The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God
Life-changing days of social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 disrupts our lives and causes many of us to focus on our compassionate Lord
We pray for an end to this pandemic according to God’s will and timing
We praise God for the unchanging truth of the Bible
We give thanks to God who provides our needs of body and soul
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV
Peace is in Jesus who bore our sins on the cross.
So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11 ESV
True love is Christ who is pleading God the Father’s mercy on behalf of sinful believers who confess and repent. Our Heavenly Father sees the work of His Son who died on the cross and rose on the third day for all people. Those who believe are forgiven and granted eternal life on the Last Day. Hearts of Christians are filled with thanksgiving and are moved to fight sin, love others, and share the Gospel. Mighty power of the Holy Spirit is given in faith to trust in the promises of Jesus. Patient endurance in suffering which God allows is worked in believers to help us grow in character and love. Our souls are filled with hope through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism which calls all to live according to
God's will, renouncing the devil and all his works and ways, and to
confess the faith in the one true Triune God.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”Matthew 28: 18-20 ESV
Knowledge of the Lord isn’t automatic—it must be learned and organized in high priority.
Church and school cancellations are set-up to protect people from the coronavirus. These changes effect how children and adults worship, learn, teach, and socialize. Like never before, it is important to dedicate time to be in the Bible, listen, browse, and subscribe to resources…
Sketchbook doodle symbolizing the gifts of being washed, cleansed and loved by the our Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The powerful light of God lives in, flows through and shines from all believers throughout the universal Christian Church.
We pray
Dear Father God,
Thank You for giving us saving faith that is ours through the
Sins make life difficult, meaningless, or dull; they take priority over praying, thanking, praising, revering, listening to His Word, singing hymns and worshiping God. Our Lord Jesus brings forgiveness, healing, peace and joy to those who confess and repent of sins (realized) as well as the sins which may be evident to others (and God) though we may not recognize. A few examples are
spending time or money unwisely or miserly
neglecting to attend to needs of others
avoiding opportunities to share the Gospel
poor response to others when they commit sins against us
blame-shifting, denial or refusal to take responsibility for sins
manipulating people and situations
impatience
the list goes on…
Dimensions of how deeply our sinful nature (unhealthy connection to other gods) affects others is beyond what we can accurately measure or explain. We get boxed into rigid perimeters other sinners place around us or we build walls around ourselves and others. We cannot free ourselves from sin preventing us to think outside our own little boxes.
The Holy Spirit gives believers power to resist temptations, lies, vices of Satan, the world, and our fallen nature which promote an inclination to abuse or give excess praise, focus, reliance on
things we consume and places we go—confused about what [we think] we “deserve”—we sometimes forget to thank our Creator who provides skills and opportunities which allow us to generate income to afford these items and pleasures
ourselves—selfish, prideful, stubborn, wants, worries, negativity, mistrust in the Lord
work—falsely thinking it “earns” God’s favor
control—which is not ours to impose on others
people in our lives: —having an unrealistic expectation of perfection —assuming to be understood by a person without communicating with him/her —unforgiving lack of compassion toward one who seeks to be heard/forgiven —demanding of or using someone for our own glory and gratification
Our Heavenly Father provides the Word to help us offer forgiveness and compassion toward those He placed for us to humbly love, lead, support, nourish, cherish and protect.
Being able to forgive others (pastor,
teacher, parent, spouse, sibling, child, grandchild, friend, co-worker, etc.) isn’t like a light switch that is turned on and off—it is a process that takes time. We may never forget the sins, yet with the help of God we can and it is good for us to
confess our own sinfulness
have empathy toward ourselves and those who sin against us (if they are willing to communicate, listen to their fears, desires, misplaced trust)
because of what Christ has done, we can forgive self and people who sin against us even if they do not ask to be forgiven
Don’t lose heart!
God opened the Way to freedom and saves many who abide in Truth. His Word teaches us to ask for His will to be done and enables us to receive His forgiveness and goodness. Generously and mercifully he
feeds our hunger
directs our focus
protects and delivers us from evil
heals the brokenhearted
shows kindness
comforts us in sorrows
levels—makes a smooth
path by still waters for our thirsty souls
leads us to Himself and a life of repentance
walks with us
forgives, washes, cleans up after us, turns us around
allows us to receive and
fully trust His mercy
provides us capacity to share mercy with
others
creates peace and goodness
Pray: dear God of Love, we praise and thank You for this Good News! Guide us that we may generously forgive, show mercy, share and receive compassionate love. Amen.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not
your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no
one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV (whole chapter)
Doodling helps some people concentrate while listening to a topic, or helps them relax while they dedicate time to think.
As creatures God designed with His gift of creativity, we thrive on innovation, spiritual reflection, and mindful planning.
“and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,” 1 Thessalonians 4:11 (whole chapter)
To fully explore my present journey through this life I’ve been given, growth is essential and comes by learning in a variety of ways. For example, The Illuminated Catechism is an artistic resource which would help anyone reflect on God’s grace, pray, and deepen understanding of the Christian faith.
I exercise and practice visual art when I
sketch
draw
paint
color
doodle
photograph
organize mixed media
tear
cut
glue
tie
build
layer
Creating is a form of personal brainstorming to help me
Art journaling, sketching and hand lettering Bible verses enhance life.
In future posts, God-willing, I plan to share photos of doodles that I’ve imagined or truths which have traveled through my ears into my mind and onto paper. The perfectionist in me would change every single one of them someway—they are not great works of art; yet, time is limited and I’m learning to let go to avoid being stuck on too many details. For peace of mind and to push forward, I rely on God’s grace and mercy just as I hope to offer and receive this from the people closest to me. I share my illustrated inspiration in gratitude to the glorious Spirit of our Creator Savior.
Genesis 9:13
I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:13 (whole chapter)
This New Year’s Eve I share inspiration—my invention that helps me center and get out of a tight, potentially harmful space. I used egg cartons to protect my car doors from damage that would occur if I accidentally opened the doors too far and bang into the cement or concrete block garage wall.
Press the carton, adhering it to cinder or concrete block garage wall. The carton is the same color as the concrete blocks, so it is hardly noticeable! Make sure to apply enough cartons to cover the distance variance of
parked car pulled into its spot as well as coverage for both front and
back doors.
Egg cartons on garage wall protect paint by buffering the open doors from hitting the unforgiving wall.
Trusting my Savior for protection and thankful for forgiveness…
I
am willing and open to expand my insight and knowledge; yet, I must be satisfied that I
can’t and don’t need to know and fully understand everything (Ecclesiastes 11:5). And I can’t expect any other human to know and fully understand me either—only my Creator knows me even better than I know myself (Romans 8:27-37).
It has been much harder than I ever thought it would be to keep a promise. I sin often and in many ways (James 3:2). I am sorry (1 John 1:9). I am forgiven in Christ (Psalm 103).
Among the good blessings in life, we discover some surprises aren’t good. Like pouring sour milk on a dish of cereal, we never know when frustrations will seep in to soak up our energy and distract us from our goals.
With gratitude I enjoy breakfast …
Coffee—a staple in my diet
Cereal—variety or combination of rice, wheat, corn, barley and oats
Nuts—pumpkin seeds and sliced almonds
Fruit—fresh or frozen blueberries
Milk—if sour and there’s no fresh milk on hand, ice cream makes a rich and smooth substitute
Sour milk ruins cereal, so start fresh and substitute ice cream! To fix the breakfast blunder: strain and pick out cereal
to dispose, rinse/save the blueberries/nuts, add fresh cereal and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Voilà—a blessing in disguise!
Words sour, substitute, purpose and accomplish inspired me to take this picture and motivated me to write.
And then questions came to mind:
“What does your daily routine look like?” a friend asked, knowing I’d made a career change to work from home.
“What do you hope to accomplish in this life before you die?” came up during a class studying a man of integrity, Martin Luther, who translated the Bible so it could be printed for everyone.
His last written words were, “We are beggars: this is true.” from Holy Ponderings of the Reverend Father Doctor Martin Luther, translated for Project Wittenberg by James Kellerman
I push forward to accomplish purposeful goals and keep an open mind to where the Lord may be leading me. And then I sin.
Sin can be summed up as all the things we say, think, do, and don’t do,
that fall outside of God’s holy will for our lives and end up separating
us from God. —Lutheran Hour Ministries
All of us should watch out for various ways Satan tries to trick, confuse, pull us into
his lies and distasteful ways. Our own and also other people’s sin cause
us to suffer all kinds of unpleasant consequences: sad situations,
horrible circumstances, harmed or broken relationships.
So, what do we do about the sour moments?
Do not swallow the sour milk. Sin is more than we can handle and fix on our
own. To be strong we should quickly pick up our heavy sin and give it to Jesus, saying, “I’m sorry” to Him and also to each person offended. Seek help, change direction, work hard at not repeating mistakes—it’s called repentance which receives God’s mercy.
Love others because Christ
first loved us. Thrive on every ounce of the Holy Spirit’s fruit to face difficulties caused by darkness coming from another person, poor health, or natural disaster.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV (whole chapter)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… Galatians 5:23 (whole chapter)
Like strained sour milk, rinsed fruit and rich ice cream, let the merciful love of God save the day.
The Holy Spirit creates faith and comes to us in the water of Christian Baptism and the Word. Once received, always there—stronger than evil which the Truth of Scripture exposes.
When sin is repented, it is strained completely out through Christ. Jesus, Our Substitute has accomplished what was necessary. God looks into the hearts of believers and sees not our sin, but sees His Son who took away the sin of the world. More about repentance and forgiveness: click here
To top it all off, we are covered by the richness of the Holy Spirit to smooth over our conscience.
Out of thankfulness, we study the Bible with friends regularly in church. To follow God’s perfect recipe, complete with instructions for life: we drink, eat and inwardly digest the Good News which sustains and holds us safe.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 ESV (whole chapter)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. … Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding… Proverbs 3:5,13 ESV (whole chapter)
Explore God’s purposes for allowing us to experience disappointing hardships.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 ESV (whole chapter)
Our loving Heavenly Father desires all people to be saved.
He expects us to ask questions and examine Scripture for guidance and wisdom.
Reminder to reconnect if we’ve wandered, procrastinated, or have become arrogant and lazy about faith matters.
If you love God with your whole heart; just trust He’s working it for good.
Reminder to: “Bear one another’s
burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. … So then, as we have
opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are
of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:2,10 (whole chapter)
The power of the Holy Spirit
Educates and opens our eyes to realize we need our Savior; then leads us to repent and strive to change
Offers relief from fear and comfort for pain
Lifts depression—replaces it with contentment and joy
Grants freedom to be faithful
Makes clear methods to improve self-control
Allows us to receive
forgiveness, goodness and kindness
Equips us to forgive others (even when thy have not admitted guilt); then permits us to be good and kind toward them
Strengthens us to patiently, mercifully, bear with the faults and burdens of others
Encourages and motivates us to be gentle, peaceful and loving
While I can’t escape sour milk moments, in an average day my routine may include:
Sleep about 7–8 hours until I wake for the day
Stretch and tone up for about 40 minutes
Listen to Worldwide KFUO and other internet radio stations
Pray, read and listen to prayers, various devotions and Bible
Work creatively in some form such as sketching or writing in this blog
Business at FreshRetroGallery Etsy and Handmade-Amazon: plan, design, research, development, product creation, photography, graphics, promotion, purchasing, maintenance, organize, bookkeeping, customer service, print labels, package, take shipments to the Post Office, continue education
Home—organize, shop, meals, laundry, clean
Exercise—long walks or swim laps; use stepper
Socialize in person or online
Relax with a novel or Netflix
I expect additions and changes in my daily routine:
Vocations and family experiences make life full
High-gear pre-Christmas business shipping rush
Church, theater, concerts, museums, travel, extending/receiving invitations, celebrations, book club, dates, festivals, special organized activities and events
Opportunities to volunteer or give special offerings.
Health issues and appointments for myself or to help others
Dear Lord, thank You for the love Christ has shown to me through His death and resurrection. May that love motivate me to continue in my Christian faith, even when it’s hard. In Jesus’ name. Amen. — prayer from Mustard Seed Devotions
