The Gospel, Relationships

Since this grace has captured my heart I have seen the heart of the gospel is relationships. I have had many good relationships in the past. I say good. I really didn't know how to love. But people still loved me. I was inward focused. I wanted to keep the peace. Make people happy. Not make anyone upset. Face no rejection at all cost.  Just not screw up.
Jesus came to show us an exact representation of the Father. Jesus said if you have seen me you have seen the Father. To know Jesus is to know the Father, through the Spirit. The same Spirit that indwells Jesus, indwells the Father and indwells us. We are one with them. Three persons, One God. We are to be in an intimate relationship with all three but One.  We are to be in intimate relationship with each other.  Where the defenses are down.  The fake life is melted away.  You are open and honest and true as led by the Spirit in each circumstance.  It is not a needing but a giving away.

Jesus showed us how to love through His life through the scriptures. Relationships are life giving and sustaining. Because it is Jesus in and through us loving others. I am as dependent on my relationship with the Father and others as an addict is to cocaine. The most addictive thing out there I have heard. But in a healthy, life giving way. Not in a lacking way but out of a fullness of the love of God in you.
I have screwed up in stepping off this cliff of loving others. You are gonna mess up in relationships. There is pain and suffering and love and joy and rewards and forgiveness and dependency. All that has to be refined and purified. Redeemed. Tried and true.  You are going to give love.  And so love doing it.  Then someone will come alone who gives to you.  Not that the others don't but this is different.  It is like you are being loved with the very love of Jesus.  You think they must be an angel of God sent to you to love you in this way.  Your heart will be touched.  Your spirit strengthened.  Wisdom given.  Mind altered.  Truth comes alive.  And the Spirit is supernatural.  And the most life giving love will be theirs expecting nothing in return.  You will know it is Him.  Lavishing His love on you through them.
The key to loving others is to know the love God has for you. It is pure, unconditional and faithful and truth. We love because He first loved us. Press on. Don't give up.  Learn to love as Jesus loved. Healthy and vibrant and life giving relationships. Don't be afraid you are going to mess up. You are. But God is your protector. Your provider of grace. Your joy and your peace. Trust in Him and His Spirit to counsel you.   It is through and in Christ that we live and breath and move. Allow Jesus to love you. And others through you.
Keep your heart before Him.  Let Him meet your every need and guide you through His Spirit.  It is out of the overflow of a fountain sustained by the love of The Father, Son and Spirit.  It is an intertwining.  A life giving.  It is a union that is not understandable but the example Christ gives is His union a man and a woman.  You are one with God.  You are in the family of God.  There is no great unity than living in the Spirit of God.

Ford Farms

Trophies of Grace

Can you imagine before time God sat down with Jesus. The conversation may have gone something like this, I would imagine. Jesus I have been thinking. I want a family. I want you to have a bride. I have chosen these people I want to give to you. I have been thinking about how to best go about this.

 I want them to know me Jesus. I want you to go show them who I am.  I want them to know my mercy and grace and love and justice. T

he best way to accomplish this, I think, is for them to need my mercy and grace. How else will they know what forgiveness and my unconditional love is for them. They will be sinners. They will need a Savior. I want you to go get them Jesus. I want you to become one of them. We will rescue and save them from evil and themselves. They are going to be enslaved as real as if the bars were in front of them and the chains were on their wrist and feet. They will need a new heart.  A new way of thinking.  They will have to be reborn. Our Spirit will dwell in them. 

  We will bring them into our intimate relationship.  They will be created in our own image.  You will live and breath and move in and through them Jesus.  Our love for each other must be shared.  It will change eternity for us Jesus.  Once brought in they will be with us forever.  They will be our delight.  They will be our trophies of Grace.  We will sing and party and dance.  And work and create and fellowship like they have never known.  We're going to have to teach them how to love and how to live free.  Our Spirit will do that.  You go show them Jesus and then leave them our Spirit.

It is going to be the hardest thing we have ever endured Jesus. We will have to be separated for a time. You will suffer for every sin they will ever commit. Every suffering they experience. You will feel the rejection from me and them. You will be all alone. We have never been separated. You have always been in my heart. We will do this for our glory and the joy it will bring us Son. You gotta trust me on this one Jesus. And here is how I want it done.

THe Colors

Scared

I have been so excited. My friend and I headed for the moutains today. I couldn't wait to see the color. We stopped for a meat and 3 lunch on the way. Then up the mountain we went. Soon there was breath taking color. Then we approached the road to the waterfall. We were going to kinda kill two birds with one stone kinda thing. We turn off to the right onto this long dirt gravel road. Seemed like we went forever. We passed workers on the road on the way. Then we turned into the parking lot. There were about 4 cars. It also was a camping ground. There was a trail we were pointed to by the map but it was not very defined. We concluded that was the way to the waterfall. I had a check in my spirit. Where are all the people. Why is this way not a clear path. I went anyway.
We. began our mile hike up the hill, across the creek, and down and up again and across. Over roots, very narrow paths, finally wet and slippery ground. It seemed like we went forever. If it had not been for my friend I would have turned back. I thought anything could happen here and no one would know. Lord you are with me. Help me see your beauty. We did see beautiful falls of water along the way. I kept thinking this is it. Then we approached the water fall itself. 70 ft. high. I heard it. I saw it from a distance. But there were trees and limbs in the way. Sharp and slippery rock that led onward.
My husband would kill me were my words to myself. There is nothing safe about here. I am not going any closer. My friend with great courage pressed forward to get her view and the pictures we came for. I though no picture is worth a broken leg out in this wildness. I am done.
As I stopped and my friend preceded I had no regret. I held fast to the land beneath my feet. I wiped my brow and rested on the tree beneath me. I cannot wait to see her pictures. I could see between the trees it was so enormous. It was so mighty and forceful. I just stopped and prayed. Lord I don't' have to have a picture. I wish I was willing to risk going further but it is enough just to be with you. Here in this place. If I am not having faith. Please forgive me. But for now dear Lord just please get me back to that parking lot. lol.
I remarked to my friend I just wanted to see the color. The leaves. I was so tired and so was she. She said their is a scenic view just 10 miles ahead.  Driving there and back and taking pictures should not take us more than 45 min.  She said I think you need to go on. I thought I don't know how much longer I can go. But yes you are right. We came out of the gravel road, turned left, went around a corner and there was the most beautiful sight. A pull off and a few that took my breath away.  It was the colors.  Deep and rich and glorious.   I was so thankful and amazed. This is what I had come for.  To see His glory in the trees.  God was so good to give it to me so I could give it to you.
My point is He knew I was afraid. He knew I was seeking His glory in His creation. And He gave it to me. I am overcome. It was one of those most memorable days. I was in the presence of my friend and of God. What could be better?

Sunset at Ford Farms

The House That God Builds

We may think God wants me happy, wealthy and sweet. He wants me to have a happy marriage, obedient children, loyal friends. When indeed God is about shipping us of all these things we build and He builds our lives with Him as the center. He wants women and men who will abandon themselves to Him. To the work of the kingdom. To be radical in their love to Him and others. To give of ourselves t

o the point of sacrifice. He is our example on the cross. He wants our worship and our whole heart. He will redeem, He will rescue, He will build. But He must be our joy. Where our value lies. We give out of a fullness not out of our selfish desires and needs. Then our needs will be fully met in Him. In finding Christ we find life and life abundant.
For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him... II Chronicles 16:9

This message of Grace

In between jobs and houses we lived on the lake for a few years.  I loved to take the kids out late in the afternoon, when no one was on the lake, and ski.  This particular early evening I was skiing and loving it.  Having a really good time.  The water was as smooth as glass.

Then I decided to drop a ski and see if I could ski with one ski.  I dropped the ski.  Hit the wake.  And I went down.  Deep down.  It was dark and the water was cold.  I felt as if someone was pulling me down.  I kept going deeper and deeper.  I couldn't breathe.  Then I reached a certain point and I began to come up.  The water got warmer.  I began to see the light shine through the water.  I burst forth out of the water and breathed in and out, over and over.  Deep breathes.

Then I reached the shore.  I threw myself onto the bank.  I felt safe and secure and alive.  I could give no more.  All I could do was to rest.  I was at peace.

This is a picture of this message of Grace to me and how it has impacted my life.  I began the christian life with joy and peace.  Then without any notice legalism moved in.  Pleasing people.  Trying to gain approval of God.  Prove my value and worth.  I looked to my husband to give this to me.  He was looking to his work to give it to him.  We were in a vicious circle.

It is healthy and good to voice our needs to our husbands.  But the question is when he doesn't or can't meet our needs how do we respond?  Are we paralyzed?  Are we angry?  Can you keep loving?  Accept the love they give you as imperfect as it maybe.  Is Jesus enough for you then and there.  Do you know how much you are valued and loved?  Or are you still looking for it in the places and people of this world.

If we are honest all our relationships are dysfunctional.  But yet Jesus loves us through them.  We are His body.  His bride.  We are all learning as I learned with my husband.  To let go of ourselves and give ourselves to God and each other.  We are not going to love perfectly.  Don't let this keep you away from relationships. Let God cover you.  Let the Spirit teach you.  Let people love you.  Relax.  Don't be afraid you are going to sin or mess up.  Sure you are.  You are human.

The point is not to try to be perfect.  The point is to trust the perfect one and His unfathomable love for you.  It never stops.  It never quits giving and loving and perusing, relentlessly.  He wants your heart and He wants you to give it to others.  Without thought or fear or worry about screwing up.  God is at the heart of relationships.  That is where He flourishes and where your needs are met and gifts are given.  In your relationship with the Father and Son through the Spirit and others.

You worried you are not pleasing Him?  Trust Him, bathe yourself in His free and unquenchable love.  And pass it on.  Trust He loves you and you are who He says you are.  And move on to living...It can be sad and hard but there is joy and peace in relationships.  The most wonderful gift given to man by God through His Son Jesus.  We are in a non ending relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit.  Jesus came to bring others in.  Lets do the same.

Messengers of Grace

One of the first things we want to do after this grace grips our hearts, is to pass it on.  We want others to know this joy and freedom.  To live wide open.  To be happier and more at peace than ever before.  In passing this message along we must trust in Christ to open the eyes and hearts of those we are giving it to.  And to give Him all the glory when they or we see.

This morning in my time with the Lord I was reminded of this verse.  It really brings great freedom in your role as a leader to this river of Living Water.  Paul planted earnestly but gave all glory to God for any growth.  He knew His role and depended fully on Christ for the results.

1 Corinthians 3:5-7

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

The Gospel of Grace Changes Us

The Gospel of Grace Changes Us...

The gospel makes the strong weak...and the weak strong in faith and trust and dependence on Him not in themselves. The gospel changes you. THe gospel breaks down the walls of self protection. It makes you the very best you can be. If you are introverted you begin to seek people out to love, you know where to go with your fears. You speak into others hearts. If yo

u are extraverted you listen more, learn to be still and love selflessly.
Both learn To be bold in Jesus and the Fathers love for others and the message of grace. We learn to be honest about our needs, weaknesses and failures and love each other even more intimately.
You lose yourself because you know you are valued and loved. Suddenly you move into life with a new confidence and victory. You break out of the mold. You try new and exciting things. You learn to let God stretch you in areas you were too fearful to go. Even though you maybe saddened by the pain of others you have a new peace and joy that permeates your very soul. A trust In the Father and His care for you and the ones you love. Your conscience is clear. THere is no more shame and guilt because you know all your sin has been paid for. It no longer keeps you from God. You go to Him on the merits of grace.
No longer do you pay attention to the negative voices in your head. Your are confident in who you are and the love and promises that go with being a child of the King. You learn to listen to the Spirits voice. Jesus said His sheep know His voice. It maybe a still quiet voice or a gentle nudge go this way or that. It maybe through scripture, a song, even an unbeliever. All of His creation comes alive. You see in color and no more in black and white. Not right and wrong, but Spirit led, in truth and in love.
Prayer becomes more than a devotional. It is a way of life. Your heart breaks for the lost, the confused, the enslaved, the hurting, the broken hearted, the sick of body and Spirit. You notice Jesus really is living His life through you and loving others. The compassion grows and grows. A longing comes for community and relationships. The under achiever and the over achiever both learn what true rest is. Faith in Gods love and control. Over Christ finished work on the cross on his behalf. Gifts are recognized and used. You see the work that needs to be done. You seek His glory and love above all else. The fruit of the Spirit merges as the ocean comes to the shore.
A new power is in your life. The same power that raised Christ from the dead. Out with the old in with the new. You are being healed and made whole. Old truths have new meaning. Or He teaches you and trains you in the ways of love. These things don't happen over night. God is in control of that. All you need to do is to trust and love God. He will give you both. Then go and love others.

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Arise Again

This grace thing has griped my heart and resonated with my soul.  I am not this awful vile sinner who seeks his own way.  I am a new creation in Christ.  I have a new heart. And that is what I live out of by faith.   I am identified with Him. I believe I am who He says I am and I have what He says I have.   I no longer live but Christ lives in me.  I know I am valued and loved and delighted in and me in Him.  I love God.  I want to serve Him and please Him. I do that by trusting Him.  I don't want to go my own way.  It is painful and hard sometimes but I trust Him with my life and the life of my family.  He made covenant promises to me and I count on them and believe them.  He gives me faith to carry on and love to love abundantly and live a life that I have never known before.  It is union and fellowship with the Father and Son through the Spirit. It is receiving and giving HIs love to me.   I yield and surrender my will to His will with delight because I trust and love Him.  I hate idols.  I run to Him.  He has torn down my idols.  I love Him with my whole heart and soul.  Does He perform miracles because I observer the law or because I have believed He is who He says He is.  It is faith and trust in Him. It is not even my faith.  It is His faith for me.  He is the faithful one.  My faith my fail and it will but His will never fail for me.  He loves me and died for me.  I am secure in Him.  Nothing can separate me from His love.  He will never forsake me or leave me no matter what I do.  THe power of the gospel I know because of identifying in the sufferings of Christ and I know Him and the power of His resurrection.  It is no longer I who live but is Christ living in me.  I repent because He is forever changing and teaching me new truths. I delight in following Him.  My conscience stays clear because I am forgiven past, present and future. Christ said it is finished.  THe price was paid.   Only then can I follow the leading of the Spirit.  Can I hear that still small voice.  Turn this way and that.  I lose myself in my love for HIm.  I am no longer introverted.  I am Christ centered.  I chose not to live out of the old flesh but out of the Spirit and my new heart and mind that is Christ living and breathing through me.  TO love Him and others. I don't believe I have to repent for fresh faith and power.  I know no scripture that says that. I think God gives me faith.  I love because He first loved me. But I am healed by His stripes.  I have power because the same Spirit that raised CHrist from the dead lives in me.  By the way I am no longer weak.  His strength is made perfect in my weakness.  I am strong.  I am not  living the defeated life any longer.  I want to change the name of my blog from desperate delight to something else.  I am no longer desperate.  I am a child of the King who was sought after and bought with a price.  I am forever His.

 

I'm Sad...

I didn't write yesterday. I just had no words to say. I was just sad.
You hear me talk about joy here lately a lot. You hear don't be negative. Be positive. If you know Jesus you have joy and peace.
Jesus was deeply troubled and sad in the garden, thinking of the cross that was before Him. The plan the Father had given Him before time. So much so He sweat blood. Can you imagine. Tears fill my eyes when I even contemplate this. He ask the disciples to keep watch. They couldn't even stay awake and their master was in the deepest pain He would ever be in His life until the reality of the cross was upon Him. On that cross He felt what sin had done in our lives even though He never sin. He felt the pain of humanity but yet He is God. He felt the loss of dreams, of families, the grief of death, the pain of physical suffering, the humiliation of abuse, the mental madness, the broken heart over love, addiction, the disappointment of failure, poverty. There is nothing that we can go through that He did not experience for every single one of His children.
We know Christ because we identify with His suffering. We know the power of His resurrection. This was my sadness. I was feeling the pain in my friends lives, my family, of those I don't even know but hear of their sufferings. I was grieving to the point of tears. Like the disciples I couldn't face it so I drifted off to sleep.
This morning I am feeling the same sadness but taking it to my Father. I am just sitting in His presence letting Him heal and love me. By His stripes we are healed. If we don't take our pain to our Father and our Lord it can run through our very soul. At the farm, we have had brush fires. My husband will start to burn a field and the wind will come out of no where. The flames will sweep through the bush faster than he can contain it. He calls in help. They beat it with wet towels until it is smothered out.
There have been many books written on the reasons for suffering. All I know is what scripture says. The same God who hung the moon and the stars. Who rises the sun. Who names the thousands of Galaxies. Is the same God who is so personal He calls you by name. He knows the number of hairs on your head. Who cares for the sparrow who falls from a tree. This same God has His purposes. No matter what your circumstances maybe telling you He is forever for you. His love is so beyond our comprehension. It is measured to the unmeasurable greatness of His power. He lives in you. His compassion is the same He had for His very own Son who is a part of Him. His Son is a part of you.  Let His love cover you as the wings of a mother bird cover her young. He forgets you not.

Conversation with Jesus

The Spirit has just shown me sometimes in my compassion for others I say I will do something for them and then I don't.
Maybe something happens. I can't do it right then. I forget. Or maybe it is hard for me to do. It will take a sacrifice on my part to get it done. I am sure there are times I don't think it is that important to them. I just let it go. Am I woman of my word? Do I keep my 

promises?
I am here with my grandson and my daughter. My grandson ask me to come. He said he missed me and my cooking. I planned to come one day. Then as the time was approaching I thought I saw it might not be the best time to come. I was looking for convenience for me. I kept asking him when he wanted me to come, over a course of a couple of days. He said when ever you want to mem. He had a baseball game last night. I though I won't get to see him much. He won't get to eat til late. I was going to have a busy day...would I have that much energy?
I told him I was coming and what did he want to eat. He said he didn't know so I said I will handle it. He was relieved and appreciative. I believed I was determined not to put it off again. I started my day off early. Praying the whole time.  I still wondered what was the right thing to do. Would the Lord give me the energy I needed to go to my daughters. They just moved could I find the way? I went to the store to shop. Found the house with no problem. Prepped the meal and had it ready to cook so it would be hot when he got home from his game.
He came in starved. I made a dish he had never had before and he thought it was great. He ate and ate. He sat with me throughout the night. Talking, laughing and just being together. What a joy it was. I thought why did it take me a couple of days to get here. Why did I wrestle to make the decision to come? Why is it hard for me to do what I say, make a decision and stick with it? I am afraid I will make the wrong decision. I know. Walking by faith is not comfortable.
God is not like this. He says what He will do and He does it. This morning I was sitting out in the starry,  moonlit morning thinking with God about this. Lord I don't doubt that in a few hours the sun will rise. The daylight will come. You will live your life through me today. You will keep your covenant promises to me and those I love. You are always faithful no matter what I do.
Lord, help me to be more like you. Help me keep my promises. Keep my word. I pray I love others the way they tell me they want to be loved. Not what is convenient or seemingly important to me. Take away my fear of doing the wrong thing. Making a mistake. Lord I want to love with your love. Be faithful with your faith. May I live a life of victory and not defeat. It is not a matter of making the right decision. It is a matter of letting Jesus love and live His life through me. I am going to mess up. But I just need to keep my eyes on Jesus. Keep stepping out in faith and don't look back with regret.

Tied to a Rope

Have you ever felt like your heart has been tied to a rope and thrown out to sea? Then out of the blue someone comes along and loves you. I don't mean necessarily a romantic love? I mean just overcome with love for someone? It could have been for a grandmother, a teacher, a mentor, a Sunday School teacher. Even a best friend. Through their love you become the very best you can be. THey believ

e in you. You lose yourself. THe focus is not on you. You are just alive, and happy and full. You even go and love other people better. You forgive. You build others up and encourage them. You love being with them. They just make your day. They form your character. You become and want to be more like the things you see in them. THey give you value and worth. Your eyes are on them with adoration. It makes everything you do wonderful. You enjoy even the simplest of things in life. You try new and exciting things. Your problems seem smaller and they seem more important. Because you are loved.
If the love from another person and our love for them can give us this kinda life. Make this much difference in us. How much more is our love for Jesus and His and the Fathers love for us change us. This is just a shadow of the life in CHrist and our union with Him. It is just a taste of the unconditional love of God.
We are Jesus to others. He life lives, His love loves, through us to others. He builds our community. Stretches our hearts to people we have never known before. We reach out instead of turning in. We accept and cherish others instead of analyzing or judging. We build up and encourage. We believe for them when they can't believe. We pray when they can't pray. We hold their arms up. We tell them about Grace and our Savior and His love for them. God uses us to help set the captives free. To bring them into the body. To journey along side them. To let them see joy and peace they have never seen before. We give them life when we give them Jesus. He is life.

Do I listen?

People need to be valued. They are valued by God but our role in love relationships with them. It is a give and take a take and give...a dance.
Do you listen? Do I listen? I am asking myself.
Or am I thinking about what I have to go do. Do you just wish they would hurry up and finish their story, you are busy. Too busy to listen right now. I will come back to them tomorrow. Surely this ca

n wait.
Or are you thinking? OMG what a mess they are in. What am I going to say to them. I can't listen to this I have no answers. So worried about what you are going to say you don't listen to what they are saying.
Maybe you are thinking. I can't listen to this. It is too painful for me. I just can't feel this pain right now. I have enough problems of my own. What do I do with all this pain...theirs and mine.
Jesus stopped what He was doing and He listened. He felt their pain on the cross. He has compassion. He catches our tears in a bottle. He is our comfort. He knows the Father gives Him the answers. He gives them Jesus. He is the answer.
Each individual story has a unique way to Jesus. To the love of the Father. That is where we come in. To partner with the Spirit in showing them the way. He promises to make the way straight. He levels the mountains and raises the seas. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the way to true love and relationship with the Father.
Don't be afraid to love. It is the most wonderful thing God does for us is give us His love in His Son. You can't keep it. Give it away.

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Run Don't Walk

Run Don't Walk...

In this marathon with God, He has been teaching me to run by Faith. I have felt like Forest Gump, when his enemies were chasing him. He was trying to walk fast. Then Jenny yelled out as God does to us, "run Forest run". He began this awkward run because of his leg braces. Then they broke lose. They fell to the ground. He looked down once or twice. Then He ran and ran and ran.

.

No matter what our physical limitations maybe, God wants to teach us to walk by faith. To run by faith. And to rest by faith. He moves into our world. Tares down our walls of protection from pain and the world. He reveals His love for us in our inner most being. We begin to feel we have value. Our past, the cry of our soul, is healed. We are humbled and we learn to receive all our heart has longed for He gives us.

So this love has to go somewhere. We cannot contain it.  It is like you pouring into a glass and keep pouring and pouring and pouring.  It overflows.  So we begin to love in new fearful, exciting, and wonderful ways. Ways we have never loved before not only those who are like us but those oh so different.

Because of His faithfulness to set us free we begin to trust Him. Not just in the big things in our life. But the everyday, moment by moment, happenings, relationships and circumstances that enter into our unpredictable world. We move from our comfortable little lives, to a world full of life, love, excitement and yes, even failure at times.

But we take the falls, the times we fail, seriously.  But ourselves lightly. We repent quickly. Our conscience is kept clear because of the forgiveness of the cross on our past, present and future failings. It all has been dealt with in Christ.

We realize this God, who loves us, does not just live among us but He lives in and through us. We become more of who we truly are. We are united with Him and nothing can ever separate us.

The Father sent His Son to come get us to join the party. It is for the family. For the bride of Christ, we the church. We thought it was after we died but actually the celebrations start now. In this life. It is a Spiritual, magical, intimate relationship, abundant, rich and full, with the Father and Son. We are the reason He endured the cross. We are the joy that was set before Him.  And oh what joy it is...

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Love so amazing...

Are you paralyzed by the past? Stunned by the present? Fearful of the future?

Love so Amazing...

There is a love so amazing so divine. 
There is an unbreakable union between Christ and mine. 

My body is his dwelling place. 
He is the Faithful one in every case.

 He took up residence deep within me.
 I am a child of God, how can this be?

 His Son hung on a cross to set me free. 
His thoughts were of the Father and 

of me.

 He gave me the gift of Life for eternity.
More glory and grace than man can see.

He humbled Himself to come and serve.
To give me a life I don't deserve.


One of hope and love and peace and joy.
That no man, spirit or thing can destroy.


He is the one faithful and true.
He created me in His imagine and made me bran new.


 He chose me before the beginning of time.
That His love and inheritance would be mine.


Now this life I live by His faith.
He rescued me when I could not escape.


My heart will sing His praise forever more.
This life with Christ I have come to adore.


The Fathers love was poured out on me.
The day Jesus was crucified on calvary.

He love me from the beginning
When he set His eyes on me.

Jesus made the way to relationship with the Father.
For love and peace and tranquility there is no other.

Our Creator's Glory

Our Creators Glory.  Within a breath it was gone.

I'm Alive

I am so excited about life!  No my circumstances haven't change a lot, but some.  I am excited about what the Spirit has been teaching me today.  I am excited about Christ life in me.  There are old truths of scripture that I have heard for 20 years and they have come alive today through the eyes of my heart.  Christ is living in and through me and I am to live this life by the faith of Jesus who died for me.  It is not a bunch of rules we must keep. It is not trying hard to be good and please God.   It is a personal, vibrant, receiving, guiding relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit. It is trusting and leaning into Christ.  This is not new to me.

But I see to have guilt, shame, condemnation, fear, anxiety, depression, judgement, anger and unforgiveness is to separate myself from faith in what Christ did for me at the cross. The gifts the Father gave me through Christ. I must repent when this happens.  My faith may fail but His faith will never fail. Remember Peter denying Christ three times after spending three years walking with Him.  Being taught by Him.   His truth will never change.  I am valued, loved, accepted, forgiven, righteousness and have faith in God's provision and protection and control over the people and circumstances of my life.  I can trust Him.

I can love Him and reciprocate with the love He has given me.  I can have faith and reciprocate with the faith He has given me.  It is all things in and through Him.  It is a Spiritual dance between Father and Son.  It is a mystical, reciprocating dance.  And they have brought us in.  Paraphrased from my friend Chris.  It is an invitation into more joy, more peace, more love than we can comprehend.

You may say...well He is not teaching me.  I don't feel His presence or His arms around me.  I pray and pray.  I feel nothing.  I hear nothing.  I see no answers to prayer.

I think God by His word wants me to tell you don't give up.  It is the darkest before the dawn.  Remember in the dark what you knew in the light.  Keep the faith.  Be persistent.  Draw from Him strength like you have never done before.  From deep with in you.  It is there.  Repent of your unbelief.  Tell Him you believe help your unbelief.  He that has named the stars cares for and about you.

Lastly sit in His presence.  He is a good Father and He longs to just sit and love you.  Talk to Him if you will.  But just quiet your mind and heart of all voices but His.  Let Jesus love you.  You are His bride.  We are His body.  He lives and breathes and moves in and through you.  You are His righteousness.  You can give up the struggle.  You can rest.  Rest in the gift of your Father, His one and only Son to now make you a son of God.

Galatins 2:20  Go to www.biblegateway.com and type in the verse and then the translation is the Message.  Hope it blesses you.

Don't Worry?

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 

Is not worrying, as simple as "take it to the Lord in prayer"? Can God really turn a troubled heart in to o

ne that fully rest, fully trust in Him. Can He lift our burdens where the weight is light? Really? talk to Him. Tell Him your worries. Share your heart. Then something supernatural happens. You begin to trust Him and rest that He is able to do what He will without you. Then all is well, all is well with your soul. There is a peace and a joy that comes beyond understanding.

I had a situation with someone I love, where we did all we could to help. Then all we could do was stand back and pray and watch as God provided all their needs. Sometimes we have to get to the end of our resources to trust God. We can actually stand in the way of Him working to where He just waits til we quit trying to do it ourselves and depend on Him and His power to show His stuff! That is His glory. Sometimes the best thing you can do is get out of the way.  Your partnership with Him is to believe.

Love lifted me.  Love lifted me.  When nothing else could help.  Love lifted me...

Love Captures Me

What is this love, amazing grace so divine.  It captures my soul, my all.  Who is this King that calls us sons. Whose inheritance is mine.  Who gives me identify and worth and eternity with Him.   Who is this Father whose heart broke for me as He saw His Son on Calvary.  Whose plan was above what man can comprehend to share the love for His delight and mine. For justice and mercy to marry. Who sings and dances with me with a love that is more than this world can explain. Who is this Son that came to rescue me?  To set my heart ablaze and free.  This One who loves me and couldn't leave me in the pit, but came to get me into the family.  To know this love.  To experience His awesome delight in me.  That He would sacrifice it all that i might share in this love so deliberate, so determined, to get me.  For me to receive His love and His grace for me.  Beyond comprehension, beyond my knowledge my understanding.  So astounding.  So majestic.  My mind cannot comprehend.  His greatness and His power but humility to seek me.  To serve me.  To live in me this holy one of Israel. The King of the universe.  Of all universe.  The King of all Kings.  The beginning and the end.  To love me. To lay His life down for me. To sacrifice all for me.

Oh that I know this grace, this joy and peace beyond understanding.  This intimacy within the Trinity.  That no matter what my circumstances I trust His hand and His love for me.  That He is my Father and I am His child.  His ways are perfect and holy and just.  His mercy is mine.  Love so amazing, grace so divine.  He is my life, my God, my all.  I offer a sweet sacrifice of praise to the holy One.  The Only One who is the One true God.

The Power of Words

As a little child I remember saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones."  "But words will never hurt me".  I would say this to someone on the play ground that would make fun of me.  And then I would run.

We have words inside and outside our head.  Is there someone in your life, maybe at work, at home, even your past. that is recounting your faults.  Telling you what a failure you are?  How you don't listen and you will never learn?  How you can't do anything right?  These words are painful.  They stick in our memory.  They affect what we believe about ourselves.

What do the voices in your head tell you?  Both are full of pride.  I don't need anyone.  I made it this far...I can do it own my own.  Or, I did it again.  I will never be free from this sin or failure.  There is no hope?  God is not listening.  I am all alone.  Does anyone really care.  These words and thoughts are straight from the pit of hell.  Satan knows he can't take you from God but he can make you powerless and ineffective in the kingdom.  He wants you to be independent of God.  He wants to make your life miserable.

Jesus is the word of God.  His words about who we are more powerful than any other words.  We need to fill our hearts and minds with the truth of who God says we are.  We are righteous. forgiven, loved with an everlasting love of God.  We are His workmanship.  Treasures of His grace.  We reveal His glory.  We are saints.  We have the very heart of Jesus and the Father living in us.  We need people of grace, telling us the truth.  We need to ask the Spirit to make these words real to our hearts.

Jesus was reject by man and by God. Jesus suffered so much in thinking about the separation from God, He sweat blood.   'He thinks He is the King of the Jews', they said.  They spat upon Him and beat Him.  They made Him a crown of thorns.  He never opened His mouth.  He kept His eyes on the Father and the plan He had made.  On the Fathers love for Him, even though He couldn't feel it.  We maybe rejected by man but we will never be rejected by the Father or suffer what Jesus suffered, because of Jesus' blood.

 Keep a short account with Jesus.  Keep your heart before Him.  Don't let your hurt turn to anger and bitterness. If it does repent before God.   Forgive as you are forgiven.  'This love of the Father is what has carried you in the past.  Will carry you in the present.  And will carry you home.'  (paraphrased from my pastor).