Assurance

Persistent faith

Wise Friends are Good Coaches!

Psalm 148:13-14

Faithfulness

words2

My YouVersion Bible app verse of the day is Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

That reminded me of one of my favorite verses in the Bible, Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupt talk come out of your mouths but only what is helpful for building others up, according to their need.”

Words matter.

I am thinking about words today.  Words are powerful.  Words can bring blessing and encouragement or words can bring discouragement and even curses.

I had to replant some grass in the back yard the other day.  Last winter with snow on the ground I cleaned my oil painting brushes in this spot.  I learned from Mr. happy trees, Bob Ross,  a fun way to clean your brushes----soak them in paint thinner and then beat them on something.

What I didn’t realize is that paint thinner kills grass.  It went down through the snow and into the soil and killed the area.

Words can do that.

I know that I have used words in the past that were like hitting somebody with a brush that had poison on it.  I regret that.  And my kids have had to forgive me for things I said that killed the green growth in their young hearts.  I am so thankful for forgiveness and grace.

I pray that God will enable me and empower me to use words that are full of grace, planting seeds of new growth in fresh soil in hearts of people around me.

Words are powerful.

As an internal processor, sometimes I can be a man of few words and brevity rules the day.  My friends have coached me, “use your words, Steve.”

May I encourage you?  Use your words.  And may they be full of grace, seasoned with salt, bringing blessings and encouragement into hearts around you today.

Boundaries and Borders

It has been SO very green lately.  I have been thinking about re-reading the book I wrote, BEYOND GREEN as I look out at the emerging life this spring.  Kristi inspired me to write it after we had a great discussion on appreciating and caring for God's creation as part worship....honoring the Masterful Creator.   It is so incredible the way God created.

Are you in the ranks of people who care about what God cares about, including His creation?

signs

Psalm 1

The letter H. What is your favorite word starting with an "H"?

FOCUS----Encouragement Blog 2

Heads Up

Nothing Political

I went to my first ever Caucus last week and was fascinated.   One of the speeches that caught my attention was given by a Lutheran Pastor.   I don't remember who he was speaking in favor of, but I remember his initial narrative.  He commented that some candidates are so popular right now because people want a king.  The fear, confusion, disillusionment, bad economy, unsafe world, threats to our national security.....the people want a strong personality who will take charge and turn everything upside down and fix it and rule and lead with strength.   The people want a king.

Sounds much like the Old Testament, doesn't it?  The people wanted a king.  So God gave them a king.  But the desire of God is to be our king.

So, nothing political here.   Our hope is in Jesus and Jesus only.  He is King.