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For to us a child is born… Isaiah 9:6 is the Prophecy of Jesus Christ’s birth and ministry; born in this verse speaks of His humanity. Wonderful Counselor: “wonderful divine Counselor” and points to the Messiah as a king Mighty God: His divine power as a warrior; the Lord is a powerful warrior! Everlasting Father: describes a King and Father who provides for and protects His people forever. He is an enduring, compassionate provider and protector – the ideal king. Prince of Peace: Christ is the true Prince – the one who has the right to reign and who will usher in peace. His rule will bring wholeness and well-being. The four double names combine the aspects of Jesus’ deity and His humanity. Together, these four double names assert the dual nature of the Savior: He is God become man. Jesus IS the reason for the season! Merry Christ-mas!!!  

Ice - How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This is the Nativity Scene - made from ice at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Virginia. The music in this video does not belong to me. Enjoy! Click here to view the video: https://youtu.be/W5IQ7bLYwm4

Life Lessons from the Book of James Each lesson I will be helping you deeper into the book of James—one of the books of the Bible that is most clearly practical to our lives, especially our chosen vocations. Each week, I will focus and reflect on a few key verses from James that are particularly relevant to our busy lives as Christ-Followers; especially those who are embracing the Call to Create. Lesson 1 - Click Here  - Godly Wisdom Lesson 2 - Click Here  - Favoritism Lesson 3 - Click Here  - Self-Ambition  Lesson 4 - Click Here  - Evil Planning Lesson 5 - Click Here  - Living in Luxury The Christian life is a matter of trusting God to provide all things, including wisdom as we work. Take a moment to humbly ask God for wisdom for specific things regarding the work ahead of you each day. Be blessed and be a blessing!

Create in the Spirit  The Spirit of God gives life! If we have life in the Spirit, we must also make our living from the Spirit. Our relationships, our working, our garden-tending, our coffee making, our bread baking, and our resting.  As creatives, we are invited to do our creating in the Spirit. We can write, paint, sing, craft, and dream from our life in the Spirit. Our creative work is a function of the Spirit of God at work in our lives, even if we are not aware. This does not mean that we are bound to insert the name of Jesus into everything that we make, but it does say that our creative inspiration has a common genesis in the activity of the Spirit.   This is the animating force of God that turns the things of death into the stuff of life.   Artists join God in the work of giving context to creation. We are called to shape creation and in that shaping, tell a story about humanity. We tell stories about our life apart from God, and...

Walk By Faith “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)” ‭‭2 Corinthians ‭5:7‬ ‭[KJV]‬‬ 2 Corinthians ‭5:7‬ ‭(NLT)‬‬ declares, “For we live by believing and not by seeing.” Choose to believe God. Choose to believe His Word. When things are dark around you, choose to lean upon God’s Word. When things are cloudy, choose to be guided by His Counsel. Feed yourself His Word daily. Meditate and focus on His Word both day and night. When you’re walking by faith, you’re choosing to be led by His Word and not by how you may feel. When God tells you to do something, choose to submit and surrender to His command.   ‭‭2 Corinthians ‭5:7‬ ‭(AMPC)‬‬ declares, “For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance.” Walk in faith and trust God. Choose to trust God. Let His Word regulate your mind, thoughts, and actions...

“Peace, be still" With hurricane Dorian increasing in strength and changing direction with every weather forecast; you might be like me wondering if the decision to stay was a good one. For those of us who live in Florida, we are very familiar with the “hurricane season.” With a hurricane this size and strength might be causing a lot of anxiety. Dorian appears it will not only impact us in Florida but also Georgia and South Carolina. So we must be diligent and heed all the warnings and be prepared to move. These are the words of Jesus: “When evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And he awoke a...

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,   because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3 (NIV) Count it all joy… James 1:2-3 (NKJV) What does it mean to “count it all joy?” To respond to difficulties with joy seems absurd. James knows this, and so in verse 3 he offers his answer to our natural question: Why should we rejoice in the face of trials? He doesn’t say if you face trials, but whenever you face them. He assumes that we will have trains and that it is possible to profit from them. The point is not to pretend to be happy when we face pain, but to have a positive outlook (“consider it pure joy”) because of what trials can produce in our lives. James tells us to turn our hardships into times of learning. Tough times can teach use perseverance. Trials have a purifying quality; they are the arena in which and the process through which something good develops. Here in James is ...

Intentional Living What does it mean to be intentional? It means you are purposeful n word and action. It means you live life in a meaningful and fulfilling to you. It means you make thoughtful choices in your life. Being intentional means you actively interact and engage with your live. You wake up every day and ask yourself, “how am I going to make this day great?” You respond instead of react. Be intentional because you want to do more that just get by. Click here for video: Be Intentional Scripture writing plan Be blessed!

What kind of pressure do you face at your job? How do you deal with pressure in your relationship? Is peer pressure a problem? In science the concept of pressure in relation to volume also applies in the spiritual world; the more the volume, the less the pressure, and the less the volume, the more the pressure. This is what it means: increase the volume of your prayers, and see the pressure in your life go down. One spiritual tool any child of God can consider as a successful key to life is prayer. When you’re a Christian, prayer becomes a lifelong  devotion  that constantly requires you to understand the word of God and know the will of God.  For a Christian, prayer is one of the most powerful spiritual ingredients that sustain you in this world, which is why you don’t wait for problems before you start doing it. In fact, a prayerless Christian is a borderline Christian who gets worried with things the Bible says are bound to happen. But a prayerful Christian...

Give God your Treasures in Faith  Giving is often considered an act of love. God gave us His Only Son as the truest expression of His love for mankind. God gave us life, salvation, hope and continues to bless us with His wisdom, grace and strength for each new day that we face. What can we give as an expression of our love for God? We can give Him what we treasure as an act of true worship. We might feel the need to give to family because it’s our responsibility. We sometimes give gifts to friends and acquaintances out of formality. We help the poor because they are in need. But God is not our responsibility and He certainly lacks nothing. God doesn’t require our gifts, especially not as a formality. He is God; He can well survive without our meager offerings. It’s important that we choose to give what we treasure to God. Not just what money we have left over after our expenses, tidbits of our talent, or pockets of time when we’re bored. We must give wholehear...

Good Friday God’s love is not static or self-centered, it reaches out and draws others in. In John 3:16 , God sets the pattern of true love, which is the basis for all love relationships – when you love someone dearly, you are willing to give freely to the point of self-sacrifice. God paid dearly with the life of His Son, the highest price He could pay. Jesus accepted our punishment, paid the price for our sins, and the offered us the new life that He had bought for us. When we share the Good News (the gospel) with others, our love must be like Jesus’ – willingly giving up our own comfort and security so that others might join us in receiving God’s love. Let’s put our trust and confidence in Him, only He can save us.

Joy Throughout the Bible, the most intense joy described is often located near a significant point of despair. It also is the one thing that makes all else pale in comparison. JOY is seemingly the key to eternal perspective--it is HOPE for what really matters. Joy is possible because of the hope that we have anchored in Jesus, and His victory that is ours by birthright.  In JOY we have a tiny taste of heaven—of what our souls were created to dwell in.   Joy makes circumstances endurable, trials worth sustaining., good things better. Joy is the avenue to eternal perspective. Joy is not the same things as happiness. Happiness is fleeting, and circumstantial. Joy is contentment, despite circumstances, because of the anchor of hope we have in Jesus. Joy is gratitude for what God has done, and for what He will do.  It is JOY that shines the brightest in every dark season. Joy is the security in the promises of God and  who He is.  Joy has the power to c...

Patience may be one of the most revealing traits about us and our relationship with the Lord. When our trust in God to answer our prayers begins to fail, our lack of patience leaves us to put stock in something else—someone else. Our impatience becomes a hinderance to all that God has for us when we doubt His intention for our lives. Patience is an essential component to our calling.  We can't do the things of God with the mind of God on a time table we created. Things of God are on eternity's calendar. We have to remember that just as God is working things out for us, He is working things out for the rest of those that love Him. He's transforming them as well. Patience partners with gentleness and humility to give us the endurance we need to dig down deep and bear with one another. Patience is pivotal for grace. Think about God's grace for you in your life—how many times He has given YOU grace. This is the model we have for how peace is intended to be lived...

The Words You Speak The apostle Peter plainly tells us that enjoying life and seeing good days, and having a positive mind and mouth, are linked together ( 1 Peter3:10 ). If we change our words, we can change our life! Our mouth gives expression to what we think, feel, and want. Our minds tell us what to think, not necessarily what God thinks. Our wills tell us what we want, not what God wants. Our emotions tell us what we feel, not what God feels. As our soul is purified, it is trained to carry God’s thoughts, desires, and feelings; then we will begin to speak life instead of death. Your words, as reflections of your thoughts, have the power to bring blessing or destruction not only to your life but also to the lives of many others. In 1 Corinthians 2:16 , the Word of God teaches us that we have the mind of Christ and that we hold the thoughts, feelings, and purposes of His heart. We don’t manifest them all the time, but we are daily growing and being transformed into Ch...

Greater Love has no one than this, that one lay down His Life for His Friends . – John 15:13 – “God’s plan is for you to be in relationships that provide mutual help and assistance. As much as you need other people for help and friendship, they need you for the same reasons.” – Charles F. Stanley – What does it take to develop a lasting Friendship ? Time Together Philippians 2:4 encourages us to “not merely look out for (our) own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” When you care enough about your friends you put them first, you love them lie Christ loves you. Communication Genuine friendships are built on honest and transparency. “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend” (Proverbs 27:9). Shared Life Experiences Is there someone you can laugh and cry with? Godly friends rejoice over accomplishments, give wise counsel, and are loyal at all times. “Iron sharpens iron, s...

Patience may be one of the most revealing traits about us and our relationship with the Lord. In our readings this week, I was caught off guard by the connection between idol worship and patience. It seems like a stretch, but when you dig in you'll soon see that when our trust in God to answer our prayers begins to fail, our lack of patience leaves us to put stock in something else—someone else. Our impatience becomes a hindrance to all that God has for us when we doubt His intention for our lives. Patience is an essential component to our calling.  We can't do the things of God with the mind of God on a time table we created. Things of God are on eternity's calendar. We have to remember that just as God is working things out for us, He is working things out for the rest of those that love Him. He's transforming them as well. Patience partners with gentleness and humility (which we'll study later) to give us the endurance we need to dig down deep and bear w...

Knowing God More than any other prophet, Hosea emphasizes the importance of knowing God. Israel would ultimate be destroyed (4:6) because they did not know God (4:1). For us, knowledge means information, facts, and concepts. But in biblical times, knowledge was centered in personal relationships. To know someone is to enter into a close relationship with that person. Knowing God involves much more than simply mastering facts and information about Him. It transcends discussions, about the nature and character of God, as important as those are.  Knowing God means entering into an intimate relationship with Him. It means identifying with God and learning to view everything as God does.  Knowing God will transform our thoughts and actions, our priorities and values, and our relationships with fellow human beings. It is far more important than religious rites, sacrifices and burnt offerings, or any other religious activities.  (see Jeremiah ...

Hope Paul says hope is the anchor for our souls. Hope is what keeps us firm and secure even when we are facing some of life’s most difficult situations. When everything around us appears to be hopeless, we are encouraged knowing that, as believers, we have a hope that keeps us anchored no matter what we are facing. In what areas of your life do you need to have hope? Hope is firm assurance. Whatever you are facing, you can be confident in knowing that you are firm and secure, full of hope in Jesus’ name! Blessings to you!

Wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day!

Get Wisdom In Proverbs 4, we see a father urging his child to do whatever it takes to get wisdom. The Hebrew verb translated "get" in Proverbs 4:5 is  qana . It means: to acquire moveable goods through a financial transaction. The way it is used in this verse implies that to get wisdom, it will cost something. It may require us to prioritize wisdom over our own affections (Proverbs 4:23) or choose to hold tightly to instruction when other things try to pull us away. (Proverbs 4:13)  Proverbs 4 gives us several imperatives to help us physically dedicate ourselves to the path of wisdom and offer our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness. (Romans 6:12-13). Keep your heart. (Proverbs 4:23) This verse paints the picture of something that must be guarded with vigilance because it isn't easy. The heart is the seat of our thoughts, emotions and affections. We must constantly take inventory of our desires and run th...