"There is one body and one spirit- just as you were called into one hope when you were called-  Ephesians 4:4  NIV

This little girl looks like my daughter Stephanie. She doesn't play any sports as this child does, but she likes to look in the fridge. Usually she says,"Mom what is there to eat?" I would like to reply maybe by saying, You are the one looking in the fridge, you tell me. I don't ever say that.

My daughters only like certain things, my sons like almost anything. After Steph has said her part I usually go down the list of the foods that I have and I know she likes. It can be tough sometimes! She has eaten cereal for dinner more than once.

To make matters worse, what she may like this week, she may not want the next! I cook basic paleo food, but I make anything that my kids may like outside of this. Unity would be a great thing for my family when it comes to mealtime.

Thank God he doesn't give us too many choices.There is one body, The body of Christ, made up of simple individuals. The everyday people like you and me, are who God's people are. Unity comes in the body when all eyes are focused on the head. Christ Jesus, our one and only Savior is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.

All  good things come from His loving hands. He is the hope of nations the Bible says. Biblical hope is steadfast, without wavering. It isn't what we may think. We might say, I hope it doesn't rain. Biblical hope is a strong declaration similar to faith. Our hope is in the Lord. It is unmoving, just as He is.

Life can throw us tsunamis out of left field. We can feel helpless and overwhelmed. In a world with much upheaval it is wonderful to know that Our God reigns! He reigns over every circumstance and situation that we hand over to him.You are being called into His presence where peace and joy can fill your heart. When we release burdens into His capable hands we can be filled with such blessings.

Let God lead you into His peace and grace and carry your heavy burdens for you. We were not made to carry emotional turmoil and heartache. It will weight on us and pull us down. His grace is sufficient for us, and His strength is made perfect in weakness. Based on 2 Corinthians 12:9  

Maybe none of this makes any sense to you and you would like to talk. Questions and comments: annrmig@gmail.com  Love to all.

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace."  Ephesians 4:3 NIV

Peace is a gift of the Spirit of God. It is something that every person on the face of the earth wants. Some people try to find it in ordinary ways, like listening to God and doing what he says. This is the best way to obtain it.

His peace rests on those who line up their lives with His truth. Not everyone wants to go about this the easy way. Rebellion in our hearts doesn't want to yield to God. Youth says to us, lets try to go around "the rules."Years of learning tells us that it's smart to go with God. Many have died trying to live contrary to the way of grace.

Wisdom might also say that it's not smart to have a dog in your wedding if you want to keep your dress white. I'm getting off track here, please forgive me, but dogs make me happy. 

Paul admonishes us to make every effort because it's that important to have the unity of the spirit and peace. The harmony and oneness of the spirit is what gives peace and grace to every situation.  In verse 2 we see the importance of making allowances for others because of love. 

Love is the only sincere way to keep people in harmony with one another. If our focus is to follow Him, the flow follows. Peace is the natural outflow of this focus. I hope this makes sense. So many things going on around me right now as I try to write. I promise I will be free of distractions tomorrow.  Love and Prayers to you.

Comments or questions? Please e-mail me at annrmig@gmail.com I don't want this blog to be a monologue, but a dialog. You are precious to me, my readers.

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." Ephesians 4:2 NIV

My words can be toxic sometimes. All of us are capable of saying the wrong thing. As a parent I wish I could take back foolish words spoken in the heat of the moment. Cutting words that we don't think will hurt usually do. Afterward our thoughts are burdened with the weight of what we said.

I have learned to be careful. I believe I have not fallen into this trap as often as I used to. Be completely humble means I have had to eat those mean words by asking for forgiveness. Walking in love means that I have to pay attention to what I say, do, and think. Do you feel the same way?

I know people who don't have filters. Words come out of their mouths without any thought whatsoever. My son had this problem until we taught him how wrong it is to speak every thought. Brain action is required before the mouth opens when you live with others who want relationship with you. 

Some people have to learn this later in life. It can only be accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. Patience is a learned action. Being careful is a life long lesson that will reap abundant blessings.

No matter our age we know that humility is not automatic either. Our natural selves want attention to be drawn to itself. Lessons well learned save us heartache later on in life. If only I knew this when I was younger! Thank God, He works in our lives no matter how old we are. Blessings to you this day.

Please send your comments and questions to annrmig@gmail.com

" to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:21 NKJV

What is this little girl thinking? It's anybody's guess. She seems inquisative but maybe thoughtful? We can read most anything into someone's facial expressions. 

 I like to think she is being challenged which a question. This is the teacher in me. I like it when kids use their brains instead of their fingers. Texting can cause lack of brain activity. Just kidding.

 I was thinking today about whether this current generation is more worrisome than any previous one? I remember older adults being concerned about my generation and what we would amount to. Would there be a strong body of believers to deliver the message of Jesus to the masses?

Today with the internet the gospel has reached almost to every people group. This generation has an increasing amount of wrong doctrine to contend with. The moral fiber of the nation has decreased to a greater extent than in the past.

Young people tend to accept alternative lifestyles with less resistance than in the past. That which was unacceptable or considered sin in the past may not be today. This is a serious mistake moving in the wrong direction. 

High moral standards is essential for any society to thrive. Societies that have moral decline cannot stand for long. History is replete with examples for this. One thing is for sure. Jesus wants to invade our darkness and expel it. He has always been about this. Ask the Lord today to cleanse our land, and lovingly turn hearts toward him.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us," Ephesians 3:20 NIV

This looks like a fun family activity. We love water sports but usually do them with friends who have boats and waterfront property. Last summer we didn't do much on the water, but this summer is in the planning stages!

First things first. We need to have sunny days and warm weather. Snow is in the forecast again, but I am not believing it. This is the month of April. We have rain, not snow. This is the way things work. Put away the winter clothes, sweaters, hats, scarves and gloves.

Only God can cheer me up about the weather! When I think of Him, I know this is temporary. He holds all creation in His hands. Eternity will be filled with sunny days, and warm temperatures. 

My son Rudy is in Miami, Florida this week enjoying 85 degree days. Our weather is not world wide, and sometimes I forget this. Our problems aren't as deep as they may seem to us. God is able.

"Now to him who is able"is a snippet of our verse that I am tickled with today. It says a lot right here. It means He is, and He will, and He has. The "He has" is part of history. The "He is" is from the Word of God. The "He will" is part of prayer. I know he will answer me, because he always has.

These sayings are intertwined just as our bodies are connected to our spirit, and souls. How do I know He will? I have a history with God. He is faithful. He is, because I know the Word of God says so and I see His hand in all things around me. This builds my faith for the coming answers because the He will comes from He has, and He is. Does this make sense to you?

I hope so, because I am being blessed. If you can't join in I've lost something. I hope you got the message that God can do a lot of things. What an understatement! Immeasurably more, goes farther than a lot. He is beyond our wildest imaginations. Better than our best dreams will allow. When you are reaching higher than before, keep going and you still won't reach beyond His best for you. Let that sink in.

"and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."  Ephesians 3:19 NIV

It is a rainy day, similar to the one in this picture. I can imagine these children saying, "But Mom, it's April do I really need to wear a winter coat?" It's not warm yet, but it is coming. When the temperature stays in the 50's for a week, then I can call it warm.

Love that surpasses knowledge? Our minds cannot comprehend a love that never gives in or gives up. We try to reason what it would take for him to be like us. He isn't. Jesus took on flesh and became as a man, but without sin.  

He doesn't hate anything but sin because that hurts us. Sin tries to grab you when you least expect it, and take you down like an crocodile who twists around until its victim drowns in the water. What does that mean to us? Be aware of his lies, and know God's word.

Nothing stops the enemy of our souls but God's word. This is why Jesus used scripture any time he spoke to satan. He said, "It is written, and the enemy had to leave.The enemy tried to temp Jesus to eat while on a fast. Jesus said,"It is written, Man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

Jesus had fasted for 40 days but He could not do what satan said. He way is to lie, cheat and steal. Nothing good will ever come from his hand. God is good, and when the Bible says this it means it in the purest form possible. The word good might mean many things to us.  In the Kingdom of God "good" is in the highest form of the word because it describes the one and only Lord God Almighty. 

Nothing can come close to "good". We have other words that we might use that would trump this, but not in heaven. God is good is a statement that can shake the very core of a mountain. When we read that Ephesians 3:19 says"that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God," we could praise Him for all eternity just for this.

Everything about our God is beyond our comprehension. His love is indescribably. His fullness is running over in our lives. His grace is beyond amazing. Who can write the right words to be enough? 

"may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ," Ephesians 3:18

Do you have a rabbit in your kitchen? I don't know I thought maybe I missed the latest trend. My dogs would not go for this. Not even a bird can light on our lawn without a lot of barking. I thought it was a cute picture. 

On this day all over the world, people stop to think of Jesus. Some as a passing thought:others as the Savior of the World. You have all levels of understanding in between. What do you think of him today? 

I browsed through the new "Evidence That Demands a Verdict ," by Josh and Sean McDowell. It is quite an extensive work, with all sorts of research on the validity of scripture. From archeological findings to historical references and comparisons of the gospels. There can be no doubt that the Bible is a unique book.

Those of us who walk by faith have a knowing in our souls before we read any research by the experts. These wonderful works only add clarity and strength to those who seek after God.

There has been much written about the love of Christ. He is the only one who could ever put all that we see together, to make sense. In this day, we live under the burden of sin, but only for a short while. Soon our Lord will release all of the world from the curse of sin and death.

His work on the cross is our deliverance. Our victory here and now is the power of the resurrection. His resurrection power belongs to us as believers.Our ability to see past this natural realm enables us to stand on our mountains.

His love will abound in a way that we cannot comprehend on the day of His return. He will pull back the veil, to reveal all the perfection that he desired for us from the beginning. We will sing and rejoice beyond our natural ability now. Knowing His love is what gives us the strength we need while here. 

God never intended for us to be sick, have relational problems, or to suffer heartache. The world He designed for us was pure, unadulterated, and free. We will return to that Garden of Eden, so to speak, without the Fall in view. Blessings and love always.