created to love Him...

  There are 138 passages of Scripture on the subject of thanksgiving and some of them are so powerfully worded.  Colossians 3:17        "And whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."  1Thessalonians 5:18        "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  In EVERYTHING??? I used to read this verse as a daunting, impossible command. I used to chalk it up as one of those verses in the Bible that I'll just rely on Christ's blood to cover me because I know I'll never live up to THAT! Now, though, I read it differently. Now, this verse to me is an invitation. If God commands us to give thanks in everything, there is a promise within the command. This verse means that in everything, there is something to be thankful for. God is giving us a key to a mindset that also keeps us connected directly with Him.  Psalm 100:4 tells us that we enter the

Staying in a place of awe or being WOWED by God is the key to childlike worship. Paul in his letter to the Romans writes that way better than I did!  Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgements, and His paths beyond tracing out!  "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?" "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay Him?" For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever! Amen.    ~Romans 11:33-38 Maybe it's because I've officially reached middle aged status. Maybe it's because I'm now a parent who has to have the answer and solution for all things and often feel like I'm scrambling for wisdom. I don't know why...but I'm at this place with God that the more I know about Him, the less I know. I feel this great caution in holding a mentality of solid rightness in my understanding of God. Obviously, by experience and study

Abba - Johnathan Helser What comes to mind when you hear the word "God?" What is your concept of the Creator? Some people view God as a life-coach. There's no real relationship, at least not on a personal level because joining a church is kind of like making the team. God is perceived to communicate with commands, rather than soft-spoken encouragement or loud directives. One's responsibility is to train hard and perform well.  Others think of God more as a teacher. To them, being a Christian means studying harder, learning more, memorizing doctrines and Scripture, and then being able to regurgitate it at all the right moments. The important thing is getting a good grade and graduating to the next level of spirituality. God's role is to make sure we spell His name right or to give detention when we misbehave.  Then there are those who view God as their boss. Getting a good job in the Kingdom is priority one. Christians are just so many employees who are responsible