Tag Archives: Jesus

by | December 26, 2012 · 2:10 pm

A few words of kindness

IMG_1077A few kind words can go a long way, it can brighten up someone’s dreary day, boost confidence and even forge new relationships and strengthen old ones. The time it takes to say a few words of kindness or encouragement is just a few seconds and it can change ones day of not their life in some cases. We all want to be noticed, appreciated and occasionally told things are going to be alright or will get better.  Being kind to one another and being either inspiring or encouraging is all part of fellowship and part of being a Christian. Seems a lot of Christians get stuck on the judging and condemning of others and forget its compassion, love, charity and kindness it what we as Christians are supposed to do and encourage in others.  We are here to help one another not to condemn ridicule or judge others. No man or woman who walks this earth is perfect or free of sin or a sinful heart. Without the Grace of God and the Salvation through Christ, none of us would be able to enter the kingdom of God.

So speak words of kindness and encouragement to one another and do good for one another. We are all in this world together so we should do the best we can to make this life full of kindness, love and happiness.

Ray Barbier

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by | December 8, 2012 · 9:40 pm

Thank you for being a part of my life

006To all my readers, friends, family and extended family, I pray that you have a merry Christmas. I also pray that in the new year to come you find peace within yourself, love for all living things including yourself. May you be guided by the hand of god and may his love fill your heart and lives. Know that I love every single one of you and that I know I have been blessed to have all of you in my life. I know I may not always have expressed how much you meant to me in the past because like everyone else I allowed the madness of modern life to keep me from the people and things that matter most. Thank you for being a part of my life and may God bless you all.

I know many of you will never see or read this post but I know within my heart you will feel it within your heart.

Merry Christmas to All

Ray Barbier

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by | · 8:58 pm

Really needs to be rekindled in our hearts.

006bWith Christmas right around the corner and the economy still in an unstable state seems we worry more about the finances than the family. So what you may not be able to buy the newest game system, tablet or any other high dollar gift, it isn’t about the cost of the gift nor is it important to try to keep up with the neighbors. When I was growing up there was no worrying about if I got a gift just like the neighbor kids, we were just happy to get something and to be with family. Nowadays seems Christmas gifts have to be several hundred dollars or even thousands at times, the spirit of Christmas is more about the presents for the kids today than God, Jesus or even the family. I feel we all have lost focus on the reason for the season. I don’t blame the parents, they just want their children to have the best and all the things we didn’t have as children. The cost of presents means little, it is the focus on the family and the celebration of the birth of our savior that really needs to be rekindled in our hearts.

Well hope all of you have a happy holiday season, Merry Christmas and even a happy new year.

God Bless

Ray Barbier

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by | October 27, 2012 · 10:45 am

Too busy or too blind

SN_arrowThe writing is on the wall, but we all are too busy or too blind to see. The truth is right in front of us and it is the only thing that can set us free. Too little time we allow for our souls and minds to expand and grow. We seek out the answers but we can not let go of what we already know. If a cup is full then there is no room for more tea to be poured within. We must empty our cup so that our journey can truly begin.

For any change to come about in your life, you have to let go of your preconceptions and forget about your past.

Ray Barbier

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by | October 21, 2012 · 10:13 am

Some of What…..

earth1

Some of what the world says is important

  • Looks / appearance
  • wealth
  • popularity
  • self-satisfaction
  • possessions
  • compliance
  • social normalcy
  • Physical strength
  • Power
  • The Self
  • Personal Achievements
  • Being number one

holy_bible

Some of what the bible tells us is important

  • God & Jesus
  • Caring for the weak and helpless
  • Hope
  • Compassion
  • Understanding
  • Being Humble
  • Morality
  • Doing what is right
  • Love
  • Devotion
  • Peace
  • Brotherhood / Sisterhood
  • Family
  • Cleanliness
  • Faithfulness
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by | October 20, 2012 · 10:32 am

So be conscious of your actions

IMG_1387You can walk the path of life as a part of the solutions needed or as a part of the problems that need to be solved. You can either be actively good, creative and peaceful or you can be the monkey wrench in the machine of life. This is all in your hands, the choice to be a beneficial  or to be a negative  part of the world we live in. You can even be neutral, but that makes your existence mute and that is something no one wants. You are the one hat chooses what path you walk in life and how you interact and react to the world you live in. No one can force you to do what you do not want to do unless you give them permission or the power to do so. So all of your actions and reactions are your sole responsibility and the wages that they reap. So be conscious of your actions, words and reactions and the power they carry for everything has its price and its rewards.

Jesus tried to teach us this and that we should be peaceful, caring and compassionate people. Just think if everyone where to learn how to turn the other cheek, forgive one another and love each other without condition. If people would put their, selfishness, fear, lack of understanding behind them and learned to work together for a better world. So much could humanity do in such a state, so far we could progress and grow if we were to put the ways of  selfishness, fear and greed behind us. Only if we all could respect the right of others to think, believe and live differently than ourselves and accept one another unconditionally.

The real sad part is that humanity has the potential to be such a wondrous and amazing species if we could just emotionally and spiritually grow up enough to work together as the great family we are.

May God grant you peace, understanding and the wisdom to use the gifts he has given you.

Ray Barbier

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by | October 14, 2012 · 10:23 am

We are to use our words to heal and to encourage.

p10058Using words as weapons is not the Christian thing to do, instead we are to use our words to heal and to encourage. Using foul language not only is offensive to others it also degrades ones character and gives a pretty negative  image of yourself for others to see. If you wag your tongue with ought any Discretion or thought to what damage may be done, then you will have to reap the seeds you have sown. Better to follow the bibles guideline and let everything you say be good and helpful. The words you say are the reflection of what is in your heart and on your mind.  Think before you speak and avoid letting out those words of anger.

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Ephesians 4:29 NLT

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by | September 18, 2012 · 9:21 am

Faith plays such a important part

Hagia Sophia ; Empress Zoë mosaic : Christ Pan...

Faith, Why is it so important? Does Faith really make a difference in getting prayers answered and does it help one through their daily lives? Well faith is defined as belief or trust in something, so having faith is to trust in God and also believing in him and his promises. How I understand it is that faith plays such an important part in enriching our lives and getting prayers answered is that by believing and putting our trust in God we open up the door for God to work in our lives. Of course God can help us with or without faith involved but I believe he wishes for us to come to him trustingly and in full belief so that we can have a personal relationship with him. The more we trust and believe in God the more we seem to be able to see his works around us and also the more our eyes are open to the gifts he has already laid around us that we have overlooked or could not see before.

I believe he answers all our prayers, just sometimes we are too blind or deaf to see or hear his answers. Then there are times his silence or inaction is the answer to the prayer.  The thing we must remember is God will give us all that we need if we ask, but he is rarely concerned with our unnecessary wants or desires. He desires the happiness of his children and the upkeep of the physical, mental and spiritual health of his children. He wants all of us to love one another unconditionally, to be as the children of God he designed us to be.  He put the challenges of different colors, languages, culture and even religious beliefs between us in order to teach us how to love one another in an unconditional manner. Without challenges for the human spirit there is no growth or change, he wishes for us to grow both mentally and spiritually. One of the biggest challenges I believe God set before his children is dealing with the Ego or the self, he teaches us that we should be submissive to his will and we have the natural desire to be selfish which makes that a great challenge for us to overcome.

Ray Barbier

 

A few Bible Verses about Faith

Matthew 17:20

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. “

Matthew 21:21

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.

1 Peter 1:5-9

who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Corinthians 13:2

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

 

Ephesians 2:8

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–

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by | August 24, 2012 · 5:51 am

Counting Our Blessings

National Day of Prayer

So many times,….we do not count our blessings. We forget to thank the Lord, for all He has done for us. I have been very guilty of that, as of late. Every morning when I wake up, i would say, Thank you Lord, for my life, and giving me another day to spend here with my loved ones. Here lately,…it is much later in the day that I have thanked Him. Life get’s so busy, trying to keep up with our spouses, our children, grandchildren, and our jobs. I do not work outside of my home, but i am a tole painter, and i paint to make extra money at times. I have recently begun to watch my baby grandson, for 3 days a week, also, which keeps me very busy. It seems i am moving in reverse, instead of forward, because things become so hectic.

All of these things, are no excuse for not making time for the Lord. He always makes time for me. He never says to me,…I will be with you after i clean the house, or wait until my projects are finished. When I come to Him in prayer, or when i need Him most,…He is always there for me. Never forsaking, or leaving me. I feel ashamed of myself, for not taking the time to give thanks like i should. Or reading His word, like I should. I throw a quick prayer, or praise in there, but NOT, like I should be praying and giving Him thanks, for all the wonderful miracles, and gifts, that He has given me. All of the guidance, and protection that He gives me, from the harms that are unseen from my eyes, or my understanding. Left to deal with by myself, would be terribly overwhelming for me. He is there for me. Like a rock! He is solid, and constant. He gives His all for me.

I am also thankful for each new day He gives me, so that i have another day to try to get it right. I must draw nigh unto God, so that He will draw nigh unto me. I must make time for the Lord, like He makes time for me. He has given me precious life. I want to spend my life, serving God, and trying to be pleasing to Him.

He is deserving of our time, and worthy of all praise!

Cathy Adams

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution By license.
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by | August 17, 2012 · 10:12 pm

Through Christ we are worth more than we could ever understand

English: Resurrection of Christ

Self Worth, a lot of people have low self-esteem and self-worth. They believe they are worthless, inadequate or lacking is some was and they don’t belong to society. The good news is they are worth more than they could ever imagine. God loved them so much he gave them his only begotten son to save them from the sinful life they live. Every one of us loved and accepted by God and he thinks we are worth saving, loving  and to him we all belong. The devil wants us to believe we are worthless, not savable, that we are irredeemable and unable to change. He tries to undermine our true potential and rob us of the gifts god blessed us with. He wants to separate us from God and his love, he doesn’t want to see us being close to god and to accept our salvation.

You are worth saving in God’s eyes and he proved that by his son Jesus, we may be sinful and we may fail to live a perfect life but Jesus paid for our shortcomings and sins upon the cross with his blood. Through Christ we are worth more than we could ever understand and we belong to God and Jesus. What else would any person ever want or need.

When you surrender to God’s will and accept Jesus as your savior you worry none about the opinions of others because God is all that matters.

Ray Barbier

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution By license.
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