Psalm 119:18 ESV 

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

A recent study in Cosmopolitan magazine states that the average person does not crack a smile until after 11:00 in the morning. This study goes on by giving five ways to improve your Monday morning smile probability. http://www.cosmopolitan.com/advice/health/make-monday-mornings-less-depressing 

1. Grab a cup of coffee and hang with only positive people.
2. Watch funny YouTube videos.
3. Go to the gym prior to work.
4. Morning communication and romance with your spouse prior to work.
5. Indulge in a good breakfast prior to work.

At this time I would like to add a sixth way to improve you smile probability on a Monday morning.

6. Be in God's word before going to work on a Monday morning.

Psalm 19:18 tells us that God's Word provides us wonderful things when we read them, study them and live them out. Brothers and Sisters, Psalm 119 is all about God's Word and its effect on our lives and  how they can help us find His direction for our lives. The eighteenth verse is all about how we ask God to place His direction in our lives and leads us into falling in love with the Word of God.

Beloved, my prayer for you today is that you dive into God's word prior to going to work and school and activities. Only by knowing God's path for your life and your Monday mornings can we truly be the confident and early Monday morning smiling people that He wants us to be.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Pastor Tim

Just Come Down

Jesus and Zacchaeus

19 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up intoa sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. Luke 19:1-9 (ESV)

As we go through our daily lives, how many of us think that we must have our lives in such away before we feel worthy of the love of Jesus? Do we play "Lets Make A Deal" with Jesus for His love? Brothers and Sisters, the love of Jesus isn't something that needs earned, it is freely offered and freely given. 

The story of Zacchaeus and Jesus reveals Zacchaeus the tax collector climbing a tree to get a view of Jesus. The next moment we see Jesus directly under the tree, saying: "Come Down Zacchaeus." Beloved the same goes for us that are today, at this moment playing "Lets Make A Deal" with Jesus.

It's not about if our lives are perfectly formed, rather it is just coming down from our tree of the world and meeting Jesus. My prayer for you this day is that you will just "Come Down" when Jesus calls and accept him into your life, no matter the time, location or situation.

"Just Come Down!"

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Jesus Understands Us.

Misplacing Life in Anxiousness.

Misplacing Life in Anxiousness. 

*Written with permission from the pastors wife*

Philippians 4:6-7 ESV 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

This morning as I was preparing to go to church, I observed my wife running around the house trying to find her cell phone. She said "Tim I can hear it ringing but can't find my cell phone"! As she went room to room looking, she began to laugh out loud. When I asked her what was so funny, she said "The reason I couldn't find my ringing cell phone was because it was in my back pocket the whole time". 

Brothers and Sisters how often do we run around in busyness and pass by something that is directly in front of us, or in my wife's case directly in back of us? The scripture from Philippians is telling us to slow down and take God with us on our journeys. With God along with us we will be at peace. No matter our destination or its outcome Jesus will be protecting our paths, and leaving us with a peace that can never be misplaced.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Pastor Tim 

  

Peeling Back the Sticker

Raising Children and Building Memories

Deuteronomy 6:7

English Standard Version (ESV)

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

As I had an opportunity to reminisce this weekend on my children, I think of when they were infants as well as now when they are young men. Where did the time go? Where did the young boys voices and mannerisms go? Yes, time flies when our children are growing

We as parents have a limited time to teach and share events with our children. Our children are young one moment and off leading their own lives the next. Brothers and Sisters, as parents, God has given us the responsibility of stewarding in the raising of the children He has blessed us with.

My prayer for you this day is that you won't take times with your children for granted and that you take every opportunity to be with them, teach them, love them. As you raise and nurture your children,build and make memories, make sure that they know about the love of Jesus Christ, the love that will never let them go.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Clearing Away Adversity

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 ESV / 315 helpful votes

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

As I sit here today on this snow day working at home and looking out the window, you would imagine I would be thinking about all the bad things about snow days. Many of us may feel stuck at home as well as knowing that this day adds another school day to our children's calendars. We may be thinking about the snow that we have to clear off of our driveways and our vehicles.

My thoughts today go to the positive in the fact that God has given us this day to do great things for His kingdom. Have you called to check on the home bound, the elderly, those in need? Have you prayed for those that have no choice but to be out in this weather, such as your street department, your mail folks, your emergency service providers, and caregivers?

Brothers and Sisters, the adversity that we believe we are facing is truly a way to dig deep and do God's work for His creation. Today is a day to think out of the box, today is a day to be God's radical thinking creation.

Bake some cookies for your neighbors, write that letter of encouragement that you have been wanting to send, read that scripture passage that you have been wanting to read, and finally as you are home with your loved ones take the opportunity to tell them you love them.

Beloved, every day is the possibility of affliction, but remember that every day is an opportunity to overcome that affliction by serving God and serving others. My prayer for you this day is that you look at all the snow and ice and thank God for another opportunity to serve Him and others as the Body of Christ.

This is the day that the Lord has made.