Sunday, March 27, 2016

An Arizona SONrise!

An awesome Arizona sunrise reminds me of a SONrise that is spectacular!


Miami Marine Stadium on Virginia Key in Miami, Florida was originally built for powerboat racing but the memory I will cherish forever was an  Easter Sunrise Service only a few months before Hurricane Andrew in 1992. As the group Truth sang "Holy of Holies" the sun began rising over Biscayne Bay filling the sky with unforgettable colors.


"Watch the Lamb" by Ray Boltz fills my heart & spirit with tears of gratitude for all that JESUS has done for me & for you!


Daisy's Song" by Dominic Balli expresses beautifully the love JESUS has for you & for me!


"Peace on Earth" by New Zealand's Parachute Band will happen if we allow JESUS to be the Peace in us!

"Let the peace of CHRIST rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." — COLOSSIANS 3:15


"Que la paz de CRISTO reine en vuestros corazones, a la cual en verdad fuisteis llamados en un solo cuerpo; y sed agradecidos." — COLOSENSES 3:15


If we are able to live the truths of "Devoted" by Mynista our journey will be filled with Faith, Hope, Joy, Love, & Peace which will keep us refreshed emotionally, mentally, physically, & spiritually to complete the things that HE created for you & me to do!


"For we are GOD's workmanship, created in CHRIST JESUS to do good works, which GOD prepared in advance for us to do." — EPHESIANS 2:10


"Somos hechura de Dios, creados en Cristo Jesús para hacer las buenas obras, que Dios preparó de antemano para que anduviésemos en ellas." — EFESIOS 2:10


"Step by Step" by Rich Mullins is an awesome way to end this entry & I hope you have been blessed & encouraged.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Frustration + Pain = Joy, Love, & Peace!!!

How in the world does frustration plus pain equal joy, love, & peace?


When I'm frustrated &/or in pain, I find quotes & SCRIPTURES that either express how I am feeling &/or let me know how GOD wants me to deal with it. 
Even though I may not have believed the SCRIPTURES were real at that time, I always believe in their eternal truth & that is when I need to press in closer to JESUS.

So, here are some quotes about frustration & pain which express what I'm sure all of us have experienced or felt during our lifetimes.
"Our wounds are often the openings into the best & most beautiful part of us." — David Richo

"Don’t allow your thoughts of frustration to make decisions out of desperation." — DeWayne Owens
"Tears shed for another person are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of a pure heart." — Jose N. Harris 

"True belief is movement toward GOD even in the midst of confusion or frustration or fear." — Emily P. Freeman

"It’s a lack of clarity that creates chaos & frustration. Those emotions are poison to any living goal." — Steve Maraboli

"Failure is an open invitation to improve & engage your frustrations with a refined energy of triumphant effort." — Unarine Ramaru

"Never give a person a piece of your mind when all you really wanted to do was give them a piece of your heart." — Shannon L. Alder

"Frustration is an important directional arrow. It shows you where to go to move forward. And what to move away from." — Julie Connor

"It is okay of airing out your frustration, just don't dwell on them. Find out the cause & find a solution of getting rid of it." — Ann Marie Aguilar

"Writing is wretched, discouraging, physically unhealthy, infinitely frustrating work. And when it all comes together it’s utterly glorious." — Ralph Peter

"Laughter & tears are both responses to frustration & exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning do to do afterward." — Kurt Vonnegut

"Despite our disapproval with what GOD allows us to endure, HE still remains the same GOD that is not interested in our convenience, as much as our character." — Shannon L. Alder

"Pain insists upon being attended to. GOD whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is HIS megaphone to rouse a deaf world." — C.S. Lewis 

"There are moments of frustration in life. You must build good relations to support you in these moments. You must also learn to encourage yourself & decide to stay determined in life." — Lailah Gifty Akita

"Frustration is an interesting emotional state, because it tends to bring out the worst in whoever is frustrated. Frustrated babies tend to throw food & make a mess. Frustrated citizens tend to execute kings & queens & make a democracy. And frustrated moths tend to bang up against lightbulbs & make light fixtures all dusty." — LemonSnicker

"At the least, bear patiently, if thou canst not joyfully. And although thou be very unwilling to hear it, & feel indignation, yet check thyself, & suffer no unadvised word to come forth from thy lips, whereby the little ones may be offended. Soon the storm which hath been raised shall be stilled, & inward grief shall be sweetened by returning grace." — Thomas à Kempis

Have those quotes reminded you of frustration & painful times in your life?

Or have they only intensified the frustrations & pain you are currently experiencing on a daily basis?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, keep on reading as the following SCRIPTURES will encourage & help you to allow the LORD to fill you with HIS joy, love, & peace.

"Night pierces my bones; my gnawing pains never rest." — JOB 30:17

"My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body." — PSALM 38:7

"As for me, afflicted & in pain — may YOUR salvation, GOD, protect me." — PSALM 69:29

"Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart." — ECCLESIASTES 7:3

"I would still have this consolation — my joy in unrelenting pain — that I had not denied the words of the HOLY ONE." — JOB 6:10

"HE will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." — REVELATION 21:4

"We glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; & character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because GOD's love has been poured out into our hearts through the HOLY SPIRIT, who has been given to us." — ROMANS 5:3-5

"The LORD is faithful, & HE will strengthen you & protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the LORD that you are doing & will continue to do the things we command. May the LORD direct your hearts into GOD's love & CHRIST's perseverance." — 2 THESSALONIANS 3:3-5

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of GOD to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the ONE who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay & brought into the freedom & glory of the children of GOD." — ROMANS 8:18-21

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage & anger, brawling & slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind & compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in CHRIST GOD forgave you." — EPHESIANS 4:29-32

"Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders & the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on JESUS, the pioneer & perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before HIM HE endured the cross, scorning its shame, & sat down at the right hand of the throne of GOD. Consider HIM who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary & lose heart." — HEBREWS 12:1-3

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers & sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature & complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask GOD, who gives generously to all without finding fault, & it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe & not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown & tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the LORD. Such a person is double-minded & unstable in all they do." — JAMES 1:2-8

"HIS divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of HIM who called us by HIS own glory & goodness. Through these HE has given us HIS very great & precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; & to goodness, knowledge; & to knowledge, self-control; & to self-control, perseverance; & to perseverance, godliness; & to godliness, mutual affection; & to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective & unproductive in your knowledge of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. But whoever does not have them is short-sighted & blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers & sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling & election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, & you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our LORD & SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST." — 2 PETER 1:3-11

How are you feeling now?

I have found that a good cry is exactly what I need sometimes & if you think that you might need to do that, take a peek at "CRY!" which I originally posted on my birthday in 2013.

Before my wife & I made the decision to answer the LORD's call on our lives to become house parents at an emergency children's shelter in Key West, Florida I wrote "HOME!" on May 5, 2013 & we're still house parents but we're now in Oro Valley, Arizona & sometimes when I wonder if I'm making a difference, I read what I wrote about providing a home filled with joy, love, & peace.

While I was living in Miami, Florida in the early 1990's, there was a lot of frustration & pain that I encountered on a daily basis but "In The Midst of a Miami Storm" the HOLY SPIRIT took what looked horrible or unfair to most people & made HIS supernatural joy, love, & peace real to some people who weren't even looking for HIM!

So, how do I know beyond doubt that Frustration + Pain = Joy, Love, & Peace?

If I take my frustrations & pain & seek JESUS in spite of how much anger I may be feeling or how horrifically excruciating the pain is, HE will fill me with HIS supernatural Joy, Love, & Peace!

Is that enough?

It's more than enough & several years ago, the LORD prompted me to find 72 SCRIPTURE passages & they are "Promises from the LORD" for you & for me!

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