Word of the Day: Columbine

 

A previous ‘Word of the Day’ (from Dictionary.com’s WOTD):

“Columbine \KOL-uhm-bahyn, -bin\, adjective:
1. dovelike; dove-colored.
2. of a dove.”

Coming from the point of view that there probably are no 'coincidences,' I find it slightly interesting that the devil chose to perpetrate one of America’s most notorious, earlier school shootings at Columbine High School, when God used the dove as the symbol for peace and the love of God and the Holy Spirit to come down upon Jesus when he was baptized.

Not that it matters either way really, but I doubt it was coincidence. Such might be the sarcasm and supposed wit of the devil, devil be damned. Oh wait, he already has been. Thank You, Jesus.

 

Prayer for Today

Lord, please, help me to see you in more things. Allow me to recognize your beauty, your way, your love. Also help me to recognize more easily, more often, the devil in the details of that which are of his doing. Please, Father, give me clarity of mind, clarity of heart, and your Godly wisdom on all things. I ask this in Jesus’ name, always. Amen.

 

In Every Situation? Yes.

 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

(Philippians 4:6-7) ♥♥♥

 

Prayer for Today

Thank You, Father, for so much guidance and love given us in regards to fighting off the enemy, & tricks such as fear, anxiety, and worry. Thank you for loving us unconditionally, though with accountability and discipline to help us grow and strengthen. Thank you for your peace, Jesus. Please guide us & grow us, and give us discernment so that we see more of you in everything, and fall prey to the world's tricks less often. Amen.

 

Pray for Peace (Along with Reba McEntire)

 

In a recent release regarding her song, "Pray for Peace," Reba McEntire asks us to, well, pray for peace -- and not only Sings About It but discusses it in a YouTube video.

If the link below ends up no longer working, you can look up her 1st name and the song title, Pray for Peace and find it yourself. Along with her YouTube video, here are 7 Bible verses on peace:

Reba McEntire - Pray for Peace - YouTube

 

Psalm 37:37 --
"Mark the blameless and behold the upright,for there is a future for the man of peace."

Matthew 5:9 --
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

Mark 9:50 --
"...and be at peace with one another."

John 14:27 --
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

Romans 12:18 --
"If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all."

Romans 14:19 --
"So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding."

Romans 15:33 --
"May the God of peace be with you all. Amen."

 

A Prayer for Every Day

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Holy Spirit."

(Ephesians 3:16)(NLT)

A Prayer for Today

Here's what I pray for -- and ask you to pray for as well -- today:

Psalm 72:4 (ESV) --

"May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!"

Thank You, Father, for Jesus. Amen.

My Prayer for You

This is my prayer for you today -- and every day:

"I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called."
(Ephesians 1:18)

Jesus May Not Be Santa Claus, But...

I've heard it said that "Jesus is not Santa Claus." Meaning He is not there simply to give us stuff. While I know that's true, still, there are these verses to contemplate:


Psalm 5:3 says:

"In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

There's also James 4:2, which says you do not have because you do not ask.


Thank You, Lord, for your love and your guidance -- and for all your blessings.

A Learned Man, With A Thorough Knowledge

If I could pick any role-model, this man -- Apollos -- is on my shortlist. :)

Acts 18:24-27 --

"Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ."

Worth Repeating

"...a Jew named Apollos ... was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures."

"...proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ."

A Prayer for Today

Thank You, Lord, for your wisdom, for your guidance, and for your glory.

Please, give us more believers like Apollos on this earth to vigorously refute those whose eyes are not yet open. And Lord, please, open more people’s eyes. Open the eyes of their hearts, Father.

Reveal yourself to them, Jesus. Rise up your people. Bring them out of their darkness. Remind them, show them, that they are yours.

Please bless each of us with your Godly wisdom, to overpower our street smarts and worldly influences.

Thank You, Father, for Jesus. Amen.

Loving Reminders In Our Moments of Ignorance

When I think I've got it bad, that life stinks, in those moments when I again find myself whining, 'Why, God?' ... God always answers. Though sometimes I try not to listen because in those moments of selfishness, of 'me me me,' I often want a different answer.

But thanks I believe to so often asking for God's grace, wisdom, and help... He reminds me of the simple truth of it all: that Christ is the Messiah, and our God is a sovereign God.

He reminds me that, "God is in charge."

God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and in all places. Nothing is hidden from Him. This has been shown again and again over the ages.

Paul...

When I find myself wishing I had a different life, had it 'better,' or had what others have... in those moments I'm usually reminded that the Apostle Paul was put in prison for God's reasons.

Paul was beaten, carried out of the city, dumped and left for dead, prayed over, rose again, and re-entered the city to continue sharing Christ -- all for God's glory.

I'm reminded, too, that Paul did not have all of his sinful ways taken away from him miraculously, and that God said His grace was sufficient.

Peter...

I'm reminded in my moments of self-pity and worry that Peter failed Christ in a time of fear and worry -- and Christ knew it would happen and still loved him.

I'm reminded, too, that life was not all fun and joy for any of the people given as examples in the Holy Bible, God's Inspired word.

Job...

Job had multiple children taken forcefully from him, lost all his possessions, and was made sick to the point of questioning God.

Yet God was always aware, always in charge -- and the devil could not touch Job without God's permission.

Lucifer, 'Satan,' 'the devil'...

Call him what you want -- I call him creation.

I'm reminded the devil is not equal with God, but is merely another creation of the Almighty God. As are angels, as are demons, as are all things in heaven and on this earth.

David...

When I am feeling sorry for myself again, God reminds me that King David had his moments of weakness, and failed God more than once. Yet he was 'a man after God's own heart.'

I remember again that not all of David's days were great and glorious. He had his normal, boring days as we all must, too.

I'm reminded that 'King David' started out as a boy, just like me. Even as a boy, though he did great, glorious things. Because even as a boy he had been a lover of God, a follower of God -- and that's what made the difference.

I'm reminded that despite being 'only' a boy, God used him.

David was used many times by God, for God's glory. To lead the people, to fight a giant, to lead armies in battle. To serve the people, and to lead the people to God.

It's a spiritual battle...

Yes, when this battle in our lives even today, this battle that is spiritual far more than physical, gets me down again, I'm thankfully reminded of and recognize -- sooner or later -- the truth.

The truth that it is a spiritual battle more than a physical battle, every day.

The truth that God lets us fail sometimes, yes.

But He is always there to dust us off again when we're ready to stand up again, and walk on again -- with Him leading the way.

Jesus Christ, the Messiah...

Thank You, Jesus, for showing us that You are The One, and one with the Father.

One with the Almighty God who holds the waters of the earth in the palm of His hand, yet knows the hairs on our head better than we do.

with the Almighty God who is in charge of all things. Of the earth, wind, waters, and fires of the earth. In charge of nature and all natural things, supernaturally.

The Almighty God who knows the inmost, hidden desires and thoughts of our hearts, better than we do of ourselves.

Prayer for Today

Please, Father, help us. Enlighten us. Open the eyes of our hearts Lord, so that we may no longer ignore you. No longer be able to deny You.

Give us your Godly wisdom in ways only You can. So that we no longer want to fight against You, but rather, choose to fight, to stand, to walk... with You.

Then, always, when we are feeling down spiritually, when we are being attacked, when we are being forgetful once again, remind us of your truth.

Thank You, Father, for Jesus. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the Holy Spirit to lead us here on earth, until we can be with You in heaven.

Amen.

I Don't Care Where You Were On 9/11

I don't care where you were on the morning of September 11, 2001.

I do care about their souls, about your soul.

There is nothing more powerful than praying to the Almighty God for help. It's not 'all we can do.' It's the best thing we can do.

Please, PRAY for the families & loved ones of those who died. Pray for God, for Jesus Christ our Lord, to grab hold of the families AND other terrorists, overwhelming them with His love, with His grace -- and changing people, countries, & this world through changing them.

You can't change the past. You CAN change lives - through prayer.

"I look up to the mountains--
does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!"
(Psalm 121:1-2)

Casting Crowns - Praise You In the Storm

A Prayer for Your Day

Good Morning Jesus, Lord. Thank you for today, Lord. Thank you, Father. Thank you for the Holy Spirit to lead us today.

Lord, we’ve got a ton of stuff we think needs doing today. We often get caught up in worry and concern over things we ‘think’ are important. We know you know all that is truly important, and what is not.

We put our day, our plans, our very lives, in your hands, Jesus. We know we are under your authority anyway, even if we chose to ignore you. But Lord, we willingly, happily, give ourselves to you today, the best we know how.

Please lead us today. Please bless us today. Please bless others through us, use us, today, Lord. Be in the middle of every interaction we have. Bless everyone, everyone we interact with. And please bless the outcome of every interaction today.

Please bless each of us with your Godly wisdom. Bless us with your Holy peace this day, Jesus. Help us to stay calm in the face of absurdity which seems so common these days. Help us to lead, rather than be led by such ignorance, such emotion.

Lord Jesus, please strengthen us this day, so that we can easily handle all that we have planned. Our responsibilities and our hopes of enjoyment today as well, Lord. We give them to you. Please lead us through them.

More importantly than our own plans and hopes, Jesus, help us handle with your grace whatever you allow in our path today. Your will be done, Lord, not mine, not ours.

Strengthen our faith in you today, Lord. Give us a deeper understanding of you, of your word. Fill us to overflowing today, Jesus, with your amazing peace, with your love, and with your grace for all those in our paths today.

Put a desire in our hearts, now, Jesus, to want to, to need to, read more of your word, the Holy Bible. Thank you for your Word, Father.

We ask Lord, please, do these things for all those we love, care about, and pray for. Our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, peers, and even our enemies, Lord. Please bless each and every one of us in these ways today.

Thank you for your almighty power, and for paying attention to our tiny details in each of our lives as well, Jesus.

Only you, only you could hold the waters of the earth in the palm of your hand, and yet still know the number of hairs on our heads, Lord. Only you know the thoughts in the deepest recesses of our hearts. Only you could do so much, care so much, and pay attention to every detail of our lives as well.

Thank you for loving us, Lord. Please, lead us now, Jesus. Amen.


To the best of your ability today, Friend -- strive to make it extraordinary! You’ll never be able to ‘re-do’ this day, this hour.

You only get one chance at making the most of each day. Make today extraordinary.

I encourage you to begin, now, by letting Jesus Christ, THE Lord and Savior, lead you.

Sharing the Richness of Romans 12

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21 -- NIV)

That verse was shared with me recently.

It’s a good verse. But I'm not one for simply accepting single verses as they are. I like to know what context surrounds them, too, when possible.

The Book of Romans, chapter 12, has lots of great stuff in it. It's a great chapter to show one how to live with honor, with integrity.

Here are just a few examples of the richness within:

Part of verse 2 says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Part of verse 9 says: "Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."

I’m giving only bits and pieces here. To hopefully intrigue you enough so that you go and actually read it for yourself. Also to share some important points here, just in case you don't go and read it for yourself.

If you choose to actually read God's inspired word, the very breath of God (2 Timothy 3:16), you can start at BibleGateway.com -- if you don't have a bible handy.

BibleGateway.com has tons of versions -- and languages -- to choose from. You can look scripture up in 5 different versions at once, if you'd like. It's a handy tool -- and a blessing to have available.

Other bits from Romans 12 say things like:

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer"

"Practice hospitality"

"Bless those who persecute you"

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."

Verse 16 is sobering. But I'll let you read it for yourself. It's worth your time to go and read, trust me. It should tap you upside your noggin and provide a bit of enlightenment -- no matter what bible version you choose.

Actually 16-19 are huge. And anyone who says the Bible is not relevant to today's world is just silly.

The last bit I'll share with you on this chapter is about heaping burning coals onto others heads. And no, it doesn't say NOT to do it. Seriously, check it out for yourself. It’s one of the ‘fun’ verses, but truly, oh so hard to live up to.

Grab your bible -- or jump on over to BibleGateway.com.

And God bless your reading!


My Prayer for You Today:

Lord, please, bless each one who reads this with your Godly wisdom. Open their eyes, their hearts, to your truth. Break down the walls every one of us puts up each day. Take away their hearts of stone, and give them hearts of flesh, Jesus, please? Allow them to begin seeing you in everything, Jesus. Soften our hearts, and sharpen our minds today, Lord. Please forgive us our sins, and put us on your narrow path starting this very day. Father, I praise you, and I pray to you, all in the name of your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.