4 Ways to Feel God’s Love Throughout Your Day

“You give me joy beyond measure

And a peace I can’t explain

You are my chosen treasure

It is amazing how my life has changed

And I’ll never be the same again

I can only Smile when I think about your love…

Love so amazing and so real…

When I think about your grace….

I can only smile when I think of all of your way

When I lift my hands in praise…

I can only smile…”  Matthew Perkins

www.mattperkins.org

Unity 101- 4 Ways to Feel God’s Love Throughout Your Day

Life deserves smiles. Our heavenly father only wants our love and our trust. With that trust comes a joy from within. Yes, life is troublesome and difficult and our worries mount daily. It is our personal challenge to have faith and realize that God is always with us. As Matthew 28:20 details to us “…and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

Let me share with you a 4 small ways that help feel God’s love throughout my day.

You say grace before meals. All right.

But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.

G. K. Chesterton

#1 PRAYER AT EVERY MEAL – A FAMILY TRADITION

Our family traditions including one fundamental item – that is to always say grace before each and every meal – even at restaurants! A short simple prayer of gratitude and thankfulness to God at mealtime is a must! Even in the restaurants.

People out in the restaurants will notice and on occasion we have had comments and have seen others following!

If you don’t pray with your family, it is a great tradition to start, and it is really simple to start at the dinner table.

Saying grace should not be reserved just for Thanksgiving but for every family meal! And look what a great philosopher has to say about saying grace:

Building Palaces for Him – Serving God

There are strange ways of serving God;

You sweep a room or turn a sod,

And suddenly, to your surprise,

You hear the whirr of seraphim,

And find you’re under God’s own eyes.

And building palaces for him.

Herma Hagedorn

#2 REMEMBERING GOD IS IN THE DETAILS

I try to always remember that God loves the little things. Church every Sunday is something I strive for, daily prayers I must remind myself are not whining sessions, and they need to follow the Lord’s Prayer of thankfulness and reaffirmation of faith. And when we go through our daily chores, I try to remember God in my heart and soul and my mind. Here is a poem I carry with me at least one day of the week to remember, to keep focus from Herma Hagedorn.

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.

Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

~Albert Schweitzer

#3 OUR FRIENDS – OUR FAMILY

God will give you what you need to endure. Friends and family – seek God together and miracles abound. For where 2 or more are gathered in my name……

#4 PRAYER/TRUST/FORGIVENESS – CONTROL OUR INTERIOR VOICES/THOUGHTS

Prayer is a powerful tool given by God. But prayer must be delivered with respect and praise. I have found that I cannot pray with respect unless I actively seek to control the negative voices and thoughts in my head.

Music is not only comforting but also serves to provide a guide for what our interior voices and thoughts should be – praise for God.

Why the article title "unity 101"? Because if we are able to feel God's love, we have no room for hate - that is the only way to add unity to humankind - to realize we all interconnected in God's love. God's world is immense, God's love is immense. But we need to include God in our lives on a daily basis. Forgiveness is a grace only made possible from God. Forgiveness is the hardest item and must be achieved before we can love others. Harboring hate hurts ourselves and distances us from God. God wants us to be close to him - God wants ALL of us to be close to him. We are his children.

One of my favorite songs of praise that I try to keep in head throughout the day is Matthew Perkin's song Smile - play the video provided up above and hear the joy, feel the happiness, feel God's love for you.

Yes, everyone is out on YouTube, watching the latest funny video or the child's video that has gone viral but what about the praise music out on YouTube? This music is free and may lead you to a new artist.

One of my favorite singers is Josh Groban and while I normally just listen to him, on occasion I will mix it up and put in just the phrase praise music to see the latest great hits. One of the treasures I found the other day was a rap song - yes a rap song that moving. So I started searching for another rap song - and what I found was Joyful Noise - delightful. So take your daily devotional to a new level and try something new. We can feel God's love in a number of different ways, try a new reading, a new type of music. Keep your connection to God fresh and you will feel his love for you.

God loves you and wants you to reach out to him so that you can feel his love throughout the day. Yes, the world is rough and the obstacles that he permits to be placed in front of us are difficult. Take the time today to set a new goal for yourself if you are not already setting aside a new moment each day to be with God. Open your heart to his love, and be silent, and feel is his love for you. Each of us is unique, created by God for the love the entire creation and world we live in called earth. God wants to be with you each day. Blessings to you my friend, I pray that you find God's love each day.