Fear looks down, 
Worry looks around, 
Faith looks to Him. 

Where do you find yourself? With so much happening in our lives, our country, and our world of late, it's hard to keep a solid perspective. 

Am I fearful and feeling down because there is so much out of my control? 

Do I worry when around me is so much chaos and uncertainty? 

Or do I have faith in God that everything is in His power and trust that He will make all things new? 

God can fill us with joy. Joy comes when we take our eyes off our circumstances and remind ourselves of God’s eternal goodness. Jesus said we were to look at the beauty of birds and flowers and see how they are looked after… they do not worry! (Matthew 6:25-34) 

When we have fear and worry, we focus upon the problem, but when we look to God in faith, He can lift us above our circumstances and give us hope and an inner joy, even in the bleakest of times. 

Fear looks down, 
Worry looks around, 
Faith looks to Him. 

Find yourself in Him. 

TAGS: Inspiration 

 Photo by todd kent on Unsplash

"He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?'" - Matthew 16:15 

Jesus, I believe that you are the Christ, 
The son of the living God, 
Fully God and fully man. 
Sent to be my Redeemer and my best friend, 
To wash away my sins, 
To live in and know the deepest places of my heart, 
And to make me worthy of a life with You everlasting. 
--SOURCE: Reflection for 02/22/2022: “Who Is Jesus To You”, The God Minute 

So, who do you say that He is? 

TAGS: Inspiration

AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS 
by Portia Nelson 

I 
 
I walk down the street. 
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk 
I fall in. 
I am lost ... I am helpless. 
It isn't my fault. 
It takes me forever to find a way out. 
 
II 
 
I walk down the same street. 
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. 
I pretend I don't see it. 
I fall in again. 
I can't believe I am in the same place 
but, it isn't my fault. 
It still takes a long time to get out. 
 
III 
 
I walk down the same street. 
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. 
I see it is there. 
I still fall in ... it's a habit. 
my eyes are open 
I know where I am. 
It is my fault. 
I get out immediately. 
 
IV 
 
I walk down the same street. 
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. 
I walk around it. 
 
V 
 
I walk down another street. 

© 1977 Portia Nelson, There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk: The Romance of Self-Discovery 

It's simple math: repeating destructive habits + accepting responsibility = making a positive change. 

Is there a hole in your sidewalk that is writing your autobiography? 

TAGS: Inspiration

"For we are his handiwork, created for Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them." - Ephesians 2:10 

The fuzzy red flowers at the end of the arching branches of the bottlebrush tree are attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds and honeybees, and add a soft, whimsical touch and a splash of color to the landscape. 

Fuzzy, attractive, soft, whimsical and colorful. While these words describe the flowers at the end of a branch of a specific tree, they are also adjectives that can be used to describe persons in the species of humanity. 

What words would I use to describe me? What words do I think other persons would use to describe me? If my pet could talk, what words do I think it would use to describe me? 

What words would I like to hear God use to describe me? May my life work be directed toward hearing those words said of me by God. 

O Loving Father, help me to hear the words You speak of me and fashion myself into the person You want me to be. Amen. 

TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer

"God created mankind in his image..." - Genesis 1:27 

Do you see it in the photo above? What does it look like to you? A person? An animal? Just an old tree? What tickles your imagination? 

The hands of Nature carved this design into the tree. Without knowing the true intent, its interpretation is left to the eye of the beholder. On the other hand, there's probably a number of people who walk right past the tree and never stop to notice the artistic creation on its trunk. 

Similarly, God created us. In his image, he created us. We look at a tree and see Nature's hands at work. We look at another person and see God's hands at work. 

Or do we? 

Thinking of a busy downtown street, do we walk by each other, never stopping to notice the creations passing us by? Or do we take time to notice each handcrafted, unique, one-of-a-kind image of God? 

Master Creator of all things, thank you for creating each of us in your image and likeness. May we always take time to observe and acknowledge your handiwork with care and affection. Amen. 

TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer

"For no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely Jesus Christ." - 1 Corinthians 3:11 

Take sand, gravel or crushed stone, mix it with water and cement, and you have concrete. Concrete is strong in compression (it won't bend) but weak in tension (it can crack); therefore, you usually have to reinforce it with steel, carbon, glass or plastic bars or fibers. Now throw in some agents or additives to handle freeze-thaw cycles, temperature swings, and corrosion resistance. Because concrete production is time-sensitive, once the ingredients are mixed, you must put the concrete in place before it hardens. 

You can look at your spiritual life as being similar to concrete production. 

What are your ingredients? What makes you strong (you won't bend) or weak (you can crack)? What are your reinforcements? What is needed to keep you stable, balanced and grounded? 

Unlike concrete, it takes a lifetime before the ingredients are mixed, placed, and hardened to form the basis of your spirituality. 

Master Builder, show me the right recipe for creating a strong foundation. Amen. 

TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer

"He said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.'" - Mark 6:31 

The little critters seem to get it. Perched on a stoop in solitude, they can sit and watch and be still for long periods of time until something disrupts their peace. 

People don't get it. They need a lot more prodding to silence themselves and become lost in quiet reflection. 

Have you gone to a deserted place today to rest a while? If not today, did you go yesterday? This week? Last week? This month? Last month? 

Be like the chipmunk and rest a while. 

TAGS: Inspiration

"I know every bird in the heights; whatever moves in the wild is mine." - Psalm 50:11 

There were short-term renters at the bird house. The mother sparrow settled in to this quiet place in order to hatch and raise her two young ones. On Sunday there was plenty of steady chirping and by Thursday they had moved on. 

But for those four days, Mama was quite busy. Constantly coming and going, bringing food to the house and feeding her flock. "Mama, feed me!" Every time she arrived, the hatchlings sensed her presence, and the chirping increased in velocity and pitch. "Mama, feed me!" they joyously exclaimed upon every arrival. With mouths gaping, she fed them; coming and going, coming and going, she fed them. She often had to put her head into the house to ensure that the second child (a shy one) would receive food as well. "Mama, feed me!" 

Each day the small ones grew bigger and bigger. Once just little beaks peaking out of the house, by the third day they were practically pushing themselves out of the door. "Mama, feed me!" was repeated hour after hour, day after day. 

What about you? Are you growing spiritually? Are you approaching Mother Mary asking her to feed you with a wellspring of faith? The time for growth is short, but Mother Mary's attention toward you is non-stop. 

"Mama, feed me!"

TAGS: Inspiration, Story

“'Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.'" - Matthew 7:12 

How many times do you go out of your way to help someone, talk to someone, or contact someone? Have you done so today? Did you interrupt your daily routine and busy schedule to meet an unexpected and unplanned need of another person? 

Unlike these flowers, which are groomed for this, bending over backwards is not an easy thing to do. We don't like to shift or stretch or strain from our normal state. 

But God asks this of us. Do we hear Him? 

O God of our plans and schedules, reshape and contort us to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters. Amen. 

TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer

"Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs he had commanded him to do". - Exodus 4:28 

I was looking for a sign from God regarding which direction to take on a decision I had to make.  Then WHAM!!  I got hit with a ton of bricks.  "OK, God, you can back off a little bit; I get it!" 

We often look for signs.  Should I do this or should I do that?  Should I go here or should I go there?  Should I take this job or should I take that job?  Should I donate to this charity or should I donate to that charity?  We seek God to help us in our time of need to make the right decision for our self, our family, and those around us. 

But do we recognize the answer?  Do we hear the voice of God giving us direction?  Do we see the face of God showing us the way? 

Are we mindful of the answer given to us?  What if it is not the answer we want?  Do we wait until we find the answer we want? 

O God, show me Your will and I will see it; tell me Your will and I will hear it; teach me Your will and I will learn it; lead me according to Your will and I will follow.  Amen.