Happy Sunday!
I hope this week was positive, powerful and productive for you!
I really enjoyed the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. I'm a natural cry baby. I was welling up with tears as the children's choirs from all over Great Britain sang the hymn, "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah". It was so fitting that Christ Jesus would receive Glory because he gives us the strength and ability to everything we do. (Philippians 4:13)
The Olympics are so inspiring! Everything I've watched has encouraged me. There are so many personal stories about how the athletes have had to struggle and push forward even through adversity. There is an athlete in the Archery competition who is legally blind. He's doing things that individuals with 20/20 vision can't do. In Mark 8:22-25, Jesus healed a blind man. He asked the man what he saw. The man said he saw men as trees walking. Jesus touched him again and he saw clearly. Seeing is one thing, seeing clearly is everything. Things like this challenge me. I ask myself, "What's your excuse?"
There are runners with no legs! "What's your excuse?" There are athletes from war torn countries. They are able to put their problems aside and focus on the games. Athletes whose families may not even have electricity or a television to watch the games. It reminds me of all that I have to be thankful and grateful for.
I'm grateful for you! I appreciate you and thank you for communicating with me every week. You are always in my prayers.
Love and prayers, Cynthia
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
What a Friend
Happy Sunday!
In Praise and Worship today we sang, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". It's an oldy but goody! It says what many are feeling right now after yet another senseless shooting. We ask ourselves why?
We may never know why bad things happen, but God knows! He created us and declared that, "The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be." - Jeremiah 17:9 (Message Translation)
That may be why God designed a plan to give us new hearts! No, not like the Tin Man in the Wizard of OZ. He said in Ezekiel 36:26, "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart". - (New Living Translation) Even David knew something was missing and he begged God to, "Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a faithful spirit within me". - Psalm 51:10 (God's Word Translation)
The word, "Lament" means a cry of grief or sorrow or a dirge: a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person. There's a whole book in the bible called, Lamentations. Lamentations 3:21-23 says, “The reason I can still find hope is that I keep this one thing in mind: the Lord’s mercy. We were not completely wiped out. His compassion is never limited. It is new every morning. His faithfulness is great".
Even during this horrible tragedy, the Love of God is being shown! Several individuals sacrificed their lives for others. That's what Jesus did for us! There are testimonies of strangers of different races laying aside selfishness and acting heroically for the community. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.
Love and prayers, Cynthia
In Praise and Worship today we sang, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". It's an oldy but goody! It says what many are feeling right now after yet another senseless shooting. We ask ourselves why?
We may never know why bad things happen, but God knows! He created us and declared that, "The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be." - Jeremiah 17:9 (Message Translation)
That may be why God designed a plan to give us new hearts! No, not like the Tin Man in the Wizard of OZ. He said in Ezekiel 36:26, "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart". - (New Living Translation) Even David knew something was missing and he begged God to, "Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a faithful spirit within me". - Psalm 51:10 (God's Word Translation)
The word, "Lament" means a cry of grief or sorrow or a dirge: a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person. There's a whole book in the bible called, Lamentations. Lamentations 3:21-23 says, “The reason I can still find hope is that I keep this one thing in mind: the Lord’s mercy. We were not completely wiped out. His compassion is never limited. It is new every morning. His faithfulness is great".
Even during this horrible tragedy, the Love of God is being shown! Several individuals sacrificed their lives for others. That's what Jesus did for us! There are testimonies of strangers of different races laying aside selfishness and acting heroically for the community. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.
Love and prayers, Cynthia
Sunday, July 8, 2012
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (Message Translation)
Happy Sunday!
So we're not giving up. How could we!
Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.
These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us.
There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever. - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (Message Translation)
Love and prayers, Cynthia
So we're not giving up. How could we!
Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.
These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us.
There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever. - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (Message Translation)
Love and prayers, Cynthia
Sunday, July 1, 2012
You Are the Person
Happy Sunday!
I hope you had a wonderful week! I'm praying that you enjoy the upcoming holiday!
I hope you had a wonderful week! I'm praying that you enjoy the upcoming holiday!
You are the person who has to decide.Whether you'll do it or toss it aside;You are the person who makes up your mind.Whether you'll lead or will linger behind.Whether you'll try for the goal that's afar.Or just be contented to stay where you are.” - Edgar A. Guest
Have a positive, powerful, and prosperous week!
Love and prayers, Cynthia
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