Thanks to all for the Birthday wishes!
“Brothers and sisters: The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Romans 5: 5)
What a great day a birthday is... Friends, wishes, and gifts!
I am reminded today that it is also the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the annual Feast of St. Barnabas. Our true gift in this life is the gift of Christ and his Most Sacred Heart, for it allows all of us to open our own hearts to the power of what the Spirit has in store for all of us! St. Barnabas, also known as the “Son of Encouragement”, was the side kick for the Apostle Paul. Together, they took the Gospel to places no one else would, encouraging all to accept the fact that God really loved them, and that they were more qualified than they thought to receive that love and do great things!
So on this, the 25th Anniversary of my 21st Birthday (46), let me say that I too want a heart that is open to the Spirit, and I too want to continue my journey encouraging as many folks as possible to accept the love offered to them by God!
Happy Birthday to me, but as for you... God bless you, your amazing heart, your powerful spirit, and the way you continue to encourage others, like me, to keep on, keepin’ on!
Peace!
Showing posts with label spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spirit. Show all posts
Friday, June 11, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
50 Ways to Get Through Easter... Verve!
But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there I do not know, except that in one city after another the Holy Spirit has been warning me that imprisonment and hardships await me. Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace. (Acts 20: 22-24)
Easter Day #45: Verve!
VERVE is the verb that turns faith into action... Except it is a noun! Here’s the definition from dictionary.com:
verve [vurv] noun: enthusiasm or vigor, as in literary or artistic work; spirit: Her latest novel lacks verve. Vivaciousness; liveliness; animation: I like a teacher with plenty of verve. Archaic: Talent.
May I make the case that a noun can sometimes be a verb? If VERVE is vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and even talent, and someone uses these words to describe YOU, then VERVE is an adjective, right? So, if YOU act with vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and even talent, then your action becomes “verb-like”, hence you act with vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and even talent. Granted, I don’t know what I am talking about, and English teachers, and proper students everywhere are cringing right about now, but I think I am on to something here!
Sure, I can’t “write” VERVE as a verb (i.e. My faith VERVES for God.), but I can see that it is the VERVE that makes the faith grow into measurable progress and action. Without VERVE, the Apostle Paul gives up, and the early Church collapses! Without VERVE, Mother Theresa of Calcutta, doesn’t even enter the religious life, and millions die on the streets alone with no dignity and no knowledge of God’s love for them! Without VERVE, your faith is nothing but an opinion on what makes you feel good about yourself and the things you like to think about!
My “dumb” thought today is based in the truth of what a “verb” is supposed to be; an action word! And no matter what form of speech it is, VERVE is something that needs to be a part of all of our actions in this life. We need more vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and talents! We need the Holy Spirit to send us the strength to see our commitments through to the bitter end! Just like the Apostle Paul, we too need courage to finish the course and the ministry that we have received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace.
So I’ll say it again: VERVE is the verb that turns faith into action. May our faith VERVE with God’s many blessings and His Holy Spirit!
Easter Day #45: Verve!
VERVE is the verb that turns faith into action... Except it is a noun! Here’s the definition from dictionary.com:
verve [vurv] noun: enthusiasm or vigor, as in literary or artistic work; spirit: Her latest novel lacks verve. Vivaciousness; liveliness; animation: I like a teacher with plenty of verve. Archaic: Talent.
May I make the case that a noun can sometimes be a verb? If VERVE is vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and even talent, and someone uses these words to describe YOU, then VERVE is an adjective, right? So, if YOU act with vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and even talent, then your action becomes “verb-like”, hence you act with vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and even talent. Granted, I don’t know what I am talking about, and English teachers, and proper students everywhere are cringing right about now, but I think I am on to something here!
Sure, I can’t “write” VERVE as a verb (i.e. My faith VERVES for God.), but I can see that it is the VERVE that makes the faith grow into measurable progress and action. Without VERVE, the Apostle Paul gives up, and the early Church collapses! Without VERVE, Mother Theresa of Calcutta, doesn’t even enter the religious life, and millions die on the streets alone with no dignity and no knowledge of God’s love for them! Without VERVE, your faith is nothing but an opinion on what makes you feel good about yourself and the things you like to think about!
My “dumb” thought today is based in the truth of what a “verb” is supposed to be; an action word! And no matter what form of speech it is, VERVE is something that needs to be a part of all of our actions in this life. We need more vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and talents! We need the Holy Spirit to send us the strength to see our commitments through to the bitter end! Just like the Apostle Paul, we too need courage to finish the course and the ministry that we have received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace.
So I’ll say it again: VERVE is the verb that turns faith into action. May our faith VERVE with God’s many blessings and His Holy Spirit!
Monday, May 17, 2010
50 Ways to Get Through Easter: Spirit & Survival!
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call (Ephesians 1: 17-18)... When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. (Acts 19: 5-6)
Easter Day #43 & #44: Spirit & Survival!
I’m getting weary here in “Blogsville”!
The SPIRIT of God is upon me, for He has anointed me, and like the prayer above I have been given “wisdom and revelation”, although some would definitely argue with that; and I have been Baptized and Confirmed... So why do I tire of all this blogging, and introspection? Can I SURVIVE this bit of a dry spell?
I guess I am guilty at times of sharing this finagled “Word of God” for the benefit of only me. You see, I want you to read it and thank me for creating it, by responding with some interesting “tid bit”, question or controversial disagreement. I invest the worth of this effort on whether or not it gets “hits” here in “Blogsville”. And when there are no “hits” or responses, I plunge into SURVIVAL mode! You know the thought process, “Why do I bother? No one is gonna read this anyway. It’s all the same thing. Its just too ‘churchy’!”
But we are less than a week away from the celebration of Pentecost, and the reminder that SPIRIT has come upon us to do the will of God... Not Greg. All this week, we will be reminded that the Spirit comes with a purpose that calls us to respond, and thus become more like what we were meant to be all along. Look at the second quote above from the Acts of the Apostles. After baptism and the coming of the SPIRIT, “they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” Speaking in tongues, as represented in this part of scripture, means a lot of things to a lot of people, and is the way and reason one expresses their faith. One consistency between them all has to be that words are shared as an almost uncontrolled response to something so great, one can hardly put it into words. Thus, the words have NO PURPOSE except to respond to God and His Holy SPIRIT! With regards to “prophesy”, and the tradition of the prophets who have spoken in the past, there is a sometimes egotistical reassurance that all I have to say, even though it is ignored, will someday come to pass, and long after I’m dead and gone, I can participate in some cosmic “see, I told you so” moment looking down from the stars above.
Now I’m starting to feel better...
So, I will not be deterred, for the SPIRIT has spoken, and now I simply respond with the words that are formed here, typing on my little ol’ Mac. These words, read by you, are not for anything except for responding to the glory of God! When you read this, and respond in whatever manner you choose (or not), it is your way of sharing in the SPIRIT, and hence the glory of God (not Greg)! SURVIVING means that I need to let you do the driving now and then... “As for me and my house, I will serve the Lord,” (Joshua 24: 15) and respond with the words given me by the SPIRIT; and I will continue to do this, in this Blog, because it has a greater purpose than “hits” on a website.
Whew... OK, this Monday too shall pass!
Easter Day #43 & #44: Spirit & Survival!
I’m getting weary here in “Blogsville”!
The SPIRIT of God is upon me, for He has anointed me, and like the prayer above I have been given “wisdom and revelation”, although some would definitely argue with that; and I have been Baptized and Confirmed... So why do I tire of all this blogging, and introspection? Can I SURVIVE this bit of a dry spell?
I guess I am guilty at times of sharing this finagled “Word of God” for the benefit of only me. You see, I want you to read it and thank me for creating it, by responding with some interesting “tid bit”, question or controversial disagreement. I invest the worth of this effort on whether or not it gets “hits” here in “Blogsville”. And when there are no “hits” or responses, I plunge into SURVIVAL mode! You know the thought process, “Why do I bother? No one is gonna read this anyway. It’s all the same thing. Its just too ‘churchy’!”
But we are less than a week away from the celebration of Pentecost, and the reminder that SPIRIT has come upon us to do the will of God... Not Greg. All this week, we will be reminded that the Spirit comes with a purpose that calls us to respond, and thus become more like what we were meant to be all along. Look at the second quote above from the Acts of the Apostles. After baptism and the coming of the SPIRIT, “they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” Speaking in tongues, as represented in this part of scripture, means a lot of things to a lot of people, and is the way and reason one expresses their faith. One consistency between them all has to be that words are shared as an almost uncontrolled response to something so great, one can hardly put it into words. Thus, the words have NO PURPOSE except to respond to God and His Holy SPIRIT! With regards to “prophesy”, and the tradition of the prophets who have spoken in the past, there is a sometimes egotistical reassurance that all I have to say, even though it is ignored, will someday come to pass, and long after I’m dead and gone, I can participate in some cosmic “see, I told you so” moment looking down from the stars above.
Now I’m starting to feel better...
So, I will not be deterred, for the SPIRIT has spoken, and now I simply respond with the words that are formed here, typing on my little ol’ Mac. These words, read by you, are not for anything except for responding to the glory of God! When you read this, and respond in whatever manner you choose (or not), it is your way of sharing in the SPIRIT, and hence the glory of God (not Greg)! SURVIVING means that I need to let you do the driving now and then... “As for me and my house, I will serve the Lord,” (Joshua 24: 15) and respond with the words given me by the SPIRIT; and I will continue to do this, in this Blog, because it has a greater purpose than “hits” on a website.
Whew... OK, this Monday too shall pass!
Monday, May 3, 2010
50 Ways to Get Through Easter... Heart & High Spirits!
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14: 22) “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these.” (John 14: 12)
Easter Day #29 & #30: Heart & High Spirits!
There are two things that will always keep you going in life. Movements of the HEART and the confidence that comes with good ol’ positive HIGH SPIRITS.
It has been said by greater “church types” than me, that in order to know Jesus, your HEART must be moved by the things that move the HEART of Christ! When Christ saw the poor, and took pity on them, or when He saw the large crowds in need of healing, and was moved to act... These are the things that must move our HEARTS on a daily basis. That movement is the beginning of God’s work happening through our hands and feet.
A more practical and realistic outlook comes from the “trenches” of the Acts of the Apostles, when they discover that it takes many hardships to do the work of the Lord. This has to be where the HIGH SPIRIT kicks in. A positive, “never give up” attitude is at the core of every person set out to live their life and live it to the fullest. Whether its the Apostle Paul’s idea of keeping an “eye on the prize”, or today’s modern TV Gurus preaching on your late night flat screen; they all try to focus on the need to stay condifent, and live with HIGH SPIRIT, becuse it is agreed across every Christian denomination, and in all of the world’s religions... Faith is a journey, and a tough one at that. Some call it Karma, others call it Chi, and I call it the power of the Holy Spirit! But all of it is based on knowing the simple concept of dicovering one’s purpose, and staying focused on its overall reward.
To make the most of your faith, let’s try to live with a HEART that is moved by the things that move the HEART of Jesus! To have the greatest impact in the world, let’s try to work through the hardships, always keeping that HIGH SPIRIT, and your eyes on the prize of the “promised land”!
Easter Day #29 & #30: Heart & High Spirits!
There are two things that will always keep you going in life. Movements of the HEART and the confidence that comes with good ol’ positive HIGH SPIRITS.
It has been said by greater “church types” than me, that in order to know Jesus, your HEART must be moved by the things that move the HEART of Christ! When Christ saw the poor, and took pity on them, or when He saw the large crowds in need of healing, and was moved to act... These are the things that must move our HEARTS on a daily basis. That movement is the beginning of God’s work happening through our hands and feet.
A more practical and realistic outlook comes from the “trenches” of the Acts of the Apostles, when they discover that it takes many hardships to do the work of the Lord. This has to be where the HIGH SPIRIT kicks in. A positive, “never give up” attitude is at the core of every person set out to live their life and live it to the fullest. Whether its the Apostle Paul’s idea of keeping an “eye on the prize”, or today’s modern TV Gurus preaching on your late night flat screen; they all try to focus on the need to stay condifent, and live with HIGH SPIRIT, becuse it is agreed across every Christian denomination, and in all of the world’s religions... Faith is a journey, and a tough one at that. Some call it Karma, others call it Chi, and I call it the power of the Holy Spirit! But all of it is based on knowing the simple concept of dicovering one’s purpose, and staying focused on its overall reward.
To make the most of your faith, let’s try to live with a HEART that is moved by the things that move the HEART of Jesus! To have the greatest impact in the world, let’s try to work through the hardships, always keeping that HIGH SPIRIT, and your eyes on the prize of the “promised land”!
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