His spark of Life: 1 Peter 1:8

"Though you have not seen him, you love him;

 and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him

 and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,"

1 Peter 1:8

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

In the garden, that is where conversations between my spirit and our Lord Jesus flourishes. Those moments encircled with His creation. Sunrises, Twilight, and Sunset... quick moments to ponder His greatness, His goodness, and His precision in creation.

Today's devotional speaks of joy. Joy is a promise, a gift to God's people. Free for the asking. Unveiled around us in all of His creations. As filling as any morsel of goodness. A feast for your eyes when His truth stirs up His spring of life with in your spirit. Joy is an "eternal reason to celebrate."

While reading, I pondered those moments in which: "All is well."  In those Heaven sent moments when trials transform into a source of "deep, lasting, unshakable hope."

Zinnias provide a delightfully cheerful burst of joy. Gardeners have chosen Zinnias as a trademark of bursting joy. In my reading today, I've decided to follow the lead... "Plant a patch of zinnias and let them remind you of His inexplicable Joy!"

"Precious Lord,

I have never seen You with my eyes,

but I love You.

I thank You, Lord, for the peace and joy

You pour into my heart.

May Your presence in my life

spark the kind of smiles that Your zinnias do."

Miriam Drennan

Miriam Drennan

ISBN: 9780718030506

Publisher's Synopsis:

There’s nothing on earth like the peace and loveliness of a magnificent garden. It’s the place where Adam and Eve first fellowshipped with God, and where you, too, can escape from this chaotic world into His loving arms of beauty and serenity.Devotions from the Garden takes you to that place where senses are restored as dewdrops settle and butterflies gather to witness the miracles of God’s creation bloom and grow. These ninety devotions explore the parallels of life with the elements of the garden to help you see God, to sense His presence, to soothe your soul, and to rest in knowing He is with you throughout each day. Included are striking photographs with a fresh, contemporary design for timeless appeal.

Growing Great Zinnas

The Gardener's Workshop link

Just Be His Creation: Job37:5-6

God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; 

he does great things beyond our understanding.

He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,'

 and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'

Job 37: 5-6

Good afternoon Abba, Good afternoon Jesus, Good Afternoon Holy Spirit,

Have you ever heard of Liturgy Oriented? I had not, but believe me, I will be practicing these moments with God for the rest of this season.

Present Over Perfect has been a great discovery. Shauna's book study is spot on for where I'm being lead. Just for today, here are a few insights to enter into a deeper presence with our Lord:

1. Ignatian spirituality is rooted in the conviction that God is active, personal, and—above all—present to us. When you are reading a segment of scripture ask the Lord to open you up to new aspects of Jesus' character through His revelation of the passage. Place yourself within the scene (walking, listening, feeling, sensing) what they experienced.
2. Unearth and Relearn what God is really saying to you. "Set aside your lens of understanding." Learn to be with Him in silence (stillness of His beauty, sense His goodness, listen for His voice of love and forgiveness).
3. Practice centering prayer. Picture His image or part of His word or one of His names. Ask God to whisper to you who He is.
4. Practice Restfulness. Practice responsible and respectful rest. God is in control of all things... it doesn't depend on you. Seek His provision of resurrected rejuvenation.
5. Hold all things up to the lens of His words only. Let go of your lens about His words (beliefs, version of scripture, self-labels or agreements).
6. Embrace the daily and weekly rhythms and practises that will ground you in His love. Be centered in the way He made you, letting the revelation of His love into your heart (love, joy, promises, will, calling, delights).

Remember, in Job 37:5-6 He is guiding us that the snow just falls as snow and the rain just pours down. We can live and do the only thing He created us to be. For He is God... He is mighty... He created you... Just be His creation.

Shauna Niequist

ISBN: 9780310342991

Publisher's Synopsis:

Present Over Perfect is an invitation to this journey that changed my life. I’ll walk this path with you, a path away from frantic pushing and proving, and toward your essential self, the one you were created to be before you began proving and earning for your worth.

Written in Shauna’s warm and vulnerable style, this collection of essays focuses on the most important transformation in her life, and maybe yours too: leaving behind busyness and frantic living and rediscovering the person you were made to be. Present Over Perfect is a hand reaching out, pulling you free from the constant pressure to perform faster, push harder, and produce more, all while maintaining an exhausting image of perfection.

Shauna offers an honest account of what led her to begin this journey, and a compelling vision for an entirely new way to live: soaked in grace, rest, silence, simplicity, prayer, and connection with the people that matter most to us.

In these pages, you’ll be invited to consider the landscape of your own life, and what it might look like to leave behind the pressure to be perfect and begin the life-changing practice of simply being present, in the middle of the mess and the ordinariness of life.

Study Gateway Link

Called with Grace: 2 Tim 1:9

"He who has given us life and has called us with a holy calling,

 not according to our works,

 but according to his will and the grace which has been given to us in Yeshua The Messiah

 before the time of the world,"

2 Tim 1:9 ABPE

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

Have you wondered how the disciples walked by faith, even to the point of death? What gave them the courage, the grit, the freedom from "that which is in the world," and the peace-filled grace to walk each day with purpose? For my daily walk, the moment I leave my devotional time and enter my daily life, I find the things of this world begin taking over my focus. Once my focus is redirected, gosh, my graciousness and even my dignity begins to falter. Why is that? 

How do I bring people with me into His marvelous light? Am I celebrating the gift I've been given by Jesus? How am I responding to His gift of Grace and Holiness? Tough questions, right! As an educator, the most valuable aspect to my calling has been a simple formula: seeking to know + willingness to practice + internalizing with a journal = living as a life-long learner. The prior questions and so, so, many more become clearer when I can read, listen, write, and contemplate in my time spent before our Lord. Summertime retreat means mornings spent with a spiritual leader (chosen book), my journal, and Study Gateway.

For today, learning how to "Dance in Grace, Stand our Holy Ground, and Run our Mission" will inspire me as this day unfolds. Today's choice is to step into the abundance of His blessings,

"Looking at the Holiness that God has written over you

and how you live out worship

in honoring Him with your choices..."

Jess Connolly

ISBN: 9780310345640

Grace is always good news. But it's not cheap—true grace compels us to change. That’s where holiness comes in.

Beloved writer, speaker, and bestselling coauthor of Wild and Free Jess Connolly will be the first to admit that not long ago, like many women, she grasped grace but she had forgotten holiness. Dance, Stand, Run charts her discovery that holiness was never meant to be a shaming reminder of what we “should” be doing, but rather a profound privilege of becoming more like Christ. That’s when we start to change the world, rather than being changed by it.

Dance, Stand, Run is an invitation to the daughters of God to step into the movements of abundant life: dancing in grace, standing firm in holiness, and running on mission. Through story and study, Jess casts a fresh vision for how to live into your identity as a holy daughter of God, how to break free of cheap grace and empty rule-keeping, and finally, how to live out your holy influence with confidence before a watching world. Spoiler alert: it’s a beautiful thing.

For anyone longing to take their place in what God is doing in the world, Dance, Stand, Run will rally your strength, refresh your purpose, and energize your faith in a God who calls us to be like Him.

Click here to follow Jess' blog

More to Your Story: Eph 1:11

Furthermore, because we are united with Christ,

we have received an inheritance from God,

for he chose us in advance, 

and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

Eph 1:11 NLT

Good morning Abba, Good morning Jesus, Good morning Holy Spirit,

Have you wrestled with the notion that there is more to your life, to your story? Do you enter your day with full knowledge that His script, His-story, His ending is designed for your glorious living?

When ever I ponder this truth, life seems overflowing with possibilities.

And then... I walk out of the peace of His presence and prepare for the day. Why?

In the book, More to Your Story by Max Lucado, discusses putting on the cloak of glory. To truly live without the "cloak of guilt," we must intentionally put on His cloak of glory. Claiming, accepting, proclaiming that God's story redeems our story. We are now redeemed, dressed in the goodness of Christ. Anointed.

His purpose is now our purpose. His will is now our will. His plans are now our plans. His divinity is now our passion. We are custom made by Abba, our Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. We can live freed from condemnation, secured and established, sealed and a joint heir to the Kingdom of Heaven. Through the workmanship of His hands we will be seen through to completion.

When the whisperer comes into your mind, a situation, an action of oppression, bringing forth shame, guilt, or fear... remember that our Lord's forgiveness is irrevocable! From Heaven God doesn't see our sins... He sees His Son blocking out our transgressions.

Let us walk in His promises, standing tall in His service, and enjoying His life that we are meant to experience. God is good... all of the time! With full authority from Jesus, we can rebuke, bind, and cast out every deceptive thought. We can rebuke, remind, and bind every evil that tries to steal, kill, and destroy. We can proclaim every scripture passage that speaks life, blessings, and promise.

Walk with intentional purpose... it is your inheritance!

"View these days on earth...

as but the opening lines of 

God's sweeping saga!

Max Lucado

  "Your life is a crafted narrative written by a great God, who is working toward your supreme good. Join Max on a journey through the great promises of the New Testament and discover your place in God’s plan. Everything changes when you see how your story fits with God’s story."

  With more than 130 million products in print and several NYT bestsellers, Max Lucado is America's bestselling inspirational author. He serves the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Denalyn, and their mischievous mutt, Andy. His next book is publishing August 2018 and is titled Unshakable Hope.

Watch Max's teachings: click here