Praise Him

Give Him praise! Hallelujah!

“Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now

and forevermore. From the rising of the sun

to the place where it sets,

the name of the LORD is to be praised.” (Psalm 113:2-3)

“Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples.

For great is His love toward us, and

the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Paise the LORD.”

(Psalm 117:1-2)

“This is the day the LORD has made,

let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

“You are my God, and I will give you thanks.

You are my God, and I will exalt you.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good.

His love endures forever.” (Psalm 118:28-29)

When You Don’t Know What to Say

Today, I don’t know what to say.

So many people are suffering. So many are afraid.

What are you dealing with today?

Here is what I say to you —

I don’t know what I can do, but I can pray.

I know that God knows what you need.

Dear Lord,

I know that you care. I know that you are aware of the circumstances.

Please come and provide what is needed.

Bring healing to sickness. Bring comfort to sadness.

We will rest, knowing that you will provide.

We will hope in your love and mercy.

We know that you will answer our prayers the way You know is best.

Thank you for being with us every minute of every day.

We know you never leave us alone, so we are encouraged.

Help us feel your presence so we may have peace.

Your love is of greater worth than anything else in this world.

We come to you with our needs, and you provide, and we thank you.

Amen

God’s promise to us —

Isaiah 41:10 ESV

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Who Are You Looking For?

It makes a big difference who you look for,

because whoever you are searching for, you are likely to find.

But are you sure that’s who you really want to find?

That knight in shining armor, just might be too controlling or possessive.

That famous person you admire, might just be rude or even nasty to you.

That popular minister you want to hear, just might be teaching lies,

or maybe just wants your money.

When Jesus Christ climbed up onto a mountain,

His disciples followed him up there.

They wanted to hear Him teach. They wanted to learn from Him.

In several places in the Bible, it says “seek and you will find”. (Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9)

Who do you want to find? Who do you want to spend time with?

Who do you want to learn from?

If you seek Jesus Christ, you will find Him.

A good place to look is the Book of Matthew or John in the Bible.

When you find Jesus Christ and choose to follow Him,

you will receive peace, truth, love, forgiveness, and a new life.

When I first moved to Florida, I joined a Bible study group.

I have been learning about Jesus and following Him ever since.

I have found peace, love, forgiveness, healing, and now even joy.

(Notice, I did not say I am rich or trouble-free.)

Set aside some time in your schedule to do a Bible study.

Look for Jesus Christ, and you will find Him.

More Than You Think

Today’s #bloganuary prompt (the last one) —

How do you feel when you look at the stars? —

— I am always amazed that there are so many stars in the sky!

It is estimated there are 200 billion trillion stars in the universe.

That’s more than the grains of sand on the earth!

How can there be so many stars?

I feel tiny when I look up at the night sky.

I wonder why God made so many stars.

I always try to find the big and little dipper, because I can recognize them.

But God named every star!

My tip for a better year than last year —

— Spend more time outside in nature.

Enjoy nature at least once each week.

Daytime or nighttime.

Nature has many health benefits.

Nature also helps put “us” into perspective.

One person among 7.8 billion people in the world,

and above us 200 billion trillion stars.

Tree of Hope

Today’s #bloganuary prompt —

— Describe yourself as a tree. —

I am not a tree!

However, I heard of a tree that was cut down and made into a cross.

That cross was used to kill Jesus Christ.

We were saved by the blood of Christ shed on that cross.

Thus the tree used was a “tree of hope”!

That is why I sometimes wear a necklace with a small cross on it.

The cross reminds me that my only hope is in Jesus Christ.

Without Jesus Christ, the world would be lost in darkness.

Isaiah 11:1 “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”

Can We Change the World?

My 1st reaction to today’s #bloganuary prompt, was “WHAT?!”

— How are you changing the world? —

My answer is —

No 1 person can change the world.

Working together with a large group of people,

we can make some changes in specific places,

or with certain people.

But I do not believe 1 person can change the world.

So, how am I changing the world? —

Through prayer,

I connect with the only being who can truly change the world,

GOD!

My tip to have a better year this year than last year —

Do not expect to change other people.

Instead, work on changing yourself.

There’s No Place Like Home

Today’s #bloganuary prompt —

Where do you go when you need solitude? —

— I go home.

If I need even more solitude? —

— I go to my prayer room.

My tip for having a better year than last year —

Find a place where you can get solitude when you need it.

Even if it’s just a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the bathroom door.

Everyone needs a quiet place where they can destress and refresh.

Do You Like Yourself?

I hope you do like yourself!

I encourage you to name something you really do like about yourself.

Today’s #bloganuary prompt —

What is your favorite part about yourself?

My favorite part of me is my desire to learn.

I have a curious mind.

I love history!

I love to read books!

I love doing research online!

I love keeping my mind active.

My tip for a better year this year —

Keep learning new things!

Learning new things is proven to help keep your brain healthy.

Learning new things keeps you from being bored.

Learning new things gives you something to look forward to.

Learning new things gives you new ways to connect with people.

Try learning something new each week, and

see if that makes you feel happier.

Are You Strong Today?

The #bloganuary prompt today —

— what makes you feel strong? —

There is only 1 thing that makes me feel strong.

It’s something I do every morning.

I put on the Armor of God!

(The book of Ephesians Chapter 6: verses 10-11) “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

This is some very good advice from the Apostle Paul.

Who Do You Trust?

Knowing who you can trust is important.

We probably all have found out someone we trusted, was not trustworthy.

Today’s #bloganuary prompt —

What is your favorite quote and why? —

— No doubt at all, this is my favorite quote! —

“Trust in God with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

(from the Bible, Book of Proverbs, Chapter 3: verses 5-6)

To me, this quote means that God is trustworthy.

Alone we cannot do anything good. We need Him.

Remember (acknowledge) He is always with you, helping you.

My tip for a better year —

Know who you can trust.

Don’t trust the wrong people (like politicians, or salesmen).

Trust honest people with the knowledge, experience and values you want.