Psalm 115:1 - To God's glory

Not to us, Lord, not to us
     but to your name be the glory,
     because of your love and faithfulness.

I gave my lesson last night to our ladies class and it went very well. I felt the spirit moving and several people said I did a great job. Yeah! But...Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Hey that reminds me of a song...https://www.facebook.com/lisa.burns.50/videos/10154008863725718/

Thanks to everyone who attended!!

Lord, thank you for giving us opportunities to shine. Please help us to remember to give you the glory. Amen,

Psalm 108:4-5 - Happy New Year!

For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
     your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
     let your glory be over all the earth.

Let's start the year off right by recommitting ourselves to God if we are already Christians or making the decision to commit our lives to the one true God. Let's spend the year focusing on God's love and bringing glory to Him. Happy New Year!

Lord, thank you for chances to start over. Please help us to commit to you, revel in your love and bring glory to your name. Amen.

Psalm 97:6 - God made it!

The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
     and all peoples see his glory.

I saw this cartoon posted on Facebook earlier today, then I read my psalm for the day and the two went perfectly together. This psalm mentions the earth, shores, clouds, darkness, fire, lightning, mountains and the heavens rejoicing and proclaiming his name.

Lord, thank you for the gorgeous creation you have made. Please help all to see your hand in the majesty of this earth. Amen.

Matthew 5:13-16 - Bible Study Challenge Day 6

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

John liked The Message version of part of verse 13 "You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth."

Question 1 - Why was salt so important when this was written?
(This one is all John!) Because salt preserved food.  All through history the availability of salt has been pivotal to civilization. The word "salary" comes from the Latin word for salt because the Roman Legions were sometimes paid in salt, which was quite literally worth its weight in gold. In Britain, the suffix "-wich" in a placename means it was once a source of salt, as in Sandwich and Norwich.

Question 2 - How will you let your light shine this week?
John said he is giving platelets and sharing his good health with others. I enjoy writing this blog and posting only uplifting things on Facebook. Another way we both let our light shine is at work. He works with college students and I work with seniors with memory care issues and we both have co-workers. I think the people we work with know us better than most people because we go through so much together and reveal our true selves to them. Our reactions to situations are key in showing who we really are and letting our light shine or not.

Question 3 - How can someone's seeing your Christian example help them to glorify Christ?
When we are open about our Christianity, there are others around us who may also be Christians, but are not as open with their faith. We give them the OK to act like a Christian, that they are not going to be belittled or persecuted for their beliefs. They are comfortable talking to us about faith and this may encourage us both to grow stronger and more bold in glorifying Christ.

Lord, thank you for making us salt to season and light to shine. Please help us to use our saltiness and light to glorify you. Amen.

Psalm 83:18 - The purpose of overcoming enemies

Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
     that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

In Psalm 83, David is asking God to defeat his enemies, but I like the last verse the best. If all we do is for the glory of God, then even the defeat of our enemies takes on new meaning. It's not about us and what we want, it's about God, bringing him glory and making his name known.

Lord, thank you for coming to us in our times of need. Please help us to do all things to your glory. Amen,

Psalm 79:9 - For God's glory

Help us, God our Savior,

     for the glory of your name; 

deliver us and forgive our sins

     for your name’s sake.

It's all about bringing glory to God, even asking for help and forgiveness is about God's glory. 

Lord, thank you for helping us and forgiving us. Please let this bring glory to your name. Amen.

Psalm 47:6 - The power of music

Sing praises to God, sing praises;
     sing praises to our King, sing praises.

Music is a powerful thing. We remember songs long after we have forgotten spoken words. Even if we are not a good at singing, we still love to try and love to hear music. And there is nothing like the power of joining a group of hundreds of Christians singing to the Lord!

Lord, thank you for the gift of music. Please help us to always sing your praises. Amen.

Psalm 39:5 - Everyone is but a breath

You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
     the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
     even those who seem secure.

Life moves so fast. We are sending our son off to college. I can hardly believe that time has already come. Not only does life move fast, but we never know when our life will end. We have to make the most of our days, using all of our time and energy to bring glory to God.

Lord, thank you for the time you have given us on Earth. Help us to use that time to bring glory to you. Amen.

Psalm 19:1 - Sky watching

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of his hands.

Today is July 4th, Independence Day. As so many of us look to the sky watching fireworks, consider how the heavens declare the glory of the Lord.

Lord, thank you for your magnificent creation. Please help us to see your glory proclaimed in all the earth. Amen.

My LIVEday - The day I survived a 150 foot fall

Happy LIVEday!

Today is my LIVEday, the day I survived a 150 foot fall from a hiking trail in Skagway, Alaska. This was such a monumental moment in my life, I am celebrating the one year anniversary of this fall with a video. Please watch it and share it with others.

Lord, thank you for saving my life one year ago today. Please help me to bring glory to your name every day I walk this earth. Amen.

Click here to watch a 3 minute video about my fall.

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 - Our glory and joy

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Our glory and joy to present to Christ when he returns are those with whom we have shared the gospel and they have obeyed. Here Paul is speaking of the church at Thessalonica. Who is your glory and joy? Is there anyone you have helped to teach about Christ? If not, it's never too late to start.

Lord, thank you for giving us the opportunity to share the good news. Please lead us to people who are seeking you and help us to bravely share your word. Amen.

Click here to view a video of this post.

Romans 15:17 - Glory in Christ Jesus

Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.

In this verse Paul is talking about his ministry to the Gentiles, but I think we can apply it to whatever we do. I can glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God, be it my job, my ministry, my hobbies, my relaxation time, my exercise or any thing else we do.

Lord, thank you for allowing us to bring glory to you. Please help us to do so in all we do. Amen.