Apples, oranges and beans

Jane has two apples. Sue has four oranges. And none of that amounts to a hill of beans if you're hung up on what they have despite the fact that you’re supposed to be making peach cobbler. 

 
Let’s quit wrestling with the infamous green-eyed monster, cease listening to the shadowy, raspy voice of petty thoughts and selfish feelings, and kill the comparison. 

Let’s walk with God and embrace the path that the Good Shepherd leads us on, choosing to trust and believe that the same Jesus who blessed and gave someone else a breakthrough is preparing a beautiful, unique, amazing, and perfect future for us too! 

Keep being the blessed, amazing and wonderful creation of God and have a great week.

Praying that God would

Praying that God would

Praying that God would destroy all the snares and traps lining our path, sweep away the obstacles and chaos in our way, and protect us from dangers and harm so that we have life and joy, and reach the shores of victory, success, and life everlasting!

Praying that God would move in fantastic ways in our lives, creating a torrent of blessings for us, and showing us the glory and beauty and love of the gospel.

Praying that God would give us "opportunities to slow down, and taste and see that the [He] is good" so that we would love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Praying that God would "lead us to the places where He is at work," and equip us to be His hands and feet, sharing the excitement and intimate love found in the good news of Christ

This is the ultimate reality— God is God!

Our physical reality, full of problems, disruptions and troubles, will often hijack our thoughts and emotions, and threaten to wear us out with worry and doubt. 

But our spiritual reality, as children of God and coheirs with Christ, reminds us that no matter what we experience “God is good, God is good to [us],” and God loves us. Our spiritual reality keeps our souls anchored to the truth that God is still sovereign, still in control, and still good at being God!

May the Truth of God’s Word, and His victorious and life restoring love, reshape and redeem and reform the way we see our physical reality, so that even in the most difficult circumstances and seasons we are able to abound with hope and live with joy. 

Praying that today was a great and Happy Monday.

Part of the beauty of God's grace

Part of the beauty of God's grace— in His word He tells us what to do to enjoy life and have good success, but He never forces us to do it. 

Instead, He loves us deeply each and every day, leads us in good paths and is gracious to us despite our poor choices, calls to us and runs to us the moment we finally decide that we do want to live the blessed, loved and unstoppably victorious and abundant life He promised through Christ! 

 May we join our plans to His and give Him our lives— heart, mind, and soul!

Much more impressive—

Much more impressive— 

ESPN said that Aaron Gordon of the Denver Nuggets was great, impressive, in the first game of the NBA Finals, noting that Gordon played "old-school bully ball" against Miami's mismatches and smaller defenders, setting a "physical tone" early that helped the Nuggets win.

Now just think, if reporters and writers believe that we should be impressed with Gordon's ability to impose on smaller players in a game, then how much more should we be absolutely floored, in awe of, and amazed by God. Unlike Gordon, with God every obstacle, difficulty, opposing foe is smaller, a mismatch to His power and strength, and completely and utterly incapable of stopping His plans.

The Nuggets won one game in a series, and who knows they may very well win every game on the way to a championship. But only God remains undefeated in every battle, test, trial and season. Only He is able to beat back, back down, and tear through any obstacle, beat up any enemy, and break every opposing force in a multitude of ways.

Never forget that God has unlimited weapons at His disposal, infinite wisdom upon which to draw upon, unrivaled, unlimited, and unbeatable power in the tips of His hands, and so many countless, different and multifaceted ways to accomplish His plans, bring victory, and help us overcome our challenges.

Aaron Gordon was good, the Nuggets were good, but God alone is much, much more impressive in all things and at all times!