Tag: HolySpirit

Three!!!

Even the pros hit an errant shot and yell FORE! Watching a bunch of those on TV at the U.S. Open at Oakmont. And heard a lot of those last year at the Open at Pinehurst, where I was a marshal. All this reminds me to yell THREE when I am in trouble, not on the course, but in life. Hit an errant shot in life and I yell THREE for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I know this sounds a little tricked up but it’s true. And absolutely helpful. When you do something wrong, or simply need some help, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always there to help. Unlike FORE, which is meant to tell people to duck, THREE is asking for help. And the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always there for help. You just need to yell for help.

Remember: the Father has made you with a special, unique purpose in life that is all yours—just like your fingerprints. Jesus has saved you from sins past, present, and future if you simply repent. He’s our model of how to live life, in love. And the Holy Spirit is your guide and empowerer to help you realize your purpose. It’s the Spirit that Jesus gave each one of us. The Spirit that motivated a scared bunch of apostles locked in a room to go out under threat of death to preach the Good News. And died they did for that Good News.

Yell THREE the next time you need help, especially getting out of trouble!

He Is Always!

I just took a God “vacation.” Didn’t go to church for two weeks—can’t remember the last time I did that and was not sick—and didn’t pray every day in the morning. I just kinda wasn’t there. I’m now looking back on the past few weeks and realized that although I wasn’t there, God was there. He is always there no matter when we aren’t.

God Creator, Son, and Spirit never go anywhere, no matter where we go. We may be the prodigal sons and daughters going off and squandering what we have been given but God is the Father always waiting for us to return. And rejoicing when we do return.

I’m not kicking myself as I usually do for how I squandered the past few weeks away from God. I’m actually looking it as a good thing for realizing how empty my life is without God. A true vacation from life is when I turn to God, not away from Him.

Have a FANTASTIC week ahead vacationing with God!

Hope Abounds!

I’ll work backwards in this post, leaving the doom and gloom for later.

Hope abounds! Don’t ever lose hope. Whatever your situation is in life or whatever your outlook is on this crazy world we live in, never, ever lose hope. It always abounds in one place, one person—God. Father Creator, Jesus Savior, and Spirit Advocate are where you can always find hope.

How do you find hope? Just turn to God, who is always less than a heartbeat away. There is no religion, no magic, and no mumbo jumbo. Just turn to God and ask Him to gas up your hope tank. Hope always abounds.

We live in a world that is getting darker by the day. It’s not doom and gloom but the reality of the world. It’s tough to see the light through the darkness. It’s tough to have hope that things will get better. But if you fix your gaze firmly on God you will see the light and have hope.

Don’t know how to find God in your life? Just tune out the world and tune in God. Find a quiet place. Be still. Focus. Call to God. Clear your mind of everything but God. I’ll repeat again that He is less than a heartbeat away.

Hope abounds! It’s always there and abounding.

Have a hope filled week ahead. Don’t ever lose hope!

A Brighter Day Ahead

The world seems like it is getting progressively darker. It seems that wherever you look there is just bad stuff happening. It’s tough to look through the gloom of darkness and find the light. But there is always brightness ahead if you really look for it.

My brightness right now is my new granddaughter. Whenever the gloom surrounds me I pull out the latest picture of her on my phone and the brightness comes through. But there is always the brightness of God that breaks through any darkness. Jesus is there to save us and the Spirit to empower us through the darkness. They are always a constant in life breaking through the doom and gloom.

If you feel there is nothing that breaks through the gloom just reach for God. He—Father, Savior, and Spirit—are always a constant in your life. You just need to call out to God for a helping hand to lift you through the gloom. God is always there, less than a heartbeat away.

Enjoy the weekend breaking through the gloom!

Do You See Jesus?

I see Jesus, or at least try to see Him. No, I’m not some wacko. As part of my New Year’s resolution to look past the “outside” of people, I need to get past the “outside” somehow. My way to do that involves trying to see Jesus in each person, regardless of who they are. Easy? No way! But so necessary.

The hardest thing to comprehend is that God loves each one of us equally and unconditionally. There is no variation. God the Father sent his only Son to die for each one of us and for His Spirit to live in each one of us. So, Jesus has to be there if we just look. At each one of us, in each one of us.

I know this isn’t easy to do. But I know I can’t get past the “outside” of people until I see Jesus in them and look at their spirit.

This is my resolution, at least my top resolution. We’ll see how it works.

Here is to a blessed, healthy, and prosperous New Year ahead!

Darkness Overtaking the Light

Boy, it sure feels like it. I mean, when I look out into the world all I see is darkness overtaking the light. I’m not just talking about the war in Ukraine or the latest one in the Middle East, but the darkness is all around. Heard from someone this morning about an ex-husband to a grammar school teacher who entered the school and shot himself in front of students. My friend’s daughter just cries at night and won’t go to school. Darkness. It’s creeping over the world.

It’s times like these that I need to read and meditate on the beginning of the Gospel according to John:

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:5)

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” That’s what I keep on saying to myself as it sure looks like the darkness is extinguishing the light. I realize in the process that the “light” is Jesus in the world and the Spirit He left us with in the world. Times may look bleak but the “light” will always win out in the end.

We have the “light” of Jesus in each of us. If we want the light to overcome the darkness we need to let our lights shine. That involves doing the right things in following Jesus, not being Christians in cheap words but followers in real actions. We need to smile, help, pick others up, serve, love, and everything in between. We simply need to let our lights shine.

Don’t let the darkness overcome us. Do your part today in letting your light shine!

I Am What I Am by the Grace of God

Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians 15:10 that by the grace of God he is what he is. And by the grace of God we are all what we are. Regardless of our situation, God threw away the mold when He made you, me, and every other person to have lived. We are all special and unique children of God.

I do the wrong thing all the time. I mess up. But I stop getting down on myself, pick myself up, and don’t make the same mistake again. At least I try not to make the same mistake again. I tell myself that God made me, and I am what I am by His grace.

I know I am nothing without God. Anything I do right I attribute to His grace. God made me and hardwired me with Him. He sent His Son to save me and His Spirit to empower me. How can I go wrong with all that help?

Don’t get down on yourself. And don’t ever let yourself feel inferior to anyone. God created you, saved you, and is empowering you. By His grace you are who you are. Special. Unique. One of a kind.

Have an amazing week being who God created you to be!

Paradise Is Where Your Heart Is!

Our daughter—only child—was married several weeks back. When your daughter tells you this was the best day of her life, you are in paradise. Everything about the day was perfect! It was paradise! But then paradise fades because the day is over. Yes, the pictures and videos keep the memories flowing. But there is a sense of loss. Paradise lost.

This experience has just reaffirmed to me that paradise is in your heart. It’s not predicated on people, outside events, and experiences. It’s in your heart and is there day-in and day-out. That’s because a Secret to Life is that God hard-wired paradise into each one of us. The problem is most of us don’t know where paradise really is. It’s in your heart!

People disappoint and things happen in life. If your definition of paradise is a wedding day, vacation, or even a love all that will come and go. But God has given you the ability to live in paradise day-in and day-out if you reach into Him in your heart. He sent His Only Son to die to sin for us and the Spirit is always there empowering us and lifting us up if we fall or even fail. What more can you ask for? It’s paradise.

If we make the right choices in this life eternity will be paradise forever. It is our Promised Land. But while on this earth we can find paradise within us if we just look. LISTEN for and to God and you will find paradise. He is reaching out to you. Reach into Him. He is never more than less than a heart beat away.

Enjoy paradise this week!

The BIG Move!

After 35 years of living in the Northeast we moved to the South. BIG move in so many ways. North to South. Letting go of “stuff” to downsize. Cold to hot. Oaks to pines. And the list goes on and on. Love the move but it’s a bit of a shock. So much is different. Except God.

Thank God for God. No matter what changes in life—a move, life event, etc.— God is always there and stays the same. He is unchanging. He is a rock. He is an anchor.

Seriously, having God by my side, no matter what happens in life, is so comforting. I simply don’t know what I would do without God. He is simply always there. I may turn my back on Him and let Him down at times. But He is always there for me. Father my Creator, Jesus my Savior, and Holy Spirit my Advocate. How can I go wrong?

Thank God for God. And I do thank God every morning for everything in my life. Starting with God.

Going through any tough or challenging times? Just stop and LISTEN for and to God. He is always there, ready to hold your hand and guide you. You just have to stop and reach out. There is a reason that LISTEN is the first Secret to Life.

I’ve been away from writing for a while during the move but I’m back. Thank God for that!

Have an AWESOME week ahead!

Spirit Power

I know this will sound like more religious mumbo-jumbo but anything is possible if you call on the Spirit of God. When Jesus left this earth to remove our sins, He left His Spirit as an advocate for us. If you want to hurdle any obstacle in your life the Spirit is always there to empower you forward. Spirit Power!

I know. This sounds so other-worldly and abstract. But it is earthly and real. You simply need to call the Spirit into your life and feel the Spirit. With God’s Spirit within you nothing is impossible. That’s why Jesus left us His Spirit to overcome any obstacle.

There’s no parlor trick to the Spirit. You simply call the Spirit into your life and feel His presence. It’s real and it’s powerful.

Sorry, but I don’t know how to say this any differently. I know it sounds like so much religion but I’m talking about life. Real life. The Spirit is waiting for you to call out for help, guidance, answer to questions, empowerment, etc. Don’t be one of those people who close out your mind to the reality and power of the Spirit of God. Jesus’ gift to this world. To you and me.

All you have to do is focus and ask for help. It’s that simple. No religion. No prayers or hymns. Just ask for help from the Spirit. Focus. Concentrate. Be open.

Have an AMAZING week ahead! Hit an obstacle? Call out for help from the Spirit. Keep an open mind and an open heart. There’s real power when you need it.