Tag: Jesus

Least Likely

~ jesusluvsall ~ 23 Comments

If anyone were to look at my high school year book and talk with people who knew me when I was a teen, instead of most likely to succeed, they would hear something else. Especially if you were to tell them that I have a ministry for refugees/immigrants and teach for a college. They would have said I was least likely of everyone they knew to become a home missionary/teacher.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Least likely explains how other perhaps viewed me at other points in life even after coming to know Jesus. My first ministry trip to Romania, the missionaries we went to serve with had their doubts because they remembered me from a few years before when due to being sick, I was the guy who talked slowly. They would have said I was least likely to used by God in Romania. Yet eight years later, I went twice in one year to preach the Easter and Christmas services for the church my church partnered with there.

Least likely explains how many thought when God led me to start a ministry of reaching out to refugees/immigrants in my city. When God led me to start a Saturday morning group, there were many doubters. But God worked and a few years later people were sharing their thoughts that I should stay in my city because of the ministry Jesus led me to.

There are so many other examples from my life of when I was what others thought was least likely. There is much to learn from a classic least likely in the bible.We read about it in 1st Samuel 16. God sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be king to replace Saul. When Samuel thought it would be Eliab because he looked the part, God told Samuel in verse seven:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

God led Samuel to David, a shepherd boy tending his father Jesse’s sheep, to anoint David. God chose David because he saw David’s heart. He saw David trust in him protecting the sheep. He saw David’s penchant for singing to the Lord. Everyone else would have thought David was least likely, but not God.

I love the saying that God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Back To Normal?

~ jesusluvsall ~ 26 Comments

It felt a bit anti-climatic when the cardiologist told me I am golden now and the heart flutter is cleared up. It started last fall and was diagnosed after a visit to the ER for something else. A focal point of my life is gone now. No more visits to the cardiologist except one more follow up in June. As I walked out of the clinic, my thought was, “back to normal, well normal for me.”

Photo by Gustavo Fring on Pexels.com

Back to normal for me means continuing to live with chronic pain and fatigue due to living with autoimmune. Back to normal for me means asking Jesus each morning to give me strength to be a blessing to my students and others. Back to normal for me means seeing God at work not only in my life but in the life of others. Back to normal for me also means hanging out at the coffee shop.

If I really think about, normal is not a word I would use to describe life with Jesus. The same Jesus who did things like walking on water in the midst of a storm is the same Jesus who says follow me. He is the same Jesus who is always with us, at work around us, and at work in our lives.

Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

Life with Jesus can bring many amazing surprises if we seek to follow him and stay open to him working in our lives and working around us. We can see amazing things happen.

Maybe I should say back to the adventure. 🙂

Thank you for reading. Also thank you for all the prayers. God Bless.

God Works Through Willingly Hearts- 3 Instruments for 3 Musicians

~ jesusluvsall ~ 8 Comments

It is fascinating for me to watch God at work and who he works through. He often works through people who others would think of as least likely. Case in point-me helping three musicians receive instruments.

Photo by Aysegul Alp on Pexels.com

Why would I say I am least likely? I have never played an instrument, never learned to read music, never learned to play an instrument. Yet God chose to work through me to facilitate three musicians to receive instruments that help them in their ministries.

Last summer it was connecting my friend Samuel from Honduras with an older couple from my church who had a nice guitar sitting unused in their basement. They gave it to him and he now uses the guitar to help him lead worship in his Spanish speaking church.

Photo by Philip Boakye on Pexels.com

Then it was helping my young friend Ester receive a violin stepping out in faith that donations would come in to pay for one loaned to her by a friend at church. Through generous brothers and sisters in Christ the donations came in to fully cover it.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

Most recently it was sharing about a worship leader from Ukraine who had to leave his guitar behind. A generous person gave him a guitar after I shared my new friend’s story.

So God worked through me, a person with no musical ability, a person who often listens without singing in church because I need a much lower bass tune, to help three musicians have the instruments they needed for their worship ministries.

Jesus can work through anyone. All he needs is a willingly heart and he will take care of the rest.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Dealing with Anxiety-What God Teaches Us To Focus On

~ jesusluvsall ~ 18 Comments

Yesterday evening while having dinner with friends. one of my friends observed, :”that must have been scary last week when you were in the ER.” My response might surprise some. My response was, “yes it was but that is in the past now. It is not happening now.”

Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

Staying present in the moment is not a new concept. Jesus spoke about it over two thousand years ago when he said in Matthew 6:34:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jesus was teaching to focus on today, on the present here and now. Yes we make plans, but we do not live in tomorrow nor do we live in yesterday.

Paul touched on not living in yesterday when he wrote in Philippians 3:13:

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead

Don’t get me wrong. I struggle as much as anyone with the practice of beating myself up about the past and anxiety about something coming in the future like having to go to the doctor. My response to my friend’s insight surprised me as well. But that fear that was gripping me last Wednesday is not with me anymore. The problem that brought to the ER is not a problem for me today. It is in the past and it can stay there, 🙂

But what would God want us to remember from the past?

1 Chronicles 16:12 says:


Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

Remember the things God has done for us. This helps us when we face current difficulties. It helps us to remember how God came through for us.

We leave the negative stuff behind, remember God working in our lives, focus on today, and have hope for tomorrow knowing that Jesus is always with us.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Music Mondays- I Will Carry You by Ellie Holcomb

~ jesusluvsall ~ 8 Comments

So many times Jesus has carried me through dark times. I did not always see it at the time but after making it through a rough time, looking back I could see it so clearly.

Jesus will never leave us. He stays with us through it all and in the end welcomes us home with open arms. Whatever we experience in this life, we can be sure of one thing. Jesus is with us-ALWAYS.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

m

On The Mend-Coffee Time

~ jesusluvsall ~ 30 Comments

Can you guess where I am now? If you said the coffee shop, you would be correct. I made it out for a while after being cooped up for most of the week I am finally on the mend and have a it of energy. But I am so behind on my blog and fellow bloggers after a week of mostly only laying in bed. It is time to catch up.

This week will be warmer in my area. I know that others in my state like Alicia of forhispurpose.blog have a lot of snow that needs to melt away, but not in my city. It will be in the 50f/10c most of the week or a bit warmer. That amounts to a heat wave in these parts. Brenda of becominghistapestry.com is loving the winter weather in her area. How is winter in your area? I hesitate to ask because I know that Gary of garyfultz.com thrives on winter, ice fishing, etc. Then there is David of davidsadailydose.org who lives in southern climate and misses out on all of the fun. He is probably enjoying a picnic today. 🙂

Just giving shout outs to a few friends.

Back to my coffee outing. I must still be a bit spacey because guess who forgot to bring his wallet? Yes I did. I must have something like frequent flyer miles because the barista told me not to worry and let me have a cup with a refill free of charge saying that I am in here a lot.

I was thinking today about memories. We all have those memories we beat ourselves up with of past failures and sins. There are two verses that come to mind that I think should shape how we talk to ourselves.

Hebrews 8:12 says:


“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

If God does not remember our sins against us, why beat ourselves up for past failures. Learn from them yes, but let the memories of them drag us down, NO.

Hebrews 6:10 says:

 “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”

What God does remember are the work we do and love we show in his name towards others. This shows me what we should focus on-the here and now and living for Jesus letting God take care of those memories.

It feels good to be at my coffee shop and to have the tangible reminder about memory. Maybe it is a good thing that I forgot my wallet. 🙂

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

A Ukrainian Worship Leader Left His Guitar Behind BUT Has One Now

~ jesusluvsall ~ 23 Comments

A few weeks ago I shared about a Ukrainian worship leader who had to leave his guitar behind when Hheleft Ukraine in my post A Ukrainian Worship Left His Guitar Behind. A generous person read the post and donated a guitar for him to have.

Nicolai came here with his wife and three year old daughter. He stayed behind in Ukraine for six months to share Jesus with Ukrainians fleeing the war. He reunited with his wife and daughter come to here.

Yesterday we met at my church’s office for him to receive the guitar. He was thrilled.. He tuned it and played a few songs. A picture if s is worth a thousand words. so here are the pictures of him opening the box and . holding the guitar.

He has a guitar now and can start helping with worship in the Ukrainian church here.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

Back To The ER?

~ jesusluvsall ~ 25 Comments

Pericarditis is swelling and irritation of the thin, saclike tissue surrounding the heart (pericardium). Pericarditis often causes sharp chest pain. The chest pain occurs when the irritated layers of the pericardium rub against each other. Pericarditis is usually mild and goes away without treatment.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

I found out yesterday that .8% of people who have cardiac ablations for irregular heart rhythms develop pericarditis. Guess who developed it. If you guessed me, you would be correct. The fact that I developed something that only .8% of people develop makes me think I should buy a lottery ticket. 🙂

The pain was intense, so off to the ER I went. The nurses were wonderful. One nurse felt I should stay overnight because she saw my discomfort but the doctor’s orders were for me to go home.

I had worship music in my spirit and prayed while I was alone in the room. Yes Jesus is always with us even in the Emergency Room.

They gave me medicine to take and it started helping. I managed to sleep last night.

Hopefully there won’t be anymore surprises for a while. 🙂

Thank you for reading. God Bless.

God Shows He Is With Us Through Others-Surgery Update

~ jesusluvsall ~ 34 Comments

I had my outpatient surgery yesterday and there were a few nice surprises. God showed me he was with me through others. I checked in 5am all blurry eyed and a short time later had my first surprise.

I found out Friday that one of my colleague’s mother is a nurse at the hospital. I joked with her to tell her mom to give me ice cream. The nurse who came out to bring to the waiting area to bring me to the prep area started off by asking me what kind of ice cream I wanted. She is my colleague’s mom. That started my day off with a laugh and a smile. she took great care of me.

The next one was the anesthesiologist who prepped me. I did not recognize him at first because of his mask, big glasses, and cap, He is a friend from church. It was reassuring to chat with him while he prepped me.

Jesus definitely showed he was with me through others!!!

Everything went well and I was back home about 2:30pm. That was followed by a four hour nap. Naps are part of my recovery plan, personal one not doctor’s guidelines. 🙂

I have proof cheeseburgers, fries and ice cream are healthy. I asked for them for my lunch and the hospital have me two cheeseburgers-no bun, fries and a chocolate ice cream for lunch. Therefore they must be healthy. Completely logical in my mind.

Thank you to all who prayed for me.

Music Mondays- Healer by Kari Jobe

~ jesusluvsall ~ 10 Comments

We can trust in Jesus the one who laid down his life for us and defeated death for us. He is our creator and Savior who loves us deeply. We can look to him in every situation.

This song seemed appropriate for me as I head out to the hospital for minor surgery to correct my heart rhythm. Jesus has been with me and seen me through so much in my life. I am grateful for his constant presence in my life.

Thank you for reading. God Bless.