Beauty in the Maker's Eyes

"And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good...Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good." (Genesis 1:25, 31a) We all have things we don't like about ourselves...our looks, size, shape, personailty, mood, whatever. But God made us and, HE said it was good...VERY good. We are supposed to see others, including ourselves, through the eyes of God. So, when we look in the mirror and see our reflection we are seeing someone that is good just the way they are. Sure, there are things we can improve about ourselves...our weight, our hairstyle and color, being more patient and understanding, being more compassionate, etc.,...no one is perfect...but we are to like and love ourselves unconditionally just the way we are at this particular moment. So, the next time you look at yourself in the mirror see yourself as God sees you...beautiful...and say aloud to yourself, "I am a child of God and I am beautiful." (Yeah, you'll feel silly, stupd, weird, and embarassed saying it for a while, but eventually you'll start believing it if you say it enough.) Love, Beau

The Lord, My Rock

"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; M God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." (Psalm 18:2 NKJV) Think about this. God is your rock, therefore He is your foundation. And, foundations hold things up and keep them from sinking. Rocks are strong, and they shelter us. They can be tiny like the "still, small voice of God," or they can be massive all encompassing, and all around us. Rocks can also be inviting, after a lengthy climb, as a place to rest, reflect, and meditate. One of mom's favorite contemporary Christian songs says, "I will rest in you." God is your rock...your fortress, your strength, your shelter, your stronghold, your stability, and your place of peace. Think about all the many different ways you see God as your rock this week. Love, Beau

Always Rejoicing

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" (Phillipians 4:4 NKJV) God is always telling us to do this that and the other. Sometimes it seems that we are overwhelmed with His rules. In turn, that can make us want to rebel against God and His rules. One of those rules is to always rejoice in Him. He even repeated it. But. the way I see it is God does so much for us why wouldN'T we??? Always rejoicing in Him is just another way of thanking Him for all that He does for us and always being there for us no matter what. Who else does that for us? Most importantly, always rejoicing in God is a way of showing God how much you love Him? So, going back to my original question...Why wouldN'T we??? It should be automatic, spontaneous, and natural...just like breathing. Love, Beau

Halfhearted

"And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a loyal heart." (2 Chronicles 25:2 NKJV) In this verse the word loyal is generally translated as halfhearted. The verse is referring to the reign of Amaziah. He obeyed God, and did what was right but his heart wasn't in it. Amaziah only went through the motions. When we just go through the motions we are passionless, and when we are passionless we lose so much of what life has to offer us, and what we have to offer. God wants us to worship Him WHOLEheartedly and with passion. He wants us to worship with every fiber of our being. If we just go through the motions, halfheartedly, we aren't giving God all we can. And, it means our devotion to Him is split with something else. That is unfair to God, and also to ourselves. Ourselves? Yes, because we aren't living up to our full potentials. When we don't live up to our full potential, we hurt and cheat ourselves; and, we hurt and cheat God. This also extends to our family, friends, and our jobs. If we don't whole-heartedly give to each of these we aren't passionate about them and we aren't giving them our best. Jesus also said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21 NKJV) In other words, it doesn't matter what/who you are working with at the moment, whether God, your boss, or your family give to them whole-hearted and with passion. God desires it. Love, Beau

Your Tour Guide Today is...

"Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared." (Exodus 23:20 NKJV) God doesn't let you go through the valleys, unknown territories, and rocky roads of life alone. He sends an angel to guide you, keep you on the right path, and in the right direction. Going to unknown territories without a tour guide can be dangerous and risky, and therefore unwise. The angel is also there to guard and protect you. Think back to when you went through problems that you thought you wouldn't get through. God and His angels were there helping you, You DID make it through. Whatever God has planned for you, you can be sure that God will help you get there. You are never alone.
Love, Beau

The Light in the Darkness

"For You are my lamp, O LORD; The LORD shall enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop; By my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him." (2 Samuel 22:29-31 NKJV) New Orleans and those that live in the Gulf area are being hit yet again with a hurricane. Gustav is categorized at a higher level than Katrina. Katrina was a level three hurricane, Gustav is forecasted to hit land at a level four. Gustav, and its aftermath, is the darkness for many. But, God says for those who trust in Him He will be their shield, they can run over walls, and against troops. In other words, no matter how many and or how difficult their past, present and future challenges are, God will get them through it. I know it may not seem like it or feel like it at the time but God will. It's promised to you. We can also be one's light in the darkness. We can reach out to those around us. Just giving someone a hug, a pat on the back, or a warm smile or touch can be the light in their darkness. We never know what one is going through and that might be just what they need. Because here we are directly north of Louisiana, we are expecting up to 6000 displaced humans and animals to arrive here. If possible, we are going to look for ways to volunteer. If you're not in an area receiving displaced families (for ANY reason) you can find others to help. At the very least you can pray for these people and their pets. I encourage you this week, on behalf of those affected by Gustav, to reach out to someone or a needy animal...help someone, donate a big bag of food to your local shelter(s), call someone, send someone a card, or just take a minute to pray for someone. And, if someone does something nice for you this week, thank them, pray for them (in secret), and then pay it forward. Love, Beau

More Blessed Than You Realize

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blesearth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven..." (The Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3-11a., Luke 6:20-23) Some of you think that being poor in spirit, mourning, hungry, thirsty, meekness, and being persecuted are NOT blessings. But, it is in our weaknesses, when we are most vulnerable and open to God's wisdom and help, that we are most blessed. God does His best work on us, within us, and through us, when we are at our weakest, most vulnerable, and suffering. There are also other blessings we do not see. How many times have you said or thought, "I am/was so lucky"? Change the word lucky to blessed and see how your awesomely positive your perspective, and attitude, changes. For example, one might think they were lucky to have won a lottery. Another way of looking at is I am so blessed to have won and come into that money to pay that unexpected bill. Or, "I was lucky that driver didn't hit me" might be changed to I am blessed God was protecting me, I didn't get hit, wasn't delayed, and have no damage to my car and or no one was injured. Perception is EVERYTHING. Jesus teaches us in The Beatitudes to see the glass as half full, not half empty, to see the silver lining in the clouds, and to look for the blessing in everything. So, the next time you start to say you're lucky say you're blessed, and see the blessings in the suffering...and always know Jesus is with you 24/7, 365 days of the year. Love, Beau