Some Will Never Grasp . .

02 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Choices, Contentment, God, Hope, Joy, Peace, Positivity, Uncategorized

Tags

Some will never grasp how much beauty and joy there is in life. They’ve made up their minds that because they don’t live in a bigger house or have all they want or make more money or realize all their dreams or . . well, they just find endless ways or one reason to write all their life off as failed, terrible, rejected, horrible, miserable or worthless. No matter the beauty around them, the love of others, the gift of one more day or the bounty of life’s miracles played out each second, they’ve decided to view all of life as negative. Perhaps they’ve endured tremendous things which took their joy. But in letting their joy lapse every day since, they’ve given their power over to others or to situations or to circumstances which negate their contentment, joy and peace of mind for the rest of their life! If I tried to convince them that there were blessings all around them, joy in precious moments, gifts of time and breath, or a bounty of life they’ve chosen to waste, they simply would not believe me easily or readily. They’ve made up their mind, this life sucks!

Unfortunately, they would miss seeing the examples of others whom I have witnessed. Perhaps they have not taken notice of those souls, pressed with possible peril or up against unbelievable odds themselves, who are determined to be joyful in spite! Possibly they refuse to notice for themselves the very nature of life’s daily persistence; how it pulls us into each new moment we’re given whether we like it or not! How I pray daily that every soul could experience such a sense and awareness of life’s preciousness and meaning; as well as the very worth of each person, every creature, each bounty of abundance or the infinite blessings in every single day. Unfortunately, some people have made up their minds that this life wasn’t bountiful enough. Sadly, they’ve chosen to believe nothing is a real blessing, not even their own beating heart. Tragically, they don’t respect or value their own infinite worth, much less believing that about others. All of their life is lumped into the negative overall mindset they have created for themselves or experienced. Maybe it takes God’s hands and His will upon our lives to realize our own failings in that regard; for that would be my explanation as to why I see everything as I do. It would be my response as to why I refuse to give into life’s overwhelming negativity and the daily chaos which threatens my peace of mind and my positive spirit. I am not sure even then that some souls will ever understand the true value, meaning and purpose for their lives, if they refuse to let God be a part of theirs. I only know that without an understanding as to what love truly is, from Whom it comes, people feel dejected, adrift and lost more often than not. Life becomes increasingly meaningless when there is nothing of meaning to enrich it. God is my tether in calms seas and storms! He gives my life its meaning!

Without sensing a purpose greater than themselves for being, life itself must seem tragic, cruel, hopeless, fatiguing or brutal at times. God gives my life such infinite sense of worth, purpose, hope and love; like a big safety net around my soul, He gives me beauty for my chaos, a will to not cave in and a hopeful desire in His promises to faithfully expect what awaits me beyond this breaking world. Some may think me foolish for believing as I do; but if they believe THIS is all there is to life, only the chaos and madness of this world, I would believe them the fools! Comparing and contrasting the mayhem, failings and futility of humanity to the promises of God is always going to leave humanity lacking. And so we have a glaring perspective on what is happening in the world right now. Humanity is failing more and more the further it extricates itself from God! Souls are perishing in the futile void created by human will without hope, faith and an understanding of their value in life or God’s will for their lives. A life with God is not going to be trouble-free or seem idyllic. In fact, there will be challenges as a believer which often can make things seem harder! But His love, promises and the hope which He instills offsets the challenges, difficulties, trials and failures; washing over the faithful, restoring and renewing their souls and spirits. How sad for those who miss the chance to have contentment, joy and peace of mind in this life as well; in knowing God and His love!

Freedom’s Flag . .

14 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Celebration, Freedom, God, Gratitude, Pride

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Flag, Freedom, Pride

What an honor it is to see that banner flying high and proud! I look for it when I take the drive along the I-10 West, there at Vicksburg Rd; it stands out majestically over all the vast and empty spaces, flying for all to see. I partake of its grand beauty when driving one of my favorite shortcuts home near the Kierland area; it flies so obviously in front of an office building there by the fountain. There are two of them flying on a corner nearby my neighborhood. I look for our flag, happy and joyously spotting them wherever they are and whenever I notice them! And I am happy to say, our flag can bring tears to my eyes for its history and its majesty; I get emotional and well up with pride for what it means, especially when I consider the options and all the possibilities were it not to fly and were it not flying for freedom’s sake all around the world.

I suppose there are many who don’t see it that way; they would no sooner shed a tear in its honor than they would seek it out with hopeful eyes. But I cannot worry about those who don’t grasp all for which it stands; and I surely cannot grasp their lack of appreciation for the many generations of freedom over which it has flown. I merely know in my own heart and mind why Old Glory flies for the sake of this nation! It surely indicates our national acreage, land and properties, but it also flies as testimony to our hope for freedom at its very core – within the human heart, mind and soul!

There would be no freedom in the world right this minute if not for this nation, the USA, standing watch over such an aspiration as freedom for nearly 240 years now! May God keep us centered in our focus on freedom’s preservation, knowing it is the goal of every human to walk in freedom’s light by His Divine hand of creation! May we treat our majestic flag with honor and reverence because it stands for freedom! It reflects the hope of all humanity to live in freedom both here and around the world! And it reminds us of all those who gave everything in service to this nation, in upholding freedom’s priceless call upon the human heart! God bless this nation on Flag Day, 2015!

Walking By Faith . .

04 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Choices, Christianity, Faith, God, Life

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Faith, God, Spiritual Maturity

If you want to dismiss all things Biblical as imaginary and implausible, then you have to eradicate the history of a lot of actual people referenced in the Bible and in history books as well. And although you may not have personally seen those people because they existed generations prior to our lifetime now, you cannot just automatically dismiss their reality simply because they were “invisible” to you, by way of time and generations passing! If that were the standard, every person who was deemed a historical figure, but no longer lives now in this time frame, would also be considered imaginary . . . wouldn’t they?

Perhaps many of our own distant relatives would fall into that category, as we in the present time just cannot prove by eye-witness testimony that they existed! Oh wait . . we can. We have life, we have generations of people who succeeded by birth from those who are no longer here. And in those generations, we have recorded factual history passed down from others throughout time, referring and citing the presence of those whom we still speak of or read about today. So why are some deemed imaginary now, while others are not?? Why is it so easy to doubt the stories of the Bible, though Christ walked among us, having life and living with people? Why do we doubt the writers of the various books of the Bible, whom over many years chronicled their eye-witnessed testimonies, their personal accounts of interactions with actual living souls and their very own prophetic experiences?? Why is it easy to dismiss a history-filled book and the very Subject which fills its pages?

Oh the very ease at which some dismiss God’s presence and the manner by which Jesus was not only prophesied for centuries, but came to dwell and to die for all of us. The terminology I hear used most often these days when unbelievers refer to God is “puppet master in the sky”. Is that what someone or some group is teaching them? It is so commonly used as a reference, I wonder if those same people then commonly label others they never knew or witnessed in their lives as imaginary? Because they cannot see God, He is surely imaginary to all of those of us who do! I suppose all the great explorers and historical figures have been demoted to imaginary as well then? We didn’t see them either, did we?! Was there really anyone brave enough to set upon the yet navigated seas to deem the world round not flat? Or was that just imagined? Was there anyone daring enough to build cities in the desert, pyramids of stone deemed impossible by that period of time due to a lack of engineering equipment and tools? Perhaps those are imagined too.

So much of what we accept now is truly just as random in its plausibility as is the existence of God, if we use our own eye-witness experience to render it viable or believable! I personally don’t need to have seen everyone I have heard about in this life to believe they exist, so I am able to believe by faith that Someone greater than us all exists as well! But only time will prove that to those resolute in their doubt or denial . . I look at every thing and every being around me and see God’s hand of creation. I’m not sure how I came to be so positive of His existence, much less so sure of things written in the Bible, but I am. And I am just as sure about God in His eternal majesty, as well as Jesus and other Biblical figures in their human states, as I am that various other notable human beings walked this earth at particular times to provide for us in this generation not only life but progress in that life! God’s existence is never something I doubt now as I’ve learned to have a meaningful relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. In that, I have received the Holy Spirit within me and now I am growing spiritually in ways I never imagined! I see many things by faith with eyes blinded to things of this world. And I’m happily and contentedly looking forward to my life to come! I guess when it comes down to it, I don’t mind being God’s beloved child, even if that makes me seem a puppet in another person’s eyes!

Human Rule . . .

30 Saturday May 2015

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Celebration, Choices, Faithfulness, God, Humility, Lessons

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

creation, God, Humility

The saddest thing is to watch a world built upon miracles and Divine thoughtful creation render itself freely and by choice, more meaningless and marginalized by the mere assumptions of our mortal, human and limited minds. How can we possibly believe that we as humans stand as the ultimate end of the universal spectrum, rendering ourselves “god” and “judge” over all this world? Yet it happens, when even one of us decides himself or herself the center of his or her life.

Without God at the center of each life, life itself is marginalized to just the level we humans can assess and equate with our own limited thinking as well as our experience. Imagine the ego it takes to be so certain that no higher power or being exists which created such magnitude and majesty in every single cell, in every single being and in every single matter of creation?? What value is placed on life when only we all-too-human and flawed mortals determine its value??

I would suggest that with God, the value of everything and every creature is unimaginable and infinite. For His efforts and His estimation of worth is so much beyond our limited scope of appreciation. And so it is sad to watch the destruction and the ruination of life progressing and increasing in the hands of humans who are unable to grasp the value in each and every speck of matter, living and not. The more humans there are who ignore, renounce or deny His hand, the more ego-driven, contentious and mad the world will become! Not one of us is able to preside or rule fairly over others, nor are we capable of assigning value to life itself through eyes focused only on ourselves or the things of this world. We are designed by Him to be a part of His kingdom, for His purposes and for His will. We are meant to know our infinite value through Him, not through our own limited sense of understanding. My prayer is that more will come to know and love their Father, to have a relationship with Him, their maker and their source of love as well as value. May God watch over us all and forgive us our ego-driven insolence, thinking we’re ever capable of being the “ruler” of our own lives. Fortunately for all the world, God is patient, faithful and most of all, loving! He wants us to turn or return to Him, so much so that He’ll forgive us repeatedly for being such ego-driven, sinful and unfaithful souls.

Give Us This Day . .

22 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Christianity, Faithfulness, God, Prayer

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Faith, Our Lord's Prayer, Prayer

Listening to the chorus of various birds singing and calling each new morning through opened windows, I have grown accustomed to hearing the special song of one species as a reflection of some words I’ve uttered aloud and silently countless times! Their constant and unique cooing song sounds rhythmically like Da da da dahhhh. Repeatedly each sings out. And to me I hear, “Give us this day . . . give us this day . . .”

Especially in the earliest morning each brand new day, I imagine these birds seeking their daily grace from God as well. I’m reminded of God’s faithful promise in His word found in Luke 12, beginning in verse 22 . . to cast our cares on Him, by paying witness to the birds and all of nature each provided for anew this day. These particular birds’ staccato message each new day reminds me of Our Lord’s Prayer, of which Jesus first spoke during the Sermon on the Mount, when He was asked by His disciples how to pray in the days just prior to His crucifixion. That prayer is our instruction on how to pray; found in Matthew 6: 9 – 15. As I’ve been taught and reminded over my lifetime to pray this: Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who’ve trespassed against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever, Amen. This most thoughtful instruction is a way to pray daily a prayer of intercession for all the world’s sake – as there is no “me” or “I” but rather “us” and “our”; in peaceful rest, with trusting obedience and faithful certainty that God is still and always God.

From the Brooklyn Museum, “The Lord’s Prayer”, le “pater noster”, by James Tissot.

Give us this day, as we trust in, lean upon and rely solely on You, Father. We thank You for the infinite ways in which you’ve provided for our needs, and we ask Your forgiveness for the infinite ways in which we’ve neglected to take notice of the depth, breadth and scope of Your wondrous love!

He is Still Risen . . Indeed!

07 Tuesday Apr 2015

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Celebration, Choices, Christianity, Contentment, Faithfulness, God

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Contentment, Joy, Peace

Whether today brings you happiness, sadness, health, illness, hurt, gladness, or any other emotion or event, rest in the joy that He is Risen! For when the ancient faithful met each other daily, they greeted one another with “He is risen!” and responded with, “He is risen indeed!” The hope and faith they had known was always in that promise, which helped to get them through each day; and not just on Easter Sunday, but for all the days of their lives. They might have been persecuted, they might have been mocked, they might have been overcome with sadness or grief, they might have just been living their lives going through everyday things as they always did.

Throughout the course of their lives, Christians of all days and ages have lived as everyone else; but with the joy internally of knowing personally their Redeemer! We might be overwhelmed by life or by what is happening to us, nearby us or in the world; but we know God’s promises to us, we have seen His promises come to fruition because He is faithful and loving. So in reminding themselves and other members of the flock of that promise, the ancient Christians lived with the joy, peace and contentment of their spirit and soul which overcomes all that this life brings! And so can we!

So I remind you my faithful friends, He is risen . . today, April 7th! No matter what happens to you this day, rest in that. Find your hope and keep your faith securely in that very promise which has been fulfilled, and in all the other ways God shows us His love. For Jesus came so that we might know God’s love for us; He lived so that we might know His hopes for us in this life and His promise to keep us with Him eternally! John 3:16 . . For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Enjoying God’s Gifts . .

29 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Contentment, God, Gratitude, Joy

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

God, Gratitude, Joy

Imagine how much joy we bring to God by taking pleasure in His world around us! Just imagine His joy when we stop to notice the smiling face of a stranger, or when we delight in petting a friendly cat or dog; imagine when we stop to smell those proverbial flowers in bloom and lay upon the cool grass, taking notice of the hue of the blue sky as well as the shapes of all the clouds passing through it!

We don’t do enough each day by way of our thoughts, words, behaviors and actions to let our heart’s fullness of gratitude and immense love reflect back into the world towards our fellow man, other creatures, nature and especially, to God. How busy we are in this world which gives us plenty of reasons to do anything but; how distracted we are from the simple pleasures and blessings. If only we thought about how much love and gratitude we offer to God when we take some time to notice all that He has given us, all that He has done for us, all the ways in which we are blessed and all the manner of life which He created just for our pleasure. If only we noticed how much He loves us! And if the love of God pours through us towards others, God must beam with fatherly pride for His children, with such loving hearts!

I get so much from those moments, that I’ve learned to savor them even more; but it gives me even more joy in knowing when I do that I am showing God a measure of gratitude and joy each and every time! Gratitude isn’t just shown in our words, our purposeful words of thanks; but our gratitude, joy and love is best reflected by our efforts to partake of those gifts which we’ve received and to share them with the world!

First Day of Spring . .

20 Friday Mar 2015

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Beauty, Celebration, God, Joy, Life

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Easter, Nature's Promise, Spring

First day of Spring, always evokes within me a sense of what is going on all around me in this particular season. Life is bursting forth, newness and freshness prevail. There are nests and burrows dug, from which new life emerges. The flowers seem to light up with pride each new day for having brought such joy back to life. And the days are lengthening again, which is a means for nature to display itself in all its finery and showiness against the backdrop of the sun for even longer!

I’ve considered long and hard which season of the four is my favorite, I can’t say as if I know for sure it is Spring. I do know that Spring holds so much joy during its daily parade of splendor, that I would surely say its my favorite while I’m in it! I’m enamored by the fluctuating weather, the promise of the warmth of Summer ahead; which then can be so distant on a cool, bleak and rainy morning. Everything seems to want to come to life again as the days grow longer, but it still seems a struggle and a process slow and steady! There are no guarantees with Summer lying in wait; but Spring surely knows its role as the interim force prevailing against whatever hold Winter still has on all of life. And so it persists in its daily show, bringing forth from the earth a variety of new creations and renewed life as well!

With Easter just ahead, I am fully aware of the enduring and faithful promise of rebirth, renewal and resurrection – which enhances my joy! For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son to die so that whomever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). After a time then comes the promise and the gift of life reborn, renewed and resurrected! In each Spring we see that promise of His great love affirmed through all of creation!

Nature’s More Subtle Reminder . .

14 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Celebration, Choices, Contentment, Fullness, God, Gratitude

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Contentment, Nature, Peace of Mind

Such a fabulous morning with windows open to let the cool air in; the birds are again delighting me with their magical songs and all the world seems filled with Saturday’s magic! I used to find the same type of magic on this particular day of the week as a child just by turning on some silly, familiar cartoons; but now I look to nature first as my source of entertainment!

It’s easier I suppose to be distracted by the human world these days, to the point of being caught up in its chaos and busyness; it’s easier to be entertained to the point of neglecting our own peace of mind and our own comfort by all the new devices and instant access. I have even learned how to procrastinate to a whole new level because I so readily give my attention and time to things which cry out with buzzing, beeping, ringing, vibrating, or through notifications! We’re a distracted society now, busy and seemingly quite pressed for time; but nature soothes my soul and constantly reminds me of how life is so much more than tv, phones, all the stuff we have and even this silly box! I value those tools of human creation for what I am able to do and how I am able to connect to the world; but I value what God has created far more these days!

All those humans whom share my life each day, all the creatures outside my window on mornings such as this, as well as all the glory of everything under and around the sun, moon and stars has profoundly filled me with the most intense love and gratitude for God! I have learned that everything is a convenient trap, in that the more we have, the more we think we need. And often, what we think we need in a particular moment ends up being something which we readily forget about and set aside even a day later. Perhaps the trap is set by someone who wants us to forget how easily we can connect to God in other ways? Maybe if we put the stuff down, letting go our urge to amass things and focus on the persistent material things in nature (even though it usually doesn’t beep, buzz, or notify us as intently!), we will find more peace and contentment again. I enjoy having all my stuff, being connected to the world through the man-made devices, all while being entertained; but I have realized if it all went away tomorrow, my value and that of the world is and always will be found in so much more! We came to life with nothing; and that should remind us that our value isn’t found in anything but us, what is around us in the form of other human beings, other creatures and what lives on in the world in nature!

Lighting Up The World . .

15 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Choices, Christianity, Faith, God, Maturity

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Christian Belief, Faithfulness, Spiritual Maturity

Think about how much light we each can shine in this world. If it seems somewhat dimmer and less hopeful now than in years past, perhaps we’re just not doing enough personally and collectively to reflect light back into life, onto everything and through us all. Life makes it easier for us to glow with light because of all the brokenness , cracks and flaws we experience and “wear” like badges of honor just by living through hardship, grief, pain and suffering. So if life seems dimmer to us, perhaps we’re not focused on how we might use what we have, what we are, what we’ve endured and what has happened to us for the sake of the making everything around us brighter. As written in Matthew 5: 13 – 16: 13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

We who are Christians are to be reflections of God’s light in this world emulating the example of Jesus Christ during his time here on Earth; His love should be so discernible and obvious through us by the way we live that all might know us by it. But many are hiding their light under their egos, many don’t realize how brightly they can shine in spite of what they’ve endured, and many are fatigued in spirit by the fallen nature of this world. As it says in Hebrews 12, ” . . let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross . . ” And as it reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4: 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Surely, the challenge of life is to live according to the will and purpose of God; as Christians, to mature in Christ, becoming the embodiment of His human example so that others will want what we have and to be like us! We’re all at different stages of our maturation in that regard. Only by focusing on the goal of spiritual maturity do we become walking, talking, living, breathing, bright lights of Christian examples for the world! We cannot do that being fearful, disempowered, disobedient, defeated, beaten-down or apathetic. We are losing the world while we let our lights grow dim, whether by choice or by circumstance. Now is not the time to let the light fade; it is now the time to live by example a life of bold faith, courage, conviction, obedience, contentment and peace! We are called to be the faithful, we shouldn’t be so faith-less!

cherylriesauthor

Category Archives: God

Some Will Never Grasp . .

Freedom’s Flag . .

Walking By Faith . .

Human Rule . . .

Give Us This Day . .

He is Still Risen . . Indeed!

Enjoying God’s Gifts . .

First Day of Spring . .

Nature’s More Subtle Reminder . .

Lighting Up The World . .