Only the Good Stuff: Multivitamins for Your Weekend [09.12.15]

Happy, happy, happy weekend!

Some real, down in the bones JOY to celebrate today! Links & stories this week 100% guaranteed to make you smile a mile wide & believe like crazy in a Good God redeeming everything — and that there’s love everywhere & for ((you))!  Serving up only the Good Stuff for you right here:

Oleg Bartunov via APOD
Dave McGlinchey
Joseph Brimacombe

exhale and enjoy the wonder of this rare phenomenon

Gabi Stickler
Gabi Stickler
Gabi Stickler

can’t help but smile a mile wide at this

Morkel Erasmus

10 remarkable finalists in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 

okay, maybe get out of the way?

Adrian C. Murray
Adrian C. Murray
Adrian C. Murray

enjoying the last days of summer – beautiful memories

maybe the best belly rub you’ve ever seen?

Sharif Mirshak, Parafilms, Montreal

some the creatures that make up 98% of the oceans’ biomass? Must see

smiling at this reunion

Newspix / Newspix/REX Shutterstock

okay, you won’t see this everyday…

live interview…. interrupted by a visiting blue whale

Modifeye
Modifeye
Modifeye

linger here for a bit?

Captivating photography that involves playful use of proportions, wildlife and unique concepts

and the splendor of this full blue moon in Australia?

he selflessly pays tribute to a late soldier every day – even though they never met

“It was the least I could do for him.”

don’t give up before the miracle happens

God’s mercies are new every morning – not as an obligation to you, but as an affirmation of you.

“God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,

His merciful love couldn’t have dried up.

They’re created new every morning.

How great your faithfulness!

I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).

He’s all I’ve got left.”

Lamentations 3:22-24MSG

Like this graphic? Simply click here for the whole library of free printables and tools:

how he’s creating smiles at 78 years old?

how an inmate offers to help save the life of this judge who sentenced him?

“I come to church a lot, I found God.

So, I thought maybe if I could do something for someone else, I’d do it.”

honoring the last known living search/rescue/therapy dog who worked at Ground Zero

It’s never too late to start; never too late to challenge yourself to do something different.

come away for a bit? for a virtual tour showing the splendor of Iceland…

his selfless act of kinds? what if we all did this?

…and he nails it: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

a huge reason to smile

Monday Night, September 14: IF: Pray 2015

We look around this world and see immense brokenness, difficulty, pain, and suffering. The headlines in the news, pain all over the Middle East because of ISIS, and it kinda feels like the sky is falling. We’re going to come together with our people, in our places, and we are going to pray- as a generation of women. Let’s humble ourselves and ask God to open our eyes to the places that He wants us to rebuild. We are going to beg Him to use it for His glory. Because like with Nehemiah, we believe that we can be a part of rebuilding all that is broken in this world.

Your people + Your place

Click here to learn of the 3 ways for you to be a part of IF: Pray

September 14 – Pray with us

and the miracle of this? never gets old, ever

… we’re right now in the middle of the world’s worst refugee crisis since WWII. 60 MILLION people. 

Jesus said: I was a stranger & you welcomed Me in. Did we? Or did we say we were too afraid?

We thought He was the enemy so we didn’t. And He will say: But — didn’t I ask you to Love your enemies? 

We thought that God hadn’t given us enough to share, so we lived through a lens of scarcity, and not the truth of abundance or generosity.  So, no, actually —  we didn’t welcome Him in.

And He will say: So you actually did not believe My grace was sufficient? You didn’t believe that My Perfect Love drives out all fear?

So I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink? I was hungry & you gave Me nothing to eat? I was a stranger — and you really did not welcome Me in? Please… tell Me you welcomed Me in? (Matthew 25) 

A CALL TO ACTION: Tomorrow, We Welcome Refugee Sunday

This Sunday, tomorrow – September 13, 2015  we are inviting all churches and Christian Leaders to take a moment in your services and gatherings to discuss the incredible humanitarian tragedy.

Sign up to register for We Welcome Refugees Sunday and receive tools for your Sunday Service 

and what if we always greeted each other like this?

“I know my Redeemer lives. I know my Redeemer loves me.”

Jesus — friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours…

[ print’s free for you here ]

Right about now, you can hear it crystal clear,

There’s a Freedom that rings & it won’t be silenced —

Freedom that rings for the heroes who run straight into burning buildings & crisis & need,

Freedom that rings for a nation of neighbours, that rings for the Helpers & the Responders & the Givers who stand up to give a willing hand.

Freedom that rings loud because there is no dark that can ever stare light down, there is no destruction that can ever destroy redemption, and there is no way we will ever forget.

The greatest freedom we have 

is the freedom to come right to God at any time, all the time,

and there’s no dark anywhere in this world that can ever stop hope from always rising.

‪#‎LetFreedomRing‬ #

[excerpted from our devotions in our little Facebook community … come join us?]

That’s all for this weekend, friends.

Go slow. Be God-struck. Grant grace. Live Truth.

Give Thanks. Love well. Re – joy, re- joy, ‘re- joys’ again

Share Whatever Is Good.