Steve to Earth - Encouraging you the way I like to be encouraged.

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Boomerang Blessings

One of the richest rewards of creating this web site is what I call “Boomerang Blessings” … the blessings that return to me through your e-mails. I read and re-read them. A few of them are listed below.

» May you be blessed in increasing measure as you seek to love and encourage others.

» The Imagine blessing was probably one of the best things you’ve ever written. The reminder of the end of our story and of being with Jesus hit me right where I needed it to. It is so easy to get caught in the minutia of daily activities, but being reminded of something so much bigger than this world … something that exceeds the pain, the criticism, the lows and gives a sense of assurance that all that we are doing is worthwhile and meaningful … you tapped into an immeasurable resource, the everlasting life that comes through Jesus. May that source sustain you in the highs and lows, in the joys and the depression, the smiles and the tears, the regrets and the frets.

» May this website be like a tree planted by streams of water – a tree that even in cultural drought, endlessly provides fruit for the soul.

» I pray that you will be a literary hero to someone through your website. I know that your words give warmth in a world that is often cold, and I pray that they continue to do the same.

» May God bless you for putting His name before the world on the web!

» God bless you with this endeavor as you seek fully His will.

» The world seeks out kind hearts, may it never break your spirit, may this website always breathe new life into Christendom.

» May you always have the peace in your heart that allows such beautiful language to burst forth onto these pages and into the hearts of those of us who view them.

» May the Lord bless you and your ministry!

» May you and your site glorify the Lord always.

Thank you!

~s

May you take some time for yourself

» May our Father be filled with great joy as He considers your pure, sincere heart and your active faith, and may He bless you with a rich blend of spiritual gifts perfectly designed to reconcile many souls to Himself through Jesus while gently guiding you to abundant life … both here and in the life to come.

» I’m praying that your faith … your friendship … and your fun will fashion today into a fabulous experience for every fortunate soul who finds themselves in your company. May you give them your best … may you give Him your best … and may you take some time for yourself to do something you love.

» May Jesus’ presence in your heart be warm and bright … peaceful and filled with promise. May you be encouraged and comforted that the crucified and risen King has come to live victoriously in you.

~s

May our Father’s work be your focus

Thank you for your patience over the past three months. Steve to Earth is created in my spare time, and I haven’t had much of that for quite a while. I’ve also struggled with the direction I want to go with the site in 2007. I would appreciate your prayers in that regard. Simple is usually best, so I’ll kick off 2007 with three short blessings from recent e-mails to friends.

» May our Father’s work and your role in it always be your focus … your vision … your heart’s purest desire … when the path ahead is crystal clear … and when every veiled inch ahead of you requires a great step of faith.

» May your future be filled with many bridge-building opportunities. In your most difficult relationships, may you … and those you struggle with … discover that your desire to honor Jesus by helping others is much more important to you than competing for the right to control the relationship. May our Father lead you to all the right bridges, and may He give you the courage to cross each of them … with grace … and dignity … fully trusting in Him.

» May our Father bless you with spiritual shepherds who will hold your heart … feed your soul … and nurture your faith … in a spirit of compassion … encouragement … and love … as perfect imitators of the Great Shepherd … Jesus.

~s

May you never doubt His love

They say that less is more. Here are three short blessings from e-mails I’ve written to people I love.

» May Jesus transform your weaknesses into the sources of your greatest ministries.

» May you feel the Holy Spirit this week. May He strengthen and comfort you as you live to honor Jesus. May you thrive in His friendship the way our Father intended.

» May you trust Jesus with your future and your heart. May you never doubt His love. May He work through you in tender and powerful ways to reconcile lost and hurting souls to His soul.

~s

Friends like Jesus

May the road that lies before you lead you to many friends who look like … live like … and love like Jesus.

Friends like Barnabas … who give the Paul in you a trusted companion in ministry … who give the John Mark in you that coveted second chance … whose every heartbeat encourages you to become every good thing our Father created you to be.

Friends like Ruth … who cherish spiritual formation more than safety … who value truth more than heritage … who seek the Living, Forgiving God more than the gods of this world.

Friends like Jonathan … who treat you like a king when that great honor belongs to them … who protect your welfare even in the face of great danger … who choose to knit their souls to your soul rather than to wealth, power and fame.

Friends like Jesus … who reach deep into your heart and free the hero within … the hero they have always believed you can be … who love you just the way you are with a transforming, life-changing love … who forgive you when they have the power to destroy you.

May your little corner of the world be filled with many friends who love Jesus much more than they love you … for then you will possess the richest treasure this world has to give. May you discover and delight in all the riches of that priceless treasure.

May you find all your friends in Jesus … and may they find Jesus in you.

~s

May you lose yourself … and find yourself … in Jesus

Three more mini-blessings. I love to end e-mails with short blessings like these:

» May Jesus be all the Heaven you ever need or desire.

» May you lose yourself and find yourself in the ever-increasing, ever-creating Jesus.

» May your heart seek the pure heart of Jesus on Saturday … and again on Sunday … and … well … every day from now on … and may you find what you seek.

~s

May Jesus be your inspiration

May Jesus be your inspiration … your greatest ideas … your holiest thoughts. May He continually increase … in you.

May you find Him in every moment … every smile … every heartbeat of today, and may He find you close by His side … laughing … listening … lost in His love.

May He smile as He rejoices in the morning … the moment … that the first thought of you dawned in His heart.

~s

You love me

Father of love –

I get it. I finally get it. Just like an earthly father loves his children, You love me … only much more than any human father could ever love.

I’m not just another person to You. I am special in Your eyes. I am a joy to Your heart. You love me deeply because I came from You.

Even in my mistakes and my failures and my sin … You love me!

I am amazed at Your continual … unconditional … steadfast love. Your love continues forever. Nothing can separate me from Your love. There is no distance too far for You to come after me when I am lost.

You love me. You hear my cry. You run to me. You draw near to me when I draw near to You. I am drawing near to You, Lord.

Kum ba yah! Come by here!

Many times I have withdrawn and resisted You. You have never done that to me. Thank You!

Please make me new. Make me like You. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

~s

I can do nothing without You

Great Provider –

Every success I experience or know is only because of You … because You are with me and have chosen to bless me. With every success, help me to remain humble and thankful.

When I experience failures and disappointments, You are still with me. I believe that. Joseph believed that. Thank You for his wonderful example! Please give me strength to, like him, give You all of the glory for every good thing.

You are Your own interpreter. Rather than getting sidetracked with my own interpretations, give me wisdom and grace, Lord, to simply read Your Word, believe it and obey it. I never want to complicate Your simple truth with my vain opinions.

I can do nothing without You. You can do anything and everything without me, yet You want to be with me. That makes me feel valuable. That gives me purpose.

Fill me with Your beautiful Holy Spirit of grace. Please hear my prayer through Jesus. Amen.

~s

May Jesus be your greatest Friend

May your days on this earth be filled with many brothers …

… wise men sent by our Father to help you shoulder the load … to strengthen your faith … to mentor … to guide … to nurture your growing soul.

… equals sent to challenge you in your spiritual walk … to help you multiply your talents … to encourage your heart and refresh your spirit when the world would overwhelm you.

… youths to look up to you in admiration … to feed your inner hero … to remind you of your incredible value … and importance … and worth in this world and in the world to come.

May you find that the necessary load that comes along with these friendships … never weighs you down. May they not be heavy … may they be your brothers.

May Jesus be your greatest Friend … your truest Brother. May He never be a burden for you to bear.

~s

 

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