Shaped by God

The people I have shaped for myself will broadcast my praises. Isaiah 43:21

You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Psalms 139:16

Rick Warren writes in his “The Purpose Driven Life” book (which sold over 35 million copies since 2002) “God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise. Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each has a particular role to play, based on the way they were shaped by God.” Every creature means even us humans. No wonder we are all so different.

You already know that you have a specific DNA. You are like your parents in certain ways, but not identical. You have some traits of your grandparents and even great grandparents. But you are not identical to any of them. God made you special! God tells us this in his Bible in Isaiah, Psalms and Ephesians.

For us there is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and we all have the same God and Father who is over us all and in us all and living through every part of us. However, Christ has given each of us special abilities - whatever he wants us to have out of his rich storehouse of gifts. Ephesians 4:5-7

Did you realize God had something to do with shaping us in our mother’s womb? These verses tell us God shaped our genetic makeup while we were babies in the womb. Each brain is different. You were made a unique way. And he wants you to use your abilities in a positive way.

Take a look at your classmates, your family, and your friends. Can you name some of the qualities they have? Look at your special qualities and thank the Lord for them.

Prayer: Dear Lord, your humans are magnificent creatures. We thank you for making us with each of our individual qualities. Thank you for the truths in your Bible. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Giving Thanks

Give thanks with a grateful heart 

Giving Thanks

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. Psalm 107:8 

Give Thanks

Give thanks to the Lord; for He is good. Psalm 107:1 NIV 

Thankful for all Our Blessings

 

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

While reading Brene Brown’s new book, Atlas of the Heart, I found myself agreeing and feeling convicted while recognizing myself in her descriptions.

In the section on Gratitude, she mentions how many of the emotions that are good for us – joy, contentment, and gratitude have appreciation in common. She goes on to say that gratitude is good for our physical and mental health. In researching the section on gratitude, Robert Emmons, a professor of psychology at UC Davis, figured prominently. He says, “gratitude makes us appreciate the value of something, and when we appreciate the value of something, we extract more benefits from it; we’re less likely to take it for granted.” He continues: “with gratitude we become greater participants in our lives as opposed to spectators.”

Whether you make lists, say daily prayers of thanks, or share your thoughts of gratitude with others, let us remember that “every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…” (James 1:17)

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the many blessings in my life. Help me to focus on gratitude instead of bitterness, even when it's hard. Guide me in becoming an active participant in a life of gratitude. Amen.

Donna Gustafson (reprinted from 2022, edited)

Thankfulness

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessolonians 5:16-18 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 

In this holiday season, we ought to adopt the attitude of thankfulness not just on one day, but every day. In his book “Life’s Greatest Lessons,” Hal Urban has an exercise that I am going to do and I hope you will too. Take a sheet of paper and title it “I am thankful for…”. Draw two vertical lines so there are three columns. The column headings are “Material Things,” “People”, and “Other”.  “Other” can be freedom, Jesus, faith, health, etc.  Fill in all of the lines on the paper as you think about this. Keep the list handy (or make a few copies) and read over it four times a day. In his over 30 years of teaching, Mr. Urban says this is one of the best assignments he has ever given. Join me in this exercise and let’s see what happens!

Prayer: Dear Father, we should be overflowing with thankfulness for all you have given us but sadly we often complain or take for granted what we already have. We ask that our thankful hearts be a light for others to see the contentment and hope we have in you. Amen.

Cathy Schapmann (reprinted from 2017)

Thanksgiving

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16                                                                            

As we approach Thanksgiving, it seems to be fairly easy to think about our blessings and to give thanks. Many people post on Facebook each day, indicating something they are thankful for. Thanks are often given for family, friends, food, shelter, and jobs. However, as nice an idea as that is, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone choose to remind us of their blessings in April or July. Maybe it’s because the holiday is called “Thanksgiving,” and just the word reminds us to give thanks.

But we are not just blessed during the holiday season. God watches over us throughout the year. He’s there whether we’re thinking of him or not. And he’s present even when we are not praying to him.

We often hear as part of a stewardship sermon or announcement that the more we give the more we are blessed. There were many years when I was skeptical of that idea. But I’ve changed my opinion to believe that it may be true. God truly blesses us as we worship him.
          
There are many Bible verses that mention blessings, such as Psalm 113:2, which states, “Just to remember God is a blessing - now and tomorrow and always.”  Let us pray that God will help us to remember that he is a blessing always, and not just at Thanksgiving.
          
Prayer: Dearest Lord, “How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him.” Ephesians 1:3 (The Message) Please forgive us when we fail to appreciate the blessings you pour down on us.  And help us to show gratitude throughout the year for all you give to us.

Robin Hadfield (reprinted from 2013)

Prayer

 

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

White as Snow

 

I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient of Days—the Almighty God—sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like whitest wool. Daniel 7:9

After Christ came down from the mountain after his transfiguration with Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into a high mountain apart by themselves: he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. Mark 9:2-3

His clothing was as white as snow. The white color showed that Jesus was God and He has NO sin…can you believe it? We have all sinned. It can be as simple as telling a white lie, putting your neighbor down, or hurting someone with your words. It can be disobeying your parents. Sometimes we don’t even realize it when we sin. Only Jesus has no sin, but what can we do about it?

Is it possible we can be clean and be whiter than snow? Look at these two verses. It is true!

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven, please guide us to follow you. Thank you that your Word says we can be cleansed. Thank you that we can join you in heaven. Lead us in the way to you. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck (photo above shared by Sandra)

Beholding God in All

"The fullness of joy is to behold God in all" ~ Julian of Norwich 

Words from Ephesians

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20 

Words from Psalm 39

And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. Psalm 39:7 

Peace: Quiet and Calm State of Mind

Give in to God, come to terms with him and everything will turn out just fine. Let him tell you what to do, take his words to heart. Come back to God Almighty and he’ll rebuild your life. Clean house of everything evil. Relax your grip on your money and abandon your gold-plated luxury. God Almighty will be your treasure, more wealth than you can imagine. Job 22: 21-25 (The Message)

As we prepare for the holidays, we need the words in Job which tell us to have a peaceful state of mind. Jesus came to tell us our faith has saved us. Our biggest gift or treasure of the Christmas season is returning to God. The Messiah has come. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle we can feel the peace Jesus gives us.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for sending your son to us. Help us to put our traditions into the proper space so that we can come back to the Almighty. May we put any evils of anger, jealousy, covetousness or fear away from our house. Let us bathe in your treasure of Christ with us giving us more than we can imagine. Amen

Sandra Hilsabeck (reprinted from 2016)

A New Heart

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you!” Ezekiel 36:26 

That’s what God promised the people of Israel in this passage, if they believe in Him, trust and follow Him. This author goes on to say that they will emulate and display God’s Holiness through their actions and life choices. People will know God through his followers.  

It’s no secret to my family and friends that I am a Midwestern girl at heart in my love for the Change of Seasons. I love shopping for and buying new clothes, planning seasonal menus, decorating my house inside and outside accordingly, changing activities according to weather dictates. These changes energize me and give me new direction and renewed hope and optimism.   

It also leads me to check on my personal growth and consider change in that area.  I hope to be more God like by serving and loving others, turning to Him more in prayer, reading His Word more, and worshipping Him at Eastridge through our Sunday services.  

Prayer: Father God, I know you will change my Heart and my Spirit to be more like you if I fully commit to that goal and embrace you in my everyday life. Continue to teach and guide me to a deeper faith and love for you and for others. Shine your light on me!

Connie Barry

Honoring all who served: Thank you Veterans!

 

He Careth for You

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 

Words from Isaiah

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8 

God's Protection

As autumn settles in, you surround us with warmth and tenderness, like a parent cuddling a child. Thanks for your protection and love, Lord. 

A Prayer for Election Day

A prayer for Election Day

Holy God, we come to you today in prayer, full of emotions. Election seasons always seem to bring that out in us - worry and hope, fear and frustration. The list could go on. So today we bow our heads and ask for guidance, open our ears to hear the groans of creation. Open our eyes to see the needs of others. Open our hearts to make room for empathy. Give us the wisdom to navigate challenging conversations. Give us the compassion to make decisions for the greater good. And when all else fails, bring us back to love. Bring our hearts and our hands, our dreams and our hopes, our anger and our frustration, our hurt and our fear all back to love. With hope we pray, with hope we are sustained. Amen. 

reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art

God Will Provide

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34

O Give Thanks to the Lord

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34