to find that one single second when they truly understand what having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is about and there are those moments as a sinner when they find they can no longer run away from the over powering love of our Heavenly Father and finally come face to face with what He truly wants with each of us.

What was your defining moment? What cause you to just stop and realize…YOU are a child of God…and not just a Christian at face value or to other people, but that no matter what would happen, or what people could say, YOU belong to Him.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Ever just stare at a pile of unfinished projects and say to yourself,”What is the end result ever going to be?”

Praise God, that He isn’t finished what He has started with all of us. Could you imagine what it must be like if there were bunches of half-finish people around us??
All of us are constant work in progress and God is slowly working on us and refining who we are and what He desires us to be.

We may think He has thrown us aside and forgotten us, but than He reminds us…He is never done.

He just need to go back to His craft room for a piece here and a piece there that He was wanting to retrieve to use on us.

As the year is waning on, it’s almost November can you believe it, take the time to reflect on what this year has brought and what this year has yet to bring.
What has our Heavenly Father continue to do for you and what is He doing with you?

"He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When others are
troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." (2 Corinthians
1:4)

Sometimes until we get to the other side of a situation, we sometimes have a hard time seeing how it can be for the good for our lives until there are moments when we find ourselves later, in something that reminds of what we, ourselves, had to go through alone.
Everything works for the good and testament of God, and not because we are guinea pigs but our Heavenly Father uses our lives to prepare us, not to condemn us or to judge us or to hurt us, but to put ourselves in a better position that when we are called to serve Him in a way that through us and in us, we can touch and make an impact in His name to others.

One can imagine how many in God’s word may have asked themselves, “Why Lord,” or “Isn’t there a less painful way”, only to find themselves somewhere down the line, called by Him to serve Him as an example, as a tool, or just to simply be able to say, “I know how that feels and here is how God saw me through this and can see you through this”.

Life may never always be so simple or filled with a clear path, but don’t let this keep you from thinking that God can not or is not using you, but instead, maybe it’s our Heavenly Father’s way to prepare you for when you are called to be of service to Him to someone else. You’ll know what to do then.