the sights, sounds, and smells of nature

The sights, sounds, and smells of nature are great to experience on a bike – pedal, motor, or my favorite motorcycle!

Senses seem to be heightened when you are on a bike.

Smells more distinct.

Sights more fully viewed.

And there is an acuteness to your hearing as you take in the panoramic surroundings.

If able, get out and enjoy some of God’s country on bike or foot. Step into the wide open world and take in the atmosphere which completely changes when you are in a car, plane, or train. Being on ground helps you be more aware of the beautiful world around you.

Get out in nature and communion with God. Let Him speak to you. See how He has provided for you. Look for lessons He will teach you through His creation.

Think about these Bible verses for a better understanding of just what it means to revel in the sights, sounds, and smells of nature.

“In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.” Psalm 95.4-5

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19.1

“…stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes His lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of Him who has perfect knowledge?” Job 37.14b-16

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of mankind.” Job 12.7-10

“The wild animals honor Me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to My people, My chosen” Isaiah 43.20

“Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1.3

Enjoy nature, learn from the created, and…

be.the.church

By communioning with nature, you will learn, enjoy, and relax.

Take it all in and breathe.

It isP definitely a nice way to spend a Sunday so go on, get out there!

jump day*

I am sure you have heard of hump day (aka Wednesday which is the hump or middle of the week), but jump day?

Yep, it is a thing and it is world jump day today.

At first, I thought it could be clever marketing for businesses that sell bounce houses or tickets to trampoline parks, but it got me thinking.

What excites you?

What causes your heart to skip a beat or you to have a bounce in your step?

We should be so in love with Jesus that every day we just want to jump with joy to share our faith.

Ok, maybe we should not literally jump around as that could make us look weird, but choosing joy and smiling surely can make a difference for those around you.

Now, I don’t think I quite agree with any of the global warming awareness that goes along with this day, but we certainly all can have the goal of warming someone’s heart each and every day. And when we do, we will…

be.the.church

Rejoice in the day and leap for joy. Luke 6.23 paraphrase

*“The concept (of world jump day) was promoted by German artist, Torsten Lauschmann, and the first World Jump Day was slotted for July 20, 2006. He claimed that 600 million people in the Western Hemisphere were going to jump at the same time. This proposal was actually a satirical art installation, but it reminded people about the effects of global warming.”

FYI: “(The) earth weighs 100 trillion trillion pounds, and the average weight of a human is 137 pounds, which multiplied by 600 million equals 8,220 million pounds. Working out the pound-force of that figure involves a complicated formula, but rest assured that 600 million people jumping simultaneously (if anyone could organize the event) would make no difference to Earth’s orbit.” (https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-jump-day/)

tiny little miracles

“Life is a series of thousands of tiny little miracles. Notice them.”

Wednesday’s post mentions some: https://bethechurch.home.blog/?p=1648

Last Saturday’s posts mentions some too: https://bethechurch.home.blog/2019/07/13/love-it-can-be-so-life-giving/

I think all throughout this blog, you can see them – tiny little miracles!

There is so much in life to observe and see greatness in.

The flowers and the trees, the birds and the bees all have a miracle story to tell. It is one our Creator is trying to use to get our attention. It is to remind us all is in control. He holds the wind and rain in His hands. He will take care of the sparrow; so, of course, He will take care of you and me too.

“…do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, 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, how much more will He clothe you…”. Luke‬ ‭12:22-28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Look for the tiny little miracles. Tell us what you think they are. And if you see one in another, tell them!

As soon you speak life and encouragement; you will…

be.the.church

Look for tiny little miracles in everything…

death is just a destination*

You and I are made for eternity.

Death is just a destination.

After death there are two eternities – one with God and the other without.

Which will it be for you?

We don’t often want to think about what it means or where we will spend eternity. Sometimes we would rather wallow in our sin then seek forgiveness and begin again then think what the consequences of sin without forgiveness may mean.

The Bible says: though your sins were as scarlet they can be washed white as snow (Isaiah 1.18).

“How far has the Lord taken our sins from us? Farther than the distance is from the east is from the west.” Psalm 103.12

Praise the Lord!

You will be spending eternity in one place or the other. It is not a question of if, but when. I pray we will be together in heaven.

You can have assurance in your heart of who you are, why you are here, and what’s going to happen when you die.

Do you know your identity, your purpose, and your destiny?

You can be sure of all three as Jesus Christ offers an answer to them all!

You can be sure that there is a God who exists, came to earth to die for our sins, was raised from the dead on the third day, lives forevermore, and someday will come back to judge the living and the dead.

The best part is He offers eternal life for all those who trust in Him.

Is that you?

I sure hope so and if so, we may not ever have our paths cross on earth, but we will see each other in heaven. Now that is a cool thought that one day will become reality.

If you are unsure, just pray: “Jesus, I accept who You are, I want to believe in You. Please forgive me of my sin. Amen”

Now, regardless if you are a new believer or been following Christ for decades, go get to know the Savior more, worship Him daily, and remember we will be spending all eternity with Him so the more You love and serve and grow now, the better. He will help you find and walk out your purpose this side of heaven.

And know…

If you are a member of a church, that does not get you to heaven.

If you are moral, that doesn’t get you there either.

If you are connected to any religious organization of any kind, you will not get to heaven because of it.

Jesus said you must be born again, born of The Spirit. Read this account and be inspired to follow Christ continuously from now into forever. For as you do, you will…

be.the.church

“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. ” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” John 3:1-21 NIV

*inspired by and quoted from a live talk from Don Stewart and Jack Hibbs 6.26.19

https://subsplash.com/reallifewithjackhibbs/lb/mi/+5ybysbn

a stone’s throw

If you have the chance to see animals close up; do it. An amazing hawk was in the tree right in front of me just a stone’s throw away. We startled each other, but what a sight to see that wing span up so close.

I was in awe as I heard the thundering wings swoosh as it took flight landing on a pole just another stone’s throw away.

The phrase ‘a stone’s throw’ of course means what you think. Basically, a distance of how far you can throw a stone and has come to be known as any undefined short distance. Perhaps the phrase got popular from its appearance in scripture: “He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed” Luke 22:41 NIV

I just love that! Don’t you?

The Lord removes Himself from the comfort of His disciples and goes a short distance away to have some private prayer time with the Father.

What a great example He left for us!

That hawk removed itself from my presence and I stood in awe of our Father’s creativity and bowed my head thanking Him for the opportunity to see such a creature up close and personal just a stone’s throw away.

Get in the habit of thanking God for what you see, who He is, and for creating the beautiful world around us.

Get in the habit of prayer.

Get in the habit of getting a stone’s throw away from others to have some up close and personal time with our Father.

It will fill you, prepare you, and help you…

be.the.church

remote controlled

God did not create us to be robots. He is not playing a game with us and maneuvering a joystick as a remote control car would be moved.

He desires we chase after Him out of our own free will. For if we were robots, then, what kind of worship, reverence, respect, or love could we give back to the Father?

When our children were young we told them they had two jobs and it simply was boiled down to this: honor and obey their parents. For if they could honor and obey us, in time, they could learn to honor and obey God even though they could not see Him physically.

We can get to know God and know that He is not some man in the sky willing that we should die or there just to push His iron thumb down on us to teach us a lesson.

No, God desires that we chase after Him and His purpose for our lives because He knows only that will fulfill the longing in our hearts to be needed, loved, and used. You see, we were created to work and when we don’t work; we are unsatisfied.

Find your purpose and work hard to fulfill it.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” Colossians 3.23

When you do, you will better portray what it means to…

be.the.church

what is faith

Faith is believing in something beyond yourself. Something you can’t see or smell or touch. It is like having hope but mixed with love.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11.1

Maybe you have let your faith go. Know it is never to late to realize what is important in your life and to fight for it. Everyday we are alive can be considered a miracle. Have faith that today God hears you, cares for you, and is in control.

If you have never trusted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior why not do that right now.

Simple say: “God forgive me, thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross in my place, I accept You as Lord and Savior and will do my best in faith to follow You all the rest of my earthly days. Amen

The Bible says the angels rejoice when one sinner comes to Christ. If that is you, do let us know in the comments so we can congratulate you and welcome you to the family of believers.

“I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15.10

If you are already saved, perhaps there is an area in your life you need to put your full faith in to. Trust God with all the details.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3.5

Here’s some more verses to boost your faith:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13.8

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15.8

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26.3

“…all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9.23b

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9.24b

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10.17

Read The Word, build your faith, and…

be.the.church

*inspired from the words of the minister in the movie Premonition

eat the fake cake

We did an experiment when the kids were younger to try to understand what love language enticed them the most.

Earlier this year I did a series of posts on The 5 Love Languages based on the book by Gary Chapman. If you don’t remember or didn’t read them, I highly recommend checking out the entries in February. The links are below for your convenience.*

The 5 love languages are physical touch, gifts, words of affirmation, acts of service, and quality time. Typically, how you give love is how you crave to receive it.

We told each of the 3 kids to pick out any activity they wanted to do. 1 picked a movie because he wanted to sit next to me and have me rub his head. His love language of physical touch shined through. Our daughter prepared an elaborate picnic on the floor including everything made by her with pieces of paper taking paper plates to a whole new level as they were literally paper.

We were living in Europe at the time where closets are not typically built into rooms thus the need for wardrobes like from CS Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. (Tip: This is a great read a loud book or to use as a small group study.) Her room was pretty small after her bed and ‘closets’ (aka wardrobes) were added. But, here all 5 us were along with our friends that are a family of 7 sitting on the floor, on the bed, chairs, and spilling out into the hall. For she had prepared an elaborate picnic on the floor for us all including you guessed it fake cake as it was someone’s birthday. So what did we all do, we pretended to eat the fake cake.

And what did we learn, our daughter craves quality time.

“Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.” Philippians 2.3

One last quick, fun story about another fake cake. It was graduation day and a cake had been ordered for the party. When the designed double decker cake was to be picked up, it was discovered the order had never been placed. The customers were told they could pick out any sheet cake in the case on display to substitute. A blue and white cake was brought home, but when they tried to cut into it, they found under the frosting was only Styrofoam!

It was a fake cake!

This cake was used as a model and wasn’t meant to be sold. In the end, that party had no cake for that graduation, but it will sure be a fun memory (least I hope so) for them!

It got me thinking. What are we doing to show our true colors and not have a fakeness about us? Are we being like that fake cake where the outside seems sweet but inside is fake?

Don’t do it! Be authentic, honest, humble, loving, kind, and any other God-honoring characteristics you can add to this list.

Then, you know what you will be right? You will…

be.the.church

*Follow the links below to learn more about the love languages:

https://bethechurch.home.blog/2019/02/19/five-love-languages/

https://bethechurch.home.blog/2019/02/20/who-doesnt-like-a-gift/

https://bethechurch.home.blog/2019/02/21/to-be-touched-or-not-to-be-touched-that-is-the-question/

https://bethechurch.home.blog/2019/02/22/everyone-needs-a-little-encouragement/

https://bethechurch.home.blog/2019/02/23/quality-time/

https://bethechurch.home.blog/2019/02/24/acts-of-service/

https://bethechurch.home.blog/2019/02/25/love-language-recap/

love – it can be so life giving

I believe the ultimate love is found in new life.

Whether that be our offspring, a pet, birds in a nest outside the home, baby animals in the zoo, or even new offshoots of plants.

The ultimate gift of love is that we are giving new life knowing Jesus died on the cross for our sins and offers us the free gift of salvation.

That is ultimate love.

That is what love is.

That is what love does.

Love Does is also the title of a book by Bob Goff which I highly recommend. You can look back at this previous post to learn more about it and apply its truth to your everyday day life:

https://bethechurch.home.blog/2019/04/05/love-does/

But, the bottom line is what does love do?

It forgives.

It overlooks an offense.

It helps.

It encourages.

It offers peace.

What can you add to the list? And how are you doing with the above?

Remember, love is also patient and kind. It puts others before self and never gives up. It speaks truth, always trusts God, and never dies. (Ref.: I Corinthians 13)

Love – it can be so life giving so, … give it! Speak life by saying encouraging and loving words. Learn to love extravagantly.

Then, you and I both will…

be.the.church

so you want to be a model

The line was long. The parents high strung. And the kids anxious as they waited for their moment of fame.

What is the underlying emotion? I say acceptance.

Our daughter was going to sing in between model and acting hopefuls waiting in a never ending line for their moment to shine and chance to walk the line in front of prominent judges.

What is it that says ‘I need to be noticed’?

What is it that says ‘here I am, notice me’?

What is it that we have been trained to think if we don’t get a, b, or c then we must deserve not being noticed?

I will tell you what it is: acceptance!

And that sometimes banks on false promises or desires of the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

What if we all accepted who we are, how we were created, and saw our potential in what we have rather than what we have not?

What if we choose to find our identity in Christ alone?

What if we believed in ourselves and God’s purpose for our lives rather than getting so caught up in the acceptance of others approval?

Teach this to your young or those younger than you.

Help others see how they are valued and treasured so much more than any human could ever convey.

Don’t do anything to bring another down.

Speak life and use words of encouragement each day for when you do, you will…

be.the.church

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.”

Proverbs 18:21 AMP

By the way, it is ok to want to be a model. It is not ok when you can’t handle the rejection that might come.