Daily Thoughts

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Finding Me – Day 12

September 23, 2014

They look upon the man walking past and think he is self-centered, disinterested and conceited. As he focuses on doing his job they whisper about the callousness and abruptness in his communication. The walls close in as the day draws on and the lights dim at night. The pile of actions are overwhelming, the bills won’t stop and the emails continue to deliver the news of his failures and shortcomings. If they knew what was on his mind, if they knew the amount of worry, fear and concern for them he carried with him through-out the day, would they think the same things?

Windows to the heart and soul would be such an incredible revelation to those he passes by each day. His general nature is to serve others, to help them, to make their life easier and to lift them up. His thoughts bounce from person to person, from topic to topic as he grapples with prioritizing the demands throughout the day. His introvert personality prevents his comfort from approaching others easily, but his spirit longs to share the good news, to help others come to know the Jesus that he knows.

I’ve stood in front of audiences of thousands at one time and presented with deep confidence and understanding. I’ve had the opportunity to travel the globe and meet with people of diverse ethnic background and cultures, and share the good news. I’ve recorded video and audio of seminars on loving God, on Grace, and on Finding Peace. But I can’t walk up to my next door neighbor and talk about my faith. People look at me as if I’m conceited, stuck up or self-centered; when in all honesty I’m an incredibly shy, introverted, Christ following man seeking opportunities to share the love that is inside amidst the unbelievably fast paced world in which I live.

Day 12: Let them See Me
“The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil” - Matthew 12:35

God has placed within each of us the words, the wisdom and the passion to do His bidding. We have to choose to share it with the rest of the world. Only you can make the choice to overcome your fears, your reservations and reach out to others. As an extreme introvert, if I am able to reach others, you can too. Choose to do something this day that may be outside of your comfort zone. Simply ask your neighbor what they think when they hear the word Jesus Christ. Let this lead you into a conversation of your faith and testimony. Seek the strength of the Holy Spirit to guide your words.

Prayer:
Father,
You have given me a spirit of strength and courage, not one of timidity. I am a servant of the Most High God, and I believe there is nothing in this world that can harm me or prevent me from bringing You glory. You alone are worthy of our praise, our love and our worship. Let Your love shine through me and be upon my lips today, so that others might come to know You with a deeper understanding. – Amen

Sondove Enterprises ©, 2014
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Monday, September 22, 2014

Finding Me – Day 11

September 22, 2014

What a blessing it is to be a father. There is nothing that can come close to the joy of seeing your children grow, mature and experience life to it’s fullest. When they are born, you realize just how little you know about being a Dad. The fears, the commitment and the protector in you is developed quickly. It’s amazing how much you realize the selfishness that is within as you begin to whittle away at your own desires and begin to take on theirs. The life mission of a parent shifts from dreams of personal gain and success, to supporting and fulfilling the dreams and desires of others.

Small things in their life began to take on huge meaning. With each passing moment, they become more distant and self-sufficient. Within a very short time, you realize they do not need you as much as you need them. They try your patience as they make mistakes, but they love you more than you deserve or could ever imagine. As a parent you also will make mistakes in life, and the ones most impacted will be the ones you are trying the most to protect. But, this is also the same group that will be the most forgiving and accepting of your faults and failures.

Day 11: Learning from the Best
“But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” – Luke 18:16-17

Realize you are their role model, you alone will determine who they become in life and what they will aspire too. Jesus came to the earth as our role model. He lived a life perfect from sin, loving others and speaking the truth and righteousness of the Father. His war was with Satan, not mankind. He brought a message to the masses that we are to love one another, and forgive one another. He is our guide, our safe place and our example to live by, so that our children might one day claim Him as their own.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Finding Me - Day 10

September 19, 2014

I must learn to love others. When I watch the news or open up Explorer or Chrome and the news comes up, it’s always the ugliness of the world. So and so killed family and then themselves, beheadings, baby mutilation, people beating innocent people because of skin color, politicians demeaning and demoralizing our value system. I am saddened that this has become the norm in the world and almost to the point of being expected. How do I love these people? How do I find from deep within my soul the ability to love those that hurt, those that hate and those that choose to destroy that which I believe?

It’s easy to say the words: Love God and Love others; now try to live it. Too many times I allow my self interest and emotion to get in the way and I think too much about the circumstance. The depth of love I should have for others is above the circumstance that is evidenced before me. Love should be for the person not their action, and their equality in the eyes of the Lord. For each of us are born with the same equal opportunity to achieve righteousness and experience the eternal presence of the Lord. Loving others is beyond the emotional feelings I have for another, but rather it’s about the state of their eternal soul and sharing in the Lord’s desire that not one shall perish, but all might enter into His Kingdom on that day of judgment. (2 Peter 3:9) So therefore, I call upon the Lord to work in me and through me to love them in a manner that their soul might also come to know Him.

Day 10: Learning to Love
Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:29-31

We have all heard John 3:16 and can likely quote it right now in our mind. “….that whosoever believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” How did God love others? He gave them a way to receive eternal peace, joy and happiness rather than the pit of Hell; and He did it by providing a sacrificial lamb, His only Son. You and I will never experience the pain and the anguish of giving the life of our child so that billions of others might be saved. When God calls us to love our neighbor as yourself, this means put their needs above yours, focus on their salvation and help them find His eternal peace. Forgetting about your own desires and needs, but lift them up. For this is what He did by giving His Son for our salvation.

Prayer:
Father,
There is violence, anger, debauchery and unrighteousness rampant throughout the earth. You see this and are not surprised, for in Your word you right of the last days. Help me Lord to see through the pain, the anger and violence to see the person You have created and to love them the way You do, with an eternal perspective. Guide my tongue to say the right things to help restore them to Your flock, and Your ways of righteousness. Let me love them in the manner You wish them to be loved. In Your name I pray. – Amen

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Finding Me - Day 9

September 18, 2014

The heart is a small organ actually. It has such an immense purpose though. Pumping blood through the veins and arteries of one’s body, without being told to do so. You and I are not consciously telling our heart to expand or contract or to open blood vessels and close them. Likewise, we inhale, we exhale without an intellectual choice, but rather because it is the necessity for our life to exist. Inherent function of the human body continues with or without the mental capacity to execute. It just is, for if it does not than the body begins to shut down.

I have a purpose. I was conceived, created, formed in my mother’s womb and birthed into this world for a God given purpose in His body. I wasn’t an accident that just happened. I was designed with a specific God given talent, a gift that was provided to lift up His Kingdom. Like you though, we all must choose to use our gifts for Him or for ourselves. It is no more complicated than that, unless we choose to complicate with the world’s influence.

Inherent in my DNA is a uniqueness, a fingerprint of who I am, and who I shall be during this life. My mind often times attempts to convince my soul to be this or to be that, but by design I am to be a child of God. It’s when I try to control the circumstances and the outcomes of my own knowledge that things go awry. When I go to the Lord and choose to let Him lead, to listen and to follow that things work in my life.

Day 9: Living the Purpose
“Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.” - Romans 7:4

God is sovereign. This means He alone is the supreme authority over all things. He created the universe, the stars, the earth, the moon and the sun. He tells the ocean where to stop, so land may be formed for the existence of His creation – mankind. He put in each of us the knowledge and wisdom to do amazing things. He gave each of us free will to choose the direction of our life. In doing so, He also gave us the free will to choose to follow Him, or deny Him. In His supreme position of authority, He will not force mankind to love Him. This day, you will be faced with heartache, fear, pain and struggles. You can choose to go it alone or you can choose to reach out to the One who oversees all things and ask for help. Choose wisely.

Prayer:
Father,
You alone are worthy. You alone are in control. I come before Your throne, broken, desperate and longing for Your love. I lay down my burdens and I embrace Your love, Your strength and Your word. I trust in Your promise that You will set me free from the bondage of this world and set my feet on the path of righteousness. I have faith that You will provide for all of my needs and fill my heart and soul with Your Holy Spirit. Help me to see You when I fall, so that I may rise again to walk in Your light. In Your name I pray – Amen

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Finding Me - Day 8

September 17, 2014

There is a battle in every soul, one that will overtake the emotional balance of one’s life if and when you allow it to. Thoughts and memories flood from the farthest regions of the mind. Elevating the original feelings and capturing the newness of wisdom and knowledge gained in life, to relive, albeit` only in the sense of imagination, but oh so powerful. Hollowing the perspective of reality that we live in to become encompassed by the life we have put behind us. Scars are etched once again upon the heart and the pain becomes oh so real again. Where, oh where is our mind taking us, and why will this journey not succumb to the joy and happiness that life has laid out before us?

This morning, my mind is filled with the pains of the past. Not by choice. No, for who would want to relive the hurt and suffering. This is the result of a refusal to forgive. The tears are no less real today than they were then, and despite the realization that it is long past and dealt with, there is a strong sense of guilt, shame and desperation. Pressing down upon my feelings once again though I rise and wipe my tears, stiffen my lip and draw upon the strength that has endured. This will not defeat me, for I am a child of God, born to praise Him, born to serve Him and to rest in His love and peace.

My mind will not control my destiny and direction, for that belongs to the Creator and the One who has provided the ultimate sacrifice. He who has forgiven me requires nothing more from me than the love He so richly deserves. The pains and the struggles I face are nothing more than the futile attempts of the evil in this world to dissuade me from following the One True God, by convincing me that I am not worthy of His love. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Day 8: Overcoming the Pain
“No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” – Joshua 1:5

God loves me right where I am. God has forgiven all of my sins. I walk upright and am filled with conviction and purpose because He has restored my soul. I will find rest in His redemption and grace, for this world will not control me.

Prayer:
Father,
Your word tells us that You will not leave nor forsake us. You are there at all times to guide our footsteps and fill us with Your love. Thank You for Your grace, Your peace and Your forgiveness. Bring comfort to those who are weary Lord, bring strength to those who struggle with demons and fear. Let Your love reign down upon us Lord that we might be renewed in Your spirit to take on the challenges of the day. – Amen

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Finding Me - Day 7

September 16, 2014

It wasn’t a love like you and I know. I love my friends, my family and my wife – but what is the greatest gift I can give them? Perhaps my time; my attention, my presence in times of sorrow and hurt. Perhaps my words; encouragement, advice in times of worry and need. Perhaps the comfort of my arms; hugs and holding their hand when they are afraid. I can’t stop them from dying. I can’t provide an eternal sanctuary for their soul to rest in. The limited number of people I know in this world is in the hundreds, and my ability to love each of them varies dramatically. There are probably less than 100 that I would stop everything I am doing and run to their side in the event of a tragic event.

Why would the Creator of the Universe care about me? There are over 6.2 billion people in the world today. Over the course of time there have likely been well over 10 billion people that have walked the face of the earth since the moment God placed His breath into Adam and Eve. Of these billions of people, only one man walked perfectly righteous, without blemish, sin or fault. God’s own son, Jesus Christ, lived for 33 years upon this earth to bring God’s love to us, and provide a path of salvation for our redemption. In doing so, God expressed the greatest love possible to mankind. He alone loved all 10 billion of us so much that He created a way for us to live eternally within His presence, and thereby avoiding the eternal Hell created for Satan and his followers.

Day 7: Accepting Love
“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” – Titus 3:4-6

We all will die. You cannot save your soul. I cannot save your soul.
The wonderful things we do for others in our daily walk are just that, nothing more. These acts will not get you into heaven. The hundreds of people you know, you work with, you laugh with and you play with cannot redeem your sinful actions. They can provide advice, guidance, comfort and a warm hug; but nothing more. We focus so much on how we feel today, without concern for the infinite time spent after we have passed away. Accept the love of the Father, for in it, you will find eternity and peace beyond your life on this earth. That is why God cares about you and I.

Sondove Enterprises ©, 2014
For additional Daily Thoughts, follow Rich’s blog at: http://sondove.blogspot.com
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Monday, September 15, 2014

Finding Me - Day 6

September 15, 2014

Fear controls my mind in so many ways. Fear of failing at work, fear of financial loss, fear of losing those who are close to me, fear of hurting those around me and fear of disappointing others. When the struggles of the day surface I often find myself jumping to the conclusion that in one way or another I have failed and have caused the situation. I am my own biggest critic and end up beating myself up over the simplest shortcomings in life. Achieving perfection has always been the target, but you and I both know that is impossible. For my definition of perfection and yours are very different I’m sure.

When you look upon me or others are you seeking perfection in that individual? The likely answer is no. Each of us are capable of offering a perspective of grace and understanding when others around us fail. The problem isn’t in my ability to forgive or allow others to fail, but in recognizing my own failure. It all comes down to a lack of faith in the bigger picture and the redemptive blood of my Savior.

Day 6: Overcoming Fears
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” – Romans 3:23-24

The Lord tells us that not one, no not one is righteous and worthy of redemption. But, by His grace we are forgiven and made righteous in His eyes through the blood of the Lamb. Living in it, trusting that this above all else is truth and that no matter what we think of ourselves or our shortcomings, this cannot be taken away. We, who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, are able to rest in the assurance that our fears and failures are not of His perspective but of the worlds. God sees me as a perfect child, spotless, righteous and worthy of His love.

The world has placed this struggle within my soul to seek perfection. Today I focus my attention on the realization that I belong to the Creator of the world and He sees past any fault I may see. I am forgiven, redeemed and blessed by God Almighty, and by accepting this, my fears can subside and be replaced by faith in His perspective of me.

Prayer:
Father,
You are the fresh water that cleanses my spirit. You are the manna, the bread of life that fills my soul with love, confidence and strength each day. Calm my spirit to recognize You as my source of strength and peace. Press down upon me Father the realization that I stand before You alone forgiven and righteous through the blood of Your Son, the Lamb, the sacrifice for my sins. Restore my faith to rest in Your grace. – Amen