Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 7,11- Life lessons can come from sitting and noticing birds. There is nothing that they worry about. A worm for her and her babies every day. My friend, Ben, shared this lovely picture. Travel light. Enjoy freedom. No need for bigger barns and rental storage buildings. Ask for daily bread. Expect God to provide. I'm glad this bird doesn't have a smart phone to worry about. Glad Ben has one without worry on a good day. Mother was feeding and protecting her babies. Thanks God for life lessons. Matthew 6. 25  “For this reason I say to you,  [ q ] do not be worried about your  [ r ] life,  as to  what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body,  as to  what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?   26  Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather  crops  into barns, and  yet  your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?   27  And which of you by worrying can add a single

 7.10- Resurrection means that “it may kill me” has ceased to carry ultimate weight. Dan Bouchelle John 8.   51  Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone follows My word, he will never see death.”

 7.9- Restraint Restraint means carefully watching what I do or say so that I do not cause someone else to stumble or bring shame to the name of Jesus. It is making allowances for the beliefs of others, while being careful not to violate my own convictions. Rebecca Barlow Jordan

 7.8- Who We Are                                        Psalm 100                                   Albert Lee      In her autobiography, Corrie ten Boom described her and her sister Betsie’s horrific time in a Nazi concentration camp in the early 1940’s. On one occasion they were forced to take off their clothes during an inspection. Corrie stood in line feeling defiled and forsaken. Suddenly she remembered that Jesus had hung naked on the cross. Struck with wonder and worship, Corrie whispered to her sister, “Betsie, they took His clothes too.” Betsy gasped and said, “Oh, Corrie, …. And I never thanked Him.”     It is easy for us to live thanklessly in a world that is full of trouble, struggles and woes. On any given day we can find many reasons to complain. However, Psalm 100 exhorts God’s people to be glad, joyful, and thankful for “it is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3). As we remember who we are, we can respond in thanksgi

 7.7- Be Prepared                             Romans 5:1-11                                           Dave Branon     Just as her friends were doing, my daughter Melissa was busily preparing for adulthood. At school, she was getting ready for college by taking the right courses and had signed up for the ACT college entrance test.     Outside of class, Melissa was learning the socialization skills it takes to get along with people by spending time with friends, classmates and teammates. At her job she was learning the relational skills needed for a future career of work. At home Mell was preparing for future family life by experiencing the way a Christian family would interact.     Getting ready for life as an adult takes work and Melissa was making good progress.     But none of that preparation was what she would need. In 2002 when she died in a car accident at age 17, the only preparation that mattered was her readiness for heaven.     When the truest test of preparedness c

 7.6- Anger Prayers                                Psalm 86:1-13                                    Shelly Beach     The neighbors probably didn’t know what to think as they looked out their windows at me one wintry day. I was standing in the driveway with a garden shovel clutched in my hands, whacking wildly and angrily at a clump of ice that had formed beneath a corner gutter. With each smack, I was uttering prayers that were variations on one theme: “I can’t do this.” “I don’t have the strength to do this.” As a caregiver, with a long list of responsibilities to handle, I now had this ice to deal with, and I had had enough!     My anger was wrapped around a bundle of lies: “I deserve better than this.” “God isn’t enough after all.” “Nobody cares anyway.” But when we choose to cling to our anger, we become mired in the trap of bitterness, never moving forward. And the only cure for anger is truth.     The truth is that God does not give us what we deserve; He gives us mercy ins

 7.5- We want to know God.  This is eternal life.  We have chosen to imitate Jesus Christ in this way. To know God is eternal life. To finish our work given to us by God is to glorify God.  To stay engaged in the world is our work while we are on earth.  This includes telling people the good news that Jesus Christ is our redeemer.  He is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  This will bless many people, but many who are rich and powerful will turn down the opportunity.  To communicate to the world it is critical that we be unified with our brothers and sisters.