Beauty in your life- change your thoughts for a positive outlook
If I were to build my own reading and writing nook. It would be by a window, so I could have a view of nature and natural scenery, and a small bookcase.
People deny Jesus, yet His name alone unsettled the world.
Governments forbid it, cultures mock it, demons tremble before it, and persecuted saints cling to it even in death (James 2:19, Mark 1:24). You do not suppress a name that is empty -you silence a name that carries authority, truth, and judgment (Revelation 12:11).
The hatred of Jesus in this fallen age is itself a witness that He is exactly who He declared Himself to be: Lord, King, and the only Savior (John 14:6).
The question is not whether Jesus is real.
The question is whether you will repent, believe the gospel, and now before Him, or be forced to bow when He returns in Glory.
“Therefore God also highly exalted Him, and gave him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Yeshua every knee should now, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Yeshua the Messiah is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” -Philippians 2:9-11
My favorite vehicle is one a drove around was a 2013 Inferno Orange Chevy Camaro. I would have driven the car for ever, but a Camaro and ice packed roads don’t mix.
There is an important distinction scripture that we often blur.
Church people go to church.
God’s people are the church.
The church building was never meant to be a building that we attend once a week. It was meant to be a place of fellowship for people who need repentance, love, and transformation. It’s a place where people can get together and learn about God, feel Him, and worship Him.
Jesus didn’t say, “By this everyone will know you are My disciples, if you attend services.”
He said, “They would know us by our love“ (John 13:35).
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:16that, “You yourselves are God’s temple, and God’s Spirit dwells in you.“
That can be both sobering and freeing.
It means:
Faith isn’t inherited by proximity.
Salvation isn’t proven by attendance.
Discipleship isn’t measured by activity
What matters is whether Jesus is formed in us.
The goal had never been to create church consumers. The goals have always been to form living stones.
“You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Yeshua the Messiah” – 1 Peter 2:5
So the question should be do you carry the presence of God into the world? It isn’t do you go to church?
Does Jesus rule your life and do others encounter Him through you?
Because buildings don’t change the world. People filled with the Holy Spirit do. The church is a place to learn how to be the best disciples for God we can be.
In 1967 many Americans opposed the Vietnam War and the stance against communism. On the soldiers’ return, they were shunned, hated and blamed for being a part of it and were treated like traitors. Many didn’t understand they were only following orders.
The government used the soldiers as scapegoats. And then they were abused by their lack of care. I believe many soldiers suffered because they followed orders. It was a bad situation for all involved.
Americans are still fighting communism today. The evil power play of people who want to control every aspect of our lives. I believe it is an instrument of evil.
If you do your research you will find communism on other countries has never worked and it never will.
The Bible talks about gifts of discernment. It is in sight to judge realities, revealing the true nature of people. 1 Corinthians 12:10 mentions this gift from God. I believe I have the gift of discernment when others are around me.
I have natural abilities to tell whether the person is good or not, or if they’re just wearing a mask for deception purposes.
Principles for a healthy soul
I have been thinking about my journey through life, and how I changed my entire life. I went from my life being like a “dumpster fire,” to having a life I could be proud of. I decided I would write down the principles that God led me to heal.
Caring for your soul is a process of getting unstuck by cleaning out old hurts, sins, bitterness, and secrets to make room for joy, peace, freedom and fullness. It is a deliberate deep clean of your inner world.
It’s an ongoing process, like cleaning a house, it requires intention and repeated effort to invite healing and spiritual growth.
The key principles are the following:
It’s gently looking inward, noticing emotions, thoughts, and hidden pains the hold us captive.
Honestly name and turn away from sins or harmful patterns, and confessing our secrets to God.
Released resentment by forgiving those who hurt you and forgiving ourselves for past mistakes.
Allow God to minister to deep-seated hurts and scars from past experiences that create space for emotional release.
Identify and disrupt negative family or personal cycles like fear, anxiety, or addiction, anything that hinders your soul.
Root your worth in God’s love, not your past or performance, for true security.
Overcome fears and spiritual bondage through faith, surrender, and deliverance.
The Christmas season brings festive parties, simple gifts, and food. The last thing I did was go to a party with a few friends. Good friends are about connection and making memories and exchanging small gifts at Christmas time.
Praising God in the storms of life, trusting His plan, and finding strength in His presence can transform hardship into spiritual growth by focusing on His unchanging character rather than circumstances leads to perseverance, deeper faith, and hope.
It’s an active choice to acknowledge His sovereignty, even when He seems distant. It can refine our faith and build endurance.
How can we praise him through the trials of this life?
Instead of dwelling on the problem, focus on God’s nature and promises, acknowledging Him as worthy of praise regardless of our situation.
2. Pray Honestly
Pour out your fears and doubts to God, asking for guidance and strength, trusting that He is present (even though you can feel Him) and has a perfect plan.
3. Praise and Thanksgiving
Actively thank God and sing His praises, remembering past deliverances and trusting His future provision.
4. Meditate on Scripture
I use verses like Psalm 34:1 or Philippians 4:6-7
“I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth” -Psalm 34:1
“In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition 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 thoughts in Messiah Yeshua” -Philippians 4:6-7
5. Cultivate a Habit
Develop a lifestyle of praise, making it a regular practice so it becomes easier during tough times. 
“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Messiah Yeshua toward you” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
6. Lean on other believers
Share your struggles and encourage others in corporate praise and fellowship.
Trials test and build, perseverance, character, and hope. It refined faith and draws us closer to God, and proves His faithfulness.
By choosing to worship and praise God, we acknowledge God’s sovereignty, find strength in His presence, and experience His peace that surpasses understanding.
I believe our life right now is a result of what we did a year ago. Life a year from now with be a result of what we do now.
A year ago I had goals that I gave up on due to a lack of discipline or a fear that it took to much work. So, no my life isn’t what I pictured it being. I need to adjust the goals I had last year and work towards them this year.
Why did Jesus Flip the tables at the Jerusalem temple? He cleansed it by driving out merchants selling animals and exchanging money. Overturning the tables was caused by Jesus’s “righteous anger,” over the commercialization of a holy space, declaring it a “house of prayer” defiled into a “den of thieves.
The act, described in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, showed Jesus’s fury at greed, exploitation, and desecration of God’s house.
The Act
Jesus made a whip of cords, drove out sellers of oxen, sheep, and doves, scattered money changers’ coins, and overturned their tables.
The temple courts were specifically the only place for Gentiles (non-Jews) could approach God, and were made a marketplace.
Jesus quotes scripture by saying, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers.”
There were reasons for His actions.
There was significance in the act. It was a symbolic cleansing. It was an act to restore the temple, proper function as a place for all people to pray and encounter God.
It was a prophetic act, announcing the end of the old temple system, and declaring Himself the new temple
It revealed Jesus’s authority. It was a demonstration of His divine authority and zeal for God‘s house.
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