‘Blessings’ Archive
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
May Jesus be your only focus … the vision of every good thing that you desire to be. May you see your world … your family … yourself … through His caring, compassionate eyes.
May each of your days be expertly composed … perfectly exposed … beautifully framed … in the Creator’s gentle hands. May He smile as He observes them hanging in the gallery of the mansion that He has reserved just for you. May they fill Him with eager anticipation for the day that He will meet you face to face … His child … His masterpiece … the one and only … the original … the unique … the beautiful soul that is you.
Until then, may He call your heart to come and be more than you can even dream, and may there be no boundaries to your dreams.
~s
Tags: beautiful soul, beautifully framed, compassionate eyes, dreams, face to face, gallery, His masterpiece, Jesus, more than you can dream, vision, your only focus
Posted in Blessings | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
May you give yourself a second chance today … an opportunity to be exactly who you are supposed to be … according to our Father … nothing less … and nothing more.
May your restless heart be tenderly reminded of the joy in the journey. May the child in your soul confidently claim today simply as the step … the single, faith-filled step … it is intended to be in your lifelong quest to become like Christ.
May you give yourself some elbow room … some space to breathe … some time to ponder the progress and the success that have befriended you along the way. May you put to good use the talents and gifts you’ve been given … and may you refuse to fret yourself with those responsibilities for which you have not yet been equipped.
May you willfully release the fast forward button on your life, and may you let Him who began a good work in you bring it to completion … in His time … on His schedule … at the great day of Jesus’ return.
May you be finished … when … and only when … He says you are finished. Until then, may you answer His call … may you hold His hand as He gently leads you … and may you walk in His steps … one day at a time.
Now … may you give someone else a second chance today … an opportunity to be exactly who they are supposed to be … according to our Father … nothing less … and nothing more.
~s
Tags: elbow room, great day of Jesus, Jesus, joy in the journey, nothing less, nothing more, second chance, soul, space to breathe, talents
Posted in Blessings | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 9, 2005
May the blessings that your friendship yields return to you thirty … sixty … one hundred fold. May those you bless honor the Christ … the King … Whom you love so deeply … Whom you emulate so effectively … Whom you imitate so consistently. May they find in Him amazing grace … abundant forgiveness … eternal life.
May you minister as one who has spent much time with the Master … the Savior … Jesus, the Son of God. May He be your satisfaction … your completion … the fulfillment of your every need. May your rich … intimate … personal relationship with Him be your greatest blessing of all.
~s
Tags: abundant forgiveness, amazing grace, Christ, eternal life, greatest blessing, His friendship, Jesus, king, personal relationship
Posted in Blessings | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
May you be filled with wisdom … extending grace to those trapped in the web of sin … abandoning tolerance for the higher calling of love.
May you be humble … in attitude and in action … trusting the Living God to lift you higher than you could ever lift yourself.
May you be salt … lightly sprinkled … enhancing the flavor of life for everyone you encounter.
May you be light … soft and warm … illuminating the darkened paths of lost and lonely souls.
May you be like a child … innocent in evil ways … and quick to forgive.
May you be quick to listen … slow to speak … slow to anger.
May you become more like Jesus every day … with each step of faith … with each beat of your heart … with each breath of precious air.
May you discover your identity in His fathomless friendship and His truly amazing grace.
~s
Tags: abandoning tolerance, amazing grace, fathomless friendship, grace, higher calling of love, humble, innocent in evil, Jesus, light, may you be, quick to forgive, salt
Posted in Blessings | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
May you find a friend … a true friend … in Jesus. May He be your rock … the One Who holds you up when everything around you gives way.
In every powerful storm … in every spinning temptation that would threaten to undo you … may He be your calm center … your invisible wall of protection … your heart’s indescribable peace.
May He be your few feet of visibility … your every step of faith … the One you cry to when your own choices lead you into the path of danger … when you cannot turn back … when you find yourself alone in a place you do not wish to be.
May His mighty, tender hand hold you firmly … gently … as only the hand of a risen Savior can do. May His sweet, still voice be the only sound you hear above the roar of the storm. May it give you courage to walk with Him … even when you cannot see.
May you be broken by Jesus and His transforming friendship so that you will not be broken by sin.
~s
Tags: broken by Jesus, calm center, courage to walk, indescribable peace, powerful storm, transforming friendship, true friend
Posted in Blessings | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 5, 2005
May Christ and His Kingdom be the objects of your desire … your greatest pursuit … your unending hope.
May your relationship with Jesus be so intimate … so close … so natural … that when you finally meet face to face … there will be no need for introductions … no uneasiness, awkwardness or fear … only overwhelming joy as Creator and creation reunite … a celebration of a life well-lived … a welcome home to a child well-loved.
May our Father … the God Who is Love … Perfect Love … dwell in you … casting out all fear … in this life and in the life to come, and may your fearless faith open doors … rekindle flames … and build Christ-esteem in everyone you encounter … in everyone you teach … and in the final frontiers of your own redeemed soul.
~s
Tags: Christ esteem, Creator and creature, fearless faith, greatest pursuit, kingdom, open doors, overwhelming joy, redeemed soul, rekindle flames, welcome home
Posted in Blessings | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
May you nurture those special friends in your life who feed your soul … who hold your heart … who free up everything creative and wonderful in you … the ones who see someone greater in you than you’re able to see … those who inspire you to multiply your talents and pursue your dreams … those rare people who make you feel like the most important person in the world … a gold medalist in being you.
May you look beyond their quirks and imperfections … their peccadilloes … those lapses in judgment and blunders in character that quietly remind you that this is not God you’re working with here. This is another human being … flawed … under construction … a little goofy … just like you. May you make peace with the fact that they have fears … insecurities … and embarrassing sins in their lives … sins they wish they could overcome … sins they are working to overcome through Jesus. May you hold their confessions in confidence. May you wipe the tears from their cheeks. May you love them with your whole heart … even when their sins leave you wounded.
May you cultivate their hopes … expand their horizons … and nourish their dreams. May you give them time and room to grow … to fail and learn from their mistakes … to get bucked off and get right back on. May you help them get back on. May you expect nothing more of them than they can give, and may you give them more love and encouragement than they ever expected. May you set them free to fly … may you cheer as they soar … and may you catch them when they fall.
May your world overflow with special friends because you first mastered the art of being an incredible … rare … special friend.
~s
Tags: feed your soul, free to fly, hold your heart, human being, multiply your talents, nurture, overcome through Jesus, sins, special friends
Posted in Blessings | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Sometimes I lose my perspective. I take my eyes off of Jesus, and I begin to focus solely on myself and my problems. During those times, I give in to the temptation to feel sorry for myself. I question and doubt my worth and my ability to contribute anything of value to this world. I feel paralyzed … overwhelmed by responsibilities … yet drained of energy and unable to move. That’s where I’ve been the past couple of days.
I need Jesus more than the air that I breathe, but sometimes I resist Him with all my might … choosing to see myself as a victim of circumstances and decisions rather than as a free and forgiven man who’s been given the opportunity to share the world’s greatest love story with people who need desperately to be loved.
Our Father has the gentlest ways of bringing me back to reality. Recently, He used Michigan photographer Ryan Keberly‘s web site, The Snowsuit Effort, to remind me that I don’t really know what it means to have problems. The only problems I have are the ones I create myself. I’m a blessed man.
Tonight I reserved a little time to think about and pray for Mark, Clarence, Brenda, Al and Carl. I also made a conscious decision to take my eyes off of Steve and focus them clearly on Jesus. I’m beginning to move again.
May you see the invisible people in your world, and may you love them the way Jesus loves you.
~s
Tags: free and forgiven, greatest love story, I need Jesus, invisible people, lose my perspective, problems, Ryan Keberly, Snowsuit Effort, victim
Posted in Blessings | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
May you always call to our Father … in joy and in sadness … in strength and in weakness … in health and in pain … in daylight and in darkness … when everything is going your way and when everything is giving way all around you … when you are filled with words and when you don’t know what to pray.
May He always hear your voice and respond without delay.
~s
Tags: call to our Father, don't know what to pray, Father, may He hear, voice
Posted in Blessings | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
May you recognize your unique mission in this life. May it be clearly visible … fully understood … easy to grasp. May you pursue that mission with all your talents … all your energy … and all your resources.
May wisdom be your friend … a constant companion. May time be your servant … and you its master.
May your well be replenished … your battery recharged. May your cup overflow.
May you give to others as Jesus gives to you. May you extend grace and compassion to those He brings your way with the same generous portions that you receive from Him. May you love as He loves.
May all of your decisions join together in perfect harmony to create a Christ-honoring life that ends in a confident … successful … triumphant … “It is finished!”
May Christ’s mission and your mission be the same. May He accomplish His mission in you and through you as you share His soul-saving story with the world.
~s
Tags: compassion, it is finished, love, love as He loves, may your cup overflow, perfect harmony, unique mission, wisdom
Posted in Blessings | No Comments »
