Tag: living life

Living with Jesus

Published on by amylinnea2 Comments

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:2-3

Who is He to you?

Jesus.

Was He simply a nice guy?

Model of morality?

Or your King of Kings?

Savior of your soul?

Yes to all of the above.

Although, He was and is more than simply a nice guy.

Is He more than your King?

More than your Savior?

While that role is the most important, what about the here and now?

Is He your friend?

Your confidante?

Your comforter?

Your secure dwelling?

Jesus is so much more than the Savior of our wreched souls.

His role for when we die is the payor of our sins.

Completely paid for.

Miraculous.

His role for the here and now involves your everything.

He wants to be your heart’s cry.

He wants to be your first thought when you wake and your last as you close your eyes in rest.

And everything in between.

He wants to fill you with Himself so you can be His witness here on earth.

Taking other precious souls with you when death arrives.

Are you letting Him?

Letting Him be your everything?

If not, you’re missing out big time.

Allow Him to be within you, using your hands and feet to bless others.

Allow Him to bless others while you speak His words of life.

Surrender your life beyond asking Him to save your soul.

Saving your soul is the first step.

Very important, yes, but it’s not the whole package.

Allowing Him to work through you as you surrender every little thing to Him will yield not only happiness, but His perfect peace as you let fear, anxiety, and control fade away.

Simply ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit.

Talk to Him throughout the day.

Tell Him how you feel, what you need, and ask Him for His help.

His faithfulness will overwhelm you and His presence will comfort your precious self.

That, my friends, is living.

Photos by Kari Shea & Jenny Ueberberg on Unsplash

Attitude

Published on by amylinneaLeave a comment

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. Psalm 9:1

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You will never NOT have trouble.

Let me say that another way.

There will always be something.

Some irritation somewhere.

Why?

Because nothing is always perfect.

Sounds like a downer, doesn’t it?

Sorry!

Just bringing us into reality, folks.

Taking our heads out of the clouds.

Up from burrowing in the sand.

What are some of life’s irritations, you ask?

Oh my, the list is endless.

Cleaning up after other people.

(Who am I kidding: sometimes it’s irritating to clean up after myself! Where’s that maid?)

Not finding what you need at a store.

Leaky faucets.

Unnecessary attitude from ungrateful children.

Going to someone else’s favorite restaurant.

Mosquito bites.

The fact that sugar is bad for you, yet it tastes so amazing in food!

Ants crawling on my kitchen floor.

Horrid influences encroaching on loved ones.

Traffic.

Jesus said we would have trouble in this life.

But to take heart, because He has overcome the world.

He has overcome absolutely everything.

Every irritation.

Every issue.

All of it.

So, what does He ask of us to do in spite of any and all irritations?

To trust Him.

To stay focused on what is important.

How one reacts to daily, even momentary irritation reflects to others your relationship with God.

Woah.

How you react to things that do not go your way will either point people to God or away from Him.

Difficult, I know.

Fully aware.

Just start thinking about that.

When your buttons are pushed, does your attitude reflect God?

Look to Jesus for inspiration.

He was irritated, I’m sure, beyond belief on earth.

Think about that.

Walking around with us, He knew what every person should have been doing to increase life’s satisfaction.

But He left us to our own choices.

He never let any earthly irritation mar the face of God.

Ever get hangry?

Jesus was many times.

That’s an incredible irritation.

Purpose to reflect Jesus in all that you do.

And when you fail, keep trying.

Ask God to help you.

He will and it will get easier and easier to succeed.

Just don’t hand me a sad pizza when I’m hangry.

Because God will not be shining through my face if you do.  🙂

Oh, ok, I’ll work on it too…!

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Photos by Clem Onojeghuo ,Ruth Caron ,Anton Darius | @theSollers , Michał Kubalczyk , & Álvaro SF on Unsplash

In the Light

Published on by amylinnea1 Comment

But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. Psalm 77:11-12

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Live in light of the best moments.

Live with the memory of God’s provision fresh in your mind.

Live as the daughter of the King of Kings.

A valuable favored princess.

His princess.

Live as the son of the Lord of Lords.

A honored warrior prince.

His prince.

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Live each moment as if you were high on the mountain of life.

As if all is well.

Because it is.

Even if you cannot see, God is at work.

He is shedding light on the dark spots, guiding your every step.

In the grey days of life, live like it’s a bright sunny day.

Because it is.

God is still on the throne.

He loves you and has your best interests in mind.

Remember Whose power remains in you.

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.

You!

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So when you’re on a mountain top, thank Him for the view.

And when you’re down in the valley of life, remember.

And live like you’re still mountain high.

Because you are.

Why?

Because of Whose you are.

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Photos by Alexandru Tudorache ,Danka & Peter , & Joshua Sharf on Unsplash

Turn Yourself In

Published on by amylinnea4 Comments

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

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God is looking for you.

You’re a wanted soul.

Wanted for redemption.

For a relationship with the One true God.

Funny, though, because God knows just where to find you.

But He has always given us a choice.

To surrender or not.

So let me ask you this:

What are you waiting for?

What’s the hold up?

Fear?

Not being in control?

Would you, with your limited knowledge, rather be in charge?

Or God, who knows the beginning from the end?

But I like living for myself.

Ok, but your days are numbered and then what.

What about all of eternity which stretches far beyond your vision?

Oh, I’ll go to heaven, because I’m a good person.

Sorry, but you’re still full of sin.

And the only way to wipe the sin away is to trust Jesus to take away all your sins for you.

He will, because He loves you.

And He wants to be your friend.

There’s no strings attached.

Just ask.

But God saved you from more than yourself.

He wants you to make a real difference with others.

He wants you to have the peace of God in your life.

Maybe you’re a Christian, but your heart is still yours, wrapped up in what you want.

God wants all of you.

Only when you surrender your heart will God be able to step in.

When you put your total trust in Him, He carefully guides you with every single step.

It’s not always a smooth path, but He’s your constant companion.

And when He’s with you, you’ll have His peace which passes all understanding.

It guides your heart and mind.

So turn yourself in.

Trust.

And let God take over.

Sprinkles on Ice-cream

Published on by amylinneaLeave a comment

We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.” Psalm 126:2

Why not?

Have sprinkles on your ice cream?

It’s way funner.

Ok, more fun.

Or how about using your grandmother’s dishes every day instead of only on special occasions?

These are mine.

Life is meant to be lived.

Not watched from the sidelines.

Put on that cute dress as you waltz through Target.

Dance to car tunes as you wait in the carpool lane.

Serve fresh chocolate chip pancakes to your sweet daughters on their last day of school.

Buy some amazing flowered to adorn your table.

For your regular everyday dinner.

And for heavens sake put sprinkles on your ice cream.

Full disclosure: we eat our sprinkles outside

as I abhor finding sprinkles on my floor

as you all know most of them never land inside the bowl

or find their way into the mouth of the child

who wants those sprinkles.

I call it sprinkle sanity.

Perfect balance.

Photos by Alexander Grey, Glen Carrie, & Karolina Bobek on Unsplash