Phrases we are all familiar with:
Love is in the air.  Love is blind. Don’t you just love the view from here?
Love is forever  (Well maybe not always in our lives but certainly its true with God and how much he loves us).

There are so many ways to love, ways to show our love. Places, people, pets, sandwiches, those brownies my wife just made. I love the way the way they smell when I come in from shoveling snow off the driveway.     We use the word “love” practically every day. 
Love is all around! We sing about it. “Love is a many splendored thing.” We read it, we say it. We probably do use the word every day. And we all know what it means, but did you know that the bible uses the word 538 times?      (It depends on which translation you have)   and it uses different words for different kinds of love. Let’s be clear, though, all love comes from God.    Jesus even uses the word “love” thirteen times.

The Bible first uses the word in Genesis 22:2. Then God said, “take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac and go to the Moriah area. Sacrifice him there on a mountain as a burnt offering, which I will show you.” This would be storge love, family love or parental love.    (/ˈstɔːr.ɡi/; from Ancient Greek στοργή (storgḗ) 'love, affection')

Matthew 22: 39, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”  I just love my new little granddaughter. Have you seen my new dog? He’s such a good boy, I just love him. I love my wife. All of these uses of the word love are certainly different from each other.
1 Peter 4:8 “Above all. Love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. “And that’s Philia, Brotherly love.

There is romantic love in the Song of Solomon which is a gift from God. The Bible says to “Let all your actions be guided by love” I Cor. 16:14.     

Psalm 136: 1-3 “Praise the Lord! He is good. God’s love never fails. Praise the God of all gods. God’s love never fails. Praise the Lord of lords. God’s love never fails.”

In the Bible, Agape Love (Charity) is the best of all forms of love. This word describes the unparalleled love that God has for all mankind.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.  That kind of love makes my love of those fresh raspberries I just picked not seem so important. But God gives us his love, freely and He expects us to share that love with those around us.
 
1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
It warms our hearts, it warms our soul. Love makes life complete and heals us.

“Love is always patient, love is kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Today, take inventory of   how to incorporate (give out and receive) more love. 

Dan Smith
General Manager 
Rocky Mountain CTN- Colorado Springs

FREE THANKSGIVING MEAL IF YOU ARE IN THE COLORADO SPRINGS AREA:
One of our church friends and programmers in Colorado Springs, Israelite Church of God in Christ, is giving away a turkey and all of the dinner fixings.
If you or someone you know is in need of a Thanksgiving dinner and lives in the Colorado Springs area,    call or text 719-392-3322 by Sunday, November 15th to sign up to receive the basket.
Pick up will be on Saturday, November 20th from 9am - noon at:
123 Security Blvd. Colorado Springs, CO 80911.
*You can watch the video for more information.

Join us LIVE in person for a new LiftOff Your Finances™ day conference - Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, in beautiful Denver, Colorado. This is not an investment class, and it's not designed to make you feel bad about any financial decisions you’ve made in the past. Instead, during this live event, you'll meet Tamara Hill and learn key financial principles firsthand, including:

• How your faith and Bible-based principles can transform your finances.
• How to develop your personal money game plan to accelerate your financial goals. 
• How to realize your financial dreams through a new money mindset.

The conference setting is very modern and beautiful, with a delicious breakfast and lunch included with your registration fee, as well as a bountiful snack bar to keep you fueled throughout the day. Free onsite parking is included along with all class materials. 
NOTE:  Please remember that this is not an investment class or a conference filled with sales pitches. It’s truly designed to empower you to transform your personal financial circumstances in a practical way that’s both inspirational and meaningful for you. ​

You can also see her teaching program on RMCTN on Thursday's at 7pm or Saturday's at 1pm. MT
​WAYS TO WATCH:
LiveStream:     https://www.rockymountainctn.com/live-stream.html

Denver, Northern Colorado & Cheyenne (KQDK/KQCK):
Comcast (Ch 643 HD & Ch 51 sd)
Comcast coverage also includes: Castle Rock, Breckenridge & Aspen
Dish (Ch 33 HD & sd)
Century Link (Ch 39)
Antenna (Ch 39.1, .2, .3 or 33.1, .2, .3)
TDS Telecommunications
(Estes Park- Ch 94; Arvada- Ch 91 / Ft. Collins- Ch 92)
​
Colorado Springs & Pueblo (KWHS):
Comcast (Colorado Springs- Ch 6 / Pueblo- Ch 385)
Antenna (Ch 51.1 & .2)
Ft. Carson (Ch 88) / Peterson AFB (Ch 51)
Air Force Academy (Ch 6)
Prism/Century Link (Ch 51) - TVision (Rye/Colorado City Ch 156)
StratusIQ-Ch 568 in Falcon, Colorado
​
*You can also watch us on ROKU:
Search for CTN and under that you will find our Rocky Mountain CTN programming.

In a world full of distractions, do you crave stillness, rest, and deeper intimacy with God? Make plans to attend the 2021 Women Arise Conference at Charis Bible College in Woodland Park, Colorado!

Bring your friends, mothers, sisters, and daughters October 28–30, and immerse yourself in God’s Word together with our anointed speakers. This three-day retreat in the Rocky Mountains will refresh your spirit and teach you about God’s nature, because as He is, so are we in this world.

This event is free, but registration is encouraged. An optional meal ticket covering two lunches is available for purchase during the online registration process. There will also be food vendors onsite, or you can enjoy restaurants and attractions in Woodland Park.
To register or for more information:
https://www.awmi.net/event/women-arise-2021/

​This past weekend an event called: PRAY THE PERIMETER took place. There were 32 routes to cover the perimeter of Colorado with prayer and all of the routes were taken and prayed over. Let's continue to thank God every day that there is a supernatural fire surrounding our state that brings transformation and revival.
KEEP PRAYING CHURCH! God is moving across the country, don't get weary. A praying church will see the Victory!

In the past anxious season with a pandemic and political unrest, it gave me great hope to open the seed catalogue I found in my mailbox and then get to daydream wistfully about some new vegetables which may actually grow in my backyard garden here in Colorado Springs. At an elevation of over 6,800 feet and with such a short growing season not everything is suited for the local conditions. I loved getting the ground ready and mapping out my plan for the garden.   

There are gardens throughout the Bible and at least a hundred and twenty five plants, and trees and herbs are mentioned.
In the Song of Solomon 2:10-13; “My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs and the vines are in blossom, they give forth fragrance.  Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.”

In Solomon 6:11; “I went down to the orchard of nut trees to see the flowers of the valley, to see whether the grapevine had budded and if the pomegranates were in flower.”

And in Luke 13:19; "It’s like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his own garden and it grew and became a tree and the birds of the sky found shelter and nested in its branches.”

And where did this all start, with this garden planet, the earth. Let’s go to Genesis…
 In Genesis 1:11-12; And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation , plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth. And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seeds according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”

And then, where do we come in?
Genesis 2:8; "And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.” 

A garden is a sacred outdoor space where you can retreat from the world, relax, take your mind off your worries, feed yourself and reawaken your connection with the Spirit of the Lord. We can plant and water, fertilize, prune and harvest but it is God who gives our garden life and He who makes things grow.
 
 In first Corinthians 3:7 it says; “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything but only God who gives the growth.”

We are so glad to taste a ripe raspberry or crunch down on a carrot and think what great gardeners we are. How does  this compare to God in our lives?  He made us and paid a heavy price for us. Are we growing into the person that God would have us to be? Are we giving God His return? We know what happened to Adam and Eve in the garden they were given by God to live in. Are we living our lives faithfully and becoming the person He would have us to be here on earth, this garden, so that we can join with him in Heaven? 

The Word of God in Deuteronomy 28 gives us  instruction and hope:  “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. …”

And what about the return in my own backyard garden?  I just heard a radio report from the US Department of Agriculture says that for every dollar’s worth of vegetable seeds you plant, you can raise  (and I add “with God’s help”) twenty five dollars’ worth of produce in your own garden.   Now, that’s a pretty good return!

We need gardens not just for food but for so many reasons. In a recent study from The University of Birmingham in England, they found that the more green and garden space they establish in prisons, it dramatically cuts down on violence and self-harm.  Gardens provide for physical health and nourishment, mental and spiritual wellbeing, as well.

Every time I’m out in my garden, I have fond memories of my father who loved to garden and who could spend the entire day outside working in the dirt, even in the blazing heat of an Oklahoma summer and for him, it never really felt like work.  And then there was that first tomato, well now, that was something close to heavenly.

Let me leave you with one last encouraging verse: 
Ephesians 5:15: "Be very careful then, how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity”.

Let's  continue to cultivate the gardens of our hearts to be a  transforming force in our world for the Kingdom of God.  

Dan Smith
General Manager
Rocky Mountain CTN- Colorado Springs

Right now, our country is in an interesting place. Memorial Day is today, and there is a part of this country that cannot understand what “remembering” truly means.
 
The freedoms we have in this country have not just been inherently given and simply granted but have been fought for by men and women who have sacrificed their lives for the ability to stand for or even burn an American flag. Remembering and honoring those who came before us in defense of our country doesn’t mean they always did everything right.  
 
The power in remembering the past is that we can see what was good and what was wrong and then work FORWARD to not repeat those same mistakes again. There are people/organizations who would want to erase or rewrite history or to “start over” with a clean slate but there are dangers in that thinking, especially for future generations.
 
In my life, I cannot just erase the things that I have done wrong and start over. This may sound strange, but as a follower of Christ, there is actually power in being able to not look at your past and be depressed about what you did, but to look at where you have come from and the strides you have made towards becoming a better person with the help of Jesus. Errors in life can be either markers to show how far you have come or can be anchors that keep you from being able to move forward into the best version of you for yourself and the world around you.
​
In looking back at the history and growth of America, I can say that we did not always do everything right. But those things that were not done right do not discount all the GOOD that has been done for the citizens of America and the world in general. I am an eternal optimist when it comes to our country and its members to find the right way, with God’s help, and to be the best version it can be for the sake of the country as a whole and world. This is not turning a blind eye to the things that have been done incorrectly through the years but taking moments like Memorial Day and committing to never walk or do those same things ever again.
 
We cannot truly rewrite history, but we CAN commit to making good decisions going forward and honoring those who have brought us this far in this great country called America. 

There are several ways to participate in the National Day of Prayer tomorrow:
*Downtown Denver at  the West Steps of the Capitol from 11am - 2pm

*Find an event near you:
   https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/eventswww.nationaldayofprayer.org/events

​*We have  a 1 hour special with local pastors and leaders praying on specific topics you can watch on our Facebook page:   https://www.facebook.com/RockyMountainCTN
starting at 9am or  on our  regular tv programming at noon and 7pm.

WAYS TO WATCH:
LiveStream:   https://www.rockymountainctn.com/live-stream.html

Denver, Northern Colorado & Cheyenne (KQDK/KQCK):
Comcast (Ch 643 HD & Ch 51 sd)
Comcast coverage also includes: Castle Rock, Breckenridge & Aspen
Dish (Ch 33 HD & sd)
Century Link (Ch 39)
Antenna (Ch 39.1, .2, .3 or 33.1, .2, .3)
TDS Telecommunications
(Estes Park- Ch 94; Arvada- Ch 91 / Ft. Collins- Ch 92)
​
Colorado Springs & Pueblo (KWHS):
Comcast (Colorado Springs- Ch 6 / Pueblo- Ch 385)
Antenna (Ch 51.1 & .2)
Ft. Carson (Ch 88) / Peterson AFB (Ch 51)
Air Force Academy (Ch 6)
Prism/Century Link (Ch 51) - TVision (Rye/Colorado City Ch 156)
StratusIQ-Ch 568 in Falcon, Colorado
​
*You can also watch us on ROKU:
Search for CTN and under that you will find our Rocky Mountain CTN programming.